《The Red Hand》


 Chapter 1 – For Some a Nightmare for Others a Paradise.

    Chapter 1 ¨C For Some a Nightmare for Others a Paradise.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Hello everyone! Thanks for reading my first story on SH! As you will quickly notice these first dozen or so chapters have a bit of a rough feeling to them. I did edit theseter for the digital/physical release to bring them up to the much better quality ofter chapters, but I decided to leave them as they were originally on here.


    Thanks for giving the story a chance, and I promise you that the writing/grammar quality increases rather quickly as things move on.


    Link to amazon is here


    Capital City June 22nd, 2058, approximately 5pm Free World Online (FWO) Standard Time.


    A young woman who looks no more than twenty years old can be seen sitting on the third-floor windowsill of what can only be described as a feudal manor.


    "If the assault team hasn''t hit any snags, they should be fighting Serval about now." (Akagi)


    Her hair is long and dark green with ck mixed in, it flows backwards almost seeming to stand against gravity. Her eyes are the color of amber while her skin is slightly pale.


    Her clothing consists of what appears to be a ck Kimono, a white Obi, and a Hanten of the same color as her hair, the back of which, bears a red hand print within a red circle. At the desk just beside her lies a very well-dressed man lying face-down in a pool of blood.


    "Well then, I suppose if this is to be myst day here, I might as well break out the good stuff." (Akagi) The young woman''s voice does not quite match her youthful appearance. It gives off an aura of maturity uncanny for someone who looks so young and it sounds cold yet strangelyforting like the gloaming of a warm autumn day. She reaches out into the air as a small ck distortion appears. A few momentster, she pulls out a bottle of Sake as well as a cup and some snacks.


    "There it is! Ayakashi Brand Sake all the way from the Emperor''s own personal collection. I''ve been saving you for the perfect asion, and I think being forced back to that unsatisfying life in Kyoto is a good enough reason to drink you." (Akagi)


    Akagi begins to pour the golden liquid into her small cup ¡°Ahhhh hell yes, just the smell alone is telling me this is going to be the best tasting drink I''ve ever had.¡± She brings the cup to her lips and takes a small sip. A few moments pass before she proceeds to down the entire cup in one shot. ¡°Holy hell! The Emperor''s private stock doesn''t disappoint! Man after having tasted this, anything IRL is just gonna taste like water. Ugh, just another reason I want to stay here.¡± (Akagi)


    An hour passed with Akagi merrily consuming the Sake and the snacks she brought out, things were rtively quiet with only a gentle breeze and the sound of the bustling city below. At one point a maid did attempt to enter the room only to catch sight of Akagi and her dead master before quietly retreating. This peace was interrupted when a small notification appeared in Akagi''s vision.


    <b>*PING*</b>


    Akagi took a few moments to read the message.


    "Looks like they got the boss down to its final health bar. Seems that all those previous attempts finally paid dividends. With their new strats and the healing items and abilities they have, there is no way the boss can defeat them. It''s basically default killing at this point." (Akagi)


    This attempt would be the 6th by the assault team to defeat the final World Boss Serval. The previous 5 attempts had cost the lives of some of the best and brightest of the assault team. But where each of those failures took away members they also gave valuable intel on how to defeat the Boss.


    "d I chose to bust out the Sake, it looks like we will be going home this time. Three years, eight months, and twelve days that''s the exact amount of time I got to experience my true calling in life." She takes a sip. "And now I have to return to a world and people who would never ept it, not to mention losing all these powers." (Akagi)


    "I''m sure right now most everyone else is cheering, ready to go home, see their families again and put this death game behind us." Akagi lets out a small chuckle.


    "I guess I can rte a little bit, even I will admit I miss Kana. She should be a Junior in Highschool this year, I wonder if she went to Tokyo like she was nning." She shakes her head. "I can imagine if any of these idiots here knew "the Red Hand" had a little sister she cared about they would find that funny. That idiot Hishya would probably ramble about fucking Gap Moe or something stupid." (Akagi)


    "Oh well, if they find an assassin having someone they care about funny then so be it. I might enjoy the job, but that doesn''t mean I have to act like some brooding edge lord." She lets out a small sigh and pours another cup.


    "A toast! To the death of "the Red Hand" Akagi and the rebirth of the boring girl.........." A look of bewildermentes over Akagi''s face. "I..... I don''t remember my name. Why don''t I remember it? We''ve only been in the game for just under four years. Did I really disassociate myself so much that I forgot my own name? I guess that goes to show just how much I''ve enjoyed being in this worl-" She stops herself. "How much I''ve enjoyed being Akagi so much." (Akagi)


    ¡°Akagi, ¡°the Red Hand¡± FWO''s finest assassin.¡± She says while dramatically waving her arms.


    ¡°Thesest three years have shown me so much about myself, more than I could have ever hoped for.¡± She says staring out into the City.


    ¡°Find your calling, pursue your passion and do something you love.¡± She lets out augh. ¡°Those were the words that my stupid guidance counselor said to me during my consultation at the start of Senior year.¡± Akagi cracks a wry smile


    ¡°I wonder what she would say if I told her what I found out my passion is.¡± She takes another sip of the sake.


    ¡°Not hard to imagine it, she would probably cry out in horror. Tell me how horrible it is and that such a way of life isn''t something that good and normal people even think about.¡± She lets her head hang for a moment.


    ¡°Now that I think about it. I wonder if I''ll go to jail when I get back?¡± She continued with a bored voice. ¡°Its not like I kept my identity a secret or anything and I''m sure the police back home will be able to put two and two together. Probably gonna be a lot of angry people. A lot of parents will surely be pissed. Hell, I wouldn''t be surprised if Kishizama wanted revenge for the death of Shizami even if that bastard had iting¡± (Akagi)


    ¡°Oh well, no sense in worrying about it now, whats done is done and I don''t regret any of it.¡± She takes another sip ¡°I don''t think this is exactly what Hishya meant when she told me to live my life with no regrets but hey, details.¡± (Akagi)


    Akagi pours another cup.


    ¡°The Hero of FWO, the Victor of Hussan, the me Empress; that girl racked up a good number of titles over thesest few years. I bet she will be heralded as a hero back home, lord knows the people here already idolize her. I can already imagine the articles: How Hishya the Hero of FWO defeated the World Bosses. FWO''s hero who kept everyone together during the Midnight Hawk Siege. The Hero who stood up to the Red Hand.¡± She lets out a slight chuckle. ¡°I wonder how everyone would feel knowing that even their so called hero needed my services.¡± (Agaki)


    Akagi then sat quietly on the windowsill staring out into the city, watching its residents go about their day until around thirty minutester she hears the familiar voice of the game system.


    <b>*DING*</b>


    <i>Congrattions yers!</i>


    <i>The World Boss Serval has been defeated.</i>


    <i>With his defeat, all ten World Bosses in Free World Online have been defeated!</i>


    <i>*Calcting Statistics*</i>


    <i>The defeat of the World Boss Serval resulted in the death of eight yers.</i>


    <i>This brings the total number of yers currently within FWO to 1,047 out of the original 3,000.</i>


    <i>Number of yers killed by monsters 1,542</i>


    <i>Number of yers killed by yers 219</i>


    <i>Number of yer suicides 126</i>


    <i>Number of yers killed by premature removal of VR Gear 21</i>


    <i>Number of yers killed by external health issues 15</i>


    <i>Number of yers killed by glitches 10</i>


    <i>Number of yers killed by drowning 10</i>


    <i>Number of yers killed by non-monster wildlife 5</i>


    <i>Number of yers killed by chickens 3</i>


    <i>Number of yers killed by NPCs 2</i>


    <i>Number of yers who became limit breakers 1 </i>


    <i>yer with the highest number of yer Kills (Akagi) 104</i>


    <i>yer with the highest number of monster kills (Hishya</i>) 20,458


    <i>yer with the highest number of NPC kills (ProGamer) 3,954</i>


    <i>yer with the highest number of Crafted Items (Destructive Imp) 24,374</i>


    <i>yer with the highest personal bounty (Akagi)126,453,523 Gold Coins</i>


    <i>yer with the................</i>


    and the list went on for some time.<i> </i>


    <i>With a total of 1,047 out of 3,000 yers remaining this rounds to a 35% survival rate and enables 100 yers to receive the final reward!</i>


    <i>Congrattions to those who have survived my game and congrattions to those award winners!</i>


    <i>As promised all surviving yers will be logged out, thank you for ying Free World Online and I look forward to seeing your futures!</i>


    "Wait rewards? What rewards, what the hell is the point of rewards when we are about the be logged out anyway? And why the hell has the system started talking in first person? Akagi was very confused.


    A few momentster a notification appeared in her vision.


    <i>Dear Akagi:</i>


    <i>Congrattions on not only surviving Free World Online but bing the only person to achieve the status of limit breaker! Your assassinations put the entire world on edge and you were feared and respected for your power and ability by both yers and NPCs alike! As such, you have been selected as one of the one hundred yers to receive my special reward! Please continue to foster your natural talents and show the world just how terrifying "the Red Hand" truly is! Additionally, for achieving the status of limit breaker an additional reward has been deposited in your inventory, enjoy and I look forward to working with you in the future!</i>


    <i>Sincerely your friend Mizumi</i>


    Akagi was visibly confused. "Extra reward? Limit Breaker? Continue to foster my talents? What the hell is the system talking about!" ¡°And who the hell is Mizumi?!!!¡± Her heart began to beat faster as she considered all of the possible meanings behind the message. However, before she was able to make any headway she was suddenly greeted with another notification.


    <b>*PING*</b>


    Beginning logout! See youter!


    Suddenly, a bright sh of light blinded Akagi, she felt weightless and for a brief moment, she thought that the system had lied to her and killed her instead. However, after what felt like hours she soon found herself staring at a small clear stic visor which contained a menu for the VR helmet. This sudden change made her stomach retch and caused her to choke on her own saliva.


    After she gained control of her breathing she could hear someone shouting nearby "Doctor! She''s awake! The patient''s awake!"(???) After a few moments, it became clear to Akagi that she was in a hospital, and was likely moved here not long after being trapped in FWO so that she wouldn''t die while in heratose state. Everything felt strange, the roughness of the bedsheets, the cold air on her skin along with so many other sensations, it was enough to overwhelm her. FWO was an extremely advanced game boasting the most advanced AI in VR history. However, Akagi and the others had only been given ess to the Alpha build. As such, less important senses such as touch were underdeveloped and could only give rough approximations of the intended sensations.


    Suddenly being able to feel everything perfectly was all the confirmation that Akagi needed to prove that she had indeed been logged out.


    Numerous different voices could be heard, most likely from the hospital staff, who seemed to be a panic. They didn''t expect her to actually wake up and were taken aback by her sudden return. After a few minutes Akagi attempted to move her arms to remove the VR helmet but found that while she could move her arms somewhat, she simply did not have the strength to lift the helmet.


    {<i>Makes sense not moving for four years would definitely atrophy my muscles.</i>} (Akagi)


    ¡°Ahhhh, you shouldn''t be moving around miss, your in no state to do anything right now its far too dangerous!¡± (???)


    A momentter a woman wearing nursing scrubs came into view.


    ¡°Here, let me get that helmet off you, I can imagine you''re disorientated and would like to get that thing off your head.¡± (Nurse)


    The nurse carefully lifted her head and removed the helmet.


    ¡°There we go, I can imagine that feels much bet-¡± The nurse stopped mid sentence as she went wide-eye as she looked at Akagi. It took a few moments for her to regain herposure and continue speaking.


    "Um.... Doctor Amherst I think you need toe in here right now!" (Nurse)


    Spoiler


    Original Akagi Artwork! (Later chapters use better ones.)


    [copse]

 Chapter 2 – A Face that Others Could Never Forget.

    Chapter 2 ¨C A Face that Others Could Never Forget.


    {<i>Huh, I don''t think a freaked-out Nurse is a good sign.} </i>(Akagi)


    A few seconds after the nurse''s shouting a voice can be heard from the hallway just outside of the room.


    "I''ming, I''ming, I am aware that the patient has awoken but I don''t think shouting is necessary Kirika." (???) The owner of the voice soon after enters the room and it quickly bes apparent that this individual is a doctor based on his clothing. "Now then what is so important about her condition that you felt the need...... to..... shout......." As he sets his eyes on Akagi, the doctor bes visibly perplexed and is slightly taken aback, but quickly regains hisposure. "Well, I suppose Ms. Rishia having apletely different hair and eye color is grounds for some concern and surprise. Please bring me her chart it should be in my office on my desk."


    Akagi noticed that the doctor standing at the foot of her bed is not Japanese, rather, he looks American with his brown hair and grey eyes. His hair is slightly graying but he only looks to be in his mid forties. Appearances like his are something Akagi had seen in the many American tourists in Kyoto over the years.


    {<i>Am I in an American hospital? No that wouldn''t make sense, that Nurse is clearly Japanese and there is no way they could fly me across the Pacific without the headset killing me. At least it seems like he speaks Japanese, I would rather not rely on my very poor English if I don''t have to.} (Akagi)</i>


    "Ah, my apologies you''re probably a little confused after waking up. My name is David Amherst and you are currently in Kyoto Central Hospital. You were moved here with your parent''s permission not long after it was made public that Free World Online''s Alpha testers could not leave the game. " he says with a frown. "The United Nations created a task force which brought together doctors who specialize inatose patients. As well as those with experience treating patients in/with VR, like myself." His expression darkens. " As you no doubt know, we were unable to do anything to help you beyond simply keeping your physical bodies alive. There were a few attempts to remove the headgear from yers but....." (Amherst)


    {<i>If I recall correctly, there were a few cases of yers dying suddenly for no discernible reason. Makes sense, we always figured people on the outside removing it would kill us but we had no way to 100% confirm that; poor bastards.</i>}<i> </i>(Akagi)


    "Are you able to speak at all? I wouldn''t be surprised you found it difficult with the significant muscle atrophy." (Amherst)


    Akagi took in a deep breath "Yes.. I can... it''s a little difficult but I should be able to speak." she said in a weak voice.


    "Good, that makes things much easier, can you tell me if all of the yers were able to log out, or are you the only one? (Amherst)


    Akagi slowly exined to Dr. Amherst how the assault team had defeated the final World Boss and the system stated that it would log everyone out as promised.


    At first, the Doctor''s face was quite happy but it slowly turned to sadness.


    "It''s good to hear that all those people will no longer be trapped in that nightmare, but I can''t help but feel regret for not being do anything." he said almost on the verge of crying "Almost two thousand people dead and there was nothing we could do but just sit and watch from the sidelines. All the advancements in technology, both hardware and software and we couldn''t even figure out <b>HOW</b> the damn headgear was killing people. Every day I wondered how many more of you would die and if there would be anyone left to save." At this point, Dr. Amherst was crying. "My apologies, I seem to have let my emotions get the better of me. I''m d this ordeal is over and I suppose we will have to deal with the aftermath."


    Not even a minuteter the nurse returned with what looked like a file folder. "Here you are doctor." (Nurse) "Thank you Kirika, can you do me a favor and contact both her family as well as Chief Nakagumo and schedule a meeting with Dr. Ishihara ASAP." (Amherst)


    He looked over at Akagi.


    "Kirika will contact your family, I suspect they will be here quite quickly. Your sister, her name is Kana I believe, visited you quite regrly over thesest four years. That girl swore up and down that if anyone would survive being trapped in that game it was you. She called you, what were the words, a <i>Gaming Genius </i>and said<i> </i>no game could best you." He let out a small chuckle. "I''m d to see she was right." (Amherst)


    "In the meantime, I am going to need to perform some checks on your body, nothing major I just want to go over your vitals." (Amherst)


    Naturally, Akagi agreed, after all, she was also concerned about the state of her body after effectively being in aa for four years. The doctor had not lied when he said the checks would be basic, and after a few minutes he was finished. "Everything seems normal, well as normal for someone this atrophied can be, but nothing dangerous. Now then, we move on to what is likely to be the most ufortable part about this. Ms. Rishia from what I can see your appearance has changed. Your eyes are now the color of amber, and your hair has a great deal of green mixed into it. You also appear to have grown slightly and your skin has paled to a noticeable degree. Although, that may be a side effect from being in aa-like state. From what your information tells me this is a little different than your normal ck hair and brown eyes." (Amherst)


    He looked at Akagi with a sympathetic look, but also with a mild amount of confusion. Clearly, physical changes to those trapped within FWO were not something anticipated and you could tell he had no idea how this urred.


    "Do you have any idea how this might have happened? Because I honestly don''t understand at all. I''ve worked withatose patients before and while I''ve seen some issues, this is frankly baffling." (Amherst)


    After thinking for a minute Akagi asked "Do you have a mirror?"


    "Huh, yes there should be one in the room, give me one moment." (Amherst) The doctor then quickly went to the other side of the room and grabbed a small portable mirror and held it up so that Akagi could see her image.


    What greeted her was a face she was all too familiar with. A face she could never forget and a face she hade to love. After inspecting it for a few moments Akagi began tough quite hard, loud enough to startle Dr. Amherst. Taken aback by this sudden outburst, he became concerned that her new appearance had caused mental distress, but she quickly assured him that nothing was wrong.


    "This face," Akagi stated with a surprising amount of vigor. "This face is mine. Or at least it''s the face that I created within FWO. There is no way I could mistake it. This face, this hair, these eyes all of it is mine and it greeted me every day for thest four years whenever I saw my reflection." Akagi said with a small smile.


    {<i>I wonder if this is the reward promised by the system? If it is, I''m not exactly gonnain.} </i>(Akagi)


    It was obvious to Dr. Amherst that Akagi was ted with this discovery and he was not exactly sure how to react. On the one hand, he wanted to be happy for her that she had received something positive from this ordeal. But on the other hand, there was no telling what sort of effects this change might have on her body.


    "I...see if this was the appearance of your game avatar then I understand why you would approve of it. However, I do not understand how such a change is even possible." (Amherst)


    <i>{This doesn''t make any sense, we never detected any interaction between the body and the headgear. Hell, we don''t even understand how the headgear killed people as everyone who died simply "shut down" as we termed it. Their bodies just stopped functioning and they died. But now you''re telling me this headgear.... NO this game can change people''s bodies to look like their Avatar???? How the fuck am I supposed to even begin to understand this? God, Ishihara is gonna go nuts over this."} (</i>Amherst<i>)</i>


    Akagi was equally in the dark about the transformation. She thought that it might have something to do with the Reward she was promised by the system but decided to keep quiet about that as she had nothing but spection to go off of.


    "We will need to run extensive tests once you are well enough to move. I am not trying to put a damper on your happiness but I believe it would be best to move cautiously in case there are side effects from this change." (Amherst)


    Dr. Amherst then spent the next forty-five minutes going over a series of questions with Akagi. The questions mostly focused on her memory, and cognitive functions as well as on anything which might be helpful for the medical team.


    "Well, it seems that everything is normal, although its quite unusual for someone to forget their name.¡± He looked at Akagi with some concern. ¡°From what you''ve told me though I would be inclined to agree with your assessment. It would seem that you disassociated yourself from the real world to the point that you genuinely forgot it, rather than it being forgotten as a result of any mental damage. Of course, I will insist on an MRI of your brain to check for any issues." (Amherst)


    {<i>Rishia Tomogawa, so that was my original name. Hearing it, I understand why I chose to forget it. Honestly, it feels strange to be called that, almost... wrong I guess is the word for it? The name Akagi definitely suits me much better.} </i>She smiled internally. {<i>Strange, why do I get this feeling that a familiar presence is approaching this room? Actually, no it''s not one but three. Am I going nuts, because this is the same feeling I got with my detect presence skill in FWO?} </i>(Akagi)


    Akagi chose to brush this off, for the moment, chalking it up to the side effects of being immersed in full dive for far longer than was healthy.


    "All right, your family will likely be arriving soon so I will take my leave so that you may spend time with them when you arrive. I will inform the nurses that rules regarding visiting hours do not apply to you since I can imagine you have much to discuss with your family." He said with a smile.


    "Don''t push yourself too hard you need to focus on resting and recovering it will be a long road but you will pull through." (Amherst)


    *BANG*


    Just then the door to the room flew open and a young girl with a ck ponytail and wearing a school uniform barged into the room. Akagi instantly knew who this was.


    "ONEE-CHAN!!!!!!" (Kana)


    Spoiler


    Original Kana Artwork! (Later chapters use better ones.)


    [copse]

 Chapter 3 – Reunion and Reality.

    Chapter 3 ¨C Reunion and Reality.


    "ONEE-CHAN!!!!!!" the girl screamed. "Onee-chan are you really awake?!?" Kana screamed.


    "Ms. Kana, I know you are happy to see your sister again and I can sympathize with you, but I would ask that you keep the volume to a reasonable level." Amherst chuckled.


    "Ahhh..... Sorry, Mr. Amherst." Kana''s face goes slightly red from embarrassment. Dr. Amherst returned a smile. "I just finished up my examination of your sister, she is cognisant and vocal but I would ask that you don''t push her too much. Where are your parents? I should speak with them." (Amherst)


    "They should be on their way up, I might have broken out into a sprint when I got out of the car," Kana says while scratching her face.


    "I see, then I will leave your sister in your care." (Amherst) Dr. Amherst swiftly left the room and started talking to one of the nurses as he entered the hallway.


    Kana approached the hospital bed that contained Akagi. Her eyes were already starting to get moist it was clear that she was on the verge of tears.


    "Onee-chan, are you really back?" She asked, "Is it finally over?"


    Akagi let out a smallugh. "Yeah kiddo, I''m back. Your <i>Gaming Genius</i> keeps her undefeated record just a little longer. Not even a literal death game was enough to beat me!." Akagi says with a bright smile.


    At this point, the proverbial dam broke and Kana began to cry. She came up to Akagi and ced her hands on top her hers.


    "I...I....I....I thought I would never see you again." She says through her tears. "Every day, I was so scared. Scared that we would get the message that you were dead. I watched the number of living yers drop from 3,000 to 2,000 to nearly 1,000." Her tears got worse. "Each time I saw that a yer other than you had died I was d. All that mattered was that you were still alive and that someone else had died instead of you." At this point, she was crying so hard she couldn''t even speak.


    Akagi ced a hand on her head "It''s alright, It''s alright. I''m here now Kana. It''s over."


    Kana continued to cry for a few minutes before she calmed down enough to speak.


    "Kana, there is nothing wrong with being happy that the person you cared about was alive. Some might find that cold or cruel, but it''s human nature to want your loved ones to live. During thesest four years, I''ve seen people do horrible things to others; just to ensure that those they cared about survived." (Akagi)


    "Was it really ok for me to think that way? Doesn''t that make me a terrible person?" (Kana)


    It was clear to Akagi that this had been eating away at Kana.


    "No, no Kana it just makes you human. Nothing more and nothing less." Akagi replied with a smile.


    <i>{I can imagine Hishya would retort by asking if I was even human at this point. And she wouldn''t exactly be wrong, not that she is either.} (Akagi)</i>


    "Um... Onee-chan." Kana said nervously. "Do you know about your.... hair and your.... eyes." Kana asked with visible concern.


    "Yes, Kana I do." Akagi responded instantly. "And before you ask, my appearance seems to have changed to match my Avatar in FWO. I have no idea how this happened, but I don''t care. After all, this means that Akagi lives on." Akagi''s glee from being able to keep her appearance was visible on her face.


    "Akagi? Who is that?" Kana asked.


    "<b>I </b>am Akagi" she answered with a slightly deeper and louder voice. ¡°Akagi is me and I am Akagi. The person I always was, the person I was always meant to be. That''s who Akagi is.¡±


    It was obvious that Kana had no idea what she was talking about and confusion and concern were stered all over her face.


    "During those four years in FWO, I got to experience the most fun I''ve ever had in my entire life Kana. I spent every day training myself, pushing all my game knowledge to the limit and then some. My skill made me virtually untouchable, my name alone was enough to terrify yers and NPCs alike. Not a day went by where I didn''t feel joy at just being alive! I found it, Kana. I found my calling in life. I found what I am passionate about, what I lived for, and what I am good at. I wasn''t just ying a game as a character Kana. I truly became Akagi." (Akagi)


    Kana became concerned. She had never heard her sister talk this way and with this kind of conviction and excitement before. Not even when she was ying games back home did she see this level of joy on her sister''s face. She could tell deep down whatever Akagi had found in FWO had truly brought her happiness. Of course, that begged the all important question, one she found herself afraid to ask.


    "And... And what are you good at Onee-chan." Kana asked with concern.


    "Assassination." Akagi replied with a grin that sent chills up her sister''s spine.


    As Kana considered the implications of what she had just been told by her sister, time seemed to stop. Kana had known for many years that her sister didn''t know what she wanted to do with her life. While Kana''s grades were excellent, she was even heralded as a genius, her sister''s were mediocre to the point where some people questioned how they could be rted. Kana never cared about this gap and was always just happy to have her sister. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for their parents who treated Akagi poorly. Their parents would constantly berate Akagi for how much worse she was than her younger sister and they made it obvious that they were embarrassed by her. It got to the point where they stopped referring to Akagi as their daughter unless they absolutely had to.


    Naturally, this harmed Akagi''s mental and physical well-being and even resulted in her briefly being admitted to a psychiatric hospital when she was twelve. While she was eventually released with a clean bill of health, it was clear to Kana that her sister was neverpletely the same after that experience. From that day forward, her parents essentially stopped dealing with Akagi. They treated her as a ghost in her own home only proving the bare minimum to avoid ims of neglect. Their parents then spent all their time and resources on Kana who they believed had a better future. Even though she was young, Kana knew that the treatment of her sister was wrong and she tried on a few asions to make changes. But, Akagi always stopped her, telling her that it was not worth the trouble and that she would be fine without her parents.


    As the years went by, Kana noticed more and more that Akagi had withdrawn from society as she spent more and more time on gaming. Eventually, it had gotten to the point that Akagi only left the house to go to school or to spend time with Kana. All this time, Kana could only ask herself, why her sister didn''t hate her, why she didn''t resent her. After all, Kana believed that without her, their parents would never have acted so cruelly toward her sister.


    As time went on, Akagi and Kana grew older. The two began spending more and more time together. They would y games, hang out, and just generally spend time together as sisters. It was during this time that Kana came to understand her sister''s genius. What shecked in academic ability she more than made up for in her ability to y and master any kind of game. Be they board games, card games, video games, or any other her sister was terrifyingly good at them. She encouraged her sister to lean into her talents telling her "I''m sure you will find what you love in gaming onee-chan! After all, there is no one better than you!"


    Now, all these yearster her sister has finally told her what had made her happy. The joy in Kana''s heart from being reunited with her sister was brought to a screeching halt. The journey Kana sent her sister on led Akagi to believe that being an assassin was her calling. Was this really the path she was meant to follow? Or was it something that urred because of Kana? The thought that she had essentially doomed her sister was too much to bear for the girl.


    Akagi became concerned when Kana froze up.


    "Kana, hey Kana are you alright!" (Akagi)


    "Is....Is it my fault? Did I do this to you?" Kana asked while holding back tears. "I told you to find your happiness in gaming and...and now....." (Kana)


    Kana began to cry and shake vigorously. As someone who had gone through a mental breakdown once, Akagi knew exactly what was going on.


    ¡°Kana! Kana, listen to me it''s not your fault!¡± (Akagi)


    However, no matter how many times she called out to her sister it was clear that none of her words were getting through.


    Akagi tried to sit up but found that she had no strength.


    <i>{Damnnit this fucking body is useless, what I wouldn''t do to have my body strengthening right now} </i>(Akagi)


    Just as that thought left her head, she suddenly felt a rush of energy flow throughout her body. It was an all too familiar feeling, one that she knew from her countless days in FWO, one that she shouldn''t be able to feel in the real world.


    Akagi''s confusion was quickly reced with action as she grabbed Kana and pulled her into an embrace.


    "NOTHING IS YOUR FAULT YOU HEAR ME!" Akagi yelled "I became the person I am today of my own free will. You don''t control me or my life and what I choose to do is not your fault nor your responsibility." She forced her sister to look into her eyes. "Kana you brought me strength when I needed it most, you kept me alive for all these years and gave me hope when I had none. Look in my eyes Kana do you see a person who regrets what they became or what they have done? Do you see a person so weak that they would be controlled by the will of another?" (Akagi)


    A few moments pass as Kana stares into her sister''s amber eyes.


    "No," Kana replied weakly


    "Exactly, I made my decision when I took my first life in FWO and I''ve never once regretted it, and I don''t want you to regret pushing me to find what makes me happy." (Akagi)


    The two siblings held each other in a tight embrace for several minutes without saying anything.


    "Are you ok now?" (Akagi)


    "Uh-huh," Kana says with her face buried in Akagi''s chest.


    "Good, now you should probably get off me I doubt straining my body is a smart idea right now." (Akagi)


    "Sorry! You shouldn''t have strained yourself for me." She said quickly standing up. "I''m surprised that you could even move that much looking like you do." (Kana)


    "Heh. I couldn''t just let my sister stand there crying right in front of me now, could I? Besides, I saw what was going on, you were on the verge of going through what I did all those years ago. I sure as hell don''t want you to go through that. (Akagi)


    <i>{Let''s not mention how I just used my physical strengthening ability from FWO. That might make things even more confusing. Why can I use that in the real world? Can I use any other abilities? Questions forter.}</i> (Akagi)


    Kana let out a chuckle


    "Thanks, Onee-chan. I''m not going to pretend that I understand everything you''ve been through both in FWO and at home. Your "<i>career choice" </i>was definitely not what I expected when I told you to find your happiness in gaming<i>. </i>I always thought you would be a pro gamer or a content creator, not an assassin! While I don''tpletely understand, I can say that no matter what, you will always be my sister, and I will always love you no matter what. Besides, if I left you alone who knows what kind of trouble you would get into." (Kana)


    The two siblings exchanged wide smiles. Their bond remained unshakable as ever and perhaps even grew deeper. However, a small sparkle in Kana''s eye which had gone unnoticed by Akagi gave the impression that Kana had not said everything on her mind.


    <i>{So Onee-chan is an assassin? I guess I''ll have my work cut out for me if I''m going to support her. I don''t know if I can agree with such a lifestyle, but I''ll do my best to help her!}</i>(Kana)


    Yes, for while many jokingly called Kana obsessed with her older sister. Few would ever understand just how far she was willing to go for her.

 Chapter 4 – A Schism, A Mask and the Future.

    Chapter 4 ¨C A Schism, A Mask and the Future.


    It wasn''t muchter that Akagi and Kana''s parents entered the room. Their stay was brief and it seemed that nothing had changed in the four years Akagi had been gone. The two of them were more worried about Kana andined that Akagi''s condition could have caused Kana''s grades to drop. They berated Akagi for her gaming <i>habit </i>causing problems for the family and told her that she had better figure out her life quickly as they wouldn''t be helping her now that she was nearly twenty-one.


    Naturally, Kana was furious; for the first time in her life, Akagi watched as Kana yelled at her parents. Kana had never been one for arguing and would rarely get mad, let alone scream at someone. Their parents were taken aback by this sudden outburst and at first, med Akagi''s influence but this only set Kana off even more. It seemed that all the stress and resentment towards her parents had finallye to a head and Kana was finally saying what had been on her mind for nearly a decade.


    Once Kana was finished, she "<i>requested</i>" their parents to leave and told them that she would have a friend drive her home. Akagi watched this entire thing with ostensible shock but deep down, she had known this wasing for years. She knew that Kana adored her and that she hated how her parents treated her. For years she had always talked Kana down from confronting them by telling her that she would one day leave and that the issue would solve itself. Of course, getting trapped in FWO for nearly four years had thrown a slight wrench into those ns.


    It didn''t help that during her time in FWO their parents had been less than supportive. Sure they treated Kana as well as they always had, but it was as if they didn''t even acknowledge that their other daughter''s life was endangered. Apparently, they even told Kana that that her schoolwork was more important than visiting her hospitalized sister. Naturally, Kana ignored theseints and there was little that their parents could do to stop her.


    Despite everything, Akagi wanted Kana to have a normal rtionship with their parents. Whether their love of Kana was because they saw her as a meal ticket is up to spection. But from the outside, they were supportive and loving to her and Akagi wanted it to stay that way. Of course, there were plenty of times when Akagi wanted to put a wedge between Kana and their parents, but she always held off on doing so out of love for her sister.


    After their parents left, the two sisters continued their conversation. Kana asked Akagi to tell her about what happened in FWO over thosest four years and Akagi obliged. She kept nothing from Kana telling her how she had spent her time there as an assassin taking contracts from yers and NPCs alike. Contrary to Akagi''s expectations, Kana took it all in stride bing interested in the details of Akagi''s work.


    {<i>I''m not sure whether I should be happy or concerned that Kana has taken such an interest in my line of work. Perhaps she is more fascinated by the absurdity than anything else?} </i>(Akagi)


    Eventually, Kana asked about a specific yer.


    "If I''m not mistaken, before you went into FWO you had been talking with that friend of yours Hishya right? You were supposed to y together, was she in the game?" Kana asked


    Akagi thought for a second.


    "I wouldn''t say Hishya and I are friends. If anything, we could best be called kindred spirits." (Akagi)


    Kana looked at her, confused. "Kindred spirits?"


    "Both of us had no idea what we wanted to do in life. We spent all our spare time ying games because they gave us something we needed." Akagi remarked.


    "I yed games to get away from reality, to split myself off from the world around me. This led to me taking actions in games that would be considered far from eptable in the real world. Essentially, I yed the bad guy and I loved every second of it. I understand now that this wasn''t just some wanton escapism but rather my real personality which I had been suppressing." Akagi chuckled.


    "Hishya, like me, used gaming to let her real self out. In-game, Hishya would always ensure she was the center of attention. Not in an annoying way mind you, she was smart. She would always find the niche would be in the center of any action, would naturally work her way into leadership roles, and generally made herself indisposable. She did this bybining her skill and charisma into a terrifyingly effectivebination. This ensured that when it came down to it everyone would be d she was around." Akagi continued


    "And why does she do this you might ask? It''s simple, she is vain as hell. She loves watching people fawn over her and praise her. At this point, I''m convinced she gets off to it. She ruthlessly takes down anyone else who might outshine her and ensures that she reigns supreme. She did this in FWO to great effect and I''m sure in theing weeks, you will hear all kinds of stories about Hishya the hero, and her many feats of bravery. Naturally, every one of those was a deliberate act to increase her reputation. I can''t be mad at the girl, hell I might even be inclined to praise her myself since it takesmitment to pull this off." Akagi took a deep breath.


    "Listen, Kana, FWO was just as much of a gift to her as much as it was for me. Now that she has all this fame and adoration from there, who knows what she will do next. I wouldn''t consider her a bad person but......" Akagi warned.


    Kana was taken aback by all this information and made a mental note to add Hishya to the top of her <u>People dangerous to Onee-chan</u> list.


    A little whileter, two police detectives arrived and began collecting information from Akagi. They wanted to know what had urred in FWO and if she could help them to pinpoint the person responsible for this event. Of course, Akagi was just as in the dark as they were and couldn''t tell them much about the mastermind. However, she was able to confirm that the system voice used in the game matched the voice of the one who informedw enforcement that the yers were trapped four years prior.


    Of course, Akagi had no choice but to disclose to the detectives what she had been doing during her time in FWO. She informed them that she had been an assassin who had killed many yers during these four years. However, to both her and Kana''s surprise, she was told that she was off the hook for those deaths. They exined using some veryplex legal exnation that she couldn''t be held responsible. The only thing she managed to even remotely understand was that part of the reasoning stemmed from an inability to understand how the yers had actually died. From what she was told, they never detected any interaction between the headgear and the yer''s bodies and thus the cause of death couldn''t be determined.


    Kana seemed to have no trouble following theplex exnation, which Akagi found cute. But then again something like this was nothing out of the ordinary for her sister.


    The detectives did say that just because she couldn''t be held legally responsible for those deaths, that didn''t mean the court of public opinion was safe. They told her that, most likely, this information would be made public and that there was little they could do to protect her from societal bacsh. Of course, Akagi didn''t really care what other people thought of her. Kana seemed to have epted her for who she was and that was all that mattered.


    The detectives stayed for almost two hours, asking a seemingly never-ending barrage of questions. Akagi had been close to asking them to leave when they dered they were finished and would return if they had any further queries. After that, Akagi sent Kana home, something the girl vehemently opposed. After some convincing and reminding her that she could simplye back tomorrow Kana called her friend from school and got a ride home.


    It was now well after dark, Akagi was alone in her room and the hospital was eerily quiet.


    <i>{Now then, with today''s game of two thousand fucking questions done. It''s time to see what the hell is going on with my body. First of all, let''s confirm that I can actually use body strengthening and that earlier wasn''t a fluke.} </i>(Akagi)


    Akagi took a moment to remember the sensation from earlier and cross it with how she understood body strengthening in the game. What resulted was an all too familiar sensation spreading throughout her body and into each and every muscle.


    <i>{Well, that confirms that I can use body-strengthening magic in the real world. In fact, I can sense my magic pool as I did in the game only this time it''s more of a feeling rather than a status bar.} </i>She brought her hand up and snapped her fingers causing a small amount of fire to appear above her them.


    <i>{I can use my fire magic too. How is this even possible, it was just a game, a simtion made of electricity and code, things carrying over IRL shouldn''t be possible.} </i>


    <i>{The only exnation I have is the reward the system spoke about right at the end. So does that mean 99 other people havee back into the real world as their characters? And if we got to keep our skills, I wonder if.....} </i>Akagi''s mouth changed to a wry smile as she reached her hand out in front of her.


    Suddenly, a small ck distortion appeared causing Akagi to be excited as she reached inside. After a few moments, she withdrew her hand bringing with her a sheathed Wakizashi. After a few moments, she slowly unsheathed the de and pointed it toward the ceiling.


    "Ha ha Ha ha Ha ha Ha ha Ha ha Ha ha Ha ha" Akagi began tough in pure delight. "Well my friend, I guess this means we''re just getting started."


    Spoiler


    World Breaker!


    [copse]

 Chapter 5 – School Smarts and Connected Friends

    Chapter 5 ¨C School Smarts and Connected Friends


    *RINNNNNNNNNNNNNNG*


    "Alright ss, it''s time for lunch, make sure you don''t forget to do your reading assignment and the corresponding homework for chapter two." (Female teacher)


    "Thank goodness" (Student 1)


    "I''m starving" (Student 2)


    "Can you show me your math homework?" (Student 3)


    The students proceed to break for lunch, with some heading to the cafeteria while others sat at their friend''s desks to chat and eat together.


    However, one blue-haired girl decided to run straight to Kana''s desk before jumping andnding face first on top of it. "Help me, Kana, this math homework is killing me; I don''t understand it at all!"(Mika)


    "Come on now Mika, you should know it''s dangerous to jump around like that. I''m sure Kana would help you even if you asked normally." The purple-haired girl behind her said with an exasperated look on her face.


    These are Kana''s closest friends, Mika Yuminaka and Naomi Tokugawa respectively. They had gotten to know each other during their freshman year at Kyoto High school and became fast friends. As you can imagine this wasn''t the first time that Mika hade to Kana for help.


    "Eh-heh, you might be right, but it''s more fun to do this," Mika replied with a bright smile.


    "I guess your right, hitting your head a few more times won''t hurt you, it might even help you out," Naomi replies with augh


    "How could you say something so mean Naomi, must be that Tokugawa blood in you that sucks out all the fun," Mika replied sharply.


    The two girls locked their eyes in a staring contest for several seconds until.


    "Pfff." (Mika)


    "Pfff." (Naomi)


    "Ahahahahahah"(Mika and Naomi)


    The two girls began tough quite hard. Such banter had bemon between them over thest two years and was actually part of the reason they became such good friends.


    "The two of you really are idiots, aren''t you?" Kana says with a cheeky smile. "At this point, you should just be aedy duo with how well you have the act down at this point.


    "Sounds great, when do we start Naomi!" (Mika)


    "I''ll pass, I have a feeling that my ancestors would spin in their graves if I tried that," Naomi said with a smile.


    "Ah yes, I''m sure Ieyasu would be angry if one of his descendants was making peopleugh rather than boring them to death." (Mika)


    Indeed Naomi was a proper descendant of "the" Tokugawa Ieyasu. Although her family doesn''t have much in the way of direct influence it''s still quite prestigious and she is treated as minor celebrity. Why this daughter of the Tokugawa n was attending a school in Kyoto, no one knows.


    "To answer your question Mika, I don''t mind helping you but need I remind you of yourst tutoring session with me?" Kana said with an almost sadistic grin.


    Seeing the look on Kana''s face, Mika shuddered remembering the almost spartan teaching method she used.


    "Naomi help me instead! I forgot Kana stands far beyond us mere mortals!" Mika cried.


    "Uhm.... you do remember that I''m terrible at math too? Right?" Naomi replied with an embarrassed look on her face.


    "NO! I don''t want to go back to the spartan training again. Wahhhh!" Mika began to il around in a panic.


    "It''s either this or risk taking the make-up over and over again? Which will it be, I don''t mind tutoring the both of you." On the outside, it appeared that Kana was warmly smiling, but her two friends could see the evil hidden behind it.


    With no other choice, the two agreed.


    "I feel like I just sold my soul to a demon." (Mika)


    "At least the demon in question is someone as cute as Kana." (Naomi)


    "While I''m d you think of me that way, if you think I''m scary you should see Onee-chan, I''ve got nothing on her," Kana replied with a smile. ¡°She can be downright terrifying when ites to her gaming.¡±


    "Oh yeah, didn''t you say that your sister was getting out of the hospital today? It''s only been a month, has that been enough recovery time? Naomi asked with concern.


    "She recovered much faster than anyone expected, regaining almost 100% of her muscle mass and mobility. You should have seen the look on Dr. Amherst''s face when he saw her walking aroundst week." (Kana)


    Akagi''s recovery had been almost miraculous. Under normal circumstances, it should have taken months for her body to recover from nearly four years of non-use. Behind closed doors, the doctors suspected that her rapid recovery had something to do with her changed body, but they couldn''t be sure. Kana also suspected that her sister had been hiding something from her, but chose not to ask for now.


    "Well, that''s great news! I''m d your sister was able to recov-" Naomi froze mid-sentence. "I''m so sorry Mika, that was insensitive to say things like that in front of you," Naomi said apologetically.


    "Huh? I told you it''s fine. Sure, I wish my brother had managed to survive FWO, but that doesn''t mean that Kana can''t be happy her sister survived. I would never take that away from her." Mika replied with a small smile.


    "Speaking of my brother. Would it be possible to go with you to see your sister? I wanted to ask her if she knew anything about my brother. We don''t even know how he died and I don''t know anyone else to ask." (Mika)


    ¡°I don''t mind, but let me ask my sister. I doubt she will care if you woulde, Naomi do you want toe too? I''m going right after ss today.¡± (Kana)


    "Sure, I must admit I kinda want to meet this sister you''re so fond of myself," Naomi replied. "If you want, I can ask my driver to take us and drop you and your sister at your house."


    "If that''s not an inconvenience to you that would be great." (Kana)


    Naomi gave a bright smile.


    Naomi was indeed curious to meet Kana''s older sister. After all, her friend had talked her up the entire time they''d known each other, so naturally, she was interested in seeing how true her boasts were. But she had another objective. While the Tokugawa family''s influence in modern Japan was minimal, her family''s connections meant she could get certain information the general public was not privy to. Naomi had heard some interesting <i>rumors</i> about Akagi and was interested in confirming them for herself.


    <i>{That girl, if what I''ve heard is even half true, she could be the most dangerous of all the returnees. She could also be just the answer I''ve been searching for.} </i>(Naomi)


    Naomi pushed these thoughts to the back of her head. She would approach Akagi with the intent of feeling her out. She couldn''t afford to jeopardize her friendship with Kana, not with how valuable she is, and would refrain from taking any action which might upset her.


    <i>{Akagi, I sincerely hope you''re the kind of person my sources and your sister say you are.} </i>Naomi silently prayed in her mind.


    The girls then spent their lunch together; music and anime were the primary topics with a few others sprinkled in. The rest of the school day came and went with little fanfare, the only notable event being Mika getting yelled at for falling asleep during literature ss.


    *RINNNNNNNNNNNNNNG*


    "Alright ss, don''t forget your homework for next week and I will see you all on Monday. And Ms. Yuminaka each time you fall asleep in my ss, the book I use will get heavier. " (Male teacher)


    The entire ss chuckled at the teacher''sst remark.


    The three girls packed up their belongings and headed for the main entrance.


    "Why is Mr. Takeheshi so mean to me? I''m his niece and he still hits me with those heavy textbooks." (Mika)


    "He does it <i>because</i> you''re his niece. Weren''t your mom''s words, and I quote: "Feel free to hit her as hard as you like, her head is dense enough to handle it." If you want him to stop, then maybe you should, I don''t know, not sleep in his ss. (Naomi)


    "But the ssroom is so warm and the books are so boring," Mika said while giving puppy eyes.


    Naomi just shook her head.


    "My driver should be in front of the school so we can leave immediately." (Naomi)


    "Thank you so much Naomi I really appreciate this. It saves me the trouble of having to go home first and get my dad''s car." (Kana)


    "Still crazy that you can drive, I''m too scared to get behind the wheel." (Mika)


    "I was nervous at first, but it''s not too bad. I''m just thankful that traffic isn''t as bad here as it is in Osaka or Tokyo." (Kana)


    Outside the main gate is a small ck car and an older man dressed like a butler standing in front of the passenger door.


    "Hello my Lady, Ms. Yuminaka, Ms. Tomogawa how was your day today." (Driver)


    "Hello, Mr. Nishizami! Did you get older? I see a few more greys hairs." Mika asked with a mischievous grin.


    "If I do have more, they are likely from the extra stress I receive from you." The older man said with a smile.


    "I swear, Mika has a superpower that just allows her to do those kinds of acts with anyone." Naomi.


    "Yeah, that level of charisma is almost cheating." (Kana)


    The three girls got into the car and headed to Kyoto Central Hospital which was quite close.


    The driver parked in the adjacent lot and told Naomi to contact him when they were out front so that they could limit the distance Akagi needed to walk.


    It only took a few minutes for the three of them to clear security and head up to Akagi''s room.


    "I don''t think I''ve ever been in here before." (Mika)


    "Really? I would have thought your brother would have been brought here like Kana''s sister was." (Naomi)


    Mika''s expression darkened slightly


    "My brother was in Osaka for University and was ced in a hospital there," Mika replied.


    "That makes sense, less risk that way." (Naomi)


    It was well known at this point that transporting those trapped in FWO was extremely risky, a few had even died when family or medical staff had attempted to remove the headgear. The only reason more people didn''t die was that whoever trapped the yers gave a short window where they could move people to hospitals. Of course, this was little constion to the families of those who were trapped. This gave off the impression that whoever did this saw the whole ordeal as a game/entertainment.


    "Here we are, room 431 my sister is in here," Kana stated


    "Onee-chan we''re here to pick you up. Are you...ready...to...go..?" Kana''s words slowed to a crawl.


    The sight that greeted the three girls was truly fantastical. Akagi was sitting on the windowsill in her traditional outfit, one she had worn so many times in FWO. She was staring out into the busy Kyoto cityscape while smoking a Kiseru. Her hair was blown back by the gentle breezeing through the window.


    To the girls, she looked elegant, like something out of one of the traditional folk tales they had heard so many times as children. Kana couldn''t believe what she saw. Naomi was floored by the quality of the clothing Akagi was wearing. While Mika had sparkles in her eyes. The three girls were stunned into a silence that was only broken when Akagi said.


    "What''s the matter, girls? Do I look that strange?" She asked with a smile.


    Spoiler


    Akagi in the hospital!


    Mika! (Original Image)


    Naomi! (Original Image)


    [copse]

 Chapter 6 – A Yokai in Modern Kyoto

    Chapter 6 ¨C A Yokai in Modern Kyoto


    Naomi was a member of an old and historically important family. The Tokugawa n had ruled Japan for two and a half centuries before it was forced to step down. While culturally and historically significant the modern-day n had little in the way of political power, and influence. There had been an attempt to revive some of their power by her grandfather and father but those attempts ended when the rest of her family was killed six years ago.


    Growing up, Naomi''s grandfather used to tell her fascinating tales and stories about their n''s history. He told her tales of battle, conquest, love, passion, and glory. The nights when her grandfather told her these stories while shey in bed are some of her favorite and most important memories. Among these stories, one always stood out to her, it was one her grandfather had told her many times.


    Since ancient times, stories of Yokai and other monsters existing in Japan had been a staple of the storytelling and culture of the inds. Some stories told of horrifying monsters which killed people and tormented them. Others told of Yokai who protected people and provided prosperity to theirnds. Today, these stories are seen as nothing but fairytales and fictional ounts used to exin natural phenomena or unusual events. After all, with modern technology, if Yokai did exist why had no one seen them in over two hundred and fifty years? Why had stories of Yokai existing alongside humans vanished after the Meji restoration?


    Naturally, young Naomi had asked her grandfather this very question and he replied with a story passed down from their ancestors from the Edo period.


    "For all of history, Yokai and humans existed side by side. Sometimes they fought, and sometimes they worked together. The Yokai thrived in the darkness, while humanity thrived in the light. Over the centuries, the amount of darkness that Yokai could live in slowly diminished until virtually none remained. The Yokai became afraid, fearful that they would be driven to extinction by humanity. At this point, they knew they could never win a war against us so they chose another path. In 1836 themander of the Night Parade of one-hundred demons met with Tokugawa Ienari and Emperor Nink¨­ outside of Kyoto. After days of intense negotiations, the Shogun and the Emperor agreed to give the Yokai a ce where they could live in peace to end the millennia-spanning conflict." (Naomi''s Grandfather)


    When asked where that ce was, her grandfather could only answer that no one knew. He told his granddaughter that they didn''t even know if this exchange happened as they only had an oral legend that was passed down. However, he told her this, that if she ever came across a Yokai; she should treat them with the utmost respect.


    The moment she saw Akagi''s form sitting on the windowsill, she recalled her grandfather''s stories.


    "You''re.....You''re a Yokai," Naomi said with not a shred of doubt. "My grandfather used to tell me stories about them, and I never really believed them, but standing here right now." She gulped. "I just know. I don''t know how but I just do."


    "EHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Onee-chan is a Yokai!!!!!!!" Kana yelled.


    "That''s so fucking cool! Why didn''t you ever tell us, Kana? (Mika)


    "Wait, Wait, Wait. Onee-chan can''t be a Yokai! That doesn''t make any sense she''s my sister and <i>I''m </i>not a Yokai. And I''m pretty sure neither of our parents are Yokai?!? (Kana)


    It was clear that Naomi''s sudden deration had caused quite a bit of confusion.


    "Hahahahahahaha." Akagi burst outughing. "No Kana you''re not a Yokai, and neither are our parents. Shut the door behind you and take a seat; I guess I have some questions to answer."


    The girls entered the hospital room and closed the door behind them before finding ces to sit.


    "First things first. Yes, I am a Yokai." Akagi answered with a wry smile.


    "I knew it!" (Naomi)


    "<i>Squee</i>." (Mika)


    "Onee-chan, I''m gonna need you to exin how you suddenly became a mythical creature. <b>AND EXPLAIN IT IN A WAY I CAN UNDERSTAND PLEASE!</b>" Kana said with a scary look in her eye.


    "Eeep, it''s the scary Kana. Where is the salt when you need it?" Mika remarked.


    "I don''t think salt will be enough, we probably need an onmyoji to keep scary Kana under control." Naomi quipped.


    Kana responded by giving the two of them <i><b>the look</b></i> which caused them to straighten inpliance.


    <i>{Kana, you make me so proud.}</i> (Akagi)


    "So, I know Kana is aware, but have the two of you heard that some of those who survived FWO had their appearance changed to match their avatars? Akagi asked.


    "I heard rumors about it but, I never imagined they were true." (Mika)


    "I was aware of this. My family''swork allowed me to ess some of the records of those who had awoken from the game." (Naomi)


    "Ehh, you can do that?" (Mika)


    "I don''t really like to talk about it, but yes," Naomi replied with a conflicted expression.


    "Should you be telling us that?" (Kana)


    "If your sister is going to be honest with us, it''s only proper that I return that favor." (Naomi)


    "Interesting, when Kana told me you were from the Tokugawa family, I figured you might have ess to more information than the average person." Akagi mused. "I can confirm that those rumors and the information you gathered were urate. My appearance now is that of my avatar in FWO."


    The two girls looked at Kana who nodded saying.


    "Onee-chan looks very different than before. Here look." Kana shows the two an image of Akagi on her phone from before she was trapped in FWO.


    "Wow, she does look different. Like <i>a lot</i> different." Mika remarked.


    "That''s a dramatic change. How is that even possible." (Naomi)


    "As for how, I''ve got my running theories but ill hold off on those for now," Akagi replied. "However, what''s important is that it wasn''t just my appearance that changed, but rather my <i>race</i> changed with it." (Akagi)


    Akagi continued.


    "In FWO everyone started as a human it was the default race for every new yer. The game system for skills and abilities was intended to be dynamic and would allow yers to be as creative/unique as possible. If you look at the marketing, this was something they were pushing big time." Akagi stated while twirling her Kiseru. "This customization went beyond skills and also included one''s race. By performing certain actions or taking certain skills you could unlock a race that was specialized for your needs."


    "For example, someone who wanted to do crafting could nudge the system towards allowing them to be a dwarf or gnome. This race would give bonuses to these skills and would likely give a better game-y experience if that was what you wanted to do." Akagi continued. "Of course, you were free to ignore these race options if you wanted to, they were only a guideline."


    "This customization went beyond a surface-level amount of selectable standard races like Elves, Dwarves, and the like. Because the system was an extremely adaptable and flexible AI you could effectively create any race you wanted within reason if you knew how it worked." Akagi smiled.


    "This led a few of the more dedicated yers like myself to exploit the system until it gave us the perfect race for our build." Akagi continued. "In my case, I was an assassin, something which fell under the category of a rogue. I wanted more options for stealth, subterfuge, and the like. The standard races didn''t fit what I had in mind, so I spent a great deal of time and effort creating a custom race." (Akagi)


    "It took many attempts and I''m pretty sure I pushed the system to the absolute limit of what it would allow. But, in the end, I got what I was looking for." Akagi said with a grin.


    "So the race you created was a Yokai?" Kana asked.


    "While I am technically a Yokai; I am specifically a Nurarihyon, a type of Yokai which thrives on illusion, trickery, and darkness." (Akagi)


    "Ehhh, isn''t that the ugly old man with the big head? (Mika)


    "That is one depiction of them, but the system was kind enough to work with me on this and allowed me a form moremonly seen in certain fiction I had read." (Akagi)


    "And there you have it. I can''t tell you why this happened, but at the very least, you know that I am indeed a Yokai now." Akagi stated while smiling at the girls.


    "I''m sorry for not saying anything sooner Kana. I had nned on exining all of this when we got home." Akagi apologized.


    "It''s ok I promised myself that I wouldn''t push you to reveal anything until you were ready." Kana smiled.


    Akagi looked over at Naomi who seemed to be struggling with a question in her head.


    "If you have something on your mind, go ahead and ask I don''t mind." (Akagi)


    Naomi took a deep breath. "This has been a lot to take in. That a game could change someone so dramatically should be impossible."


    Akagi gave a small chuckle at that.


    "Let me ask you this." she continued nervously. "Were your race and appearance the <i>only</i> things that got carried over from the game?" (Naomi)


    "Huh? What are you talking about Naomi?" Mika asked confused.


    "Think about it." She replied, "If her appearance and race carried over couldn''t things like her skills or items have been brought here too? For example, those clothes. They look far too expensive and well made for, pardon me for saying this, a family of your standing to afford." (Naomi)


    "Excellent deduction; I can see why my sister thinks so highly of you," Akagi said while grinning. "These clothes are my set from the game, made by the finest Imperial tailors in the capital. They cost me quite a bit of money in FWO, but they were worth every coin."


    "I knew it! Those clothes look like some of the antiques my family keeps in our collection. I knew there was no way you bought them from some modern shop, the quality is far too good for that. Naomi eximed.


    "That''s amazing. You got to bring game items into the real world!¡± Mika practically glowed with excitement.


    "Onee-chan does that also mean you got to keep all your skills and abilities too?" Kana asked pensively.


    Akagi simply chuckled and proceeded to slowly disappear before their eyes. Her form burned away in ck shadow before she finally vanishedpletely.


    (A/N See how Rikuo Nura disappears in Rise of the Yokai n)


    "Ehhhh, Onee-chan?!? Where did you go." Kana yelled confused.


    "She just disappeared right in front of us!" (Naomi)


    "That was like something right out of an anime!" Mika was very happy.


    A few momentster, the girls heard a chillingugh echo throughout the room before Akagi''s form reappeared in the same manner in which it had vanished.


    "How about that? Neat trick huh? It''s my personal favorite and one that I''ve gotten a lot of mileage out of over the years." Akagi said while taking another puff from her Kiseru.


    "That''s amazing you can turnpletely invisible" Mikamented.


    "Nope, I''m not actually turning invisible." Akagi corrected. "That''s the first assumption people usually make when they see this ability, but it''s wrong."


    "But...." it was clear that the girl didn''t understand.


    "At this point, the other yers already know so I don''t mind sharing. What I''m doing is essentially overloading your brain''s sensors with so much information that it nks out the area where I am." Akagi continued. "A person''s mind can only handle so much sensory information before it goes haywire. I exploit this by overwhelming it so hard that it has two choices, crash or just pretend it doesn''t see the info, and well, it prefers not to crash."


    "So basically, you DDOS our brains?" Kana asked


    "Not a badparison except rather than your brain going offline for a bit, it just disregards the info packets." (Akagi)


    "Um, then if <i>you</i> have your abilities and items does that mean other yers do too?" Naomi asked looking concerned.


    "Absolutely," Akagi confirmed with a serious expression.

 Chapter 7 – Questions, Answers, a Homecoming and a Message from the Hero.

    Chapter 7 ¨C Questions, Answers, a Homing and a Message from the Hero.


    "If I have all my abilities and items you can bet that the other ny-nine yers do too." (Akagi)


    "Ny-Nine? Why such a specific number?" Kana asked.


    "Because that was the number of yers who were awarded a final reward by the system. If you believe this final reward was returning to the real world as our characters, and I do, then the number of yers like me should be ny-nine." Akagi rified.


    "Isn''t that dangerous? People are basically running around with game power in the real world?¡± Mika asked.


    "Very dangerous Mika." Naomi replied harshly. "Game powers are meant to be ridiculous and over the top. I shudder to think about what Akagi could do with just that one power alone." She said with a fierce look in her eye. "She could go anywhere, steal anything.... or even kill anyone." (Naomi)


    <i>{This girl, why do I get the feeling she wants someone dead? She reminds me of a noble girl who contracted my services.} </i>(Akagi)


    "You''re exactly right, if 100 super-powered people are running around the world with game powers chaos is going to erupt." Akagi shrugged. "It''s only a matter of time until this information leaks. I can imagine governments are gonna scramble to either recruit or eliminate us." (Akagi)


    "I won''t let anyone hurt you!" Kana eximed.


    "Hahahaha. You don''t need to worry about that Kana, these idiots might try something but they''re no match for me. After all, delivering death is <i>my</i> specialty." Akagi said with a grin.


    <i>{So my information was urate, she was an assassin in the game. This works out perfectly, she is exactly who I am looking for. I''ll have to speak to her alone at some point. If I''m lucky she might just help me out.} </i>(Naomi)


    The three girls spent the next twenty minutes asking Akagi all sorts of questions about FWO, her abilities, and other yers.


    "Oh yeah, before we forget didn''t you want to ask Akagi about your brother Mika?" (Kana)


    "Ahh, your right we got so caught up asking about her powers that I forgot to ask!" (Mika)


    "Your brother? Was he in FWO?" Akagi asked.


    "Yes, his name was Kai Yuminaka; he usually went by Silver Wolf online if that helps," Mika exined. "He died about a year into the game and my family and I would like to know at least how he died." She said with sadness in her eyes.


    <i>{Well fuck, of course, he would have to be her brother. I know exactly who that is, but I''m gonna refrain from answering that for now. I''ll have to pull Kana asideter and exin things to her. That''s not gonna be a fun conversation.}</i> (Akagi)


    "The name is familiar to me, but I''m sorry I can''t really give you an answer." (Akagi)


    "That''s ok, it was a long shot I''m sure once the other yers are up and about I might be able to ask them," she said clearly still distraught.


    <i>{Thankfully, none of the other living yers know how he died so I have time to figure out how to break the bad news to her. The only problem is that </i><i><u><b>MOST</b></u></i><i><b> </b></i><i>of the other yers know just how fucked up he was. Why did that fucking sicko have to be the older brother of such a sweet girl?} </i>(Akagi)


    "Alright, we should get moving Mr. Nishizami is waiting for us and it would be rude to waste his time. Plus, we are holding up this room from being used by other patients." Kana exined


    "Ah, your right. I apologize I seem to have gotten us a little off track." Naomi apologized.


    The four of them left the room and headed down to the main desk. The sight of Akagi in full traditional clothing surprised most of the staff and patients but she ignored their looks. After checking out they all proceeded to the parking area where their driver was waiting.


    "Sorry time got away from us and we got a little distracted talking to Akagi." (Naomi)


    "That''s alright My Lady, it''s my job after all and I don''t mind waiting for you. I suppose this young woman is Ms. Tomogawa''s older sister?" (Driver)


    "I am, thank you very much for taking care of my sister. I appreciate it." Akagi said to the driver with a warm smile.


    "Well then, Onee-chan shall we head home?" Kana said smiling.


    "Lets" (Akagi)


    The drive home was uneventful, the girls refrained from asking more questions about Akagi''s abilities, not wanting the driver to overhear them. It wasn''t that Naomi didn''t trust him, he was aware of her wish, rather it was a sign of respect toward Akagi.


    A little over thirty minutester, they arrived in front of the Tomogawa household. It was nothing special and looked like every other house on the block, but it was home, as much as Akagi could call it that.


    "Thank you for the ride I appreciate it!" (Kana)


    "No problem, and Akagi, thank you for exchanging contact info." (Naomi)


    "Yeah, we should hang out sometime!" (Mika)


    "It''s only natural; I have to ensure that Kana isn''t a bad influence on her friends." She replied with a cheeky smile.


    "Onee-chan...." (Kana)


    "Ha ha, don''t pout I''m only teasing. Here, ill pat you on the head, you always liked that." (Akagi)


    Kana turns beat red as her sister strokes her head, but she doesn''t move to stop her.


    The car takes off and Kana and Akagi are left alone in front of their house.


    "Well, no sense standing outside. I hope you have the key because I sure don''t" (Akagi)


    Kana sighs. "Onee-chan, sometimes you''re just too much to handle."


    The two open up the front door to the house, and instantly Akagi was reminded of all the time she spent there. She had been away for nearly four years, but it didn''t seem like much had changed.


    Suddenly Kana spun around.


    "I''ve been waiting to say this for four years." Kana started. "Wee home Onee-chan," she said with a bright smile.


    "I''m back Kana," Akagi said as she brought her sister in for a hug.


    The two stayed like that for nearly a minute before the sound of Kana''s stomach broke them apart.


    "I guess that means we should have dinner, huh? (Akagi)


    "Yeah, mom and dad won''t be home tillter so let me make something for us," Kana said hiding her embarrassment.


    "Do you want my help? I got quite good at cooking in FWO." Akagi asked.


    "Nope! This is your first dinner home with me and I want to make it special." (Kana)


    "Well then, I can''t wait to see what you make!" (Akagi)


    Kana got right to work making dinner, to Akagi''s surprise the girl had improved her cooking ability while she was gone. This wasn''t exactly surprising since she likely had to cook most meals for herself without Akagi around.


    Around thirty minutester dinner wasplete and they sat down to eat. The food was pretty good for something made at home by a sixteen-year-old. Akagi had much better food while in FWO but something about this homemade meal made her believe that there was nothing better.


    After they finished eating, Akagi asked Kana a question.


    "So, Kana do you mind if I expand upon an earlier topic? It might not be pleasant, but I''m probably gonna need your input." Akagi asked cautiously.


    "If you''re saying it like that, I can''t imagine it''s something I would normally want to hear about, but you wouldn''t bring this up if it wasn''t important. Go ahead." (Kana)


    Akagi took in a deep breath.


    "I know how Mika''s brother died." (Akagi)


    After a few seconds, Kana replied.


    "If you didn''t answer her at the hospital, I can imagine it''s not a pleasant story." (Kana)


    "No, it''s not. Nothing about the situation is pleasant. Let me ask, how much did she care about her brother?" (Akagi)


    "I''m notpletely sure since only met her after he died. But from what she''s told me and how she acts probably quite a bit." (Kana)


    "Well fuck." Akagi cursed.


    "You killed him didn''t you?" Kana asked, already knowing the answer.


    "Yes, I did," Akagi answered without flinching.


    "I can see why you didn''t tell her that, I don''t imagine that would have gone well. If you don''t mind me asking, why did you kill him? Was it a contract or...?" Kana asked.


    "Oh it was a contract alright. A contract to kill one of the most fucked up yers in all of FWO." (Akagi)


    Kana gulped. "Did, he really do something that horrible?"


    Akagi looked at her sister and said.


    "Last warning, what I''m about to tell you is not exactly something a sixteen-year-old should hear." Akagi stared straight at Kana with a stern expression.


    "Whatever it is, I can handle it," Kana replied.


    "Her brother, Silver Wolf was the leader of the worst PK guild in FWO known as the ck Gauntlet." Kana could feel the contempt in Akagi''s words.


    "I''m not gonna sit here and act like what I did was above board. I have plenty of blood on my hands, I''m an assassin and killing people is my job." (Akagi)


    "But those sick fucks. They didn''t just kill for a living, they did it for fun. Their little operation kidnapped and killed over fifty yers. They didn''t care about loot or XP, no all they wanted to do was get off to the power they held over people. They forced female yers to let them have their way with them in exchange for sparing their friends'' lives. Of course, they would just turn around and kill their friends and the girl once they were satisfied." Akagi''s expression turned dark.


    <i>{That''s insane, why didn''t the other yers step in to stop it?}</i> (Kana)


    "I know what your thinking, and they tried multiple times. But those bastards were slippery and they had the backing of some pretty important NPCs." Akagi stated. "Eventually, it got so bad that I was called in to handle them. After all it takes a yer Killer to beat one." (Akagi)


    "I staked them out for weeks, gathered as much intel as possible, and took them out one-by-one until only Silver Wolf was left," Akagi growled. "The contract required that I ensured that son of a bitch knew exactly who ordered him dead. I dueled him and to be honest he wasn''t that difficult. By that point, I was already finished my build and was far above most other yers in terms of level and skills." (Akagi)


    "He dared topare us as if a psychopath like him was anything like me," Akagi said with a cold voice. "Remember this Kana. While it''s true I enjoy the job, I do not enjoy nor condone mindless killing. I have rules and standards that''s what separates me from people like him. I kill because it''s my job, people like him kill because they enjoy the act itself and the rush it gives them." Akagi said while staring intensely at Kana.


    "That''s...That''s a lot to take in, it''s almost unbelievable," Kana replied weakly.


    "But it''s true, unfortunately, that''s the kind of man her brother was. I don''t know if it was the game that changed him, and honestly it doesn''t matter." (Akagi)


    "I can''t even begin to imagine how to tell Mika this. She''s gonna break if we tell her that her brother whom she loved so much was doing such awful things." (Kana)


    Kana thought for a second.


    "Not telling her at all might be the best option." (Kana)


    "Unfortunately, that''s not gonna work. We could get away with not telling her that I killed him as there are only three people who know I did the deed. I won''t say anything, I imagine you would keep quiet and my client sure as hell wouldn''t admit it. But." Akagi continued. "You''re gonna be hard-pressed to keep every yer''s mouth shut about Silver Wolf. It''s only a matter of time until that information gets out and when it does....."


    "She''s gonna wonder why we didn''t tell her." Kana finished.


    "Exactly." (Akagi)


    "She''s your friend, so, I will leave that decision up to you. Also, if you want her to know that I ended him, that''s fine too." (Akagi)


    "You would tell her that? Kana was surprised.


    "I''m not shy about admitting who I''ve taken out. I kept quiet because of the circumstances, but if you''re fine with whatever fallout urs, then I won''t hide it." (Akagi)


    Kana was shaken by all this information. She had known Mika for two years and she truly valued their friendship. She knew that Mika wouldn''t take this information well, she might not even believe it. More concerning was how she would react to learning that Akagi had been the one to kill him. Would she be angry? Happy that he was stopped? There was no way to tell.


    "I...I need some time to think about this. But, I think it would be best that we tell her ourselves <i>before</i> this goes public. As for whether you should tell her that you killed him yourself.... I''m not sure, there are pros and cons to that." Kana was agonizing over this.


    <i>{What kind of older sister am I cing such a heavy decision on a sixteen-year-old. Sadly, it can''t be helped, Mika isn''t my friend and I can''t make this decision myself.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Well just let me know what you need me to do, whatever you decide I''ll support it." (Akagi)


    Just then, Akagi''s phone pinged with two messages. The first one was from Naomi asking if she could set up a time to meet with her privately at her family estate. The second one was an unexpected individual.


    "Oh? It seems our little hero is out of the hospital as well. Whatever could she want to meet me for?" Akagi said with a wide smile.

 Interlude 1 – The Hero and the Assassin.

    Interlude 1 ¨C The Hero and the Assassin.


    Capital City, March, 14th, 2056, approximately 8 pm Free World Online (FWO) Standard Time.


    It had been raining quite heavily for most of the day, and even now a light mist could be felt in the air. The streets were almost pitch ck, with only the flickering street lights to provide illumination. On this night, one lone figure walked down the main street of the lower city. Their face was obscured by a thick hood worn over their gear and they were short, almost like a child. The figure headed into the back alleys, careful to avoid contact with the slum''s residents or the few patrolling guards. After around fifteen minutes; they arrived at their destination, "the Lost and Found", a run-down tavern.


    The tavern was almost empty, with only a few NPCs present. The hooded figure walked up to and sat at the bar.


    "What can I get you?" (Bartender)


    "I would like an Amber-Eyed Cider." a feminine voice replied.


    "Good choice, we just got some in today. Would you like it mixed with anything else?" (Bartender)


    "No thanks" (hooded girl)


    A few momentster, the bartender brought the girl a tall cool ss of cider. After drinking it, she called the bartender over.


    "Thest time I was here, I think I might have forgotten an item. Can I check your lost and found?" (hooded girl)


    "Sure,e into the back with me." (bartender)


    The hooded girl followed him into a room behind the bar itself beyond two sets of doors.


    "Go ahead and check downstairs; if what your looking for is here, it would be down there." He points to the staircase.


    The girl replied with a nod.


    Descending the staircase, the girl entered the below-ground section of the tavern. It was slightly busier than up top and the people here looked less like normal citizens and more like criminals.


    <i>{I can''t believe a ce like this exists in the capital. We''re just a stone''s throw from one of the Knight''s barracks. Just how much money are they paying to keep this ce quiet?}</i> (hooded girl)


    The girl pushed these thoughts to the back of her mind. She might not like it, but she was here on business and needed the help of one of these people. After a few minutes, she spotted the woman she had been looking for. Sitting at one of the back booths was a woman wearing traditional Japanese clothes and smoking from a Kiseru. The hooded girl approached the woman and took a seat directly across from her.


    "Well, you actually showed up." Akagi chuckled. "I must admit when you first contacted me about a meeting, I thought it might be a trap."


    "I''m already aware that confronting you is a pointless endeavor. Thest group that tried was wiped out, and I''ve better things to do than fight you." (hooded girl)


    "Oh? The Great Hero Hishya is letting evil go unpunished? What is the worlding to?" Akagiughed.


    "Don''t go saying my name aloud idiot! No one, and I mean no one, can know I was here today." Hishya scolded.


    "You don''t have to worry about that. The moment you stepped into the booth, I activated its special feature whichpletely obscured it from the outside. No one can see or hear what goes on inside, though we can see outside." Akagi winked. "So you can go ahead and remove that hood."


    "<i>Sigh</i>" Hishya removed her hood.


    Underneath was a girl who looked no older than thirteen to fourteen years old. Her hair was a light purple while her eyes were candy apple red. Despite her small stature, she was wearing what looked like heavy te armor underneath her cloak. It was clear that this girl was a front-line fighter and had the gear to back up such a role. Most people would think it crazy to send such a small girl intobat but Hishya was no push over. She had spent the past year progressing her abilities in FWO to the point that she was considered one of the best if not the best yer in the game.


    Akagi had encountered her quite a bit since they became trapped, and had even crossed des with her on more than one asion. There were even yers who wanted Hishya to deal with Akagi to stop her from killing more yers. However, Hishya always refused, not because she agreed with Akagi''s actions but rather because she saw Akagi as a rival that could help her improve. Her soft attitude on Akagi had caused friction with other members of the assault team and some had even ventured out themselves to hunt her down. Of course, they always failed and the assault team was forced to make due with less members.


    Eventually, after losing a not insignificant number of members it became an unofficial policy to leave Akagi alone. To her credit, Akagi did try to limit the damage she did to the Assault team since she didn''t want to be med if they became unable to beat the world bosses.


    Akagi had known Hishya even before FWO, the two had battled each other across many games and had be fierce rivals wherever they met. But this time, their lives were at stake in this game and while most found it terrifying there were those like Hishya and Akagi that thrived in such an environment.


    "You just really enjoy ying with me, don''t you? Do all your clients have to put up with this level of harassment? Is it because I have a cute face? Do you just enjoy seeing it look mad? Like, who the hell set up that system to get down here, that''s like some cheesy spy movie stuff!" Hishya said exasperated.


    "Cheesy or not, it works and you can''t deny that. And who might I ask chose such an appearance because it was quote unquote <i>fucking adorable</i>? I take no responsibility for any teasing I may or may not do because of it." Akagi said with a smile. "And to answer your question, it varies; some clientse to me sometimes I go to them, it depends." She says taking a sip from her drink." Now then, shall we get down to business?"


    "Yes, while it pains me to ask this." Hishya straightened up and looked Akagi in the eyes. "Akagi, I need you to wipe out the ck Gauntlet."


    Spoiler


    Hishya! (Original Image)


    [copse]

 Chapter 8 – A Skyline and a Meeting.

    Chapter 8 ¨C A Skyline and a Meeting.


    "Eh? Hishya wants to meet with you?" (Kana)


    "Yeah, she says she''ll be in Kyoto next month to do an interview and wants to stop in when she has some time," Akagi replied.


    "Should I be concerned?" Kana asked.


    "No, not really Hishya isn''t stupid; I don''t see her wanting to start anything, especially right now." Akagi continued. "We might not be what you would call friends, but I would say we get along well enough. Though I sincerely doubt this is just a social call." (Akagi)


    "If you don''t feelfortable meeting her, that''s fine. I''ll figure something out." (Akagi)


    "No, that won''t be necessary. If you say it will be fine, then I will trust your judgment. Besides, if I start avoiding her, I can imagine that might upset her." (Kana)


    Akagi replied to Hishya''s message, telling her to let her know when she arrived in Kyoto so they can figure out a time and ce for the meeting.


    <i>{Nowes the issue of Naomi. Asking to meet with me alone makes it suspicious enough. She said her family''s informationwork included the FWO yers. Which means she most likely knows I''m an assassin. If I consider that, plus her bodynguage and choice of words at the hospital. That girl wants someone dead. } </i>(Akagi)


    "Onee-chan, you''ve got an evil grin on your face again. " Kana knew this meant trouble.


    "Don''t worry about it, I just figured it''s time to get back in business after my time off," Akagi replied.


    "Just be careful; this isn''t FWO," Kana replied warily.


    "True, but whether it''s FWO or the real world, the rules are always the same." Akagi gave a smile. "I get a target and fulfill my contract; it''s that simple. Anyone, client or otherwise, who tries to change these rules will find that they don''t live particrly long."


    Akagi replied to Naomi, asking when and where she wanted to meet and was surprised when the girl invited her to her family estate on Monday.


    <i>{Either this girl is confident in her ability to get away with this, or she''s incredibly naive. Perhaps a mixture of both if she wants to talk to me.}</i> Akagi smiled internally.


    "It''s good to be back." (Akagi)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    Three dayster


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    "Alright, Onee-chan I''m heading off to school!" Kana yelled from downstairs.


    "Have a good day, I''ll see youter," Akagi replied.


    Kana left the house, getting into her father''s car before driving off to school.


    "Well," Akagi said with a stretch. "I guess I should get my day started too! First up, a meeting with a prospective client. I''ve never been to this part of Kyoto before, so hopefully I don''t get too lost." (Akagi)


    Akagi opened her bedroom window and jumped out onto the rooftop of a building across the street. She began hopping from house to house in the direction of the address,forted in the knowledge that no one would be able to see her.


    "Ah, I missed this. Running like this gives me such a sense of freedom, almost like I could go anywhere." She chuckled. "Although I guess unlike in FWO, I <i>can </i>go anywhere I want. No boundaries, no edges of the world, nothing. If I felt like it, I could run straight to Tokyo; and there would be nothing stopping me." (Akagi)


    Akagi reached downtown Kyoto and stopped on top of one of the highrises.


    Kyoto still held a mixture of old and new even this far into the twenty-first century. Traditional buildings and architecture could be seen right next to the most modern buildings. It made the skyline unique, something that you likely wouldn''t see anywhere else in the world.


    "What a view," Akagi said. "The Imperial capital was nice and all, but I think I prefer Kyoto. I feel like jumping on these rooftops will be much more entertaining at the very least." She said with a smile.


    The sound of countless cars could be heard below and the Venturi effect provided a cool breeze on this hot summer day. It was nice, and it made Akagi unconsciously smile.


    <i>{I hope things stay like this, calm, quiet, and without drama. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that once the other yers start using their powers, there''s gonna be chaos. Not to mention whoever the hell did all this in the first ce. If they can bring these powers into the real world, what else can they do?} </i>(Akagi)


    Akagi decided to push those thoughts aside for now as there was little point in worrying about things she couldn''t control. For now, all she wanted to do was speak with Naomi and hopefully get her first contract in the real world.


    "Now then, if I''m not mistaken, she lives in the upper district which is over.................. there. Based on how fancy those houses look, I''d say that''s a safe bet." Akagi jumped off the highrise, allowing herself to freefall for a few seconds, before propelling herself forward onto some other buildings.


    <Naomi POV>


    "Mydy, I know you are anxious about meeting Ms. Akagi, but I would ask that you stop your pacing. At this rate, you will wear a rut into the carpeting." (Maid)


    Naomi was pacing back and forth in her private study. She had been increasingly nervous ever since Akagi had agreed to meet with her. Naomi couldn''t be sure she would help her or what would she want in return. After all, she was going to ask her to kill one of Japan''s highest-ranking politicians. No one else had been willing to take the job because it was too risky. As the sole surviving member of the Tokugawa n, she was its head, and it fell to her to avenge her parent''s murders, even if that meant doing the unspeakable.


    "I''m sorry Marin." Naomi sat down in one of the chairs.


    "I''m surprised you''re so nervous, this isn''t the first time you''ve spoken to someone from the dark side before," Marin questioned.


    "You do recall that this specific person is a Yokai right? A being of mythical status and extraordinary power? Not to mention, the records we''ve obtained on her from FWO paint a terrifying picture. I think I have every reason to be nervous." Naomi replied.


    <i>{The more I read about Akagi''s time in FWO, the more I''m convinced that she is both the right person for the job and someone I should avoid at all costs. "The Red Hand" was the single most feared assassin in all of FWO, someone that even the Hero Hishya avoided. When I met her, she seemed amicable enough, but I''ve been around enough people like her to know that it''s foolish to assume anything.} </i>(Naomi)


    A few minutester, a knock came from the door and another maid appeared snapping Naomi out of her thoughts.


    "Mydy, your guest has arrived; shall I bring them here?" (Maid)


    "Yes please, and Marin please prepare us something to drink." (Naomi)


    <i>{I suspect this might be a long discussion.}</i> (Naomi)


    A few minutester, the maid returned bringing Akagi with her.


    "Ms. Akagi, my master is waiting in here please enter if you would." (Maid)


    The maid then closed the door leaving Naomi, Marin, and Akagi in the room.


    <i>{Here goes nothing!} (Naomi)</i>


    "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me so quickly, please have a seat; I had Marin prepare some drinks for us." (Naomi)


    Akagi sat down across from Naomi and drank some of the tea that was offered.


    "This estate is beautiful it reminds me of the vis that many of the Imperial Nobles owned in the capital," Akagimented." It''s strange though, this all seems far toorge for just one girl to live in even with staff." Akagi took a sip of the tea. "But I guess it makes sense with you being thest surviving member of your family."


    "I am happy that my family homepares well to the nobles of FWO. I can only imagine how remarkable their manors were." Naomi replied.


    "As for my family, it''s not exactly a secret or anything. Six years ago, my parents and grandparents were all killed in a burry. Apparently, they wanted some of the items in our collection but things turned deadly when my father resisted. I only survived because my mother hid me in one of the hidden rooms." Naomi said with sadness in her eyes.


    "I''ve been alone since then. Well notpletely Marin and the others have been a great help over the years and Mika and Kana are the best friends I could have ever hoped for." She said with a small smile.


    "It''s truly a tragedy what happened to you and your family. I can''t imagine what I would do if Kana were taken from me." A small shadow could be seen over Akagi''s eyes. "I must say I''m d she made a friend like you, she was always a little bit lonely as a kid. All that brain power ended up making it hard for other kids to approach her. For the longest time, I was worried she would end up like me." Akagi said while taking a sip of her tea.


    "She is truly a better friend than I deserve." Naomi smiled.


    "But, was it really a burry, not a targeted attack? Nothing was reported stolen and there were no signs of forced entry. I got a hold of some police reports and it just didn''t sit right with me, that story didn''t make sense." Akagi questioned. "It was also funny to me that the man who ended up getting chargedmitted suicide at the exact moment his cell cameras malfunctioned." Akagi took out and lit her Kiseru "Seems more like a cover-up if you ask me."


    Naomi started lightly sweating.


    <i>{Good, she researched into the incident enough to tell that things are fishy, but I need to be certain she''s here as an assassin. There is always the chance she isn''t and I can''t afford to make assumptions. There''s too much at stake for me to get this wrong! I''ll give her one more test just to be sure.}</i> (Naomi)


    "There have been multiple people who have said the same thing over the years, but I assure you that''s nothing but a-" Suddenly, Naomi was interrupted.


    "Naomi" Akagi yelled.


    "Yes!" she replied with a yelp.


    "I don''t know what kind of a fool you take me for, but I know why I''m here. So cut the crap before you get on my nerves." Akagi growled.


    Hearing Akagi grow angry, Naomi''s facade crumbled.


    <i>{I messed up! I got so caught up in questioning if she knew why she was here that I ended up treating her like a fool.} </i>(Naomi)


    "I''m so sorry." Naomi apologized. "I wasn''t attempting to make light of you; I just wasn''t exactly sure how to approach this conversation. You''re much different than others I''ve met over the years and I couldn''t be sure you still wanted to do things like this. I was so worried that if I asked for your help, you would call me crazy." Naomi continued. "After all, you were an assassin in a <i><u>game,</u></i> even if killing in that game killed people IRL it was still a game. What kind of person asks someone who has only killed in VR to do that in the real world? So, I decided to test you and figure out your intentions. However, you saw through me immediately which made it seem like I was insulting you, I am deeply sorry for that." Naomi stood and bowed her head in apology.


    "I see, well I guess that''s understandable; I''m unusual in this industry after all. Not every day someone makes the leap from VR to IRL assassin, so I''ll forgive you. Just know this, whether it''s in FWO or the real world this is my calling and I won''t give it up no matter what. Do you Understand? Akagi replied.


    Naomi nodded.


    "So, tell me, Naomi, what do you want from me?" (Akagi)


    Naomi took a moment topose herself before answering.


    "I want you to wipe out the Mitsuhide family in its entirety."


    Spoiler


    Akagi standing over Kyoto! (Early AI Art Version)


    [copse]

 Chapter 9 – A Job Worthy of the Red Hand.

    Chapter 9 ¨C A Job Worthy of the Red Hand.


    "I want you to wipe out the Mitsuhide family in its entirety," Naomi said with absolute certainty in her words.


    "You want me to wipe out the Mitsuhide family?" Akagi asked. ¡°One of the most influential families in Japanese politics. A family that contains a former prime minister, the current Defense Minister, and the sitting speaker of the Diet? That''s a tall order." (Akagi)


    "I know what I''m asking is crazy, but I have no choice. They are responsible for the deaths of my parents and grandparents. It was the Mitsuhide family that orchestrated everything six years ago." Naomi''s expression went dark.


    "During the attack, I saw Nagumo Mitsuhide. He came in after they had dealt with everyone else. My father was restrained by his goons, and he told him that the Tokugawa family should have just been content fading into history. That we should never have attempted to re-enter politics." Naomi continued.


    "I don''t know everything, but I think my father and grandfather''s investments and political maneuvers posed a threat to his family''s power. My father always used to tell me that our family''s revival was at hand and we would soon be able to hold our heads high with pride." Naomi began to cry.


    "But they killed them. FOR WHAT?!? Because they couldn''t stand the thought of losing any of their power." Naomi was practically screaming at this point. "The only reason I''m still alive is because they don''t think they need to kill me. To them, I''m just a powerless girl, the head of a broken family that dies with me." Naomi''s face was flush from crying and shouting.


    "I don''t care about political power. I don''t care about my family''s honor or pride or even our history. I don''t care what my ancestors did or who they were. None of that ever mattered to me; because more than anything else, we were a family and they took that from me." Naomi continued.


    "I just want them to pay for killing mom, dad, Grandma, and Grandpa. They didn''t deserve to die, they were good people..... they were my family and I miss them every day." Naomi began to cry.


    In a sh, Akagi moved to Naomi''s side and pulled her into an embrace.


    "It''s alright Naomi. It''s alright. Let it out, you''ve done well to hold on for so long by yourself. You''re so strong, but for this moment just let it all out, I''m here for you." Akagiforted her.


    Hearing this Naomi cried. Harder than anytime ever in her life. Even her personal Maid Marin had never seen her Lady cry this much before. It was as if six years of tears came out all at once.


    <i>{I never knew just how much pain you were in Naomi. You always put on a brave face and even though I knew you were hiding your sorrow, I never knew just how bad it was. I am so sorry that you felt that you needed to hide it all, even from me.} </i>(Marin)


    <i>{I''ve known this girl for a grand total of four days, but this truly pisses me off. This poor girl had to deal with this much pain for six years with no one to confide in, not even her friends. Honestly, it makes what I went through look trivial byparison. I wonder if I would have been like this without Kana by my side.} </i>(Akagi)


    <i>{I wonder how much Kana knew about her situation. Probably more than she would let on, but there wasn''t much she could do for her. She could only watch as her friend dove deeper into despair. I don''t know how much longer this girl could keep going before she broke like I did, and I don''t care to find out.} </i>(Akagi)


    About ten minutester, Naomi calmed down and finished crying. Seeing that she was feeling better, Akagi let her go.


    "Are you alright? You let it all out, didn''t you?" Akagi asked.


    "Sniff... Yes, I''m alright I feel much better, better than I have in a long time actually." Naomi made a small smile.


    "Good, I wasn''t really sure what to do so I just kinda acted on impulse. Sorry about hugging you suddenly like that," Akagi said while scratching her cheek.


    "No.No.No. That was really nice, in fact when you did that it reminded me of how my mother would do that when I was a kid." It took Naomi a few moments to register what she had said before she turned red from embarrassment.


    Akagi bust outughing


    "I think I''m a little young to be your mother, but if it made you feel better then I don''t think I mind theparison," Akagi said whileughing.


    Akagi''s nonchnt attitude caused Naomi to join in theughter.


    <i>{She really is kind, isn''t she? I can see what Kana was saying about her. Despite that rough exterior, she can be a caring person when she needs to be can''t she? She really does remind me of my mom in that aspect, someone who was warm to her family but tough on her opponents. It''s still really embarrassing that I said that to her though!} </i>(Naomi)


    Once everyone had calmed down and Naomi had regained herposure.


    "So what do you think about my request? It''s too much isn''t it? The danger is too high and I doubt I can pay you what such a job really requires. I will understand if you decline." Naomi asked.


    "I ept your request." Akagi dered with a smirk.


    "I thought so, it really is too much to ask someone to-" Naomi''s brain froze for a second. "Wait, what did you just say?" she asked.


    "I said I ept your request, I will eliminate the Mitsuhide family so that you may avenge your family''s death," Akagi replied while lighting her Kiseru.


    Both Naomi and Marin were taken aback by this deration. They honestly expected Akagi to decline. After all, by taking this job she would be making an enemy of the Japanese government and would put her life in jeopardy. That was why every other assassin had declined in the past.


    "You.....You''ll really do it?" Naomi asked pensively


    "I just said I would now didn''t I?" (Akagi)


    "But why? Doing this will make you an enemy of the state, you understand that your life will forever be in danger if you go through with this?" Naomi couldn''t understand Akagi''s eptance even if she was happy.


    "I mean, I am an <i><b>assassin</b></i> aren''t I? If I was afraid of a little government retaliation I wouldn''t be in this business now would I? I mean hell I assassinated many nobles in FWO and even an Imperial prince." Akagi dered.


    "And before you go saying that''s different, need I remind you that not only was death permanent, but the NPCs in that game were essentially sentient AI. That world was as real as real could be Naomi and when it came down to it, the Empire with all its resources, magic, and power couldn''t do a damn thing to me." Akagi said with confidence.


    <i>{She''s serious. She believes she can actually do it. No, she </i><i><b>knows </b></i><i>can do it. It''s not even a question to her.} </i>(Naomi)


    "Then, I look forward to working with you Akagi. What do we do now?" Naomi asked still shocked.


    "Well, that''s the fun part. Now we go over the actual contents of the contract." Akagi grinned. "But first, I''ll need my lovely assistant. If you wouldn''t mind Yumi could youe out for a second?"


    Akagi''s shadow seemed to bend and twist for a brief moment before something leaped up and out into the center of the room.


    "Of course my Lord, I am always happy to be of service to you." (???)


    Standing just off to the side between Akagi and Naomi was a woman whose hair and eyes were a darker shade of green. Their color was almost the same as Akagi''s perhaps slightly lighter. She was dressed as what could only be described as a Miko (Shine Maiden) with arge bow in her hair of the same color. She looked to be the same age as Akagi or slightly younger and her outfit was ck and green like her master''s.


    "Allow me to introduce you. Naomi this is Yumi my second inmand and most trusted assistant." Akagi said with a proud smile.


    "Wait, don''t tell me she''s a-" Naomi stuttered out.


    "Yup, in FWO she was an NPC that I made into a follower. Using a little bit of game trickery, I was able to make her into an item that I could summon at will." Akagi continued. "And since she was made into an item-"


    "She was brought into our world!" Naomi eximed.


    <i>{That''s incredible she made an NPC, a piece of codee to life!} </i>(Naomi)


    "And the best part. Yumi here isn''t just some NPC follower, she is a fully trained assassin and is a pro at gathering intelligence. Her help was invaluable on so many asions." (Akagi)


    "Master, I appreciate your praise but perhaps we should get to the matter at hand first, and then I would ask you to exin more about what''s going on and where we are?" (Yumi)


    "A right, you''ve been dormant until now so you don''t know. I''ll exin detailster but for now, this is Naomi she is a friend of my sister and has contracted me to assassinate the Mitsuhide family." Akagi exined.


    "I see, please allow me to take notes." Yumi took out a pen and paper and began writing information down.


    "Alright Yumi, have at it get all the info we need." (Akagi)


    "Of course, now Ms. Naomi please answer these questions."(Yumi)


    "How many members of the family do you want killed?"


    "How do you want them killed."


    "How quickly must they die?"


    "What form of payment will you be using for this contract?


    "Do you have any special requests?"


    <u>And many more</u>


    Naomi was overwhelmed at first but quickly got her footing. She exined that she wanted every member of the family killed, no matter how old or young. She even requested that members of the family who had married into different households be killed as well as their children.


    <i>{This girl really wants to go for aplete wipe, not like I me her.} </i>(Akagi)


    The total number came out to sixteen targets ranging from ages 8 to 87. She asked that they be killed as swiftly as possible and that she didn''t care how they were killed. Except, in the case of the family head, she wanted Akagi to inform him and him alone who sent her.


    As for the payment.


    "Going by my master''s standard rates, the amount you will be required to pay wille to this much." Yumi showed the calction in a small notebook.


    Naomi almost passed out when she saw the number. It was a number farrger than she could ever hope to pay.


    "I''m sorry there is no way I could obtain that much money, even if I sold everything my family owns it wouldn''t be enough," Naomi said in anger.


    Yumi looked at her master.


    "Well, there are always alternative forms of payment. I don''t only take money." Akagi added with a grin.


    "I doubt my family has anything that would be valuable enough to cover such a cost. I''m sorry." (Naomi)


    "Now, Now that''s not true. You have something that I want and I think it would cover the cost." Akagi stated.


    Naomi was confused, she knew nothing that her family owned was really <i>that</i> valuable.


    "I''ll make you a deal. Your family owns a nice little estate outside Kyoto if I''m not mistaken. From what I know, it''s pretty worn down but you''ve been maintaining it because it has historical significance as one of the Shogun''s old vis." Akagi continued. "I want it. I also want you to assist me in converting the currency I obtained in FWO into something usable in this world."


    Spoiler


    Yumi! (Original Artwork)


    Marin!


    [copse]

 Chapter 10 – A Weight Lifted and Marin’s thoughts.

    Chapter 10 ¨C A Weight Lifted and Marin¡¯s thoughts.


    "Pfffffffffffffffffffffff."


    Naomi let out a deep breath as she copsed onto her couch. Akagi had left only minutes beforehand, and it was clear that her meeting with the assassin had taken everything out of her.


    "Mydy are you alright?" Marin asked concerned. "You look pale."


    "Yes, I''m fine. I just feel strangely tired, as if my entire body has suddenly gone limp." Naomi shook her head. "No, not tired, it was as if a weight was lifted off my shoulders and my entire body could truly rx for the first time in so long. (Naomi)


    "Mydy, I''m sorry that I never understood just how much pain you were in. I always knew the death of your parents was hard on you, but I never understood just how much you were dealing with. You always put on such a brave face and a tough outer exterior that I thought you would be fine. I am aplete and utter failure as your assistant." Marin said with a regretful look on her face.


    "It''s not your fault Marin. I went out of my way to hide it from you all these years and I never even attempted to confide in you. I thought that if I showed my pain to you or anyone else, you would believe I was nothing more than a helpless little girl. It''s not your fault that I was hiding it." Naomi replied.


    "I would never think any less of you my Lady, and I can assure you that goes for everyone else too. Crying and feeling sadness, are all natural things. We don''t work for you because we believe you to be some unflinching girl with a heart of stone. We work for you because we believe in you." Marin continued. "So please, you don''t need to hold it in anymore, at least not around me."


    "Thank you, Marin. I really can always count on you, can''t I?" Naomi replied with augh. "I should have known that all this time, but I doubted you like a fool."


    The two exchanged warm smiles.


    Marin had been at Naomi''s side since she was a child and while she was a decade older, she had always seen herself as Naomi''s friend first and foremost. That she had survived the events of that night was down to nothing more than luck as she was in Osaka visiting family. When she heard the news, she flew back to Kyoto in a blind panic believing that Naomi had perished as well. She was overjoyed that Naomi was still alive, but she could tell that the events of that night haunted her.


    For months Naomi would wake in the night screaming in terror reliving the death of her family. Over time, Marin had watched her friend grow colder and more distant and she began to feel that she might lose her forever.


    It was six monthster that Naomi told her what really happened that night. Marin was shocked to hear that it wasn''t a burry gone wrong, but rather an orchestrated hit from Japan''s most important political family. Such an assertion seemed oundish, but Marin never doubted her words. From that day forth, Marin swore to do anything to help the young girl achieve closure.


    Over the next several years, she helped Naomi to rebuild what her family had left her. Luckily, her father had been preparing her to take over the family business since she was a young girl so she wasn''tpletely out of her depth. Naomi expanded her family''s business and worked towards building a stable power base that she could use in the future.


    Marin had assumed that Naomi merely wanted to continue her father and grandfather''s legacy and prove herself to both them and the Mitsuhide family. However, that impression quickly proved to be wrong. Naomi used her family''s connections and wealth to get in touch with the underworld. She involved herself in criminal dealings and more than one illegal trade, the things she was doing would not make her parents proud. Marin thought Naomi had gone crazy and tried to talk her out of such a path fearing for her friend''s safety.


    When confronted, Naomi told her that she didn''t care about the family business, her legacy, or what her parents would think about her. No, she was only interested in one thing; revenge. She told Marin that she wanted the entire Mitsuhide family to pay for what they did to her and that she would achieve this goal by any means necessary. Naturally, hearing a thirteen-year-old tell her that she wanted tomit murder set off rm bells in her head.


    At first, she thought about reporting this, but the question was where? She couldn''t go to the police, she didn''t want Naomi to be arrested and she had no one who she trusted enough to confide in. She was also afraid of what Naomi would do if she learned that her trust in her was betrayed. In the end, she chose to do nothing and decided that she would help Naomi as much as she could while trying to keep her from goingpletely off the deep end.


    When Naomi returned from school on Friday, she told Marin that she had finally found the one who could fulfill her dream. She began to describe a girl called Akagi and her exploits during her time in FWO. Marin had thought that Naomi had finally lost it, as no matter how realistic FWO was, it was a game, not reality. However, when Naomi told her that Akagi had kept all her power and abilities from the game, she became concerned. Not about whether this person existed or whether they had these abilities. No, her concern stemmed from what might happen to Naomi if she achieved her goal.


    What would she do next? Would she truly be able to live with her decision? All these questions, and more, flooded her mind as Naomi told her about this girl Akagi.


    When the day finally came and Akagi arrived. Marin could instantly feel that the woman was dangerous, so much so that she dared not to speak. It was clear that this woman was a professional, easily on par with the others who hade before. However, what Marin could not understand was how a supposedly normal seventeen-year-old girl could turn into something so frightening in less than four years.


    Naomi had told her before the meeting that she intended to feel out Akagi and test her to see if she was here with the mindset of an assassin. However, it became apparent immediately to Marin that such tests would be seen as an insult to this person. She wanted to interject but found herself frozen in fear when Akagi locked eyes with her. At that moment, it felt like she was being stared at by a predator rather than a person.


    She was shocked to see Akagi embrace Naomi and even more so when Naomi allowed herself to cry in her arms. She had never been that intimate with anyone since her mother died and this made Marin feel like a failure as a friend.


    Unexpectedly Akagi agreed to Naomi''s request, much to Marin''s surprise. When the girl called Yumi exined how much it would cost, she feared what Akagi would ask of her master in return. However, when she told her that she wanted a family property and assistance converting her currency, Marin felt a great deal of relief.


    "arin....Marin!" Suddenly, Naomi''s voice brought Marin out of her thoughts.


    "Yes!" Marin yelped.


    "I''ve been calling out to you for a while, what on earth were you thinking about so hard? You had a strange look on your face." Naomi asked.


    Marin flushed red with embarrassment.


    "My apologies, I was thinking about everything that has happened. It''s been a lot to process." She said with a slight stutter. "Um.. might I ask you something?"


    "Go ahead," Naomi replied.


    "What will you do, afterward? I''m scared that once you lose your purpose you''ll....." Marin couldn''t finish her sentence.


    Naomi took a moment to think before responding.


    "I honestly, don''t know. I didn''t think I would get this far. I''ve lived my life since that day in pursuit of revenge. Honestly, I didn''t really care what happened to me afterward, so I didn''t n for the future. I suppose I will try to continue my family legacy as much as I can out of respect. If nothing else, I will dedicate my life to paying back Akagi for this debt." Naomi exined. " I have a few ideas that might work."


    <i>{At the very least, I''m sure Akagi will get good use out of my connections, and having a house back her will undoubtedly be useful even if it is just me. Hell, I would even marry her if she wanted; though I can''t imagine she would go for that.} (Naomi)</i>


    Whatever the future held for Naomi, one thing was certain it would certainly involve Akagi.

 Chapter 11 – Did I Ever Mention How Much I Hate Politics?

    Chapter 11 ¨C Did I Ever Mention How Much IHate Politics?


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Hey everyone, just wanted to say thank you all for reading my first story. In celebration of breaking 300 views, this first weekend will be double uploads so 2 chapters Saturday and 2 chapters Sunday. My intention is for chapters to go live at 12:01 midnight (EST) on release days so please tell me if things aren''t working. Also if you haven''t seen I updated artwork for chapter 5 and 8 so check those out. You can find my discord link at the bottom of the chapters in the small author section.


    Once again thanks for reading and I think you''re gonna like whating up!


    It had been over a month since those trapped in FWO awoke and threww enforcement across the country into chaos. Detectives were working overtime to interview each victim and collect information to discern who had orchestrated this whole disaster. Each of the 1,047 survivors had been interviewed and questioned, but none had been able to shed light on the perpetrator''s identity. At this point, it was looking like they might never know who caused such a tragedy.


    The "FWO Incident," as it was dubbed, caused a great shock to Japan. The government''spetency was called into question, and Japanese politics became increasingly vtile. Over thest four years, there were three separate governments, each promising to bring the culprit to justice. However, no matter how much funding or manpower was allocated;w enforcement failed to make any progress. As a result, confidence in Japanesew enforcement was at an all-time low. One might have expected some of the turmoil to die down once the survivors awoke, but this only added fuel to the fire. News of the awakening had only served to reignite the outrage. This was onlypounded when a press outlet published ssified material that confirmed that some of the yers had retained their game abilities in the real world. The panic that erupted put further pressure on the government to act and forestall any possibility of these yers bing a threat to society.


    In Kyoto, things had been slightly less chaotic. Of the thirteen people in the city that were trapped in FWO, only one actually survived. Unfortunately, what local police quickly discovered was that their survivor was the most dangerous of all.


    ______________________________________________________________________________


    <span style="color:#ffffff"><u>Kyoto Police Headquarters. 7:15 am, July 30th, 2058. Briefing Room A-3</u>.


    It wasn''t umon forw enforcement to start their day early and morning briefings were quitemon. However, it was the contents of this meeting and the members present that made it truly unique. Todoroki Nakagumo had been Kyoto''s chief of police for nearly fifteen years. He was nearly sixty six years old and had seen just about everything ranging from serial killers to terrorists. But none of that prepared him forst night''s surprise phone call from the Prime Minister and the fallout of what was toe.


    "Good Morning Chief Nakagumo, I apologize for suddenly calling youst night, but we don''t have the luxury of time at the moment. Every minute that passes the general public bes more restless." Prime Minister Hideki Nakamura spoke through the video call.¡± If things continue like this, I fear the political situation in the country will only deteriorate further.


    "It''s no trouble at all Mr. Prime Minister." Chief Nakagumo replied.


    <i>{I knew that there was some unrest and rioting in Tokyost week, but have things really gotten that bad?} </i>(Chief Nakagumo)


    Facing him was a series of monitors, all containing various important government figures from the cab, and the military as well as the speaker of the diet. While he was alone in the conference room with only his Assistant Chief at his side.


    <i>{Why the hell didn''t I retirest year when I had the chance? I have feeling I won''t be going home tonight.} </i>Nakagumo sighed internally.


    "Let''s make this quick, I would rather not keep all these busy men and women here any longer than they need to be.¡± He adjusted himself. ¡°Chief Nakagumo, are you aware that some of the survivors of the FWO Incident have retained the abilities they acquired in the game?" The Prime Minister asked ring at him.


    "Of course, I was briefed on this issue as soon as we found out." Chief Nakagumo. "My officers have been working with Doctors David Amherst and Yusei Ishihara in assessing security threats." He continued. "Although I cannot say we''ve learned much, as the only subject in Kyoto has been uncooperative." (Chief Nakagumo)


    <i>{Not only has she been unwilling to talk to us, she disappears constantly; half the time we can''t even find her!} </i>(Chief Nakagumo)


    "It''s that very subject that has made this meeting necessary Chief Nakagumo." The Prime Minister said with a re. "Tell me, what do you know about this Rishia Tomogawa, the one some have called <i>Akagi</i>? What have you learned?"


    <i>{Is this a test? There''s no way the Prime Minister doesn''t have this information. I hate these games they''re why I stay away from politics.}</i> (Chief Nakagumo)


    "Of course sir." He replied. "We learned that during her time in FWO she killed a total of 104 of the trapped yers. She made a living as an assassin and used her skills to that effect. The other yers we interviewed expressed fear or disgust towards her of varying degrees." (Chief Nakagumo)


    "When we learned that some of the survivors had retained their in-game abilities, I had my officers question her again. She confirmed that she could use her abilities, but was unwilling to provide further details." Chief Nakagumo continued. "Since she was discharged from the hospital we have been unable to make any further contact with her. I did order surveince but......"


    "She was able topletely avoid your officers." the Prime Minister finished.


    <i>"</i>Yes Mr. Prime Minster, I apologize for my and my officer''s ipetence." He said while bowing his head.


    "Yes well, I''m not here to admonish you or your men. That serves no purpose. I convened this meeting because it is obvious that civilianw enforcement is not qualified to handle this." (Prime Minister)


    The Prime minister looked at another participant of the meeting. "General Iseyama if you would." (Prime Minister)


    An older man looking to be in his seventies began to speak.


    "Chief Nakagumo, from now until the threat from this woman can be eliminated, you and your officers will be under mymand. Your men will be folded, partially, into the Military Police of the 1st Rapid Deployment Brigade. Do you understand?" (General Iseyama)


    "Yes sir, but does this mean the government intends to enter into conflict with Ms. Akagi? Based on what I''ve been told that seems like a....." Chief Nakagumo stopped himself. "My apologies; such things are above my station."


    "As long as you understand that, we''ll have no problems." General Iseyama gave an unpleasant smile.


    "Additionally, I would like to add that you may not share any information about those with these abilities with any foreign agents or the media. Especially those of the United States. Nor is the contents of this operation to be shared with any unauthorized personnel, civilian or military. Disclosure will be conducted on a strictly<i> need to know </i>basis<i>.</i>" (Prime Minister.)


    <i>{Yeah, I can imagine the Americans are already breathing down your neck. But, is it really appropriate to keep most of the government in the dark? People really aren''t going to like that.} </i>(Chief Nakagumo)


    "Right now, we are trying to put together a team of these "returnees" as we are calling them. We can''t afford to allow people to run around with such power without any oversight. If possible, we want to put an end to this "Assassin" before she has the chance to cause any damage. Our analysis shows that there is a minimal chance she would be willing to work for us and a high chance of conflict if she is allowed to roam freely.¡± The Prime Mister continued. ¡°Thus, we have concluded that eliminating her to ease public anxiety is a matter of grave national importance.¡±


    ¡°Currently, the public is simultaneously furious that we were unable to rescue these people and fearful about the potential damage they may cause. Unfortunately, despite our information quarantine it has been impossible to prevent news of these individuals with ¡°superpowers¡± from leaking to the public. This has resulted in calls for government action, calls that grow louder with each passing day." (Prime Minister.)


    <i>{Yeah I recall that press conference, you got destroyed by the media when they asked just what you were doing tobat this potential threat. I guess this means that your half-assed responses didn''t cut it and now you''re desperate.}</i> (Chief Nakagumo)


    "General Iseyama, I want you to put together a threat assessment of the one called Akagi. I want you working with army intelligence and the Secretary of Defense Nagumo Mitsuhide." The Prime Minister continued. "You are authorized to use whatever means necessary to bring her down. We need this win and I don''t care how you do it." (Prime Minister)


    "Of course Sir." (General Iseyama)


    "Chief Nakagumo, I want you to work with Speaker Miyori Mitsuhide. You are to assist in keeping the Select Committee on State Defense informed of all developments rted to this operation." (Prime Minister)


    "It will be a pleasure working with you." The voice of the older woman could be heard through the video call.


    "Likewise madam speaker." (Chief Nakagumo)


    <i>{Great, I try my whole like to stay away from politics and now I''m being thrust right into the middle of the lions den.} </i>(Chief Nakagumo)


    "That was everything I had to discuss. Those whom I did not specifically mention will receive a separate briefing at ater date." The Prime Minister continued. "Thank you for sharing your time Chief Nakagumo. I will be in touch if I have anything else and have a nice day." The Prime Minister and the other members began to disconnect.


    "Chief Nakagumo, could I trouble you for a moment?" Speaker Miyori had stayed behind.


    "How could I be of help Madam Speaker." (Chief Nakagumo)


    "There are some people who''ve been seen around this <i>Akagi</i>. People that my family has some interest in. Naturally, this is also for the good of Japan, but I would like you to ce some surveince on them as well." Miyori said. ¡°We might just be able to use them to help bring this Akagi woman down.¡±


    "Of course, if you believe it to be important to national security, then I will have my men on it immediately." (Chief Nakagumo)


    <i>{Did I ever mention how much I fucking hate politics.} </i>(Chief Nakagumo)


    "Good, I look forward to working with you. Goodbye." Miyori closed the connection.


    Chief Nakagumo was now left with just him and his Assistant Chief in the conference room.


    "Our officers are not gonna like working with the military. I wouldn''t be surprised if we see a whole lot quit over this." (Assistant Chief)


    "It can''t be helped, we''re in no position to deny them and the public already believes us to be worthless. Besides, if we''re going to be dealing with super-powered teens, we''re way out of our league. "Chief Nakagumo saidpletely exhausted. ¡°I''m really too old for this you know. I knew I shoulda taken my retirementst year.¡±


    "I can imagine you do, I certainly didn''t sign on to conduction operations with the military when I went to the police academy.¡± The Assistance Chief said with a chuckle before continuing.


    ¡°Do you really think the government intends to go to war over this Akagi girl? I''ve read her file, she most certainly has a dangerous track record in the game, but isn''t all this effort overkill for one person? Especially when said person hasn''t actually done anything yet.¡± The Assistant Chief was clearly confused.


    Nakagumo thought for a moment while he pulled a cigarette carton from his jacket pocket.


    "Son, let me tell you this. In my forty plus years inw enforcement, there have only been two times I''ve seen the government take such rash actions." he lit a cigarette.


    "The first was during the series of terror bombings in the wake of the 2022 Tokyo Olympics." He takes a puff. "And the second was during the Fourth Taiwan Strait Crisis in 2033. Do you know what themon thread between those two incidents is?" Nakagumo asked.


    The Assistant Chief thought for a moment.


    "Was it the general public''s fear? I don''t remember the bombings, but I remember everyone being terrified thinking we would be drug into a war with China," he answered.


    Chief Nakagumo held his cigarette in his hand and continued.


    "That was part of it, but no. While its true that the public is afraid of these ¡°returnees¡± and what they could do with their abilities, it''s not the primary reason the government is acting this way. You see, both those aforementioned incidents urred when the government was destabilized due to pre-existing internal issues. In 2022 the Prime Minister''s cab was already dealing with scandals and internal unrest due to economic disruption." (Chief Nakagumo)


    "So, to try and boost polling numbers, the government implemented a harsh crackdown to find the ones behind the bombing. The responses were heavy-handed but ultimately were nothing more than a show of force." Nakagumo said taking another puff. "Funny enough, that Prime Minister went on to lose his seat in the next General election. So much for his big n.¡± Nakagumo chuckled. ¡°They were hoping the public would see the government taking some big decisive action and forget about some of the other troubles. At least long enough for the next election toe and go.¡± Chief Nakagumo said while smoking.


    "In 2033, the government was in a simr state of dysfunction leading up to the crisis. Once again, the ruling coalition feared losing power and tried to distract people from the troubles at home by directly supporting the American task force in the South China Sea." (Chief Nakagumo)


    "This time is no different. Ever since those people became trapped in that game, the public has been outraged, and now that some of them are running around with crazy powers, people are scared too. If you couple that with some of the economic issues its no wonder they''re feeling the heat. The bigwigs in the government are terrified at the thought of being ousted over this whole debacle; none of them want to be left with the bag." Nakagumoughed. "That''s why they''re throwing down the gauntlet like this. It doesn''t matter that this woman Akagi hasn''t actually done anything yet. The government is going to use the fact that she <i>could </i>be a threat to try and drum up popr support when they take action against her." (Chief Nakagumo)


    "They might genuinely fear her power, but right now they see her more as a ticket to saving their political careers. Being in power when such a "dangerous" individual is brought to <i>justice </i>tends to help polling numbers. I bet they intend to fully release all their information on her time in FWO once she''s dealt with. They''ll y it up in the media as the government getting justice for all those people she killed and stopping her from killing more in the future." (Chief Nakagumo)


    "But, aren''t they taking a massive risk? If this woman is truly as dangerous as the stories say-" The Assistant Chief is interrupted.


    "Then their political career is thest thing they should be worried about." Chief Nakagumo said with a serious voice.


    Spoiler


    Chief Nakagumo!


    [copse]

 Chapter 12 – The Trap is Set.

    Chapter 12 ¨C The Trap is Set.


    "My Lord, it would seem that surveince of our movements has increased in thesest few weeks," Yumi said while sitting down next to Akagi.


    The two were currently in the garden of Akagi''s new estate courtesy of the Tokugawa family. Yumi had prepared sake and the two began drinking together. It had been a little over a week since Naomi had turned the property over to her and Akagi had been spending most of her time here, sorting out living arrangements and making improvements and changes where necessary.


    The estate was essentially a feudal Japanese manner with the main house surrounded by wooden exterior walls. It had a pond, a small garden and a few other buildings such as a servants quarters. It wasrge by Japanese standards and covered quite a lot of the mountain side, enough that one could even call it apound. Akagi was surprised that Naomi was able to transfer the property quite quickly but apparently, while it was considered historically significant, the Tokugawa family still owned it and thend itself outright.


    "Chloe has reported an increase in police activity as well as military presence in and around Kyoto. From what her team has gathered, it appears that the Japanese government intends to make some kind of move against you." Yumi said handing a sake cup to Akagi.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Akagi thanked Yumi and the two sat down on the nket Yumi had prepared.


    After agreeing to Naomi''s request, Akagi deployed many of her subordinates to gather intelligence. At present, 47 of her followers were deployed on three separate missions. The first group, headed by Chloe, was tasked with keeping an eye on the situation in Kyoto. Akagi had assumed that the Japanese government would begin to make moves against those who had retained their powers from FWO and wanted to be informed on their movements. To further add to her concerns, Hishya told her that some of the yers she knew IRL had disappeared.


    Hishya couldn''t be sure it was the Japanese government that was involved. However, their disappearances always coincided with suspicious activity. Hishya herself was under almost constant surveince and on more than one asion, she had to <i>request</i> that her privacy be respected. Naturally, they had attempted to put Akagi under surveince as well, but the government found markedly less sess with this endeavor.


    "I knew the government wouldn''t exactly sit on its ass forever," Akagi said while sipping some sake. "To be honest, they were faster than I expected; and here I thought the government was supposed to be slow and cumbersome." Akagi said with a wry smile.


    "Was Chloe able to ascertain exactly what they intend to do? Because that''s going to determine our next course of action." Akagi asked.


    <i>{I don''t exactly want an all out war with the Japanese government, but it wouldn''t be the first to pick a fight with me.} </i>(Akagi)


    "From what her report said, they are determined to enter into some kind of conflict with you. Apparently, they intend to provoke you into taking some drastic action so that they can look justified in the use of force." Yumi exined. ¡°Although, I doubt they wouldunch any direct offensive action as doing so would be..... quite unlikely to seed even if they have a few yers on their side.¡± Akagi and her team were quite adept atbat, even if the military decided to strike them, chances are they would be annihted.


    "Apparently, they don''t intend to allow any of the "returnees", as they are calling those who retained their abilities, to run around freely. Chloe''s report said they are giving people two choices; work for the Japanese government or....." Yumi trailed off.


    "So basically, they know they won''t be able to recruit me, so they want me to fly off the handle so they can crush me. All that for what? To show people that the government has a handle on the situation? Is provoking all out war <i>really</i> the best idea they could think of in this situation?¡± She sighed at the absurdity. ¡°What a stupid idea, politics really is the same whether it''s in the game or the real world. I bet they want to use this as some political football to keep power right?¡± Akagi growled in irritation. (Akagi)


    Yumi agreed with her master''s conclusion. ¡°Based on what Chloe brought me, I would say that seems highly likely.¡±


    Akagi shook her head in disbelief. ¡°Politicians being desperate to hold onto power, I guess the game and real life really weren''t much different in that aspect. Though the Empire tended to be much more <i>direct</i> with its methods. If you caught their attention you could kiss your freedom goodbye.¡± Akagi said with a shrug. "Although when they tried applying that strategy to yers, it didn''t exactly work out as they expected.¡± Akagi snickered remembering how yers had utterly crushed the Empires attempt to control them.


    "I must say that it is not us who I worry about my Lord. From everything I''ve seen, I doubt the Japanese government would be much more of a threat than the Empire. However, what <i>does</i> concern me is that in addition to taking measures to surveil you; they have been increasing surveince on your sister, as well as Mika and Naomi. If I would have to guess, they intend to involve them in this situation." Yumi said with a concerned look in her eyes.


    "Let them. If they''re stupid enough to actually go after those girls; then I''ll give them exactly what they''re looking for." Akagi said with a wide grin.


    "Yes well. What order shall I give the shadows currently guarding them? At present, they''ve been told to remain hidden unless the girls'' lives are in danger." Yumi had seen the look in her master''s eye before and it always involved trouble.


    "If the girls <i>are </i>taken by government agents, the shadows should prioritize their safety; but otherwise let things y out how the government wants." Akagi smiled. "All we have to do is sit back and give them the rope with which to hang themselves." (Akagi)


    "Ok, I will pass that along and tell the shadows to alert you to any changes in the girl''s condition. If they''re taken, we''ll know right away." Yumi said crossing something off her list.


    "Just do me a favor and keep this a secret. I can''t imagine they would be too pleased being used as bait." Akagi said while scratching her cheek.


    <i>{No, I can imagine not.} </i>(Yumi)


    "If that is what you desire then I shall remain silent." (Yumi)


    "Now, I would like to move along to the main topic." Yumi continued. "Preparations are nearlyplete for the take down of the Mitsuhide family. Team two, led by Marshal, has sessfully infiltrated each of the family residences of the sixteen members of the Mitsuhide family we have been tasked with eliminating. " (Yumi)


    "Marshal reported that security is tight for Speaker Miyori Mitsuhide, Secretary of Defense Nagumo Mitsuhide, and former Prime Minister Ryuji Mitsuhide." Yumi continued while flipping through her notes. "These three all live within rtively securepounds, with the former Prime Minister living with his son Nagumo and his family." (Yumi)


    Most of the family resided in Tokyo with a few scattered throughout the rest of Japan. Akagi and her subordinates would strike simultaneously to eliminate the entire family in one stroke.


    "Since Naomi wanted special treatment for Nagumo, I suppose you and I will handle his ce," Akagi added.


    "Yes, that was the n. The rest of the family members live in rtivelyx security environments, so they will be easy to dispatch. Marshal and his team will deal with Speaker Miyori and her family while the other teams dispatch the lower priority targets." (Yumi)


    "It shouldn''t be too much longer until preparations areplete. We''ll be ready to begin on your orders." (Yumi)


    "Good, but we should wait to see what the government does. If we''re lucky, they try to kidnap the girls in the next week or so. Perhaps we could even feed them a little false intel to light a fire under their asses." Akagi said while lighting her Kiseru. "If we do this right, we rescue the girls, then take out the Mitsuhide family. From the government''s perspective, it will look like retaliation for messing with me. That should steer any investigation away from Naomi and also put the fear of god in them." She said letting out a puff of smoke.


    "That''s quite a good idea. I must admit I thought it was highly likely that Naomi would find herself in a great deal of trouble once we were done. On a list of suspects, she would be quite high up due to her connection to you." Yumi said with a smile. "But, I will say it''s unusual for you to care about a client''s wellbeing like that. Don''t tell me you''ve gone soft?" She said with fake shock.


    "Very funny.¡± Akagi said with the pipe in her mouth. ¡°No, it''s more like if something happens to Naomi, Kana would be sad, so I''ll do what I can to prevent that from happening." Akagi replied while shaking her head. "If Naomi gets herself into trouble after this, that''s her problem, but in this instance, let''s consider this an extra service." (Akagi)


    "Ok, then let''s go over a few other items I had while we wait for lunch. It should be ready soon." Yumi said.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    About five dayster.


    In one of the Kyoto Police Department''s conference rooms, Chief Nakagumo just began a meeting with General Iseyama and Secretary of Defense Nagumo.


    "Chief Nakagumo, I have been informed that the target has left the city and is currently residing at an estate near Enryakuji. ording to our intel, she arrived there several days ago to assume ownership and won''t be back for some time." Nagumo continued. "If we''re going tounch "Operation Broken de" now is as good a time as any." (Nagumo)


    "Indeed, we currently have eyes on the target''s sister and her two friends. It will be a simple mission for my men to swoop in and grab the three of them." General Iseyama said with a cold smile.


    Chief Nakagumo interjected. "I would like to remind you, General, that those three girls are just children. Please handle them with care. If possible, we should aim to perform this operation with as little force as possible. If we can bring them in peacefully, I humbly request that you do so." Chief Nakagumo asked while bowing his head.


    <i>{What''s going on with this world? Have we fallen so far that we need to kidnap our own citizens, children no less? Those girls aren''t much older than my granddaughter; they shouldn''t be involved in this mess. I just hope things don''t escte to violence; I don''t want them caught in the crossfire.} </i>(Nakagumo)


    "I would second Chief Nakagumo''s opinion, if possible they should be brought in peacefully." Nagumo continued. "But if they resist, bring them in by any means necessary. This operation is too important; if we have to run cover over this, then so be it." Nagumo said with a serious expression.


    "I will instruct my men to bring them into <i>Protective Custody</i>. We will inform them that there is a credible threat to their safety and that a temporary relocation will be necessary. If they''re smart they wille along quietly and we won''t have to harm them. (General Iseyama)


    <i>{Protective Custody, sure, you''re nning on cing them within a military lock-up. There isn''t even any guarantee that these girls will see the light of day, don''t try and y the nice guy, I''ve been to all these meetings.} </i>(Chief Nakagumo)


    "That''s good to hear. If possible, I would like to be present on the ground when we bring them it. I''ve been Kyoto''s Police Chief for fifteen years; the girls might be morefortable with me than your soldiers." (Chief Nakagumo)


    "That sounds reasonable to me. General?" (Nagumo)


    "Yes, that sounds fine." (General Iseyama)


    It was clear that these two men didn''t care about what happened to the girls.


    "Then please act with haste. I want this whole operationpleted ASAP. Time is not on our side." Nagumo said as he disconnected.


    "Chief Nakagumo, please prepare your men and be ready to strike as soon as my preparations areplete. We will aim to target the girls when they leave school together, we know they tend to venture in to Shij¨­ Kawaramachi so we will n to strike then." General Iseyama disconnected.


    Chief Nakagumo let out a sigh.


    "Crazy how they even know these girls'' afterschool schedule. It''s honestly creepy how much surveince they had on them." Chief Nakagumo took out a cigarette and lit it. "Once this ordeal is over I''m retiring; I can''t take this anymore."


    Chief Nakagumo sat in the conference room alone for nearly thirty minutes as he emptied his pack of cigarettes.


    Spoiler


    Akagi sitting in the garden! (Early AI Artwork)


    [copse]

 Chapter 13 – Alea iacta est.

    Chapter 13 ¨C Alea iacta est.


    *RINNNNNNNNNNNNNNG*


    "Alright, it''s finally the weekend!" Mika said jumping out of her seat. The girls had nned on spending the weekend at Akagi''s new home, ostensibly to study, but also because they were genuinely curious.


    Kana walked over to her. "I know you''re excited, but don''t forget we''re going to Onee-chan''s new house to <i>study</i>, not just y."Mika had been excited about this trip all week.


    "I know, I know. But it''s pretty exciting; is it? After all, your sister''s house is like some crazy Yokai mansion! She even told me I could meet a Yuki Onna!" Mika had been <i>really</i> looking forward to this weekend. "A <i>real</i> Yuki Onna Kana! You know how much I love them."


    Akagi had spent most of thesest two weeks at her new house near Enryakuji Temple. Kana was surprised that her sister was moving out, but ultimately thought it was for the best. Her parents had be much more ufortable with Akagi living in the house recently and she could feel the tension between them and her sister. She knew their rtionship was irrevocably broken, but could only feel sadness seeing how they acted towards Akagi. However, when her sister told her she was moving out, she expected an apartment not a historical estate! One that belonged to Naomi no less!


    When questioned, Akagi told her that she purchased it using the funds she acquired in FWO, but Kana felt something was off about the whole situation. Naomi had known Akagi for less than a month, so it was quite strange that she would just sell a family property to someone she had only just met. Nevertheless, she refrained from prying too deeply out of respect for her sister and her friend.


    "Yes, Yes, I know just how much you love the stories about Yuki Onna, you have countless plushies of them in your room after all, "Kana said while shaking her head. "I won''t deny that I''m also interested in meeting more of Onee-chan''s friends, but don''t forget that prepping for examses first." (Kana)


    ¡°Booooooo I don''t wanna study.¡± Mikained.


    Naomi walked over to the two of them and asked. "We''re going to your house first, right Kana?" (Naomi)


    "Yeah, Onee-chan said she woulde to pick us up when she was ready, so we should have a few hours." Kana nodded. ¡°And Mika, need I remind you that you only barely passed the practice exam? Do you really want to have to take make-ups again?¡±


    <i>{What am I going to do with this girl?}</i> Kana sighed internally.


    Mika responded by puffing out her cheeks.


    "It still baffles me that your sister can move between such faraway ces so quickly. On top of that, she can hide in in sight, fly and even teleport. Is there anything your sister can''t do?" Naomi said while rubbing her temples.


    "If it has anything to do with gaming I would say no, and since this does...." Kana gave a defeated look. ¡°I think we should just give up on trying to maintain our normalmon sense when ites to Onee-chan and her abilities.¡±


    <i>{At this point I don''t think anything Onee-chan could do would shock me}</i> (Kana)


    The girls were shown of some of Akagi''s more <i>advanced </i>powers and abilities. Needless to say, they were both impressed and astonished by what she could do. It gave the impression that she was the most powerful of all FWO''s yers; a notion that Akagi quickly shut down. Akagi said while that she was the best at subterfuge, stealth and likely had the highest speed of any yer, Hishya packed the most firepower.


    "Then does that mean we''ll have some time before we leave? I would like to do a little shopping downtown if that''s alright." Mika perking back up.


    "I don''t mind. Naomi is that fine with you?" Kana turned to Naomi.


    "Sure.Who knows, maybe I''lle across something neat." The girl said with a smile.


    "Then what are we waiting for; let''s GO!" Mika said while taking off down the hallway.


    Kana sighed."Where does she get all that energy from?"


    "Who knows, if she would only put half of that towards her studies, she might actually be a good student," Naomi said while shaking her head.


    The three girls then left school together and headed into downtown Kyoto to do some shopping. Things were quite busy around the Shij¨­ Kawaramachi as always, but the girls were used to it. The three of them spent about an hour hitting up different stores and did some light window shopping. Mika bought a new AR system, apparently to help her study, but the girls knew it was unlikely to be used for such purposes.


    The girls exited the tech store and Mika immediately got to work assembling and activating her new AR gear. "Oh man, this thing is so cool," Mika said while turning it on. "The quality of the images is so much better than my old one, it feels like these screens are really here." (Mika)


    "Yeah, AR tech has advanced so much recently, at this point, I''m wondering if VR might actually be unnecessary," Naomimented. "You know, now that I think about it. Kana, has your sister used AR or VR since she returned from FWO? I''ve only ever seen her use that old smartphone she has." She look at her friend, curious to see if she knew.


    Akagi was quite a big gamer before FWO and Kana knew she had many different types of tech ranging from PCs to VR, but she hadn''t seemed to use any of it recently. In fact, she intentionally went out of her way to acquire a smartphone, something that most people wouldn''t use anymore.


    "Now that you mention it, I don''t think so. It''s strange, she used to y games all the time in the past, but she''s only really used her PC recently." Kana said while in thought. "Part of it might have to do with her body being changed. She said that all of her imnts disappeared when she woke up." Kana said while thinking.


    "That would exin why she''s so low-tech. It''s almost impossible to use mostputers or systems without imnts nowadays." Naomi nodded her head. "Is she not going to rece them?" (Naomi)


    "I''m not sure, she hasn''t mentioned anything about it. I''ll ask her about itter," Kana said looking unsure. ¡°It''s definitely strange now that you mention it.¡±


    Mika chimed in with an interesting point. "Maybe it has something to do with being stuck in FWO? I wouldn''t be shocked if she was put off by technology after an experience like that. I know I would be." Mika theorized. ¡°She might even be afraid of being trapped again.¡±


    "That could be it, but for someone like Onee-chan to suddenly be uneasy with technology would be.... very <i>ironic</i>. After all, her entire life was basically online." The thought of Akagi rejecting technology was something Kana never considered. ¡°But maybe you''re right, I mean after such an experience there would have to be some mental side effects.¡±


    "No point specting about it when we can just ask her about itter and she''d probably answer us if we did." Naomi pointed out.


    ¡°True.¡± Kana nodded.


    The girls proceeded down the main road deciding to take one of the many side streets to avoid heavy traffic before heading towards Kana''s house.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <General Iseyama POV>


    "Actual, this is overwatch 3; be advised targets have left the main road and are heading towards grid point six-four-nine. Over." A soldier''s voice can be heard over a speaker.


    The JSDF had been preparing for this day for weeks. General Iseyama headed this operation from his HQ at JGSDF Camp Katsura in Kyoto. "Operation Broken de" involved hundreds of personnel from several branches of the military as well as civilianw enforcement. Soldiers and police have been deployed throughout downtown Kyoto to observe the girls and determine the precise moment to strike, and that moment hade.


    "I hear you overwatch 3. Keep eyes on the targets at all times. I want to know if anything changes." General Iseyama said through folded hands.


    "Rodger that actual. Over and out." the soldier replied.


    General Iseyama leaned over his desk and opened up an AR screen pressing on the call sign "Spider."


    "Spider this is actual. Overwatch 3 has reported that the targets are on the move. Proceed to point six-four-nine and prepare for interception and seizure." He says while looking at the screen.


    He continued, addressing Chief Nakagumo directly."Chief Nakagumo, my men will give you one chance to bring the targets in peacefully. If they resist, they are authorized and ordered to bring them in by whatever means necessary." Iseyama says with a sharp voice. ¡°There will be zero tolerance for failure and I won''t let your weak stomach ruin weeks of nning.¡±


    ______________________________________________________________________________


    <Chief Nakagumo''s POV>


    "I understand sir. I will do whatever I can to ensure that your men don''t need to do anything drastic." Chief Nakagumo was currently sitting within arge ck van heading towards the girl''s location. In a few minutes this whole thing would be over.


    "Good, if you seed I imagine your retirement will go through with the honor that someone with your record deserves." General Iseyama dropped the connection.


    Of course, this was a threat. Iseyama knew he wanted to retire and was not so subtly hinting at causing him some sort ofst minute issue if he stood in the way of this operation.


    <i>{Yeah, this has to be the absolute worst day of my life. I think I would take a repeat of 47''s arsons than have to kidnap children.}</i> The old police chief put his hands together in prayer. <i>{I know I don''t pray too often, but please if the gods are listening, please let these girls get through this unharmed. I''m about to betray the very oath I swore when I graduated from the police academy all those years ago. Saiyori, please forgive your fool of a husband. Miyako, I''m sorry your father is such a worthless man. Kimiko, I hope you can still call me grandpa after this.}</i> (Nakgumo)


    Chief Nakagumo spent the next ten minutes sitting inplete silence among the armed soldiers until the van stopped. Time seemed to slow down for him as his thoughts drifted through the forty plus years he had spent on the force.


    He had apprehended criminals, saved lives, and generally lead a life that he was proud of. He considered himself a lucky man, blessed with a family that loved him more than he believed he deserved. Both his daughter and granddaughter grew up believing him to be a hero of justice. A man who worked to keep bad guys off the streets and keep Kyoto safe. While he would never admit it, he enjoyed their idolized view of him and strove to live up to their expectations.


    He knew what he was about to do was wrong, and that these girls would likely never be seen again, but there was nothing he could do. He considered resigning in protest, but he feared the girl''s treatment under his recement and he couldn''t risk his family being harmed by his actions. So he decided to stay, in hopes that he could help these girls even a little bit. At the very least, he would do whatever he could to help him sleep better at night.


    "Sir, we have eyes on the targets requesting permission to begin the operation." one of the soldiers asked him.


    Chief Nakagumo reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a cigarette.


    "You got a lite?" He asked.


    "Um.... yes I do." the soldier pulled out a lighter and obliged.


    Chief Nakagumo took in a deep breath, let out one big puff of smoke, and said.


    "Let''s do this."

 Chapter 14 – The Predator Catches its Prey.

    Chapter 14 ¨C The Predator Catches its Prey.


    "Hey guys. Is it just me, or are we the only people on this street?" Mika asked out of the blue.


    "What do you mean? Naomi turned from her conversation with Kana. "This is downtown Kyoto there''s no way that-" Naomi looked around slightly startled.


    The street which should have been filled with shoppers andmuters was empty. "What''s going on? There were just people here a minute ago weren''t there? How could there be an empty street at this hour, where did everyone go?" Downtown Kyoto was never this empty even at night.


    "Did we maybe go onto a street that''s supposed to be closed? I''ll admit I wasn''t exactly paying attention to where we were going." Kana said with a guilty look.


    "I mean I guess it''s possible, but I don''t know. I feel like we would have noticed a sign that said <i>Do Not Enter, </i>especially if everyone else did," Mika responded. ¡°It woulda been pretty obvious.¡±


    "I don''t like this. It''s quiet, <i>far</i> too quiet for Kyoto in the middle of the day," Naomi said with a slight nervousness in her voice. "Let''s pick up the pace a bit. If we aren''t supposed to be here we should clear out ASAP." (Naomi)


    ¡°Right.¡± (Mika and Kana)


    The three girls sped up their pace not wanting to be caught on the empty street if they weren''t supposed to be here.. A strange sense of foreboding came over the three of them; as if they could almost sense what was about to happen.


    Suddenly, arge ck van pulled out from one of the streets in front of them blocking their path. The girls stumbled back almost falling over each other. A few momentster it''s doors swung open and, in a sh, six armed men disembarked and surrounded the girls. Once they had gotten in position, an older gentleman disembarked from the van, someone that the girls had seen before.


    He walked up to the girls, cigarette in hand, and said.


    "My apologies for startling you three. You likely know who I am; but I will introduce myself anyway. My name is Todoroki Nakagumo I''m Kyoto''s Chief of Police." He said while showing his ID badge.


    Kana was the first to speak. "Y-yes. I recognize you. I''ve seen you on news conferences a few times. Can you exin exactly why you have us surrounded by armed officers? I don''t think we did anything to warrant such force being used against us." The officers were armed but had yet to train their weapons on the girls.


    "If this is about being on a street were not suppose to be, we''re sorry, we must have missed the Do Not Enter sign." Mika said while shaking slightly.


    "Do Not Enter sign?¡± Chief Nakagumo was confused for a moment. ¡°I have no idea what you''re talking about and that''s not really important. The reason me and these men are here, is that we''ve been ordered to take you three into protective custody." He said as he dropped his cigarette and stamped it out.


    "Protective custody!" Mika shouted. "Protection from what? Is someone after us?


    Kana interjected. "No way, if there was, Onee-chan would have said something." She looked at Chief Nakagumo. "Who are we being protected from? I can''t imagine that someone could be targeting us and evade Onee-chan''s detection." Kana said with absolute certainty.


    <i>{I don''t know everything about her abilities, but I know for a fact that she has eyes everywhere. If someone really was after us, she would have told us or even taken action herself.} </i>(Kana)


    "Yes well, I cannot give you details as most of it is ssified, but I can tell you that this does involve that sister of yours. I ask that you make this easy on everyone ande with us." He said with a soft voice.


    "And if we refuse?" Naomi asked.


    "I don''t think you''re in a position to refuse." He gestured to the men surrounding them. "Listen, I''ve been ordered to take you in with or without your cooperation. But I can say if youe with me, willingly, things will be better for both you and your sister." He said with a dark look in his eye. "I don''t want to get rough with children, honestly the very thought itself sickens me, but I have a job to do. Please understand." He was almost pleading with the girls.


    Kana began sweating. He was right, there wasn''t anything they could do. If they refused, these men would just take them anyway most likely after knocking them out; and who knew what else they would do to them. For now, the best that they could do was oblige Chief Nakagumo and hope their cooperation bought them some goodwill.


    <i>{They''re after Onee-chan aren''t they? They want to use me as a hostage against her. Dammnit, why am I so weak? Is that all I am? A burden? Something to be used against her? Someone she will have to be worried about protecting? I know she would tell me I''m wrong, but I hate the thought of dragging her down because I''m helpless. I''ve even dragged Mika and Naomi into this too...." </i>(Kana)


    Kana looked at Chief Nakagumo. "If I go with you willingly, can you let the two of them go? They have nothing to do with this." Kana pleaded for her two friends.


    He thought for a moment before responding. "Sorry, but my orders are to bring all three of you in I can''t do that." Chief Nakagumo gave a conflicted look.


    Kana looked back at her friends. "I''m sorry, you got dragged into this because of me." She was distraught at the thought of her friends being harmed because of her.


    "It''s OK Kana, it''s not your fault. It''s theirs for resorting to such methods. You can''t be med for the actions of these disgusting people." Naomi said with contempt.


    "Yeah, what she said," Mika said while hiding behind Naomi.


    She was happy her friends weren''t angry with her, but it still didn''t make her feel any better. "I see, Chief Nakagumo I guess we''lle with you." She looked him in the eye. "But just know, when Onee-chan finds out what you''re doing....." She paused for a few seconds. "I hope you will be ready to face the consequences," Kana said with a fiery look in her eye.


    "Ms. Kana, I prepared myself for that a long time ago when I joined the academy." He said while turning towards the van. "You heard them, boys. Treat them with care; they''re under our protection after all." He said with a sigh.


    The three girls were ushered into the back of the van. They weren''t handcuffed or restrained but they did have their electronics confiscated. Much to Mika''s displeasure, even her new AR system was taken. During the drive, the soldiers and Chief Nakagumo were silent, saying nothing about where they were headed or what would happen once they arrived. It was an awkward and ufortable experience for everyone.


    <i>{Where are they taking us? A police station or maybe a military base? I guess it doesn''t really matter.} </i>Kana.


    After a twenty-minute ride, the van arrived at the gates of Camp Katsura. The guards let them inside and therge metal gates nked as they closed behind the van. Once they were cleared for entry into the underground section of the base they came to a stop just in front of what looked like an entrance.


    Chief Nakagumo stood up and looked at the girls.


    "Alright, we''re here. You girls are going to speak with the base''smander General Iseyama, per his request, before you''re ced in holding cells. Don''t do anything rash, there''s no escape from this ce, and I don''t want to see you get hurt. Understand?" (Chief Nakagumo)


    The three girls could only nod, but their eyes told him how they felt about him.


    "Good, Captain could you please take it from here? I believe my job is done and I''m going to head back to my office, I have other work that needs to be done." Chief Nakgumo said while disembarking.


    "Yes sir, I can take it from here." (Captain)


    Chief Nakagumo walked away from the van, lighting another cigarette and headed towards his parked car. He intended to get as far away from this mess as possible; he couldn''t bear be a part of this farce for a moment longer.


    <i>{I''m sorry girls, this is the best I could do. I don''t expect to be forgiven for this by you or anyone else. Hopefully, General Iseyama defies my expectations and you actually get to go home when this is over.} </i>(Chief Nakagumo)


    A few minutes and one elevator rideter, Chief Nakagumo entered and started his car before letting out a deep sigh.


    "Alright. I''m still Police Chief, I have work to do and I can''t let others see me in such a sorry state." He took a minute to psych himself up. "Just a little bit more and I can bow out with honor.¡±


    He drove out of the garage and left the base; heading towards his office. "I know.¡± he began to talk to himself. ¡°We should go on a family trip to Hawaii to celebrate my retirement. I know Saiyori would like to go there again, and I''m sure Miyako and Kimiko<i> </i>would love it¡±<i> </i>He said as he gripped the steering wheel tightly. "Kimiko, next time I see you, grandpa''s gonna give you the biggest hug in the world." Chief Nakagumo drove down Kyoto''s main street before turning onto a road that took him straight into his building''s parking garage.


    As he turned down this road, he noticed something strange. A fog had suddenly covered the road obscuring most of his vision.


    <i>{A fog? At this time of day? In this part of Kyoto? That doesn''t make any sense, what the hell is going on?} </i>(Chief Nakagumo)


    Chief Nakagumo was confused, he had never seen such a localized fog before, especially not in the city itself. Undeterred, he continued driving down the road, being especially careful to avoid pedestrians or other cars.


    Eventually, he arrived at the entrance of his building''s garage and drove inside, quickly reaching his private parking spot. However, not only did the fog persist within the garage, it got <i>worse</i>. The sun''s light, which should illuminate the inside of the garage, was reduced to mere bands piercing through the fog.


    Once he turned off the vehicle he had the strange feeling that he wasn''t alone. His many years as a beat cop and a detective told him something was <i>wrong</i>.


    <i>{I don''t like this. It feels like something''s out there watching me; waiting for me.</i>} (Chief Nakagumo)


    He peered over his dashboard and looked into the foggy garage, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever was causing this feeling. He stared, and stared, and stared until he finally caught a glimpse of it. From within the fog, he saw a set of glowing Amber eyes peering back at him, staring at him, watching him. Chief Nakagumo felt his blood run cold and his hands started shaking. Whatever was watching him, was most certainly not human and its eyes told him it viewed him as prey.


    He took a moment to calm himself before reaching for his holster. A few secondster he drew his pistol while stepping out of the car, yelling.


    "Who goes there?!¡± he yelled pointed his pistol at the eyes. ¡°This is police property, no one may enter without permission! I do not know who you are or why you are here, but if you leave now I will overlook this trespass!" Chief Nakagumo''s heart was racing as he looked into these Amber eyes in the fog. In all his years on the force, not once had something made him feel this afraid.


    A few momentster, he repeated his deration once more; but the eyes did not disappear. Instead, they proceeded to get closer and closer until Chief Nakagumo heard a familiar sound.


    *Click* *Clock*


    *Click* *Clock*


    *Click* *Clock*


    *Click* *Clock*


    *Click* *Clock*


    *Click* *Clock*


    <i>{I recognize that sound. That''s the sound of geta sandles. Who on Earth is wearing something like tha-} </i>Suddenly, it clicked, and Chief Nakagumo understood what, or rather <i>who</i> was approaching him.


    <i>{This terrifying aura, this feeling of dread, those eyes and that sound. If I put together all the information I have; it can only mean one thing, but that''s that''s-}</i>


    "That''s impossible!¡± He screamed his thoughts aloud. ¡°You can''t be here; you''re supposed to be near Enryakuji! We saw you there less than two hours ago, if you had made any moves we would have known!" He screamed in panic.


    The clicking came closer until, from the fog, <i>she</i> appeared. In front of Chief Nakagumo was the one person he never wanted to meet, the one person he <i>shouldn''t</i> be meeting, someone he was told <i>couldn''t</i> be in Kyoto. But yet, here she was, standing before him in the garage of his own building with a smile that sent chills down his spine.


    "Good Afternoon Chief Nakagumo. I believe you and I need to have a little chat." Akagi said yfully.


    Spoiler


    Akagi appears from the fog!


    [copse]

 Chapter 15 – A Meeting Between Man and Monster.

    Chapter 15 ¨C A Meeting Between Man and Monster.


    Akagi emerged from the dark fog, stepping into a ray of light that managed to pierce into the garage. She gave off an air of elegance and maturity that seemed uncanny for someone her age. Her very form appeared cold and sinister, much like the darkness she emerged from. It was as if she were part of the shadows themselves. Many would use words like beautiful orely to describe the woman in front of him. But to Chief Nakagumo, the only word he could use to describe her was: <i>terrifying</i>. No other words were appropriate, not because they were untrue, but because what was standing before him was not a <i>woman</i>; but a <i>monster</i> in the guise of one.


    A moment passed, one that felt like an eternity to Chief Nakagumo, before Akagi said.


    "I haven''t seen that look in <i>oh so long</i>.¡± She flicked her hair. ¡°It''s quite interesting that you can see through the illusion." She said with a light chuckle. "Your face reminds me of when I met Hishya at Hussan the night before the battle. That girl was truly terrified, though she would never admit it." Her voice was warm, almost cheerful as she recalled that night. "I guess it''s true; you''ve got to the enjoy the little things in life."


    She continued.


    "I''m d to see you understand your situation Chief Nakagumo; perhaps that means you would be more open to answering my questions?" She asked with an innocent smile.


    Chief Nakagumo found it difficult to speak. "I-I am a m-man of thew. I d-do not deal with c-criminals." He said while stuttering. "I have nothing to say to you." His difficulty speaking surprised him, he''d stared down hardened criminals before, but Akagi truly made him afraid.


    <i>{What kind of a monster was unleashed upon our world. Is this some kind of sick joke yed by the gods.}</i> The shadows she emerged from seemed to stare into his very soul, ready to consume him at a moments notice.


    "Nothing to say.... I see." Akagi began to slowly circle around him. "I just wanted to confirm some of my information is all. You see, I know you''ve taken Kana and the girls and I know where they are at this very moment." She continued. " I know you want to use them as hostages against me, to provoke me into attacking, all so your politician friends can score points with the public."


    She stopped, and turned to look at him. "I bet they''re real proud of themselves right now." Akagi took a few steps closer. "They think they''ve won, don''t they? Right now, I bet they''re giddy imagining just how high those poll numbers are going to go and what they can do with the power of their "returnees." (Akagi)


    Chief Nakagumo remained silent and kept his pistol trained on Akagi as she spoke.


    "But you see Chief. They made two mistakes. Two mistakes that mean their entire n was all for nothing." Akagi'' frowned. "Your first mistake, Chief, was assuming that your forces and the returnees you''ve roped into helping you would be enough to beat me." She said as her eyes began to glow. "Amon mistake really, the Empire for all its wisdom and power made the same one, and they paid the price. Even after the death of the crown prince, they didn''t understand the difference between us. Truly a tragedy, wouldn''t you agree?" She asked while getting closer.


    As she approached, Chief Nakagumo felt a weight crash down upon him as the garage filled with pure darkness. He found it difficult to stand while the very air itself felt toxic to breath.


    "Your second mistake." Akagi continued with an icy cold voice. "Was involving people I care about in our little game. I don''t really care if youe after me; after all, it''s what I signed up for when I became an assassin.¡± She stopped moving. ¡°But when you involve others in an attempt to harm me." She gave a chillingugh that seemed to echo throughout the darkness. "<i>That</i> is when I get just a little bit <i><b>angry</b></i><i>.</i>" Akagi''s form became surrounded by darkness, almost melding with her, while her still glowing eyes locked themselves on Chief Nakagumo. Her calm voice belied her anger.


    "So Chief what will it be? Will you answer my questions, or will I have to take something from you?" She asked with an evil grin on her face. ¡°And I think I know exactly what to take.¡±


    Chief Nakagumo couldn''t answer. Not only was he too terrified, but he had his honor. No matter how dire the circumstances, he would never sell out his fellow officers or members of the government. Doing so would go against everything he ever stood for as a man of thew, he wouldn''t cross that line. If she was going to kill him, then so be it.


    <i>{I''m sorry Saiyori, it looks like this is the end, please forgive me for being such a worthless husband.} </i>(Chief Nakagumo)


    Seeing this his reluctance to speak even in the face of mortal danger, Akagi rxed the pressure on him. Chief Nakagumo felt the massive weight of Akagi''s energy lift from his body and he found himself able to breath once again.


    A momentter Akagimented.


    "A man of honor huh? Even if your life is in jeopardy you still won''t abandon your principles. From what I''ve heard about you that''s not surprising and I must admit it''s quite refreshing to see someone like you around in today''s day and age." Akagi gave a wicked smile. "However, can you still stay that way if someone you care about is put at risk? Just how far are you willing to go to hold onto it? Will you hold fast to that honor, if say..... your <i><b>Granddaughter</b></i><i> </i>was here right now?" Akagi asked with an evil grin.


    Akagi snapped her fingers causing the darkness behind her to swirl in a vortex. A momentter, a young girl with long ck hair, and wearing a rain coat appeared. She was around Kana''s age, her sses were wet with rainwater and her hair was slightly damp. The girl staggered on her feet for a few moments before looking around.


    "W-what? Where am I? I was just in front of my house wasn''t I? Mom, Dad? Where did you go?" The girl looked around startled at being pulled from her home.


    "Kimiko!" Chief Nakagumo screamed.


    "Grandpa?" the girl looked straight at him. "What''s going on? Where am I and why are you here?" She waspletely confused. "Who is this girl?" she said while looking at Akagi.


    <i>{No.No.No.No. This can''t be real. Kimoko is in Osaka with her parents, she can''t be here, there''s no way.}</i> Chief Nakagumo attempted to rationalize the situation in his head.


    Akagi could tell what he was thinking and smiled.


    "If you''re not sure whether she''s real or not, allow me to prove it." Akagi walked towards the girl while drawing her Katana.


    Chief Nakagumo watched Akagi get closer and closer to his granddaughter.


    <i>{There''s just no way that''s really Kimiko, Akagi can''t have gone to Osaka and returned so quickly.}</i> He still couldn''t believe that he was seeing anything but an illusion.


    "H-hey, Grandpa w-what''s going on," Kimiko said while looking at Akagi. "D-don''te near me, s-stay away." She said backing away.


    "Now now my dear, there''s no need to be afraid," Akagi said while looking at the shaking girl. "I just need to show your grandpa that you''re real, and for that well... I''m sorry but I think I''ll need to do a little damage to you. Maybe just one arm will be enough to show you''re here in the flesh." She looked back to Chief Nakagumo. "Will that be enough to prove to you that this is the real Kimko? Or should I chop off more?" Akagi said with a twisted smile.


    <i>{If... If she managed to get from Enryakuji to here in such a short time.... then is it really impossible she went to Osaka? ... how is such a thing even.....}</i> Chief Nakagumo''s thoughts were interrupted by Kimiko''s scream.


    "Grandpa help please!" She looked him straight in the eye falling backward as she attempted to get away from Akagi. She began to cry in sheer terror.


    <i>{If that is the real Kimiko and I refuse then..... I can''t take that chance.} </i>He thought making up his mind.


    "Well kid, it seems grandpa doesn''t believe that you''re really here. Now tell me, do you write with the right or the left hand because I''ll be nice and take the opposite." Akagi lifted her sword above her head ready to strike when suddenly.


    "WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Chief Nakagumo screamed at the top of his lungs. "Please don''t hurt her, I believe you so please..." He practically begged.


    Akagi held her hands in ce and looked over her shoulder at him. "If you tell me what I want to know, then I might be convinced to let you both walk away from this,"


    "What do you want? I''ll tell you anything, just please don''t hurt Kimiko." Chief Nakagumo said with a defeated voice.


    "Lines like that make me seem like the viin, but I guess that''s fine.¡± She turned to look at him. ¡°I want to know everything. Who nned this whole operation, how high up it went, and just what the Japanese government is up to. If you tell me that, you just might get to enjoy your retirement Chief." She turned around and sheathed her sword. "Just FYI, I know some of these answers already so if you lie to me..." She looked back at the terrified girl. "Need I say more."


    Chief Nakagumo proceeded to exin everything. He exined that the Prime Minister demanded that she be put down to quell public discontent. The government''s n was to provoke Akagi into action and then defeat her using military force. They were expecting the public to approve of such action, especially in light of who Akagi is, to calm public outcry and boost polling numbers. He told Akagi the names of all the key yers involved and shared everyst ssified piece of information he knew, including the names of the returnees they had <i>acquired</i>.


    Akagi already knew some of this information, due to her intelwork, but having it confirmed like this was helpful. Some of it, especially regarding the returnees was new information. Apparently, they were even experimenting on some of those who had refused their invitation in an attempt to reverse engineering their abilities. That two members of the Mitsuhide family were involved was merely an amusing footnote.


    What surprised her the most was that this entire operation was effectively off the books. Most of the Diet wasn''t being consulted and this operation was being conducted without proper authorization. In fact, it seemed that the military was effectively running the show. This meant that the Prime Minister knew just how bad something like this would look and it showed how desperate he was. Chief Nakagumo even went so far as to give her the entireyout of Camp Katsura and exined exactly what the government was nning for the girls.


    Of course, hearing that they were likely to be killed after the government was done with them boiled Akagi''s blood, but that would soon be a non-issue. Hearing that Chief Nakagumo stayed in the operation to attempt to help the girls did improve her opinion of him somewhat, but Akagi was still disgusted.


    <i>{I knew they were idiots, but to go this far just to save their jobs; either they''re stupid or naive. I suppose they just hoped to sweep the shady part under the rug in the aftermath.}</i>(Akagi)


    "That''s it, that''s everything I know. Please let Kimiko go." He pleaded. ¡°She has nothing to do with this.¡±


    Akagi thought about it for a moment before shrugging her shoulders.


    "I''ve got everything I need, so why not. Mindless killing isn''t exactly my thing anyway." She looked back at Kimiko. "Your grandfather cared enough about you to go against his principles as a member ofw enforcement. Never forget that <i>you</i> were more important to him than his job." She started to walk away.


    "Wait, you''re not going to Camp Katsura are you? You understand they are waiting for you right? If you go there your sister and her friends will be in danger." He said walking over to Kimiko.


    "Danger? Those girls have never been in danger." Akagi said shaking her head. "You couldn''t harm those girls if you tried. Did you really think that I just let them wander around without any protection?" Sheughed. "I knew something like this could happen, so I prepared ordingly."


    "You-You knew this was going to happen? Then, that means we were just dancing in the palm of your hand doesn''t it?" He gave an exasperated look before a sudden realization hit him. "Then, that means-" He stopped before finishing his sentence.


    Rather than answer, Akagi simplyughed as she disappeared into the fog.


    A few momentster, the fog disappeared and the sun began to shine into the parking garage. Kimiko had calmed down somewhat and asked.


    "Grandpa? Who was that and what''s going on?" Kimiko asked in a quiet voice.


    "That... That was a monster, Kimiko. A monster that takes the form of a young woman, a monster that in our ignorance we underestimated; and now we must pay the price." He said while holding her tight. "Now let''s go, I can imagine your parents are in a panic with your disappearance." He pulled out his phone and dialed his daughter''s number as the two of them walked towards the elevator.


    "Miya, it''s me. Calm down for a moment. Kimiko is here in Kyoto with me, and she''s safe." The woman on the other end of the phone was hysterical. "It''s been one hell of a day and I''ll exin everythingter. Just for now, stay away from Kyoto things are about to get <i>messy</i>."


    More Pictures.


    Spoiler


    Akagi in the darkness!


    Nakagumo and his Granddaughter!


    [copse]

 Chapter 16 – Did She Get the Signal?

    Chapter 16 ¨C Did She Get the Signal?


    Kana, Naomi, and Mika were sitting in a holding cell within the basement of Camp Katsura''s main administrative headquarters. They had met with General Iseyama, the man in charge of this entire operation, just before being brought here. He exined that Akagi was far too dangerous to be left alive and that with her powers; she could destabilize the country. He droned on and on about his duty to protect Japan and that those with such dangerous powers need to be brought to heel as a matter of national security. Of course, he never even had the decency to apologize to the girls for dragging them into this fight.


    Kana couldn''t deny that Akagi''s powers made her dangerous. She knew of her history in FWO and was fully aware of how much damage she could do if she put her mind to it. Kana understood the government''s wariness toward her sister; after all she could use her abilities to take out its most important members quite easily. But she believed dering her a threat to national security was, not just absurd, but counter productive. Akagi had no interest in using her abilities to overthrow the government or cause widespread chaos. All she wanted to do was continue her work from FWO, but if the government insisted on involving those she cared about; Kana knew she wouldn''t just sit back and watch.


    However, no matter how much she tried to exin this, the General had none of it. He told her that these were dangerous times and the government couldn''t afford to have such a dagger pointed at its throat. Akagi was a variable, he told her, one so dangerous that they would rather remove her from the equation than wait and see how she would act. When asked if he would eliminate <i>all </i>those who retained their powers, he replied that he would prefer to work with them for the security of Japan.


    <i>{If you were really concerned about security, you wouldn''t pull this kind of a stunt. Does he really not understand that by kidnapping us he''s made the government Onee-chan''s enemy?} </i>Kana thought.


    The girls were then shown to their cells and told they would be released as soon as Akagi was dealt with. Kana and Naomi knew better than to believe this. It was more likely they would be disposed of to minimize the risk of the government''s actions leaking. The three of them sat in almostplete silence. Mika was on the verge of panicking and Naomi attempted tofort her.


    "W-We''re going to go home right?" Mika was on the verge of tears. "If this is punishment for never studying, I promise I''ll take it seriously from now on." She said, wrapped in Naomi''s arms.


    "It''s ok Mika, everything will be alright," Naomi said attempting to calm her. "And I doubt you would actually study, even after this." She tried adding a bit of levity to the conversation.


    "Yeah, Naomi''s right. Onee-chan wille and rescue us; I just know it. So don''t worry." Kana said withplete faith in her sister.


    Mika looked up at her. "But... can she really save us? The military is after her, and they took us to lure her in right?" She asked. "I mean, you saw just how many soldiers and tanks are in this base. There''s no way she can beat them even with her powers." Mika said with a defeated voice.


    "I wouldn''t be so sure of that. You saw her abilities, didn''t you? She can probably just sneak in here and get us out." Kana said. "Also. Don''t forget, Onee-chan isn''t alone. She has all her friends with her, so don''t count her out just yet Mika." Kana reminded her.


    <i>{I''m still worried about her though and I hope she''ll be alright. Be careful Onee-chan, and please don''t go overboard.} </i>Kana''s thoughts swirled between believing in her sister, and being afraid at what she might do. In the back of her mind, she even began to doubt that Akagi and her sister really were the same person. Her attitude and personality were simr, but Kana could see the darkness that lied within and it scared her. The only question, was whether this darkness was part of Akagi herself, or something else.


    Of course, no one had anyway of knowing exactly what Akagi nned on doing, or that she intended to do <i>far more</i> than just rescue them.


    ________________________________________________________________________________________________


    <Akagi POV>


    Akagi stood on a rooftop overlooking Camp Katsura, she arrived there not long after departing the police headquarters, and was currently doing some scouting. The base was ratherrge for being in the middle of a city like Kyoto. It was well manned andpletely modern, owing to American training and investment. If anything, this ce was more like a fortress than a simple base.


    "I see.... well theyout matches what Nakagumo and Chloe told me." She hummed. "Definitely much more borate than an Imperial base, but I suspect much of the same design philosophy applies." Her eyes darted around, taking in as much information as possible.


    Even at this distance, Akagi could see things clearly; her eyes were far better than a normal human''s. "There are easily five hundred soldiers currently on base. Much more than usual, though I guess that makes sense since they''re expecting me." Akagi had some experience dealing with military from her many fights with the Empire. ¡°Standard doctrine has somewhere in the neighborhood of two to three support personnel for each soldier, so there could easily be 1000-2000 people on base.¡± (Akagi)


    A few momentster Yumi appeared at her side and knelt . "My lord, Chloe''s squad has taken position. Her team is ready to strike whenever you give the signal." Yumi had been busy assembling the first team led by the Cat-kin Chloe. While her team specialized in intelligence gathering, they could more than hold their own in infiltration and ambush operations. Just under twenty members of Akagi''s team would take part in this attack, a small number to be sure, but they were some of her best.


    "Good. As for the signal..." Akagi thought for a moment. "I think Chloe will know it when she sees it." She gave a cheeky smile.


    This wouldn''t be the first time they''d attacked a major military instation and Chloe was no stranger to fighting at Akagi''s side.


    "Connect me to her if you wouldn''t mind," Akagi asked Yumi.


    "Of course, one moment." (Yumi)


    One of Yumi''s many powers was the ability to use long-range telepathy with targets she knew. It had proven to be invaluable in the game where suchmunication was otherwise impossible. In the real world, it was equally as useful since it was a secure connection that no military could crack.


    "Hello myaster, were in position nya. What do you need?" The cat girl said as she connected.


    "Chloe, your first priority should be to get the girls out of the base safely. Once you''ve done that, I want you to begin systematically eliminating everyone in the base." Akagi said with a cold voice.


    "Everyone nya?" the Cat asked.


    "Everyone, these idiots wanted a war, and well, who are we to deny them?" Sheughed. "Of course, your team''s lives are more important, if you run into any danger feel free to disengage."


    "Rodger that nya!" (Chloe)


    Akagi didn''t expect to actually wipe out the entire poption of the base, she estimated that after about a third of its forces were wiped out, they would surrender.


    "Also, I''m pretty sure they have a few former members of the assault team hiding in there. If you run into them, do not engage. I doubt you can beat them, and even if you could..." She smiled. "It''s only right that <i>I</i> take them down." Akagi was never one that could say no to a duel.


    "Other than that, feel free to enjoy the ughter to your heart''s content." She knew the Cat would enjoy this. "However, you may only engage residents of the base itself." She reminded Chloe that she did not want to harm civilians if possible.


    Akagi remembered something else. "Oh yeah, if you happen to run into a certain old man running the ce. Do me a favor and leave him for me." The cat knew exactly who she was talking about. "Happy hunting," Akagi said as she cut the connection.


    "Knowing Chloe, I''m sure she''ll be fine, but I must say I am a little bit nervous about this operation," Yumi said to Akagi. "I''ve read up on the history of your world and you have much more impressive ways of killing than we did." FWO was a sword and sorcery fantasy game, after all, its military weapons were anything but modern.


    "Yeah, I don''t me you.¡± Akagi gave a wry smile. ¡°But don''t forget we already tested a few of these weapons on us and they had no effect." Akagi was referencing an experiment where they shot each other with some guns acquired via Naomi.


    "Your shield didn''t even flicker when shot; I think we''ll be fine. But don''t let your guard down, I didn''t lose any of you in FWO, and I''m not about to break that perfect record." Akagi said with a serious expression. "All you need to do is stay next to me and cover my back. I''ll take care of the rest, now let''s go."


    The two women descended the building quickly reaching street level. Their sudden appearance rmed some of the pedestrians and a few even made somements about cosy. A woman wearing Taisho era clothing, followed by a shrine maiden, wasn''t exactly normal in Kyoto. The two women ignored these strange looks, they really didn''t care what people thought of them, and focused on the task at hand. They weren''t particrly far from Camp Katsura and it only took a few minutes before they approached it''s main entrance.


    The main gate was a massive structure several feet thick and guarded by two soldiers sitting in a booth that overlooked the entryway. It was designed to keep out anyone and was strong enough to take hits from artillery and survive. The massive gate was currently sealed shut and could only be opened via a switch on a console where the two soldiers sat. The women walked straight past the warning side alongside the road which told civilians to keep out. This prompted one of the soldiers to grab his gun and approach them from the opposite direction.


    "Halt!" he yelled. "This is a restricted area, civilians aren''t allowed, turn around; we''re authorized to use lethal force if you refuse," he said taking the safety off his weapon.


    <i>{Who the hell are these two women? And what''s with those get-ups? A shrine maiden and a kimono, are they some kind of cosy outfits?} </i>It was quite abnormal for civilians to approach the front of the base, even the most curious onlookers wouldn''t get this close.


    "Oh? An ultimatum? I love ultimatums." Akagi said with augh. "Here''s mine. Get the hell out of my way or die; your choice." She gave an unsettling smile.


    {<i>Since he didn''t fire on sight, I guess that means they didn''t fill all the soldier''s in on their n. Oh well, too bad for them.</i>} (Akagi)


    The soldier rose his weapon hearing Akagi''s words.


    "Last warning, leave now or I <i>will </i>shoot." the soldier said steeling himself.


    However, his preparation and resolve was all for not. The moment he finished his sentence he felt weightless as if he was flying through the air. It was a strange sensation, one that he couldn''t understand. Then just as quickly as it arrived, it stopped and he found himself staring at his own feet.


    <i>{Wa-what just...} </i>he didn''t even have time to process the fact that his head was separated from his body before he died.


    The second soldier watched in horror at what happened.


    {<i>I didn''t even see her move, what the fuck just happened!</i>} He thought as he stared at these two women.


    <i>{I have to alert the base</i>} he reached for the console and pressed a button.


    "Were under atta-" His words stopped as a ck de sliced his throat.


    Akagi reached his position in a sh, giving the man no time to react. The soldier stared at her while choking on his blood. He tried to reach for his weapon, but Akagi drove her de into his heart, killing him instantly.


    As she swung her de to clean the blood off it, a voice could be heard from the console.


    "Gate respond! What''s going on? Are we under attack? Answer immediately!" A woman''s voice could be heard from the speaker. Akagi chuckled, she had an idea. She walked over to the console, pushed the man''s body aside, and pushed thems button.


    "This is Gate." She said to the woman. "I''m afraid your two soldiers are a little indisposed and won''t be getting back to you anytime soon." Sheughed.


    "Who the hell is this? What''s going on? Where are Yusei and Onigawa?" the woman asked in a panic.


    "Oh, don''t worry honey, you''ll be seeing them soon enough." Akagi gave a sinisterugh as she shed the console ending the conversation.


    A momentter rms could be heard inside the base.


    "Well, I guess they know we''re here now," Yumi said while walking up to Akagi. "What about that gate? Can you open it with whatever mechanism these soldiers had?" Yumi asked unfamiliar with electronics.


    Akagi gestured to the massive gash in the terminal.


    "I''m going to take that as a no." Yumi sighed. ¡°Did you really have to break it?¡±


    Akagiughed. ¡°No, but I think this will be more fun.¡±


    Akagi walked outside and stood in front of the massive steel gate. She ced her Katana inside its sheath, took a crouching stance, closed her eyes tightly, and took a deep breath. A few secondster, her eyes opened and her arm was extended with the Katana pointing off to her right side. Her sh was too fast for the human eye to see, but its results were devastating.


    At first, it seemed as if nothing happened; but a momentter, a seam appeared on the door. The door began to groan as it fell backward into the base. Her sword had split it in two, carving through the reinforced gate like a hot knife through butter. Inside, soldiers could be seen running in all directions, but those close enough to witness the massive door copsing were momentarily stunned. Most had looks of disbelief on there faces, while others looked terrified.


    Akagi climbed on top of the remains of the door and stood there for a moment.


    "I wonder if that was a good enough signal," Akagi said with a wide grin.


    More Pics.


    Spoiler


    Akagi in the leadup to the attack! (Early AI Artwork)


    Akagi standing on top of the destroyed gate!


    Updated Yumi Picture! (Early AI Artwork)


    [copse]

 Chapter 17 – The Cat Appears!

    Chapter 17 ¨C The Cat Appears!


    Akagi hopped into the base, followed closely behind by Yumi. Many of the soldiers were still awestruck. Camp Katsura''s main gate was several feet thick and made of reinforced steel; to see it sliced open so easily was truly unbelievable. Momentster arge explosion could be seen from the east side of the base.


    "Chloe''s team has begun their attack." She said as she walked up to Akagi. The Cat had contacted her via telepathy.


    "It seems so. I just hope they leave some fun for us." Akagi chuckled.


    As she said that a hail of gunfire erupted as soldiers began shooting at the two of them. However, when the bullets reached Akagi, they simply went straight through her while a small ck puff of smoke rose from the impact point. Seeing that their bullets had no effect many soldiers fled in an attempt to regroup and acquire something to harm her.


    "See, I told you we had nothing to worry about." She said looking back at Yumi with a cheeky smile.


    For her part, Yumi was surrounded by a barrier that deflected or absorbed the iing fire. As expected the soldiers rifle rounds were unable to harm her and she could only roll her eyes Akagi''sment.


    "Now then." Akagi zoomed forward, cutting several soldiers down. "Let the game begin." She said; her eyes filled with rage.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Kana POV>


    "Those rms have been going off for a while, and there was that loud boom. What''s going on?" Kana said looking at the soldiers guarding her cell.


    One of the soldiers was speaking with someone via hisms. "Right, Right. Understood, we''ll take care of them. Over and out."


    He looked over at Kana and the girls.


    "Well, it looks like your big sister really came, I guess that means she cares about you enough to walk straight into our trap. Apparently, she''s putting on one hell of a show out front." He shook his headughing.


    "Miria, Tsubaki." He said looking at the two other soldiers. "We''ve got inbound. Apparently, a second team breached the east wall and is en route to free the prisoners."


    "A second team? I thought it was only supposed to be that Akagi girl and the priestess. Who else is here?" The soldier woman asked him.


    "Don''t know,mand didn''t give any identifiers, apparently they''re fast and have been giving our guys a hell of a time." He shrugged. "Doesn''t matter, once they get here, we take them down and secure these three." he had a dangerous look in his eye.


    "Right!" (Both soldiers)


    A few momentster, gunfire could be heard from the adjacent room followed by screaming.


    <i>{I wonder if that''s Onee-chan''s friends?} </i>(Kana)


    "I guess that means they''re here, weapons free." He said as they trained their weapons on the door.


    A minute passed, the gunfire stopped and no further noise could be heard from the adjacent room. The soldiers had expected the enemy to immediately advance on their position, but nothing happened. The squad leader opted to check over his localms to get a read on the situation. "Hamiya, this is Inori; what''s your status. over." He asked.


    Almost as soon as he finished, the door flew open, and the body of a soldier crashed into him. This caused momentary confusion which allowed a single individual to slip through the door and into the room.


    "Contact!" one of the soldiers yelled as they opened fire. However, it was already toote. A short woman dressed like a ninja had already closed the distance and drove her knives into the female soldier, killing her instantly.


    "Shit, Miria!" The other soldier screamed.


    He opened fire on the ninja, who acrobatically dodged his bullets seeming to glide through the air as she moved. Her quick movements caused her hood to fall down revealing her short red hair and cat-like ears on top of her head.


    "Wa-?" The soldier was shocked by the speed of the girl''s movement and found himself distracted by her cat-like appearance. This momentarypse in concentration would be his undoing as she leaped onto the ceiling and pushed herself off, using the momentum to drive her knife straight into his heart.


    With him dead, the red haired cat girl then walked over to the unconscious man trapped under his deadrade and slit his throat with one swift strike to make sure he wouldn''t be getting back up. After making sure the three soldiers were dead, she walked over to the holding cell that contained the three girls and removed the cover over her mouth. She seemed quite young, perhaps the same age as Kana, her face was round and her eyes were a deep red, the same color as her hair. She had cat-like ears on top of her head and a tail to match, while her mouth showed that her canines were slightly longer than normal.


    "Few, that was a close one nya!" The cat-girl looked at the three of them. "Are you three alright? Those bad men didn''t hurt you did they nya?" asks she spoke, her ears and tail began to twitch and move.


    The girls were speechless. They had no idea who this girl was, but they assumed she was a subordinate of Akagi. She took down three soldiers with seemingly zero effort, which was quite impressive, but what surprised them more than anything else was......


    "Did... Did she actually just say Nya?" Naomi said in disbelief.


    "Oh my god, she''s so cute!" Mika said with sparkles in her eyes.


    "Why am I not surprised, Onee-chan...." Kana, who knew her sister''s <i>preferences</i>, felt ashamed seeing the ninja cat-girl.


    In response to these words, Chloe could only tilt her head and let out a small ¡°Nya?" in confusion.


    After taking a second to regain herposure, Naomi asked a question.


    "I''m going to assume you''re one of Akagi''s subordinates?" Naomi was sure she was but wanted to confirm.


    "Yup! Myaster is my Myaster!" the cat replied proudly. "She sent me on a special mission to rescue you and keep you safe from these mean men nya!" she gave a smile that showed one of her fangs.


    <i>{This girl..... I''m going to have to have a talk with Onee-chan when I see her. I hope she didn''t </i><i><b>corrupt </b></i><i>this pure creature.} </i>Kana held her head in her hands. Kana never expected one of Akagi''s subordinates to be so close to some of the <i>images </i>she knew her sister had.


    "Does that mean we get to go home!" Mika asked. ¡°We don''t have to stay locked up in this ce!¡±


    "Yupper!" the cat responded with a cheer.


    "<i>And maybe pet your ears</i>," Mika said in a quiet voice.


    "Hmmm..... nope! My ears are for myaster and myaster only."


    Not expecting to be heard, Mika''s face became bright red.


    <i>{Mika, those ears are probably pretty sensitive.. but I know how you feel.} </i>Kana could only look at her friend with a mix of pity and understanding.


    The cat-girls words then made Kana have a sudden realization which caused her more concern.


    <i>{Oh no, I think I was toote. I''m sorry cat-girl, Onee-chan took you to the dark side, didn''t she? I guess I shouldn''t be surprised. <strong>Heh.Heh.Heh.Heh</strong>.} </i>Kana had lost all hope of saving her, causing her sanity to drop slightly.


    {<i>Why is myaster''s sister looking at me with pity in her eyes? } </i>Chloe couldn''t understand what was going through Kana''s mind. <i>{Ack! Maybe being brought her was too much for the poor girl and shes going mad! I have to get them out of here now nya!} </i>she said screaming in her mind. Of course, what she could not know was that Kana''s active imagination was causing self inflicted mental damage.


    "Now stand back, please! I''m going to get you out of there nya." She said readying her small sword. This sudden yell caused Kana to snap back to reality.


    The three girls heeded her warning and moved to the back of the cell before the cat-girl swung her de and cut the bars into pieces.


    The girls were shocked at how easily this girl, who was as built identically to them, cut those thick steel bars.


    <i>{Just, how strong is this girl? She cut those bars like they were nothing.¡±} </i>(Naomi)


    "All done! Now lets you somewhere safe, so that master and I can go all out nya!" She said motioning them to follow. The three girls looked at each other,forted by the fact that they were all very confused.


    As the girls left the holding cell and ventured into the adjacent room, they were assaulted by the smell of blood that permeated the air and the room was filled with the corpses of the soldiers that once defended this building. Kana and Naomi became nauseous but managed to hold it together. However, Mika, who had a very weak stomach, vomited on the floor and turned stark white. She had never been very good with gore in movies and <i>this</i> was on a whole-nother level.


    "Ahhhh, I forgot. Kids like you aren''t usually good with this sort of stuff." She walked over to Mika. "I can''t make the mental part any better, but I can at least calm your stomach nya." Her hand began glowing bright white and she rubbed Mika on her back.


    "Does that feel better nya? I cast a light heal on you." She asked concerned for the girl.


    Mika took a moment to steady herself and calm her breathing. "Ye-Yeah, I feel better; my stomach calmed down. I guess it''s good that we didn''t eat before we went to Kana''s house." she still pale and looked quite ill.


    "Good, good. Kids like you shouldn''t have to see this kind of thing nya. Forgive me for showing you something like this, I didn''t even think of removing the bodies before I came for you." her ears drooped slightly.


    {<i>Ok, that''s kinda cute</i>.} (Kana, Naomi and Mika)


    "Wait, hold on." something the cat had said caught Naomi''s attention. "You call us kids but aren''t you the same age as us? You can''t be much older." Looking at Chloe, you might think she was eighteen or neen at best. She was the same height as the girls, but her personality made her seem childish.


    "Nya? The same age as you? I''m twenty-three if I''m not mistaken, so I''m a little older than you three." She answered with a cheeky smile.


    "Ehhhhh?" the three girls were shocked.


    "Wait what! You''re even older than Onee-chan! But you look so...." Kana couldn''t believe that this innocent little girl was actually much older than they were.


    "Well excuse me for being short." She said in a huff. "Beast kin don''t tend to be that tall, and I''ll have you know I was considered quite big for my vige." She looked at Kana. "And besides, I''m as tall as you nya!" Kana''sments had touched a nerve.


    <i>{Well I mean, she is the same height as us, maybe even slightly taller than Mika? Not that she''s that tall, to begin with.} </i>(Kana)


    "Sorry, please don''t be mad. I was just surprised." She pleaded for forgiveness.


    "Nya ha ha." the catughed. "I''m not mad. I don''t really care about my height; after all, myaster said I''m perfect just the way I am, nya." she gave a big smile.


    <i>{Onee-chan, You better not be just stringing this girl along.}</i> Kana''s thoughts got scary.


    As she finished speaking, two more animal-eared ninja''s appeared in the room and began to give a report to Chloe.


    "Leader, we have finished eliminating the enemy soldiers nearby; we can begin exfiltration as soon as you are ready." (Dog-eared ninja <i>male</i>)


    "Kira is currently holding down the wall breach and is on standby as requested." (Fox-eared ninja <i>female)</i>


    Chloe gave a nod as her subordinates updated her on the situation.


    "Good work you two, I want you with me while we escort these three to Kira nya. Once she takes them to safety we''llmence part two of our mission." the cat girl said with a scary grin.


    "Yes" (fox)


    "Of course" (dog)


    <i>{Wow, what a 180 from her yful airheaded self just a second ago. Just who exactly is this girl?} </i>Naomi thought to herself confused about the cat they had just met. She seemed to flip back and forth between being aloof and serious. Naomi couldn''t tell which was the real her.


    Chloe looked back at the girls.


    "Alright, let''s get you somewhere safe. We''re going to escort you to Kira and then she''ll be in charge of keeping you safe nya." She said. ¡°She''s a little bit of a stick in the mud, but I think you''ll like her.¡± and like that she was back to being mischievous again, as she stuck out her tongue when referring to Kira.


    <i>{Just how many people does Akagi have working for her?} </i>(Naomi)


    The three girls nodded and followed the three animal-earned ninjas out of the building and towards the massive hole in the eastern wall. As they walked, they could hear the sounds of battle throughout the base. Explosions and gunfire could be heard all around them with screams sprinkled in once and a while. It was clear that Akagi had initiated a full-scale assault to save them and that she wasn''t pulling any punches.


    <i>{Onee-chan, I''m happy you saved us, but was all this really necessary?} </i>Kana''s previous doubt had begun to resurface upon seeing all the death and destruction that Akagi caused. <i>{Would Onee-chan really go this far, even for me?}</i>


    Seeing the three ninja''s walking quite casually down the road Kana decided to ask a question. "Are you guys used to this kind of stuff? It seems like your quite rxed for being in the middle of a battlefield. Isn''t this kind of thing dangerous? "Kana thought it strange how calm they were.


    Chloe looked back. "Of course it''s dangerous nya. But it''s our job, normally my team doesn''t do such shy maneuvers, but we know how to fight and we do our best work when we''re rxed." She gave a smile.


    "And my sister? Is she ok? Can she really fight so many people herself?" Kana asked pensively.


    "Myaster? I wouldn''t worry about her nya. I don''t think anything could stop her when she puts her mind to it." She chuckled. "I have a feeling that the General might be regretting his decision right about now."


    A few minutester, they arrived at the wall breach. Waiting for them was a tall woman with long green hair. She was wearing what looked like a military uniform and had two horns protruding from her head, as well as a thick lizard-like tail.


    "Ah, there you are. I was starting to think I would have to go looking for you." She said in a sarcastic voice.


    The cat stuck out her tongue at thisment. "Here they are. please take care of these three back at base and have Mimi take a look at them just to be safe." Chloe said.


    "I will and be careful in there, some of our teams have been hitting heavy resistance," Kira warned.


    "Any casualties?" the cat asked with concern.


    "A few have been wounded but nothing life-threatening."


    Chloe sighed in relief.


    "Good." She looked back at the girls. "Kira will take you from here, she can be a little scary, but she''s a nicedy.¡± she said with a mischievous grin.


    ¡°Oi!¡± the dragondy took exception to thisment.


    ¡°My team and I are gonna join in the fun. If all goes well, I''ll see you all at base in a little bit nya." She said as she and her team jumped onto the roof of one of the nearby barracks and ran towards the sound of gunfire.


    "Now then, stupidments by that cat aside." Kira sighed and looked at the girls. "Let''s get you out of here, this is no ce for the likes of you." She walked up to the girls. "Stand close to me, I can only teleport those within a small radius."


    The girls gathered up close to her as a small magic circle formed around them. A momentter, the four of them disappeared in a sh of light.


    Spoiler


    Chloe!


    Kira!


    Updated Kana!


    Updated Mika!


    Updated Naomi!


    [copse]

 Chapter 18 – PvE v PvP.

    Chapter 18 ¨C PvE v PvP.


    "What do you mean the prisoners escaped?" General Iseyama mmed his fist on his desk. "What the hell is going on out there? How could we be losing to so few people?" He was utterly baffled at the situation.


    "Sir!" an officer entered the room.


    "Report." (General Iseyama)


    "After breaching the main gate, it would appear that the target prepared a secondary strike team to rescue the hostages. We don''t have many details, but from reports on the ground apparently, 15-20 animal-eared ninjas are running roughshod throughout the base." The phrase animal-eared ninjas was not something the General or the other officers expected to hear.


    "I don''t care if they''re ninjas, samurai, or magical girls, I want them disposed of immediately; this is embarrassing. How can a base of over five hundred soldiers not handle less than twenty people." He said throwing his coffee mug across the room.


    "Sir, ording to reports, we''ve lost over three hundred soldiers and many more support personnel are either missing or dead. At this rate, we''re going to bepletelybat-ineffective in less than thirty minutes." the officer continued.


    "Dammit all to hell. Where are Ishigami and Minazawa!" He yelled. "I hate to rely on them but it looks like we have no choice." The General really didn''t want to use the yers he had conscripted; he felt that they were little more than walking WMDs. On top of that, he couldn''t even be sure of their loyalty. The two seemed more interested in killing Akagi than working under him and they had proved to be quite troublesome to manage. But, if he didn''t he faced the destruction of Camp Katsura and the humiliation of a lifetime.


    "Damn you girl, we underestimated you, but this ends now." he said with a sure smile.


    A momentter, two individuals dressed in full te armor entered themand room. They looked like knights straight out of a fantasy game.


    The dark-haired man with a great sword was Ishigami Naoto, AKA "Supreme de." In FWO, his specialty was heavy damage from his great sword as well as tanking big hits. Naturally, he was a member of the assault team alongside Hishya.


    The purple-haired woman''s name was Hiyori Minazawa, AKA "Purple Rose." She focused on heavy armor and slow but methodical attacks to wear down her enemy with her trusty "sword and board" load out. She and Ishigami were teammates and partners on the assault team and made a deadlybination being considered equal to the absolute best when paired together.


    "Well general," Ishigama said cracking a smile. "It looks like you''ll need us after all." (Ishigami)


    "We tried to warn you that your soldiers and defenses just wouldn''t cut it against Akagi, but you just wouldn''t listen." Minazawa said shaking her head whileughing. ¡°That bitch is quite cunning after all; though, I didn''t expect the ninjas.¡±


    "Enough!" He yelled cutting them off. "I don''t need, "<i>I told you so</i>" right now, you can berate me <i>after</i> you deal with Akagi and her team." He was not in the greatest of moods as one could imagine. ¡°Deal with her and end this debacle once and for all; that''s an order!¡±


    "I thought you''d never ask." He cracked his knuckles. "I''ve been wanting to put that bitch down for two years. She took out quite a good number of my friends, but I never thought I would get the chance to kill her with Hishya running interference. I guess this must be fate." he lips formed into a twisted smile.


    "Hey don''t forget me," Minazawa interjected. "That bitch killed my boyfriend, if anyone''s gonna kill her it better be me." She was equally as enthusiastic at the prospect of ending Akagi''s life.¡±That murderous monster will pay!¡± her eyes were filled with righteous fury.


    "I don''t care which of you kills Akagi, nor what your past history is with the woman, just do it and do it quickly." the General sat down exhausted.


    "What about the helpers?¡± Ishigami asked in reference to the ninjas. ¡°What should we do about them?"


    "What do you think." Was the response the general gave.


    "Just making sure." He smirked. "Now then, how about we go say hello to our old friend."


    "Let''s," Minazawa said with a smile.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Akagi POV>


    "Gack" a soldier screamed as Akagi drove her de through his chest.


    "Well, I think they''re running out of men to throw at us." Sheughed as she swung her de to clean it of blood.


    "Yes it would seem so, I must admit this is going <i>too </i>well, and I don''t like that," Yumi said with some concern. ¡°And the fact that we haven''t seen other yers is strange.¡±


    Looking around, the base was on fire and the main yard was littered with bodies and destroyed vehicles. Throughout the base, gunfire and explosions could be heard as Chloe and her team initiated cleanup operations. At this point, the only thing unounted for were the two yers that General Iseyama had brought under hismand. The fact that they hadn''t appeared yet meant that the general was either holding them in reserve, or they were reluctant to fight; which was unlikely all things considered.


    Akagi knew both of them very well from in-game and had even exchanged blows with them a few times. Akagi had killed Minazawa''s boyfriend at the behest of an NPC and Ishigami hated her guts for her role in the death of some of his closest friends. They each swore to get vengence on her one day, but Hishya had put a lid on things while they were in the game. Without Hishya standing in between them and her, Akagi figured they would act on their desire for revenge. They were powerful enemies to be sure, but she was confident she could defeat them if they actually showed. Although if they came at her together, she might have to get just a little bit serious.


    "It looks like we''ve dealt with most of the fodder, we should start heading toward-" Akagi stopped mid-sentence as her danger sense went off. "Yumi move back!" she screamed as both girls jumped away from the spot they were standing on.


    Mere momentster a massive explosion went off where they had just been and arge amount of dust was kicked up. When it cleared, Akagi saw Ishigami standing in therge crater created by the impact of his sword.


    "Damn you''re slippery as ever." Hemented as he lifted his de over his shoulder. "I thought I had you there; I even worked so hard to mask my presence." he smirked.


    "Nice to see you too Ishigami, or should I call you Supreme de?" She asked with a fake smile.


    "The only thing you can call me is your executioner you bitch." He pointed his great sword at her. "I''m going to avenge all the innocent people you murdered in your twisted game Akagi." his voice was filled with rage.


    "My Lord!" Yumi began to move towards Akagi but was stopped as Minazawa dove at her shing her de with her staff. "Oh no, you don''t you little priest." Minazawa cried as she attempted to pin Yumi down


    "Rule number one ofbat, kill the enemy healer." She said as she began smashing her sword against Yumi''s staff. "Now, how about we take this somewhere far away from here; little priest." She said as she put all her power into one attack that sent Yumi flying backward toward the other side of the base.


    "I''ll deal with the priest; you handle that bitch. And don''t you dare kill her; I want to make her suffer for Kyojaro." She said running in the direction she flung Yumi.


    With her departure, Akagi and Ishigami stood alone together in the center of the main courtyard. There were no soldiers and Akagi''s subordinates were busy on the opposite side of the base. If she was going to fight Ishigami, it would be alone.


    "Feeling scared yet Akagi?" Heughed. "Without that healer of yours do you think you can win against me?" he lifted his sword in one hand and pointed it at her.


    Akagi just sighed. "What makes you think I need Yumi to beat you Ishigami? If anyone should be concerned it''s you." Akagi couldn''t understand where this confidence wasing from.


    "What the hell are you talking about? Are you saying I can''t beat you?" Ishigami was bbergasted by Akagi''s im.


    "Of course, you can''t.¡± Akagi''s looked at him like he was an idiot. ¡°Do you think you can beat me in a one-on-one duel when even <i>Hishya</i> was hesitant to do so?" Hishya was the best yer in the game, besides Akagi, and was incredibly adept at singlebat. Her build was almost unbeatable when it came to monsters and it was evenpetent against other yers. Despite this, she only ever fought Akagi alone <i>once;</i> and she was unwilling to do so ever again.


    "You think by separating me from Yumi you''ve somehow weakened me right?" Akagi could only shake her head. "Well, you''re wrong. In fact, you actually gave up your greatest advantage by splitting from Minazawa. If the two of you hade at me together things may have been at least a little difficult."


    Those two had worked together for years and are a shining example of teamwork. Fighting them together would be tough for even the most seasoned yers. Not to say that they were unbeatable, but they were definitely stronger together than apart. Could they beat Akagi? Maybe, maybe not, at the very least the chances of sess were much higher together.


    "Ha." he scoffed at her statement. "You say that, but I''m going to prove you wrong. The only reason I never killed you is because Hishya always got in my way." He said as he dove towards Akagi. ¡°I don''t need Minazawa to beat you!¡±


    <i>{What an absolute idiot. How did someone like this be one of the top members of the assault team?} </i>Akagi asked herself.


    He was fast, but Akagi was faster. He swung his sword wildly as he attempted to hit her, but found himself always just off his mark. Akagi was likely the fastest yer in FWO, and it showed. Each time he swung, it seemed as if he moved in slow motion. She sidestepped many of his attacks or contorted her body just out of his intended path.


    But, Ishigami was undeterred by his inability to hit her saying. "Ha ha ha. All you can do is dodge can''t you bitch! I wonder how long until that speed fails you; all it''s gonna take is one mistake!" He mmed his de down into the asphalt missing Akagi by a wide margin.


    "I think my stamina is going tost much longer than yours at the very least." Akagi could onlyugh at his attempts. ¡°And maybe actually aim when swinging that big stick around, you were miles off!¡±


    <i>{He really doesn''t understand anything about PvP does he? All that heavy armor makes him slow and cumbersome, and big damage doesn''t mean a damn thing if it means he can''t hit his opponent.} </i>(Akagi)


    In FWO, most monsters simply charged at the yer and fought them head-on and since beating the game was more important than fighting other yers, members of the assault team kitted themselves out to fight <i>monsters</i>, not <i>yers</i>. This meant that they prioritized survivability and slow high-damage attacks, as most monsters weren''t intelligent enough to avoid them or they could rely on teammates to cover them. Couple this with hisck of PvP experience, and you had a textbook example of what happens when you take a PvE build into PvP. Sure, in theory, if he hit Akagi she would be in some serious trouble, but the chances of that were slim.


    This farce continued for several minutes as Akagi danced around his de. Each time Akagi would allow him to get just close enough with his de to make him think he had a chance, but she would never allow him to hit.


    After a while, Akagi decided to strike back. She swung her de and put a deep gash on Ishigami''s face. He tried to dodge but his heavy armor and weapon meant he had limited maneuverability.


    ¡°You bitch!¡± he screamed as they broke apart. ¡°I hope such a weak attack isn''t all you''ve got. Its going to take much more than that to beat me.¡±


    <i>{Is he really that dense? Does he not understand that I intentionally limited my strike? That I can do far worse if he doesn''t stop?} </i>Akagi was shocked by just how stupid he was. <i>{And you were a top member of the assault team? Its a miracle they actually won if idiots like this were the best they had.} </i>


    Ishigami let out a roar. ¡°Alright, I''m all warmed up. Lets finish this!¡± he jumped forward, his de coating itself in fire.


    <i>{Really? That ability will make your hits more dangerous, but your still just as slow. Do you really have <u>nothing</u> to boost your speed?} </i>(Akagi)


    The two maneuvered back and forth across the main yard of the base. Their forms blurred as they moved at blistering speeds. Even with all that heavy armor and equipment Ishigami''s speed was far above what a normal person could achieve. However, it still wasn''t enough as Akagi continued to dodge his strikes, which only served to grow Ishigami''s frustration.


    <i>{Why? Why can''t I hit her? I''ve never had this much trouble before. Is this some kind of assassin trick? It must be, there''s no other exnation! Akagi, I''ll just have to figure out your trick and blow right through it!} </i>Ishigami came to the wrong conclusion about his inability to hit Akagi.


    Eventually, the fatigue began to take hold, and Ishigami''s movement slowed even further. His n to take down Akagi quickly with his overwhelming strength had failed.


    <i>{Looks like that''s it. All that talk and he ran out of steam, just as predicted. Hishya I thought you trained these idiots? Did you not warn them about taking a PvE mentality into PvP?} </i>At this point, Akagi was thoroughly disappointed with Ishigami. <i>{No, I bet you did; and I bet they promptly discarded that advice believing themselves to be strong enough without it.}</i>


    yers who were a part of the assault team focused on taking down monsters. Thus, their builds revolved around groupbat, survivability, and methods of damage that would only work where enemies didn''t effectively dodge. This was a pattern that most yers <i>in general</i> followed. Even solo yers or other Pkers dumped points into skills to help them fight monsters out of necessity.


    However, Akagi was different. While her arsenal <i>could</i> be used on monsters; it was wholly inefficient at doing so. Instead, Akagi focused on skills to help her kill other yers. Her build was <i>entirely </i>focused on PvP, while the other yers were either a mix of the two orpletely PvE. It might not seem like it, but this difference was massive. As the only fully PvP yer in FWO, it would be difficult, <i>nai on</i> impossible, to take her down 1v1 as her skills invalidated most PvE builds. <i>This </i>was the reason that Hishya never challenged her alone a second time. No matter how good Hishya was at the game, she couldn''t use skill to ovee fundamental game design.


    Finally, Ishigami stopped. He waspletely exhausted and was struggling to breathe.


    "Are we done here? Because to be honest you''re wasting my time." Akagi said with irritation in her voice. "I''ve got ces to be and things to do, so how about you go home Ishigami."


    *Pant, Pant, wheeze.* he could barely breathe. "I will- I will never give up. I will bring you to justice, even if it kills me." he stood straight up, brought his sword into stance, and screamed. "LIMITER RELEASE!"


    His body glowed in bright white light as a surge of energy washed over him. Then, in an instant, he was gone, like a lightning sh in the night sky. Akagi barely had a moment to think before he was on top of her.


    <i>{Well, I guess he had one trump card to y.} (</i>Akagi<i>)</i>


    At terrifying speeds, he brought his de down onto Akagi''s form making contact.


    {<i>Yes!}</i> he cheered in his mind. <i>{Even she can''t react this fast, it''s over, you''ve got nowhere to run Akagi!}</i>


    His de split Akagi down the middle from head to toe, bisecting her in two.


    "Yes!" he yelled "Didn''t see thating did..... you....bitch....." his words slowed to a crawl as he caught sight of the now split form of Akagi in front of him.


    Along the path of his de was a clean cut surrounded by ck smoke. Akagi''s face was contorted into a smug smile as her image dissolved into ck shadow. It was as if he swung at something that wasn''t there.


    "There-there''s no way that-" His words were cut off as a de dove straight through his heart.


    "Oh, but there is." Akagi was standing directly behind himpletely unharmed.


    "Ack!" he coughed up blood. "That''s impossible, there''s no way you should have been able to react to my limit breaker."


    Akagi pulled her de out of his chest. "Limit breaker is quite a neat skill. In exchange for being defenseless for the next thirty seconds, you can overcharge your next attack to a disgusting degree," she said praising the ability.


    ¡°Its great when fighting bosses, or where you have a team to back you up.¡± She kicked him over. "However, that''s not the kind of ability you want to use when fighting another yer." She said walking alongside him.


    "You bitch, if it wasn''t for your cheap tricks. I know I would have beat you!" he yelled weakly.


    He was losing a lot of blood; it was likely he wouldn''tst much longer.


    Akagi shook her head as she looked him in the eye. "Ishigami, you will never beat me, not now, not ever; and do you know why?" She cut off his head. "Because it was never a game to me."


    Spoiler


    Ishigami!


    Minazawa!


    [copse]

 Chapter 19 – What Does it Mean to be Real?

    Chapter 19 ¨C What Does it Mean to be Real?


    "Ow, Ow." Yumi cried in pain. "That really hurt; not exactly a fan of beingunched into buildings." Yumi was flung across the base by Minazawa''s knock-back attack to separate her from Akagi. This wasn''t the first time she was separated from her master in such a spectacr fashion.


    Yumi stood up, shaking off the dirt and rubble that hadnded on her and readied herself for the battle toe. As she did this, Minazawa finished running across the base and stood before her, drawing her sword and raising her shield.


    "Well, you didn''t die on impact so, I guess that''s something." She chuckled. "I guess you''re pretty durable for a healer."


    "Heh¡± sheughed. ¡°I had a pretty strict teacher, so excuse me for being a bit hard to kill. "Yumi summoned her staff and used magic to swap into her battle clothes. ¡°If you want to kill me, you''re going to have to try a lot harder than that!¡±


    <i>{That said, I might be able to take a hit here and there, but I doubt I can actually beat her head on. She was a yer; someone like me can''tpete in terms of power or abilities. If I''m gonna win, it will have to be by outsmarting her.}</i>


    "Hey, tell me," Minazawa said lowering her sword. "Why are you still working for that bitch? I mean, in FWO you were just an NPC follower. You really didn''t have a choice so I understand helping her in the game, but you''re free now. So why?" This was only partially true, the NPCs of the game were very intelligent and autonomous.


    "Listen, I''ll cut you a deal." she continued. "Surrender ande help us; I''m sure the government would love someone like you on the team. At the very least, you won''t have to die along with that master of yours," she said trying to help.


    "I refuse." Yumi didn''t even have to think about her response.


    "That was quick." Minazawa was surprised by the immediate and unflinching answer. "I don''t get it; your master murders people for a living. She takes the lives of innocent people for what? Money? Doesn''t that disgust you?" She asked.


    Yumi didn''t respond.


    "Because it disgusts me. A person, no, a <i>monster</i> like that shouldn''t be allowed to exist and if you want to die with her, then so be it." She lifted her sword which shone with a purple glow.


    "A monster? That''s riching from someone like you." Yumi took a fighting stance, filled her staff with magical energy and fired it at Minazawa.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± the swordswoman blocked the attack.


    ¡°Your words make it seem like you''re upset by my Lord''s actions, but you''re not actually angry that she killed people. No, you''re angry that she killed other <i>yers</i>.¡± Yumi answered firing off another st.


    <i>{What is this girl talking about? Isn''t that the same thing?}</i> Minazawa thought while dodging her attack.


    "If you''re so against the killing of others, where were <i>you </i>when yers ughtered people from my world for fun? Did you help us? Did you find the yer who killed all my friends and family?" Yumi asked with a cold voice. "No, you didn''t; you and all the others couldn''t care less when we died." she began to spin her glowing staff above her head.


    "Well, I mean you were just NPCs so..." Minazawa was confused. Of course, yers wouldn''t fight each other over the deaths of NPCs. Right?


    Hearing this, Yumi stopped preparing her attack and shot Minazawa a spine chilling re."NPCs, yes, we were just non-yer <i>characters</i> to you all. You treated us like objects to use and abuse as you wished, with no regard for us or our lives." Her anger was palpable.


    "Do you know how many yers I begged for help after my vige was ughtered? Do you know long I waited in that city center praying that someone <i>anyone</i> would take revenge on that man?" Yumi mmed the butt of her staff into the ground causing a small tremor."And do you know what they told me when I asked for help? They told me it didn''t matter because I wasn''t real, that my <i>friends </i>weren''t real, that my <i>family</i> wasn''t real." Yumi said on the verge of tears.


    "Do you have any idea how horrible that was to hear every day for three months?" she began to cry. "To be told that my entire life was meaningless, to be told that if I died, no one would care, just because I wasn''t <i>real</i>." she took in a deep breath.


    "<b>WELL IT SURE AS HELL FELT REAL TO ME!</b>" she screamed, startling Minazawa.


    "I watched as that yer took joy in killing them all, as he happily ughtered everyone I knew and loved. But that''s ok; it didn''t matter because we weren''t <i>real.</i>" Yumi said coldly.


    <i>{Wha?} </i>Minazawa was caught off guard.


    "That was until the day I met <i>her</i>." she wiped her tears and charged her staff. "When I told her what happened, do you know what her response was?¡± Yumi asked. "She got <i>angry</i>. She was angry that yers could walk by someone begging for help. She was <i>angry</i> that you would allow such a disgusting person to roam freely in the world." Yumi threw a weak st at Minazawa that was easily repelled.


    "She told me that it didn''t matter that my world existed inside a game; that it was just as <i>real </i>as the world she came from." Yumi''s eyes were almost sparkling as she told the story. "She held me in her arms and told me that I was <i>real</i> and anyone who said otherwise was wrong. That my life had value and that <i>she</i> would care if I died. " Yumi''s face had a twisted, almost perverted, smile on it. ¡°Can you imagine that? The joy I felt when she acknowledged me and told me that she cared?¡± she let out a creepy giggle.


    ¡°Did you know, I used to be a priestess who served the gods on behalf of my vige. I was in charge of managing the shrine, preparing offerings and so much more. I ved away everyday for those gods and what did all that faith, all that service get me?¡± she asked rhetorically. ¡°Nothing!¡± she yelled. ¡°In my hour of need it wasn''t the gods that saved me from despair, it was her! And so, I figured the gods weren''t worth of my worship, my loyalty, or my service; but she was.¡± Yumi''s face glowed as she recalled the events.


    The destruction of her vige destroyed her faith in the gods, and the cruel words of the yers shattered her mind. What remained was little more than a husk of the bright and cheery girl that Yumi had been before the attack. When Akagi found the broken girl, her fractured mindtched onto her and Akagi became her new object of adoration. This attachment did help to heal Yumi''s mind. But, it''s likely that she will never fully recover from her past trauma, and to this day she still views Akagi as a semi-divine figure. Akagi''s experience with her own mental health crisis has been helpful in guiding Yumi back to some sort of normalcy; even if it did require her to ept Yumi''s misced worship.


    "So, if you really must know why I won''t abandon her. It''s because to do so would be the ultimate betrayal of the kindness she showed me that day. "Yumi continued. "When it came down to it, the gods weren''t the ones who avenged my vige; it was a <i>monster</i>. A beautiful, kind and lovely <i>monster</i> saved me<i> </i>and I will not permit you to insult her!" She said raising her staff to challenge Minazawa, her eyes burning with passion.


    Minazawa stood silently and found herself at aplete loss for words. Yumi''s storypletely overturned everything she thought she knew about the AI in FWO. While yers knew that the tech powering FWO''s NPCs was bleeding edge, most still treated them as they would characters in any other game. It was assumed that no matter how smart or lifelike they were, they were still just scripted programs with no real thoughts of their own. Sure there were a few oddballs who treated them as normal people, but most yers viewed them as little more than window dressing for the games setting.


    Killing non-quest rted NPCs was rarely considered an issue to most, and while most people would find it <i>distasteful</i> to outright murder them, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who would speak out against it. Anyone who did was quickly ostracized and treated like mental patients. They were viewed as victims of the game, and as people who lost sight of reality. This self-policing only served to reinforce the viewpoint that the NPCs weren''t <i>real</i> people.


    However, the girl standing before Minazawa was <i>real</i>. She cried, she got angry, and she expressed hatred and joy. How could you consider her anything else? If <b>SHE </b>was like this in the game, then it stood to reason that the rest of the NPCs were as well. This realization caused Minazawa''s blood to run cold. yers killed them, tortured them, abused them and so much worse, allforted in the knowledge that they weren''t harming <i>real</i> people. When, in fact, they <i>were</i>.


    <i><u><b>ss shattering sound effect.</b></u></i>


    Minazawa faltered for a moment, dropping her weapon.


    <i>{N-No! If, if that''s true then that means..... Wha-what have we done.......} </i>(Minazawa.)


    Minazawa went back and forth in her mind, trying to find something, anything to disprove this notion. She thought back on her time in FWO, remembering all the interactions she had with the various NPCs. The shop owners with witty banter, the children who enjoyed ying games, and the adventures who aided the assault team. Looking back, it was obvious that these weren''t just pre-made entities with scripted dialogue; but <i>real </i>people. They couldugh, cry, get angry and even hold a grudge. Why did she and all the other yers ignore this when it was right in front of their faces? Was it because they didn''t want to believe such a thing was possible? Or was it because the yers wanted to keep a wall between the game and the real world?


    <i>{She said her vige was whiped out by a yer........ and I have a feeling I know who it was.}</i> (Minazawa)


    Her stomach began to churn as her gut told her who was responsible for the tragedy that befell this poor girl. But she didn''t want to believe it, because if it was true then.......


    "T-tell me," she asked weakly. "Who was the yer that attacked your vige?"


    At this point she was praying that she was wrong.


    Yumi stared at her for what felt like an eternity before answering.


    "Great Fox, that was his name," Yumi answered barely biting back her anger.


    Hearing that name, Minazawa copsed on her knees. She had been right, and her greatest fear was realized. Great Fox was the name that her boyfriend Kyojaro used in FWO. She knew he had exterminated a vige to ess a skill he needed for his build and, at the time, she didn''t care. But now, she understood that those vigers weren''t just characters; but real people. And that meant that Kyojaro hadmitted an unspeakable act of horror.


    This sudden revtion caused her to vomit on the ground as her head began to spin. That the man she loved had perpetrated such an atrocity was too much to bear.


    Yumi stood across from her inplete shock. She never imagined her opponent would lose all will to fight just from hearing her story. It seemed that she overestimated her opponent''s mental fortitude. In her eyes, the other yers were abhorrent people, but even still, seeing Minazawa act this way made her feel pity.


    <i>{I guess that makes sense, doesn''t it? Most yers would likely never have done such horrible things in their world. In the game, they convinced themselves that we were nothing more than mindless drones and that it didn''t matter what they did to us. With that illusion shattered and the truth made evident, I guess most people would react this way.</i>} Yumi felt somewhat sorry for the woman.


    A few momentster, Minazawaposed herself enough to speak.


    "I-I''m-I''m so sorry." She began to cry. "We didn''t know. We didn''t know." She started shaking as she wrapped her arms around herself. "If I had known, I would have stopped Kyojaro... I wouldn''t have let him do something so horrible to you. I''m sorry." Yumi''s revtion had left her broken.


    Yumi lowered her staff.


    "You were not the one who killed my family and friends. You are not at fault for the deaths that he caused." Yumi said in a warm voice. "Besides, he has already paid for his crimes with his life; I believe that is enough."


    <i>{Doesn''t she hate me? Even though I never killed anyone in the game, I didn''t view them as people. I used and abused them like the rest and I acted terribly towards so many of them. Doesn''t she me me and everyone else for what happened? Doesn''t she want to kill me?} (Minazawa)</i>


    "Now then, It would appear that my Lord has finished her fight with your friend." She said with a smile. "Shall we continue? Or can I consider this fight over?"


    Hearing that Ishigami was defeated, Minazawa slowly stood up and ced her sword in its sheath.


    "No, I don''t want to fight anymore." her voice was still unsteady. "The only reason I agreed to fight Akagi, was because I wanted revenge for Kyojaro''s death." she looked down. "But, now.... Now I just want to go home. I still don''t agree with what she does, but I now understand why Kyojaro had to die. What he did was unforgivable, even if I do still love him." (Minazawa)


    "That''s good to hear. I will inform my Lord you have withdrawn frombat and will be leaving." She said watching as Akagi walked towards them. "Do you wish to speak with her?"


    "No. I don''t even know what I would say. I might try and talk to herter when I''ve sorted my thoughts." Minazawa looked at Yumi and asked. "Your name is Yumi, right? Can you go ahead and pass on a message to your master?" her voice was still shaky.


    Yumi nodded.


    "Tell Akagi... tell her that she was right about Hassan. We really were all idiots, just like she said." Minazawa then proceeded to jump onto the rooftop of a nearby structure and disappear beyond the base''s walls.


    Almost immediately after she left, Akagi appeared next to Yumi.


    "Well, I guess that went better than expected, huh?" Akagi grinned.


    "Yes, I must admit, I was quite nervous to fight her by myself. I was even considering sending an SOS to Chloe if it came to it." Yumi said while scratching her cheek.


    "It''s good that Minazawa backed down from that fight, but don''t expect the other yers to have the same reaction," Akagi warned. "Minazawa was on the nicer end of the spectrum. I can tell you that many won''t care one bit about all those they killed while in the game." (Akagi)


    "Yes, I know. I don''t intend to let my guard down." Yumi said.


    "Just making sure." Akagi turned and faced the main building. "Now that the final obstacle has been removed. How about we have a nice chat with the General and end this nonsense?" Akagi said as she pulled Yumi into a hug.


    Spoiler


    Yumi''s Battlemode!


    [copse]

 Chapter 20 – Little Motor Pool of Horrors.

    Chapter 20 ¨C Little Motor Pool of Horrors.


    "This is sector three. We need reinforcements. Our position is being overrun. Gack!" the soldier''s words were cut short as a kunai dug itself into his hand.


    "Shit! They''re already on top of us; we need to fall back and regroup. We''ll make a y for the the Motor Pool; we can use the heavy equipment to stop them." Captain Yomigawa looked over at the bleeding man. "And somebody stop Inugami''s bleeding!" The squad of soldiers unleashed a hail of bullets down the hallway. Akagi''s subordinates, led by Chloe, have devastated the JSDF garrison. Their rapid movement,bined with their magic and skills, has caused massive panic among the rank and file. That isn''t to say that things have been easy, as several of their members have been wounded, but, overall the operation has been a sess.


    After patching the soldier''s arm, the captain issued a retreat order, and one of the soldiers deployed smoke to obscure the enemy''s vision. The Motor Pool is quite close by, and the hope was that the AFVs and Tanks might be more effective against the enemy infantry. At the very least, they would be safer in numbers. Captain Yomigawa''s squad only had four soldiers remaining, himself, Inugami, Toya and Ishizawa. The other two were taken out by the rapidly advancing ninjas. If he was going to get out of this alive, he was going to have to regroup with other forces and acquire heavier equipment.


    "Alright men, let''s move!" the soldiers retreated. At the captain''smand they headed down the stairs and into the building''s main lobby. The assants were few in number, so it was possible to evade them; they couldn''t be everywhere at once and, as simple as it was, a smokescreen might be just what they need to get out of this alive. Upon reaching the lobby, they found it empty and it was eerily quiet.


    "Looks clear, Sir," Toya said. ¡°Our smoke might have throw them off.¡±


    "Good, this is our chance, let''s get the hell out of here and regroup with second toon. On me." the captain took point, and the squad headed down and out of the lobby. Camp Katsura was divided along a four-way axis with arge main road heading in each of the four cardinal directions. This was supposed to allow for ease of movement and allow the heavy equipment to be used even with the base. However, this also meant that any infantry attempting to cross was leftpletely unprotected. This distance between the lobby and the Motor Pool wasn''t that great, but it was still risky.


    "Alright, let''s make this quick. We have no idea where the enemy is or if they have long-range capabilities." the captain looked at his squad. "The Motor Pool is on the other side of the main road; we get there, we get heavy weapons support. Now, let''s move." the squad ran as fast as they could, covering the gap in record time. Gunfire and explosions could be heard all around them, it seemed that their ninja assants weren''t letting up. Upon reaching the main entrance of the Motor Pool, they easily broke open the door and headed inside.


    However, what they found was not an active position filled with soldiers ready to fight, instead, they were greeted with a scene straight out of a horror movie. Body partsy every way, sliced like ham at a deli and blood covered the floor and walls. The smell was enough for the soldiers to wretch. Most of the lights had been knocked out with only a few of therger ones still active. The heavy equipment seemed intact, but the Captain had a bad feeling about this ce.


    "What the fuck happened!" Inugami screamed. "What the fuck did something like this." this gruesome scene left the soldiers feeling uneasy. They had seem some pretty messed up scenes when they were on deployment, but this was just unreal.


    "What the fuck are we fighting that would do something like this?" Toya questioned. "I thoughtms said they were ninjas not fucking monsters! Are we fighting a certain monster from a 70s space horror movie?"


    "Calm down." the captain barked. "I can''t tell you what did this, but we need to stay on guard. Whatever it was could still be here."


    "You know, it''s rude to call a girl a monster." an unknown female voice echoed throughout the building. ¡°And I think I''m far cuter than that horrid creature you mentioned. Plus my tail is much softer.¡±


    "Where did thate from?" the captain looked at Toya, the soldier who was in charge of their scanning and detection equipment.


    "I''m not sure, too much echo, it''s hard to pinpoint." his detection equipment was inadequate in such spaces and would need more time.


    "Stay together and follow me, eyes on." the captain whispered. The four soldiers began to slowly walk through the motor pool, their eyes scanning for the unknown assant.


    The squad continued it sweep until it reached a small refueling station, the captain raised his voice. "Are you the one who did this?" he asked the voice. ¡°Who are you? I assume your with the attackers?¡±


    "Me? Of course, I did. It''s not like there''s anyone else in here. Is there?" the voice replied with a giggle. ¡°And my name is Chloe, I''m the leader of my n."


    <i>{Leader? That means trouble.} </i>He looked at his team, the voice seemed to being from the upstairs ops center and he oriented them in that direction.


    ¡°Try and keep her talking.¡± he whispered to his team.


    "Do you think this is some sort of game? Did you find killing those men funny?" Inugami yelled. ¡°Why don''t youe out and face us!¡±


    The squad slowly moved towards the staircase.


    "What''s wrong with enjoying killing your enemies?" Chloe answered back. "You''re soldiers, surely you understand?"


    "Only monsters like you take pleasure in the act of killing." Ishizawa, the female soldier, responded. "We fight to protect our home, we don''t enjoy taking lives, but we''ll do it if we have to!"


    "There you go again calling me a monster." Chloe let out a sigh. It seemed that the team was getting closer. "Tell me, who''s the real monster here? Me for killing, or you for starting this conflict and dragging in innocent children?" she was quite annoyed at these soldiers.


    "If you don''t want to die, you shouldn''t have attacked my myaster. Then all those soldiers would still be alive. So its really your fault now isn''t it?" the voice scolded them.


    <i>{Children? Attacking her master? What is she talking about?} </i>the captain thought to himself.


    Most of the soldiers in Camp Katsura were not informed of the higher-ups plot to entrap and kill Akagi. This was done not just to prevent leaks, but also to make the attack more <i>real</i> to the public.


    "Listen, I have no idea what you''re talking about, but I apologize for my subordinate''sments. I''m not sure where your from, but around here we don''t take such..... extreme actions against our enemies." the team reached the top of the stairs and moved into the ops center. It was almostpletely dark with only a few bands of light piercing within.


    ¡°Oops!¡± Chloe let out augh. ¡°Did you think I was up there? Good guess but wrong, here''s your penalty.¡± Suddenly, thin strands of wire flew from the darkness and wrapped themselves around Toya.


    ¡°Wha-¡± the soldier was caught off guard.


    ¡°Inugami!¡± Ishizawa screamed seeing her teammate ensnared.


    ¡°Uh, uh, uh.¡± Chloe''s voice pierced through the darkness. ¡°Take one more step and he dies.¡±


    Her words caused the soldiers to stop in their tracks.


    ¡°Now, lets y a game.¡± Chloe giggled. ¡°If you can find me before the time runs out, I''ll let him go, if you don''t well.....¡± her words hung in the air.


    A momentter, therge monitor at the center of themand room lit up and disyed a ten minute timer.


    ¡°Ready, get set. GO!¡± Chloe eximed and started the timer. ¡°And remember, if you try to free him, you forfeit. Good luck!¡±


    ¡°Toya, has your equipment picked up on anything? Where is she?¡± the captain hurried him.


    ¡°I''m sorry sir, my equipment isn''t picking up anything, there''s too much interference from the building itself.¡± he apologized.


    ¡°Can''t we just follow those wires? Surely they lead back to this girl!¡± Ishizawa pointed out.


    <i>{That might be our best bet, but splitting up isn''t my favorite tactic.} </i>breaking up his squad was thest thing he wanted to do, so he decided to confirm something.


    ¡°Chloe, can we assume you won''t attack us while were searching?¡± he yelled out hoping for a response.


    ¡°Yup!¡± her voice echoed, ¡°If I did that you would never win, so feel free to split up.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you heard her. We''re going to have to trust her. Split up and find her, Ishizawa follow those wires and see where they lead. Toya, you check the upstairs of the ops center. I''ll head into the maintenance area. We have just over nine minutes, lets go.¡± the captain gave the soldiers their orders and they scattered.


    A few moments after they left, Chloe''s voice could be heard in the ops center. ¡°You have such dedicated teammates don''t you.¡± she was speaking to the restrained Inugami.


    ¡°Yeah I do.¡± he smirked. ¡°Get ready when they find you, we''re going to take you down!¡±


    ¡°I can''t wait! Its been so long since I''ve had a good hunt.¡± Chloeughed and her voice faded into the darkness.


    ¡°A hunt? We really are dealing with a monster aren''t we.¡± Inugami shook his head.


    Toya frantically searched the rest of the operations center and the adjacent rooms. He was hoping that she was still nearby. He assumed that if she was speaking to them, she had to be close.


    ¡°Dammit!¡± he yelled. ¡°Where the hell are you, I''ve searched every one of these offices!¡±


    ¡°If I told you, it wouldn''t be much of a game now would it?¡± Chloe chided him. ¡°Besides isn''t this fun?¡±


    ¡°Fun for <i>you</i>!¡± he retorted. ¡°But I don''t exactly find the threat of death to be funny, especially when it involves someone on my team.¡± Toya continued searching the rooms, turning over desks, opening closets and even shooting into the ceiling.


    ¡°So violent, there''s no need for that.¡± Chloemented.


    <i>{Just ignore her Toya, she''s trying to mess with you.} </i>Toya tried to block her out.


    ¡°Oi! Don''t ignore me, that''s so rude.¡± Chloe howled. ¡°How about this, you''ve already lost three minutes, so how about a hint? What ce allows me to see, hear and speak with you at all times?¡± Chloe giggled.


    <i>{Really great hint there. If I knew the fucking answer, I wouldn''t need to be looking like a mad man now would I?}</i> Toya shook his head and continued his search.


    Captain Yomigawa headed into the maintenance area of the Motor Pool. The warehouse wasrge and there were plenty of hiding spots among the equipment and shipping crates. He figured if she was anywhere, this was the most likely spot.


    ¡°Not a bad guess captain.¡± Chloemented as he entered the room. ¡°There are a lot of nice dark ces I could be hiding in here!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, maybe you could save us all the trouble ande out? Then we can talk about this soldier to soldier.¡± he wanted to keep her talking.


    ¡°As I told that violent man, it wouldn''t be a game if I just gave up now would it? Chloemented. ¡°Besides seeing you run around to save your friend is just far too much fun!¡± her voice showed just how much this situation was entertaining her.


    The captain began to rip open containers and check behind every piece of equipment in the maintenance area. As he did this, he continued to speak to Chloe, hoping to get whatever information he could out of her.


    ¡°What did you mean earlier when you said we attacked your master? As far as I knew this was an unprovoked attack on our base.¡± he was genuinely curious.


    ¡°Unprovoked? Ahh that''s right myaster said most of you guys weren''t told.¡± Chloe remembered her conversation with Akagi. ¡°You guys kidnapped my myaster''s sister and lets just say that made her a little bit <i>angry </i>and so she sent me and my team in to rescue her and cause some chaos. If I had to bet, she''s on her way to speak to that general of yours right now!¡± the Captain couldn''t see her but he could tell she was smiling.


    He had no idea if she was telling the truth, and right now that didn''t matter. If the brass really did do something like that, he would have to hold his tongue until after his men were safe.


    ¡°Tic-toc Captain¡± Chloe''s voice pierced his thoughts. ¡°There''s only 5 minutes left! So let me give another hint.¡± she cleared her voice. ¡°Everyone has it and no one can lose it, what am I?¡±


    <i>{Riddles... I hate riddles.} </i>The captain had no idea what the answer was and he wasn''t in the right head space to be solving riddles at the moment, so he decided to just continue his search.


    Ishizawa was following the wires that were restraining Inugami. She figured that the best way to find this, Chloe, was to trace her weapon back to her.


    ¡°Not a bad idea. But you are assuming that I''m standing somewhere holding onto these wires.¡± Chloemented. ¡°If your wrong, you''ll have wasted valuable time.¡±


    ¡°I don''t needments from the peanut gallery, thank you very much.¡± she was angry. ¡°When I find you, I''m going to kick your ass!¡±


    Chloe giggled, ¡°I would love to see you try.¡±


    <i>{What a fucking creepy bitch. Who the hell can giggle andugh after everything she''s done. Inugami was right, she is a monster.} </i>Ishizawa pushed aside these thoughts, she would find this girl and make her release Inugami first, then she would figure out what to do with her.


    She chased the wire, which seemed to be endless, they twisted and turned around corners and ran underneath almost every obstacle one could imagine. A few times they even went into the floor and ceiling. Undaunted, she continued her pursuit until she came upon a dead end. The wires that she was chasing simply stopped after they ran into one of the interior walls!


    ¡°What the fuck!¡± she screamed. ¡°Is this some kind of joke?¡± she let a few rounds loose into the wall.


    ¡°I told you it was a waste of time, didn''t I?¡± Chloe chided her.


    ¡°Fuck you!¡± Ishizawa responded. ¡°Come out and fight me! Stop hiding in the shadows like a coward!¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry, you''ll see me soon enough¡± Chloe answered her. ¡°You only have a minute left, so why not head back to your friend and enjoy the show.¡±


    Her response only served to anger Ishizawa more and she proceeded to scream even more profanities into the air.


    ¡°Six, five, four, three, two, one. BZZZT and that''s time! Too bad, it looks like you failed to find me, even with my hints.¡± Chloe continued. ¡°Everyone should regroup at your captured friend, we wouldn''t want him to be lonely in his final moments now would we?¡±


    The rest of Captain Yomigawa''s team regrouped in the ops center. Inugami was still restrained and they were all prepared for the worst.


    ¡°Sorry Inugami, we looked everywhere but we couldn''t find her.¡± The Captain apologized.


    ¡°If you can still hear me, would you consider letting my men go and taking me instead, they don''t deserve to die?¡± he asked Chloe


    He got no response.


    ¡°Captain?¡± the three soldiers responded in shock.


    ¡°Listen, its my job as yourmanding officer to keep you alive. If I have to sacrifice myself to do that, then I will.¡± he gave a bitter smile.


    His soldiers had no response and they knew he was serious. Theymented their weakness and cursed themselves for their failures.


    ¡°How heroic.¡± a voice called out behind them. When they turned around they were greeted by the red-haired cat-kin..


    ¡°They really are animal-earned ninjas?!?¡± Inugami eximed. ¡°Ah man that''s actually kinda cool. I guess there are worse ways to go out.¡± he let out augh.


    ¡°Not the time to be seduced by the enemy Inugami.¡± Ishizawa just looked at him and sighed.


    Chloe looked at the captain. ¡°Are you serious about what you just said? Would you really give your life so that your men survive?¡± her eyes seemed to peer into his soul.


    He gulped. ¡°Yes, yes I would. I have a duty to keep these men alive, and if you agree to let them go, I would dly exchange my life for theirs.¡±


    Chloe looked at the older man, her eyes briefly widened in shock before she let out a big sigh. ¡°I see, I''m d to see that you guys are a little better than the Empire. Their officers were nobles, and would sacrifice as many of their subordinate''s as possible to keep themselves alive.¡± she snapped her fingers and Inugami was released.


    ¡°Its been so long since I had this much fun and I''m in a good mood; so I''ll offer you this. If you and your men stay in this building until we''re finished with our little mission, you get to live. Simple as that.¡± These soldiers had interested her, so she figured she might as well give them a reward for entertaining her.


    The captain was shocked, he had no idea what this Empire she was referring to was and he didn''t really care, what mattered is that she was giving them a way out of this alive.


    ¡°What about the others? Won''t they just attack us.¡± the captain asked.


    ¡°No, if I tell them to leave you alone, they will.¡± she continued. ¡°None of them would dare go against the word of their n leader. Now what will it be? If you refuse, I''ll just kill you all right now.¡± As she said this, small thing wires could be seen extending from her gloved hands, wrapping around each of the four soldiers necks.


    ¡°When did she?!?¡± Ishigawa eximed.


    ¡°I wouldn''t move if I were you, these are pretty sharp.¡± Chloe had a yful smile.


    Seeing the reality of the situation, Yomigawa decided to concede.


    ¡°I ept, my men and I will stay out of this fight. What you told me earlier has me curious, if we really did pick a fight with someone my men shouldn''t be sacrificed for no reason.¡± he looked at the cat.


    ¡°Good, good.¡± she released them. ¡°Now then, I have to get going. It looks like myaster has finished off the other yers and will be heading to meet your leader. I need to make sure everything is prepared for her arrival.¡± she turned, walking straight into one of the dark shadows in the wall, her body blending in until her form disappeared.


    ¡°Just what kind of fucking demon did we piss off if it has <i>that </i>as a subordinate.¡± Toya eximed.


    ¡°I don''t know.¡± the captain said letting out a breath. ¡°But all I know is that the only reason were still alive, is because she found us more entertaining than anything else, and I''ll take it.¡±

 Chapter 21 – The First Law of Nuclear Weapons.

    Chapter 21 ¨C The First Law of Nuclear Weapons.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


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    General Iseyama stood inside hismand center at aplete loss for words. In all his years, he never imagined that he would be sopletely and utterly defeated. Akagi''s secondary team had broken into his ops center and swiftly killed his guards. At present, only five members of his staff, including him, survived Chloe''s assault on themand center. The red-haired cat and her team made short work of anyone that didn''t immediatelyy down their arms and the General ordered his remaining officers to surrender, seeing little point in them dying for no reason.


    Although the General told his officers in themand room to surrender, he refused to issue a stand down order base wide. As a result, fighting continued throughout Camp Katsura. Whether this refusal was because he genuinely believed he could still win or because he was too stubborn was open to interpretation.


    "Come now General, just tell your men to stand down. Every second you wait means more of them die needlessly nya.¡± Chloe said while sitting on one of the desks. ¡°It would a pity for such good soldiers died for an old man''s pride.¡± Chloe''s re showed she was not amused.


    "Surrender is not something a proud General of the JSDF should ever contemte, but you might be right." the old General said, taking a seat. "I shouldn''t allow more of Japan''s finest to go the reaper for no reason." his eyes were filled with scorn. Hismand staff was bound in the corner of the room while Chloe''s team began removing the bodies to reduce the distraction. Chloe had already made that mistake once today and wasn''t keen on a repeat.


    "Tell me. How were you able to overrun this base so easily? I know you have strange abilities, but with so few of you and our technological edge, this overwhelming defeat just doesn''t make sense." he asked.


    "Hmmm. Maybe it''s because we have experience in doing things like this? Or maybe it''s because youck it?" she said putting her finger on her lip. "From what I''ve seen, your mencked experience in ambush situations and your reliance on technology meant that, when it failed, your soldiers were disoriented. Combine that with yourck of information about my team and our abilities and it wasn''t really surprising that we manage to overwhelm you, even with our low numbers nya," she exined.


    In FWO, Akagi used Chloe and her team to great effect when infiltrating Imperial positions. Her n was tailor-made for stealth operations and fast hits and runs. While military tech in this world was far better than in the game, it didn''t matter if the soldiers couldn''t use it effectively against them. Her team prioritized speed and maneuverability and rarely gave Iseyama''s soldiers a moment to collect themselves. The general chaos and confusion also helped to ensure that the defenders were caught t-footed; plus Akagi herself attracted a lot of attention.


    "I see," he responded. "So what you are telling me is that we picked a fight with an enemy that was aplete antithesis of our standard doctrine." he closed his eyes for a moment. "Your right, my men''s training was inadequate to defeat an enemy who used such tactics. Our focus is more on fighting other militaries, not insurgents. On top of that, I never even considered that she had a special operations team like you, and we paid the price for it." he cursed his ipetence.


    "Yup! Yup!" Chloe gave a toothy smile.


    The room remained silent for the next few minutes. Iseyama''s staff was quite nervous about what would happen to them and were too afraid to speak. Most presumed they were all about to die or that they would be used as hostages. Eventually, the main door to the ops center opened revealing Akagi and Yumi.


    "Myaster! You''re here!" the cat-girl ran up to Akagi and dove at her.


    Akagi caught her and began to pet her head softly and y with her ears, which caused the cat-girl to purr.


    "I am." Akagi smiled. "Good work; to you and all of your team. You did a fantastic job; I couldn''t be prouder."


    "Heeee." Chloe could only grin at the praise.


    "Now then." She said, looking at General Iseyama. "I think we can discuss the terms of your surrender, general."


    Akagi, Chloe, and Yumi walked to his desk. Iseyama was a beaten man, but his eyes still gave the impression that he had some fight left in him.


    "Surrender?" he scoffed. "That''s a word I never wanted to hear, especiallying from a monster like you."


    Akagi mmed her hand on his desk. "Would you prefer I just kill everyone left in the base? Because I could do that and it would be so much easier than negotiating with you." her eyes gave off a dangerous glint.


    <i>{Go ahead. Make my day.} </i>that was what her eyes told him.


    He raised his hand. "No, that won''t be necessary. Enough blood has been spilled, and I think you''ve proven your point." He looked Akagi straight in the eye. "But. Don''t assume you''ve won, monster. You may have tasted victory today, but what about next time? Or the time after that?" he smirked.


    "The government won''t take an attack like this lying down, and the general public will be horrified by your actions." Iseyama said with a smug expression. ¡°All those soldier''s you killed had friends, family and loved ones. Once they learn what you did, they''ll call for vengeance.¡± he seemed quite sure of himself.


    "Can you honestly tell me you can win against such force? We have far more manpower and resources than you; and much, much more potent weapons." He stood up. "It''s only a matter of time until we deal with you and the others." he was practically taunting her.


    "Pffffffffff." Akagi began tough. She was so loud that she startled everyone else in the room.


    "Did I say something funny? Or have you just lost your mind?" Iseyama asked annoyed at herughter.


    "No, No general I haven''t lost my mind, though I must admit what you said wasedic," Akagi said while stillughing. ¡°If the Japanese government still wants to continue this farce after today, I will happily oblige." She said with a smile. "But I hope they understand that, if they do, I won''t be pulling my punches anymore." her expression turned dark.


    Akagi turned around and walked over to the holographic disy at the center of the room. Taking a moment, she waved her hand through the image currently projected and said. "Disy Fort Usamigami-no-Yama, coordinates 43.52598794298706, 142.87766732064856. Authorization code 2-Delta-6-Charlie-8-Whiskey-4-Omega, 487647."


    Upon hearing that name and code, General Iseyama sprung up from his chair. "How do you know about that facility!" he screamed. ¡°That''s a national secret!¡±


    Chloe and Yumi were quick to react, pointing their weapons at him. They didn''t think he could actually do much himself, but they weren''t taking any chances.


    "General, tell me, what do you think the rest of the world would do if they found out the Japanese government had developed its own secret nuclear arsenal?" she turned around and ced her hand on her cheek. "And what do you think they would do if they found out that you had allowed said arsenal to fall into the hands of a rogue actor?" her smile sent chills up his spine.


    While it wasmon knowledge that Japan hosted U.S. Nuclear weapons on its soil, having its own would be a vition of internationalw and would not be tolerated by the internationalmunity. With the Second World War having faded out of living memory, there was minimal opposition to Japan re-militarizing for the first time in over ny years. However, there is no way the major nations would condone the independent development of nuclear weapons by the Japanese government. If Akagi were to leak this information, the consequences would be devastating for the country. Though one has to ask if the Americans, in particr, didn''t already know.


    "No, no, that''s impossible! If anything had happened at Fort Yama, the military would have known!" he broke into a cold sweat. "You might know of its existence, but there is no way you could be in control of the weapons themselves! Even <i>I </i>don''t have the authorization tounch them!" he was sure that she couldn''t ess the warheads, but for some reason, he couldn''t shake this fear.


    "Oh? Is that so? Then should Iunch one to prove it? Sapporo is quite close and has arge enough poption; it would make an excellent test of the weapons. We can see how Japan''s nukespare to America''s." Akagi began to walk back toward Iseyama''s desk. ¡°Though unlike Hiroshima or Nagasaki, I doubt there will be anything left of Sapporo to study.¡±


    <i>{She, she must be bluffing! There has been no abnormal activity from Fort Yama, nothing! If anyone even got close to Mt. Tomuraushi we would know.} </i>General Iseyama was having a hard time believing her im.


    "Tell me how you managed to gain control of Japan''s top-secret nuclear facility without alerting anyone and how you obtained theunch codes. Do that and I just might believe you," he said, still believing it to be a bluff.


    "Easy." She responded. "One of my subordinate''s primary ability is to hypnotize/brainwash people. The hard part was sneaking her in. After that, it was simply matter of making each person on base loyal to her with her pheromones." Akagi said with a shrug. "Quite nice to have a dryad that can control people with chemicals on your team; isn''t it?" Akagi cracked a smile.


    Akagi had broken her active subordinates into three teams. Team Chloe was on intel gathering in Kyoto. Team two, under Marshal, was tasked with preparations for the assassination of the Mitsuhide family. Team three, led by Yumi, was tasked with government infiltration on a national scale. Akagi was hoping to pull some of the nation''s top brass into her sphere of influence, either with Kurosawa''s pheromone ability or fear. She figured it might prove useful in keeping the government off her back.


    However, during her investigation Yumi stumbled upon evidence of a covert Japanese nuclear program. When Akagi was informed of this possibility, she dedicated all of team three''s efforts to secure it for herself. It was a long shot, but it proved sessful and she was able to swiftly bring the entire base under her control without alerting anyone. Of course, taking control of the base came at the expense of more intel from within the Japanese government as she couldn''t split her resources any further. To Akagi, this trade-off was worth it. After all, what better way to keep governments off your back than by threatening them with nuclear annihtion? At a bare minimum, she could force the Japanese government to y ball by threatening to reveal this information to the intentionalmunity.


    General Iseyama was left speechless. While he couldn''t bepletely certain about her ims, something in the back of his mind told him she wasn''t lying.


    <i>{That''s absurd!} </i>General Iseyama shuddered. <i>{If she can take control of a covert nuclear facility, couldn''t she take control of the entire government? Is it possible she already has?} </i>


    What the General did not know; was that the brainwashing ability was rather limited. Only a few people could only reliably controlled at a time, and the ability required close proximity of the target. Additionally, it also required reapplication of the pheromones regrly to maintain the effect and those that had strong enough willpower could resist it. Using it to control a country, or other yers, was not an option. The only reason Akagi had managed to take control of Fort Usamigami-no-Yama was because it was mostly automated with minimal human staff.


    But in Iseyama''s mind, Akagi could<i> </i>brainwash the <i>entire</i> government, and what he believed was more important than reality. As for theunch codes, whether she had them or not was unknown, but with such an ability, he couldn''t take that chance.


    "Now then." She looked at the General. "What will it be? Will youe quietly and do as I say, or do I have to escte the situation even further?" Akagi was inpletemand of the situation. If the General refused, she would either reveal the program to other nations orunch one of the warheads at a Japanese city, if she actually had the codes. Even if she didn''t, the fact that she could reveal the program left General Iseyama with only one option.


    The old General stood up from his chair, performed a bow; and said. "I surrender."


    Akagi smiled when she heard those words. ¡°Good. Now first, issue a base wide stand down order to your men.¡± she turned around. ¡°Chloe, once he does that have Yumi tell your ns to stand down as well.¡± Receiving their orders, the two headed out of the ops center to begin the wind down of operations.


    A few momentster General Iseyama pulled up a holographic screen from his desk and began to enter authorization codes.


    ¡°Attention.¡± his voice could be heard on the PA system. ¡°This is General Ren Iseyama. The position for the JSDF in Camp Katsura has be untenable. Furthermore, my position has beenpromised and I have been captured by the enemy Commander. In consultation with her, I have decided to surrender rather than needlessly sacrifice the soldiers under mymand. All soldiers within Camp Katsura shouldy down their arms and surrender to the invading forces as soon as possible. My soldiers, please forgive my ipetence and may the Emperor forgive me for my failure.¡± he disconnected. ¡°There it is done.¡± he looked at her.


    ¡°Now on to the next step.¡± She walked around to the side of his desk. ¡°Someone like you ought to have a direct line to the Prime Minister right?¡± she looked at him.


    ¡°Yes, I can contact him. In fact he is likely waiting for a report at this very moment.¡± He bit his lip. ¡°If you wish to speak with him, then we can do so in my office, I have a secure line there.¡± Akagi followed the older man upstairs and into his office.


    From here, you could see the scale of destruction, Camp Katsura was engulfed in mes and soldiers could be seen running around frantically. The General walked up to his desk and pressed a button hidden in one of its drawers. When he did so, the lights in the room dimmed, the window shutter began to close and arge monitor appeared from the wall. A few momentster he typed on a keyboard, and the image of the Prime Minister appeared on screen. He seemed nervous with sweat visible on his forehead.


    ¡°General Iseyama!¡± he eximed. ¡°Would you care to tell me what is going on at Camp Katsura! My office is being bombarded with media requests for information, from what I''ve been shown it looks like the base has been devastated!¡± He was at his wits end.


    ¡°Mr. Prime Minister.¡± He bowed. ¡°I regret to inform you that we have lost, and I have been forced to surrender Camp Katsura to Ms. Akagi and her forces.¡± as he says this, the Prime Minister''s eyes shift towards Akagi. It seems in his haste he hadn''t noticed her standing there.


    ¡°Thank you General Iseyama. I''ll take it from here.¡± With one swift motion, she drew her Katana and cut the old General down. ¡°I hope he didn''t think he was getting out of here alive after all he''s done.¡± her eyes showed contempt for the now dead man.


    After swinging her de to remove the blood on it, she looked up at the terrified visage of the Prime Minister. ¡°Now then, Mr. Prime Minister, I believe we have much to discuss.¡± her words sent chills down the man''s spine.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <News Helicopter POV>


    "We''re here live over Camp Katsura in Kyoto. Large-scale explosions and gunfire were hearding from inside mere moments ago. Nearby civilians reported that unknown forces staged an attack on the JSDF garrison." the reporter was speaking into a small floating screen.


    "As you can see, the east wall has a massive hole in it, and it appears that the main gate was split in two." she continued. "At this point, we cannot say for certain what is going on, and the government has not replied to our request for a statement."


    The helicopter began to circle the burning base.


    "For now, we only have this one image of the suspected attackers." the news reporter used her screen to put up an image of Akagi and Yumi standing on top of the copsed gate.


    "We can''t say who these two women are; or why they may have attacked the base. However, regardless of why, it''s clear that the JSDF was caughtpletely off guard." she pans the camera around to show the base.


    Much of the base is on fire. Several buildings have copsed, and there are what look like bodies littered throughout the base.


    "This is truly a tragic affair. Who attacked the base? Why? And does this have anything to do with the returnees from FWO? Stay tuned to find out." she says, cutting the news feed as requested by her director.


    "Kirika." the other reporter called out to her.


    "What?" (Kirika)


    "Am I crazy, or does the blood scattered throughout the courtyard look like some kind of symbol?" (male reporter)


    "What are you talking about?" Kirika looked out the window of the helicopter and focused on the red pattern. Not seeing anything, she told the helicopter pilot to gain altitude and swing around the base from a different angle.


    As the pilot changed his position rtive to the base, it became clear that the blood <i>was </i>shaped into a pattern. A <i><b>handprint</b></i>. A giant red handprint made of blood was in the middle of the main courtyard of Camp Katsura.


    "It''s-It''s a red hand? she says shocked. "What does that mean?"


    "I don''t know, but I can''t imagine it''s a good sign." the male reporter replied.


    Spoiler


    General Iseyama!


    Akagi staring down the Prime Minister!


    More Chloe!


    Reporter Kirika!


    [copse]

 Chapter 22 – Game Theory and Kana’s Confrontation

    Chapter 22 ¨C Game Theory and Kana¡¯s Confrontation


    After some <i>negotiations</i> with the Prime Minister, Akagi and her subordinates returned to her mountain home.


    Almost immediately after arriving in front of the main house, she was assaulted by a hug from Kana.


    "Onee-chan!~~~~~~," Kana said burying her head in Akagi''s chest.


    Akagi responded with augh and some head pats.


    "It''s good to see you''re safe. The same goes for you two," she said looking at Mika and Naomi. "Sorry for dragging you into this. You never should''ve been involved," Akagi gave a wry smile.


    "Kana apologized to us too, but it''s neither of your fault," Naomi said with a smile. "It''s the military''s for thinking it was ok to kidnap students to use as hostages. "Naomi shook her head.


    "Yeah, what Naomi said." Mika smiled. "I mean, it was scary being taken like that, but ming Kana or you would be wrong." Nothing seemed to keep Mika down, her resilience was impressive.


    Kana let go of her sister. "Is it over?" she asked "Or are they going to try something like that again?" It was a reasonable question; Kana knew that the government likely wouldn''t ignore an attack on a JSDF base.


    "I don''t think we need to worry about the government anymore." She smiled. "I had a nice <i>long</i> conversation with the Prime Minister. One that I think was very productive," she said as her smile turned into a grin.


    "Onee-chan, I don''t like that look in your eye," Kana said worried about what her sister did. Her eyes contained a little bit of fear when she looked at Akagi. ¡°And when did you talk to the Prime Minister!¡±


    "About five minutes ago.¡± Akagi retorted.


    Kana gave her sister a re.


    ¡°What? All I said was that continued hostilities would result in some <i>unfortunate</i> circumstances for Japan." Akagi said sticking her tongue out. ¡°We came to an understanding, the government would leave me alone and I wouldn''t pursue things further.¡±


    "Yeah, it''s those <i>unfortunate </i>circumstances that have me worried." Kana looked at her sister. "I saw the news reports. You really destroyed Camp Katsura, didn''t you? Was that really necessary?"


    <i>{Is that really the kind of person you are?} </i>Kana held back from saying anything further. With the destruction of Camp Katsura and Akagi''s threats to go further, she couldn''t be sure if the woman before her really was her sister or <i>something </i>else.


    "I did and it was," Akagi responded without a hint of hesitation. "I would do it again in a heartbeat Kana. Why? Because the only way to beat people like that is to show them that you can escte to a far greater degree than them." Akagi''s actions seemed like overkill to Kana.


    Akagi continued. "They kidnapped my sister and her two friends to use them as hostages against me." she patted Kana on the head. "And so, I decided to show them just how foolish such an action was." While Kana understood her anger, she was still conflicted.


    "They kidnapped three people, so I took the lives of hundreds." Akagi looked at Yumi. "It''s an old doctrine, but one I find works quite well. It''s called escte to de-escte. Essentially when one party takes a hostile action, you hit back with a disproportionate response to scare them into backing down." Akagi continued. ¡°We used simr strategies against the Empire, it took a few times but eventually they got the message isn''t that right?¡± she smiled at Yumi.


    Yumi returned a nod. ¡°Yes, its unfortunate that they were so slow to understand the foolishness of their actions, but they eventually relented.¡± The amount of times the two of them had battled Imperial forces was too high to count.


    "So what I did might seem needlessly violent, but my goal is to prevent further incidents from happening by demonstrating just how far I can and will go if pushes to shove." Akagi began to walk towards the house. ¡°Think of it this way, if killing 600 people today, saves millions in the future, isn''t that worth it?¡±


    <i>{A very utilitarian esq argument.} </i>Kana retorted in her mind.


    "Now then, let''s head inside and rx a bit." Akagi stretched her arms. "You three should stay here for the weekend, at least until everything blows over, just to be safe."


    <i>{Now that this little side excursion is finished I should focus on my main task. If we''re going to take out the Mitsuhide family, we should do it tonight. At the very least, this should make Hishya''s interview tomorrow more interesting.} </i>(Akagi)


    Once Akagi and the girls entered the main house, Akagi gave Yumi a signal to start a telepathic conversation.


    <i>{I assume this isn''t something you want the girls to hear?} </i>Yumi asked.


    <i>{Yeah. Are we good for the assassination of the Mitsuhide family tonight? I want to get this taken care of immediately. It will only add to the confusion and likely create more chaos, much to our advantage.} </i>(Akagi)


    <i>{Indeed, Marshal has finished his preparations, and team two is ready to go when you give the order.} </i>(Yumi)


    <i>{Excellent, inform him that we strike tonight. We''ll aim for midnight and tell him to be prepared for increased security.} </i>(Yumi)


    Yumi replied with a nod and then headed off into therge kitchen; she was going to prepare tea and snacks for the girls. After everything that happened today, Akagi decided to spend the rest of the evening rxing with them, watching a few movies, and generally having fun. She made sure to keep them away from any news feeds and tried to keep the events of the day out of their minds as much as possible. Akagi noticed that Kana seemed to be uneasy around her, but chalked it up to today''s events being stressful.


    Eventually, the sun went down and both Naomi and Mika fell asleep. The stress of the day''s events had been too much for them to handle and they were both physically and mentally exhausted. Not wanting them to get hurt sleeping on the couches, Akagi had Chloe and Yumi take them to one of the guest rooms. This left Akagi and Kana alone in the main hall together. Kana was not quite tired enough to sleep and told Akagi that she wanted to speak with her a little bit more. Seeing the look in Kana''s eye, she could only oblige and told her to follow her into the garden. Kana seemed serious about something and Akagi had a bad feeling in her chest.


    The two sisters sat under a small pavilion surrounded by flowers that sat in the middle of the pond. Whatever Kana wanted to talk about was clearly causing her stress, Akagi could tell by the look on her face that she was conflicted.


    Kana smacked her cheeks and took a deep breath before speaking.


    "Rishia." hearing her original name caused Akagi to flinch.


    "You <i>are</i> Rishia aren''t you?" Kana had a serious look on her face.


    Akagi was confused. "What? What are you talking about?¡±


    "Just answer the question, please." Kana''s eyes felt like they were drilling right through her.


    Akagi could only sigh. "I <i>was</i> Rishia at one point. But now, <i>no </i>I''m not. Why are you asking me this? Is changing my name that big of an issue?"


    <i>{Is she upset with how I acted in rescuing her? Did my methods bother her that much?} </i>Akagi wasn''t sure what brought this on.


    ¡°Kana, whats going on? If something is bothering you please tell me, you don''t need to hold anything back.¡± Akagi pleaded.


    Kana looked at her for a moment before responding. "Ever.....Ever since you woke up, I''ve seen a shadow around you." Kana continued. "At first, I didn''t think anything of it. I thought that it was my imagination or that it had something to do with your powers so I ignored it. But, each day, it''s gotten harder and harder to do that. Sometimes that shadow would disappear and reappear at random. Other times its shape would change, like a kind of reflection of you and your emotions.¡± She paused for a moment. ¡°And today. When you returned after rescuing us, that shadow, it changed again." Kana said with a slight tinge of fear in her voice.


    Akagi knew what she was referring to, "How did it change?"


    "It smiled," Kana said trembling as she remembered it. "It smiled with a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth and it stared right at me with two deep orange eyes. It was like something out of a horror movie!" Whatever it was had spooked the girl.


    "Please tell me, what is that shadow? Whenever I look at it, I feel afraid. Its always watching me, even now that shadow is looking at me with those eyes. I feel like it wants to eat me!" Kana was terrified of this shadow she saw around her sister. ¡°That''s why I asked if you really were <i>Rishia.</i> Becausetely, I''ve been wondering if maybe....... maybe Onee-chan was gone and you were just that shadow pretending to be her!¡± Kana finally said what had been on her mind for weeks. ¡°So please... please tell me. Are you really Onee-chan? Or did you kill her and take her ce?¡±


    "Of course, I''m your sister Kana.¡± Akagi answered. ¡°But I understand why you''ve felt this sense of disconnect. I do act differently from before my time in FWO and I wouldn''t say you''repletely wrong to say I''m a different person in a sense.¡± Akagi exined. ¡°However, my changes were nothing so dramatic that it would constitute someone taking my ce. Its just that, what you saw at home for all those years was a fake personality, it was so convincing that it even fooled me. My time in FWO helped me to see that, and once it took off that mask, I decided never to put it back on.¡± Akagi was clearly ufortable having to exin this.


    ¡°Then what is that shadow! It looks like you''re possessed by a demon! How can I be sure that you really are Onee-chan if you don''t exin that?¡± Kana pressed for answers. ¡°Even now that shadow looks like its angry at me.¡±


    Akagi looked over her shoulder. ¡°I guess <i>I</i> do look a little bit scary don''t <i>I</i>? But you don''t have to worry about that, <i>I''m</i> mad at myself, not you. So you don''t have to worry about that shadow Kana; I can promise that <i>I </i>would never hurt you." Akagi looked toward the pond. "That shadow, that darkness you''ve seen around me. That''s <i>me </i>Kana, the <i>real </i>me."


    "Wha-what does that even mean? What do you mean that''s the real you?" Kana became confused. "Then who or what is sitting in front of me right now?!?" Kana yelled out in agitation.


    Akagi looked directly at her sister. "On that day in the hospital. I told you that I was a Nurarihyon right? That I was no longer human?"


    Kana nodded. ¡°Yes, you did.¡±


    "Well, that is only partially true. I <i>was </i>a Nurarihyon." Akagi lifted her hand and pulled a small empty cube out of her inventory. "Until I found <i>this.</i>"


    Akagi ced the small cube in the middle of the table. It was only around half a foot in diameter, and it was devoid of any markings. To Kana, it looked like some type of clear stic decoration.


    Kana asked. "And what is that? Something from the game, I assume?" her eyes were focused on the object.


    "This Kana, was a cube that contained something the game called the <b>Shadow Lord.</b>" Just hearing that name sent chills through Kana''s spine. "I don''t know everything about it; however, ording to the game, it was the decayed remains of some kind of Shadow Demon."


    Akagi continued as she ced the cube back into her inventory.


    "I found it randomly while on a quest. Apparently, it was supposed to be an item used to trigger a boss fight with said Shadow Lord. You were supposed to take the cube to an altar and then release and kill him for a unique item." Akagi said.


    "But that''s not what happened, is it?" Kana asked, still afraid.


    "No, no, it wasn''t." Akagi continued. "From what other yers told me, the quest should have brought up a prompt with a yes or no question asking you to release him. However, when I ced it on the altar, it asked me if I wanted make its power my own." Akagi gave a small smile.


    "T-take its power? You took it?" Kana stuttered.


    "And you know me; I can''t help but check out rare things in games. So naturally, I clicked yes." Akagi''s eyes began to glow. "I''ll spare you the details, but after fighting and defeating him; I was able to consume him and doing this caused me to change."


    <i>{C-Change?} </i>(Kana)


    "The power it granted me was unbelievable. My control over my shadow powers skyrocketed. It felt like I merged with the very darkness itself." Akagi said grinning. "Of course, it wasn''t just some stat increase; it also changed my race. Instead of being a Nurarihyon, I was now a "Shadow-Nurarihyon" Akagi snapped her fingers causing her form to dissolve into a ck mist which sat where Akagi just was. To Kana, it looked like she was peering into the very void itself, the shadow writhed in ce and for a brief moment, she thought she was about to die.


    Suddenly, the ck mist began to swirl and grew to epass the entire pavilion until everything became pitch ck. Kana began to panic, unable to see inplete darkness, until she heard Akagi''s voice pierce through the darkness around her.


    "Calm down Kana. Everything''s alright. You''ve nothing to fear; I would <i>never</i> hurt you." Suddenly, Akagi''s form appeared behind Kana and pulled her into a tight hug. "This darkness you see, that''s me Kana, that''s what I really am." She spun Kana around and wiped the tears from her eyes. "When I became a Shadow-Nurarihyon, my <i>real </i>body became a living shadow. I can shape it to whatever appearance I like, so normally I take this appearance since it''s much less conspicuous." Akagi pulled all the darkness back into her body. "Besides, staying as nothing but a mass of darkness is much less enjoyable."


    Kana just stared at her sister inplete silence. She couldn''t believe what she was hearing. That terrifying shadow that <i>thing </i>that looked so evil and so <i>wrong </i>was actually her sister all along. Kana wasn''t sure how to react to this sudden revtion, but her body did.


    "Are you afraid of me?" Akagi asked. "Of course you are, but I understand. Even in FWO, most yers couldn''t stand the sight of my real form, even Hishya passed out the first time she saw it.¡± Akagi chuckled thinking about Hishya''s reaction. ¡°Though I must admit, it''s strange that you could even see it, usually, people can''t unless I allow it." Akagi released Kana.


    Akagi could tell that Kana was shaken by this revtion. Her body was twitching and her eyes darted. Fearing that this was all too much for the girl she said.


    "I''m sorry Kana, if you want me to disappear, all you have to do is-" Akagi was interrupted when Kana smacked her across the face.


    "Don''t you dare finish that sentence!" Kana yelled with tears in her eyes. "I would never ask you to disappear, not after everything we''ve been through! Don''t assume that I''m so weak that I would be afraid of my own sister." Kana said.


    "But, I saw you. You were trembling in fear; you <i>are </i>afraid of me, Kana!" Akagi replied, raising her voice slightly.


    "I was afraid that I had lost you!" Kana screamed back. "I was afraid that whatever that shadow was had taken you and that the person in front of me was a fake!" Kana''s face was flushed red from screaming.


    "I was afraid... I was afraid that you were really gone." her voice grew weak. "When you woke up, I could tell you were different. You changed; you seemed so full of life, so happy so.... so much unlike the Onee-chan I hade to know." Kana continued. "At first, I was happy; I thought that finally, you hade out of your shell, that finally, some good hade to you; that you had gotten better. But when I saw that shadow, I thought that you had changed because you actually <i>were </i>a different person."


    Kana looked into Akagi''s eyes.


    "Tell me. Look me in the eyes and tell me you''re the same Onee-chan who used to y with me when I was little. The same Onee-chan that saved me from those bullies in fourth grade. The same Onee-chan I waited four years for." Kana''s stare felt like it was burning Akagi alive.


    Akagi pulled her sister into a hug. "Kana, I am. I''m the same sister that''s always been here for you. I might be a little different than I was in the past, but I''m still <i>me</i>. That I can tell you for certain." Akagi chuckled. "I''m also the same sister that helped you clean off your mattress because you were too embarrassed to ask dad."


    "WHY DID YOU BRING THAT UP!" Kana began hitting Akagi on the chest.


    "Ow. Ow, that hurts so much Kana, stop it your killing me." Akagi feigned pain.


    "Onee-chan." Kana looked up at her sister. "I don''t care what you look like or what your race is; as long are you''re my Onee-chan, that''s all I care about. So don''t ever think about leaving me again!" Kana gave a smile. ¡°As long as you''re you, I don''t care about the rest.¡±


    Akagi''s eyes began to water as she heard this. "Yeah. Yeah kiddo, I''m sorry. Please forgive your idiot of a sister; she says the dumbest things sometimes." Akagi pulled her sister into another hug as they stood under the pavilion in the moonlight.


    <i>{Now that I think about it, I wonder if this has anything to do with the system calling me a ¡°Limit Breaker.¡±} </i>Akagi thought to herself. <i>{I haven''t even taken a look at the special item it gave me, I should do that when I get back.}</i>


    Spoiler


    Akagi under the Pavilion!


    Chloe in casual wear!


    [copse]

 Chapter 23 – Expensive Tea, and Akagi’s Theory.

    Chapter 23 ¨C Expensive Tea, and Akagi¡¯s Theory.


    The two sisters embraced each other for a while longer. Kana''s lingering doubts about her sister had vanished, and Akagi wasforted in the knowledge that her sister still loved her. On this night, the bond between the two was tested, and, yet again, it was proven to be unshakable. As far as Kana was concerned, Akagi''s appearance didn''t matter; as long as she was still her sister, she didn''t care how scary she looked.


    Akagi separated from Kana. "Do you feel better now?" she said petting her head.


    "Yes, I do." She looked up at her sister and smiled. "I think all that crying made me thirsty though." she chuckled.


    Akagi smiled. "Well then, take a seat, I think I''ve got something you''ll like." Akagi reached into her item storage and pulled out a teapot, some cups, and some ck tea leaves. The two sisters sat at the table as Akagi began to pour water into the pot with her magic.


    "Is that tea?" Kana asked leaning in to smell the leaves. "It''s strong." she pulled away from the smell. Kana wasn''t one to like especially strong or bitter tea.


    Akagi chuckled. "Trust me, the leaves are pretty pungent, but I''ve never had better." Akagi lit a small fire around the pot to bring the water to a boil.


    "It''s called ck Ash. At least that''s what the game called it. Apparently, it came from a Japan Esque nation in FWO." Akagi said sitting down. "That area wasn''t in the Alpha, so I never got to visit it, and as a result, this tea was super rare," she told Kana the price it cost.


    "That''s absurd!" the amount Akagi had paid was crazy high. "Why would you pay so much for tea leaves?"


    Akagi could only shrug. "I have far more money than I could ever hope to use, Kana. So even paying that much didn''t really matter. Besides, you know me, if it''s something rare in a game, I want it."


    Not muchter, the teapot gave off a whistle.


    "It''s done." Akagi dispelled the fire. "Now we give it a minute to cool and it will be ready."


    "You seem used to this. I know you cooked for yourself most of the time at home, but you rarely made tea. Was it something you drank often?" Kana asked while pulling a teacup over to her.


    "Kind of," Akagi answered. "You know me, I still prefer coffee to tea, but the developers didn''t really share my love of the stuff. Much of what you could drink that wasn''t alcohol was tea, any of the coffee they did have was....." Akagi''s face contorted to look like she just ate something very sour.


    "So rather than drink that nasty stuff, I began to experiment with tea and this stuff was the best I could find. Although I usually just drank sake to be honest." Akagi''s love of the drink was quite well-known among yers.


    "Never thought you would be a drinker, but I guess that goes with the whole Taisho Era motif you have going." Kana chuckled. "You have no idea how many of my ssmates have asked about your outfit."


    Akagi shrugged. "If you think that tea costs crazy money, remind me never to tell you what I paid for these clothes. I think your head might explode."


    ¡°Based on how Naomi reacted, you''re probably right.¡± Kana shook her head.


    After a few minutes, the tea had cooled to an eptable level, and Akagi poured a cup for the two of them. Kana took a sip and was floored by just how good it was. "This is amazing! It''s got to be the best tea I''ve ever had! Just how could something from a game taste this good?" Kana was amazed by its quality.


    "That is an excellent segue into something I wanted to discuss with you," Akagi said while drinking the tea. "But first, Kana, I need you to keep what I''m about to tell you between us. Yumi and the others are aware but don''t speak about it to anyone else. You never know who is listening." Akagi warned.


    Kana nodded.


    Akagi set her cup down. "At the very end of the game, right after the system listed statistics, things like which yer killed the most monsters or which one had the highest bounty on them.¡±


    ¡°I presume you had the highest bounty?¡± Kana chuckled.


    Akagi replied with a smile. ¡°But that wasn''t all, it also stated that one yer became a "Limit Breaker."


    "A limit breaker? That sounds like it had something to do with level caps in a game." Kana theorized.


    "You might think that; however, FWO''s alpha had no such thing." Akagi reached into her storage space and pulled out a small notebook. "The in-game status page wasn''t exactly a bastion of rity, at times it was outright deceitful, so most of us began writing our own notes." she ced the notebook on the table.


    "This little book is a record of everything I found out about FWO. I took great care to be as thorough as possible in my recordings." she looked at Kana. "There is nothing in here to suggest a level cap or tell me what limit breaker means."


    Kana was confused. "So what does that mean? Was it just something so obscure that even you couldn''t find it." Kana couldn''t believe something existed in the game that even her sister knew nothing about.


    "That brings me back to what I said a moment ago." She put the book back into her storage. "I said that the system informed us that <i>one</i> yer became a limit breaker, right?" Akagi continued. "That one yer was me."


    "So what does that mean? Did the game tell you anything else?" Kana asked.


    "No, it didn''t." Akagi shook her head. "But, just before we were logged out, the system sent a personal message to me." Akagi ryed what that message had said.


    "Who is Mizumi? Is that the person behind all this!" Kana said, almost jumping out of her chair.


    "I have no clue, but whoever they are, they had the power to make things in the game real." Akagi had no idea who this person was. "However, I think the reason that I was ssified as a limit breaker is most likely because I merged with that Shadow Lord. That''s the only thing I can think of that sets me apart from other yers." (Akagi)


    "I mean, wasn''t that just a special event? One that triggered because you met its conditions?" Kana wasn''t sure what Akagi meant. It wasmon for MMOs or other games to have special boss fights or events for yers to find.


    "No, it was not," Akagi responded immediately. "Hishya and I did some digging. We spoke to multiple yers who had interacted with that quest, and even got a few toplete itter." Akagi stuck out her hand, changing it into an inky ck form.


    "In the game, something like this should have been impossible, Kana. It went against the very rules of the system itself." Akagi continued while changing her hand into various forms. "Normally, any ability that changes your shape is limited in some way. For example, Hishya''s ability to transform into a dragon had time limits."


    "Ehhh? Hishya is a dragon?" Kana didn''t know this.


    "Yes, she is. I forgot you didn''t know that." Akagi chuckled as she returned her hand to normal. "Hishya was a tank and a heavy damage dealer with magic that she used up close and personal. She eventually became what was called a Star Human; an upgraded human in lore terms." Akagi shrugged. Ascended humans were standard fair in games.


    "So she can turn into a dragon? Like a full-on flying, fire-breathing dragon?" Kana was genuinely curious.


    "She can. However, in the game, it was only for a <i>limited time</i>, and generally, it wasn''t that great of an idea against boss monsters." Akagi pointed out its limitation. "Against cannon fodder though, she could roast entire armies."


    Akagi continued. "The transformation wasn''t the important part. Instead, she benefited from many important status improvements, and, most importantly, she could temporarily stun enemies with her frightful presence skill." Akagi recalled the battle of Hassan, and how Hishya stunned the massive monster army.


    "That sounds strong. So why didn''t more people try to be dragons in the game? Was it limited to just one person?" Kana knew enough about games to understand just how powerful something like this was.


    "There were others who attempted the quest so it wasn''t like it was impossible for others to be dragons. However, it was extremely difficult and basically suicidal. Hishya only pulled it off because she''s crazy like I am." Akagi smiled.


    <i>{Is it sad that I would be lying if I refuted her.} </i>Kanaughed in her head.


    Kana had a sudden realization. "Wait, then does that mean Hishya can turn into a dragon now!" the thought of a real-life Kaiju was worrisome.


    "Probably, and I wouldn''t be shocked if the time limit was gone too seeing as some of the game limitations on my powers have vanished." Akagi poured a second cup of tea. ¡°However, I haven''t seen news about a massive European dragon in the skies of Tokyo, so I doubt she''s unting that ability.¡±


    "So, how''s Hishya''s ability different from yours? Aren''t they just game transformation abilities?" Kana couldn''t see how they were much different.


    "Kana, remember, I said that my <i>real </i>form is actually a living shadow<i>.</i>" Akagi stood up and smiled at Kana. "Don''t freak out I''m going to revert back to my <i>shadow </i>form, ok?"


    Akagi''s form dissolved before Kana''s eyes. Where she was standing just a moment ago was a writhing mass of shadow. Kana knew this was still her sister, but she couldn''t help but feel a twinge of fear in her mind.


    "Are you ok? Is this too much?" the shadow asked in her sister''s voice.


    "I''m ok. It''s just.... going to take some getting used to, is all." Kana gave a wry smile. "But, um. Why did you change into your <i>shadow</i> form?" Hearing her sister''s voicee from a ck mass of shadow would take some getting used to.


    "Because doing this was the best way to exin things," Akagi replied. "You asked me how this was different from what Hishya could do. Well, it''s simple; in-game <i>THIS</i> became my default state." Akagi moved further away from the table so Kana could see her entirely.


    Her appearance was that of a writhing ck mass of shadow. She appeared to be a cross between a liquid and solid. She was squishy, like dough, when touched, but when she moved her entire body flowed like water.


    "There''s no ability to activate, no cool-down to watch, nothing. I can change my shape between my usual appearance or this <i>at will.</i>" the shadow Akagi began to coalesce into a humanoid shape. "This was not something that should have been possible within the game''s logic." Akagi finished transforming and now had the appearance of a girl that looked like she belonged in Kana''s ss.


    ¡°There we go, I think I got it right. Although, I may have made a mistake or two, after all its been four years.¡± Akagi said with an much younger and more immature sounding voice.


    "Ehhh!" Kana stood up in shock. ¡°Onee-chan, you... you can turn back?!?¡±


    Akagi transformed into an appearance Kana had known for her entire life. It was her original form before FWO. She even opted to change into her familiar school uniform. Kana had no idea this was possible.


    "I can change my appearance into anyone I''ve seen; and much, much more," Akagi said in her original voice. ¡°Of course, that includes my original appearance as well. Should I turn into you next?¡± she asked yfully.


    Kana was stunned. She never imagined she would get to see <i>Rishia</i> again.


    ¡°Don''t get used to it.¡± Akagi warned. ¡°Looking like this feels <i>wrong</i>, it makes me ufortable to be like this, so I doubt you''ll see it much.¡± her face told Kana that staying like this would be mentally taxing.


    Kana got up and walked over to Akagi. ¡°Is, is this some kind of illusion?¡± she asked while poking her in the face.


    "It''s an illusion in that its a false body, but, as you can see, it''s corporeal." Akagi replied with a smile. "<i>This</i> is why I think I was considered a Limit Breaker." she walked over to the table and sat back down. "Every ability or power had some drawback or cost in FWO." she said as she poured another cup of tea.


    "For example, Hishya''s dragon form could only be maintained for about an hour, and she would need to wait three days to use it again. However, I don''t have to worry about any of that." Akagi exined. "Since my real form is the shadow, I can transform back and forth as much as I want, for as long as I want."


    "So the difference is that, while you became the shadow permanently, Hishya could only temporarily be a dragon?" Kana had figured out what Akagi was getting at.


    "Bingo," Akagi confirmed. "Transforming into a non-humanoid creature, <i><b>temporarily</b></i>, was possible in the game rules, but <i><b>permanently</b></i><b> </b>bing one shouldn''t have been possible. It was clear that the devs didn''t want to deal with all the psychological issues that woulde from long term use of a non-human body." The human mind did not take well to being crammed in apletely different body type. Most people couldn''t handle it so games would limit it to only small amounts of time to reduce the chance of issues.


    "But wait. How could you do something that went against the game?" Kana asked. "FWO was still just a game; it had pre-programmed rules. No matter how flexible it was, you still should have been limited by what the developers made possible." Kana asked.


    <i>{And what does it mean that you seem not to be affected by having your entire body changed; if you can even call a living shadow a body. Is it because Onee-chan''s mind was already broken once?} </i>(Kana)


    "I don''t know," Akagi said tly. "But I do know that whatever gave me this power was most certainly not made by the developers." Akagi continued. "At present, my theory is that whoever caused this incident is likely some sort of supernatural being." (Akagi)


    "You mean like a god?" Kana asked in disbelief.


    <i>{Do gods even exist? And if they did, why would one trap people in a game and give them powers? It makes no sense.} </i>Kana was unconvinced.


    "Yumi used to be a priestess before I recruited her. I picked her brain, and we both agreed it was the only thing that made sense. The only other possibility that we came up with was that some insanely powerful mage did it, but the amount of magic to pull this off would be ridiculous." Akagi said. "Neither of us recognized the name Mizumi as a god, either in this world or the game." Akagi shrugged.


    "If it really was a god." Kana paused. "Why would they do something like this?"


    "I honestly don''t know Kana," Akagi said while looking at the night sky.


    Spoiler


    Akagi''s original appearance!


    [copse]

 Chapter 24 – Don’t Choke on Your Aspirations.

    Chapter 24 ¨C Don¡¯t Choke on Your Aspirations.


    Kana let out a big yawn. "Ahhhhhhughgh."


    "There it is." Akagi chuckled. "I think you should head off to bed; it''s been a long day for you." she walked over to Kana and patted her on the head.


    "Onee-chan, why are you always doing that?" Kana looked up at her. "I''m not a little kid anymore."


    Akagi pulled her hand away. "Sorry, I guess I''m just used to it.¡± she scratched her cheek. ¡°I''ve been doing that for so long its just kind of natural, and honestly, part of me still thinks you''re twelve.¡± she gave an embarrassed smile. ¡°You''re right, your not a little girl anymore; I''ll try to keep that in mind."


    Kana let out a sigh. "I don''t really mind. But maybe, try not to do it when there are others around." Kana reached out and grabbed Akagi''s hand cing it back on her head. ¡°No matter how old I get, I''ll always be your little sister.¡± she smiled.


    Akagi let out augh. "I take it back, you''re still a kid."


    Kana let out another yawn. "But you''re right. I''m going to head off to bed; it''s been a long day. Tomorrow is Hishya''s interview isn''t it? Do you know when she''sing over?" she was looking forward to meeting Hishya.


    "Hishya said she would let me know.¡± Akagi shrugged. ¡° I''ll walk you back to the house, and have Yumi show you to the guest room." as Akagi said this, ck smoke began to appear from her body; she was going to revert back to her usual appearance.


    "Wait!" Kana called out.


    Akagi was taken off guard by this sudden cry and was only more confused when Kana leaped at her and brought her into a hug. "I don''t know if I''ll get to see you like this again, so I wanted to take this opportunity to hug you," Kana said, squeezing her. ¡°I missed you, Onee-chan.¡±


    Akagi shook her head and let out a chuckle. "You really are still a kid, aren''t you, Kana."


    After Kana had her fill of hugging Akagi, the two walked back towards the main house. Akagi had, of course, returned to her usual appearance. Yumi was waiting for their return and took Kana to the guest room where Mika and Naomi were sleeping. After about twenty minutes, Yumi met Akagi on the front porch, ready for battle. It was finally time to perform the assassination of the Mitsuhide family.


    "Is everything ready to go?" Akagi asked Yumi.


    "Yes, Marshal and his team are in position," she replied with a fierce expression. "He reported a marginal increase in security, but it shouldn''t pose any problems.¡± Yumi didn''t seem worried.


    "And Kana and the girls; are they ok?" Akagi was concerned that today''s events might have been too much for them to handle.


    "Yes, there all asleep in the guest room. After the day they had, I''m impressed they managed to stay awake thiste. "Yumi smiled. "And I''m d you were able to clear things up with Kana."


    Akagi turned her face away from Yumi. "Yeah, me too." she may have turned away, but Yumi could still see the smile on her face.


    The moon was full on this warmte summer night. The stars were visible, and the darkness that Akagi thrived on was still present, despite the light of the moon. If there were a more perfect night for an assassination, Akagi would ask you to prove it.


    "My lord." Yumi interrupted her thoughts. "Shall we head to Tokyo? I already prepared our arrival point; it''s across the street from the Mitsuhide estate." (Yumi)


    Akagi cracked a smile. "Yeah, let''s give those bastards what''sing to them."


    <i>{Naomi, when you wake up tomorrow morning, it''ll all be over.} </i>(Akagi)


    Yumi pulled out her staff and began to spin it over her head. A momentter, arge white magic circle appeared below them and in a sh of light, they vanished.


    Chloe watched them teleport away from a vantage point on top of one of the buildings of the estate. "And they''re off nya!" she said. "Happy hunting myaster!" the cat-girl said while leaping away.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Nagumo POV>


    Today had been an unmitigated disaster. Not only had the military failed to take down Akagi, but she also destroyed a JSDF military base resulting in over six hundred casualties. It would be impossible to cover this up, too many civilians had seen the explosions and heard the gunfire. On top of that, a media outlet had managed to broadcast footage of the burning base, live to the entire nation. Nagumo was definitely going to see some heads roll at work tomorrow for that one.


    Social media and national news were already demanding answers for the attack on the base. The Prime Minister agreed to hold a press conference tomorrow morning in response to pressure from the Diet, and the country eagerly awaited answers. Nagumo arrived home from the Capitolte tonight after running around trying to do damage control. As the Minister of Defense he knew that any attacks on Japanese soil would be his responsibility. However, right now, what he cared about more was the fact that his political career was on the line. He might be lucky enough to feign ignorance or force a lower level subordinate to take the fall, but he would likely never politically recovery from this.


    "Dammit!" he screamed as he mmed his ss of whiskey onto his desk. "How in the hell could those idiots in the JSDF let this happen!" his yelling was loud enough to rattle the windows.


    "After all the money and support we gave them over thest twenty years, you''re telling me that they couldn''t even take down twenty people?" he put his head into his hands. "What was the point of amending Article 9 if these idiots still can''t do their job properly." he stood up and walked to his whiskey cab to pour another ss.


    After the fourth Taiwan Straight crisis of 2033 the Japanese government, with American approval, formally amended Article 9 of the Japanese constitution. Japan''s military was still limited in its ability to deploy overseas, but today it resembled a proper military.


    "We were so close to greatness, everything was set up perfectly. I would be the next Prime Minster after the election and our family''s power would be cemented. But those ipetent fools set me back over a decade in the span of one day.¡± he chugged his ss. ¡°Miyori might be able to survive this debacle at the very least. She''ll probably try to feign ignorance and throw me and the Prime Minister under the bus, not exactly my preferred oue but that will still leave the family with power." he sighed. "Perhaps Dad was right; maybe I <i>do </i>let my ambitions get the better of me." he looked at the family portrait above the centerpiece.


    "Your father was a smart man." an unknown voice said from behind him.


    Startled, Nagumo spun around. "Who goes...there...." he froze.


    In front of him stood the same woman he tried to kill earlier today and at her side was young girl dressed like a shrine maiden. These were the two people he never wanted to see, and now, they were standing in his private office in his estate. There was no sign of forced entry, the window behind her was closed, and he hadn''t heard a sound before she spoke. It was almost as if she appeared out of thin air.


    "Good Afternoon Defense Secretary Nagumo Mitsuhide." Akagi gave a polite bow.


    "Yo-You!" he yelled, dropping his drink causing the ss to shatter. "What are you doing here? Where are my guards?" he asked frantically.¡± You''re here for revenge aren''t you? Revenge for taking your sister?¡±


    <i>{What the hell is my security team doing?} </i>he cursed his subordinates.


    "Listen, I had no choice. It''s my duty as Defense Secretary to carry out the government''s orders. So please understand, it was nothing personal." He was trying to talk his way out of this mess.


    "Orders huh? Well, there''s no helping those." Akagi shrugged.


    "Yes, orders. There was no way I could go against the Prime Minister''s wishes, you understand," he said thinking his argument was working.


    <i>{If I y my cards right, perhaps I could get out of this in a better position. Maybe if I help this girl, she might help me?} </i>his inner thoughts were filled with schemes.


    "Hey, how about this," he spoke up. "Let''s work together. I can help keep the heat off you by testifying that the government acted illegally. I''m pretty good at spin, it might not be perfect, but with my help, you can definitely keep in the public''s good graces." he thought his n was perfect. ¡°How does that sound? I''ve no qualms with stabbing the Prime Minister in the back.¡±


    "Hmmm, not the worst n I heard today. But, I think I''ll pass." Akagi said while scratching her chin.


    "Wha?" Nagumo couldn''t believe what he was hearing. "Why? You need my help! Without me and my family''s support, you''ll bebeled an enemy of the state!¡± he screamed. "Forget about the Japanese government. I figure most of the major powers will send people after you! Do you really intend to fight such forces all on your own?¡±


    Akagi had already expected foreign powers, especially the United States and China to be interested in her, so what he was saying was most likely urate. However, that really didn''t matter since she could put them on ice with the <i>slight </i>threat of a nuclear apocalypse. While Nagumo was aware of the nuclear program, he was not informed that Akagi had hijacked it. From his perspective his n seemed perfect, so when she dismissed it he could only think she <i>wanted</i> to fight the world.


    <i>{This woman is insane.} </i>(Nagumo)


    "I honestly don''t care. That''s why." Akagi responded tly. "Let theme. If they want a war." she licked her lips. "I''ll give them one." slowly a shadow began to seep from Akagi''s form until the entire room was ck. The only thing you could see were the forms of Akagi, Yumi, and Nagumo.


    "Now. You asked me why I''m here." Akagi said walking toward him. "While I would kill you for your actions in the kidnapping of my sister." She stared at him, her eyes glowing. "I''m actually here on business." her tone shifted to be more formal, almost business like.


    "Bu-business." Nagumo choked out. ¡°What sort of-¡± it clicked.


    "Yes, business. And you, Mr. Mitsuhide, should know just what kind of business I deal in." she chuckled.


    Her words briefly caused his mind to nk before he understood what she was getting at.


    "Someone... Someone hired you to kill me?" he stammered. "That''s ridiculous, who would hire an assassin to kill the Secretary of Defense of a Major Nation, do they have a death wish?¡± he was bbergasted. Political assassinations were definitely a thing, but most would never target a nations top political figures; especially in developed nations like Japan. ¡°I''ll pay you anything you want. My family has a tremendous amount of assets, far more than your client could ever hope to match. So please." he was practically begging.


    *tsk* Akagi clicked her tongue. "It really pisses me off when people do that." Akagi''s words wereced with anger. "What do you people think I am? Some cheap mercenary that changes sides at the drop of a few coins?" his words had greatly upset her. "I''m an <i>assassin </i>god damn it and I take pride in my work! Bring me any amateur that would sell out their own client like that, and I''ll gut them myself!¡± she practically growled at him in anger.


    Akagi had dealt with a few other assassins in FWO, both yer and AI, that would betray their clients for the right price. She usually hunted these individuals down as she took such people as an embarrassment to her profession. So when Nagumo offered to pay her to betray her client, she got just a little bit <i>irritated</i> by the assumption that she was like them.


    {<i>Oh boy.} </i>It wasn''t the first time Yumi had seen her master get angry over this.


    Taking a minute, Akagi calmed herself down. "Almost lost my cool there," she said shaking her head. "I''m going to pretend I didn''t hear that asininement."


    "I''m here at the behest of my client, who I believe you are familiar with Mr. Nagumo," she said looking at the trembling man. ¡°And they wanted you dead, so that''s whats going to happen.¡±


    "I know them? Who! Who would dare make an enemy of the Mitsuhide family!" he asked while filled with fear. ¡°Whoever they are, even if I''m dead, my family will find them and make them pay!


    "Naomi Tokugawa." at her words, Nagumo''s blood ran cold.


    "Tokugawa..... You can''t be serious. That little girl! That stupid girl is the one who sent you?!?" he was practically screaming. ¡°How could that worthless girl possibly do something like this?!?¡±


    "She asked me to repay the horror you inflicted upon her and her family and she wanted to make sure that you understood the gravity of your crime. You took her entire family because you feared losing some of your political power and you foolishly assumed that you would never be held responsible for your actions." Akagi drew her katana. "She told me to make sure you knew who sent me but I''ll add this. She contracted me to kill not only you, but every member of the Mitsuhide family." her voice was ice cold.


    "The entire family... not just me? What?" her words shook him to the core. ¡°There''s no way you could do something like that!¡±


    "Oh... but I can¡± she gave a terrible grin. ¡°As we speak my team is eliminating every other member of your family. Your children, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews; all of them will die. If things are going ording to schedule, only you and your father should be alive at the moment." Akagi''s matter of fact exnation showed just how little she cared about the morality of her actions.


    Upon hearing this, Nagumo could only startughing. Heughed andughed like a man driven to madness. His eyes started darting back and forth and his entire body started shaking. ¡°I knew you were a monster, but I never imagined it would be this bad.¡± heughing continued. ¡°If only, we managed to use you. We could have done anything!¡± he looked at Akagi, his eyes showing a mix of anger and sadness.


    "You have no one to me but yourself. Your aspirations were sorge that even with all the power you and your family has, you ended up drowning in them.¡± she exined. ¡°Had you taken the same approach as your father, you would have made much less enemies, and I wouldn''t be standing before you today.¡±


    Akagi then drew her Katana from its sheath. ¡°Now, Secretary Nagumo Mitsuhide. Inpliance with my contract, I will take your life.¡± She approached theughing man slowly. ¡°I cannot say whether there any gods that will judge you for your actions, but there is one thing I <i>am </i>certain of.¡± she stopped, and stood just before the crouching man. ¡°Where life is filled with equality and unfairness; all are equal before death''s embrace.¡± she swung her de. ¡°And <i>I</i> am that <b>Death.</b>¡± Nagumo''s head was separated from his body and fell onto the floor. His eyes peered onest time into the darkness that surrounded him, and as his mind began to fade, he looked at the now shadowy form of Akagi.


    <i>{Strange.......I never knew death...... could be so warm. It''s like......when my mother would hug me..... as... a.... kid.....} </i>with that thought, the man known as Nagumo Mitsuhide died.


    A momentter, Akagi drew all the darkness into her body and the room returned to normal. Nagumo''s blood drenched the carpet and began spilling everywhere as silence filled the room. It was done, the man who had killed Naomi''s family, the man who had caused her so much pain was gone. Akagi put away her de and looked over at Yumi.


    "All targets, other than Ryuji Mitsuhide, have been dealt with without issue my Lord," Yumi confirmed what Akagi already knew.


    "Excellent, what say we pay the old man a visit and put this whole thing to rest," Akagi said as she opened the door to Nagumo''s office. ¡°Never thought I would meet him again.¡± her words were almost a whisper.


    Spoiler


    Akagi standing in Nagumo''s office!


    [copse]

 Chapter 25 – A Father’s Regrets.

    Chapter 25 ¨C A Father¡¯s Regrets.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Merry Christmas everyone, and happy holidays! Just reminder that there are two chaps today.


    In his prime, Ryuji Mitsuhide was a powerful force in Japanese politics. His rise to national fame started with ae-from-behind win against the incumbent Governor of Tokyo. His personable attitude and tendency to act in a down-to-earth manner had earned him a great deal of admiration from the average person, and many considered him a breath of fresh air in Japanese politics. His unexpected victory meant that the Mitsuhide family went from aplete unknown to a political powerhouse overnight. During his ten years as governor; he branded himself as an every-man and a reformist. He worked hard to address many of the structural and cultural problems that gued Japanese society, and his acknowledgment of the plight of many hikikomori served as a rallying crime for reforms.


    Seizing on his skyrocketing approval, he decided to take his message to the nation, and ran for a seat in the Diet with the intention of bing Prime Minister. His campaign and subsequent election were the most energetic Japan had ever seen, and he ended up taking his party to andslide victory not seen since the 2017 election. He spent ten years as Prime Minister, the longest in Japanese history, and was generally well-liked and respected; both at home and abroad. His party focused on reforming many of the structural and cultural ills that had been eating the country from within and, while not perfect, he is generally regarded as the greatest politician in modern Japanese history.


    Today, at 87 years old, Ryuji is a bedridden and sickly old man in the twilight of his life. Until a few years ago, he was actively involved in politics until his health left him unable to continue; the sudden death of his wife didn''t help matters either. His son, Nagumo, had been the effective family head for thest ten years. He used the political capital his father built to increase the family''s political power to the nai untouchable position it was in today. However, all this sess had been built on tearing down others, rather than building up the family as his father did. Ryuji warned his son that his cutthroat methods woulde back to haunt him, and he had been right.


    This was the man that Akagi had found when she entered his room. An elderly man, unable to walk on his own and who had almost no control over his daily life. A man whose fire had gone out and who was simply waiting for his time to die.


    As Akagi entered the room, he looked over at her and smiled.


    "Hello, youngdy. What reason could you have for visiting an old man like me at this time of night." Despite howte it was, the old man was still awake, his face showing he was in quite significant pain.


    "Mr. Prime Minister." she gave a bow. "My name is Akagi, and I regret to inform you that I''ve been tasked with the termination of the Mitsuhide family," she said with a serious expression. "As of this moment, you are the only member left."


    "I see," he said closing his eyes. "It was because of my son''s foolishness, wasn''t it?" his voice wasced with anger and sadness.


    Akagi simply nodded.


    "I warned that foolish boy of mine." He shook his head. "I warned him that his methods of gaining power would onlye back to destroy him one day." he started to cry. "Why Nagumo? Why didn''t you listen to me."


    "Your son believed that no one could ever challenge him and that no one had sufficient power to threaten him or your family." Akagi continued. "He would have been right; if not for me."


    "Yes, I suppose you''re right. No one could have predicted that a game could give people such fantastical powers." he looked at Akagi. "It seems my son, for all his foresight, didn''t understand the reality of the situation." his eyes looked sad. ¡°I''m sorry for what he did to your sister.¡± he bowed his head.


    "Over the years since my son took over control of the family. His actions have caused so much pain and suffering." he continued. "I prided myself on helping the people of Japan, of showing them that politics wasn''t as dirty and cutthroat as people believed it was." he stopped. "Perhaps, <i>I </i>was the foolish one for believing that change was possible."


    "No." Akagi shook her head. "You weren''t foolish." Akagi walked closer to his bed. "I can''t say I have much of an interest in or knowledge of politics. But I can tell you that this world could use more men like you." she sat down. "It wasn''t you who was wrong for trying to be an honest and decent man; it was your son for forgetting the reason why his father became so influential."


    Akagi looked around the room and saw a photo of Ryujii standing next to Naomi''s father many years ago. She stood up and walked over to it, picking it up. "You were the reason this man dared to take his chances in the game of politics and revive his dying family''s name." she pointed to Naomi''s father.


    "And what good did that do?" he asked "Because of my persistence, Taichi and his family were killed by my son." he didn''t seem convinced. ¡°If he just continued his career quietly they wouldn''t have died.¡±


    Akagi shrugged. "Just because the result ended poorly; doesn''t mean you were wrong." Akagi put the picture in her storage space. "If everyone allowed the fear of failure to stop them from acting, this world would be much worse off."


    "And it wasn''t as if his entire family was wiped out." Akagi corrected.


    "Yes, your right. If I''m not mistaken, his daughter was spared." he had met Naomi a few times when she was younger. "My son chose to leave her alone because it would be too difficult to cover up any further crimes against her family." his face contorted in pain.


    He looked up at Akagi. "My son truly was foolish; how could he do something as horrific to that girl and then not expect her toe for revenge." he had figured out who sent Akagi. "There was a reason why the Tokugawa n was ignored for so long. Many believed that they had connections to this country''s Yokai; and that in times of great need, they would appear to protect them." he sighed. "I wonder if that legend was true?"


    "Who knows? I don''t believe in such superstitions." Akagi shrugged. She was technically a Yokai, but she didn''t feel the need to add that.


    "May I make one final request before you take my life? It''s a simple one." the old man asked.


    "What is it?" Akagi replied.


    "I would like to write a letter; could you please give it to that Tokugawa girl? It isn''t much, but I would like her to hear what I have to say." Ryuji asked.


    "Sure, but I can''t guarantee she will read it." (Akagi)


    "If she discards it, that''s fine it''s little more than the ramblings of an old man." he gave a smile. ¡°But, if possible, I would like her to hear what I have to say.¡±


    Akagi provided Ryuji with some paper and a pen. It took the aged man a few minutes to write the letter with his shaky hands, but he eventually finished. Once he was done, he ced it in an official envelope of his and stamped it with his official seal.


    "Thank you for honoring myst wish," he said as he gave the letter over.


    "You are an honorable man, it is the least I can do." Akagi said, cing the note in her storage.


    Akagi looked over a Yumi and nodded. The shine maiden began chanting a spell. Ryuji started to fall asleep, and his eyes became heavy. As hey in his bed for the final time, he called the name Ryouko. In his final moments, he was greeted by his beloved wife. A few momentster, he took hisst breath, and the 87-year-old former prime minister was dead, and with him went thest member of the Mitsuhide family.


    Akagi looked over the now-dead man''s body. She had actually met him once before when he came to her middle school for a talk. At the time, she wasn''t very interested in politics and found it more useful as a way to get out of ss than anything else. She never spoke to him at length, but after his talk, he spoke with some of the students. When he saw Akagi, the only thing he said was "You look far too tired for someone your age" it was as if he could see just what she had been through. Looking back, she could tell this man was sincere in his desire to help people. It was too bad that the apples seemed to have fallen very far from the tree.


    Akagi turned away, nodded to Yumi and the two teleported back to Akagi''s estate. Tonight marked thepletion of Akagi''s first contract in Japan. The first of many.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    The next morning.


    Kana and the girls woke up around 9 am, and the kitchen staff got to work cooking breakfast. Akagi and the girls sat together eating while watching the national news. As expected, to say things were <i>on fire</i> was to put it lightly. The media reported that Defense Secretary Nagumo and Diet Speaker Miyori were killed overnight in a bloody assassination. Many had been quick to conclude that the same person who attacked Camp Katsura had been behind the assassinations due to the likely involvement of the Speaker and Secretary in the incident at Camp Katsura. The fact that the same style of bloody hand print had been discovered at Nagumo''s house only served to increase the suspicions of a connection. Akagi''s moniker of ¡°the Red Hand¡± was already known on the and there were more than a fewmentators that were pointing fingers at her.


    Naturally, the girls quickly put two and two together and began to question Akagi about her actionsst night. They wanted rification and demanded answers from Akagi. Naomi was, of course, well aware of what happened but feigned ignorance, though Akagi found it funny how nervous the girl was.


    "Yes, we killed them," Akagi answered while munching on some toast. "I mean, the handprint is kinda my calling card isn''t it? My moniker is <i>the Red Hand </i>after all<i>.</i>" she rolled her eyes. "That and there aren''t many people who could simultaneously take out 16 people at once two of which are high-ranking members of the Japanese government" Akagi was beaming with pride.


    "But why?" Kana asked. "I mean, what do they or their families have to do with our kidnapping?" Kana didn''t see the connection.


    "Well, Miyori and Nagumo were in on that whole operation to kidnap you," Akagi exined. ¡°Besides the Prime Minster those two were essentially the brains of the operation. I let the PM live because its more convenient that way, but do you really think I would allow people who plotted to harm you go scott free?¡± Akagi continued "However, that''s not the reason we took them out." she took a sip of her coffee.


    "It wasn''t?" Mika asked. "Then why?" the blue-haired girl was concerned.


    "Because it''s my job?" Akagi responded with an exasperated look. "I''m an <i>assassin. </i>And what do assassins'' do, Mika?"


    ¡°Uhhh.¡± Mika didn''t want to answer that question.


    "So it was a job?" Kana said interjecting. "You took out the entire family because someone asked you to? Not because you wanted revenge, right?" Kana thought her sister had wiped out the family because some of its members were involved in their kidnapping. She could understand going after those that kidnapped them, but she wasn''tfortable harming people for what members of their family did.


    "Kana. Do you <i>really </i>think I would go so far as to kill people just because someone they''re <i>rted</i> to harmed me or my family?" Akagi was annoyed that Kana had thought her so petty. "I only kill for a <i>reason, </i>Kana. I''m not some psychopathic murderer who kills people for fun, nor do I turn my wrath on those who are undeserving of it." Akagi''s previously calm voice had turned slightly angry. "I don''t appreciate being put in the same camp as such people, even by you." Akagi was genuinely upset with Kana. "I have standards and rules and I try to stick to them."


    Kana was stunned; her sister had rarely gotten upset with her. While she couldn''tpletely understand Akagi''s mindset, it was clear that herments had cut deep and Akagi felt insulted.


    <i>{Oof, it looks like Kana made a simr mistake to me. It would seem we both rushed to judgment and insulted her in the process.} </i>Naomi had already been on the receiving end of Akagi''s displeasure before. <i>{It''s quite funny though. Not much seems to make Akagi mad, but insulting her professionalism really sets her off.} </i>Naomi was d Akagi''s ire wasn''t pointed at her this time.


    Kana quickly realized her mistake and apologized. "I''m sorry Onee-chan. I didn''t mean to make you so mad. I guess I don''t fully understand everything about you and what you do." Kana continued. "When you said you killed them, I assumed it was for personal reasons, and the thought that you would do something like that made me ufortable." Kana hade to ept her sister''s nature as an assassin and the fact that she killed people. It was just that there was a fine line between killing as a job and killing for pleasure and she was scared that her sister might one day cross it. This was a reasonable fear due to Akagi''s mental illness and the changes she had undergone since merging with the Shadow Lord.


    Akagi sighed. "Yeah, it''s alright. I shouldn''t have gotten upset with you." she shook her head. "What I do is quite far removed from what you''re used to. It''s only natural that you misunderstand me and my intentions, and it doesn''t help that I''m quite high-strung about maintaining my image." As she said this, Yumi approached through the doorway.


    "Indeed." Yumi chimed in. "My Lord especially hates when targets offer to pay her to save themselves." she gave a giggle.


    "Oi!" Akagi yelled. "The idiots that give into such temptation make a mockery of the industry. It gives the impression that we''re money-hungry fools that have no honor or pride." Akagi grumbled.


    <i>{She really takes this whole assassin thing seriously doesn''t she?} </i>(Kana, Mika and Naomi)


    Spoiler


    Ryuji Mitsuhide.


    [copse]

 Chapter 26 – Aftermath.

    Chapter 26 ¨C Aftermath.


    The girls wrapped up breakfast and decided to tune into the uing news conference scheduled for 11 am. The Prime Minister was set to speak about the events of the preceding day and provide answers to the media. There was already massive spection about the attack on Camp Katsura and theories were being thrown around wildly. Akagi figured it was going to be aplete shit-show and was eagerly awaiting its start. Kana and the others were less enthusiastic at watching their nation''s government panic, but decided to watch alongside Akagi.


    Determining that the kitchen wasn''t the most appropriate ce to watch this drama unfold, Akagi and the others moved to the living room and projected the live-stream on a massive monitor. Yumi brought drinks for the girls, while Akagi poured a cup of her finest sake with a massive smile on her face.


    "You seem to be in high spirits," Naomi said sarcastically.


    "Of course I am." Akagi smiled. "It''s always fun to see these empty suits sweat when I put their feet to the fire." She took a sip. "The Empire didn''t exactly do PR, but it was always fun watching nobles panic and run crying to the Emperor."Akagi snickered.


    <i>{Onee-chan did always have a sadistic side to her, and I see that only got </i><i><b>worse</b></i><i>.} </i>Kana could only shake her head at her sister''sments.


    "Ohhh, it''s starting!" Akagi''s eyes shined. "This is gonna be great! 10:1 Hishya sends me an angry message at the end." she turned up the volume of the broadcast. After a few moments, a man in a suit introduced the Japanese Prime Minister Hideki Nakamura, who quickly took his ce behind a podium in front of arge crowd of reporters.


    ¡°Damn he looks like death.¡± Akagimented. The Prime Minister clearly hadn''t sleptst night and he looked absolutely miserable.


    "Good morning, everyone." he was already sweating. "Please hold your questions until the end. Thank you."


    He cleared his throat and took a drink of water.


    "Yesterday at approximately 4:34 pm, Camp Katsura in Kyoto was attacked by a group of assants led by the returnee Rishia Tomogawa A.K.A <i>Akagi</i>." (PM)


    The room lit up with murmuring at the mention of a returnee being involved.


    "Her forces assaulted the base, which resulted in the death of 647 soldiers and staff, and another 287 injured to various degrees. I must also report that General Ren Iseyama was also killed in the attack. I have already spoken to his family and gave my condolences. He was a brave soldier and a good man and Japan is less without him." the PM began to sweat more. "While the brave troops of Camp Katsura put up a valiant fight, they were no match for the power Akagi disyed. Our reports say that she sliced the main gate in half with a single swing of her de as well as dueled one of the returnees who were working with us and killed him in singlebat. " (PM)


    A few gasps could be heard among the crowd. Such an extremely high death toll was practically unheard of in modern military operations.


    "At present, Ms. Akagi is atrge, and should be considered armed and dangerous." he coughed. "We advise the public not to do anything which could provoke her, and total avoidance is preferred where possible." (PM)


    ¡°Oh no, whatever will I do. Kana, you guys have to avoid me now, how sad.¡± she faked crying.


    In response, the three girls just rolled there eyes at Akagi''s sarcasm.


    "Additionally, I can confirm that the deaths of Speaker Miyori Mitsuhide and Defense Secretary Nagumo Mitsuhide were both caused by Ms. Akagi based on evidence gathered at the scene." he looked increasingly nervous.


    "I''m shocked," Akagi said sarcastically. "How could they ever figure it out?!?" she looked at the others.


    Kana, Mika, and Naomi''s expressions were t.


    "Yeah, it should have been impossible. Ha.Ha.Ha." Kana said robotically.


    "They must be the best detectives ever," Naomi replied in a monotone.


    "Yeah, they make Sherlock Holmes look like an amateur," Mika said while looking at the ceiling.


    The three let out a group sigh.


    "All jokes aside, isn''t this bad?" Kana asked. "It looks like they''re just going to me you and try again."


    "Yeah, this doesn''t look good," Naomi said with concern.


    ¡°Its their fault for all this anyway.¡± Mika pouted.


    Akagi simply shrugged in response. "Just watch."


    The Prime Minister continued with his address for about ten more minutes. It was a pretty standard political speil, but, most interestingly, he refrained from stating <i>why </i>Akagi attacked the base. It was obvious that he didn''t exactly want to own up to his mistake, but Akagi made sure he couldn''t weasel his way out. Once he finished he, <i>reluctantly</i>, opened up the floor for questions from the press.


    "Sir, do we know the reason why this woman attacked the JSDF base? Many people at home have been concerned about events just like this ever since it was revealed that some of the survivors had retained their abilities once they exited the game. Should we be concerned about further attacks?" (Reporter 1)


    The Prime Minister <i>really </i>didn''t want to answer this question, but he had no choice. Akagi had made sure of that when she spoke to him; if the PM tried to worm his way out, let''s just say <i>bad things </i>would happen.


    "Yes, we do know the reason." he took a deep breath. "The woman known as Akagi attacked JSDF Camp Katsura in response to us taking her younger sister and her two friends into custody." (PM) As soon as he said this the press pool lit up with questions.


    "Mr. Prime Minister, what do you mean taken into custody? Why were those girls were taken by the JSDF?" (Reporter 2)


    Sweat began to drip from his face, so he used a small rag from his pocket. "The girls were taken as part of a special military operation to eliminate the returnee known as <i>Akagi.</i> We intended to remove her as a potential threat to Japan before she could act, and that operation failed." (PM)


    At this point, the press pool went nuts, and the Prime Minister had no choice but to reveal <i>most </i>things. He was forced to exin to the public that he and the JSDF acted without the Diet''s approval to execute a Japanese citizen and potentially harm three others. Naturally, this did not go over well with most of the viewers. The live-stream they were watching included a chat, and let''s just say the words they were using to describe the PM were quite harsh. Of course, that did not mean that the audience was exactly thrilled with Akagi''s actions, but they were definitely unhappy with how the government handled things. Of course, the question eventually moved toward the future.


    "Mr. Prime Minister, as you can imagine, your statements have fueled great public anger. Most of our news feeds are flooded with angry messages and calls for your resignation. However, what many, including myself, want to know is what the government will do next?" the reporter asked. "Whatever her reasons, this Akagi woman attacked a JSDF base, killed over six hundred people, and is responsible for the death of a member of your cab. Where does the government go from here?" (Reporter 3)


    At this point, the PM was mentally exhausted from all the questions and decided to exit stage left without answering the reporter''s questions. It didn''t help that he had no answer to give, as there was little the Japanese Government could do without destroying itself. Members of the press began yelling out to him but were ignored, much to the their chagrin. The chat messages were filled with many calls for retaliation by the government against Akagi, while others feared that she might start causing chaos across the nation. Things were devolving into chaos and there was no clear path forward.


    *p**p**p**p**p**p**p*


    Akagi began to slow p as the PM ran from the press.


    "Excellent job, Mr. Prime Minister." sheughed. "You yed your part as requested; now it''s time for me to y mine." she looked at Yumi with a terrible grin.


    Kana became concerned when she saw her sister''s face. "Onee-can, why do I have a <i>really</i> bad feeling about this?"


    <i>{She has that look in her eye again.} </i>(Kana)


    "Because you know me so well," Akagi answered her sister and then disappeared in a sh along with Yumi. The girls were momentarily stunned before they heard Akagi''s voiceing from the stream they were watching.


    "NO! Please tell me she didn''t just do that!" Kana watched as her sister walked up to the podium that the Prime Minster had just been at seconds earlier. The secret service was stunned, as were the many reporters still in the room.


    Kana put her head in her hands and groaned.


    "Hello everyone!" Akagi gave a smile. "I apologize for barging in like this, but don''t worry, I won''t take up too much of your time." Akagi''s warm smile turned into a twisted grin.


    A few of the security team attempted to subdue her, but Yumi quickly bound them with some magic.


    "Now, now. I''m not here for a fight so cool your jets gentlemen." Akagi looked at the reporters. "If you have any questions for me go ahead; I''m all ears." At this point, the live stream chat went insane. Some people were impressed by her entrance, others were terrified, some called Akagi <i>not-so-nice </i>names, and a not-insignificant numbermented on how cute Yumi was.


    Surprisingly the press team rolled with this weird situation, while the broadcasting team was <i>politely </i>asked by Chloe to keep going for just a bit longer. The daggers pointed in their general direction had no effect on there decision whatsoever.


    The first reporter asked his question nervously. "Are-are you really the person who attacked the JSDF base yesterday?" (Reporter 1)


    "Yes, I am." Akagi smiled. "You see, the government decided to be my enemy by involving my family in this little game." she started tracing her finger around the top of the podium. "So I decided to show the government just how <i>foolish</i> it''s actions were. The deaths of all those people lie squarely on the government''s shoulders." Akagi stared back at the man.


    "I understand being angry that your sister was taken, but was it really necessary to kill so many people? Wasn''t there a better way?" (Reporter 1)


    Akagi thought for a moment. "I suppose that rather than attack the base, I could have just snuck in and retrieved the three girls. Such an approach was more than in my power." Akagi shrugged.


    She could have done that, her ability to remain unseen meant she could have easily walked into the base and freed the three girls while only causing a minimum of casualties. But that was not the path she chose.


    "Then why-" Akagi cut him off.


    "Because I wanted to send a message." Akagi spat her words at him. "I wanted to send a message to not just the Japanese government; but the entire world. If you drag my family or those I care about into our little game, there will be hell to pay." Akagi''s words wereced with anger.


    "I''ll be point nk," she said, allowing arge amount of darkness to well up behind her. "If anyone everes after my friends or family <i>again,</i> it won''t just be 600 people that die." her eyes began to glow. "I have no qualms about stacking bodies until people get the message. If you want to pick a fight with me, fine; but if you insist on dragging outsiders in, <b>I''LL STOP HOLDING BACK</b>." her words were said with a terrifying roar as darkness enveloped her body. ¡°<b>AND TRUST ME, YOU DON''T WANT TO SEE WHAT LIES WITHIN THE DARKNESS!"</b>


    Her sudden transformation, alongside the horrifying tone of voice, caused some members of the press to feint. Akagi unleashed her inner darkness and allowed the world to get a glimpse of what she really was. After allowing a moment for the audience to take in the form of pure terror before them, Akagi returned to her usual appearance.


    "I''ll take this final moment to make a quick plug. If you have need of my services, you only need to contact me." She gave a wink as Yumi teleported the two of them back to her house. A few momentster, the feed was cut, and the live stream ended.


    Upon returning to the living room. Akagi was assaulted with judgmental stares from the girls.


    "Was that really necessary Onee-chan? You just sent the entire country into a panic with that stunt!" Kana scolded her.


    "Necessary? Maybe. Fun? Absolutely." she smiled. Kana''s continued stare showed she wasn''t convinced.


    Seeing this, Akagi decided to sit down and exin her reasoning. "Listen, Kana, the best way to keep these idiots from attempting something like this again is to make them afraid of me," she exined. "If my little disy keeps trouble from starting, then I would say it was absolutely worth it. On the plus side, I doubt anyone will ever bully you three ever again." Akagi tried to add a silver lining.


    "Yeah, bully or talk to us. Onee-chan unlike you, I don''t exactly like being alone in a quiet room." Kana sighed.


    "Just tell them that if they don''t treat you normally, the scary monster wille and get them." Akagiughed.


    <i>{Youugh, but that''s a very real threat Onee-chan.} </i>Kana shook her head.


    "Kana," Naomi interjected. "Methods aside, I don''t think Akagi is wrong. If she didn''t show people just how poor of an idea it is to mess with her, who knows what people would do?" she continued. "They might attempt to kidnap us again, or worse, they could even go after your parents." Akagi didn''t really care about them, but she would probably save them for Kana.


    "It might take some time, but I don''t think people will stay wary around us forever," Naomi said. "It''s likely that after some initial nervousness, people will return to, at least, some amount of normality, especially if we ask them to." Naomi tried to reassure Kana.


    Naomi was probably right. This event would strike fear into people''s hearts, but the public''s attention span is quite short, and since Kana, Mika, and Naomi were merely adjacent to this situation, things will likely return to normal rtively quickly for them. Of course, that didn''t mean that everything would be perfect.


    Not long after Akagi returned Kana''s AR messenger and Akagi''s phone exploded with messages.


    ¡°Well, I won my bet.¡± Hishya had sent a very <i>annoyed </i>text message. ¡°And what''s this? Oh? Mom and Dad want to meet? Isn''t that nice?¡± she rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Onee-chan, they just messaged me too, they''re in a panic and want to know where I am.¡± Kana began to draft a reply. ¡°If they want to speak with you, I should go too. I can only imagine what they want to say.¡± Kana''s face was a mixture of anxiety and anger.


    ¡°Tell them I want to speak today.¡± She turned to Naomi and Mika. ¡°For now I''m afraid that I will have to insist that the three of you staying here, way too much chaos right now.¡± Akagi was not in the mood for kidnapping attempt number two.


    ¡°Naomi you should-.¡± she stopped herself. ¡°You should at least let your staff know you''re ok.¡±


    ¡°And Mika, you should contact your parents as well.¡± Akagi looked slightly apologetic. ¡°Tell them that you''ll be safe here and that I''ll return you soon.¡±


    ¡°I just did. They told me to have fun and to let them know when you''ll drop me off!¡± Mika gave a bright smile.


    <i>{Just howid back are her parents?!?}</i> Akagi stumbled momentarily.<i> {I guess that might exin why she''s taking everything in stride.} </i>(Akagi)


    ¡°I do have one question though.¡± Mika continued. ¡°What was that cool darkness thing you did on T.V.?¡± her eyes were sparkling as she asked.


    <i>{Somehow, Mika might just be the strangest of these three girls.} </i>(Akagi)

 Interlude 2 – The Hero’s Regrets, Life and Fears.

    Interlude 2 ¨C The Hero¡¯s Regrets, Life and Fears.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Hello! Just wanted to let everyone know that Chapter 28, which will release this Sunday, will mark the end of the first Arc of this Story! Thank you all so much for reading this, it makes me so happy to see so many people enjoying my work. Nothing will change in chapter releases, at the time of posting this I''ve written up to Chapter 42 and one more interlude, so things will continue onward! I''m making this announcement to inform you all that if you have any questions for me about the first arc I will be happy to answer them in thements below chapter 28 or on discord! So if you have any you want answered please post them at either ce, the idea is kind of like a wrap up in a way. I hope that''s something you are all interested in! Now on to the chapter!


    Nina Hoshinomi, or as she is better known as, Hishya, had led the assault team for almost four years. Today would be the 6<sup>th</sup> and final time they challenged the World Boss Serval for their freedom. Many people had died leading up to this moment; it all came down to this. The boss was down to a minimal amount of health and was moments from death. Seeing this, Hishya put all her remaining power into one final attack run. She sped towards the Dragon Emperor deflecting his w attacks as he tried to stop her.


    *ng* *Clink* *Bang*


    Before driving her ming de straight into its heart.


    *ROAAAAAAARRRRRRRR*


    The Dragon Emperor roared in agony as he died, his body shattering into ss.


    He was dead, Serval had been defeated, and thest world boss had been cleared.


    <b>*DING*</b>


    <i>Congrattions yers!</i>


    <i>The World Boss Serval has been defeated.</i>


    <i>With his defeat, all ten World Bosses in Free World Online have been defeated!</i>


    As the surviving yersy on the ground, exhausted and depleted, the familiar voice of the game''s system spoke to them. It celebrated the defeat of the final boss and said it would log everyone out as promised.


    "Finally." Hishya staggered. "Everyone, we''re going home!" Hishya used what little energy she had left to let out a roar in triumph. An action swiftly joined by the surviving members of the raid team.


    <i>{Even though we won, this victory still feels hollow.} </i>Looking around the room, the bodies of the eight yers lost in this final battle could still be seen<i>. </i>Hishya had gotten to know every member of the assault team quite well over thest four years, and those four were no exception.


    "I''m sorry." She whispered to herself. "You all died because of me, because I wasn''t strong enough." it was rare for Hishya to show such emotions; as the Hero, she had a duty to be strong in the face of anything. But with the game over, the proverbial dam broke, and four years of emotions flooded out. She stood in ce and cried; harder than at any point in her life. No one seemed to notice her plight, as her teammates were too busy celebrating their victory, much to Hishya''s relief. However, the joyous mood was ruined by the mention of a certain name.


    "Hey, wait." Ishigami interjected. "Doesn''t that mean that bitch Akagi got to live through this?" his voice was filled with irritation. "How the hell does that work? She kills all those people for her sick kicks, and <i>she </i>gets to go home?" Some of the other yers joined in and began to harangue against Akagi.


    "Alright!" Ishigami yelled ¡°When we get back, the first thing we do is bring that bitch to justice."


    "Hoorah!" the other yers cheered.


    However, Hishya didn''t join in. Instead, she just stood in the center of the boss room, her back towards her teammates, her face filled with dread and tears. She could not bring herself to face them, for she was too afraid. She feared what they would do if they found out she had regr contact with Akagi; or that she had even used her to wipe out the ck Gauntlet. Would they be angry? Would they want to kill her too? These questions and more began to swirl in her head, only interrupted when the system made a second announcement.


    <b>*PING*</b>


    Beginning logout! See youter!


    <i>{It''s time to go back.} </i>Hishya closed her eyes and embraced the strange sensation of logging out.


    *Beep Boop* *Beep Boop* *Beep Boop* *Beep Boop*


    Upon logging out, Hishya found herself in a hospital bed, something she was all too familiar with. Unlike Akagi, or indeed most yers, Hishya spent most of her life bedridden in this very hospital. Since she was young, she suffered from an extreme case of muscr dystrophy. Movement was difficult, and doctors told her she likely wouldn''t live past the age of thirty, even with modern treatment. Her parents had tried everything to save her, but there was nothing further that could be done. This small hospital room in Tokyo had been her entire world since she turned nine years old. Unable to leave, Hishya turned to the virtual world and she volunteered for many experimental VR medical programs designed for the treatment of disabled patients. Hishya figured that if she was going to die anyway, she might as well use her time to help others.


    And so, for the next six years, she spent most of her days diving into various VR worlds. Some were used for medical testing, while most were games purchased by her parents to allow her to experience some level of normalcy. In VR, Hishya could run, jump, fly and y just like any other person. To someone who could barely lift their own hand; this was truly liberating. Eventually, she met another young girl in one of the VR games she yed named Akagi. Hishya had always been quite good at games since she had little else to do but y, but this girl was on a whole other level. The two hit it off and became rivals, always attempting to one-up each other wherever they met. Matches between the two were always intense, and no matter what genre the game was, they would both swiftly master it.


    When the uing game Free World Online was announced; and applications for Alpha testers were opened, the two girls agreed to meet each other in-game and duke it out. It wouldn''t be the first VRMMO they yed together, but FWO was touted as a revolutionary experience. However, when the Alpha opened and it was revealed that death in-game meant death in real life, Hishya, unlike most yers, didn''t panic. After all, she could die at any moment in the real world, so adding that possibility in-game didn''t bother her. One could even say it excited her.


    Over the years, Hishya came to understand that the Akagi she knew was little more than a facade used to hide her true personality. Hishya had always figured there was more to her rival than she knew, but <i>this </i>was not what she expected. She tried on multiple asions to talk Akagi away from the dark path she was taking; to no avail. Though deep down, Hishya secretly enjoyed this new Akagi seeing as her rivalry pushed her to even greater heights in the game. Eventually though, tensions between Akagi and the other yers came to a head during the night before the Great Battle of Hassan in the game''s second year. With so much pressure, Hishya could no longer avoid fighting her erstwhile friend and agreed to defeat her.


    Hishya steeled herself. She was going to take Akagi down and free the other yers from the terror she wrought, or so she thought. The two veteran gamers engaged in an all-out duel to the death, with Hishya bringing her full power to bear. Hishya prepared extensively for this battle; she knew Akagi''s tricks and crafted a strategy to beat her. Akagi relied heavily on speed and zones of control as a major part of her build, so she moved their fight into the bowels of Hassan fortress; a ce with little room to maneuver and tight corridors. For a time, this seemed to work as she slowly but surely backed her into a corner.


    "It looks like you''re all out of tricks Akagi." Hishya pointed her sword at the assassin. "If you surrender now, I just might be able to convince the others to spare your life." It seemed that Akagi was defeated, her body was banged and bruised and she had taken a few direct hits from Hishya''s de. By limiting Akagi''s maneuverability and preventing her from using some of her most potent moves she was able to wear her down and exploit her low defenses.


    "Surrender?" Akagiughed. "Why on earth would I do that? After all, the real fight is just beginning." Her eyes began to glow.


    <i>{What the hell is she talking about? Is she trying to bluff me? I know all her abilities, so how can she even think to try that against me?} </i>Hishya was equally parts confused and annoyed.


    "If you won''t surrender, then I have no choice but to end you myself." she raised her ming de.


    "Go ahead. Give me your best shot!" She eximed as she threw her arms open as if asking to be struck.


    Hishya didn''t know what her n was, and she wasn''t interested in finding out. She poured maximum power into her de and charged Akagi. Momentster, her de pierced right through the assassin''s heart. Hishya was instantly hit with abination of joy and regret, no matter how bad she was, Hishya had always considered her a sort of friend. However, these thoughts were quickly interrupted when Akagi''s form began to dissolve into an inky ck shadow.


    "Wha?" Hishya cried out. "What''s going on!"


    Before she could react, the ck shadow lept at her, covering her body in an instant. She struggled to get free but found herself unable to move as the shadow gripped her tighter, and tighter.


    <i>{What''s going on? What is this thing? Did Akagi obtain a familiar?} </i>Hishya began to frantically search her memory in an attempt to figure out what this shadow was. However, her mental search was brought to an abrupt end when she heard a voice.


    "<i><b>Hishyaaaaa.</b></i>" a twisted voice called out to her. "<i><b>What do you think? Do you like my new form?</b></i>" the almost demonic voice asked her. It sounded like Akagi''s voice, but was twisted to an almost unrecognizable degree.


    "A-Ka-Gi?!?" the girl barely squeaked out her name as the shadow constricted her further.


    "<i><b>Yes, that''s right my little hero; it''s me.</b></i>" Akagi''s twisted voice responded. "<i><b>Didn''t I tell you; the real fight has only just begun.</b></i>" she let out a twistedugh.


    Hishya tried to escape her grasp, to no avail. Her spells seemed to just bounce off and she couldn''t move her arms to use her sword. This cause her to momentarily panic as she thought that she was about to die. However, rather than crush her Akagi opted tounch Hishya through a nearby wall and into arge empty room. After collecting herself, she found that she had trouble standing, and her entire body felt weak.


    <i>{What''s going on? What happened to Akagi?} </i>Hishya had no idea what just happened; Akagi shouldn''t have such an ability, she was sure of it. After taking a moment to regain her strength she stood intending to face Akagi once again, but what she saw caused her entire body to freeze.


    Across from her, staring back, was a shadow; one so dark and deep that it made the night itself look bright byparison. Hishya had seen many horrifying things in FWO, but this shadow struck true terror into her heart. Momentster, her body began to feel heavy and it felt like her mind was on the verge of breaking, it was as if Akagi''s very existence was causing her damage.


    <i>{A-Akagi? What h-have you b-be?} </i>Her thoughts became scrambled at the sight of Akagi''s form.


    "<i><b>Is that any way to look at your best friend?</b></i>" Akagi asked sarcastically. "<i><b>I''m hurt Hishya; why are you looking at me like I''m some sort of monster?" </b></i>her twisted voice feigned hurt.


    Hishya couldn''t respond. Every instinct she had was screaming at her to run, but she couldn''t. Her body wouldn''t listen; it was as if she were lying in the hospital bed with her degenerated body.


    "<i><b>How interesting, I wasn''t aware that yers could wet themselves in-game.</b></i>" Akagi mused as she looked at her. "<i><b>But I guess that goes to show just how scared you are, huh?" </b></i>The sight of the Hero soiling herself was quite amusing.


    After she said this, the shadow began to coalesce in on itself until it took on Akagi''s usual form.


    "Is that better?" Akagi said as she dusted herself off. "Perhaps now we can-" When she looked up, Hishya had already passed out and was lying on a pile of rubble.


    "Well, I guess I <i>might </i>have gone a little overboard in trying to scare her." she shrugged and walked over to the unconscious girl. "I wonder what the others would say if they saw their <i>Hero</i> in such a state." Akagi chuckled as she took a picture with the in-game app. ¡°I''ll have to show her thister.¡±


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    "Ms. Hoshinomi? Ms. Hoshinomi are you alright?" the voice of her doctor snapped Hishya out of her stupor. She was currently in the hospital as her doctor went over her test results. For whatever reason, she had slipped into her mind and relived the events of Hassan all over again.


    "You looked like a soldier with a thousand-yard stare. Is everything all right?" he asked concerned.


    Letting out a big sigh, she said. "Yes, I was just recalling a pretty scary experience in the game."


    "I see; well as I was saying, whatever caused your body to change has also cured your disease. Your M.D. has disappeared and you should be able to begin rebuilding muscle mass." he continued. "It will take some time, but everything points to a full recovery." This was great news and something Hishya never imagined to be possible.


    Upon waking up, Hishya, like many other yers, noticed that their appearance had changed to match their game avatar. When she saw her new appearance, she didn''t even dare to dream that it meant that her condition was cured. But, when the doctor told her that she was going to make a full recovery and be free of the M.D. that had cursed her, she broke into tears. Hishya spent the next few weeks in physical therapy, ate a special diet, and was told she would be discharged from the hospital and could return to her home for the first time in over ten years. For both her and her parents, this was a wishe true. In her mind, she even thanked whoever caused this whole incident for giving her a second chance at life.


    However, this joy didn''tst for long. Upon arriving home, she soon discovered that not only did she keep her appearance, but she also kept her powers and items from the game. At first, she treated it like a bonus or a novelty and didn''t really think about it. That was until she read one of the documents the police showed her during an interview at her house. Apparently, one hundred of the yers trapped in the game had retained their abilities, not just her. Hishya scanned through the list, hoping that one person in particr wasn''t on it. As she read it, her stomach dropped and her blood ran cold when she reached the name Rishia Tomogawa. This was Akagi''s real name, the two had known each other for so long that''d even revealed their real names to one another; Hishya had even told Akagi about her disease.


    The thought that such a monster had been unleashed on the real world sent Hishya into a panic and gave her shbacks to that night in Hassan. She couldn''t be sure how Akagi would act in the real world, but if her time in FWO was anything to go off of; Hishya decided that she couldn''t take any chances. In a sh, she messaged Akagi and asked to meet, figuring that it would be best to get out ahead of any potential issues. She would throw away her persona, give up her pride and beg for her safety if need be. Why would the great Hero of FWO do this? Why would she choose toy down her arms rather than fight? Its simple, because Hishya knew what Akagi <em>really</em> was, and she wasn''t about to risk her second chance at life being stolen from her. If she had to y nice with the devil to ensure her and her families safety; then she would.


    Spoiler


    Hishya in her gear!


    [copse]

 Chapter 27 – Meeting the Parents and Kana’s Revelation.

    Chapter 27 ¨C Meeting the Parents and Kana¡¯s Revtion.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Hello everyone! Just a heads up, to celebrate 10k views I will be uploading two chapters today and two tomorrow! Technically, we won''t be at 10k when I release this chap, but we''ll hit it soon after, so I figured why not.


    Thank you.


    Akagi''s appearance at the Prime Minister''s press conference simultaneously shocked, horrified, and amazed not just the people of Japan; but the entire world. His address was broadcast globally and watched by several billion people. Across the world, various governments began to hold briefings on what they witnessed, and intelligence agencies began to investigate the returnees. In Japan, things fell into chaos, as almost immediately after Akagi vanished, the Prime Minister and most of his cab tendered their resignation. The Diet announced a series of criminal inquiries into the government''s actions, while the military disavowed those who participated in the scheme. It seemed that Akagi wouldn''t have to worry about government retaliation in the near future, but she wasn''t going to make any assumptions.


    Akagi and her sister were currently sitting in a public park not too far from their home. It was a ce the two hade many times during their younger years to y and was something of a refuge from their parents. Seeing Akagi''s actions on T.V., their parents demanded to meet with Akagi, most likely to disown her, and Kana was told to stay away from her sister. This confrontation had been a long timeing, but that didn''t make it any easier. They wanted to meet as soon as possible, so they left work early to meet immediately. Yumi also apanied the girls at Akagi''s insistence, which required a bit of exnation to Kana about Yumi''s condition.


    From what she told Kana, Akagi could detect that Yumi''s mental health was damaged by her interaction with Minazawa. Yumi often had trouble talking about her past, and the times she did so often led to an attackter on; that''s how traumatized the girl was. Akagi''s personal history with mental illness was useful in providing treatment, and after some time, Yumi had made about a 90% recovery. However, no matter how much Akagi tried, she could neverpletely undo the mental trauma inflicted upon the girl. As a result, Yumi still suffered from nightmares and panic attacks; things she likely would never fully recover from. Akagi had gotten to know Yumi''s tells for when an attack was imminent, and she informed Kana that it could ur at any time. So she refused to leave her side until it passed.


    Around four o''clock, Kana received a message informing her that their parents were home and would be waiting for them.


    "Onee-chan, please don''t do anything rash, ok?" Kana pleaded with her sister to remain calm. She honestly wasn''t sure what was about to happen; in the back of her mind, she expected Akagi to kill them.


    The three girls began walking together along the sidewalk.


    "I promise that I won''t do anything crazy, Kana." Akagi looked at her sister. "But, I won''t sit by and take insults, nor will I allow them to dictate my ability to see you. <i>That</i> is non-negotiable."


    Of course Kana wouldn''t want to be separated from her either, but she felt powerless in the face of <em>both</em> her parents demands. She knew that one day things woulde to a head and conflict between her sister and them was inevitable, but with Akagi''s changes the dynamic had gone from a lone, but powerless girl, fighting her parents to a situation where her parents could realistically do nothing to stop her. Kana''s parents had always treated her well and were generally quite kind to her. As a result her feelings were a mixture of sadness for their actions and anxiety at the rift between them and Akagi. If she could have it her way, her parents and Akagi would repair their rtionship, but she doubted such a thing was possible at this point.


    Akagi figured that she was going be formally disowned by her parents and told to stay away from the family and Kana from now on. Naturally, Akagi didn''t really care about being part of the Tomogawa family, and she had been nning a formal exit for some time. But, she would never ept separation from Kana, not now and not ever; and this was likely to be the thing that started a fight. Akagi had a lot of patience for her so-called parents in the past, but now she wasn''t sure she could bite her tongue. The dark emotions that swirled within her mind had only grown stronger over thesest four years, and the fact that her humanity had dwindled didn''t help matters. It only took a few minutes to walk from the park to their house and their mother, Shima, was waiting for them inside the door.


    "Hey mom, I''m home." Kana greeted her and was immediately pulled away; with her mother putting herself between Akagi and Kana. She stared at Akagi, her eyes filled with little more than contempt and anger. It was a look Akagi had seen many times during her life.


    "Nice to see you too Shima." Akagi couldn''t even pretend to treat this woman as her mother.


    *SMACK* Kana''s eyes went wide as she watched her mother smack Akagi across the face.


    "How dare you put Kana in danger!" her mother screamed.


    Akagi was surprised, she''d only been struck by her parents once before.


    "I guess you can''t me the alcohol this time," she replied sarcastically.


    Kana freaked out. "What are you doing mom?!? Why would you hit Onee-chan?"


    "You shouldn''t call her that Kana; this <i>thing</i> is little more than a monster, she''s not your sister." Shima''s words shocked Kana who was left speechless. "And you!" She looked at Akagi." I always knew you were a mistake. From the day you were born, I felt something was wrong with you, and now I know why!" Shima denounced Akagi with no hesitation in her voice.


    She turned to Kana. "Go into the living room, you don''t need to be here for this," she said with a serious look in her eye.


    "What, there''s no way I''m going to-" she was interrupted.


    "Go, Kana, she''s right; this won''t take long. Please." Akagi motioned for her to leave. She didn''t want Kana to see the impending dispute between her and their parents.


    Kana could only hang her head and nod; she walked up the hallway, bypassing her father, and went into the living room. Akagi didn''t know if she would keep out, so she wanted to make this as quick as possible.


    "Come with me, and leave your little friend/monster behind; she''s not involved." Shima looked at Yumi.


    Yumi refrained from saying anything out of respect for her master, but Akagi wasn''t content to let that slide.


    "First, Yumi isn''t a monster; she''s a priestess. Second, she''s someone very important to me, I won''t have us separated. So drop the attitude." Akagi growled.


    Shima responded unflinchingly. "Fine, I don''t really have the energy to argue with you over something this stupid; you can bring your <i>priestess." </i>Shima turned, and the three women walked into the dining room where Taichi, her father, was sitting. When Akagi entered the room, Taichi gave her a look of disgust, and his eyes told her everything she needed to know.


    <i>{These two people, why did I ever care about what they thought of me? I can''t really remember a time when they acted like parents or even pretended to care about me. Is it really ok to leave Kana in a ce like this?} </i>she pushed away her thoughts and took a seat.


    She quickly activated her telepathic link with Yumi beforeing to the house.


    <i>{Yumi, listen. These two are probably going to say some things that are going to really upset you. I need you to remain calm and, just stand there and take it, ok?} </i>(Akagi)


    Yumi nodded, but it was clear her instructions didn''t make her happy. Everyone took a seat at the kitchen table and Taichi was the first one to speak. "Rishia, you know why you''re here right?"


    Akagi shrugged. "I''m pretty sure I do, but how about you tell me yourself, Taichi. And also, don''t call me Rishia; my name is <i>Akagi</i>, not that you ever cared about what I wanted." Akagi was trying to get under his skin as much as possible.


    "I will call you whatever I damn well please!" he snarled back. "I''ll cut straight to the point, you are hereby banished from the Tomogawa household and will be removed from the family registry. Henceforth, you are never to use the Tomogawa name again; we want nothing to do with a <em>monster</em> like you." he looked at her in contempt. Formally removing someone from the family was an old practice that had little legal significance in modern Japan, but its social and cultural impact was massive.


    "Fine by me, I wasn''t nning on keeping that family name anyway. The two of you both disgust me as much as I disgust you anyway." Akagi said as she picked at her fingernails.


    "You are also to stay the hell away from Kana; I don''t want her wrapped up in any more of your problems, you hear me!" Shima yelled.


    Akagi replied. "Oh, I hear you alright. However, I fail to see why I should listen," Akagi replied with a smirk. "You have no power over me. If I want to spend time with Kana....." She leaned in. "I would love to see you get in my way."


    Strangely, the two seemed unfazed by her threats.


    "You really are a <em>monster</em>, aren''t you? You killed all those people, and you don''t even care." Shima looked at her. "Are you going to kill more? Are you going to drag Kana into this? Are you going to make her kill? Is that what you want?" Shima yelled.


    Akagi took a moment to answer. "You''re right. I am a <em>monster</em>. But what does that make you?" she pointed at Shima. "You two threw away your daughter just because she wasn''t that smart, because I had some issues, and because I wasn''t a child you could take pride in. You cast me aside in favor of Kana, for what?" Akagi fired back. ¡°What kind of parents do that to their own child? If you ask me, its the pot calling the kettle ck when you call me a <em>monster</em>!¡±


    Akagi looked at the two of them. "I''ll tell you what I think. The two of you don''t actually care about Kana. You see her as nothing more than a trophy, something you can brag about to others, and as someone who will be your meal ticket in the future." her voice grew angry. ¡°This family never has any use for people that can''t be shown off as status and I guarantee you would throw Kana away in a heart beat if she ever show signs of struggling!¡± The Tomogawa family was quite ruthless and she''d heard tale of other members being cast away in the past.


    "What are you talking about; Kana is our daughter; of course we love her!" Shima practically screamed. ¡°We would never cast out our own child!¡±


    "And what was I? Was I not your own child? Your own daughter? Before I got trapped in FWO, I had no powers, but neither of you treated me as one; hell you were embarrassed by me." Akagiughed. "Once you figured that I wouldn''t be anything special, you abandoned me, left me to rot, and tore me down at any chance you got." Akagi couldn''t even remember a time where these two even pretended to care about her or her well-being. ¡°I''m sure you would have killed me at that time if you could have gotten away with it.¡± Akagi''s eyes turned sad as she said this.


    "That''s because you were never our daughter in the first ce; from the day you were born, we knew something was wrong with your existence," Taichi interjected. "We could never figure out just why, but Shima and I could tell that you weren''t our child. It took until today to figure out exactly what was wrong with you and now we know." His words cut deep. ¡°You are little more than a creature that took the ce of our child, a <em>monster</em> in the guise of a person! I don''t know who or what you are really are and I don''t care. But, I am absolutely sure that you are not Rishia Tomogawa and you never were!¡±


    Hearing that they never once thought of her as their daughter Akagi found herself shocked. All this time, she thought that they at least tried to love her in the beginning. Looking back, it was clear she was deluding herself. The "happy memories" she had from when she was a kid were nothing more than an illusion. Her parents always treated her standoffishly and never once told her they loved her. There was never any chance these two would, because to them, she was nothing more than a mistake, one they wished to rid themselves of as soon as possible. Sure, Akagi had always felt different than others, but she had always thought herself as human; but now, hearing their words, she began to doubt herself.


    <i>{Was... was I ever really human?} </i>Akagi''s mind went back to the day of her mental breakdown and the things she saw and heard in her mind.


    "Man, that kinda stings, hearing that." Akagi fought to hold back her tears. Her thoughts drifting the mistake she almost made on that day all those years ago.


    Right now, more than anything in the world, she wanted to kill these two people; but she couldn''t. She couldn''t make Kana an orphan, no matter how much she hated them. Even if they were just using Kana, she couldn''t bear to face her sister after doing something so heinous. Akagi became trapped in her mind; she bounced between thoughts, stuck in a loop as she tried to figure out what she should do.


    Yumi looked on, her face stered with concern for her master, and contempt for these people. She couldn''t bear to see Akagi in such pain, but her orders stopped her from intervening.


    It seemed like this cycle would continue indefinitely until Kana''s voice broke the silence in the room. "Is that true?" her eyes were wet. "You... You never loved Onee-chan? You never thought of her as my sister?" Kana''s face looked like she was ready to cry at any moment. ¡°How could you say such horrible things!¡±


    "Kana!" her mother yelled. "I thought I told you to wait in the living room; you don''t need to be here-" Kana''s scream interrupted her words.


    "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU DID TO HER!" Kana screamed so loud it rattled the windows. "You treated her like dirt, acted like she was a stranger in her own home, and drove her into despair so deep that she almost <i>killed</i> me!" She looked at her sister who was shocked by her statement.


    "Yes Onee-chan, I know about that," Akagi had tried to hide the fact that she almost killed her for all these years; she thought no one but her knew why she experienced a severe mental breakdown that day.


    Before Akagi could say anything, Kana continued. "I was awake when you entered the room with the knife, but I pretended to be asleep." Kana continued. "I knew what you wanted to do to me, and I was prepared to ept it." she began to cry.


    "Why? Why would you just ept me killing you Kana!" Akagi yelled,pletely baffled by what her sister was saying.


    "Because.... because, I thought that I deserved it for taking your family from you." Kana began to cry even harder. "I thought that.. that if I died...... mom and dad would go back to loving you."


    <i>{You knew? You knew all this time and yet you still loved me as your sister? After I almost did something so horrible.} </i>Akagi''s face began to fill with tears, as her mind went nk.


    Spoiler


    Taichi (Akagi/Kana''s Father)


    Shima (Akagi/Kana''s mother)


    [copse]

 Chapter 28 – Akagi’s Mind, Yumi’s Declaration and Optimism.

    Chapter 28 ¨C Akagi¡¯s Mind, Yumi¡¯s Deration and Optimism.


    From a young age, it was obvious there was something special about Kana. By her first birthday, the girl was already able to speak in, rtively, clear sentences. When her intelligence was tested on her second birthday, her parents were shocked to learn her IQ was over 180. From that day forward, her parents dumped all their efforts into raising her. She was ced in elerated learning programs, had personal tutors, and was showered with as much praise as any kid could desire. She was loved as a proper member of the Tomogawa family and her family expected great things from her. However, this all came at the expense of her older sister.


    Akagi was almost five years old when her sister was born and was already relegated to a role of non-importance in the Tomogawa household. Her early test scores show her to be average to slightly below average in her test-taking ability, and her IQ hovered around 95-100. Ordinarily, such results would be seen as reasonable; but Akagi''s parents were anything but. It wasn''t as if the two of them were geniuses or intellectually gifted, their intelligence was around the same as Akagi''s, but for some reason, they expected much more of their children. Akagi wouldtere to understand that the Tomogawa family was one that had little tolerance for mediocrity and was ruthless in its pursuit of sess. On top of having average intelligence, Akagi suffered from a form of social anxiety and generally had a difficult time interacting with other children. All thisbined to make Akagi''s life quite miserable and left her with little to no support from her family.


    At first, her parents had assumed her issues could be cured with brute force, and they intentionally ced her in situations where she would need to interact with children her own age. She was forced into y-dates, study groups and other activities for children to socially and intellectually develop. However, this backfired, and she became not only more reclusive but also more aggressive toward other children. After much pressure from the teaching staff, Akagi was tested for mental disorders, which confirmed that she suffered from Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD). This diagnosis was the final straw for Akagi''s parents, and she was effectively abandoned in her own home. Her parents refused to seek treatment and were content to focus all their time and effort on Kana, who they saw as having a future worth investing in.


    This left the young Akagi alone. Her younger sister was kept at arm''s length, and she found herself with no friends at school; even her extended family didn''t care about her, if anything their treatment of her was even worse. However, despite this, she persisted. She cooked for herself, did her ownundry, and continued going to school all on her own; for no other reason than because she had no idea what else to do. Over the years, she was forced to watch as her parents doted on her younger sister, praised her sess, and just genuinely treated her as a beloved daughter. Her mind told her that she should hate the younger girl, but she tried her best to banish such thoughts as she understood they were wrong.


    However, there was only so much the young girl could bear. Her birthdays were never something special for her. The only person who ever wished her a happy birthday was her younger sister and her parents never mentioned it. Her twelfth birthday came and went without fanfare as per usual, however, this year was also to be Kana''s eighth birthday and a celebration of her cing first on a national test. In the lead-up, her parents made sure to tell her just how worthless she was and constantlypared her to her sister. When the day of the party came, and the entire family was invited, Akagi was forced to endure the greatest humiliation of her life.


    Her parents not only forced her to dress and act ridiculously for the entertainment of the guests but she was also made to endure a ferocious beating at the hands of her parents. This marked the first and only time that they everid their hands on her, and afterward they always pretended it never happened. If it was just this much, Akagi could have just chalked it up as another day. However, what truly broke the girl was her sister''s reaction. Sheughed. She found the circumstances her sister was in funny. Even when her father smacked her head against the table, Kana continuedughing, though her eyes showed she was horrified. Akagi couldn''t know at the time, but the reason Kana wasughing was because she was forced to do so by her parents. The girl wanted desperately to intervene and stop this abuse, but she was just an eight-year-old girl who could do nothing.


    After that day, Akagi broke down further. Until then, she always saw Kana as her lovable little sister and the only person in the house that cared about her. But seeing herugh at her misery caused the final crack to appear in the girl''s mind. All at once, the years of negative thoughts that she pushed to the back of her mind exploded outward. She began to hate her sister, she thought her responsible for everything that had happened to her, and most importantly she wanted to kill her. In her mind, if she removed Kana, not only would it be payback to her parents but it would mean that they might love her again. A delusion to be sure, but one that her mind clung to.


    Eventually, these thoughts piled up to the point that she could no longer ignore them until one night, she found herself standing over her sister holding a kitchen knife in one hand. She had walked into the sleeping girl''s room ready to end her life, and she may very well have done it. However, Kana was not to die that day, in a brief sh of sanity, Akagi realized what she was about to do. She cast the knife out the window and ran straight back to her room. The realization that she nearly killed her younger sent her into a crisis, only worsened by the dark thoughts that tried to get her to finish the job.


    The next morning she was rushed to the hospital at Kana''s urging. When the young girl check on Akagi the next morning, she was writhing in pain and Kana even imed that her sister''s right eye had turned orange, though her parents never saw such a thing. The doctors were astonished by what Akagi told them while she was in her semi-lucid state. She told them about the years of abuse, her parent''s treatment, and what they did at the party, though she refrained from mentioning the attempted murder. As a result, her parents were thoroughly scolded for their actions and Akagi was nearly taken away by protective services. However, some fake tears and sob stories along with some help from influential members of the Tomogawa family prevented that from happening. It wasn''t as if they wanted to keep Akagi; it was more than the humiliation from having their dirtyundry aired was much worse.


    Akagi spent the next several months receiving medical treatment at the hospital. The doctors told her that she would likely never fully recover and that she should focus on keeping her stress levels down. They offered her medication, but her parents refused to administer or ept it. Eventually, she was discharged and taken home. Kanater apologized to her and exined why sheughed at the party, and while Akagi forgave her, Kana never forgave herself. Since that day, Shima and Taichi never again raised their hands against her, though other abuse continued, most of which Kana was unaware of. Not because they changed there minds about her, more because they feared such incidents bing public. They figured that, eventually, she would leave the house and be someone else''s problem.


    This istion led to Akagi bing the young woman we know today. Someone with an aggressive personality, flexible morals, and a propensity to reject existing power structures. Her ability to dive into games and y the most negative roles avable only heightened many of her most destructive traits. When she became trapped in FWO, herst remaining psychological restraints failed, and she gave in to her worst impulses. Luckily for the other yers, her desire to kill was funneled into assassinations rather than random acts of ughter.


    Now, all these yearster, Akagi finds herself in an all too familiar ce. Her mind is screaming at her to use her power to kill these people and take revenge for her horrible treatment. It''s telling her that it''s ok and that all she needs to do is just <i><b>let go</b></i><b>.</b> If everyone is going to call her a monster, why shouldn''t she act like one? Why should she pretend to be human anymore? After having herst bit of hope taken from her. After finding out that her parents <i>NEVER </i>loved her and hearing that Kana was ready to die for her all because of these horrible people; she was ready to give in. As Kana and her parents stood around the table and argued, she slowly began to gather her power, fully intent on killing them. At this point, she no longer cared if Kana hated her for what she was about to do; and she wouldn''t ask for or expect forgiveness.


    However, just as the story was about to develop into a tragedy, Akagi felt a pair of arms wrap around her and hug her tight.


    "DON''T DO IT AKAGI!" Yumi screamed so loud that everyone else went silent. "Please! Don''t give in to your hate! Don''t listen to that dark voice inside your head. It''s not worth it, and you''ll never forgive yourself for it." Yumi moved to face Akagi. "Didn''t you always tell me that you would be here for me? That you''d listen to me? That when I was in pain I could count on you." Yumi began to cry. "Well, I''m here for you too! When you''re in pain, when you feel those thoughts, when you need someone to listen to you. IM HERE FOR YOU! Just like you were all those years ago, and just like you saved me then. I''m going to save you now!" she squeezed Akagi tight. "So I won''t let you do it! I won''t let you get consumed by your anger! Because if you do, you won''t be <i>you</i> anymore."


    Her sudden deration and squeeze caused Akagi to snap back to reality. Seeing the crying priestess, she cursed herself for causing Yumi to cry on her behalf and she began to stroke her head.


    "Thank you, Yumi. Thank you for stopping me." she hugged her back. "Your right; I would have regretted it. I would have hated myself afterward. So thank you." Akagi said with tears in her eyes.


    This sudden disy shocked everyone else. Kana stared at her sister and pieced together what was about to happen.


    <i>{Onee-chan... she was going to kill mom and dad right then and there. She was so angry with them, that her love for me waspletely overshadowed at that moment. But, Yumi was able to stop her before it was toote. Onee-chan told me that Yumi needed her because of her past trauma, but I think the reverse is also true.} </i>Kana began to ask herself just what the rtionship between the two was.


    Their parents were stunned at this sudden disy, they never imagined that Akagi would actually kill them, nor did they expect someone besides Kana to act in such a loving way toward her. While it didn''t cause them to have doubts about how they viewed Akagi, it served as a shock to the system. It showed that even if <i>they </i>didn''t care, that someone else did, and that someone just saved their lives.


    After a few moments, Akagi and Yumi broke apart, and Kana decided to end the silence.


    "Onee-chan, I want to live with you." Kana dered. "It''s obvious that I shouldn''t stay with the people caused you so much pain." Kana was thoroughly disgusted with her parents. ¡°If they were willing to abandon you, why shouldn''t I do the same to them.¡±


    "Kana thats no-" Akagi was interrupted.


    "I won''t take no for an answer." She held firm. "Right now, who needs me more? Them or you? For my entire life, all I''ve done is cause you pain in one way or another and I''ve never done anything to rectify that. Even if you tell me it wasn''t my fault, that doesn''t make me feel any better. I could have tried harder to help you, and I''m sure there was much more I could have done to ease your pain; but I didn''t." Kana said with wet eyes. "So please, let me do this. Let me try and heal even just the smallest amount of pain. If for nothing else than my own selfishness." Kana pleaded with her sister, even going so far as to dogeza.


    Seeing her sister''s determination, she had no choice but to agree. "Fine, but what does that mean for your rtionship with these two? I can''t imagine you want topletely abandon them, even after everything.¡± Akagi knew that no matter how angry she was, Kana still loved her parents.


    "Your right, I don''t want to abandon thempletely. But right now <i>you</i> need me more than them." she turned to face her shocked parents. "Mom, Dad despite everything, I still love you. Even if you tormented Onee-chan, even if you said such horrible things, I still love you. But, at least for now, I need to separate. I''ve neglected Onee-chan for far too long and I have to work to atone for the pain I''ve caused her. So for the moment, this is goodbye." Kana gave a respectful bow.


    Naturally, her parents argued with her and told her that they would never approve of her living with Akagi. However, Kana was unrelenting and frankly, there was little they could do to stop the endeavor. Akagi used her storage box to pack up all of Kana''s things, and then Yumi teleported them back to Akagi''s home.


    Today had been one of the hardest days of their lives. Kana''s rtionship with her parents was strained; perhaps beyond recovery. Akagi was shown just how much they hated her but also how much she was loved by the people most important to her. In the end, while it was difficult, it was for the best. Akagi felt like a weight was off her shoulders, and for the first time in her life, she felt optimistic about the future.

 Chapter 29 – Hishya’s Interview (Part 1)

    Chapter 29 ¨C Hishya¡¯s Interview (Part 1)


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Just a reminder that there are two chapters today! Also happy new year!


    "So you''re really going to live here with Akagi?" Naomi asked. Akagi and the girls were currently sitting at a table in the garden enjoying the snacks and tea Yumi brought. Kana was unsure just how much to tell Mika and Naomi about what had transpired at the Tomogawa house, but Akagi encouraged her to open up to her friends. The two of them were aware of the poor rtionship Akagi had with her parents, but Kana had always been evasive as to any specifics. Deciding that now was as good of a time as ever, and with Akagi''s permission, she exined the full story to them. As one can expect, they weren''t happy.


    "I can''t believe they would do something so horrible!" Mika eximed. "How could they treat their own daughter like a nuisance!" Mika grew up in a loving household, so hearing Kana''s story really upset her. "You always told us your sister and parents didn''t get along, but I never could have imagined it was this bad!" She looked at Akagi with a sad face.


    ¡°My parents could be strict, but to cast her aside like that....¡± Naomi was shocked to hear just had transpired.


    <i>{To hear your own parents say you weren''t even their child and to call you a monster.... I don''t even want to imagine such a thing.}</i>(Naomi)


    "For the time being, I think I should limit contact with my parents." Kana''s face looked conflicted. "I don''t think I could ever bring myself to hate them, but knowing what they put Onee-chan through makes me so angry." It would likely take some time for Kana to sort through all her feelings. Her parents had been blowing up her messages since she left, but she ced them on mute. When she was ready she would speak to them again; on her terms.


    "As far as I''m concerned, it''s all in the past Mika," Akagi said while drinking her coffee. "I can''t change it, but I think I''m starting to move past it, at least a little bit." She gave a warm smile as she looked at Yumi. "What those two think of me doesn''t matter. I only need to care about those who are important to me."


    <i>{Just what is the rtionship between those two? They''re are always together, and I get this strange vibe from them. Being together in the game would have given them plenty of time to sort things out between them too.} </i>Kana was still confused about Yumi''s rtionship with her sister. She knew her sister swung in that direction, but she never really talked about such things with her before. While she could ask her directly, she didn''t want to be insensitive.


    "So what happens now?" Naomi interjected. "I hope this means you won''t be leaving school." Akagi''s home was quite far away from Kyoto Highschool after all and Mika and Naomi didn''t want to lose their friend.


    "Uh...." Kana stammered. "I honestly haven''t given anything much thought, to be honest." Kana''s quick exit from her parent''s house was done with zero nning.


    "Leaving school won''t be necessary." Akagi chimed in. "I have subordinates that can teleport, so they can just drop you off. As for anything else, we can cross those bridges when we get to them, don''t worry." Akagi was pretty nonchnt about the whole thing.


    "I guess that''s true, but I don''t want to trouble anyone with my problems." Kana wasn''t one to depend on others in such a way; she was pretty independent.


    "You''re my sister; you can rely on me in times like this."Akagi reminded her. "Plus, just teleporting you to and back from school will be no inconvenience." She shook her head. "They do way harder things than that every day." Akagi cracked a smile.


    Eventually, with some prodding, Kana relented when Akagi pointed out that she was essentially responsible for her at this point. By moving in with her and distancing herself from her parents Akagi was her de-facto guardian. While Kana might be quite mature and intelligent for her age, she was still just a sixteen-year-old girl in high school. If she was going to live with Akagi, she would have to endure being taken care of by her; that was the rule.


    <i>{Why do I have a feeling that Akagi just wants to spoil her sister?} </i>Naomi chuckled in her mind.


    The girls chatted a while longer, there was much to cover, until the sun began to hang low in the sky.


    "It''s already 7 o''clock?" Naomi was surprised. "Today really was a full one, wasn''t it? And it went by so fast."


    "Isn''t Hishya''s interview going to start soon? I think it''s at eight if I remember correctly?" Kana was interested in watching.


    "Yeah, she''ll be interviewing with a reporter named Kirika." Akagi checked her memory. "Should be on at eight. What do you say we watch? It might be interesting," she asked.


    The girls all agreed, they were quite interested in hearing more about Hishya and her time in FWO. The only information they had gotten was from Akagi or rumors on the. So seeing the <i>Hero of FWO</i> give an interview would be quite interesting. With the allotted time fast approaching, Akagi advised the girls to get cleaned up andfortable. The estate contained arge bathroom with a tub that resembled a hot spring, much to their delight.


    While the three girls washed up and gotfortable, Akagi decided to message Hishya to ask her if the interview was still on. To which she received a reply consisting of swearing emojis. Apparently, Akagi was going to be a topic during the interview, which made her even more interested in watching.


    Once the girls bathed and got infy clothes, they followed Akagi and Yumi outside. They were going to watch the interview in one of the pavilions on the pond using Kana''s little projector. Yumi, as always, brought drinks and Akagi satfortably with her bottle of Ayakashi sake. A little whileter, the interviewer, Kirika, appeared before the camera and sat on one of the two sofas in the middle of the room. It seemed she tried to go for a more rxed atmosphere for her guests. Kirika was quite the famous reporter in Kyoto, even Akagi knew about her, and being on her show was quite the rare honor. After getting seated, she introduced herself, thanked the sponsors, and then moved to begin the interview.


    "Without further ado, please wee my guest, the one everyone is calling the Hero of Free World Online, Nina Hoshinomi!" Right after she said this, a short girl with purple hair wearing a hoodie and basketball shorts appeared from just off stage. There was a live audience in the room who began pping as the young girl took her seat across from Kirika. Hishya waved back to the crowd and thanked Kirika and the producers for having her.


    "It''s good to have you here Ms. Hoshinomi, or should I call you Hishya?" Many of the returnees had taken to their avatar''s name, so she asked just to be sure.


    "Hishya is fine. I''m used to it." She answered.


    "Then Hishya, we have much to discuss, but I would like to allow you to tell us a little bit about yourself. We know you as the one who led the effort to escape the game, but we really don''t know much about you personally." Kirika opened with a pretty standard question for her guests.


    "Well, there is both little and much to say I guess." Hishya then began an abridged exnation of her time before FWO. She exined that she was diagnosed with terminal M.D. and that she was bedridden since she was a child. She''d spent nearly ten years in VR almost 24/7 and went on to discuss the effect such long term diving had on her life.


    "That''s truly awful, to have to endure such a thing at your age is unimaginable." Kirika looked genuinely sad. "But, if you''re up and moving, I assume you''re no longer sick?" Hishya didn''t look like a bedridden girl after all.


    "Nope!" she smiled. "Whatever changed me and the others into our game avatars also cured me of my disease, so I''m 100% healthy." her face lit up as she exined this and she did a muscle pose.


    "That''s good to hear. At least there was a silver lining to your time in FWO." Kirikamented. "We know that many survivors had their bodies changed, but some of them also kept their in-game powers." Akagi had made that quite public early today. "If you don''t mind, could you show us a bit of magic? I know everyone at home is dying to see it," she asked with a smile.


    "Sure, I don''t mind." Hishya flicked her finger causing a small me to appear above her palm. It was a basic fire spell that every yer with MP could use. "Is this good enough?" Hishya asked as she manipted the me and made it dance.


    "That''s truly amazing; you really can use magic." Kirika smiled as the audience cheered. "I assume you can do much more than create such a tiny me." She chuckled.


    Hishya extinguished the me and gave a nervousugh. "Perhaps."


    ¡°How do your parents feel, I mean about having a super powered daughter?¡± Kirika asked.


    ¡°They''ve been really epting of both my powers and my new appearance. They told me that as long as they got to keep me around, nothing else mattered.¡± She gave an embarrassed smile.


    ¡°That''s so nice to hear.¡± Kirkia smiled. ¡°I can imagine any parent would be thrilled to see their child cured of such a horrible illness.¡±


    ¡°Just being able to spend time with them has been a blessing.¡± Hishya gave a big smile. "I never thought I would get to experience hugging them again, let alone being able to go home and walk around!"


    "Now then,¡± Kirkia continued. ¡°Let''s dive into the real reason you''re here. We''ve read many of the stories online or seen a few of the statements other survivors released about their time in FWO, but what can you tell us about it?" She asked. "How was it as someone on the ground in a leadership position like you were; it can''t have been easy."


    Hishya didn''t even know where to begin. "When we first found out that death in the game would kill us in the real world, most people panicked, while some didn''t believe it was possible."


    "I can''t even imagine being in that situation," Kirikamented.


    "It was pretty bad, lots of people freaked out, and it was pretty much chaos for the first week as people tried to get in the best position to survive." Hishya sighed.


    "Did people not cooperate?" Kirika asked. Cooperation seemed like the obvious thing to do to survive, at least from her perspective.


    "Not really." Hishya shook her head. "You have to realize that most people ying the Alpha were pretty hardcore gamers. FWO was marketed as allowing more lone-wolf styles of y than other MMOs, so most of us went into it with a pretty uncooperative attitude. The game rewarded yers for working on their own, so that didn''t help things either. Once we heard that we could actually die, our fight-or-flight instincts kicked in, and it became every man for himself." Hishya had a pained expression. "I wonder just how many more people would have survived if we worked together from the start."


    "Well, it''s only natural to look out for yourself isn''t it?" Kirika pointed out that was human nature to ce yourself above others in such dire situations. "So I can''t imagine most would fault the trapped yers for being more concerned with their own lives than the lives of strangers."


    Hishya thought for a moment. "Perhaps you''re right, but I still feel bad for not helping those people when they needed it the most." She had abandoned more than one person in those early days, including a friend. "My selfishness might have cost me something important."


    "But in the end, you were a big part of why the game was cleared and the trapped people were released, weren''t you? Isn''t that enough?" She was trying to cheer her up. "I think, if you have any guilt, shouldn''t saving those 1400 people be enough to clear your conscious?


    "I was only one of many dedicated people who cleared the world bosses," Hishya said. "I couldn''t have done it alone, and without the sacrifice of so many good people, I wouldn''t be sitting here now." her face had a dark expression. ¡°So I would never take credit for clearing the game.¡± she continued. "As for my guilt, I don''t know. Saving those people made me happy, but I don''t think I can every shake this feeling of regret, especially after.....<em>.</em>" her words stopped.


    Seeing that Hishya didn''t want to continue this topic, Kirika moved on. "True. But we''ve heard from other survivors that you were key in keeping morale high, and your skills and knowledge were invaluable in defeating the bosses." She continued. "It would seem, to me, that you''re downying how important your role was. At least from other survivors'' perspectives, you are a hero." Since the end of the incident, most of the survivors had given Hishya glowing praise for her actions in the game.


    "I''ve been called that many times over thesest four years, but I''ve never thought of myself as one," Hishya said. "I''m just someone who yed <i>way</i> too many video games and got good at them. "She chuckled.


    "I don''t think there are many times where that''s a good thing, but this was definitely one of them." Kirkia smiled.


    "Indeed." Hishya gave a wry smile.


    ¡°But why you? Did you intentionally seek out leadership or did it just kind of happen?¡± Kirika asked her.


    ¡°Honestly, a mix of both really.¡± Hishya answered. ¡°Once things calmed down I started talking with some of the other yers that I knew. We put together a team with the intention of beating the game as fast as possible.¡± she continued. ¡°My extensive experience with these types of games meant that I was always giving advice oring up with ns, until eventually, I kinda found myself running things.¡± she scratched the back of her head. ¡°I figured I might be useful, but I never expected the others to trust me as much as they did!¡± Hishya did enjoy the attention she revived and the praise and adoration from the other yers, but she usually tried to y the stoic humble character.


    The interview continued as Kirka asked about many of the moments during the FWO incident. She touched upon her rtionship with the other yers, asked her about her greatest regrets, and much more. At about the halfway point, she asked Hishya what she intended to do now that she was free from her disease.


    "I''m honestly not sure." She scratched her cheek. "I never really gave thought to such things before. I always assumed that my illness would be the end of me." There was no point in thinking of a future you would never have.


    "Have you thought about using your powers to help people in the real world? Perhaps working with either the Japanese government or the United Nations?" Hishya''s had the power to drastically alter the world depending on how she used it. ¡°It would be kinda neat to have a real life superhero!¡±


    "I''m not sure, but I think I would enjoy helping people in need. So maybe?" For right now, all she wanted to do was spend time with her family and enjoy her second chance at life. Anything beyond that was a secondary concern to her.


    "I see...." Kirika''s face looked ufortable as she asked the next question. "So would you be open to using your power to defend the world from other yers?" It was the question that everyone knew wasing, but knowing didn''t make it any easier.


    Hearing her question, both Hishya and Akagi knew exactly what she was getting at. Hishya''s blood ran cold, and her hands started shaking, causing the interviewer to panic slightly.


    "Are you alright? I''m sorry if my question upset you!" She frantically tried to calm Hishya down. She hadn''t wanted to ask this question, but her producer had forced her.


    "Its-Its alright...... I would have to answer that question eventually, so why not now." She took a deep breath andposed herself; she was still shaken but gave her response anyway.


    "I have no intention of <i><b>ever </b></i>standing against Akagi." She dered as she stared into the camera.


    Spoiler


    Hishya in casual!


    [copse]

 Chapter 30 – Hishya’s Interview (Part 2)

    Chapter 30 ¨C Hishya¡¯s Interview (Part 2)


    "I have no intention of <i><b>ever </b></i>standing against Akagi." Hishya''s words rang out across the airwaves. She knew that after the incident at Camp Katsura many would look to her for protection from Akagi. She was already under government surveince and expected to be approached for recruitment in the near future. In the past, she would have jumped at the opportunity to gather more praise and attention, especially on such a massive scale. But that was before she had something to lose.


    "Um. I''m sorry for asking something like that out of the blue." Kirika apologized. "It''s just that with what happened today and yesterday, a lot of people were wondering..." her voice fell off. "Can you at least tell us why you won''t fight her, just for rification?"


    Hishya smiled. "It''s simple. I have no interest in wasting this second chance at life." Hishya''s answer was quite blunt. "Don''t get me wrong; I don''t agree with her methods. Nor do I support her <i>career choice.</i>"


    "Then, does that mean you can''t beat her? Even with all your power?" Kirika asked. "You won''t fight her because you''ll lose?"


    "No, I cannot defeat her myself," Hishya answered with a sharp tone. "I''ve fought her 1v1 before. In a scenario where I had all the advantages, the best terrain, the best strategy... everything... and... I lost, and it wasn''t even close." Hishya thought back to that night in Hassan. "She toyed with me, humiliated me, it was if she didn''t even see me as a threat."


    "But, even if you couldn''t beat her 1v1, surely there are other yers you could get to help? Right?" there were 98 other yers who received power. Surely if they fought her together, they could win. At least that was her train of thought. "Teaming up with some of them would ovee the power issue wouldn''t it?"


    Hishya thought for a moment, before letting out a big sigh. "You would think that, wouldn''t you? That if only we banded together and invested in the power of friendship we could win." Hishya looked at the ceiling. "But that''s only because you and everyone else don''t know the truth." Suddenly, the air in the studio got heavy. Hishya closed her eyes for a brief moment before opening them once again. Kirika was shocked by what she saw; Hishya''s eyes had transformed from their usual red color to something that resembled a burnt orange/yellow. But even more striking was Hishya''s irises which changed into slits like a reptile''s.


    <i>{Wha-what''s going on with her eyes!} </i>Kirika panicked internally.


    Seeing the woman''s face be pale and the audience starting to act unruly, Hishya opted to rein in her overwhelming pressure.


    "My apologies," Hishya''s voice changed from sweet to imposing. "I''m still not used to using this power in the real world. The game really undersold just how overwhelming a dragon''s aura can be." The term dragon caught everyone''s attention.


    "A-a dragon? What do you mean? What was that pressure, and why do your eyes look like that!" Kirika was currently running on adrenaline, so her speech was slightly sped up.


    "Because I <i>am</i> a dragon," Hishya answered without hesitation. "That pressure you felt was a natural ability of sorts. My mere presence can frighten weaker creatures or make them unable to move just by feeling my power." She seemed to find Kirika''s reaction quite amusing and cracked a smile.


    "H-how is something like even possible? How could you be a dragon, you don''t look like one! That doesn''t make any sense!" Kirika tried to refute Hishya''s im.


    "If I transformedpletely, my frame would destroy the building as I am quiterge." Hishya chuckled. "I figured just changing my eyes would be enough of a demonstration." Releasing her draconic powers seemed to cause Hishya''s personality to change as well as her eyes. Not only was she no longer nervous, but she also seemed to <i>enjoy</i> watching people tremble at her power.


    Seeing that Kirika and the audience still didn''t understand, Hishya stood up and walked to the front of the stage. "Here, perhaps this will make things easier." Hishya took a deep breath and began to pool her energy. A few momentster, she sprouted two draconic wings, her ears became pointy and horns appeared from the side of her head. The audience was leftpletely speechless, which made Hishyaugh. After a moment, she turned back toward Kirika and said.


    "Is this a little more <em>dragon</em> to you? She grinned. "I could also sprout a tail, but I think I''ve destroyed enough clothing today." her wings had ripped straight through her hoodie.


    *Gulp* Seeing such an imposing form caused Kirika to panic on the inside. Hishya''s eyes made her feel like an ant caught in a tornado and her re gave the reporter chills.


    <i>{It''s not just her appearance that changed, she''s almost like a totally different person!} </i>Kirika was trying to put on a calm face so that people watching wouldn''t panic.


    "Yes... um. I apologize for not believing you, and I''m sorry about the hoodie." She offered to rece itter.


    "Can we continue the interview? I''ll put away the horns and wings so it''s less strange for you." Hishya walked back to the sofa and retracted her draconic add-ons, minus her eyes and ears.


    "O-of course, there are even more questions I have for you now." Kirika gave a wry smile. "But first, could you exin this whole dragon thing? I''m still confused about how that''s even possible." She knew that some of the returnees were no longer human. There were a few elves, dwarves, and beast-kin among them, but a dragon was a totally unexpected revtion!


    "Well that''s easy," Hishya shrugged. "Afterpleting a ridiculously hard quest chain I was rewarded with a racial change which made me a dragon. Though in-game, I was limited in my ability to transform." She smiled. "When I was given all my powers and such from FWO, it seems that I was made a fully-fledged dragon with no restrictions on my power." Hishya continued. "In the game, the vor text exined some of the limitations as a seal on my power. Which was really just the devs exining away why I couldn''t run around in dragon mode 24/7." (Hishya)


    "I see, does that mean other yers have such incredible power too?" Hishya could tell that her revtion had made Kirika nervous. "Can other returnees turn into dragons or other crazy things?"


    "No," Hishya shook her head. "The dragon quest line was only everpleted by me and we only ever found one other instance of such a dramatic racial change." Of course, she was referring to Akagi and her change into a Shadow Monster.


    "So, does that mean even with all the power of a dragon, you couldn''t beat this Akagi woman?" Kirika couldn''t understand why she was reluctant to fight.


    Hishya sighed. "Didn''t I already tell you? I fought her with my full power, and she still beat me. I didn''t transform into a full dragon because that was pointless, but I used every other aspect of my draconic blood in that battle." Hishya''s race gave her a variety of skills and abilities which were excellent for her as a sword mage. "She isn''t an opponent I can beat."


    "It''s baffling that one woman could defeat a dragon!" Kirika had forgotten that she said that, the whole dragon thing kind of took up all her attention.


    "HA!" Hishya let out a loudugh. "Akagi isn''t a woman, so don''t call her that." Hishya broke out into a fit ofughter.


    "I don''t understand what you mean; she''s not a woman?" Kirika was confused by Hishya''s reaction and her choice of words.


    "Remember, we found <i>one </i>other instance where a yer''s race was changed as dramatically as mine was." Hishya stared at the woman. "You saw it didn''t you? On the news this morning when she stood behind that podium." Hishya rested her hand on her chin. "That inky ck shadow, that terrifying voice, that feeling of pure dread. Those weren''t just some kind of skills, Kirika."


    Most people watching the interview, including Kirika herself, had seen the footage. Akagi''s dark form standing behind that podium terrified Japan, and her voice was something straight out of a horror movie. There was no way that anyone would ever forget what they saw.


    "So.....So then she''s like you? She''s no longer human? What is she?" Kirika''s heart felt like it was going to leap out of her chest as she asked this question.


    "No, she''s not like me Kirika. <i>I </i>was once human, but Akagi..... I don''t believe that she ever was, as much as that makes sense." She gave a smallugh. "Rather than say she was transformed or changed, I think it would be more urate to say that she was <i>released</i>."


    <em>{R-released?}</em>Kirika''s mind raced.<em>{What does that even mean?}</em>


    "As for <i>what </i>she is, the game referred to her as a <b>Shadow</b>. In-game, she found a Shadow Lord that was sealed, defeated it, and merged with it. This did many things, but most importantly it meant that she was freed from some of the games limitations.¡± Hishya exined. ¡°Her real form is not that of the young woman you saw today. Rather, that ck shadow you saw during the press conference is what she truly is, everything else is just a facade." Hishya sighed. "I suppose we''re simr in that we''re both monsters pretending to be human.


    Hishya''s words stunned Kirika. While she didn''t fully understand everything, she knew enough to tell that Akagi was dangerous, especially if someone like Hishya was unwilling to fight her.


    "But she''s not invincible. You might not be able to beat her alone, but if you all came together there''s no way she should win, right?" Kirika was still trying to understand <i>why </i>Hishya wouldn''t work with others to beat her.


    "She''s not invincible, but beating her is not guaranteed even with all of us." Hishya continued. "She is terrifyingly powerful, and I guarantee over thest two years she''s gotten even stronger, on top of that her abilities have likely gotten more potent now that we''ve returned to the real world. And she isn''t alone, that team of hers might not be as strong as the returnees, but you would be foolish to discount them." the strength of Akagi''s subordinates was put on full disy at Camp Katsura. "If we were to fight her, it wouldn''t end until one side is eliminated, and it would be foolish to expect mercy from her. So, even if we <i>do </i>have a chance of defeating her, I''m not willing to risk my life unnecessarily. Perhaps in the past I might have, but not anymore." Hishya''s answer was not what most expected. ¡°The darkness that lurks within her is far more than any light could ever drive away.¡±


    <em>{That night, at Hassan, I saw Akagi''s soul, her very being. I don''t know what she is, and I would rather we never find out. For whatever reason, my blood is telling me that the more Akagi fights, the more she dives into her power, the closer the world wille to cmity.} </em>Hishya''s shuddered. <em>{Thest thing we need to do is back her into a corner and force her to go all out, if that happens.......}</em>


    "So then, you have no intention of fighting her?" Kirika asked. "Even if she starts attacking other people?"


    "As long as Akagi leaves me and my family alone, I have no intention of doing anything to her. In fact, I will be meeting with her tomorrow to make sure things arepletely settled between us." She looked at the audience. "It might seem heartless, and you might feel that I''m abandoning some duty I have as the hero, but I don''t care." Hishya''s words were sharp. "For the first time in my life, I have a future and something I want to protect. So excuse me for prioritizing that over other people." At this point, Hishya hadpletely dropped her Hero persona. <em>¡°Right</em> <em>now</em>, Akagi doesn''t want to destroy the world or anything crazy, and I suspect she just wants to be left alone. So I doubt she will actually be some giant threat to the world like some are predicting. That is of course, unless she''s provoked in some manner, like we saw at Camp Katsura, a battle which was fought on favorable ground with two yers on the militaries side, one of which was killed quite easily. ¡± While Hishya didn''t agree with what Akagi did, she also knew that if left alone, the amount of damage she would do would actually be quite small.


    "<i>That </i>is why I won''t fight her, Kirika, because I know better than anyone else how senseless such a conflict is. Others have tried and failed to take her down and I see no reason why another attempt would end in anything other than failure. Even with all of us together, I suspect the odds of winning are not lopsidedly in our favor, and do you want risk the fate of the world on a game of chance?" Kirika''s face showed her shock. "Akagi is an absolutely terrifying existence; she showed me that in Hassan. And I would advise everyone else, yer or otherwise, to leave her alone. If you don''t bother her, she won''t bother you; it''s as simple as that." Hishya looked into the camera and made a deration to the entire world.


    Spoiler


    Hishya transformed!


    [copse]

 Chapter 31 – Did Akagi Break Hishya?

    Chapter 31 ¨C Did Akagi Break Hishya?


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    There will be two chapters today. And thank you for 100 readers!


    Hishya''s interview continued for a while longer with Kirika trying to return to less <i>tense </i>topics. Hishya''s deration that she wouldn''t fight Akagi caused the to catch fire as message boards and SNS filled with panic, praise, anger, and a variety of otherments. Though the person who was most surprised by herments was Akagi herself. She was prepared to fight an all-out war against the other yers if necessary, and she assumed that Hishya would be at the center of any action. Hearing that she was not only <i>afraid </i>of Akagi but that she would be actively avoiding confrontation was a surprise. The entire time she knew the girl, she''d always had her pegged as a massive egotist and someone who would do anything for attention, so to see her actpletely against those assumptions threw her for a loop.


    <em>{Is it a trick to get me to let my guard down?} </em>Akagi didn''t understand Hishya''s actions.


    "Onee-chan." Kana looked at her sister. "What did you do to poor Hishya?" her eyes looked quite judgmental.


    "Oi!" Akagi eximed. "Why are you assuming that <i>I </i>did anything to her? Just what do you think of me, Kana!"


    "I <em>think</em> that I know you very well, Onee-chan." she sighed. "You have a tendency to take things too far and that you have a sadistic side, which has only gotten <em>worse</em> I might add." she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Didn''t you tell me that Hishya is actually a very vain person under her heroic exterior? That she was actively seeking praise to boost her own ego?" Kana pressed Akagi.


    "Well yeah she is but-" Akagi''s response was cut off.


    "Then what does it tell you that she just threw all of that away on live <i>global </i>television!" Kana was annoyed that her sister wasn''t getting her meaning. "She just threw away her status as a hero and is likely going to attract a lot of negative attention because she refused to fight you! So <i>sorry</i> for assuming you did something so bad it caused this girl to break character!" Kana threw her hands up.


    "I didn''t exactly do anything bad to her per se Kana." Akagi searched her memory until she recalled something that might have caused this. "Oh... that might be it."


    "So you did do something to her!" Kana''s stare intensified.


    "Well, I might have shown her <i>everything </i>regarding my new form when I battled her in Hassan. And that might have caused her to pass out in fear....." Akagi scratched her cheek in embarrassment.


    "???" Kana''s face looked confused "I mean, sure you''re scary in that shadow form, but I wouldn''t say it''s <i>that </i>bad." She looked at Naomi and Mika who agreed.


    "Yeah I''ve seen worse things in horror movies." Mika chuckled.


    "Strange, but not so bad to cause such a dramatic change, at least in my opinion." Naomi shrugged.


    "Uhh... About that." Akagi stammered. "So you see. What I showed Hishya and what I showed you were <i>not</i> the same thing...."


    "What does that mean? I thought you said that your real body was that shadow?" Kana was both annoyed with and confused by her sister. "Don''t tell me you lied?"


    "Don''t get all mad, Kana." Akagi moved to cate her. "I was not lying to you. What you saw was my real body." she continued. "However, when I showed it to you three, and when I was in the press room, I restrained my presence." Akagi didn''t really have the right words to exin what she meant.


    "Presence?" Naomi jumped in. "Do you mean like how everyone freaked out when Hishya transformed? Like that?" They might not have felt it, but they could tell that Kirika was made very ufortable by whatever Hishya''s ability was.


    "Yeeeeeahh...." Akagi''s eyes began to dart back and forth. "So it''s like that but only.... like a thousand times worse for people that don''t have resistances to such things." Akagi began to circle her fingers in embarrassment. "I may or may not be a being of pure darkness and death, and well.... people <i>really </i>don''t tend to like that, Kana." Akagi gave a nervousugh.


    "Can we see it!" Mika was excited to hear about Akagi''s ability.


    "That is <em>not</em> a good idea!" she quickly refused. "With proper resistance and mental preparation, its effects will be minimal. But on regr people, like you three, I suspect it would break your mind." Her eyes turned serious. "Since we got back from FWO, I have never used it as I would rather not walk around mind-breaking people." Having people froth at the mouth from simplyying eyes of her was amusing, but not really something she wanted to do on the regr.


    "But wait. Why was Hishya affected by it." Naomi asked. "Shouldn''t she have enough resistance since she was a high-level yer and a dragon?" Based on what Akagi said, it didn''t make sense that Hishya was impacted by the ability.


    "Later on she wasn''t. However, suddenly having all of your senses overwhelmed by such an ability with no warning meant that she was vulnerable at that moment," Akagi exined. "Hence her passing out."


    "But still, was that enough to make her do aplete one-eighty on her character like that?" Kana asked. "Are you sure you didn''t do anything else?" A game ability shouldn''t have such long-term effects like that.


    "I think you might be underestimating the damage, Kana. Hishya was basically out of action for almost an entire day after taking my mental attack, and she was in a weakened state for almost a week afterward." Akagi chuckled remembering the girl''s crazy babble when she woke up. "On top of that, remember Kana, my abilities were not limited by the game anymore. Such an attack <i>should</i> have just been a status effect, but in my case, the damage it inflicted was far worse. There''s a reason why I never did something like that again." Akagi looked at Yumi. "Yumi, do you want to tell these girls what can happen to a person when their mind is absolutely destroyed, or should I?"


    Yumi decided to jump in and exin more about trauma and its effects on the mind.


    "From my personal experience, after someone''s mind is damaged in such an extreme way, it can cause considerable changes in that person and/or their personality. I experienced a personality shift myself, so I ask that you believe me when I say it can be quite serious." Yumi was practically a different person than she was before the death of her family. "So it wouldn''t be strange if Hishya actually developed a trauma-rted fear after that day which caused her to change somewhat." She looked at Akagi. "After Hassan, how much did you interact with Hishyapared to prior to that night? Was it more? Less? And what was she like?"


    Akagi took a moment to think before answering. "We interacted less that''s for sure, but she always seemed normal. Though now that you mention it, she did seem to be skittish around me." Akagi had met Hishya quite extensively over the four years they spent in FWO. They would go over findings, discuss strategy, and sometimes Hishya would use the time to vent her frustrations to someone with who she could confide.


    "I noticed she seemed off the few times I spoke with her. Talking about you always made her nervous, <em>especially</em> if you were around." Yumi had subtly used the threat of Akagi to shut Hishya up on more than on asion. "If we assume that her change in attitude and behavior wasn''t just stress-induced, then it''s likely that she was negatively impacted by your ability that day." Yumi''s logic was pretty sound and both Kana and Akagi agreed. ¡°Being forced to experience something so traumatic likely damaged her mind considerably, and she probably developed a fear of you.¡±


    "But then why would she still meet with Akagi if she was afraid of her?" Mika asked a pretty good question.


    "Probably because her trauma was enough to make her afraid, but not so extreme to prevent all contact, especially when she needed my Lord''s help." Yumi guessed. "Either that, or she feared retaliation for suddenly ghosting." she shrugged. "The only one who can really answer this question is Hishya herself, but I would suspect that any trauma is subconscious. If that''s the case, you''ll never get a conclusive answer."


    Yumi''s exnation seemed convincing to the girls.


    "One other thing." Yumi continued. "I would also add that Hishya did say that she has something to live for now during her interview. Being cured of her disease likely caused her to value her own life more." This was much more urate than any of them realized. "So if youbine a fear caused by seeing my Lords full glory and the new found value in her own life, her change in attitude makes sense."


    <em>{Full glory?} </em>The three girls all found that phrase funny.


    Taking a moment, Kana recalled something Akagi told her over a month ago. "Onee-chan, isn''t she suppose toe here tomorrow to speak with you?" Kana asked. "You should apologize to her when she does!"


    "No," Akagi tly refused. "You do recall that she was trying to kill me in that fight, right?" Hishya was tasked with her elimination so that the Hassan defenders didn''t have to worry about a knife pointed at their back. "So why should I apologize for using everything at my disposal to stop her? Even if I do get along with her, I knew why she was there that night, and I was prepared for a battle to the death. The fact that it ended so anti-climatically doesn''t change the context around the battle." Akagi scoffed at her sister''s demand.


    Her statement caused Kana to flinch, she''d forgotten that it was a battle to the death.


    "To be honest, Kana, she''s lucky I didn''t take the opportunity to kill her right then and there." Akagi pointed out how vulnerable Hishya was after she cked out. "The only reason I abstained from doing so was because of my own sentimentality and the absurdity of how things ended. If things had continued normally, I intended to kill her that night." Akagi grinned.


    <i>{I guess she''s right. If Hishya was there to kill her, I can''t exactly get mad that Onee-chan was prepared to do the same, now can I?} </i>Kana mentally scolded herself.


    "Your right. I guess I forgot just that things were pretty tense in FWO. It wasn''t just a game, and you fought with your life on the line every day. Sorry." Kana apologized.


    "It''s fine, Kana." Akagi shrugged. "Now that I think about it, that would exin why she pushed so hard for a truce between me and the assault team. I guess she was afraid of pissing me off, which I can understand." Akagiughed. "If only the Empire learned not to fuck with me as quickly as she did, perhaps the crown prince would have kept his head." Yumi let out a giggle at thisment.


    <em>{Just casually mention that you assassinated a member of Royalty why don''t you.} </em>Naomi wasn''t sure whether tough or sigh at Akagi''s statement.


    "Well, whatever her reason, if she doesn''t want to fight, that''s fine by me. It just means one less person to cause problems." Akagi chuckled. "Perhaps seeing their <em>great</em> <em>hero</em> tuck their tail between their legs will cause the others to reconsider their actions." Akagi doubted this, but it was nice to hope.


    "It seemed like people wanted to use Hishya as a trump card against you." Naomi understood just how powerful the girl was. "Even still, can you really beat the other yers if they attacked together? I mean, Hishya was powerful, but I''m skeptical if they even needed her."


    "What, you don''t believe in me?" Akagi looked at Naomi.


    "It''s not that I don''t believe you''re strong; it''s just that I find it difficult to believe you can beat 97 other people, each with their own powers, all at the same time." Naomi stood firm.


    "If they came at me all at once in a locked room with no way out, that might be tricky." Akagi conceded. "However, they won''t have those numbers or the coordination to pull something like that off. Besides," Akagi smirked. "Don''t think you''ve seen every trick up my sleeve. If they try something like that, I''ve got a few ns in ce."


    "You''ve always got a n, don''t you Onee-chan." Kana sighed.


    "I wouldn''t be alive today if I didn''t; in this line of work, nning and preparation are 90% of what I do." Akagi stuck out her tongue. "Hopefully, I don''t have to dip into my ns, and these idiots stay away from me." That was the best-case scenario, but unfortunately, the chances of such a peaceful ending were low.


    Spoiler


    The girls in casual!


    [copse]

 Chapter 32 – Knocking is Important.

    Chapter 32 ¨C Knocking is Important.


    The five of them chatted together for a few more hours, discussing Hishya, the uing school festival, and some more <em>mundane</em> topics. They even yed a game where Akagi would transform into a duplicate of one of the girls, and they would have to guess who was who. Funny enough, Mika was the only one to get it correct each time, while Kana was saddened that she was always wrong. This made her friends tease her about not knowing them or Akagi well enough. Eventually, it gotte, and the girls headed to bed. Tomorrow was Sunday, and they nned on studying for the uing exams as they originally nned. Mika was hoping that school would get canceled due to the past two days events, but Akagi doubted they would get that lucky.


    Yumi and Akagi headed into the master bedroom and got into their pajamas. Akagi''s bed was huge and could easily fit two or even three people, which meant that on most nights, the two would sleep together. Yumi and Akagi had known each other for over two years at this point and, by now, sleeping in the same bed had be the norm. What started as a way for Akagi to calm the girl''s night terrors had be something of a habit that neither gave much thought to.


    "Are you alright? You look pretty tired." Akagi asked Yumi as she hopped under the covers.


    "Yeah, I am. These past few days were a whirlwind of emotions; I''m spent." Yumi talked while brushing her teeth. "But it''s alright; everything worked out in the end, and that''s all that matters."


    <i>{You say that, but I can tell by that look in your eyes that you''re at your limit. I just hope that it''s not too bad; I really wish she wouldn''t push herself, even for my sake.} </i>Akagi could tell that the added stress from going with her to her parents had caused Yumi more mental distress.


    "Then let''s head to bed, you need your rest, and I have to prepare for Hishya''s visit tomorrow. I think she''ll be here around one." Yumi finished brushing her teeth and crawled into bed alongside Akagi and hugged her from behind.


    "Good night." (Yumi)


    "Night." (Akagi)


    The two girls drifted off to sleep. While Akagi herself didn''t actually need to sleep, she still enjoyed doing so, and it did leave her feeling refreshed in a sense. While she slept, she was not defenseless and was still semi-conscious of her surroundings which meant that when Yumi started to yelp a few hourster, she instantly jolted awake.


    Akagi slowly spun around in bed and saw Yumi''s face contorted in pain and anguish. Her attacks would take one of many forms, but the mostmon was severe nightmares. Usually, she would be forced to relive the day her vige was destroyed, and it seemed tonight was no different.


    Yumi''s entire body was shaking, and she began to sweat profusely as she cried out.


    "Mom... Dad." Yumi cried out for her parents, "Please, no.... don''t leave me. I don''t want to be alone......"


    Akagi lifted her up, hugged her, and began to stroke her back. She had done this many times before, but seeing her friend like this was never pleasant.


    "It''s ok..... It''s ok...... Shuuuuuu." Akagi tried to calm her. "I''m right here, and I''m not going anywhere." Her words were warm and soft as sheforted the shaking girl.


    "Mr. Yuji, Ms. Hakamura... why... why... why... why..." The names Yumi called out to were two people in the vige who helped her as a priestess. From what Akagi told her, they were basically her second parents, and she cared about them very much.


    Yumi began to fidget in ce as she tried to run in her dream. "Please, no... not Miji... DON''T HURT HER!" Yumi screamed causing her to wake from the dream; her face filled with tears. Miji was her younger sister and the final person from the vige that Kyojaro killed during his rampage. On that day, she watched as he took the young girl''s life right in front of her, even as she begged him not to.


    "It''s ok Yumi. It''s ok....." Akagi squeezed her tighter. "You''re not in that vige anymore, and that man''s dead. He can''t hurt you or anyone else anymore." After waking from the nightmare, Yumi was in no condition to speak. Her mind was still damaged from those events all those years ago, and being forced to relive them left her in a delirious state. Akagi continued tofort her, and it took nearly an hour before Yumi regained her mental faculties. Once she was coherent, Akagi had her take a shower and change clothing, due to the sweat, before the two went back to sleep. This time the two girls faced each other, and Yumi clung to her tightly.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    The next morning.


    "How long is Onee-chan going to sleep? It''s already after 10 am, and she''s supposed to help us before Hishya gets here!" Kana and the three girls were sitting at therge kitchen table together with their study supplies. They woke up early to try and regain some of the lost study time from this weekend. Though, most would be surprised that the three girls could devote <i>any </i>time to studying after what happened on Friday.


    "She was probably pretty tired after thest two days; I know I was," Naomimented as she filled in math problems.


    "I wouldn''t me her for wanting to sleep in, but it''s strange that we haven''t seen Yumi all morning, she didn''t strike me as one to sleep in." Mika pointed out that their resident priestess was also missing.


    "While I understand wanting to sleep, we really need her help when we review history." Kana was quite good at all subjects, but for some reason she struggled with history, while her sister excelled in it.


    "I''ll go wake her up. It wouldn''t be the first time I''ve had to w her out of bed." Kana sighed and headed upstairs toward Akagi''s bedroom. She was quite annoyed that Akagi overslept, something she had done many times in the past, so when she reached her bedroom she barged right in without knocking.


    "Onee-chan, I get that you''re tired, but we really need-" Kana stopped mid-sentence as she saw her sister and Yumi lying on the bed in a deep embrace.


    "Huh?" Akagi slowly woke up. "What''s wrong, Kana? Why is your face all red, are you sick?" Akagi was still half asleep.


    Seeing the two girls lying in bed together in such a way sent Kana''s mind spinning. She had already suspected the two had some form of intimate rtionship, but she never expected to catch them together in bed!


    <i>{Were-were they..... together.... at night.... while we were here!} </i>Kana''s mind immediately went to a dirty ce.


    "Sorry for barging in!" Kana ran back out of the bedroom,pletely embarrassed. Which left Akagi even more confused.


    "What the hell was that about?" Akagi had a look ofplete and utter bewilderment on her face. "Its too early in the morning for this, Kana." she sighed. Yumi was still tired afterst night, so she opted to leave the girl in bed until she woke up. She stroked Yumi''s cheek and ran her fingers through her hair. Akagi couldn''t exin why, but she always enjoyed seeing the girls sleeping face.


    Akagi went downstairs in her pajamas and found the three girls sitting at the kitchen table. Kana''s face had gotten even redder and Naomi and Mika were asking what happened. When she walked into the room Kana tried to avert her eyes from her sister.


    "Kana," Akagi called out to her which caused the girl to jump. "Would you mind telling me what''s going on? And why are you as red as a tomato?" Akagi asked.


    "Yeah, you went up to get Akagi, and then you came running back down looking like that''s what happened." Naomi also asked.


    ¡°Are you sick or something?¡± Mika asked.


    "I...uh...." Kana stammered. "Its... uh...


    Naomi looked to Akagi and asked. "Can you tell us anything?" Akagi just shook her head.


    "She barged right into my room saying something about helping her. When I looked up, she was like this." She had no idea what caused this.


    "She said she used to wake you up all the time, so I''m not sure what the problem is," Naomimented. "Maybe what you were wearing caused this?" She asked.


    "I mean, I was wearing these pajamas so..." Akagi shrugged. "Come on Kana, out with it. What''s wrong? I don''t wanna y twenty questions."


    "I..uh... you...Yumi.... together.... interrupt...." Kana couldn''t get out aplete sentence.


    "Yumi? What about her?" The two slept in the same bed, but that shouldn''t cause Kana to act this way.


    Kana violently shook her head before shouting. "I''M SORRY I INTERRUPTED YOUR SPECIAL ALONE TIME WITH YUMI!" her sudden deration caused Mika and Naomi to look at Akagi.


    "Really? You and Yumi? I guess that does make sense." Naomimented.


    "Now that I think about it, those two are really close. That''s so nice." Mika smiled.


    "WAIT, WAIT, WAIT!" Akagi shouted. "Kana! What are you talking about? Me and Yumi are <i>NOT </i>like that!" Akagi quickly tried to push back against the girls'' assumptions.


    "But, I saw the two of you in bed together, and you were clinging to each other!" Kana eximed.


    "Ohhhh! That''s cute." Mika was enjoying this.


    "So Akagi can be passionate about things other than assassination." Naomi poked fun at her. ¡°I bet Kana''s jealous.¡±


    "You two aren''t helping!" Akagi yelled back. "Listen, Yumi and I are not in <i>that </i>kind of rtionship." Akagi tried to correct the misunderstanding.


    "Then why would you be sleeping together like that? It definitely looked like the two of you were lovers!" Kana pressed for an answer.


    Akagi sighed. "Did you forget what I told you? That Yumi is still suffering from the effects of her trauma? Last night Yumi had an attack, one that was pretty bad." Akagi continued. "We <i>do </i>sleep together normally, it''s just a habit at this point, but when she has a bad attack, I try and support her. Keeping her close by like that helps her to recover and makes her feel better."


    "Ah!" The three girls recalled what Akagi told them about Yumi.


    "You three really are idiots." Akagi rubbed her temples. "And Kana, you should know better than anyone that I''m literally <i>incapable </i>of loving someone that way." Akagi was referring to her mental illness. "On top of that due to my bodily changes, I don''t even think I can feel sexual attraction anymore." Akagi shrugged


    "???" both Mika and Naomi looked confused by Akagi''s statement. The two were unaware that she suffered from a mental illness, though they chose to avoid mentioning part two of Akagi''s deration.


    "You can''t love someone?" Mika asked with sadness in her eyes.


    "That can''t be true, you obviously care for Kana so much." Naomi tried to refute her im.


    "Onee-chan, you should probably exin what you''re talking about; you understand it better than me since..... you know." Kana''s face had returned to normal and her embarrassment had dissipated.


    Akagi took a seat and exined to the two girls that she suffers from Anti-Social Personality Disorder (APD). The kind she has is purely psychological and doesn''t involve chemicals in the brain, so the changes to her body didn''t cure her like Hishya. This illness has many side effects, but the most relevant here is that <i>it</i>,bined with her parent''s treatment, essentially fried the part of her brain that handles love.


    Her love for her sister is an <i>exception, </i>not the rule, and while she has quite a close rtionship with Yumi, it''s anything <em>but</em> romantic. If anything, Akagi described it as something like codependency. Though not anywhere near as dangerous or unhealthy.


    "What about Yumi? How does she feel?" Mika asked, as she always liked talking about romance. "I mean, she clearly likes being around you. and she follows you around like a puppy." she chuckled.


    Akagi shook her head. "I asked her about this once when we were in FWO. She admitted that she felt an attachment to me, but described it more akin to how she venerated her gods as priestesses than romantic love." Akagi continued. "Her attachment to me is a result of the severe trauma she underwent two years ago. It was bad enough to warp her mind to the point where I took the ce of the gods she once worshiped. Kind of....." Akagi trailed off.


    "She views you as a god? That''s..." Naomi didn''t want to finish that sentence.


    "Crazy." Akagi did. "Yes, you are not wrong to say that, nor would Yumi disagree. She knows just how messed up her head is, and the two of us decided to roll with it since it seemed to help her recover."


    Akagi exined that a priestess''s powerse from belief. Ordinarily, after a cleric/priestess''s belief in their god(s) was lost, they shouldn''t be able to perform any divine magic or miracles. This was vor text in the game and had no relevance to yers, but seemed to apply rigidly to NPCs. The fact that she could still use her magic was likely because her <i>belief </i>in Akagi was a sufficient substitute for the game''s purposes.


    "That... That''s really sad. I never knew Yumi had it so bad." Kana said while hanging her head.


    "That''s why I keep telling people, FWO was not just a game; it was a very real world with very real consequences for those who lived within it," Akagi said shaking her head. "Minazawa found that out the hard way."


    Spoiler


    Sleeping Yumi.


    [copse]

 Chapter 33 – Face to Face with the Hero.

    Chapter 33 ¨C Face to Face with the Hero.


    After a simultaneously embarrassing and serious conversation about Akagi and Yumi''s <i>rtionship</i>, the group sat down and had Akagi help them with their world history review. Even with all of her intelligence, for some reason, Kana struggled with History while Akagi excelled in it. It was the only ce, academically speaking, that Akagi had an edge over her sister.


    "Ugh...." Mika put her head on the table. "Too many dates, too many names....." Mika was already azy student so trying to get her to memorize historical facts was difficult. Currently, they were reviewing European history during the neenth century. The different wars, important leaders, and treaties were bouncing off their heads like rubber.


    "I don''t get how you find this interesting Onee-chan," Kanained. "It''s just boring wars and stuffy old people talking about war..." Kana <i>really </i>didn''t like history.


    "Boring!" Akagi eximed. "The post-Napoleon Era was anything <i>but </i>boring, Kana. The entire era was a bncing act between the major powers, each trying to one-up their rivals while holding back just enough so that they wouldn''t plunge the continent into another massive war." Akagi continued, though the girls were not really interested in her rant. "How can you tell me that the political genius of Lord Salisbury, Otto von Bismark, or Klemens von Metternich isn''t fascinating to read? And you can''t tell me that the tragic decline of Lord Castlereagh isn''t gripping!¡±


    The girls had no idea who she was referencing and were looking at her like she had three heads.


    "Onee-chan, I will never understand how you can have such fun reading about history." she rubbed her temples.


    "Yeah, my family is historically important, and I couldn''t care less," Naomi added with a wry smile.


    Akagi shook her head. "Kids these days...."


    "You''re not much older than us!" the three girls retorted.


    After taking a small break, Akagi continued to help the girls study, and while they weren''t enthusiastic about the subject, Akagi tried to make it as interesting as possible. The review session continued until noon, Hishya was suppose to arrive around one, and Akagi figured the girls should break for lunch. Kana helped Yumi in the kitchen, and together they prepared a light lunch for everyone. While they were eating, Akagi got a message from Hishya which told her she would be at the estate in a few minutes.


    "I''m going to wait outside," Akagi said while wiping her mouth. "Hishya should be here soon, and I imagine we have much to talk about." the girls were nning on continuing their study session after lunch.


    As she got up, Akagi looked at Kana. "Could youe with me for a second; I forgot to show you something yesterday because we were so busy; it won''t take more than a minute." She motioned for Kana to follow her; the look in her eye told Kana that this was much more important than she was saying.


    Kana followed her sister out into the courtyard, she didn''t know what she wanted to talk about, but she doubted it was pleasant.


    "Onee-chan, what''s up?" She asked. "You worded it so that Mika and Naomi wouldn''t get suspicious, so what did you need to tell me that they shouldn''t hear?" Yumi was busy elsewhere, so she was unable to provide the private telepathic connection Akagi usually used.


    Akagi looked at her sister. "I take it you haven''t told Mika the truth yet?" she asked Kana.


    "Ah..." Kana looked away. "No, I haven''t. It''s been hard to find the perfect time and ce to do that." she fidgeted slightly. Telling her friend that her brother was doing such horrible acts in FWO and that Akagi had killed him was a tall order.


    "Yeah, I figured..." Akagi sighed. "Well, we''re going to rip that band-aid off today." Kana''s flinched when she heard that. "Hishya already agreed to sit down with me and have that conversation with Mika. I figure that if she confirms the story, that might make things easier." Mika loved her brother very much, and his death left a major impact on the usually cheery girl.


    "Are you going to tell her that... you... you know." Kana stuttered.


    "That''s still up to you," Akagi said. "You have until Hishya and I are finished talking to decide. Either way, <i>you</i> will be sitting in on this conversation no matter what; she''s your friend after all." Akagi hade to like the energetic girl and had begun to view her as a friend, but she couldn''t just let Kana sidestep this topic. Doing so could result in irreparable damage to the girls'' friendship, and Akagi wanted to avoid that.


    "Ok," Kana answered quietly before turning around and heading back inside.


    "Sometimes she shows maturity well beyond her years; other times she can act her age." Akagi shook her head. "Like it or not, this conversation has to happen; it''s for the best."


    Akagi wasn''t sure how Hishya was going to arrive at the estate and so decided to wait in front of the main entrance which overlooked the parking lot below. It was quiet in the mountains, and any approaching car would be heard long before it was seen. However, Hishya did not approach by car, or bynd at all, instead around ten minutester Akagi spotted a small figure gliding over the treetops with its small wings.


    Akagiughed. "I guess that makes sense; way more efficient to just fly."


    It only took another minute before Hishya''s flying form was in front of Akagi. She hovered in the air above her for a few seconds before slowlynding and retracting her wings.


    "Well, isn''t that a convenient ability?" Akagi chuckled. "I don''t recall you being able to fly like that in FWO." Flight was quite a unique and rare skill in-game.


    "I couldn''t." Hishya retracted the rest of her dragon addons. "It''s one of the <i>many </i>things that changed from when we were in the game." she sighed. "But, in this case, I think I like it. Being able to fly is really fun."


    "I''m just d to see you up and moving around." Akagi turned towards the main entrance. "Shall we?" she asked as she started walking.


    Hishya took a few moments to psych herself up before following close behind her.


    "Wow, you weren''t kidding this ce really isn''t just a house; it''s like its own vige in here!" Hishya marveled at the sight of the estate''s interior. Being from Tokyo, she had only seen the more traditional buildings in photographs online. "I have to say, this ce really suits you." she chuckled. "A Yokai assassin living in a mountainpound that''s right out of the Edo period. What more could you ask for?" Hishya seemed to be enjoying herself.


    <i>{Well, she doesn''t seem to be afraid of me. If anything, she appears more... rxed for some reason? Is it because she isn''t trying to keep up the whole hero facade? I have no idea what''s going through this girl''s head.} </i>Akagi groaned internally as she tried to understand just what was going on with Hishya. She thought she had this girl down to a science, but her attitude now was throwing her offpletely.


    Akagi figured she would get her answers soon enough, and so decided to push these thoughts to the side. The two strolled through the garden as Akagi exined the history of the estate. They talked about the different flowers, chatted about what Hishya was doing now that she could move, and, at one point, Hishya even tried to catch one of the fish in the pond.


    However, this wasn''t just some friendly conversation; it was a game. One with the highest of stakes. The two girls were feeling each other out and trying to determine just how to approach one another. A slip-up or a mistake could result in disaster, and the air around the two women felt heavy, almost as if a fight could break out at any moment. This type of linguistic warfare was something the two learned from Imperial Nobles. Whether it was disguising one''s disdain for another noble as praise or using seemingly mundane conversations to pass along critical information; Imperial Nobles were masters of linguistic deception.


    It was telling that these two "friends" used such deceitful tactics on each other, but it made sense. Neither could be absolutely sure of the other''s intentions, and both assumed the worst about each other. Akagi was skeptical about Hishya''s sudden change in character and was concerned that she might actually be an enemy. Meanwhile, Hishya tried to discern if she could trust Akagi.


    After some time, the two women seemed satisfied with the information they reached gathered and they took a seat on a nket in the garden. Akagi took out and lit a Kiseru for Hishya, which she gratefully epted. The two women sat together and smoked inplete silence before Akagi said.


    "So," Akagi looked at Hishya. "If what you are looking for is essentially a non-aggression pact. I think that would work for me." She let out a puff of smoke. "I have no interest in fighting you, and you want to live your life in peace, so it benefits us both." Their little dance had allowed Akagi to figure out Hishya''s true intentions.


    Hishya held the pipe in her mouth. "Ever since I found out that my M.D. was cured, all I''ve cared about is taking advantage of the second life that I was granted." she gave a small smile. "Being the hero, making everyone love me, adore me, <i>need </i>me. All of that just..... stopped mattering." she let out a puff of her own.


    "It''s funny, all those years, the only thing I cared about was getting attention from others. Probably because I knew I wouldn''t be around long; so I wanted people to remember me." she took a hit.


    "Makes sense," Akagi looked at her. "Being trapped in a hospital room and told you''ll be dead before thirty has to have some effects on one''s mind." Akagi had dealt with her own mental health issues, so she could rte.


    Hishya let out a puff of smoke. "Do you remember, the first time we met?"


    "Of course I do. I kicked your ass in that Mecha Warrior tournament. You were so angry." Akagi chuckled.


    "Yeah, and from then on, I''ve always tried to one-up you where ever I could." Hishya smiled. "You always pushed me to be better, even in FWO."


    "Somebody had to light a fire under you," Akagimented. "Can''t have my rival resting on herurels; that would be boring."


    "Rival..." Hishya thought about that word. "Do you still consider me one?" She asked.


    Akagi took a moment to answer. "I''ll answer your question; with a question of my own." Akagi''s eyes started to glow, and her form began to melt into a ck shadow. "Are you afraid of me?" The ck form turned toward Hishya. "Is the only thing you feel when you look at <b>me</b>......<b> </b><i>fear</i>?" her voice distorted slightly.


    Hishya looked at the horrifying ck shadow sitting next to her. "I am afraid of you. I''ve been afraid of you for all these years, Akagi." Her face showed she wasn''t lying. "But..... when I look at you, I also see someone I want to beat. Maybe it''s just me trying to conquer that fear, but...... I want to beat you..... even if..... <u>no</u>... <i>because</i> I''m afraid of you." She was resolute in her deration. "<i>Because </i>I''m afraid of you; I want to get strong enough to beat you, strong enough that I don''t have to be afraid anymore." she let out a nervousugh.


    "That''s good to hear." Akagi took on her usual shape. "If you could only fear me, you could never be my rival."


    Silence returned, and for almost ten minutes, neither of them spoke. The wind blew through the trees, and the sound of wind chimes could be heard from the garden.


    "That night, in Hassan," Hishya spoke up. "Why didn''t you kill me? Why did you let me live?" She hade prepared to end Akagi''s life, so she always thought it strange that she was spared.


    "Why indeed." Akagiughed with the pipe in her mouth. "Honestly, I''m not sure. Maybe because it was just an absurd ending to our battle, maybe it''s because, deep down, I didn''t really want to kill you; I honestly can''t say." Akagi had always chalked it up to a whim, but now she wasn''t so sure. "Whatever the reason, I''m d I didn''t. I would have lost a good friend and an even better rival. Plus, this new world I''ve found myself in would be much more boring without you."


    "That it would." The meeting between Hero and Assassin turned into a meeting between friends. Friends, who rediscovered a rivalry they both thought lost forever.

 Chapter 34 – The Hero, the Talk with Mika and an Emotional Outburst.

    Chapter 34 ¨C The Hero, the Talk with Mika and an Emotional Outburst.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Just a small reminder that I have a discord for this story! Come join in on the fun, see some behind the scenes stuff, and even get a teaser for the next chap! You can get there.


    After about an hour of discussion, Hishya and Akagi hade to an understanding. Akagi agreed not to harm her or her family, and in return, Hishya would remain neutral in any conflicts between Akagi and the government or other yers. With this deal, the biggest threat to Akagi was removed and she could continue her work unimpeded and with Hishya out of the way; any attempt by other yers to destroy her was all but doomed. The two then shifted to less pressing discussion topics as they reminisced about the past and discussed ns for the future.


    "I can''t imagine you just sitting in some office typing away at aputer," Akagi asked Hishya what she wanted to do with her life, to which the dragon girl had no answer.


    "Yeah, I don''t want to be stuck in some room day in and day out; I think I''ve done enough of that." Hishya gave a wry smile.


    She had little in the way of schooling, and with her new powers, it was difficult to imagine she could reintegrate into society and act like a normal person. It''s quite ironic, her powers gave her the ultimate freedom of choice, but also meant that they shackled her with the responsibility of using them. Unlike Akagi, Hishya''s conscious and personal morality would never allow her to impose her will on others through force. The thought of using her powers purely for personal gain at the expense of others was aplete anathema to her.


    "Then why don''t you use those powers to help people?" Akagi asked her. "You could travel the world, and I''m sure there would be many organizations that would love to have you. You don''t have to act like a superhero, but I think you could do a lot of good for the world." The number of things a person with super strength and flight could do is too high to count. From disaster relief to helping with construction, Hishya would be a valuable asset no matter where she went.


    "Yeah, that''s what Kirika said too." Hishya smiled. "It''s been so hectic over thesest two months that I really haven''t sat down and given it thought. But, I won''t deny that flying around acting like a superhero doesn''t sound nice." Her face changed to a <i>slightly</i> perverted grin.


    Seeing this Akagimented. "Oh? And here I thought that vain side of you was gone? Does the idea of being loved by people all over the world tickle your fancy?" Akagi poked fun at her. "I can imagine it now. Hishya flies to the rescue and afterward is swarmed by her many adoring fans all telling you just how cool you are!" Akagi was struggling to hold back herughter as a shoe flew past her head.


    "Shut up! As long as I''m helping people, does it matter if I enjoy myself?" Hishya''s was bright red from embarrassment.


    Akagi shrugged. "No, not really. Just, whatever you end up doing, make sure you''re doing it because <i>you </i>want to, don''t let others make that decision for you." Akagi was worried that Hishya might get dragged along by the expectation of those around her.


    "You never change do you?" Hishya sighed in exasperation. "Even now you still like to pick on me and get under my skin! What did I do to deserve this?" she hung her head.


    "If you want, I can get out the list." Akagi stuck her tongue out.


    "You know, for some reason, I actually think you might have one." Hishya waspletely defeated.


    "Moving on," Hishya tried to redirect the conversation away from her. "We should go speak with that Mika girl." Akagi had asked Hishya for help in exining the situation. While she wouldn''t disclose that she had been the one to order the hit, she was more than happy to corroborate the ims about Mika''s brother.


    "Well, those three should be wrapping up their review in a little bit, and we''ve discussed all we need to, so now''s as good a time as ever." Akagi stood up and offered Hishya her hand.


    "Even all these yearster, Silver Wolf is still causing me headaches." She took Akagi''s hand and stood up. "Even with me here, I don''t think this conversation is going to be pleasant, especially if you tell her that <i>you </i>were the one that struck him down." Hishya predicted that Mika woulde to hate Akagi for what she did, even if the girl understood that her brother deserved his fate.


    "If I cared about what others thought of me, I would never have gone down this path in life." Akagi started walking toward the house. "If she hates me, so be it."


    Hishya followed her into the house. The girls were sitting around the kitchen table in the middle of their study session, and it looked like Yumi was trying, and failing, to help them.


    <i>{A for effort Yumi, but I would guess what these girls are reviewing is more advanced than what even the nobles in your world would see in school.} </i>Even as a priestess, Yumi''s education was <i>basic, </i>to put it nicely; FWO was a world with Nobles and Peasants after all.


    "Hey, girls," Akagi''s voice broke them out of their concentration. "How''s the studying going?"


    "Great!" (Kana)


    "Miserable" (Mika and Naomi)


    Hearing these very different reactions, Akagi let out augh. "Kana, can you guys take a break here? We need to have a discussion." Kana knew what her sister meant causing her face to darken slightly.


    "Mika, this involves you too." Akagi looked at the blue-haired girl. "As for Naomi, this is something personal, so I''ll leave that to your discretion, Mika."


    "Personal?" Mika was confused. "Can you tell me what it''s about first?"


    Akagi paused for a moment as she figured out the best way to answer her. "Your brother."


    Hearing Akagi says she wanted to talk about her brother, Mika''s expression turned serious. "Then it''s fine, Naomi can hear about it; I don''t mind." Akagi could tell that the girl''s stress levels had already increased.


    "Then the three of youe with me to the living room; Hishya is waiting there." Akagi turned around. "Yumi, you already know what''s going on, so you can sit this out if you want." Yumi was informed about Akagi''s assassination of the ck Gauntlet and the identity of its leader and chose to sit out this conversation.


    ¡°I have some other work to do, so I''ll get started on that.¡± She gave a smile.


    The girls followed Akagi into the living room and saw Hishya sitting on one of the sofas. After greeting her and having a quick discussion, the five of them took their seats as Kana opted to exin what was going on.


    "So Mika," Kana opened. "I''m going to need you to remain calm and listen to us as we exin this. If you havements, <i>please </i>hold them until the end."


    "Ok?" the blue-haired girl was confused but agreed.


    Kana took a moment topose herself before she ryed what Akagi had told her about her brother. That he and his guild, the ck Gauntlet, were responsible for the deaths of dozens of yers and countless NPCs, and that they took pleasure in the act of killing others doing it just for the rush. Kana exined that they were wiped out in retaliation for their actions and that her brother was the one in charge of the guild. To her credit, Mika didn''t interrupt Kana while she was exining. However, the look on her face conveyed that she was anything <i>but </i>calm.


    "And that''s everything." Kana finished her exnation. "I''m sorry I didn''t tell you sooner; it''s just that I wanted to find the right moment."


    "How long have you known?" Mika asked, her voiceced with anger.


    "Onee-chan told me the day she was discharged from the hospital." Kana apologized. "Please believe me that I wasn''t trying to hide this, I just didn''t know how to tell you."


    Mika''s eyes moved to Akagi''s. "So then that means you <i>lied </i>to me when I asked if you knew anything!" she was angry with her. "Why the hell would you do that?!?"


    Akagi shrugged. "Yeah, I did. And drop the attitude, Mika, and think about <i>why </i>I didn''t just tell a girl I met five minutes prior about how her brother was a murderer." Akagi didn''t really appreciate her tone of voice, friend or not Akagi didn''t take well to disrespect. "Even if I told you right then and there, would you have believed me? I doubt it."


    "You still should have told me!" she spat back. "Even if I didn''t, at least you wouldn''t have lied to me!" She looked at Kana.


    "And you." she took a breath. "I understand the tough position you were in, so I''m not mad at you, but I really wish you had told me sooner!" she put her head in her hands. "Kai''s birthday was just the other week; I would have liked to know about this before then."


    "Then does that mean you believe me? About your brother?" Kana asked carefully.


    "I... I don''t think you''re lying at the very least." She looked up at Hishya. "You''re here to confirm what she told me, right?" Hishya responded with a nod.


    "What Kana told you is 100% true. I had run-ins with your brother during the year we shared in FWO." Hishya continued. "He preyed on the weaker yers and ones who weren''t part of or connected with the assault team." Hishya''s eyes turned serious. She had known some of the people her brother had killed and she honestly hated him from the bottom of her heart.


    "Then why didn''t you stop him!" Mika eximed. "Couldn''t you have just put him in jail or something! Was killing him really necessary!" It was a reasonable question from the perspective of someone who wasn''t trapped in the game.


    "What jail would we put him in? How would we restrain him?" Hishya asked back. "The game was not designed with the long-term imprisonment of yers in mind, and we couldn''t risk him killing anyone we put as his guards." FWO was intentionally devoid of such mechanics as the devs wanted to allow more rouge y styles. As such, the only permanent restraints in the game were limited to use by system admins, which were not avable. At best they could have restrained him for a few days, but even that was dicey and that would have also required members of the assault team, strong enough to fight him should he break free, to act as guards. That was not something they could afford with the limited roster they had.


    "On top of that," Hishya continued. "As we''ve seen with Akagi, there were no real-life consequences for taking people''s lives in the game, even if done intentionally." She gestured towards FWO''s most decorated Pker. "So, even if we did jail him for the duration of the game, then what?" Her brother wouldn''t have been punished and would have been allowed to roam free after everything he did. "Would that have been fair to the people he killed?"


    "So what!" Mika eximed. "You all just decided that he needed to die? Who were you to make that call? What right did you have to make that decision!"


    "What right did your brother have to kill all those people, Mika?" Akagi interrupted. "He didn''t care about the lives of others, so why should others care about his?"


    "Of course, you would say that!" Mika''s eyes began to water. "You''re just a murderer who takes people''s lives for money! So where do you get off talking about caring for the lives of others when you are no better than he was, you monster!" Mika''s denunciation of Akagi came as a shock to everyone.


    "You''re right," Akagi replied, her words tinged with anger. "I do take people''s lives for money. But Mika," she continued. "If doing that makes me such a bad person." her sclera turned ck. "Then what does that make your brother? Unlike me, that man killed for pleasure; and he enjoyed the power he held over others'' lives." The air in the room began to grow cold as she stood up." If I''m a <i><b>monster</b></i><i>, </i>as you put it, doesn''t that make your brother something even worse?" Akagi looked at Mika withplete disgust. "I limit my killings to those who I''m paid to or those who try to harm me. But your brother had no such restrictions, Mika. He would kill someone for no other reason than he could and because he thought it was fun!" Akagi''s anger began to boil over, which caused her to, partially, lose concentration on her illusory body. "<b>DON''T YOU DARE COMPARE ME TO HIM!</b>" Akagi''s voice distorted as she struggled to keep her emotions in check.

 Chapter 35 – Shadow or Demon?

    Chapter 35 ¨C Shadow or Demon?


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    There will be two chapters today.


    Hearing Akagi''s distorted voice caused Mika to flinch, and the sudden realization of what she said crashed over her like a wave. Calling Akagi a monster was one thing; even she didn''t deny that she was one, but;paring her to a man who killed for pleasure was going too far, and Mika knew this.


    Kana watched as their discussion turned into an argument between her sister and her friend. When she heard Mikapare her brother to Akagi, she could only watch in horror as the dark shadow behind her sister began to writhe in anger. Kana wanted to intervene, but hearing Akagi''s angry distorted voice caused her to hesitate in fear.


    Hishya expected that Mika wouldn''t take this news well, but she never imagined the girl would insult Akagi in the worst way possible. Akagi would never deny being a murderer, but she drew the line atparisons to psychopaths who killed for fun. Anyone who said such things to her face would swiftly find themselves on the brink of death. An outsider might say that murder was murder no matter one''s reason for doing so. But if you were to ask Hishya which she would prefer, people like Akagi or people like Silver Wolf, she wouldn''t even hesitate in her answer. She might not agree with what Akagi does, butpared to Silver Wolf, Akagi might as well be a saint.


    Naomi was unfazed by the revtion of what Mika''s brother had done in FWO. After all, the girl had not only seen the death of her family but requested Akagi enact revenge on her behalf so she was beyond de-sensitized to such things. However, once Akagi chimed in, she got a sinking feeling in her gut as if she knew what was about to happen. She had already been on the receiving end of Akagi''s displeasure once before, but that hadn''t prepared her for this.


    Akagi''s anger at Mika''s statement reached a critical point, and her form slowly began to dissolve in front of the girl''s eyes. Her hair had gone from its normal dark green to a ck liquid-like substance, and her hands began to flicker between human and shadow. Thankfully, Akagi hadn''t lost herselfpletely, and as she looked down at her, now distorted, hands she let out augh. Although to the girls, it sounded like theugh of a demon.


    <b>[!@##$@#!@#.#!@#!@#$!$@!@$&$%#$#!@#@#$@#$@]</b>. The words that came out of Akagi''s mouth were unintelligible to the rest of the room, but they sounded <i>unnatural</i>. <b>[$@$%$%#%%# $#$##@$@$#$%$%.].</b> Akagi took a deep breath and sat back on the sofa behind her as she returned to normal. She took a moment topose herself before apologizing. Kana had to hold herself back from freaking out, she''d heard that sound once before when they were kids and she''d never imagined she''d hear it again.


    "Sorry about that; I let myself get carried away." She looked at Mika. "I''ll let you off the hook for that statement this time, I''ll just chalk it up to your emotions running high." Akagi continued. "Just understand that I <i>do not</i> appreciate beingpared in such a way."


    All four of the girls could only nod rapidly in response.


    <i>{SCARY!!!!} </i>(All of them).


    "Umm." Mika stammered. "I''m sorry, I shouldn''t have said any of that. You''re not like my brother, nor are you a monster, Akagi." Mika understood that she had gone too far and cursed herself for getting carried away by her emotions. ¡°I''m truly sorry for saying such awful things.¡± she gave a bow to both Akagi and Kana.


    <i>{I... I ... she was so angry with me.... is... is that what Hishya is so afraid of?} </i>Mika''s carefree attitude was temporarily broken as she understood the gravity of her error. Her face was even covered in a light amount of sweat from the brief moment that Akagi''s aura bared down on her. She might have held back, but Akagi''s displeasure and anger was easy for all to see and it still scared her.


    "Ok," Hishya spoke up. "So, do you want to exin why the hell you just spoke in <i>Demon</i>?" Hishya''s face showed her bewilderment. "And don''t try to tell me it was one of the scripted lines from the game! There was only one single enemy that spoke in <i>Demon, </i>and it most certainly didn''t say whatever you just did. " Uniquenguages did exist in the FWO lore, but actual in-game examples were limited to a few lines of dialogue or text.


    "Uhhhh...." Akagi scratched her cheek. "Can we just pretend I never did that?" Akagi tried to worm her way out of answering, but Hishya and Kana''s stares'' told her that wasn''t happening. "I didn''t think so."


    "Does it have to do with you absorbing that Shadow Lord?" Kana figured that was the most likely answer.


    Akagi flinched, which only confirmed Kana''s suspicions. "Yes... yes, it does." Akagi thought for a moment. "So basically, when I absorbed the Shadow Lord and merged with it, a few things <i>may </i>have flowed back in the opposite direction." she began twiddling her thumbs.


    "And that means?????" Hishya was equally curious and concerned by her statement.


    "I got a part of its memories." Akagi spat out her answer. "And part of those memories was the knowledge of the <i>Demon </inguage." she let out a defeatedugh.


    "You got its memories!" (Kana x Hishya.)


    "<i>Part </i>of its memories." Akagi corrected


    "That doesn''t matter!" (Kana x Hishya.)


    <i>{Oh great, now I have to deal with both of them acting like this} </i>Hearing both of them in stereo was annoying.


    "What does that even mean? How could you have its memories? It was just a game event boss; they don''t have memories." Hishya was still confused.


    "Yeah, and the NPCs were mindless drones; look how well <i>that </i>assumption went Hishya." Akagi retorted with some snark. "If the NPCs were more than just simple programs, couldn''t that go for the monsters or other things?" (Akagi)


    "Ok, fair point lots of things about FWO don''t make sense if we stick to the mindset that it was just a game." Hishya conceded the point. "But that still doesn''t answer the original question. What memories did you get?" Hishya and Kana weren''t going to let this go. "And also, why the hell didn''t you tell me about this <i>before</i> today?!?"


    "Well, I mean...." Akagi didn''t have a good answer. "Anyway, moving on." she decided to dodge thatst question. "As for the contents of the memories in question, they were mostly garbled with a few things that remained intact," Akagi exined that on top of its knowledge of thenguage, she also obtained information on its demonic powers.


    "Is that all?" Kana pressed.


    "Well, there were a few other memories, mostly about how it hated all mortals and wanted to burn the world to the ground, nothing important." Akagi nodded her head.


    "That sounds important!" (Kana x Hishya.)


    "Jesus Christ, are there two Kana''s now?" Akagi didn''t like this new dynamic. "And why would that be important? They were just the Shadow Lord''s instinct-" as she said this she realized <i>why</i> this was an important point. "Oh...... <i>Ohhhhhh.........."</i>


    "Hey look, she <i>can</i> use that head for more than just gaming." Hishya shook her head.


    "Yeah, sometimes she can be so smart, and other times I question just how many brain cells she has." Kana pinched the bridge of her nose.


    "Ha, ha, very funny you two. Keep it up, and ill toss you <i>into </i>my shadow for a while. Thest person I did that to had such a <i>fun </i>time." Akagi looked at the two of them with a sadistic grin.


    <i>{She would, wouldn''t she?} </i>(All four girls)


    "Let''s not and say we did." Hishya had a bit of sweat on her forehead. "Regardless, do you understand just <i>why </i>we were so concerned about you taking those kinds of memories?" Hishya continued. "If you merged with those instincts it would exin some of your uh.... anger issues and your more..... aggressive tendencies." Hishya was trying to be as courteous as possible regarding this issue.


    "Yeah, I''ve noticed that Onee-chan''s sadism has gotten <i>worse </i>than it was before FWO." Kana knew her sister enjoyed messing with people, but she was on a whole new level now. "I guess merging with a <i>literal </i>demon and taking on some of its instincts would exin that."


    Hearing them talk, Akagi could only let out a whistle as she tried to ignore them.


    "Don''t try and ignore us!" (Kana x Hishya.)


    "I''m not trying to ignore you," Akagi stated. "I get why you''re concerned, but it''s fait apli at this point." Akagi wasn''t concerned. If anything, the idea that she had be more demonic because of the merging was cool to her.


    "Onee-chan, your thoughts are written on your face." Kana sighed. "You have to be the only<i> </i>person who''s happy to have be more like a demon!" Sometimes, Akagi really took it out of her sister.


    "Honestly, this exins so much." Hishya shook her head. "So what did you just say in <i>Demon? </i>And also <i>why </i>did you speak in Demon?" Hishya was curious.


    "Well, the <i>why </i>is just because it felt right?" Akagi just kind of slipped into it, so she couldn''t really give an answer. "As for the <i>what</i>, I decline to answer." Whatever it was, it wasn''t something she wanted to share with the ss.


    "I doubt it was anything bad," Naomi interjected. "Whatever you said seemed directed at yourself rather than one of us." Naomi was anguage student and was quite good at reading lips and bodynguage.


    Akagi just shrugged. <b>[@!#@$#@@$##]</b> the unnaturalnguage filled the air.


    "Please don''t do that," Hishyained. "Whenever you speak in <i>Demon,</i> it''s like nails on a chalkboard, except the chalkboard is my brain."


    "Yeah, I second that opinion." Kana agreed.


    "Not the worst sound, but pretty bad." Naomi chuckled.


    "I don''t know; it''s not really that bad." Mika was the only one who seemed unphased.


    <i>{Her head is empty, so that makes sense.} </i>(Naomi x Kana)


    "Kana, your just as bad as your sister at keeping your thoughts off your face," Mika called her out. "And I''ll have you know; my head is only <i>mostly </i>empty." Sheughed, which caused everyone else to join in. Her self-depreciation had cleared the air in the room and lightened up the mood.


    "Well, it''s good to know just how bad the Demon Tongue sounds for you," Akagi smiled. "One more arrow for my quiver." This bit of information was <i>definitely</i>, not going to be used against them in the future.

 Chapter 36 – The Extra Gift.

    Chapter 36 ¨C The Extra Gift.


    Once the girls had had enough fun at Akagi''s expense, she asked Mika if she wanted to return home.


    "I think that would be for the best," she said with a wry smile. "There''s been so much happening over thest few days, and right now, I just want to give my parents a big hug." The mental exhaustion from this weekend''s events was visible on her face, it was clear that she had reached her limit.


    "I figured," Akagi stood up. "If you need help exining things to your parents, just ask me or Kana." she figured they might deny their son was capable of such horrific acts.


    "I don''t think that will be necessary." Mika sighed. "I''m not going to tell them, it''s better that they never find out just what Kai was doing; I doubt their hearts could handle it." She couldn''t bear to tell her parents the truth, and she figured it would be better if they continued to believe him as the kind son they always knew.


    "That''s your decision." Akagi shrugged. Whether she kept them in the dark or told them the truth was none of Akagi''s concern.


    "I think that should be my cue to return home too," Naomi interjected. "It''s been a crazy weekend, and I have some things to attend to before school tomorrow." She gave a sidelong nce at Akagi.


    "Then I will have Yumi drop the two of you off at your respective homes." Akagi snapped her fingers, and the priestess appeared next to her.


    "Yes, My Lord?" Yumi instantly responded to Akagi''s summons.


    "Take Naomi and Mika to their homes for me please." Akagi requested her assistance. "And give this to Naomi when you drop her off.¡± she whispered as she slipped Yumi the letter given to her by Ryuji.


    "Of course," Yumi nodded. "Pleasee with me and gather your things; I will transfer you when you''re ready." The two girls followed Yumi into the other room to gather their school bags.


    "I guess I should head out too." Hishya was going to return straight to Tokyo after finishing up here.


    Akagi stopped her. "No, I would rather you stay for a little while longer, we have some FWO business to attend to, and I would prefer you be here for this." Akagi was going to finally look at the special extra reward she was granted by Mizumi and wanted Hishya around for backup.


    "???" Hishya tilted her head. "Ok, but I don''t like the sound of that."


    ¡°Yeah, but its something that needs to be done, and if pushes to shove I''d prefer the both of us be here in case things go south.¡± Akagi''s tone turned serious, she had no idea what the reward was so having Hishya as backup made sense.


    After about ten minutes, Naomi and Mika returned with their school bags.


    "You two have everything?" Akagi asked.


    "Yup." (Mika x Naomi)


    "Alrighty then, I''ll see you twoter, and good luck on those exams." Akagi gave a cheeky grin. She was quite happy to never have to study again and was more than happy to rub it in their faces.


    The two high-schoolers let out a sigh and rolled their eyes, before walking off with Yumi. Kana decided to apany them so that she could see them off. With Yumi''s teleportation, it was only a few minutes before both girls were returned safely to their homes. Once Yumi and Kana returned she grabbed them and along with Hishya went into the middle of the garden in arge t area. She contacted all of her followers currently in the estate and told them to gather around, she wasn''t going to take any chances with whatever she was given by the game.


    "Jeez, there are a lot of people here." Hishya counted over thirty of Akagi''s subordinates forming around them. "Are you preparing to go to war or something?" Hishya asked half sarcastically.


    "I have no idea what the game gave me, and I''m not taking any chances." Akagi reached into her inventory. "If it''s an enemy, I''ll bring down everyst bit of force I have down on it all at once." After fiddling around for a minute she found the item that she was given in her inventory and pulled it out.


    It was a small blue and ck cube approximately two feet in diameter. The outside was marked with magical runes and it shone as magic flowed within the patterns. "Ok, now what the hell is this thing." Just as Akagi said this, the cube began to glow bright blue. In response, she flung it into the garden and prepared her weapon. After around a minute of glowing, arge yellow vortex opened, and a young girl was flung out.


    "Ow! Ow! Ow!" the mystery girl cried in pain as shended face first in the rocks. "Why would you throw the anchor? Do you know how delicate it is!" she dusted herself off and looked toward Akagi. "And did you have to.... wait.... so... long." her words slowed as she noticed the de at her throat. Akagi wasn''t taking any chances with an unknown person suddenly appearing in her home and quickly ced the girl in apromising position. Simultaneously all of her subordinates trained their weapons and/or magic on this girl, if she tried anything her life would be ended in a sh.


    "Now then, you''re going to start answering my questions," Akagi''s eyes glowed, and her face turned serious. "And if I don''t like what I hear, or you try <i><b>ANYTHING</b></i>, you die." Her voice briefly distorted. "Do you understand?"


    The girl was terrified by this disy of power and began to shake, but she still managed to answer. "Y-yes."


    The young girl in front of Akagi had short blue hair like Mika''s but lighter, almost the same color as Kana''s eyes. It seemed to sparkle with magical energy, and her eyes were the same color. She was short, perhaps the same height as a ten year old, and wore a blue dress with a red bow, the same kind one would see the young daughters of nobles wear in FWO. She appeared to be harmless, but Akagi wasn''t letting her guard down.


    "First thing, name." Akagi held her de at the girl''s throat.


    "My name is Mizumi," she responded meekly. Hearing this name, Akagi''s grip on her de grew tighter and she pressed it closer to her neck.


    "Are you the same Mizumi that sent me that message in FWO? The one about me being a limit breaker?" If so, then that meant that this girl may have been responsible for the FWO incident.


    "Y-yes, I am. I sent you that message just before logout." the girl seemed on the verge of tears as she answered.


    "Were you the one responsible for trapping everyone in FWO?" Akagi''s voice grew dark.


    "Um..." the girl hesitated, only to have Akagi press the de up against her skin.


    "Talk or <i><b>die</b></i>. Those are your options." Akagi gave the girl an ultimatum.


    Akagi''s voice terrified the girl, and she began to cry, but no one intervened, not even Kana.


    "Waaa... I... I.... yes.... yes... I did... waa." The girl squeaked out a response as she cried.


    Her admission caused Hishya to tighten her fists and her knuckles to turn white, and Kana cupped her hands over her mouth in shock.


    "Why?" Akagi asked the crying girl. "Why would you do that? Do you know how many people died because of you!" She might have been grateful for receiving these powers, but that didn''t mean she approved of trapping innocent people in a death game.


    "B-because... if... if... I didn''t." the girl continued to cry. "WE ALL WOULD HAVE DIED!" the girl loudly eximed. Akagi hadn''t expected such a response, and was momentarily taken aback.


    "Exin the situation! What do you mean you would have all died?" Akagi pressed for answers. "What did that have to do with trapping people in the game and killing them!" Akagi showed no signs of stopping her questions; she didn''t know if this girl was truly afraid or if she was faking, and honestly, she didn''t care. All she wanted was answers, and she was going to press this girl until she gave them.


    The girl continued to cry for almost a solid minute before she calmed down enough to speak. Kana had tried to move forward tofort the girl, but she was stopped by Hishya whose palms were covered in blood. In her anger she''d partially transformed and squeezed her hands so hard that she ended up digging her, very sharp, dragon nails into them causing blood to spill out from her palms.


    "Stay back, Kana," Hishya said in her much more authoritative draconic voice. "If anything were to happen to you, I don''t even want to imagine what Akagi would do. So don''t get any closer." She walked forward and stood next to Akagi. She released most of her draconic power and was sporting horns, a tail, wings, ws, and her face and arms were covered in scales. She reached into her own personal inventory and drew her signature sword, the legendary me de, Sun Strike. Kana could do nothing but sit back behind Chloe and Yumi''s protection; she was sure this little girl was going to die.


    With the overwhelming presence of Hishya and Akagi bearing down on her, the girl had no choice but to speak. Hishya wasn''t going to save her, if anything, she probably wanted to kill her more than Akagi.


    "I want answers too." Hishya stared the girl down. "You better have a good reason for trapping people in the game for four years and killing almost two thousand of us!" she pointed Sun Strike at the girl. "If you were the one responsible for everything, then you should know just how bad your situation is if Akagi and <i>I</i> are pointing our des at you." Hishya gave the girl a re that could kill.


    "We... We had to flee our home." the girl said in a weak voice. "The war between.... between mortals, and spirits... if we would have stayed.... we would have all been destroyed." the girl had stopped crying but was still unable to speak properly.


    "And what did this war have to do with us?" Akagi spat out her question.


    "We... we needed a connection... a connection to another world." the girl stammered. "We ced all the remaining spirits in a pocket dimension and searched for a way to leave our world." the girl exined.


    "Spirits? Is that what you are? Not a god?" Hishya asked.


    "NO!" she eximed. "We are not gods, many think of us as such, but we aren''t." She looked at Akagi. "If anything, we are more like creatures of magical energy, but unlike <i>you, </i>we have physical bodies."


    "Ok, so you wanted to flee your war-torn world." Akagi looked at her. "And while that''s all well and good, you still didn''t answer the question." She let her sclera turn ck. "<b>Why did you kill so many innocent people?!?</b>"


    The girl flinched. "B-because we needed a proper connection to this world," she exined. "Normally, moving between worlds is impossible, so I needed an anchor point. I manipted the creation of that <i>game</i> so that it would mimic the pocket dimension as closely as possible. Once that was done, I needed to have people on your end synchronize their souls with the pocket dimension to stabilize the connection." she continued. "A side effect of this was that anyone who <i>died </i>within the game would be killed because their <i>soul</i> was linked to their game avatar."


    ¡°How could you even have the power to do all that? If you could manipte events in this world as much as you did, could you not just cross over without endangering people?¡± Akagi asked.


    ¡°I don''t really understand the magic used to do all this. The other elders gave their lives to make this work and I was only given information on what to do and the basics. Anything more advanced, such as intricate details about how it all functioned on a technical level, is beyond me.¡± Mizumi became sad as she recalled the loss of her friends.


    She looked at Hishya. "Please, believe me, it wasn''t my goal to kill anyone, but we had no choice. If we didn''t escape, my entire people would''ve been exterminated! So we decided to take the risk; we knew people could die, but...." her voice grew weak, and she didn''t finish her statement.


    "You decided that your own lives were more important than ours." Hishya finished her sentence for her. "I suppose that makes sense, you killed a bunch of strangers so that people you knew about would survive. It makes sense logically, but I don''t think that''s any sce to the people that died." Hishya understood that they had no choice, but that didn''t mean she liked it. During the FWO incident, she lost a lot of friends, and always wanted a chance to make the person who did this suffer. She may have been grateful that she''d been cured of her disease, but that didn''t mean she wasn''t angry about all those lives lost.


    Mizumi couldn''t refute her, after all, Hishya was right; that was exactly what they thought.


    "Even with the synchronizationplete, we still needed a proper point of entry into your world." She looked at Akagi. "I thought all was lost but then, I noticed that you had the potential to break the barrier between worlds, even for a brief moment." Akagi figured this was the whole "Limit Breaker¡± thing.


    "What was so special about me? Why was I the only one able to absorb the Shadow Lord and be a limit breaker?" Akagi <i>really </i>wanted to know the answer to this question.


    Mizumi took a second to gather her thoughts. "With the pocket dimension synchronized to the game, I saw that if I merged your soul with the Demon, I could create a stable connection point for us to cross into your world." She looked at Akagi, who was shocked by her revtion. "I don''t know why, but for some reason, you were verypatible with that Demon."


    Spoiler


    Mizumi!


    [copse]

 Chapter 37 – The Only Acceptable Position.

    Chapter 37 ¨C The Only eptable Position.


    "Compatible?" Akagi asked. "What does that even mean? And why would I even bepatible with a Demon?" Akagi''s mind raced as she tried to understand what the girl just said.


    "L-like I said, I don''t really know myself." Mizumi continued. "Something about your soul was simr enough to that demon that it allowed me to merge them and create a cross-over point between our worlds." The girl was still terrified of Akagi but seemed to regain some of herposure. "As far as I know, Demons or even magic don''t exist in your world, so I have no idea <i>why </i>you would share any simrities. Your soul was damaged, so perhaps that had something to do with it?" She seemed to be telling the truth, but thatst part caught everyone''s attention.


    "What do you mean my soul was damaged?" Akagi eximed. "Did you do that?" Akagi was about at the end of her rope with this girl.


    "NO! Souls are sacred things; spirits would never damage them!" she cried out. "Even merging yours as I did is considered taboo, but I did it because we had no choice." A dark shadow fell over her face. "I don''t know why it was damaged; the only way that should be possible is if it was subjected to some <i>extreme </i>form of trauma."


    <i>{Trauma? I.... could it be possible that....} </i>Akagi had an idea about what may have caused it, but pushed it aside for now.


    "So you merged me with that Demon so that you could connect our two worlds and allow you and all your spirit friends to jump to safety. Do I have that right." Akagi didn''t understand any of the mechanics behind what she was saying, but she could tell this girl wasn''t lying.


    "Yes, that''s correct." she nodded. "It was a long shot, and I didn''t have room to be picky in my methods, but that is exactly what happened." she continued. "But rest assured that you were not harmed by the merger! That Demon''s personality was long gone by the time you fused with it. If anything, you may have received a few scattered memories, and that''s it." Mizumi tried to reassure Akagi that she was still herself and that she needn''t worry about the Demon she fused with.


    "So then why did some yers retain their abilities after logout?" Hishya asked another crucial question. "Unless you mean to tell me you merged 100 yers with the souls of other creatures?" Hishya was still quite angry with this little girl.


    "No, No, No," she shook her head. "Akagi was the only person whose soul was merged; she was the only person I could do that to." Hishya didn''t exactly like the idea of her soul being merged with some dragon, so hearing this was a slight relief. "As for why you kept those powers, it was most likely a side effect of the dimensions briefly intertwining and merging. It just so happened to affect 100 of you, so I made an announcement to make it seem nned." She gave a wryugh. Even the person who caused this whole mess didn''t understand everything that happened, and the transfer of powers was something out of her hands.


    "Can you take away our powers?" Akagi barked.


    "No, I can''t do something like that." she denied having that ability. "I don''t even fully understand how those powers transferred to begin with. Taking them away would be far beyond what I or any spirit is capable of." Mizumi shook her head.


    "Good, just know if I find out you''re lying. <b>You''re Dead. </b>"Akagi''s voice distorted again. "I have no intention of going back to the way I was."


    "Yes, mam." the girl squeaked in fear.


    "So, we got our answers." Akagi looked at Hishya, who she could tell was holding back a lot of anger. "Now the question is, what do we do with her?"


    "Honestly, I have half a mind to run my de through her heart." Hishya''s line was uncharacteristically dark. "After everything she''s done, taking her life would be fair. No?" she tilted her head.


    "NO! Please don''t kill me!" the girl frantically begged for her life. "If I die, the pocket dimension with everyone in it will copse, and over thirty thousand other spirits will perish!" Their threat sent her into a panic as she pleaded for mercy.


    "Not making a great case here kid," Akagi said. "If we kill you, we get revenge for all those people that died, <i>and</i> we guarantee that you don''t cause trouble. I don''t really give a damn about those spirits, so if they die well, that''s not my problem now, is it?" Akagi gave a sadisticugh as she mocked Mizumi.


    "Please!" she begged. "I''ll do anything; just let me and my people live in peace. I promise you we will never bother you again!"


    "What''s your offer little spirit?" Akagi chuckled. "The way I see it, we hold you and your friend''s life in our hands, and you''ve got nothing to trade." If it wasn''t already known that Akagi was a Demon, this would have been a good indication.


    "I... I.... I''ll serve you!" Mizumi offered herself as the trade. "I''m a high-ranked water spirit; if you promise to spare my life and the lives of my fellow spirits, then I will serve you." It was clear that she didn''t really want to do this, but she felt she had no choice.


    "And what does your service get me?" Akagi scoffed. "I already have considerablebat power, and you''re clearly weaker than me, so tell me what you can do for me, and I might consider it." she gave the girl a chance to sway her.


    "I can fight, and I''m probably more powerful than most servants you already have. As for other things..." the girl thought for a moment. "I can guarantee that my magical knowledge is far beyond what you have, so I can help you to further strengthen your abilities; the same goes for your magically inclined servants. On top of that, I can offer you the resources of the pocket dimension." she continued. "It''s basically an entire world in there, so if you want natural resources, I can get them." (Mizumi)


    "Huh, I honestly thought you were going to offer to form some kind of spirit contract with me." Akagi''s stare caused the girl to flinch.


    "I... I could, but being made part of your soul is an <i>unpleasant </i>prospect." Merging with Akagi in such a fashion was something that she <i>really</i> didn''t want to do; since she might be irreparably changed by Akagi''s Demonic soul.


    "Yeah, and I don''t trust that whole contract thing, so no thank you." Akagi withdrew her de, causing Hishya to do the same. "So here''s how this is going to work." Akagi walked up to the anchor, as the girl called it. "If this is destroyed all of your spirit friends die, right?"


    Mizumi nodded. "Yes, the pocket dimension would copse."


    "Good, Good," Akagi''s shadow erupted from behind her and engulfed the anchor, causing Mizumi to panic. "Rx, your little box is perfectly fine. I simply ced it within my shadow body at the bottom of a deep dark void." Akagi gave an evilugh. "As long as you y ball and I don''t die, your friends will be fine." She walked back over to Mizumi. "And if you think you can just retrieve the cube by taking away my powers, I''ll let you know that in such a scenario, everything in my shadow will be obliterated." Akagi''s threat was no bluff. While she couldn''t test the effects of losing her powers, her knowledge from merging with the Shadow Lord told her that the cube wouldn''t survive such an event.


    "I understand," Mizumi nodded. "As long as you uphold your end of the deal, I''ll uphold mine. It''s not like I have a choice." Her people would have been exterminated by the other races in her home world. Living under Akagi''s thumb was a small price to pay for their lives.


    "You ok with this Hishya?" Akagi asked the dragon girl. "I can tell you want to rip her to shreds." Hishya''s emotions were running rampant, and she struggled to control her draconic blood.


    "It''s fine," She calmly replied. "I''ll need some time to cool off, but I can live with this. While I can''t forgive this girl for killing all those people, I can''t exactly say killing thirty thousand in return is appropriate." She took a deep breath and retracted her draconic features.


    "Just know this." she looked at Mizumi. "You took a lot of innocent lives to save your people, so I expect you to spend however long it takes to atone for those deaths. And. If you ever try <i>anything, </i>know that not only Akagi but <i>I </i>will be gunning for you."


    ¡°Well you heard her.¡± Akagiughed. ¡°Hishya doesn''t normally get like this, but when she does, you better watch out.


    Akagi turned around. ¡°Alright everyone, shows over! Thanks for the backup!¡± Akagi dismissed her followers and asked them to return to their duties. ¡°Yumi, Chloe, stick around for a bit, I''ve got some work for each of you.¡± The two were still quite wary of Mizumi and kept their eyes trained on her.


    "Mi" she called out to the girl. "You''re going to be working directly under Yumi; we don''t have a dedicated maid in our ranks, so you''ll be taking that role when you''re not on assignments." Akagi gave a grin; she was going to enjoy messing with this girl.


    "Mi?" the shortening of her name made her unhappy, but that wasn''t the most important thing Akagi said. "And a maid? You''re going to make me work as a maid!?! <i>Me </i>a high-ranking water spirit!" She couldn''t believe what she was hearing; such a position would be an insult to someone of her stature.


    "Yep!" Akagi gave a happy nod. "I could never get a hold of an eptable one in FWO, but I think you''ll work out <i>perfectly</i>." Akagi had a terrible look in her eyes, one that Kana had seen one too many times.


    <i>{Ohhhhh boy, I don''t know what Onee-chan has in store for this girl, but I can''t imagine it''s gonna be fun.} </i>Kana said a prayer in her head. <i>{Is it bad that I kinda want to see this? Is Onee-chan rubbing off on me? I hope not.} </i>Kana might not share her sister''s sadistic tendencies, but even she agreed that this girl deserved punishment for her actions.

 Chapter 38 – The Hero and the Sister.

    Chapter 38 ¨C The Hero and the Sister.


    Akagi, Yumi, and Chloe took the newly <i>conscripted </i>Mizumi into the servant housing to get acquainted with her new role as Akagi''s personal maid. Hishya decided not to follow them as she was in no mood to be around the girl any longer than she had to. Fundamentally, she hated Mizumi, and even though her actions cured Hishya of her disease, she still couldn''t forgive her for killing so many innocent people, some of which she had be good friends with.


    Seeing Hishya''s frustration, Kana took the opportunity to speak to her; in private. She was curious about her sister''s rival and was interested in knowing just what kind of person she was. Hishya was simrly interested in Akagi''s little sister, so the two returned to the living room, and Kana made some fresh tea.


    "It''s a littlete for introductions, my name is Nina Hoshinomi, but..... you can call me Hishya." She hesitated slightly. Being called Nina didn''t bother her, but she preferred Hishya.


    "Are you sure?" Kana asked. "Onee-chan is one thing, but are you sure it''s fine to call you by your avatar''s name?" Kana saw a sense of disconnect in Hishya''s eyes.


    "Yeah, it''s a tricky subject," Hishya smiled while scratching her cheek. "Maybe''s it''s because I spent so long in FWO, or maybe it''s because I want a fresh start, but being called Hishya just feels.... <i>right,</i> I guess?


    Kana let out a giggle. "Onee-chan said the same thing. She said that being called Rishia felt wrong to her." The two women were quite simr in that regard.


    "Ah, hehehehe." Hishya let out a nervousugh. "Yeah, I''ve only ever known her as Akagi, so calling her something else would be weird for me, especially now." she looked down at her tea in exasperation.


    "You and Onee-chan knew each other for a while, huh?" Kana took a sip of her tea. "She mentioned you every once and a while, and she told me you were her rival." she chuckled. "I never imagined Onee-chan would ever call someone that."


    "Yeah, that sister of yours sure is something else." Hishya shook her head. "In all the years I''ve known her, I can count on one hand the number of times I''ve beaten her." The two hadpeted in every game imaginable, and Akagi rarely lost to anyone, even her.


    "Well," Kana gave a sidelong nce. "She really didn''t have anything but gaming; it was all she did besides go to school." Akagi was only one or two steps above a hikikomori at times.


    "Um... Kana." Hishya looked her in the eye. "I um.... this is really awkward to say, but... I''m sorry I almost killed your sister." Hishya bowed in apology, which shocked Kana. "I got so caught up in my status as the hero that I no longer saw Akagi as my friend. At that point, I was more interested in beating her to satisfy my own ego. After all, everyone loves the hero who defeats the big bad evil guy." Hishya looked at her with sadness in her eyes.


    "It''s fine; I''ve never been angry with you," Kana reassured her. "Things were quite crazy in FWO, and honestly, Onee-chan was basically the viin of the story." She gave a wry smile. "I mostly just try to put it out of my mind, but tell me.... was she really that bad in-game? I''ve heard stories but..." Kana may have epted her sister''s nature, but that didn''t mean she was entirelyfortable with it.


    "Honestly, no, not really." Hishya thought about it for a moment. "She is responsible for 104, now 105, yer deaths; but she could have easily killed much more." Monsters had killed far more yers than Akagi, so in terms of kill count, she was quite low. "It was more the fear factor than anything else." She put her cup down. "We all expected monsters to be after us; that was the point of the game, but the idea that another person was <i>willingly </i>killing other people <i>knowing </i>full well that they would die. That... that was just too much for people." There were a few Pkers in FWO, but all but Akagi were dealt with quite quickly, and most never killed more than one or two people. But, Akagi''s skill and game knowledge made her a force to be reckoned with.


    "Four times..... four times members of the assault team went out to defeat her. And four times, she wiped them out." Hishya shook her head. "By the eve of Hassan, she had already killed over eighty yers, some of our best and brightest were sent to their deaths by her de." she looked at Kana. "Don''t get me wrong, I''m not ming Akagi; she had every right to defend herself, it''s just that...." she stopped for a moment. "If I hadn''t been so blinded by my own ego, those people wouldn''t have died."


    "But I mean," Kana interjected. "You were just trying to stop someone who was killing other yers. Even if it was Onee-chan, I don''t think it was wrong to fight her." Kana''s response was quite shocking to Hishya.


    "You.... you... I''m surprised you can say that; I know how much Akagi means to you." Hishya was momentarily stunned.


    "Just because she''s my older sister; doesn''t mean I have to wear rose-tinted sses. As I said before, I <i>ept </i>what she is; I do not <i>endorse </i>it." Kana gave a determined look.


    "If Onee-chan''s own actions got her killed, I would be sad, but I couldn''t fault the person who struck her down." Kana poured a new cup of tea. "Onee-chan is... Onee-chan is a person who walks a dangerous path, and she teeters on a fine line. I can''t change who she is, so my only choice is to make sure she never truly goes off the deep end." Hishya understood exactly what she was talking about. Akagi''s mind <i>craved </i>death and murder but, for whatever reason, had limited itself to a narrow scope in which to practice those things. For now, she was content with assassination to satisfy her inner cravings, but there was no guarantee that she wouldn''t seek more in the future.


    <i>{Th-this girl! How can she be younger than me but so much more mature?} </i>Hishya couldn''t believe that Kana was able to so quickly assess her sister''s condition and make such objective statements. <i>{Now I see why Akagi always bragged about her; not only is she smart, she can use that intelligence effectively. And here it took me nearly two and half years to understand just what Akagi was.} </i>she cursed herself for her failure.


    "Just what do you n on doing?" Hishya asked. "Being by her side is good, but if Akagi really goes off the rails, I doubt you can stop her." the power of sisterly love was strong but was it strong enough to stop a rampaging Demon? That was what Hishya was getting at.


    "You''re right," Kana nodded. "As I am now, I could never hope to stop Onee-chan. But that''s not my goal." she took a deep breath. "I''m partially responsible for making Onee-chan the way she is, so my goal isn''t to stop her; it''s to make sure her actions are her own." Kana continued. "At the very least, if she decides to destroy the world, I want that to have been because she <i>wanted </i>to, not because she went mad." She gave a smile that betrayed the seriousness of the words she just said.


    Hearing Kana''s statement, Hishya was left momentarily speechless.


    <i>{She... this girl... I can see it in her eye... she''s.... she''s serious.} </i>Hishya''s mind raced. <i>{In a way, she might be just as scary as Akagi.} </i>


    Kana meant what she said, her devotion to her sister was so great, and her feelings of guilt ran so deep that as long as Akagi was making a rational conscious decision of her own free will. Kana would likely go along with it, no matter how terrible it was. She might not approve of Akagi''s actions, but she wouldn''t stand in her way.


    "I see..." Hishya didn''t really have a response to Kana''s deration.


    "It''s fine if you think me crazy." Kana chuckled. "Trust me, I''m well aware of just how bad that sounds, but it''s how I truly feel. Though I''m going to try my best to ensure it neveres to that point." Kana would prefer if Akagi lived a rtively quiet life if possible.


    "I shouldn''t be judging others." Hishya sighed. "After all, I''m a massive hypocrite who was more than happy to ask Akagi to dirty her hands for my sake." Even though Hishya had contracted Akagi to kill the ck Gauntlet, she still denounced her and her actions as an assassin. While she still didn''t like what she did, she now understood that she had no right to criticize her actions.


    "I figured it was you who made that request." Kana interrupted Hishya''s thoughts. "She wouldn''t tell me who it was, but based on circumstances you were one of the most likely client." Kana''s detective skills were impressive.


    "It''s honestly not my proudest moment." Hishya gave a wry smile. "I was more than happy to use your sister to get rid of people rather than take responsibility and do it myself. It was one of the times my ego caused me to make a big mistake." Hishya was slightly embarrassed. "I was so worried that people would turn away from me if I got blood on my hands. In desperation, I went to the one person I knew could help me, but doing so was little different than selling my soul to a Demon." The price for Akagi''s help was the loss of her moral high ground, something Hishya could never get back.


    "Good thing Onee-chan didn''t actually ask for your soul, huh?" Kana joked.


    "Don''t give her any ideas. Now that she is an honest to god Demon, I wouldn''t be shocked if she did." Hishya shuddered at the thought.


    <i>{Good thing I asked her for help </i><i><b>before</b></i><i> she merged with that thing.}</i> Of course, whether Akagi could <i>actually</i> take souls was unknown, but she didn''t want to find out.


    "Eh." Kana shrugged. "There''s probably worse Demons to sell one''s soul to." she gave a cheeky smile.


    "Let''s not and say we did." Hishya''s statement caused both girls to bust outughing.


    "OH!" Kana eximed. "Ummm... I have a question for you..."


    "What is it?" Hishya tilted her head.


    "Umm... can... can I touch your tail?" Kana blushed as she asked a very embarrassing question.


    The unexpected request caused Hishya to howl inughter.


    "Yeah..... sure why not?"

 Chapter 39 – Payback and New Maid.

    Chapter 39 ¨C Payback and New Maid.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    There will be two chapters today.


    Akagi finished getting her new maid Mizumi prepared for her duties. Yumi would take over her training, and Chloe was assigned to her as a minder until she could be trusted. With that out of the way, she returned to the main house to see what Kana and Hishya were doing. It was already gettingte, so she was going to see if Hishya wanted to stay the night rather than fly back to Tokyo in the dark. However, upon reaching the doorway into the living room, Akagi was greeted with an amusing sight.


    "Is it really ok if I touch it?" Kana asked pensively.


    "Yeah, it''s fine; not like it''s gonna hurt me," Hishya responded with a smile.


    Akagi watched for a moment as Kana stroked Hishya''s tail and touched her horns. Both girls were enjoying themselves, especially Hishya, who seemed to like being pet.


    "This is amazing!" Kana eximed. "They''re not sharp at all, and they''re warm to the touch!" she was referring to Hishya''s scales.


    "Well, I am a fire dragon," Hishya chuckled. "Warm is kinda my thing."


    Neither girl noticed Akagi, who just stood and watched this amusing situation. Seeing her sister so enthralled with Hishya''s draconic features gave her an amusing idea. She waited for about five minutes before making her presence known; she wanted to allow the two to thoroughly engross themselves before she chimed in.


    "Sorry to interrupt your <i>special alone time </i>with Hishya," she called out to Kana, which caused both girls to jump in surprise.


    The two looked over at Akagi, and their faces turned bright red in embarrassment. ¡°H-how l-long were- you-you." Kana stammered.


    "Since about the time you said: <i>Is it really ok if I touch it?</i>" She mimicked her sister''s voice. "Fair warning Kana, dragons have quite the <i>appetite,</i> so I hope you have plenty of <i>stamina</i>." Akagi stuck out her tongue. Seeing as Kana took the opportunity toment on her rtionship with Yumi this morning, she figured that she might get a little payback.


    "S-stamina... appetite....." It took a moment for the girl to understand what her sister meant, but once she did, her face only got redder, and you could practically see steam rising from her head.


    "Take good care of Kana for me, Hishya." Akagi let out a bigugh, and Hishya responded by burying her head in a nearby pillow. The two girl''s reaction was better than she could have hoped for, and it took about ten minutes before the girls were in any state to speak.


    "Onee-chan why did you have to do that!" Kana eximed, her face still red.


    "I figured I would pay you back for this morning." Akagi cracked a smile.


    "AH!" Kana recalled herments about Akagi and Yumi. "That-that''s... fair." she couldn''t argue with her on this one.


    "Do I even want to know what you''re talking about?" Hishya gave an exasperated sigh.


    "She saw Yumi and me sleeping together and got the wrong idea." Akagi shrugged.


    "Ah, yeah....... the first time I saw that It threw me for a loop as well." Hishya''s nervousughter said there was more to the story that she wouldn''t tell.


    "Putting aside the need to buy red rice." herment caused both girls to turn red again. "We finished Mizumi''s <i>orientation, </i>and she''s being put to work under Yumi. I intend to keep a close eye on her for the time being." Akagi exined how she was going to deal with the potential threat in her home.


    "That''s smart; we have no idea what that girl is really capable of." Hishya shook her head. "If she had the power to transfer her people between worlds, who knows what else she could do." They only knew that she was a high-ranking spirit, while they assumed that meant she was strong, just <i>how </i>strong was unknown.


    "From what she told me, she''s actually not that strong." Akagi had asked the girl more questions while she prepared her for her new position. "Apparently, the spirits in her world were <i>weaker</i> than most members of the assault team. I don''t think she''s lying, but we should take her words with a grain of salt, just to be safe." Akagi was quite good at picking out deception, but she didn''t assume lying to her was impossible.


    "How did she even manage to pull off something so unbelievable then?" Hishya was confused. "She made a pocket dimension then brought it and herself here with all her people. There''s no way she''s that weak if she can pull something like that off." Hishya didn''t understand the concepts behind the magic used, but her knowledge of fictional works told her that something like this would require immense power to pull off.


    "She said that it required the umtion of an enormous quantity of magic and that most of the elder spirits sacrificed themselves to generate the power used in the ritual." Akagi sighed. "Apparently, she is thest high-level spirit remaining, and was tasked with overseeing the ritual and protecting her people. So she doesn''t really understand the technical side of things."


    "So, was that box really where all her people live?" Kana interjected.


    "That''s what she told me." Akagi confirmed. "Supposedly, that it''s an anchor which stabilizes the pocket dimension by attaching it to our world. She needed me to transfer its connection from her world to ours." Akagi''s role was still unclear even after Mizumi''s exnation; mostly, because it was too technical for her to understand.


    "So where is she now? That Mizumi girl?" Kana was curious as to what she was doing; she knew she would be trained as a maid but didn''t know what that would entail.


    "She''s busy undergoing Yumi''s <i>boot camp</i>." Hearing that made both girls shudder; even Kana''s spartan studying program couldn''tpare to what Yumi was doing to the poor girl. "But here look at this" Akagi pulled out her phone and showed the two of them a picture of Mizumi in her new outfit.


    "She looks really cute," Kanamented.


    "Why do I get the feeling she kinda likes it? Like her face shows embarrassment but like...." Hishya didn''t know what to think. "Leaving a young child in Akagi''s care, that might not be the best idea." Hishya had a moment of pity for the girl, and also dread as she thought what Akagi might do to such a child.


    "Yeah, young, she''s several thousand years old apparently..... god, I never thought I would actually see that trope in real life." Akagi hung her head. "At least the F.B.I. won''t be banging down my door." her joke went over the two girls'' heads.


    "Why does she look like a kid?" Kana asked. "If she''s an adult, why does she look like she''s ten?"


    "Because she likes being cute," Akagi answered instantly. "I asked her that myself, and that was the response." she chuckled. "Like me, she can change her appearance, so if she wanted to, she could use a more mature form, but she doesn''t want to. I think it has something to do with the whimsical nature of spirits."


    "Now I kinda wanna see you small like that." Kanaughed.


    "Oh god, that''s right. You can change into other people''s appearances." Hishya had forgotten Akagi could do that. "Please don''t go messing with people like that."


    "So your saying I shouldn''t transform into you and let Kana pet your tail?" Akagiughed, and the two girls stuck their heads in their hands.


    "We''re never gonna live that down, are we?" Kana gave up.


    "Nope, not with her." Hishya was equally defeated.


    "Alright, I''ll stop messing with you." Akagi chuckled. "The other reason I came back was to see if you wanted to stay the night, Hishya. I know you''re pretty fast, but a trip to Tokyo is still a few hours and it''s going to be getting dark soon." Akagi looked out the window, the sun was still high but the days were getting shorter this time of year.


    "Wait. Why not just have Yumi teleport her? You went to Tokyo once before so can''t she just do that?" Kana asked a pretty good question because she was right Yumi could do that.


    "She <i>could, </i>but I will not ask her to do that, Kana." Akagi denied her sister''s idea.


    "Eh? Why?" Kana didn''t understand Akagi''s refusal.


    "Because Yumi and I don''t get along very well," Hishya interjected. "She doesn''t really like other yers, and I''ve tried to kill Akagi once before, so that already made things difficult." She scratched her cheek. "On top of that, the times we''ve been alone have almost always resulted in fighting." She sighed, recalling just how many arguments the two had gotten in over the years. "The fact that I didn''t treat the NPCs like real people... might also have given her a very bad impression of me." Hishya didn''t go out of her way to harm them and generally treated them well, but unlike Akagi, she still viewed them as A.I. programs until the very end. Needless to say, Yumi didn''t really appreciate some of the smartassments Hishya made to her on that issue.


    "Really, is your rtionship is that bad? I honestly didn''t even notice." Kana didn''t notice the two having any problems before; she couldn''t speak to the real v. A.I. issue but understood that it was a huge problem for Akagi and Yumi.


    "Because Yumi and Hishya weren''t left alone together, Kana" her sister chimed in. "When they''re around others, things are fine, but putting them by themselves causes friction. Last time I did that, I had to practically pull Yumi off her when Hishya made an <i>insensitive </iment about the Hassan townsfolk." Looking back, Yumi and Hishya were always separated or with Akagi/the girls at the estate. "So, while Yumi would teleport her to Tokyo if I asked, I don''t want to cause any issues."


    "Yeah, and it''s fine. I like flying so it''s no inconvenience." Hishya reassured Kana. "As for your offer... I think I''ll take it. I''m still not 100% in my flying, and getting over to Kanto in the dark will be annoying, even if I can see." She would probably be fine, but would rather not chance crashing into people''s houses or the topography. "I would like to try to speak to her at some point; do you think that''s possible? At the very least, I owe her an apology for some of the things I''ve said." Seeing Yumi in the real world made Hishya reevaluate her stance on FWO''s NPCs, and she began to regret her attitude toward them.


    "No promises, but I suspect she would be fine with that." Akagi wouldn''t force her, but Yumi wasn''t stubborn enough to refuse a sincere meeting with Hishya.


    Spoiler


    Mizumi in her new uniform!


    [copse]

 Chapter 40 – The Giant Moves.

    Chapter 40 ¨C The Giant Moves.


    <b>6 AM EST the John F. Kennedy Conference Room (the Situation Room) Washington D.C.</b>


    The President of the United States, Sarah Rosewood, sat in the situation room and was preparing for a briefing on the destruction of JSDF Camp Katsura in Kyoto Japan. American foreign policy in the far east was intrinsically linked to Japanese stability. A sudden and devastating strike on one of its military facilities was not only unexpected, but a matter of U.S. national security. Less than twenty-four hours prior, the Japanese Prime minister gave a press conference that confirmed that one of the "returnees" was responsible for the attack and that it was the Japanese government that had instigated the conflict.


    The United States had been gathering intelligence on these returnees and was in the middle of deciding how to approach them when the attack urred. What was even more astonishing was that the returnee who attacked the base hijacked the Prime Minister''s press conference. Her threatsbined with her horrifying appearance sent shock waves around the world and caused the President to demand a full briefing the next morning.


    "Good Morning, gentlemen." President Rosewood began the briefing as herst cab member took her seat. "I know this was on short notice, but the situation in Japan requires great haste." She looked at her Director of Intelligence, Maurice Colbeck. "Tell me what you have."


    "Of course, Madam President," the middle age man stood up and took out some documents from a small binder, which he had his assistant provide to the rest of the cab. "What you have here is a profile of one Rishia Tomogawa, AKA <i>Akagi. </i>Prior to the FWO incident, she was a seventeen-year-old girl attending Kyoto Central High School." he continued. "Until that point, her record is spotless, with the only anomaly being a brief stint in a hospital for treatment regarding a mental illness." (Colbeck)


    "With help from Director Stevenson of the C.I.A and Ambassador dwell, I was able to get ess to the Japanese Government''s secure files on Ms. Tomogawa during her time in FWO." He took out another document. "The information presents a grisly picture." he furrowed his brow. "While within the game, she upied herself by assassinating other yers at the behest of others. From what we gathered, she was responsible for the death of 104 people trapped within the game and was regarded as highly dangerous by the other survivors." he gave a small cough.


    "Video footage from Camp Katsura appears to show that she was unaffected by small arms or heavy caliber weapons, including our M.B.T''s sold to the Japanese military." When he informed the rest of the cab that U.S. made tanks did not affect Akagi, Secretary of Defense Jamie Nowak, spoke up.


    "You mean to say this girl took a HEAT round head-on and wasn''t affected in the slightest?" She was reading the report as she spoke. "I''m sorry, but that''s hard to believe." A human couldn''t survive such heavy caliber weapons, so reading that military-grade equipment failed to harm her was hard to believe.


    "Yes, at first, I couldn''t believe it either, but we have footage from Camp Katsura that I would like everyone to watch." the lights went out, and therge monitor in the middle of the room began to y a recording. It showed Akagi slicing through several tanks and armored vehicles, being shot with heavy machine gun fire, and taking several hits from a tank''s main gun. Throughout the recording, there was no indication that Akagi or the girl with her was taking any damage.


    The members of the cab couldn''t believe what they were seeing; even the Present showed a deep scowl seeing Akagi utterly destroy the JSDF defenders. Once the recording was finished the lights returned to normal, and the President spoke up.


    "As far as I''m aware, there were no American casualties in this attack; is that correct?" She hadn''t been told of any, but she knew American military personnel was active across Japan.


    "No," Secretary Nowak. "At the time of the attack, there was no American military personnel stationed at Camp Katsura, luckily." She shook her head.


    "Good," President Rosewood let out a sigh. "If there were any American casualties, I can''t imagine that would allow us much leeway. For now, ce all U.S. forces in Japan on high alert. I don''t want them engaging this Akagi woman or any of her subordinates unless <em>absolutely </em>necessary." She was not keen on engaging a foe who had so easily overwhelmed the JSDF.


    "Of course, I''ll ry that to Pacific Command." (Nowak)


    Secretary of State, Anthony Hubbard, spoke up. "Madam President, with your permission, I would like to attempt a dialogue with this Akagi woman." the old man''s words shocked the room. "I would like to see if she would be open to working with us; or at the very least, convince her that acting against us is not in her best interests."


    "What are you talking about." Secretary Nowak was furious. "That woman is a terrorist, and you want to treat her like some kind of equal?!?"


    "What did you have in mind." President Rosewood was curious as to his n and motioned for him to continue.


    "Rogue agent or not, this woman is dangerous, and leaving her to her own devices is not in the United State''s best interest." he coughed. "I''ve spoken to Ambassador Kumuoka, and he informed me that the Japanese government intends to pursue a policy of non-interference with her. Not surprising, seeing as she took out a member of the Prime Minster''s cab in his own home and assassinated the Speaker of the Diet." The rest of the room was aware of her execution of the Mistuhide family and was afraid she might do the same to them.


    "So what makes you think she would work with us? She wasn''t even willing to work with her government, so what makes you think this would be any different?" President Rosewood was skeptical that recruiting her as an asset would work.


    "Even if we can''t garner her cooperation, establishing a working rtionship with her would still be in our best interests. And Secretary Nowak, this would hardly be the first time we''ve worked with rogue agents." He was referring to the U.S.''s history of arming and aiding terrorist groups. "Madam President, I doubt we are the only ones looking to garner this woman''s cooperation. The Chinese will undoubtedly take our ce unless we act fast, and thest thing we need is a Chinese asset in Japan with that kind of firepower."


    "And if she refuses? If she won''t work with us at all? What then?" President Rosewood couldn''t move military force to crush Akagi when she was in another nation, and American forces in Japan wouldn''t be sufficient to fight her head-on. Not that fighting her was what she wanted to do anyway.


    "If she is unwilling to work with us at all.... then we may have to take drastic measures." He looked at the Director of Intelligence as he said this. "We should also contact other returnees, not just Akagi; even if she refuses, we might be able to gather a few powerful assets."


    <i>{The Japanese government has five it''s managed to bring under its control if I''m not mistaken.} </i>President Rosewood considered his suggestion.


    "Director," she looked up at him. "I will approve a covert operation to speak with her with the intent of forming a cooperative rtionship with the United States, but. You are <i>not </i>to antagonize this woman, and under <i>no </i>circumstances are you to make <i>any </i>moves against her without my explicit authorization. The C.I.A. has a habit of moving on its own; I will not tolerate such freewheeling." She looked at the Secretary of Intelligence. "Do I make myself clear?" she gave the two men a stern look. One of her major campaign promises was reigning in the intelligencemunity, and she had little trust in them. She knew that unless she held the leash tight, they would start acting on their own regardless of her wishes.


    "Yes, Madam President." (Secretaries of Defense and Intel)


    <i>{If only I could trust you to actually listen to me.} </i>She knew leaving these two men to their own devices could drag the U.S. into a dangerous conflict.


    "Alright, let''s continue." President Rosewood moved the briefing along, today was going to be a long day, and she had other meetings to attend.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    Later that night, with all her meetings finished, President Rosewood retired to her room in the White House.


    "At the rate, things are going, I fear that we''re going to be dragged into a conflict in the East no matter how much we don''t want to." she sighed. Akagi''s actions caused great disruption and instability in Japan, and every nation was demanding answers. Some wanted to take a hard-line approach and eliminate the returnees before they could cause damage. While others were keen on recruiting and researching them.


    "If anyone seeds in replicating what happened to those kids, I fear this world is going to go to hell really quickly." The returnee''s powers were beyond what normal humans could ever hope to achieve. Creating super soldiers was something humanity had tried to do since before the Second World War, but sess was limited. "And if people thought I was bad, I don''t imagine there will be much love for those kids." She shook her head. "People already decry me as a cyborg freak, so I can''t imagine there will be much eptance for <i>literal </i>elves and dwarves." she sighed. "Especially when they can level city blocks with magic."


    Sarah Rosewood was the first sessful human to be grownpletely in ab by scientists. Her birth was a controlled experiment to create the gically perfect human, and she was tailor made to be superior on the gic level. Most of her life was spent within aboratory so her social skills were quite underdeveloped;bine that with her cybeic augmentations and many people believed her to be little more than an AI in disguise. Despite the prejudice, she decided to use her skills and natural abilities to help the country, and through a bitter election cycle she managed to be the youngest president of the United States.


    "I just hope that we can keep things peaceful in Japan. Thest thing I need is for American soldiers to have to go in and upy the country if it falls apart like our models are predicting." She looked up at the ceiling. "I would really like to talk to that Akagi woman. I imagine she would have quite the story to tell, perhaps we might even get along."


    <i>{That dark form she showed us.... was that just an illusion? Just what is she, and what are her goals? There is so much we don''t know, and I fear that ignorance is our greatest danger at the moment.} </i>She smacked her cheeks. Getting trapped in her thoughts wouldn''t help anything at the moment.


    "Honestly, that woman... she reminds me of a Demon Lord from a T.V. show I used to watch as a kid." She chuckled as she stood up, deciding to wash up before heading to bed. "At least Demons don''t exist. I''d prefer <i>not </i>to be the President who fights the Demon Lord''s invasion of the world." Her words were little more than a joke, but in time, she woulde to regret them.


    Spoiler


    President Sarah Rosewood!


    [copse]

 Chapter 41 – A Return to Normalcy.

    Chapter 41 ¨C A Return to Normalcy.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Just a heads up, there will be 2 chapters today to celebrate 20k views! Thank you so much!


    The rest of the night came and went with little fanfare. Akagi, Yumi, Hishya and Kana ate dinner together and discussed more mundane topics; today''s events had tired them out. As the night dragged on, Kana became nervous about returning to school the next morning, worried just how others would react. Akagi and Hishya told her to try and act as normal as possible. Hopefully, with a little prodding, the other students would return to at least some level of normalcy.


    The next morning, Akagi was awake bright and early to see her sister off. Hishya was not exactly a morning person and decided to sleep in, causing both sisters to joke that she had embraced her draconic blood. The two discussed, briefly, the conversation with Mika about her brother, and agreed to revisit the issue of Akagi''s involvement in her brother''s death at ater date. Akagi figured that now was not the best time, and she even told Kana that they would likely be able to get away without ever telling her. Kana knew this, but the thought of lying to her friend made her ufortable.


    "Alright, Onee-chan. I''m off!" Kana hugged her.


    "Have a nice day, and don''t worry. Everything will be fine, ok." Akagi hugged her back. "If you need me, don''t hesitate to contact me. I''ll never be more than a moment away." She smiled as Yumi teleported Kana to the courtyard of her school.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Kana POV>


    When Kana arrived in front of her school, her stomach tightened. The other students were awestruck as she, from their perspective, appeared out of nowhere. The stares of the other students who were waiting for the front doors to open made Kana feel like a weight was suddenly dropped on her shoulders. She was about to tell Yumi to take her back when the priestess cast a healing spell on her.


    "Breathe," she said while rubbing her back. "It''s alright. Take it slowly. Everything is going to be just fine." While her magic couldn''t remove Kana''s anxiety, it helped alleviate the physical symptoms of her stress. After a few moments, Kana collected herself and took a deep breath.


    "Thanks, Yumi. Sorry for being such a pain." Kana scratched her cheek.


    "Your wee, and it''s no problem at all. It''s normal for you to feel like this, so don''t think of yourself as a bother. My Lord wouldn''t like that." Yumi gave a warm smile.


    Feeling better, Kana gave Yumi a quick hug and walked over to Naomi and Mika who were sitting together on one of the benches. Once Yumi saw that she had united with her two friends, she teleported back to Akagi''s estate.


    "Wa-was that magic?" (Student A)


    "That was the girl from TV!" (Student B)


    "Why was Kana with her?" (Student C)


    "I just hope her sister doesn''t show up." (Student D)


    The three girls tried their best to ignore the stares and the whispers about them. They figured this would happen, but knowing didn''t make it easier. Once the front doors opened and the school began for the day, the three headed inside and prepared for ss. The first day was <i>rough, </i>to say the least. As expected, the other students avoided them, and even Naomi and Mika''s other friends were unwilling to approach them. From the whispers they could hear, the other students were afraid or at the very least, unsure of how they should act toward them. Many feared retaliation from Akagi if they were to upset them and so chose to keep their distance.


    Other than that, the girls were left to their own devices and continued their daily routine in rtive peace. The teachers tried to put on a brave face, but even their hesitation was clear. After the first week, some of the students began to break the Cordon Sanitaire around them, which helped the girls readjust. Things weren''t perfect, but as Naomi predicted, things would get better over time, and they had. That was, until the second week back.


    *RINNNNNNNNNNNNNNG*


    ss finished for the day. Ordinarily, the students would have immediately left, either heading home or going to their club, but today was different. Kyoto Central High School''s cultural festival was going to be held in mid-October and the majority of the ss stayed to discuss what they would do for it. As the ss rep, Kana was in charge of her ss''s activity, and today''s meeting would be the first of many before the festival. Today was supposed to be a brainstorming session where the students would pitch ideas, and perhaps the ss might even decide what it wanted to do.


    Once the students had settled down and the teacher left; Kana called the ss to order and attempted to start the meeting. However, just as she began, one of the students in the ss spoke up.


    "Before we start, I think we need to have a vote on a new ss representative." A boy named Hito Tamaguchi said.


    "A new ss rep?" Kana was puzzled. "Why do we need to do that? Do you not think I''m up to the task?" She had an idea as to why he brought this up but wanted to be sure.


    "Don''t y dumb!" he eximed. "There''s no way our ss rep can be someone like you! Your sister is a monster and a murderer, and I don''t feel that someone rted to her should be in charge of anyone!" His statement caused a murmur among the students. It wasn''t exactly umon for the family of a <em>criminal</em> to be ostracize, even if they had nothing to do with that family members crime.


    "What are you saying!" Naomi interjected. "Kana is not responsible for her sister''s actions." She stared him in the eyes. "And are you forgetting that we were <i>kidnapped,</i> and that''s why Akagi did what she did? I can understand being afraid of <i>her</i>, but how can you say such things to Kana, the person whose been our ss rep for nearly three years now and worked her butt off for us!" Naomi was furious with Hito, and she gave a re to the rest of the ss, hoping to quiet them down.


    "Yeah!" Mika agreed. "Kana has been a great ss rep, and she doesn''t deserve your attitude!"


    "Don''t make excuses for that monster!" Hito eximed. "She killed my brother for no good reason, and there''s no way in hell I''m going to work with her sister!" he turned and looked at Kana. "In the first ce, why did you evene back here? Can''t you tell we don''t want you here?" He gestured to the students around him. "Do you know how terrifying it is knowing that if we do anything to upset you that we or our entire families might be wiped out, all because you decided toe back to school and act as if nothing happened?" His face was flush with anger.


    "You don''t need to worry about that, Onee-chan would never do something like-" Kana found herself cut off.


    "Are you sure about that." a girl named Miyako Hitsubane interjected. "How can we be sure that she won''t do to us what she did to those soldiers? How can we be sure that you won''t go home to her and tell her that we were mean to you and that we should die because of it?" The ck-haired girl was one of Kana''s main academic rivals, and they had never gotten along.


    "Of course, I''m sure!" Kana eximed. "Yes, Onee-chan kills people, that''s what she does for a living, it''s what she loves." She looked back at the girl. "But she has <i>rules, </i>rules that she sticks to religiously and the most important of those rules is that she never kills without a reason. I can tell you for a <i>fact </i>that if I would go crying to her and tell her that you bullied me, she would, <i>at worst, </i>tell you to knock it off." Kana was angry that these students were attacking her sister like this, she understood being scared, but that didn''t mean she was going to allow them to insult Akagi freely.


    "Like any of us would believe that!" Miyako eximed. "She killed how many people over the weekend? 600! All because her precious little sister was taken. So <i>sorry </i>that I find it a little hard to believe she wouldn''t go on a rampage if we so much as <i>looked </i>at you the wrong way!" This debate was going nowhere fast, and Kana knew that, so she decided to try a different strategy.


    "Then tell me." Kana red at her. "If the two of you are so afraid of what Onee-chan might do.... then why are you acting like this now?" Kana mimicked one of Akagi''s grins. "I mean, wouldn''t your attitude now be more than enough for Onee-chan toe after you?" Kana began to tap her fingers on the podium.


    At her words, the entire ss went silent. She was right. If Akagi was as bad as they thought; surely, calling her sister out and ousting her as ss rep like this <i>would </i>be more than enough to piss her off.


    The sudden realization that she had done <i>exactly </i>what she feared set in. Miyako quickly sat down her face paled.


    <i>{I see Kana has learned a thing or two from that sister of hers} </i>Naomi didn''t know whether to be impressed or worried that Kana had picked up some of her sister''s methods.


    <i>{When ites to Kana, I don''t think our ssmates have a chance of beating her.} </i>Mika chuckled.


    "Hito." Kana looked at the boy.


    "Y-yes!" he stammered.


    "I''m sorry for your loss. Losing your brother must have been painful, but look me in the eye and tell me that allowing Mika, Naomi and I to <i>die</i> would be perfectly eptable if that meant that your brother was still alive." Kana decided to go for the throat.


    "Wha- that''s.. that''s not." he struggled to answer, as saying yes wouldn''t exactly be the best option.


    "Because that''s <i>exactly </i>what would have happened." Kana mmed on the podium. "I spoke to General Iseyama and the soldiers on base, and guess what; they had every intention of killing us <i>even </i><em>if</em> Onee-chan came along quietly and let herself be killed by the military!" Kana continued. "So tell me, not just Hito but any of you, tell me that letting the three of us <i>die</i> would have been better, that we shouldn''t have lived and that Onee-chan should have let herself be <i>killed </i>when she had done <i>nothing</i>!" Kana''s eyes showed determination. To Mika and Naomi, it was as if Akagi and Kana briefly ovepped.


    None of the other students had an answer for her; they couldn''t. Not a single one, not even Hito, could bring themselves to say that the three of them should have died. To do so would go against every piece of modern morality ingrained in them since childhood. Japan might still have issues with branding a criminal''s family as pariahs, but that didn''t mean a bunch of teenagers were willing to wish death on people simply because of who they were rted to. When Kana presented the situation like that, her ssmates were ced at a loss.


    "I thought not," Kana smirked. "So tell me, do you still want to oust me as ss rep? Because if you do, that means that all the work I''ve been doing will fall on someone else, and I can assure you it''s not easy." After some murmuring, Hito sat down and withdrew his request.


    "Good!" Kana smiled. "Now then, let''s brainstorm some ideas for our festival project. <i>Onee-chan </i>will being, and I''m going to do everything to make sure it''s perfect." Kana''s eyes terrified the students. This would be the first time Akagi coulde to her sister''s cultural festival, and she was not about to let the other students prevent her from sharing such a moment with her.


    <i>{Scary Kana has gotten scarier.} </i>(Mika and Naomi)


    Spoiler


    Scary Kana!


    Miyako!


    Hito!


    [copse]

 Interlude 3 – The Returnee Forums.

    Interlude 3 ¨C The Returnee Forums.


    One day while Hishya was visiting, she brought up an interesting idea that she and some of the other FWO survivors had.


    "You guys made a private forum?" Akagi asked while drinking her coffee. Kana was still at school, and Hishya decided to pop by to say hello; she had beening regrly, and her and Kana seemed to be getting along quite well.


    "Yeah, I thought it would be nice if we could all stay connected." She smiled. "It''s really hard for anyone who wasn''t in FWO to understand just how it was, so it''s kind of like a help group. Adjusting back to regr life has been <i>rough</i>, especially for the people who didn''t keep their abilities." Yumi poured her some tea. "Oh, thank you." She gave an awkward smile to the priestess. The two still didn''t get along, but things were a little bit better than before.


    "Is it like 90% peopleining about those who kept their abilities?" Akagi asked with a chuckle.


    "Eh, he he." Hishya nervouslyughed. "That''s part of it, but you also have a lot of people who talk about you as well." Akagi''s recent actions only further incited a me war between the survivors.


    "Oh?" Akagi sat forward. "Hearing that makes me want to pop in myself. Send me a link." she gave quite a terrible grin.


    "Please don''t go overbored." Hishya shook her head. "I would prefer <i>not </i>to have to get in the middle of an all-out battle between you." Akagi had a habit of getting under other people''s skin, and Hishya knew she would <i>absolutely </i>enjoy getting a rise out of the other yers.


    Hishya used her AR screen to send Akagi an invite to the private group. Once she was in, Akagi decided to drop straight into the general discussion.


    BlueDog.


    <ul>


    <li>


    Man, I can''t believe it''s been almost three months since we got out, gonna be weird celebrating Halloween and <i>not </i>seeing the pumpkin monsters.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Excelsior


    <ul>


    <li>


    Yeah, but I''m ok with that. Those fucking things always gave me the creeps.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Akagi


    <ul>


    <li>


    Some of my subordinates have some neat summons; maybe we''ve got a pumpkin or two somewhere. At the very least, we can have a truly spooky Halloween.


    </li>


    </ul>


    BlueDog


    <ul>


    <li>


    YO! If someone is fucking with us and used the name Akagi, it''s not funny man.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Hishya


    <ul>


    <li>


    That''s the real Akagi; I''m sitting with her having lunch, so I can confirm that she''s very real. XD


    </li>


    </ul>


    ckbox


    <ul>


    <li>


    You let her in here? WHY!


    </li>


    </ul>


    Hishya


    <ul>


    <li>


    Because she has just as much of a right as any of us. She is an FWO survivor, and that''s what this group is all about...


    </li>


    </ul>


    Excelsior


    <ul>


    <li>


    Is it just me, or does it feel like Akagi has something on Hishya that''s making her act funny? Like what kind of ckmail could she possibly have on you Hishya?


    </li>


    </ul>


    Akagi


    <ul>


    <li>


    No ckmail was needed! She just needs to suck up to me so she can spend time with my sister. ;)


    </li>


    </ul>


    Hishya


    <ul>


    <li>


    Not funny.


    </li>


    </ul>


    ckbox


    <ul>


    <li>


    Yo, wait WHAT.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Excelsior


    <ul>


    <li>


    Since when is this a thing?????


    </li>


    </ul>


    BlueDog


    <ul>


    <li>


    Hishya sold out humanity for a girlfriend?????


    </li>


    </ul>


    Akagi


    <ul>


    <li>


    Oh man, you guys should see her face right now; it''s abination of dying from embarrassment and pure rage.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Superbia (Replying to BlueDog) (<i>Hishya sold out humanity for a girlfriend?????</i>)


    <ul>


    <li>


    Don''t act like you wouldn''t.


    </li>


    </ul>


    BlueDog


    <ul>


    <li>


    Noment.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Excelsior


    <ul>


    <li>


    So Akagi, when do you n on taking over the world? I for one wee our new Demon Empress.


    </li>


    </ul>


    ckbox


    <ul>


    <li>


    Dude be out here ready to sell out humanity at the drop of a hat..... But seriously, when you take over, where do I apply to join the demon army? XD


    </li>


    </ul>


    Akagi


    <ul>


    <li>


    God running an entire sounds like hell, pass. Emperor Gustaf was miserable just dealing with <i>one </i>nation''s administration. I don''t want to even imagine running like 200.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Purple Rose


    <ul>


    <li>


    Oh great, Akagi''s in here now.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Akagi


    <ul>


    <li>


    Don''t act like you''re not happy to see me. :)


    </li>


    </ul>


    Purple Rose


    <ul>


    <li>


    Listen, just because I don''t hold you responsible for Kyojaro''s death anymore doesn''t mean I like <i>you </i>or what you do.


    </li>


    </ul>


    BlueDog


    <ul>


    <li>


    Wait, so was that whole thing with the NPCs true??? I mean I saw that priestess girl with Akagi in the game, and now she''s in our world but...


    </li>


    </ul>


    Purple Rose


    <ul>


    <li>


    Yeah, that was a big fuck up on our part. The NPCs were very much <i>real</i> and had feelings and thoughts of their own...... Yumi showed me that herself........


    </li>


    </ul>


    BlueDog


    <ul>


    <li>


    Oh fuck.....


    </li>


    </ul>


    Superbia


    <ul>


    <li>


    I always thought they seemed too smart... Akagi, how long did it take you to figure it out?


    </li>


    </ul>


    Akagi


    <ul>


    <li>


    Took a minute, but by the end of year one, I was convinced. Once I met Yumi in Karkul, that was the end of any doubts. There was just no way an AI program could act that genuine.


    </li>


    </ul>


    ckbox


    <ul>


    <li>


    Oh, man..... I was so mean to that girl; I thought she was just some annoying quest-giver.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Superbia


    <ul>


    <li>


    And just how many times did we make fun of those who thought they were real? I even called Mixu some choice words.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Akagi


    <ul>


    <li>


    Nothing you can do about it now, and honestly, the ones that came with me don''t really care; besides Yumi. Not gonna sugarcoat it; she hates you all.


    </li>


    </ul>


    BlueDog


    <ul>


    <li>


    She''s not gonna like teleport behind us and kill us out of revenge right?


    </li>


    </ul>


    Akagi


    <ul>


    <li>


    No, she won''t. At most, she''ll be rude to you or yell at you. But killing like that isn''t gonna happen; she''s not that kind of person.


    </li>


    </ul>


    BlueDog


    <ul>


    <li>


    Phew.


    </li>


    </ul>


    ckbox


    <ul>


    <li>Phew.</li>


    </ul>


    Superbia


    <ul>


    <li>


    Akagi, might seem like a weird question, but what <i>are </i>you going to do now? Taking over the world might have been a joke, but you have the power to basically do whatever you want. I can''t imagine your going to sit around quietly and watch the years go by.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Purple Rose


    <ul>


    <li>


    That''s what I would like to know.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Excelsior


    <ul>


    <li>


    Yeah, for real.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Akagi


    <ul>


    <li>


    First, I will formally establish a n with all my followers. I''ve been excised from my birth family, so I will take my own family name and induct them into it.


    </li>


    <li>


    Second, I will continue my work from FWO. I''m still an assassin, and that''s what I want to do even in this world, but I will likely have my n branch out into more activities.


    </li>


    <li>


    Third, I will travel the world. I want to see it all; it''s not like I have anything holding me back. Time is no longer a factor for me, so I can enjoy myself.


    </li>


    <li>


    Fourth, I will help my sister. Joking about Hishya''s rtionship with her aside, I want to make sure she lives a happy life. She''s the only family I ever had and the only person who stuck by me through the worst time in my life.


    </li>


    <li>


    Fifth...... There is something I might want, and I''m going to see if I can get it. It''s more of a vanity project than anything else, and I''ll leave it as a surprise.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Hishya


    <ul>


    <li>


    I didn''t expect you to have such concrete answers.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Excelsior


    <ul>


    <li>


    A n? Like a yakuza n?


    </li>


    </ul>


    Superbia


    <ul>


    <li>


    I''m pretty sure that many of those who survived will take issue with you killing as you did in FWO. They can''t just ignore you now; since this is the real world.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Akagi


    <ul>


    <li>


    Not a yakuza n, more like a proper feudal n. I never bothered to formalize things in the game, and I want to rectify that mistake. As for other yers... <i>Bring it</i>. If you want to fight, I''ll fight. I don''t run from challenges; just know I won''t show mercy. If you point your de at me with the intent to kill, know that I will do the same. And I''ll remind <i>all </i>of you, don''t bring outsiders into our conflict. <i><b>Because you''ll regret it.</b></i>


    </li>


    </ul>


    Superbia


    <ul>


    <li>


    .......


    </li>


    </ul>


    BlueDog


    <ul>


    <li>


    Yeah, no, I''m good.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Excelsior


    <ul>


    <li>


    Same.


    </li>


    </ul>


    ckbox


    <ul>


    <li>


    Nope, not interested in dying.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Akagi continued her conversation with some of the other survivors for a while longer before logging out.


    "Well, that didn''t go as bad as I expected." Hishya slid down in her seat. "I was worried things would escte into all-out war."


    "There are only 99 of us that have our abilities; no matter how much the rest dislike me, I doubt they willmunicate that directly to me." Now that they were in the real world, the yers without their abilities were helpless if Akagi wanted to do anything to them.


    "That''s true, but.... can you please keep this a secret?" Hishya looked at her, and Akagi nodded.


    "I have a feeling you''ll be getting another client in the not-to-distant future." Hishya''s voice got serious.


    "Oh?" Akagi was interested. "Can you tell me more?"


    "I''ve only got second-hand info, but I''m pretty sure one of the yers who didn''t keep their powers wants you to kill one that did. Something about a family dispute." Hishya sighed. Even after all this time, bad blood between yers still existed, she had managed to quash such issues during their drive to escape FWO, but now that was no longer possible. "I don''t know anything more specific than that, and I would rather things get resolved without bloodshed if possible."


    "Well, if theye to me for help, I won''t turn them away outright. But, I hope they understand just what kind of price they''ll have to pay for my services." Akagi grinned.


    "What will you even ask for? They can''t possibly pay you, and I doubt they would have anything valuable enough to work as a substitute." Hishya shook her head. Akagi''s prices were high; but reasonable for the game. But, in the real world, the cost was not something an ordinary person could ever afford.


    "Hishya," Akagi leaned forward. "What do <i><b>Demons</b></i><b> </b>usually request as payment?"


    It took Hishya a moment to understand what she meant. "Don''t even joke about that." Hishya sighed. "Even <i>you </i>can''t do something like that, and what do you even do with a soul anyway? Eat it? That thought is quite <i>unpleasant.</i>" Hishya thought such a joke was in poor taste. And the idea of a soul-eating Demon running around the world was also not very fun.


    "At the moment, you are correct. I haven''t the foggiest idea how to interact with, let alone take someone''s soul." Akagi chuckled. "But I am a <i><b>Demon;</b></i> there will always be a price to pay for my help, and I''m quite flexible on what that payment will be." Akagi had a history of taking in-kind payments as well as money. If they truly wanted her help and couldn''t pay, Akagi would likely require their servitude as payment.


    "Yeah, remind me <i>never </i>to ask you for a favor. I would prefer not to owe one to a <i><b>Demon.</b></i>" Hishya pinched the bridge her nose, which caused Akagi to let out a loudugh.


    "I don''t me you. I don''t me you at all." Akagi''sughter continued.

 Chapter 42 – Meeting the C.I.A. and the Coming Storm.

    Chapter 42 ¨C Meeting the C.I.A. and the Coming Storm.


    Agent Callus Underhill has done a lot in his time with the CIA. He''s negotiated hostage exchanges with Mexican drug lords, dealt with Afghani warlords, and even endured torture on more than one asion. So when he was instructed to meet with a 21-year-old girl and conduct negotiations, he was irritated.


    Sure, he knew that she wielded mysterious powers, and he was informed about her actions at Camp Katsura, but he still felt his talents were being wasted on such a <i>mundane</i> activity, as he called it. Through some back-channel methods, the C.I.A. was able to schedule a meeting between Agent Underhill and Akagi. They assumed that Akagi would ignore or disregard their attempts at contact. So when she readily agreed to speak with them, they were taken aback.


    Scrambling to designate a time and ce for the meeting, the CIA quickly ran into a major problem. Any meeting needed to be ndestine, as the United Nations recently banned foreign nations from contacting the returnees pending an investigation. Akagi refused to hold the meeting at her estate, not wanting to give the C.I.A. any intel, which only made things harder. Dipping into their assets, the C.I.A. contacted one of its undercover agents in Kyoto that ran a coffee shop as a front for its operations in Japan. The meeting would take ce there while it was closed, and Agent Underhill was dispatched to Japan alongside a trantor.


    The President''s instructions to the C.I.A. called for a measured hand and patience, two things the C.I.A. weren''t necessarily known for. Going into this meeting, Underhill''s n was simple, ce the <i>real </i>demands on the table immediately, with no niceties, and no tiptoeing around. In his mind, he was meeting with a child high on her own power, and his goal was to put her in her ce and remind her just how small she really was. If she refused, he figured the C.I.A. would activate a backup n, and Akagi wouldn''t be a problem anymore. As he entered the cafe, he felt confident that everything would go his way. He would soon find out just how wrong his, and everyone''s, assumptions about Akagi really were.


    *DING*


    The cafe''s door chimed as he opened it. The blinds were pulled down, the interior of the shop was dim, and the smell of tobo smoke and coffee filled the air. From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a young woman sitting in one of the booths; she was smoking a long thin pipe and sat with a cup of coffee. The shop''s front-man was nowhere to be seen, and Agent Underhill didn''t care. He motioned for his trantor, a C.I.A. Agent, Tomoya Hisgami, to follow him, and the two took a seat across from Akagi. Her eyes flickered as she exhaled from her pipe, and her face showed an indifference to the two men across from her.


    <b>Note: As Akagi does not speak English, this conversation is being had via the trantor but will be written as normal. This rule will be followed in any and all future conversations where trantion is necessary.</b>


    "Good Afternoon," Underhill said as he took his seat.


    "<i><b>Hello,</b></i>" Akagi replied with a distorted voice, the sound of which unnerved the trantor.


    "I''m sure you know why we''re here, so let''s cut past the formalities. I never liked the whole diplomatic talking crap. You''reing to work for us, and that''s that." Underhill lit a cigarette of his own.


    "<i><b>I see the U.S. is just as foolish as the Japanese Government. What makes you think I''ll agree to that?</b></i>" Akagi answered yfully.


    Underhill gave a smirk and augh. "Because, unlike these clowns, we know how to put children like you down."


    Akagi did not appreciate being called a child. <i><b>"If you didn''t see me as a threat, then why are you here?" </b></i>This man had already soured Akagi''s mood with his arrogance.


    "To give you a chance." He replied tly. "Come work for us. If you do that, then you needn''t worry about any <i>idents</i> that may ur."


    The veiled threat at Kana''s safety did not go over her head. <i><b>"You really are stupid, aren''t you?" </b></i>Akagi stood up. <i><b>"I was a fool for thinking the U.S. had any sense. And here I am trying to y nice. </b></i>" She let out a smallugh.


    <b>[$##@$@@#%%%$%^##$] </b>Akagi let slip the <i>Demonic </i>tongue from her mouth, causing both men to wince in pain.


    <i>{What the fuck was that?} </i>Underhill''s head felt like it was about to split open.


    <b>[#$!@#$!@#$@!$@!#$!#$] </b>Akagi''s voice distorted more as she approached Underhill and grabbed him by the shirt.


    "<i><b>I will give you one warning human. If you so much asy a finger on Kana or any of my friends, I''ll turn D.C. into a ming hellscape that will make Dresden look like a fucking joke." </b></i>Akagi''s eyes began to glow, and her form morphed into a ck shadow.


    "<i><b>I don''t think you understand just who you''re dealing with, so allow me to give you a taste." </b></i>Akagi''s shadow expanded and swallowed Underhill whole. He was only gone for a few moments before he reappeared, but his face looked like it''d aged a decade. The man was stark white, and his face was contorted in terror. The trantor hadpletely panicked, so herst words were not understood by Underhill. But that wasn''t a problem; her message got through regardless.


    Akagi''s body was not a hospitable location. It was a paradoxical ce filled with agony, pain, and time seemed to flow strangely within it. If someone remained within it too long, without protection, they would likely go mad and/or die. From the outside, Underhill had only spent a few moments within, but for him, it would have felt like years. Akagi deliberately protected his mind from permanent damage, but the things he saw horrified him beyond imagination.


    Akagi moved towards, the trantor. <i><b>"You might want to help him out. I doubt he''ll be in any shape to walk on his own." </b></i>She let out a demonicugh as her shadow twisted and then vanished.


    Tomoya was left alone with the delirious Agent Underhill. He had no idea what just happened, but his stomach told him nothing good could happen by antagonizing that <i>thing</i>. It would take Underhill several days to recover from his time in Akagi''s shadow, and the report he sent back to Washington both angered the President and stunned the intelligencemunity. <i>Akagi was far more dangerous than either believed.</i>


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    An Undisclosed Location in Tokyo.


    *CLANG*


    The metal door of the warehouse mmed shut as a blue-haired man entered. He shook off the light rain that umted on his jacket before greeting the other people who were waiting inside.


    "You''rete!" the Elf woman yelled at him. "We told you to be here at 10 pm <i>sharp,</i> and you show up nearly twenty minuteste." She sighed. "I see you''re just asckadaisical in this world too."


    "Did you expect any different from him, Elna?" A blonde-haired man with angel wingsmented from across the room. "That idiot would bete to his own funeral." His statement elicited augh from several of the other people in the room.


    "I know, I know," She shook her head. "I was just hoping that, <i>for once,</i> Armalthy would take some initiative, but I guess it''s my fault for getting my hopes up." (Elna)


    "Come on now Herlex." Armalthy walked over to where the others were standing. "I showed up, didn''t I? That''s got to count for something." he chuckled.


    "Anyway, I presume the guy in the suit is the one who wanted to talk to us?" He turned his attention to the clearly not Japanese man wearing a suit. He looked rather young, and his sses and short ponytail made him look more like a butler than anything else.


    "Indeed, and now that you''ve arrived, that means everyone is here." the man stepped forward. (Suited Man)


    "Ok, so what is this about?" Herlex asked. "You mentioned you wanted to help us, but that''s all I was told." The man had only given them basic information before the meeting.


    "Well, the answer to that is quite simple." The suited man grinned. "I want you to help me help you." He walked over and sat on one of the crates. "Don''t you think this world is unfair to people like you? Ever since you got back, you''ve been ostracized just because you''re all a little different, and the entire world has treated you like freaks and outcasts." He wasn''t wrong; even those that were still human were treated as little more than walking bombs.


    "I mean, you''re not wrong; but what do you want us to do?" Elna asked. "We''ve got surveince on us nearly 24/7, and we can''t even leave the country. It''s infuriating to be treated like a freak but......" Her own family had abandoned her after her awakening and they refused to even acknowledge her as their own daughter, so she was not in a great ce at the moment.


    "And that''s where Ie in." the suited man smiled. "I have some backers that would be more than willing to take good people like you in and give you the respect you deserve." he frowned. "It''s just that, with the way things are currently, they can''t exactly do that at the moment." The returnees were basically forced to stay in Japan due to a UN Resolution.


    "So what?" Armalthy interjected. "You want to sneak us out? Have us work for some other government or a shady corporation? I mean. I''m not exactly opposed, especially if I can cause some destruction, but that''s going to be difficult. If word gets out, your client is gonna be in it deep." Armalthy was one of the more "loose cannon" members of the assault team and held the record for the most NPCs killed.


    <u>(His gamer tag was ProGamer, but everyone called him Armalthy)</u>


    "Not exactly, but before I exin. Let me ask this to the rest of you." He looked around the room. "Do you not think that you who have been blessed with such power should be able to use it as you see fit? To act as you wish? To free yourself of the chains that society has shackled you with?" he took a breath. "I know that many of you have had a poor history with society, you''re outcasts, loners, or you got sick of the monotony of the daily grind. But you have the power to change <i>all </i>of that." he pped his hands. "As you saw just recently, your powers are far beyond what any government can handle. And if just <i>one </i>of you can destroy an entire base, think about what <i>ten</i> of you can do, all working together." he lets out augh. "I wouldn''t think it an exaggeration that you could take over the country if you wanted."


    His statement caused the attending yers to perk up and he took that as an indication to continue his speech. He went on to tell the yers that his client sympathized with their plight and how through them, they could right the wrongs done to them by this corrupt society they lived in. By the end of his speech, the ten of them were practically hanging on every word. He was ying right to his audience, and it was clear that this man was a gifted orator. The yers here were all handpicked for their social status, and most were shut-ins or those who ran against the grain of Japanese society. A few, like Elna, were even shown the harsh fate that awaited the survivors upon their return. So being told that they not only could but <i>should </i>take things into their own hands was just what they needed...<b>no</b>... <i>WANTED </i>to hear.


    "I mean, I guess you''re right." Elna ced her hand over her mouth. "With the power of the ten of us, we could probably cause a lot of damage." the smile on her lips was difficult to hide.


    "I''m game, sounds fun to blow stuff up and make those idiots regret treating me so poorly." Armalthy''s eyes lit up. "I''ve always wanted those normie idiots to feel some real pain for once." His mouth contorted into a terrible smile.


    One by one, the yers voiced their agreement with the man''s words until all ten were fired up and ready to cause mayhem.


    "So then." Herlex looked at the man. "What do you need us to do?"


    Seeing this, the man gave a toothy smile and said.


    "How about we start with a little destruction."


    Spoiler


    Akagi at the Cafe!


    Herlex!


    Armalthy!


    Elna!


    Mysterious Man.


    [copse]

 Chapter 43 – The School Festival.

    Chapter 43 ¨C The School Festival.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Surprise! There are two chapters tonight too! I have too much backlog....


    September hade and gone in the blink of an eye, the leaves began to change color, and the weather had gotten slightly colder. Today was the date of Kana''s long-awaited Cultural Festival, and she and her ss pulled out all the stops. The theme was a period-style caf¨¦, with an emphasis on traditional Japanese clothing and style, partially influenced by Akagi''s own outfit. This was the first cultural festival of Kana''s that Akagi would attend, and her little sister wasn''t about to settle for anything less than perfection. The outfits and food were top quality for a school event, and Kana took great care to ensure that the d¨¦cor was perfect. Normally, such things would be impossible on a limited school budget, but Akagi''s infinite pocketbook made things easy.


    Akagi and Yumi arrived at the gates of Kyoto Central High School and were surprised just how busy it was. The two were looking forward to seeing not just Kana''s ss, but the entire event. Yumi had only seen a few smallish festivals in the game, and Akagi was not one to attend such events during her time in school. As you can expect, the sight of the two women caused difort and unease among the other attendees. People gave them disapproving res, while others swiftly moved to distance themselves out of fear.


    "It would appear that we''re not wee," Yumimented as they entered the campus.


    "Oh well," Akagi shrugged. "I''m not here for them. All that matters to me is Kana, and if these idiots have a problem with that, too bad." Akagi didn''t really care if people were afraid of her.


    Yumi gave a smile. "Do you know when Hishya is supposed to be here? I know she was going to attend as she wanted to see Kana." Hishya and Kana had gotten close since she''d firste to Akagi''s home. Akagi was interested in just what kind of rtionship the two had developed, but chose to wait until Kana spoke to her about it.


    "Who knows." Akagiughed. "But I have a feeling she''ll be here soon enough. After all, she wouldn''t miss out on the main event." Akagi smirked.


    The festival was quite lively. Students from the different sses put on many different disys and there were even a few ying music for the attendees. Akagi never attended one of her ss''s Cultural Festival, so the sight before her was quite something to behold.


    "It reminds me of the Festival for the Goddess Hanyankomanyo in Karkul." Yumimented as she looked around. "It''s quite lively here, and it looks like people are having fun!" Yumi gave a big smile. As a priestess, she was in charge of her vige''s harvest festivals; and she always enjoyed the happiness that such celebrations brought.


    "There are definitely a lot of people here that''s for sure. Then again, this school is quite big, so it makes sense." Akagi replied. "If I recall Hanyankomanyo was the Goddess of Harvest that the Empire worshiped, right?" Akagi''s knowledge of such things wasn''t all-inclusive since she focused more on practical game knowledge than lore.


    "Yes, she was." Yumi nodded. "The Harvest Festival was always meant to thank her for providing food and to pray for a mild winter." Yumi thought for a moment. "This festival doesn''t really have any religious meanings to it, right? I think you said it''s more of a tradition than anything else?"


    "It used to once before. If I recall correctly, it was connected to Kyoto''s Harvest Festival, and it had simr meanings to what yours did. Though, I think it also was used to celebrate unity between Yokai and Humans." Akagi didn''t really care too much about the history behind this event.


    "Pffff." Yumi let out augh. "I wonder what they would say if they knew one of those Yokai was attending right now?"


    Akagi rolled her eyes in response.


    "What say we stop around at some of the other sses'' stands? Kana will be busy for a bit, so we''ve got time." Akagi looked at her friend.


    "Sounds like fun!" Yumi gave a warm smile, which made Akagi d she was here.


    The two walked around the fairgrounds going between the many different student stalls. It was clear that their presence was unwee, but no one was brave/foolish enough to say anything to them. Seeing this, Akagi decided to have a little fun by beating each and every one of the student''s skill games. From goldfish catching to shooting targets with a cork, there was nothing she didn''t win at. You might think having her powers was a cheat, but in this case, Akagi could win without having to rely on them. That''s just how good she was. Meanwhile, Yumi enjoyed the menagerie of food the students prepared. Her world had quite a poor variety of food, so things like Takoyaki, Yakisoba, Ramen, and Taiyaki were intriguing to her. These foods technically existed in FWO but were so incredibly rare that even Akagi struggled to get them consistently.


    The two continued their tour of the campus for over two hours. When they went inside the main building, they came across some of the more borate ss projects. Yumi was interested in the haunted house so the two went inside. After the initial excitement wore off, she was quite disappointed, remarking that some of her friends were scarier. Oddly enough, the Tea Ceremony Club caught Akagi''s interest. While tea wasn''t her favorite thing to drink, she was interested in seeing how the members handled the actual preparation and decor. Upon entering, she was met with a room full of uneasy people, but they tried their best to treat her as they would anyone else.


    The tea itself was honestly quite bad. It seemed they spent more time on the decor and setup than the tea itself. Everything else was rather mediocre, it was clear that the girls put in effort into trying to showcase a proper tea ceremony, but they came up short. Akagi actually ended up pulling the club president aside, gave her pointers, and exined a better method for preparation and some advice for making the atmosphere more authentic. Her advice was well received by the girls, and she seemed to make quite a good impression on them. Akagi was generally considered an outlier for enjoying traditional Japanese styles and decor, but in this case, her tastes were actually quite a boon.


    After some more walking around, Yumi and Akagi came to Kana''s ssroom. Her ss went for a cafe, and named it Yokai House, though it wasn''t exactly Yokai themed. Her ssmates were <i>very</i> aware that Akagi wasing, so when she approached the doorway she was swiftly brought inside. Upon entering, Akagi was impressed. The ssroom had beenpletely decorated in traditional style and resembled a cross between the Taisho and Edo periods with the choice of seating and decor. The girls wore Yukata''s that resembled many of Akagi''s own, while the men wore a Hakama. From what Akagi could tell, the ss''s cafe was quite popr and was so well received that many believed they would be dered the winner of the intersspetition for best ss project.


    Akagi and Yumi were seated at the back of the ssroom on small cushions on the floor with a small square table between them.


    "Onee-chan!" Kana came running over. She was wearing a beautiful blue and red Yukata and looked like she''d been run ragged. Hearing Kana call out to her sister, the other student''s all turned their attention to Akagi. It would seem that the other guests had left once Akagi entered, and they weren''t letting others in out of fear.


    "Hey there." Akagi gave a smile.


    "Hello Kana," Yumi greeted her.


    "It looks like everything''s going great.That Yukata looks amazing on you." Akagi had helped design her outfit. "I''m impressed with how well you put everything together; it''s amazing. It reminds me of the Nation of Ocha''s Embassy in FWO." The embassy was more of an easteregg/teaser for the full release and was the only Japanese-themed location in the game.


    "I''m d you''re impressed."She gave a big smile. "Have you been enjoying yourself at the festival? Rumors were circting that you were here, so I figured you were checking it out." Kana asked. Her ssmates were clearly ufortable with Akagi in the room, but neither she nor Kana cared.


    Akagi exined what she and Yumi had been up to since they arrived. When she was done, she asked Kana if she could order some tea, causing Mika to pop over and provide a menu. Naomi was currently wandering the festival with some of her other friends and was not in the room at the moment. Akagi and Yumi decided to order one of the more interestingly named tea called Umib¨­zu. Once it arrived, the two sat quietly and drank it. Akagi thought it was passable, but Yumi seemed to enjoy it quite a lot. Kana talked with the two of them for a bit. They chatted about what they''d been doing at the fesitval, their opinons on things and a few other tings. Apparently, Kana had tried to reach out to an old middle school friend of hers to invite her, but she couldn''t get a hold of her. Once they were finished, one of the boys spoke up.


    "Ok, you had your tea, so leave. No one else wants toe in here because of you." Hitoined.


    "Hito, what are you doing?" Another student panicked.


    "Listen, Kana got to show off to her <i>sister,</i> but that doesn''t mean she gets to stay and drive everyone else away." His anger at losing his brother during Akagi''s attack on Camp Katsura reignited the moment he saw her.


    "It''s not Onee-chan''s fault that people won''te here." Kana retorted. "She isn''t going to hurt anyone. If they''re too afraid to be around her, that''s their own fault." Kana was immediately put in a bad mood by hisments.


    "Humpf." he scoffed. "Easy for you to say that; she would never harm her <i>precious</i> sister." He let out a dryugh. "The rest of us are little more than insects to her; she couldn''t care less if she killed all of us, including you Mika." He looked at the blue-haired girl.


    Just as Kana was about to say something, Akagi spoke up.


    "You''re right. You are an insect." Akagiughed. "You buzz and buzz and buzz, but all you can do is annoy me." Akagi looked at him. "Humans and their lives are of little consequence to me. The only thing I care about, is my own whims and desires, nothing more and nothing less." Akagi shrugged and chuckled.


    "You really are a monster, aren''t you?" Hito spat back. "You killed my brother and so many other people, and you don''t even care one bit!" Hito walked closer to Akagi, he''d hidden a knife in his Hakama and intended to stab her. Akagi, of course, knew what he was doing. But she wasn''t worried.


    "<i><b>Careful child.</b></i>" Her distorted voice stopped him in his tracks. "<i><b>I am quite the tolerant Demon, but you would do well not to test me."</b></i> She gave a demonicugh. "<i><b>Many have over thesest few years, and fewer still have lived to tell the tale.</b></i>" Akagi''s voice and tone scared the other students. "<i><b>Allow me to exin something to you, child. Your brother is only dead because some fool decided toe for Kana. If that never happened, your brother would be alive right now. I am not one for mindless ughter, but if killing others will keep what''s important to me safe, then so be it." </b></i>Akagi looked at the other students. "This is the real world, not some light novel or anime. Being kind to one''s enemy and refusing to take the lives of those who seek to destroy you is a quick way to find everything you care about taken away.<i>" </i>Akagi''s voice reverted to normal, and she stood up.


    "Come on Yumi. Let''s leave," Akagi said. "We''re only causing problems if we stay here." Akagi looked at Kana. "I''ll see you at the main event. I think everyone''s gonna like it." As she walked out the door she stopped. "Oh yeah, Hishya will be here shortly, so enjoy your time with her."


    Kana was in such a state of confusion and anger that she didn''t even say anything when Akagi left. Though Hito wouldter be given quite a stern lecture and made to repent, the sight of which caused Naomi and Mika to have chills.


    Spoiler


    Kana in Yukata!


    [copse]

 Chapter 44 – An Unexpected Reunion and the Festival’s Finale.

    Chapter 44 ¨C An Unexpected Reunion and the Festival¡¯s Finale.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    There will technically be three chapters today, since the second has two parts.


    After leaving her sister''s ssroom behind, Akagi and Yumi went to the school''s rooftop. It was the only quiet area and the only ce Akagi could smoke without annoying others. Yumi could tell that her master was annoyed and tried to calm her down.


    "It''s not like I don''t understand why that boy is upset." She said while lighting Akagi''s Kiseru. "Losing family is always tough. Even if he knows you''re right, it won''t matter, he''ll still resent you."


    Akagi let out a puff of smoke. "I know, but..... I don''t know Yumi. Ever since I got back from FWO, I find myself caring less and less about those outside of my immediate surroundings. It''s like, in my mind, as long as you guys and Kana are ok. Nothing else matters." Akagi had a conflicted look on her face. At this point, she was even questioning how much of her humanity remained.


    "And what''s wrong with that?" Yumi responded. "It''s natural to focus on those you care about, and you still hold fast to your own rules right? So I don''t really see the problem." Yumi tried to reassure Akagi that her actions weren''t wrong.


    "Is... is it ok that I don''t really see myself as human anymore, Yumi?" Akagi turned to look at her friend. "I''m honestly not even sure what I am anymore. I don''t really feel any kind of kinship with them." Akagi looked at the sky.


    "How you view yourself is irrelevant to me or any of us. My Lord is My Lord whether you''re human, demon, or something else entirely." Yumi put her hand on Akagi''s shoulder. "Do you think these feelings are your own? Or are they being caused by something else?" Yumi was concerned that her merge with the Shadow Demon may have affected her more than she thought.


    Akagi shook her head as she took another hit of the Kiseru. "No, I can tell that these are my own thoughts and feelings, Yumi. It''s just that... I ... I don''t know, I feel strange on the inside, almost like I''m lying to myself. I''m sorry, I really can''t exin it; maybeter I''ll understand it." Akagi let out a puff. She wasn''t sure if the lie was holding on to her humanity or rejecting it, and this uncertainty made her ufortable.


    "Perhaps Mizumi might understand? She is a spirit after all, so she has to know more about demons than any of us." Yumi brought up the idea of seeking Mizumi''s assistance.


    "Perhaps," Akagi considered Yumi''s suggestion.


    The two remained on top of the school for around thirty minutes, before the stairwell door opened and a young woman, around Akagi''s age walked through. She was wearing a ck jacket with blue jeans. Her long blonde hair and red eyes showed she was gically modified, and the stern look on her face left Akagi with no doubt in her mind as to who she was.


    "Airi," Akagi called out. "It''s been a while."


    "How did I know you would be up here." the girl sighed as she walked over. Yumi moved in between the two, but Akagi stopped her.


    "It''s alright, Yumi" Akagi chuckled. "Airi is harmless; you don''t need to get all defensive." The woman standing before them, was Airi Tomogawa, Akagi''s first cousin and a former ssmate of hers.


    "Yeah, I don''t think there''s much I can do against someone who can fight the military head-on." Airi shrugged and took a good look at Akagi. "You really don''t look anything like <i>Rishia </i>do you?" Airi inspected Akagi''s appearance. As a close family, they saw each other frequently at family events and gatherings and even shared the same ss in high school, so she knew her well.


    "Nope, and I hope you''ll understand if I ask you not to call me that anymore. I cast aside that name permanently." Yumi leaned over to pack in more tobo into Akagi''s pipe. Kana was one thing, but anyone else calling her that name was <i>unpleasant.</i>


    "Your name is Akagi now right? I think it suits you quite well." Airi gave a smile. "You look so much better than you did when Ist saw you; in school I mean, not in the hospital." she chuckled.


    "I found what I was looking for." Akagi let out a puff. "That and I finally figured out just what mattered in my life." Akagi let out a smile as she looked at Yumi.


    "Yeah, I heard you took Kana after you were kicked out of the family." She sat down next to Akagi. "I know this probably doesn''t mean muching from me after all this time, but I''m sorry." She bowed her head. "I let myself get lost in family politics and treated you like crap." Airi was instructed to treat Akagi as if she didn''t exist in school and would regrly take out her frustrations on her. Her own parents put a lot of pressure on her, so Akagi was a convenient target for venting. She said and did a lot of terrible things to the her during their time in high school, and it seemed she regretted it.


    "Really? Are you apologizing so that I''ll take you off my naughty list?" Akagiughed. "Are you really sorry for what you did, or are you just afraid that I''lle back for revenge?" Akagi could tell that the girl felt sorry but didn''t know why she hade to apologize after all these years. Especially after Akagi was exiled from the family.


    Airi took a moment to think before answering. "I won''t deny that ever since I saw you on T.V. I''ve been terrified of youing after me for revenge. But that''s not the only reason." She continued. "Our-" she stopped herself. "<i>My</i> family isplete garbage; you''ve seen yourself how they act. Growing up, I always thought their behavior was normal, but now that I''m living on my own, I''vee to understand just how twisted and fucked up they were."


    Airi let out a sigh. "They forced us topete with one another and cast aside anyone who wasn''t up to par with their standards. It''s quite ironic as most of them are quite stupid themselves." Akagi always found it funny that Shima was so focused on academic ability when she was actually quite average. It was onlyter that she found out that Shima had been forced to marry Taichi as a consequence of her poor ability. She always found her mother''s fate quite amusing.


    "Well, I guess I''ll congratte you on realizing the obvious." Akagi gave a mocking p. "You don''t need to worry about me. Honestly, I don''t have the energy to go and hunt you all down. Plus if I do that, Kana will be sad." If Akagi wanted to, she could wipe out the rest of the family, but doing that would likely break her rtionship with Kana.


    "I went and saw her just a bit ago, she was in quite a bad mood." Airi look at Akagi. "Something about her ssmate being an idiot or something."


    "I killed his brother." Akagi dered. "And he doesn''t seem to like that."


    The frank answer caused Airi''s eyes to widen briefly. "Yeah, that would definitely be a reason to hate you. I assume he was a soldier at that base?" She asked.


    "Yeah, and I told him that if those idiots didn''t take Kana, then his brother would still be alive." Akagi shook her head. "I told the Japanese and American governments the same thing, fuck with my family, and don''t be surprised when I stop holding back." Her meeting with that C.I.A. operative still annoyed her. She hoped that the agent she<i> </i>met would go back to D.C. and ry just how poor of a life choice messing with her was.


    <i>{A-American government? Just what has she been up to?"} </i>Airi had many questions<i>. {It''s good to see she''s just as close to Kana as ever, but I''m worried that connection will cause bigger problems in the future.}</i>


    "So, did you juste up here to apologize and shoot the breeze?" Akagi put away her pipe. "Or did you have something else you wanted to discuss?"


    "I did have one other thing. A warning." She looked Akagi in the eyes. "I''m pretty sure the family isn''t going to take your actions lying down, and Shima and Taichi have been summoned by grandfather." The Tomogawa family wasn''t exactly powerful, but they always seemed to have the perfect connection whenever the need arose.


    "I see," Akagi stood up. "Thanks for the warning, but if you''re telling me this, I take it that means you''re separating from them?" Akagi asked her.


    "As much as I can." Airi shook her head. "I don''t want to be associated with those people anymore, not after I''ve seen just how bad they are."


    "If your parents try anything against me or Kana, understand that I will not hesitate to kill them or anyone else involved." Akagi hoped Kana would understand if it came down to it. She wanted to avoid killing members of the Tomogawa family, but she wouldn''t allow her rtionship with Kana get in the way of stopping them if it came to it.


    "<i>If </i>they do something, then their deaths are their own fault. I tried to talk them out of any drastic actions, but they ignored me as always." Airi sighed.


    The two spent around thirty minutes talking on the roof. Airi shared that she was nning on go tow school once she finished college. Once she''d left the confines of her parent''s house, she''d begun to understand just how toxic of an environment she''d been raised in. Her own attitude had gotten her in trouble, and after some time, she had an epiphany. She understood just how terrible her family was and looked back on her treatment of Akagi, who was hospitalized at the time, with regret. She wanted to visit her at least once, but could never gather the nerve to do so. When she heard Akagi had woken up after nearly four years, she was ted and figured that she would have a chance to correct her past mistakes. But when she saw Akagi at the press conference, she became terrified, fearing that her past actions would lead to Akagi taking her life.


    As they talked on the rooftop, an announcement yed over the PA system; it informed the guests that the day was winding down and that the special final event would be held shortly in the athletics stadium. Everyone knew that this event was scheduled, but no one seemed to know what it was, except for Akagi.


    "Well, we better get going. If I''mte, Hishya''s gonna be pissed; she''s been looking forward to this." Akagi, Yumi, and Airi headed downstairs and walked out toward the athletics field. Standing between the bleachers and the rubber running track was Hishya wearing her full armor with Sun Strike at her side.


    "Akagi!" Hishya yelled across the field. "I hope you''ve prepared yourself to lose." her mouth contorted into a mischievous smile, and her eyes lit up with excitement.


    Spoiler


    Airi!


    [copse]

 Chapter 45 – The Hero v. The Assassin (Part 1)

    Chapter 45 ¨C The Hero v. The Assassin (Part 1)


    Not long after the announcement, people began to gather at the athletics field and take their seats in the bleachers overlooking the track. Upon arrival, it was exined that there was to be an exhibition match between Akagi and Hishya. Most people had little understanding of just how powerful the returnees were, and Akagi figured this would be a great way to show off and have a little fun. As for how Akagi got the school to agree to this? Lets just say that Akagi can be very <i>persuasive</i> when she needs to be.


    When she brought up the idea to Hishya, the dragon girl couldn''t resist the challenge. She and Akagi had always enjoyed facing off against one another and this would be the first time they''d fought in two years. Kana and the girls took front-row seats. They knew that Hishya and Akagi were powerful, but they''d never seen the two fight, and frankly, they underestimated just how strong the two were.


    Akagi and Hishya moved to the center of the field, a good ways away from the audience. Yumi followed and ced a barrier around their fighting area. It wouldn''t stop powerful attacks from either fighter, but it would stop debris from flying toward the onlookers and give a sense of safety. The fight was being streamed to those with AR devices so they could watch it in full detail.


    "I can''t wait to see this." Mika''s eyes shined. "It''s gonna be like some anime fight. I bet they''re gonna fly around and shootsers at each other!" Mika was excited when she was told Hishya and Akagi would be fighting.


    Naomi and Kana let out augh.


    "I don''t think they''ll be going <i>that </i>crazy... <i>I hope</i>." Kana gave a wry smile.


    "Still, it should be interesting. It''s not every day you get to see two super-powered people go at it for entertainment." Naomi chuckled.


    Airi took a seat next to them. "I mean, Akagi is strong, but I don''t think she can do anything<em>that</em> crazy, right? And that Hishya girl isn''t as powerful so I think it will." Airi was underestimating just how strong the two were.


    "I mean, we''ve seen a little bit of what Akagi can do." Naomi thought for a moment. "But we''ve never actually seen her fight before."


    "Yeah, I know Onee-chan was able to beat the military, but we never saw just exactly<em>how</em> she did so." Kana gave a wry smile. "She told us not to watch the videos online."


    "I did!" Mika smiled. "It was awesome!"


    Suddenly, Chloe took a seat next to them along with a familiar blue-haired maid.


    "A fight between myaster and Hishya isn''t something to be missed nya!" the cat girl was as excited as Mika.


    "I never really paid attention to herbat ability before, so it will be quite interesting to see." Mizumi was also interested in seeing how her new master performed


    "Hey, Chloe. Hey Mi." Kana greeted her. "I didn''t expect to see you here." She hadn''t seen her or any of her sister''s followers at the festival so the cat and maid appearing was unexpected, since Akagi didn''t trust her. Akagi had instructed Kana to hide Mizumi''s true identity, and Mika and Naomi thought she was simply another one of Akagi''s followers. This was mostly to prevent information from leaking, since if it was known that Akagi was harboring the one who caused the FWO incident, it would be problematic.


    "Nya ha ha ha." Sheughed. "I couldn''t very well miss this; it''s not too often I get to see myaster let out some of her power." the cat took a seat. "I wonder how far they will go. They''re both battle junkies after all." Chloe''s eyes glinted slightly. She was just as guilty as her master for enjoying the thrill of the fight.


    Hearing the term <i>battle junkie </i>caused the three girls to let out a nervousugh.


    <i>{I just hope those two don''t take it too far and destroy the school or something.} </i>Kana sighed in her head.


    Akagi and Hishya stood across from one another in the middle of the field. The two had fought each other countless times over the years, and in FWO, they''d once intended to kill one another. Today''s fight wouldn''t be to the death, but that didn''t mean they weren''t going to take it seriously. Once their audience arrived, they two were signaled to start the fight at any time. However, before they came to blows, they decided to have a little fun.


    "Akagi, what do you say we start off with a little disy of power?" Hishya put her sword in its sheath.


    "Funny," Akagiughed. "I was just thinking the same thing. You first."


    Hishya returned augh as she closed her eyes.


    Everything grew quiet, and little more than the sound of the wind could be heard as Hishya began to release energy from within her body. Suddenly a wave of energy shot out and engulfed her. Her body was covered in a thin aura of me-like energy, her eyes reverted to their draconic version, and small red scales appeared on her face. As her power climbed higher and the aura raged, she let out a roar and the ground cracked underneath her. The audience couldn''t believe what they were seeing and hearing. The ground began to shake and the air itself seemed to get heavier as Hishya screamed. After a few moments, the me-like aura shot up high into the air as it erupted from her body.


    "I-I guess Hishya really is a dragon, huh?" Naomi gave a nervousugh. Hishya''s energy made her hair stand on end.


    ¡°Ye-yeah.¡± Kana nodded nervously.


    Once she was finished, Hishya cracked her necked to loosen up as electricity coiled around her body. From the outside, she looked as if she were on fire and the grass around her had been burned to a crisp.


    "Ahh, it''s so nice to stretch a little bit." She let out augh as she flexed her hands, her voice sounding more authoritative as she grinned. ¡°So much power, its quite nice.¡±


    "I''m sure it is. You keep your power all bunched up most of the time, so I can imagine it gets quite annoying." Akagi understood the feeling all too well, since she dealt with a <i>simr</i> issue. Hishya hadn''t really let her power out since she''d gotten back from FWO, and she never fully transformed in the real world, so her body was likely craving some form of release. Just like Akagi.


    <i>{Good to see you''ve gotten stronger since west fought.}</i> Akagi was getting excited seeing just how much power Hishya was putting off.


    "Now then. Since you were kind enough to show me yours." She crossed her arms in front of her body. "Let me show you mine!" She let out a scream as her body began to twist and morph. Arge ck shadow appeared behind her and began to swirl into a vortex. After a few seconds, it engulfed Akagi''s body, and a demonicugh could be hearding from within it. A momentter, the ck shadow dissipated, and Akagi''s visage could be seen once again. She looked slightly different; her hair was nowpletely ck and flowed and flickered like a me, and she stood at over six feet tall. Her left eye was orange instead of gold, and her entire outfit was now ck. On top of that, her entire body was covered by a ck flickering me-like aura simr to Hishya''s.


    "<i><b>Ahh, that''s better." </b></i>Akagi chuckled. "<i><b>I think this will be a good enough power level for our battle, wouldn''t you say?" </b></i>Akagi asked her opponent. She had to be careful, if she delved too deep into her powers, she was worried it might trigger something dangerous. This was about the limit of what she could safely release at the moment.


    Hishya didn''t respond with words. Instead, she broke out into maniacalughter whichsted for nearly a minute.


    "I''m <i>sooo</i> going to fucking enjoy this." Hishya drew her de, and Akagi followed suit.


    ¡°<i><b>That makes two of us.¡± </b></i>Akagiughed.


    An outside observer would be correct to note that these two were quite obsessed with fighting powerful opponents. Kana wouldter joke that while her sister wasn''t capable of feeling sexual attraction or romantic feelings she was definitely <i>fight-sexual</i>. Something Akagi didn''t refute.


    The two warriors slowly approached one another, each with looks of pure delight on their faces. When they reached the center of the field and were around 10 yards apart they began to circle one another like a predator stalking its prey. This dance continued for almost a minute before the two shed forward, their des shing together.


    "Oh, you actually took that head-on?" Hishyamented.


    "<i><b>Don''t assume you know everything about me. It''s been a long time since youst saw me in action!" </b></i>Akagi yelled as she pushed Hishya back.


    Hishya wasn''t phased and quickly righted herself, bringing her de to block a follow-up attack by Akagi. In a test of pure strength, Hishya would likely win, so Akagi jumped backward to gain some distance. However, Hishya was no fool, and just as Akaginded, she rocketed forward and caught her once again. She wasn''t going to give her any time to recover.


    The two shed, and Akagi changed tactics deciding to parry Hishya''s blow deflecting them toward the ground rather than trying to stop them. Each time she did this, the heat from Hishya''s sword caused sections of the turf to incinerate. The spectators couldn''t believe what they were seeing and even Kana and the girls were left speechless as they watched.


    Annoyed that her strikes weren''t getting through, Hishya opted to try some magic. As Akagi deflected her next strike, Hishya threw her left hand forward and hit Akagi point nk with a massive fire st which caused a huge explosion. A momentter, Akagi appeared to her left after reforming from her dark shadow; she seemed unharmed.


    "<i><b>You''re going to have to do better than that!" </b></i>Akagi bolted forward hoping to catch Hishya while she was experiencing the recoil of her move, but was surprised when Hishya used the back of her left hand to deflect her oing strike. Seeing an opportunity, Hishya drove her knee into Akagi''s stomach, momentarily stunning her as she brought her de around for a swing. Akagi knew she made a mistake and tried to contort her body out of the way. She was partially sessful in her attempts to avoid her, as Hishya''s de still managed to make contact and easily severed her left arm.


    Seeing the disadvantageous situation, Akagi used one of her abilities to temporarily blind Hishya so that she could gain some distance and re-focus. Losing her arm was annoying, but not crippling, but Hishya took the opportunity to mock her for her mistake.


    "I think you forgot something." She held up Akagi''s severed arm. "Too bad. I was aiming for your head." She used her mes to incinerate it.


    Seeing this, Akagi let out augh and quickly regrew her arm. Her body was little more than a vessel, so losing a limb or two didn''t really matter.


    "I thought you were supposed to be stunned after that attack, but I guess the game rules are much less concrete in the real world." Akagi spit out some blood. "I won''t make that same mistake again."


    Akagi rocketed forward and coated her de with a dark mist as she swung down at Hishya.


    <i>{Hmpf... This will end the same every time.} </i>She mocked Akagi in her head.


    As she leisurely moved to block the attack, she was shocked when both the de and Akagi suddenly passed straight through her.


    <i>{Wha- an Illusion?!} </i>Hishya scrambled to figure out where Akagi really was, but before she even had a moment to collect herself, she was greeted by Akagi''s fist mming into her temple. She was sent flying and tumbled across the grass. After a moment, she righted herself just in time to narrowly dodge Akagi''s de aimed at her head. However, it wasn''t aplete dodge as she felt a stream of warm liquid run down her cheek.


    "I guess the both of us underestimated our opponents. I had no idea you could create illusions and attack in quick session." Hishya wiped away the blood.


    "But I think that''s good enough of a warm-up. How about we move on to the real thing!" As she said this, a small burst of fire came out of her mouth.


    It looked like the real battle had only just begun.

 Chapter 46 – The Hero v. The Assassin (Part 2)

    Chapter 46 ¨C The Hero v. The Assassin (Part 2)


    *BOOM* BOOM* *BANG*


    With their warm-up finished, the two women''s battle intensified. As they blitzed around the field, each of their blows caused a shockwave that the spectators could feel. The spectacle of their sh left the audience in awe as they were practically on the edge of their seat. The two were evenly matched, trading blows at a blistering speed. Each time their swords shed, the very ground below them quaked.


    One of Akagi''s biggest weaknesses was ack of high-powered magic. Her specialty was speed, and the magic she did use focused squarely on physical enhancement rather than damage. Hishya took advantage of this and began to fling massive balls of fire in her direction. Even if Akagi dodged them, it would leave an opening for an attack.


    Seeing the iing barrage, Akagi opted to try out something she''d be experimenting on. She crouched down cing her de in its sheath, before covering it with dark power. As the fireballs drew closer, she struck swiftly, swiping her de and causing the oing projectiles to dissipate. There was a tense moment where Hishya hovered in the air as she stared down at Akagi, who gave a sadistic grin.


    Hishya returned one of her own and dove straight toward Akagi deciding to y her game for a bit.


    ¡°Hiyahh.¡± Hishya roared as she shed des with Akagi. The two rocketed around the field at speeds so fast the human eye couldn''t keep up.


    ¡°Did you get slower Akagi?¡± Hishya chuckled she attacked. ¡°I feel like I might actually be able to beat you if I go all out!¡± The two warriors des locked together and a massive shock wave exploded outwards which could be felt by the spectators.


    ¡°<i><b>In your dreams you over grown lizard.¡± </b></i>Akagi replied. ¡°<i><b>You and I both know this isn''t even close to my full power!¡± </b></i>Akagi screamed and an explosion of energy came out of her body throwing Hishya high into the air.


    After taking a moment to right herself, Hishya looked down at Akagi who stood in the center of a dust cloud below her pointing her de at her. It was if she was saying <ie at me.</i>


    Hishya let out augh. ¡°Your right, I know better than anyone that your just fuckin around with me.¡± Hishya shook her head. ¡°But that doesn''t mean I can''t make you sweat just a little bit!" She took in a deep breath and magical energy began to channel into her mouth. "Let''s see you deal with this!"


    She let out a loud roar and exhaled a massive breath of fire. Being a fire dragon, this was her specialty, but Akagi had no idea she could use it while in human form.


    Akagi was impressed and decided to respond with a technique of her own. She put away her de and closed her eyes, allowing her body to dissolve into a ck shadow. A fire dragon''s breath was several thousand degrees Fahrenheit, so taking it head-on was quite a dangerous move. Secondster, Akagi was hit with the full force of Hishya''s breath, and the effect was devastating. The ground where she once stood turned tova, and the grass in their arena caught fire and burned. Dragon''s breath was an extraordinarily powerful weapon. One that even the most heavily armored tank wouldn''t want to endure. Kana momentarily panicked, believing that her sister had been killed, as she was nowhere to be seen, but Chloe moved to calm her down, informing her that she was perfectly fine and to just watch.


    For a brief moment, Hishya also thought she''d killed Akagi; as she expected her to dodge out of the way, not take it head-on. However, just as she was about to descend, a massive ck cyclone sprang up from the impact point, and Akagi''s demonicugh filled the air.


    <i><b>"Not too bad." </b></i>Her voice came from the darkness. <i><b>"I''m impressed you managed to pull that off without resorting to transforming. Let me reward you by showing you something interesting I came up with recently." </b></i>The ck vortex slowed, and three pirs of darkness extended from it and down to the ground. Momentster, three Akagis appeared where they were impacted, and the ck cyclone disappeared.


    <b>"</b><i><b>It took some time to get used to multiple bodies, and there are still some kinks to work out. But I think this should work fine for now</b></i><b>." </b><i>(Akagi 1)</i>


    "I don''t care if there are three or three hundred of you! All you''re doing is dying the inevitable!" Hishya descended at lightning speed aiming for one of Akagi''s bodies. As she shed with her de, she was ambushed from both sides by the other two.


    "<i><b>Don''t tell me you forgot about me?" </b></i>(Akagi 2)


    Surrounded by three Akagi''s, Hishya began to take major damage. She assumed that the others were little more than illusions that couldn''t harm her, and she paid the price for that mistake. Unable to gain distance, Hishya was bounced between the three of them as she took direct hits from Akagi''s sword, fist, and knees. The damage began to pile up, and Akagi had no intention of giving Hishya a moment to recover.


    "<i><b>Come now, is that all you''ve got!" </b></i>Akagi''s three bodies moved to finish her off. But just as they brought their des down, Hishya''s free hand began to release a wave of ice and cold, and she punched one of Akagi''s bodies square in the chest. In an instant, it frozepletely and shattered into a cloud of misty particles. Her ability, cial Touch, was a gamble, as failure to contact an enemy would result in the effect bouncing back on the wielder, but it paid off.


    The loss of one of her bodies caused Akagi to momentarily lose concentration, and Hishya used the opportunity to escape. There were only two Akagi''s remaining, but Hishya had taken considerable damage. Taking a moment to recover, Hishya wiped the blood off her face and spat on the ground. It looked like this fight wasn''t over just yet.


    "I''ll admit, you almost had me there. I never expected you to be able to control multiple bodies with such precision." Hishyaughed. "But, now that I know your tricks, you won''t be able to do that again."


    "<i><b>We''ll see." </b></i>Both Akagi''s spoke together.


    <i>{I know I said that but fighting two of her at the same time isn''t going to be easy.} </i>Hishya scanned her mind to find some method of victory. {<i>My best bet is going to require taking both her bodies out at once, but even then, she might just reform. Dammit Akagi, you really had to go out and be some crazy overpowered existence, didn''t you?} </i>Hishya''s words might have sounded like she was upset, but the toothy smile on her face showed otherwise. Akagi''s strength only served to make her want more herself, and she relished the challenge before her.


    Hishya began to spin her sword clockwise in her hand. As it spun, it built up momentum, and the mes which extended from its de grew hotter and more violent. Seeing this, Akagi moved to close the gap and stop what she knew was about to happen, but this was just what Hishya was hoping for. As soon as Akagi closed the gap, Hishya returned her de to inventory and cupped her hands into a cone releasing a quick burst of radiant energy. This attack had two effects, first, it required Akagi to defend against it, and two, it blinded her second body temporarily. As her first body moved to guard against the st, Hishya took the opportunity and leaped through the st and tackling her to the ground.


    The two tumbled, and once they stopped, Hishya began to whale on her with all of her power. In the time it took for her second body to recover and reach her, Akagi had taken quite the beating, and her face was just as bruised as Hishya''s. Not wanting to be caught between the two of them Hishya re-summoned her de and jumped backward driving her sword into the ground as shended, causing plumes of fire to erupt around her.


    Akagi''s two bodies regrouped. Her defensive specs were quite low, so Hishya''s punches did quite a bit of damage. Akagi figured it was best to end the fight quickly, and that any more dy would likely put her on the back foot. Her two bodies slowly walked toward Hishya, des drawn. This would likely be the final sh.


    In a sh, they were both gone as they attacked Hishya from both sides. With only two of them, Hishya was able to deflect their attacks, and she managed to hold her position without taking damage. Akagi might have been incredibly fast, but Hishya was excellent at reading opponents. The exchange continued as Akagi refused to give Hishya a moment to act, and Hishya refused to allow Akagi to get a hit in. Then, the moment Akagi had been waiting for arrived. Seeing Hishya charge another magic attack in her left hand, she dissolved her second body into a ck shadow and had it wrap around Hishya''s hand. This left her unable to cast, and Akagi took the opportunity to pin her down by locking swords with her.


    Hishya''s focus moved to the sh of des, and this momentarypse in concentration gave Akagi''s second body a chance to act. Hishya''s body had a natural resistance to Akagi''s attack, but it was not enough. Unable to focus her full attention on the shadow''s body, she soon found herself bound and unable to move as Akagi''s shadow wrapped itself around her.


    "Hunng, Huuhhhng" Hishya struggled to get free but couldn''t. She might have the strength of a dragon, but Akagi''s shadow body was quite difficult to shake off.


    "<i><b>Reminds me a bit of Hassan. I tied you up a bit there too.</b></i>" Akagiughed. Try as she might, Hishya found herself unable to cast magic or move. This would be the second time that Akagi had gotten her with this trick and that didn''t make her happy.


    "<i><b>Do you surrender? Because I don''t want to hurt you anymore if I don''t have to." </b></i>Akagi had a big smirk on her face. Seeing Hishya in such apromising position was something she very much enjoyed.


    "Not yet!" Hishya roared.


    With little hope of escaping this situation, she opted to use a special technique; one that she had only used once before. Her body began to glow, and Akagi, knowing full well what this was, decided to back off and left her second body to hold her down in case it was a bluff. It wasn''t, and a momentter, a massive explosion rocked the athletics field where they battled. Self-destruct was basically a final attack where you were going for an all-or-nothing victory. It heavily damaged the user, but anyone caught in the st would likely not survive. The explosion was so bright that most of the spectators had to look away. When they returned their eyes to the battle; what they saw shocked them. In the middle of the massive crater stood Hishya, burned, singed, and bloody, but still standing. Akagi''s form could be seen towards the edge of the crater, and she appeared to be unharmed. Though, her other body didn''t survive. The ability Hishya used had worked but at the cost of damaging herself severely.


    Hishya took a step forward but fell to her knees as she coughed up blood. She had reached her limit, and it was likely she couldn''t continue the fight. But, while her body was broken, her mind was anything but.


    <i>{I can''t let it end like this.} </i>Hishya thought. She had much more power than this but was intentionally holding back as this was intended to be a fun exhibition match. But if she let out more, she thought she just might be able to win.


    {More... I need more power! I know I have MORE!}


    Hishya slowly stood up and began to channel even more of her draconic power, causing the ground to begin to shake. She always hated losing to Akagi, and this exhibition match was no different. Her thoughts began to turn towards destruction, and she began to see red.


    {MORE POWER I HAVE THE POWER TO WIN!}


    The mes around her body grew wild and electricity coursed around her. Her eyes began to glow, and her canines erged significantly.


    In the game, she''d never had any issues letting out her full power, and there was never a risk of going out of control. However, in the real world, her draconic blood and its influence began to cloud her mind. She might have the power of a dragon, but her human mind was not prepared for everything that came with it. At this rate, Hishya would lose herself in blood-lust, and who knows what she might do in such a state. Sensing what was about to happen, Akagi yelled out.


    "<i><b>HISHYA STOP!" </b></i>Her sudden scream caused Hishya to snap back to reality. <i><b>"You can''t let your blood control you! I can see it in your eyes, you''re on the edge. If you let out more power, you''re going to go on a rampage!" </b></i>Akagi had no interest in fighting a rampaging dragon, and she had no idea if Hishya could evene back from something like that. <i><b>"We''re done, the fight is over. It''s too dangerous to continue like this." </b></i>


    Akagi''s words were like cold water on Hishya''s mind. Her thoughts cleared, and the itch she felt in her skin began to recede. She had no idea her power could have such an effect on her.


    <i>{Wha- what was I... just...}</i>


    With the fight taken out of her and the damage inflicted setting in, she fell down unconscious; she had run out of steam. Akagi immediately rushed over to her downed friend, and Yumi appeared next to her to provide magical healing. Hishya''s injuries were quite extensive, but with Yumi''s assistance, she would be up and about soon enough.


    Seeing that the fight was over, the spectators erupted into a massive cheer. It seems that their performance went over quite well with everyone. Several people lived-streamed the battle, and the number of viewers was well into the millions. Kana and the girls were left speechless. They knew Hishya and Akagi were powerful, but the utter destruction in front of them was more than they ever thought possible, and Kana was once again reminded that her sister was no longer human. Mizumi was horrified by what she witnessed. The knowledge that <i>she</i> had unleashed such destructive power into this world caused her to be light-headed, and she fell to her knees.


    <i>{What have I unleashed in this world?!?} </i>


    It was on this day that Mizumi understood the gravity of her actions. By wishing for the salvation of her people, she may have doomed an entire world to destruction.

 Chapter 47 – Recovery and the Beginning.

    Chapter 47 ¨C Recovery and the Beginning.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Two Chapters today and tomorrow!


    Hishya was currently unconscious and her injuries were quite severe. Funnily enough, her self-destruction caused more damage to her than Akagi''s attacks. Yumi provided immediate aid, and Hishya''s worst injuries were swiftly healed, but Akagi still opted to have her seen by her dedicated physician, Mimi. The Yuki-Onna was quite skilled in healing magic and non-magical medical practice. So if there was anyone qualified to treat Hishya''s injuries, it would be her. On top of that, Akagi wanted to speak with Kira. perhaps she would understand Hishya''s draconic blood being a half-dragon herself?


    Before anything else, Akagi had Yumi use her magic to restore the damaged field to its prebattle condition. Hishya''s magic took quite a toll on thendscape and Akagi felt bad leaving it to the school to fix it. With a twirl of her staff, the ground began to restore as holes filled in grass regrew. After a few minutes, it was as if the two had never even battled.


    While Yumi repaired the field, Akagi went over to Kana and the others. The crowd was in quite an energetic mood, but Akagi ignored them and pulled the girls aside.


    "I''ll be returning to the house with Hishya, I want to get Mimi to look at her injuries, and she and I need to have a talk about her power." She looked at Kana. "I don''t think you could tell from here, but Hishya nearly went out of control." she shook her head. "Damn fool didn''t know her limits and nearly flew into an instinct-fueled rage."


    Kana was shocked. "Is she ok?!?" Her eyes showed deep concern for the dragon girl.


    "She''s fine," Akagi reassured her. "She''s asleep, and Yumi healed her worst injuries, but I''m going to have Kira talk to her. She''s the only person I know, other than Hishya, who has the blood of a dragon running through her veins. She might know more about what just happened." Kira was quite familiar with dragons and spent most of her life dealing with them.


    "Ok, should Ie back with you?" Kana asked. She seemed very concerned about Hishya''s condition.


    "Only if you want to," Akagi replied. "If you need to stay here, that''s fine. I can just send someone to collect youter."


    "I see, then I''ll stay for now. I need to help with cleanup, and I''ll never hear the end of it if I disappear now." Kana gave a wry smile.


    After giving Kana a hug and saying goodbye to Mika and Naomi, Akagi gathered up her followers and Hishya and teleported back to her estate.


    The group arrived in front of the main house, and Akagi told Chloe to quickly gather Kira and to meet in the medical center on the first floor of the servant''s quarter. The cat-girl took off at blistering speed, and Akagi carried her unconscious rival, finding it amusing that this would be the second time Mimi needed to treat her after a fight.


    The medical center was quite mundane. Mimi had no interest in modern technology, so the room was stocked with herbs and other items from FWO. Akagi was trying to get her to at least use this world''s more advanced medical knowledge, but getting her to do so was like pulling teeth. This was unsurprising as a nearly thousand-year-old Yuki-Onna, she was quite resistant to change. Upon arriving in the front room, Hishya was quickly taken by Mimi''s older daughter Suzu and ced in one of the beds. Mimi had two daughters who assisted her in providing medical care. Suzu, who was the eldest, and Yuzu, the youngest. Both looked simr to their mother, but their human blood left them without the signature teal hair that Yuki-Onna were known for.


    "Oh dear," Mimi appeared from her office. "It would seem you''ve brought me quite the interesting patient." she chuckled.


    "Yeah, we had an exhibition match, and she ended up blowing herself up rather than surrendering." Akagi shook her head. "She''s a real piece of work. Yumi took care of most of her injuries with her magic, but I wanted to have you look at her, just to make sure."


    "No problem." Mimi took out a small pane of ss from her robe and poured some of her magic into it. Once it began to glow, she walked over and used it to examine Hishya, and her eyes began to glow with magic. After about five minutes she put the ss away and looked at Akagi.


    "Yumi''s magic seems to have handled most issue. Right now, what she needs is rest. I''ll prepare a herbal remedy that will help her body recover its stamina. Other than that, she won''t need anything else from me." This was good news. Akagi knew that magic wasn''t the be-all-end-all for fixing injuries and was concerned that Hishya may have done more damage than Yumi could repair.


    "Thanks, Mimi." Akagi was relieved.


    The Yuki-Onna turned and looked at her daughters. "Please go and prepare some tea which will help Ms. Hishya recover. Make sure it''s not too hot so she can drink it when she awakens." Her two daughters nodded and went into the preparation area.


    "Do you have any injuries I should examine, my Lord?" Mimi asked.


    Akagiughed. "I''m pretty sure even you couldn''t do anything about an actual injury I receive, but thanks." Akagi''s real body was essentially pure energy. If <em>that</em> took damage she could only rely on her own natural recovery to fix it.


    "I figured, but I had to ask." Mimi gave a warm smile. "But still, this girl really drained herself, didn''t she? Her body is in quite an exhausted state even after Yumi healed her. You said she exploded herself? Why would she do that? Wasn''t it a fight for fun?" Mimi tilted her head in confusion.


    "Yeah, it was. But ourpetitive spirit made us go a little more all out than we probably should have." Akagi gave a wry smile. Her multiform technique was a little overkill for such a match.


    While the two spoke, Chloe returned and brought along Kira who, upon seeing Akagi, dropped to one knee.


    "My Lord," Kira''s voice turned serious. "I''ve been told you need my assistance. Please tell me how I can be of service." Kira was quite loyal and took the status of <i>subordinate</i> far more seriously than most.


    "I''m sure you''ve noticed, but our little <i>Hero </i>here is actually a Dragon." She pointed to Hishya.


    "Of course," Kira nodded. "I could tell from the moment Iid eyes upon her. Though, I am aware that her status is due to some <i>extenuating circumstances." </i>


    <i>"</i>Yeah, and those circumstances are why I''ve asked for your assistance. And you may rise." Akagi asked Kira to stand. "During our fight, she dipped into her draconic power and used enough of it to the point that she nearly went feral," Akagi exined what happened. "I''m pretty sure this is because she isn''t used to her power, and the fact that she''s now a dragon means she has much more powerful instincts than before, but I wanted to speak with you since you know much more about dragons than I do." Kira was basically an expert on this topic.


    Kira thought for a moment. "Your assumption is likely correct, My Lord. As she was once human, her mind was likely overtaken by the sudden influx of power, and her draconic instinct was kicked into overdrive by her desire to fight you." Kira continued. "I''ve been told that simr behavior can be found in younger, less mature dragons which is why they tend to cause more trouble than their elders."


    "Can she control it? Because I would like for her to be able to let out her full power if she needs to. Plus, I''m now wondering what will happen if she transformed into her dragon form as she is now." Akagi was worried that a full transformation would overwhelm Hishya''s mind.


    "I can''t speak to the full transformation, as there are no records of a Human bing a dragon. But it stands to reason that she would be able to control her power with training. If you want, I can assist her with that. I have experience with younger more rash dragons, and I suspect she''ll be much easier to work with." Her offer to assist was most wee, and Akagi told her to do so if that was what Hishya wished.


    As they spoke they heard a groan from the bed, it would seem that Hishya had woken up.


    "Ugh, my head...." she looked around. "Where am I?" she was confused since thest time she was awake she was in a field at the school.


    "You''re at my estate in our medical room. Yumi healed your injuries and I brought you to Mimi to make sure you were all good." Akagi exined what Mimi had told her and she was given her tea.


    "Thanks, and I''m sorry for all the fuss. I don''t know what came over me, all of a sudden, my entire body felt itchy and got incredibly warm and my thoughts clouded over." Hishya''s face turned dark.


    "It''s fine. There''s nothing wrong with you." Akagi reassured her and exined what Kira talked about.


    "I see. That makes sense." Hishya finished her drink. "I never really tapped into my power in this world, so it makes sense that I never had this issue." She got out of bed. "Still though, I guess it never really urred to me that I''d changed that much. I knew I wasn''t human but...." This was just another reminder that she''d left her humanity behind.


    "Now, now." Akagi put her arm around the girl. "Being human''s overrated anyway. Think about it; you''re a fucking dragon. You can fly, breathe fire, and do all sorts of crazy stuff." Akagi smiled. "So what if you need a little bit of training to keep that hot head of yours under control, it''s not that big of a deal, and we''ve got the perfect teacher for you right here." She pointed at Kira.


    "So knock it off with all the sadness. Do you know how long it took me to get control of myself after I merged with that demon?" Akagi''s merger wasn''t exactly painless. "Trust me; there are far worse things than being a dragon; I can assure you of that." Hishya was shocked by Akagi''sments; she never knew that Akagi had to deal with something like that, and she questioned if Akagi truly had that part of herself under control. Sensing her thoughts, Akagi gave a big smile; which only served to cause Hishya more confusion.


    <i>{Is she smiling because she''s in control or because she''s not?} </i>Hishya wouldter find the answer to her question, and the answer would shock her.


    "Yeah, your right." Hishya shook away her thoughts. "If you''re willing to help me, I would be grateful." She bowed to Kira.


    "If My Lord wills it, it shall be done." She gave a small smile. "And it''s always an honor to work with an honored one such as yourself." Kira''s caused Hishya to blush in embarrassment.


    "Please don''t speak to me like that, I''m not special! I''m just a girl who turned into a dragon that''s it!" It would seem that even Hishya couldn''t take such praise with a straight face.


    "Nonsense, even if your circumstances are a bit strange, you are still Dragon. What you were before is irrelevant to what you are now." Kira gave a firm response, which caused Akagi tough.


    "Well, you heard her. Kira, help this idiot out, and please respect her wishes as to how she should be treated. I know you have deep respect for Dragons but Hishya is a little different; if she asks you to treat her normally please do." Akagi was kind enough to at least throw Hishya a lifeline on this issue.


    "As you wish." Kira gave a bow and left the room.


    "Let me know when you want to do training with her, and I''ll set up the time and stuff," Akagi said.


    "I will. I guess that means I''ll be seeing you a lot more in the near future." Hishya gave a smile.


    "You mean Kana." Akagi teased causing Hishya to hit her in the chest out of embarrassment.


    As this was going on, Akagi got a phone call from Kana, and when she picked up, she was assaulted by a frantic Kana.


    "Onee-chan did you see the news? They''ve abducted the Governor of Tokyo and attacked city hall!" Kana''s words caused the entire room to go silent. Akagi looked at Hishya, and the two women knew this would be nothing but trouble.


    End of book 1


    Spoiler


    Mimi!


    Suzu!


    Yuzu!


    [copse]

 Chapter 48 – It’s Not About Sending A Message.

    Chapter 48 ¨C It¡¯s Not About Sending A Message.


    "It''s time." Herlex flew over to his two teammates who were standing on a nearby rooftop. They''d been nning to attack for several weeks, and with their mysterious benefactor''s assistance, they were about to make their debut to the world.


    "Why does Zappy''s team get to take out the Governor?" Armalthyined. "That sounds much better than attacking City Hall!"


    "What? Didn''t you say you wanted your pretty face stered all over the news?" Elnamented. "Our attack on City Hall will be much shier, and you''ll get to battle the cops, so I think that''s the better target." Elna''s smile turned into a grin as she looked down at the building. It was almost the end of the workday, but the streets and the offices were still bustling with activity.


    "Enough chitchat," Herlex interjected. "Armalthy, how about you do the honors and knock on the front door." Hearing this, the blue-haired boy gave twisted smile.


    "With pleasure." Armalthy smacked his hands together and began channeling energy between them. After a few seconds, he slowly pulled them apart, revealing a flow of electricity arching back and forth between his palms. "Alright, let''s go!" he put his hands above his head, and the electricity formed arge ball above them. "Lightning Bomb!" he screamed as he threw the electrical explosive towards the massive front door of City Hall.


    A split secondter, the energy st struck the front of the building and detonated. The resulting explosion blew a massive hole in the front of the building, blew out windows for several blocks, and even vaporized several pedestrians who were walking on the sidewalk. Seeing the devastation, the three let out augh as they descended onto the street below. Their eyes told you what was about to happen.


    Several people were knocked down within the crumbling interior, and with the smoke and dust kicked up by the st it became hard to see. Confusion and panic spread as people began to run for their lives. An older man who was working as an office worker within City Hall opened the door into the smoke-filled hallway, he couldn''t see much but he caught a glimpse of a silhouette walking towards him through the smoke.


    "Is someone there?" He called out. "What''s going on!" the silhouette didn''t respond as it got closer. The man rubbed his eyes to see if he was imagining things, but once he put his sses back on, he was greeted by the sight of a boy with angel wings standing in front of him.


    <i>{An- an angel!} T</i>he man attempted to say something, but before he could even get one word out, his entire body was impaled by dozens of small white feathers. He fell to the floor and began to bleed out as the boy let out augh. "Ha, what a joke. You guys die so easily." he shook his head. "I have no idea why we were so worried." Herlex walked past the dying man. "This is going to be so much fun." He sent his feathers up and down the hallway killing anyone he came across, and the sounds of terrified screams could be heard throughout the building. This wasn''t an attack to send a message, it was an extermination and they would kill everyone they could.


    Armalthy entered through the ground floor and was stopped by some of the security guards. They trained their pistols on him and threatened to shoot him if he didn''t leave.


    "Go right ahead." Heughed as he continued approaching the two officers. The two men exchanged nces and opened fire, but were shocked when their bullets not only didn''t affect him, but ricocheted back and struck them. The two men dropped to the floor, injured but still alive. Seeing this, Armalthy walked over to the two men and used his electrical powers to rip the guns from their hands and pulled them to his.


    "Quite weak aren''t they." He crushed one of them in his hand. "I think I''ll keep this one, might have some fun with it." He bent down and touched one man with his free hand. "Now, let''s see if I can manipte bioelectricity, I wonder what happens if I start messing with it." The blue-haired man gave a sadistic grin as he channeled his power into the officer causing him to convulse before exploding into a bloody paste.


    "Oh, man! He fucking exploded." He looked at the other officer. "Wasn''t that neat? I mean. I knew he would die, but to just pop like a water balloon was beyond my wildest expectations! Now let''s see if it happens if I do the same to you." Armalthy continued his experiments as he traveled the lower halls. He was quite the twisted man, and even in-game his sadistic tendencies made other yers ufortable. But now, freed from oversight, he waspletely unrestrained and was enjoying himself to the fullest.


    Elna headed straight for the central chamber where the councilors were meeting at this time of day. She had a bone to pick with one in particr and was enjoying ughtering any poor soul unfortunate enough toe across her. Upon reaching the door which lead to the main conference chamber, she channeled her energy into a kick and knocked down the doors. The five city council members stood around a table and were guarded by several members of security.


    "Halt! Hands in the air!" One of them screamed. Elnaughed and decided to oblige.


    "Is this good enough?" She asked as she looked over at one of the council members. "Hello mother, it''s been a while, hasn''t it?" Elna''s mother, Kikuo was a longstanding member of the Tokyo City council and was the one that expelled her from her family after she returned from FWO.


    "I have no monster as a daughter!" She yelled. "Just what the hell do you think you''re doing barging in like this?"


    "What? Can''t Ie see my mom at her work?" Elnaughed. "I even brought a few friends, and were having a little fun." The blood on her face and clothing was indicative of the kind of <i>fun</i> she was referring to.


    "I knew you were a monster from the moment I saw you lying in that Hospital bed. My real daughter would never do something so heinous!" Her mother was disgusted by her. "Shoot her!" she looked at the guards. "Take her down, now I''ll handle the repercussions, just put that monster down."


    The officers looked at her and shrugged their shoulders. If the council chairmen told them to do so, then it should be fine. Simultaneously the eight armed officers opened fire on Elna. Kikuo closed her eyes, part of her didn''t want to watch her daughter die, and when she opened them, she was shocked. Not only was Elna not dead, but she waspletely unharmed.


    "Come on now, you can do better than that right?" Elnaughed. "Those bullets merely tickledpared to the Ratch monsters we fought on a daily basis!" She stepped forward, and in a sh, she was in front of one of the officers. "Now let''s see what happens when I hit you!" Elna was a martial artist, and her kit relied on martial attacks and Ki. She punched the officer square in the stomach which caused blood to discharge from his mouth and eyes. She stepped to the side allowing him to fall in front of her. "Well darn, he died." Elna looked dejected. She hoped they would take a little more effort than this to kill. Seeing this, the other officers opened fire again, but Elna dodged out of the way and began to zip between the officers, taking each out with one single punch. When there was just one remaining, she ced herself directly in front of him and moved her right hand to just one inch above his heart before punching him causing his heart to explode.


    "Well, your guards are very much dead." She turned her blood-stained face towards the council members. "So what say we move on to the main event." The council chamber was filled with a sadisticugh as she took pleasure in slowly killing each and every member of the city council. Her mother pleaded for mercy, but Elna was in no mood. Being thrown away by her own family was too much for her to bear, and she didn''t even hesitate as she ripped her mother''s head from her torso. Holding the decapitated head of her mother, she smiled. "Ah, man! I haven''t felt this good in so long!" She let out a whistle as she twirled it around by the hair as she walked down the hallway. Everything was going ording to n.


    The three met up in front of City Hall in the copsed ruins of the main stairway. There were dozens of officers waiting for them outside, but they weren''t phased in the slightest.


    "Armalthy, you want this one?" She gestured toward the armed officers.


    Not one to say no to ughter, he jumped forward andnded on one of the patrol cars, causing the officers nearby to flinch.


    "How''s everyone doing today!" He smiled, only to get hit by several bullets. "Good, good, nice to see you''ve got energy.You just love to see it!." he raised his left hand and caused the nearby car to levitate. He let out a chuckle as the threw it at another car, causing it to explode in a fireball.


    "Oops," he said sarcastically. "I should be more careful with my toys, huh?" He hopped down off the car he was standing on and kicked it into a group of officers in front of it, killing them instantly. "Damn, I really am bad at ying with others." heughed. "I always get carried away." His eyes showed just how much fun he was having. A few explosionster, all the officers were dead and the street was covered in blood and mes. A news helicopter was flying overhead, so Elna decided tounch her mother''s head at it; it smacked into the windshield and slid off falling to the ground.


    Herlexughed. "No respect for the dead, I see."


    "Oh, I''m sorry; shouldn''t the <i>angel</i> be taking care of all that?" Elna replied sarcastically.


    "I''m an angel of death, not one that takes care of lost souls." He smirked.


    "At least your not a cherub." Armalthy returned to their side. "Though seeing Herlex as a small fat baby would be kinda funny." The three burst outughing at hisment, only to be interrupted by another voice.


    "What the hell do you bastards think you''re doing!" Minazawa appeared in the middle of the carnage. She was wearing her full battle gear, and the look in her eyes showed she was pissed.

 Chapter 49 – A Quick Bout of PvP.

    Chapter 49 ¨C A Quick Bout of PvP.


    "Oh? What do we have here?" Herlex was surprised to see Minazawa. "You got here pretty quickly, I thought you weren''t even in Tokyo today." Their intel stated she''d be in Fukushima today, so seeing her here was quite annoying.


    "Dang, what were those idiots doing." Elna cursed the others for failing to keep tabs on her.


    "Isn''t it fine though?" Armalthyughed. "We can just take her out right now!" He lept forward, his fist charged with electrical energy. "Without Ishigami, you''re not so tough!" he mmed his fist into Minazawa''s shield, causing the ground to crack under her feat.


    He hadn''t expected her to take his blow so easily and was shocked. Minazawa didn''t miss a beat and activated her shield ability and sent him flying backward into the side of a building. "You''re right, Ishigami would have been useful right now; but that idiot went and got himself killed." She nged her de on her shield. "But don''t think I''m helpless without him."


    Herlex thought the sight of Armalthy flying in the air was quite amusing. "Well, let that be a lesson to you." He chuckled. "Fighting Minazawa might be a little bit harder than those cops." He sent a few of his feathers at Minazawa which she easily deflected. Her eyes were focused on Elna, the dedicated martial artist among them. She knew that her speed and heavy-hitting strikes would be the most dangerous of the three.


    *BOOM*


    Elna mmed her foot into the ground causing arge chunk of asphalt to pop up. "Let''s see how that shield does against this." She kicked it forward towards Minazawa, who sliced it in half. When she did so, Elna took the opportunity to rush her, while Herlex fired off several beams of light.


    Elna''s hit on her shield was much harder than Armalthy. Minazawa held strong, but the sts from Herlex were quite annoying. Her defenses were good enough to take them for now, but over time the chip damage from them would add up.


    *BOOM**BOOM**BOOM**BOOM*


    Elna acrobatically moved around Minazawa, constantly trying to find an opening in her defenses, but Minazawa''s Adamantite te Armor and Shield were quite resistant to damage.


    <i>{Damn this hurts my hands!} </i>Elna yelled in her head.Hitting the hard shield with no protection was causing her hands to bleed.


    "Perhaps you forgot that my main role was to sponge up damage for others?" Minazawa scoffed at Elna''s attempt as she threw her back with her shield. "Your punches are quite strong, but you were foolish toe without your gear!" She raised her de and mmed it into the ground causing a tremor that exploded underneath Herlex, causing earthen spikes to erupt from the ground and send him flying.


    "No, we didn''t forget; we just need to keep your attention," Herlex said as he stabilized himself in the air. Suddenly a massive st of electrical energy mmed Minazawa in the back; she''d forgotten about Armalthy.


    "I don''t really appreciate being thrown through buildings." he shot more sts at her which she absorbed with her shields. Seeing this opportunity, Elna flung more asphalt at her. Unable to block both, Minazawa began taking damage.


    Herlex began to charge one of his attacks, and his palm lit up with blinding light. Minazawa knew just what this attack was, and she wasn''t happy at the prospect of taking it head-on.


    "Now then, Minazawa, let''s see you take my Holy Spear Lance! All that armor won''t help when it bypasses it and hits you directly!" The light in his hand changed into a long spear, and he held it above his head


    <i>{Fuck, fighting three at the same time is not good.}</i> She hadn''t taken much damage but, at this rate, she might lose to them in a war of attrition. And if thatnce hit her, she might just go down.


    "It''s a good thing I''m not alone." As she said this, an energy round mmed into Herlex''s right side, causing his attack to dissipate, as he plunged into the ground. Flying was quite an advantage, but it also left him open to range attacks.


    "Shit! Herlex! What the fuck was that" Elna watched as he crashed into the ground. While Armalthy traced back the shot to find the sniper. The shot in question hade from Minazawa''s new partner, Mixu, the vampire sniper. She was originally an archer, but their dedicated weapon maker Destructive Imp created a sniper rifle that worked with her abilities. As you can imagine, a magical sniper rifle was quite an upgrade over a bow.


    "Dumbass, you think I''ll just let you float up there and charge your attack?" the white-haired vampireughed as she watched Herlex fall through her scope. She had a cigarette in her mouth and was perched at the top of a high-rise on the other end of the city. Her long ck trench coast swung in the breeze, and her blue eyes showed her enjoyment at taking Herlex down. The shot she just made would shatter all world records, but it was just another day for her. She pulled the bolt back and loaded another magical round, ready to fire again. "Now then, what will you idiots do next?" She chuckled.


    "Fuck, I thought Mixu couldn''t fire from that far!" Elna panicked.


    "I''ll go deal with her!" Armalthy charged up to run across Tokyo but was stopped by a woozy Herlex. "NO! Don''t go anywhere; if we split up, we''re fucked!" He was damaged from that hit, but not critically, and he staggered to his feet. "We did our job, and even if we underestimated these two, everything''s still going ording to n."


    He pointed to the smoke in the skying from the direction of the Governor''s mansion. "If these two are here, then they aren''t defending the Governor, so let''s withdraw, for now, and deal with themter. We don''t have our gear, and I don''t want to take more hits from Mixu." His jacket had a nice burned-out hole in it.


    Armalthy was a battle junkie, but he wasn''t stupid. He knew fighting without his equipment would be dangerous, so he agreed, and the three retreated, jumping on the rooftops. Mixu refrained from firing out of concern for destroying the buildings, and Minazawa was too slow to give chases.


    "Dammit." She cursed into herm. "Mixu, do you have visuals on them?"


    "They hauled ass across the rooftops, but they''re not going towards the Governor''s mansion. I can''t take a shot like this; if I miss, I might explode a building or two." Mixu''s voice replied over the. Though, her voice sounded like it was holding backughter when she mentioned exploding buildings.


    "Yeah, don''t do that. If they''re disengaging, it''s not worth the risk." She called out to another person. "Aoi, how are things looking at the Governor''s ce?" She was speaking to the one in charge of the returnee unit she was a part of.


    "Not great honestly, You two were the only agents we had within range to respond to these attacks. The other three weren''t close enough, and since we sent you to City Hall, the Governor was killed." Aoi responded, her voice gloomy. A silence came over themswork until Minazawa spoke up.


    "Understood, our intel told us something was going to happen, but I never expected a coordinated attack by <i>ten</i> others." She knew each of these people personally, and she couldn''t believe they would do something like this. "Should we head to the Governor''s mansion and clean up?" She wanted to bash these idiot''s heads in for what they''d done.


    "That won''t be necessary. It seems that when those three fled, the ones at the mansion did the same." She was talking to someone in the background at the same time. "From what I heard, they weren''t expecting you two, and so they didn''t bring their gear, which was fortunate, but I don''t think we''re going to get that lucky in the future." The fact that they came in normal clothing with no FWO equipment was baffling, and Minazawa didn''t understand what they were thinking.


    <i>{Why wouldn''t they bring any equipment? Were they just that overconfident? If those three had brought their full gear, this would have been trouble.} </i>Minazawa''s mind raced as she tried to understand their logic. <i>{God, I really hope Akagi isn''t involved with these idiots, or we''re fucked.}</i>


    "Return to base, we''ll do a full debriefing, and I''ve got the rest of the team en route here. When the five of you are present, we''ll get started." Aoi sounded dejected. "I guess no sleep tonight for me."


    "Understood" (Minazawa and Mixu). The two women disengaged and allowed emergency services to handle the rest as they rushed back to their headquarters in Tokyo Central Police Department.


    After the revtion that some FWO survivors had retained their game abilities, the government swiftly moved to bring as many as it could under its control. At present, it had five: Minazawa, Mixu, Destructive Imp<i>, </i>Excelsior, and Superbia. Imp, as she was called, was as expected, an imp. And was primarily a manufacturer and was the single best craftsman in FWO. She also had a very <i>unique</i> way of speaking, and a habit of creating explosions and crazy contraptions.


    Excelsior was simr to Ishigami in his role, but he was a cleric and used a two-handed war hammer. He was a healer, was fantastic at zone of control, and as a Half-Giant, he could hit incredibly hard. Superbia was an Oni swordsman. She was fast and lethal and primarily used a nodachi for her attacks; her Oni-fire was dangerous and had the effect of stripping opponents of natural resistance. She was probably the only yer that could give Akagi a run for her money in terms of speed.


    This group wasmanded by a fellow survivor, but one which had not retained her powers. Prior to FWO, Aoi Yukikaze was an officer in Tokyo P.D., once she woke up, her connection to the other yersnded her the position of leading this special team. To say that she was overwhelmed was the understatement of the century, but she had no choice but to take on this role. The returnees refused to work under someone who didn''t understand FWO and their abilities.


    Imp was thest to arrive, and the meeting began with Aoi recapping the day''s events, and detailing what they knew. Tokyo had lost both its City Council and sitting Governor, to a terrorist attack by a group calling themselves Libra, ironic considering they are exact opposite ofw and order. They consisted of ten returnees, each of which was either a social outcast before FWO or had bad experiences after returning from the game. After taking a moment to review the list of names, Minazawa put her head in her hands.


    "Herlex is bad enough, but Merkyul and Sabia are involved too." She sighed.


    "Add in that maniac Armalthy, and you''ve got the best hits of the Assault team''s misfit club." Herlex, Merkyul, and Sabia were some of the most dangerous and rouge members of the assault team, and on multiple asions, fights had broken out between them and the other members. Hishya had always stepped in to stop them, but they were always a pain. Having those three backed by seven others was trouble and Minazawa doubted they could win against them in a straight-up fight.


    "Imp aside, there are only four of us," Mixu spoke up. "I don''t think we''re delusional enough to think we can just take them on without a n." Mixu had always been distant from other yers and was not actually part of the assault team. Like Akagi, she yed mostly solo, and her build was a little more adept at killing yers than most. However, unlike Akagi, the vampire was not a yer killer and had minimal PvP experience.


    "Best I might be able to do is pick a few of them off, but we just saw that even a surprise hit from my rifle isn''t enough to drop one of them with one hit, even without gear." She clicked her tongue.


    "Yes-yes!" Imp agreed. "Help-assistance needed!" Imp cackled. "The Angel-thing that kills-destroys must pay-suffer!" Imp''s speech was quick and erratic. Imp''s speech pattern was not because of her race. For whatever reason, she enjoyed a certain fantasy race''s way of speaking and now only speaks that way. Everyone hated it but gave up trying to get her to stop.


    Spoiler


    Imp!


    Mixu!


    Superbia!


    Excelsior!


    [copse]

 Chapter 50 -A Meeting of Heros and Foreboding.

    Chapter 50 -A Meeting of Heros and Foreboding.


    "Any chance of us getting backup?" Minazawa asked. There were other potential recruits among the returnees, but getting them on board was proving <i>difficult</i>.


    Aoi gave a wry smile. "Not immediately. Others are unwilling to work with us for many different reasons, and we can''t exactlypel them to help, nor would I." It was the answer everyone expected. "However, there are two yers we might be able to get help from that we haven''t asked."


    "Who?" Excelsior asked.


    Imp tilted her head, waiting for an answer.


    "The first is Hishya." Aoi continued. "We haven''t spoken to her yet, for several reasons, but knowing her, she might be just what we need." Hishya was the best yer in the assault team and is regarded as the reason the yers escaped. With her power, they might be able to take down Libra.


    "Make sense," Mixumented. "With her tactical skill and overall power level, our chances of winning skyrocket. Why haven''t you already asked her to join?" Mixu knew Hishya didn''t want to battle Akagi, but couldn''t imagine her refusing to help in such a dire situation.


    "Because we were worried she might be a danger to the country." Aoi gave an answer that confused the other five.


    "Danger? Danger how?" Superbia asked. "You and I both worked with Hishya every day, so how could you even think something like that?" Superbia was frequently paired up with Hishya on floor clearing.


    "Please keep this between us." Aoi took a deep breath. "We had reason to believe that Hishya was in league with Akagi." Her eyes scanned her friend''s faces; she could tell they were upset by herments. "Our surveince recorded her spending excessive amounts of time with or around her over thesest two months. And if youbine that with her statements during her interview, we feared she might have joined forces with her."


    "Meeting Akagi?" Excelsior thought for a moment. "Do you know the content of those meetings?"


    "No, we don''t. Any attempts at surveying Akagi''s home proved futile." Aoi knew the government was wary about angering her, so they limited things to remote observation.


    "Intelligence originally thought that whatever attack wasing would involve Akagi herself, but as we just saw...." It wasn''t Akagi that attacked. "While we can''t be certain of Hishya''s motives, I''m pretty sure we can trust her on this. If Akagi isn''t behind this whole thing; then we might need her help too."


    "OHHH!" Imp cried out. "Akagi''s help?"


    "Don''t tell me that she was your second yer?" Mixu wasn''t thrilled with the idea of working with Akagi.


    "But Akagi fun-entertaining!" Imp seemed excited to see her again.


    "Fun for you, but that''s because you''re crazy, and you love giving her new toys to use!" Mixu retorted. Imp was one of the few yers that had a good rtionship with Akagi in FWO. Mostly because the two shared a mutual love of creating the most overpowered and insane gear.


    "KABOOM! Hehehehehe" Imp smiled.


    "Why do I even bother." Mixu put her hand over her face in defeat.


    "Do you really think she would even help us?" Minazawa spoke up. "She isn''t a team yer, and I can tell you that she''d never agree to work under anyone." Minazawa knew Akagi well enough to know that her peacefully joining the team wasn''t going to happen.


    "I don''t know." Aoi shook her head. "I never met her myself, but I''ve heard the stories. If nothing else, perhaps she would be willing to cooperate with us?" Aoi was on the assault team but rarely saw directbat. She was a logistics and support member and was more at home moving supplies and running themand center.


    "Then I''ll give you a warning." Minazawa''s voice turned serious. "Akagi is <i>not</i> to be underestimated, nor should you do anything to earn her wrath. If you are seriously going to ask her for help; then you need to be courteous and respectful.¡± Minazawa looked at Aoi. ¡°Additionally, you had better be prepared to pay one hell of a price for her help. I don''t know what she''ll ask for in exchange for her assistance, but it won''t be cheap." Minazawa''s feelings toward Akagi wereplex. The death of her boyfriend at Akagi''s hands left her with hatred in her heart. But when she heard Yumi''s story, she could no longer me her for killing him. She might not like Akagi, but she no longer hated her. "Thest thing we need is for Akagi to get upset and start attacking us as well, so I would rmend that one of us go and speak with her. I don''t trust some random schmuck from the State Department not to fuck that up." She mmed her hand on the table.


    "I see." Aoi was taken aback by Minazawa''s statement. She knew the other yers were wary around FWOs notorious Pker, and she herself saw Akagi on T.V. that day. But she had always assumed Akagi was still just another yer at the end of the day. The way Minazawa spoke made it seem like they were dealing with a <i>monster </i>rather than a person.


    <i>{Just who or what is Akagi to have these four so wary?}</i> (Aoi)


    "Then, as the leader of this team, I will do it." Aoi decided to bite the bullet and meet Akagi herself. "It''s the least I can do, I can''t fight alongside you, but I can put my other skills to good use!"


    "Not exactly thrilled about this." Mixu huffed. "Akagi always gave me the creeps, and I''m pretty sure she doesn''t like me." Mixu wasn''t an assassin like Akagi, but her home was on the dark side of society, so they had plenty of run-ins over the years.


    "I know. Trust me. Asking Akagi for help is thest thing <i>I </i>want to do either. But right now, we can''t be picky with who we work with. If we can''t stop these idiots the entire country may well fall." Minazawa gave a sharp re. "They have a two-to-one advantage against us in numbers, and I don''t think I need to tell you how bad that makes things." She looked at her teammates; they all knew just how unlikely victory would be under such conditions.


    Seeing no furtherments, Minazawa asked Aoi to work on contacting Akagi and offered to speak with Hishya herself. The two got along rtively well, and Minazawa figured she was the best of the group to speak with her. Mixu and Superbia were terrible at conversation, and while Excelsior was charismatic, he didn''t get along well with Hishya. As for Imp, well lets just say her diplomacy skill was negative.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    "Well... that just happened." Akagi looked at the video feed with an expressionless face.


    Her, Hishya, Yumi, Kana, Naomi, and Mika were standing in the hallway outside of Kana''s ssroom and were looking at a live feed of the destruction in Tokyo. They''d watched as Herlex and co destroyed City Hall and killed hundreds.


    "WHAT THE HELL ARE THOSE IDIOTS THINKING!" Hishya screamed. Her sudden outburst let slip some of her dragon energy.


    "Calm down scaley." Akagi bopped her on the head. "We don''t need you getting worked up and running amok."


    "Ouch!" Hishya cried. "And don''t call me that!"


    "But your face is covered in them, so I think it fits." Akagi retorted.


    Hishya''s eyes widened and she touched her cheek, feeling the warm scales on it. "What the- when the-" she didn''t expect to transform just from being angry.


    "And that''s why Kira''s help will be useful. You''re too emotional with that blood in your body, and you need to rein it in lest it swallows you whole." Akagi gave a warning that seemed like she was talking to herself as much as Hishya.


    Hishya took a deep breath and calmed down, causing her power to recede and her body to return to normal. "Regardless of <i>my</i> issues. <i>That"</i> she pointed to the screen. "Is still <i>an</i> <em>issue</em>. What are they thinking pulling something like this?" Hishya knew every one of the yers who participated in this attack and was furious that they did something so terrible.


    "I mean, it makes sense." Akagi looked at her. "They have power and they want to use it for their own ends. I''m not much different." Akagi shrugged.


    "But you don''t do things like <i>that!</i>" Hishya retorted. "They attacked the city for no good reason, and they killed those people just because they could! They''re no different than-" Hishya stopped herself as she was about to drop Silver Wolf''s name.


    "Mom and Dad are ok, they live on the other end of Tokyo. But I still need to get back there ASAP!" She was worried her parents might get caught in the crossfire.


    "Don''t tell me you intend to run off after those idiots the second you get back?" Akagi chastised the dragon. "You''re in no shape to fight right now, and even if you were, you can''t ess your full power, <i>and </i>it would be a 10 v 1." Akagi red at her. "I hope I don''t need to tell you that you can''t win in that situation."


    Akagi''s words were harsh but true, and Hishya knew it. She might have been powerful, but fighting all ten of them at once was suicide.


    "No, I don''t intend to fight them right now." Hishya shook her head. "I just want to get back home and make sure they''re ok."


    "Are you going to fight them?" Akagi asked. "Because if you do, I hope you realize it''s going to be an uphill battle, and your parents will be dragged into that conflict." Akagi knew Armalthy''s personality, and taking hostages would be right up his alley. It''s what she would do in his shoes.


    "Will you fight them?" Hishya asked a question the other girls wanted an answer to.


    "Why would I?" Akagi was dumbfounded by the question. "If they don''t involve me, I don''t care if they tten Tokyo into a parking lot."


    "But Onee-chan, they''re going to kill so many people. You could stop them couldn''t you?" Kana pleaded for her sister to help.


    "Could I? Yes. But will I?" She looked at Hishya. "What do you have to trade? You realize that you would effectively be contracting me for ten assassinations of high-level yers.¡± That would be quite an expensive price.


    "I-uh..." Hishya didn''t have an answer. "If it''s money you want-" Akagi stopped her mid-sentence.


    "I have no use for more money. I want things that money can''t buy me." Akagi''s eyes turned serious. "So, I''ll ask again, what do you have to trade me for the lives of ten high-level yers?"


    Hishya had no response, thest thing she wanted was to have some form of debt to Akagi, and the only thing she could offer that would satisfy the <i>Demon </i>was herself, and that was not something she would give up lightly.


    "If you have nothing to offer, then we have no deal." Akagi scoffed. "I don''t work for free. If those idiots decide to make a move against me, then I''ll get involved. But until then, I don''t care what they do with their powers." Akagi shrugged. "If you want to go team up with Minazawa and that sniper, then be my guest."


    Hishya could only nod in response. She knew that no matter how good of a rtionship she had with Akagi, she would never move for her out of the kindness of her heart. Kana and her followers were the only exceptions to this rule, and Hishya didn''t want to give up her newly found freedom.


    "If you want to go back to Tokyo..." She looked at Yumi. "Are youfortable taking her?" She knew their rtionship improved, but was still reluctant to ask Yumi to do this.


    "Yes," Yumi smiled. "I''ve spoken at length with Hishya, and while I wouldn''t say we''re friends, I don''t have a problem transporting her back to her home."


    "Ok, then, can you do that," Akagi asked her. "It''s much faster this way and lessens the chance of anything going wrong from you flying back. I wouldn''t be shocked if they were waiting to ambush you on the return trip." Hishya hadn''t even thought of something like that.


    Yumi pulled out her staff and Hishya walked beside her, they were going to return her immediately but Akagi stopped Yumi as she swung her staff.


    "Here." She flung a small item at Hishya. "Take that, it might help you out if you need it."


    Hishya looked at her hand and saw a small crystal, it was an item she''d seen before. "A transport crystal?!?" These items were super rare in FWO, and Hishya only had a few.


    "Crack that one if you ever need me, and you''ll be taken directly to my side. Just think of it as something you smash in an emergency." Akagi smiled. ¡°I''ve got a plenty of them so don''t be shy.¡±


    Hishya couldn''t believe that Akagi gave her something this valuable, but she epted it, hoping that using it wouldn''t be necessary.


    A few momentster, the two disappeared in a sh of light, only for Yumi to reappear shortly after by herself. She''d taken Hishya to a point at the center of Tokyo, and she would have to travel the rest of the way under her own power.


    With Yumi back, Akagi looked at Kana.


    "Well then, I think I''ll stick around until you''re ready to head home." As she said this, she turned around and began walking towards the stairwell causing Yumi to take a bow and follow after her. The girls were left stunned by what they witnessed, and a bad feeling welled up in their stomachs.


    <i>{What''s going to happen to Onee-chan?}</i> Kana''s heart told her that her sister and her world would soon change. <i>{Her eye, it was the same color as that day.}</i>

 Chapter 51 – Naomi’s Solitude and Akagi’s Warmth.

    Chapter 51 ¨C Naomi¡¯s Solitude and Akagi¡¯s Warmth.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Two Chappies!


    Naomi never expected that she would feel so hollow after achieving her goal of revenge. When the news broke that the Mitsuhide family had been killed, she couldn''t even bring herself to feel joy. She didn''t regret asking for Akagi''s help, but at the same time, she also couldn''t help but feel that it was pointless. Their deaths wouldn''t bring back her family, nor would it fill the hole within her heart. When she returned home that night, she cried in Marin''s arms, not tears of joy, but tears of sadness and despair.


    With the death of the Mitsuhide family, Naomi lost her reason to live and she had never prepared for the future beyond that.


    Ending her own life was one option, but she quickly dismissed that, believing that doing would not only hurt those she cared about but, would also rob her of the chance to payback Akagi''s kindness. In the intervening weeks, Naomi operated on a kind of auto-pilot. Her staff treated her like normal, but she felt like her mind was slipping. Even her friend Marin was unable to pull her out of this rut. Night after night, she was gued by nightmares, forced to relive the death of her family. But strangely, whenever she woke from those horrible dreams, she felt a warmness around her. Much like the feeling of her mother wrapping her arms around her when she was a child. At first, she thought she was going insane, but one of the maids told her that perhaps it was a sign that her family still loved her and wanted her to live on.


    Then, on the night before the School Cultural Festival, she decided to read the letter Yumi had given her. At first, she wanted to discard it, but one of her maids told her to give it some time and make that decision when her mind was clearer. After giving it some thought, she figured that while she could not forgive that family for what they did, she might as well honor Ryuji''sst wish and read what he had to say.


    Opening the sealed letter, she read what he had to say.


    Spoiler


    Hello there, my sweet child,


    I don''t know if you''re reading this, but if you are, please let me start by saying that I am so sorry for what my son and my family did to you.


    I will not ask for your forgiveness, as neither I nor my family deserves it. But if you are willing, please hear my story.


    Your father was a good friend of mine, and a valued colleague and your grandfather was a fine man and one of my best friends. I''d known Yojaro since we were young men. Our formative years were spentpeting with one another, in both love and academics. When the time came for us to part ways and move on to college, we agreed to keep in touch. He was nning to be a businessman and take over the Tokugawa familypanies, while I foresaw a life in politics and so I went tow school. Over the years, he and I met frequently, and he would tell me tales of your family history and its glory. Some of the tales he spun, sounded like things out of a fairytale, but he tried to assure me that they were real. During one of our meetings in Tokyo, he asked me for help. He told me that he wanted to rebuild his family''s prestige and honor and make the Tokugawa family a proud and strong part of Japan once again. At the time, I thought him foolish, the Tokugawa family had, by that point, been a pariah for nearly two centuries, and there was little I could see in him that could change that. To this day, I regret not agreeing to help him right then and there.


    Your grandfather continued to pursue his goal, without my help, and eventually built up a business enterprise over his life. Eventually, your father was given control of the family, and he approached me for help, just like your grandfather did all those years prior. By that point, I was already an old man well past his prime, but my failure to help Yojaro all those years prior led me to agree in hopes of righting my wrong. Your father was a man with even more drive than Yojaro, and he began to acquire real tangible political capital. Even I began to believe that your family would return to its former glory and that one day you would be a powerful and influential young woman. But that was not to be. By the time your father began his rise to power, I''d already given over control of the family to my son Nagumo. I''d thought I''d raised him to be someone with morals, but I was quickly shown just how depraved both he and his sister were. The two ruthlessly crushed anyone who threatened their power, and when they saw your father''s breakout into national politics, they decided to take action.


    I''m not going to sit here and tell you about how I tried to stop my son or how I pleaded with him not to do something unthinkable. For it does not matter what I did. In the end, my son ignored me, and as a result, your family was killed. When I heard what he did, my heart broke, and I suspect my wife''s grief is what caused her to die not many yearster.


    I am writing this letter as thest surviving member of the Mitsuhide family. The woman you sent to obtain your revenge has done her duty, and I do not me you or her for what has happened. It may be strange to hear this, but thank you. If my family was allowed it to continue unchecked, I fear they would have caused much more pain and misery. It is a shame that those not involved must suffer because of my children''s sins, but I trust the gods to sort everything out on the other side.


    Please my child, if nothing else do not let my son''s foolishness cause you to give up on your own life and your own future. You have so much to live for and so much to do with the time you have. I know it may seem hard now, but I know that one day you can be the young woman your parents and grandparents always knew you would.


    Sincerely,


    Ryuji Mitsuhide.


    [copse]


    As she finished the letter, Naomi began to cry. While she could never forgive the family for what it did, reading Ryjui''s final words was like reading a letter from her own grandfather. She''d known the man since she was a child and had seen him frequently over the years. She never knew how he felt and assumed that he was part of her parent''s death. So when he told her to live on and be someone she could be proud of, her heart melted.


    As she stared down at the letter with her tear-filled eyes, a voice from behind her caused her to jump.


    "I see you finally read the old man''s letter." When she turned around, one of her maids was in the room. She''d never even heard the door open.


    "I.. uh... why are you in here?" Naomi was confused, the maids never entered her room without permission, and she didn''t appreciate being spied on.


    "Why wouldn''t I make sure you''re ok?" she chuckled. "You should be happy, it''s not every day I offer this kind of after-service care." She snapped her fingers, and her shape changed into that of Akagi.


    "Is that better?" Akagi smiled.


    "Wha- Akagi!" Naomi was shocked. "Wha... since when were you-???"


    "Since not long after Yumi gave you that letter," Akagi answered. "I''ve popped in every now and then to check on you. I was worried you might have gotten lost in the darkness, so I kept an eye on you." Akagi gave a warm smile.


    Naomi''s mind raced as she recalled thest few weeks. She had thought it strange that she didn''t recognize one of the maids but assumed it was some new hire and pushed the thought out of her mind.


    "Did Marin know?" Naomi asked.


    "Of course she did. I got permission from her first." Akagi nodded. "I wasn''t just going to skulk around your home without asking her." She shrugged. "I honestly, didn''t think you were going to open that thing." She moved to sit on Naomi''s bed.


    "Did you know what it said?" Naomi asked.


    "Nope." Akagi denied reading the letter. "It wasn''t for me, so I had no business reading it."


    "I see," Naomi''s face softened. "He was a really nice man, even at the very end he didn''t me me for wanting them all dead."


    "He was one of the very few good men in this world Naomi." Akagi kicked her feet back and forth over the edge of the bed. "He understood just how bad things had gotten, but he was unable to do anything to stop them, a pity really. I would have liked him as a subordinate." Akagi had a habit of collecting talented people.


    "Um.... thank you for checking on me." Naomi was slightly embarrassed. "You were the one encouraging me to read the letter and everything and well....."


    "You''re wee, to be honest, I helped you for myself as much as you," Akagi gave a dryugh.


    "What do you mean?" Naomi didn''t understand.


    "When I met you that first time. When I saw you breakdown into tears. You reminded me of myself, we were both left without a family and cast aside. We only had and could rely upon ourselves. I was lucky in that I had Kana. But when I saw you, I thought that perhaps it was a glimpse into my life if she wasn''t around. That I would have be a cold broken person and done who knows what out of anger." Akagi stood up. "I just didn''t want you to go down that dark route, and I kinda figured that you needed some help. I hope that doesn''t sound patronizing." Akagi was a little embarrassed as she exined.


    "Pffffff" Naomi busted outughing.


    "What? Is me wanting to help so funny?" Akagi got more embarrassed.


    "No, it''s not that. It''s just I never expected you to care like that. I figured that Yumi and Kana were special exceptions, but it''s nice to see your heart is not made of stone." Naomi couldn''t stopughing.


    "I''m not heartless." Akagi sighed. "It''s just that I''m picky about who I show kindness to is all."


    "I see, so was that warm feeling I got when I woke up from those nightmares you too?" Naomi asked. "Because it was really nice."


    "I can neither confirm nor deny anything." Akagi gave a cheeky smile.


    "Thank you, really for everything." Naomi bowed. "I guess now, I need to figure out what to do in the future."


    "Well, for starters, I think you should pull out of the underworld dealings," Akagimented. "I can handle that stuff on my own now. So you should try and live as normal of a life as possible. There''s no need for you to be involved with such things anymore." Akagi wanted to steer her away from the path she''d been on.


    "You''re probably right." Naomi agreed. "But I still want to repay what you did for me." She walked closer to Akagi and gave her a hug which Akagi returned.


    "It really is like when my mom would hug me as a child." Naomi giggled.


    "I still say I''m a little too young to be your mom." Akagi chuckled.


    <i>{Though you wouldn''t be the first person to call me that.} </i>Akagi sighed internally as she thought of a certain little girl.


    "But I don''t mind being there for you if you need it kid. We all need someone to rely on. Nobody can truly be alone forever." She thought back to all the time she spent with Yumi and the others. She might have put out a loner fa?ade, but she was never truly alone. "And you don''t need to worry about repaying me. I mean, what else are <i>moms </i>for<i>." </i>Akagi said sarcastically, which caused Naomi to giggle more.


    "Well then, <i>mom." </i>Naomi looked at her. "Can I ask you to stay with me until I fall asleep tonight? I think the nightmares are over, but I would feel better with you here." Akagi thought her request was amusing but decided to honor it.


    "Sure kid." She smiled. "When you fall asleep tonight, I''ll be right here."


    That night, Naomi slept better than she had in years. Akagi''s presence was like a warm nket that soothed her battered heart.


    Spoiler


    Naomi reading the Letter!


    [copse]

 Chapter 52 – The Purple Rose and the Dragon.

    Chapter 52 ¨C The Purple Rose and the Dragon.


    A few days after the attack on City Hall, Hishya found herself waiting in a park in downtown Tokyo. She''d received a message from Minazawa, who wanted to talk with her and so they chose this as a neutral meeting point. The two women had gotten along well enough in FWO, so Hishya was happy to meet with her, though she knew this wasn''t just a social call. Just after noon, she caught sight of the purple-haired Minazawa entering the park, and she headed over to meet her.


    The two stood several yards apart, Hishya might have gotten along with Minazawa, but her instincts told her to be wary.


    <i>{I think Akagi''s paranoia is rubbing off on me.} </i>She sighed internally.


    "It''s been a minute, hasn''t it, Mina?" Hishya kicked a rock.


    "Yeah, it''s good to see you again. Should I call you Hishya or Nina?" Minazawa didn''t like being called Purple Rose, so she figured she would check what she should call her.


    "Hishya is fine. I''m not really Nina anymore now, am I?" Hishya gave a wry smile. The cultural festival hammered home the loss of her humanity.


    "Then, Hishya, I think we should talk elsewhere, it''s a little bit chilly out here, and I know a great caf¨¦ that has some amazing sweets." Minazawa smiled.


    "Lead the way." Hishya gestured to her.


    The two walked a few blocks up the main road beforeing to a ce called Caf¨¦ Barkul. Minazawa exined that it was run by another survivor named Asahi Yoikowa.


    "Wait, you mean to tell me that <i>Berry </i>was a guy this whole time?!?" Hishya was shocked when she was told that the dryad woman she''d known in FWO was actually an adult man!


    "Yeah, I was shocked when I found out too. But it''s not umon for people to y characters of the opposite sex in VR, is it?" Minazawa knew a few people that did that for various reasons. "It''s not like he was expecting to get trapped in the game and stuck as a woman for nearly four years, but he took it in stride." she shrugged.


    "Now that you mention it, she did purposefully avoid being around us when we were in girls-only spaces." Hishya always assumed that she was into other women and was just shy.


    "Yeah, he was too afraid to tell anyone the truth after so long, and he didn''t want to use the confusion to his advantage." Minazawaughed. "Gotta give him credit; he could have gotten away with <i>a lot</i> if he wanted to." Let''s just say the yers got <i>stressed </i>from time to time, and the game provided plenty of ways to relieve that <i>stress.</i>


    The two chatted a bit more as they entered the caf¨¦. Behind the counter was a man in his mid tote thirties.


    "Hey Asahi," Minazawa greeted him. Ever since she''d joined the government''s returnee team, she''d beening here quite frequently since it was so close to the base.


    "Good Afternoon." He smiled back. "I see you brought a guest." He gave a wry smile.


    "Hey there <i>Berry,</i>" Hishya emphasized the name Berry when she spoke causing the man to flinch.


    "I hope you''re not mad about that." His shoulders slumped. "I really wasn''t trying to do anything bad when I made that character."


    Seeing his dejected state, Hishya let out a howl ofughter. "Na it''s fine. I don''t really mind. I feel bad for you, being stuck in a different body for all that time. And having no one to confide in must have been pretty bad." Her own bodily transformation had affected her, so she could sympathize with him.


    "Yeah, honestly, never thought I would be d <i>not</i> to have gotten superpowers. Berry was nice, but I don''t think I would want to be stuck like that forever." Heughed.


    The three stood around the counter. "Speaking of changes." He looked at Hishya. "I''ve heard tale that you''re a full-on dragon now. I even saw that fight with Akagi from the other day. That shit was crazy. Since when could you two do stuff like that?"


    Hishya blushed slightly. "Ahh.... not everything for Akagi and I transferred into the real world on a 1:1 basis." She didn''t really want to go into detail.


    "We can see that." Minazawa pulled up a screenshot of the destroyed field before Yumi fixed it. "I knew you could do some crazy powerful moves in-game, but I see you''ve somehow gotten in more powerful." she sighed.


    <i>{And what does that say about Akagi if she beat Hishya without breaking a sweat?} </i>Minazawa held back from speaking that question aloud.


    "I know you''re here for more than just to talk to an old man like me, so tell me what you want, and I''ll bring it over; I doubt anyone wille today after what happened." He looked around at the empty caf¨¦. "I finally get back home to my shop, and it looks like this." He shook his head. The recent attack by Libra had spooked the general poption and most businesses were either closed or empty.


    The two ordered some tea/coffee and a few cookies before taking a seat at one of the booths.


    "I''m pretty sure I know why you wanted to talk with me, but I want to hear it from you first." Hishya dipped a cookie in the tea before munching on it.


    Minazawa looked down at her tea for a moment before giving Hishya a determined look. "We need your help."


    "I assume you want me to fight this group called Libra?" Hishya''s face was expressionless as put on the persona she''d used in-game.


    "Yes. Right now there are only five of us, four if you take Imp out since she can''t fight." Minazawa took a sip of her coffee. "The way things are, I doubt we can beat ten yers with four. Even without their gear, the three of them would likely have beaten me if not for Mixu''s surprise."


    Hishya recalled the explosion that took down Herlex. "So that''s who that was. Who else do you have?"


    "Me, Imp, Mixu, Superbia, and Excelsior. Our team leader Aoi was also in FWO, but she didn''t keep her abilities." Minazawa put down the empty cup.


    "Aoi?" Hishya didn''t recognize that name.


    "Sugera was her name in FWO. She ran things at themand center and helped with supply and logistics. She was apparently part of Tokyo P.D. before the game." Minazawa exined.


    "Ahhh, I remember her. She was always super helpful." Hishya smiled as she called the face of the girl.


    "So, as you can see, we''re pretty limited in terms of manpower. We''ve been trying to contact other yers to see if they''ll help, but most have been standoffish." Minazawa couldn''t me them after they saw what the government tried to do to Akagi.


    "And you think that by adding me to the mix, you can win?" Hishya was quite powerful, but she didn''t think that she alone could defeat so many people.


    "At the very least, it would help. Perhaps with you on the team, others would join too." The Hero''s call for aid might be quite useful.


    "It''s not that I don''t want to help, it''s just that...." Hishya thought for a moment. "If I do agree to join, that would ce a target on my parent''s back, and I don''t want to risk them getting dragged into this fight. You and I both know Armalthy wouldn''t hesitate to go after them." Hishya''s parents meant the world to her and she didn''t want to put them in danger. "And it''s not like you can guarantee their safety, and I most certainly don''t want to lock them away until the danger has passed."


    "You''re right and we''re all worried about what might happen to our families." Minazawa''s own family was at risk of her actions. "But that''s the price we were willing to pay to use our powers for good." She continued. "Look, I''m not going to pretend I know what happened between you and Akagi, but I know that you''re a good person and you care about others. But, the Hishya that I know would never sit back and let innocent people suffer. I understand your life was changed by virtue of your disease being cured so I won''t sit here and make demands. I just ask that you consider my offer, please." Minazawa pleaded for her help.


    "I... I''ll think about it, ok." Hishya couldn''t refuse outright, Minazawa was right, she did want to help, but her fear of losing her family was holding her back from jumping straight into the action.


    "Good." Minazawa let out a deep breath. "There is one more thing I need to talk to you about."


    "Oh? What''s that?" Hishya didn''t expect more questions.


    "We need to get in touch with Akagi, do you think you could help facilitate that? I know you''ve been keeping in close contact with her, so she might listen to you. Aoi would be the one meeting her. I just want you to bring the idea of that meeting to Akagi''s attention. I suspect that Akagi will deal with everything else on her own." Minazawa knew Akagi''s subordinates were quite good at rying information or getting into ces they shouldn''t be able to, so if Akagi wanted to meet with Aoi, they would know.


    Hishya was a little reluctant to work as the middleman between the government and Akagi. "I don''t know, Akagi and I agreed to stay out of each other''s way. Thest thing I need is for her to think I''m working with the government. She told me she didn''t care if I did but..." Hishya still didn''t want to do anything that could upset her.


    "All you need to do is say that while you met with me, I asked about a meeting between you and Aoi, that''s all." Minazawa tried to convince her.


    "Ehhhhh..... fine." Hishya relented. "I''ll tell her that Aoi wants to meet, but I don''t guarantee anything, Akagi might tell you all to take a hike after what happened." She couldn''t tell how much resentment Akagi had for the kidnapping of her sister, but she couldn''t imagine her just forgiving and forgetting.


    "That''s fine." Minazawa nodded. "By the way." She continued. "You don''t have to answer this if you don''t want to but... what''s up with you and Akagi? Why are you so afraid of her? You were never like this before." It was a question Minazawa wanted to ask ever since she saw that interview. "I know she''s strong, but what you said during the interview didn''t really make sense to me and I know a lot of people had questions. I''ve met Akagi many times over the years, she <em>can</em> be unsettling at times but the way you spoke about her really didn''t jive with what I''ve seen." Minazawa didn''t really understand Hishya''s whole<em>monster in the guise of human</em>exnation.


    Hishya let out a dryugh.


    "Minazawa, let me tell you this. That night before Hassan, I was given a glimpse of the <i>monster</i> that lies within her."


    "You mean that shadow?" Minazawa saw it on the news but didn''t think it was anything special. They''d seen that ability in game, and while creepy it was nothing more than an ability.


    "NO." Hishya shook her head rapidly. "Listen, I have no clue what Akagi is, but she''s <em>not</em> human, Mina."


    "???" Minazawa still didn''t understand. There were plenty of non-human returnees, herself included. "I still don''t understand."


    "She was <i>never</i> human Minazawa. Even before FWO!" Hishya''s body twitched as she said this. "I don''t know what the hell she is, but when I gazed into the ckness that was her soul that night, <i>It stared back, </i>and it looked at me as if I was nothing more than <i>food." </i>Hishya''s face paled slightly upon remembering that night. ¡°I don''t know if Akagi is aware of this fact, but I have a feeling she might be. She is <em>anything </em><em>but</em> another yer and you would be foolish to lump her in with us.¡±


    Minazawa had no idea what to say or how to take Hishya''s words. The thought that Akagi was something other than a human before FWO flew in the face of all logic. This world didn''t have demons, monsters, or other race. A fact that Mizumi had confirmed earlier, so if she wasn''t human, just what was Akagi? And how did something like this happen? These questions and more raced through her mind as the two women sat silently at the table.


    <i>{How.... how is something like that even possible?} </i>Minazawa thought to herself.


    Spoiler


    Minazawa in Casual!


    [copse]

 Chapter 53 – A Learning Experience.

    Chapter 53 ¨C A Learning Experience.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Two chapters today!


    A few weekster.


    Superbia was sent to Osaka on her own ahead of Mixu, who was busy dealing with an attack in Fukuoka. The Rapid Response Team had gotten some intel that stated that Osaka University was likely the next target for a Libra attack, and Superbia didn''t want to take any chances with the lives of the students. Standing atop one of the many skyscrapers, she scanned the city hoping to find any signs of the attacker before they managed to strike.


    "Where the hell are you?" Superbia was looking through binocrs. She was originally from Osaka, so she knew the city like the back of her hand. Her position allowed her to see the school and all the main entryways, but she couldn''t be everywhere at once. "I''m not going to let you bastards destroy <i>my </i>city."


    "Never thought I would see the day <i>you</i> yed superhero, Superbia." A voice called out to her from behind. Startled, Superbia drew her de and spun around stopping only inches from Akagi''s throat.


    "Akagi?!?" Superbia hadn''t expected to see her here. "What do you think you''re doing sneaking up on me?" she wasn''t exactly pleased that Akagi could get so close without her knowing.


    "What? Osaka is in my neighborhood." Akagi shrugged. "I live near Kyoto, so is it really that strange to see me here?"


    "I suppose not." She retracted her de and sheathed it. "I don''t have time for you right now. I''m in the middle of an important mission." Superbia turned back around and continued to watch the school.


    "Yeah, a little birdy told me that Armalthy is nning on attacking Osaka University."


    "How could you possibly know that?!?" Superbia eximed. "We only just got that intel, and we only knew the location, not <i>who </i>it was going to be!"


    "What can I say? My people are pretty good." Akagiughed. "Are you going to be enough to handle this?" Akagi asked. "Armalthy is no joke, and while you''re pretty good, I suspect he might be a bit much for just you." Armalthy was far more than just a psychopathic killer. He was powerful, smart, and skilled. His powers as an electromancer were excellent, and he was one of the few yers to focus on and master one single magical element; to devastating effects. While Superbia was quite fast and powerful with her Oni powers, Akagi figured that she would lose in a battle of raw firepower, especially if she had to divert her focus between Armalthy and saving people.


    "I think you underestimate me, Akagi." Superbia scoffed at her statement. "I''m no pushover, and while Armalthy might be strong, I just need to deal with him before he gets off any big attacks."


    "True, but let me give you a word of advice," Akagi said. "This isn''t FWO. The abilities and powers we have are no longer bound by the game and its constraints. Don''t assume that you can use an ability the way you always did, or that he can''t use his own in some unique way.¡± Akagi shared some of her knowledge with Superbia.


    "I''ll keep that in mind." She continued to scan for Armalthy, until.


    *BOOM*


    Suddenly arge explosion came from the Osaka Campus.


    "Shit." Superbia put down the binocrs and rocketed forward, hoping to catch her target before he could do any significant damage. Akagi was left on the rooftop alone.


    "I wasn''t nning on staying in Osaka for very long, but perhaps I''ll watch these two fight." she chuckled. "Might make for some decent entertainment." She took a seat on the edge of the roof and looked off into the distance, ready to watch the two yers sh.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    "Ahahahaahaha." Armalthyughed as he electrocuted the students that were sitting in the courtyard of the school. "Come on now, at least make this interesting." He used his powers to pick up a metal bench and used it as a blunt force instrument to squish people.


    *BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG*


    "It''s like smashing cockroaches! Ahahahahhaha." He was thoroughly enjoying himself while people screamed in all directions.


    "ARMALTHY!!!!!" Superbia screamed as she crashed her de into him, which he blocked with an energy shield.


    "Oh look, it''s our little Oni. How''s it going, princess?" He chuckled at his little joke.


    "Don''t even talk to me, you disgusting fuck!" Superbia charged in again with a flurry of blows, only to have them deflected by his energy-enhanced gloves.


    "Nice to see you too." After shrugging off her hits, he sent a punch back, stopping her next swing in its tracks, causing a shockwave to erupt around them.


    Not wanting to be caught in a stalemate, Superbia hopped backward, putting a bit of distance between them.


    "Running away?" Armalthyughed and sent an electric st toward her, which she sliced in half.


    "Not on your life!" She swung her de, causing a Kanji that read "Flower" to appear in front of her. This ability boosted her stats temporarily and caused her body and de to be surrounded by pink oni-fire.


    Onceplete, she swung her de, causing a st of pink fire to fly toward him. He responded in kind, and a battle of sts urred. For nearly a full minute they exchanged blows, each not wanting to end the attack first, lest they give their opponent the opening to attack. Annoyed at the stalemate, Armalthy sent a st toward some nearby students.


    <i>{What are they still doing here?} </i>Superbia couldn''t risk them getting hurt, so she ended her attack, taking one of Armalthy''s sts in the shoulder before moving to intercept the attack aimed at the students. She put herself between the students and the st cutting it in two, but just as she did Armalthy appeared in front of her below her de.


    "A little distracted, aren''t we?" He charged energy in his fist and struck Superbia square in the gut. "Gack!" She spit up blood as she was flung backward, crashing into the brick wall behind her. His hit left her woozy, and she was stunned. Her defensive stats weren''t very good and, like Akagi, if one couldnd a proper hit on her, the damage would be significant.


    Superbia struggled to her feet, using her Nodachi as a crutch.


    <i>{All that damage from just one hit?} </i>She couldn''t believe just how bad she felt. <i>{If I take one more of those, I might not be going home.}</i>


    "What''s wrong?" Armalthy floated in the air. "You don''t look so good, princess." Heughed at her bloodied and bruised appearance.


    "You just surprised me is all." Superbia chuckled. "How bout youe down here and try that again!"


    "Hmmmmm." He put his hand on his chin. "Na!" Armalthy charged up even more energy and began shooting it all around him. His attacks began to rain down everywhere. There were still a few students nearby so Superbia zoomed forward and began collecting them, taking them into the school building.


    "Getting distracted again?!?" Armalthy said as he continued firing off more sts at Superbia as she ran around.


    "I''d say its an appropriate handicap!" Superbia eximed as she sent a few sts of her own at him, which he easily blocked.


    The two stared at each other. The rest of the students and other civilians had fled so Superbia would have less to worry about.


    <em>{I can''tnd a hit on him if he floats up there.</em><em>}</em>Superbia''s ranged options were limited as she was built for close quarters fighting.


    "Then how about we try something different." Armalthyughed as he slowly decended to the ground. "I''ve been wanting to see just how much more fun I can have with these powers, and you''d make an excellent sparring partner." After he said this, electrical energy flowed into his body, covering him in a thin veil of power.


    "Come on." He gestured for her to approach.


    <em>{What''s he up to?}</em>Superbia was confused, Armalthy shouldn''t want to engage in closebat like this. She wanted to think about it more, but decided to just go for it.


    "As you wish!" Superbia lept forward, closing the gap in an instant. As she swung her de down onto Armalthy, he deflected it.


    <em>{What!}</em>She was confused, but decided to strike again with the same results.


    "Nice!" Armalthy smiled as she parried her flurry of blows. "So I can actually do something like this, good to know."


    The two engaged in a close quarters duel, with Superbia blocking his iing fists and Armalthy easily deflecting Superbia''s attacks. They moved at blistering speeds around the school, eventually finding their way onto the roof top.


    "Not bad, princess." Armalthy got a punch through, mming her face with his powered up punch. While Superbia managed to put a small scratch on his cheek with her de. "But I think you''ve hit the end of your rope." He flew back up into the air and prepared to send more sts at her.


    She spit out some blood. "I''ve still got plenty of fight in me, you son of a bitch." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as her entire body was engulfed in a deep pink fire. This was her unique signature ability, Princess of Blood, it boosted all of her stats for a minute, but had the drawback of causing significant damage to her body at the end. She normally wouldn''t use it, but with the lives of so many innocent people on the line, she needed to end Armalthy fast regardless of the cost.


    "Ahh, there it is." Armalthy was getting excited. "Show me what you''ve got princess." He charged up several more sts and flung them at her, only for her de to slice them apart in seconds.


    "I hope you''re ready to die Armalthy!" She sent a ball of pink fire at him and jumped into the air behind it. Armalthy batted the attack aside but wasn''t expecting her to leap into the air, a ce he held the advantage at. Her sudden appearance caught him off guard and allowed Superbia to get a clean slice across his chest as he tried to back out of the way.


    "Ack!" he cried out in pain. The wound was shallow but still hurt and quite a bit of blood leaked out of him. "You bitch!" he grabbed Superbia with his off hand and threw her back towards the ground, burning himself on her fire. Once shended, he began hurling massive amounts of electrical shots at her. She moved at full speed, dodging each one as she maneuvered around the courtyard. Looking for a way to offset her speed, Armalthy began to target the ground itself, hoping to cause her to misstep or stumble in a crater. Superbia was fast enough to dodge his sts and the new craters, all the while looking for an opportunity to deal a finishing blow on Armalthy.


    <i>{Dammit,} </i>he cursed her in his head<i>. {The Princess is just a little too dexterous for me.}</i>


    Seeing his attempt to slow her down fail, he figured his next best bet was to run out the clock on her ability, though he expected she wouldn''t just let him do that. He used his right hand to pick up some metal benches and other objects and hurled them at her trying to keep her back.


    However, in his haste, he made a fatal mistake. The objects heunched made perfect tforms for Superbia to jump on and reach him. Seeing this, she changed directions and jumped from bench to bench, and before he had time to react, she was already in his face.


    <i>{Shit!} </i>He tried to move, but unlikest time he was partially stunned due to how rapidly he''d been using his abilities. He managed to twist his body slightly, meaning that when Superbia''s Nodachi swung her de it only cut his left arm off rather than slicing through his torso.


    "Fuck!" He cried out in pain, but rather than being stunned by the loss of his arm as Superbia hoped, he unleashed a massive st of electrical energy from his body. Superbia was in no position to evade, as her movement in the air was limited, so she took the full brunt of his attack causing her to fly into the upper floor of the school and crash through a window.


    "Shit, Shit, Shit, Shit, Shit, Shit, Shit, Shit, Shit," Armalthy began cursing. "Herlex can fix this, right? Right?!?" In aplete panic, he used his ability to cauterize his wound to stop the gushing blood. He was so panicked that he didn''t even think to finish Superbia off and instead grabbed his severed arm and flew as fast as possible back to Herlex, hoping the Angel could reattach his arm.


    Superbia struggled to get to her feet as she watched him fly away. "Humpf serves you right." She chuckled as Princess of Blood timed out. Her body went limp, and she fell unconscious. Princess of Blood was an extraordinarily powerful ability. When she used it in the past it merely took her to lower health and gave her a temporary debuff. However as Akagi warned, the games rules no longer applied and its drawbacks were far, far more significant in the real world and it would take days for Superbia to regain consciousness.

 Chapter 54 – Some Fun at the Akagi Household.

    Chapter 54 ¨C Some Fun at the Akagi Household.


    A few dayster.


    "Hiyahhhhh!" Yumi yelled as she threw a st of energy toward Mizumi.


    "Weak!" Mizumi stomped her foot and a st of water extinguished the attack. "I told you, you need to properly envision your attack and channel your energy with as little waste as possible." She flung a st of water back at her, which Yumi only barely stopped. "You see the difference? Your attacksck punch because you''re not putting in the proper effort!" She flung another attack. It looked like Mizumi was enjoying their practice as a way to get some payback on Yumi for her <em>maid</em> <i>training.</i>


    The two were sparring as they''d been doing most days. Part of Mizumi''s deal was that she would teach Akagi and her followers more about magic and help them improve. Yumi was quite a powerful girl. Butpared to the water spirit, she may as well have been little more than a child. Hishya and Akagi were watching the two, and Kana was hanging out with Chloe while Mika was spending time with Suzu and Yuzu. The two took an interest in the blue-haired girl and even took trips to her house from time to time. Human''s who tolerated, let alone liked, Yuki-Onna were quite rare in their world, so Mika''s keen interest in them was amusing. Akagi joked with Mimi that she might just get grandchildren yet, which made herugh.


    "Myaster!" Chloe jumped on Akagi from behind, hugging her.


    "What''s up, kitty?" She moved her hand to pet Chloe on the head. "Where''s Kana?"


    "Right here" She appeared alongside her. "We wanted to check out the sparring, and Chloe wanted to see you." Kana gave a smile.


    "Did you need something?" Akagi asked as she scratched Chloe''s chin.


    "Fight me!" Chloe said as she purred.


    "You want to spar?" Akagi didn''t expect this.


    "Yeah, it''s been so long since I''ve had a good fight. And it''s been even longer since the two of us fought!" Chloe moved in front of her. The cat''s eyes glistened in the sun; she was ready to hunt.


    "You''re right. It has. But are you sure?" Akagi asked. "I''m not the best sparring partner for you." She had beaten Chloe many times, and her overall power level could one-shot the cat easily.


    "Un." She nodded. " I want to test myself and you''re the only person I can go all out on!"


    Seeing the determination in her eyes and not wanting to disappoint her, Akagi obliged, and the two headed towards the sparring grounds once Mizumi and Yumi were finished.


    "Should be interesting." Hishya stretched as she stood up. "I''ve fought Chloe once before. She''s quite the nimble cat-kin." Naturally, Hishya won, but it was a much more annoying fight than it should have been.


    "Have you fought all of Onee-chan''s friends?" Kana asked as she watched the battle between Chloe and her sister.


    Hishya took a moment to think. "I''ve fought most of thebat ones, I think?" Hishya liked to spar with Akagi''s followers to test her strategies and abilities. "The only one I''ve never fought is Kira, but that will change soon." She was going to begin training with her soon to control her power.


    "The dragondy? She looks pretty tough." Kira was Akagi''s strongest follower and was only deployed on critical missions, so she was rarely off-site.


    "Oh, she is, without a doubt." Hishya continued. "If I''m not mistaken, she was actually a quest boss. I have no clue how Akagi turned her into a follower, but I''ve heard she''s good enough to give even high-level yers some trouble." Minazawa faced her once before, and while she did win; the battle was closer than one would have expected.


    "Can she turn into a dragon, like you?" Kana was curious about Kira''s power.


    "No." Hishya shook her head. "She''s a half-dragon, so only one of her parents was one. She''s got a lot of power and can bring out wings and breathe fire, but a full transformation isn''t possible."


    *BOOM* BANG*


    The fight between Akagi and Chloe intensified. The two were only using their bare hands and exchanging blows directly. Apparently, Chloe had been improving her martial arts skills as her entire body shone with a red outline.


    "Impressive," Hishya praised the cat. "She''s managed to obtain a skill from the monk ss even though she''s not a yer." yer skills could be used by NPCs but they were usually locked to specific sses and abilities. Chloe was a rouge and shouldn''t be able to use a monk''s reflex improvement skill. The effect was in the name. It improved the user''s reaction time and made dodging hits easier. Once she activated that, she began to evade Akagi''s punches and even made a few quick strikes in return.


    <i>{I guess that means the game limits no longer apply? Or was that something Mizumi did?}</i> Hishya wanted to know but couldn''t bring herself to talk to the spirit. She still resented her.


    "Oh, think you''re a badass because you got a few hits in on me?" Akagi yelled out to Chloe who was smiling all proud of herself.


    "NYA!" Was her only response as she leaped towards her master, but Akagi wasn''t having any of this and increased her speed, tackling then pinning the cat.


    "Those two are like kids, I swear." Hishya chuckled as she watched the exchange between them. "Hard to believe our little cat once tried to kill her." Her line caused Kana to blink.


    "What?!?" Kana never heard of this before!


    "Ah.... you didn''t know? Well, shoot." Hishya kicked herself for blurting that out. "Well, toote now, and I doubt you will just let me off with that one huh?" Kana''s re told her no.


    "So basically, our little cat was a member of a ninja n in FWO. Her elders didn''t really appreciate Akagi muscling in on their turf and sent Chloe to kill her. They assumed that their youngest Ace would be more than enough to handle her, but as you can imagine." She pointed to Chloe beingunched across the yard. "She did not in fact handle her."


    "That''s crazy!" Kana was shocked. Chloe was one of Akagi''s most loyal and trusted followers, so what happened to cause the change in attitude from enemy to a friend? "So why are they so close now?"


    "Well, in their n, power is everything. If you are beaten by someone, it''s taken as a sign to serve them. If you don''t already have a master." Hishya continued. "Akagi was the first person from outside of the n elders to beat Chloe, as she was a prodigy. Akagi saw promise in her skills and offered to train her, and I can testify that she trained her well." Hishya gave a wry smile as she remembered her own duel with the cat. "Once she was strong enough, Akagi had her go back and defeat her entire n and bring them under her control, and by extension under Akagi''s control.


    "So that''s why all the other ninjas are animal-eared people!" Kana recalled the others she met when they were rescued.


    "Yep, the entire n is beast-kin, and they are quite dangerous." Hishya nodded. "I believe Akagi has them mostly do infiltration and subterfuge operations, so it was surprising to see them assault a military base like that."


    "I guess that would also exin her rtionship with Onee-chan, they seem super close." Kana thought back to the ear scratching.


    "I''m not entirely sure on that one." Hishya shrugged. "I mean, beast-kin <i>do</i> value strength in a partner, but I''m pretty sure they didn''t have some tropey<i> if you defeat me, I be your wife/husband thing.</i>" Hishya chuckled at that thought. "If anything, I''d bet money that Akagi ends up with our little priestess." Kanaughed when she heard this, she couldn''t be sure what would happen in the future, but she knew Yumi was important to her sister.


    "Oh, are you talking about love!" Mika yelled from behind, her arms each linked with one of the Yuki-Onna sisters.


    "Hey, Mika, uhh." She looked at the two girls wrapped around her friend.


    "They just kinda did this, so I rolled with it." Mika gave an embarrassed smile.


    <i>{Their smiles tell me it''s wayyyy more than just a prank.} </i>(Kana x Hishya.)


    "We were talking about Onee-chan''s rtionship with Chloe, and Hishya joked that if anyone married Onee-chan it would be Yumi." Kana tried to ignore the two Yuki-Onna who were snickering at her.


    "Oh, really?" Mika looked surprised. "I figured if anything it would be you." Her deration caused Kana and Hishya to fall over.


    "What does that mean??????" Kana couldn''t believe her friend''s statement. "Onee-chan is my <i>ONEE-CHAN!</i> You don''t cross <i>that </i>line, Mika!" Kana may have had a <i>slight</i> sisterplex, but it didn''t go that far!


    "Yeah... please don''t joke about something like <i>that</i>." Hishya chastised her, with a flushed face.


    "Ahahahahahaahahaha." Mika bust outughing. "I know, I know, I''m only teasing you!" She continued. "Besides, I know our little dragon here has already stolen your heart, Kana." She gave a cheeky grin, and her statement caused both Kana''s and Hishya''s faces to turn bright red.


    "Aw, they''re embarrassed." Suzu.


    "It''s cute!" Yuzu.


    "Please don''t say anything! We still haven''t exactly figured things out between us yet," Hishya begged them to keep quiet.


    "Don''t worry my lips are sealed." Mika smiled, and the two Yuki-Onna nodded in agreement.


    "Let''s go have some tea!" Yuzu gave Mika a big smile.


    "Yes, let''s!" Suzu agreed and the two girls pleading eyes caused Mika to relent and head back into the house.


    "Do you think she realizes that....." Kana calmed down enough to speak.


    "If she doesn''t, she''s the densest idiot in the world." Hishya''s face was still red.


    "I thought Mika liked men! She even dated a few guys in High School!" Kana had no idea what brought on Mika''s sudden change in preferences.


    "Didn''t you say she <i>really</i> liked Yuki-Onna?" Hishya looked at her. "Perhaps she''s attracted to <i>that</i> more than anything else?" Hishya wasn''t really good at this type of conversation.


    "But still! Is she really gonna date BOTH!" Kana''s head was spinning imagining such a situation, and her naturally dirty mind only made things worse.


    "If she does, that''s not really a big deal is it?" Suddenly Akagi''s voice came from behind the two of them.


    "Ahh... how much did you just......" Kana was about to die of embarrassment.


    "We just finished, so I heard you talking about Mika and the two girls." Akagi chuckled.


    <i>{THANK GOD!} </i>(Hishya x Kana)


    "Yuki-Onna take romance seriously, so I doubt those two are just ying around." Akagi stretched. "It wouldn''t be shocking if they took an interest in Mika. She''s a cheery girl with a strange obsession with their kind, <i>and</i> she''s quite aloof. When I talked to Mimi, she said that''s exactly the kind of man her husband was."


    "But <i>both </i>of them???" Kana was hung up on this point. Rtionships were <i>monogamous </i>things.


    "Yuki-Onna don''t really care about human morals, Kana. Each of those girls is over three hundred years old and has never had a whiff of romantic attraction in their lives. Do you <i>really </i>think they care about such things?" Akagi didn''t see the issue. Though, her own broken mind <i>may not</i> make her the best person for such a conversation. "And as long as Mika is ok with it, who cares?"


    "Are you sure they aren''t just ying with her or taking advantage of her since she''s so young?" Hishya thought the age difference meant that the two would cause a power imbnce in the rtionship, and she was worried about Mika.


    "Nah, you don''t need to worry about that. I trust those girls not to do something like take advantage of Mika. Plus, I already pulled them aside and warned them that if they did <i>anything </i>Mika was ufortable with or if they were just messing with her, they would get a visit from me." Akagi was far more threatening than any parent could ever be, and the two girls agreed to take things slowly and not to get overzealous with their actions. Akagi was mostly concerned that if the two did act up, that would upset Kana since her friend would be harmed. So, she took extra care to instill discipline into the two Yuki-Onna.


    "Besides, Mimi sees this as the best chance for her to have grandkids, so I''m pretty sure she''ll be on top of things," Akagi recalled that conversation andughed.


    "<i>GRANDKIDS!!!!!! </i>That''s not possible!" The Kana and Hishya eximed. Such, a thing shouldn''t be possible for <i>obvious reasons.</i>


    "Yuki-Onna have just the magic to make it happen, though." Akagi winked, and the two girls looked at each other dumbfounded. "Though it only works on Yuki-Onna."

 Chapter 55 – Kana’s Self Defense Lessons and the Family.

    Chapter 55 ¨C Kana¡¯s Self Defense Lessons and the Family.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Two Chaps!


    Steering away from the embarrassing conversation, Hishya decided to mention what Minazawa had spoken to her about the other day.


    "So they want to meet me again?" Akagi let out a sigh as she pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation. "And what? Beg me for help? After their shenanigans, they have the gall to ask me to bail them out of this situation?" Akagi figured this wasing, but the fact that the Japanese government would ask for help from someone they tried to kill was amusing to her.


    "Pretty much. Minazawa said things looked dire, and no offense, but if they''re contemting seeking help from <em>you</em>, they must be." Hishya shrugged her shoulders.


    "Yeah, one minute they try to kill me, the next theye crying for help." Akagi thought for a moment before a nasty smile came across her lips. "Tell them I''ll meet, but I''ll do it here." She let out an evilugh.


    "Onee-chan has that look again." She turned to Hishya.


    "Don''t look at me. I''m not getting involved." Hishya crossed her arms in an X pattern.


    "What? I just thought I would <i>entertain</i> my guests a bit, that''s all." She pleaded innocence, but neither girl bought it.


    "Just don''t go overboard, please." (Kana x Hishya)


    "You don''t have to worry about anything, I promise." her eyes told the girls that they should be very worried.


    "Ummmm. Hello...." Suddenly a voice disrupted their conversation. "A little help please..." Hishya, Kana and Akagi looked up into a nearby tree and saw a pink fox-girl dangling from a rope, tied up. "They always takes their jokes too far." Her ears drooped.


    "How long have you been up there, Sakura?" Akagi asked as she hopped up the branches.


    "Longer than I would like to admit." Her face got red. "I wanted to say something sooner, but I didn''t want to bother anyone."


    Akagi untied the girl and brought her down to the ground. Chloe and the other ninja had a habit of ying pranks on each other in the name of<em>training</em> and this poor girl had been on the receiving end of such an event. This wasn''t the first time Akagi had to free her from one of the other ninja''s traps.


    ________________________________________________________________________________________________


    A littleter that day.


    While Akagi was out, Kana decided to head over to the dojo, where Chloe and some of her n members were sparring. The building was filled with animal-eared ninja''s all crowded around a central arena. Chloe was practicing with the fox girl that was tied in the tree earlier that day. The others noticed Kana''s appearance and made room for her to pass. She didn''t like this kind of special treatment but hade to ept it as the sister of their master.


    "Come on, Sakura! I know you can do better than that! nya!" Chloe and the fox girl were engaged in a wrestling match. The cat had her opponent in a choke hold and was on the verge of pinning her to the ground before she tapped out.


    "Better thanst time, but you still need to work on escaping an opponent''s grapple. You didn''t need to tap out of that. There were at least three ways you could''ve escaped. nya!" Chloe began to lecture her, and the other ninja about methods of escaping an opponent''s grapple. She used the fox girl to demonstrate just how to escape, causing a shock when she easily twisted her body and turned a seemingly unbreakable lock back on her opponent. "See, easy." the cat girl smiled, causing a burst of nervousughter among her subordinates.


    A momentter, Chloe noticed Kana. "Hello! nya!" She bounced over. "What''s up? You nevere in here." Kana was a bookworm through and through. Physical activity like this was never something she was good at.


    "I... um, I was kind of wondering if maybe someone could teach me a little about self-defense?" Kana asked meekly. "I just don''t want to be a burden to Onee-chan and have her worried about protecting me all the time."


    "Hmm....." Chloe inspected her, walking in circles around her. "Okay, nya!"


    Kana was shocked by her eptance. "Really! I thought you would say no."


    "Myaster already told me you mighte by and ask at some point nya." Chloe smiled. "She figured you would feel the need to defend yourself even a bit. So she asked me to help you out if you did."


    Chloe''s face turned serious. "Just be warned, even the basic martial arts moves are dangerous to learn, and your enemy might get hurt or even worse if you use them. I know you can''t use any advanced techniques, but still, even basic things can kill. Is that alright?"


    Kana gulped. The thought of taking another person''s life made her stomach churn, but she didn''t relent. "Hopefully I never have to use anything I learn, but I can''t just rely on Onee-chan to protect me at all times." She knew this wouldn''t be much, but she couldn''t just sit by and be protected all the time. She wanted to help, even a little.


    "Good attitude nya." Chloe liked that answer. "Also, you might be myaster''s sister, but I won''t go easy on you." She smiled. "W-well, I will since you''re not able to take a beating as well as the others." Chloe scratched her cheek as she stammered. "But what I mean is that I won''t treat you special!" Chloe tried to exin what she meant, and ended up tripping over her words, which caused the others to chuckle.


    "Sounds good to me! I wouldn''t want it any other way." Kana smiled.


    "Great then, let''s start right now!" She grabbed Kana by the arm and put her in the arena. "Let''s start with some basic punches and kicks. I need to get you adjusted to forms and have you getfortable moving your body. From what myaster told me, you''re not that active." Chloe snickered which caused Kana to blush slightly.


    "I just never saw the reason to do more exercise than I need to be healthy is all." Kana was actually quite fit, butpared to Chloe and the others, she might as well be a couch potato.


    _______________________________________________________________________________________________


    About an hourter, Kana was lying down on the floor, drenched in sweat andpletely exhausted. Chloe walked over and looked down at her red face.


    "Well, yousted longer than I expected." the cat gave a cheeky grin.


    "Come back to the dojo every day and either I or one of my students will continue your lessons." She looked around at the others. "Isn''t that right." her eyes told her they had no choice.


    "Yes, mam!" (the other ninja)


    "Good!" Chloe went back to smiling. "Now then, I have to head to a meeting with myaster and the others, so I''ll see youter." she turned to leave. "And Sakura, I expect you to be able to get out of my hold the next time we fight." Herment made the fox''s tail stand up straight.


    <i>{Meeting?} </i>Kana wasn''t aware that some big meeting with her sister was happening. She rarely inquired about the inner workings of her sister''s group, but she knew that they were actually quite structured and busy.


    _______________________________________________________________________________________________


    Akagi had gathered her five highest-ranking subordinates in the main hall of her estate. As this was a formal meeting, Akagi sat upon a raised tatami mat and was wearing her haori-hakama, which was her formal attire. It was different than her normal kimono as it was a silver top with a ck bottom. She rarely wore this outfit, but when she was acting in her official capacity or in a situation where she wanted to show her status, she would put it on.


    In front of her were the five leaders of her soon-to-be n. Mimi the Yuki-Onna, Marshal the General, Kira the Half Dragon, Chloe the Ninja, and Yumi, Akagi''s right hand. Each was an important pir of Akagi''s operations, and their help in managing the day-to-day operations was invaluable. The five gave formal bows and greeted their Lord before Yumi stood and opened the meeting with an official statement.


    "Our lives have been turned upside down over these short few months. Not only have we been whisked away to an entirely different world, but we were shown an ufortable truth about our existence." Yumi was referring to the fact that they were little more than game characters. Even if Akagi treated them as ordinary people, that didn''t change the fact that their world was an illusion.


    "Now, cast adrift, we can only look to our Lord for guidance. We''ve all served her faithfully, as we all owe her so much. And now, she seeks to repay that loyalty by bing family with us. I believe that I speak for all of us when I say that there is no higher honor." Yumi''s words caused the others to speak up in agreement.


    "Thank you, Yumi. Your words are too kind." Akagi smiled. "I''ve always thought of all of you as family. So from my perspective, this is little more than codifying the rtionship we already have." Akagi''s statement caused the five of them to smile. "You say that you owe me, but I believe that you have all done more for me than I for you. You all gave me purpose, warmth, and a home toe back to every day. You helped mee to terms with who I really was and broke me free of the chains that bound me for all those years. So thank you, truly. I am forever grateful for your love and support." Akagi gave a polite bow. "So, I will ask this of you, will you be my family? Will you join yourselves to me? Because if you will, I will pledge my undying loyalty and support to you in return. This will be a family of equals. You are not my servants or my lessors, you are my brothers and sisters. So what say you?"


    "My Lord, you gave me hope where all was lost. I would be proud to be your family." Yumi said.


    "My Lord, you gave me purpose after the Empire threw me away. I would be proud to be your family." Marshal smiled.


    "My Lord, you saved my daughters and took us in when no one else would. I would be proud to be your family." Mimi said.


    "Myaster, you gave me a new chance at a life where I otherwise should have died. I would be proud to be your family." Chloe said.


    "My Lord, if not for you, I could never have atoned for my father''s sins. I would be proud to be your family." Kira said.


    "I''m truly humbled by your loyalty and I shall pledge never to betray it or your trust in me." Akagi smiled, her eyes slightly watery.


    One by one, each of the five sat in front of her and locked arms as they exchanged cups of sake. This was the traditional way of sealing a bond between Lord and vassal, even if Akagi might not view them that way. From that moment on, they were family, bound to protect and defend one another. Every one of Akagi''s followers agreed with this decision and was ted when she wanted to establish a formal n with them.


    With thest sip, Akagi''s n was established and her family was created. She felt joy well within her heart. For the first time, she had a family, a true family. One that loved her and cared for her. Sure Kana was her sister, but she was still just one person, and Akagi always sought what she never got from her parents. The warm smiling faces of these fiveforted her in a way she never thought possible.


    Once they were finished, Yumi unfurled the strung-up cloth that sat behind Akagi. On it was a Red Hand within a ck circle, the same image that Akagi''s signature cloak bore. It was now the official family crest, and underneath it in the Demonnguage was the family name <i><b>Dumetor</b></i>, which meant <i>Rebirth</i>. Everyone agreed that it fit perfectly, as each member had been changed by their meeting with Akagi, just as she was by meeting them. Now, finally joined as one, Akagi''s family was stronger than ever, and there was the sense that they could aplish anything as long as they stuck together.


    Spoiler


    Akagi in her Hakama!


    Sparring Chloe!


    Sakura!


    Dumetor spelled in Demon!


    [copse]

 Chapter 56 -A Celebration and More Questions.

    Chapter 56 -A Celebration and More Questions.


    That night, Akagi threw a massive feast in celebration of the creation of the Dumetor n. With all the logistics and infrastructureplete, Akagi was able to bring forth every one of her followers into the world and after a rousing speech, all 121 pledged their loyalty to her and the family. Kana didn''t really understand what was going on, but was happy for her sister, nheless. She''d never seen her this happy and was d that she finally had a ce to belong. Though in the back of her head, she was afraid that this meant her connection to Akagi would weaken. When she queried about joining the n herself, Akagi told her that doing so was unnecessary. Kana was already her family and someone very important to her. What her family name was meant nothing.


    With the festivities dying down and Kana approaching her limit, Akagi walked her to bed. The girl had school the next morning, and she didn''t want to keep her up longer than necessary.


    "That was quite the party." Kana giggled as she got in bed. ¡°And having it on Halloween only made it funnier.¡± The promation of a new Yokai n on the most monster themed day of the year was quite the coincidence.


    "Yeah, everyone was energetic, and I haven''t had that much fun in a long, long time." Akagi gave a big smile. "And don''t you get all pouty again like earlier, ok?" she walked up and patted Kana on the head. "No matter what, you are still my sister, and nothing will ever change that. Just because I''ve taken on a different appearance and a different name doesn''t change that." Akagi knew that Kana was anxious about the change to her name. With the creation of the Dumetor n, Akagi had finally separated herself from the Tomogawa name and she didn''t want Kana to feel like she was leaving her as a result.


    "I know, it''s just that so much has happened so fast, that it''s overwhelming." Kana had gone from being worried about heratose sister to seeing her create her own family in the span of a few months. Such rapid and sweeping changes were a lot for the girl to handle, and Akagi was worried that she might be pushing herself. "But, I''ll be fine." She smiled. "I have you, and that''s all that matters right now."


    "Exactly, as long as we have each other, nothing else matters." Akagi leaned in and hugged her. "Goodnight."


    "Good night Onee-chan." Kana snuggled in and went to sleep, and Akagi slowly backed out of the room, nearly tripping over Mizumi.


    "Oh, sorry." she apologized for nearly toppling the girl over.


    "It''s fine," Mizumi replied before continuing down the hallway. Akagi still didn''t trust the spirit, and she was starting to get the feeling that there was more to the girl than meets the eye.


    <i>{No point thinking about it now, I''m not going to get anything done by theorizing when I have no information.}</i>(Akagi)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Kana POV>


    As Kana walked down the main street in Kyoto, she was horrified by what she saw. Buildings were on fire, and the streets were littered with bodies as screams rang out from every direction. It was like a scene out of a war movie.


    "Wh-whats going on?" She panicked. "I... was just in my room, wasn''t I?" She had no idea what was going, on or why she was here.


    "Onee-chan!" She called out. "Where are you? Onee-chan!" but no response came. She continued her slow pace, every so often she would hear explosions that would cause her to flinch. and screams echoed throughout the city.


    "This has to be a dream!" She yelled. "This can''t be real! It''s a nightmare, right?" She smacked herself on the cheek, which only served to cause a stinging sensation.


    "Pain?" Kana panicked. "You aren''t supposed to feel pain in a dream!" Technically that method was not full proof, but it was a good indicator.


    Before Kana could process her thoughts, a scream from nearby caught her attention.


    "Please, Help me!" A voice that sounded like Mika''s came from up the road. Hearing this, Kana ran as fast as possible hoping to save her friend and find out what was happening. When she reached the intersection, she stopped dead, her eyes widened in horror.


    "Please, someone.... mom.... dad." Mika was slumped against the side of a building, her right arm missing, and blood spilled out at an rming rate.


    "Mika!" Kana ran up to her and tried to help. "Mika, what happened? What''s going on?" She asked but got no response. "Mika!" Kana screamed, and when she tried to put her hand on the girl''s shoulder, it went right through.


    "Wha-?" she tried again and again, but each time her hands simply went straight through her dying friend. "What''s going on? Why can''t I touch her!" Kana looked around and saw several other wounded or dying people, the entire road was torn up, and the mes only grew as time went on.


    "Mika! Please, answer me!" Kana screamed.


    "Mon-ster." The girl gave out onest word as she slumped over, dead.


    "No, Mika! No please, don''t die." Kana tried to touch her again, but she was still unable to do anything. Breaking out into tears, she screamed. "WHAT IS GOING ON!"


    She stood on the sidewalk dumbfounded until she heard a familiarugh. It was the same one her sister would make while in her demonic form.


    "Onee-chan!" she looked around but saw no sign of her. Deciding that standing here wouldn''t answer anything, she ran in the direction of theugh, hoping that Akagi could tell her what was going on. As she ran, another explosion rocked a building in front of her, causing it to partially copse onto the road. She paused, momentarily stunned, as a person''s body flew out of the ming remains of the copsed buildingnding right in front of her.


    "Mom?" Kana said weakly as her badly burned and bruised mothery half dead in front of her. "Mom!" she tried to help her mother, but found that she couldn''t touch her either.


    *cough* *gurgle* Shima spit up some blood. "I...I always knew... knew you were a mon.... ack." she struggled to speak.


    <i><b>"A monster? What kind of parent calls their only child a monster?" </b></i>Akagi''s distorted voice could be heard as she approached from the smoldering ruins of the building. Her eyes glowed orange, her sclera had turned ck and she appeared to be taller and slimmer than what Kana was used to seeing. Her face was also contorted in rage and anger as if she could feel no other emotions.


    "Onee-chan!" Kana cried out. "What''s going on?!?" she tried to run in front of her but was shocked as Akagi simply walked through her as if she wasn''t even there. Akagi stood over her dying mother andughed.


    <i><b>"Besides, I am far, far more than a monster, Shima. And I was wondering just how long I was going to be restrained ."</b></i> She drove her de into her mother''s heart. <i><b>"But I guess I should thank you before you head on to the afterlife. After all, if it wasn''t for you, who knows how long it would have taken for me to get out.¡±</b></i>


    Kana stood shocked and horrified at what she just witnessed.


    "Onee-chan, why?" Her vision slowly turned back as her legs felt weak. A momentter, she copsed on the spot, only to wake up in her own bed screaming. Which caused Akagi to instantly appear next to her in a panic.


    "Kana!" Akagi was in battle mode. "What''s going on? Is there someone here?" She scanned the room. Kana was a blubbering mess and couldn''t speak, her face was flush and full of tears. Not sensing any enemies Akagi pulled her into a tight embrace and tried to calm her down.


    "It''s ok... It''s ok...shuuuush." Akagi hugged her sister tightly. Whatever she saw, had frightened her enough to cause her to shake in fear.


    "Onee-chan why... why would you do all that... why would you...why would you...why would you...why would you...why would you...why would you...why would you...why would you...why would you...why would you...why would you...why would you...why would you...why would you...why would you...why would you..." Kana repeated thatst bit like a madman stuck in a mental loop. Akagi had seen this before when she was in the psychiatric ward, and she knew the most effective way to stop it.


    <i>{Sorry about this Kana.} </i>(Akagi)


    *SMACK* Akagi cracked her sister across the face with her right hand, which caused the girl to stop speaking.


    "Ok, I hope that worked because that''s about all I''ve got." Akagi sighed.


    "Onee-chan?" Kana looked at her with wet eyes. "Is that really you?"


    "Yes, Kana, I''m right here." Akagi pulled her in tighter which caused Kana to hug her back. "Sorry for pping you, but it was the only thing I could think of to get you out of that loop."


    Kana giggled. "It''s alright. Thank you, that was no fun."


    "Can you tell me what happened? You screamed so loud I think the entire estate heard you." At the moment, around fifty members of the family had surrounded the house and were on alert for enemies. "At least they''re quick to act." Akagi was proud of how fast they reacted.


    Kana took a moment topose herself before exining the strange nightmare/dream she witnessed.


    "You saw me.... kill mom?" Akagi was taken aback as she heard this.


    "Yeah, and you... you weren''t <i>you</i> anymore when you did it." Kana shook as she recalled her sister''s appearance. "You said that Mom had <i>let you out</i> and that you were more than a monster." Kana looked at her. "What did that mean? Please tell me if you know anything?!?" She pleaded with her sister. "In the dream, your eyes had turned orange, the same color as that day you went to the hospital and the same as when you battled Hishya!"


    "I... I honestly don''t know Kana." Akagi shook her head. "But...."


    "What? Please tell me, don''t hide things from me." Kana gave her sister a desperate look.


    "I... I don''t know. It''s just that.... ever since I woke from FWO. I''ve felt strange." Akagi said.


    "Strange how?" Kana pressed for answers.


    "Do you remember what I told you that night? That the me you saw growing up was just a mask, a fa?ade that I developed?" Akagi asked her if she recalled.


    "Yes... yes, I do." Kana replied.


    "Well... I''m not 100% on this, but I think there might be anotheryer to that mask." Akagi turned away. "I... Kana... there''s a chance that I might not ever have been human.... or even your real sister."


    "Wha-what does that mean? You told me that you were Rishia on that night! You told me that you were always the same person and that you hadn''t taken her ce! Was that a lie!" Kana''s head spun as she tried to understand what Akagi meant.


    "It means... I don''t know!" Akagi screamed. "Kana, I''m sorry, but even I have no idea what the hell I am anymore!" Akagi let out her frustrations. "My whole life, I grew up thinking I was just some unloved child, that no matter what, I was just another girl in the world not that much different than anyone else. But now... now I don''t know anymore Kana. I can''t dismiss Shima''s and Taichi''s words, and every day the feeling that something is <i>off </i>with me grows. Am I really the child your parents brought into this world? Or did I really just take her ce when she was born and <i>pretend</i> to be her?" Akagi tightened her fists causing her knuckles to turn white. "Every time I think about my past, my feelings, my thoughts, my actions, and everything else. I keeping to one conclusion. That I''m not now, nor have I ever been human." Akagi looked at her sister with tears in her eyes. "And If I wasn''t human, what <i>AM </i>I, Kana?"


    Spoiler


    Akagi?


    [copse]

 Chapter 57 – One of Many Futures.

    Chapter 57 ¨C One of Many Futures.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Two chaps!


    "You didn''t take anyone''s ce." Mizumi appeared in the doorway. "Of that, I can be certain." Her statement caused the two crying sisters to look at her.


    "How can you be certain?" Akagi asked.


    "Because, when I merged your soul with that of the Shadow Demon, I had to analyze yours briefly." Mizumi walked up next to them. "If one soul absorbs another, no matter what, there will always be some residue of the weaker soul. And in your case, I detected damage to your soul, but there was no sign that you had ever merged with another being."


    "But then, couldn''t I have just destroyed the original soul and taken its ce?" Akagi still couldn''t believe that she wasn''t some impostor.


    "Nope, because if that happened, you wouldn''t be here speaking to me," Mizumi replied. "At that early stage, if the soul attached to a new vessel is destroyed, the vessel itself will perish. I don''t know how it works exactly, but switching souls between bodies is already hard enough, and messing with them at that critical stage of bonding is nigh on impossible." Mizumi''s exnation was quite a good counterargument to Akagi''s thoughts. "So that leaves us with two possible situations. Either you were simply born into that body as intended, which means you are her sister, or you took the original owner''s ce somewhere down the line, but as I said, I don''t think that happened."


    "Ok, then, if I was born into this world properly and I didn''t take the original Rishia''s ce. Then just why do I feel so strange? Why do I feel like I''m not actually human?" Akagi pressed for answers.


    "Things can happen to souls while they are going through the cycle of rebirth, so strange things like an improper scrubbing of memories or personalities can happen." Mizumi shrugged. "I''m not the best person to speak about this, but from what you''ve told me, it''s possible that you were something other than human in a previous life, and when you died and were reincarnated, you still retained a small amount of your previous personality. Not enough to change much, mind you, but just enough to give you this feeling you''re talking about." Mizumi put up her finger. "However, based on what I''ve seen, I think it''s also equally likely that something else is going on here. What that may be, I have no idea, but I would say it''s a 50/50 toss-up between an error in the reincarnation or you being unique in some way."


    She continued. "Either way, rest assured that there isn''t anything <i>wrong </i>with you. No matter what happened, you''re Kana''s sister. You didn''t take someone else''s ce, and you''re not an impostor, Ok?" she gave a small smile.


    "Yeah... thanks Mizumi... I needed to hear that." Akagi stood up and hugged the small girl.


    "Why am I getting hugged?" She sighed. "Not that I hate it mind you, it''s just unexpected." The girl''s face blushed slightly.


    "Just kinda seemed like the right thing to do. You look like a kid, so I just kinda did it without thinking." Akagiughed.


    "And here I was trying to be helpful, only to get made fun of." Her words said she was annoyed, but the smile on her face betrayed her.


    Seeing this exchange, Kana let out a giggle of her own before asking a question. "But still, what was that dream I had? I''ve never experienced something so real. I could even feel pain." She was still unnerved by the sight of Akagi killing her mother.


    "That was probably a vision." Mizumi looked at her.


    "A vision? You mean of like the future?" Kana looked worried when she heard that.


    "<i>A </i>future, not <i>the </i>future." Mizumi corrected. "Again, I''m not the best person to exin this, but essentially what you saw was something that <i>could </ie to pass. The future is not set in stone, and countless different things can influence it." Akagi seemed to understand what she was talking about, but Kana was lost. "Think of it like this. You''ve read books or yed games with multiple alternate endings right?"


    Kana nodded.


    "Then it''s just like that. Depending on what choices you pick, you will get a different oue. Just because Akagi <i>can</i> burn the world down doesn''t mean she will. Just like how <i>you </i>could kill someone, but you probably won''t. Having the power to do something and doing it are two different things, and depending on which option you pick, the future will change. One where Akagi lives a peaceful life, or one where she destroys the world." Mizumi raised up one hand for each option to visualize what she was saying. "Both <i>can </i>happen, but only one <i>will</i>."


    "So, Onee-chan won''t do something like that?" Kana asked pensively.


    "Not as long as things don''t happen to lead her down that path." Mizumi looked up at Akagi. "If you don''t want that future, then I rmend you hold on tightly to whatever <i>humanity</i> you have left. If you are taken in fully by those darker thoughts in your mind, a future like what Kana saw is likely toe to fruition. And I would prefer my entire people <em>not</em> get wiped out because you lost your marbles." Mizumi gave a cheeky grin, which caused Akagi to bonk her on the head.


    "I will figure things out. I have a lot to think about, and I believe that eventually I will have to make a decision about who and what I am." Akagi looked at her sister. "But you can bet that no matter what, I''m going to do everything in my power not to allow myself to be controlled by whatever darker thoughts lie within my mind." Akagi continued. "Even if I''m not human, I''m still me, and I won''t be controlled by either that darkness or my own humanity. I just want to be me." Akagi''s eyes showed she was serious.


    "Well, just please make sure that whatever you are doesn''t doom us all, ok?" Mizumi sighed.


    "No promises." Akagi stuck out her tongue, which caused both Mizumi and Kana to let out a sigh.


    "What happened to that solemn and serious attitude from just a minute ago, Onee-chan?" Kana looked at her.


    "It had its time and ce, and now we''re back to normal." Akagi smiled. "No reason to stay mopey all day. I''ve done enough of that, thank you very much."


    Akagi ced her hand on top of Kana''s head. "Are you good? Can you get back to sleep?"


    "Um.... would you stay here tonight?" She was still shaken by the vision, and Akagi could tell she might have trouble sleeping.


    "I''ll do you one better." Akagi allowed her body to dissolve, and she turned into her ck shadow form.


    "???" Kana tilted her head in confusion before Akagi lept into the bed next to her.


    "Yumi likes to cuddle me like this sometime. Apparently, my shadow body is superfy, like a body pillow," Akagi said as she shuffled under the covers.


    Skeptical, Kana extended her hand and ced it on her now blob of a sister. It felt strangely warm and was kinda squishy like it was made out of jello. Deciding to just go for it, she picked Akagi up and squeezed her to see how it felt "This is amazing! Why is Yumi the only one who gets this?!?" Akagi''s shadow body was amazing to hold when she wasn''t actively trying to harm someone. Kana felt like she could fall asleep at any moment while holding her.


    "Told you it was nice. Yumi asks me to do this sometimes, and she always wakes up refreshed. It''s kinda nice to be held, so I just go with it." Akagiughed. She also liked when Yumi snuggled with her like this.


    Seeing this, Mizumi decided to leave the two sisters to their own devices, and she backed out of the room.


    Kana ced her sister next to her in the bed and ced her head on the pillow, bringing Akagi into a tight squeeze. "I haven''t slept in the same bed as you since we were kids." Kana giggled. "But, this is nice. Goodnight... Onee...chan." Kana fell asleep almost instantly.


    <i>{Dang, she must have been tired. Well, if this makes herfortable, I''m all for it. I can''t imagine the trauma of watching me kill Shima right in front of her and seeing Mika die like that.} </i>Akagi thought to herself as shey next to Kana.


    <i>{I have to figure out what I am before it''s toote. I''vee dangerously close to losing myself twice now, once when I nearly killed Kana and once when I nearly killed Shima and Taichi. Both times disaster was averted by the intervention of someone important to me. But if it happens again, there''s no guarantee someone will be around to pull back from that precipice. If I give inpletely to those dark thoughts...... I might really burn the whole world down.} </i>Akagi pushed these thoughts aside and drifted off to sleep, snuggled in the embrace of her sister.


    ________________________________________________________________________________________________


    At the same time that Akagi and Kana were falling asleep, a high-speed train was in transit from Shizuoka to Yokosuka. Riding on top was a certain orange-haired elf.


    "Those cowards." Sheughed as the fall air ripped against her face. "All that talk about destruction and blowing things up, but when I mention hitting the U.S. Navy in Yokosuka, they get all timid." She sighed. "Don''t worry, where you idiots are too weak; I''ll pick up the ck." Elna let out a terribleugh As the train steamed toward the base of the U.S. 7th fleet, a feeling of dread came over all of Japan. Thest time a Japanese person attacked U.S. boats in harbor it didn''t end well.


    Spoiler


    Elna, Trainsurfing!


    [copse]

 Chapter 58 – The U.S. 7th Fleet.

    Chapter 58 ¨C The U.S. 7th Fleet.


    The United States 7th Fleet anchored in Yokosuka at the designated U.S. Navy Port. Since the end of the Second World War, the United States has ced its military assets and personnel throughout Japan. With the increase in Chinese Naval Power, the U.S. had dumped even more of its naval capacity in the Far East. With over forty thousand sailors and marines, two carrier strike groups, and well over one hundred ships, Yokosuka was by far thergest U.S. forward-deployed fleet in the world. The recent Libra attacks on Tokyo and other outlying areas meant that the Naval Base was ced on high alert. U.S. Pacific Command feared an attack, but couldn''t relocate most of the vessels out of port due to ack of adequate berthing capacity at other relevant locations.


    Vice Admiral Charles C. Barkley was the currentmander of the 7th Fleet and had just prepared for his morning briefing when the sounds of explosions rocked the base. He and his team were in the main administrative building and rushed to the ops center on the floor above.


    "Give me a situation report! What''s going on, are we under attack?" Admiral Barkley yelled. He had an idea of what happened but needed to be sure.


    "Sir" An officer spoke up. "Security is currently engaged with a woman who we believe to be part of the Libra organization. One who was responsible for the attack in Tokyo City Hall.¡±


    It was exactly as feared.


    "<em>Do not</em> let her get near the ships! Send all avable personnel to stop her." He turned to his special attache from Washington. "I thought you had a handle on this! You told me there was no danger of involvement in this internal Japanese Affair, and you wouldn''t listen to me when I told you it was dangerous to assume we wouldn''t be attacked." He yelled at the man.


    "Sir." the attache tried to speak up but was instantly silenced.


    "Not now, first we have to drive off our attacker and secure the facility. I will not have any of my ships so much as scratched by this woman." He turned to his other officers. "And get me Ambassador Kumuoka, we''re going to need help from their team. I''m not taking any chances."


    ________________________________________________________________________________________________


    "AHHHHH" one of the marines screamed as he was burned by fire from Elna''s palm and copsed on the ground. She''d been easily cutting through the outeryer of security around the harbor and the handful of guards couldn''t do anything to stop her.


    "See, what I tell them? Not so tough when their bullets can''t hurt me." She mmed her foot on the ground and flung arge b of concrete a group of marines crushing a few. "Now then, while it''s fun to kill these idiots." She looked down the hill at the anchored boats. "Sinking those will cause much more damage." She jumped up in the air and used her power to cause small wind vortexes to appear beneath her feet as she flew towards the docked ships. She was intending to cause major damage to U.S. Naval power in the hopes of causing further destabilization. Their benefactor had insisted they avoid provoking the United States, but she didn''t really care about his cowardice.


    <i>{The Chinese and Russians are serious cowards, telling us not to attack American troops. Hah!}</i> Elna admonished them in her head.


    Flying towards the dockyards, she began to take hits from heavier rounds as the stationed marines began their attack. While they wouldn''t do much damage, they were still annoying.


    "Piss off!" She swung her arm, causing a de of wind to fly toward the marines, cutting over ten of them in two. Just as she got smug from killing them, she took a massive explosion to the face as an APC shot her with 25mm rounds. "You fuck! Do you have any idea how expensive these clothes were!" Her jacket had been slightly torn from the hit. Enraged, she flew down towards the APC and picked it up before throwing it into the harbor. "Anyone else wanna try me?" Her death stare caused the few marines who were nearby to retreat. "Thought not," she smirked before continuing towards the dockyard.


    All around the ships, marines and sailors scrambled to raise anchor and get them moving. The harbor was shallow enough to allow raising in case they sunk, but taking no damage at all was preferable. Especially in the case of the two carriers currently docked. Flying over top of one of the U.S. destroyers, Elna punched the air causing a shockwave to impact the conning tower and rip a hole straight through it, sending several sailors flying into the water. Seeing how easy destroying the ships was, she dove down towards the main deck and punched straight through the hull, using her ki to send a shock wave out the other side, causing it to start sinking. Flying back up, she watched as the sailors scrambled while the marines opened fire on her, to no avail. Wanting to test out her control over the water, shemanded a wave to crash over the deck of the sinking ship flushing the crew into the harbor.


    "Hell, just doing that might be easier." Shemented on seeing how quickly so many men just died. "Better move fast, one of those goody-two-shoes is gonna be here any second." Not wanting to get caught out in a fight, she jumped from ship to ship, tearing holes, throwing men overboard, and generally causing destruction. There was little the marines could do. They were simply not equipped to fight an enemy like this. Their heaviest gear only seemed to annoy her, so they tried to buy time until reinforcements arrived. After damaging or sinking over a dozen ships Elna decided to take a crack at one of the U.S. carriers. Even just damaging one, let alone sinking one would be a huge feat. Those things cost well over 13 billion dors a piece, so they made for an attractive target for Elna''s destruction.


    Deciding tond on the deck, Elna was met with U.S. servicemen scrambling to have nes take off, a few fired some small arms at her, but she quickly silenced them.


    "I wonder what happens if I start throwing their nes around?" She looked at one of the jets and got a terrible idea. The jet fuel used in modern fighters would create a massive explosion if handled improperly. So if she threw it, the resulting explosion would cause severe damage. So that''s exactly what she did, rather than sink the carrier she began to send the fighters on its deck careening into buildings and other ships. The resulting explosions caused one hell of a racket and countless deaths. The base caught fire and the leaking oil from the ships caused the water''s surface to ignite an a hellish scene.


    "Ah, man this is fantastic. Those things cost how many tens of millions of dors each? And I''m just throwing them around like toys." She stood on the flight deck of the carrier andughed, falling over practically in tears. She was enjoying this destruction, and the few crew that remained looked at her like she was crazy.


    "What exactly is so funny about taking people''s lives, Elna?" A booming voice came from the other side of the carrier.


    "Oh great, it''s the goodiest of the goodie two shoes." She stood up and looked at the heavily armored man. "Hey, Excel, it''s been a while." She gave an evil smile.


    "What the hell are you doing?!?" He yelled. "You had to know that attacking this base was going to have dire ramifications, Right?" He was baffled that Libra would be so stupid as to directly involve the United States. Powers or not, attacking them was asinine and he figured if anyone was going figure out how to harm returnees it would be the Americans.


    "Duh!" she tilted her head. "That''s why I did it." She looked at him like he was stupid. "Those idiots were too timid with their whole a<i>ttacking American boats is a bad idea</i> spiel." She made a funny voice as she mocked her fellow Libra members.


    "So you just went and did this all on your own?" Excelsior was confused.


    <i>{Are they having internal issues already?} </i>(Excelsior)


    "Pretty much. But now that you''re here, I guess I can''t have my fun anymore." Elna pouted.


    "What is wrong with you Elna? You were never like this before, so why are doing this? Why are you working with Libra." Elna was a social outcast, but Excelsior never thought she would be capable of doing something this terrible.


    "You wouldn''t understand Excel." She scoffed at his words. "You always fit in with society, you had it good, and life treated you well. You had good looks, got great grades,nded a good job and you even had parents that actually loved you." She assumed a fighting stance. "But I never had any of that, and when I reached out for help, society looked at me like I was trash." She sent a me attack towards Excelsior from her fist. "So why the hell shouldn''t I burn such a corrupt world to the ground."


    <i>{She''s lost it.} </i>Excelsior knew Elna since they were young, and at one time he even thought he loved her. But seeing the woman in front of him now, the only emotion he had for her was pity.<i> {I''m sorry Elna, I should have tried harder to help you, I never knew you had it this bad. Why didn''t you ever confide in me? Weren''t we friends?} </i>He took a battle stance. He didn''t want to fight Elna, but if she was going to kill innocent people, he was prepared to stop her.


    She kicked off the flight deck and came straight for him, unlike Minazawa, Excelsior had no shield. So he blocked her punch with his war hammer.


    "Nice block, but you''re wide open." She swung her offhand forward and sted him point-nk with elemental fire. As a four elements monk, Elna could do far more than just punch and kick. She couldmand fire, water, earth, and air at will with her Ki which made her a deadly opponent.


    Seemingly unfazed by her attack, Excelsior shifted his weight and swung his hammer downwards mming it into the flight deck where she stood moments before.


    <i>{This is gonna be hard. She''s way too fast and I''m not meant for this kind of fight.} </i>Excelsior was a war cleric and battle priest. He <i>was</i> able to fight on his own, but he was much better at AOE attacks and fighting monsters than dueling someone 1v1. Just like Ishigami when he fought Akagi, hisck of speed was a crippling weakness against such a dexterous opponent.


    <i>{I''m the only one of us in Tokyo at the moment. If I can''t stop her, she''ll wreck the entire harbor.} </i>He would be alone in this fight, though perhaps not as alone as he first thought. Suddenly, a group of U.S. marines opened fire on Elna from behind. They''d snuck up the flight deck and surprised both fighters and caused Elna to be momentarily stunned, which Excelsior took advantage of by mming the butt of his hammer into the side of her head. Dizzied by the blow, and under fire from marines, Elna jumped back. While their bullets didn''t hurt, they were a nuisance, and she didn''t like the idea of being distracted by them while fighting Excelsior.


    <i>{Well I''ll be damned. Never thought I''d see the marines bail me out of a jam.}</i> Excelsiorughed in his head as he readied himself for theing battle. He knew the marines would be his best method of obtaining victory.


    Spoiler


    Yokosuka in mes!


    [copse]

 Chapter 59 – Teamwork.

    Chapter 59 ¨C Teamwork.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Two Chaps!


    cing himself between the five marines and Elna, Excelsior spoke in ented English. "Are there more of youing?" He hoped they could understand him.


    "Yes." the marine captain confirmed. "We were tasked with supporting the Japanese agent being sent to help, and I would assume that''s you." he eyed up the heavily armored man.


    "Good. Your small arms will be good for catching her off guard." He noticed that a few of the men had grenadeunchers and he knew they would be quite useful. "I''ll do my best to keep her off you, she''s quick, and I''m not exactly built for speed." He let out a chuckle.


    Excelsior channeled some power into his left hand and threw a ball of radiant energy at Elna, who swatted it away.


    "Pathetic is that all you have!" She gave a punch and a kick, one sending fire and the other sending a wind de. Seeing this, the marines ducked out of the way while Excelsior stood and took both, he was confident that Elna''s elemental attacks wouldn''t be very effective against him.


    "I''ll ask you the same thing!" he threw another st at her, which she easily dodged.


    <i>{Come on, get frustrated and charge right at me. I know you hate these stupid games.}</i> Excelsior was betting that Elna would move into closebat. He knew her personality, and she wasn''t one to sit back and throw attacks at range. On top of that, he wanted to stay close to the marines. If Elna got on top of those men, they were dead.


    "Hmpf." Elnaughed. "Alright, let''s see you block this!" She swing her arms in a wavy motion as a jet of water came up from behind her and wrapped around her body. "I''m sure you know what high-pressure water does to metal!" She pushed her arm outward and the water stream carried straight toward Excelsior, it was too fast to dodge so he took it head-on.


    "Augh!" he cried out in pain. His armor was quite strong, so he was surprised when Elna''s attack managed to pierce through. Damage was minimal, but his chest piece had a small hole that was leaking blood.


    Seeing that her attack had an effect, Elna charged forward kicking off the flight deck. She was going to try and end this as fast as possible and she charged up Ki in her fist. "Now you die!" she yelled as she punched Excelsior square in the chest, causing him to stumble backward. He was reeling from the wound caused by the water, and the unexpected pain made his concentrationpse.


    <i>{Shit!} </i>He cursed in his mind.


    *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM*


    Elna begannding blow after blow on his armor. The individual attacks were starting to hurt. Unlike when she fought Minazawa, Elna was wearing her monk equipment under her outerwear so her blows could pierce his defenses. However, in the heat of the moment, she''d forgotten about the marines, who opened fire on her back. Annoyed, she turned around and jumped towards the nearest one. This was what Excelsior was waiting for. Just as she reached the marine and swung her fist down, Excelsior activated his cleric ability and swapped ces with the man, catching Elna off guard and punching her straight in the face with his gauntlet sending her flying across the deck.


    "Thanks for the save," he said to the marines. "Stay close to me, my ability only has a short reach." The men nodded and moved in closer to him.


    "Excelsior!" Elna stood up, furious. Her face was bleeding, and her cheek was swollen.


    "Good, now you look just as ugly on the outside as you are on the inside." he chuckled.


    "Fuck you!" She screamed as she dove toward him.


    <i>{Good, that''s it get angry.} </i>Elna fought worse when she was pissed, so Excelsior was trying to get under her skin. Once she got close enough, Excelsior swung his war hammer, which caused Elna to back off just out of range. This interaction continued for nearly a minute as Excelsior would stand just out of reach of Elna and keep her from getting close enough to punch him or the marines. "You bitch, stop trying to zone me!" Elna was furious at this stupid game.


    "Well, hey, if you want to just take my hammer head on and go lights out, that would be cool with me." he shook his head, as he cast a healing spell on himself. "But, I can do this all day, Elna, and you know that." With his healing magic, it was unlikely that Elna could defeat him in a war of attrition. However, if she managed to get him another one of thosebos from earlier, that would be the end of it.


    The marines had spread out behind him, they were discussing just how to deal with Elna since their weapons weren''t effective. Hearing this, Excelsior asked.


    "You guys got shbangs?" to which one of the men nodded.


    "Good, get one of those ready. I''m resistant to that stuff, but she''s not. If you can blind her, I can pummel her with my hammer."


    "Done with your strategy meeting?" Elna screamed as she dove in once again, but before she could get close, she was stunned by an explosion. One of the marines hadunched a grenade, and Excelsior took the opportunity to st the stunned Elna with his radiant spell. The twin explosions rocked the carrier, and Elna was knocked to the ground. The grenade didn''t do much damage, but Excelsior''s spell burned her clothing and her face.


    *Coff* *Coff*


    "You bastard I''ll-" She was stopped mid-sentence as Excelsior appeared right in front of her. Still stunned, she was only able to partially deflect the blow with her right hand, but the sheer force caused her wrist to break in the process.


    "FUCK!" She screamed in pain.


    "Now!" Excelsior screamed to the marines, who threw several sh bangs toward the injured elf. She was too busy screaming in pain to notice the sh bangs thatnded at her feat, which exploded and blinded her.


    "MY EYES. MY EYES!" She screamed as the sh bangs blinded her and caused massive pain. She would soon find herself in even more pain as Excelsior''s full-force smash with his hammer collided with her side. The force broke several ribs, and she was sent flying to the edge of the carrier. Her broken arm hung off the side, it seemed that she was unconscious.


    <i>{It''s over.} </i>Excelsior walked over to his once-good friend and prepared to end her life right then and there. She was too dangerous to let live and theycked the facility to safely restrain her. <i>{I''m sorry Elna, please find it in your heart to forgive me for failing to help you when you needed it most.} </i>He rose his hammer and swung it down aiming at her head, but just before he hit home, he was sted in the side by a beam of energy. Not enough to hurt him, but it pushed around twenty feet back.


    He quickly looked to see where the attack came from, only to be greeted by Herlex squatting down next to the unconscious Elna. "You really are an idiot aren''t you?" He berated her. "I told you not to do anything stupid and here I find out that not only did you attack a U.S. military base, but now you just got your ass kicked by Excelsior." He was pissed. "If I didn''t need you, I would let him kill you for your stupidity. But s, you''re too useful." He picked her up and slung her around his shoulder.


    "Excelsior, it''s been a while." Herlex looked at him.


    "Where do you think you''re going?" Excelsior threw a st at him, which was countered by one of Herlex''s own.


    "I''m not here to fight you. This idiot is just too valuable to let her die. So how about we just both walk away, ok?" Herlex gave a wry smile.


    "As if I would allow that!" he charged forward, but Herlex threw himself off the side of the carrier. Stunned, Excelsior quickly looked down only to see Herlex floating in mid-air and he rose back up above the carrier''s flight deck and out of range of Excelsior''s attacks.


    "Did you forget I can fly?" Herlexughed at him. "This idiot might have been stupid enough to let you get in close, but not me."


    "Herlex, just what the hell do you think you''re doing!" Excelsior screamed. "All these innocent people are dead because of you! Why! What purpose does it all serve?!?" He knew Herlex wasn''t exactly the nicest person, but it baffled him that the young man would do such horrible things.


    "Well, this attack wasn''t our fault." He shrugged. "This idiot went off and did this all on her own."


    "But you''ve still been killing people across the country! Armalthy killed twenty college students in Osaka!" Excelsior eximed. "So don''t you try and talk your way out of that. And even if Elna did this without your say-so, you''re still responsible since you put the idea of killing people into her and everyone else heads!" He wasn''t having any of Herlex''s bullshit. Superbia was put into aa trying to protect those kids.


    "Listen, I don''t expect you to understand our motivations or reasons. Honestly, I don''t either. All I know is that I want to cause chaos and destruction." His words stunned Excelsior. "This world sucks and we have the power to change it to our liking, so why shouldn''t we? Why should we allow ourselves to be ruled by inferior people like those men behind you?" He was referring to the marines.


    "I don''t know how or why, but we were granted ultimate power in this powerless world. So forgive me if I don''t see any merit in just going back to my old miserable life when I can just do whatever the hell I want." Herlex''s face contorted as he recalled living with his parents.


    "Anyway, I have to go tend to our wounded idiot. She''s lucky I''m quite a good healer. She would definitely kill you if you left a permanent scar on her face. Bye-bye." Herlex snapped his fingers and teleported away.


    Excelsior was left on the flight deck with the five marines, and the sight before their eyes was appalling. The entire dockyard was on fire, several boats had begun to sink, and the entire base was in chaos. It reminded Excelsior of the old film reels of Pearl Harbor that he''d seen in history ss. One of the marines walked up next to him and said.


    "Just one woman caused all this fucking destruction." he shook his head. "What the hell are we supposed to do against something like that."


    "We''re going to have to fight fire with fire." His stomach turned at the thought of requesting Akagi''s help to deal with Libra.


    <i>{What the hell is going to happen to this world?}</i> He stood silently, as he watched the fires rage around the base and wondered if the world could survive having people with this level of power in it.


    Spoiler


    A U.S. Marine!


    [copse]

 Chapter 60 – The American Reaction.

    Chapter 60 ¨C The American Reaction.


    President Rosewood was currently meeting with congressional leaders at the White House. The budget had stalled, and she was attempting to provide apromise that would satisfy both parties. As the first independent President of the United States, her outsider perspective andck of party loyalty actually gave her a great deal of respect from the two parties'' leadership as she was a skillful mediator.


    "Alright, I think we''re making some headway. As it stands, I have no issue with signing a budget that contains what we''ve discussed today. However, I would ask that you return to the rest of Congress and exin to them my refusal to cut any military spending at the current time." President Rosewood had finally made some headway in drafting some of the budget. She called this meeting primarily to halt Congressional efforts to reduce military spending. U.S. Military budget was always subject to ridicule for the ridiculous amount spent each year, but President Rosewood understood just why it was necessary.


    "Of course, madam president." The two representatives were unsure if they could convince their respective caucuses with the President''s logic, but they would try.


    "Ok, so then let''s move on to the-" President Rosewood was stopped mid-sentence by the sudden entrance of her Chief of Staff, Abigail Lincoln.


    "Excuse me madam president, but we have a situation." her stern expression told President Rosewood everything we need to know. "I''m d that the representatives from Congress are still here. Can the two of you please quickly inform Speaker McMin and Senate Majority Leader Anderson that we will need to speak with them immediately?¡± Hearing the need for the two highest-ranking members of Congress, they immediately started sendingmunications. It wasn''t every day that something like this happened, and they knew something had gone wrong.


    President Rosewood followed Abigal into the Oval Office where the Secretary of Defense Jamie Nowak was already waiting. "Madam President." she greeted President Rosewood.


    "No time for formalities. What happened?" President Rosewood looked at them. "You look like death Abigail, and if Jamie is here..." The Secretary of Defense is here and looking agitated could only mean one thing.


    "Approximately twenty minutes ago, the 7th Fleet''s base at Yokosuka was attacked by a member of Libra." Nowak''s words caused the temperature in the room to plummet.


    "Casualties?" President Rosewood asked.


    "As of right now, we have 145 confirmed dead and over three hundred injured." Nowak looked at her AR screen. "We are expecting both those numbers to rise.


    President Rosewood walked over to the Resolute desk and mmed her fist down on it causing arge bang.


    "What about the attacker? Did we at least get them?" President Rosewood''s words wereced with anger.


    "A group of marines aided by one of the Japanese government''s returnees managed to defeat the attacker, an Elf woman named Elna." Nowak looked at her. "However, before she was killed or captured, another member of Libra, a man named Herlex, arrived and escaped with her."


    "Dammit." President Rosewood had hoped that they at least took down the perpetrator of this attack. "What are the Japanese doing about this?"


    Abigal spoke up. "They''ve assembled a counter-terrorism task force and have beenbating Libra across the country. However, with only fourbatants, they''ve been struggling." They were outnumbered over 2:1 at this point, as a few more had joined Libra over thest few weeks.


    "I want Ambassador Kumuoka here, <i>NOW</i>!" President Rosewood was both angry and exasperated. She had been trying to keep the public''s mind away from the returnees and their potential danger, and she was assured by the Japanese government that they had everything under control. But, with an attack on a major U.S. military instation, she''d been ced in an unenviable position.


    "And get me Agent Nariyuki on the phone." She''s supposed to be meeting with one of those returnees soon." President Rosewood covered her face with her hands.


    <i>{What the hell is this worlding to?} </i>(President Rosewood)


    Frantic phone calls were made, and in record time, the Situation Room was soon filled with the Secretary of Defense, Ambassador Kumuoka, Speaker McCarthy, Senate Majority Leader Anderson, Vice President Jacob Smith and several top U.S. generals and admirals. Vice Admiral Charles C. Barkley was also brought in on video call. As the highest-ranking officer on the ground, there would be many questions for him.


    "Alright, let''s get straight to the point." President Rosewood red at the Japanese Ambassador. "We were just attacked, andtest estimates say that over 150 servicemen and women were killed at Yokosuka Naval Base.¡± The congressional leaders and military brass were already brought up to speed. Footage of the attack and the damage was already circting on social media and the public outcry was already building.


    "Ambassador Kumuoka, you assured me that our military personnel in Japan were in no danger from any of the returnees, but today''s attack flies in the face of your prior statements." She was thoroughly upset with the man.


    "I am truly sorry for this tragedy and the loss of life and I extend our most humble apologies for allowing this to happen." He gave a deep bow. "We didn''t think that Libra would engage a U.S. military instation, all our intelligence on them suggested their foreign backers were dissuading them from doing something so drastic." The U.S. was fully aware the Russians and Chinese were behind the appearance of Libra, but they could do nothing about it.


    Vice Admiral Barkley spoke over the video feed. "One of the marines that engaged that woman overheard a conversation between her and the young man who saved her. Apparently, this attack was unauthorized, and she acted of her own volition."


    "Well, I don''t really care if this was a lone wolf attack or coordinated." President Rosewood didn''t care about such a distinction. "What matters now is how we respond." She looked at the Japanese ambassador. "If your government cannot handle these terrorists. I will have no choice but to take <i>drastic</i> actions." She was threatening a military intervention of some kind in Japan or at the very least, a "peacekeeping" mission. The Japanese Ambassador was horrified at the prospect of American soldiers upying parts of Japan but didn''t try to rebuke her.


    "The footage we are seeing reminds me of a simr sight from just over 100 years ago. And I imagine the new media will have a field day with suchparisons." President Rosewood knew that this attack would getpared to Pearl Harbor. "So I need you to go back to your superiors and tell them this. If they don''t get this under control <i>immediately</i> they will not like whates next.¡±


    With her threat and a spine-chilling re, the Japanese Ambassador quickly exited the room.


    "Well, at least that lit a fire under his ass." Nowakughed.


    "Yeah, well, I really don''t want it toe to it, but we might need to send our own personnel into Japan to handle this, with or without Japanese approval." Her eyes showed a mixture of irritation and sorrow. "I need realistic option. What can we actually do?" Short of a full-scale invasion and upation of Japan, something that <i>no one </i>would like, the U.S.''s options were limited.


    One of the generals spoke up. "At present, I''m not entirely sure." The older man looked irritated. "From what I''ve seen and read, our weapons only have limited effects on these returnees. Small arms seem to be little more than distractions." He looked at Vice Admiral Barkley for confirmation.


    "Indeed. My marines used everything from rifles to APC cannons, and nothing left as much of a scratch on her. The best they were able to do, was stun and or blind her with grenades." He''d spoken to the marines who fought Elna on the carrier''s deck himself.


    "How bad was the damage to the fleet?" President Rosewood asked. "Has our readiness in the far east beenpromised?"


    "It pains me to admit it, but yes." The admiral confirmed her worst fears. "While none of the ships are permanently lost, damage was significant. Thankfully the dockyard was shallow enough that we can raise the ships that sunk. However, the damage to the ships, including the John F. Kennedy was quite extensive. It will take months, if not years to get the 7th Fleet back to full strength."


    "And the Chinese are gonna love hearing that." one of the admiralsmented. They''d been building up a navy to rival the U.S. over thest fifty years, so seeing so much damage to arge part of the U.S. Pacific fleet was likely great news to them.


    "Do we really not have anything that can hurt these people?" President Rosewood asked her military brass. "You cannot tell me that the world''s most powerful military with the best technology cannot find <i>any</i> way to even scratch these people. I don''t believe for a second that they''re invincible." She looked to the others in the room, but they had no answer. <i>{I''d like to think we can stop short of using nuclear weapons to kill less than twenty people} </i>(President Rosewood)


    "They''re not invincible. I can tell you that." A dog-eared girl appeared in the corner of the room, literally walking out of the wall, causing panic among the meeting''s participants. The Secret Service immediately put themselves between the girl and the President and trained their guns on her.


    "Woah, Woah, Woah." She threw up her hands. "No need to get all jumpy. I''m not here for a fight."


    "Why did you just appear like that?" President Rosewood spoke to the girl. "I thought I told you that just appearing at random will cause this kind of panic to happen."


    "I know, but I didn''t really have much of a choice. You guys were looking kinda stuck." She gave a cheeky smile.


    "Madam President." The secret service agent spoke to her. "Do you know this woman?"


    "Just a little bit. She''s not a threat, so please put down your weapons." She''d met this girl once before when she scared her in her private room in the White House.


    The Secret Service reluctantly agreed, but still kept themselves between the girl and the rest of the room.


    "Who the hell are you?" Secretary Nowak asked. "And how the hell did you get in here?!?"


    "Ah yes, sorry about that." She scratched the back of her head and gave a toothy smile. "My name is Hikari, and I was sent over to the United States on behalf of my Lord, Akagi."


    "Akagi?!?" Secretary Nowak. "You mean that returnee?"


    "Re-tur-nee?" The girl pieced together the world. "Ah, yes. Sorry, yournguage is still new to me, so forgive me if I have some problems." Hikari was quite good at learningnguages, a trait that caused Akagi to rely on her for infiltration of the U.S. government. "As for how I got in? I just kinda walked through the front door. Your security is really bad at handling shadow magic." Herment made the secret service men angry.


    "Regardless, why have you shown yourself? I thought you were just sent to collect intel and monitor us?" President Rosewood spoke with her not long after the whole debacle with the CIA. Apparently, Hikari was sent to spy on the U.S. as Akagi wasn''t quite sure of American intentions.


    "Well, that is why I''m here. But with the craziness happening, my Lord said it was ok to give you some pointers." She said.


    "She wants to give us information that could be used against her?" President Rosewood couldn''t understand Akagi''s intentions and was skeptical of the help being offered.


    "Against my Lord? No." Hikari shook her head. "Your weapons are of no concern to her." Her statement caused grumbling among the generals. "The other re-tur-nees, are not as resilient as she is to your weapons, besides Hishya. Some of your more advanced weapons would likely harm them. Though, I suspect it would still take quite a bit of force to bring many of them down." she chuckled.


    She pulled a small notebook out of a shadow portal. ¡°In here is some good information for how to take down some of the re-tur-nees as you call them. Just think of this as a kind of good will gesture.¡± She handed it to the secret service agent.


    "I see. Well, I''ll take whatever information I can get." President Rosewood didn''t exactly trust the dog girl but wasn''t about to be picky about her information sources.


    "Good, now I''ve got to go. I have some other meetings to attend." Hikari backed into the wall behind her and phased into it. Once she was gone, the tension in the room disappeared, and President Rosewood let out a big sigh.


    "Can you see why I was so opposed to pissing that woman off?" She covered her face with her hands, and the rest of the room went silent. If Hikari wanted, all of them would be dead. Not to mention that she casually admitted that she could sneak into any government facility. The Situation Room of the White House was one of the most secure locations in the world, and that dog-eared ninja just waltzed in without a care in the world.


    <i>{We need to watch our step. I would rather not have a knife pointed at my throat in the middle of the night.} </i>The next few days would be some of the toughest of President Rosewood''s time in office.


    Spoiler


    Hikari!


    [copse]

 Chapter 61 – A Scolding and Is Kana Weird?

    Chapter 61 ¨C A Scolding and Is Kana Weird?


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Two Chaps! Also a kind of PSA. I''m currently writing chapter 129 as I post this! As I go back through this arc I''m editing and adding new chapters. (Stuff not released. I am <em>not</em> changing released chapters or adding things earlier in release.) This is to keep my desire to have Chapter 100 end book 2, so I''m making any extra chapters as half chapters. IE 75.5 etc. They will be released along side the parent chapter so those days will have 3. They are<span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong> <em>full</em> <em>chapters</em></strong> and are not fluff or filler. They are just something I thought was missing or needed. me my vanity for wanting a nice 100 to end the second book. The first of these will be 65.5 and released on Saturday along side 65.


    Thank you and Thank you all for reading! We''ve got so much a head and I think you''re all going to like where things end up going!


    *SMACK* Herlex punched the freshly healed Elna across the room. "You fucking idiot!" He was beyond pissed with Elna''s little stunt in Yokosuka. "Didn''t we <i>explicitly </i>say <em>not</em> to fuck with the Americans? Because now we have to deal with them on top of the Japanese Government!"


    Elna stood up, her cheek red. "Why are you so angry? If you idiots had actually helped instead of acting like cowards we could have wiped out that entire base!" She was annoyed. They had all this power. So why were they hesitant to use it?


    "Because we now have to deal with the most powerful military on the! We have these powers, but we''re not invincible, you idiot!" He was annoyed with Elna''s stupidity.


    <i>{Even Armalthy, the battle junkie that he is, understood that fucking with the Americans right now was a bad idea.} </i>He sighed internally.


    "There are only fifteen of us right now, we can handle the four that the Japanese government is sending at us, but I don''t really want to fight them <i>AND </i>the American military!" Herlex eximed. "We''ve already seen that certain weapons <i>can</i> harm us." He was referring to the recent attack on a JSDF barracks in Hokkaido where their newest member, Ichimon, was nearly killed by an artillery round. "The JSDF doesn''t have the most up-to-date modern gear and we''re already having some issues with them. So if the Americans start deploying their forces against us, we might be in some serious trouble!" American military prowess was something well-known by most people. Comparing the US Military to the JSDF was likeparing a ceiling fan to a hurricane.


    "Your too goddamn timid, Herlex!" Elna eximed. "Why won''t you let Alice unleash her puppets?!? We could tten Tokyo today if you did!" Alice was another one of their members and specialized in summoning.


    "Because we still don''t know what our opponents can actually do! And with Minazawa and the others still around, those types of summons will be swiftly destroyed, and Alice can''t recover them that fast." Herlex was annoyed at Elna''sck of strategic understanding.


    <i>{What idiot unleashes all their cards </i><i><b>before</b></i><i> they know what their opponent has?} </i>Herlex was no tactical genius, but he knew enough about strategy to know that ying the long and slow game was the better option here.


    "Things were going ording to n, we were slowly widdling away at government power, <i>and</i> we were inflicting damage to Minazawa''s team." They had just scored a big blow by temporarily putting Superbia out of action when she fought Armalthy outside Osaka University. "But you just pissed that all away by riling up the Americans." He pulled up a stream and projected it in front of them. "You see this!" He pointed to the news media which were discussing if the U.S. should send troops into Japan to deal with Libra. "This is called aplete and utter <i>disaster</i>. Get it through your thick skull Elna, we''re strong and can do a hell of a lot of damage, but we''re not indestructible. I <i>will not</i> allow us to fall for the delusion of invincibility and be defeated like some cartoon viins!" He took out all his frustration and anger on Elna and was truly at his wit''s end with the woman. "I would kill you right now if you weren''t useful." he spit in her direction.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    A few dayster.


    "Well, it''s nice to see that the Americans are taking my words seriously." Akagi and Kana were sitting in the living room watching an address by President Rosewood. She vowed to bring Libra to justice and asked for permission from Japan to increase the American troop count beyond treaty stiptions.


    "Still kinda crazy that your people can just walk into the White House and meet her." Kana was informed about Hikari''s little conversation with the President.


    "Eh, not really." Akagi shrugged. "Without magical tools and the ability to counter the shadow magic of Chloe''s n, there really isn''t anything they can do. Even the Empire had a hard time with it, and they had dedicated mages and wards to prevent such infiltration." Akagi gave a smug look as she recalled sending Chloe into the Emperor''s private bed-chamber to give him a scare.


    "So what''s going to happen now?" Kana was worried that things might escte into some kind of war.


    "Who knows? I''m meeting with the Americans and Aoi tomorrow. I imagine they''re gonna ask me for help." Akagi figured that the recent attack would increase their desperation.


    "But will you?" After the kidnapping, Kana figured Akagi would let the government burn.


    "Sure I will. If they''ll pay my price, that is." Akagi chuckled. "Though, due to past run-ins, my rate has gone up quite a bit."


    "What are you going to ask for? You already have money and a home, and there isn''t anything they can do to you." Kana couldn''t imagine what Akagi wanted.


    "I''m thinking souls?" Akagi nodded her head. "Haven''t eaten any in a while, and I''m getting pretty hungry.¡±


    Kana was taken aback for a moment before she realized her sister was joking. "Not funny, Onee-chan." She bopped Akagi on the head for thatment.


    "Owchi!" Akagi feigned pain. "But in all seriousness, what I''m going to ask for is a secret. If they give it to me, you''ll find out then."


    "It''s nothing bad, is it?" Kana was worried about what her sister wanted.


    "Not really." Akagi poked Kana on the nose. "It''s more just something neat I wanted, and having the Americans involved means I might be able to pressure the Japanese into giving it to me."


    <i>{What could Onee-chan possibly want?} </i>Kana racked her brain, trying to guess what her sister could desire but came up with nothing.


    "How have your lessons from Chloe been going by the way?" Akagi asked. "She told me you were getting down the basics surprisingly fast."


    Kanaughed. "Yeah, it''s strange. But for some reason, my body just moves on its own. Not sure why. But I think it''s because Chloe''s just that good of a teacher."


    "I heard you even flipped Sakura over your head once, causing the entire dojo to go silent." Akagiughed. "It''s only been a few days, and you''re getting used to the techniques quickly."


    "Must be you rubbing off on me." Kana gave a cheeky grin.


    "If I''m rubbing off on you, I expect to see you in shadow form by the end of the week." Akagi smiled.


    "I would rather not turn into a blob, thank you very much." Kana held a stern expression before bursting outughing.


    "But being a blob is fun! You can do all sorts of things. Besides." Akagi grinned. "You say that, but you really enjoyed snuggling the other night, didn''t you?"


    Herment caused Kana to let out a cough in embarrassment. "Maybe I did just a little bit, but that proves nothing!"


    "Oh? Maybe next time I should turn into Hishya and-" Akagi was interrupted by a pillow being pushed over her face.


    "Don''t you finish that sentence!" Kana eximed, her face slightly red.


    "You realize I don''t need my mouth to speak right?" Akagi was unaffected by the attempt to muffle her voice.


    "Don''t care, let me have this win!" Kana continued to push the pillow over top of Akagi''s head.


    "Fine, fine." Akagi chuckled as the two wrestled on the couch.


    ________________________________________________________________________________________________


    The two yed around a bit before Kana tired out.


    "You really are terrible; you know that?" A still-red Kana chastised her sister.


    "Eh, I think that was a 3/10 on the terrible scale. I could do much better." Akagi shrugged.


    "You always have to have thest word, don''t you?" Kana sighed.


    "Yup!" Akagi smiled.


    "God, I forgot just how much of a pain you can be when you want to." Kana slumped her shoulders.


    "Yup, and I have to make up for the four years of torment you missed out on." Akagi patted her on the back.


    "Ugh." Kana gave a pained look.


    "Hmmm. If I want to maximize your torment, perhaps I split off a body and send it to your school as a transfer student." Akagi mused the idea,


    "Please no....." Kana could see it now, the strange new transfer student, and the unrelenting torment her sister would unleash on her. Mika and Naomi would find it funny while Kana would be dying on the inside.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t do that." Akagiughed seeing Kana''s face. "Going back to school would suck, even if I sent a body as a joke." Akagi stuck out her tongue. "Though perhaps I already did it? Maybe one of the students is already me?" She decided to mess with her sister.


    "I know you''re just messing with me, but now I''m going to be paranoid that anyone I don''t instantly know is you in disguise." Kana covered her face with her hands.


    "Some poor kids gonna get cornered by you, and your gonna be like: <i>Onee-chan! What are you doing pretending to be a student?!?" </i>She mimicked Kana''s voice for thatst part.


    Kana couldn''t retort since Akagi was right. "Ooo Ooo. How about I turn into you and go to school for you one day."


    "NO!" Kana looked up. "You would make everyone think I''m weird!"


    "Toote for that." Akagi looked at her.


    "I''m not weird!" Kana retorted.


    "You are a 180 IQ 16-year-old girl, whose friends with thest remaining member of the Tokugawa family and whose older sister is a fucking shadow Demon." Akagi gave her a deadpan expression and raised an eyebrow. "You are the definition of <i>weird."</i>


    "That''s just the people around me! I myself am a perfectly normal girl with nothing weird about me!" Kana gave a confident expression.


    Seeing this, Akagi just shook her head. "Sure you are kid. Sure you are." The look on her face annoyed Kana.


    "Why are you looking at me like I''m some kind of sad person that you pity!" She puffed up her cheeks and punched Akagi in the chest. "Argh! You''re just the worst!"

 Chapter 62 – A Meeting with a Demon.

    Chapter 62 ¨C A Meeting with a Demon.


    Agent Alexandra Nariyuki and Aoi Yukikaze drove together through the windy mountain roads Northeast of Kyoto. They were tasked by their respective governments to meet with Akagi and do what they could to garner her cooperation in the defeat of Libra. Neither had met Akagi before and while Aoi was also an FWO survivor, she''d only ever heard stories and rumors about the infamous assassin. Before they left Kyoto, the two had been briefed about the delicate situation in Japan and the growing calls for American intervention against Libra. At present, the Rapid Response Team (RRT) was down to threebat members. Superbia would be out of action for at least a week, and the remaining three were concentrated in Tokyo. Protests had erupted across the country as anger at the government''s inability to handle Libra grew daily.


    The U.S. wasn''t in a much better position. After the attack on Yokosuka, there were calls for an intervention in Japan to deal with Libra. President Rosewood''s hands were tied, and she had no choice but to pressure the Japanese government for a quick solution, lest the United States need to upy parts of the country. Agent Nariyuki was sent as one of the few Presidential aides Rosewood trusted. Being half-Japanese also meant that she could speak to Aoi and Akagi without the need for a trantor. Prior tonding in Kyoto, she''d spoken to President Rosewood and was given strict orders not to antagonize Akagi and attempt to form a good rtionship with her. The CIA''s debacle weeks prior had already caused a great deal of friction, and she didn''t want to risk Akagi switching her agents from intel gathering to assassination.


    It took about an hour to drive from Kyoto to Akagi''s estate just North East of the city. It was deep in the mountains and was very much out of the way. Aoi was optimistic about their chances of securing Akagi''s help, while Agent Nariyuki was much less enthusiastic. After reaching the parking lot at the bottom of the hill, the two climbed up the stairs and were met at the front gate by Yumi.


    "Alexandra Nariyuki and Aoi Yukikaze I presume." Yumi looked at both women. She was wearing a slightly different outfit consisting of a green and ck Hakama. This was her formal wear and something only worn for more official asions. The two women introduced themselves and were instructed to follow Yumi to where Akagi would greet them.


    <i>{This ce is incredible.} </i>Aoi marveled at the beauty of the estate.


    <i>{They weren''t lying, this ce is less like a home and more like its own vige.} </i>Nariyuki scanned her eyes taking in the sights, she''d seen ces like this deep in remote mountains. This wasn''t her first negotiation, but she didn''t like the vibes of this ce.


    The two were brought into the main house and were escorted into the audience room. A tatami mat sat raised at one end of the room, and the Dumetor family symbol sat behind it illuminated by candlelight.


    <i>{What is thatnguage? I don''t recognize it.} </i>Nariyuki was knowledgeable about most cultures, but she had no idea what kind ofnguage was written on the tapestry.


    Yumi asked them to wait in front of the raised tatami and disappeared into the back, while another servant brought them tea. The two women decided to sit in seiza as this was to be a formal meeting. Around ten minutester, the back door slid open, and Yumi appeared. She stepped to the side of the door and bowed her head as Akagi stepped out and into the audience room. She took a quick look at her two guests before sitting on the raised tatami. She was wearing the same formal outfit from the night her n was dered, but this time she also sported a ck Hanten coat over-top of it. As she took her seat, the sleeves of her coat and hakama fluttered as if moved by a strong breeze. Once she was situated, Yumi brought Akagi her favorite Kiseru pipe and lit it for her.


    Akagi took a moment to inhale some of the smoke before letting it out towards the ceiling. Aoi was suprised by this mature and formalistic disy that Akagi put on, while Nariyuki knew exactly what was going on.


    <i>{She''s trying to show us who''s in the position of power. Just like those Kongolese warlords.} </i>She steeled herself for what was toe.


    Akagi looked at the two women, her expression stern andposed. As the leader of her n, she would take this meeting as seriously as possible since her family''s reputation would be on the line.


    "Wee to my humble abode." She looked at the two women and gave a small polite bow, which they returned. "Allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Akagi Dumetor, the head of the Dumetor family."


    Aoi scrambled to reply, shocked at the very formal words Akagi was using. "My name is Aoi Yukikaze, though you may know me as Sugera. I represent the Rapid Response Team on behalf of the Japanese Government.¡± She stumbled slightly.


    <i>{It''s like I''m meeting some high-level executive!} </i>Aoi expected this to be a less formal asion, despite Minazawa''s warnings.


    Nariyuki introduced herself next. "My name is Alexandra Nariyuki, and I work directly for the President of the United States as an aide and negotiator."


    "Sugera, I see." Akagi took another hit from her pipe. "I do not recall if we ever met in FWO. If we have, please forgive my forgetfulness." Her words and body motions were elegant and refined.


    <i>{Just where did a twenty-year-old shut-in learn such manners and etiquette?} </i>Nariyuki was taken aback by Akagi''s level of formality, she expected some basic Japanese etiquette, but Akagi was acting as if she were a noble.


    Of course, what she couldn''t know, was that Akagi had picked up the Imperial nobility''s sense of etiquette during her time in FWO. While it wasn''t perfect, if youbined it with the preexisting Japanese nature for formality the results were incredible.


    "Ah. No, I do not believe we have ever met. I only ever heard rumors about you." Aoi responded to Akagi''s politeness. Akagi had worked with the assault team on a few asions, but Aoi had never directly interacted with her.


    "I see. Then, before we begin." She looked at Nariyuki. "I would like to extend my family''s deepest condolences for the loss of life in Yokosuka." Akagi gave a formal bow. "It is truly senseless and regrettable that so many innocent men and women lost their lives. I will pray that they find peace in the next world."


    "Thank you, your kindness is truly appreciated," Nariyuki replied.


    "Now then, shall we move on to the reason the two of you have requested an audience with me?" Akagi returned her pipe to Yumi, who ced it in an ornate box.


    "Yes." Aoi nodded. "I havee on behalf of the Japanese government, which requests your assistance in defeating the terrorist group known as Libra." Aoi bowed her head as she asked.


    "As I expected." Akagi smiled. "However, I''m afraid that I do not see any reason I should help you." Her words were icy even if her smile was warm.


    Aoi was taken aback by her refusal. "Please." she bowed again. "We need all the help we can get. As of right now, we only have three active agents who canbat Libra, and at this rate, we won''t be able to protect the people of Japan from their attacks." She pleaded for her help.


    "I understand that Libra will cause a tremendous loss of life. However, I fail to see why I should aid those who attempted to take my life, as well as those who kidnapped my sister and her friends." Akagi''s eyes turned sharp. "Surely you must understand my reluctance to help one who was so recently my enemy. If you are to be destroyed by another group, why should I intervene to save you?" Akagi wanted a logical answer, and Aoi wasn''t going to be able to give one.


    "The loss of life-" Aoi was interrupted by Akagi.


    "I will save you the trouble. If you want my help, emotional or moral arguments will not work. Human morals do not sway me." Akagi''s sense of humanity was dwindling every day, and she wasn''t particrly amenable to the idea of saving people for the greater good anyway.


    ¡°It would be in your best interest to assist us.¡± Nariyuki chimed in. ¡°Even if Libra isn''t a problem for you at the moment, the more chaos they cause the more likely that you and your people will be harmed.¡± Nariyuki hoped that her argument would be more persuasive. ¡°Your sister and her friends will be in danger if Libra continues its attacks.¡±


    ¡°I won''t say your wrong.¡± Akagi mused. ¡°But just because I <i>might </i>be entangled with them eventually doesn''t mean I have to get invested now, does it?¡± Akagi actually had intel which told her that Libra was intentionally avoiding antagonizing her. Which is why she didn''t see much urgency in defeating them.


    Akagi looked at Aoi. ¡°Lets assume that I agree with Nariyuki and that assisting you is in my best interest. What do I get in return for helping you?¡± Akagi asked.


    <i>{Now the real negotiations begin.} </i>Nariyuki thought to herself.


    ¡°Um....¡± Aoi floundered.


    "You would be requesting the removal of over ten high leveled yers, add in the extra cost from my <i>displeasure</i> with the Japanese government, and well, I can assure you the price for my help will be quite high."


    "If you want money. I''m sure the Diet would-" Aoi stopped when she saw Akagi''s hand go up.


    "I have no use for your money, so do not waste your time." Akagi had more money than she and her family could ever use, so more was pointless.


    <i>{Here ites. I have a bad feeling about this.} </i>Nariyuki had dealt with all kinds of unsavory individuals before, so she knew Akagi was going to ask for something outrageous.


    "Then, what do you want?" Aoi asked with bated breath.


    "Simple." Akagi pped her hands, causing Yumi to retrieve a parchment from a box beside her. "In exchange for dealing with Libra, I want the Japanese government to transfer ownership of these twenty-odd square miles to me."


    "And acquisition?" Aoi didn''t understand. "I mean, most of thatnd is owned by the government, so giving it to you would be possible." Most of the surroundingnd was national parks or woonds, so they could easily hand it over.


    <i>{That''s not what she meant Aoi.} </i>Nariyuki sighed internally.


    "I believe you misunderstand what I''m asking for Aoi." Akagi handed her the map. "I am not asking for thesends to be transferred over to the private ownership of a Japanese Citizen or a private entity." Akagi took a breath. "What I am asking is for the Japanese Government to secede thisnd to me as a <i>sovereign entity</i>. To simplify my demands, I wish to turn thisnd into my own city-state, much like San Marino, with me as its ruler."


    <i>{Well, that''s one hell of an ask.} </i>Nariyuki knew that the Japanese government would be reluctant, if not hostile, to such an idea.


    "I... um..." Aoi didn''t know how to respond to this development. "I don''t think I''m authorized to grant such a concession. I would need to confer with my superiors. May I ask if there was anything else you would take as an alternative?" Aoi was hoping Akagi might want something less <i>drastic.</i>


    "No," Akagi tly denied. "It''s either this or nothing."


    "I see," Aoi pursed her lips.


    "How would the United States view such a proposal?" Akagi looked to Nariyuki.


    "I cannot imagine the President or Congress would be enthusiastic about Japan losing any territory, even an area as small and unimportant as this. The precedent it sets would be <i>undesirable, </i>to say the least.¡± Nariyuki shook her head.


    "I will take your offer back to my superiors to discuss it with them, though I must profess my doubt that they would agree to your demands." Aoi gave a wry smile.


    "I will also speak to the President about your offer, but I suspect her reaction will be the same." Nariyuki was dreading the conversation with her boss.


    "I see. Well, I will await your reply. Hopefully, it is favorable, and we can work together." Akagi gave a polite bow, and the negotiations were concluded. However, before they left, Nariyuki asked on final question.


    ¡°If you don''t mind, what is thenguage on the banner behind you? I''ve never seen it before.¡±


    Nariyuki was anguage expert, so seeing a script like the one behind Akagi caught her interest.


    ¡°Its my native tongue.¡± Akagi smiled. ¡°In mynguage we call it <b>[!$@#!!]</b>, but in Japanese, I believe you would call it <i>Demon.¡±</i>


    Spoiler


    Agent Nariyuki!


    Aoi!


    Yumi in Formal!


    [copse]

 Chapter 63 – Yumi’s Friends and a Broken Girl.

    Chapter 63 ¨C Yumi¡¯s Friends and a Broken Girl.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Thanks for reading, we broke onto the front page of trending on Monday!


    Thus I will be doing a small release marathon of extra chapters moving to one or two a day each day this week!


    Kana, Mika, Naomi, and Yumi were shopping together in downtown Kyoto. Fall had begun to turn into winter and it wouldn''t be much longer until snow began to fall. The recent Libra attacks had them nervous, but they weren''t about to just sit at home and hide until they were taken care of. Kana needed to pick up some extra school supplies, and Yumi, surprisingly, wanted to learn more about the technology of this world. So Kana rmended she get a smartphone to start with. She''d originally wanted to get something like Kana''s AR system. However, that would require special imnts, a process that neither Akagi nor Yumi trusted. Akagi herself couldn''t actually undergo the surgery since her body was little more than an illusion, and Yumi feared being put to sleep by people she didn''t know.


    As such, Yumi was taken to a store that sold older-generation smartphones. Even in this era of VR and AR, plenty of people still used these devices. Mostly because they were ufortable with imnts or had something that prevented them from undergoing the surgery.


    "So this is the little box that allows me to talk with people even if they are so far away." Yumi marveled at the device as they four sat in a nearby park. It was a rtively simple model with minimal bells and whistles.


    "Pfff." Mikaughed. "When you say something like that Yumi, it makes you sound like an olddy." Yumi''s reaction was akin to an elderly grandparent being given a phone for the first time.


    "Well excuse me that my world didn''t have such things." She puffed out her cheeks. "We had magic that could do many of the things this device does, so it''s not that I''m <ipletely</i> in the dark."


    "Kinda funny to think the person who only a few months ago was made from code is so enthralled by a smartphone." Naomi chuckled. "Ah...." She realized what she just said. "I''m sorry I hope that wasn''t offensive." Yumi''s status as a former NPC was still a raw topic, and Naomi was afraid she might have just stepped on andmine.


    "It''s fine." Yumi sighed. "It''s not like you''re wrong. Up until recently, I was little more than a game character from your perspective, so...." Yumi and most of the others were stilling to grips with their past and the fact that their world was little more than an illusion. What troubled them most of all was the revtion that all their memories from before the game went live were fake and imnted as part of their backstory/character creation. This hit Yumi especially hard as most of her memories with her family technically never happened. What little time she spent with them before she was made priestess were precious to her, so the revtion was quite depressing.


    Some took it better than others, with many arguing that it didn''t matter that memories were imnted since they felt real to them. Yumi didn''t really know how to take it, she''d spent two <i>real</i> years with her family before her vige was destroyed, so it wasn''t as if <i>all </i>her memories of her family were fake.


    "It really is a messed up situation." Kana shook her head. "What were those people thinking when they created you, only to deny that you were anything more than a program." Kana was a supporter of AI rights, though barring FWO, no example had ever been shown where true AI existed. There was some buzz on social media about Akagi bringing NPCs into the real world, but people mostly avoided the topic. Thepany that made FWO was already defunct and the ex-devs imed it was impossible that the NPCs were actually alive. Something that nearly caused Akagi to go hunting for them out of anger.


    "I doubt it was just because of the de-vel-e-pors." Yumi still didn''t have aplete grasp on all words, especially when they shouldn''t have existed in FWO. "Most likely, when the game was oveid with the other world, that probably gave us all our own sense of self." Naomi and Mika had been told some of the basics about what caused the whole FWO incident. Though, they were unaware that Mizumi was anything more than a maid in Akagi''s estate.


    "On one hand, I''m grateful, as cruel as that might be to say." Yumi gave a wry smile. "Without the whole affair, I wouldn''t even exist, and I wouldn''t have met my Lord. Though because of that, so many people from this world had to die."


    The three knew how she felt about Akagi and so chose not toment.


    <i>{Onee-chan, I hope you understand just how much you mean to Yumi.} </i>(Kana)


    "On the other, if I never existed, I wouldn''t have to go through so much pain." Yumi''s face darkened. "So it''s really hard to sort out my feelings, but I''m here now, and nothing can change the past." As she stared at the phone she found herself wishing she had such a device when she was at her vige. At least then, she''d have something to remind her of her family since that world had no method of taking photos.


    "And I wouldn''t want it any other way." Kana smiled. "I don''t care that you used to be part of a game. To me, you''re my second sister!" Her statement caused Yumi tough. "You''re much nicer and don''t pick on me, so I''d say you might even be an improvement." Kana snickered.


    "I appreciate the sentiment." Yumi smiled. She''d lost her only sister when Kyojaro killed her all those years ago. She missed the girl everyday and always wished to see her again.


    "Don''t forget you''re also our friend." Naomi chimed in.


    "Yeah, we like having you around too." Mika smiled.


    "Thank you.... really." All of their kindness made Yumi cry just a little bit. "I never had any friends back home, but I''m d to have met you three." Yumi''s role as the vige priestess left her with little time to act as someone her age. As a result, she had no friends and only really spent time with adults and those much older than her.


    Kana got Yumi some tissues and it took a moment for her to calm down.


    "Sorry about that. I don''t know what came over me." Yumi was slightly embarrassed at the fact that she''d cried.


    "You don''t need to be sorry for being happy. Onee-chan told me you went through a lot, so it''s understandable." Akagi had given <i>most</i> of Yumi''s backstory to the girls. Though she left out more important details out of respect for Yumi''s privacy.


    "Can I ask you something? About your time in FWO?" Kana looked at her.


    "Sure, though depending on what you ask I might not be able to answer." Yumi was sworn to a level of secrecy and would never divulge information Akagi told her not to.


    "What was Onee-chan really like in FWO?" Kana had tried to get more information about Akagi prior to her logout. She''d asked Hishya a simr question, but what she''d gotten wasn''t very helpful. Akagi herself was often vauge and evasive on the subject, something that annoyed Kana but she never pressed her sister on the subject.


    "I would like to say that she''s the same now as she was then." Yumi looked away. "But that''s not the case."


    Seeing Yumi''s look and the tone of her voice, the three girls leaned in.


    "My Lord, she''s been struggling ever since we came to this world." Yumi sighed. "She''s not had the easiest time adjusting to some... issues..."


    "Struggling?" Kana had an idea of what she meant but wasn''tpletely sure.


    "On Altarus, my Lord was much more sure of herself." Yumi thought for a moment.


    <u>(Altarus was the name of FWO''s game world.)</u>


    "She seems pretty sure of herself now." Naomi tilted her head in confusion.


    Yumi shook her head. "Before we came to this world, she thought she''d finally figured out who and what she was. She was confident that she''d cast aside all doubts about what she wanted to do with her life and the discovery of her <i>true</i> personality was something she celebrated." Yumi continued. "However, since we came to this world, my Lord has been gued by insecurity. She''s begun to question just <i>what </i>and <i>who </i>she is." Kana saw this the other night when Akagi had a partial breakdown over the thought that she was an impostor that took the original Rishia''s ce.


    "But, why is she even having these doubts?" Mika asked. "She seems to be really happy with her powers and new body so..."


    "She is. Don''t get me wrong, it''s not the powers or her new form that has caused this anxiety." Yumi gave a wry smile. "It''s her own mind that''s causing this."


    "It''s because she''s not sure that she was actually human to begin with. Isn''t it?" Kana interjected.


    Yumi nodded in confirmation. "Yes, that''s exactly right. And no matter how much I tell her it doesn''t matter, she still frets over it."


    "What are you talking about Kana?" Naomi was confused again.


    "Yeah? How could your sister not have been human? Our world doesn''t have other things, right?" Mika asked.


    Unsure if she should reveal this information, Kana waffled back and forth for a minute before figuring she should just be honest with her friends.


    "Onee-chan thinks that, for whatever reason, she was actually something other than a human born into a human body." Kana nervously exined.


    "But, isn''t that crazy?" Mika retorted. "I get having your body changed by the game, even if that <em>is</em> insane, but your sister couldn''t be anything other than human. This world isn''t a game or an anime, until FWO we didn''t have anything other than humans." Mika tried to refute the idea that Akagi was anything but human.


    "Yeah," Naomi agreed. "My family had stories about Yokai, but those were little more than stories. Nothing but humans exist in this world, so your sister couldn''t be anything but human, Kana."


    "I would be inclined to agree with you...." Kana took a deep breath. "If that wasn''t for one particr incident."


    "Incident?" (Mika x Naomi)


    "The day Onee-chan was taken to the mental hospital. When I found her that morning, she was lying on her bed writhing in pain. She spoke in that strange <i>Demon</i>nguage, and her left eye turned orange like it did in her battle against Hishya." Kana revealed something that not even Yumi knew.


    "What?!?" (Mika, Yumi, and Naomi)


    "Wait, wait, wait." Naomi stopped her. "You must be joking right?" She looked at Kana who just shook her head.


    "I was the only person who saw it, so I guess it''s possible that my eight-year-old mind just made it up, but then how would I recognize Onee-chan''s Demonnguage?" Kana shrugged.


    "I was never told any of this?!?" Yumi was equally parts angry and confused.


    "Onee-chan herself might not even remember it, Yumi." Kana continued. "She was basically out of her mind, so she might have just blocked it out of her memory. Though now that I think about it, she didn''t question me when I said about her eye being orange. So perhaps she does remember?" Kana sighed.


    "Does that mean Akagi really is some kind of Demon?" Mika asked pensively.


    "I have no idea, and from what Yumi told us, even Onee-chan doesn''t know. But I think chances are high that there''s more to her than meets the eye." Kana looked up to the sky, her mind filled with many questions about her sister. But before should ponder the question of Akagi''s humanity any more, someone called her name.


    "Ka-na?" A weak voice called out from behind her, causing Kana to spin around and gaze upon the horrible sight before her.


    "Kaori?!?" Kana eximed as the young girl copsed face-first onto the pavement. Her clothes were torn and her entire body was covered in burns, cuts, and bruises.


    "Kaori!" Kana screamed as she ran over to the copsed girl.

 Chapter 64 – The Next Contract.

    Chapter 64 ¨C The Next Contract.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Number 2 for the day!


    "Yumi, please help her!" Kana looked at the priestess. She knew that Yumi could heal with her magic, and she pleaded with her to help the poor girl. Seeing no reason not to, Yumi obliged and knelt down next to the injured girl. Her entire body was covered in cuts, bruises, and burns. Some looked old, while others looked new. Yumi chanted a spell, and her palm glowed with a bright white light. She ce it over Kaori''s body, and most of her injuries began to fade. Seeing that she was out of danger, Kana rxed.


    Mika and Naomi finally shook off their initial shock and asked Kana who this girl was.


    "She''s Kaori Nanahashi," Kana answered. "She was in my middle school ss for two years until she moved away. For the short time I knew her, she was a good friend." Kana''s eyes showed a sense of sadness.


    "What on earth could have happened to this poor girl?" Mika asked. "Her entire body was covered with those awful injuries."


    "Should we take her to the hospital?" Naomi asked. "She seemed like she was looking for help since she called out to you."


    "I would advise bringing her back to the estate," Yumi interjected. "My magic may not have been enough to handle all of her injuries from just that simple spell, and I doubt your medical technology will handle these injuries." Yumi stood back up and summoned her staff.


    "What are you talking about?" Kana became worried. "Aren''t they just burns and cuts? Surely the hospital can handle that?"


    "If these wounds were not inflicted by <i>magic</i> I would be inclined to agree with you. However, those wounds were caused by fire and wind magic respectively." Yumi was quite knowledgeable about magical injuries so the girls believed her.


    "How is that even possible?" Naomi was confused. "Is Libra attacking people around here?"


    "I have no idea, but if that is the case, it''s even more reason for me to get you three back to the estate. Now stand close, we''re leaving now." Yumi swung her staff around and teleported them and the injured girl back to Akagi''s estate.


    Appearing in front of the estate, Akagi was waiting for them, having already been informed of the situation via her telepathic link with Yumi.


    "Mimi has already been informed. Take her immediately." She looked at one of her followers who grabbed the girl and ced her on a stretcher. "Chloe''s team didn''t report any unusual activity in Kyoto, so I''m not entirely convinced this was done by a member of Libra," she said as she walked over to the girls.


    "Yes, I have received no report of Libra activity in Kyoto." Yumi was in charge of intelligence gathering, so if anyone would know it would be her. "Though the fact remains, that girl''s injuries were caused by magic," Yumi said as the girl was carted away to the medical wing.


    "Well, let''s go see what Mimi has to say." Akagi motioned for them to follow her.


    The unconscious Kaori was taken to Mimi''s medical station and was quickly ced into a bed and examined by Mimi and her daughters. They reached the same conclusion as Yumi, the girl''s injuries were caused by magic. However, they stated that much of the older scaring was caused by conventional means. Most of them were covered by her clothing, so whoever did this wanted to hide them from in view.


    "It''s very strange. These wounds remind me of the wounds that some of the prisoners would have after the Empire took over a town and tortured people." Mimi had a scowl on her face. She''d seen firsthand just how ruthless the Empire could be in interrogation and how they took pleasure in torturing people.


    Akagi looked at them. "Whoever did this is one sick puppy." Akagimented. "Each of these old burns were done on top of nerve bundles and held back just enough not to destroy them for maximum pain over a long time. I''d be impressed by their steady hand if it wasn''t so sick." Akagi had conducted torture many times, but she didn''t exactly like seeing innocent people suffer like this.


    "Kana, Yumi said you knew this girl?" Akagi looked at her sister, who exined her connection.


    "That''s right." Akagi snapped her fingers. "I remember you hanging out with this girl from time to time when you were little. But didn''t she move away? I thought you said she moved to Nagoya?" Akagi barely remembered the girl in any real detail.


    "That''s what she told me. So I don''t know why she was here." Kana was at a loss.


    "Ugh," Kaori began to awaken from her slumber. "Where am I?" She looked around dazed and confused. Her eyes wandered between the different people in the room until she locked eyes with Akagi.


    "Akagi!" Kaori sat straight up. "Is that really you!"


    "I''m pretty sure it is." Akagi shrugged.


    "How did I...." She took a moment to recall herst memories before she copsed. "That''s right, I was wandering through the park and I saw Kana."


    "Kaori." Kana stood next to her. "What happened to you? You were in terrible shape." Kana was worried about her friend.


    "Ah, yes...." She looked at her arms. "My injuries?" she was confused.


    "Yumi healed you." Akagi rified why her injuries were gone.


    "Thank you." She bowed her head in appreciation to Yumi, who gave a polite smile in return. "As for what caused my injuries, would you please hear my story?" Akagi decided to humor the girl and told her to continue.


    "Akagi, do you recall a yer in FWO named Sweet Blossom?" She asked.


    Akagi had to think for a moment before replying. "I think so. Wasn''t she a potion maker? I think she mostly stayed in the starting town." Akagi couldn''t recall every little detail about every yer in FWO, though she knew most of them in some form or another.


    "Yes, I was. I ran a shop in Adide where I made potions and elixirs for the assault team." Kaori said.


    <u>Adide was the starting town and the ce where most nonbat yers stayed.</u>


    "So you were a yer? Judging from your appearance, you didn''t keep your abilities, did you?" Akagi asked.


    She shook her head. "No, I did not. Otherwise, perhaps I wouldn''t have been in the shape you saw me in." Kaori continued. "My sister was also a yer. Her name was Hoshino. Do you remember her?"


    Akagi knew exactly who that was. "You bet I do." She looked disgusted. "That son of a bitch loved killing NPCs and was just generally a real prick. I was honestly hoping someone would pay me to off the fuck." Hoshino had gotten on Akagi''s nerves even more than Hishya had with the NPC bashing. Hishya was already bad enough, nearly getting herself killed from onement about Yumi, but Hoshino was even worse.


    "Well, you might just get your wish." Kaori chuckled. "She was the one that did this to me." she waved her arms around showing off her scars. "Ever since we were little she enjoyed abusing me, and almost every day she would do something to me."


    "What!" Kana was shocked. "Why didn''t you tell me?" she treated the girl as a friend, so why didn''t she confide in her?


    "Because even if I told you, it wouldn''t have mattered." she gave a wry smile. "My sister always managed to get away with things. I have no idea why, but her uncanny luck would allow her to sweet-talk her way out of punishment. Besides, the few times I did tell my parents, they always used me of lying to get her in trouble." She sighed. "So I figured it best not to involve you, lest she hurt you too."


    "Kaori....." Kana shook her head. "You should have told me. I''m sure there was something I could have done."


    "The fact that you care enough to get mad on my behalf is enough for me." Kaori let out a tired smile. "My sister was one of the 100 who kept their powers, and you can imagine that she put them to great use in torturing me." Her eyes grew dark as she remembered the hell she forced her to endure.


    "Good god." (Naomi and Mika)


    "But why were you in Kyoto? Didn''t you move to Nagoya?" Kana didn''t understand why she was there.


    "You can me my sister for that one. After she epted a job with the Rapid Response Team, she had onest bout of fun with me. When she was done, she decided to dump me in Kyoto to see if I would survive my injuries." Her eyes teared up a bit as she recalled the events.


    "HA." Akagiughed. "I guess those idiots are so desperate they''ll take on that fuck. But they wouldn''t give me what I wanted because <i>the price was too high.</i>" Akagi shook her head as she mocked them.


    "Akagi." Kaori''s voice became assertive. "I would like to purchase your services." Her statement immediately caught everyone''s attention, and Akagi''s mouth contorted into a terrible smile.


    "How interesting, and I feel like I know just who you want dead." Akagi''s smile gave the girls the creeps.


    "Wait!" Kana interjected. "Kaori, do you know what you''re asking!"


    "Of course I do!" Kaori responded. "I may not have left Adide much, but I know very well what Akagi does!" she was determined.


    "Take a moment and think! There''s no need for you to-" Kana was cut off by Akagi.


    "Kana, one way to piss me off is to get in the way of my job. So how about you three <i>please </i>leave and get out of my way." Akagi red at her.


    "But-" Kana tried to argue but was quickly stopped.


    "NOW!" Akagi''s voice grew louder. "Don''t make me say it again." She motioned for Yumi to take the girls somewhere else.


    Seeing how serious her sister was, and not wanting to upset her, Kana and the girls left without a fight. Kana was still unsure how to feel about her one-time friend asking her sister to kill someone, but she couldn''t really argue. This was Akagi''s job, and something she took seriously. Kana had already epted this part of her sister, if anything, she was more ufortable with Kaori being the person asking for assistance than anything else.


    "Sorry about that." Akagi apologized. "I think sometimes Kana can forget just what I do."


    "If anything, I should be apologizing to you. I shouldn''t have said anything in front of Kana. Will the two of you be alright?" She was afraid she may have damaged their rtionship.


    "Na, it will be fine. I think it''s more that Kana doesn''t want to see you do this. She knows I kill people, so it''s not that part that she takes issue with." Akagi sighed. "Though sometimes I feel like she treats my upation as a game."


    Kaori chuckled. "Kana always talked about you when we hung out. That girl really looks up to you."


    "I have no idea why, there''s nothing here that she needs to emte." Akagi shook her head. "Anyway, onto the main topic." Akagi''s eyes got serious. "If you want your sister dead, you understand that I requirepensation?" Akagi''s price wouldn''t be cheap, even for one of Kana''s friends.


    "Yes, I know." Kaori nodded. "I only have one thing to give you, myself." She bowed her head. "I hope that will be eptable."


    Akagi was surprised by her offer. "How interesting. Most people are reluctant to offer themselves as payment. You understand that will effectively make you my ve?" Akagi had long discarded her ingrained disdain for the institution of very built into her by modern morality. Though it would be wrong to say she <i>liked </i>it. Rather, it''s more that she epted it as a form of trade for her services. She would never go out of her way to purchase a ve from the market, but she would happily take a person in as one if that was what they wished. She even had a few members of her family that were indebted to her in such a way.


    "That is fine." Kaori continued. "I have no future as long as she lives. If I return home now, she''ll just continue to torture me in the future, and eventually, I will die." She looked into Akagi''s eyes. "I would much rather live and serve you than die by my sister''s hands."


    "Then let me ask you this. Do you think that, even without your abilities, you could still craft potions?" Crafting skills were useful, but making potions required knowledge of ingredients, mixture ratio, and other things that could be done <i>without</i> game skills.


    "If I was given the ingredients and supplies, I think I could handle most of them. Though, I suspect there may be a few issues without the game''s assistance." She wasn''t sure if she could continue her potion crafting in the real world, but she figured it might be possible.


    "I see. Then we shall run some testster." Akagi nodded. "For now, let us go over the details." Akagi then asked a list of questions, much like Yumi had when discussing the assassination of the Mitsuhide family with Naomi.


    <i>{So my first yer contract will be against someone in the RRT, ain''t that ironic?}</i>


    Spoiler


    Kaori!


    [copse]

 Chapter 65 – Foreboding.

    Chapter 65 ¨C Foreboding.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    There are 3 Chaps today, remember 65.5 is a <span style="text-decoration:underline"><em><strong>FULL CHAPTER</strong> </em>not an add-on or filler.


    Also 6k views so quick over one day?!?! I woke up this morning to so many new people! You guys are just amazing, thank you so much!


    After finishing the discussion, Akagi left Kaori in Mimi''s care. Hoshino would be dealt with once Libra was defeated since Akagi didn''t want to derail their chances at wining. Once she was adequately treated and rested, she would begin working under the Yuki-Onna. Hopefully, she could still use her potion-making knowledge even without the game''s abilities. Though, even if she couldn''t Akagi had a few ideas about what to do with her.


    Yumi took Mika and Naomi back home, and Akagi sat with her sister on a bench in the garden. She regretted yelling at Kana. Even if she takes her job seriously, she could have handled that a little bit better, so she wanted to apologize to Kana.


    "I... uh..." Akagi scratched her cheek. "Sorry that I raised my voice earlier Kana. That wasn''t necessary." She politely bowed.


    "It''s alright. I''m not mad or anything." Kana replied. "I''m more surprised to see you acting like this though." Seeing her tough older sister acting meek towards her was amusing. "I <i>did</i> overstep my bounds, even if Kaori was my friend. Even if I don''t exactly condone what you do, I did agree not to interfere, and I vited that promise." Kana bowed her head too.


    Seeing that Kana wasn''t mad made Akagi feel better. "Yeah, it''s alright. I guess we''ve both got things to learn about one another still." Akagi gave a dryugh. "I keep forgetting that you aren''tpletely used to how I act, and I forget that you''re <i>normal</i>pared to me."


    Akagi held her head in her hands. "I can imagine I''ve caused you a lot of headaches with my actions and words, so I''m sorry for that."


    "You don''t need to apologize for anything." Kana shook her head. "Sure things have been different, but I would much rather see you like <i>this</i> if it makes you happy." Akagi hadn''t had much to live for in the past, so Kana was d to see her doing something that brought her joy. Even though that meant Kana had to ept some <i>changes </i>in her sister.


    "You were never that great at dealing with others before, me included, so I can take you being a little bit prickly. Your nowhere near as bad as you used to be. Mika and Naomi don''t really mind it either, though granted when you exploded on Mika, they did get a bit scared." Kanaughed.


    <i>{Yeah, but Kana, not only do I not regret those acts, but seeing you all afraid like that... it brought me great joy.} </i>Akagi thought to herself as she listened to Kana speak. She could never tell her sister this, but deep down she kind of wanted to see the look on Kana''s terrified face. The thought of someone so close to her being made to fear her tickled a part of her that she didn''t want to admit existed. <i>{What the hell is wrong with me?}</i>(Akagi)


    "Onee-chan..... Onee-chan!" Kana called out to Akagi causing her to snap out of her thoughts. "Are you alright?" Kana had a worried look. "Your face looked miserable."


    Regaining her senses Akagi answerd. "Yeah, I''m fine........... Just a lot on my mind is all." she patted Kana on the head. "I''m going out for a bit. I need to blow off some steam and attend to some stuff." She stood up.


    "Are you sure you''re alright?" Kana looked at her, worried.


    "I''m not going to lie and say there''s nothing wrong, Kana." Akagi shrugged. "But right now, there''s not much I can do." Akagi jumped into the sky and took off toward Kyoto. She was hoping that a little movement would clear her mind and perhaps calm her heart. Akagi could tell with each passing day that she was slipping deeper and deeper into the darkness that resided in her heart, but she didn''t have it in her to admit that to Kana.


    <i>{I have to find out what I am and how to deal with these inner thoughts once and for all. Each time I go in, there''s no guarantee Ie out. Thest two times I''ve been lucky, but there''s no guarantee that I''lle back a third time. Ever since I came back from FWO I can feel it seeping into my mind each day, the darkness, the calls for violence. It''s as if whatever is within me is sick of being caged and is banging against the walls trying its hardest to escape. I can''t hold it back forever, and honestly... I don''t think I want to. But I know that if I give in...... I won''t be me anymore, and that''s not eptable. No matter how happy it might make me, I refuse to let anyone or anything control me! I guess we''ll just have to see what the future has in store.} </i>Akagi thought to herself as she bounced from tree to tree in the direction of Kyoto. What she couldn''t know was just how close the time was when she would need to confront her inner darkness and make an important choice about the future.


    Would the world burn as in Kana''s vision?


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    Tokyo Police Department, Rapid Response Team Medical Ward.


    "Hmm-hmm." Imp was reading over some medical data of Superbia''s. After her battle with Armalthy, and the use of her ability Princess of Blood, she''d spent several days unconscious, and her body was wracked with injuries and issues. Excelsior''s healing magic had helped considerably. However, the bacsh from her ability still left her unable to fight. She was currently conscious and could move around, but was anything but 100%.


    "Why are you acting like a doctor?" Superbia asked from her bed. "You were an engineer! So why are you treating me?" Imp, along with an actual doctor, had been treating Superbia''s injuries. Excelsior wasn''t a doctor, and his knowledge of medicine beyond <i>cast healing magic </i>was effectively zero, so proper physicians were required. However, Imp was not a doctor or even a nurse in her time before FWO, so seeing them act like one was strange.


    "Don''t go trying anything funny with me, I might be injured, but I can still clobber you." She threatened Imp, who ignored her. Superbia had only just woken up a day or so prior, and this was the first time she''d seen Imp in the medical wing.


    "Ms. <i>Imp.</i>" Dr. Amherst was still not used to calling her that. "Has actually been a great help in treating your injuries." Dr. Amherst had been retained by the Japanese government with the blessing of the United States to act as an advisor and chief Physician for the Rapid Response Team.


    "How?" Superbia tilted her head. "Imp''s great with tools and crafting, but she couldn''t know anything about medicine."


    "Imp knows medicine!" Imp looked up from the paperwork and protested.


    "While she is by no means an expert or something one could consider a doctor, her knowledge of biology as well as medicinal properties of items formerly from the game have been a great help." Dr. Amherst rified.


    "What? Biology?" Superbia was still confused. She knew she wasn''t human anymore, but she didn''t get how Imp could know more about something like that than an actual doctor.


    "Yes." he nodded. "She exined to me that since she dealt with a great deal of equipment and gear from all across the game, she''d spent a lot of time digging into each yer race''s biological attributes and quirks." Amherst continued. "Part of her knowledge came from game lore written in books, but others came from examining cadavers and other specimens.


    "Is that why you were grave robbing!" Superbia looked at Imp who just shrugged.


    "Information-knowledge needed to defeat enemies and make better gear-equipment." Imp figured that knowing how each race worked on a fundamental level might make things easier for her to make equipment. The yers were <i>rarely</i> the only member of their species, so finding a body or two to examine wasn''t that hard. Luckily, FWO actually allowed such detailed dissection.


    "Not exactly sure how to take it that you tore open the bodies of other Oni just to learn about me." She shivered at the thought.


    <em>{Please don''t tell me she did that with Moonie...}</em> (Superbia)


    "Superbia nice. Will use as a stuffed dummy if die-expire, don''t worry," Imp said with a devilish grin.


    "Great, now I definitely can''t die with you around." She sighed. "You <i>would</i> be the nutcase to turn me into some kind of freaky ornament."


    "Maybe mount over firece-hearth?" Imp stuck her tongue out, which got bit when Superbia bonked her on the head.


    "Owie!" Imp cried in pain. "WHY?!?"


    "That''s for being an idiot." Superbia looked at Dr. Amherst. "So how much longer will it be until I''m recovered?" She wanted to get back in action as soon as possible.


    "A few more days, at least." Dr. Amherst answered. "And personally, I would want a full week. Your abilities and the effect they have on your bodies are still not understood, so taking chances is not something I can encourage."


    Superbia didn''t want to hear that, but she understood what he meant. Even she never thought that her Princess of Blood ability would have <i>that </i>level of bacsh. She felt fine now, but there was no telling if unseen damage had umted.


    <em>{I guess Akagi was right, our abilities do work differentlynow. We need to be more careful in the future.} </em>(Superbia)


    "I guess that''s fine." Superbia sighed. "We just got two new members right? Hoshino and Wexel were their names if I recall. So I guess things will be fine."


    <i>{I still need to find those two bastards. They haven''t shown themselves just yet, but I will find them. Just wait Mooni, I''ll make those goblin bastards pay for killing you. Even if it''s thest thing I do.} </i>Superbia thought to herself. She had a history with two members of Libra, and she intended to settle the score with their blood.


    As for the new team members.


    Hoshino was a dual-de mixed caster whose fighting style was simr to Hishya, though her level of power was quite a bit lower.


    Wexel was a summoner, and while she could cast magic, most of her kit was centered around buffing her monsters and others.


    Summoners were quite rare in FWO, mostly because of the low power ceiling for the creatures they could use. Against monsters, they were effective enough. However, yers would have an easier time against them since their summons were only marginally tougher than most mid-bosses. They were also useless against World Bosses as their summons were too weak to do anything and they would eat up a raid slot. Libra had one of their own, Alice the Puppeteer. She was actually a young girl, only around fourteen, but her skill atmanding her army of puppets and golems was top-tier. Compared to her, Wexel might as well be little more than a child walking her dog.


    Alice''s presence as a part of Libra was especially worrying since she had a literal army at hermand. If she wanted, she could eradicate an entire town just by unleashing her puppets on it. She had mostly been quiet since the start of hostilities, and she''d not once used her abilities as part of Libra''s campaign, as of yet, which caused unease among the Rapid Response Team. Once the Americans got involved, theybeled her a priority target, and they were making ns to find and defeat her before she could take action. It didn''t help that the little girl also had a history with the Assault Team and the infamous assassin herself.

 Chapter 65.5 – The Americans Strike Back.

    Chapter 65.5 ¨C The Americans Strike Back.


    Meanwhile, while Akagi was hopping around Japan.


    "Ahh, man. This is great!" Ichimon cracked open a cold soda as he sat on the couch. The rabbit-man was tasked with harassment of JSDF forces around Hokkaido, something he''d been struggling with. Hisst attempt ended in a retreat after he took heavy damage from an artillery round. He''d made the false assumption that normal weapons couldn''t hurt him, and nearly paid the price for his arrogance. With Elna''s recent stunt, the Americans had begun to get involved with hunting Libra and were deploying smaller special forces to take them down. Herlex had warned him the Americans were moving some assets into the region, but Ichimon dismissed it as being too little to matter.


    "This is the life, a nice cabin in the woods all to myself and as much food and drink as I can steal." Ichimon smiled as he walked out onto the patio. He''d killed this cabin''s inhabitants and had been squatting here and looting from nearby towns for weeks. Most of his recent activity after healing was causing chaos and hitting a few JSDF patrols.


    "Herlex was all skittish about the Americans, but I haven''t seen hide nor hair of them!" Ichimonughed. "Even if they do show up, what are they gonna do to me all the way out here?"


    Soda in hand, he looked up at the clear blue sky. There wasn''t a cloud in the sky, except there was what looked like a ne flying in the distance. "Too bad I don''t have any long-range attacks. Shooting down a passenger ne would be fun!" He sipped his soda. "Maybe I''ll head into town in a bit, saw some clothes that might look nice on me."


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <AC-130 Crew POV>


    "Signal strength is Five-by-Five." Drone Operator Alex Gummer looked at the fire controlman sitting next to him. "Drones are ready tounch whenever we''re ready."


    "Confirmed to engage. Command has given the operation the green light." The pilot came over the radio. "Make sure to watch out for the boys on the ground. JSDF taskforce Charlie 2 is moving in along side our boys, so keep an eye out for friendlies. Ground forces will start moving in once we fire off our payload, Standby." The pilot went silent for a moment before speaking again, he''d been contacted over hisms. "Target is currently within his residence and does not seem to suspect the pending strike. Sky is clear and we''ve got visual on him."


    "Good! let''s make those bastards pay for Yokosuka!" The co-pilot eximed.


    "Alright!" The rest of the crew.


    Drone operator Alex Gummer flicked a series of switches causing therge cargo bay of the AC-130 transport to open.


    "Deploying drone 1!" He called out, and one single mid-sized drone dropped out and began flying around the ne. Seeing that everything was all good, drones two and three were deployed and began circling around. These were top of the line military drones intended to dock within a mothership, fire off long range strikes and return for rearm and reuse. Normally the gunship wouldn''t get this close, but the operation nners wanted to use its main gun in addition to the drones.


    "All drones are reading loud and clear. Weapons are armed and ready to go." Alex said as he input fire coordinates for their long-range missiles. They each carried three rockets. Akagi''s intel on the returnees had given the military some ideas about which weapons would be effective, so they chose to use anti-armor hellfire rounds. The AC-130 was basically a drone carrier, but it also packed a 105mm cannon which would also be fired.


    "Fire one!" The fire control operator called out, and the three dronesunched their first salvo toward Ichimon at his little house.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Ichimon POV>


    "Uhh." Ichimon watched as the drones circled therger ne. "I don''t think that''s a ne." A few momentster, he watched asrge shes erupted from each as theyunched their rockets. "Aw fuck." He ran back inside the house, but didn''t get too far as the rockets impacted the structure about ten secondster, causing a massive explosion.


    *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM*


    The cabin was destroyed as the rockets struck it. Ichimon was severely injured by the explosions.


    "Those bastards!" He pulled himself out of the rubble. "I''ll fucking kill them!"


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <AC-130 Crew POV>


    "Target is still alive." The fire control operation said. "Fire two!"


    The dronesunched a second wave of rockets which again impacted the area around Ichimon. He''d taken a lot of damage from the first strike and couldn''t move fast enough to get out of the way. This time the AC-130 also fired its massive cannon, which impacted moments after the rockets creating another massive explosion.


    The ground troops below began to circle toward the target, armed with heavy anti-armor weapons designed to destroy tanks.


    "No movement detected on scopes, switching to scan." Operator Gummer said, flicking a switch. After looking for a moment, he sounded out. "Target appears to be alive but immobile. Providing coordinates."


    "Rodger that. Fire three." The fire control operator called out as heunched thest payload as the two secondary 25mm cannons opened fire on Ichimon''s location.


    "Confirmed hit. No, further movement from the target. Ground forces are closing in, be aware that any further action will be danger close. Drones 1-3 are returning to the docking bay for maintenance." Gummer reported.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Captain Yomigawa POV>


    Yomigawa and his team were hiking up the side of the mountain as part of a joint op between the U.S. military and the JSDF. Their forces were spread out in a to prevent Ichimon from escaping, and they''d been given heavy anti-material rifles to bring him down if he survived the sts.


    "Never thought we''d be teaming up with the Americans to hunt down a terrorist on our soil." Inugamiughed. "First that cat, and now we''re hunting a rabbit. What the hell."


    "Well, that <i>cat </i>is the reason we''re still alive. And why we were picked as part of this operation." Captain Yomigawa spoke. "We''re basically the only military forces that have engaged these people and lived to tell the tale." Their survival was basically just down to luck and whimsy on Chloe''s part.


    "Do you think the Americans managed to take him out?" Toya asked. "Those were some seriously high-grade munitions they just expended." The explosion was sorge they could see if from their starting position.


    "I sure as hell hope so!" Ishizawa said. "I''d rather not get toyed around with by another one of these freaks."


    "Just be d we''re not facing that cat''s boss." Captain Yomigawa sighed. "You saw that footage, she obliterated the base without breaking a sweat, and she killed members of the government without any issue."


    <em>{She''s not part of Libra, but I just hope we don''t have to face her at some point.}</em>Yomigawa thought to himself.


    "Yeah, seriously." Toya nervouslyughed. "What are we supposed to do against something like that!"


    "Not fight it!" Ishigami eximed. "No thanks, man. You saw that shit on TV. She''s like some kind of real fucking demon!"


    "I think we''ll being up on the target zone in a moment, so cut the chatter." Captain Yomigawa instructed them to shut up and they all went silent. Poking their head through the trees, they were greeted with a massive crater. The cabin waspletely demolished, and there were no signs of movement from the st zone. Other U.S. and JSDF forces began to appear as they converged on the point wheremand said a signature was showing on their equipment.


    After a bit of searching and clearing rubble. Ishizawa called out. "I found him. Ugh.. or what''s left of him. Holy shit." She turned away from the grim sight. "He''s over here, and over here, and I think a little bit is over by you Inugami." She pointed down to his feet.


    "Jesus!" Inugami eximed. "Is that his eyeball! Please tell me that''s his eyeball."


    "Poor bastard never stood a chance." Toya whistled. "Literally not even enough left of him to fit in a shoebox."


    Captain Yomigawa put out a call over the radio, and other forces converged. "Well, I''m just d we don''t have to fight him." U.S. troops began collecting body parts for analysis. "Keep an eye out while the others do analysis, HQ wants this guys body for study."


    "I guess these guys aren''t so tough." Ishizawaughed.


    "If he''d survived that. I''d begin to believe they really are unkible." Inugami chuckled. "That was some serious munitions."


    "I wouldn''t start making assertions like that Ishizawa." Captain Yomigawa spoke. "This guy was apparently one of the weaker ones. On top of that, we had total surprise. Don''t start breaking out the wine until we''ve got all of them." He knew better than to underestimate the returnees.


    "Fair, that crazy demondy could take tank rounds and seemed not to care." Ishizawa sighed. "I just hope that''s notmon among some of the others. I''ve seen ims on the inte that the higher-ups in the organization could eat nukes and survive."


    "There''s no way that''s true." Ishizawa scoffed. "They aren''t that strong. Just put enough high explosive on them, and they go down like anyone else."


    "Apparently, that Hishya girl can turn into a dragon, and you saw that crazy battle between her and that Akagi woman, right? Toya interjected. "Those two caused that much damage just fuckin around in an exhibition match. At this point, I wouldn''t be shocked if they could eat most things we''ve got and walk away."


    "A dragon is just a big fat slow tank that flies." Ishizawaughed. "That little girl would find out quite quickly just how easy of a target she''d be. I think a few SAMs and she''d run away with her tail between her legs."


    "At least we won''t have to fight something like that. The girl seems way too nice for that." Toyaughed as he bent down to help the recovery team collect parts.


    "She''s in your strike zone, and a dragon is exotic, so go for it." Ishizawaughed. "Don''t you watch anime and talk about getting a cute exotic wife?"


    "That cat was honestly more my type. Fluff is superior to scales." Toya gave an embarrassedugh. "Plus, that dragon girl is like 19? Too young for me, I''m no creep." Toya was nearly thirty.


    "Ah, so you want a girlfriend that would kill you. That cat was kind of psychotic, reminds me of some women I used to go to school with." Ishizawa poked at him. "You can fantasize about being tied to a bed while she skins you alive. But you''d probably like that, huh?"


    Toya rolled his eyes. "Weren''t you the one crushing hard over that dude they got working for the RRT?"


    "The man is a walking tank with abs the size of my head. I''m obligated to like him." Ishizawa smirked.


    Captain Yoshigawa looked at the two of them. "You two act like brother and sister, I swear." He shook his head and walked over to some of the other squad leaders who were having a discussion. This wouldn''t be thest joint operation between the U.S. and Japan, and it showed that as hard as it may be. They <i>can </i>kill a returnee.


    Spoiler


    Toya!


    Ishizawa!


    Inugami!


    Captain Yomigawa!


    Ichimon!


    Cabin go BOOM!


    Drones!


    [copse]

 Chapter 66 – Akagi’s Stress Relief.

    Chapter 66 ¨C Akagi¡¯s Stress Relief.


    The next morning, as she was sitting on top of a shrine, Akagi received a phone call from Kana.


    "Onee-chan, where are you?!?" Kana was slightly worried since Akagi never came homest night. "I''m getting ready to go to school and your still not back! Is everything alright? Yumi said she''d not heard anything from you since you left." Yumi was used to this and told her not to worry, but Kana still did.


    <i>{Yeah, I probably should have texted her, huh?} </i>Akagi had been wandering aimlessly throughout the night and had lost track of time.<em>{Oops.}</em>


    "Yeah, everything''s good." Akagi chuckled. "I guess I got a little more distracted than I thought. Sorry about that."


    "I mean, it''s fine. I just wish you would have said something." Kana calmed down. "I thought you ran off on me...." She was worried that Akagi was mad at her or just walked away from her without saying anything, she''d gone into a slight panic.


    "No, I haven''t run off. I''d never <em>ever </em>do that to you or any of my family." Akagi shook her head. "My outing just ended up being a bit longer than expected and I lost track of time. I''ll be home before you get back from ss today, so don''t worry."


    "Where are you anyway? In Kyoto?" Kana at least wanted to know where she was.


    "I''m in Nagoya, actually, at a shrine above the city in the mountains. I''m just kinda wandering around right now, no real n." Akagi stood up and stretched.


    "Ok, well, please be careful. Alright?" Kana was still worried, but less so now that she knew where her sister was.


    "As always," Akagi spoke with her a bit longer before Kana hung up to go to school. The shrine she was at was on top of a mountain that overlooked Nagoya, and from where she was standing, she could see the entire city. It stretched out around the shoreline and was massive. Apparently, Hishya had an Aunt and Uncle that lived here that''d she''d visit asionally.


    "I need some fucking stress relief." Akagi shook her head. "I can''t worry others with my own issues." Normally, Akagi would take out her stress by gaming, but without the ability to full dive her options were limited. "What the hell can I do to blow off some steam at seven in the morning?" There were a few options, but nothing she could think of would satisfy the itch in her mind. She didn''t want to just goof around she wanted to have fun. "Hmmmm. I <em>could</em> go harass someone, haven''t done that in a bit. That would definitely be fun, but who?" Akagi thought for a moment before her face changed to an evil grin. "Ohhhhh, that would be absolutely amazing." She changed her shape to look like Superbia, letting out augh as she jumped in the air and began running in the direction of Tokyo.


    <i>{Let''s see how much entertainment they''ll give me.} </i>Akagiughed in her head.


    ________________________________________________________________________________________________


    Mixu was standing on top of one my the many skyscrapers in Tokyo. She was currently on patrol, and with Superbia down, she was one of two members of the RRT in Tokyo. She was mostly confined to metropolitan areas since if caught out her ability to fight in closebat was <em>limited</em> at best.


    "God, I hate all this waiting around." She said as she smoked a cigarette. "How long is it going to take the Americans to actually send us some better help? Killing Ichimon was start, but I want to go on the attack. Not just sit here and y protector." Libra had been getting bolder with their attacks, and with only seven of them, they were struggling to stop each attack by Libra. Luckily they''d been keeping their terrorism torger cities, so it was a little easier to deal with them.


    "Looking for some excitement, are we?" A voice came from behind Mixu causing her to spin around and see the unexpected sight of her Oni friend standing before her.


    "Superbia?" Mixu was surprised to see her. "I thought you were supposed to be out for a few more days?" She was told Superbia would be out ofmission for a bit longer, so seeing her here was unexpected.


    "What can I say. I got bored and I needed this." (Akagi)


    "Still, I would have liked a heads up." Mixu shook her head. "But if you''re here then help me with ovepping the patrol area." She turned around and went to activate herm. But as she did, she was suddenly pushed forward, nearly falling off the building. Annoyed, she spun around in anger.


    "What the hell was that?!? I could have fallen, you idiot!" Mixu eximed.


    "I couldn''t have you contacting home, now could I?" Akagi said twirling themunications device around her finger. "That would ruin the fun."


    "Wha- Superbia! What are you doing?" Mixu drew her pistol and pointed it at her. "Answer me!"


    "I told you... I''m bored, and I wanted some entertainment." Akagi chuckled at her questions. "So your going to y with me!"


    "You! Who are you!" Mixu eximed. "You''re not Superbia. I can tell by that look in your eyes! Are you one of Libra?" Mixu saw through Akagi''s disguise, which wasn''t that surprising since Mixu was good friends with Superbia.


    "Maybe, Maybe not." Akagi shrugged. "But, I''m not here to fight. Like I said I''m bored, and I want you to y with me for a bit. At least until I have to head back home." She smiled.


    "I don''t have time for your antics. Give me back mymunicator and get the hell out of here! And stop imitating my friend!" Mixu pointed her pistol at Akagi.


    "Then would you prefer if I copied you?" Akagi transformed into Mixu. "Is this better?" She pushed her hair back dramatically.


    <i>{Who the hell is this? I don''t detect a skill being used to disguise them.} </i>Mixu knew this had to be a yer, but which one was eluding her.


    "Listen, I don''t have time for your antics. If Libra shows up I need to be ready to go at a moment''s notice. If you''re bored, go bug someone else!" Mixu wasn''t interested.


    "If you don''t y with me, then I''ll go walk around Tokyo with your face and embarrass the hell out of you." Akagi knew Mixu wouldn''t like that. "Maybe suck some people''s blood? That would be fun." Akagiughed


    "You wouldn''t dare!" Mixu hissed. "I''ll fucking end you if you even try it!"


    "Well then." Akagi turned around and walked toward the edge of the building. "You better catch me if you want to keep your dignity intact." Akagi let out augh as she jumped off the side of the building and ran full speed down its length.


    "Shit!" Mixu cursed the mysterious copycat and ran after her. "Get back here, you son of a bitch." Thus began a full-speed chase across Tokyo, Mixu wasn''t exactly speedy, so Akagi held back enough so that things would be interesting. The two hopped across rooftops, ran along the sides of buildings, and zoomed down streets. Mixu couldn''t afford to just let Akagi go, since she would absolutely go through with her threat, and themunicator she stole was quite important.


    "Get your ass back here!" Mixu screamed as the two bounced between rooftops. "Stop running away and face me!"


    "Come on, olddy! I thought vampires didn''t age, so why are you so slow? Or is the sun too bright?" Akagi added shades to her copied version of Mixu.


    "I''ll olddy you, you BRAT!" Mixu fired several pistol shots at Akagi in an attempt to slow her down.


    "Hey!" Akagi eximed as she dodged the bullets. "I said I don''t want to fight, so why are you shooting at me!" Akagi started running backward at this point. "You''re cheating!"


    "Give me back my earpiece and take your lumps, and I <i>might </i>be inclined to let you go!" Mixu was quite annoyed.


    "Jeeze, why are you old people always so testy?" Akagi let out augh as she increased her speed. Mixu wasn''t actually that much older than her, but Akagi always called her old to get under her skin. "Do I need to start sending you brochures for your retirement home? Well wait your so old so it would be better to just skip that and start talking to funeral homes!" Akagiughed. "How''s cremation sound?"


    "Oh, that''s it! When I get a hold of you, I''m going to skin you alive!" Mixu screamed as she also elerated. The two bounced across the Tokyo skyline, Akagi always one step ahead, much to Mixu''s anger.


    Akagi was enjoying herself, and seeing Mixu get upset just made things all the more fun for her. Deciding to take up the irritation another notch, she decided to switch to Imp''s appearance.


    "Yes-yes." she cackled. "Capture-subdue me!"


    "I swear to god if you actually are Imp...." Mixu wasn''t sure who this was, but at this point, she wouldn''t put it past Imp to screw with her. Getting even more heated at the sight of "Imp''s" teasing, she fired off more rounds at Akagi.


    <i>{What the hell is Hoshino doing? Why hasn''t shee to check on me or figured out what''s going on?} </i>The two were supposed to have check-ins, so Mixu''s loss ofms should have triggered an rm at the base. <i>{That idiot is probably goofing off!} </i>


    Around thirty minutes passed as Mixu tried and failed to capture Akagi before Hoshino showed up. Akagi swiftly transformed into Mixu and decided to extend her y session. Hoshinonded on the rooftop and was greeted by two Mixu each looking identical.


    "Ah, hell." Hoshino sighed when she saw this. "Now I have to deal with this guessing game..."


    "Hoshino!" Akagi yelled. "Where the hell have you been? I''ve been chasing this idiot across Tokyo for almost an hour!" She decided to lean into the joke even harder. "She went and turned into me to confuse you, quick take her down!"


    "Oh no, you don''t." Mixu yelled. "I''m the real one. This idiot is the fake!"


    <em>{I never thought I''d see this stupid routine for real...}</em>Mixuined in her mind.


    "Don''t listen to her. I''m the real one!" Akagi yelled. In her mind, she was losing it over the absurdity of this situation.


    "Uhhh." Hoshino had no idea which was which. "Yeah, so...."


    "It''s so obvious. Just ask me about stuff we''ve gone over at our meetings, this idiot can''t know that stuff!" Mixu pointed out an easy way to discern which of the two was real, but Akagi was prepared for this.


    "Hold up!" Akagi interrupted. "She could be a member of Libra! If you start talking about important stuff, it could get back to their leaders. That''s probably why she''s doing this stupid thing!" That <em>is</em>something Akagi would do.


    Mixu grumbled since Akagi was right. "Then how about you just bring us both back to base? I have no issue with that." She looked at Akagi. "What about you, faker? Don''t want to go into enemy territory?"


    "And just let you into the heart of our operations? Not gonna say that I fully agree with that, but if it''s needed to prove that I''m real, let''s do it." Akagi decided to go along with it since it wasn''t like they could hold her. "I can interrogate you when everyone gets back."


    <i>{They actually agreed?!?} </i>Mixu didn''t expect this and was now sketched out.<em>{What the hell is the n!}</em>


    "Maybe we should call for some help?" Hoshino was still confused. "I have no idea what to do."


    This started an argument between Mixu and Hoshino over what to do next. Akagi just stood and watched, since the two were providing more entertainment than she could ever hope to create herself. She was half tempted to pull up a chair and eat popcorn while the two screamed at each other.


    It took an astonishingly long <i>fifteen </i>minutes for the two to stop arguing and realize that the other Mixu was just casually watching them.


    "Oh no. *SIP* Don''t mind me. Please continue.*SIP*" Akagi got out a drink while she was waiting.


    "Listen, please stop this..." Mixu. "I''m tired, and this is aplete waste of our time."


    "Well." Akagi put her hand on her chin. "I guess we can wrap this up. The elderly don''t have much energy, and picking on them isn''t right." Akagi chuckled.


    "I''m not-" Mixu froze as the wheels in her brain turned. "Wait! AKAGI IS THAT YOU!" There was only one person who called her old, and it took her all this time to connect the dots.


    "Wait, what!" Hoshino eximed as she heard what Mixu yelled. "Akagi?"


    "Took you long enough." Akagi reverted to her normal form. "You old people really are slow on the uptake." Akagiughed as she threw thems device back to Mixu.


    Mixu caught it and then copsed onto the rooftop. "Why are you like this? And why am I so stupid for not seeing it sooner!" Now that she thought about it, it was so obvious. Akagi was the only person who could freely transform into other people without setting off her detection.


    "Don''t feel bad about it. At your age forgetting this and being a bit slow is natural." Akagi said sarcastically. "Just go back home and snuggle in with a warm nkey."


    "ARGH!" Mixu cried. "I''m a Vampire I don''t even age!"


    "Akagi." Hoshino looked at her. "What was the point of all this? Please don''t tell me you joined Libra or something?" She was hoping that wasn''t the case.


    "Me? Join Libra?" Akagi let out augh. "Hell no, and as for why I did this, it''s because I was stressed and needed to let off some steam. Plus a bit of boredom."


    "Please don''t use us as stress relief." Mixu''s face was in her hands. "You really just.... ugh..... I fucking hate you."


    "Wasn''t that fun though? I know I feel better." Akagi stretched. "Ande on vampy aint we best buddies!"


    "Define <i>fun," </i>Mixumented back. "Because I think we''ve got different definitions of that word."


    "Well, I feel better, and I think that''s good enough." Akagi gave a big smile. "I''ve got to head back to Kyoto. Thanks for ying with me Mixu, and Hoshino." Akagi looked at the girl. "At the rate things are going, you''re going to die. See ya!" Akagi saluted with her fingers and disappeared in a ck puff.


    "What did that mean?" Hoshino got a chill.


    "The fuck man. Why is she always like this?!?" Mixu sighed as she slumped over. "I need a drink... or five. Hoshino, this is partially your fault so your buying."


    "What!" Hoshino cried.


    Spoiler


    Hoshino!


    [copse]

 Chapter 67 – Magical Girl Mika.

    Chapter 67 ¨C Magical Girl Mika.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Three chaps since I wanted to get chapter 69 out ASAP!


    Thanks for 45k views and 300 readers! I''ll keep trying not to disappoint!


    A few dayster, the girls came over to Akagi''s house. It was early December, and the cold weather outside meant that Christmas was only a few weeks away. Kana, Mika, and Naomi were going to do their Christmas shopping the next day, and currently, they were sitting around the living room table drinking tea served by Mizumi. Akagi was busy elsewhere and told Kana she would returnter, so Mizumi was left with them.


    "Where is Akagi anyway?" Mika asked. Akagi hadn''t been here when they arrived, so she was curious.


    "I believe she''s dealing with some magical testing," Mizumi said as she brought in a te of cookies for the girls to eat. "Some members of her family are quite skilled in magic, and I think she wanted to start testing their abilities in this world." She''d been helping with magical training in addition to ferrying material and personnel into the pocket dimension for the construction of the Spirits new home.


    "Must be nice to have magic," Mikained. "I wish I could use it. That would be so cool!" There was no indication that magic spread into the world atrge post-FWO, and Mizumi said nothing she did would cause a mass awakening of magical ability in random people.


    "Hmmm." Mizumi scrunched up her face in thought. "I think it should be possible for you to use magic, maybe." Mizumi''s words caused Mika to get excited.


    "REALLY!" Mika yelled as she grabbed onto Mizumi''s shoulders. "Tell me how!"


    "Too close!" Mizumi tried to wriggle free of Mika''s iron grip but found herself trapped.


    "Mika, calm down. You''re scaring the poor girl." Kana was trying really hard to hold in herughter at Mizumi''s plight.


    "Ah! Sorry." She let Mizumi go and scratched her cheek in embarrassment. "But, can we really use magic?"


    Mizumi sighed and dusted herself off. "I don''t see why not, though it would take some external assistance first."


    "External assistance?" Mika cocked her head in confusion. "What does that mean?"


    Mizumi tapped her chin and thought for a moment. "So, basically, all living things have a flow of magic throughout their body. My kind calls them magic circuits. They''re essentially an invisible pathway that flows throughout someone''s body and channels magical energy." She continued. "In my world, these grew just like your bones do, and over time they would gradually get bigger and more robust, enablingrger overall pools of magic to be used."


    "So it''s like an organ?" Naomi asked.


    "Kind of. That''s actually not a bad way of thinking about it." Mizumi nodded in approval of theparison. "These circuits allow one to channel magical energy that ones own body generates or from the natural environment around you. Though, this worldcks any real amount of magical energy, so you''re almost entirely reliant on what your body generates itself." Mizumi shrugged.


    "How does the body generate magic?" Naomi was quite interested in this topic, especially since she was considering going into medicine in the future.


    "The circuits themselves generate magic. The best way I can exin it is to imagine that the magic is your blood while the circuits are your veins and heartbined in one." Mizumi sighed since she wasn''t the greatest at exining this to those with no magical knowledge. "Basically, the circuits <i>circte</i> the magic and are also responsible for generating enough to fill the pathways. This means that you have a set limit to how much magical power you can use at one time. It is possible to exceed this via other means, but doing so could damage your body and the circuits." Mizumi''s expression made it seem like she''d seen this happen before.


    "Does the magic powere from food? Or does it just generate without the need for any input?" Naomi had started writing down notes.


    "Yes, energy has toe from somewhere, after all." Mizumi smiled seeing Naomi so interested. "Without a proper diet, you can''t generate the magic to fill the circuits, and your abilities will plummet. This does mean that your nutritional needs increase the more magic you expend." She knew most great mages had even greater appetites.


    "Fascinating! So then, what is the difference between the people in this world and those from yours? Why don''t we have these magic circuits? You said our bodies can generate magical energy, so why haven''t we seen it?" Naomi was really getting into this whole magic thing. Mika was having a hard time following the exnation, while Kana just nodded along.


    "I can''t bepletely sure, but this world''sck of magical energy likely made it so that life here is closed off to magicpletely." Mizumi''s eyes glowed for a moment as she scanned Naomi''s body. "Your bodypletelycks magical circuits and in fact, there isn''t magic <i>anywhere</i> within it."


    "So how can we use magic if weck those circuits?" Kana interjected. "If our bodies evolved not to need magic or have those circuits, shouldn''t it be impossible for us to use it?"


    "No." Mizumi shook her head. "All you need is some magic circuits, the rest will handle itself. In my world, from time to time you saw individuals whose bodies were born without them, and with a simple procedure you could force the pathways to open, and the body would naturally generate them as intended." Mizumi had actually done the procedure numerous times over her life, so she knew exactly what to do.


    "So you could do that to us!" Mika was happy to hear this news.


    "I <i>could.</i> However, without explicit permission from Akagi, I will not do so." Mizumi didn''t want to give the blue-haired girl the bad news, but if the choice was between disappointing Mika and angering Akagi, she wouldn''t risk upsetting the Demon who held her people''s lives in her hands.


    "Makes sense." Naomi was writing in her notes. "There''s no telling what might happen if you messed with our bodies. We''d be the first people in this world to acquire magic and it''s possible there would be negative side effects. Our bodies weren''t meant to have magic circuits, so there''s no telling what might happen." Naomi agreed that caution was necessary.


    "Yeah, and having magic start appearing might cause further chaos. Onee-chan and the others are already crazy, but if regr people start getting ess to magic, I can''t imagine things would be peaceful." Kana gave a nervous smile as she imagined the chaos that would unfold.


    "I can speak to Akagi about it, but I imagine she won''t exactly be thrilled with the idea of me experimenting on you three." Mizumi sweated imagining the pressure, and she knew that any issues would be detrimental to her and her people''s well-being.


    "I volunteer!" Mika put her hand up. "I want to be able to use magic, and I trust you to do it!" Mika''s bright smile blinded Mizumi with its radiance. Even the water spirit was no match for Mika''s bright aura.


    "I appreciate your faith, but until I get the go-ahead from Akagi, I can''t help you." She recoiled from the brightness of Mika''s smile.


    "We''ll just have to talk to her about it when she gets back." Kana shrugged. "But for now, I would say that caution is best, Mika. You wouldn''t want to end up crippled or in endless pain or something would you?" Kana looked at her friend with a sharp gaze.


    "T-true. I guess I can wait." Mika sat down and gave a pout.


    "Besides, even if I were to do the procedure today. It would still be months before you could properly use the new circuits, and it would be a very long time before you could cast magic.¡± Mizumi figured it would take peoplepletely unfamiliar with magic quite some time to get used to it.


    "Though, Kana." She looked at the girl. "Are you sure you can''t use or sense magic?" Her question confused Kana.


    "Me?" Kana didn''t understand. "I can''t use magic. Why would I be able to?"


    Mizumi thought for a moment before speaking. "While your soul seems human enough. I question if you might not have been influenced by Akagi at some point."


    "What?!?" Kana''s eyes widened at Mizumi''s statement. "What do you mean <i>influenced</i>."


    "Well, you''ve spent more time around Akagi, and during one''s younger years the soul is particrly susceptible to influence from especially strong power sources." Mizumi continued. "From what I''ve seen and been told, Akagi was likely not actually a human, even <i>before </i>FWO. I wouldn''t be shocked if your soul was influenced or changed by your close proximity to her. It''s rare, but I have seen it a few times in siblings where the weaker one''s soul is changed or altered by the stronger one."


    "So wait, you mean being near Onee-chan changed me from being human?" Kana panicked slightly at that thought.


    "No, I don''t think so." Mizumi shook her head. "Recall, it''s only a possibility rather than a guarantee. On top of that, you should have seen some signs of change or influence by now, so if you say that nothing out of the ordinary has urred with you, then you were likely not influenced by Akagi." She looked at Kana''s soul with her eyes and saw nothing out of the ordinary.


    Kana let out a breath hearing that she was likely not affected. "That''s good to hear, I guess. Not exactly sure howfortable I would be changing into something like Onee-chan." Kana gave a wry smile.


    "Yeah, kinda makes me feel bad for those who returned from FWO and had their bodies changed." Naomi put away her notes. "It would be kinda freaky to just wake up in apletely different body or even as a different race."


    "Being in the game for as long as they were probably mitigated the issue." Mizumi spected. "Most took to their new forms pretty well from what I''ve seen." Kana knew that Mizumi didn''t really feel bad about what she did to the yers, and her indifference to the plight of those transformed and the potential harm done to them kind of annoyed her.


    "Yeah, but a few of them haven''t," Naomi noted. "And there have been plenty driven out of their families and towns. Heck, that''s why Libra exists, isn''t it? Because so many had everything taken from them." Many, but not all, of Libra''s members had lost their family, friends, and ce in the world upon returning. Elna was one of the more famous examples since her family disowned her. Akagi''s actions probably didn''t help the perception that returnees were dangerous, but she couldn''t care less if her actions impacted others.


    "If we be able to use magic. I imagine we''d be treated no differently than the returnees. It might even be worse since we willingly became strange." Naomi continued. "We''d be a threat, and since we were just normal people, I guarantee more people woulde after us. If we do decide to go through with this.... we need to be careful." Naomi looked up at Mizumi. "How many people can do this procedure?"


    "I''m the only one in this world that can do it," Mizumi said. Other spirits could as well, but info on the other spirits was being restricted for the time being.


    "Good, and how many people know about it?" Naomi asked.


    Mizumi thought for a second, sticking her tongue out unconsciously. "Just the people around Akagi. I haven''t told anyone else. Even Hishya doesn''t know."


    <em>{That was kinda cute.}</em>(Kana x Mika x Naomi)


    "That''s for the best," Kana added in. "For now, you should probably not tell anyone outside of Onee-chan''s family unless she tells you. I imagine she''s going to want to restrict this information."


    Mizumi nodded in agreement. "My thoughts exactly." Akagi hadn''t really said anything about this, but she figured that keeping it on the down low was for the best.


    "Well, now that we''ve talked about magic. We should move onto our shopping list, we''re heading to the Kyoto Mall tomorrow and we''ve got lots of things to get!" Kana decided to steer the conversation toward the impending Christmas shopping, she was also nning on getting things for Akagi''s uing birthday in January.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    Inside a warehouse not too far from Kyoto stood a winged woman and arge green ogre man.


    "Are you ready for tomorrow, Hijax? All those shoppers who think they can ignore us are in for a rude awakening." The harpy woman smiled as she asked. Her voice was cool and seductive, but the re in her eye was terrifying.


    "Your damn right! I never thought you and I would tear up Kyoto together, Sumeralia." His loud voice boomed, shaking the windows. "We''ve left Kyoto alone until today, and those idiots probably think we''re too afraid of Akagi to attack the city." He gave a loud bellyugh. "If that idiot shows up to stop us, we can take her. She ain''t so tough anyway, still don''t understand why Herlex was so wary of her. I imagine he''ll be quite annoyed we went off script. Oh well, we can hit Nara afterwards anyway."


    The two broke intoughter, confident in their ability to deal with Akagi should the need arise. Completely unaware that their actions tomorrow would push the world closer to destruction.


    Spoiler


    Hijax!


    Sumeralia!


    [copse]

 Chapter 68 – The Mistake.

    Chapter 68 ¨C The Mistake.


    The next day, the girls went into downtown Kyoto to do their Christmas shopping. Kana wanted to hit up several shops, so Yumi dropped them off in front of Kyoto''srgest mall. Mika and Naomi wanted to get gifts of their own, and Kana was also going to use this opportunity to stealthfully get the material to celebrate Akagi''s uing birthday. Birthdays weren''t something that most of Akagi''s followers celebrated, but when Kana broached the idea of a party, they were surprisingly receptive. After some discussion, they decided to have not just a birthday party but a celebration of Akagi''s return from FWO. It wasn''t going to be a surprise, but Kana still had fun keeping things on the down low from her sister.


    "Its a bit chilly out today." Mika shivered as they entered the mall.


    "We''ll, we''ve been lucky with the warmer weather this year, so it was bound to happen eventually." Naomi gave a wry smile, she was <em>not</em> a fan of the cold. ¡°Also Mika, I thought you would be good with the cold now since you hang out with those two Yuki-Onna so much.¡± She''d been spending a lot of time with the two sisters either at her own home or Akagi''s estate.


    Mika stuck out her tongue in response. "Sure they can use cold magic, but their bodies are actually nice and warm!"


    "Really? It''s not that cold out, is it?" Kana was inparatively light clothing, to the point that Mika and Naomi questioned her sanity. "I don''t think it''s that bad out."


    "Do you never get cold?" Mika pouted. "Now that I think about it, I can''t recall seeing you <i>ever</i> wear heavy clothes before." She recalled Kana showing up to her house in shorts during a fringed snow storm freshman year.


    Kana gave a smug smile. "I guess I''m just lucky! I never seem to get too hot or too cold."


    "Maybe Mizumi was right. Kana is probably a Yokai." Naomi shook her head with a sarcastic smile. "Maybe she''s a shadow Yuki-Onna."


    "Yeah, if her body is a shadow like Akagi''s, then not getting cold would make sense." Mika decided to y along. "Also if she''s a Yuki-Onna, I guess I''m getting girlfriend number three!"


    "You''d have to oupete Hishya for that one." Naomi said as bothughed. "Besides you you really want Scary Kana as your girlfriend?"


    Not finding the joke funny, Kana bonked her two friends on the head.


    "Owchi!" (Mika)


    "Ack!" (Naomi)


    "Any more <i>funny </iments?" Kana asked with a raised eyebrow and a still raised fist.


    The two rubbed their heads.


    "She''s definitely got the anger issues like her sister." Naomi continued with herments which caused Kana to chase her around in circles for a bit.


    "Help me, Mika! The evil Yokai is going to get me!" Naomi ducked behind Mika.


    "I expect this behavior from Mika, but not you, Naomi." Kana sighed. "Is this payback for making you two study?"


    The two perpetrators merely whistled instead of answering.


    "You two drive me nuts....." Kana turned around and started walking away. "Come on. We''ve got shopping to do."


    Seeing Kana concede defeat, Mika and Naomi looked at each other and snickered.


    "The monster has been defeated!" Mikaughed.


    "Just be careful. She might still eat you while your guard is down." Naomi chuckled.


    "I can still hear you two!" Kana eximed, which caused the two girls to run over and catch up with her.


    And so, the shopping adventure began. The girls hit up many different stores throughout the mall and slowly but surely checked items off their lists. Mika and Naomi came forparatively few items, but Kana was a woman on a mission. Not only was she going to pick up gifts for some friends and family, but she was also purchasing the supplies necessary for both a Christmas party and her sister''s birthday. Luckily, money wasn''t really an issue and any material that was harder to get she could simply obtain via Akagi''s other family members. As the trip went on, however, something began to eat at the back of Kana''s mind. Ever since the day that she''d moved in with Akagi, she''d had no physical contact with her parents. She''d unblocked them and had a lengthy conversation with them via text, but she never once saw them in person nor spoke to them over voice.


    Akagi told her many times that she could see them if she wanted and that she was free to treat them however she wished. But in her mind, Kana believed that having a positive rtionship with her parents would be akin to betraying her sister, so she kept contact to a minimum. This Christmas would be the first one she would celebrate without them, and this sudden realization made her sad. Despite everything, she still loved her parents, and she missed them. She didn''t think she could forgive the way they treated Akagi, but she hoped that one day they might reconcile, even if only a bit. Kana had confided these feelings to Mika and Naomi, who tried their best to console her. Kana was a strong girl, but she was still just sixteen years old, and being separated from her parents and flung into this strange new world was a lot to handle, genius or otherwise.


    Her friends encouraged her to visit her parents on Christmas, and Akagi told her that doing so would be a good idea. Of course, Akagi''s statements came with the understanding that if their parents tried to restrain Kana, all hell would break loose. In the past, Kana would have never thought that such a thing could happen, but Airi''s warning to Akagi made Kana wary of her extended family. She''d spent enough time with the Tomogawa family that she knew them quite well. They were obsessed with members meeting high standards and Kana already figured they had ns for her in the future. Once, she''d overheard a conversation between her mother and grandfather regarding intentions to make her family head in the future. So she wouldn''t put it past her grandfather to do something dramatic now that she''d separated from the family. Kana and Akagi met him several times when they were younger, Kana more than Akagi, and the impression they both got was that he was a cold and heartless man. Apparently, he''d wanted to kill Akagi to prevent her from shaming the family name, but it was concluded that doing so would cause more problems than simply leaving her be. Kana knew that if push came to shove and the family tried to do something to take her back by force, Akagi wouldn''t stop until they were all dead.


    Kana had desperately tried to get her parents to understand just how bad of an idea it would be to mess with Akagi any further, and she implored them to speak to her grandfather and dissuade him from doing anything that would upset her. But apparently, there was little her mother could do. Shima had been summoned by her father to exin her failure to deal with Akagi and to answer why Kana had slipped from the family''s grasp. She wouldn''t go into detail about what happened, but she told Kana not to trust any member of the family and that staying with Akagi was likely safer for her at the moment. Kana guessed that her Aunt and Uncle were also heavily involved and she knew they were little better than her grandfather. The family always seemed tot be hiding something, and Kana assumed she was being used in whatever game they yed, though what her part in this game is was unknown to her. Hearing her mother tell her to remain with Akagi shocked Kana, she never imagined that her mother would tell her to stay with Akagi for her safety, but she did. This could only mean one thing, that the family was nning on doing something to retrieve Kana and take her back by force. Kana had initially wanted to tell Akagi of this but decided against it, fearing that her sister might take some kind of action, and Kana preferred to avoid any bloodshed.


    These thoughts and many others raced through Kana''s head as she shopped. The concern on her face was obvious to her two friends, but they decided to keep quiet out of respect. They knew just how much pressure Kana was under and figured that if she needed their help, she would ask. As she always had.


    "Alrighty, I think that''s everything I need to get here at the mall," Kana eximed as she sat down on a bench.


    "Are you sure you got everything?" Naomi asked sarcastically. "You only have like ten bags. I think that''s too little."


    Mikaughed at thisment. "It''s a good thing Yumi can just teleport those back to the house. I wouldn''t want to carry all this."


    "Yeah, especially since we have a few other ces downtown that we need to go after this." Kana gave a wry smile as she figured that <i>perhaps</i> her shopping list was just a bit too long.


    "Let me call Yumi and have her meet us-" Kana''s words were cut short when the power in the mall went out.


    "A power outage?" Mika looked around. "That''s strange." Losing power was umon in Kyoto, so this was a little out of the ordinary.


    "Inte service is down too. I can''t make any calls or texts." Naomi was annoyed. "Why is it down? That never happens."


    "What could possibly-" Kana was cut off again as an explosion shook the mall, followed by the sound of screams. "An explosion?!?" Kana looked around.


    "What was that!" Mika looked around and saw what looked like fireing from one of the mall''s corridors. "A fire! Is that a fire?"


    Suddenly people began running from the direction of the fire screaming.


    "Monster!" (Civilian A)


    "It''s a giant green Ogre!" (Civilian B)


    "Run for you lives!" (Civilian C)


    People began to panic as more explosions echoed throughout the building. Things quickly devolved into a panic as the building shook.


    *BOOM**BOOM* *BOOM* *BANG*


    Explosion continued to rock the building as mes and smoke began to erupt from other directions.


    "We should get out of here!" Naomi eximed, her face showing fear.


    "Right." Kana grabbed the bags, and the three bee-lined for the nearby exit, but were stopped by the sound of ss breaking and an overhead voice that called out to them.


    "What have we here?" Sumeraliaughed as she looked over the terrified faces of the people in the mall. "Trying to escape? Sorry, but I won''t make it so easy!" She was floating in the air after havinge through the ss rotunda in the ceiling. Seeing people attempt to escape through the doorway, she chucked a fireball at the door, which killed several people and copsed the entrance. "Now, then. It looks like you''re all trapped in here with me." She licked her lips like a hungry predator.


    "Why are you doing this!" Kana yelled. "This isn''t a game! These are real people your hurting!" She wanted to try and reason with the harpydy.


    "So what?" Sumeralia chuckled. "I wanted to kill them, so they died. Do I need some grand reason?" she continued. "Why should I care about how my prey feels?"


    "Please, there''s no reason to do all this. You don''t need to hurt more people." Kana pleaded with her to stop. "I''m sure you can live in this world without doing things like this!"


    "What''s with all the yelling?" Hijax walked through a nearby wall, holding a man by the skull in his right hand. "Sumeralia, why are you wasting time talking to these people? We need to take out as many as possible before the fun police shows up." He crushed the skull of the man he held in his hand. "Though maybe fighting one of those idiots would be fun?" Heughed as he wiped the blood off his hand.


    The girls were horrified by Hijax''s presence. He was an ogre and quite the powerful one at that. His massive frame towered over them, and he was an order of magnituderger than the three of them put together. But more than that, he seemed like a genuine monster, unlike the other yers they''d met.


    <i>{H-he''s a real monster!} </i>Kana was terrified, and Mika nearly copsed on the floor in fear.


    "W-w-w-w." Naomi began to shake.


    "I know, I know." Sumeralia charged up a st in her hand. "I was just dealing with them now!" She screamed as sheunched a fireball at the three girls.


    As it approached, time seemed to stop for Kana, and her life shed before her eyes. All her regrets, her sorrow, everything yed for her until it ended on the smiling face of her sister on the day that FWO was released.


    <i>{I-am I going to die?} </i>Kana''s mind nked as it came towards her and she realized it would likely kill her. With onest breath, just before the fireball hit Kana cried out for her sister. "Onee-chan!"


    *BOOOOM*


    The fireball impacted Kana dead on and exploded causing significant damage to the pavilion area as well as starting other fires.


    However, rather than instantly die as one would expect, the three girls wereunched backward. Their hair was singed, and their bodies slightly burnt, but they were still alive. Kana was knocked unconscious as she took the brunt of the impact, but Mika and Naomi were not. They could barely see in the smoke and found themselves unable to speak due to burns to their throat. Around the three of them, a dim purple film covered them from head to toe, almost like film. After a few seconds, it grew bright before shattering like ss, and the particles flew into the air before disappearing.


    Hijax and Sumeralia were surprised to see the three girls survive the explosion, but just as the harpy charged up another st, a ck swirling portal formed just in front of Kana. Out from it stepped Akagi, who looked around the room. Her eyes came to rest on the unconscious form of her sister lying in front of her and her eyes grew wide as her entire body started twitching.


    "<i><b>KANA!"</b></i>(Akagi)

 Chapter 69 – The Chain Loosens.

    Chapter 69 ¨C The Chain Loosens.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Content Advisory? This chapter is a bit gory so don''t read if that''s no good for you.


    Akagi was alerted when the protection she''d ced on the girls was broken and immediately went to check what had happened. One barrier being broken was rming, but three simultaneously was not good. After stepping through her portal and seeing a burnt and unconscious Kana, she could literally <i>feel </i>something break in her mind.


    "<i><b>KANA!" </b></i>Akagi screamed, and her voice distorted. In a sh, she moved to her sister''s side and checked on her condition, breathing a sigh of relief that she was still alive. She was hurt, burned and unconscious but alive. Though, that was littlefort for Akagi.


    "Huh?" Sumeralia wasn''t expecting to see Akagi. "Where did shee from?" She basically appeared out of thin air, so the harpy was a bit confused.


    Hijax took a better look at the three girls and stroked his chin, thinking "Hey, if I''m not mistaken, that girl is her younger sister, isn''t she?" Hijax pointed to Kana. "Too bad you didn''t kill her."


    The harpy looked at the girls and again and recognized them from the news. "Ha!" Sumeralia yelled. "Serves you right Akagi! I guess we got lucky that your sister and her little friends were hanging out here today!" She looked at Hijax. "How about this, we beat Akagi until she''s within an inch of her life, then tear that <i>precious </i>sister and her two friends from limb to limb right in front of her!" Sheughed imagining the horror such a thing would bring to the assassin.


    Hijax let out a roar. "Sounds great! It''s about time someone showed that bitch she''s not the top dog around here!" His face contorted into a nasty smile, he thought Sumeralia''s idea sounded nice.


    <i><b>"Yumi," </b></i>Akagi said as she picked Kana up in her arms. A momentter, the priestess appeared next to her.


    "How may I.... help... you..." Her eyes widened as she saw the injured Kana in Akagi''s arms as well as the absolutely horrifying aura Akagi was leaking. "Ah...."


    <i><b>"Take these three back to the estate." </b></i>Akagi''s left eye had turned orange and her voice was filled with anger. It distorted to the point that she no longer sounded like herself, she sounded <i><b>evil</b></i><i>.</i> Yumi could tell she was on the brink of losing it and tried to say something to calm her down.


    "My Lord, please-" Yumi was cut of before she said could say much.


    "<i><b>NOW! BEFORE I LOSE WHAT LITTLE SENSE OF REASON I HAVE LEFT!" </b></i>Akagi screamed as she shoved Kana into Yumi''s arms. Seeing that her master was in no mood to talk, Yumi nodded and carried the unconscious Kana over to where Naomi and Mika were sitting on the floor. The two were simrly burnt but hadn''t been knocked out by the st, though they were visibly injured.


    "Stand next to me. Mimi will treat your burns when we get back." Yumi smiled to make them feel better before looking back at Akagi. "Please, don''t lose yourself, My Lord." After she said that, a teleportation circle formed around her and the girls, and, in a sh, they disappeared.


    Akagi, for her part, was in no mood to y nice with these two and ignored Yumi''s words. These two were going to regret their actions and she was going to make them suffer for daring to harm Kana. Her anger was at the point of boiling, and it felt like she was mere moments away from snapping. Akagi was not a good person, so she had rules that she imposed on herself to, at least, <em>restrain</em> her worst impulses, and these two were about to find out what happened when those chains were allowed to cken, even just a bit.


    Seeing that the girls left, Hijax chuckled.


    "That''s fine. Let them run. We''ll just kill themter anyway." He pointed his giant club at Akagi. "If we take you out, then no one will be able to stand against us anyway, so you being here works out." He figured he and Sumeralia would be more than enough to take down Akagi, something many other fools had thought before she crushed that false notion.


    Akagi''s mind raced as Hijax gave his little speech. shes of anger, rage and every simr emotion burst forward and she was inundated with images of cities burning, people dying and the world ending. It felt like she mightpletely fall apart as the darkness within welled up and screamed to be let loose.


    *CRACK*


    She heard the sound of ss cracking in her mind and it seemed that she would be unable to hold back this tidalwave of anger and hatred whichy within her. Until, just as she was about to be consumed by the power within her, a single image of Yumi on the day she met her all those years ago shed through her mind. This pulled her back from the brink, as she realized that if she didn''t temper her anger, she''dpletely lose herself and everything that mattered to her. Akagi backed off the throttle and the darkness began to recede, just a bit. Right now was not the time to confront her inner demons.


    Akagi calmed herself, not much, but enough to pull back from the brink. She''d retained control of herself, but something had leaked out, her brief moment of near madness had caused whatever restraints that held her back to weaken. She already felt different, and the power that stirred inside her felt like a great ocean that would burst forward at any moment and swallow her whole. For now, she put these feelings aside and decided to use her new found strength to make Hijax and Sumeralia regret being born.


    <i><b>"Didn''t I warn you?" </b></i>Akagi started to walk towards him as she summoned her de. <i><b>"That you are to leave my family out of this little game." </b></i>Akagi''s voice grew louder as ck energy leaked from her body. <i><b>¡°That I''d stop holding back if you didn''t listen?¡±</b></i>Her voice grew louder again.<strong><em>"That you don''t want to see what lies within the darkness!"</em></strong>


    "Hmpf," Hijax scoffed at Akagi''s words. "I''m not afraid of you, not like that stupid girl Hishya." Akagi continued to walk closer to him. "Dumb girl was jumping at shadows with you for all those years. Saying how we should leave you alone and not provoke you! Ha!<i><b> </b></i>And what was that nonsense about you not being human anyway?" Hijaxughed. "Stupid girl confused reality with the game so hard that you''ve got her believing your some kind of <i>actual</i> Demon!" Akagi ignored his rambling and stopped in front of him, her face darkened. "But, you''re no Demon! You''re just a stupid girl who hides in the shadows and thinks she''s a badass!" He swung his club down, intending to crush Akagi. ¡°Hiyahh!¡±


    ¡°Hmpf.¡± Akagi let out a smirk and a smallugh as she swung her de and sliced Hijax''s arm into ribbons. His blood sprayed everywhere, and he let out a scream as his club flew across the room and mmed into the floor. Akagi''s face was coated in blood, which she proceeded to lick from her lips before saying. "<i><b>You know, Hijax." </b></i>Akagiughed. <i><b>"Perhaps I should show you just </b></i><i><u><b>WHY </b></u></i><i><b>Hishya is so afraid of me. Muhahahahha." </b></i>Heughter morphed from normal to demonic, chilling everyone who heard it to the bone.


    Hijax looked up at Akagi, holding his arm in pain, and was horrified by what he saw. Behind her was a ck shadow with two glowing orange eyes and a mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth arranged in a twisted smile. It seemed to mimic Akagi''s words and movements as it danced behind her. Though it might be better asked, which was mimicking which? Seeing this horrifying sight that came straight out of a nightmare and feeling the sheer weight of Akagi''s presence, he screamed at the top of his lungs in horror.


    "What the hell is that!" Hijax had never seen this side of Akagi before. Most yers hadn''t, and the few that had, assumed it was some kind of illusion. Hishya was one of few who understood the truth; that Akagi was a being that shouldn''t exist in this world. Ordinarily, she wouldn''t unleash her presence as it was too much for people to deal with, and even yers wouldn''t react well. But, seeing Kana''s injured form had caused her to loosen all restraints she''d ced on her abilities, and she wasn''t holding back anymore as she allowed her massive presence to crash down on the entire mall. For the first time since the battle of Hassan, Akagi let it all out, and Hijax and Sumeralia were hit with a wave of nausea and were terrified to their cores.


    <i><b>"Ah, there it is. That delicious look of sheer terror that I love."</b></i> Akagi chuckled at the sheer terror on Hijax''s face. Her lips curved into a perverted smile as she took in their terror.<strong><em>"Mortals cowing in fear will never get old."</em></strong>


    "Wha-what the hell are you!" Hijax blurted out his question.


    "<i><b>Me?" </b></i>Akagi wrapped her arms around her body and started giggling. "<i><b>I''m a Demon!"</b></i> As she said this, she threw her arms forward, dissolving her body and allowing the darkness to scatter around the room and cover everything. In a few seconds the entire pavilion was ck as night and the only things visible were Hijax and Sumeralia, Akagi had disappearedpletely.


    "What is this?" Sumeralia panicked andunched a fireball into the darkness but it simply traveled forward with no effect until it the darkness engulfed it and snuffed out it''s light. "What''s going on? Where are we?" She couldn''t see anything but the swirling ck/purple mist around her and Hijax in the distance.


    <i>{Whatever this is has my hair standing on end.} </i>Sumeralia didn''t like whatever Akagi was doing.<em>{Since when could Akagi use some crazy ability like this? She can''t use illusion magic of this level!}</em>


    <i><b>"Muahahahaha." </b></i>Akagi''s terribleughter echoed around her. <i><b>"Where are you? That''s easy my little chicken. You''re <span style="text-decoration:underline">inside of me."</b></i>Moreughter erupted around them, it was deafening as if a cacophony of evil was watching them from the shadows.


    "Inside of you? What are you talking about?" Sumeralia flew over to Hijax, who had regenerated his missing arm. "That makes no sense!"


    <i><b>"Didn''t Hishya tell you?" </b></i>Akagi appeared behind them. <i><b>"My real body is a shadow. A void of pure darkness." </b></i>Another Akagi appeared and continued talking. <i><b>"That form you normally see is a vessel, an illusion, one that I use to interact with the rest of the world since it''s much more convenient." </b></i>Suddenly, more and more Akagis began to appear from the darkness. Soon there were several hundred.


    "What the fuck is all this?" Hijax looked around in awe at the army of Akagis standing around them.


    <i><b>"This? This, is how you die." </b></i>The Akagi''s said in unison, their voice deafening to the two of them. <i><b>"You had the gall toy your hands on my sister, to burn her, to cause her harm." </b></i>All the Akagi''s except one disappeared.<i><b> "And I will ept nothing less than your lives as rpense. So before you die, prepare to experience the worst hell you can imagine. Because there''s no escape from in here." </b></i>Her left eye shone brightly in the darkness.


    The two knew they had no hope of winning, they could tell in their very soul that they''d awakened a sleeping monster. A monster that wouldn''t stop until they begged for death.


    "You, wa-wait, please don''t kill me!" Sumeralia unexpectedly tried to bargain for her life. "We had no idea that she was your sister. We... we would never have attacked her if we knew!" She put on a fake smile. "So please forgive me!"


    "Yeah, we didn''t really want to involve you in this! We were even told not to bother you by Herlex!" Hijax began to sweat. "So please, there''s no need for any of this." He was hoping that he could talk his way out of this, but in the back of his mind, he knew Akagi no longer cared about diplomacy.


    "<i><b>Remind me, Sumeralia</b></i><b>.</b><i><b>" </b></i>Akagi stared directly at her. "<i><b>What was that about tearing Kana from limb to limb?" </b></i>Akagi snapped forward, slicing Sumeralia''s wing off with a quick strike of her de, causing the harpy to scream in pain. "<i><b>Oh, pardon me. I''m not used to this power yet. I was aiming for your arm. Oh well, my mistake. You have so many other parts, so I can try again." </b></i>Akagiughed as she flicked her sword and removed the blood.


    "AHHHHH!" Sumeralia screamed as she tried tosh out at Akagi with her ws. But before she even got close, her arm was cleanly removed by Akagi''s de. Falling to the ground, Sumeralia screamed in pain as she bled out. "My-my arm!" Akagi wasn''t finished with the Harpy, and the evil look on her face told her that much more pain wasing.


    ¡°<strong><em>If your looking for it, i</em></strong><i><b>t''s right here.¡± </b></i>Akagi bent over and picked up the harpy''s arm. <b><i>¡°You really should keep an eye on such important things.¡± </i></b>She threw it at Sumeralia whacking her on the head with her own arm.


    ¡°<i><b>Why didn''t you catch it?¡± </b></i>Akagi walked over and picked it up again. <b><i>¡°Come on, take it.¡±</i></b> Akagi decided that beating Sumeralia with her own severed arm would be funny.


    *WACK**WACK* *WACK* *WACK* *WACK*


    ¡°<i><b>You know, I want to say ¡°why are you hitting yourself?" but that would be too easy.¡± </b></i>Akagiughed as she incinerated the arm in her hand.


    Sumerlia was bloody, her face bruised and she was missing some teeth.


    ¡°Pl-please I''m sorry.¡± The harpy begged for mercy.


    ¡°<i><b>Sorry for attacking Kana? Or sorry you fucked with the wrong person.¡± </b></i>Akagi kicked her in the stomach. <b><i>¡°Either way I don''t care. I''m going to start ripping you apart, piece by piece until I feel better. So I suggest you prepare yourself.¡± </i></b>Akagi cracked her knuckles as sheughed demonically.


    Hijax just stood there,pletely dumbfounded, and watched as Akagi one by one remove all of Sumeralia''s limbs until she was left as little more than a torso bleeding out on the ground, screaming in agony. <i><b>"Oh no, no, no, no, my little chicken." </b></i>Akagi ced her hand on Sumeralia''s cheek. "<i><b>You can''t go and die on me just yet. That just won''t do." </b></i>Akagi snapped her fingers, and darkness engulfed Sumeralia and covered her wounds. She wasn''t healed, but she wouldn''t die as long as the dark blobs remained attached to her. <i><b>"I can''t exactly use healing magic. But inside my body, we can bend a few rules." </b></i>Akagi gave a terrible smile as she then proceeded to torture Sumeralia in a particrly <i>graphic </i>manner. More parts were chopped off, pain was inflicted, and much, much more. Akagi had long since learned the art of torture, and she was a master of the craft.


    Hijax couldn''t muster the will to move, he just stood and watched as Akagi descended into a blood frenzy as she tore Sumeralia apart. Sheughed like a mad woman and her eyes showed pure insanity and she seemed to be enjoying herself greatly.


    Inside of Akagi''s body, time flowed strangely, and what seemed like an eternity of torment only took a few real-world minutes. But by the end of it, Sumeralia was left little more than a blithering, bleeding mess. "<i><b>Aww, the chicken''s already broken?¡± </b></i>Akagi seemed disappointed that Sumeralia had already hit her limit.<i><b> ¡°It hasn''t even been that long, where''s the fun in it if you break so quickly? Oh well, I''ve got another toy to y with." </b></i>Akagi bent down next to Sumeralia. <i><b>"I might be a Demon, but I am capable of mercy. So I will put you out of your misery now." </b></i>Akagi drove her de through Sumeralia''s head, killing her instantly<i><b>. ¡°I guess this chicken never made it across the road.¡±</b></i> Akagiughed at her stupid joke.<strong><em>"Too bad Hishya isn''t here, she always has ament about my bad jokes."</em></strong>


    <em>{W-what the fuck is going on?!?}</em>Hijax screamed in his head.<em>{This can''t be Akagi! It can''t be!}</em>


    <i><b>"Now then,</b></i>" Akagi turned around to look at the terrified visage of Hijax. She was covered in Sumeralia''s blood, but her face disyed a warm smile. "<i><b>The chicken has expired. I hope you''ll stick around with me for a little longer, Hijax."</b></i> She looked down at his freshly regenerated arm. <i><b>"Let''s see what gives out first, your mind or your body. I''m betting your mind, but I''m hoping your body!" </b></i>Akagi slowly walked towards Hijax, who tried to flee but found himself restrained by the darkness itself. <i><b>"Didn''t I tell you?" </b></i>Akagi stood over him. "<i><b>There is no escape." </b></i>Akagi reached forward towards him.


    "No-No, please! Stay back, please NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" (Hijax)


    His screams and Akagi''sughter echoed throughout the darkness. No one, not even Akagi, knew just how long she spent torturing him. But when she reappeared in the mall, she seemed <i>refreshed</i>and she had a bright happy smile on her face.


    Spoiler


    Akagi Slips off the Chain, just a bit.


    [copse]

 Chapter 70 – An Answer.

    Chapter 70 ¨C An Answer.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Two Chaps!


    "Ugh." Kana slowly woke up, her head was pounding, and she felt like a car just ran her over. "My head..."


    "Easy there." Mimi stood next to her. "You took a nasty hit, so you shouldn''t move around too much just yet." She took a small cloth and wiped Kana''s face.


    "Huh?" Kana was still disoriented. "Mimi? Where-?" her eyes snapped open, and she sat up instantly as she recalled what happened. "Mika, Naomi!" She looked around the room and saw her two friendsying in the other beds with bandages wrapped around their heads.


    Mimi sighed. "I just told you not to move around like that." the Yuki-Onna shook her head. "Those two are just fine, see." she pointed at the two girls who waved back.


    "We''re ok." Mika smiled.


    "Yeah, if anything, we were more worried about you since you took that st head-on." Naomi seemed relieved that Kana woke up. Their voices were a bit weak from the burns, but they were otherwise fine.


    "How did we get here?" Kana was a bit disoriented and it took a moment to recall what happened. "Those two yers began attacking people and..." Kana searched her fuzzy memories from the attack at the mall, before realizing something. "Wait, where''s Onee-chan!" Kana figured that the three of them were alive because of Akagi''s intervention. But she didn''t see her sister in the room.


    As she asked this, Yumi entered the room. "My Lord is.... <i>busy</i>." Yumi had a conflicted look on her face. "I suspect she''s dealing with those two as we speak." She was worried.


    "Alone!" Kana eximed. "You have to go and help her!" She was about to get out of bed, but Yumi and Mimi stopped her.


    "She doesn''t need nor want our help." Yumi shook her head. "Those two never stood a chance."


    <i>{And I don''t even know if she would recognize us at the moment.} </i>Yumi was worried Akagi would go on a rampage. When shest saw Akagi, her eyes told her everything she needed to know, her master had slipped into the darkness. The only question was how far? And would she return?


    "But..." Kana was still worried. She knew Akagi was strong, but the thought of her sister being hurt because of her was gut-wrenching.


    "To be honest, I don''t think it''s my Lord''s safety that you need to be worried about." Yumi continued.


    "What do you mean?" Kana thought about it for a moment before it clicked. "Wait, don''t tell me that Onee-chan-" she stopped short as she recalled the vision she''d seen not too long ago.


    Yumi shook her head. "I don''t know, Kana. By the time I arrived, she was already quite emotional. She wouldn''t listen to me, and I suspect once we left. She....." Yumi couldn''t bring herself to finish. In the back of her mind, she knew exactly what Akagi was going to do to those two, but whether or not she was still herself afterwards was unknown.


    "Onee-chan..." Kana put her head in her hands and began to cry. "Why do I always cause you pain... Why is it always because of me that you get hurt...." The thought that Akagi lost herself in her power because of what happened to Kana was too much to bear for the girl. Mika and Naomi had only caught a brief glimpse of Akagi''s anger and what they saw shook them to the core. It was no longer Akagi, Kana''s kind but entric older sister, but a <i>Demon</i> out for blood. The two stayed quiet as they were having trouble processing everything that just happened. But, they now understood just why Akagi refused to show them more about herself. As what little they did see caused them to experience a level of terror and fright that they never imagined possible. Thankfully, neither of them witnessed what Akagi had done to Sumeralia and Hijax.


    A few minutes passed inplete silence until everyone was hit with a massive weight that crashed down on their bodies.


    "Wha-what''s going on?" Kana could barely move, and even Yumi and Mimi were affected. To the girls, it felt like a massive bolder hadnded on them and it made it very hard to breath.


    "Its-its my Lord''s power." Yumi managed to speak, albeit with some difficulty.


    <em>{Its not just the power that''s increased, it feels <strong>wrong</strong>. As if this power was made from evil and malice itself.}</em>Yumi thought to herself.


    "Indeed, but why is she letting it run loose like this?" Mimi had felt Akagi''s power before, but it was never this intense. A momentter, the crushing weight disappeared, causing everyone to breathe a sigh of relief.


    "It would seem she restrained it." Yumi gave an exhausted smile. "She seems to being here, and I think we all have questions." She detect Akagi walking towards them from outside.


    <i>{I just hope my Lord is still herself when she arrives.}</i> In the back of her head, Yumi was ready to take the girls and flee if Akagi had truly lost her mind.


    *Click* *Clock*


    *Click* *Clock*


    *Click* *Clock*


    The sound of Akagi''s geta sandals echoed down the hallway and into the medical room, causing a great deal of anxiety among everyone. Mimi and Yumi had gotten tense, keenly aware that if their master had truly lost her mind, she likely wouldn''t hesitate to kill the two of them. And they were fully aware that they couldn''t stop her, even if they wanted to.


    *gulp* Yumi was prepared for the worst when the door opened, and Akagi stepped through. Her face had an uncharacteristically warm smile, and her left eye was bright orange. A sight that caused Kana to panic internally as it looked the same as what she saw in her dream, minus the ck sclera. To Yumi''s eyes, Akagi seemed to be happy, almost as if she was at peace.


    Akagi silently closed the door and looked at Kana. "Oh, good. You''re awake." Akagi walked over to her sister and put her hand on her head. "I''m sorry you had to go through that, Kana." She pulled her sister into a tight embrace. "And I''m d you''re ok." Akagi clung tightly to her sister. Seeing this, everyone let out a sigh of relief.


    <em>{Well, that''s a good sign...}</em> Yumi felt the knot in her chest release. She was still a bit nervous, but seeing Akagi hug her sister was a great relief.


    "Um, Onee-chan," Kana spoke up. "So, are you ok?" she was still worried.


    "I would ask the same question. You were in <i>significant</i> distress when I left. Are you sure everything''s alright?" Yumi walked up beside her. "I''ve been worried that you''d lost yourself, please tell me you haven''t given into the darkness inside of you."


    "Honestly, I''d say I''m better than ok." She pulled away from Kana and gave a big smile. "I haven''t felt this good in a long time. It''s like... I can breathe just a bit easier." It was ament that would need rification. Akagi spun around in ce for a moment allowing her sleeves to flutter. "Who knew the darkness could be soforting!" Akagiughed as she spun.


    Kana and the girls weren''t really sure what to make of Akagi''s statement, but they could tell from her face that she was different. Whether or not this was a change for the better had yet to be seen. Mika and Naomi thought Akagi seemed<em>calmer</em> than she was before and her face was a bit more rxed. Kana noticed the shadow behind her sister was <em>less</em> violent and while it was still scary, it seemed warmer and less turbulent than before.


    Yumi was confused by this turn of events, she''d thought Akagi would be more violent and angry, so this new demeanor was unexpected. "My Lord, I just want to be sure." Yumi''s face turned serious. "You are still you, correct? And you are in control of yourself?" Her question made the temperature in the room drop as Akagi grinned.


    "Indeed, I am." Akagi turned to look at Yumi with her orange eye. "Though, I will admit that I might be just a little bit different now." She looked down at her hand and flexed it. "I tapped into a bit more of my power, and whatever restraints exist around my soul have weakened significantly." The smirk on her face gave everyone a bit of worry.


    "This is truly amazing, you know? Even with just this much. I feel like I could do anything." She looked up at Yumi and gave another warm smile. "To think, all this time, I was missing out on all this..."


    Thatment gave Yumi<em>another </em>bad feeling.


    "So, what does this mean?" Kana asked tentatively.


    "It doesn''t really mean much for you." Akagi shook her head. "I have more of an idea of what I am and what I can do. But other than that, I see no reason why things would change." She pat Kana on the head, which caused her to blush a small amount.


    "So... what are you then?" Kana was worried about the answer.


    "I still don''t have a specific name, but." Akagi put her finger up. "I can definitively say that I was never human to begin with, Kana. This power came with some knowledge, and I''m sure that I''ve always been some kind of <i>Demon</i>." Akagi''s face turned into a fierce grin. ¡°Hence the eye color.¡± She pointed at her left eye. It was bright orange and her iris was now slit like a snake. Kana thought it was a bit unsettling since it made her feel like she was looking at some kind of predator. ¡°Isn''t it beautiful?¡± She smiled, expecting everyone to agree.


    "I see," Kana declined to answer. "But, you''re still you, right? Even if you are some kind of <i>Demon</i>, you''re still my sister, right?" She was worried this new Akagi would drift away from her.


    "Absolutely," Akagi nodded. "Demon, human, whatever. That doesn''t change the fact that you''re my sister, and nothing ever will." Akagi looked over at Mika and Naomi.


    "I guess you took a little bit of damage from seeing me slip like that." She bowed her head. "I''m sorry about that. I got so angry, that I may have hurt the two of you."


    Akagi turned to Yumi.


    ¡°And I''m sorry I yelled like that Yumi.¡± Akagi looked at the priestess who shook her head. "Even if I was in that much pain, screaming at you was not eptable."


    ¡°It was no problem at all.¡± Yumi smiled. "As long as your fine, I don''t mind. Getting angry shows how much you care, so don''t worry about it." She wasn''t really bothered by it, what mattered more was that Akagi was fine.


    Mika and Naomi were surprised by this disy of regret from Akagi and quickly responded.


    "Please don''t bow your head like that!" Naomi eximed.


    "Yeah, you don''t have to apologize." Mika shook her head.


    Akagi''s apologetic attitude didn''t sit well with either.


    "It''s understandable that you were upset. Kana was nearly killed, and so were we. Who wouldn''t be furious?" Naomi continued. "All that happened was that we got a little scared anyway. It''s not that big a deal, really." Their fear and anxiety had mostly faded by now, seeing Akagi back to <em>normal</em> helped a great deal.


    "Yeah," Mika nodded. "So please don''t worry. We''re a little bit more resilient than that!" She stuck her hand out in a peace sign.


    "I''m just d Yumi got you out when she did." Akagi scratched her cheek. "If you saw what happened after that....." Akagi let out a nervousugh. "Though that might have been fun in its own right..."


    <em>{Hmmmmm....} </em>Yumi red at her.<em>{Suspicious...}</em>


    "Onee-chan." Kana looked at her with fierce eyes. "You did something to save us, didn''t you? There''s no way we should have survived that explosion with just some burns and singed hair." Kana wanted an answer. "We should be dead."


    "Yeah, Mika and I saw some kind of purple glow around us that broke apart after the st. What was that?" Naomi chimed in.


    "<em>That</em>, is what we call paranoia and an insurance policy." Akagi shrugged. "It pays to be proactive."


    "Insurance?" Kana tilted her head.


    "Not long after I was discharged from the hospital, I attached a small shadow to the three of you." Akagi put out her hand, and a small ck me appeared in it. "It''s partially a skill and an item. I can ce it on people as a way to reduce the chance of injury or death" The small me lept from Akagi''s hand and jumped on Kana''s head before disappearing. "Against non-yers, it will stop most damage. For example, if the military would have shot you, it would have bounced off harmlessly."


    "So you ced a protective shield on us?" Kana asked.


    "More or less." Akagi nodded. "Against a yer''s attack, it will mitigate the damage as you saw. Luckily, the st wasn''t powerful enough to kill through the shield." Akagi continued. "I got an alert when they were broken, and part of the ability allowed me to transport to the location the protected person is at."


    "Why didn''t you ever say anything about this?" Kana sighed. "It would have been nice to know."


    "Because I didn''t <i>want</i> you to know, Kana." Akagi shook her head. "Ideally, you three would have never found out about the protective barrier, and something like this would never have happened. I''m a paranoid person, so I wasn''t going to take chances, and I''m very d I didn''t." Akagi was quite happy with herself.


    <em>{Note to self, find out how the fuck those idiots slipped into Kyoto without me knowing. Someone''s getting an ass beating for that one.} </em>Akagi made a mental note to figure out what went wrong.


    Kana and the girls couldn''t argue with what Akagi said. Without Akagi''s protection they would have died, so they couldn''t exactly be upset with Akagi cing that barrier on them.


    "You can''t spy on us with those shadows right?" Mika asked, concerned about her privacy. "That would be..."


    "No," Akagi shook her head. "Unless they are damaged or broken, I have no connection to them, and even then, all they do is give me an alert that something had happened. I <i>do</i> have things I can use to spy on people, but this ability isn''t one of them." Akagi tried to reassure them that she couldn''t see what they were doing or anything like that.


    "Do you have something attached to us that can spy on us?" Kana puffed up her cheeks. "If you do..."


    "No, I don''t." Akagi waved her hands in denial. "I''m not stupid enough to do that since it would be a massive invasion of your privacy, and I didn''t want to get yelled at if I was found out. The ass chewing you''d give is not worth whatever I''d get out of spying on you." Akagi continued. "My shadows can''t even tell me your location, so don''t worry about that either."


    Kana let out a sigh. "I guess I''ll believe you then, but please don''t ever spy on us like that or I''ll give you such a beating! Demon or otherwise, I <em>will </em>find a way to hurt you." Kana''s gaze was fierce and Akagi figured that if anyone could find a way to do it, it would be Kana.


    "Also, I can''t exactly be mad about you cing protection on me, but please ask for permission next time, ok? Especially when you do it to other people." She wanted to make sure Akagi was a bit more forting about this stuff in the future.


    "I can''t agree to that." Akagi shook her head. "Dislike it if you want, but I have no interest in taking chances with your lives. Even if you don''t want it, I <em>will</em> be cing another protective shadow on you." Akagi''s expression turned fierce as she looked at Kana. "I would rather you be mad at me than dead."


    "It''s fine, Kana," Naomi spoke up. "It''s not really a problem, besides if it wasn''t for that protection, we''d be dead. And I don''t mind having something like that around."


    "Yeah, if she can''t spy on us or anything. I''m not really bothered." Mika nodded.


    "I understand that, but it''s the principle of the matter." Kana wasn''t backing down. "If you want to do stuff like that, you should at least ask. Even if you know we''d be fine with it. It''s just the right thing to do."


    "And I don''t care about any of that, Kana." Akagi shook her head. "Principles, ethics, morals, none of that matters if you die. People can think of themselves as morally superior to others, but what good is that if everything you care about is taken away? It''s why I don''t typically allow people that cross me to live." Akagi had her own personal rules, but all bets were off if she need to protect herself or those she cared about. ¡°If I could put it on Yumi and the others, I would. But sadly it doesn''t work on them. For whatever reason those from FWO are ipatible with my ability.¡± Akagi had tried very hard to find a work around, but for whatever reason her ability didn''t work on her followers.


    "Fine," Kana gave up. "It''s not worth the argument, and honestly it really doesn''t matter."


    <i>{I think Onee-chan might have gotten even more stubborn.} </i>Kana decided to give up on the matter, but something Akagi said got the wheels turning in her head.


    "Onee-chan." Kana got up out of the bed. "What happened to those two that attacked us? What did you do with them?"


    Hearing this, Akagi''s face contorted into a terrible grin as she recalled the <i>fun</i> she had with them.


    <em>{Such a lovely time, I''ll have to do it again!}</em> (Akagi)

 Chapter 71 – Akagi’s Changes and a Declaration

    Chapter 71 ¨C Akagi¡¯s Changes and a Deration


    "Oh, those two?" Akagi smirked. "You don''t have to worry about them ever again. I made sure they paid for their insolence."


    <em>{I.... probably don''t want to know what she did to them... do I?} </em>Kana decided to drop the subject.


    "Speaking of fun things!" Akagi put out her hand and summoned her phone. "I need to update Hishya. I wonder how confused she''ll be if I just sent her a message that says 107." Akagiughed as she messaged the dragon girl. "Too bad she missed the show earlier, would have been great to see her reactions.


    Kana and the others figured that Akagi killed those two yers at the mall. Which wasn''t exactly surprising, seeing as they''d nearly been killed by them. Though, while Kana understood her sister''s actions, she was still saddened by the fact that Akagi need to take more lives.


    "Please don''t harass Hishya too much." Kana knew how Hishya felt about Akagi, so she wanted to spare the girl from too much of her sister''s antics. "She''s already afraid of you, so don''t go giving her a heart attack."


    "I''ll keep it to a minimum. This time." Akagi chuckled "But, I do need to speak with her. We''ve got some business to attend to."


    "Are you going to go after Libra?" Kana asked. She figured Akagi might since two of their members just attacked her. "Will this mean all out war between you?"


    "No. At least not yet." Akagi shook her head. "Hijax and Sumeralia acted independent of Herlex and his orders. They were suppose to hit Nara not Kyoto and they had no idea you were at the mall. Since it wasn''t a coordinated or deliberate effort on behalf of Libra as an organization I have no intention of holding them responsible for this." Akagi held fast to the idea of punishing those who perpetrated an act. Even if Libra as an organization was causing chaos, unless <i>it as a group</i> decided to pick a fight, she would limit her retaliation to the members who directly caused her issues.


    "But," Akagi said as she put away her phone. "I will be making some changes, and I need Hishya to help me spread the message. After I speak with her, I''ll go pay a visit to the angel and speak to him personally. He needs to keep his toys under control, lest I take them away. Permanently."


    "Changes?" Kana tilted her head." I don''t like the sound of that."


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    A few hourster.


    Hishya had received an <i>ominous</i> text from Akagi that simply read <i>107</i>. This got her mind racing, and she decided to call her and find out what was going on. She saw on the news that there was an attack in Kyoto, which caused her to worry about her would-be girlfriend''s safety. She knew Kana would be at the Kyoto mall today and she had a minor panic when she heard that was the location of the attack. Akagi told her that Kana and the others were fine; but that they''d been injured in the attack. Hearing this, Hishya flew double time over to Kyoto. Not only did Akagi want to speak with her, but Hishya was worried about Kana. The two girls had still not made anything official, but it was clear that they were drifting closer together as time moved on.


    <i>{Kana, I''m sorry you had to get involved in this mess.} </i>Hishya thought to herself as she flew across the country at record speed. She''d gotten faster as ofte, and her training with Kira allowed her to ess more of her power without rampaging. Landing at Akagi''s estate, Hishya was greeted by the <i>Demon</i> sitting outside in the garden just in front of the pond. She was sitting silently on small nket, the snow around her had melted and she was calmly smoking her Kiseru. Akagi wasn''t affected by the cold weather, and so could enjoy the outdoors no matter what time of the year it was, much to Naomi''s jealousy. Landing next to her, Hishya could instantly tell something was off with Akagi, as her aura had changed.


    <i>{What the hell is going on?!?}</i> Hishya worked up the courage to speak to her.


    "So, is everything alright?" Hishya asked.


    Akagi let out a puff of smoke from her pipe before answering. "Yes and no. Depends on what specifically you''re asking about." Akagi chuckled.


    "Kana and the girls are alright. Mimi got to them quickly, and their burns and other injuries have been dealt with. So they shouldpletely recover in the next few days as their bodies handle the rest." Hishya walked around to the front of Akagi and looked her in the eyes, immediately noticing that her left eye was bright orange. "They should have no lingering issues."


    Hishya gulped. "But... what about you? Even I can tell you''re different. Your eye it''s..." Akagi''s changes were dramatic from Hishya''s perspective. She might have acted the same as always, but that belied the incredible increase in power within her. On top of that, Hishya could tell that Akagi carried herself differently, even if it was slight. She was more rxed, more fluid, and generally more carefree. It was as if she had gained some kind of inner peace.


    <em>{Please don''t tell me<strong>it</strong></em><em> got out...}</em>Hishya held her breath.


    "I <i>am</i> different." Akagi took a hit of her pipe. "That whole incident at the mall caused the restraints around my soul to weaken considerably. As a result, more of the power within is at my disposal." She smiled warmly.


    "So, what does that mean? You''re bing a different person?" Hishya asked tentatively. She was worried about what these changes might mean for the future.


    Akagi shook her head. "Less a different person, and more the real me is being released." She let out a puff of smoke. "Whatever I am has been sealed behind some kind of barrier around my soul. Part of it seems to be natural barriers put up to limit me, while others seem to be ced there by my subconscious. It''s truly fascinating and annoying. As a result, the current me is some strange blend of both my true personality and the persona I''ve developed over the years." She shrugged.


    "So, it''s just like I''d always said. You never were human, were you?" Hishya stated.


    <em>{What I saw on that night, that really was the true Akagi.}</em>(Hishya)


    "Nope." Akagiughed. "I still don''t know the specifics, but I can tell you that I''ve always been some kind of <i>Demon</i> and<i> </i>that this power of mine <i>did not</i>e from FWO. Unlike yours."


    "But why?" Hishya blurted out. "Why were you born as a <i>Demon</i>? How is that even possible? This world doesn''t have magic or monsters, Mizumi said it herself!"


    "A good question, and one that I cannot answer just yet." Akagi shrugged. "I can tell you this. The knowledge that I <i>do </i>have tells me that further delving into my power will be <i>problematic</i> and that there is an increased risk of me going on a rampage if I do." Akagi continued. "I''ve probably hit the limit of what I can use if I want to maintain control over myself. I was able to stave off the desire to go further this time, but now that I''ve tasted this power..." Akagi''s lips curved into a smile. "I don''t think I can so easily turn down more, Hishya."


    Akagi''s eyes were scary, and Hishya felt a chill run down her spine. "Please, remember that if you do go crazy, you might hurt the people you care about."


    "I know." Akagi sighed. "Why do you think I''ve held back from delving deeper now that I''ve seen this?" Akagi looked at her. "I don''t trust myself not to get lost in the power, and I would rather take this slow."


    <i>{Only problem is, if something sets me off like today, I doubt I can hold myself together again. This power is wayyyyy too intoxicating.} </i>Akagi sighed internally. <i>{If I didn''t know any better, I would say that I was </i><i><b>supposed</b></i><b> </b><i>to lose control and that I was </i><i><b>intended</b></i><b> </b><i>to destroy this world.} </i>Akagiughed at the absurdity of that thought.


    The two chatted for a bit longer before Hishya brought up Kana.


    "Can I go see her?" Hishya asked. "I want to make sure she and the others are ok." She''d be friends with the three girls and was worried about their condition. Though she''d be lying if she said Kana wasn''t 90% of the reason she was worried.


    <em>{If there is so much as a scratch on her...} </em>Her internal thoughts turned scary.


    "Sure, I imagine they''d be d to see you." Akagi stood up and put her pipe away. "You can even say hi to Kaori. She''s helping out right now in the medical room." The two walked over to Mimi''s infirmary and went inside. Kana, Mika, and Naomi were still resting in bed. While Kaori was busy making some medicinal drinks for them to help them recover.


    "Hello there, Kaori." Hishya hadn''t seen Kaori since she''d gotten back from FWO. Akagi had told her the basic backstory of the girl''s history with Hoshino, which infuriated the dragon girl. Hishya had half a mind to race over and tear Hoshino''s head off, but Akagi talked her down. A strange role reversal.


    "Good afternoon." Kaori gave a polite smile. "It''s been quite some time since we''ve seen one another. I''m surprised you recognized me." She finished mixing up the ingredients and poured them into a blender.


    *BZZZ* The blender whirred.


    "Well, I heard you were here, so it wasn''t that hard." Hishya chuckled. "You don''t exactly have the same aura as Akagi''s followers."


    Kaori wasn''t the only human at the estate, but her aura was effectively zero. Something Hishya could easily pick up on.


    "Well, she is one of the few <i>normal</i> people at the estate." Akagi shrugged. "Even the humans in my family have abilities."


    "And let me guess.<em>I''m </em>not normal." Kana groaned.


    "Nope!" Akagiughed. "You''re weird."


    "I mean, Kana is a Yokai so..." Naomi held in augh.


    "Now we know where Scary Kanaes from at least." Mika pointed to Akagi''s eye.


    "Keep it up, and I''ll give you<em>Scary</em>Kana." Kana red at them causing Akagi tough.


    <em>{Good to see they''re all right.}</em>Hishya was d to see the three of them acting normally.


    The blender only took a moment to finish, and Kaori poured a thick green drink into some cups. "Now, I know this looks <i>unpleasant</i>, but I promise you it will help your body to recover faster." As Akagi suspected, even without the game abilities, Kaori could make potions and elixirs with the proper ingredients and some training. As a result, she''d been made into Mimi''s official apprentice and was training in the art of herbalism, alchemy, and medicine.


    The three girls were uncooperative and tried to avoid drinking the concoction, but some sad puppy eyes from Kaori broke through their resolve, and they drank it. The taste wasn''t actually all too bad, though the density of the liquid was not very enjoyable, since it was basically like chugging a thick milkshake. The drink in question was an herbal mixture that would stimte the body''s natural recovery mechanisms. Akagi and Mimi were wary about using potions on people who weren''t from FWO or transformed by it, since the effects on the human body were unknown. Mizumi told them there shouldn''t be an issues, but they still chose to be wary. There would be further testing, especially as Naomi wanted to publish any lifesaving medicines in the future, but for now, this was as far as the two would go.


    "Ugh." Kana shivered as she drank the medicine. "I really don''t like drinking this stuff."


    "Yeah, it tastes like grass." Mika pushed the cup away after she was done. "Ick, I''m gonna taste that all day now..."


    "It''s still better than some of the other stuff I''ve had to drink though." Naomi wasn''t really bothered by the taste.


    "Just be d your injuries were little more than superficial." Akagi shrugged. "I can''t really do anything about the singed hair, but with that medicine, plus Mimi''s healing magic, your burns should be gone by tomorrow morning." Mimi''s healing magic was quite potent, but Akagi knew that magical healing wasn''t perfect. Even the thousand-year-old doctor<i> </i>saw it as a tool to aid the body''s natural recovery; rather than rece it.


    In-game, it would simply restore HP, but since this was the real world, its effect on the body was far moreplex. It could still be used to heal wounds and cure illness, but it was no longer the perfect fix that it was in the game. After the attack on Camp Katsura, when healing magic was used on the wounds suffered by Chloe''s subordinates, they were left exhausted. Mimi determined that healing injuries ofrge scale takes a great deal of bodily energy. A property of healing magic that was recorded in in-game vor text but didn''t actually affect in-game healing.


    "I''m d to see you''re all ok." Hishya gave a bitter smile. She''d turned down the government''s request for help and felt that her inaction might have led to this. "You shouldn''t have to deal with something like this." She personally trained most of Libra''s yers so she felt partially responsible.


    "Yeah, it was quite scary. I never imagined we''d be attacked while out shopping like that." Kana gave a bitter smile of her own. "So many people were killed..."


    "Did those idiots really think they could just attack you and get away with it?" Hishya was referring to Akagi, but in her mind, she thought that if Akagi hadn''t killed them, she probably would have done so herself. Her draconic blood had caused her to be <i>slightly </i>possessive of Kana, so the thought of someone attacking her <i>really</i> pissed Hishya off.


    "Well they didn''t know they were at the mall." Akagi said. "Besides, I already dealt with them. Before they expired, they very much regretted their life choices."


    After a bit of chatting, Hishya moved the conversation to the original reason she was called out there.


    "You said on the phone that you had something important to discuss with me? Can we talk about that now?" Hishya had a bad feeling about what Akagi was to tell her.


    "Yeah, I need you to take a message to the Rapid Response Team for me." Akagi''s face turned serious. "Effective immediately, all non-authorized ''returnees'' that I find are in the Kansai region will be considered <i>hostile</i> and may be subject to <i>termination</i>. That includes both RRT and Libra members."

 Chapter 72 – Hishya Lays it All Out.

    Chapter 72 ¨C Hishya Lays it All Out.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Two Chaps!


    "What an absolute mess. Just what we needed right before the op to take out the cell in Nagano." Superbia sighed as she stood outside the mall. She was the closest member of the Rapid Response Team, so she responded to the attack in Kyoto. Upon arriving, she was informed that the two members of Libra who attacked had already been dealt with, which surprised her. No one else was nearby and there weren''t any other returnees living in Kyoto, other than Akagi. After questioning some witnesses, some of which were not so cooperative, Superbia eventually pieced together that Akagi had been the one to deal with the two attackers. A discovery that was both surprising and somewhat expected.


    "It''s certainly not ideal that Akagi got involved," Aoi spoke to her overms. "The Americans were insistent that we keep her at a distance if she wasn''t going to directly work with us." There was a great deal of hesitation and distrust of Akagi in Washington and Tokyo.


    "But, despite the higher ups reservations, I don''t exactly mind the help though." Aoi looked at the holes in the building through the screen. "If she hadn''t stepped in, the casualties would have been much higher." Hijax and Sumeralia had already killed a few dozen people in their short attack, by the time Superbia would have arrived things would have been much worse.


    ¡°Yeah, but its got me worried.¡± Superbia knew anything involving the assassin was bad news. Akagi never moved without a reason.


    <i>{What could have caused her to get involved?} </i>No one who spoke to her could tell her anything other than the fact that Akagi appeared, the two Libra members and her disappeared, and then a few minutester, Akagi reappeared alone. <i>{Just what the hell did Akagi do with those two?} </i>(Superbia)


    There was quite the crowd of onlookers behind the police barricades, some were shouting at her and calling her all sorts of names. <i>{Really people? Why do you have to act like such idiots? I''m on your side!} </i>Superbia sighed. This kind of treatment was bing normal for returnees.


    Choosing to ignore the rudements about her horns, Superbia decided to head back inside the mall to look for more clues. Finding out where the two attackers were was of paramount importance. However, before she got inside, there was a smallmotion and some screaming as a figure descended from above.


    <i>{An enemy?} </i>Superbia drew her de ready to fight, but was halted by a voice before she leapt into action.


    "Hold on!" Hishya called out from above. She had flown in and caused a panic. "I''m not here to fight, Superbia!" Hishya floated in the air a bit above where the Oni was standing.


    Superbia sighed. "Jesus, Hishya. Don''t scare me like that! I thought you were a member of Libra! Flying in unannounced like that is not a great idea with everything that just happened." She ryed to the rest of the security team to lower their weapons and leave Hishya to her.


    "Sorry, but I needed to speak with you ASAP. I''m on a bit of a time sensitive mission." Hishya gave a wry smile. "Can we go inside? It might be better if we limit who hears this for now."


    Superbia didn''t like the sound of any of this. "If you''re<i> </i>acting like this, I can''t imagine I''m going to like what you have to say, but sure. Can Aoi listen in?" The Oni wanted to include hermander in on the conversation.


    "Sure, that would probably be for the best anyway this needs to be spread to the rest of the RRT." Hishya and Superbia walked into the small pavilion area where the battle hadmenced only a few hours prior.


    "Well, it''s not as bad as I expected." Hishya figured the damage would be much worse. The inside of the pavilion was still intact, and besides some busted windows and small areas of damage, the mall wasn''t <i>as </i>destroyed as she expected. "I guess since the whole ordeal didn''t really take ce here its understandable." She sighed.


    "What do you mean?" Superbia asked. "And what did you want to talk about?"


    "This is going to be a not-so-fun conversation." Hishya sat down on the edge of the fountain in the middle of the room. "So, you''re aware that Akagi handled Hijax and Sumeralia, right?"


    Superbia nodded. "I was given a description of a giant green ogre and a bird woman, so it wasn''t hard to narrow down who they were." Most Assault Team members knew each other well enough and monster races were very rare among yers.


    "We also figured out that Akagi was the one that handled them, based on statements from witnesses," Aoi spoke up. Hishya had connected to Aoi to allow her to speak with her via AR device. "But we still don''t know <em>why</em> Akagi intervened or what exactly happened here. The stories were hearing are <i>conflicting</i> at best."


    Hishya thought for a moment before answering.


    "Kana, Akagi''s sister, and some of her friends were shopping here during the attack." Hishya looked at the shattered dome above her. "They were hit by a fireball from Sumeralia, which knocked Kana unconscious and burned her and her friends."


    Hearing this Superbia tensed up. "Are they ok?!?" She recalled that Kana''s kidnapping was what triggered the attack on Camp Katsura, so her being attacked was not something the Oni wanted to hear.


    "Yes," Hishya nodded. "I went and saw them myself. Akagi used an ability to protect them, so they''re fine."


    <i>{Thank god.}</i> Superbia breathed a sigh of relief in her head.


    "That would exin why Akagi showed up then." (Superbia)


    "Yeah, She was alerted that her protective barrier was broken and came over to check what happened, and well...." Hishya had been told everything that Akagi did to them and well, she was very d it wasn''t her.


    "Ok, so now we know the <i>why</i>. But that still doesn''t answer <i>what </i>Akagi did to them. Where they are now?" Superbia needed that information since the RRT wanted to know the location of all Libra members. "I''m pretty sure I know the answer but I''ll ask anyway. Are they still alive?"


    "Well, they''re dead for starters. Akagi saw to that personally." Hishya shivered as she recalled the story. "Akagi took personal pleasure in torturing them for quite a bit of time before ending their lives."


    "That''s...." Superbia didn''t exactly mind them being killed. But hearing that Akagi tortured them was, while not necessarily unexpected, not what she wanted to hear. "I guess that''s better than them running free..." She just chose to take the win.


    "And that brings me to the reason I''m here." Hishya looked at her with an apologetic smile. "Akagi wanted me to deliver a message to the RTT, while she "speaks" to Libra." Hishya imagined that Libra''s base was currently in panic mode as some members ran around in circles screaming. Akagi always had a re for the dramatic and even if she was going just to talk with them, she had a feeling it wouldn''t be so simple and straightforward.


    "A message?" (Aoi and Superbia)


    <em>{I don''t like the sound of that.}</em>(Superbia)


    "Yes," Hishya steeled herself. "She wanted me to inform you that effective immediately, and until Libra is dealt with, all returnees must receive her <i>explicit</i> authorization to enter the Kansai region. Failure to do so may result in your termination."


    "WHAT!" Superbia was shocked by this promation. "Hold on for a second. Akagi can''t just do that!"


    "Oh, but she can." Hishya quickly walked over to Superbia and grabbed her by the scruff of her Kimono. "Listen, I warned <i>all</i> of you just what the fuck you were dealing with when it came to Akagi. But did any of you listen <i>noooooooo?"</i> Hishya continued. "Akagi is <i>pissed</i> right now, justifiably so, but it goes far beyond just simply being <i>angry</i> Superbia." Hishya pulled her closer. "I <i>warned</i> you all that Akagi wasn''t ever human, that she''s a literal walking disaster, and now thanks to this incident, the entire <b>WORLD</b><i><b> </b></i>is one step closer to armageddon."


    Superbia tried to wriggle free. "Hishya, what are you talking about? Akagi is strong, but she''s not <i>that</i> powerful." Minazawa hadn''tmunicated Hishya''s story to the rest of the team. Though, even if she had, Minazawa still failed to fully understand just what Hishya''s warning was.


    "SHE IS, YOU FOOL!" Hishya screamed, her eyes changing to their draconic version. "When I went to see her today, I was nearly <i>overwhelmed</i> by the power she showed me." Hishya let out a low growl.


    Hishya took a deep breath. "Let me spell things out to you people directly since you seem to be incapable of understanding what I''m talking about." Hishya let go of Superbia, which caused the Oni to stumble back a bit. "Akagi <b>is not and was not ever a human being.</b> The incident with her sister caused whatever <i>seal</i> exists around her soul to weaken and, as a result, more of her <i>real </i>self has begun to leak out. Because of this, she was able to confirm that she''s actually some kind of <i>Demon</i>, and has always been <i>from birth</i>." Hishya took a breath. "It was not FWO that gave her these powers, Superbia. They were always with her, dormant inside her body just waiting to get loose." Her tone went from angry to irritated.


    This was a lot of information for Superbia and Aoi to take in and it took a moment for Superbia to process it.


    "Ok, say I believe you. That somehow Akagi was never human and is actually some supernatural creature." Superbia looked at Hishya. "I still don''t understand what you mean when you say the world is at risk. Does she really have such crazy power? I''ve never seen anything that would indicate she could destroy the world." As far as Supebia was concerned, Akagi was a dangerousbatant and nothing more.


    "That''s because <i>you </i>haven''t seen <i>it.</i>" Hishya''s face turned slightly pale.


    "It?" Superbia asked.


    "Yes, <i>it</i>." Hishya twitched slightly as she remembered that night in Hassan. "Listen, do you remember how on the night before Hassan, I waspletely out of action, and I was messed up for a while after?" Superbia was there so she would remember.


    "Yeah, you were in pretty bad shape. You said Akagi beat you." Superbia thought for a moment and recalled Hishya''s condition. "You were unable to move much and your head was scrambled bad." When Akagi dropped Hishya off at their base, they''d thought she''d broken the dragon girl. She recovered over the next few days, but her condition made it hard to help in the battle.


    "What you saw, was the aftermath of seeing what lies <i>within </i>Akagi, Superbia. <em>Not</em> battle injuries." Hishya took a breath. "On that night, I got to see inside Akagi''s soul. And when I did, do you know what I was greeted with? Do you know what I saw?" Hishya paused for a second. "Her soul looked <i>back </i>at me, and it wanted to <i>eat me</i>. I saw <i>it.</i> Whatever Akagi is, I saw it. It lurked within her soul, a fact that Akagi herself was only made aware of <i>recently</i>. Its eyes glowed orange, something that has now bled into her physical appearance I might add, and it had razor-sharp teeth like a monster from a nightmare!"


    Hishya continued her mad rant, her eyes racing back and forth and her entire body shaking as she wrapped her hands around her torso. "It was restrained, sealed, but it''s always wanted out! And today... today those seals got a little looser, and some of those chains <i>broke</i>." Hishya looked up at Superbia, her eyes showing true fear. "Superbia, listen. If you don''t handle Libra soon, I have a feeling that they''ll do something that will cause <i>all </i>those restraints to break. And if that happens. I''m pretty sure the world is <i>fucked."</i>She gave a nervousugh.


    Superbia was taken aback. In all the time she''d known Hishya, she''d never once seen this kind of reaction from the girl. She was usually stoic and unflinching, but whatever she saw in Akagi that night had clearly haunted her.


    "Is-is that why you refused to fight her? Why you agreed to stay out of her way." (Superbia)


    "Yes!" Hishya eximed. "It was already going to be hard enough to beat her <i>before,</i> but now.... now it''s impossible, and if whatever she truly is gets out...... we''re all doomed." Hishya continued. "And the worst part. Akagi herself <em>knows</em> this, and she''s <i>ok </i>with letting it out. She wants to be free, Superbia. She''s already gotten a taste of that power and wants <i>more</i>. She told me today that she wants <i>out</i> of the prison inside her soul! You should have seen the smile on her face while she discussed letting her true self run free! It was like looking at the face of pure evil itself, Superbia! Whatever Akagi is, cannot and should not be allowed to get free! It''s only a matter of time before it gets forcibly let out or Akagi lets it out herself, and I don''t want to see the oue of <i>either, </i>if possible." Hishya finished her rant and took a deep breath. "I actually feel a bit better now."


    Hishya looked Superbia in the eyes. "So when Akagi says, stay out of Kansai without her permission or <i>die." </i>Hishya had calmed down a bit. "You listen. Without question. Because she can and <i>will </i>kill you without a second thought."

 Chapter 73 – Libra’s Internal Struggle, and the Young Girl.

    Chapter 73 ¨C Libra¡¯s Internal Struggle, and the Young Girl.


    After the events of Kyoto and receiving Akagi''s deration, Herlex called an emergency meeting of Libra''s top yers. They were currently meeting in thergepound Alice created North of Nagoya. Akagi had waltzed into the base and delivered a<em>message</em>to the angel man, something that required the full attention of all top members.


    <strong><em>"There will be no next time, Herlex." </em></strong>That was what Akagi had told him as she dropped the horribly mutted bodies of Hijax and Sumeralia into the courtyard.


    Akagi''s threat was unexpected and the angel was initially confused, he didn''t know what could have pissed Akagi off enough to get involved. Also she some how got into the base and bypassed the magical barrier that even artillery rounds from the military couldn''t budge. Once she exined that Hijax and Sumeralia had harmed her sister, Herlex''s heart sank. He knew antagonizing the assassin wasn''t a good idea and involving her would only cause issues. He <em>did</em>n on facing her eventually, but right now was not the right time. Once Japan was dealt with, only then could they n her downfall. So, in the mean time, he decided to y nice and apologized for involving Akagi''s family and told her he''d keep better control of his people in the future. Her deration about Kansai as a whole was a bit more problematic, and the need to deal with Akagi was going to be a topic of debate within Libra. Herlex had an idea of how to bring her to heel, but that was forter.


    ________________________________________________________________________________________________


    "What the hell do you mean we''re not going to retaliate!" The fox man screamed at Herlex. He couldn''t believe how easily Herlex caved to Akagi''s demands and he was annoyed that they wouldn''t do anything to get payback.


    "Calm down, Merkyul. There''s no need to start screaming." A small girl clutching a teddy bear admonished him for his behavior.


    "Where do you get off telling me to calm down, Alice? And why are you even here?" Merkyul looked at her with irritation. "You literally call Akagi <i>Mom</i>. How can we even trust you? Especially since you''re with her all the time."


    "Enough!" Herlex mmed his fist on the table. "We''re not here to argue, and I''m not about to get into a discussion about Alice''s rtionship with Akagi." He waspletely done with Merkyul''s antics but tried to control his anger. "This meeting is about bringing people up to speed. I''ve specifically told people that messing with Akagi right now is not a good idea. We already lost two idiots, and I don''t want to risk her getting antagonized further. Defeating her cer when we''ve wrapped up our terror campaign.


    "Hmpf." Merkyul turned his nose up at Herlex. "Even just pretending to go along with her bullshit is ridiculous! We look like idiots!"


    "I have to agree with him, Herlex." The fox woman next to him chimed in. "We can''t let the deaths of two of our members go unpunished. Akagi is strong, but we should strike back and remove her. Even if those two did go off on their own, they were still part of Libra."


    Herlex sighed. "Please understand, Sabia, it''s not like I don''t care at all that they died. It''s just that right now, thest thing we need is to <i>also</i> have Akagi after us." They were already having enough trouble dealing with the RRT and the U.S. military; adding Akagi into the mix would make things worse. "I n on handling herter, so for now lets just focus on our preparations for Nagoya."


    "Herlex is right," Alice spoke up. "You shouldn''t be so quick to pick a fight with Mama. Especially since you would lose." She said as she stroked the bear in her hands. "She got beat you easy with a one-two punch!" She did a little boxing pose and threw out a few punches.


    "Do you doubt me and my team? Do you think we can''t beat that idiot?" Merkyul gave Alice a look of contempt. "She''s just one person. If Sabia, Roxlex, Hitamaguchi, and I hit her together, she''s done." He and his team were undefeated in the game and their teamy was excellent. He''d wanted to go after Akagi in FWO, but was always stopped by Hishya. Someone he feared much more than Herlex.


    Alice sighed. "Think that if you want, but I refuse to fight Mama." Her rtionship with Akagi was, <iplicated,</i> and her fellow members of Libra knew better than to pry too deep. "If you want to go die horribly, be my guest but don''t drag the rest of us down with you."


    <em>{Stupid brat!}</em> Merkyul was getting annoyed with the girl.


    "Calm down." Sabia put her hand on his shoulder. "She''s just a kid, leave it." She shook her head and Merkyul backed off.


    "I still question your loyalty, Alice." Merkyul wanted to say more, but Herlex''s re stopped him.


    "I''m not saying we just let Akagi get away with their deaths, but Hijax and Sumeralia knew the risks of going to Kyoto, and what could happen if they fought Akagi." Herlex shook his head. He was angry when he found out they''d ignored his orders and attacked that mall, he been seeing more and more instances of<em>liberal</em> interpretations of hismands and that was starting to get old."Right now, we need to continue our <i>sessful </i>operations throughout the country. We still have the numbers and the power to contest the government. Once we topple it, we can turn our attention to Akagi." Herlex tried to lower the temperature in the room, but Sabia and Merkyul weren''t having any of it.


    "I still say it makes us look weak." Merkyul scoffed.


    "I agree with my brother on this one, Herlex. If we abide by her terms and stay out of Kansai, it makes Libra look like a joke." Sabia believed that if they started kowtowing to Akagi, people wouldn''t take them seriously. "Armalthy, how are you ok with this?" she looked at him. He was quite a loose cannon and one of the gang of misfits in FWO, so him just sitting on the sidelines was unexpected.


    "Because I trust Herlex''s judgment." His <i>defeat</i> by Superbia hit him hard and caused him to rethink things. If it wasn''t for Herlex''s healing, he would have lost his arm permanently. "If my battle with Superbia taught me anything, it''s that were not as invincible as we believe, and those of us that joined the RRT can''t be ignored." He harbored a grudge against the Oni and wanted to pay her back for his humiliation.


    "Tsk." Merkyul clicked his tongue. "You''ve gone soft Armalthy. Whatever." He and Sabia turned to walk out of the room.


    "Where are you going?" Herlex called out to them. "This meeting isn''t over!"


    "Just forward me the minutes, Herlex. I can''t be bothered to listen to you drone on." Merkyul stretched his arms as he walked away.


    "Merkyul! Don''t go doing anything stupid! You hear me!" Herlex yelled as the two foxes walked out the door. "Fucking idiots!"


    "I really hope they don''t do anything to upset Mama." Alice rubbed her head against the teddy bear.


    "Knowing them, they probably will." Herlex''s face grew dark.


    <i>{That brother and sister share one single goddamn brain cell between them, I swear.} </i>(Herlex)


    "Whatever. If they don''t want to be here, fine. We''ll continue without them." Herlex looked around at the remaining members. "Elna, Armalthy, we''ve got some work to do. Alice, how''s production going?"


    "Hmmm." She swung her legs off the edge chair. "I believe the numbers are already at four thousand. The resources that we''ve been bringing in are more than sufficient, and Imperial''s crafting and directing skills are amazing for creating the equipment for the army." Imperial was their equivalent to Imp. The gnome man was quite good at crafting and building, though nowhere near as capable as the insane Imp.


    It was the first good news he had today. "Good, tell him to keep going on producing equipment. I want to shoot for the middle of January for the invasion of Nagoya. Can you do it?" In the game, mass production of Alice''s puppets in such a manner wasn''t possible, and the basic ones only had minimalbat power. But in the real world, with modern techbined with Imperial''s skill, they were able to turn those puppets into effective soldiers and mass produce them. What they mightck in firepower, the more than made up for in numbers. With magitech weapons they''d be a credible threat against both military units and RRT members.


    Alice nodded. "We should be good to go by then. I''ll bust out Fluffy and Floofy if we don''t have enough." Alice was the youngest yer trapped in FWO, as she was merely ten years old at the time. However, it would be incorrect to assume that her age or childish appearance meant she was harmless. She herself was quite weak, but with her puppets and other summons, she was dangerous. Nor was she stupid. She might be quite childlike in most instances, but she was a veteran of FWO and when it came down to it, she could act surprisingly mature and collected. As to why she was a member of Libra? That is a sad story for another time.


    "Good to hear it!" Armalthy eximed. "ughtering the people of Nagoya will be a great pick me up. We''ve been focused on pin-prick strikes until now, so an assault on a major city will be fun!"


    "Yes, but I would prefer we take out at least one member of the RRT before the operation begins. Fighting six yers will be annoying, especially if they''re backed by American military power." Herlex started flipping through pages in a binder in front of him, stopping on the portrait of a girl with short purple hair. "Arlmalty, Elna." He looked over at them. I want the three of us to ambush and kill Wexel. Her summoning magic could be annoying and I know she''s been using her familiars to track our movements. She needs to be removed before we can begin the strike. Alice''s n might run into some issues if she''s still alive." He looked at his two teammates. ¡°The three of usbined should be able to Alpha strike her and take her out before anyone cane to save her.¡±


    "How are we going to separate her?" Elna asked. "Don''t those idiots usually travel in groups?"


    "They do, but we just need to make it so that they can''t do that, don''t we?" Herlex gave a nasty smile. "If we hit several targets at once, they won''t have the luxury of sticking together, and even if it''s just for a few minutes we just need to pull her away from the rest of the team and take her out." He knew the RRT was being forced to respond to almost every attack, and political and public pressure was already mounting.


    "So basically you want to use our numbers to spread them thin?" Elna mused. "Not a bad n, but why not hit someone with more punch? Like Superbia or Minazawa? Wexel is probably the least threatening of the bunch." Killing either of them would cripple the RRT.


    "Because we probably can''t take the others out quick enough." Armalthy shrugged, guessing Herlex motive. "Both of them are durable or quick enough to make killing them hard."


    "That''s part of it, but also, Wexel isn''t as useless as you think, Elna." Herlex looked at the elf. "Sure, she mightck strength. However, as you know, summons are much more useful and versatile in the real world versus the game." He gestured towards Alice. "Wexel''s been using them to scout our movements and greatly bolster American and Japanese Intelworks. Taking her out will give us an edge over the RRT and temporarily blind them. If we leave her alone until we strike at Nagoya, they''ll likely detect our attack before it begins and be waiting for us." Having their surprise spoiled would be a problem, they were already taking a risk with the current n and Herlex wanted to reduce the chances of failure.


    "I guess that makes sense now that you exined it." Elna was more of the <i>punch problem until it went away, person</i>. "So, what''s the n?" She looked down at the table which disyed a map of Japan.


    "We have separate teams do hit and runs, here, here, here, here, and here." He pointed to locations on the map. "We''re not aiming to do any real damage, but we need to make it look convincing enough that they can''t ignore us." Herlex continued. "Wexel is usually stationed in Tokyo, so all we need to do is draw her out into one of the outlying areas and strike her en-route. If we do it right, they won''t be able to spare any backup for her, at least for a short enough time for us to strike."


    <em>{We get her away and jump her, its pretty simple.}</em>Herlex mused.


    "Will they even send her out?" Elna was doubtful that the RRT would send a lone summoner to fight in the field. "She''s far too vulnerable to go intobat alone. They have to know that."


    "Exactly, that''s why I picked these targets, plus if we send only puppets at one of them. They''ll most likely send her to deal with them." Herlex pointed to each spot again. "Each of these is a major poption center or important ce for business or government work. They have no choice but to send people to defend them. If they <i>don''t </i>people will start getting more restless. So it will be a win-win even if they y it smart, but I doubt they have the luxury of doing so." Libra was ying a game where no matter what the RRT did they''d always lose. That was the advantage of being a de-centralized group who was focused on terror attacks.


    "Makes sense." Elna''s mouth contorted into a smile. "Taking the fight to them and reminding them that we can kill them, that sounds nice."


    "Just remember, no overconfidence," Herlex warned. "If anything seems off, we back off. I have no interest in losing any more of us too stupid mistakes or hubris." They had just recently lost three members of Libra. Two in Kyoto to Akagi and one in Hokkaido to a joint U.S. JSDF strike. Luckily the three that died were some of the least important, but it still stung to be down three members.


    "Yeah, getting exploded by a drone strike isn''t really something I''m interested in." Elna shrugged. Ichimon got a bit too sure of himself during that attack and died as a result of his arrogance. "Stupid Rabbit should have listened to us." Sheughed.


    "Alice." Herlex looked at the girl. "Keep an eye on those four idiots. If they do anything stupid, let me know." He wanted to pre-empt any stupidity this time and he knew if anyone would do something dumb it was Sabia and her brother''s team of misfits.


    "Gotcha." Alice nodded. "Is it really a problem though, if I go see Mama? They seemed quite upset with that." She was wondering if it would be a problem.


    "For now, I don''t care." Herlex sighed. "Akagi isn''t our enemy yet and perhaps you can keep it that way via your connection to her. Just don''t go sharing any secrets with her." Having Alice to act as a go between was quite useful and he was hoping their connection would keep Akagi at bay.


    "Yes, I know that." Alice giggled. "We mostly just y games and have tea, she''s never asked me about Libra." Though Alice probably would tell her if asked, but she wouldn''t admit that. Libra and its mission aligned too perfectly with her goals, so she decided to put up with some inconvenience. She''d wanted to spend more time with Akagi, but she also wanted to get revenge on the world that had wronged her. It was a difficult choice to make, but she decided to primarily work with Libra and spend time with Akagi on the side.


    In fact, Alice was ted to spend some time with Akagi this weekend. She had spoken to her via her puppets but hadn''t seen her in person since the Kyoto incident. She was wondering just how Akagi would treat her now that members of the organization she was a part of harmed her sister. She didn''t think Akagi would be mad with her, but she had some anxiety about it. The tea party this weekend would be a nice change of pace for the girl, though she was sad she wouldn''t get to see Kana. Akagi had been trying to keep her presence at the estate a secret from Kana and the others during the times she''d visited, so they had no idea about the two''s rtionship. Alice had never once met Kana, but she still felt bad that she was hurt.


    <i>{I hope Mama''s not mad with me...} </i>Alice was worried that Akagi would be angry with her for the actions of Hijax and Sumeralia. She didn''t think Akagi would ever abandon her, but she was still worried. She knew just how important her sister was to the assassin and she figured in a contest of who was more important Alice woulde up short.


    {<i>Maybe I''ll give Kana Onee-chan a get-well teddy bear! Snuggling with them always makes me feel better!} </i>Alice giggled as she thought of this uing weekend.


    Spoiler


    Alice!


    Sabia!


    Merkyul!


    [copse]

 Chapter 74 – The Punishment.

    Chapter 74 ¨C The Punishment.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Three today!


    Akagi was sitting on a raised tatami mat in her audience chamber. She was wearing her formal haori and had a stern look on her face as she looked at two of her followers who sat in dogeza. This was to be a quasi trial and punishment for the significant intelligence failure the other day. Ordinarily, Akagi should have known that two members of Libra had entered Kyoto. But for some reason, neither she nor Yumi was ever informed and she wanted to know why. Yumi stood off to the side and was carrying a wooden box. She was also wearing her formal wear as Akagi wanted this to be an official n action.


    "Raise your heads." Akagi''s voice was more authoritative and stern than usual. She red down at the two of them, her eyes showing how serious things were.


    Chloe and her subordinate Sakura rose to look Akagi in the eye. Both knew why they were there, and while Chloe looked calm andposed, Sakura was visibly nervous. She''d been ced under house arrest the day of the attack as she was the one responsible for the intelligence failure in question. Chloe was on another mission so this meeting was postponed until she returned.


    "Do you know why you''ve been brought before me?" Akagi''s orange eye seemed to peer directly into their souls.


    "Yes, Myaster." Chloe nodded her head.


    "Yes, My Lord." Sakura gave a nervous reply.


    "Good, that will make things easier." Akagi looked at the two of them, before locking eyes with Sakura. The fox girl flinched under the weight of Akagi''s gaze.


    "Sakura," Akagi spoke to the fox girl. "Exin to me why you failed to properly inform me, or anyone within your n that Hijax and Sumeralia were in the Kansai region, or what their ns were." Before anything else, Akagi wanted to find out what went wrong and fix it. "I expect you to answer."


    "I have no excuse, my Lord." Sakura bowed her head. "I failed to adequately perform the task assigned to me. I am not worthy of forgiveness."


    "I will be the one to determine that, not you." Akagi corrected her. "And that did not answer my question. <em>Why</em> was I not made aware of Libra''s activities within Kyoto? What reason could you have for not informing me, or your direct superiors?" Akagi had a few ideas as to what happened, some benign, some not so much.


    Sakura kept bowing. "I did not think them to be a threat, a gross error in judgment, my Lord. I was tasked with providing surveince and tracking of <i>threats</i> to our operations, and I judged that those two presented no <i>threat.</i>"


    "I see," Akagi mused. She had a feeling this might have been the reason. She''d specified<em>threats</em> in her mission to the ninja and it seems that terminology came back to bite her. At least Sakura hadn''t turned traitor, something Akagi had considered a possibility."Why did you not view them as a threat? Surely you understand that all yers that kept their abilities are powerful?"


    "Because I believed that even if powerfulpared to us, they would be no match for you." Sakura exined. "I''m aware that Libra has been attacking civilian poptions to cause terror, but I assumed that you cared little for the people of this world and so chose not to report their actions. Please forgive my ipetence."


    Her statement caused Akagi to groan internally.


    "You are not incorrect that the people of this world mean little to me." Akagi sighed. "However, just because I don''t think much of them, do not assume that I have no empathy. I am not a cold person, Sakura. I merely prioritize those whom I care about more than the lives of strangers." She wanted to correct that false notion. She''d noticed such a mindset worming its way into her family and she could no longer afford to ignore it.


    "Yes, my Lord. Please forgive my rudeness." Sakura was sweating pretty badly. She could feel the energy given off by Akagi and was struggling to keep it together in the face of this pressure.


    "It is of no concern. Though, I should probably work to rectify that misunderstanding in the future." Akagi was quite indifferent to most people, and delving further into her power only weakened the connection she had to her humanity. At this point, she''d begun to view the average person as little more than a bore, and while she wouldn''t be pleased to see people die, she wouldn''t shed any tears either. Though she''d prefer if her family didn''t get in the habit of thinking her some cold heartless monster. Ideally she wanted to co-exist with the people of the world and she didn''t want a situation simr to a certain lich to ur, where her subordinates believed everyone else to be beneath them.


    "Yumi, please make note of that for me," Akagi asked.


    "Of course." The priestess happily replied.


    "Now then. Understanding just what caused thispse in intel, I can make an informed judgment about what to do." Akagi closed her eyes for a moment before looking at Chloe. "As the leader of this n, I am ultimately responsible for the failings of those under me." No one spoke up to object, but internally they rejected this notion. To them, Akagi made no mistake, and <i>they </i>were the ones at fault, but they knew Akagi wouldn''t agree with that sentiment.


    "I should have been clearer in my instructions." Akagi looked at Sakura. "While it is true that those two were no direct threat to me, they were still capable of causing great harm to us and our operations. I should have specified that yers should be prioritized and considered priority targets regardless of theirbat ability. I will take responsibility for that mistake." Akagi nodded her head.


    "However, just because I made a mistake; that does not relieve the two of you of responsibility." Akagi''s expression turned stern. "Sakura, yourpse in judgment nearly cost my sister and her friends her life. And as a ninja with as much experience as you have, it would have been reasonable for you to conclude that the activities of yers should have been monitored regardless of their individual power. Thus, you must take responsibility for your mistake and ept punishment."


    "Yes, my Lord. I am truly sorry for this mistake. If you will allow it, I will make up for this and ensure that it never happens again." Sakura pressed her head against the floor. She''d dly end her own life if that was desired.


    "Good." Akagi moved her eyes to Chloe. "As her direct superior, and the leader of your n, as well as the one who gave her this duty. Chloe, you too must ept responsibility for her failing."


    "Of course," Chloe bowed her head. "Her failure is my failure. I should have paid closer attention to my n and their actions to prevent such an oversight from urring. Please ept my apologies for both my failure and the failure of a member of my n. It is inexcusable that our mistake nearly cost the life of your sister. Please forgive us." Chloe joined Sakura in cing her head on the floor.


    "Please raise your heads." Akagi motioned for them to sit up. "Ordinarily, I would leave things at verbal admonishment. However, as this incident nearly cost my sister her life. I am sorry, but I must administer proper punishment to ensure that discipline is maintained and ensure that my authority is not questioned."


    "Of course." (Chloe x Sakura.) Neither wouldin, and they knew that no one would ever consider Akagi to be in the wrong in this situation. Whatever punishment Akagi meted out, they would ept without question orint.


    "Then, your punishment will be thus." Akagi stood up. "The two of you will be given 100shes, after which Yumi will heal you, leaving no permanent damage to your bodies. Additionally, the two of you will be given one week of house arrest, only being permitted to leave your rooms for food and authorized missions. Furthermore, Chloe, you will assemble the members of your n and educate them to ensure that such a mistake like this will never happen again." Akagi delivered her decree of punishment, which was quite lightpared to what she could do. But Akagi was pragmatic enough to know that it was more important to fix the mistake than to simply punish them. Plus, doing something that would permanently weaken her forces was counterproductive, so a minimal amount of corporal punishment and confinement would suffice.


    "Of course, my Lord. Thank you for your generosity." (Chloe x Sakura.)


    "Theshes will be carried out immediately. Yumi, please bring me the instrument. Chloe, Sakura, take off your shirts and expose your backs and ce your hands on your thighs." Akagi wanted to deal with this part immediately, not because she was torn up about it, but because she wanted everyone to get back to work.


    The two did exactly as asked, and Yumi opened the wooden box and handed Akagi arge wooden paddle.


    "Please bite down on this." Yumi handed the two girls a piece of wood to bite into. This was to ensure they didn''t bite their tongue and to help dull the pain, even if only slightly. Akagi wasn''t exactly going to put her full power into the swings, but she <i>would</i> ensure they hurt.


    "Now then," Akagi decided to start with Chloe. She stood behind her and took a stance. "ONE!"


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    Once everything was taken care of, Chloe and Sakura were taken to their rooms to begin their confinement. Akagi had gone into her private study and was currently sitting at a desk, going over documents. Yumi brought her some coffee and offered it to her.


    "Thank you." Akagi smiled as she took the cup. "You know, that was the first time I''ve ever had to do something like that." She''d admonished some of her followers for their actions or mistakes before, but corporal punishment wasn''t something she''d ever had to do before.


    "Do you regret it?" Yumi asked.


    "No," Akagi shook her head. "It needed to be done. That''s just how big the mistake was. If I let them go without any punishment, it would make me look weak and make it seem that I had no stomach to punish people for their errors." Strict discipline kept the well oiled machine that was her n running.


    "While I would disagree that any of us would view you as <i>weak</i>. I do agree that your actions were necessary and proper. Honestly, you could have given an even harsher punishment, and no one would have batted an eye." Yumi was certain that if Akagi told them to offer up their <i>lives</i> as punishment the two would dly do just that.


    "Yes, I''m sure I could have." Akagi shrugged. "But what benefit would I gain from taking more extreme measures?" Akagi continued as she sipped her coffee. "Wounding them permanently or killing them would only serve to deplete my forces, and I have no desire to kill a member of this family unless absolutely necessary. I understand that people make mistakes, myself included, and I do not expect perfection. I''m more interested in ensuring that such a thing does not happen again."


    Akagi was a pretty hardcore pragmatist in most cases. Though this sometimes led her to have a pretty utilitarian view of things that most people saw as alien. She never understood why viins in stories would kill subordinates for mistakes unless, of course, it was part of a pattern of behavior or some nefarious reason. Even then, in the case of the former, she would probably just demote them. She might not want to admit it, but she had quite a soft spot for the members of her family and <i>would</i> use kid gloves on them for the most part.


    "Well, I don''t think you need to worry." Yumi smiled. "Honestly, I think people would be more upset if you <i>didn''t </i>punish them. Sakura was already getting some harassment by other ninja for her mistake. Hence why we confined her to her room until Chloe got back."


    "Yeah, we need to make sure that stops. I have no intention of tolerating bullying or anything like that. She was punished and that will be the end of it." Akagi wanted to move quickly to prevent such harassment. She knew her subordinates were loyal, but sometimes she felt their devotion went too far. ¡°She''s been punished by me, anyone attempting to add further is inserting themselves into my role and that will not be tolerated.¡±

 Chapter 74.5 – Raging Barbarian.

    Chapter 74.5 ¨C Raging Barbarian.


    A few days after the Kyoto Mall attack.


    "I''ve got eyes on target." Mixu spoke to Minazawa via herms. The two were currently in Nagano province, East of Matsumoto. They''d tracked a group of three Libra members to a base in the mountains. US Intel suggested they were nning to hit the city in theing days and the RRT wanted to stop such an attack. They''d been getting ck for their recent failures and were being pressed to strike back against Libra in a meaningful way.


    "I see, Shimari and Ketosu. They''re standing outside talking. No visual on Tatsumaki. As far as I can tell, they''repletely oblivious to our presence." Mixu ryed what the yers were doing. She was quite the extraordinary distance away but her eyesbined with better optics meant she could easily see.


    "Good," Minazawa replied. "I''m nearly in position. Take either of them out when I give the signal. I''ll try to jump the other." Minazawa was creeping closer to the base. She had no ranged attacks and thus needed to strike in melee. She was hoping to knock out both Shimari and Ketosu <i>before </i>Tatsumaki showed up. Fighting the barbarian was not going to be easy, even if she was alone.


    "Hopefully, these bastards go down easier than Herlex." Mixu sighed. She was sitting in a tree stand several miles away on top of a mountain. It was an insane distance for a sniper, but she could easily make this shot.


    ________________________________________________________________________________________________


    <Ketosu POV>


    "Kyoto turned into a real cluster, huh?" Ketosu asked Shimari. He was a catkin like Chloe, though he was actually a frontliner who wore heavy armor, rather than a stealth fighter. He and Shimari were friends from before FWO and had yed many games together even working together on the Assault Team.


    "Yeah, and I can''t believe Herlex is really just letting Akagi dictate to him like that." Shimari was also a frontline fighter and a dogkin, simr to Hikari. ¡°Its really not like him, or Armalthy to just do what people say." She was surprised when the orders came down to stay out of Kansai.


    "Yeah, I''m starting to get the idea that-" His words stopped as his head exploded from Mixu''s energy round. With her upgraded gear and total surprise it wasn''t very surprising that he instantly died.


    "Eh???" Shimari waspletely stunned. "Ke-Ketosu?" She tried to walk to his body but was body checked by Minazawa, who tackled and pinned her to the ground.


    "Drop your weapon now, Shimari!" Minazawa yelled. "Mixu, keep your eyes open for Tatsumaki let me know the <i>second</i> she pops up!"


    "Minazawa?!?" Shimari recovered from the initial shock. "What are you doing out here?!?"


    "Did you really think you were safe? Even this far in the mountains?" Minazawa smirked as she pinned the girl. "We''ve got satellite feeds and can track you idiots anywhere in Japan. So hiding from us isn''t going to happen." Shimari was struggling, trying to get Minazawa off her. But she wasn''t strong enough.


    "Stop resisting, or I will kill you, Shimari!" Minazawa eximed. "Don''t make me have to do it!" She had steeled herself to kill, but part of her wanted to prevent more needless deaths. She knew this specific yer and was conflicted about taking her life.


    "Mina! I''ve got a visual on Tatsumaki!" Mixu spoke over them.


    "Where is she?!?" Minazawa asked.


    "Right here!" (Tatsumaki)


    Before Minazawa could react, she was impacted by a massive greatsword that sent her flying into a tree, snapping it in half.


    Tatsumaki stood next to the prone Shimari and smirked. "Gotta pay attention to your surroundings Minazawa, no Ishigami to cover your ass anymore!"


    She looked down at the dog girl.


    "Shimari, get up!'' Tatsumaki yelled at the dog girl. "Help me take Mina out. Then we''ll go rip the vampire to pieces. That way you can get revenge for your little boyfriend." She teased Shimari with ament she knew the dog would hate.


    "Ye-yeah. And he wasn''t my boyfriend!" Shimari got to her feet and summoned her sword and shield. Like Minazawa, she was a tank meant to take damage rather than dish it out. Tatsumaki however, was a bit different. She was one of the few who chose the Barbarian ss, which focused on dealing damage. With her special subss and abilities, she had an extraordinarily high amount of HP and was resistant to most damage types while in her frenzied state.


    "Mixu, can you make another shot?" Minazawa asked as she stood up and wiped broken bits of tree off her.


    "I''ll try, but since they know I''m here, it''s going to be hard. They''ll probably start using the trees for cover. I''ll move to another spot and see what I can do, but you might have to fight them 2 on 1. Sorry." Mixu sighed as she cutms.


    <i>{Well at least she killed Ketosu...} </i>Minazawa readied herself for the onught.


    "Let''s go!" Tatsumaki roared as she activated her frenzy. Her eyes turned red and a red aura encased her entire body. "I''m going to tear you apart Minazawa!" She stepped forward taking off towards Minazawa as a thunderous boom erupted from the ground as it cracked and buckled under her power.


    *BOOM*


    She mmed her massive sword down onto Minazawa''s shield. "Don''t think you can just sit behind your shield! I''m not like Elna. My hits actually go <i>through</i> your armor. Hiyahhh!"


    *BOOM**BOOM**BOOM**BOOM**BOOM**BOOM*


    Tatsumaki continued to strike Minazawa. Her shield was taking a beating from the massive de, and she could feel each strike. The barbarian''s strikes did significantly more damage than Elna''s fists, and Minazawa was starting to feel the pressure. Barbarians could pierce heavy armor with their attacks, and were essentially the anti-tank ss. Unfortunately for Minazawa, her build was reliant on her gear to soak up damage rather than having high vitality.


    <i>{Not good...}</i> Minazawa thought to herself as Tatsumaki mmed her shield.


    "Come on!" Tatsumaki had flown into a rage as a result of her ability and had started to lose control. "Why do you have to hide?!? Get out here and face me!" She mmed down once again, pinning Minazawa with herrge de. The barbarian''s face contorted in rage and was starting to look crazy.


    <i>{Dammit, this meathead is annoying!} </i>Minazawa thought to herself. She was in a tight spot only made worse when Shimari attacked from her rear.


    "Hiyah!" The dog-kin swung with her de. Minazawa couldn''t risk a direct strike on her back, so she sidestepped, allowing the weight of Tatsumaki''s attack to carry her off bnce. The barbarian fell forward mming into Shimari, shing her, and opening a massive gash in her armor. The dog girl screamed in pain, falling over bleeding.


    This was not exactly what Minazawa was expecting, and she was briefly shocked as she''d expected Tatsumaki to either try to redirect or soften the blow. But from her perspective, the barbarian <i>intentionally </i>hit as hard as possible into her teammate.


    ¡°Arhahdshashdfh!¡± Shimari started screaming. ¡°It hurt! It hurts!¡±


    Tatsumaki lifted her blood-stained de andughed as she swung the blood onto the ground. "Aw, poor puppy. Shouldn''t have gotten in my way. Oh well, too bad." She turned around to face Minazawa, blood covered her armor, and some was on her cheek. Her eyes were starting to show not just rage, but madness.


    <i>{Well, that worked out, but I need to deal with this beast quickly. Taking Shimari alive would help us a lot.} </i>On top of intel, Minazawa wanted to save as many people as possible, even her enemies. Perhaps this change was a result of her wanting to make amends for what her boyfriend once did, even she couldn''t say.


    ¡°Come on you raging bull!¡± Minazawa nged her de on her shield. ¡°Lets see just how far that animal instinct gets you!¡±


    ¡°With pleasure!¡± Tatsumaki charged forward and the battle continued.


    The two dueled one another, exchanging blows. Minazawa''s high defense did help to keep Tatsumaki at bay, but she was slowly being worn down. As her frenzy continued, Tatsumaki got more and more deranged. It was as if she was little more than a monster driven by blood thirst. Minazawa was relieved that Tatsumaki couldn''t strategize but was also wary of just how dangerous a rampaging animal could be.


    <i>{Now I see what Superbia meant by the game powers having different effects.}</i> A barbarian frenzy wasn''t supposed to affect a yer''s mind, but it seems that in the real world, it made them go out of control. Tatsumaki had likely underestimated this change when she used her ability, just as Superbia had with Princess of Blood.


    "Come on, Purple Rose!" Tatsumaki swung her de down, missing Minazawa, and smashing it into the ground creating a crater. "Let me feel those thorns!"


    Minazawa hadnded a few hits with her de, but it became apparent that her strikes had little effect on the berserker. Shecked the damage necessary to bring Tatsumaki down and needed Mixu''s sts to kill her.


    <i>{Come on, Mixu. Get your ass over here!} </i>Minazawa called out to the vampire in her mind, hoping she''d gotten a good line of sight.


    *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM*


    The two continued to sh, and Minazawa coughed up some blood. Tatsumaki''s attacks were starting to have an effect. On top of that, she was getting tired, while the barbarian seemed to be raring to go.


    "Raraghagh!" Tatsumaki screamed as she threw down her de and grabbed Minazawa''s shield.


    <i>{The fuck!} </i>She hadn''t expected this, as Tatsumaki was not a grappler.


    "Worareahg!" Tatsumaki had lost her mind and was now acting on instinct. Her eyes turnedpletely white as she tried pulling the shield away. However, even with all her strength, the barbarian couldn''t rip it away as it was attached to Minazawa''s arm via straps and bolts.


    <i>{Oh hell, she''s lost her fucking mind!} </i>Minazawa was surprised. The ability never did something like this in the game.


    Seeing little chance of overpowering her, she swung her de over and over again, but even drawing blood didn''t stop the raging barbarian. Her strikes almost seemed to bounce off rather than actually do damage.


    <i>{Where''s Superbia''s resistance nullificationwhen you need it!} </i>Minazawained in her mind about Superbia being busy elsewhere. <i>{Why didn''t we bring her for this! Stupid politics getting involved!} </i>(Minazawa)


    "Rarghawerau!" Tatsumaki ignored the strikes to her face, lifted Minazawa off the ground, and threw her into a tree. Minazawa slid to the ground, just barely raising her shield to block the flurry of punches.


    *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM*


    "Areaygh Die!" Tatsumaki began smashing into Minazawa''s shield trapping her against the tree. "Die! Die! Die! Die! Die! " Tatsumaki no longer cared about anything other than Minazawa. She wanted to break her and tear her to shreds even ignoring the pain in her fists from punching the shield.


    <i>{This might be bad} </i>Minazawa started to panic, thinking that she might be killed by Tatsumaki. But as she tried to figure out a n of action.


    *BANG*


    A loud shot rang out as Mixu shot Tatsumaki in the back.


    "Ack!" Tatsumaki cried out in pain as she fell over, growling. ¡°Areaudfhd!¡±


    Mixu had snuck up close, and seeing that Tatsumaki waspletely focused on Minazawa, she walked up behind her and shot her straight in the back with her rifle. Even a raging barbarian in armor wasn''t going to survive that. Tatsumaki began heavily bleeding, gagging, and iling about before she sumb to her injuries.


    "Well, that was fucking crazy. Never thought I''d see Tatsumaki actually go all unga. Part of me was expecting her to start repeating your name over and over again as she screamed.¡± Mixuughed. "You ok?" She helped Minazawa stand up.


    "I''ll live." Minazawa. "I guess now we know to pass along a message to any other barbarian. Don''t use your fucking rage..." She spit out some blood. "We need to get Shimari to a hospital ASAP. That wound was really bad. Take her to the medical team to get her stabilized first." The dog girl was now unconscious on the ground, her blood pooled around her.


    "Why the fuck did <i>she</i> of all people join Libra." Mixu went and picked the girl up.


    "I have no clue, but we can find outter. Right now run as fast as you can. I''ll catch up." Minazawa waved her off, and Mixu took off at full speed.


    They had a medical team nearby in case they needed it, so she took Shimari to them first. They couldn''t handle an injury this bad, but they managed to patch her up enough to survive until she was taken to a hospital in Matsumoto.


    Upon arriving, Shimari was rushed into emergency surgery. Doctorster told Mixu that the dog girl only barely survived that injury. Tatsumaki''s de sliced right through her armor like butter and cleaved a massive gash in the front of her torso. Had it not been for sheer luck, she would have bled out, but luckily most of her vital organs had been missed or only nicked.


    Mixu and Minazawa still couldn''t understand why Shimari was with Libra. she was a quiet and rtively nice girl on the assault team who worked with the group that cleared the easier floors. They wouldn''t get an answer for some time as the wound had ced the dog girl in a deepa.


    With the conclusion of this operation, Libra had lost three members, and Mixu had be the first member of the RRT to take another yer''s life, though she wasn''t really bothered. She''d killed plenty of NPCs in the game and saw little point in making a distinction now. But now, Libra knew the RRT mean business and the battle between them would only escte from here.


    Spoiler


    Shimari!


    Ketosu!


    Tatsumaki!


    [copse]

 Chapter 75 – This is Getting out of Hand.

    Chapter 75 ¨C This is Getting out of Hand.


    A few dayster, Kana had just gotten off school and headed into the house to speak to her sister. Yumi told her she was in one of the side dens, so Kana decided to pop in. As she walked down the hallway and neared the room Akagi was in, she could hear Akagi seemingly speaking to herself.


    "It looks like everything is working as intended." (Akagi)


    "Yeah, though, still its kinda freaky." (Akagi)


    "Definitely something I''d ever expected to see." (Akagi)


    "Should we try more?" (Akagi)


    "Nah, I think this is the most we can do at the moment." (Akagi)


    "Yeah, I figured." (Akagi)


    Kana was confused about this conversation and decided to open the door. When she did, she was greeted by two Akagi''s sitting across from one another at a small floor table.


    "Hey Kana" (Akagi 1)


    "How was school?" (Akagi 2)


    "Uh.... what?" Kana looked back and forth between the two Akagi''s with confusion. "Why are there two of you?


    "There''s not two of me." (Akagi 2)


    "Yeah, I can''t copy myself." (Akagi 1)


    Kana was understandably confused, and the two Akagi''s knew this.


    "I guess having 180 IQ doesn''t make her a know it all." Akagi 2 chuckled.


    "Now, now. Don''t pick on her just because she''s a bit <i>slow.</i>" Akagi 1 snickered.


    "I don''t need this." Kana sat down at the table and put her head in her hands. "Please just tell me what you''re doing." Seeing she was dejected, both Akagi''s began to pat her head.


    "There, there." (Akagi 2)


    "Do you remember how during my fight with Hishya I created those other bodies?" Akagi 1 asked.


    "Yeah, you made two, I think," Kana said with her head on the table.


    "Those copies were just extensions of me since I can create bodies made out of shadow to use." Akagi 2 smiled.


    "And that''s what this is?" Kana asked.


    "Not quite." Akagi 1 said. "In the case of the bodies you saw before, they were really inefficient and were kinda hard to control. They were useful, don''t get me wrong. But it was wonky and little more than a gimmick."


    "However." Akagi 2 chimed in. "This time, with the extra power I unlocked, I managed to create two identical bodies with no issues. Each contains 100% of my consciousness, and I am in full control of each. To the point that I am both here and there simultaneously." She smiled. It was tricky to get it right, but Akagi had seeded on of her little pet projects.


    "So, you''re just controlling two bodies instead of one?" Kana sat up. "That sounds like it shouldn''t work."


    "For a human like you, it wouldn''t since you can''t exactly split yourself into a bunch of different parts." Akagi 2 answered. "But since my real body is effectively a living mass of energy, controlling two vessels instead of one is possible. Though it takes quite a bit of energy to do so." Akagi''s existence was a strange one, Mizumi originally thought this wouldn''t work and was surprised when it did.


    "How does that even feel?" Kana asked. "You have two different sets of informationing in from those bodies. How are you even able to concentrate enough to do anything?"


    "The technical stuff goes above me." Akagi 1 admitted. "However, it feels normal."


    "Yeah, it''s really hard to exin." Akagi 2 scrunched her face in thought. "The best way I can describe it is like I''m controlling two puppets with their own feedback."


    Kana didn''t think this was a good enough exnation, but Akagi really couldn''t exin it in a way she would understand.


    "Sorry, but it''s not something you can exin to a mortal or at least a being thatcks the ability to split consciousness." Akagi 2 sighed. "But I can say this, it''s not like I''m getting bombarded with information or experiencing ovepping vision or other senses. Since each body has my full consciousness, it simply feels like I''m in this body while also being in that one." She shrugged. "My advice, just don''t think about it. Even you would probably get a headache trying to wrap your head around it."


    "Feels kind of nice to say I can understand something Kana doesn''t!" Akagi 1ughed.


    Kana just rolled her eyes. "Well, I guess the exnation doesn''t matter." Kana decided to drop the subject. "So my next question is why? Why did you do something like this? Please tell me it will be normal to see two of you around. I know that will only mean twice the tormenting at me." Kana really didn''t want that.


    "Nah," Akagi 1 said. "This is more just something to goof around with. Using it full time is kinda pointless." At first she thought perhaps this would allow her to sleep and do work, but she quickly realized that wouldn''t work. In order to sleep she''d need to go into her semi-conscious state which didn''t allow for another body to keep working. She could just have one bodyy in bed and <i>pretend</i> to sleep. But Akagi didn''t like that. "But don''t worry, I don''t need more bodies to increase the torment I inflict upon you." She winked.


    <em>{Great...}</em> Kana sighed.


    "As for <em>why</em>." Akagi 2 continued. "I just wanted to try it out, I guess?" She shrugged. "I haven''t really just kind of <i>yed </i>with my powers since I got back from FWO, so I wanted to mess with them a bit. I figured seeing if I could run two bodies at once would be kinda cool. I once saw an anime where the MC had two bodies and thought it would be neat to try it out for myself."


    "I guess that makes sense," Kana said. "I mean, with your abilities, I imagine you can do all sorts of things." Kana actually didn''t know the full depth of Akagi''s abilities, but at this point little could truly surprise her.


    "Staying like this full time would be a unique experience." Akagi 1 said. "But I think, for now, I''ll reserve this for ytime."


    Kana chatted for a bit more with the (two?) Akagi''s before they moved on and wanted to try something else out.


    "Hmmm." Akagi 1 mused. "What should we do next?"


    "Well..... "Akagi 2 thought for a moment, before pulling the other Akagi over to her and whispered something into her ear.


    "Oh, yeah, we should probably deal with that." Akagi 1 agreed with whatever Akagi 2 said.


    "What was the point in whispering in your ear? You''re the same person!" Kana was exasperated.


    "Because I wanted to." Akagi 2 shrugged. "I just thought it would be funny." Akagi 2 snapped her fingers, and Akagi 1 disappeared into a ck puff of smoke.


    "Now then, if you have a moment. I have something to show and discuss with you." Akagi stood up and looked at Kana.


    "Yeah, that''s fine." Kana stood up with a worried look on her face. "Every time you want to talk, it''s never something good though." She sighed.


    "Yeah, well, sorry." Akagi scratched her cheek in embarrassment. "But, I decided to be a bit more open with you about things, and well....."


    "It''s fine," Kana said. "I said you don''t need to hide things from me, and I''m d you feelfortable sharing with me." Kana gave a small smile, which caused Akagi to do the same.


    "Alright then." Akagi stuck out her hand, and a ck swirling portal appeared. "Shall we?" Akagi grabbed her sister''s arm and pulled her inside along with her.


    "Wait! Where are we... going...." Kana didn''t even have a chance to resist before she was pulled inside. "Where are we?" She said, annoyed. Around her was nothing but swirling darkness in all directions. It was disorienting at first, but Kana noticed that a light source seemed to be behind her as she was casting a long shadow. Akagi let her go and motioned for her to turn around, and what she saw shocked and confused her. Floating in the air several hundred feet in front of her was a giant glowing white ball with numerous dark cracks running its length. It shone brightly and was seemingly the only source of light in the dark abyss Akagi had brought her.


    "Ok. I''ll ask again." Kana took a deep breath. "Where are we? And what is that?!?" She pointed at the white orb while looking at her sister.


    "That," Akagi pointed at it. "Would be me." Akagi gave a wry smile. "What you are seeing is my soul."


    "Y-your soul?!?" Kana was taken aback. "<em>That''s</em> your soul! Why can I even see it, and again <i>where are we!</i>" She really wanted the answer to that.


    "I took you inside of me." Akagi looked at Kana, whose face told her that wasn''t a great answer. "Recall that I said I can take people <i>into</i> my shadow. Well, that''s what I just did. We are currently within my body."


    Kana''s eyelids drooped slightly as if she wanted to say something, but chose to hold her tongue. "Anyway, if we''re inside you, then how are you standing in front of me?" It was a reasonable question.


    "The same reason you can see me in the outside world." Akagi replied. "I''m projecting an image here for you to interact with. See." Akagi allowed her form to dissipate before Kana''s eyes, and her voice came from the very darkness itself. "I don''t actually need to have that body to talk with you. But I figured speaking to the literal <i>void</i> wouldn''t really make you happy." Akagi reformed in front of her sister a few momentster.


    "Yeah, I would appreciate it if you didn''t do that. Its already strange speaking to you when your a shadow blob, but hearing your voicee from nowhere is even more creepy." Kana''s arms had goosebumps. "That''s like some horror movie-level stuff."


    "And that''s why I''m still using a body, and part of the reason I use one in the outside world. People tend to not like when the darkness itself speaks to them." Akagi had freaked enough people out with her antics and figured Kana and her friends wouldn''t take it well. "Though it does make for good pranks."


    "Ok, so why did you bring me in here? Why are you showing me your soul? And what are those cracks on it?" Kana had many questions.


    "Because I want you to see me." Akagi said as turned towards her soul.


    "See you?" Kana tilted her head, not understanding Akagi''s words.


    "Look at those cracks, Kana." Akagi pointed to them. "Look inside them for just a moment, and tell me what you see."


    Kana did as she was asked. At first, she saw nothing. However, after nearly a minute of straining her eyes, she caught a glimpse of something moving within the crack. Refocusing her eyes, she caught sight of an orange eye in the darkness beyond the white light. The eye resembled Akagi''s left eye. It stared back at her for a moment before a second eye appeared from the darkness. Kana felt a chill run down her spine, and her hair stood on end. She was so scared that she took half a step backward away from Akagi''s soul.


    "Wha-wha-what is that?!?" Kana asked her sister in a panic. "It-it stared at me. It-it wanted to-"


    "Eat you." Akagi finished for her. "Yes, it would seem I do. And I can see why." She chuckled.


    "What?" Kana was confused. "What do you mean? What''s going on? What is that thing? What do you mean you want to eat me????" Kana fired off questions quickly as her body was high on adrenaline. She pulled Akagi by the cor and yelled while shaking her. "Answer me!"


    "What you saw, what stared back at you. Was me, Kana." Akagi said with a serious expression.


    "What do you mean! You''re in front of me, or around me, or whatever." Kana couldn''t be bothered to get the technicals correct. "How could that <i>thing</i> be you?!?"


    "Please don''t call me a thing, Kana." Akagi looked genuinely upset at that word. Kana for her part, calmed down when she saw Akagi''s sad face, and she let her go.


    "Sorry, I let myself get carried away." Kana apologized and let her go. "But please exin what''s going on."


    "It''s understandable." Akagi turned away from her sister. "I''m not human, it''s natural you''d be afraid of me." She continued. "Where to start." Akagi thought for a moment. "That white glowing part, the part giving off all that light. That is not actually my soul. It''s the seal that''s keeping me contained."


    "Con-contained?" Kana repeated. "Is that what you mean when you said the real you was restrained? That you felt like there was another mask you were being forced to wear?" Kana recalled her sister''s words from their prior conversations on the subject. "I didn''t think you meant that<em>literally</em>."


    "Yes," Akagi answered without looking at her. "And neither did I, at least until recently."


    Kana looked back a the glowing white orb. The ck cracks ran across its entire surface, and some sections had chunks taken out of them, like an egg that was partially cracked. The twin orange eyes still peered out, staring at her.


    <i>{In that vision, Onee-chan said mom had let her out. Is this what she meant? But why was Onee-chan sealed? Who did it? Why? And will the world be destroyed if she''s let out?} </i>Kana thought deeply about what Akagi said to her in the past as well as what she''d seen in that vision.


    "You''re sealed away because the real you is dangerous. Is that right?" Kana supposed. It made sense based on the vision and what she knew about her sister. "Because if you got out, then the world I saw in that vision would happen?" Kana looked at her sister''s back. "Those cracks are because you''re trying to get out, isn''t it? Because you want to be free."


    "Those cracks were made because the seal around my soul is weakening," Akagi said. "When I nearly killed you, the first real damage to them was done. Mizumi said the only reason they didn''t fully break was because my subconscious desire to stay human won out and is now acting as a seal."


    "Isn''t that a good thing?" Kana figured her sister''s retention of her humanity was something to be celebrated. "Even if you weren''t born human, that means you still want to stay human, at least in mind right? So, everything good!" This should have been a happy thing. Right?


    Akagi didn''t immediately answer her sister''s question. After a few moments, Akagi turned around, her face filled with tears. "No Kana. No, I don''t want to be human anymore. I want to be whole."

 Chapter 76 – The Deep Bond, and An Impossibility.

    Chapter 76 ¨C The Deep Bond, and An Impossibility.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    This is the final day of the marathon! Thank you all so much! There are two chapters today, then we''ll be back to our normal schedule!


    "No, Kana. No, I don''t want to be human anymore. I want to be whole." Akagi dered with her face filled with tears. It was an unexpected statemen and caught Kana off guard.


    "What does that mean?" Kana took out a rag from her pocket and wiped Akagi''s tears. "Why do you want to give up your humanity? Isn''t it good that you still care about us? About me?"


    "Kana," Akagi ced her hand on her sister''s head. "Ever since I can remember. There''s always been a hole inside me. I''ve always felt like I was missing something, something important." Akagi was still crying. "It''s like there was a void in my heart. A void that nothing, not you, not Yumi could fill."


    "A void?" Kana asked.


    "I always thought it was just part of who I was. That I was destined to always have this empty feeling inside of me." Akagi looked her sister in the eyes. "But when I saw you copsed in the mall. For the briefest of moments, the seal around my soul flickered, bent, and broke. In that instant, part of my real self was released. And for the first time in my life, that void, Kana, that void <i>filled</i>. Just a little bit." Akagi continued to cry. "And you have no idea just how good that felt. After all these years, I found out just what I was missing, where it was, and how to get it. For the first time, I could be whole, I could truly be me, and I could be rid of this empty feeling inside." Akagi cupped Kana''s cheek. "But.... even though I know how.... even though I know where... I-I-I can''t do it. I can''t do it, Kana."


    Kana had never seen her sister cry like this, and she''d never heard any mention of this feeling of emptiness inside her sister''s heart. She''d always known Akagi struggled with her issues, but this was much more than she''d ever expected. Though, she figured this might exin some of her problems. Akagi was always cold, distant and irritable. She often had a hard time dealing with people. But ever since the mall, she''d seemed happier.


    "If I give in... If I give in and let myself free. Then while I would fill that void, that would most likely mean I lose you and everyone else I care about." Akagi continued. "That power, Kana, it''s intoxicating, it''s like a drug. And it wants me to destroy, to burn, to kill. If I let myself free, then I''d most likely be overwhelmed by it, and there would be nothing left but the monster you saw in your vision. A version of me who cares for nothing else but death and destruction." Akagi whipped the tears from her eyes. "And that''s not eptable. I refuse to allow myself to be controlled, even by my own power."


    "Can''t you find a way to control it?" Kana asked. "Is there no way you can figure out how to let yourself out <i>and</i> keep your sense of self?" She wanted her sister to find a way to be happier without turning into a monster.


    "That''s what I''m trying to figure out." Akagi chuckled. "But I fear that I don''t have much time left." Akagi turned to look at her soul. "Each day, the barrier weakens, and while my will is strong." She shook her head. "Even I cannot resist such temptation forever." She gave a dryugh. "The call to violence and destruction... its too... <em><strong>tempting</strong>."</em>Her voice briefly distorted.


    "So, that means I''m just going to lose you! That you''re destined to be a monster that destroys the world?!?" Kana eximed. "That''s not fair! You don''t deserve that!"


    "Destroying the world was probably what I was intended to do from the start, Kana," Akagi said. "Mizumi said the barrier was never intended tost. It''s a miracle that I''ve held myself back this long. I fear that if something like what happened to you happens again, that might just be it." Akagi sighed. "I wanted to exin all this to you now while I have the chance. You needed to know the truth, and well, here it is. Your so-called sister is actually some kind of world-destroying <em>Demon</em> who''s struggling to hold herself back from doing just that."


    Kana stood silently.


    "You said you''d stay by my side no matter what. But that was before you knew everything. So, I''ll ask now. Do you still consider me your sister? After everything I''ve shown you? After admitting that the real me is a monster that wants to kill everyone and even <i>eat </i>your very soul. Can you really think of a being like that as your sister?" Akagi turned around and gave a passionate statement. She wasn''t sure what Kana''s response would be, but she''d steeled herself to be rejected. "Am I not just a monster in your eyes?"


    Kana slowly walked up to Akagi and stood about a foot in front of her. Akagi readied herself to be pped, but to her surprise, Kana brought her into a hug. "You really are an idiot. Aren''t you?" Kana squeezed her tight. "I told you already. None of that stuff matters. You''re my sister, demon, human, or something else. I don''t care." Kana looked up into Akagi''s eyes. "I won''t act like I understand everything you''ve been through, but I would never abandon you. Not now, not ever."


    <em>{I swore that I''d make up for my mistakes and I''ll do everything in my power to save you.}</em>Kana squeezed her tight.


    "How can you just be ok with this?" Akagi asked. "I just said that I want to <i>eat</i>, not just your soul, but everyone''s! I want to destroy the world! That''s the real me! How could you call someone like that anything but a monster?!?" She couldn''t believe Kana could truly care for such a creature.


    "Because you''re my sister." Kana squeezed her tighter. "Even if you want to destroy the world. Even if you wish to eat everyone including me, you''re first and foremost my sister. I don''t care about the rest, I ept you for everything you are, good and bad."


    <em>{I owe you that much...}</em>Kana let go of Akagi and turned to face her sisters soul before yelling.


    "ONEE-CHAN!!!!" Kana yelled. "YOU DON''T NEED TO BE CONTROLLED BY THAT POWER, AND YOU DON''T NEED TO BE AFRAID OF IT! ITS YOUR''S! YOU DON''T NEED TO LISTEN TO IT. DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO! NOT WHAT IT TELLS YOU TO! YOU DON''T NEED TO HIDE! NOT FROM ME AND NOT FROM ANYONE ELSE!" Kana let out a breath. "I''ll be waiting for you. And when you finallye out. I''ll give you a big hug."


    Inside Akagi''s soul, the two orange eyes appeared once again and looked back at Kana, and a loud groan could be heard before the eyes disappeared into the darkness and faded away.


    "K-Kana, do you have any idea what you''re saying?!?" Akagi stumbled back. "If you say those things- gah!" Akagi'' clutched her chest in pain as the cracks on her soul grew.


    "I believe in you Onee-chan." Kana turn to face Akagi with a smile on her face. "It might not be today, but I believe that you can conquer this. No matter what reason you were given all this power, it''s still <i>yours</i>." Kana continued. "You have every right to take control of your own destiny. If after everything, you still want to destroy the world, if you still want to eat my soul, then that''s fine. But I want that to be <i>your</i> decision. Not because you werepelled to, but because you wanted to." Kana''s happy smilepletely contrasted with the insane words she just spoke.


    The pain in Akagi''s chest stopped and she stood up, her face covered in sweat. "Kana, you know you''re just as insane as me? Who else would tell their sister they''d dly let them <i>eat</i> their soul?" Akagi shook her head in exasperation.


    "There''s a fine line between genius and insanity." Kana smiled. "If loving you makes me insane, then so be it."


    "I think that goes beyond just normal love, Kana." Akagi sighed.


    "If eating my soul would genuinely bring you happiness, then so be it." Kana''s face was serious. "I don''t exactly <i>want</i> that to happen, but I would if I must."


    <i>{I owe you a debt I can never hope to pay, even if you don''t see it that way.} </i>Kana kept this thought to herself.


    "You really are my sister, aren''t you?" Akagi chuckled. "Who else but crazies like us could stand inside a ce like this, discuss destroying the world, and then talk about me eating your soul."


    "If there was any doubt in your mind, I hope that cleared it up." Kana chuckled as Akagi hugged her again.


    "Thank you, Kana. Thank you for epting me and for always being there for me. If it wasn''t for you. I would have already..." Akagi understood just why she''d stayed sane all these years. It wasn''t just some iron will or desire to stay in control.


    <i>{It''s because I didn''t want to hurt Kana. That''s why I''ve held on, isn''t it?} </i>Akagi separated from Kana and looked her in the eye. <i>{No, it''s not just Kana.} </i>Akagi''s mind instantly went to Yumi. <i>{For some reason, the thought of Yumi crying because I lost myself... It pains me... It pains me even more than if it were Kana.} </i>Akagiughed. <i>{I never expected someone to mean more to me than Kana. I didn''t even think that was possible. But I guess I''ve been lying to myself all this time. Yumi really is the most important person in this world to me, isn''t she? I might not be capable of loving Yumi, but I can''t deny that I feel something more than just a friendship. Perhaps she really does mean as much to me as I do to her? Perhaps we really do both need each other, even more than I ever imagined?} </i>Akagi resolved to answer the question of what Yumi meant to her. As she thought this, a word that she''d never heard before appeared in her mind, it flowed out from her soul and directly into her mind, just as other information had.


    <em><b>"[</b><b>A Bonded Soul.]"</b></em> Akagi said the word that came to her mind and was assaulted by an influx of information on the term.


    "Onee-chan. What does that mean? A Bonded Soul?" Kana asked, which took Akagi off guard.


    "Kana!" Akagi gripped her sister''s shoulders. "How do you know that word!" Akagi herself had just learned it, so Kana couldn''t possibly have heard it before.


    "???" Kana tilted her head. "You just said it didn''t you? <b>[</b><i><b>A Bonded Soul.]" </b></i>Kana repeated the word which caused both sisters to freeze.


    "Kana, how can you speak <i>Demon</i>?" Akagi stared at her sister inplete shock, and Kana had no answer for her. The two stood inplete shock as they now had another question to answer.

 Chapter 77 – The Bleed Effect and the Question.

    Chapter 77 ¨C The Bleed Effect and the Question.


    "How is that even possible? How could you know how to speak <i>Demon</i>?" Akagi was shocked that Kana had not only understood what she said but was able to repeat it to her perfectly in <i>Demon</i>. "That shouldn''t be possible, thatnguage isn''t something that exists in this world! You should have no way of knowing it!" She started to panic.


    Kana was just as shocked and couldn''t answer.


    "First things first." Akagi snapped her fingers, and they reappeared in the room they were in prior. "Let''s get you out of my body, that might have had something to do with it." Akagi was in a panic, fearing that she may have done something to her sister. "Yumi!" Akagi screamed and the priestess appeared next to her. "Get Mizumi here, NOW!"


    Yumi waspletely taken aback and had no idea what had transpired in Akagi''s shadow body, but seeing the urgency she quicklyplied and dragged the young girl here by the scruff of her uniform.


    "What''s the big idea!" Mizumiined as she was dragged. "You just teleported in out of nowhere and grabbed me!" Mizumi was annoyed, but the panicked look on Akagi''s face caused her to drop her attitude. "What''s wrong? You called for me, so how can I help you?" She stood up and looked at Akagi.


    "Kana just spoke <i>Demon,</i> Mizumi!" Akagi looked at her. "That''s not possible, but she just did!"


    "Huh?" Mizumi was confused. "What''s wrong with that?"


    "I never taught her thenguage! She just spoke it out of nowhere without prompting!" Akagi growled. "She just suddenly understood me and recited back a perfect pronunciation of a word I just learned seconds prior! That''s not normal! Did I do something? Did I break Kana? Was taking her into my shadow a bad idea!" Akagi started to panic, and her words sped up.


    "Woah, Woah, Woah!" Mizumi rushed over. "Calm down, calm down. I don''t think you did anything to Kana." Her eyes glowed blue. "And I see nothing wrong with her soul or her body, so take a deep breath."


    "Yes, my Lord, please calm down." Yumi was worried, seeing Akagi this distraught really upset her. "Getting worked up will only make things worse."


    Akagi stood back and took a deep breath before falling onto the floor.


    Kana just stood still inplete shock before finally muttering something in <i>Demon</i>. "<i><b>[What a strange feeling.]"</b></i>


    Hearing the unnatural words escape Kana''s mouth caused Mizumi and Yumi to flinch in surprise, while Akagi went wide eyed.


    "<i><b>[It''s like I always knew thisnguage, but I know for a fact that I never did. Is this what it was like for you Onee-chan?]" </b></i>Kana asked in <i>Demon.</i>


    Akagi replied. <i><b>"[Yes, it''s a strange sensation to be suddenly granted knowledge, but how is this possible? I didn''t do anything.]"</b></i>


    "Umm. Can you two please stop talking in that tongue?" Mizumi asked. "I don''t know about Yumi, but just hearing that is causing my head to hurt." It seemed even a Spirit couldn''t handle hearing the<em>Demon</em>nguage spoken.


    Yumi seemed unaffected but still asked they stop. "We can''t understand you, and you might harm others who are nearby." she gave a dryugh.


    Kana and Akagi looked at each other and sighed.


    "Does anything feel wrong? Anything at all?" Akagi asked Kana as she stood up.


    "No," Kana shook her head. "The only strange thing is my sudden knowledge of <i>Demon</i>. Other than that, nothing seems wrong." She didn''t notice anything else.


    "Mizumi, do you have any input?" Akagi looked at her.


    "Hmm." She thought. "It''s possible that exposure to your real body might have caused a bleed-over effect which transferred the knowledge of thenguage." Mizumi scrunched her face. "But that''s such an extremely unlikely scenario."


    Yumi chimed in. "Perhaps Kana is like my Lord? Maybe she was born with such knowledge and is only now unlocking it?"


    Akagi paled when she imagined Kana being the same as her.


    "No, No, No," Mizumi denied such a possibility. "I can clearly see Kana''s soul, and there''s not even a blemish on it." Mizumi continued. "Kana is certainly a human, and I see nothing that would indicate she was harmed or influenced by Aka-" She stopped mid-sentence, her glowing eyes fixated on something inside Kana.


    "Oi, what''s wrong?" Akagi didn''t like that she stopped like that. "What''s wrong with Kana!"


    Mizumi snapped out of her stupor, and her eyes returned to normal. "Well... there''s nothing wrong with Kana, per se but...."


    "Spit it out!" Akagi eximed.


    "It''s better if I just show you." Mizumi waved her hands, and an image of a bright white orb appeared between the four of them. "This is Kana''s soul, it''s pretty normal and standard fare for a soul.... except...." She rotated the image which showed a small portion of it had turned ck. Not much, it was the size of a drop of water, but it was enough to be noticeable.


    "What is that!" Akagi yelled. "Did I cause that?!?"


    "Please calm down!" Mizumi yelled back. "There is nothing wrong, and Kana is not in any danger! I''ve seen this before." She tried to calm Akagi down and was getting annoyed that she was constantly yelling and panicking.


    "Then what is it?" Akagi looked at her with fierce eyes. "What is that dark mark on Kana''s soul?"


    "It''s bleed," Mizumi exined. "When two people spendrge quantities of time together, especially if one has far more power than the other, <i>which you do, t</i>he stronger party can leave an imprint of their power on the other''s soul. These usually form when a soul is newly introduced to a body. So most likely this is old, not new." Mizumi sighed.


    "Then why would it appear now? I had no powers before FWO." Akagi asked.


    "Just because your power was <i>sealed </i>doesn''t mean it can''t leak," Mizumi exined. "You have a crazy amount of dark and infectious power, far more than a normal human should be exposed to. From what you told me, you''ve been around Kana constantly since she was a baby. Most likely, your soul''s aura imprinted on the newly cleaned soul that was ced in her body."


    "Can we remove it?" Kana asked.


    "No, it''s part of you. I''m not sure how I missed it before this, probably because it was dormant until just now, but you cannot remove it. It''s literally a part of you." Mizumi crossed her arms in an X. "You need not worry. What was transferred seems to be just some knowledge, though it''s possible you also received some other things. If anything, this is quite a cause for celebration."


    "Celebration?" Kana asked. "Why?"


    "Cases of imprinting are rare and only ur where people have a deep bond." Mizumi continued. "In Spirit culture, we see it as a sign of a true connection. In this case, it''s proof of your bond with your sister and how much you care for her." She looked at Akagi. "You don''t need to worry. If anything it''s a good thing. It just goes to show just how much you love your sister, that''s all." Mizumi put her finger on her mouth and looked over at Yumi, her eyes turning blue once again.


    "Just as I thought." Mizumiughed.


    "What?" Yumi was ufortable being looked at like this.


    "Your soul was also imprinted on by Akagi." Mizumiughed. "Seeing an imprinting ur after the initial stages is extraordinarily rare."


    "Ehhh!" Yumi squeaked in surprise as she looked at Akagi.


    "You must have spent a lot of time with Yumi, and your feelings for her must be quite strong if this happened. My people would say that you are destined for one another, and it''s a sign that you should never be apart." Mizumi chuckled a bit seeing Yumi''s reaction.


    "I guess that would exin the term I was given. <em><b>[</b></em><i><b>A Bonded Soul.]</b></i>" Akagi repeated the word so they two could understand what she said. "For some reason when I was thinking about what Yumi meant to me, this word came to mind.¡±


    Yumi''s face turned red. "But- I... We... you..." She couldn''t speak clearly as she was experienceing a brain melt down.


    "I see, and what does that term mean?" Mizumi asked.


    "It refers to one who is bonded to me on a deeper level than simple romantic love. Apparently, my kind does not have romantic feelings, hence myck of them. Instead, we pair with the one we wish to spend eternity with. It has nothing to do with mortal concepts of love or sexual attraction and has everything with the bonded one being an irreceable part of us. Without which we view ourselves as iplete." Akagi exined all this, and as she did both Kana and Mizumi''s faces grew red.


    "How can you just spout off that embarrassing stuff!" Mizumi asked.


    "I see no reason to be embarrassed." Akagi shrugged and pulled Yumi into an embrace. "Why should I be embarrassed? It''s all true. Yumi really is the person I care for the most. Sorry, Kana." Akagi stuck her tongue out, and Kana just rolled her eyes.


    "My Lord." Yumi was still embarrassed. "Do you really mean all that?"


    "Of course I do." Akagi smiled at her. "But is that alright?"


    "Is what alright?" Yumi asked.


    "I can''t <i>love </i>you." Akagi gave a wry smile. "Any attempt to replicate mortal love or simr emotions would be fake, and I can''t do that to you. But I do want you to be by my side, I feel sad when you''re not around, and the thought of anything happening to you angers me to an extreme degree. You''re someone I can''t live without anymore, and it took me until just now to understand that.¡± Akagi smiled. ¡°I won''t force you to ept this strange rtionship, and honestly, I don''t know how much different things will be than they already are." Akagi pushed Yumi''s hair back andid her hand to rest on her cheek. "But if your willing, would you spend eternity with me? I can''t think of anyone else more suited to stay by my side." It was a bold deration, something that shocked everyone.


    Rather than answer with words. Yumi stole Akagi''s lips, surprising everyone including Akagi. "Does that answer your question?" Yumi asked as she gave another peck. "I''ll follow you anywhere, for as long as you want me to. If you want me to spend eternity together with you. Then nothing could make me happier." Yumi began to cry tears of joy.


    Akagi brought her in for a tight embrace. While she might not be able to reciprocate the romantic aspect, feeling the warmth of Yumi''s lips truly made her happy on the inside. Even if she couldn''t genuinely return the act''s emotional meaning.


    Yumi didn''t care, though. Even if Akagi couldn''t love her as a human would, that was fine. As long as she could stay by her side, that was all that mattered. She nuzzled into Akagi''s chest as she wrapped her arms around her. With her eptance, both girls could feel a connection form between them, one that ran deep, bonding their very souls together. It was warm, and each were brought a sense of peace and joy by the connection. As Akagi looked down at Yumi in her white Kimono, she could only think just how lucky she was.


    As long as she had Yumi, nothing else mattered.


    Kana and Mizumi stoodpletely speechless. They''d never expected to see this development. But Kana''s bewilderment soon turned into a smile.


    <i>{I''m d for you Onee-chan. I''m d you found that one person who you care about so much, and I''m d it was Yumi. You deserve each other.}</i>


    Spoiler


    Akagi and Yumi!


    [copse]

 Interlude 4 – Alice in Chains.

    Interlude 4 ¨C Alice in Chains.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Two Chaps!


    Sara Ikebuki was only five years old when her parents were killed in a car ident. The windy mountain roadbined with the weather made the perfect conditions for tragedy as the car swerved into the oppositend and was hit head-on by a sixteen-wheeler. Miraculously, Sara survived with only minor injuries. But the same could not be said for her parents. The two of them died on impact, and Sara was left alone with no family to take care of her. Both her parents were only children, and her grandparents were either unable or unwilling to take her in. With no other options, she was ced in a group home for adoption.


    She didn''t stay there long. Approximately one yearter, she was adopted by a couple, ostensibly because they couldn''t have children of their own. Sara was reluctant to go with them, but was given little choice in the matter. Her new <i>parents</i> were wealthy doctors who worked for the government, so it was assumed she would lead a good and stable life. The healthy donations given to the adoption agency went a long way in smoothing out any concerns. Things seemed to be looking up for the girl, she''d live a nice happy life with a rich loving family. Sadly, that couldn''t be further from the truth, and it didn''t take long for their true intentions for adopting Sara to reveal themselves.


    Rather than being adopted into a loving family, she was actually <i>purchased</i> as a test subject. Her parents worked for a shady part of the Japanese medical industry, and she was instead used as a human guinea pig. From experimental drugs to different kinds of surgeries, she spend nearly four years moving from one hospital to another as the horrific experiments continued.


    On the outside, she yed the part of the happy daughter to two loving parents. She would attend dinners and other events, forced to put on a smile and pretend to be happy and healthy. During this time, she never tried to escape or seek help. Mostly because she knew better than to act out and the few times she tried, her <i>parents</i> conveniently forgot to give her any form of anesthesia or pain suppressants during a subsequent experiment. The fact that a section of the government was running cover also made things more difficult.


    She was miserable and broken, and the only release avable to her was her ventures into VR, where she couldn''t feel the pain that coursed throughout her body. However, this was not some kind of nicety. Rather, she was continually ced in full dive for extended periods and given tasks to perform while within the virtual environment. Sometimes she would even go <i>months</i> without logging out, a significant health hazard for someone her age. But that didn''t matter to Sara as any chance she got to be away from the real world was a blessing.


    Her cement into FWO was also an experiment by her <i>owners.</i> The game publisher needed long term dive data and contracted the Japanese government to obtain a test subject who would stay logged in until the Alpha ended. Shady connections between the government and the medical industry lead to Sara being used as the "volunteer" and she and was given a list of tasks to perform, mostly revolving around the A.I. within the game. The ten-year-old little girl prepared herself for another dive into VR and was more than happy to escape even for a few weeks. Ordinarily, someone that young wouldn''t have been permitted into the game, but some strings were pulled and restrictions were bypassed.


    Upon entering and getting her bearings she, like every other yer, was informed that they could not leave unless they defeated all ten World Bosses. Most people panicked, but not Sara. To her, the chance to stay in this world for longer was a gift. At first, she was worried that she''d be unplugged from the outside, but after a few weeks, she figured they either couldn''t or wouldn''t do so. Her assumption was correct, since the hospital that monitored her couldn''t afford to have her die in their care, as it would trigger investigations. So she was left on life support with the hope that she would perish within the game.


    Being trapped in the game meant that the little girl was finally freed of the pain she''d been forced to endure, and for the first time since the ident, she was happy. After the first year, she''d fully taken on the persona of her character, Alice. As one of the few summoners, she was highly sought after and eventually joined the Assault Team as a support member. yers eventually caught on to the fact that she was actually a child, and this caused a brief conflict where some argued she should be taken back to the security of the starting town. While others pushed for her inclusion due to her ability.


    Alice, not keen to just sit around and do nothing, decided to show off her strength and prove to the other yers she was no weak child. Figuring the best way to do so was viabat, she set out to clear one of the dungeons that was giving the team difficulty. What had taken dozens of yers weeks to clear was done singlehandedly by Alice and her summons, shocking everyone. Most summoners could only bring out a handful at a time due to MP requirements. However, Alice had obtained a special skill [We Are Legion]. It allowed her to summon extraordinary amounts of her puppets and drastically powered them up. She couldn''t fight World Bosses, but she was more than capable of dealing with individual dungeons and floors. This forced the other yers to reevaluate their opinion of her and her role on the team, begrudgingly.


    With some further prodding, and the approval of Hishya, she was eventually allowed to stay, on the condition that she stay out of boss fights. The young girl reluctantly agreed, as she was happy to have people rely on her. For just over a year, she was a happy and productive member of the team, providing key power and making clearing floors and dungeons easier and safer with her puppets. However, things wouldn''t remain this way forever.


    ________________________________________________________________________________________________


    Assault Team HQ.


    "What do you mean the World Boss is moving on Hassan Fortress?!?" Hishya eximed as she mmed her hands on the map table. "How is this possible? They can''t leave their dedicated area!" Something like this was unprecedented, World Bosses had never shown the ability to act against their programming.


    "Silfana is leading an army of demons, orcs, ogres, and other nasties on a war path right now," Minazawa confirmed. "We just got word back from some of the local adventures who we sent out to confirm the rumors."


    Silfana was the only humanoid World Boss and, as a result, was the most tricky. The Lord of Vampires ruled a nation of monsters, hernds filled with countless creatures of darkness. The Assault team was saving her forter, and Alice''s puppets were expected to provide the edge needed to take her down. However this made things difficult, it was known that she was an excellent duelist and it was predicted to take multiple attempts to defeat her.


    "Why is this happening? Do we have any intel on that?" Hishya asked. "And what about the others? If they start moving out of their zones too, we''re in trouble." If more World Bosses started to roam freely, the Assault Team and the yers in safe zones wouldn''t be able to defeat them.


    "I sent some people to confirm the situation at other World Bosses. The team that checked Serval reported that he hasn''t moved," Minazawa confirmed that the Dragon Emperor was still asleep. "However...." Minazawa hesitated.


    "What is it?" Hishya asked. "Don''t hold anything back, we need every bit of information we can get."


    Minazawa sighed as she looked around the room. "Akagi <em>might</em> be responsible for this." The mention of the infamous Pker caused murmurs.


    "What do you mean?" Hishya stood up straight, her face contorting in irritation for a brief moment before returning to normal. "How is Akagi involved?" She was already getting sick of her Pking and hearing that she might have caused this boiled her blood.


    "Some adventurers confirmed that she entered Silfana''s fortress several days ago and then not too long after she left, Silfana''s armies started to move and assemble." Minazawa shook her head. "It''s not 100%, and I was reluctant to share this since it <i>is</i> just spection. But the timing is suspicious. Especially since Akagi is also <i>in </i>Hassan as we speak." They had no clue why she was hanging out in the fortress, but it was probably not for a good reason.


    <i>{God dammit Akagi. What have you done now?} </i>Hishya cursed her in her mind. She''d already convinced herself that the assassin was at fault.


    "So we need to work under the assumption that Akagi is working with a world boss?" Superbia spoke up. "I''m not even sure that''s possible. I mean, shouldn''t Silfana have attacked her the moment she entered her castle?" World Bosses were hostile to all yers the moment they entered their domain. It was hard to believe Akagi could speak with them, let alone work with one.


    "Then I''ll just have to wring the answer out of Akagi myself!" Hishya growled, her statement catching everyone off guard. "We can''t risk her doing something while we''re busy dealing with Silfana''s army. I''ll head to Hassan fortress and bring her down. She''s killed too many people, and we can''t afford to just ignore her anymore. Not when she might be actively undermining our efforts like this."


    "Your really going to fight Akagi?" Superbia was surprised. Hishya had tried to keep the Assault Team away from her due to the high casualty count from attacking her in the past. "If that''s the case, we should send as many as people possible to help you." She figured it best to overwhelm her with numbers, but Hishya red at her.


    "No!" Hishya eximed. "Akagi is mine. I let things get this bad, and I have a duty to clean up my mess. I will fight her <i>alone</i>." Many wanted to argue, but the determination on Hishya''s face shut downints.


    "Umm...." A small voice echoed throughout the war room. "I don''t think Akagi is responsible for this." Alice walked up next to Hishya clutching her teddy bear Floofy. "Akagi is nice. She would never do something that would get all the people in Hassan killed." She was referring to the NPC residents within the town around the fort. ¡°Besides she has no reason to do something like this!¡±


    "Kid, how many times do we have to tell you? Those are NPCs, not people." Ishigami chastised her. "They ain''t real, and if they die who cares? They''re just code anyway." His attitude was the prevailing one among most yers and everyone in the room silently agreed.


    "He''s right, Alice. No matter how life-like they seem, the NPCs are just code. Them dying might seem sad, but its no big deal. They''re fake people, Alice. You might be a bit too young to understand the difference between us and them, but it exists." Hishya smiled as she looked at the girl. "And I know you get along with Akagi, and that she ys with you. But she''s a bad person on the inside, she''s a murderer. You shouldn''t-" Alice interrupted her.


    "She''s not a bad person!" Alice''s sudden outburst took everyone by surprise. "Why can''t you all see that? If she really was as bad as you say, then why is she always helping us? Why did she save my life?" Alice red at Hishya. Alice had nearly been killed by monsters in the past, but Akagi risked her life to save her. "And you''re wrong about the NPCs! Those people are real, they''re nice to me, theyugh and everything. How can you call them fakes!"


    "Alice, I''ve known Akagi for quite some time, much longer than you and I''ve seen what she''s really like under that mask." Hishya tried to be nice. "She might act nice to you when you y with her, but that doesn''t excuse her killing people. She knows full well what she''s doing and still continues to take lives regardless." Everyone nodded in agreement. "Sure she might help from time to time, but that doesn''t change the fact that she enjoys taking people''s lives."


    Alice vigorously shook her head. "You don''t get it at all! You just don''t." Alice turned and ran out of themand center. Hishya called out to her, but she didn''t respond. ¡°Dammit Alice.¡± Hishya cursed quietly. The girl had always gotten under her skin with her rtionship with Akagi, and this was just another reason she didn''t like her.


    "And that''s why we shouldn''t have allowed that brat in here." Ishigami groaned. "This isn''t a ce for kids, and we shouldn''t be babysitting."


    "I know she''s helpful Hishya. But Ishigami has a point. This is too much for a child." Minazawa agreed. "Perhaps it''s time we sent her to stay with the rest of the nonbatants."


    "Perhaps your right." Hishya sighed. Losing Alice would be a great blow to their capabilities, and her army of puppets was an important part of the Assault team''s strategy. However, there were still concerns about making a child fight, and her closeness to Akagi had rankled many other yers. "I just hope she''s not too upset with us. I understand she''s quite fond of Akagi, but we can''t let that sway us." She put on her fake hero persona, but she was actually quite d to see her go. The small girl was eating into her position and acting as another person people fawned over.


    <i>{Without Alice, they''ll have to rely on me even more. Hehehe.} </i>Hishya giggled internally at the thought of her status rising even further.


    The team discussed things further and Hishya drafted a n to attack Akagi as well as ns to fight Silfana and her army.


    By the end of the day, some started to get worried since Alice never came back to the Assault team''s headquarters. She was never one to miss a check in and would only rarely stay gone for long periods of time. Especially without sending a message to another yer. A sense of panic set in, with many worried she might have gotten killed, prompting a search for her.


    It didn''t take long to discover that she''d teleported to Hassan and many yers figured she''d ran to Akagi. This angered Hishya, since she knew the girl would warn Akagi about the impending attack. Some yers saw it as a betrayal, with many calling for her to die along with the assassin, though killing a child was not something widely epted. With the element of surprise most likely lost, Hishya instead devised a strategy to fight Akagi within the fortress itself to limit her maneuverability. It would be a harder fight and she vowed to make Alice regret this betrayal.


    The night before the Great Battle of Hassan, Hishya arrived in the fortress city. The streets were empty as most residents fled or were in hiding. The army was nearly at the gates and they expected the assault toe sometime tomorrow. The Imperial Military was taking up positions outside of the city walls, but neither Hishya nor the other yers cared much about their ns or strategy. A key factor in the dramatic loss of life that would ur over the next few days.


    Entering the nearly abandoned fortress, Hishya was prepared to kill her rival and friend. Her eyes were filled with anger and contempt for the assassin and as she entered the small room Akagi was using. Upon entering, she caught sight of Alice having tea with her target. The terrifying look in Hishya''s eyes scared the young girl.


    "Alice,e over here. It''s time for the adults to talk." Hishya''s voice was filled with contempt.


    "Um....." Alice hesitated.


    "NOW!" Hishya''s voice echoed throughout the room. "Don''t make me say it again, unless you want me to kill you along with Akagi."


    "Is that really any way to treat a kid, Hishya?" Akagi asked. "You don''t need to be so mean."


    "You stay out of this." Hishya looked at her. "You''ve tricked her, made her think you''re some nice kind older sister when that couldn''t be further from the truth! So don''t you dare take that attitude with me!" Hishya looked at the shaking little girl. ¡°And you will be punished! Akagi is our enemy, how dare you go and tip her off!¡± Hishya was furious, almost to the point of unreasonableness.


    "Ah there it is, that''s the <i>real </i>Hishya. Quite ironic that you talk so much shit about me, when your a lying vain asshole who''s more than willing to knock others down just to look good." Akagiughed, causing Hishya to growl at her statement. "Hey, if you''re going to throw stones, don''t live in a sshouse." Akagi knew just what kind of person Hishya was under her <i>Hero</i> persona.


    "Please don''t fight." Alice squeaked out. "Akagi really didn''t do anything wrong, Hishya." Alice walked over to Hishya and attempted to reason with her. ¡°There''s no need to-¡±


    "I''m sorry, Alice." She moved behind her hand and chopped her in the neck, knocking her out. "Ishigami was right. This is really no ce for children."


    Akagi pped. "Congrattions, you knocked out a child pleading for peace. <i>Bravo</i>."


    "Trust me," Hishya said as she ced Alice down on the floor. "I don''t take any pleasure in what I just did. But, it needed to be done, she shouldn''t see what''s about to happen." She drew Sun Strike. "Now, then. I will do what I must, and protect everyone from you!¡±


    <i>{And clean up the mess I made all those years ago. Why did you have to turn out this way?!?}</i> (Hishya)


    "Fine," Akagi stood up. "If you want this ce to be your grave. Then so be it." The two shed, and while Akagi woulde out victorious. The effects of this night would ripple across time. Hishya woulde to understand Akagi''s true nature, the City of Hassan would be destroyed, and Alice would slip further into madness as the other yers treatment of her would only serve to worsen her mental condition. Feeling responsible for Alice''s deteriorating condition, Akagi took her and and hid her away from the prying eyes of the world.


    Later once the World Bosses where defeated and Alice woke up in the hospital. She quickly discovered that she''d retained her summoning powers, and rather than return to a life of experimentation and misery, she opted to instead fight back. On that day, the hospital that confined her was destroyed, its hallways running red with blood. And her <i>parents</i> were made to endure just as much pain as they''d inflicted on the young girl. She''d inherited a bit of Akagi''s sadism and simr character issues from her extended time in her care.


    Even before FWO, Alice had started to go mad from her treatment. But the ¡°betrayal¡± by her so-called friends on the Assault Team caused her already delicate mind to fracture further. With the power of her summons, she was prepared to strike back against the evil world that allowed her to be treated as a guinea pig. As the young girl walked out of the burning hospital apanied by her two trusty teddy bears, she felt the sun touch her skin, heard the birds chirp, and she began tough. No.... notugh... she cackled. The young fourteen-year-old girl began to cackle like a madman, blood covering parts of her face and dress. She was enjoying herself, she was happy and now, there was only one thing on her mind.


    "Fluffy... Floofy.¡± She looked at the two blood stained teddy bears that stood at her side. "Do you think Mama would be proud of us?" The two bears nodded in approval.


    The mama in question was, of course, Akagi. Hishya and the Assault Team''s actions had twisted her mind to the point that she now saw Akagi as a sort of mother figure. It was simr to how Yumi began to see Akagi as her new god after the destruction of her vige. It didn''t help that, just like Hishya, Alice had seen whaty within Akagi''s soul. But <i>unlike</i> Hishya, Alice thought Akagi''s true form was beautiful, and she longed for the day it would be released.


    "I think so too." Alice smiled as she looked at the two bears. The three began to walk down the street as the hospital exploded in mes behind her, sirens roared in the distance as she set out to find Akagi and enact her vengeance on this world.


    Spoiler


    Alice Breaks Out!


    [copse]

 Chapter 78 – A Tea Party, and Imp’s Story.

    Chapter 78 ¨C A Tea Party, and Imp¡¯s Story.


    "Mama!" Alice rubbed her face against Akagi. "I missed you so much!" This was typical behavior between Akagi and Alice and was by this point something the <em>Demon</em> hade to enjoy. Akagi had long given up on trying to change Alice''s mind and figured that it couldn''t hurt to act as the girl''s mother. She resisted quite heavily at first, but hearing about Alice''s tragic history and knowing who caused this whole mess changed her mind. Plus, Alice was extremely cute and Akagi had a soft spot for the girl.


    The tea party was nned for a time at which Kana was still at school. Akagi didn''t want her to meet Alice just yet, so they could enjoy some time together without worrying about interruptions. She nned on introducing her eventually, but not until Libra was dealt with and things calmed down.


    "Yes, and I missed you too little one." Akagi gave Alice a big hug. The two held regr tea parties at Akagi''s estate since she''d gotten it. After Hishya knocked her out at Hassan, Akagi had opted to hide the young girl in a far-off corner of the game. Hishya''s "betrayal" of the girl had shaken her to her core and caused her fragile mind to slip into partial madness. Naturally, the dragon hade to regret her actions, but that didn''t really matter to Alice. To her, Hishya was the "Bad Lady" who "Tried to kill Mama." There was a little bit more to this than just that, but it was an adequate simplification. Akagi had asked her to be nice to Hishya as long as the dragon was nice to her, which Alice reluctantly agreed to.


    "Don''t be rude. Say hello to our guest too." Akagi pointed at the red-skinned woman sitting across from them. Imp was also here, though less for the tea and more because she was working with Akagi on some experimental weapons. However, she<em>did</em>enjoy seeing Alice, both in game and in the real world.


    "Hello, Alice." Imp smiled as she drank her tea. Imp was an extremely odd and entric person. Not only was she having tea with Akagi, an already dangerous individual, but a member of a terrorist organization she was tasked with defeating was here too! Imp didn''t really care about any of that though. She was much more interested in building and tinkering, and Akagi was her favorite partner in crime in this respect. The two had crafted countless magical items, and together they''de up with insane ideas, both in and out of the game. Currently, Imp was here to see how her modified Muskets were working for Chloe''s n.


    "He-hewwo. Imp." Alice snuggled up to Akagi but gave a greeting. Albeit, after fumbling a bit. She''d seen Imp plenty of times, but was still a bit shy.


    "Cute-Adorable." Imp smiled. "Want treat-snack?" She reached into her storage and pulled out a small cookie shaped like a rabbit. This instantly got the young girl''s attention. She looked at Akagi, who nodded and slowly approached Imp''s outstretched hand. Imp held the cookie, and after taking a moment to sniff it, Alice chomped into it and ripped it from Imp''s hand before devouring it like a squirrel. The sight of the girl happily munching away at the cookie with puffed-out cheeks made both womenugh.


    Alice didn''t really appreciate beingughed at and pouted turning away from Akagi. Not being one to give in easily, Akagi upped the stakes.


    "Imp. Don''t you think it''s even cuter when she does something like that?" Akagi winked at her.


    "Mmhmm." Imp nodded in agreement.


    "Maybe we should pick on her a bit more, might get some funny reactions out of it." Akagi chuckled.


    Alice stayed facing the other direction and puffed out her cheeks. "Hmpf." she scoffed, refusing to turn around.


    Akagi thought for a moment before a grin appeared on her lips. "Ok then, if your gonna be like that." She got up quickly and wrapped her arms around the pouting girl. "Then you won''t mind if I tickle you until you give in!" Alice panicked, sensing grave danger, but it was toote as Akagi initiated Operation Tickle Monster.


    *TICKLE* *TICKLE* *TICKLE* *TICKLE*


    The young girl was no match for Akagi, who''d had ample experience doing this to Kana, and was quickly turned into a blubbering mess as sheughed uncontrobly from Akagi''s ticking. Imp meanwhile was losing it as she watched Alice try to escape, to no avail.


    After a few minutes, Alice was released, and she slumped over onto the ground,pletely exhausted and unable to move.


    "Mean Mama," Alice said this, but her smile indicated she had fun.


    "Yes, Yes, I''m very mean." Akagi nodded. "Next time, perhaps I should force-feed her vegetables. What do you think, Imp?"


    Imp shook her head vigorously. "Vegetable gross-nasty. No, make a girl eat! Evil Brussel sprouts...." It seems Akagi triggered a vegetable-rted trauma as Imp began to mutter about boiled sprouts.


    <i>{I guess she has a bad history with the greens too.} </i>Akagi chuckled internally.


    "No vegetables..." Alice said weakly.


    After a few minutes, the three returned to their tea party.


    "So how''re your magical experiments going, Imp?" Akagi asked, sipping her coffee. "You''ve undoubtedly been up to something in that workshop they gave you. Should I expect magical nukes anytime soon?"


    "Heh-heh." Imp grinned. "Magiteching along-progressing. Many ideas, much explosions, such fun!" Imp proceeded to tell Akagi a bit about some of her projects. She was currently focused onbining magic with modern technology in such a manner that allowed for its use without being able to use magic. Akagi had given Imp a copy of Mizumi''s exnation about magic circuits, which greatly assisted the mad scientist''s work.


    Imp was quite the peculiar character and was quite possibly the most entric of all yers of FWO. She never wavered from her role-ying, was unrelenting in her pursuit of knowledge, and her desire for experimentation and crafting was borderline insane. However, she was actually quite a nice person under that strange exterior, and she got along rtively well with most other yers. The fact that she was so good at what she did probably made others more willing to tolerate her entricities.


    While Akagi wasn''t as die-hard about crafting, she did enjoy experimenting and theorizing about new weapons and armor. In fact, her sword, World Breaker, was created by Imp in an attempt to duplicate an unobtainable Demonic sword described in the game''s lore. While the de was likely not as powerful as the one described in the writing, it was easily Imp''s finest work. And many yers were quite upset with the maniacal craftsmen when they found out she gave Akagi a de that was nearly unbreakable and could cut through anything.


    However, she was far too valuable to banish from the Assault Team, and they reluctantly allowed her to continue her work with Akagi. Whether Imp actually cared about escaping FWO was unknown, and she <i>rarely</i> spoke about her life before the game. It was general knowledge that Imp was an engineer. However, Akagi knew a little bit more. During their time in FWO, Imp had let slip that she worked for the government as a military contractor. Apparently, she was heavily involved in designing military hardware and was even a project lead. This meant that she was quite wealthy, and while she loved the work, it was killing her. The long hours, little time off, and general stress had taken a toll on her body. Couple that with the fact that she was nearly fifty years old and she was worried she might die of exhaustion before she retired. She never spoke of her family, and after leaving FWO, the identity of "returnees" was made public, meaning looking into her past was quite easy.


    Imp was a childless widow. Her husband had perished during an ident at work when they were both twenty-seven years old. She''d never remarried and spent the time in between drowning herself in her work to stave off depression. VR games provided a fantastic outlet since she could act as an entirely different person, and that meant she could invest fully in role-y to escape reality. When she was trapped in FWO, Imp saw it as a blessing of sorts. She could continue doing what she loved while escaping the reality that awaited her should they clear the game. Her persona was originally a nod to a game series she and her husband yed together, but after a while it just kind of stuck.


    When she woke from FWO and realized she was still her Imp character, she decided to live a second life. Thus, she was no longer role-ying Imp but had <i>be</i> Imp, just as Rishia became Akagi. During one of their first meetings after escaping FWO, when Akagi queried her about her speech pattern, she admitted it felt hard, if not impossible, to return to normal after all these years. She <i>could</i> speak normally<i>, </i>but just as Akagi felt disgusted returning to her original body, Imp couldn''t stand speaking normally. Whether this was something psychological or an effect of the magic used to transfer their powers was unknown, and neither really cared, as they had no intention of returning to the way things were. Imp was Imp, and Akagi was Akagi. As far as they were concerned, everything before FWO was the role-y, and the way they were <i>now </i>was their real selves.


    What little family Imp did still have was not interested in her or her new lease on life. For obvious reasons, they would not ept her, and that suited her just fine. Due to her contacts in the Japanese Military and Government, she was offered a lucrative position using her skills and experience to help the country. She happily epted, under the condition that she was not as overworked as she once was, and she was given full control over her projects and staff. Seeing little choice, the government agreed. Having the greatest craftsmen in FWO on their side was worth these small concessions.


    "Mama?" Alice sat in Akagi''sp and looked up at her. "When will I get to see you?" She was referring to her real self which was locked within her soul. "It''s sad seeing you locked up like that."


    "Soon, my child. Soon." Akagi smiled. Imp and Alice were aware of the truth about Akagi, and both had seen whaty within her soul. Imp was more curious than anything and requested that Akagi allow her to run tests. While Alice was stupefied and entranced believing Akagi''s true form to be beautiful and wondrous. "I have to take some precautions first, but it won''t be much longer." Akagi was still wary about releasing the seals around her soul. She wasn''t sure she had the mental fortitude to control herself with all that power and the instincts that came with it.


    "I can''t wait to see you, Mama!" Alice smiled as she hugged her.


    "Takeover-conquer world?" Imp asked. "Possible-doable. Might be interesting-fun!" Impughed. Whether or not she was serious was hard to tell.


    "It would be quite a pain to run an entire. Perhaps I would start with just Japan for now." Akagi chuckled. "How does that sound little one, would you like to be a real princess?"


    "Un!" Alice nodded and had a big smile as she snuggled against Akagi. "Mama would make a great Empress! Everyone should see just how amazing you are!"


    "Hishya could be royal <i>pet</i>." Imp decided to pick on Hishya a bit.


    "Nah, royal <i>mount</i>." Akagi corrected. "Let''s be nice and give her a bit of a higher position."


    Akagi and Imp let out hardyughs. The conversation had been <i>mostly </i>in jest. Akagi had no ns for world conquest, at present, but she never took anything off the table. She had already asked for her own country. So taking it one step further and conquering Japan, well for her, that would be a simple matter. Wouldn''t it?


    Spoiler


    Imp once again!


    [copse]

 Chapter 79 – Weapons Testing and Akagi’s Body.

    Chapter 79 ¨C Weapons Testing and Akagi¡¯s Body.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Two Chaps!


    Akagi, Imp, and Alice chatted for a bit more until the time for the little girl''s departure came. She didn''t want to leave, but had Libra work to do and couldn''t stay any longer, lest she fall behind on her puppet production. Not to mention Kana would be home soon. Before she left, she gave Akagi a small stuffed bear she made, it was a get well present for Kana, and Akagi told her she''d give it to herter. After a big hug from Akagi, Alice hopped on an erged Floofy and began the trip back to herpound north of Nagoya.


    Akagi watched her disappear into the distance before letting out a smile. "Well then." Akagi looked at Imp. "Shall we go check out the new weapons?¡± She''d been looking forward to this part.


    Imp''s eyes lit up. She''d been waiting for this too. "Yes-yes!"


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    "Fire!" One of the ninjas yelled.


    *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG*


    Onmand, the six animal-eared marksmen''s weapons exploded with power and sent a volley of six magical sts down rage obliterating their targets.


    "Excellent shots, all." Akagi praised their efforts as she and Imp walked over to the outdoor firing range.


    Immediately upon seeing Akagi, the seven ninjas lowered themselves onto one knee.


    "Lord." They said in unison.


    "Please, continue as you were." Akagi smiled. "I wish to see how your new weapons fair, and Imp wants to know if you came across any issues."


    "Yes, any problems-issues?" Imp took out a notepad to write on. She was quite interested in their feedback.


    The seven nodded and stood back up, six of the ninjas got into firing positions while their instructor, a rabbit-kin named. Nemino walked over to Akagi.


    "My Lord, the new weapons have proven to be exceptionally powerful and will be highly useful for the members of our n." He said with a serious expression. The ninja actually had training in firearms, something most people would be confused by. In FWO, muskets and single-shot pistols did exist, but they were more or less a gimmick, and the yer sses that used them were quitecking. With the pirate themed swashbuckler being the only example of ss that could use them well. Chloe''s n was able to use them, but only rarely did, as they were to slow, loud and unreliable.


    Akagi was always interested in buffing up her n''s firepower and decided to push the boundaries of magic now that they were freed of the game''s limitations. Knowing that Imp was working on something simr, she offered the mad scientist the chance to work together jointly on weapon development, something Imp leapt at, and the two decided to work on turning theckluster firearms into powerhouse weapons. What Imp delivered was an interesting concept that blended magic with modern weapons. Essentially, the muskets were powered by a magical crystal within them. This enabled the user to channel their power into loading and firingrge sts of magical energy, even if they themselves were magically inept. As for why muskets and not more modern weapons? That mostly came down to the novelty of the weapons and the unpredictably of them. So for now Akagi and Imp decided to go with something familiar and simple first.


    "Fire!" Nemino yelled.


    *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG*


    All six shot together and destroyed the newly rebuilt targets.


    The weapons were surprisingly effective and ensured that even those thatcked magic could do major damage since the crystals could fire a limited number of shots on their own energy before needing to be recharged. This type of magitech was still in its early days, but Imp was excited by the possibilities, and the field test here proved to be quite insightful. Akagi was just as interested as Imp in fusing magic and tech, and she was nning on making it a founding principle of her nation.


    Seeing the weapons in action, both Akagi and Imp seemed pleased with the results. When the ninja were finished, Imp barraged the poor rabbit-boy with questions while Akagi tried her best to hold in herughter. Once Imp got into engineer mode, there was no stopping her and something like this had peaked her <em>Impish</em> curiosity. She needed to know how the output of the weapons was, any issues in channeling power, limitations on practical use, unintended side effects, and other important things that Akagi didn''t understand. Luckily Nemino was able to answer her questions, and the two entered their own little world as they discussed things that Akagi couldn''tprehend. For all her new power, she was still no smarter than before. But that was ok, she''d get the dumbed-down reportter.


    After some time, Kana, Mika, and Naomi found their way to the firing range apanied by Yumi.


    "That sounded like gunshots," Naomi said as she shivered. "And why are you guys outside? This cold is awful."


    "My Lord, Kana asked me to bring them so they can do some studying for term finals," Yumi said with a smile.


    "I figured, and Kana doesn''t have to ask to bring her friends here." Akagi looked at her sister. "You can just bring them whenever you like, and you don''t need to run things past me. I consider them my friends too." She smiled.


    "I know, but it''s still just polite to do so. This is <i>your</i> home after all." Kana said with a smile.


    "It''s <i>our </i>home, Kana. And it always will be, even when you move out on your own." Akagi chuckled.


    "A, ain''t they cute." Mikaughed.


    "Yeah, it''s so sweet I can feel my blood clotting from the sugar." Naomi wasn''t really happy to stand in the cold. "Can we please go inside? I''m freezing."


    "It''s not that cold out?" Mika tilted her head. "I barely feel anything."


    "Yeah, it''s not that bad," Kana added in.


    "I''m quietfy." Akagi smirked.


    "Kana, that''s because you''re a Yokai. You don''t feel the cold." Naomi was referencing the topic she''d brought up at the mall. "Mika, you''ve been spending so much time with your <i>girlfriends</i> that I''m surprised you haven''t turned <i>into </i>a Yuki-Onna! And Akagi you don''t feel the damn cold unless you want to! So quiet you!" Her reaction made the girlsugh.


    "A." Mika put her finger on her lip yfully. "Are you sure you''re not just jealous?" Naomi had never had a boyfriend/girlfriend, so Mika figured she would poke fun.


    "Argh..... It''s too damn cold out here for me to want to deal with you. I''m going inside, with or without you two freaks!" She walked away, causing Kana and Mika tough hysterically.


    "I guess us <i>freaks</i> have to stick together, huh?" Kana asked.


    "Maybe we should try to find her someone from among Akagi''s family. Someone here could <i>warm her up,</i> I bet." Mika''s little innuendo didn''t escape Kana or Akagi, who burst outughing.


    "Well, the way things are going, it wouldn''t shock me," Akagi said trying to contain herughter. "There are over 100 people here, so it''s possible."


    "Well, Naomi <i>did </i>slip up and call Akagi <em>Mom</em> at school that one time, so maybe....." Mika looked at Akagi with an absolutely mischievous look in her eye.


    "I don''t need two people who call me that, so please no." Akagi sighed. "And I''m not interested, I''ve already got Yumi, and that''s good enough."


    "Wait! Who else calls you Mom!" Kana asked. Akagi realized she slipped up.


    "Dammit, why do I <i>always </i>do that to myself." She wasn''t intending to tell Kana about Alice just yet, but it looked like that was happening now.


    "More secrets!" Kana red at her. "How many do you have?!?"


    "Plenty more, and hopefully they stay that way." Akagi retorted. "Oh well, I already stepped in this, so let''s head inside for a chat." She looked back at Imp. "Are you good? You can join us if you want."


    Imp turned around. "No-No." She shook her head. "Will stay, do testing-research, need data-information." She was more interested in seeing her new weapons in action than chatting over tea.


    "Ok, well, just let me know when you want to head back to Tokyo." Akagi fist bumped Imp, and she and the girls went inside.


    Walking inside the house, they came across the amusing scene of Naomi sitting close to the firece. She really hated the cold and had gone right up to the warm fire to drive away the chill that gued her.


    "Ahhhh, this is so much better." Naomi''s face showed she was in bliss. "I really hate the cold."


    "I can tell," Akagiughed as she walked into the room. "Here, this will probably work a bit better than sitting next to the fire." She snapped her fingers and a small orange magical energy engulfed Naomi.


    "What did you..... ahhhhhhhhh." Naomi stopped speaking. "Ahhh, this is so nice....." She felt like her entire body had been wrapped in a heated nket.


    "What did you do?" Kana asked as she took off her jacket.


    "I just cast a spell that regtes air temperature around someone to keep them warm." Akagi shrugged. "It was a basic spell that every yer was given when they started in FWO. It was part of a spell called Prestidigitation and it could do a ton of useful little things."


    "Ok, cool, so can we talk about that whole M<i>om</i> thing." Kana on the sofa Her, words caused Naomi to jump and redden in embarrassment. "Not your M<i>om </i>thing Naomi. Though, we can talk about that too if you want." Kana grinned. She was gonna get mileage out of that one.


    Naomi lowered her eyelids and just red at her.


    "Yeah!" Mika sat down. "I didn''t know Akagi had a kid. I wonder where she is!"


    "What!" Naomi jumped up. "Akagi has a child?!?"


    "And you idiots wonder why I keep some things from you..." Akagi sighed as she sat down next to Yumi, who leaned on her.


    "First off, I do not have a <i>biological </i>child." Akagi looked at them, annoyed. "Second, I cannot have such a child. Third, I hate children and would never have one even if I could. The one your referring to is a unique exception."


    "Wait, you can''t?" Kana was surprised by this. "Why not?" She knew Akagi disliked children, but an inability to have children was not something Kana was aware of.


    "Because, whatever my kind is, it is unable to have children." Akagi didn''t really want to discuss this, but it was toote. "Can''t tell you the exact mechanics about it. But no matter what form we take, it will fail each time. It''s essentially hard coded not to work."


    "That''s kinda sad." Mika knew several people who were gued with the inability to have children, and it was almost always a sad story.


    "Yeah." Naomi nodded.


    "Not really," Akagi shrugged. "I don''t care about any of that. So the inability to have children born from me doesn''t matter."


    "Yeah, but how does Yumi feel?" Kana looked at her. "She might want children."


    "I actually am of the same mindset as My Lord." Yumi gave a wry smile. "I do not dislike children, but the idea of having one of my own is..." Something about raising a child just did not sit well with her, even if it was Akagi''s. Alice was a bit of an exception, though that was more because she was an adopted daughter and her situation was unique. It also helped that Akagi made it clear that Yumi was more of an older sister to the girl than a mother, and Alice was fine with that too.


    "Also, Kana." Akagi looked at her. "You realize that even if <i>I </i>could have children, that would require me to assume a <i>male</i> form, right?" Akagi sighed as it would seem Kana forgot something quite important. "I have zero interest in such a thing, and Yumi can''t exactly transform into a guy, not that I would want that either. Even temporarily, such a transformation is undesirable." Akagi may have been a genderless being due to her changes, but she was unmistakably female in mind and a woman who only liked other women at that. It didn''t help that the thought of a male version of herself touching Yumi in such a fashion actually disgusted her, though she suspected Yumi wouldn''t actually mind that much.


    "Wait, you can turn into a man?" Naomi asked. "I thought you''re appearance changing was more limited than that." Akagi hadn''t really exined her ability to transform the two of them, so her misunderstanding was expected.


    "I can transform into anyone or anything. I can even transform into non-living objects." Akagi said. "So yeah, male Akagi is very possible." She shrugged.


    "I kinda wanna see Akagi as a guy now." Mika smiled. "Maybe you would steal my heart." She winked, which caused Kana to bonk her on the head. "Owchi!"


    "You''ve already got two girlfriends! You don''t need anything more than that!" Kana <i>did </i>want to see an older brother Akagi but was hesitant to say anything more.


    "I <em>have</em> transformed into a guy before, but it really didn''t do anything for me. I do look different, my hair is much shorter, my body is a bitrger and I''m much less soft. It didn''t feel wrong like my Rishia body, but it was little more than a curiosity and not something I''d really use long term." Akagi shrugged. "Technically, my kind do not have a concept of <i>sex,</i> meaning that currently, I am actually not even a female." Akagi waved her handzily.


    The three girls tilted their heads, not understanding. "Uhhhh. I''m confused now." Kana said.


    "Kana, you saw me changing several times." Akagi looked at her like she was dumb. "Did you <i>really </i>not notice that <i>important things </i>were missing?" She figured it should have been quiet obvious, and the two had even bathed together in the massive hot spring at the estate!


    Kana thought back to those times and came to a realization. "Wait, then does that mean I can''t call you Onee-chan!" Kana eximed. "Why didn''t I notice<em>any</em> of that until now?!?"


    "Probably because you just weren''t exactly paying attention to my appearance. It <em>would</em> be strange if you were ogling your older sister in the changing room. As for what you call me? I don''t care. Calling me sister isn''t really wrong either, as regardless of my kind''sck of sex, I still view myself as female." Akagi sighed. "As for the missing body parts, I <i>can</i> add those missing things back, but why would I? It''s not like I have any use for or an interest in them. Its the same reason this body here has no blood, nerves, organs or anything else. If you''d cut it open you''d just see ck shadow with a very well done external skin ced over it." When Akagi said her human body was an illusion, she wasn''t lying. "I''d rip an arm off and show you, but I doubt that would go over well." She gave a wry smile.


    "Please don''t..." Kana sighed.


    "Wait, so you''re not just t?" Mika looked at Akagi''s chest. "I thought you were just a sad case, but I guess that means Kana didn''t steal all the <i>assets</i> from you." Compared to Akagi, Kana and Mika were much more developed in that department.


    "My original body was t as a board, even more so than Yumi." Akagiughed. "But this one simplycks that feature altogether. When I first woke up in the hospital, my shadow body had tried to mimic a human body as close as possible, and I left it that way for a while as to not raise suspicion. Once I left though, all those extra parts got deleted."


    "Yeah, but isn''t that kinda weird to remove that stuff? Even if you don''t need it, it''s part of what makes you human." Naomi asked, not convinced it was good to remove parts like that. "It kind of detaches you from who and what you are, doesn''t it?"


    "Naomi, <i><b>I am not human</b></i>." Akagi morphed her body into Rishia, allowing her voice to briefly distort. "This body. What you usually see. Or even this." She snapped her fingers and transformed into Hishya. "Are little more than an illusion, a vessel, a tool for me." She continued. "I never was human to begin with, so why should I continue to act like one?"


    "Yeah, but I mean. You spent all those years thinking you were. So what''s wrong with keeping hold of what you learned, what you were molded into?" Naomi asked. "Is there something wrong with being human?"


    "No, there is nothing wrong with it." Akagi shook her head. "However that humanity is what''s keeping me locked up, contained, and sealed. It''s something enforced on me externally. It''s false and does not represent who I really am. I have no interest in continuing to put on a mask and pretend I''m something I am not." Akagiughed. "I am a Demon, and a proud one at that."


    "You say that, but if your humanity is sealing you, then why haven''t you gotten rid of it yet?" Naomi pressed, not convinced by Akagi''s statements. "Isn''t that because you still see yourself as human, despite what you might say?"


    Hearing Naomi''s words caused Akagi tough uncontrobly, almost maniacally. Seeing someone in the shape of Hishyaugh in such a bone-chilling way was unpleasant and the girls were once again reminded that Akagi was much different than them. She was not human and expecting her to act like one was foolish.

 Chapter 80 – Akagi’s Whimsical Nature.

    Chapter 80 ¨C Akagi¡¯s Whimsical Nature.


    Akagi continued tough for a bit more until Kana walked over and bonked her on the head with a rolled-up paper fan.


    *BAM*


    "Can you <i>please </i>notugh manically like that in other people''s bodies!" Kana had a vein bulging on her head.


    "Owchi!" Akagi winced in fake pain. "How could you hit me like that, Kana? Why are you being so mean to me...." Akagi started to fake cry. "What happened to the nice and cute little girl you once were?"


    <em>{It never existed...}</em>(Mika x Naomi)


    "Because you''re acting like that while looking like Hishya!" Kana sighed. "If you want to act like some crazy person, at least have the decency to do it in your own body."


    "Hmpf." Akagi turned away and puffed out her cheeks. "Kana''s been learning domestic violence, poor Hishya." Seeing as Kana was still next to her, Akagi got a funny idea.


    "Kana." Akagi said.


    "What now?" Kana responded.


    "Can you pleasee here?" Akagi asked meekly.


    Wary of her sister''s sudden attitude change, Kana inched closer. "Ok, what do you-" She was interrupted and Akagi grabbed her and pulled her down onto her.


    "Gotcha!" Akagi smiled.


    "Onee-chan, what are you doing?" Kana sighed. As she did her face got close to Akagi''s who was still transformed into Hishya, causing the girl to blush slightly.


    "Aww, that''s cute." Akagi smiled.


    "Alright, you had your fun, so let me go!" Kana tried to wriggle free to no avail.


    "Alright, just onest thing," Akagi said.


    "Fine what do you-" Kana was once again caught off guard as Akagi kissed her on the cheek. Ordinarily, this wasn''t something to care about, but Akagi still looked like Hishya which caused Kana''s head to start spinning.


    Kana quickly backed up, after Akagi let go, and her entire face turned bright red from embarrassment.


    "What''s the matter, Kana." Akagi looked at her. "Is it so strange that I''d give you a kiss on the cheek?" Akagi''s smile morphed into a grin. "I thought you''d be happy?"


    "You-I-just-ARGH!" Kana exploded. "WHY DID YOU DO THAT!" She knew<em>exactly</em> why her sister had just done that.


    Akagi decided she wasn''t done just yet and curled her legs up cutely. "What''s wrong with a little peck? Haven''t we done so much more together?" Akagi looked at her with an absolutely awful glint in her eye. ¡°Don''t tell me our snuggling meant nothing to you...¡±


    Naomi and Mika looked at each other and burst outughing. They''d never seen Akagi act like this and never expected her to have <i>this</i> level of yfulness in her, and they liked it.


    "STOP LAUGHING. IT''S NOT FUNNY," Kana yelled. Her face was nowpletely red, and she dove at Akagi intending to make her pay for her statements. Not one to be caught so easily, Akagi hopped over the back of the couch, and the two began running around the room, with Kana unable toy a hand on her.


    "Oh? So now you want to touch me?" Akagi said as she dodged one of Kana''s attacks. "Is that all I am to you? Just some convenient woman to unleash your desires upon whenever you feel like it?"


    This caused Naomi, Yumi and Mika to double over inughter. They knew Kana and Hishya''s rtionship was still in that weird stage, so seeing Akagi say such things in Hishya''s body was too much for them. Akagi knew this and kept up the harassment, much to Kana''s displeasure.


    "Stop dodging me and take your lumps!" Kana eximed. The two continued like this for some time until Kana eventually ran out of stamina and copsed on the couch.


    "Onee-chan...... you...... you.... why..... do..... you...... do...... this.... to..... me?" Kana was exhausted.


    "Because it''s my job as your older sister." Akagi shrugged. "Also it''s fun." Akagi winked.


    "Well.... maybe.... just.... don''t!" Kana said.


    "I never knew Akagi could act like that," Mika said through chuckles. "That took me by surprise."


    "Yeah, since when were you the type to do things like that?" Naomi asked. Her face flushed fromughing. "I knew you could pick on Kana a bit, but that was great!"


    "Since always?" Akagi tilted her head. "Aren''t I always like this, Yumi?" she looked to the priestess who was also red fromughing.


    "Um... yes, though I think normally, you keep things a little bit more restrained than that," Yumi said. "Though recently, you''ve kind of let lose a bit more. I don''t think you''ve ever picked on Kana like that in front of others." At least she couldn''t recall an event like this before.


    "Huh?" Akagi thought. "I guess I <i>have </i>felt a bit more whimsical and rxed since then. And I guess my entricities have gone up a bit."


    "A BIT!" Kana eximed. "Oh no, it''s far more than just a bit!"


    "What?" Akagi asked. "Is it wrong to have a little fun?"


    Kana''s eyes zed over. "<i>Fun</i>, is that what she calls it? Ha. Ha Ha."


    "Oops," Akagi said. "It looks like I broke her. Come back to us, Kana." She shook her shoulders to no avail. Seeing no other option, she decided to try shock therapy. "If you don''te back to us, then I''ll just have to get in the bath with you like this." Akagi''s threat seemed to work and Kana was instantly brought out of her delirious state.


    "DON''T YOU DARE!" Kana eximed. "I"LL SKIN YOU ALIVE IF YOU TRY!"


    "Hey, there were go! Wee back to us." Akagi smiled.


    "Do you two see what I have to deal with?!?" Kana threw her arms into the air. "She''s<em>always</em> like this!"


    "Oh, I see it, and it''s amazing." Naomi grinned. "Keep up the good work Akagi."


    "Yeah, it''s kinda nice to see you get so flustered from time to time." Mika smiled. "Usually you''re always messing with us, so its nice to see that shoe on the other foot!"


    "Traitors!" Kana yelled. "What have I done to deserve this treatment." She went limp, and she fell back onto a pillow.


    "If it''s bothering you that much." Akagi snapped her fingers. "How about this." Akagi changed into Rishia, with the only difference being her left eye which was orange. "You know I hate this body, but if me being Hishya is going to be an issue, then fine."


    "Can''t you just go back to normal?" Kana looked at her.


    "Hmpf." Akagi turned away and sat in Yumi''sp. "I''m having fun right now." She stuck out her tongue as she hugged the priestess.


    "Akagi acting like a spoiled child." Mika chuckled. "I never thought I''d see the day."


    "Yeah." Naomi smiled. "It''s kinda cute though."


    Akagi was quite a yful person on the inside, but ordinarily, she''d kept that to a minimum in public, <i>mostly</i>. Sometimes it would leak out and she''d mess with people. But it seemed that she''d be more prone to such actions since she''d released more of her power. This was inrge part <i>because </i>the real Akagi was quite whimsical, entric, and quite honestly insane. As a result, since the events of the mall, Akagi had been much more prone to messing with others, even more than usual. Something that had caused Kana an increased level of grief and irritation, though there was little she could do to stop her.


    "You really are cute though, Akagi." Naomi said. "Why don''t you stay like that more often?"


    "Yeah, you could evene to school or something with us." Mika agreed. "That would be kinda funny, Kana would probably throw a fit."


    "Please don''t take my only sanctuary away..." Kana groaned


    "I do not use it, because I hate this form," Akagi answered with a harsh tone. "It serves as a constant reminder that I''m trapped. One could even call it the <i>thing</i> that''s keeping me restrained, and because of that, I absolutely <i>detest </i>it. I also have quiet a lot of bad memories tied to this body so it''s only natural that I''vee to hate it."


    Suddenly, the air in the room got heavier and dark energy formed an outline around Akagi. "Naomi," Akagi said, her voice slightly deeper. "You said that I retained this humanity of mine because I actually wanted to stay human despite my earlier words, correct?"


    Naomi could only nod. Her entire body was frozen.


    "Well, that couldn''t be further from the truth." Akagi looked over at the girl, her left eye glowing orange. "Make no mistake, the reason I cling to thisst bit of humanity within me is not that I want to stay human." Akagi''s smile curved into an evil grin. "<i><b>It''s because if I let it go right now, everyone in this room except for Yumi would die</b></i>." Akagi''s voice distorted as she said that.


    ¡°E-everyone?¡± Naomi asked tentatively. ¡°Even Kana?¡±


    ¡°<i><b><u>Especially</u> Kana.¡± </b></i>Akagi''s eyes shed briefly as she looked at her sister, turning into that of a predator and her mouth curved into a twisted smile before she returned to normal. After the events inside her shadow, Akagi decided to bepletely honest with Kana about a dark feeling she''d been harboring. She told Kana that in the back of her mind, she relished the idea of her younger sister being afraid of her. That the thought of Kana cowering in fear because her <i>Onee-chan</i> was going to eat her was absolutely exhrating. Now, Akagi wasn''t exactly inclined to <i>act </i>on these desires, but she wanted Kana to know nheless.


    Kana wasn''t entirely surprised to find out about this. She figured that somewhere inside her sister''s heart some darker emotions rting to her existed. Though wanting to torture and mutte her was a bit beyond normal resentment. Kana was grateful that Akagi opened up to her about this issue, and told her that it was ok. She was d her sister was honest with her about her feelings. Though she did ask her to keep things to her usual tormenting if possible.


    "<i><b>Kana has seen the truth." </b></i>Akagi smiled. <i><b>"Isn''t that right?"</b></i>


    "Y-yeah." Kana was still not used to her sister''s sudden changes, and her swapping between her normal self and this intimidating aura was going to take some getting used to. "Onee-chan is currently locked away in her own soul, and she''s been trying to get out ever since we were kids. She''s the kind of being that would destroy this entire world if she got loose, and she''s been trying to find a way to release herself without goingpletely feral." Kana then exined a bit more about what she and her sister had discussed while in Akagi''s shadow.


    "I-I see," Naomi said. "I''m sorry if I upset you. I didn''t realize just how bad it was. I''m sorry."


    "But, why would someone ce you here?" Mika asked. "Why would someone want to destroy the entire world like that?" It was a reasonable question since it made little sense to assume that coincidence was what ced Akagi here.


    "<i><b>I have no idea." </b></i>Akagi shook her head and withdrew her aura. "And I really don''t care. Right now, I want nothing more than to be whole and fill this emptiness inside my heart."


    "What will you do after that?" Naomi asked with a bit of sweat appearing on her forehead.


    "I''ll do whatever I want." Akagiughed. "And right now, I want nothing more than to live a quiet life here with my family." She rubbed her face against Yumi''s chest, giving off a warm smile causing the priestess to giggle.


    "I was honestly expecting you to say you would take over the world." Mika chuckled. "Kinda goes with your whole Demon motif."


    "Alice said the same thing earlier today." Akagiughed. "She told me I''d make a great Empress of the world. Imp thought so too."


    "Who exactly is Alice?" Kana finally righted herself. "Is that the person who calls you Mom?" They''d gotten sidetracked but that question was how this conversation started.


    "Yes," Akagi snapped her fingers and returned to her usual appearance. "Alice is my daughter, and quite a cute one, I might add." She smiled.


    "When did this happen!" Kana eximed. "And why didn''t you tell me!"


    "Because I was waiting for the right moment to introduce her." Akagi shook her head. "Besides, Alice is delicate, and I don''t want to do anything that would cause her issues. Plus she''s a member of Libra, so she''s quite busy."


    "She''s a member of Libra!" (Kana, Mika and Naomi!)


    "Yes," Akagi nodded. "And she has quite a good reason to hate the world, especially after Hishya and the other members of the Assault Team <i>betrayed </i>her."


    "Wait, what?" Kana was taken aback hearing Hishya''s name. "What do you mean Hishya betrayed her?"


    Akagi shrugged. "You should ask her for the whole story, but basically Hishya and the Assault Team really screwed the pooch on that one. Alice was caught in the middle of Hishya and me. And our little dragon girl made her take a nappy during the fight."


    "She attacked her?!?" Kana was aghast. "Why did she do that? And stop being so cryptic tell us now!" She''d go give Hishya an earfulter.


    "Hishya was not always as nice as she is now, Kana." Akagi looked at her. She''d told her about Hishya''s personality. Had she forgotten? "She used to be quite the nasty individual and was not always the most pleasant person to be around." Akagi continued. "Remember, Hishya is/was a very vain person and was more than happy to knock others down to make herself look good." Akagi could remember a few members who got a bit too good who ended up kicked off the Team due to<em>scandals.</em>


    "I understand that. But I feel like you''re leaving out important context." Kana pressed for answers. "Why was this Alice girl involved with you, and why was she in the middle of the fight?"


    Akagi sighed. "Kana, Alice was only ten years old when FWO started."


    Kana took a second to process that information before realizing something important.


    "Wait, she would have been way too young to use VR gear then!" Kana knew that most VR stuff was off-limits to those of such a young age due to health and safety risks.


    Seeing that her sister figured that out, Akagi began to recount the tale of the little girl Alice. Her time as a test subject, her work with the Assault Team, and then Hishya''s actions on the night before Hassan. With each passing moment, the girls'' faces grew paler and paler as Akagi exined what happened to Alice and the events that led to Akagi taking her in.

 Chapter 81 – The Old General and a Misunderstanding.

    Chapter 81 ¨C The Old General and a Misunderstanding.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Two Chaps!


    Akagi finished recounting Alice''s story to the girls.


    "Hishya has changed in these two years," Akagi said. "So I would advise you not to be too harsh on her over her past mistakes. She''s aware that she acted like an asshole and is trying to fix things. However, her actions and that of the Assault Team single handily broke what was left of Alice''s sanity."


    "Yeah but. Still....." Kana looked sad. "I get being upset with her, but did the Assault Team really have to dere her an enemy? That just seems like something <em>very</em> unnecessary."


    People were already angry with Alice''s flight to Akagi, so Hishya''s tale of her siding with the assassin and her subsequent disappearance only served to make people even angrier. Upon the conclusion of the Battle, Alice was dered a traitor and enemy, and some members of the Assault Team even ced a bounty on her head. This was inrge part due to the disastrous Assault Team performance at Hassan, which cost the lives of dozens of yers. With Alice''s puppets, they would have done much better, so theybined her rtionship with Akagi and her disappearance into a casus belli against her.


    "To Hishya''s credit." Akagi continued. "She did try to stop people from going after Alice. And once those idiots figured out that I wasn''t the reason Silfana had left her castle, things died down considerable. But the damage was already done." She shook her head. "Alice''s mind was already damaged and she was left unable to trust anyone." She looked back at Yumi. "It was a simr situation to you, and Alice started calling me Mom after we got back to base. It was a shock to everyone, but not exactly surprising. At least for me."


    "I remember that moment well, it took all of us by surprise. We''d known Alice for quiet some time, but to hear her call you Mom so confidently was very strange." Yumi gave a dryugh, since she had her own history with Akagi.


    "Now I want to talk to Hishya about it. I know she''s different now, but I think it would be best to hear things from her." Kana looked dejected. She cared for Hishya greatly and was aware that the dragon girl hadn''t always been the greatest person. Hishya had changed for the better but that didn''t just wipe away her past. Kana knew that, but felt that Hishya had be a better person <i>because </i>of her mistakes and she was willing to judge her based on who she was now, rather than how she was in the past.


    "People make mistakes." Akagi shrugged. "Far be it from me toe to her defense, but <i>if</i> their whole theory about me being the one behind things was correct, her reaction to Alice fleeing and spilling the beans is understandable. Besides, all she did was knock her out and yell at her a bit. She didn''t do anything that bad. So like I said, if you want to talk to her about it, you should. And while your at it, have her exin the Battle of Hassan itself. That was the greatest shitshow and goes to show just how dumb those so-called <i>pros</i> were." She smirked.


    "You''ve mentioned Hassan before. But what happened there?" Naomi asked. "From what little you''ve said, I''ve gathered that it was a massive battle of great importance." It was a well known event among the yers but not necessarily to the outside world.


    "I don''t really want to get into the whole story., its long arduous and honestly farcical. Ask Hishya if you want more details, but I can give you just a bit of info to satiate your curiosity." Akagi took a deep breath.


    "So, here''s the long and short of it." Akagi looked at them. "The Assault Team was informed that one of the World Bosses had taken her army and was marching outside her castle to attack the nearby fortress city of Hassan. Their intel caused them to believe that <i>I </i>was responsible for this change in NPC attitude since world bosses shouldn''t have been able to move outside their arena."


    "Why would they believe you were involved?" Mika asked.


    "Because I''d gone to speak with Silfana the day before her armies started moving," Akagi answered.


    "You spoke with a boss?" Naomi was surprised. "How was that even possible? Weren''t they just enemies to fight?"


    "No, they were not. Just like how Yumi here was a living person, so was she." Akagi exined as she wrapped her arms around the priestess. "Silfana was the only humanoid World Boss, and somunication with her was possible if you weren''t dumb enough to go in looking to fight. Though she was still bound by her scripting and game rules, thus she wasn''t as free and autonomous as Yumi."


    "Why did you go to speak with her then? And why did she suddenly start acting differently?" Naomi asked.


    "She started acting strangely because unbeknownst to any of us, she was scripted to attack the city as an event battle." Akagi sighed. She got that infoter and passed it on to Hishya, but by then it was far toote. "I went to her to ask some questions and gain some information on an unrted matter, and next thing I knew, I was being med as some kind of instigator of the World Boss."


    "So she attacked the city? What happened next?" Kana asked.


    "We deployed to fight the monsters after leaving a garrison in the fortress and the city." It was not Akagi who answered, but an older man who wore a suit and some pieces of armor. "My apologizes for interrupting, my Lady." He bowed his head. "I just returned from my mission and was reporting back when I heard you speaking about the Battle of Hassan, forgive me for the interruption."


    "Actually, this is perfect." Akagi thought for a second. "Marshal, you know what went down best, so if you wouldn''t mind, could you exin things to the girls? They were interested in hearing the story." He was themander of Imperial forces at Hassan, so naturally he would have the most insight in to the battle.


    "I would be d too." The old man smiled. "If you youngdies don''t mind dealing with a washed-up old man like me that is?"


    "Ah, no, that''s fine." Kana smiled.


    "Yeah, we''ve never really gotten to talk to you before, so I would love to hear your story." Mika nodded.


    "Same." Naomi smiled.


    "Well then, where to begin." Marshal began recounting the events of Hassan. Surprisingly the girls maintained interest throughout the entire tale and were quite invested in it. Akagi didn''t stick around, not only had she watched the battle itself but it wasn''t really something she cared to speak about.


    After about thirty minutes, Marshal wrapped up the story.


    "And that''s it." Marshal smiled. "I hope that wasn''t too boring for you three."


    "Boring? That was amazing!" (Kana, Mika and Naomi.)


    "The part with the giant Demon and how you dueled the World Boss had me on the edge of my seat!" Naomi said.


    "Yeah, it was amazing how you led your men in the defense of the civilians and managed to get so many people out despite the yers being stupid!" Mika agreed.


    "I can''t believe the Empire would throw you away after you acted so heroically! What were they thinking? You single handled won that battle, even if it cost so many lives! It wasn''t your fault the other yers wouldn''t listen and acted like idiots!" Kana was going to ask Hishya for more detailster. She <em>had</em> to know the other side of the story.


    "I appreciate the praisedies," Marshal gave a smile like an old man looking at his grand kids. "But I''m no hero, and if it wasn''t for Lady Akagi''s intelligence gathering, we wouldn''t have been able to do as well as we had." He didn''t like being given credit for the Battle, especially as he viewed Akagi as having done the majority of the important work.


    "But still, it takes a great general to use the information he''s got, right? I mean, having information and being able to do something with it are two different things. Even in our world, plenty of people had all the information butcked the skill to use it!." Kana disagreed. "From where I''m sitting you should have been praised for your work! And it''s unthinkable that any serious leader would find fault in your actions. I would ask anyone else to do better in your position and I doubt they could. So don''t discount yourself like that!" Kana descended into analysis mode, which Mika and Naomi were used to.


    <i>{Oh, there she goes.} </i>(Mika and Naomi)


    "Hahaha." Heughed, breaking Kana out of her thoughts. "I never thought a young girl would say something like that to me. You really are Lady Akagi''s sister, aren''t you!" He found Kana''s mix of immaturity and intellect quite fascinating. "She once told me that if you hadmand of my forces at the battle, you''d have done even better, and she''s probably right!" He could tell right away that Kana was a genius. He''d only met her briefly before today, and had never spoken to her at length, but Akagi had heaped praise on her all these years. He was skeptical about her ims, but he could tell with just one look in her eyes that, if anything, Akagi may have been <i>underselling </i>just how intelligent Kana was.


    <i>{Lady Kana would have made an amazing Empress, I know it.</i>} He thought internally.


    "What!" Kana turned red. "She always talks me up like that, but I''m nothing special really!" Kana tried to deny his im, which caused her two friends to re at her.


    "Ms. Perfect Scores." Mika scowled.


    "Ms. 180 IQ." Naomi stuck out her tongue. "Don''t go trying to say you''re normal. If you''re normal, what does that make us!"


    "I take it the old man told you what you wanted to know." Akagi walked into the room with two drinks in her hands.


    "Onee-chan, I had no idea you had someone so amazing working for you!" Kana eximed. "If anything, why isn''t he the one leading things instead of you?!?"


    "I don''t know." Akagi looked at Marshal. "Old man, you want to try running things and have me as a subordinate?" She grinned.


    "No, thank you." Marshal shook his head whileughing. "First of all, I''m not meant for such a position, so no thank you. Second of all, the idea of having you as a subordinate is just...." He sighed. "I would much rather let you handle things and just tell me where to be and what to do."


    "Yeah, I don''t exactly do very well with the whole <i>taking orders </i>thing." Akagiughed and handed Marshal a cup of sake.


    "Not only that, but I think Lady Kana is under the misunderstanding that I am a more capable militarymander than you." Marshal took his sake and sipped it. "I can''t evene close to defeating you in chess or shogi, let alone on the battlefield." The two had yed countless games of skill against one another and Marshal had never evene close to defeating her. Not because he wasn''t good, but because Akagi was simply that much better.


    "Wait, what?" Kana tilted her head. "Since when were you good atmanding armies?" Kana knew her sister yed military games and RTS but that shouldn''t mean she was good at actual military tactics and strategy.


    "War is an art and a game if you break it down to its most basic parts, Kana." Akagi sat down on the sofa opposite Kana. "And you should know, if it''s a game, no one can beat me." It was a big part of the reason she got so good at sword y, since it too could be broken down into a type of game.


    "Yeah, but we''re talking about war with real troops and real-world conditions. You can''tpare the two!" Kana still didn''t believe it. "Being good at shogi or chess <em>does not</em> trante into being a good general!"


    "You know the military does training via war games, both in the field and on a tabletop/in VR right?" Akagi sipped her drink. "While simtions are not perfect, they give great insight into a real battle and how to actually wage war. Look at the Prussians/Germans. Their dedicated officer core in the 19th century helped to push the idea of War Games, and Kriegsspiel proved so sessful at training officers that other countries adopted it in some form. And even to this day, simr things still take ce in military academies around the world."


    "Ah yes, I recall you introducing me to such games. I''ve been having my officers training on them consistently, as they''ve been excellent ways to learn." Marshal nodded.


    "When did you even get a chance tomand an army anyway?" Kana decided to just ept her sister''s exnation. "You only have 122 people here. That''s not an army."


    "You <i>do </i>realize that Ie up with and n every major operation we do, right?" Akagi sighed. "When we hit Camp Katsura, that was all me. I drafted ns, established an order of battle, and set engagement rules. Everything we did that day was done in ordance with my ns." Akagi continued. "It was the same for the take-down of the Mitsuhide family. Marshal might have <i>personally</i> handled the on-the-ground stuff, but <i>I </i>nned everything. I''ve nevermanded a proper army in real life, but I see no reason why I couldn''t."


    "Lady Akagi is correct." Marshal nodded. "When ites to nning and operations, I''ve never met a morepetent person in my life. Her foresight is incredible, its almost as if she can see the future." Heughed causing Akagi to roll her eyes.


    "Less divination and more analysis. "She waved her handzily. "There are only a finite number of ys you can make with the cards you have, meaning that all I need to do is determine which is the most likely and n for it. It''s nothing thatplex." Though many would find nning for and prepping for hundreds or thousands of different possibilities to be beyond normal human intellect. Even <em>Kana</em> for all her brainpower couldn''tplete with Akagi in such a mental contest.


    Mika, Naomi, and Kana were taken aback by this revtion as they never expected Akagi to be so involved with her n''s operations and nning. Kana knew her sister was a gaming genius, but underestimated just how much was covered under the <em>game</em>bel.


    "Onee-chan, I always thought you were justzy and let everyone else handle things for you." Kana looked away guiltily.


    "Yeah, I figured you just let others do that stuff." Mika coughed.


    "I guess it makes sense. They wouldn''t follow her if she was useless." Naomi wouldn''t look Akagi in the eyes.


    "Really, guys?" Akagi was annoyed. "Do I really seem that useless and stupid to you? Thanks."


    Spoiler


    Marshal!


    [copse]

 Chapter 82 – The Deployment and the Christmas Offensive.

    Chapter 82 ¨C The Deployment and the Christmas Offensive.


    "Libra has been far too quiet." Aoi was on a video call with the rest of the Rapid Response Team. Each was stationed at positions across Japan so that they could quickly intervene to deal with Libra attacks. There had been a down tick in the number of attacks over thest week and Libra hadn''t made any further strikes. "It''s been a week since the attack in Kyoto. I find it hard to believe they would get so hesitant just because of Akagi." She knew Akagi was strong and dangerous, but didn''t think her ire alone was enough to stop Libra.


    "I don''t know," Superbia said. "From what Hishya told me, Akagi might actually be the real problem here." Superbia had passed along what Hishya told her to the rest of the team, and Imp corroborated the story.


    "Hard to believe that she was actually born as an honest-to-god <em>Demon</em>." Excelsior was quite a religious man, so he was conflicted over this revtion.


    "Are we sure that''s not just some fear-mongering?" Hoshino interjected. "Like,e on, before whatever happened to us. Demons and monsters were just fairy-tales to scare kids." She tried to wave their concerns away.


    "Yes, but it is <i>because </i>of our changes that we shouldn''t be dismissing the possibility of supernatural beings existing in this world." Superbia disagreed. "And Imp herself vouched for Hishya''s story."


    "Yeah, but Imp''s crazy." Hoshino waved her hand dismissively. "You and I both know that taking anything she says with less than a dump truck of salt isn''t a good idea. No offense Impy." She smiled.


    "None taken-had." Imp smiled.


    "Regardless," Aoi spoke up. "I''ve been instructed to keep Akagi at a distance if possible. The fact remains that she wiped out a JSDF base effortlessly and has killed three yers since awakening from FWO.<em>Demon</em> or not, she''s dangerous and a threat. We shouldn''t take her lightly."


    "Yeah but I mean,e on. Hijax and Sumeralia weren''t that tough, any of us could have beaten them." Hoshino seemed confident. "I think all of usbined could handle Akagi."


    "No, we can''t." Minazawa broke her silence. "Need I remind you that Akagi is powerful enough to defeat Hishya. Someone who is already extraordinarily powerful."


    "Well yeah, but-" Hoshino wanted to retort but was cut off.


    "No buts!" Minazawa eximed. "Hishya was utterly andpletely beaten at Hassan. You weren''t there for that battle, but Hishya was basically worthless for a week after what Akagi did to her." Minazawa sighed. "Not to mention how easily Akagi handled her in their little match. Even if it was just an exhibition match, Akagi showed no signs of struggling even when Hishya was clearly more powerful than she was in FWO. When I talked with Hishya she told me in no uncertain terms that Akagi was holding back considerably and that despite how close it <em>looked</em>, she couldn''t defeat her."


    "Fine, but I still think you all are overreacting." Hoshino was still not convinced. "Akagi is still limited by what powers she had in the game, right? And even if she''s strong, she can''t possibly handle all of us at once. I just think you guys are over-hyping her and underselling how strong we are." She nodded.


    "That attitude is exactly why Ishigami got killed." Minazawa shook her head. "He was no slouch inbat and was easily one of our top members, yet she beat him so easily. You saw the recording. One shot. Just one shot, and he was dead. And before that, Akagi was just ying with him." She regretted leaving him alone against Akagi.


    "I agree with Minazawa," Aoi said. "It''s not a good idea to make any assumptions about Akagi''s ability and power, and we would be better served to tread lightly. Our priority is dealing with Libra, not picking a fight with someone who might not even be our enemy." Aoi had seen the fear in Hishya''s eyes over thems gear. Seeing the <em>Hero</em> so worked up and brought nearly to tears as she shook while describing the monster that was Akagi convinced Aoi that they shouldn''t aggravate her.


    "Speaking of enemies, I have a report." A girl with short and unruly purple hair spoke up. "My familiars have noted an increase in the material being brought to the Nagoya base. I think they''re preparing for something big."


    "Thanks, Wexel." Aoi frowned. "We know Alice is located there, and with her summoner abilities she is likely creating an army. The material we''ve seen is abination of metal and wood, so they''re probably using that as base material for puppets."


    "I still don''t understand how she could control that many summons at once," Wexel said. "I know her skill helps her, but there''s no way she could control an army the size our models are predicting. Even if Imperial managed to find some work around, its inconceivable that she can control more than a few hundred at once."


    "If she sends a bunch of puppets at us, we''ll just cut them down easy.¡± Hoshino cracked her knuckles. "We''ll show them just how much time they wasted on their little soldiers."


    "I would be cautious, Hoshino." Wexel sighed. "Alice is no joke, and her puppets were key in helping us clear the first half of the World Bosses. They might be weak individually, but even against high level yers in sheer numbers they can overwhelm you." Alice''s summons had made clearing floors much easier and safer than they''d otherwise be.


    "Yeah, she was quite good until you idiots ran her out." Mixu gave a snidement. She wasn''t part of the Assault Team and was quite annoyed at the way they treated the young girl. "Yell at her, try to kill her, then p a bounty on her head. Good going, no wonder she wants to fucking kill everyone."


    "We made mistakes, we know." Minazawa red at her. "Hishya took responsibility for that fuck up, but you''re not wrong that we betrayed the trust that girl put in us. I was the one who passed along the bad intel about Akagi which caused everything to spiral out of control. But there''s nothing we can do to change the past. I feel guilty about how she was treated, but Alice is now our enemy, we must be ready to take her down."


    "Little girl, nice cute!" Imp smiled. "She likes being tickled-hugged."


    "Imp, could you not talk about your tantly fraternization with our enemy, please." Mixu sighed. "I get you''re more interested in your inventions, but try not to forget what side you''re on."


    "Yeah, she''s not exactly an innocent little girl anyway." Hoshino was referring to her massacre at the hospital when she awoke. "Fucking creepy little bastard."


    "Yes, and that <i>little girl</i> calls Akagi <i>Mama</i>." Superbia sighed. "I''m worried that Akagi might actually take action against us if we hurt her. Even if she told me she wouldn''t." Superbia had briefly spoken to Akagi about this issue, and the<em>Demon</em> did tell her that Alice was on her own. She might view the girl as a daughter, but she wouldn''t act as some helicopter parent. Though there was some doubt about whether Akagi wouldn''t swoop in an save her if things got dicey.


    "Freaks gotta stick together. Let the monster have its monster daughter." Hoshino chuckled.


    "This isn''t aughing matter, Hoshino," Excelsior spoke up. "Alice is dangerous. I''ve seen firsthand what she can do with her powers. And Superbia is right to fear Akagi''s intervention over her." He continued. "I don''t like the idea of killing a child, and it''s partially our fault she got like this, but we must do what''s necessary. Even if it makes my stomach churn." He''d already made peace with the idea of killing Alice, not that he liked it.


    "Just go confess to your pastor, and everything will be alright, Mr. Priest." Hoshino said sarcastically. Excelsior was an outlier as a Christian man in Japan and Hoshino was on the opposite end of the religious spectrum. "Though with the fucked up things those people do to children, perhaps killing one isn''t the worst thing he''s seen."


    "You son of a bi-" Execlsior was about to draw his hammer when Aoi interrupted him.


    "Enough!" Aoi intervened to stop the fighting from escting. "Right now, we need to figure out a game n and determine how to move forward. We will be abiding by Akagi''s rules <i>for now,</i> so do not enter Kansai without permission. If we''re lucky, Libra gets itself killed by Akagi." She looked at Wexel.


    "Wexel, keep your scouting efforts up. I want to know if anything happens at thepound." Aoi turned to Minazawa. "Minazawa, You''ll be heading down to Nagasaki. We''ve had reports of suspicious activity, and we think Libra might be plotting something down there."


    "Superbia, once you finish your business with Hishya and Akagi tomorrow. Please go to Nagoya and sit on standby." (Aoi)


    "Hoshino, I want you up in Sapporo. Wexel spotted Skipper making his way up there, and we want you to take him out if possible. Though please try to limit coteral damage, yourst battle with Zappy caused quite arge number of angry calls from homeowners." (Aoi)


    "Hey, listen its not my fault things get messy." Hoshino had an awful smile on her face. "But anyway, taking out that stupid pirate wannabe is gonna be great!"


    "Mixu, you''ll be in Tokyo as usual. And Excelsior, you''ve been requested at a conference between us and the U.S. Military to set up another joint op, so you''ll also be in Tokyo." Aoi finished giving orders. "I''ll update you if I have anything further, so be careful and happy hunting."


    "Right!" All seven of them nodded in approval before disconnecting.


    Aoi slid back in her chair and looked up at the ceiling. The bags under her eyes had only been growing bigger, and her exhaustion was piling up from all the stress.


    "I just hope we can deal with Libra before we regret not taking Akagi''s deal." She put her hands over her face.


    <i>{Ever since I met her at her home, I''ve had this sinking feeling in my chest, like by turning her down, we made a massive mistake.} </i>Aoi sighed. <i>{I need to reach out to Hishya again. We need her help if we''re going to win this.}</i>


    <i>_____________________________________________________________________________</i>


    "Is everything ready?" Herlex asked as he looked around the conference table. He''d gathered all the key actors necessary for his n to remove Wexel at the base in Nagoya.


    "Just about." Armalthy smiled. "We''ve got people moving to each designated point, and with some luck, the RRT will take the bait."


    "Good, with Wexel out of the way. Then we can move to attack Nagoya, and well....." Helix''s lips curved into a smile. "I think that should make them take us just a bit more seriously." The other members of Libra stood around the conference table partially obscured by the low light, but their eyes seemed to glow in anticipation.


    "Birdy, Spellhauser, Zappy, Max." Herlex looked at the four of them. "I want you to stay here and help Alice make all the final preparations. If we manage to kill Wexel, we''re shooting for mid-January to attack Nagoya, and I want everything ready to go. Spellhauser, Max, Sabia and Merkyul willpose the main attacking force alongside Gim and Grim. While Elna, myself, and Armalthy will hit other targets, we''ve got some items we''ll need for future ns. Birdy, you''re on escort duty, keep Alice safe and Zappy. You stay at base and provide security while were out." Originally he''d wanted to send in most of Libra at once, but decided against it due to their backers suggesting restraint. They did want a mass casualty event, but if Libra went all in against Nagoya that would potentially cause further issues. The Russians and Chinese wanted to intervene in Japan, not exterminate its poption. Thus the Nagoya strike, while big, would be smaller in scale than originally nned. It would mostly consist of puppets and a smaller team of Libra members. Herlex expected around 10k plus casualties at a minimum but more was always appreciated.


    This caused some discontent among Libra members, but Herlex assured them that they''d get their pound of fleshter. They just needed to trust the n.


    "Sounds good!" Birdy smiled.


    "Good, I''ve been wondering when we would stop this whole pinprick game." Spellhauser grinned.


    "Finally, I can put this Axe to some good use!" Max bellowed loudly.


    ¡°Sounds good to me.¡± Zappy agreed.


    "I can''t wait to tear that Oni apart!" Gim spoke over the radio.


    "Yeah, hopefully she''s a bit more interesting than that sister of hers!" Grim agreed with him. The two were out on a separate mission at the moment and would not take part in the Christmas attacks.


    ¡°Skipper''s already on the way to Sapporo, so that should be everyone." Herlex nodded.


    "Alright, let''s show these idiots that not even on Christmas are they safe." Herlex looked up with a fire in his eyes. "This will be the beginning of our first major offensive. Let''s make sure the history books remember this as the beginning of the end."


    Everyone let out a resounding cheer at his statement, and they were all fired up. The attack on Nagoya was a long timeing, and they''d finally get to let loose.


    Herlex was not wrong. The attack on Nagoya <em>would</em> mark the beginning of the end. But not in the way he or anyone else could have anticipated.


    Spoiler


    Wexel!


    Spellhauser!


    Skipper!


    Birdy!


    Max!


    Zappy!


    [copse]

 Chapter 83 – Hishya the Dragon.

    Chapter 83 ¨C Hishya the Dragon.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    I saw we hit 7th on trending today so here is an extra bonus chap!


    Hishya, Kana, Mika, Naomi, Yumi, Kira, and Superbia were currently standing in a clearing in a nearby valley. Hishya was wearing a brown tunic in preparation for the test that was about to take ce. They were waiting on Akagi who finally showed up.


    "There you are, Akagi." Hishya was annoyed at the dy. They''d been waiting for around twenty minutes. "Why were you evente anyway? You don''t live that far from here and everyone else got here on time."


    "Sorry, Chloe wanted to test her new strength from my ability and things took a bit longer than we expected. I''ll have to show you the results then, its crazy just how strong the family is getting now. She might even be able to go toe to toe with you now!" Akagi smiled, she was proud with their growth.


    As Akagi approached and Superbia caught sight of her, the Oni unconsciously backed away as she gazed into Akagi''s eye.


    "No need to be afraid, little Oni." Akagiughed. "I''m not hungry for your soul today."


    <i>{H-Hishya wasn''t kidding! What is that aura? And why is everyone else acting so nonchnt?} </i>This was the first time since the events in Kyoto that Superbia had met Akagi, and she couldn''t believe her dramatic changes. Her aura was much denser than before, almost as if it was the embodiment of darkness it self. Though despite its eerie feel, it was strangely calm.


    "You get used to it pretty quick, Superbia." Hishya sighed in defeat. "Just don''t think about it."


    "Y-yeah, sure," Superbia said nervously. "So why did you want me out here, Hishya?"


    "Because I wanted you to see this for yourself." Hishya shrugged as she turned and walked a bit further away. "And I figured you would get a kick out of it." She looked over her shoulder, her right eye having turned draconic.


    "I have a bad feeling about this," Superbia said.


    "Yeah, me too." Kana agreed. In fact, only Akagi, Yumi, Kira, and Hishya herself knew what was going on. They''d wanted this to be a suprise.


    "Just let it out slowly and take your time. There''s no rush." Kira said. "Our training has been quite sessful, so you should be fine." Kira''s training had been a great boon for Hishya. While she couldn''t go all out just yet, she was able to safely control more of her power.


    "Alright, here I go!" Hishya closed her eyes and took a deep breath, gathering energy inside her and clenching her teeth. At first it was a small amount, akin to a faucet filling arge sink. But the pace at which she pooled her energy increased as an enormous amount of power gathered within her chest. The air around her started to heat up, and the air grew denser with each passing second. After about a minute, her body began to emit a fain trail of steam as the water vapor in the air around her started to boil away. She stood like that for a moment before her eyes snapped open, and she let out a low growl.


    "Grrrrrrrrrrr." Hishya''s face twisted, and her body let out a pulse of energy. Scales began to cover her body, and she sprouted a tail and wings. "Grrrrrrrr." She growled more as her bones began to warp, and she morphed. Slowly but surely, she stopped looking human. Her clothing absorbed into her body and she eventually dropped on all fours before growing bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger until she was a fully grown Purple Fire Dragon. When the transformation wasplete, she let out a massive roar that shook the hills.


    *BOOM* *CRACK*


    Her forearm mmed into the ground, causing a minor quake, and herrge tail identally crushed a tree behind her.


    "Oops," Hishya said telepathically.


    "Nice job. That poor tree''s family is now going to starve because of you." Akagi smirked.


    "Ha. Ha. Very funny." Hishya growled. "Anyway, it looks like the transformation was a sess." Hishya was nowpletely in her dragon form, and she was massive. Her build meant that she was easily twenty feet tall, and likely weighing over ten tons. Hishya''s draconic body was truly a sight to behold. Akagi. Superbia, Yumi, and Kira had seen many dragons. But the girls had never, outside of fiction.


    ¡°Magnificent!¡± Kira smiled. "It was a sess!"


    "That''s crazy!" Mika''s eyes sparkled. "You look so cool!"


    "I-I knew she was a dragon but..." Kana was awestruck. "Beautiful..."


    "She''s massive!" Naomi eximed.


    ¡°Keep absolutely still, her vision is based on movement.¡± Akagi quoted a famous movie.


    ¡°I am not a T-Rex!¡± Hishya growled.


    ¡°Sure sounded like one to me.¡± Akagiughed. "But seriously, any issues?" Akagi asked as she got closer.


    "Nothing to report. I''m in control of myself, and nothing seems off. No sudden urge to burn viges or <em>kidnap</em> poor unsuspecting cows." Hishya chuckled. "Though, I have the feeling that I can stay like this as long as I want, and I can feel that I''m more powerful than I was in the game. I guess this is sir to how you were just granted knowledge about things, its really strange." She thought for a moment. "Also, I can now tell that my equipment will just disappear and reappear so the tunic was unnecessary. Oh well, better safe than sorry."


    "Makes sense," Akagi replied. "Many of the game''s limits no longer apply anymore, so the time limit being removed is reasonable." She nodded. "I could tell you were stronger even in human form, so your draconic body probably received a buff as well. The energy welling within you is crazy though. You could probably fight an entire army with that much power!" Akagi figured the game''s lore regarding Hishya''s race meant that without those <i>restrictions </i>she was actually quite a bit stronger now.


    "Yeah, I''m not as magically inclined as you two, but even I can tell you''ve gotten much stronger." Superbia put her hand over her mouth. "Beating you in that form would be quite difficult, even with all of us together." Superbia looked at her. She''d seen Hishya''s dragon form in the game, but seeing it in real life was something entirely different. The aura Hishya gave off was overwhelming and was enough to terrify people just by looking at her.


    "Well, that''s why you''re here." Hishya looked at her. "I needed someone to test things against and you were the best person I could think of for such an endeavor."


    "What!" Superbia jumped. "Why me? Akagi is much stronger!"


    <em>{You would literally kill me in that form!}</em>(Superbia)


    "I don''t want to be thrown through mountains for fun, no thanks." If a dragon could sigh that''s what she''d be doing. "Don''t worry, I won''t be doing anything crazy. Mostly just maneuvers. I want to test just what I can actually do like this."


    <em>{Maybe...}</em> Hishya was actually excited to test out her strength, and she might go<em>a bit</em> further than that during her testing with the Oni, but that was neither here nor there.


    "Come on, don''t you want to put on a show?" Akagi smiled. "Not every day you get to fight a real-life dragon."


    "I don''t have a choice in this, do I?" Superbia sighed.


    "No." (Akagi x Hishya.)


    "Yeah, I figured." Superbia couldn''t exactly win this argument, so she just gave up.


    "Before you fight, can we check you out a bit!" Mika asked. "Your a real life dragon! I gotta touch you!"


    "Mika!" Kana scolded her. "Don''t be rude, she''s not some giant pet!"


    <em>I want to touch her too, but I''m holding myself back! </em>That was what Kana''s face said.


    "I don''t mind," Hishya said. "Do you have any idea how many hours I stood in front of the mirror ying with my tail? It''s understandable for you to be curious. I know I would be." She understood their curiosity and could tell that Kana was equally as interested as Mika.


    "Yippie!" Mika took off running toward Hishya and hugged her leg. "Oh my god, you''re so warm!" Mika''s face looked like she was in bliss, it wasn''t super cold outside but it was enough that the warm scales felt good.


    "Your right!" Naomi followed suit. "It''s like a heated nket!"


    "Well, I''m a fire dragon," Hishya said. "If I wasn''t warm, that would be stranger."


    Seeing her two friends hugging Hishya, Kana gave up and joined in. "Oh wow, it''s way different than your tail!" Kana touched Hishya''s forearm.


    "Really?" Hishya asked.


    "Yeah, these scales are even smoother." Kana tapped one. "And I think they''re even harder? I feel like their even stronger than steel."


    "Probably because these are battle scales." Kira chimed in. "My tail is quite a bit softer than the scales of a dragon, and when they take human form, a full dragon''s scales are usually softer as a result."


    "Makes sense." Hishya said.


    "If I recall, Dragon scales were quite valuable for making gear." Yumi chuckled. "Perhaps Hishya wouldn''t mind sharing a few? We can always use some more for upgrading equipment."


    Hishya looked at Akagi, who was considering it. "Please don''t use me as a scale farm..." She had zero interest in being torn apart for her valuable pieces.


    Akagi grinned. "Alright I''ve made my decision! Instead of a royal pet, you will be the royal scale producer! Congrattions on being selected for this most prestigious position Hishya, the descaling will begin post-haste!"


    "What is that supposed to mean! Keep the hell away from me with your grubby mits!" Hishya eximed. It took a moment for her brain to catch up as she recalled<em>another</em>part of what Akagi just said. "And what''s this about pets?!? Why am I suddenly one?!?"


    "Imp and Alice''s idea." Akagiughed. "me them."


    "I should have known!" Hishya cried. "Those idiots! Superbia, tell Imp I''m going to give her some lumps next time I see her! She will regret her words!"


    "Sure....." Superbia had a conflicted look on her face.


    <i>{I think your lumps might just kill the poor girl.) </i>(Superbia)


    Kana got an evil look in her eye. "Onee-chan, can I keep her?" She gave an innocent look. "I''ll feed her, water her and walk her every day. So pleaseeeee."


    Hearing this caused everyone, except Hishya, to bust outughing.


    "Don''t go taking after your sister! She''s a bad influence!" Hishya roared. "Don''t go corrupting Kana, Akagi!"


    "Don''t look at me." Akagi shook her head. "She''s corrupted herself."


    "Lies!" Hishya said. "Kana would never act this way without your influence! Right, Kana?" She looked down at the young girl who was whistling.


    Seeing this, Hishya lowered her head. "What have I gotten myself into? I might as well resign myself to being the family pet now, huh?"


    "I will be great!" Akagi smiled. "You''ll get a nice cor and I''ll make sure Kana gives you plenty of belly rubs."


    "And I''ll feed you plenty of snacks!" Kana said while holding in augh.


    "Are we done picking on me?" Hishya asked.


    ¡°Never!¡± Akagiughed.


    Mika walked back over to Akagi. "Hey, do you think Hishya willy eggs in the future? I mean she is a dragon after all. And I wonder if the child will look more like Kana or her? It''s a pretty big toss up, I''m betting Kana since her DNA is probably stronger than a dragon''s." Not expecting this, Akagi fucking lost her shit and doubled overughing.


    "What the hell, Mika!" Akagi said through herugh. "Where did thate from?!?"


    "Very funny, Mika." Hishya slowly opened her mouth and began channeling fire. "Anyone have a problem if I turn this girl to ash now?"


    "Go right ahead." Kana gave an evil smile.


    Mika panicked. "Uhhh. A little help here?" She looked around, but no one came to her aid.


    "You get a thirty-second head start. Use it wisely." Hishya said as she charged up a st.


    Realizing she was on her own, Mika ran, and after thirty seconds, Hishya began shooting small fireballs at her. They wouldn''t hurt her, but they were quite hot.


    "YEOW!" Mika yelled as one small ember burnt her arm. "This isn''t funny! Someone help!" But no one did. They all just watched andughed as Mika dodged Hishya''s fire for a few minutes. Once she was satisfied, Hishya stopped, and Mika copsed to the ground.


    "You..... you all suck!" Mika said, exhausted. Yumi came over and healed any burns.


    "You brought that on yourself." (Kana and Naomi)


    "Yeah, that was funny, but you deserved it." Akagi chuckled. "What did you expect would happen?"


    "I don''t know, but not that!" Mika cried out.


    "Haaa. I feel so much better now!" Hishyaughed. "Is this why you all enjoy picking on me? Cause it feels great to do it to others." She smiled, satisfied with herself.


    "Ain''t it nice?" Akagi agreed. "Picking on others is one of life''s greatest joys."


    "Now, don''t <i>you</i> start taking after Onee-chan, Hishya!" Kana red at her. "I''ve already got<em>one</em>super powered trouble maker, don''t go giving me another pain to deal with!"


    Cowering under the weight of Kana''s gaze, Hishya squeaked. "Yes, mam."


    "Scary Kana is scary enough to cower a dragon." Naomiughed. "I guess we know who wears the pants in that rtionship."


    At Naomi''sment, everyone burst outughing. It was all in good fun, and everyone got to enjoy themselves a bit, so it was all good.


    "Yeah, the only person scary Kana doesn''t work on is Akagi." Mika walked back over after Yumi checked her burns.


    "That''s only because Akagi is <i>scarier </i>than Kana," Hishya added. "It makes sense. After all, Kana is only a baby Yokaipared to her older sister." Hishya took the opportunity to fire back at her would-be girlfriend.


    "I am not a Yokai!" Kana yelled.


    "Notice how she didn''t deny being scary, though," Naomi said to Akagi, whoughed.


    "Hishya, would you mind burning Naomi too? Pweeez?" She looked at Hishya with puppy eyes.


    "Please don''t do that." Hishya looked away. "I might actually do it."


    "Eep!" Naomi hid behind Akagi.


    <i>{This girl is protected by the two most powerful yers in FWO. People who might just be the most powerful beings on the. God have mercy on whoever decides to harm her.} </i>Superbia thought in her mind.


    "Alright, enough ying around." Hishya looked over at Superbia. "Let''s fight." Her draconic lips contorting into a terrible smile.


    <em>{Oh fuck...}</em>Superbia wanted to run away, but figured that would be futile.


    "Have fun Hishya!" Akagi smiled. "Just remember not to kill her, but its ok if she gets burn or exploded a bit."


    "I can leave her alive! That''s easy!" Hishya roared.


    <em>{AKAGI YOU BASTARD!}</em>Superbia screamed in her head as the two began a sparring match. The devastation of the mountainside was quite bad as Hishya may or may not have exploded some things and caused massive streams ofva with her breath. When Superbia got to Nagoya, she did not enjoy having to exin why some of the mountains north of Kyoto were on fire.


    Spoiler


    Dragon Hishya!


    [copse]

 Chapter 84 – The Christmas Tragedy

    Chapter 84 ¨C The Christmas Tragedy


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    3 Chaps, and thank you all for the amazing support!


    The rest of December flew by until Christmas Day finally arrived. It was cold and snowy, but overall not too bad for this time of the year. Akagi and Kana enjoyed the holiday at their home in the mountains, having a nice rxing celebration of the holiday. There was a minor gift sharing, but they''d kept things to a modest level, just happy to spend some time as a family together. Unfortunately for the rest of Japan, while Akagi enjoyed a nice rxing day, Libra was about to show that tragedy can happen any day of the year.


    rms rang out in the Tokyo Headquarters of the RRT. Aoi who stayed, just in case, rushed into the main control room. She''d been worried about the possibility of a Libra attack and decided to stay in the office building over the holiday.


    "We''re getting reports of strikes throughout Japan!" An officer spoke to Aoi. "Nagoya, Tokyo, Koriyama, Hiroshima, and Sapporo have all reported explosions, and some of our local agents have already engaged Libra members. Law enforcement and military units have been notified, but things are in chaos."


    "Bastards couldn''t even let us have the holiday, could they? No, this was their n all along wasn''t it? Why did I have to be right about this?" Aoi quickly put on her uniform. "We don''t have enough people for this!" Most of the attacks were Libra members, but Hiroshima and Nagoya were onsets by yers, as well as, puppets. Aoi scrambled the RRT members, some of which were quite angry to be disturbed on the holiday. With their limited resources, they couldn''t effectively handle this many attacks simultaneously, and it would take time to get their forces in ce. Seeing no other choice, Aoi ordered Wexel to head to Fukushima since it was only being attacked by puppets, she figured it would be safest for the summoner to head to a ce without yers. While Mixu and Excelsior went to Nagoya to provide backup after they finished in Tokyo. Minazawa would reroute to Hiroshima, while Hoshino dealt with Sapporo.


    <i>{I have a bad feeling about this. It''s far too coordinated for a normal attack. Almost like these attacks are a diversion so we don''t see their real objective. But I don''t have the liberty of just letting them run roughshod over any one city. The government is already inundated withints, so we have no choice but to defend everywhere, even if that spreads us too thin! Damnit!} </i>Aoi cursed the politics of this war in her head. She understood people were scared, but that fear was letting Libra control the flow of the conflict. At this rate, she seriously doubted they could win.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    After receiving her orders to sortie, Wexel took off from the roof of her home in Tokyo. She rode a giant eagle as a mount, and its speed meant she could reach Koriyama in about an hour. This was still quite slow, but since it was only puppets, localw enforcement and the military were estimated to be enough to handle things until she arrived. After summoning him, she took off towards her destination.


    "Let''s go, Kitamaru!" Wexel urged her friend to move swiftly, and the eagle let out a crow. Flying at top speed, Wexel rushed to Koriyama, hoping that she could make it in time to prevent fatalities. The cold wind sted against her skin, and even though her magic she still felt a slight chill. Kitamaru was unaffected by the cold, and the two rocketed over the skyline quickly putting the Tokyo Metropolitan Area behind them.


    This would be the first time Wexel was sent out alone, so she was nervous, but the girl would still try her best to handle whatever threat came her way. Even though she was a summoner, she was confident in her familiar''s powers and her own magical ability. As she flew over highway four which ran from Tokyo to Koriyama, the location of the attack, she began to n and prepare for theing battle.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    At a point just over halfway between Tokyo and Koriyama, three people stood on top of a nearby mountain. They were bird watching, specifically, they were looking for the rare giant eagle. A rarity in these parts.


    "Shouldn''t be much longer..... Ah-ha!" Armalthy was using some binocrs, keeping an eye on the sky above the highway. "Right on schedule, and it looks like she''s alone. Fantastic." He grinned. "They took the bait."


    "Alright, let''s make this quick," Herlex said from behind. "Armalthy, you knock her out of the sky, and once she''s forced to the ground, we jump her. If we do this right, she won''t even know what''s going on until it''s toote."


    "Sounds good to me." Armalthy put down the binocrs and flew up into the sky. Herlex followed suit, carrying Elna.


    "Alright, little birdy." Armalthy charged up some electricity in his palms. "Let''s see how well-done you are after this!" As he flew towards Wexel, he sent a barrage of lighting into the atmosphere and clouds above. His abilities allowed him to control and influence natural lightning and so super charging the atmosphere to create a powerful st was quite easy. After a few moments, a massive bolt came down, striking the flying eagle, and causing it to careen toward the ground. "Zap goes the birdy!" Heughed.


    "Alright, let''s go! Full speed!" Herlex took off, and Armalthy followed suit.


    ________________________________________________________________________________________________


    "Kitamaru!" Wexel screamed as she spun towards the ground. The bird was not dead, as a familiar couldn''t really die, but it was unconscious. And without its flight, it would hit the ground any second. Unable to awaken her friend, and left with little choice, Wexel took out her staff and channeled some wind magic around her and Kitamaru in an attempt to break their fall by creating an air pocket to act as a shock absorber. Secondster, the two impacted the side of a nearby mountain causing an eruption of dirt and rocks as they impacted into the ground. Miraculously, Wexel survived, but she ended up smashing her head against the eagle, which caused a concussion. "Kita-maru." Wexel was woozy from the impact and fell off the side of the eagle onto the ground. She tried to activate hermunicator but found it had been destroyed by the collision with the ground. Unable to stand or move, Wexel watched as Herlex and co arrived.


    "Well, I don''t think we were needed at all." Armalthy floated down next to her. "The fall nearly did the job for us!"


    "Ar-mal-thy." She looked up at the man with anger in her eyes. But with her injuries, she was unable to do anything.


    "I suppose I underestimated the damage of the fall. That or she''s simply that weak of a summoner." Herlex floated down next to him and put Elna down. "Either way, finish her off. With her dead things get easier, and we shouldn''t hang around longer than needed."


    Armalthy reached down and picked her up, holding her by the throat. "Sorry, kid. It''s nothing personal, just be happy I don''t have time to <em>y </em>with you a bit." He pulled back his arm, channeling electrical energy and into his fist as he struck Wexel in the head, killing her instantly. "Well, that was easy enough." He threw her body onto the ground. With her death, Kitamaru vanished into a blue mist. "Oh well, their mistake is our gain. But damn that actually worked! I thought they''d never send the kid out on her own like that."


    "They had no choice." Herlex shrugged. "They are suppose to be the heroes who protect everyone, and don''t have the luxury of just letting us attack cities and causing destruction. It was only natural they''d send her out. Otherwise they''d be in hot water for having abandoned civilians to their fate."


    "That''s what''s wrong with these hero types." Elnaughed. "Always trying to save everyone. You''d think they would''ve learned from the countless stories made over the years that such stupid ideals don''t work in practice."


    "Well, there aren''t many people who actually understand the reality of the situation like we do. Akagi is probably one of the few who''s pragmatic enough to understand the proper way of dealing with things, hence why keeping her off our back is in our best interest." Herlex sighed. "Elna, if you would? We might have killed Wexel, but I don''t want to just leave her body to rot on the side of a mountain." Herlex looked at her, and she threw out her fist, burning the body to ash with her fire.


    "It''s the very least we can do," Elna smirked.


    "Not to mention if someone revived her with magic that would make what we just did pointless." (Armalthy)


    "Good point." Herlex nodded as he kicked the ashes, scattering them into the wind. "Alright let''s go." He picked up Elna as the three flew off back towards their base, confident that they''de out victorious in this conflict.


    ________________________________________________________________________________________________


    "What do you mean Wexel''s gone missing!" Minazawa screamed on the video call. The attacks by Libra had been quickly routed, and it was apparent that they were little more than a feint. Once things settled down the RRT was called into a group video meeting to discuss things.


    "We''ve lost all contact with her, and her radar andms signal went silent about halfway between Tokyo and Koriyama." Aoi winced. "We''ve got search parties looking for her, but so far there''s no sign of her."


    "Were they after Wexel?" Mixu asked. "She was our scout and recon, perhaps they nned this attack to get her specifically?" It was usible, but still a stretch. Libra had been more interested in killing civilians than them. Though as someone who dealt in underworld dealings, Mixu probably had the best insight into Libra''s mindset among the RRT.


    "It''s possible," Aoi admitted. "But to go through all that effort just for her? It seems unreasonable to assume that."


    "Libra was quiet until today. Is it possible they took her out because they''re hiding something they don''t want us to know about?" Mixu pressed onward with her theory. "She was constantly surveilling their base, so I think they wanted her gone. If I was Herlex, she''d be my priority target."


    <em>{Killing off our ability to keep an eye on their movements really fucks with our ns. Even American intel isn''t perfect and we''ve been blinded by the loss of Wexel''s familiars.} </em>(Mixu)


    "Why the hell was she sent out alone!" Minazawa eximed. "You know she can''t handle fighting one of us, it''s the reason Mixu isn''t sent outside of Tokyo without either me or Excel!" She was pissed that Aoi had made that call.


    "I didn''t have a choice!" Aoi yelled back. "We needed to respond to every attack, even if that meant splitting our team. We don''t have the numbers necessary, and the higher-ups are under public pressure to handle Libra. We don''t have the leeway to just ignore an attack at this stage!" She continued. "I sent Mixu with Excelsior to back up Superbia at Nagoya, and I figured that Wexel would be fine to handle puppets at Koriyama. You''re right that it was my decision to send her there alone, but I was given little choice as we had no one to escort her. The only person avable was Imp and that won''t work."


    "So why the hell aren''t we getting any help!" Minazawa yelled. "Where''s the JSDF? Where are the Americans? And why is no one else joining us!" They had been getting military help, but she thought it was too little to actually matter. Even if the Americans had killed Ichimon.


    "Calm down Minazawa." Excelsior chimed in. "Fighting like this is pointless and arguing gets us nowhere. Aoi isn''t the person to direct your anger at anyway, its not her fault things are as fucked as they are." He tried to lower the temperature in the room. "I''ve spoken to the JSDFmand and the Americans. They are moving as fast as they can to deploy forces. Trust me, it''s been a real hassle to move American troops into the county and supply them, but they <i>are </i>here, and they <i>are </i>helping." With Wexel missing, the US Military was the one that rushed to Koriyama to handle the puppets. "American forces have been great help in securing ces we simply can''t be and their intel sharing has helped us deal with a few Libra cells like how you took down Tatsumaki and captured Shimari." The girl was still in aa from her injuries and it was unknown how long she''d be asleep.


    "Y-yeah." Minazawa took a deep breath to calm down. "You''re right, sorry Aoi. I shouldn''t have screamed at you."


    "It''s fine." Aoi shook her head. "Trust me, I''m just as frustrated as you are. The fact that Wexel might be dead because of my call is just..." Her eyes darkened.


    "Well if you thought we''re having a hard time getting more yers to join us before, it''s only going to get worse now. On top of optical issues, most don''t want to fight anymore Minazawa," Mixu spoke. "Ones like us, who are willing to keep the fight going are rare. Most just want to put down their weapons and have peace. That''s what they fought for in FWO and well, I don''t me them. Plus our potential pool of backup isn''t exactlyrge, as there was only one-hundred of us to begin with and subtract those who are dead, on Libra''s side, or not recruitable and you''ve got perhaps fifty to sixty people who we can pull from."


    "So they''d just sit this whole mess out? Even if that means the country is destroyed by Libra?!?" Minazawa was still upset. "Are they idiots?!? If we don''t defeat these bastards they''re going to be next!"


    "No, they''re just scared." Mixu shook her head. "Listen Wexel is probably dead. Once that gets out, what do you think happens? Do you think we''re gonna get more willing volunteers? No. Not after that." People were already hesitant to fight, now that the RRT had lost a member, people would be even more afraid to get involved.


    Her words caused the call to go silent. "I hate to say this, but Aoi you need to pressure the government into giving Akagi whatever it is she asked for. At this rate, were in deep trouble. Unless we get her and/or Hishya involved Japan''s future isn''t looking great."


    <em>{I hate to admit it, but she''s probably our best bet.}</em>Mixu sighed internally.<em>{Hishya would also be good, but I''m not convinced she could turn the tidepletely. No matter how much more powerful she''s gotten, I doubt she can fight all of Libra''sbat yers at once and win.}</em>


    "I know. Hopefully, I can use this incident to pressure them, but I really doubt they would agree to her terms. Even now." Aoi sighed. "They''re stubbornly refusing to consider her terms.


    "What did she ask for anyway?" Hoshino asked. "Is it really something that oundish that they''d refuse?"


    "This is ssified, but she asked for an area ofnd around her home. She wants it to be given to her so she may form her own country. Like the Vatican." Aoi pinched the bridge of her nose. "You can imagine what that was shot down."


    "She wants to rule her own country?!?" Hoshino eximed. "That''s nuts, since when did Akagi have that kind of ambition?" She never thought the assassin would want something so grandiose. "What''s next? She takes over all of Japan and be Empress?"


    "Heh-heh." Impughed at thatment. "Demon Empress!"


    "Now I see why the government declined." Superbia connected to the call. "But I still say it''s necessary. We''re strong enough to fight <em>most</em> of Libra''s members. But Japan is too big, and there''s not enough of us. Unless the US Military is allowed to effectively upy the country, we''re not going to be able to handle this Aoi." She sighed.


    "I know, you''re not telling me what I don''t already know. But still, we must fight on. If we give up, so many innocent people will die." Aoi''s tired eyes had a spark in them. "I will try to persuade the government to ept Akagi''s terms, and I will reach out to Hishya once more. Hopefully, we have some good news soon. Excelsior, please try to speak with the military and tell them we need more help."


    "Will do." Excelsior smiled.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    A few dayster.


    In a hotel in Nagoya, a cloaked woman entered one of the rooms and plugged a small device into aptop. Taking off her hood revealed blue and red rainbow hair. She turned on the device, input a pass-code, and ced theptop on a nearby table. Once finished, she pulled the blinds shut and darkened the room right before a cloaked figure appeared on screen.


    "It''s good to see you again, Birdy." The woman in the image was sitting in a chair, wearing a heavy dark cloak that obscured her face, and her voice was distorted so it wasn''t easy to discern who she was. "I trust all is going ording to n?"


    Birdy kneeled. "It is good to see you too, my Lord. Please forgive me for the dy inmunication, things have been busy with the ns for the Nagoya attack. It has been hard to find time to slip away for my reports. But yes, I am happy to report that everything is going as you foresaw. Libra has dealt with Wexel, thest obstacle before their nned attack on Nagoya." She looked at the monitor.


    "Excellent, all the pieces are falling into ce." The womanughed. "It won''t be much longer until I have what I wanted. Continue to monitor the situation and inform me of Libra''s activates. I do not want a repeat of what happened in Kyoto." Her tone got slightly harsher as she said that.


    Birdy started to sweat a bit. "Yes, my Lord and please forgive me for failing to adequately monitor the movement of Libra''s members. My failure nearly caused a great tragedy, and I am sorry." Birdy bowed her head deeply in regret. "I knew they nned on attacking Gifa, but that they would change targets abruptly was something I did not foresee. I have failed you."


    "It is fine." The woman waved her hand. "It would be unfair to expect you to foresee that those two would take independent action. You had no way of knowing and have otherwise done your job to perfection both here and within FWO. Besides, my other agents are more at fault for not detecting their entrance into Kyoto. So there is nothing to forgive. Please, raise your head."


    Birdy obliged. "I am grateful for your understanding and mercy, my Lord. May I give you my full report?"


    The hooded woman smirked, and for a brief moment, you could see a glowing orange eye under her hood. "Proceed."


    Spoiler


    ???


    [copse]

 Chapter 84.5 – The Pirate’s Raid.

    Chapter 84.5 ¨C The Pirate¡¯s Raid.


    At roughly the same time as Wexel was killed by Armalthy, Hoshino was on the lookout for Skipper in Sapporo. She was sitting on the edge of a building looking at a picture on her AR device. She''d been told about his presence within the city and attacks across Japan had her on high alert. There were already a few small skirmishes with puppets, which she''d easily dispatched.


    "Ohhhh, my cute little Kaori." She ogled the image of her sister floating in front of her. "Where have you gone, my little toy?" Her smile turned into a perverted grin as her cheeks flushed red. She''d been missing tormenting her little sister and had tried to find her on numerous asions, to no avail. An official missing person bulletin had gone out, but as of now, she''d not been found and there had been no sightings of her in weeks.


    "I hope you turn up soon, my cute little toy. I''ve got so much more fun ways of ying with you!" She smiled and swiped away the picture. Hoshino figured that Kaori was still alive, though she regretted dropping her off in Kyoto since now she couldn''t find her.


    *KABOOM!*


    Suddenly a massive st sounded out from behind her. Hoshino detected some kind ofrge projectileing towards her and jumped away. Secondster, a massive metal cannonball mmed into where she''d been sitting, sting through the building and crashing onto the street below crushing a few cars.


    "I guess that answers where the pirate is." Hoshino sighed as she looked down at the carnage below. The ball had crushed several cars and even killed a few people as it embedded itself into the front of a building across the street. "Yo Skip! Hate to say it, but a fucking cannon isn''t exactly stealthy!" She turned to look at Skipper, who was standing atop a massive cannon perched on a rooftop a few blocks down.


    "Stealth isn''t the pirate way of doing things!" He cracked a smile. "Besides I just wanted to get your attention, my fair wench. My tremendous intuitive sense of the female creature informs me that you are troubled. Is there anything I can do to help you?" He let out a hardyugh.


    <em>{He''s quoting that fucking movie again!} </em>Hoshino growled in her head, she really hated Skipper.


    "I''m going to fucking kill you for calling me that! Even if you''re just messing around, you stupid NEET!" She summoned her twin des and ran towards Skipper, who fired his cannon again. Hoshino easily dodged the st, which smashed through the rooftop copsing the building beneath her feet.


    <i>{I''m so going to get an ass chewing for that!} </i>Hoshino sighed internally. She knew Aoi and Superbia would give her hell for the coteral damage, but she didn''t care. The only reason she joined the RRT instead of Libra was because she couldn''t stand most of the people in the terrorist group. That, and she had a bone to pick with Armalthy, and a chance to legally kill him was one she couldn''t pass up. She didn''t give a damn about innocent people''s lives and she knew the RRT was desperate enough that they''d never kick her out.


    "It will take a bit more than that to trip me up!" Hoshino hopped between the falling sections of the building, running up them at high speed before leaping towards Skipper. "Let''s dance! You annoying son of a bitch." Hoshino brought down her twin des and shed with Skipper, who drew his Scimitar.


    "Let''s!" Skipper smirked as the two dueled on top of the building. As expected, he was a swashbuckler, a type of rogue that dealt withbat up close and personal. That ss was also one of the very few that could get bonuses for using firearms. Skipper manifested his magical flintlock in his offhand and fired it at Hoshino, who deflected the shot.


    "Oh-ho!" Skipperughed. "So your not just all talk. I''m surprised you dodged me <i>Man-Stopper</i>!"


    "I hate you!" Hoshino growled. "I hate you and your stupid fucking roley! Your almost as bad as Imp!" She shed her des, sending energy sts forward which Skipper deftly avoided. "You''re not in the game anymore! So for the love of god, stop it!" She sent more sts.


    "Tis nothing to cease!" Skipper moved forward and shed des with Hoshino. "I am Skipper, the greatest pirate who ever lived! Ahahahah." His Rakish Audacity gave him the ability to fight as equals with her in a 1v1 scenario.


    "You''re not a pirate! You''re a neck bearded NEET that lived in his mom''s basement, ying video games, with <em>way</em> too many anime body pillows!" Hoshino was getting annoyed. Skipper was one her least favorite yers, due to his role y. Imp was just as bad in her eyes, but she could tolerate the madwomen due to her usefulness, but not Skipper. She''d known him before FWO and knew exactly what kind of man he was, and seeing him act like this just rubbed her the wrong way. The two continued to duel across the rooftop, shing des and sending sparks flying as they fought. Skipper kept trying to strike Hoshino with his pistol, but to no avail. She was too agile for the slow rounds.


    After a few more shes, the two disengaged with Skipper spinning away in a fanciful manner, while smiling.


    "Then what are ye?" Skipper tilted his hat with his gun. "Are ye any better? You still call yerself Hoshino, don''t ya? If yer going to call me all sorts of names and im tis all pretend, then perhaps ye should look in a mirror!" He spun around with his footwork skill to avoid her de. "If yer still Hoshino, then I be Skipper! Mighty pirate and handsome rogue!"


    "That''s an actual name, one my parents considered giving me!" Hoshino''s real name was Hijika. "Besides, I always liked it much better! So why not change it?!?" She got more aggravated as she activated her de''s special property increasing their damage. "Don''tpare me to losers like you! I actually have friends, a life and hobbies outside of looking at 2-D girl''s!"


    <em>{Can''t deny the handsome though...}</em>(Hoshino)


    "Touched a nerve, have I?" Skipper grinned as he slid forward extending his de toward Hoshino, starting the duel again. "You''re no better than I! You seek to escape reality, to change into that which you were not! The only difference between us is that I stopped lying to myself!" Heughed as the two danced with their des.


    "No, the <em>difference</em> is that you belong in a mental hospital along with all the other crazies. Your a freak like Imp and Akagi! Idiots who still don''t understand the difference between games and reality!" Hoshino mmed her des down at him locking them together in a test of strength. "Unlike you, I''m perfectly sane!"


    Skipperughed. "But yer eyes tell me the opposite. In fact, ye might just be crazier than most." He spun his foot around and knocked Hoshino prone. "I have seen what ye do in yer spare time. Tis pity that poorss must deal with a sibling such as yourself."


    <i>{Fuck! I let this idiot get under my skin.} </i>Hoshino cursed her carelessness as she mmed into the ground.


    *BANG*


    Skipper fired his pistol at point nk driving a lead ball into her shoulder, opening arge wound and spraying blood everywhere.


    "ACK!" Hoshino screamed in pain as she frantically moved away from him. "I''m going to make you pay for that, you stupid NEET!"


    "What can ye do in that condition?" Skipperughed as he tap danced in ce. "Ye can''t fight without your other arm. Ye should just run away like the coward ye are."


    "I don''t need two arms to beat you!" Hoshino put away her second de and focused her effort on using her good arm as she charged in ready to continue their duel.


    "Fool." Skipperughed as he lunged forward to intercept her de.


    "No, you''re the fool!" Hoshino stopped short, deflecting his de by the tip, channeled a st of magical energy through her leg, and mmed him in the side. Sending him flying across the rooftop. "I know Karate, and I recently figured out that we can channel magic through any part of our bodies, not just our hands and arms." That was the limitation in the game, but in the real world, it didn''t matter which body part was used to cast!"


    A bit of blood trickled from Skipper''s mouth as he got up.


    "Not bad, wench." He wiped the blood from his lips. "I suppose tis time I got serious!" He zipped forward at high speed, and the two continued their sh across the rooftop. Hoshino was still at a disadvantage with only one arm, but her ability to channel magic through her body helped mitigate that issue. The fight continued as they leapt down onto the street below. Civilians began to scream and run as they shed.


    "Get the hell out of the way!" Hoshino yelled at the onlookers. "I don''t have time for you!" People had gathered at a distance to watch the fight.


    <em>{Fucking idiots! Get away from the danger you dammed fools!} </em>(Hoshino)


    "Do ye really have time to look at them?" Skipper took the momentarypse in Hoshino''s concentration to lunge at her with his de and cut her across the arm. An action she repaid by mming him with her leg and sending him flying toward the civilians.


    "Enough ying around. I''m going to end the tale of the worst pirate to ever live!" Hoshino was fuming.


    "I might be the worst pirate to ever live, but that means ye have heard of me!" He smirked.


    <em>{I hate myself for setting that one up for him...}</em>Hoshino cringed internally at her word choice.


    "Besides. Me thinks this tale is only just beginning," Skipper said as he got up and grabbed a woman who was nearby, holding his gun to her head.


    "You bastard!" Hoshino was going to approach him but stopped. She didn''t care if thedy died, but the lecture from the others would be annoying. "Let her go and fight me! Or are you too afraid?"


    "Tis only a break in the action," Skipper said as Hoshino tried to step closer. The two were about twenty feet apart before he kicked the woman forward, causing her to collide with Hoshino, who caught her.


    "What the hell." Disoriented, she looked around for Skipper. Who was standing on top of a roof. "Let this be known as the day you almost caught the great pirate Skipper!" He ran off, out of sight. "A-ha-ha-ha-ha." Hisughter slowly faded as he got away.


    "THAT QUOTE DOESN''T EVEN FIT! AT LEAST USE THE REFERENCES CORRECTLY!" Hoshino screamed. "I hate him. I fucking hate him! AGH!" Her arm was still bleeding, and she decided not to give chase, as she called Aoi. "I swear to god, by the end of this, that fucking idiot pirate is going to die horribly. I don''t care how or by who, I just need this one win!"


    She heard a noise in herms set as she connected back to Aoi.


    "Aoi, let me just tell you how much I hate role-yers." Hoshino limped down the street. "And also get me someone who can heal or something. Having a bullet in my arm really hurts, and I''ve got a lot of pain. Most physical, but some psychological. God I hate that idiot."

 Chapter 85 – Countdown To Disaster.

    Chapter 85 ¨C Countdown To Disaster.


    Akagi sat at home watching different news feeds, all of which were inundated with a discussion about the recent Christmas attacks and the death of one of the RRT members. There was a great deal of anger, fear and concern about the recent attacks, and debate raged among the public and the government about what to do, as it became clear that Libra was winning. Some argued for increased US military presence, while others called for an international peacekeeping force. Russia and China backed this, but with the threat of a US veto, it wasn''t happening anytime soon. Things were slowly but surely moving in Libra''s favor and their backer were very pleased with their progress.


    The New Year came and went without much fanfare as public events had been canceled, and people were reluctant to gather inrge groups. A general sense of unease washed over Japan, as many people began to discuss either leaving the country or at least hunkering down until Libra was dealt with. Kana was still on winter break, and there was some spection that schools may stay closed until the crisis passed. Something Akagi figured was likely given the fact that Libra was more than happy to hit students.


    Yumi and Akagi were rxing together as information shed over the T.V.


    "If nothing else, Libra''s causing one hell of a panic. That''s for sure." Akagi said as she took a sip of her drink. "I''ll give them credit for being effective, if nothing else."


    "I wonder what will happen now?" Yumi was sitting next to her with a drink of her own. "Perhaps now they will seek you out again? At this rate, I don''t think the RRT can win on their own. Even the military help they''ve been getting isn''t enough from the looks of it."


    "While not impossible, under current conditions I''d say round two of negotiations is unlikely," Akagi shook her head. "They''re going to try everything else <i>before</i> theye crawling to me. You can bet on that."


    <i>{Though, if this keeps up. I suspect we might see a second American upation of Japan.} </i>Akagi thought to herself. <i>{I should get Hikari to take the temperature in the White House and Congress and see if they''re considering it.} </i>Her agent in the US had been proving quite valuable for reading the American military and political winds.


    "If Libra actually goes through with their n, perhaps the Japanese government might have no choice but to ept my demands, though." Akagi chuckled. Her mole inside Libra meant she knew exactly what they were nning. If they actually attacked Nagoya and caused destruction, the government might have no choice but to relent. Akagi wasn''t going to forewarn the RRT about this impending attack. Some might see this as cruel and even some level of evil. After all, she was using innocent people''s lives as a means to get what she wanted. As she could easily stop the Nagoya attack or, at the very least, tip off the RRT. But doing so wouldpromise her mole''s position, and Akagi was not above letting people die to get what she wanted, especially in this case. Her rules meant that she would not take lives without due cause, but nothing in them said she had to lift a finger to help people.


    Kana had already figured out that Akagi was intentionally using the deteriorating situation to wring out concessions from the government. She initially voiced concerns, but backed off when Akagi asked for a logical exnation of why she should help for free. As smart as she was, Kana couldn''t give a persuasive enough answer. Kana knew her sister was no hero of justice. Many would even call her a viin, and Akagi was ok with that. The <em>Demon</em> did not subscribe to the heroic notion of using one''s powers to help others like some superhero. Just because she could help people <i>did not</i> mean she had to, and she would not allow others to push their morality on her. If others wished to risk their lives for the greater good and y hero, that was fine. But Akagi was not such a person, and with her humanity dwindling, one would be hard-pressed to convince her otherwise.


    "Does seeing this really not bother you, Yumi?" Akagi looked at her. "Unlike me, you''re still humanish. I can''t imagine you don''t feel something seeing all this." Akagi knew Yumi wasn''t entirely ok with her actions at time, but kept her opinions quiet out of loyalty and respect.


    Yumi thought for a moment. "While it''s true that I feel sympathy, I am prioritizing your decision and feelings. I know very well just what kind of person you are, and while I may personally wish to help, I would be overstepping my boundaries by attempting to push you to act against your own judgment."


    <em>{This girl...}</em> (Akagi)


    "But you do want to help? You do wish that I would?" Akagi asked. "You don''t need to lie to me, so please be honest."


    "If I have to answer, then yes. I would absolutely prefer that you go out and defeat Libra right this moment before more people die." Yumi reluctantly answered. "But as I said, my feelings are irrelevant. I do not have the right to persuade you on a matter where your core principles are at work. At the end of the day, this is your decision to make and I respect your judgement and how you came to it. Even if I have my disagreements with the oue."


    "You really are nice, you know that?" Akagi put her arm around her and hugged her. "Never feel like you can''t voice your opinion to me, though, ok? Even if you know my mind is made up. You have every right to voice your thoughts and never say your feelings are irrelevant again. Because that''s not true." Akagi was happy to hear Yumi''s answer. Part of her was d that Yumi understood just how Akagi was. Though even if she understood why Yumi and the others stayed silent, she would prefer they at least voice their feelings. Even if Akagi''s mind wouldn''t be changed. "I don''t like yes men and submissive people who are only capable of taking orders and doing as I say. You are my <i><b>[Bonded Soul].</b></i> You have every right to speak to me as an equal. Even if I am far more powerful than you."


    Yumi chuckled. "You say that, but I can never view myself as your equal, and you know that. Not just because of your power either." Yumi''splex past an trauma had warped her view of Akagi strangely and she understood that.


    "I know, I''m just saying." Akagi smiled. "Just from now on, don''t hide anything from me. If I do something you don''t like or disagree with, please tell me. Who knows, you might just change my mind!"


    "I doubt that. You are quite stubborn." Yumi rolled her eyes. "But I will keep that in mind." She didn''t show it, but she was quite happy to hear Akagi say all that.


    The two sat silent, snuggling, until Yumi recalled something important.


    "Oh!" Yumi eximed. "I forgot to mention it, but Mizumi wanted to speak with you. She said it was important."


    "Then, can you please go fetch her?" Akagi said. "If it''s important, I should hear her out, and I''ve got nothing else scheduled at the moment."


    Yumi hugged Akagi and walked out of the room. A few minutester, she returned with the blue-haired spirit. Yumi took a seat next to Akagi and snuggled up to her, which caused Akagi tough and the spirit to turn slightly red in embarrassment.


    <em>{Crazy how a millenniaold spirit can still get all embarrassedabout some minor skinship.}</em>Akagiughed in her mind.


    "What did you want to speak to me about?" Akagi said as she sipped her drink. "I assume it''s important since you don''t typically request to speak with me like this."


    "Yes, well. It''s about that Demon tongue of yours," Mizumi said. "I think I recognize it."


    "Oh?" Akagi''szy expression snapped into a serious one. "Go on."


    "There were Demons in my world. Though I''ve never met one like you." Mizumi continued. "I''ve studied countless historical records and have aprehensive knowledge of all my world''snguages, so I can say for certain your Demon tongue is different than what they use in my world. But, I feel like I''ve seen it somewhere in my library, something about it seems familiar. I just can''t quite put my finger on it." She''d sworn it was something in one of the old legends or historical ounts from millennia ago, but the specifics were just noting to her.


    "Interesting." Akagi thought. "If others have used it, we might just learn a bit more about myself. If someone else used thisnguage, it''s reasonable to assume that we might be rted in some way."


    "Yes, those where my thoughts exactly," Mizumi nodded. "My library is in a state of chaos at the moment, so I would like your permission to retire to my home for some time to conduct research and sort through things. It will likely take several weeks until I have an answer if that''s ok?"


    "Do it," Akagi said. "Any information you can give me will be useful. Take as much time as you need and search your records, if you do find something, I want you to bring it to me as soon as possible." She nodded. "Perhaps you might just blow this whole mystery of what I am wide open."


    "Yes. Though, I have a bad feeling <i>I</i> am not going to like the answer to that mystery. Thatnguage was most likely not used by some peaceful being. I''m sure of that just from the sound of it." Mizumi sighed. "If you wouldn''t mind, could you give me a vocal and writing sample? That would help me cross-reference things, and your technology makes doing both quite easy."


    "Sure," Akagi took out a small recorder and spoke into it, then pulled out a pen and paper and wrote a few sentences for her. "Will that suffice?


    "Yes, this is perfect!" Mizumi smiled. "Seeing this writing has me <i>convinced</i> I''ve seen this in my library. I just can''t remember where."


    <em>{Where have I seen this script before? I think it was in one of the old books given to me by Elder Zanon.} </em>(Mizumi)


    "Alright, off you go." Akagi waved her offzily.


    Mizumi opened a portal, much like the one she appeared through originally. "Alright, I shall return when I have an answer." She said as she stepped through and disappeared along with the portal.


    "I wonder if she really will find the answer," Yumi said. "I would certainly be interested in knowing more about you."


    "Who knows, but she seemed sure she would." Akagi shrugged. "And we lose nothing by having her look, so why not?"


    The two sat on the couch watching the newsfeeds while snuggling together for a while until Kana entered the living room.


    "Am I interrupting something?" She grinned as she walked over to the two of them.


    "Jealous?" Akagi winked at her. "I can turn into Hishya and snuggle with you if you''re lonely." Hishya was suppose toe over today before heading to some family for bted holiday visits.


    "And I did that to myself, didn''t I." Kana sat down. "I should know better than to try that stuff on you. I''ll never win."


    "Nope." Akagi smiled. "What''s up? Did you need something?"


    "I just came to remind you that we''re having your party tomorrow, that''s all." Kana smiled. "So don''t go off somewhere and miss it." She would be furious if Akagi missed her party.


    "Trust me, I won''t." Akagi waved her off. "I tried talking you out of it, but once everyone else got invested in the idea, I gave up.¡±


    <em>{Plus I don''t need Kana breathing down my neck if I ditched. She''d never let me hear the end of it.}</em> (Akagi)


    "I think you''ll like it." Yumi looked up at her. "We never got to celebrate your birthday before, and everyone is looking forward to it!" Yumi had gotten Akagi a special gift, and she was excited to present it to her. "Plus, it will be fun to have a nice celebration."


    "If you guys are throwing it, I know I will." Akagi smiled. She''d never celebrated her birthday before, and while she wouldn''t show it, she was happy that people cared enough about her to celebrate. "But even without a party, just knowing you all care enough to remember my birthday is more than enough for me."

 Chapter 86 – Akagi’s Birthday.

    Chapter 86 ¨C Akagi¡¯s Birthday.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    2 Chaps!


    *POP**POP**POP*


    "Happy Birthday Akagi!" (Everyone)


    Arge amount of streamers exploded as everyone congratted Akagi on reaching her twenty first birthday, in fact today marked the first time <i>ever </i>that she''d celebrated it. Kana always tried to do something each year, but she was only really able to spend time with her older sister and not much else. Shima and Taichi never congratted her or had a celebration, as they only birthday the cared about was her eighteenth, since that would be when they could legally kick her out. Funny enough, Akagi only knew her birthday because it was needed as part of her personal identification and if not for Kana, she probably would have missed it each year. Her parents attitudes always upset Kana, who tried to do something fun with her sister each year. Akagi never minded theck of celebration and always told Kana that it didn''t matter if no one cared. But she always appreciated the young girl''s thoughtfulness, and spending time with her was always a source offort.


    However, this year was different. Gathered outside, after the use of magic to warm the area, were over one hundred people. Each of them here to celebrate Akagi''s birthday and congratte her on not just another year, but also for surviving FWO. Everyone''s faces showed a genuine happiness, and she could tell that each and every one them was happier with her around. She''d never imagined such a spectacle, as even in the game she''d never celebrated and it wasn''t until recently that she understood that she was truly loved by these people. Seeing all this warmth and joy truly touched her heart, and reminded her once again that she truly had a ce to belong.


    "I really don''t deserve all this." Akagiughed. Her face showed a surprising amount of embarrassment. "But thank you. Really... I-I." As she tried to speak, tears came down her cheeks. It seemed the dulled emotions in her heart had burst to the surface. "Huh? What''s this?" She tried to wipe away the tears. "That''s funny. I thought I didn''t give this body tear ducts." Herment caused everyone tough. "It''s not bing of me to cry."


    <em>{Though I''ve done a lot more of that since FWO ended.}</em> Akagi thought to herself.


    "It''s ok to cry, Onee-chan." Kana smiled. "We''re all here for you. And you''re wrong, there''s nothing wrong with being happy. Holding it in isn''t good and you''ve been doing that for your entire life, its ok to let it all out. After all, you''re not alone anymore."


    Akagi pulled her into a hug. "You really have to be the best little sister ever. You know that? Who else would put up with all my crap and still love me in the end?" Akagi squeezed her. "Thank you, truly. All of you. I guess I''ve turned into a bit of a crybaby since we got back, and I hope you can put up with that for a bit. It''s just... <em>nice</em> to have people who care about me for once."


    "And you''re the best Onee-chan I could ever ask for." Kana smiled and hugged her back. "Now then, let''s celebrate!" Kana pulled away, and the party began. At Akagi''s urging, things were kept to a "reasonable" level, though things quickly got rowdy with music sting and alcohol flowing like water. Akagi did not want gifts, and told everyone not to get her anything. Though Kana ignored this and gave her a homemade hairpin, which Akagi loved. However, Kana was not the only one to get a gift for her, and Yumi''s gift is what truly broke Akagi.


    "My Lord." Yumi walked up with a small wooden box in her hand. "Kana helped me pick this out. It''s not much, but happy birthday." She handed it over. "I think you''ll like it."


    "Yumi, you didn''t have to get me anything, you know that. Just being around me is the best gift you could ever give me." Akagi was embarrassed. "But thank you. I appreciate it."


    "I know, open it. I think you''ll like it." Yumi smiled.


    <em>{I bet she''ll be surprised!} </em>(Yumi)


    Akagi slowly unwrapped the box and opened it. Inside was something that took her aback and she had to do a double take at first. In FWO there was a unique item, one that could only be obtained via a rare in-game event. That item was called "The Locket of Hearth and Home." It had no actual effect and did nothing, but was an extremely rare collector''s item despite its mundane nature. Akagi had tried to find it, but could never get the quest to fire, and for whatever reason it was not tradeable in game. Akagi slowly lifted it out of the box and inspected it, and for a moment she was rendered speechless. "Is this real?" She asked.


    "Yup!" Yumi smiled. "And Look inside, it wouldn''t be a locket without a picture."


    Akagi slowly opened the locket. Inside was a small picture of Yumi ced within the center of the locket. Her hair was rolled up, and she was wearing a traditional Kimono. Yumi rarely dressed up so it was truly something special.


    "Ta-dah!" Kana said. "One Yumi picture you can keep at your side at all times." She smiled.


    "I hope it''s to your liking my Lord. It took a few tries to get everything right, but I think it came out nicely." Yumi said.


    Akagi just stood speechless, her mind racing as she looked at the photo. She was stunned by this gift, it waspletely unexpected and before she knew it, she''d burst into tears. A reaction that neither Kana nor Yumi expected.


    "I expected her to like it but-" Kana was shocked.


    Before Yumi had a chance to say anything she was hugged tightly by Akagi, who threw her arms around her as she sobbed. "Thank you... Thank you so much." Akagi cried. "You have no idea how much this means to me."


    "I knew you would like it, but I had no idea you would react like this!" Yumi smiled as she hugged her back. "I''m d my feelings got through."


    Mika walked over to Kana and asked a question. "Does that locket have some kind of meaning?"


    Akagi answered. "The locket... the locket was said to bind the person whose picture is within it to the person to whom it''s gifted, forever." Akagi was still crying. "To give it to someone means you truly wish to be with them. Even if you were to die, you would find your way back to me. And that you ept them, <i>all of them,</i> no matter what. It was just a silly little item in the game, but Yumi giving it to me just..." She couldn''t finish.


    "And its all true." Yumi teared up a bit. "I love you, <em>all</em> of you. It''s why I asked Kana to help me find that. To show you just how much you mean to me."


    "You already said you would stay with me for eternity, but this..... for some reason, <i>this....</i> just hit me harder." Akagi smiled. "I''m not sure why, but it did."


    Kana and Yumi had been scheming to figure out the perfect gift for Akagi''s birthday for a while. After the events of Akagi''s shadow and the deration that Yumi was her <i><b>[Bonded Soul]</b></i>, the priestess mentioned the locket as the perfect gift. Upon learning its meaning, Kana got excited and contacted Imp, who easily gave it over as she had no use for it. In the game, Akagi merely wanted it for the novelty since it was rare. But now with her epting Yumi as her <i><b>[Bonded Soul],</b></i> the meaning of giving it would be much deeper. She expected Akagi to be happy, but not to this level.


    <i>{Onee-chan, you always said you liked to be alone, but you were actually starved for affection, weren''t you? You always craved that one person who could ept all of you, even the dark side, and that''s just what Yumi is. So I understand just why you''re so happy.}</i><b> </b>Kana smiled internally as she saw her sister weep tears of joy.


    "You truly are my <i><b>[Bonded Soul], </b></i>aren''t you?" Akagi stroked her cheek. "Thank you, and please stay at my side. Now and forever, Yumi."


    "There is nowhere else I''d rather be." Yumi''s wiped away some tears and hugged Akagi back. Everyone else had gone silent, out of respect, and watched until the two separated. It was a touching moment, and that gift made Akagi certain that Yumi was truly the one she needed to be with. As she looked into the priestess''s eyes, all her troubles seemed to melt away as the void within her heart filled just a little bit more. Kana was right, Akagi needed Yumi just as much as Yumi needed her.


    <em>{I don''t have to be alone anymore, as long as I have her, nothing else matters.} </em>Akagi thought to herself.<em>{Thank you Yumi, for everything. For putting up with all that I am, for epting me despite my faults and for loving me even if I can''t love you back.}</em>


    Akagi lifted her up and spun her around. "Yumi! Ha-ha-ha! Yumi." Akagi rubbed her face against hers. "I think you''ve made me the happiest person in the world!" She ced her down and looked out at the rest of her family.


    "I know I said to keep things to a reasonable level, but fuck it!" Akagi yelled. "Let''s celebrate until we can celebrate no more!"


    "Hurrah!" Everyone cheered.


    From that point, the party went into overdrive as Akagi dipped into her stock of alcohol and busted out the best she had. Which naturally everyone loved and the drinkingmenced in ernest. As Kana wouldter describe it, you could practically <em>feel</em> the happiness in the air around them. She and the girls couldn''t drink, but that didn''t stop them from joining in the fun. Some of the ninja brought out some games and all sorts of entertainmentmenced ranging from creative juggling to insane feats of magic.


    As the night went on, Akagi brought up the idea of dancing, since around half the people present could y instruments. After some discussion, it was decided that there would be a slow dance and people began to partner up. Seeing that both Akagi and Yumi knew how to dance, the two took center stage and enjoyed themselves. They''d only danced together once before at an Imperial Noble''s party, but they were perfectly in sync. Kana was surprised by how well her sister could dance, as she''d never done so at home. When she asked her afterward, she told her that she''d learned from some Imperial nobles as part of her training in etiquette and social activity. While Yumi said she was taught as a young girl for her priestess duties. Since Hishya was also here, Akagi pushed her and Kana into a dance, which the two stumbled through. Neither could dance to save their lives, but they had fun anyway.


    Mika was taken by her two girlfriends and spun between them. While Naomi was captured by Chloe and forced to dance with the cat, who was quite bad at it.


    The festivities continued a bit longer than expected and things continued well into the night, the jovial atmosphere seemed to energize everyone and it took a long time until exhaustion settled it. Eventually, things winded down, and Akagi advised people to rest. Luckily with a bit of magic, the aftermath of the alcohol could be avoided, but she wanted to ensure people got proper sleep. Though she proimed that all work was canceled for the next day, as to allow for rest and rxation. While most people could handle their drink quite well, the sheer quantity and quality of Akagi''s stock knocked out quite a few people and there was some minor pranking of the sleeping people with some marker. Once everything was cleaned up and the sleeping people were moved to beds, Akagi, Yumi, Kana, Hishya, Naomi, and Mika went into the house to talk for a bit. They''d be sleeping over, so it didn''t matter howte they stayed.


    Yumi''s tolerance for alcohol was quite poor and she found herself sleeping on Akagi''sp, even after having it removed from her system with magic.


    "I''m d to see you and Yumi finally get together." Mika smiled. "I always knew you would."


    "Yeah, and here I thought you said you couldn''t be with someone." Naomi teased. "But looking at the cute sight on disy, I see that was wrong."


    "No, it was not wrong Naomi. Despite what you might think I cannot feel mortal love and thus I am not <em>with</em> Yumi as you are using that term." Akagi shook her head as she stroked Yumi''s hair. "Yumi is not my girlfriend, nor is she, my wife or my lover, and she never will be. That is simply not the kind of rtionship we have."


    "???" Naomi, Hishya, and Mika tilted their head. "What do you mean?" They asked.


    "You''re clearly going out," Naomi said. "Why else would you be acting like that?" She said pointing at the sleeping Yumi. "You sure look like lovers to me. You even picked her up and spun her around earlier."


    "Yeah, don''t try to deny it." Mika chuckled. "There''s no need to get all shy around us."


    Akagi sighed. "It''s going to be hard to keep people from misunderstanding this, isn''t it." She looked over at Kana for help.


    "Yeah, it''s kinda hard for us to understand, Onee-chan. Even I only partially get it and I was there for the whole exnation." Kana agreed.


    "What do you mean, Kana?" Naomi looked at her.


    "Onee-chan does not <em>love</em> Yumi," Kana said. "Hence why she said she''s not her girlfriend, wife, or lover."


    "Ehh?" Mika squeaked. "She doesn''t love her? What?!? How does that even work?"


    "Is this some kind of Demon thing I''m too human to understand?" Hishya asked with a sigh.


    "Funny statementing from a <i>Dragon,</i> but yes, you are correct in concept. As mortals, you cannot understand what my rtionship to Yumi is, since it logically makes no sense to you." Akagi sighed. "Your minds will forever look at things through the lens of love. Whether it be romantic, tonic or sexual, love and all its forms and meanings is the only way you can understand rtionships. That''s just how you''re built."


    "M-mortals?" Mika stammered, hearing that term just thrown out.


    "My kind <i>does not have a concept of love, romance, or sexual attraction,</i>" Akagi stressed those words. "They do not exist for me, and as a result, the idea of <i>loving </i>Yumi the way you would boyfriend or girlfriend is not possible. It''s not that I <i>do not want </i>to feel love for Yumi. It''s that I am <i>incapable of doing so, </i>even with conscious effort. I told her that when I asked her to stay with me, that no matter how much she loved me, I am incapable of returning it. Now, because I was raised human for so long. I have some quirks in my mindset, such as my preference for women, or my sisterly bond with Kana, but those are anomalies. Ordinarily, my kind does not differentiate between the sexes. However, despite these abnormalities, I still cannot feel mortal love, that emotion or process is simply impossible for me, and it exins <em>why</em> I always struggled with those emotions in the past. Though, in my opinion, the bond between Yumi and I is much deeper than anything two mortals can experience. So while I do not <em>love</em>her, she is the single most important thing in my life and I''d do anything for her. She simply means that much to me." Akagi smiled as she put a nket on Yumi. "Love is not the be all end all of things."


    "That''s <i>interesting</i>." Hishya tilted her head. "You say youck the capacity for love, but then why are you acting like that?¡± She pointed at Akagi petting Yumi''s head. "And your face tells me your enjoying yourself. Are you certain you aren''t feeling love when you''re happily petting her head as sheys on yourp? I mean, as you said, love can take all sorts of forms. So perhaps what your describing is simply another form of love unique to your species?" It was a good point.


    "It''s hard to exin, but I am certain that our rtionship bears no connection to mortal concepts of love. Sadly, I don''t think I can exin it. In fact, Yumi herself probably doesn''t really understand it, because even though she''s bonded to me, she <em>is</em> <em>still</em> a mortal. Though she probably understands a bit more of what our connection is. Sorry I can''t exin it better, but I simplyck the words to articte it to you." Akagi sighed.


    "And to answer your point about my skinship with Yumi. Lacking the ability to love does not mean I cannot enjoy having Yumi here with me, does it? Touching her and having her close feels good to me and I know she feels the same way. Since we both enjoy, non sexual, skin-to-skin contact and snuggling is our favorite activity. For whatever reason, my kind very much enjoys physical contact with our <i><b>[Bonded Soul]. </b></i>I''m not entirely sure <em>why,</em> but I suspect it''s because I want to be as close as physically possible with her." Akagi chuckled. "I actually very much enjoy having her cuddle with my real body, <em>that</em> feels very good."


    "I guess...." Naomi was still having a hard time understanding it. "The idea of a rtionship with no love like that is, <i>really </i>hard to understand."


    "Just don''t think about it too much. It''s not worth the headache." Akagi smiled. "She''s important to me and that''s all you need to know."


    "That term, bonded soul. What does it mean?" Mika asked. "You''ve called her that a bunch, can you exin it a bit."


    "A bonded soul is simply the term my kind use to define our connected partner. My kind do not mate or take partners as mortals do. Instead, we look for a soul to spend eternity with. Not out of romantic or sexual attraction, but because we feel that the other <ipletes </i>us and provides that which we are missing. Take the idea of soul mates and multiply it by eleven." Akagi looked down at the sleeping girl. "In my eyes, now that Yumi has epted me she has be an integral part of me. Not in a literal way mind you, as while our souls are connected, were are still distinct and separate beings. However, my <i>perspective </i>is that we are one, forck of a better description. The information I received is iplete, but from what I can tell, once my kind bond with someone, that bond is intended to be <em>permanent</em>. And, while Yumi and I are technically considered equals under the bond, my power and status gives me a senior role in the partnership. This means that I view her as someone I can no longer live without and that I will protect her, no matter what. And should anything happen to her...." Akagi''s face grew dark, and her left eye began to glow as the room turned cold.


    "Well, let''s just hope for the sake of the world that no one ever harms her." Akagi looked up andughed,pletely doing a 180 from her attitude just a moment prior.


    <i>{EEEP!} </i>(Mika, Naomi, Kana, and Hishya.)


    The four of them understood that if anything happened to Yumi, the world would probably end.


    Spoiler


    The Locket!


    [copse]

 Chapter 87 – The Attack Begins.

    Chapter 87 ¨C The Attack Begins.


    One weekter.


    "Alright, everyone." Herlex looked at the other members of Libra who were standing around arge table. "Tomorrow marks the start of Operation Droid Army and the beginning of the end of the Japanese government." He smirked. "They considered all of us misfits, outcasts, and losers. Some of us were even discarded by our families for no other reason than because our appearance changed." He looked at Elna. "And tomorrow.... tomorrow, we''ll show them just what we <i>misfits</i> can do. We''re all here for different reasons, but the thing that binds us, the thing that makes us work together as a team, is the desire to see this world <em>burn</em>."


    His little speech caused the members to cheer.


    "It''s finally time for the real fun to begin!" Armalthy smirked.


    "Let''s make Nagoya burn to the ground!" Spellhauser cheered. She was originally from the city and was looking forward to causing as much destruction as possible.


    "Let those government bastards who threw me away burn in the fires of hell!" Max cheered.


    "Finally, some real action!" Merkyul yelled. "No more hit and runs. We''ll hit them where it hurts."


    "Fuck them all!" Sabia eximed.


    <em>"</em>It is not the destination so much as the journey!<em>"</em> Skippermented.


    Everyone was riled up and ready for war. But in the corner, Alice sat quietly. She was looking forward to tomorrow''s attack, but chose to stay quiet. Her puppets would kill many people if they were unleashed as nned, and while she wasn''t having second thoughts, she <i>was </i>worried about what Akagi would think of her after this.


    <i>{Will Mama be mad?} </i>Alice thought to herself as she squeezed Floofy who quietly squeaked.


    Of course, Akagi would never be upset with Alice for following her desires and doing what she wanted. She''d already told Alice as much, but the young girl was still worried. Tomorrow would bring many changes, and she was worried about what might happen. For no matter how much she hated this world, losing Akagi wouldn''t be worth it.<i></i>


    Once they finished their meeting, Herlex and Alice descended into the underground portion of the base for an inspection of the puppets. Normally, constructing a facility this massive andplex should have taken months if not years, but magic made things much easier. Not to mention their backers granting them an extraordinary amount of supplies and equipment. As they stood on a gangway overlooking the neatly aligned army of puppets, Herlex let out augh. "Look at them, five thousand soldiers, all created by you. With thousands more well on the way. They''re very impressive Alice."


    "I''d hoped you''d be pleased." Alice smiled as a new batch of puppets entered the gathering area from the foundry. "With Imperial''s help, I''d say they''re my finest work."


    Herlex grinned as he watched them march in sync as they took position, their boots giving a loud snap on the ground as they took their spot in the order.


    "Magnificent, aren''t they?" Alice smiled as she looked down at them.


    Each puppet soldier looked like a metal doll. They had no face and no distinguishing features, save for a small number ced on their forehead. They were little more than toy soldiers, but make no mistake, they were dangerous. Each was outfitted with magical firearms and body armor, both products of the crafting team''s dedicated work. What theycked in Imp''s genius, they made up for in sheer numbers and willpower and Imperial was no slouch when it came to design.


    Libra''s numbers had swollen due to their string of victories, and they could count no less than thirty members of the organization. With several talented mages and craftsmen, they''d turned this mountainside into their base in no time. Alice ordinarily couldn''t create such arge number of puppets this quickly, but the crafting team had discovered some ways around her ability''s limitations. As a result, the forges deep in the base had been running non stop creating these metal puppets and the weapons they would use. They might not be that powerful individually, but in these numbers, even yers would need to be careful.


    "Tomorrow, your puppets will march on and attack Nagoya, and all those people who treated us as little more than a nuisance will be silenced." Herlex looked at her. "Are you happy? I know what those people in Nagoya did to you. How they threw you away, how they let you be taken by those people. Won''t it be nice to make them suffer as you had?"


    Alice hugged Floofy as anotherpany got in position, shifting its rifles into order. "Un." She nodded. "Lets make them pay." The hospital Alice had been experimented in was in Nagoya, and while she''d already killed most people involved, she''d held a grudge against those in the group home that allowed her to be taken. While it wouldn''t be a priority target, there was a chance that a few puppets might wander down a certain street where they lived. And well, Alice was happy to let coincidences be coincidences.


    Herlex was excited, for the first time since Libra''s creation, he felt that things were finallying together. It didn''t matter how many people died to him, only that chaos would reign. He''d long since given up on trying to reform this world or change it, now all he wanted was destruction.


    Tomorrow, Nagoya would burn, and with it, the fate of not only Japan but the entire world would change forever.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    6:30 AM January 16th, 2059.


    Dawn had just broken over the city of Nagoya in Japan, the usually busy streets were quiet, as people had be reluctant to travel due to Libra''s activities; though the roads still had some cars on them. The most recent Libra attacks had left their marks on the city and a few ruined buildings could be spotted along with craters from the battles between the RRT and the terrorists.


    The US and Japanese military had been monitoring the Librapound north of the city since it was constructed and assumed they''d catch any move on the city long before it happened. They''d originally tried to shell Libra''s base from afar, but a powerful magical barrier prevented any such attacks and while ground assaults were nned, nothing concrete had materialized as of yet. With the loss of Wexel''s familiars, it became even harder to track Libra''s movements and while modern technology was good, it was unable to handle magic, a fact not fully appreciated at this time.


    So when calls starteding in about attacks within Gifu (An outlying suburb) it took everyone off guard as there had been no prior warning of an impending attack. Civilians reported gunfire throughout the area and police had called in sightings of members of Libra. Casualties were already reported and it soon became clear that this was a full scale attack on the city as the quantity of attackers exceeded anything that Libra had done before.


    Superbia was the only member of the RRT within the city and was immediately notified of the attack at Gifa, running full speed toward the coordinates provided. She was expecting yers, but when she arrived the sight before she left her stunned. Marching down the main road and fanning out throughout the backstreets were hundreds of metal soldiers armed with magical weapons. Countless bodies littered the streets, cars and buildings were on fire and a general sense of panic had kicked in. The puppets were gunning down innocent people and Superbia''s stomach sank.


    "Wha-what the hell is going on!" Superbia radioed back to headquarters. "Gifa is being invaded by some kind of army! I''ll go by some time, get the military here as fast as-" She was cut off as the localmander spoke in a panic.


    "We''re getting reports of more attacks in Toyota! They say an army of robots is killing civilians!" (Commander)


    Superbia was stunned. <i>{How many are there?!?}</i>


    "Get in contact with the military immediately and put an SOS out, we need as much help as we can get. I can''t handle this on my own!" Superbia figured it wouldn''t just be the metal soldiers attacking, and while she could probably deal with them herself, if she had to fight other yers too...


    Superbia changed channels and connected to Aoi who was in Tokyo. "You need to get everyone here immediately. Nagoya is being invaded Those bastards brought an entire army!"


    Aoi was startled by the call and fumbled for a moment. "What army?!?" A mix of confusion and fear took hold.


    "Libra''s, who else?" Superbia mocked her as she hopped off the building and began attacking the soldiers. "Get Mixu and Excel over here and call Minazawa and Hoshino back. These are probably Alice''s puppets and Imperial''s grubby little fingerprints are all over these weapons!"


    <em>{If I can find and kill her, that would remove the puppets, but that''s going to be hard.}</em>(Superbia)


    "It will still take hours for everyone to arrive. Even if they go full speed, Nagoya isn''t exactly close." Aoi sighed. "I''ve put an emergency call for military aid upmand, but local garrisons will still take time to respond. There are a few JSDF units that were transiting through Nagoya, but they''re not exactly ready for this."


    "Dammit!" Superbia cursed as she cut down several more soldiers. "How the hell did they get these into the city without anyone noticing!" US and Japanese intel should have picked this up. "I thought they said nothing got by our surveince?!?"


    ____________________________________________________________________________


    <Alice POV>


    Standing atop a high-rise, the young girl was escorted by Birdy to ensure her safety. From here, Alice couldmand the puppets more effectively and respond to changes on the ground. She didn''t normally like to be close tobat, but there was little choice in this instance. If she got too far away, it would make quick changes to the battle n difficult.


    "Your n to use temporary invisibility seems to have worked wonders." Birdy praised Alice. "They never even saw iting. I must admit I was a bit skeptical, but it seems like their detection really can''t handle shadow magic." She watched as the puppets marched below and began wiping out scores of civilians. Birdy was indifferent to what was happening, feeling neither joy or sorrow over this loss of life. She''d fullymitted to her role as Akagi''s spy and so would not allow personal feelings to interfere with her mission, not that she cared to begin with.


    "Of course," Alice smiled. "They never expected it. I mean who would? We''ve never shown off this type of capability and shadow magic is already rare to begin with." Invisibility was quite a useful skill but was usually reserved for temporary effects via potions or abilities. Only a few dedicated sses could ess it reliably. In this case, Alice had worked with the craft team to create enough temporary items to allow for the puppets to march to the city and enter without being spotted. It was risky, as they were unsure if military hardware could see them, but it seemed their gamble paid off.


    "Shall we unleash wave three? It looks like Superbia has already engaged the first group at Gifa and is tied down. The small JSDF presence in the city should be easily overran with what we''ve got." Birdy chuckled. "With this much chaos, I think we might just exceed Herlex''s expected casualty count." Birdy put her hands behind her ck andid them over one another in a stereotypical viin fashion. It seemed her master''s bad habits and vanity had bled over a bit.


    "Yes, it will be some time before the other RRT members arrive. Sending in the next wave now would guarantee massive casualties." Alice nodded and snapped her fingers, causing the puppets near Okazaki to de-cloak and begin their attack. The sudden attacks left the city nearly defenseless. JSDF garrisons were not prepared for this sudden battle, and American troops were not close enough to reach before serious damage was inflicted. Theck of RRT members meant that the city would suffer severe casualties and this was <i>before</i> one added in the extra damage of the Libra members who were still waiting.


    Superbia was just one person. Even with her power and speed, it would still take time to clear the puppets from Gifa let alone the rest of the city, time she didn''t have. She knew this, and was trying her hardest to defeat the puppets, but it was a losing battle.


    "This is Gim and Grim!" A raspy voice came over Alice''s radio. "We''ve reached Gifa and are preparing to engage Superbia." The two goblins were quite adept at stealth and were sent <i>specifically</i> because they had the best chance of killing Superbia. Not to mention they had a bit of a history with her.


    "Rodger," Alice replied. ¡°Try to remove her as quick as possible. She''s the only threat to our ns at the moment, but don''t get cocky! Superbia isn''t weak, and one wrong move and you''re going to lose your head.¡±


    "Rodger that <em>Queen of the Droid Army</em>." Gimughed as he cut the connection.


    Alice just rolled her eyes as the next call came in.


    "This is Spellhauser. I''ve reached Point 5A and am beginning my attack." She spoke over the radio. "No signs of any other RRT members and JSDF troops have engaged nearby my location."


    "For now, just worry about escorting the puppets, let them do most of the work. Focus on taking down heavy equipment when it pops up."


    Alice gave her orders. "If any other yer or RRT member shows up, switch priority to them."


    "Sounds good, it would be nice if I got a bit of action." Spellhauserughed as she disconnected.


    "This is Max. I''ve breached point 3B and will begin disruption ofmand and control as scheduled." Max said. His smile could be seen even over the radio.


    "It''s probably toote to stop a call for help, but taking them down will ruin their ability to coordinate. Don''t focus on individual soldiers, handle infrastructure andms equipment. Officers should also be dealt with immediately." Alice exined.


    "Engaging now." Max said as he dove into a building, going radio silent.


    "Looks like everything is going ording to n." Birdy grinned and looked down at the street where the puppets marched. Countless people had already died in the invasion, and countless more would. The sand had drained from the hourss and the time for battle was now.


    <i>{I wonder how things will y out?} </i>Birdy thought to herself. <i>{Will they be able to drive us back? Or will the city be destroyed? Either way, my Lord''s goals will be served.} </i>As screams and explosion echoed through the city it was clear that today would be a turning point in the war.<em>{I suppose all that''s left is to see if our wildcard will act.}</em>


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Superbia POV>


    Superbia was cleaving through the puppets as fast as she could. While they were tough and their weapons dangerous, they were no match for her as long as she paid attention and avoided their fire. Though unfortunately, the sheer number of them meant that saving civilians wasn''t an easy task. Aoi told her to prioritize her own safety and focus on dealing with the puppets themselves. Civilian lives were important, but they couldn''t afford to lose Superbia.


    *ZAP**ZAP**ZAP**ZAP**ZAP**ZAP*


    Magical rounds zoomed by her as she deftly moved out of the way. Her speed kept her safe from the puppets rifles, but the slow civilians were no match for them, as they high temperature magical attacks scorched whatever they touched.


    "Hiya!" In a sh, ten more soldiers went down, only to be reced by even more.


    <i>{Dammit! At this rate, I won''t be able to respond to the other two attacks!} </i>She cursed the situation in her mind but continued to cut down the puppets, but it seemed no matter how many she destroyed they just kepting. "How many of these fucking things are there!" She roared as she mmed her weapon into the ground causing a massive explosion around her destroying arge number of puppets. She couldn''t fire off such attacks at random. Since if she did, any nearby civilians could get hurt, so herbat ability was limited in this urban area.


    "A little upset, are we?" A voice rang out, and Superbia sensed danger as a dagger barely scraped her shoulder.


    "Nice miss, Grim." Another voiceughed.


    "I''d like to see you do better, Gim!" Grim eximed.


    Superbia looked around frantically trying to spot the two of them before her eyes focused on a nearby rooftop where she spotted two small goblins pointing andughing.


    "Hey, she finally found us!" Grim smiled. "Good job!"


    "Took long enough." Gim gave a hardyugh before the two jumped down in front of Superbia.


    "How''s it been, princess?" Grim smirked. "Long time no see, what''s it been, two years? I see you''ve gotten stronger since thest time we faced. Though I don''t think that''s going to matter in the end."


    Superbia knew these two Goblins quite well, and their history was not a happy one. Superbia red at them, her eyes filled with hatred. "YOU BASTARDS!" She dove forwards towards the two of them. The first PVP in Nagoya was about to begin.


    Spoiler


    Gim!


    Grim!


    [copse]

 Chapter 88 – The Oni’s Struggle.

    Chapter 88 ¨C The Oni¡¯s Struggle.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    3 Chaps!


    "YOU BASTARDS!" Superbia screamed as she dove towards the two goblins, her de at the ready.


    "Whoopsie!" Gim jumped back narrowly avoiding her katana. "Come now, your sister''s swings were much faster!"


    Grim threw another dagger at her from the side, which she deflected. The two goblins were tricky bastards and she wasn''t about to let them hit her again.


    "Don''t you even talk about her, you son of a bitch!" Superbia charged at Gim once again. But the goblin kept moving out of the way and avoiding her strikes. They were surprisingly deft on their feet and as rogues they could be hard to deal with in closebat, even if their overall power level was low.


    "Why not?" Gim smirked as he threw several daggers toward her. "She''s already dead, can''t exactly hurt her feelings, now can we?"


    "Yeah!" Grim moved to stab Superbia in the back with his short sword but was kicked away. "Who cares what the dead think?"


    "It was <i>you bastards</i> that killed her!" Superbia screamed as she mmed her de against the ground causing another explosion with her Oni power. Grim and Gim were unharmed as they managed to jump back to a safe distance, but both realized just how serious the Oni was. Superbia fully intended to kill them, no matter what.


    "Hey, what can we say? She had iting interfering with our fun like that. Stupid girl just had to stick her nose in other people''s business." Gim smiled. "She screamed and cried in the end, did you know that? It was one hell of a sight to watch that Oni bitch-" He was cut off mid-sentence as Superbia appeared right in front of him. Her sudden movement caught him off guard.


    <i>{When did she?!?} </i>Gim was startled and barely managed to back up just enough to where her de scraped his cheek, drawing blood.


    "I am going to rip the tongue out of your mouth so you can''t scream while I tear you apart!" Superbia''s eyes glowed with a hate-fueled fire. "You''ll pay dearly for killing her, so I hope you''re prepared to face a fate worse than death!"


    Gim and Grim started sweating a little bit. It seemed they underestimated Superbia''s strength and her resolve.


    "Seems we touched a nerve. Gim." Grimmented.


    "Yeah, but that''s fine. It''s the truth." Gimughed. "And I''d just love to she her follow through on that threat."


    <i>{Need to be a bit more careful, though. That actually surprised me. A secondter and my head would be on the ground.I guess Alice was right.} </i>Superbia was no joke, and he knew they couldn''t continue to underestimate her. <i>{She''s definitely on a whole other level than her sister, but we can handle this. After all, we just need to buy time.} </i>(Gim)


    He nodded toward Grim, and the two began to throw a barrage of daggers at her. "Let''s see how you handle this many!" (Gim)


    Superbia easily deflected them. But the sheer volume of daggers made it impossible to move while defending againt them. Using this to their advantage, Grim and Gim mixed in a few explosive bombs which detonated when Superbia hit them. They wouldn''t do much damage, but would temporarily blind her due to the smoke. This was their bread and butter, misdirection subterfuge and traps and they''d created a golden oppertunity.


    <i>{Perfect!} </i>Gim smirked as the two goblins moved in closer and startedying traps along the ground around her. These were not designed to harm, only by time and dy. They two had a n and all they needed was to wait until things fell into ce. The two figured Superbia would try to explode them away with de like she did earlier, and that would leave her open for their secondary surprise.


    Superbia was not one to just sit and wait and with a flick of her sword the dust was dismissed, revealing the two goblins. But around hery a hastily assembledwork of wires, explosives, and other assorted hazards. It was an extraordinary number of traps and made one wonder just how they could work so quickly.


    <i>{Tricky bastards. Just how fast do these two work?} </i>Superbiained. The two goblins and theirwork of traps would be a problem, and she knew better than to just walk into the traps since she''d seen other yers get hurt by simr things. Her initial thought was to blow them away, but she figured that''s what they wanted.


    "What''s wrong?" Gim asked. "We''re right here? Why don''t youe and get us?"


    "Yeah!" Grim smirked. "There ain''t nothing to be afraid of! It''s only a few toys!"


    {<i>Yeah sure, these idiots want me to leave an opening so they can do whatever it is they have nned.}</i> Superbia thought to herself. <i>{But I''m not going to give them what they want!}</i>


    Superbia put away her de and began to mutter an incantation. Her entire body became engulfed in pink Oni-fire, and she began to move her hands simrly to how an Onmioji would cast a spell.


    Once she finished, she called out her attacks name. "Oni Fire Sea of mes!" as she ced her hands on the ground, and a wave of pink me pushed out, covering all the traps and incarnating them instantly.


    Taken off guard, Grim and Gim tried to jump back to safety, but Superbia was waiting for them and rocketed forward toward Grim, who was just a little too slow. His small dy left him wide open and Superbia wasn''t about to let that mistake slide.


    "I got you now you son of a bitch!" She grabbed him by the scuff of his jacket and headbutted him, before mming him into the asphalt with a loud thud. Stunned, Grim struggled to fight back as the Oni began to pummel him relentlessly.


    *BOOM**BOOM**BOOM*


    She wailed on him, causing his hat to fly off, and blood to leak from his ears and mouth.


    ¡°I''m going to make you regret killing Moonie!¡± She screamed as she grabbed him by his jacket and chucked him through a nearby building, giving chase.


    In this moment, Libra, the attack on Nagoya none of it mattered. All she cared about was avenging her sister''s death and killing the two men who took her. Superbia chased after Grim, who was staggering to his feat in the living room of some unfortunate renter. Drawing her de she swung downwards, putting a massive gash across his chest causing blood to spill onto the floor. Her eyes seemed to glow brightly in the low light of the building.


    ¡°Ack!¡± Grim screamed in pain. He tried to slip away, but was met with a right hook to the side of his head. Superbia had no intention of letting him get away, she ced her de back in its sheath and grabbed him by his throat throwing him through the building and out the other side into a street.


    She followed, once again, but this time she jumped on top of him, pinning the goblin with her right foot leaving him unable to stand up.


    Gim finally caught up, after frantically giving chase, and saw his partner in such a bad state.


    <i>{Shit, how much longer will it take.} </i>Gim cursed in his head. With Grim in apromising position, he began to fire a flurry of daggers at Superbia. Her de was still sheathed, but she stuck out a hand and cast more Oni-fire to melt the iing daggers. There was nothing he could do at the moment and he was afraid that Grim might die before the timer ran out on their n.


    "Now!" She looked down at the dazed goblin beneath her. "Your turn to burn!" She channeled power into her hand, ready to burn him, but just as she did.


    *THUNK THUNK*


    Her body tensed, and she began to have trouble breathing as her vision blurred.


    <i>{Wa-what is going on?!?} </i>She stepped backward, her body feeling sluggish. Seeing this opportunity Grim quickly got up and kicked her in the stomach sending her flying into the road.


    "About damn time. A few more seconds and I''d be a crispy goblin Karaage." He sighed in relief. "But damn, she''s a toughy. Even just a drop of Moon-Night poison is enough to drop a Walhel Mammoth, and she was going fine there for a good while." He limped over to Gim, who healed his wounds with some magic.


    Superbia struggled to get to her feet. "Poi-son, but when?" Superbia thought back. She''d only been hit once, by that initial dagger. "Th-a-t da-gger... it..was." She copsed on the ground, unable to move.


    "Yup, everything else was just a ruse, little princess." Gimughed as he walked over and kicked her in the face. "Did you really think we''d fight you head-on?" He smirked. "Funny, this is the same trick we used to kill that idiot of a sister of yours. Now ain''t that interesting?" He picked her up by the throat. "You won''t die right away, so get ready for some real fun. That poison will slowly kill you as it eats away at your nerves and it''ll slowly dissolve your insides into a nice liquidly paste. I''ve heard the pain is quite excruciating."


    "Yeah, the people we tested it on were quite something. You should have heard their screams." Grimughed.


    "Ba-st-ards." Superbia spit on Gim''s face.


    "Oh?" Gim frowned. "Still got some fight in you? Well, let''s see just how long thatsts!" He yelled as he began to wail on Superbia. He punched her in the face causing her to bleed and bruise. "You like that? You Oni bitch! Not so nice when plebeians like us give you a ck eye and draw your blood now isn''t it?!?" He said as he continued to pummel her.


    Grim and Gim were not brothers but were as close as such. Growing up in the streets, they''de to despise people who had nicefy lives at home and they resented those who had it made. With their backgrounds and histories, they found it hard to gain employment and were forced to work jobs of manualbor, and even then their bosses and other people always found them disgusting. They were dregs of society, with no family, no friends, nothing. They''d cursed this world for casting them aside and for its people for abandoning them to lives of poverty. Through no fault of their own, they''d been forced to live a miserable existence. All because of who their parents were and what they looked like.


    Superbia was theplete opposite, her family owned a sessful business, and she was expected to take over as the heir to her father in the future. She''d grown up with a silver spoon in her mouth, but she and her sister were anything but spoiled rich girls. Her parents lived in a modest home, they livedfortably but notvishly, and they went to public school. Her father wanted Superbia and her sister never to forget just how lucky they were and wanted to ensure they understood the plight of less fortunate people in the world. She''d taken her father''s lessons to heart and always hadpassion for the less fortunate, since she knew her happy life was little more than luck of the draw.


    "Bitches like you disgust me!" Gim kept punching her. "You look at Gim, and I like we''re trash, like were human waste!" He punched her in her face causing blood to stter. "Where do you get off acting like that, huh?!? Just because we''re ugly, just because our parents were criminals, <em>we</em> don''t get to live?!?" He threw the barely conscious Superbia into the middle of the street. "You never had to worry about your next meal, you never had to worry about a ce to sleep, you never had to worry about anything!" He kicked Superbia in the stomach. "You got everything you ever wanted, you got loving parents and a warm home. And what did we get? Nothing! And for what? Because you were born to the right people?!? Fuck that!"


    The two had taken to VR gaming to satisfy their needs and let them vent their frustrations. By the end, it was more of a coping mechanism than anything else. However, as a result of their time in VR the two goblin''s hatred only grew and grew because in-game the same unfairness applied. People with more money could afford to buy overpowered items and boosts at a cash shop. While he and Grim had to work backbreaking jobs to just keep afloat. This hatred festered for years until FWO where the two took a position as chatans and tricksters, swindling yers and NPCs out of money and items. It was a happy life, one they considered much better than the real world and if they stole from a few fools, oh well. They figured this was them getting what they were owed by the world.


    Superbia''s younger sister, Munechika, had tried to stop them and even went so far as to negotiate with them and she even invited them onto the Assault Team, but they repaid her kindness with death. They''d grown tired of Munechika''s meddling and so choose to kill her. An act that neither thought they were capable of. Upon finding out about her sister''s death, Superbia ced a massive bounty on their heads and even contemted going to Akagi for her help. However, she was persuaded by Hishya not to do so, mostly because Hishya herself already regretted using the assassin''s services and didn''t want Superbia to fall as she had.


    Gim and Grim were henceforth outcasts in FWO, hunted by bounty hunters constantly, and were reduced to nomads and wanders. Other yers viewed them as murderers and they were once again unwee around civilized society. This only caused their hatred to grow, as they felt they were being unfairly punished while others who did simr or worse things ran free. A belief that wasn''t exactly untrue, since Akagi was allowed to roam freely even after having killedparatively more people.


    Superbia had only stayed her hand in-game because she was sure they''d be properly punished upon awakening and because of Hishya''s constant warning about revenge. However, when it was revealed that no charges could be brought, she once again began to hunt them, even considering going to Akagi once again. The two goblins stayed quiet these past months, with only their Libra affiliation known. Hunting them was a major part of the reason Superbia joined the RRT. Sure she wanted to help people, but the chance to kill these two goblins was the real reason she was here.


    Gim lifted Superbia and intended to finish her off with a blow to the head. "Good night, Princess." He smirked. "I hope you have fun with your sister in hell!" His arm flew forward and Superbia thought this was the end.


    <i>{Munechika, I guess I''ll be seeing you sooner than I thought. I''m sorry I couldn''t avenge you. Please forgive me for being such an ipetent fool...} </i>Superbia closed her eyes and prepared for death, but several seconds went by and nothing happened.


    "Wh-what are <em>you</em> doing here!" Gim cried out in shock.


    Superbia cracked one eye open and saw a metal gauntlet crushing Gim''s hand that''d been aiming for her. She''d been saved, but by whom? And Why?

 Chapter 89 – The Hero’s Triumphant Return.

    Chapter 89 ¨C The Hero¡¯s Triumphant Return.


    Superbia looked at the hand of her savior, as the metal gauntlet gripping Gim''s hand tightened. The goblin struggled to get free but was unsessful. The Oni had no idea who this was, and in her barely conscious state, she didn''t care. All that mattered to her, was that she''d been saved.


    "What the hell are you doing here!" Gim yelled. "You''re not part of the RRT! And why weren''t we told you were in Nagoya?!?" He looked up into the draconic eyes of a very angry Hishya. "What the fuck was Herlex doing?!?"


    "I was visiting family in the city. When all of a sudden, you and your army showed up." Hishya increased her grip, causing Gim''s bones to creak. "You''re lucky I was able to get my Aunt and Uncle to safety. Otherwise, I wouldn''t be in such a <i>good mood</i> right now." She said that, but her eyes told Gim she was extremely <i>angry,</i> and when Hishya got <i>angry</i> that was a bad sign of things toe. As for why Libra didn''t know? That was because Yumi had teleported her into the city the day prior. So they couldn''t have known as she hadn''t left her aunt and uncle''s house since arriving.


    <em>{I bet any money that Akagi saw thising. No wonder she was so insistentthat Yumi bring me via her teleportation. That son of a bitch used me!} </em>Hishya cursed the<em>Demon</em> in her mind. She''d give her an earful once this was over.


    Hishya lifted the goblin up and dangled him in the air, before using her other hand to punch him square in the gut, sending him flying into a nearby building. Part of which copsed around him.


    "Gim!" Grim called out and ran towards his friend.


    Meanwhile, Hishya looked down at the nearly dead Superbia and let out a smirk. "You guys really are useless without me, aren''t you?" Her draconic blood had heightened her already bad personality.


    "Hi-sh-ya." Superbia cried out but was unable to speak.


    "Here, take this." Hishya pulled a small vial out of her inventory and forced it down Superbia''s throat. "It''s a High Elixir. With that, you should be safe. But I wouldn''t move around much." That item was the most potent healing item in the game as it restored you to full health and removed all status ailments and was extremely rare.


    Superbia took a moment to recover before sitting up. "I thought you weren''t going to get involved. Even if your family was here, why not just run away with them?" Superbia asked. ¡°And thank you, I''d be dead if you didn''t step in.¡±


    "I can''t just sit by anymore." She turned to look at the carnage on the street. Countless people had already died, and the city was on the verge of destruction. The metal puppets marched across the city and the number of causalities was constantly on the rise. Screams and explosions sounded out around them. This was far worse than a normal Libra attack and Hishya had finally reached her limit.


    "I couldn''t live with myself if I let people die just because I was afraid, and we both know that my failures have already cost enough people''s lives." Hishya turned to face the two goblins and slowly walked toward them. "I''ll handle these two. I know you want to avenge your sister, but just sit back and watch." These two were one of Hishya many failures and she was going to handle them <i>personally.</i>


    "Be careful!" Superbia cried out. "They got me with Moon-Night poison, don''t let their des scratch you!" She knew Hishya was tough, but that poison would be a problem to anyone that took it in.


    "Hmpf," Hishya smirked. "I don''t think that will be an issue." She said as she casually waved away the Oni''s concern.


    "Gim, get on your feet, man." Grim pulled him out of the rubble. "This is bad. We''re not prepped to fight Hishya! This wasn''t in the n!" He said nervously.


    "Yeah, I know," Gim was still woozy. "We need to get out of here and report back to base, maybe get some heavy hitters to deal with her." He figured they''d need to over Spellhauser and Birdy to fight her. "Once we rally with-" He was cut off before he could finish.


    "Sorry to say this, but I don''t think you''ll be getting out of here alive." Hishya appeared right next to them. Her speed was extraordinary and even Superbia didn''t even see her move. She stared down at the two goblins, her face contorted in anger and her eyes showed a dragon''s fury.


    <em>{I''ve let you two have your way for far too long. And now, its time to correct that mistake.}</em>(Hishya)


    "When did she-" Before he could finish his sentence, Grim was grappled and thrown into the ground to the right of Hishya. He quickly got to his knees, but when he looked up, Hishya''s extended hand was in front of his face. "What the?" Before he had a chance to say anything else, Hishya unleashed a full-force st that stretched down the street, destroying scores of puppets. The burst was massive and could be seen by both Birdy and Alice, who were surprised.


    When the dust settled, Grim was gone, vaporized by Hishya''s attack. "Goodbye." She grinned.


    "You-you killed him!" Gim was awestruck and angry. "You killed my fucking brother! You bitch." Gim rushed Hishya with his short sword drawn, but he was no match for the dragon. Hishya parried his de with her gauntlet and ced her hand against his stomach, channeling arge amount of power into a red ball of energy. "I should have done this a long time ago. This is for all the lives you''ve taken!" Hishya frowned as she released the st which carried Gim up into the air above the city. As he ascended, he could see the vast city before him, the skyline covered in fire an smoke. He tried to wriggle free of the energy attack, but was unable to move and hisst thoughts before he exploded were that he''d wasted his life.


    *BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*


    A massive explosion rocked the sky above Nagoya as Gim exploded violently. Everyone, Soldier, Libra, and RRT, was stunned. They had no idea what just happened, but the explosion wasrge enough to blow out windows across the city and knock items over even as far away as Toyohashi. Some members of the military even thought the US had dropped a kic round from its satellite. But Superbia knew the truth, she''d just watched Hishya effortlessly vaporize two members of Libra right in front of her eyes, and even <i>she </i>couldn''t believe it.


    <i>{H-how! When did Hishya get that strong?!?} </i>Superbia couldn''t bring herself to speak. She was just that shocked. Hishya had never been able to do things like that in FWO, and she''d most certainly never killed anyone. So seeing such a crazy disy sent the Oni''s head spinning.


    <em>{S-she just...}</em> (Superbia)


    Of course, what the Oni couldn''t know, was that Hishya had been greatly empowered by transferring into the real world. Even more so than other returnees. Her draconic power was greatly reduced in the game by the developers and vor text, so now that she was unrestrained her power as a True Dragon had been unleashed, and it was <em>devastating</em>. She was an order of magnitude more powerful now than when she was in the game, and with help from Kira, she was able to control it to a much greater degree than in her fight with Akagi. Though she still had a limit to what she could safely use.


    Seeing the massive explosion, Hishya let out a smallugh, and her lips curved into a grin. "Akagi was right." She turned and started walking towards Superbia as she rotated her shoulder to stretch it. "This does feel good. And it looks like all that training was worth it."


    Superbia wobbled to her feet. "Hishya, what happened to you?!?" She asked. "Where did all that powere from?"


    "Do we really have time to chat about me?" Hishya pointed to the smoke rising into the air. "We still have two other locations to clear, plus the remaining members of Libra. On top of that, we need to handle the rest of the puppets in Gifa." Hishya looked at her. "And you''re not exactly in fighting shape." The Elixir did manage to restore Superbia''s body and remove the poison, but she was exhausted. Akagi''s experiments showed that magical healing wasn''t as powerful as it was in the game, and this proved it.


    "It doesn''t matter." Superbia shook her head. "I can''t just sit here and do nothing!"


    "Then stick close." Hishya walked past her, handing her a booster potion. It would alleviate some of the exhaustion and stamina loss, at least temporarily. "I didn''t go through the trouble of saving you so that you could die. So try not to get yourself killed." The two jumped on rooftops and began to clear the remaining puppets from Gifa. With the two of them, it waspleted rather quickly and once their mission wasplete they began running full speed towards Okazaki, where they were told that Spellhauser had been sighted directing a contingent of puppets.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Birdy POV>


    "I''ve got eyes on Hishya. It seems like she stepped in and saved Superbia." Birdy was watching the Oni and the Dragon leap over rooftops as they went in the opposite direction of her. "It looks like she was the one who made those two sts, and since I''m not getting anything from Gim or Grim, she probably killed them.¡±


    <em>{I see its going exactly as she predicted. I must admit, I didn''t think Hishya would act, but that just goes to show the difference between Akagi and I.}</em>Birdy sighed.<em>{It truly is frightening how well she can predict things.}</em>


    Herlex responded over the radio. "This isn''t optimal, but things are still going well. Thousands have already died and were inflicting serious casualties on the JSDF and local police."


    He paused for a moment. "Losing Gim and Grim really doesn''t matter, so I''d say we''re still up. Even if Hishya wipes out the puppets, this is already a victory. We''ve already killed tens of thousands of people, far more than even my most generous predictions. The public''s faith in the Japanese Government''s ability to protect them will crumble and international intervention will be inevitable." They could rebuild the puppets, but the damage they inflicted couldn''t be undone. That was what he was getting at.


    If things continued like this, it was only a matter of time before their backers could swoop in and extract them under the guise of ¡°intervention¡± and it would be smooth sailing from there. Other nations might pitch a fit once they knew Libra members were working for them, but by then it would be toote. And besides, who wants to argue with a nation that has over a dozen super powered fighters working for it?


    Though unfortunately, more and more members of Libra were questioning why they needed foreign backing, and some were starting to get ideas about taking over the world. Herlex was trying to tamp down on these sentiments, but he couldn''t stop people from talking. He knew that while they were strong, they weren''t invincible and if they pissed off the collective humanity they''d be hunted down and killed. Unlike Akagi, taking on the entire world would likely be impossible.


    "Take Alice and bring her back to base. We can''t risk losing her," Herlex said. "I''ll tell everyone else to be wary of Hishya. The forces we have in Nagoya <i>might </i>be able to handle her, but no reason to take chances. If things get dicey, I''d rather them fall back. Besides, I have a n to deal with our little Hero. So we don''t need to be all worried. Though I''d like to know how she got into the city without my knowledge." He cut the call. He and the others wouldn''t intervene against Hishya, they saw no reason. Especially when she''d be working for them soon enough.


    <i>{Hmmmmm. Even with that suped up power and what my Lord has told me. I still don''t think Hishya is enough to handle what Libra''s got.} </i>Birdy thought as she walked over to Alice.<em>{She better be careful here too, if she fights Merkyul, Sabia and Spellhauser together, that might no be so easy for her.}</em>


    "Alright." She patted Alice on the head. "Herlex wants you to go back to base for safety, ok?" She smiled.


    "Ok," Alice nodded, and Birdy picked her up and unfurled her rainbow wings from under her cloak.


    "Hold tight!" She jumped into the air and took off at high speed returning to base. Everything was going as her master foresaw and nned, and It was at times like this that made Birdy think her master was actually able to see the future with just how urate her predictions were.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Spellhauser POV>


    "Rodger that." She said into her earm as she threw some poor man off a rooftop. "I''ll do what I can to dy her and keep her attention as long as possible. Get the two trouble makers over here ASAP."


    <i>{Don''t exactly want to fight that damn Dragon. But it looks like I have no choice. Herlex is coordinating the rest of us in Nagoya, so all I have to do is keep her busy. Once the others get here, she''s done for.} </i>She chuckled.


    "Spellhauser!" Hishyanded on a rooftop across from her, along with Superbia.


    "It''s been a while, hasn''t it, Hishya?" The elf smiled. "Though you look a little more scaly than thest time I saw you, perhaps try moisturizer."


    Hishya didn''t reply to her taunt, and instead drew her ming de, pointing it at her. "Superbia, you handle the dolls. I''ll deal with Spellhauser."


    Seeing that Hishya wouldn''t take any argument, Superbia descended to the street below and began fighting the dolls. There were a lot of them and she was still not at 100%.


    "Oh?" Spellhauser summoned her magical de. "Sending your teammate away? Are you <i>really</i> that confident you can beat me?"


    Spoiler


    BOOM!


    [copse]

 Chapter 89.5 – And So the Self Defense Force Fights On!

    Chapter 89.5 ¨C And So the Self Defense Force Fights On!


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Alright so this does it for the extra half chapters! If I do edit the next arc and add more things in, I''ll do this kind of thing again and will let you guys know in advance!


    A few minutes earlier.


    *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *ZAP* *ZAP* *ZAP*


    "Why do we always get the <i>fun </i>jobs?!?" Ishizawained as she and her squad took fire from the puppet army. "This was supposed<i> </i>to be a chance for us to catch our breath after running across the country, but <i>nooo.</i> Now we''re fighting robots in the middle of Nagoya!" She groaned as she ducked to avoid fire.


    Captain Yomigawa''s team was in Nagoya when Libra''s attack began. They''d been waiting in a military base in Okazaki when the attack started and were sent out to slow the advancing forces along with other military units.


    "We need to fall back!" Yomigawa yelled overms. "Move back to the next street corner. We''ll use the K-Rails as cover. This will be thest retreat. The block after that has the school, and the evacuation isn''tplete!" He said, giving covering fire for Toya, who bounced between cars.


    *PEW* *PEW* *PEW**PEW* *PEW* *PEW*


    "Holy shit!" Toya moved between cover. Barely dodging a magical round that melted straight through a car door next to him. "What the hell kind of weapons are these?!?"


    "Hell, if I know!" Inugami moved back up the street, jumping behind a concrete barrier. "Just don''t get hit! Our vests won''t do shit versus those rounds!" He opened fire, dropping a puppet.


    "Captain, where the hell is our support?!?" Ishizawa yelled. "We can''t hold back this many with just the four of us!" She ducked avoiding a st before returning fire.


    "I''ve put in a call for air support, but it''s going to be a bit." Yomigawa groaned. "We weren''t expecting this at all, so nothing was on standby." He fired a grenade taking down a few puppets. "We need to hold this position until we get back up. I''ve put out a priority call for <i>anything</i>, so until then, keep your head down and try to stay alive. Our weapons <i>can</i> damage these things, but weck the ammunition to stop this many." He said as Ishizawa retreated next to him, barely avoiding fire.


    "Don''t we have the RRT for this shit?!?" Ishigama eximed. "Where the hell are they?"


    "Superbia is currently engaged with these things in Gifa. Besides, her job is to handle the Libra members, reports say several agents have been spotted already. She won''t have time to help us." An explosion went off right in front of the barrier Yomigawa was behind as several rounds hit the concrete.


    "What about the rest?" Toya asked.


    "Negative. Superbia is the only member in Nagoya. The rest will likelye, but they''re hours away." Yomigawa exined. "This will require the military to handle 90% of the legwork."


    "We don''t have hours!" Inugami yelled. "We''ve got <i>maybe </i>twenty minutes before these things reach the school, at best!" He fired another grenade taking down more puppets.


    *PEW* *PEW* *PEW**PEW* *PEW* *PEW*


    "There''s so goddam many of them!" Ishizawained as she fired off a few more rounds. "Any ETA on support? Anything?"


    "Command said to hold tight. But gave no time." Yomigawa sighed.


    <i>{It better be soon, or all those kids are going to die. Fuck!} </i>(Yomigawa)


    *CRACKLE*


    The radio made some noise.


    "This ismand. We''ve got two additional squads moving into position. ETA ten minutes." The radio operation exined.


    "What about air support? Heavy equipment?" Yomigawa asked as sts flew overhead.


    "Negative," The radio operator replied. "Command has denied requests for heavy ordinance to be used within the urban area. Too much risk for civilian casualties."


    "If they don''t deploy that stuff, the casualties will be a hell of a lot higher!" Ishizawa yelled at the man. "You tell your higher-ups to send us close air support! Now! Unless you want a bunch of kids to die and to lose and an entire division!"


    "I will pass along the request and exin the urgency, but I doubt their mind will change. For now, make do with infantry squads. Over." The radio operator clicked off.


    "Son of a bitch!" Ishizawa yelled. "If they don''t send in heavy weapons, the entire city is going to be wiped out!"


    *BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*


    A massive explosion rang out across the city. From where they were, they could see a massive fireball in the sky. A momentter, they were hit with a shockwave that nearly knocked them over.


    "What the hell was that?!?" Toya asked as he looked at the smoke in the sky. "Did someone drop heavy ordinance?!?"


    "That was way too big to be some kind of explosive of ours." Inugami sted a few puppets. "Did the Americans use their satellite?"


    "Hell if I know, that st disruptedms. Command isn''t responding." Yomigawa sighed. "Just keep these things back!"


    *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG*


    *PEW* *PEW* *PEW**PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW*


    Yomigawa''s squad continued their firefight with the puppets, which slowly got closer to their position. If something didn''t change soon they''d have to fall back to the school itself and that would be bad.


    "Where are those other squads?!?" Toya called out.


    "No idea, just focus on killing these things." Yomigawa ducked, avoiding a shot before returning more of his own.


    *BOOM*


    Another explosion went off. This time it was a nearby building to their left. The front portion copsed, and puppets began to pour out onto the street.


    "Shit, they''re nking us!" Inugami fired a grenade at the puppets.


    "Move back!" Yomigawa called out, but as he tried to move he took a st to the shoulder, badly wounding him.


    "Captain!" Ishizawa who was next to him, grabbed him as he stumbled and tried to pull him into cover. "Shit!"


    The three of them regrouped and slowly moved back up the street. There was little cover, and with the injured Yomigawa, moving much more would be hard.


    "Aw, this hurts like hell." Yomigawaughed as he was ced against a car.


    "Don''t talk, you idiot." Ishizawa hastily tried to dress his wounds. "I don''t have the kit for such bad burns, so just deal with it for now. It looks like the damage wasn''t as bad as it could have been." His shoulder was burned and bleeding, but the damage wasn''t fatal.


    "They''re gonna be on us any second!" Inugami said. "Where are those other squads?!? We''re going to be wiped out!" As he said this, several explosions hit the puppets as they marched up the street and gunfire erupted from the tops of the buildings.


    "Sorry, we''rete Yomigawa. We got held up by some other attackers en route." Captain Ashizami said over the radio.


    "Your notte, your right on time." Yomigawaughed, causing himself some pain. "Ow."


    "Don''t move!" Ishizawa yelled. "About god damn time Ashizami. One more minute and you''d be reporting us back as K.I.A!"


    "So you''re telling me if I''d just waited a bit longer, I wouldn''t have to hear youin anymore? Damn." Ashizami cracked a joke, and Toya and Inugamiughed.


    "We need to get Yomigawa to a medic. Leaving burns untreated is a very bad idea." Ishizawa said as she finished bandaging him. "Can you walk?"


    "Yeah," Yomigawa slowly stood up. "Burns like hell, but I can still move on my own." The second and third squads made quick work of the puppets from their positions on the rooftops.


    "You four retreat to points 45-98. Get Yomigawa to medical and restock on ammunition. We''ll hold here." Ashizami said.


    "Rodger that," Yomigawa said, and the four started walking to the rear area point to get medical attention. As they walked up the street, they saw Superbia and Hishya jump across the gap between the buildings. They were moving east, very quickly, and they only barely saw them before they disappeared.


    "Well, there''s your superheroes." Inugami joked. "But two of them? I thought Superbia was the only one in Nagoya?"


    "Yeah, and wasn''t the other one that Hishya girl?" Toya said.


    "No clue. Command hasn''t said anything." Yomigawa said. "But if she''s here to help, that''s fine by me." He figured the more superpowered back up the better for something like this.


    "They''re probably going to fight the elfmand said was in the area," Ishizawa said as she tried to contactmand for more info. "Better they fight one of those freaks than us." She figured fighting a Libra member on their own wouldn''t go well.


    Yomigawa squad returned to the small forward base set up near the school, and the Captain was taken to have his injuries addressed. They weren''t as bad as initially thought, but he would be taken out of action for now.


    Toya, Ishizawa, and Inugami stood in front of the tent and watched as other soldiers ran around frantically issuing orders and moving injured people to get treatment.


    "This is a fucking mess," Toya said. "We can''t even stop an attack by a hostile army on our own soil." He was pissed, Nagoya was his hometown, and he knew a lot of people who lived there.


    "We''re fighting fantasy characters. What the hell do you expect?" Inugami sighed. "The JSDF''s not meant to handle something like that. We''re lucky we''ve got a few on our side, otherwise, this shit would have gone south immediately."


    "Yeah, but it''s not enough." Ishizawa shook her head. "We''ve got like seven against nearly thirty. Even with higher grade munitions from the States, beating them is gonna be a bitch."


    In the distance, they could hear loud bangs, simr to a sonic boom. It was clear that some kind of epic sh was unfolding, and they were d to be far away from the source.


    <i>{Are we going to be able to win this? And even if we do... will there even be anything left of Japan after?} </i>(Ishizawa)

 Chapter 90 – Hishya’s Power Unleashed.

    Chapter 90 ¨C Hishya¡¯s Power Unleashed.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Two Chaps!


    The two fighters red at each other from across the rooftops, ready to do battle. Spellhauser flicked and flipped her de in her hand as she kept a close eye on Hishya. The Elf was a type of magical warrior, what you would call a GISH, though one that relied more on light armor and proper spells than Hishya. As a result, she had to be careful. Hishya was quite fast, even in heavy armor, and if she got a solid hit on Spellhauser, things would turn rather difficult. She knew just how dangerous an opponent the dragon girl was, after all, Hishya trained her.


    "Spellhauser." Hishya broke the silence, her re carving straight through the Elf. "I hope you realize that I won''t be holding back against you. If I get my hands on you, <b>you''re dead</b>." Hishya''s deration was <i>unexpected</i>, to say the least. She was never one to kill other yers and would normally refuse to do so, but something had changed. The look in her eye told Spellhauser that she was serious, and she broke out in a sweat as she stared the dragon down. It wasn''t just her new found draconic blood that made Hishya this way, it was regret for her past actions and failures. Regrets that she intended to rectify starting now.


    <i>{She''s serious, she really will kill me. If I''m not careful, I''m going to end up like those idiots Grim and Gim.} </i>She chuckled. <i>{I just hope the new gear I got will be useful. Lets see just how powerful the Hero is.</i><i>}</i>


    Spellhauser turned and began to walk toward the edge of the building, and Hishya mimicked her movements. Slowly building up speed, the two began hopping from rooftop to rooftop, each time getting faster and faster until their forms began to blur. Once the two breached the sound barrier, a sonic boom erupted behind them, and the fight began as they crisscrossed across the rooftops, bouncing between buildings as their des shed with loud booms. The two moved at blistering speeds, but it seemed that Spellhauser was just a bit faster than Hishya. However, despite wearing heavy armor, Hishya was still quite agile, mostly because of her Dragon power, so she was able to keep up with Spellhauser reasonably well.


    *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM*


    Shockwaves erupted as the two shed in the air. Hishya was superior in raw strength, so Spellhauser was aiming to parry and deflect rather than take her blows head-on. She knew better than to challenge a dragon in a test of strength and she was well aware of just how dangerous abatant Hishya was.


    After a few more high speed shes, the two separated briefly and stood on opposite rooftops.


    "Not bad scaly I''m impressed you''ve kept up with me so far. So how about we try this?" Spellhauser dismissed her de andunched a barrage of magical sts at Hishya, who returned them in kind. The two exchanged sts, eachunching their own to counter the other and creating a serious ofrge explosions as they shed. Hishya was a magic swordsman, and while she had quite a lot of MP in reserve, she knew that a fight of magical attrition would end in Spellhauser''s favor.


    <em>{I won''t let you draw this out!}</em>(Hishya)


    "YAYAYAYAYYAYA" Hishya and Spellhauser yelled as they fired off their attacks. The sh of energy sts sent out a massive cloud of dust which obscured vision. The heat radiating from the contact point was incredible and the sheer force of the st contest began to crack and crumble nearby buildings as civilians ran for cover. Hishya didn''t want to involve innocent people, but figured that paying attention to them would cost her the fight and thus result in more casualties.


    Not wanting this stalemate to continue any longer. Hishya opted tounch a singlerger st toward Spellhauser and dive in behind it using it for cover so that she could get the jump on the Elf. She figured that whatever damage she might take would be within eptable levels and that ending this fight as soon as possible was worth taking a few stray hits.


    "Did you really think I''d fall for such an obvious trick!" Spellhauser pped her hands causing all magical attacks around her, including Hishya''srger attack, to fizzle. As a dedicated mage, she had ess to anti-magic abilities, and countering enemy spells was something quite useful. "You did this same routine on me during training, Hishya!"


    <i>{Dammit! I didn''t think she''d see through it, curse her for paying attention to my lessons!</i>}<i> </i>Hishya cursed her in her head. As she dove forward without the cover of the attack, she was wide open as couldn''t maneuver in the air without summoning her wings. Spellhauser knew this and charged up a st in her offhand.


    "I hope you''re starting to regret teaching me so much!" She unleashed a st of blue energy, which impacted the helpless dragon and sent her flying into a nearby building, causing part of it to copse from the impact. Hishya wasn''t harmed too much, but the sudden directional change left her disoriented, and Spellhauser was not one to allow an opponent to get breathing room.


    In a sh, the Elf entered the upper floor, where Hishya was smashed into the wall and dove her de straight toward the stunned girl. Just like Hishya, Spellhauser wanted this over ASAP knowing that the longer she messed around the more likely the dragon would catch her off guard. Lucikly, Hishya''s draconic instincts tipped her off theing attack and she just barely managed to react just in time, blocking Spellhauser''s de with her own, mere inches above her heart.


    "Dammit!" Spellhauser cursed. She''d hoped Hishya took more damage and would be stunned longer, and now she was in a disadvantageous position. "How the hell could you react to that?!? You shouldn''t have been able to move that fast!"


    "Thest person that did something like that was faster! What can I say, Akagi is a much more dangerous foe than you!" Hishya put some force into her de, properly nted her feet and used her superior power to push Spellhauser back. "Compared to Akagi, you''re little more than a pest! Even if I didn''t defeat her, even if she wasn''t using her full power. I still held my ground against a Demon!" Hishya leapt forward, pinning Spellhauser with her de. The two were locked together, and Spellhauser was ced between Hishya and the hole in the wall with little room to move. "Compared to that monster, you''re nothing! And I will never lose to someone like you! Not now, not ever!"


    <em>{I have too much to live for to die here and I won''t leave this world at the mercy of fucks like you!}</em>(Hishya)


    "Don''t you darepare me to that bitch!" Spellhauser eximed. "She''s nothing more than a monster! A freak! I''m nothing like her!" She began to be overpowered, Hishya was significantly stronger than her, and it showed.


    "And you''re much better?" Hishya yelled. "You''ve killed countless innocent people, for what? Because you were just mad that this world sucks? Because it''s a little unfair?" Hishya was annoyed at her statements. She''d spent a good chunk of her life trapped in a hospital waiting for die. Did she think this world was unfair? Sure. But that didn''t give her the right to start killing people out of jealously and anger. "Akagi might be a lot of things, a monster, a <i>Demon</i>, but she''s an infinitely better person than scum like you!" Hishya sent a st of energy through her de, which gave her an opening as Spellhauser flinched. "I might not agree with her and what she does, but she has<em>rules</em> and at the top of them is a prohibition on mindlessly killing people like what you''re doing right now!" Hishya channled magic into her de as she mmed down at Spellhauser.


    <i>{Shit!}</i> Spellhauser cursed in her head as Hishya mmed her de down full force, sending her flying through the opening in the wall and onto a rooftop across the street causing the roof to partially copse. But Hishya wasn''t done yet. She rocketed forward, her de burning bright with an intense me. Spellhauser assumed she wasing in for another strike and raised her weapon to block. But rather than attack her directly, Hishya scraped her de against the roof and flicked upwards, causing a massive plume of fire to erupt from its tip as she swung. In an instant, it flew forward across the rooftop, colliding with and engulfing Spellhauser in a torrent of superhot me. This was one of Sun Strikes'' innate abilities, thus it couldn''t be disrupted via counter spell tactics.


    "Argh!" Spellhauser screamed as the fire burned her. The pain caused her to lose focus, and Hishya took advantage of this. Believing this to be her chance to kill her, Hishya zipped forward, her de at the ready. But, Spellhauser had onest trick up her sleeve. "Greater Ability Boost!" the Elf screamed as she swiped her de, causing the fire around her to dissipate. Her body was covered in burns, and her hair was singed, but she was alive and she was <em>pissed.</em> Hishya knew what that skill was as her encyclopedic knowledge of FWO was second only to Akagi, but she was shocked to see Spellhauser use it. yers couldn''t mix and match ss skills and multissing wasn''t possible so her use of Greater Ability Boost shouldn''t have been possible. The Ability Boost line was exclusive to monks and rouges, topensate for their lower defenses and damage ceilings, and as not something avable to mages. How did Spellhauser acquire it?


    "Oh man, good thing I had that." She smirked. "Otherwise, you might have been able to get me. Gonna have to thank Imperial when I get back, that crazy bastard really out did himself with this one." Hishya still came at her, but Spellhauser dodged out of the way effortlessly due to her significantly increased speed.


    "Nice miss scaly!" Spellhauserughed.


    The two broke off engagement, not wanting to give the other a chance to attack further and taking up positions on the opposite sides of the roof.


    "How the hell did you use Greater Ability Boost?!?" Hishya asked. "That shouldn''t be possible!"


    <em>{She mentioned Imperial, did that idiot create something to allow her to use it? Or was it like how Chloe gained that one Monk ability?}</em> (Hishya)


    "Ha!" Spellhauserughed. "Don''t forget we have our own craft team, and Imp isn''t the only one who can make crazy items." She pointed to her boots. "Quite a nifty little thing, andbining my power with that of other sses is quite fun. I think its time I stopped holding back, I hope your ready to fight a GISH with the power of a frontliner!"


    <i>{Though this doesn''tst that long, but let''s keep that quiet. It shouldn''t take more than a few minutes to defeat her anyway.} </i>She thought internally.


    <i>{This might be a problem. I''m already getting close to my safe limit and I don''t want to chance a rampage in a popted area.} </i>Hishya thought as she stared the Elf down. {<i>Those abilities boost skills shoot up stats quite a lot, somewhere in the ballpark of 2-3 times their base level. Which means she''s probably much faster than me, though I''d bet she''s still weaker physically. I can take my chances and fight her with what I''m using now, but I don''t think that''s smart.}</i> Hishya debated internally beforeing to a conclusion. <em>{</em>I<i> guess I have no choice but to go a little deeper myself.}</i>


    "Fine, if you want to y the power-up game," Hishya smirked. "I can do that too." Suddenly the air around them got heavier, and Hishya''s aura exploded outward.


    "Haaaah!" Hishya screamed as she channeled more of her dragon power. Her face got covered in more scales, horns sprouted from her head, and her canines erged slightly. Kira warned her that using too much power right now wouldn''t be a good idea, and so she''d intentionally left a bit in reserve if needed. However, it wasn''t clear that even with all her remaining safe power she could defeat a boosted Spellhauser.


    "Oh no, you don''t!" Spellhauser ran at full speed, intending to prevent Hishya from powering up. "No way I''m just standing here and watching you get stronger!" She''d seen how that went in anime and wasn''t about to allow her opponent to just power up freely.


    However despite her proactive intentions, she was toote. Hishya could easily ess her power due to her training with Kira, so by the time she reached her, she''d already channeled her energy and blocked Spellhauser''s attack. "Dammit!" Spellhauser screamed as the two shed des again. "Stupid BS dragon powers!"


    The two began to sh as sparks flew from their des with each getting hits on the other, drawing blood.


    <i>{There''s no way that equipment of hers lets her keep Ability Boost up permanently. Otherwise, she would have used it from the start. So that tells me she''s under a time limit, while I''m not.} </i>Hishya analyzed her opponent while she shed with Spellhauser. The two rocketed off once again, this time going even faster thanst time. Their swift dance over the rooftops began to rock each house they stepped on the number of blown-out windows was growing quite high.


    <i>{All I have to do is wait until that timer runs out, and she''s done. Thing is though, she might get backup, so I might not have the leeway to just y the waiting game. Superbia isn''t exactly in the best shape either.} </i>(Hishya)


    *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM*


    The two continued to sh des, but Spellhauser seemed to be having some trouble. Hishya quickly picked up on her inefficient and sloppy movement and concluded that she was not used to this level of speed and power. She wanted to used this to her advantage and decided to try something out, a technique she''d seen Akagi do during one of their sparring matches. Backing onto a nearby rooftop, Hishya lowered her weapon and stayed perfectly still. Spellhauser had no idea what she was doing but assumed it was preparation for a spell, since most of Hishya''srge scale ones required such a stance, and so charged directly into her, intending to intercept her before whatever she was nning could go off.


    <i>{I won''t let you cast!} </i>She screamed internally.


    However, Ability Boost had left her unable to properly judge the distance due to her speed and her control wasn''t as precise as she thought, so when she kicked off the rooftop, she was going slightly faster than expected. As a result, when she swung her de down at Hishya, the dragon turned slightly, avoiding her strike and causing her to smash her de the rooftop where she was standing a moment prior. If she had better control, she would have been able to adjust, but at this speed, she''d already smashed the roof before she knew she''d made a mistake.


    <i>{No!}</i> (Spellhauser)


    Unable to react or move, Spellhauser was at Hishya''s mercy as the dragon swung her de, intending to split her in two. Spellhauser cursed her mistake and her impending death. And she would have died, if not for the timely intervention of a barrage of daggers aimed at Hishya''s back. Annoyed, the dragon girl spun around, waving her de, and knocking them out of the air. However, this brief distraction gave Spellhauser the opportunity she needed to disengage and retreat to the safety of her teammates, much to Hishya''s irritation.


    <em>{Dammit, I was too slow!}</em>(Hishya)


    "What took you idiots so long!" Spellhauser screamed. "If you''d been a secondter, I''d be paste!"


    Sabia and Merkyul stood on a rooftop behind Hishya, and Spellhauser quickly moved over to them.


    "Well, you''re not." Sabia grinned. "A thank you would be appropriate, unless you''d prefer that we just let Hishya smack you around a bit more."


    "Yeah, we could have just let Hishya tten you." Merkyul chuckled. ¡°Less fighting between Elves would be nice.¡± Elna and Spellhauser never got along and their arguments often got on people''s nerves.


    <i>{Great, now these two are here.} </i>Hishya was strong, but she wasn''t confident about fighting several yers at once. Especially Sabia and Merkyul, yers well known for their tricky movements and off-brand fighting styles. The dragon did have minimal PVP experience, but not enough to make her 100% confident about beating three people at once, and that wasn''t counting the possibility of <em>more</em> Libra members showing up or whatever item boosts the two siblings had.


    <em>{I think I can beat these three, but its not going to be easy. Especially if I have to hold back from nuking the city.}</em>(Hishya)


    "Anyway, now that you''re here. Let''s deal with the <i>Hero</i> and move on with our ns." Spellhauser looked at the two of them who nodded in agreement. "With the three of us, you''re in big trouble Hishya!"


    <i>{Not good, Superbia isn''t really in any shape to fight right now. And even if she was, this is too much for her.} </i>Hishya knew every member of the Assault Teams'' skills and builds, and while the Oni was powerful, Hishya knew she couldn''t survive in a 2v3.


    <i>{I guess I have to bust out </i><i><b>another</b></i><i> trick I learned from Akagi.}</i> Hishya sighed as she jumped down to street level, which caused the three Libra members to follow suit.


    "Ready to die, Hishya?" Merkyulughed. "Even you''re no match for us." He drew his rapier and juggled it dramatically.


    "Yeah, I hope we get some scales from her," Sabia smirked. "Maybe I''ll make some dragon skin boots." She swung her dual scimitars flourishing them.


    Hishya took a deep breath before turning Sun Strike upside-down and driving it into the ground in front of her, resting her hands on the bottom of the hilt. As the de sliced into the asphalt a small bit of fire erupted out from the cracks around it, as the ck tar melted from Sun Strike''s heat. She was going to try something <i>different</i> and if it worked, things might just work out. But it would be a gamble, one wrong move and she might go on a rampage. But at this point, she figured it was a risk worth taking.


    Hishya started at her three opponents. "If it''s a fight you want, it''s a fight you''ll get. But understand if the three of youe at me, I''ll stop holding back!" She eximed as she channeled further power. The ground began to shake, buildings began to creak, and the asphalt around her began to crack and warp. Some of it even began to levitate upwards as her body crackled with lightning. Hishya''s hair turned from Pink to reddish-orange, and it flickered almost like a living me. If they wanted toe at her together, she was going to make a victory difficult for them and she was prepared to go all out.


    "<i>I haven''t even begun to dip into my power!" </i>She eximed in a more authoritative and elegant voice. "<i>I was holding back to save the city from destruction, but since you three seem so eager to die. I''ll stop holding back!" </i>Hishya let out a mighty roar, one that caused the three of them to step back in fear. They''d faced dragons before, but for whatever reason, Hishya''s re and voice gave them pause. It felt like they were standing before an immovable mountain and they began to sweat, just a little bit.


    <i>"Come now.</i>" Hishya grinned. <i>"Where did all that attitude go? I thought you were going to be the mighty adventures that yed the dragon?" </i>Sheughed. "<i>The look in your eyes makes you seem more like </i><i><b>prey</b></i><b> </b><i>than a threat. Not exactly surprising knowing what I do about you three." </i>Hishya continued. "<i>Come on..... </i><i><b>I''m waiting.</b></i>" Hishya stared them down, challenging them to approach. Her aura crashed over them like a wave causing them to doubt their ability to win. Hishya was prepared to go all out if they came at her and she wanted to show them just what kind of power she could really use if it came down to it.


    The three of them went wide-eyed at Hishya''s power spike and her change in attitude, they''d never seen her act this confident and had no clue just how high her power could actually go if push came to shove. They looked amongst each other, hoping one would be the first to jump in, but no one was brave enough. After nearly a minute of this stare-down, Merkyul took a few steps forward, ready to fight, before abruptly stopping as he received a call over the radio.


    "I see, yeah, yeah. Ok." He started talking to whoever was calling him. "Yeah that makes sense, we''ve got Spellhauser right here. Yeah. Yeah. Dammit Max." He turned to the other two. "We''re leaving. Leave the puppets and pull out. Herlex''s orders are to disengage, we''ve already done what we came here for." He looked at Hishya. "Lucky you, Herlex says we''re all wrapped up. So you get to live just a bit longer, a pity, I''d like to fight you at full power. Perhaps next time." He turned to leave before looking back over his shoulder. "And don''t get the wrong idea, we''re not scared of you. We just don''t need to waste our time is all, we can easily beat you right now if we wanted, so be thankful for our generosity." The three jumped onto a nearby rooftop and fled. Hishya didn''t give chase and stopped channeling her power letting out deep breathe as the tension left her body. She''d been bluffing, and was at the limit of what she could safely bring out perhaps even going a bit over. Not confident in her ability to defeat the three of them at the same time, she opted to scare them and put on a disy intended to give them pause, hoping they''d choose to flee rather than fight her. As far as they knew, what they felt was just the beginning and she could delve further if necessary. When in actuality, if she moved from that spot, she might have gone on a rampage from her overflowing power.


    It was a calcted risk, one that required Libra to value their own lives over the chance to kill her, and it worked. She wasn''t sure if Merkyul would have actually attacked, but the small dy gave time for Herlex to call off offensive operations and issue a disengage order.


    "I really hate taking one out of Akagi''s ybook, but using fear as a weapon is quite useful. Especially as a dragon." She sighed as she removed her de from the ground.


    <em>{That was a lot closer than I would have liked. Even with all this power, I''m not on the level where nothing can threaten me. I''m lucky Herlex himself didn''t show up, fighting him alone wouldn''t be easy, but backed up by Sabia, Merkyul and Spellhauser I would lose. I can just feel it.} </em>(Hishya)


    A few minutester, Superbia showed up.


    "Hishya, are you ok?" She looked banged up. Apparently, she''d got into a fight with Max but had driven him off.


    "Yeah, I''m good." She smiled. "Libra disengaged and it looks like they pulled out of the city.¡±


    "Yeah, most of their puppets have been dealt with and the military is doing a clean up." Superbia nodded. She''d quickly taken down arge number of them and the US and Japanese forces were hard at work doing mop up operations. "I think we''ve won. I honestly can''t believe it, its all thanks to you."


    Hishya shook her head. "No, this was anything <i>but </i>a win Superbia." She looked around. "All they lost was puppets, and Gim and Grim really didn''t matter. They got what they wanted. They killed how many thousands of people? And lost nothing in return. As long as they have Alice and those crafters, this is still a losing battle." Hishya also figured that if Herlex and the others had been here, Nagoya would be a sea of mes. This was arge attack sure, but she knew all too well just how bad things could get if Libra stopped pulling its punches and really let loose.


    <em>{Why didn''t they go all in? If they''de in force Nagoya would''ve been destroyed. I can''t fight them all at the same time and they had no clue I was here. This was far too much to be some kind of feint, so what reason could they have for using a small team like they did. Herlex, Elna and Armalthy weren''t here which is strange. Were they just beingzy? Or is something else more important than being here?} </em>(Hishya)


    "What do you mean? Sure things aren''t exactly perfect, but with you here, we can-" Superbia was cut off as Hishya shook her head.


    "I''m strong, but I cannot fight Libra alone, especially if they''ve got ess to stat boosting items and abilities they shouldn''t have. Even with the help of the entire RRT, we might, at best, kill <em>some</em> of them." Hishya sighed. "Superbia, I hate to say this..... like <em>really</em> hate to say this...... but we need Akagi. She''s the only one who can handle this." She didn''t want Akagi to get involved since she knew the more the <i>Demon</i> used her power the greater the chance <i>it </i>came out, but figured they had no other choice. She''d been hoping that perhaps she<em>alone</em> could turn the tide. But Hishya was no longer confident in her ability to defeat Libra, not after fighting Spellhauser and especially as she couldn''t ess 100% of her power.


    "But the government will never give into her demands." Superbia had a dark look on her face. ¡°And I still have my doubts they will listen, even after this disaster.¡±


    "Who knows, maybe this mess will convince them to give in. This is thergest terrorist attack in history, they must understand just how dire things are after this." Hishya looked into the sky. "We can only hope theye to their senses before its toote."


    <i>{Never thought I''d see the day where a literal Demon is Japan''s only hope for salvation. I imagine Akagi is watching this situation from afar andughing. To her, this attack wasn''t a tragedy, but an opportunity, one she will have no qualms about exploiting. Hell she probably saw iting too. Akagi always knew what the Assault Team was going to do, so I wouldn''t be surprisedif she''d been keeping tabs on Libra.} </i>Hishya sighed.<em>{She definitely used me today. But why? To show Japan that she''s the only chance for salvation? I wouldn''t put it past her to do something like that. Her and her damn schemes are soplex and interwoven that it feels like we''re all just puppets being pulled along in her show! Is this all just a game to her?!?}</em>Hishya shook her head, deciding to put that question off tillter.


    {<i>What kind of messed up world is it, where she''s the hero of this story? Where the being who wants to destroy the world, might just have to save it?} </i>These thoughts and many others surged through Hishya''s brain as Superbia and her traveled to themand center. It was going to be a long day and her stomach retched as she imagined the body count from this attack.

 Chapter 91 – The Reality of the Situation.

    Chapter 91 ¨C The Reality of the Situation.


    "What the hell is the meaning of this!" Prime Minister Nodoka yelled through the video call. "How could you allow an attack like this to ur Commander Yukikaze!" The Prime Minister was furious. He''d only taken office after Akagi''s attack on Camp Katsura, and thest thing he needed was Libra tounch an attack like this. Things were already tense with the previous Libra attacks, but the Nagoya attack was on a whole other level. His political career was already on thin ice, so a massive attack like this could see him forced out of office and even bring down the entire government. He was already hearing calls for international intervention even from within his own party and his frustration boiled over. Aoi had flown to Nagoya to see things in person and to speak with Hishya directly, hoping to figure out a game n.


    "Do you have any idea how many people have died!" He continued. "Mytest reports are saying <i>at least eighty</i> thousand. EIGHTY THOUSAND!" He repeated. "That''s a number on the level of the bombing of Hiroshima or Nagasaki! An event that happened during<em>war</em>! What is the point of having your unit if you can''t prevent such an attack?!?" He was fuming.


    "Mr. Prime Minister, if you would please-." Aoi tried to interrupt, but he was having none of it.


    "No excuses! We allowed you to create the RRT to prevent such attacks. I''ve been generous with my support and lenient with things so far. But after this, I''m beginning to think you are unable to do the <em>one</em> job your team was created for!" He was considering sacking her, but that woulde with problems of its own. The other members wouldn''t take kindly to that, especially since they''d been trying their best with what little resources they had.


    "I don''t think Aoi is the one you should be yelling at." Suddenly, the door behind Aoi burst open as Hishya walked in, startling the guards and causing a minor panic.


    "Wait Hishya, she''s...busy...." Superbia tried to stop her but was toote. "Sorry Aoi... I tried to stop her..."


    "And who are you to tell me who to be angry with? This is a private meeting between me and Commander Yukikaze. I have no interest in speaking to-" The Prime Minster was cut off as Hishya spoke.


    "My name is Hishya, and I''m the one who just stopped this attack from turning into an even worse massacre." Hishya was having none of his attitude. "Aoi is not to me for what happened. She doesn''t have the resources or manpower to deal with Libra. You must know that sixbat yers cannot fight nearly twenty. It''s basic logic that the RRT is in a losing battle with Libra, even with the military''s help things are going in a poor direction." Hishya continued. "This attack was a wake up call that things are much more dire than otherwise suspected. It''s clear that they removed Wexel to prevent the RRT from tracking their movements and so that this attack would go off as nned. Hence why no one could detect the cloaked puppets entering the outlying areas."


    "I understand that things are not easy, but as Commander Ms. Yukikaze is responsible for these failures." The Prime Minster stuck to his guns. "The RRT was created to stop such events, and it failed. Now I must decided what to do for the future of Japan."


    "So does that mean the military gets off scot-free?" Hishya asked. "Because they proved to be just as ineffective at handling Libra. Tell me, how did <i>they</i> not detect such an attack? How did <i>they</i> fail to drive back the enemy? And where were the Americans? I thought they were supposed to help." Hishya pressed on. ¡°There was only a small JSDF contingent nearby to deal with the puppets and the Americans only showed up after it was toote, sure they wiped out a good chunk of the puppets once they got going, but had Superbia and I not been here you''d be seeing hundreds of thousands, if not over <em>amillion</em>dead.¡±


    The Prime Minster pursed his lips in frustration. He couldn''t talk back, since she was right.


    "I see you know very well the reality of our military situation. You are correct, our troops are less than effective in this situation and I seriously doubt our ability to defeat Libra as things stand now." The honesty in his statement stunned Aoi who never expected him to say something like that. "So let me ask you this, as one who knows these members of Libra well. Can you defeat them? That power you disyed earlier would indicate your on a much higher level than those of the other returnees. You are not part of the RRT, but your intervention was key, and I thank you for it, but does this mean you will fight them? Can we count on you to deliver us victory?" He was hoping that Hishya''s intervention meant she''d join their anti-Libra efforts and perhaps defeat them on her own.


    The other members of the RRT who were not physically present had connected to the call in time to hear his question and wanted to know the answer too. She''d seen the footage of the attack and were appalled, but Hishya''s insane power spike had them convinced she''d easily defeat Libra.


    "Frankly," Hishya thought. "I cannot defeat them myself." Hishya shook her head. "My power has increased significantly from what it was in the game, but dealing with twentyish other yers is beyond what I could do. Earlier, I had to bluff my way past Spellhauser, Sabia, and Merkyul since fighting them would have been about even, perhaps slightly in my favor." Her statement disappointed and confused people. ¡°I know you all think I''m some magical answer to Libra, but I''m sorry to disappoint you and I refuse to give you false hope and lie about what I can do. I know damn well just how my power stacks against Libra''s members since I trained/worked with most of them.¡±


    "But you were giving off such crazy energy," Superbia interjected. "How could you not beat them? You took out Gim and Grim in one shot each! And that explosion had to be powerful enough to level theirpound."


    "Those two were weak and stupid," Hishya shifted her eyes to the Oni. "They aren''t good metrics for determining my power. And besides, as I said, I was bluffing. I pulled an Akagi and decided to use fear to make an opponent back down without fighting, though she wouldn''t be bluffing in that case." Hishya sighed, knowing Akagi could have easily killed those three.


    "That''s crazy, Hishya." Aoi looked at her. "How could you have all that power and <i>still </i>not be able to win?!?" She didn''t understand why Hishya said she was unable to defeat Libra. "Are you seriously telling me that theirbined power is even<em>more</em> than what you showed today? Because that''s both absurd and terrifying."


    "Herlex is one of the reasons I say I cannot win, Aoi." Hishya answered. "He is the third strongest yer, after Akagi and me." She thought for a moment. "His angelic/divine power is absolutely crazy. Recall that he took a shot from Mixu head-on with no gear and was only stunned. That should tell you just how strong he is and with his gear, its only going to be harder to damage him." Everyone recalled that event. ¡°Not to mention that he has a transformation, one Superbia and Minazawa have seen before. It was never as powerful as mine, but you can <i>bet</i> that like me, his has been upgraded significantly.¡±


    <em>{And unlike me, he probably has no issue going full power.}</em> (Hishya)


    "Hishya is correct that his Angelic form is powerful." Minazawa said. "I''ve seen him do heavy damage to even World Bosses with it, and I''d agree with Hishya that he''s probably a lot more powerful now if she''s anything to go by."


    "Also, the rest of Libra is nothing to scoff at, Gim and Grim aside. I might be stronger than each individually, but I am not good enough to fight ten-plus people at once. I''ve done enough practice fights with you all over the years to demonstrate that, while I can punch well above my weight, fighting more than two or three people is simply beyond me. And even if we all went in together, the odds aren''t good. Especially since Imp can''t fight and Mixu is useless up close." Hishya paced back and forth. "The problem is that weck PvP experience, and our builds are not geared toward fighting other yers. A necessity from our time in the game, something that is now limiting our abilities. Combine that with the numbers disadvantage and the fact that their crafting team is making items that can give ss-restricted boosts to them, and we''ve got an issue." Imperial''s special gear tilted things further in Libra''s favor. "I don''t think I need to exin how dangerous giving sses ess to each others abilities is." There was a reason ss abilities were not allowed to intermix since game bnce would be ruined.


    "Yeah, you said Spellhauser used Greater Ability Boost, right?" Minazawa asked. "Imp, could you make something like that for us? That might help even the odds a bit."


    "Maybe-perhaps." Imp thought. "Difficult-hard. Time-consuming. Can try, no guarantees-promises."


    "And we don''t have time. I doubt they''ll just sit around and let us build up strength, not after an attack like that." Hishya said. She turned and looked at the Prime Minister. "At this point, we don''t really have a choice. Mr. Prime Minister, I am going to rmend you contact Akagi and ept her deal. She''s our only hope at victory at this point, as much as it pains me to admit that."


    His eyes went wide. "You can''t be serious! The government <i>cannot</i> just give away territory, especially to someone like her! The fallout would bring the entire government down!"


    "It''s either that or Libra overruns the country." Hishya hit back. "At this rate, it''s only a matter of time until the nation is in mes. Then what?" She asked. "Do you really want to be the Prime Minister during the second American upation of Japan? Or perhaps it will be the UN instead of the Americans? It really doesn''t matter either way, does it? Since Japan will get upied by foreign powers and who knows what happens then." Hishya was concerned that there wouldn''t <em>be</em> a Japan once Libra was done. If some of the more bloodthirsty members had their way the number of casualties wouldn''t stop until it was in the tens of millions.


    The Prime Minister wanted to refute her statements, but he knew she was right. "And what makes you think we can trust this Akagi woman? And how can we be sure that she can handle this <i>if</i> we ept her deal? What garuntee do we have that she is capable of handling all of Libra if you say <em>you</em> are unable to." He was more open to the idea of working with her now than he was letting on, but needed a bit more information.


    "Because I''ve seen her power myself," Hishya said with a serious expression. "Her power has increased to the point where she could fight every single yer who kept their powers and easily win. Me included." Hishya knew better than anyone else just what Akagi could do and she knew for a fact that if Akagi got serious, nothing could stop her.


    Hishya''s statement caused the room to go quiet. "Hishya isn''t lying or exaggerating," Superbia spoke up. "When I saw her not too long ago. She was like a totally different person. The amount of power she now possesses is horrifying, and I can tell she''s got<em>much</em>more to bring out of need be. I now understand what Hishya was so afraid of for all these years, she was right to be scared of her."


    "And where did she get such power?" Hoshino asked. "Are you really still going on about that who <i>Demon</i> thing? I still think your exaggerating, she''s just another yer like us is all." She waived away their concerns.


    "She is a <i>Demon,</i> Hoshino. That''s a fact." Hishya''s words wereced with irritation. "Let me ask, what do you think she did to Hijax and Sumeralia?"


    "She killed them. I know that." Hoshino was confused by her question.


    "Ohhhhh, she didn''t just kill them." Hishya broke into nervousughter. "She took them into her fuckin shadow body, where she controls everything, proceeded to torture them for god only knows how long, and <i>then</i> she killed them." Hishya looked at her. "Akagi <i>herself</i> confirmed that she was a <i>Demon</i>, not a human. And that she was so <i>since the day she was born</i>. The game did not give her that power like with us, she <em>always</em> had it.¡± Hishya continued. "She told me <i>to my face</i> that her real self, the self that''s sealed away in her soul, wants to destroy the world." Hishya took a deep breath. ¡°So trust me, if she wanted Libra would be dead in an instant. I''m 100% sure of it, hence them deliberately avoiding pissing her off.¡±


    "So what? Does that mean she''s also our enemy?" Hoshino still didn''t appreciate Hishya''s words.


    "No," Hishya shook her head. "If she was, the world would have already ended." Hishya continued. "Akagi is trying to find a way to control that destructive part of her. It''s why she hasn''t unleashed her full power.<i>" </i>Hishya sighed. "She just wants to live a peaceful and quiet life, funny as that is. It''s just that her power is what would make her go crazy."


    "Regardless of any of that." The Prime Minster chose to ignore that issue for now believing it to be nonsense. "It will be hard to convince the Diet to give into her demands. And the public might be quite resistant as well." Giving away territory was something that no country would easily agree too, especially Japan.


    "Perhaps...."Hishya thought. "Perhaps a meeting? Between you, her, and members of the Diet. Would that be helpful?" Hishya wasn''t exactly good at politics. ¡°She can talk to your directly and you can understand just what I''m saying. Perhaps hearing it from her would help convince those in the Diet?¡± Hishya thought. ¡°As for the public bacsh, I''m not exactly into politics but I think you can justify it. I know politics doesn''t like it, but being brutally honest might not be the worst idea. Tell people the honest truth, that without her help we can''t win. It''s either that or lie and then everythinges crashing down.¡±


    "A meeting might be useful, but it would require the Americans to be present, as well." He said. "They''re already involved in this whole affair and would likely have their own thoughts on the subject." It just went to show how powerful the US was in Japanese affairs if the nation''s PM couldn''t do such a negotiation without them. ¡°If they put enough pressure on us, we might have to decline even if the Diet were to agree. As for an exnation to the public, I''ll speak with PR about that.¡±


    He took a deep breath. "As the person here who has the most rapport with her. Could you assist in setting up a meeting? Preferably over video. I don''t think most of us would befortable meeting her face to face."


    "That''s understandable, and I''ll see what I can do." Hishya gave a wry smile. She understood exactly where he wasing from.


    ________________________________________________________________________________________________


    <Herlex POV>


    Standing in front of the members of Libra who engaged in the attack, Herlex prepared to give a small address. The well-dressed man who started this entire group was also here, and his face had a devilish smile on it.


    "Well done everyone!" Herlex thrust his hand in the air causing a cheer. "Things might not have gone <i>exactly </i>as nned, but the attack was a sess! Losing Gim and Grim was an unfortunate tragedy, but they did not die in vain as now the whole world will understand just how powerful we are!" Tens of thousands had died in the attack, while Libra lost disposable puppets. The loss of Gim and Grim was de-minimus in nature and thus no one cared. "Hishya''s intervention was <i>unfortunate</i> but within expectations. And do not worry. I have nned for this, and soon the <i>Hero </i>will be working for us! So let''s celebrate!"


    <em>{Everything is going to n, at least mostly, we even got our hands on a few important items with the RRT so focused on Nagoya.}</em>Herlex, Elna and Arthy had been busy breaking into a few key government and military instations for smash and grab operations during the chaos and obtained what their backers wanted.


    The room broke out in cheer as the booze flowed. Today was a victory for Libra, and just as Herlex predicted, the attack would be the beginning of the end. But for whom?


    The well-dressed man smiled as he watched Libra cheer and celebrate their whisper. His mouth curled to a nasty smile as he whispered quietly to himself.


    ¡°All ording to n.¡±

 Chapter 92 – A Deal with the Devil.

    Chapter 92 ¨C A Deal with the Devil.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    We hit 7th on trending again, so here is one extra chapter as a thank you!


    A few dayster.


    Akagi stood in front of the RRT headquarters in Tokyo, the smile on her face showed just how happy she was that her ns wereing together. After Nagoya, Hishya informed her that the government wished to speak with her again, this time she''d be meeting with the new Prime Minster and a few other members of government. It seemed they''d grown desperate. After the battle of Nagoya, mass protests erupted across the country, and calls for international intervention only grew stronger. Akagi knew Libra''s backers were making moves behind the scenes and their capture of sensitive government documents would leave Japan in an unfavorable diplomatic position at this rate, and the government knew it. In such a situation, Akagi was certain the government would cave to her demands, and she was more than happy to take advantage of their weakness. Though, in fairness, she''d been the one to guide things to such a conclusion. When Hishya called her the puppet master, she wasn''t wrong, as Akagi''d been manipting things behind the scenes, at least to some degree.


    Birdy was useful in not only keeping tabs on Libra, but also as a voice to push them towards more radical action and Akagi encouraged her to stoke the mes of radicalism within Libra''s members. While her agents that watched the RTT helped her read the political winds urately so she knew just how much pressure to apply. Akagi truly was ying both sides of this conflict, though that was par for the course.


    As she walked through the front door, Akagi found Mixu waiting for her in the lobby. "How''s it going, vampy?" Akagi said as she walked in. "Keeping out of the sun?"


    "Yeah, but staying away from running water is the much more inconvenient thing." Mixu rolled her eyes as she flicked a cigarette into a container. She was not actually vulnerable to any of themon vampire tropes, though she did prefer the nighttime. "Aoi is on a call with the PM and someone else. She told me to take you to our waiting room upstairs. We can chat for a bit while we wait,e on spooky." She motioned for Akagi to follow her to the elevator. The two entered and once the doors closed and the elevator began it''s ascent, Mixu spoke up.


    "Care to exin why I have a feeling that everything is going ording to your n? Something about how everything''s ying out strikes me as <em>too</em> perfect for you." She looked at Akagi. ¡°I know you don''t just let things happen and this all feels like some long con you nned, like what you did in Nagorno. How much control are you exerting over both us and Libra? And don''t try and sell me some crock about how you''re not involved.¡± She''d known Akagi long enough to know that the <i>Demon</i> always had a n or scheme in the works.


    "I have no idea what you''re talking about." Akagi stuck our her tongue cheekily. "I don''t control Libra. But if their actions are to my benefit, I have no qualms with exploiting that." She wasn''t technically lying, since all her mole did was push some ideas and stoke tensions.


    "I know you too well to believe that," Mixu said. "You had to know that attack wasing. No way in hell you missed that. Your intelwork is too good for me to believe that you had no clue that Nagoya was getting hit. Hishya said you were unusually insistent on having her teleport into the city with that priestess of yours. She figured you set her up as a fun surprise for Libra since they wouldn''t know she was in the city." Mixu had worked with and around Akagi long enough to know just how on top of things she usually was. She never knew <i>how </i>Akagi did it, but she always had perfect intel on the Assault Teams movements and actions in FWO.


    "And if I did know?" Akagi smiled. "What of it? Do I have some kind of obligation to warn you? Are the lives of this country''s people my responsibility? And as for Hishya, I might have ced her within Nagoya but <em>she</em> made the choice to intervene not me. I didn''t force her to do anything."


    "You really don''t care about others, do you?" Mixu asked. ¡°Do you truly see peoples lives as nothing more than pieces on a game board? Is this all just some sick game to you?¡± She wasn''t exactly angry or upset, rather she was genuinely curious.


    "I simply see things through a different lens than you, so don''t misunderstand my intentions or feelings. I can assure you that I am not some uncaring monster thatcks empathy andpassion. I simply pick and choose who those feels are directed towards in a much more tight manner than a human would and I generally don''t allow emotions to cloud my judgement. It might appear cruel, but there is no malice behind my actions, Mixu. I just calcte the cost and benefit to every situation. That doesn''t mean I enjoy seeing people die, but if people dying gives me an advantage, so be it." Akagi shrugged. "Perhaps that''s just part of who I am. Or it''s because, as a <i>Demon,</i> most mortals are little more than <i>food </i>to me."


    Mixu''s skin crawled at thatment. "Please don''t tell me you''re actually going around and eating people''s souls or something." The vampire was a little concerned. ¡°I''d rather not have to deal with that.¡±


    "Do you go around and drink people''s blood?" Akagi asked in return. "At least without permission, I should say."


    "No." Mixu shook her head. "I can, but I don''t need to." Mixu didn''t need blood to survive. It did make her stronger temporarily, and she did say it tasted good. But it wasn''t required to survive.


    "I''m the same." Akagi nced over at her. "Just because I can, doesn''t mean I do." Her lips briefly curled into a smile before returning to normal.


    <em>{Though, I won''t turn my nose up at a meal if it would present itself to me.} </em>(Akagi)


    *DING*


    The elevator reached the designated floor, and Akagi stepped out followed closely behind by a slightly more nervous vampire.


    "Oh hey." Superbia and Hishya were sitting at a small table chatting over some tea. This was apparently a break room for the team and they''d begun to customize it and improve it with some extra features.


    "Hey, Superbia." Akagi waved. "I see you''re up and around after everything that happened. Heard you almost died, oof."


    "Yeah, the elixir and potion handled most damage. But damn is my body still feeling the exhaustion." Superbia had bags under her eyes. "But I guess that''s better than dying, so I''ll take it. I wonder why the effects are so bad?"


    "That''s because potions and magic elerate natural healing, so it can take a lot out of you if the injury is severe," Akagi told her a bit about her research with Mimi on potions and magic.


    "Yeah, Imp said something simr." Superbia gave a small smile. "I hate to admit this, but she''s incredible. She took to medical stuff like it was nothing. I don''t know whether I should be impressed or concerned that the mad scientist is able to understand biology, at this rate she might start making her own crazy experimental creatures."


    "Well, she might have been getting a small amount of help from my dedicated physician. As for some Frankenstein monster creations, I would actually like to see it." Akagi chuckled.


    "Ah, that''s right." Mixu came back from the kitchen with a drink. "You have that Yuki-Onna. Name''s Mimi if I recall." She took a seat on the couch. "Must be nice having someone so skilled at potion and elixir making on your side. Imp sucks at making those."


    "Yeah, she''s better at crafting items than brewing," Akagi recalled thest time the Imp tried to brew. It resulted in a massive explosion which took out one of Akagi''s workshops. "Best keep her away from that stuff lest the RRT''s HQ bes a crater."


    "Yeah trust me, I''ve been keeping an eye on her." Superbia groaned. "Even in the real world she''s still<em>awful</em>at brewing." Imp was currently <em>banned</em> from trying any new potion rted experiments without someone else to handle the brewing.


    "Where''s Excelsior?" Akagi asked. "I don''t see that walking tank anywhere."


    "He didn''t want to be around you," Hishya answered. "So he left for a bit."


    "Yeah, I suppose a devoutly Catholic man wouldn''t really want to pal around a <i>Demon</i>." Akagi chuckled. "He doesn''t have to worry, though. I don''t burn when I walk in churches or touch holy water. So it''s all good!" She''d actually tried just to see what happened.


    "Dang, there goes my best method of beating you." Hishya joked. "Perhaps we should contact some Onmyoji? They could probably exorcise you since defeating <em>Demons </em>and Yokai is their forte." There were a few families and shrines that supposedly had spiritual powers, though whether there was any truth to that was unknown.


    "I think you might need a wee bit more than some talismans and incense to banish me." Akagi winked, causing Superbia and Hishya tough. The four of them chatted a bit more before one of Aoi''s aides came down the elevator and told Akagi they were ready for her. None of the other members were invited since this would technically be an off-the-books meeting and they had no reason to insist on joining.


    After Akagi got in the elevator and departed, Mixu let out a sigh. "You weren''t kidding, Hishya. I felt like my heart was going to leap out of my chest!" She was referring to Akagi''s natural aura. "I mean seriously, what the hell was that? It was like some crazy dense power!"


    "I told you." Hishya smiled. "The first time it hits you is quite intense."


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    Akagi was taken into a conference room on the upper floor where the meeting was going to be held. Aoi was sitting in front of a long table, next to another man who Akagi assumed was a trantor, and on the wall was an array of monitors. On them were the Japanese Prime Minister, the Speaker of the Diet, and several other members of the Cab and Legiture. However, there was also one unexpected guest. Akagi figured the Americans would want a seat at this discussion, but having the President herself attend via video was an unexpected surprise, but a wee one.


    <em>{I guess things just got more interesting.}</em>(Akagi)


    Akagi took her seat next to Aoi and gave an introduction before the meeting began in ernest.


    "Good afternoon everyone. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Prime Minister, Members of the Diet." Akagi gave a polite bow. ¡°My name is Akagi Dumetor. And Madam President, this is quite unexpected, I never imagined you would be here." She gave a polite smile.


    "Yes, well, when I was informed of the events in Nagoya and that you''d be speaking with Prime Minister Nodoka, I figured it would be a good opportunity to speak with you myself. I''ve wanted to talk to you ever since your name came across my desk, so this worked out well. Though sadly the circumstances surrounding this meeting are anything <em>but</em> pleasant." President Rosewood answered. ¡°Things have escted quickly and so I wanted to handle things personally, hence my being here rather than a member of the State Department.¡±


    "I''m d to hear that the President of the United States has seen me as someone of interest." Akagi chuckled.


    "I''d say you''re more than just an <em>interest</em>. But I will save further discussion for after we are finished with the main topic of discussion. Mr. Prime Minister, we can begin when you are ready. I''ll try not to take up too much of your time." President Rosewood looked to him.


    "Thank you, Madam President, and thank you foring Ms. Akagi." The Prime Minster continued. "I''ve been informed of your requested payment for assistance in the Libra matter. Correct me if I''m wrong, but what you want is a twenty-square-mile area ofnd around your current residence to be given to you as a sovereign. You wish to have your own micro-state simr to the Vatican in Europe. Is that correct?" He asked.


    "Indeed." Akagi nodded. "That is exactly what I want."


    "Can I ask why?" The Prime minister continued. "What reason could you have for such a request? I fail to see what you could really gain from bing the ruler of your own nation. Pardon my frankness, but you already operate independently of government oversight as it it, having your own nation wouldn''t grant you much you don''t already have, and it would only burden you. Would it not?" He was trying to figure out her reasoning, since his team couldn''t figure out Akagi''s goals.


    Akagi thought for a moment before answering. "A few reasons. One, I do not wish to be ruled over by humans. Even if I don''t operate under yourws, I am still considered a citizen of Japan, and that in and of itself rubs me the wrong way. Two, I wish to establish my new nation as a refuge for those who were affected by FWO. There have been cases of discrimination against survivors and I wish to take them in, not to mention that I have ns for expansion of my estate into a town and I''d prefer to perform that task as a sovereign not a citizen. Third, I am a bit of a vain person. So having the title of a nation''s ruler is quite attractive to me, even if it is technically unnecessary. And fourth, let''s just say it''s in my very nature to rule over things, and this will serve to satisfy that craving." Herst point was given with a much sharper tone.


    "I see." The Prime Minister thought for a moment. "Ms. Akagi, let me ask something. You said you do not wish to be ruled over by humans, but the other returnees seem to have no issue with it." He continued. "After all, even if your appearance changed, are you not still a human yourself? So I don''t see why you would have different feelings on the matter."


    "Pffff" Akagi let out augh. "You really didn''t tell them Aoi?" She looked at the girl, who just shook her head.


    "I couldn''t exactly bring that up to the Prime Minster myself, and I figured you''d handle it better." Aoi gave a wry smile.


    "Tell us what?" The Prime Minister asked.


    <i><b>"That I''m not human." </b></i>Akagi''s voice distorted which caused everyone to flinch. "<i><b>I''ll spare you the details, but after some digging, I''ve found out that I was never a human, Mr. Prime Minister." </b></i>Akagi''s smile caused everyone''s skin to crawl. <i><b>"I am a Demon. That is not just some title or designation I''ve chosen, it''s a fact. It was not FWO that granted me these powers, I''ve always had them, and they were just dormant until recently." </b></i>Though technically FWO and the events regarding the transfer of power <em>did</em>impact her abilities to a point.


    Gathering up some courage, President Rosewood asked. "How is that possible? This world has no such creatures, so I find it hard to believe that you could be some creature of myth."


    <i><b>"I have no idea." </b></i>Akagi shrugged. <i><b>"Some that I''ve spoken to have a few theories, but right now we''ve no concrete answer." </b></i>Akagi grinned. "<i><b>But I can tell you this. My kind are quite... bloodthirsty, and we view most mortals as little more than food. " </b></i>She saw some question forming on peoples lip but continued anyway.


    <i><b>"Now, I am not one for mindless ughter, and I usually refrain from killing unless given a reason. But as you saw at Camp Katsura, I am not above acting on those base instincts." </b></i>Akagiughed, which creeped everyone out. <i><b>"If you give me what I want, I can promise you the swift andplete destruction of Libra. Though I have a caveat."</b></i>


    "What do you want?" The Prime Minister asked.


    <i><b>"A girl named Alice is among the members of Libra. She was the one who created those puppets." </b></i>Akagi said.


    "Yes, I recall seeing something about her in my briefings. What about her?" (PM)


    "<i><b>She will fall under my personal control rather than be terminated or captured by you,</b></i>" Akagi exined. <i><b>"The girl has been quite broken, mostly because she was used as an illegal medical experiment by a prior government." </b></i>Her statement caused murmurs among the member of the diet. "<i><b>I have all the evidence and proof you could ever need on that front, and my agents can forward it to you once we''ve finished here. Getting back to Alice, due to her trauma and some events in the game. I''ve taken her as my adoptive daughter, and thus once Libra is handled. She will being to stay with me."</b></i>


    "You want us to just let free the person who killed tens of thousands in Nagoya!" One of the Diet members yelled. "How can we exin that to the public!"


    "<i><b>Not my problem," </b></i>Akagi said. <i><b>"All I care about is getting what I want. Besides even if Libra would be defeated by the RRT, I''d still step in to take Alice under my protection. So you''re not losing out on anything by epting my offer, since you''d never be allowed to try her as a criminal either way." </b></i>Akagi smirked. She knew they couldn''t stop her, so that threat was very real.


    ¡°<i><b>On top of that, the Libra member Birdy is actually my informant, a mole if you will. So she will naturally not be included in any request for termination.¡± </b></i>Akagi exined what Birdy was doing and what she''d learned from infiltration.


    ¡°So that means you knew these attacks wereing?¡± President Rosewood asked. Her face showed a bit of irritation. ¡°I suppose that means you chose to allow them to happen to give yourself a stronger negotiation position?¡±


    ¡°<i><b>Yes,¡± </b></i>Akagi confirmed. <b><i>¡°I have no obligation to help. So why not use things to my advantage? President Rosewood, you''re intelligent enough to understand my actions without letting emotions cloud your judgment. I know it seems cruel from a human perspective, but on a purely logical level it makes sense. Why shouldn''t I take advantage of the chaos to get what I want? Don''t act like the United States or Japan haven''t done simr things in the past to get their way.¡± </i></b>Akagi shrugged. She was a student of history and knew just how cutthroat international politics is. If you want something, you do everything to make it happen, that''s just how things worked.


    ¡°I suppose you''re right.¡± President Rosewood sighed. ¡°From a <i>human</i> perspective your methods would seem quite unpleasant. But I suppose if you are a <i>Demon</i> rather than a human, it makes sense. If I am to believe that you are one, your kind are notorious for scheming and plotting for their own ends. Though that does not mean I have to agree with your actions or your methods.¡± She couldn''t exactly refute Akagi''s point so she choose a more neutral path. ¡°Though you understand that your attitude might cause concern or resentment within the government and poption? I doubt people will be too happy if you keep acting like that.¡±


    ¡°<i><b>Who cares?¡± </b></i>Akagi waved her off. <b><i>¡°What you all think about me is irrelevant. I don''t care if you all hate me. And if you view me as the greater evil and don''t wish to work with me, fine. But that will be your loss, not mine. No matter what, I will get what I want, and its up to you to decide if you want our rtionship to be amicable or not."</i></b>


    <em>{I''ve never met someone who cares so little for what others around them think. She acts as if everything is already hers and we are simply a minor inconvenience. Is that because she''s confident in her power? Or is it simply naivety and hubris? For the first time in my life, I can''t tell.} </em>(President Rosewood)


    After some bickering between government members, the Prime Minister turned to Akagi and told her they would discuss this and give her an answer in due time, which she said was fine. One by one, they began to disconnect until only President Rosewood was left on the call.


    "Now that they''re gone, and we have a little time, I would like to speak to you in private if possible." President Rosewood asked. ¡°You''ve piqued my interest even more than it already was and I wish to learn just a bit more about you, if you don''t mind.¡±


    "Sounds good to me." Akagi smiled. "I''ve been wanting to talk to<em>you</em> as well."

 Chapter 93 – A Chat with the President and a Sweet Moment.

    Chapter 93 ¨C A Chat with the President and a Sweet Moment.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Two Chaps!


    Aoi left the room, leaving only the interpreter and Akagi.


    "So, has Hikari been keeping you on your toes?" Akagiughed. "She can be quite a capricious little scamp."


    "Yes, well." President Rosewood sighed. "Let''s just say the Secret Service has been having an aneurysm with her popping in and out of ces." She''s had quite a few angry phone calls from members of the CIA, FBI and the NSA about the spy was walking freely around D.C. though by this point, Rosewood had given up on trying to stop her or the other ninja.


    "Just give up. If the Empire couldn''t counter my agents you have no chance." Akagi smiled. ¡°Hikari is easily one of the best agents I have in terms of stealth and intel gathering, so even if you had anti-magic capabilities you''d probably still fail to deal with her.¡±


    "Getting past the fact that you have spies within the highest levels of my government. I''d like to ask you about something regarding those ninja." President Rosewood turned serious. "Hikari told me that she was one of the NPCs within the game you were all trapped within, but she seems far too <em>life-like</em> for that. I know A.I. can be advanced but...." President Rosewood had her own issues with AI, since many people believed she was actually one in disguise.


    "Let''s just say things with FWO are anything but normal. I mean, what game can trap people inside and grant them powers upon returning?" Akagiughed.


    "I take it that means you know more about what happened then?" President Rosewood picked up on the fact that Akagi wasn''t telling her everything she knew.


    "Yes, I do. But I will keep that to myself for now," Akagi was nning on unveiling Mizumi to the world at some point, but not today. "But just understand this for now. FWO was anything but a game, not only were our lives at stake every day, but those who inhabited the game were are real as you or me. If anything, perhapsparing them to you wouldn''t be inurate as they are basically artificially created forms of life. Though in the case of the FWO NPCs, they are far more advanced and made from a bit moreplex techniques than what created you." She was referring to the artificial process by which the President was born.


    "So, what your saying is that I should consider the NPCs of FWO people. Something akin tob grown humans or those born via artificial methods, like me?" President Rosewood said.


    "In a way, yes." Akagi nodded. "They''re a little bit different because they <em>were</em> programs at first. But due to some intervention, they are now anything <i>but </i>AI scripts. And now that they''re in our world, they''re no different than anyone else. Their bodies are made of flesh and blood and you''d find no difference between one of the human members of my family and a human of this world."


    President Rosewood remained silent as she processed all that information. She was open to the idea of A.I. co-existence with humans, and was more receptive to calls for ethical treatment of such creations. But she understood that there was arge difference between her understand of A.I. and what these former NPCs are and wanted rification. "Did they act like this in the game? The NPCs I mean. Could you talk to them like normal people? Did they act any differently during the time within the game versus after they left?" President Rosewood was curious.


    "Yep." Akagi nodded. "All the NPCs, except for certain bosses and scripted quest givers were able to act fully independently and lived their own lives. Yumi lived in a vige with her family for two years, Marshal was a leading general in the Imperial army and went on several missions before he was expelled. Heck the NPCs could even marry and have children between them."


    "I see. That is quite an unexpected turn of events." President Rosewood mused. ¡°I was never informed of something like this, and as far as I know thepany who made that game has denied their AI being sentient.¡±


    <em>{Were they lying? Or is their truly something more at work here? Something about the words Akagi used is telling me that there''s a whole lot more to this situation than meets the eye.} </em>(President Rosewood)


    "Trust me. It was just as strange for me when I realized it. We were all told beforehand that the A.I. would be cutting edge and nearly lifelike. But once we got in the game, it was like we''d gone to an entirely different world rather than into a VR game." Akagi gave a wry smile. ¡°My people are very real and I will not tolerate anyone trying to de-person them. As to those devs, they''re probably just trying to cover their asses.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± President Rosewood thought. ¡°Based on what you''ve told me and my interactions with them, I see no reason why we should treat them as anything other than people. I''ve interacted enough with Hikari to see that she''s not something a program could create.¡±


    <i>{She says she knows more. So perhaps she found who caused that whole event and got answers?} </i>President Rosewood thought.<em>{But then why wouldn''t she publicizethat information?}</em>


    She decided to put that issue aside and have her intel agencies look into it more. "Let''s switch topics." President Rosewood''s eyes snapped onto Akagi. "What are your goals? What do you hope to aplish? You say that you''re a <i>Demon</i> that kills people, so why shouldn''t I consider you a threat?" She went into a more serious President mode. "Should I not consider you a risk to, not just Japan, but also to the United States and take action against you?"


    "You should view me as a threat. Though I''d advise not doing anything stupid like attempting to kill me or kidnaping my sister and her friends." Akagiughed. "I''d like to think you''re smart enough to not do something so suicidal." Akagi''s answer was not what President Rosewood expected. She''d anticipated a plea of innocence and some titudes, so the President was momentarily shocked when Akagi straight up told her she was a threat to the United States. "Though, I''d say that rather than a threat to just Japan and the United States, I am a threat to all humanity." Akagi gave a terrible smile. "However, that lies more in the <i>possibility </i>of me taking action, rather than any ns on my part as of right now." Akagi waved her hand dismissively. "As I told our little vampire friend before I came here, just because I have the power to destroy the world, doesn''t mean I will. It just means that I <i>could. </i>And whether or not I do, well, that''s up to how the rest of the world acts toward me."


    President Rosewood snapped out of her surprise. "And what if you decided to change you''re mind?" President Rosewood asked. "You say that you don''t wish for war <i>right now </i>but what''s stopping that in the future? What guarantee do we have that you don''t be an enemy?" It was a good question and one that needed to be asked. Just because Akagi didn''t want to destroy the world today, doesn''t mean she wouldn''tter.


    <em>{Also, does that mean you''re effectively telling the entire world to just let you do as you please under threat of annihtion?}</em>She held that question back for now.


    "If that dayes and I need to go to war with either just the United States or all of humanity." Akagi took a deep breath as she leaned forward. "There is nothing you can do to stop me, and your best bet is to pray it never happens rather than try ande up with some method of defeating me." Akagi smirked upon seeing Rosewood''s shocked expression. This was the second time today the President had been stunned. "What? Did you expect a different answer? Expect me to y nice and tell you that I''d never do something like that? That my human nature wouldn''t allow me to act like that?" Akagiughed. "Listen, it''s only a matter of time until I shed what''s left of my humanity, so I can tell you that it<i> </i>won''t save you."


    Afterposing herself, President Rosewood spoke. "I don''t know if I should be impressed or annoyed that you''re so honest with me. Kind of strange to see a <i>Demon</i> being much more upfront with their intentions than members of Congress." She gave a dryugh.


    "Listenpared to them. I''m small potatoes. Those guys are the real demons." Akagi let out augh, and her joke got a chuckle out of the President.


    "At least you can tell a joke." President Rosewood continued. "Let me ask you this, and be honest with me. If you went to war against my government today. Could you beat us?" She decided to just ask the question she had on her mind. Something about Akagi made her just want to be frank with her.


    "Yes," Akagi didn''t even hesitate. "Even with my current power restrictions. I could easily wipe out not just you but every country on Earth." Akagi had run some tests with her power and based on what she''d seen, plus what she estimated was still dormant, the annihtion of humanity was well within her power. "If I wanted, the entire world would either burn or be my ves."


    "No hesitation?" President Rosewood didn''t expect such an instant and unflinching answer. "How can you be so sure? I mean, you can''t tell me a nuclear weapon wouldn''t hurt you. And humanities military might is no joke, we''ve even managed to kill other returnees with our forces. So perhaps you should reconsider your assessment of your chances." President Rosewood had no idea why she was being so forward with Akagi, but decided against questioning it.


    "Are you not aware?" Akagi tilted her head.


    "Aware of what?" President Rosewood asked.


    Akagi allowed her form to dissipate into a ck shadow blob in the chair she was sitting in, causing both President Rosewood and the trantor to jump in surprise.


    "Sorry for startling the both of you, but I figured a demonstration would be better than words." Akagiughed. "The body you normally see is little more than an illusion that I use to speak with people." Akagiughed. "My real form is a living shadow like you see here, and I can manipte it freely to create a body if I so desire."


    "I-I see. That was not included in any of my intelligence briefings." She looked annoyed. "So what does that mean? Since you''re showing it to me, I presume its not just an interesting party trick."


    "It means that conventional weapons <em>cannot</em> harm me," Akagi had tested all sorts of weapons, even shooting herself with every type of explosive and bullet imaginable, all to no effect. "I haven''t had a nuke dropped on me just yet, but I have ample reason to believe that it will do nothing." Akagi''s real body could only be damaged by extremely powerful energy based weapons. Technically a nuke would cause arge burst of energy, but she calcted it wouldn''t be enough. Likely, the only effective way of doing harm to her was through high intensity radiant magical attacks.


    "T-that is hard to believe." President Rosewood was trying to keep a t expression but was failing. "If even our world''s most powerful weapons cannot hurt you, then that would make you....." She trailed off not wanting to finish that line of thought. "As far as I''m aware the other returnees are not so tough, so what makes you different?"


    "They can be harmed with conventional weapons of a high enough potency. So don''t worry about that." Akagi returned to her usual appearance. She knew that one of Libra was killed via a drone strike so defeating them conventionally was possible, albeit difficult. "As for me, well I''ll leave it up to your imagination. No reason to give a potential enemy info." She winked. "Just understand that I am much different than the others."


    "Fair enough." President Rosewood sighed. "It''s funny, the first time I saw you, I was reminded of a Demon Lord from a T.V. show I watched when I was a kid. Now I''m regretting thatparison."


    "Demon Lord..." Something inside Akagi stirred when she heard that term. "I like it." She muttered under her breath.


    "Just please wait to do your invasion of the world until <i>after </i>my second term is over." She joked. "I''d rather not be in charge when that happens."


    "Darn." Akagi snapped her fingers in jest. "Now my ns have to be dyed." sheughed.


    "Well, I have another meeting to get to. However, please allow me to thank you for your time. And know that I do not intend to stop Japan if they agree to your terms. I feel that losing a few empty mountains is a worthwhile price to pay for saving the country." She gave a tired smile. "I would like to meet you in person at some point in the future. I feel like we have a lot we could discuss."


    "I would love to meet you." Akagi nodded. "Perhaps we can arrange something once this whole mess with Libra is dealt with?"


    "I''ll have to convince a few members of Congress that inviting a <i>Demon </i>to the White House isn''t an impeachable offense first." Sheughed. "Have a nice day."


    "You too," Akagi replied, and President Rosewood disconnected.


    <i>{I see that she''s another one of those few very capable people. I wonder if she''de to work for me after she''s done?}</i> Akagi thought for a moment. She had an eye for capable people and those who excelled at their jobs. She''d recruited most members of her family because they were capable people who could do things she couldn''t, and now, President Rosewood caught her eye.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    Akagi returned to her home a little whileter with Hishya in toe. The dragon girl had some things to discuss with Kana, and asked Akagi to bring her along.


    "Onee-chan, you''re back already?" Kana was sitting at the kitchen table studying. School was temporarily closed due to Libra''s attacks, but the girl wasn''t going to justy around and had been doing additional studying on her own time to keep sharp.


    "Yup, and I brought one Hishya." Akagi pointed to the dragon girl. "She wanted to talk to you, so you kids have fun. And don''t be too loud tonight!" Akagi zipped into the other room as Kana''s pencil cracked in half in her hand from anger.


    "I''m sorry about that," Kana said as Hishya took a seat across from her. "She''s always a pain and does that kind of stuff just to rile me up."


    "Yeah, it''s fine." Hishya sighed. "She does the same thing to me. So I''m quite used to it by now."


    The two let out loud sighs, they''d both taken enough abuse from Akagi over the years.


    "So, what did you want to talk about?" Kana asked.


    "Err... ummm." Hishya fumbled. "It''s more that I wanted to see if you were ok with me...."


    "???" Kana tilted her head. "What do you mean?"


    "Well, I mean... I don''t really know how to put this." Hishya struggled to find the right words. "You saw how I acted at Nagoya, and you know just what kind of person I can be under all <em>this</em>... So I was worried you wouldn''t want to be around me anymore." Hishya was a little embarrassed. She''d shared her past history in full with Kana a few nights before the battle at Nagoya, including the full tale of the Battle of Hassan. She hadn''t spoken to her since then, and she thought Kana was upset with her, something that gave the possessive dragon massive anxiety.


    Kana closed the book in front of her and sighed. "Onee-chan did tell me just what kind of person you used to be before she "damaged you." But you''ve been trying to be a better person since then. Have you not?" Kana asked.


    "I mean, I guess I have?" Hishya posed the statement as a question. "Prior to Hassan I was a terrible person, and looking back, I''m embarrassed and angry at myself for what I did. So many people are dead because I knocked people out of the Assault Team to make myself look better." Hishya clenched her fists. "You asked me about what happened in Hassan, and I told you everything. I told you that we ignored the Imperial armies suggestions, that we sacrificed NPCs to buy time and I told you how we killed the soldiers to make the fight easier. But their was one more thing I didn''t tell you."


    "And what was that?" Kana asked.


    "The one who gave that final order. The one who made the call to sacrifice all those NPCs to slow the army down was me. <em>I</em> decided to sacrifice them to save the other yers." Hishya''s face turned dark. "I''m no better than Libra, Kana. I''m just as selfish and petnt as them. Even if I try and act better than someone like Herlex, at the end of the day, I was more than happy to drag others down to build myself up."


    "No." Kana shook her head. "You''re not the same. Not one bit."


    "And how is that?" Hishya asked, nearly crying. "I got all those people killed! I didn''t even see them as people! And not just that, but my vanity and ego ended up getting who knows how many other yers killed! You heard how I treated Alice! I thought she was annoying because she hogged my spotlight, and I was more than happy to drive her away so people would focus on me!"


    "You sacrificed the lives of the NPCs because you were trying to save the lives of <em>yers</em>, weren''t you?" Kana asked. "And I think it unfair to judge you just because you didn''t understand that the NPCs in the game were alive, since almost no one did. So you''re not the same in that respect, Hishya. You didn''t sacrifice them because you wanted to kill them. You did it to save those important to you. It might seem cruel, but I think most people would do the same thing." Kana smiled. Akagi was the same way, she''d dly let entire cities burn if it meant keeping her people alive. "Did you know?" Kana moved over and hugged her. "Everyday, when I saw the total number of living yers go down, I''d check to see if Onee-chan was still alive and be d that someone else died instead of her." Kana hugged her tight.


    "Every single day, I would rejoice that someone I didn''t know died just so that she would live." Kana smiled. "I told that to Onee-chan and do you know what she said? She said that wishing for those you care about to live was natural and normal and that I was no worse of a person for doing so."


    Kana looked into Hishya''s watery eyes. "So you''re not a bad person for prioritizing saving your friends and those you cared about. Even if it cost the lives of so many others. After all, you''re only human." Kana''s smile made Hishya''s heart flutter.


    ¡°I won''t say who you were in the past doesn''t matter, since that''s not true. You''re actions against other yerspeting with you for attention and praise is definitely not something that can be ignored or overlooked.¡± Kana continued. ¡°You acted terribly, you might have even gotten people killed because of your vanity. But, you changed. Even if it did take a <i>Demon </i>putting the fear of god in you to break through that thick head of yours. What matters now is who you''ll be in the future. That doesn''t mean we can just forget the past, since that wouldn''t be good either. But don''t let it define you. Instead use it as a reminder of who you once were and allow it to aide you in bing better." Kana continued.


    "You told me you want to be a better person, and from what I''ve seen, that''s exactly what you''re doing. You''re on the right path Hishya, so don''t worry. Compared to Onee-chan, you don''t have much nearly as much baggage <em>and</em> you''re repentant.¡± Kanaughed as she hugged the dragon girl. ¡°So yes, I still want you around. I''d be... <em>sad</em> without you. Because... well... you''re important to me.¡± She gave an awkward smile.


    <i>{I love you, Kana.} </i>Hishya hugged her back. Happy to know the girl she loved epted her, faults and all.

 Chapter 94 – Akagi’s Relaxation.

    Chapter 94 ¨C Akagi¡¯s Rxation.


    Hishya and Kana spent the rest of the night chatting about various things, including their rtionship, a bit more. Hishya was relieved that Kana didn''t think less of her because of her past, and Kana was happy that Hishya had finally opened up to her about her regrets and issues. The two still weren''t officially together, but Akagi figured it wouldn''t be much longer until one of them decided to be honest about their feelings. After having tea the next morning, Hishya went back home. She had some shopping to do and other errands to run before her parents returned home.


    Akagi didn''t really have anything to do at the moment, and was a bit lethargic after some "work"st night. So, she just wanted to rx at home. Around noon, and after finishing her studying, Kana went into the living room to find her sister. She wanted to have lunch with her and Yumi, but upon entering the room, she was greeted with an <em>interesting</em> sight.


    *SCRATCH**SCRATCH**SCRATCH**SCRATCH**SCRATCH*


    "I have no idea how or why, but this feels amazing. Keep going!" Akagi eximed in joy. She was currently sitting on Yumi''sp in shadow form. Kana was momentarily stunned as she watched Yumi scratch and pet the ck blob sitting in herp before she came back to her senses.


    ¡°I''m d you like it.¡± Yumi smiled. "I feels good to pet you like this, it''s kinda squishy and soft!"


    "Uhhhh...." Kana didn''t really know what to say. "What are you two doing? I feel like I need an adult."


    "Scratching my Lord," Yumi said with a smile. "She seems to enjoy it very much!"


    "Kana, what are you talking about? I am an adult!" Akagi said without an ounce of hesitation in her voice. "Also yes, you probably do need one for this. Since Yumi petting me is truly one of the lewdest things imaginable, second only to the dreaded <em>hand holding</em>! The horror!" She said added a fake and dramatic gasp to her sarcasticment. "We truly are depraved and degenerate. Forgive us for sinning."


    "Pffffff. Onee-chan thinks she''s an adult." Kana let out a stifledugh. "Also, hand holding <em>is</em> lewd, and you should repent for engaging in such acts in public!" Kana had watched enough anime to get the joke.


    "Anyway, this feels awesome! Its like Yumi is scratching every single itch I could never get at!" Akagi said. ¡°Yumi, we should pet Kanater, she always likes when I tickle her.¡±


    "I can see that. But why?" Kana walked over. ¡°And please no. Your "tickles" always leave me incapacitated for a good while afterwards.¡± She momentarily shuddered as she recalled thest time Akagi tickled her. For some reason, Akagi very much enjoyed doing that to people.


    "What?" Akagi said. "Can a <i>Demon</i> not rx in the privacy of her own home? Am I not allowed to lounge around in peace andfort when I''ve got nothing better to do?"


    "I guess you''re right...." Kana still didn''t know what to say. It wasn''t often Akagi slipped out of her humanoid appearance, so Kana was still not used to speaking to the literal blob of darkness. "It''s just that you almost never look like that, and its a bit strange to be speaking to the literal darkness sitting on the couch."


    "Well, this is my <i>real </i>body, Kana." Akagi reminded her. "Sometimes, I just want to take my hand out of the proverbial puppet and rx. Having a humanoid body is nice and all, but being like this is quitefy and I enjoy it."


    "P-puppet... I guess when you put it like that. Yeah, that makes sense." Kana sighed. Akagi was technically just a shadow demon manipting her power to create a form you could speak to. Since Kana could always see her sister''s shadow body, she understood what Akagi was saying. Since she could see the small connection that ran between Akagi''s real body and the form she usually spoke through. It was definitely strange to be sure.


    "My Lord had a busy nightst night, so she wanted to rx a bit and called me over for pets." Yumi giggled.


    "Yumi gives the best after work pets!" Akagi''s smile was visible via her words.


    <i>{Said ¡°work¡± resulted in half of the Rimura Group''s Board of Directors ¡°Disappearing.¡±}</i> Kana sighed internally. "I guess..."


    "My lord likes to be spoiled, if you couldn''t tell." Yumi smiled. "So this is actually quite amon urrence. She just normally does it while no one else is around, she does more funny things too when we''re alone."


    <em>{And I enjoy it when she gets like this!} </em>(Yumi)


    "I can neither confirm nor deny that I desire to be spoiled, doted on, and pet," Akagi said. "And also, Yumi, you<em>very much</em> enjoyed our ying around the other day."


    Yumi''s face went red as she recalled things. "I mean, its not really fair when you turn so cute like that! I can''t help myself when you get all fluffy like that!" She bonked the shadow blob in embarrassment.


    Kana just rolled her eyes. "I feel like your flirting is going to cause me to gag on the sugar in the air."


    "A, are you jealous?" Akagi chuckled. "Do you want to be snuggled?" As she said this, her form changed into something akin to a rope that coiled around Yumi. "Too bad, Yumi is mine, and she''s only allowed to do this with me. So no Yumi snuggles for you, too bad."


    "No I am not<em>jealous</em>." Kana sighed as she looked at Yumi. "Are you alright with her doing that?" Kana asked. "She''s wrapped around you like a snake."


    "I couldn''t be happier." Yumi smiled. Her face got slightly redder. "It feels good to have my Lord this close to me, so I actually quite like her doing this..."


    "I guess." Kana couldn''t really understand it. "I''ll just file this away as something you two weridos like to do." She shrugged, giving up on understand their strange rtionship.


    "Shall I coil around you?" Akagi asked with augh. "I can squeeze you nice and tight."


    "Please don''t." Kana shook her head vigorously. "You know I hate snakes, and you''d remind me too much of that. Youe over here and try that, and I''ll hit you!"


    "Hisssss!" Akagi let out a snake''s hiss as one of her shadow tendrils morphed into a snake and flicked its tongue.


    "Now, now, don''t pick on Kana." Yumi bopped the snake on the head.


    "Hissssss." Akagi''s tendril recoiled at the strike and the snake head dissipated.


    Kana <i>really </i>hated snakes. So even the brief sight of the shadow snake creeped her out. Though, they were not the thing she hated the most, as their was, as she called it,<em>a far worse evil in the world.</em>"Please don''t do that again..." (Kana)


    "Hmm, then perhaps this?" Akagi uncoiled from around Yumi and formed into a shadow rabbit on herp. "Is this better?" She asked tilting her head while twitching her nose.


    Seeing this caused Yumi''s eyes to widen as she squeed internally, barely holding back the urge to dive in and glom onto bunny Akagi.


    <em>{See! When you get all cute like that how am I suppose to hold myself back?!?}</em>(Yumi)


    "A bit better than the snake, rabbits are always nice and cute and I like them very much..." Kana sighed. "Except for the fact that you''re actually a <i>Demonic</i> rabbit. So you lose out on a lot of cuteness points with that factoid."


    "Shall I feed you a carrot, my Lord?" Yumi said as she wrapped her arms around Akagi. "I think we have some fresh from the garden."


    <em>{I wanna see her eat it so bad! Maybeshe''ll really let me do it!} </em>Yumi was freaking out internally at the cuteness.


    "<em>Rabbit no wants carrot. Rabbit wants souls!</em>" Akagi spoke in a funny voice which caused the two girls tough hysterically. "<em>Nough at rabbit! Give rabbit souls! Silly mortals!</em>"


    Her voice and the absurdity of the situation caused the two to lose it and join in on a bit of the fun.


    "Oh mighty demon rabbit, what kind of soul do you wish to eat?" Kana asked whileughing.


    "<em>Hmm</em>." Akagi thought. "<em>Rabbit wants soul of pure maiden</em>. <em>They are the highest of quality! Provide one at once!"</em>


    "Well, Mika is out. She isn''t pure of mind." Kanaughed. "Perhaps you would settle for Naomi?"


    "<em>Hmm. eptable. Bring soul to consume</em>." Akagi couldn''t continue with this act any longer and startedughing. "Where the fuck did this whole thinge from? And how did we start doing a demon rabbit that wants to eat souls?"


    "Honestly, I think you should show that to Mika and Naomi. That was a pretty funny voice and I''m sure they''d love it." Kana had tears in her eye fromughing.


    "I think Mika would just start petting her uncontrobly." Yumi smiled.


    "Yeah, she''d be all like: <em>BUNNY</em>!" Akagi mimicked Mika''s voice. ¡°She''d probably squeeze me so tight that I''d pop.¡±


    "Either that for feed you so many carrots you explode." Kana was still giggling.


    "Alice would probably get me a tiny hat and want me to have tea with her." Akagi chuckled. "Though I''d need to turn white for things to line up a bit more."


    Akagi released her bunny form and went back to being a formless blob, jumping across the room andnding in Kana''sp. She had no eyes or face, but Kana could tell she was looking up at her with a pleading expression.


    "Why did you hop over here?" Kana asked. ¡°Please don''t wrap around me.¡±


    "Because it''s your turn to pet me," Akagi said. Kana just looked at her like<i>. Really?</i>


    "Fine. At this point, why not?" Kana gave in and started to scratch her.


    *SCRATCH**SCRATCH**SCRATCH**SCRATCH**SCRATCH*


    "Hmmmmmm." Akagi hummed in delight. "Having my real body touched like this is soooo nice. I feel like I''m going to fall asleep, that''s howfy this is."


    "You feel like when you put cornstarch in water, and it makes that weird solid-liquid." Kana chuckled. "Why can I touch you anyway? Aren''t you made of energy?"


    "Because I''m allowing you to," Akagi answered. "If I wanted, I could make it so your hands just pass through me. See?" Kana tried to touch her again, but this time her hands just went inside the blob. She didn''t feel anything, and it was like she was touching nothing at all.


    "Interesting." Kana swiped at the air a few times before continuing the petting.


    *SCRATCH**SCRATCH**SCRATCH**SCRATCH**SCRATCH*


    ¡°Hooooo yeahhhhh. That''s the stuff.¡± Akagi was enjoying herself.


    "The way you''re acting reminds me of a small dog that''s getting scratched behind the ears." Kana smiled. "Does it really feel that good? I''m not really doing anything."


    "Thatparison honestly might be right." Akagi chuckled. "Also, <em>yes</em> it feels quite nice, though Yumi was better." The priestess was trying hard not to give Kana the death re. She wanted Akagi returned to her right now, but was holding her tongue out of respect. It seemed Akagi was not the only one who became possessive.


    "If you would have told me a year ago that I''d be sitting in a Feudal Estate, petting a blob of darkness that was actually my <i>Demon</i> sister. I''d have called you some choice words." Kanaughed. "This is quite a crazy scenario we have here."


    Akagi let out augh. "Yeah, it''s been crazy. But crazy in a fun way."


    Kana thought for a second before ncing down at her. "Can I try something?" she asked.


    "Yeah, sure." Akagi didn''t really know what she was going to do but rolled with it.


    "Yumi, think fast!" Kana picked up her sister and threw her at Yumi who caught her. While Akagi yelled "WEEEEE" as she was thrown.


    "You''re really light," Kana said, pping her hands. "Throw her back!"


    Yumi did, and the two started tossing her back and forth across the table between them. Akagi had no idea why Kana was doing this, but found it amusing.


    *SWOOSH* *SWOOSH* *SWOOSH* *SWOOSH*


    Eventually, Kana caught her and started petting Akagi again.


    "Any particr reason you did that?" Akagi asked. She thought it was fun, but didn''t expect Kana to do that.


    "Not really." Kana gave a wry smile. "I just uh... thought it''d be funny. And for whatever reason the idea of a beanbag came to mind, so I just threw you."


    "Pfffff." Akagiughed at her answer. "And you''re always calling <em>me</em> a kid?"


    "With you around, it feels like my brain has turned into mush, so you''re at fault." Kanaughed. "I''ve probably lost IQ points just being around you."


    "Ah yes, you have discovered my master n!" Akagi eximed. "You will fall to the dark side by having fun and ying around! The horror!"


    "Whatever will I do!" Kana put her hand up in fake shock. "Yumi, save me from the scary <i>Demon.</i> It''s using it''s evil power to make me stupid!"


    "Sorry, Kana." Yumiughed. "But I''ve fallen under her spell too."


    The three let out a bigugh. A break like this was nice, and Akagi''s abilities allowed them to have a little fun. With everything going on right now, Akagi was d to see these two smile.


    "Before I forget. I came in here to see if you wanted to have lunch." As Kana said this, her stomach growled.


    "Sounds good to me," Akagi said, jumping onto Yumi''s head. "What about you, Yumi?"


    "I think lunch sounds good." She smiled. "I''ll make us some sandwiches."


    "With an extra helping of souls!" Akagi said this, causing the two girls tough.


    "Yes, Yes." Yumi rolled her eyes. "Is Chloe''s ok?" The three of them headed toward the kitchen.


    "Well, she''s a cat, so it probably tastes like chicken," Akagi said. "I kinda want to call her over here so I can ask for her soul with absolutely no context."


    "Please don''t pull such pranks on them." Kana looked at her. "You and I both know she''d <i>actually</i> give it to you if you''d ask her."


    "Yeah, not exactly sure whether I should be grateful they''re so loyal or creeped out," Akagi said.


    "It just goes to show how much you mean to us, and the fact that we could dly give you anything you desired. Even our lives." Yumi smiled as she ced Akagi on the table. "Now, are you going to stay like that forever? Or are you going to eat with us?" She walked into the kitchen.


    "Maybe I want to stay like this?" Akagi humpfed. "You can just drop the food on me anyway. I can just absorb it if it touches me."


    "Then I guess you get no lunch." Yumi stuck out her tongue. "I only serve food to <i>people</i>. And slime shadow blobs don''t count."


    "That threat only works if I need to eat, Yumi..." Akagi sighed. "But fine, if you insist. I shall take a <i>human </i>form."


    "Why did she emphasize the word, <i>human</i>?" Kana caught that and was worried. But before she could ask any further questions. Akagi hopped into the air and transformed into a copy of Yumi, taking a seat at the table.


    "Why did you turn into Yumi?" Kana sighed.


    "She said to turn into a person. But she did not specify <i>which </i>person." Akagi chuckled. "So here we are. How about I stay like this for a while and we snuggle together like thister, Yumi." Akagi smirked as the priestess turned slightly red.


    "I had thising...." Yumi sighed. "I should have just left well enough alone and now I''m going to have to pet a copy of myself. That''s going to be fun..."


    "Yeah," Kana shook her head. "Onee-chan is not one to let someone else have thestugh."


    "Nope!" Akagi smiled, and the three had lunch together. Today was a rather rxing and normal day, though the sight of one Yumi petting and scratching the other was something that caused quite a bit of head turning at the estate.


    Spoiler


    Demon Bunny!


    [copse]

 Chapter 95 – Hishya’s Worst Fears Realized.

    Chapter 95 ¨C Hishya¡¯s Worst Fears Realized.


    After heading home from Akagi''s estate, Hishya ran errands around Tokyo for her parents. She picked up groceries, dropped some things off, and cleaned the house while they were at work. Without a job or school to go to, she had very little to do during the day. She had more money than she could ever spend from her time in FWO, and with Akagi''s help, she was able to convert that into usable currency. Hishya had tried to give some to her parents, but they declined out of parental pride.


    With her intervention in Nagoya, she''d officially joined the RRT as a temporary member and hoped to deal with Libra as quickly as possible to prevent more casualties. With any luck, the government would agree to Akagi''s terms, and she''d handle the group <em>before</em> they could move against Hishya''s parents. They told her not to worry and to do what she felt was right. But the thought of them getting hurt kept her awake at night and she was reluctant to leave them alone for too long, lest something happen while she was away. Though in the end, they forced her to give them at least<em>some</em> space.


    After returning to the house and putting away all the groceries, Hishya took to cleaning. Something that didn''t take much time due to her super speed and flight. Once she was done, she rxed on the couch and decided to take a break for a bit until it was time to make dinner. It would be a few hours before her parents got home from work, so she decided to check in and see how the other yers were reacting on her forum and see how people were handling things generally.


    ckbox


    <ul>


    <li>


    This is really getting out of hand, guys. I''m getting scared, like so many people just died!


    </li>


    </ul>


    BlueDog


    <ul>


    <li>


    Yeah I''m only over here in Osaka, I knew people who died in Nagoya. And to make things worse, people have been harassing me calling me a monster or terrorist just because I was <i>in </i>FWO with those people. I don''t even have any powers and they probably want me dead like everyone else! SO LEAVE ME ALONE!


    </li>


    </ul>


    Great Friend.


    <ul>


    <li>


    Seriously! I''ve had so many people up my ass because I''m former FWO! Like, I''m just as fucking scared as you! Those people can blow my head off with a thought.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Hishya


    <ul>


    <li>


    I''m sorry that people are behaving like that. I should have gotten involved sooner...


    </li>


    </ul>


    BlueDog


    <ul>


    <li>


    Don''t me yourself. You had your reasons, and you''re helping now despite the risk to you and your family. It''s not your fault people are assholes.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Great Friend


    <ul>


    <li>


    Yeah! Don''t be down on yourself.


    </li>


    </ul>


    ckbox


    <ul>


    <li>


    Hey Hishya.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Hishya


    <ul>


    <li>


    What''s up?


    </li>


    </ul>


    ckbox


    <ul>


    <li>


    Are the rumors true? Is Akagi going to help?


    </li>


    </ul>


    Hishya


    <ul>


    <li>


    We''re working on it. I know a lot of you can''t stand her, but we really don''t have a choice. Having her get involved is always a pain, but it''s necessary.


    </li>


    </ul>


    BlueDog


    <ul>


    <li>


    Even though you can nuke a city?!? Are you really not enough to beat Libra? Like I know Akagi is crazy, but is she actually going to make that much of a difference if the super dragon can''t do it?!?


    </li>


    </ul>


    Hishya


    <ul>


    <li>


    Sadly, no. I have a lot more power than before, but fighting twenty-odd people is beyond me. Akagi herself confirmed this, and you should know that she knows the strength of each of us better than anyone else. As for her, yeah she can do this alone tbh. Her<em>Demon</em>power is on a level you need to see to believe, I suspect that Herlex going max power would be hard pressed to damage her in any meaningful way, let alone win.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Great Friend


    <ul>


    <li>


    That''s simultaneously reassuring and horrifying... What''s going to happen to the world if Akagi really can solo like twenty people???


    </li>


    </ul>


    Zoomi Boi


    <ul>


    <li>


    Speaking of her intel on us, I always did wonder how she knew everything about us in-game. Almost like she had some kind of spy or could use divination magic.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Purple Rose


    <ul>


    <li>


    I thought the same, but who on earth would work for her? Like, what do you get out of it? And there aren''t many people who could get that info and not be found out.


    </li>


    </ul>


    BlueDog


    <ul>


    <li>


    Maybe she threatened someone? Like work with me or die? I could see her doing something like that.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Hishya


    <ul>


    <li>


    No, that''s not her style. Despite what you all might think, Akagi doesn''t resort to intimidation for things like that in most cases. And it doesn''t do much good now, does it? If there was a spy, which I doubt, it''s over anyway.


    </li>


    </ul>


    ckbox


    <ul>


    <li>


    Was it you, Hishya? I always found it strange she didn''t kill you at Hassan. Did she make you a spy in exchange for your life?


    </li>


    </ul>


    Hishya


    <ul>


    <li>


    No, and if it was, I wouldn''t admit it. So asking me is pointless.


    </li>


    </ul>


    ckbox


    <ul>


    <li>


    Fair, just figured I''d ask. And also, I wouldn''t exactly me you in that case.


    </li>


    </ul>


    BlueDog


    <ul>


    <li>


    Doesn''t really make sense for the leader of the team to sell us out anyway.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Mixu


    <ul>


    <li>


    Akagi had a mole. I don''t know who, but I can confirm someone in the upper echelon of the AT was her agent.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Purple Rose


    <ul>


    <li>


    And you know this how?


    </li>


    </ul>


    Mixu


    <ul>


    <li>


    I have my ways. ;)


    </li>


    </ul>


    ckbox


    <ul>


    <li>


    Well, if she did, it would exin a lot. Tricky bastard was always one step ahead of us with her games...


    </li>


    </ul>


    Hishya


    <ul>


    <li>


    Now that you mention it... she did always seem to know our deployments. And she was always in the perfect ce to mess with us or be annoying. Maybe she really did? But who? There aren''t many of us that would have that level of intel and I can''t see any of them betraying like that.


    </li>


    </ul>


    The conversation then went into a guessing game of who the mole was, but no one could really agree on anything. There was only a limited number of suspects, but no one could point to anything concrete that would indicate who it was. Eventually, the conversation moved to different topics ranging from discussion of Libra attacks, attempting to flee the country and even some spection about if Akagi was behind a few suspicious deaths.


    Hishya turned off her AR and looked up at the ceiling.


    "I wonder if Akagi really did have a mole in the team?" Hishya sighed. "I just hope that means someone who was my friend isn''t really a traitor." Hishya figured that whoever it was must have had a damn good reason for acting as Akagi''s agent since they weren''t an NPC. "Oh well, who cares anyway. They''re probably just some powerless nobody now anyway."


    In fairness, Birdy never acted <i>against</i> the Assault Team, and Akagi merely wanted her to report intel rather than undermine their efforts. As for why she would side with Akagi? Well, there aren''t many reasons one would be a follower of the assassin.


    Deciding that this train of thought would do little more than depress her. Hishya stood up and decided to begin dinner preparations since since her parents would want to eat as soon as they got home. It wouldn''t be long before they got off work, and she wanted to make sure they got dinner, something the two frequently forgoed due to their busy schedules.


    She got straight to working frying things up and getting things ready. Hishya learned a bit about cooking during her time in FWO, but was never that great at it. A little bitter, her parents got home from work. The two worked in the same office building, so they usually carpooled. Hishya had just finished everything, and dinner was only a few minutes away when her father showed up.


    "Something smells good." Her dad walked into the kitchen and hugged her. "Thanks for making dinner. I''m starving!"


    "Yeah, sorry you end up doing this most days." Her mother came around the corner. "Though it''s nice to see you able to cook. And it''s nice to eat something other than microwave meals" She smiled, you could see bags under both their eyes.


    "Yeah, never thought I''d be able to walk, let alone cook." Hishya smiled. "It''s nothing special, and my cooking is still quite limited. So I hope curry is ok? That''s about as borate as I''m going to be able to make for right now."


    <em>{I never thought I''d miss the FWO cooking system!}</em>(Hishya)


    "Sounds good to me!" Her father smiled. "Can''t beat a home-cooked meal no matter how simple."


    Hishya hadn''t been able to enjoy such simple moments with her family since before she''d been diagnosed with M.D. Her parents had tried to spend time with her as much as possible in the hospital, but it was always going to be hard due to their jobs, and herck of mobility. Hishya had always assumed she''d die before she got a chance to taste her mothers cooking again, let alone actually do cooking herself, so this was a treat to her. Her parents took off their coats, and the three of them sat at the kitchen table for dinner together. Hishya''s cooking wasn''t the best, but neither of her parentsined one bit. They were just happy to have their daughter back, even if she was a bit different. Though strangely enough, the dragon aspect didn''t seem to bother either of them and her mother thought the tail was cute.


    The three discussed some mundane things like how the day at the office went, Hishya talked about helping an olddy at the store and eventually the dragon girl discussed how she''d be going on a mission in the next few days to take down some of Libra. It was a sobering topic, though both her parents held strong and told her to use the power she''d been gifted to help people, and that they''d support her no matter what. It was a touching conversation, which was swiftly ruined by her mother''s question about her would-be girlfriend.


    "So...." Her mother looked at her. "How are things going with Kana? Have you finally had some fun yet?"


    Her question caused Hishya to nearly choke on her food. Her mother was aware of the situation, as mothers are, and decided to ask. Though Hishya<em>really</em>wished she wouldn''t get into<em>that</em> topic right now.


    "It-its <i>going</i>." Hishy''s face turned slightly. "Once this whole thing with Libra ends. That''s when I''m going to... you know..." She''d decided to ask Kana out officially once things calmed down, something she regretted instantly because <em>death g.</em>


    "I guess I should be d it''s a girl. Don''t have to worry about chasing her away!" Her fatherughed.


    "I would be angry if you did," Hishya said. "She epted me for who I am, ws and all. I couldn''t find anyone better even if I searched the entire world."


    "Now we just have to figure out grandkids." Her mother chuckled. "Do you have any magic to solve that? I''d like to see some tiny dragons running around." She was only<em>half</em> kidding.


    Once again, Hishya turned bright red. "I-I think we''re a bit out of luck on that front."


    <em>{I swear you just do that to embarrassme!}</em>(Hishya)


    Seeing her reaction caused both her parents to bust outughing.


    "Just think, not even a year ago, you were stuck in a bed, unable to move. And here we are talking about your first girlfriend." Her mother''s eyes got slightly watery. "I don''t know who to thank for this blessing." She reached across the table and grabbed Hishya''s hand. "I don''t want to admit this, but your father and I... we... we were expecting the phone call any day. We knew you wouldn''t survive, and it was stressful. Every time our phone rang, it caused our hearts to sink into our chest."


    "Yeah." Her father''s eyes were also a bit wet. "I''m just d we can sit around a table like a family again. I missed this so much, and I count my blessings every day."


    <em>{Honestly, its a miracle that my body didn''t give out during the four years in FWO. But I''m d it managed to hold on, because now... now I can start paying back my parents for everything.} </em>(Hishya)


    Hishya was truly grateful for the love her parents gave her, and how they''d never once abandoned her when she was ill. Even when it seemed hopeless, they tried their very best to cure her. When that proved impossible, they did everything they could to stay by their side and help her through the pain. She was their one and only daughter, and they''d be dammed if they didn''t do everything possible to ease her suffering. The years she''d spent trapped in FWO had only served to increase her longing for a normal life, and the second chance she''d been given was something she wanted to hold onto, no matter what. That''s why she asked Akagi for a pact and why she was so reluctant to get involved in the war against Libra.


    Seeing Akagi''s family situation, and hearing the horror stories about what she had to go through, made Hishya even more grateful for what she had.


    After finishing dinner and doing the dishes, Hishya decided to head to a nearby corner store to pick up some snacks for the week. It wasn''t particrly far away, and she''d be back in a few minutes.


    "Alright, I''ll be right back." She said while kicking on her shoes. "Do we need anything while I''m out?


    Her father yelled from the living room. "Pick up some milk! Otherwise I''ll have no coffee in the morning."


    "Can''t have that, you''re extra grumpy with out it." Hishys smiled as she took off and headed to the store. A few minutes after she left, came a knock at the door.


    "Hishya, did you lock yourself out?" Her mother came out of the kitchen and went to the door. "How many times do I have to tell you to take.... the... key." When she opened the door, what she saw was not Hishya, but a young man with angel wings.


    "Sorry foring sote, but I needed to speak with Hishya." He gave a fake smile. "Can I wait for her in here until she gets back?" Hishya''s mother knew who this was. She''d seen him on TV and knew why he was there. "Please don''t scream. If you just cooperate, this will all be over soon, and no one has to get hurt."


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    About ten minutester, Hishya came home.


    "I''m back!" She said as she took off her shoes. "Do you still need help cleaning up?" She poked her head into the living room and was greeted by the horrific sight of Herlex sitting on the sofa with her parents tied up and unconscious. This sight caused her blood to boil and rage flooded her body, causing her eyes to turn draconic.


    "Oh, there you are." He smiled. "I was wondering how long until you showed up. But I guess that was pretty quick, good for you."


    "Herlex! What did you do to them?" Hishya was about ready to pounce him, but was stopped when the angel put up his hand to stop her.


    "Ah, Ah, Ah." He smiled as he held up a small vial. "Go ahead and kill me if you want. But if you do, that will mean your parents die too and I know you don''t want that."


    "What did you do to them?!?" She demanded an answer, her draconic power began to manifest further.


    "Nothing special, I just gave them a dose of Blood Moon Poison. A nifty little thing, and usually harmless. Well, at least to people like us." Herlex grinned.


    "Blood Moon Poison!" Hishya''s eyes widened. "How did you even get that stuff? It was a special event drop!"


    "Akagi wasn''t the only collector of rare items." He said as he spun the empty bottle in his hand. "Though I never imagined that I''d actually use this stuff. Funny how things work out, huh?"


    Blood Moon Poison was tied to a special quest chain involving the attempted assassination of a Duke in the Empire. The yer would need to seek out a special antidote, one that was otherwise impossible to attain, and in return, you would be given one vial of the poison as a quest reward. It did not affect yers and would do nothing if ingested by one. But was guaranteed to kill any NPC in under thirty minutes of administering the poison via the mouth.


    <u>(The poison time was suspended for the quest so it could be finished at the yers leisure.)</u>


    Unfortunately, in this case, Hishya''s parents were treated the same as an NPC and as such were currently on a timer. If not treated with the antidote soon, they''d die. However, there was one problem with administering treatment for this specific poison.


    "The only cure for the poison was the antidote you obtain <em>in</em> the quest! And it wasn''t something we could make or even use! So you can''t cure them, all you''ve done is condemn them to a horrible death by the poison!" Hishya was angry thinking her parents were about to die.


    "Normally, you''d be right." He said taking a second vial out of his inventory and twirling it in his hands. "But what I have right here is the antidote." He showed it to her. The small vial contained a dark blue liquid. "You only lost the antidote if youpleted the quest it was tied to, and I just so happen to have kept it." This was technically possible since not finishing the quest line would allow you to keep the item. Though few yers did, since it was useless.


    Hishya looked at the vial and instantly knew he wasn''t lying. She''d seen the antidote and what he held matched its appearance from when she did that quest herself.


    "Give it to me!" She screamed as horns erupted from her head. "Hand it over now and I''ll make sure you''re death is as painless as possible!"


    "I will if you agree to my terms." He said smirking. "Though I''m afraid that killing me is out of the question."


    "Terms?!?" Hishya got angrier. "What terms?!?"


    "I want you to work for us." He chuckled. "Agree to that, and I will save them. Naturally, before I administer the cure, I will be taking your parents into custody and restraining them since I can''t very well have you attacking me after getting them cured. I thought of simply kidnapping them and taking them back to my base first, but I decided to be <em>nice</em> and go about it this way. So be grateful." Though he was also afraid that simply kidnapping them would give Hishya the time to rally with Akagi and rescue them, he figured by putting Hishya on a limited timer and forcing her toe along he could ensure her cooperation.


    "You want to use them as hostages?!?" Hishya spit her words. "You want to use me! Make me help in your murderous ns?!?"


    "Yes," He smiled. "You got involved, so you should understand my actions. I gave the dose about five minutes ago. So, you have about twenty-five minutes to make a decision. And naturally, attacking me will see this vial destroyed and don''t even think about trying to take them to get help. I''ve confirmed this poison isn''t curable in this world, though feel free to rush them to a hospital. Just don''t say I didn''t warn you." He winked.


    "You bastard!" Hishya eximed.


    "Hey, I''m just doing what needs to be done to win." Herlex shrugged. "I''ll give you a few minutes to decide. I hope when I return, you''ll have a positive answer for me." He snapped his fingers and teleported away.


    Hishya instantly ran to her parent''s side and cast low-level healing magic on them, but it had no effect.


    "He''s right." Hishya began to cry. "There''s nothing I can do. Because of me, mom and dad will....." She hugged them. "I''m so sorry!"


    Hishya was stuck with a horrible decision. If she agreed to Herlex''s terms, she''d go to war with Japan and Akagi. This would probably see her killed by the <em>Demon</em>. Akagi <i>might</i> be able to rescue her confined parents, but Herlex would ount for this and create fail-safes to kill them if someone tried to save them. Such artifacts existed in the game, and she knew he and the crafters had them. She could agree to his terms on the surface and then ce an SOS to Akagi for help, but she figured that was far too risky. Hishya figured she''d be ced under heavy surveince and the crafting team had likely made items to ensurepliance. Imp had figured out to suppress ones magical power via some restraints, so Imperial making something that would kill her if she betrayed Libra was very possible.


    However, if she ignored him, her parents would die. She would absolutely go after Libra in vengeance and demand that Akagi ughter them all. But she''d be left alone, and her parents would still be dead. Just when her life finally got back on track, and she''d been granted this reprieve, it would be taken from her. She knew her parents wouldn''t want to be used as hostages against her and that they''d tell her not to worry about them. But that didn''t make things easier on the dragon girl. She loved her family and they meant the world to her, losing them was tantamount to losing an important part of herself.


    Her mind raced, considering all possible options, but she eventually concluded that there was no other option but to allow them to die and then make Herlex pay in blood for his crime. She refused to be made into a puppet andmit atrocities just for the chance at saving her parents. As much as she might want to, Hishya knew that they''d be sad that she picked them over doing what was right. Just as she was about to say goodbye to her parents, her eyes widened in realization as something from months ago shed in her mind.


    "The crystal!" She opened her inventory and looked at the transport crystal Akagi had given her. The<em>Demon</em> gave it to her in case of an emergency, and she was certain this was a dire enough situation. The crystal was calibrated to take Hishya straight to Akagi''s side, and it would take Hishya and those she was touching straight to her if crushed. She knew that if anyone could cure them, it would be Akagi, the master of ns and preparation. Surely she of all people had a cure for Blood Moon Poison? Though the dragon girl understood that asking for Akagi''s help came with its own risks. There was no guarantee Akagi would help as that would mean taking a side against Libra before she was officially contracted and, even if she did, she might very well ask Hishya to pay a terrible price for their salvation.


    <i>{So, it''s either be a ve to terrorists or a demon?} </i>Hishya thought as she held the crystal in her hand. <i>{Funny, the demon doesn''t sound as bad.} </i>Having made up her mind, she grabbed onto her parents and cracked the crystal in her hand. Whatever Akagi would ask was worth it if her parents lived. In an instant, she and her parents appeared next to Akagi, who was standing in her garden smoking her pipe as she looked up at the moon.


    "Akagi! Please help them. Quickly!" Hishya eximed, her eyes wet with tears.


    Spoiler


    Hishya''s Dad!


    Hishya''s Mom!


    [copse]

 Chapter 96 – The Demon’s Price and Setting the Stage.

    Chapter 96 ¨C The Demon¡¯s Price and Setting the Stage.


    "Akagi! Please help them. Quickly!" Hishya eximed.


    The <i>Demon''s</i> eyes scanned Hishya and her two parents. "Blood Moon Poison," Akagi said. "I haven''t seen that in a while." Her lips curled into a smile, she''d knew what was going on.


    <em>{What an interesting turn of events. Though why did Birdy not alert me to this? Has Herlex be more cautious?}</em> (Akagi)


    "Please, if you know what it is you have to help them!" Hishya cried. "Herlex poisoned them, and they don''t have much time left! He told me that if I didn''t join Libra, they''d die!"


    Akagi shifted her jaw for a moment before answering. "You know that it takes a special antidote to cure them, right?" Akagi said. "And even if I had it, helping you would mean going against Libra. The Japanese government hasn''t epted my terms yet, so I might end up fighting them with no benefit to me. Which means losing out on something quite valuable, do you have something of equal worth to trade?" She actually had no issue here, since she''d simply demand payment from the Japanese regardless of this unexpected development. Akagi was simply interested in what she could wring out of the dragon girl and having a bit of sadistic fun.


    "Please, I''ll do anything!" Hishya started crying. "Just save them. Please, I can''t lose my parents after I just got everything back!"


    "Anything?" Akagi looked at her, the<em>Demons</em>eyes glistening in the moon light.


    "Yes, Anything!" Hishya was desperate, her eyes red from crying. "Just please.... save them..."


    Akagi sighed. "Well, when you ce that kind of offer on the table. I can''t exactly say no, can I?"


    <em>{What a fortuitousturn of events, thank you for this wonderful gift, Herlex.}</em>(Akagi)


    In a sh, Akagi grabbed the three of them and took them to Mimi''s clinic. The Yuki-Onna was about to go to sleep when Akagi dropped them the beds. "Sorry, but no time. These two need an immediate antidote. They''ve been hit with Blood Moon Poison, so grab them the antidote quickly, we don''t have any time to dy."


    Mimi was shocked by the sudden entrance. "Blood Moon Poison?!?" She eximed. "How on earth did something like that happen?!?" She ran into the back and ruffled through her cabs bringing out two vials of a dark blue liquid. "Here quickly, before the damage gets too severe!" She stuck out her hand.


    Akagi grabbed the vial and had Hishya''s parents ingest one each, forcing it down their throats. Once it was ingested, their faces got a bit better and some of the color returned to their skin. It would take time, but they would fully recover from the poison.


    "You actually had some...." Hishya fell down where she stood. Her legs gave out from under her. "You actually had some...."


    "Yes, do you think I <em>didn''t</em> get hold of this rare item? It''s <i>me </i>we''re talking about. Thankfully, Mimi is a god of potion-making, and we found a way to reverse-engineer the thing. I wasn''t taking chances with any of my people dying to such a poison." Akagiughed.


    "You can make more!" Hishya snapped out of her stupor. "How?!?"


    "In-game it was impossible to make, but in the real world all we needed to do was copy the ingredients, and with a bit of trial and error, we got it down," Akagi smirked. "I figured some fuck would use it, and I''ve had Mimi on it since she set up shop. Good call me." She smiled.


    "So.... they''ll live." Hishya looked up at her. "Mom and Dad..... they''ll be ok?"


    "After a bit of rest, yes. Though, it will take probably about a week before they''re back to normal." Akagi said. "You got them here just in time, so there shouldn''t be any lingering issues."


    Hearing this, Hishya started balling. The thought of losing her parents had caused her so much grief.


    "Their gonna be ok! Wahhhhh!" She started crying like a baby.


    <em>{Oh geeze. I''m not being paid enough to deal with this...}</em>Akagi signed internally.


    "Yumi, go grab Kana. Her girlfriend is currently a hot mess in Mimi''s clinic, and I''m not about to try and console her." Akagi asked through her telepathic connection. A few momentster, a pajama-d Kana arrived and ran straight to Hishya''s side.


    "What happened?!? What''s going on? Why is she freaking out?!?" She asked, and Akagi informed her of the situation.


    "Ohhh, Hishya." Kana took her in her arms. "It''s alright, everything''s alright! Your parents will be fine. Shhhhh" Having Kana hug her seemed to help as Hishya calmed down. "How could he do this! That bastard!" Kana was pissed.


    "It was a smart move, ckmail Hishya into helping, and you''ve got a dangerous situation." Akagi chuckled. "Not a bad idea. It''s what I would have done. Though he really fucked up, he should have just taken them hostage. This whole poison thing, while interesting, left too much room for error."


    Kana just looked at her like. <i>Really?</i>


    "Hey, I''m just saying." Akagi shrugged. "I''ll leave you two alone for now. Go make your pet feel better." Akagi walked towards the door, stopping in the doorway as she left. "Also, Hishya,e see me in the morning. We can talk about things." Akagi walked out.


    "What was that about?" Kana asked.


    "I... I have to pay Akagi for saving my parents." Hishya looked at her, tears still flooding from her eyes.


    "What!" Kana eximed. "No way! I''m not going to let you do something you''ll regret. I''ll go talk to her and-" Kana was cut off.


    "No," Hishya shook her head. "It''s fine. I epted the <i>Demon''s</i> deal, and I have to pay the price. I wanted my parents to survive and this was the only way... I wasn''t about to be Herlex''s pawn."


    "What did she ask of you?!?" Kana demanded to know. "I''ll yell at Onee-chan if it was something bad! She shouldn''t be asking you for something outrageous, that''s not right!"


    Hishya took a moment to answer. "A-Anything," The dragon girl said quietly. "I said I''d do anything if she saved them."


    Kana''s face paled. "No. No. No. No. I have to stop this! Onee-chan will probably ask something awful of you! She''ll make you like Kaori!" She tried to go after Akagi and force her to let Hishya go, but was stopped.


    "Please, Kana..." Hishya grabbed her arm, stopping her. "Please respect my decision, as awful as it may seem. I wanted my parents to stay alive, and I made a choice. Envement by Herlex or Akagi were the only paths to saving my parents. And honestly, Akagi was the <i>lesser evil,</i> as strange as that is." Hishya seemed sure that she was going to be Akagi''s ve as payment. "Besides, this is probably my punishment for all the horrible things I did. It''s my karma catching up to me is all, so don''t worry."


    <em>{I just hope you''ll be able to still ept me even as a ve...}</em>(Hishya)


    Kana had no idea what to say. She couldn''t try to interfere without trampling over Hishya''s feelings, something she was reluctant to do out of respect. Kana figured Akagi would probably let Hishya go if she requested, but she understood how much her sister hated when she stuck her nose too deep in her business. Akagi had lines even Kana shouldn''t cross, and she knew that.


    <i>{Onee-chan....}</i>(Kana)


    ________________________________________________________________________________________________


    The next morning, Hishya met Akagi in the garden to learn her fate. The<em>Demon</em> was a bit busy with some other work, so she was a few minuteste. Once Akagi arrived, she sat on a bench and began smoking her Kiseru, even offering one to Hishya, who declined. Hishya thought the sight was strange, as even on this cold day Akagi was unaffected and seemed to be enjoying her time outdoors. Hishya was a fire dragon and simrly didn''t care about the cold, but it was still an amusing sight.


    "I see the dragon is still sleepy." Akagi nced over at her. "I assume things went fine after I leftst night, though I must say, you look like hell, Hishya. I don''t think I''ve seen you that exhausted since after Hassan."


    "Yeah everything is alright, kinda. My parents are still asleep, and Mimi said they''d be fine. So at the very least that''s good." Hishya looked terrible. She had bags under her bloodshot eyes since she didn''t sleep muchst night, and her skin was pale. "Sleeping together with Kana didn''t really help much, I was too worried to even think about getting rest."


    "Yes, well." Akagi put the pipe away. "I''ve held up my end of the bargain, your parents are saved and will be returned to you in good health shortly. Now it''s your turn, my little dragon. And you should know better than anyone that a deal with a <i>Demon </i>is absolute. Trying to weasel out is well, not good for one''s health." She chuckled.


    "I won''t do something like that." Hishya shook her head. "I knew what I was getting into when I asked for your help, and I know better than to cross you. I''ve seen what happens if people try to renege on payment." There were a few stupid nobles and yers who tried to pull one over on Akagi, though they all ended up the same way in the end.


    "Good to hear. I figured you weren''t stupid enough to take them and run. Not like you could ever escape me anyway." Akagiughed, causing Hishya to get chills. ¡°Now, I believe our deal was saving your parents, and in exchange, you''d do <i>anything</i> I asked. Is that correct?"


    "Yes," Hishya nodded.


    "Very well, then I want two things," Akagi smirked. "First, you are to do everything in your power to see that the Japanese government epts my deal." Hishya nodded. "Getting that done will make everythinge together and you are quite the useful voice."


    "Second..." Akagi grinned. "What should I ask for?"


    Hishya got nervous since she knew what wasing.


    <em>{I guess this is the end of my freedom.}</em>Hishya prepared herself to be yet another pawn of the <em>Demon.</em>Though, in fairness, she was already one. Even if she didn''t know it.


    "I know." Akagi''s grin turned into a smile. "Promise me that you''ll take care of Kana. That you''ll treasure her always, and never do anything to hurt her." Akagi said. "Promise me that you''ll make her happy, Hishya. I think my sister''s happiness is more than equivlent of an exhange for saving your parents lives."


    Hishya was stunned. She expected Akagi to demand she be her ve or servant, not this.


    <em>{W-what?!?}</em>(Hishya)


    "I-I ummm. T-that..." Hishya shook her head and pped her cheeks, her face turning stern. "I promise you that I will take care of Kana and look after her no matter what! I already love her, so I''d do that regardless. I promise you that I''ll make her happy!"


    "Then everything is settled, and the deal isplete." Akagi smiled. "I won''t pressure you to make things official, since I have no right to do so, but don''t go leading her on forever."


    <em>{Though my intuition tells me that the whole affair wille to a head soon.}</em>(Akagi)


    "I already nned on doing so once this nonsense passed." Hishyaughed. "I can''t risk someone else getting her, I just hope she is willing to settle for me."


    Akagiughed. "I don''t think you have to worry about that my little dragon. Kana is very much in love with you too, she''s just been waiting for you the be honest with yourself."


    Hishya wanted to ask just how she knew that but chose not to. She figured Kana spoke to her sister about this very issue before, but couldn''t be sure and honestly didn''t care. Hearing Akagi say Kana returned her love caused warmth to well within the dragons chest. Soon, the target of her affection and obsession would be hers.


    Akagi''s demands surprised the dragon, but in a good way. She knew just how much Akagi cared for her sister, and understood she wanted the best for her. But never imagined she''d use the nk check she''d been given to ask for something like this.


    Hishya felt touched that Akagi would do go so far for Kana and swore to never break this promise, no matter what. And from this day forth, Hishya looked at the <i>Demon</i> a little differently. Sure, she was still afraid of her inner terror, and the dragon was still worried about the future. But she also saw the kind and caring side of Akagi thatid within. <i>Demon</i> or not, she was an older sister who cared for Kana, and she found that heartwarming.


    ________________________________________________________________________________________________


    Several dayster.


    "Well, Herlex! Your grand n failed!" Merkyul chastised him. "You wasted my poison, and for what? Now Hishya ran to Akagi, and she''s probably saved her parents. Great job <i>oh wise leader</i>. We won''t get a second shot at this, and I''d bet that stupid assassin is going to be our enemy now. The thing you were so eager to avoid." He scoffed.


    "How was I supposed to know Hishya was given a transport crystal that would take her right to Akagi''s side? And how was I supposed to know Akagi had her own antidote! So don''t ride my ass! As if you''ve done anything more than kill innocent civilians since you joined. Don''te in here an shit talk me about nning when everything else I''ve worked on has gone almost <em>exactly</em> as I wanted!" Herlex eximed. "Hishya going to Akagi was a miscalction, yes, but I''d like to see you do better!"


    "If you''d just listened to me in the first ce and <em>killed</em> Akagi, this wouldn''t be happening! We''ve had more than enough justification and ample oppertunities to do so! But everytime I''ve brought it up, you always told me to fuck off!" Merkyul yelled. "Forget it, I''m done listening to you and your <i>ns</i>." He turned to leave the room, followed by Sabia, Roxlex, and Hitamaguchi.


    "Where are you going?!?" Herlex asked.


    "To do what <em>you</em> were too scared to do." Merkyul red at him. "We''re going to kill that bitch Akagi and show you all she''s nothing worth being afraid over. Once we get back with her head, you''re stepping aside as leader and we''ll be doing things my way!"


    "Yeah you''re too weak Herlex, my brother is right. Plus, I''ve got a bone to pick with Akagi." Sabia smirked. "Gotta pay her back for killing Michirin." That was a good friend of hers that Akagi assassinated years ago.


    "Armalthye with us if you want. You can''t be happy with Herlex''s ns, and I know you too well to believe you''re happy to sit on the sidelines." He waved to him before leaving.


    "Damn fools!" Herlex mmed the table. "If they go pissing off Akagi, that''s going to fuck everything up! Hishya is a problem <em>sure </em>but her and Akagi simultaneously is going to be a disaster." Merkyul''s group leaving, left just Herlex and Armalthy in themand room alone.


    "He''s an idiot, just let him go and get himself killed if he wants." Armalthy shook his head.


    "Yes, but idiot or not. He''s a strong fighter and so is that team of his. Losing them is going to be bad, and its going to draw in the bigger threat." Herlex snapped his fingers, putting up a privacy barrier around the room. "We''re going to need a n for when things start going south because of Akagi." He''d ced the barrier to prevent any external spying. Though rather than suspect a mole, Herlex had be concerned about Akagi''s agents potentially watching them.


    "I think we can make it hard for Akagi to move against us." Armalthy said as he mulled over a n in his head. "She''s pretty attached to the priestess, Yumi wasn''t it?" He gave an evil smile. "Perhaps I should go have a talk with her. Ya know. Bring her in for a nice chat." He was imaging all the fun he could have with her.


    "Fine, go right ahead." Herlex let out a breath. "But at least wait to see those idiots actually attack her. If we''re lucky they wise up, and cool off before they go causing trouble. However, if we do need to go kidnapping. <em>Do </em><i>not </i>kill the priestess, beating her up or whatever is fine, but I need her alive. She''s an extremely valuable hostage and if we have her, Akagi will do whatever we ask. I think she goes into Tokyo alone sometimes, so find an opportunity and strike there. Just do not allow her to escape! Her teleportation takes a bit of time before it''s ready, so you need to hit her with a surprise attack and take her down before she has the opportunity to cast."


    Armalthy''s mouth curved into a grin. He''d killed countless NPCs, and he didn''t really care if Yumi was a real person or not. To him, that distinction didn''t matter. Real or not, he enjoyed killing and it didn''t really matter who it was to him. Though, he''d always enjoyed terrorizing NPCs in the game, and internally, the thought of making Yumi scream in agony was quite appealing.


    "Oh, little Priestess. I wonder what kind of sounds you''ll make. And I wonder what the look on your master''s face will be when she sees you?" He startedughing manically. Not realizing that he was about to bring the world to the brink of annihtion, as well as doom it to darkness.


    Spoiler


    Hitamaguchi!


    Roxlex!


    [copse]

 Chapter 97 – Players v Non-Player Characters. (Part 1)

    Chapter 97 ¨C yers v Non-yer Characters. (Part 1)


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Thank you for 100k Views. As promised, here is the rest of book 2 through chapter 100. Heads up, since I''m doing this, there will be no Wednesday chapters this week.


    "Hmpf. We''ll show that idiot just who''s boss." Merkyulughed as he looked out from the trees. "That stupid angel is a coward, all we had to do is hit this bitch, and she''d go down. Akagi might be tough, but she''s still just a single person and an assassin at that. She can''t handle a group of properly trained yers like us." Merkyul, Sabia, Hitamaguchi, and Roxlex were currently standing in the treeline looking down at Akagi''s estate. The four of them had their own personal issues with the assassin, and her recent actions against Libra gave them ample reason to go after her. They were quite apetent team, and together, they were sure Akagi'' wouldn''t stand a chance against theirbined might. Such attitudes had been prevalent among every other group which tried to kill her in the past, and were always proven to be little more than foolishness.


    "Yeah," Sabia agreed. "Everyone was always afraid of the <em>big bad monster</em>. But she''s not that tough, and I reckon she''s actually been afraid of retaliation. The only thing she''s got is the fear factor, but we don''t buy that BS. Those idiots who tried taking her down in FWO were just stupid and weak! We''re much better than them." Everyone nodded in agreement.


    "What about the others?" Hitamaguchi asked. "She has ninjas and other fighters. How should we handle that issue?"


    "They''re not a threat." Roxlex waived off her concern. "All they can do is annoy us, they might be in the real world now. But they''re still just NPCs, they can''t hope to match a yer." The demon man was quite sure of himself.


    "Take them out if you can, but our primary target is Akagi herself," Merkyul said. "The rest of them are just fluff, and we can kill them after Akagi is dealt with." He continued. "Stick together, teams of two. Whichever group finds her, give the signal, and the other team wille running. Don''t fight her in a 2v1. Best chances are all of us together at the same time." Merkyul wasn''t stupid enough to try to deal with Akagi in unfavorable circumstances. He''d worked with his team for years and knew exactly what they were capable of, and based on his calctions, the four of them together should be able to handle Akagi with what they have now. However, his calctions were made with the assumption that Akagi was still bound by FWO''s rules. A mistake he would learn of all toote.


    "Right!" (Sabia, Roxlex, and Hitamaguchi.)


    The four of them crept towards the estate under the cover of night in dead silence. They aimed to deal with Akagi while she slept, figuring they could take her by surprise.


    Hitamaguchi and Roxlex took to the front entrance, near the main house. While Merkyul and Sabia went toward the back, where the extra buildings were. They''d first search thepound, dealing with any guards along the way, and then converge on the main estate if Akagi wasn''t found elsewhere.


    "And we''re in." Roxlex easily picked the lock on the main gate, and he and Hitamaguchi snuck inside, seemingly unnoticed. They hadn''t spotted any guards yet, but were on the lookout. Roxlex quietly closed the gate behind them, and they started moving forward. He''d cast a spell to make it harder to detect them, so he was quite confident that no one would spot them. The two went around to the side of the estate, intending to check the greenhouse and garden area, when suddenly a ck fog began to creep up on them.


    "What is this?" Hitamaguchi asked quietly. "Magic?"


    "I''m not detecting anything. Might be some kind of natural phenomenon?" Roxlex didn''t know. He was a type of magic rogue, so his knowledge of the arcane was only half-baked. "Just be careful and don''t move too far away, looks like our vision is quite limited by it."


    Hitamaguchi nodded, and as they slowly crept further into the garden, the fog got denser and denser as they approached the front of the greenhouse. It was getting to the point that neither could see what was in front of them for more than a few feet, and the air itself felt heavy and thick around them.


    "This fog is obnoxious," Hitamaguchi said. "Can''t you get rid of it with your magic?"


    "I can try." He tried to cast a basic spell, which should have removed the fog. But nothing happened. "Nope, looks like its resistant to magic."


    <i><b>"It will take a bit more than a silly cantrip to dispel my darkness." </b></i>Suddenly Akagi''s twisted voice came from the darkness surrounding them.


    "Shit!" Roxlex took out his de and prepared for battle, causing Hitamaguchi to draw her greatsword. "Where is she?" He eximed as he looked around.


    <i><b>"I''m right here," </b></i>Akagi replied, and the fog lifted revealing their target, sitting on a nket holding her Kiseru. <i><b>"Is that a bit better? Can you see me now?" </b></i>


    "Quick, fire off the re!" Roxlex looked back at Hitamaguchi, who did exactly that. A red re shot up high into the air and soon reinforcements would arrive. "Good, now the four of us can take you down together! You don''t stand a chance against all of us, so prepare to die!" He had a smirk on his face. "I''m going to enjoy taking you down a peg before I rip your throat out, you bitch!"


    <i><b>"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Sabia and Merkyul will not being to your aid." </b></i>Akagiughed as she lit her Kiseru. "<b><em>Those two are currently busy in their own battle and will be unavable, not that they could reach you anyway</em>.</b>"


    <i>{What the hell is she talking about?} </i>Roxlex didn''t understand. <i>{Where are they? It shouldn''t take more than a few seconds for them to get here!}</i>


    "If those two really are fighting elsewhere, we might be on our own against Akagi," Hitamaguchi said to him. "We should be able to deal with her on our own. Or at least hold out until they get here."


    "Yeah," Roxlex agreed. "We don''t need them to defeat you!"


    The two took a fighting stance and started moving toward Akagi.


    <i><b>"Timeout," </b></i>she said putting her hands in a T shape. <i><b>"I''m not the one you will be fighting."</b></i> Akagi snapped her fingers, and a momentter, two individuals appeared from the surrounding darkness.


    "Indeed, you two are not worthy to sh with Lady Akagi," Marshal said while taking his massive greatsword off his back. He was fully dressed in his battle armor, and he flicked a cigarette as he cracked a smile. "We''ll deal with you two ruffians, and I think we''re more than enough, don''t you?" He looked at Kira who stood next to him.


    "Absolutely," Kira nodded. "My Lord has no reason to entertain such unwee guests." Kira summoned her two des. She primarily used two-weapon fighting but could cast some magic as well. "Prepare to pay for the sin of entering our home uninvited."


    "You two are going to fight us?" Hitamaguchi was shocked and annoyed. "You''re just NPCs! You can''t fight us!" She thought Akagi was looking down upon them by having her followers fight her instead of doing it herself. "I''ll rip your heads off and throw it at your <i>precious master</i>. Or perhaps I should show you the sight of her screaming in agony as you''re helpless to do anything." She grinned. "That would be nice, wouldn''t it?"


    "You two could never hope toy so much as a finger on Lady Akagi." Marshal slung his sword over his shoulder. "However, despite the emptiness of your threats. I will not tolerate such words being directed towards her, and I hope you''ve prepared yourself to face my anger!"


    "Indeed." Kira''s eyes grew sharp with anger. "I will have you pay for your insolence. None shall sling such threats at my master and get away with it!"


    "Let''s cut these two down and get to the real target." Roxlex looked at his teammate. "Just be careful and keep your guard up. You take the General, and I''ll take the dragon. Once we''ve beaten them, we''ll regroup to fight Akagi together."


    "Sounds good to me!" Hitmaguchi rocketed forward, bringing her greatsword down onto Marshal, who held his own weapon up with one hand, blocking her attack.


    "Let''s see if you like a little overcharge!" Hitamaguchi channeled magical power into her de causing a burst of radiant energy to explode out of it. Marshal was slightly pushed back by the st but was otherwise unharmed.


    "A Pdin, I see." Marshalughed. "And here I thought your kind were heroes of justice and protectors of the weak." His words dripped with sarcasm.


    "Ha!" Hitamaguchi continued to sh des with him. "Screw all that! I wanted to be a pdin for the power. Everything else doesn''t matter!" The two crossed des locking themselves together as they fought. Marshal seemed to be having it easier as he was only using one hand. But he was unable to use magical power, which left him at a disadvantage.


    "I see. Then you are no better than those disgusting fools in the Imperial Order of Knights!" He roared channeling more power into his de. He''d always hated people like her and was in no mood to y nice. "I shall defeat you! Your kind are the ones who disgust me the most!"


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    Meanwhile.


    "You sure you''ll be ok without your big buddy?" Roxlex and Kira stood across from each other at de length. "I hope you understand that I''m quite good at killing single target bosses like you. So I''d advise taking me a bit more seriously."


    "I could defeat you both on my own, so your concern is unnecessary." Kira replied, her eyes fixed on him. "However, my Lord requested a show, so that''s what she''ll get." In a sh, both her des swung at the demon man. He reacted, blocking both. The two began to sh, their des glistening in the darkness, and briefly lighting up the area around them with each strike.


    "You''re pretty good." Roxlex stepped back. "I heard you were a quest boss, so I guess it makes since you''re so strong. Though, I''ve beaten plenty of bosses, so you won''t win against me."


    "I have gotten much stronger since my time among the Dragons." Kira swung her des and took a stance. "You would be foolish to think me as weak as I was then, and I shall show you that it is <em>I </em>who shall defeat <em>you.</em>" Kira stepped forward and started probing his defenses with her de. Roxlex was quite adept in singlebat and was able to deflect her strikes, easily bouncing them off his de.


    "Come on!" He eximed. "Is that the best you''ve got!" In his offhand, he summoned a magical dagger and threw it at Kira. She easily deflected it, but Roxlex took this momentary opening to m his de into her and pin her down as she crossed her des to hold back his strike.


    <i>{Got you.} </i>Roxlex thought to himself as he summoned another dagger and drove it straight for her torso. However, rather than plunge into her stomach as he intended. The de struck her armor and failed to prate, doing seemingly no damage whatsoever. The dagger cracked and shattered into light, and Kira used his momentary confusion to kick him in the stomach, sending him flying.


    "I''m sorry to tell you this." Kira rapped on her armor. "But it will take much more than your little butter knife to even scratch this armor." Kira''s armor was made of refined dragon scale. However, that shouldn''t have been enough to nullify Roxlex''s attack. No matter how high quality the armor, her defense stat should have been far too low to suffer no damage from a yer''s strike. Even high level NPCs like her and Marshal should be no match for yers, yet they were trading blows and fighting them as equals.


    Roxlex understood that something was wrong with this situation and he racked his brain toe up with an answer.


    <i>{This doesn''t make any sense, even the floor bosses couldn''t nullify my attack like that! That de is specifically designed to pierce armor! An NPC taking no damage from it is impossible! Only yers with high defensive investmentbined with heavy armor can do that!}</i> Roxlex was stunned. He had no idea what just happened. But if his magic dagger couldn''t pierce Kira''s defenses, he was in trouble.

 Chapter 98 – Players v Non-Player Characters. (Part 2)

    Chapter 98 ¨C yers v Non-yer Characters. (Part 2)


    <i>{If my piercing attacks can''t deal with her. That leaves me without a whole lot of options, she must have some kind of weakness. I just have to look hard enough until I find it!}</i> Roxlex could duel reasonably well, but the issue was that hecked the oomph to deal major damage. His normal strategy was to use re and footwork to enable him to use his magic dagger to finish opponents off, since that was his sses'' entire schtick. If that didn''t work, he couldn''t reliably put out damage and he''d lose.


    He looked towards Hitamaguchi who was engaged in a fierce duel with Marshal. The two seemed evenly matched, and he couldn''t rely on her for help.


    "Taking your eyes off your opponent?" Kira shed forward and swung her des at him. "The sign of an amateur!" Kira increased her speed and put more force behind her strikes. Roxlex''s ability to deflect her strikes annoyed her, but he couldn''t do that forever.


    *CLANK* *CLANK* *CLANK* *CLANK* *CLANK*


    The two fighters shed des again, this time much faster than before. Roxlex was struggling to keep up with this increased level of speed, and he realized he was in danger of being overwhelmed by the half dragon.


    <i>{I wanted to save this for Akagi, but I have no choice} </i>He deflected one of Kira''s attacks and feigned another magic dagger strike which caused her to back off slightly. She had no idea if he could pierce her armor with that attack and wasn''t about to take chances. Seizing on this opportunity, he activated the Greater Ability Boost stored in his gauntlets and struck back at Kira. Now it was the half-dragon who was on the back foot as he was suddenly faster and stronger than her.


    <i>{This won''tst that long, and I can''t use it again. But I need to deal with this bitch so I can help Hitamaguchi!} </i>His flourishes increased in speed and he even managed to scratch Kira across the cheek a few times with the tip of his de causing her to step back to gain some distance.


    <i>{Interesting. My Lord did inform me that they''d found a way to ce ss abilities in items. That must be what''s going on. How pathetic, is what I''d want to say if it wasn''t so effective.} </i>Kira thought to herself. <i>{I should end this before he unleashes any more surprises. Waiting out his timer isn''t a great idea, especially if I don''t know what else he has up his sleeve}</i> She put away one of her swords, holding the remaining with two hands. She channeled magical energy into it, and it shone with a bright red aura.


    "Come!" She eximed. "I''ll finish this in one blow!"


    "That''s my line!" Roxlex dove forward. He assumed this would be a sh of des, but just before their des made contact, Kira dropped hers to the ground, swiftly moving her arms and catching his de between her hands with her palms.


    <em>{Shirahadori! She actually did that kind of crazy move?!?</em>} (Roxlex)


    A famous, yet usually dangerous move, shirahadori was not something a normal martial artist would use. But Akagi wanted a show, and Kira aimed to please, as she figured Akagi would appreciate this turn of events. Kira smirked as she moved her arms and snapped his de in half.


    "A weak de for a weak man." Kira punched the shocked Roxlex in the head, knocking him out. Due to being a magical rogue he was <i>extremely</i> weak and even one good hit would incapacitate him. "I would have killed you, but my Lord wanted you alive. Though, knowing what she intends to do with you all. Death would have been a mercy.¡± She tied him up and looked over at Akagi, who seemed to be enjoying herself. The battle between Hitamaguchi and Marshal raged on and was proving to be a bit shier.


    ________________________________________________________________________________________________


    *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BANG* *SHIMMER*


    The two swordsmen shed their des over and over again. Each time, Hitamaguchi put a small amount of her magical energy into the attacks. This was her specialty as a pdin as her ss allowed her to easily mix magic and swordy into a deadlybination. While shecked major magical offense, she could augment her strikes topensate. Marshal had dealt with these kinds of fighters before, so he knew to be careful around the radiant energy.


    "What''s wrong old man, can''t handle the heat!" Her de erupted with radiant energy as it collided with his sword. "I can do this all day. Can you?" She goaded him. She had quite therge pool of magic and using her augmented strikes didn''t take up that much.


    "I think I''ll be fine, so don''t you worry about me. In fact, I think you should be more concerned with yourself" He chuckled. "Compared to Silfana, you''re nothing special and I think this will be over in due time". The two continued back and forth across the darkness. As neither was a caster, they could only duel in a contest of strength and technique. Marshal had spent his entire life learning the ways of the sword and was extraordinarily gifted and was a master of the de. He''d risen to the highest tier of the Imperial Military and was widely regarded as the best living swordsmen in the Empire.


    Hitamaguchi on the other hand,cked proper training, but her skills and powers more than made up for this deficiency. While she did have a bit of practice and technique from the game''s teaching system, it was nothingpared to Marshal. Though, while her strikes were inefficient they were dangerous. If Marshal wasn''t careful, she could still harm him, and her Pdin abilities make her trickier than your average warrior. In terms of raw strength, they were evenly matched, and as the two mmed their des against one another, it was clear that this couldn''t be won with sheer force alone.


    A bright sh erupted as Hitamaguchi exploded another burst from her de, pushing the two warriors apart. "Come on now. I''m getting bored! I thought you were suppose to be strong?!?"


    <i>{I think I''ve got a grasp on this girl and her technique. She''s quite slow and her attacks leave her open to interruptions, but that damn radiant energy is going to be a pain.} </i>Marshal thought to himself. He''d gotten quite good at reading his opponents over the years and was trying toe up with a n to beat her. <i>{If I can pin her down just long enough, I might be able to cause her to fall off bnce. That will be my moment to strike.}</i>


    Marshal shifted to a defensive stance. He was going to try and absorb her hits and force her to lock des with him, once he did that all he''d need to do is make her lose her bnce.


    <i>{Big mistake!} </i>Hitamaguchi smirked. She''d been waiting for this moment. Every time someone couldn''t beat her in a slugging match they''d always moved into a stance like that. She figured he wanted to lock her down and limit her movement, something plenty of other yers had tried in the past. The two were quite even in strength. But with a quick application of Greater Ability Boost, she would overpower him and take him down.


    <em>{Come on now, take the bait.}</em>(Marshal)


    "You''re mine!" Hitamaguchi charged in, her de crackling with radiant energy. She would activate Greater Ability Boost the moment before she impacted him, that way he wouldn''t be able to react. "Take this old man!" She swung her de down smashing it straight into his, but to her surprise not only did his sword not break, but he was able to withstand the blow.


    "What!" She eximed in surprise. "How did you eat that hit?!? That level of power should have cleaved you in half!"


    "Don''t think you''re the only one who can boost their abilities temporarily!" His entire body shone with a red aura, while he couldn''t use Greater Ability Boost. Marshal could use a technique that massively upped his defense, but made him slow. In fact, Marshal was primarily a tank, and his entire style focused on <i>taking</i> <i>hits </i>and drawing his enemy in, rather than dealing damage.


    Not wanting to give up. Hitamaguchi poured more power into her de, hoping to overwhelm him. "You can''t do that forever old man. I can see your stance slipping." She noticed that Marshal''s stance was seemingly crumbling under the weight of her attack. "I win!" Just as she said that, Marshal shifted his de, causing Hitamaguchi''s greatsword to slide downwards towards his hilt. <i>This</i> is what he''d be aiming for. By bringing her in like this, he could force her topete with him in a contest of <i>technique</i> instead of <i>strength, </i>as itwas the only way he could win.


    Using his superior skills, he caused her de to slide down the length of his, throwing her off bnce for a brief moment as she lurched forward slightly. But that small miscalction was all he needed to finish this fight. As she slid forward, he sidestepped and deflected her de into the ground smashing his knee into her chest as she fell.


    "Ack!" she cried out in pain as the air was kicked out of her lungs. She tried to stand up but was met with the t of his de straight to the face, knocking her out.


    "That was a close one." He let out a sigh. "If she''d been a little bit smarter, that might have gone differently. If only she didn''t have such a rotten personality, she''d make a fantastic knight." He tied her up and walked over to where Kira and Akagi were waiting.


    "My Lady, it''s done," Marshal said with a smile. "My apologizes for taking so long."


    <i><b>"Yes, it is. Though I must admit it was not as interesting as I had hoped.</b></i>" Akagi looked at the two tied-up yers. <i><b>"They were quite weak and stupid. Both of you took them down much quicker than I expected. Oh well, I suppose that is to be expected.</b></i>" She shrugged.


    "I believe the power you''ve provided us helped in that matter," Kira said. "I never thought I''d be this strong, and from what you''ve said, there is even more toe."


    "She''s right." Marshal nodded. "If they''de at us a few months ago, we would have lost."


    After the events at the mall, Akagi discovered an interesting side effect to her powers. As her followers were bound to her, the more power she gained, the stronger they got. She couldn''t exactly be sure <i>why</i> but something told her it was another feature of whatever kind of <i>Demon</i> she was. They''d been testing these new powers and Akagi was more than happy to have willing volunteers for her people to face in realbat.


    "<i><b>Well, it would seem Chloe has finished ying with her food. So think we''re done here, bring them along.</b></i>" Akagi stood up and waved her hand making some of the darkness disappeared, revealing the tied-up forms of Sabia and Merkyul. Chloe had used her wires to bind them, and they were still awake... and yelling.


    "See Myaster is here, just like I said." Chloe smiled as Akagi, Kira and Marshal walked over. Chloe had quite an easy time dealing with these two, and she only had a few scratches. Meanwhile, Sabia and Merkyul looked like hell, their face was covered in blood and cuts, and their bodies were bruised. Chloe seemed to have enjoyed tormenting them.


    <strong><em>"Good job Chloe. I''m impressed."</em> </strong>Akagi smiled.


    "It''s all thanks to you, myaster." Chloe gave a cheeky grin.


    Their little conversation was stopped by Merkyul''s shouting.


    "None of this makes any sense!" Merkyul screamed. "How could an NPC beat us? That''s not possible!" He red at Akagi. "What kind of bullshit did you pull to make this happen?!?"


    Marshal and Kira dropped the other two onto the floor next to Merkyul and Sabia.


    "I see you were just as foolish as he was. Your defeat was guaranteed from the moment you pointed your des at my Lord." Kira scoffed. "That you lost was only natural when you are faced by an opponent such as her."


    "Yeah! Myaster saw youing from a mile away and you two were so easy." Chloe red at him. "I have no idea why such weak people thought they could defeat me. In fact, I''m insulted!" She huffed. Chloe took pride in her status as Akagi''s pupil and was careful never to sully her master''s reputation with failure or defeat.


    "Akagi, what is the meaning of this? This isn''t right!" Merkyul still wanted an answer. "Answer me!"


    <i><b>"It''s your fault, you know." </b></i>Akagi smiled. <i><b>"They only got so strong because you''re friends Hijax and Sumeralia brought me out. Effectively, the stronger I get, the stronger they get. And well, since they can beat yers." </b></i>Her mouth twisted into a terrible grin. "<i><b>Just imagine how strong I am."</b></i> Akagi let out a demonicugh. Her followers only received a few percentage of her total power for themselves, so that alone should show how crazy strong Akagi was.


    Merkyul''s eyes went wide. "T-that''s that''s insane! What the hell are you?!? You can''t be that strong!"


    <i><b>"Ahh, that question again. It''s funny, Hijax asked me the same thing before I killed him."</b></i> Akagi got right up in his face. <i><b>"I''m a Demon. An honest to god creature of nightmare and despair. And you, my little wolfie, have stepped straight into said Demon''sir and pointed your de at it in anger."</b></i> Akagi began to cackle like a madman. <i><b>"And well. If youe for the king, you best not miss." </b></i>Akagi quoted a famous phrase and continued herughter.


    The other two stirred from their slumber and sat up next to Merkyul and Sabia, confused and afraid.


    "Fine, go ahead and kill us," Sabia said. "We lost, and I''m prepared to die."


    <i><b>"Oh no, no, no." </b></i>Akagi shook her head. <i><b>"Death would be a mercy for you four, and right now, I''m not really feeling it. Besides, it would be quite a waste to dispose of four willing volunteers. I''ve always wanted live test subjects. Imp will be thrilled!"</b></i>


    Hearing this caused the four of them to panic. They had no idea what Akagi nned to do with them, and they didn''t want to find out.


    <i><b>"Squeal all you want my little piggies." </b></i>Akagi''s smile turned terrifying. <i><b>"But in my shadow, no one can hear you scream, and no one ising to save you."</b></i>


    <i><b>"Muhahahahahahhahahahha." </b></i>Akagi''s shadow erupted and engulfed the four of them as sheughed maniacally.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    Akagi, Marshal, Kira, and Chloe appeared in the garden not muchter. Both fights had urred within Akagi''s shadow body, as she brought them there not long after they entered her home. Her new <i>test subjects</i> were currently taking a nice nappy and would be sent to what she dubbed the<em>Happy Farm</em>,ter for some fun experiments.


    <i><b>"Good work, you three. You made me proud today." </b></i>Akagi smiled. <i><b>"And Chloe, I''m truly impressed. You took down two yers by yourself. That deserves specialmendation and as your teacher, I couldn''t be prouder of how much you''ve grown."</b></i> She wasn''t confident Chloe could do it, but the cat pleaded with her to allow her to try. Chloe still felt she needed to redeem her earlier failure with Sakura and figured this would be a good way to do so.<strong><em>"I shall prepare you a suitable rewardter."</em></strong>


    "Your praise honors us." The three dropped to one knee.


    <i><b>"Make preparations to use our new volunteers. We''ve got much work for them to do. But make sure you don''t kill them, and I want their minds intact." </b></i>Akagi''s request wasn''t out of mercy or empathy, rather because she wanted the four of them to suffer and because it was beneficial to keep them sane and alive. There would be much fun in store for those four.


    "Of course." (Kira, Chloe, and Marshal)


    "<i><b>Quite good timing too. The Japanese government just epted my terms a few hours ago. At least now I don''t have to work for free</b></i>." Akagi let out augh that would chill a man to his bones.

 Chapter 99 – How to End the World.

    Chapter 99 ¨C How to End the World.


    Herlex stood in the upper area of Libra''smand room and was looking over maps with Armalthy. His face showed anger, irritation and exhaustion and Armalthy could tell he''d reached the end of his rope.


    "It''s been three days, and we''ve heard nothing from Merkyul''s team." He sighed. "So I''m going to assume they''re dead. Well fuck, and we''re not going to be able to pass things off as independent action likest time. Akagi already told me the next time someone tries shit, we''re going to be hit back." He muttered a curse under his breath.


    "What a bunch of idiots." Armalthy shook his head. "They should know that it takes more than just four misfits to deal with Akagi. I mean hell, Brian and Kimku were far stronger than those four and they still got pped."


    "Trust me, you aren''t telling me what I don''t already know. Did they think the other members of the Assault Team that went after her were chumps? Because I knew those guys and I can grantee not all of them were fools. I mean hell, Umgui took her team and fought Akagi on an airship in the perfect trap and still lost." Herlex pinched the bridge of his nose. "Can you initiate n B? Because we <i>really </i>can''t afford to deal with Akagi right now."


    "No problem, I''ve already got it all nned out. Give the word, and I''ll head to Tokyo and bring us back one NPC." Armalthy grinned. These two had kept their nned kidnapping between the two of them, so unfortunately, Birdy would not be able to warn Akagi in time.


    "Just remember, we need her <i>alive</i>." Herlex reminded him. "Rough her up all you want, but I need her alive so she can be a hostage. A dead NPC isn''t going to anything other than piss Akagi off."


    "Yeah, yeah." He started to walk out the door before looking back at Herlex. "By the way, how are things progressing with your Angel''s Lance? Can we start using that soon?" He was referring to Herlex''s transformation into a proper angel. It was an ability at the end of his cleric ss skill tree and was quite powerful. Though, seemingly, not as strong as something like Hishya''s dragon ability.


    "I''ve got everything prepared, and I was nning on using it in our next attack." Herlex looked at him. "Let''s see them handle us ssing a city or two."


    Armalthy''s eyes lit up when he heard that. "Ohhh, I can''t wait, man. I''ve been wanting to see that since the start of this whole thing. Gonna be great when we turn half of Tokyo to g!"


    He left the room and headed on a journey to Tokyo, it wouldn''t take long until he arrived and he wanted to get in position for a stakeout. His target was Yumi, the most important person in this world to Akagi, someone she could no longer live without. What would happen if she was taken? If she was harmed? Armalthy could easily overpower the priestess, so it was unlikely she could resist him. Even with Akagi''s recent power increase, Yumi''s additional power was still not enough to allow her to fight the electromancer. As he hopped across the skyline and ran towards his target''s destination, he suddenly got a bad feeling in his chest. Something told him he was about to make a big mistake, but he quickly pushed it aside as nerves. If only he listened.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    Armalthy arrived at a point above Tokyo where he could get the best view of Yumi''s arrival location. The priestess had a habit of using the top of the high rise across from him when she was contacting her agents in the city, and he decided to make it the ambush point. He knew from observation that she would likely be arriving soon, so he waited.


    Several hours went by, and he started to get annoyed thinking that she wouldn''t show. Until, just after three-thirty, a blip of magic appeared on top of the building, his target had arrived. She was alone, and he decided to act before any of Akagi''s other agents, or Mixu could get involved. He carefully but quietly ran across the rooftops, not wanting to give away his position or intent. He''d managed to leap to the building where Yumi appeared, and the priestess didn''t seem to have noticed him when he climbed up behind her as she was busy reading something on a notepad.


    "Let''s make this quick, otherwise my Lord is going to be angry I left without any escorts, that worry wart can be so overly parnoid at times." She sighed before looking at her paper. "Alright, it seems infiltration is going well. I''ve yet to hear back from team 6 but that''s understandable. It shouldn''t be much longer until-" Yumi waspletely focused on her work, so when she was struck from the back, she was takenpletely off guard. "Ack!" She flew across the rooftop, banging her head off a pipe, and causing blood to gush out.


    "Aw hell, don''t tell me that killed her." Armalthy got a little bit nervous since he tried to hold back, but with his strength, it might have still been too much.


    "Agh...." Yumi let out a groan.


    "Oh good," Armalthy let out a sigh of relief. "Since you''re still alive, how about we y for a bit." He slowly walked over to the groggy Yumi.


    "Wha-what is going on? My head." Yumi struggled to stand as she clutched her bleeding head. Through the blood and pain, she caught a glimpse of Armalthy. "Y-you. What are you doing?!?" She asked as her head pounded.


    "Me?" He pointed to himself. "Just having some fun." He smiled as he smacked her across the face.


    "Argh!" Yumi cried in pain.


    Armalthy then proceeded to grab her by her throat and beat her senselessly, enjoying himself as Yumi screamed in agony. He broke multiple bones, caused bruises, and drew plenty of blood. When he was finished, Yumi was a mess and was only barely alive.


    "Man, beating people like you to within an inch of you life is always so much fun." Armalthy smiled.


    She coughed up some blood. "Wh-why? Do... you have any idea what you''ve..." She couldn''t finish.


    "Because killing you NPCs is fun? Also I know I''ve pissed off that bitch of yours, since I''ve hurt her favorite pet!" Heughed. In Yumi''s concussed and beaten state, his image briefly ovepped with that of Silver Wolf all those years ago. Armalthy was the same kind of psychopathic human being that took her family away. "Though I won''t be killing you today, lucky you! I was ordered to bring you in alive so that we can put a leash on that master of yours. I can''t wait to see her face when I show her your bloodied and beaten visage!" He smirked. "Oh man. she''s gonna be so angry! Heck she might even cry because I touched her toy." Heughed as he threw Yumi across the building. Armalthy could''ve just taken her and left, but he was having too much fun to end this now.


    "Argh!" Yuminded with a thud. Her head pounded, her body ached, and she was in so much pain. "Yo-you want t-to-to use me.." She was barely able to speak as shey crumpled on the ground. "But my L-lord will..."


    "That''s the idea little girl. We''re going to make sure that the <em>scary demon</em> toes the line, lest she find you chopped to bits!" Heughed. "You see, that''s the problem with people like her, she cares about others. And that means she can be controlled, what a fool! Even if we can''t defeat her head on, all we have to do is threaten someone she cares about and she''ll toe the line. That''s what she gets for giving a damn about others." He smirked. "Akagi''s weak for caring about an NPC like you. If it were me, I''d just let you die. But that idiot allowed herself to get soft. You don''t need friends, family, none of it. It just makes you weak and vulnerable, fuck all that noise. Having friends and family just gives people something to target and it drags you down!" He threw his arms to the side. "I have none of that! I answer to myself and no one else. And because of that, I am strong. No one can control me!"


    <i>{My-My-Lord.} </i>Yumi could barely keep her thoughts straight. <i>{I''m so-rr-y. I-messed up- and now-now you''re going to.} </i>Yumi knew what would happen once Akagi learned that she was beaten by Armalthy. <i>{Ple-ease, don''t-don''t lose yourself because of me. I''m-I''m not worth it.P-please don''t de-destroy-t-this w-world...}</i>


    Yumi flipped onto her back, still in pain, and her head spun as she looked up at the blue sky. She was in too much pain to use teleportation and she was too far away to use her telepathy to call for help. She''d scheduled a meeting with some of the ninjas, but the wouldn''t arrive untilter, and it was doubtful they could win.


    Knowing how much she meant to Akagi, Yumi was afraid that this world was about to burn under her masters rage. She feared that this beautiful and calm blue sky would be turned forever ck with smoke and ash as her full fury as a <em>Demon </em>was turned loose. Cities would burn, and people would die, all because Akagi cared for her so much. It was a lot of weight on the girl''s shoulders, and she didn''t want people to die or the world to end because of her. But she knew that was likely what was about to happen, even if she told Akagi not to.


    As shey in pain, her mind shed with scenes of Akagi throughout the time she knew her. From their first meeting in Karkul to the day she asked her to spend eternity with her. They were all precious memories to the priestess, and Akagi would never understand just how happy she''d felt when Akagi opened up to her. Yumi already long since fallen in love with her master, but she knew it would never be. So when Akagi asked her to spend the rest of time with her, the joy she felt was immeasurable. It''s why she suddenly kissed her. Even if Akagi could never love her like a mortal, she knew just how much Akagi cared for her. Once she agreed to be her <i><b>[Bonded Soul],</b></i><b> </b>she was instantly overwhelmed with a sense of warmth and affection. It was a feeling of belonging andpleteness, and something deeper than any mortal love could convey.


    <i>{My-my lord. I love you. I l-love you m-more than y-you could e-ever im-agine. You were the person who gave me meaning after all was lost. You were the light that pierced the darkness that threatened to engulf my heart. I''m sorry that my feelings and my selfishness are going to cause you so much pain. I''m sorry that I was too weak... I-I-I.} </i>Yumi began to cry. Not because of the pain. But because she felt that she was unworthy of Akagi and the affection she''d shown her. She was just a vige girl with nothing special about her, but Akagi didn''t care. Not only did she take her in when she had nowhere else to go, she made her happy, in her eyes, the happiest girl in the world. To her, the fact that she was weak enough for this to happen meant she would be repaying Akagi''s warmth with pain, and that was something she could not allow.


    In her infinite paranoia, Akagi gave Yumi a secret escape method. One that would only be used in an extreme emergency, and this was just such a situation. Transport crystals were quite small and at Akagi''s <i>insistence</i>, Yumi had one installed in a special ce in her right shoe. She refused to allow herself to be taken hostage, and killing herself would be an even worse idea. So, using thest bit of energy she had, Yumi twisted her broken leg and mmed the back of the shoe into the concrete roof, breaking the crystal and teleporting her to Akagi''s side. She''d never been so d that Akagi was overprotective and paranoid.


    Armalthy had not expected this, and was aghast at Yumi''s sudden disappearance. He was aware of transport crystals, but never expected Yumi to have one. "FUCK! That''s not good..."


    No, it was not. And he would soon feel the wrath of a <i>Demon </i>whose <i><b>[Bonded Soul]</b></i><b> </b>he''d dared toy his hands on. His action here today would go down in history as the single worst decision in history.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    Back at Akagi''s estate, she Hishya and Kana were sitting in the garden having tea and chatting about various things. Using some magic, she''d changed the temperature around the area so they could befortable outside as it was still quite cold out. As they chatted, Akagi was suddenly filled with a feeling of sickness and anxiety and her chest began to tighten. She had no idea what was going on and this strange feeling persisted for several minutes until a familiar a sh of light appeared, and a bloody and bruised Yumi appeared next to her.


    Akagi immediately stood up inplete shock, dropping her cup which shattered on the ground. Her eyes went wide as she screamed in horror, her voice distorting.


    <i><b>"YUMI!"</b></i>

 Chapter 100 – The Restraints Fail.

    Chapter 100 ¨C The Restraints Fail.


    Akagi screamed at the top of her lungs when she saw the nearly dead Yumi appear next to her. Hishya and Kana freaked out as well, and the three instantly ran to her side in a panic. Akagi picked her up in her arms and hugged her, the <em>Demon''s</em>entire body started shaking and Kana watched as her shadow body began to writhe in anger.


    <i><b>"Yumi! Yumi please, please say something! Please!" </b></i>Akagi was aplete wreck. <i><b>"What happened? Who did this to you?!?"</b></i>


    "I-I''m so-rr-y, Ak-a-gi." She looked up at her tear-filled master''s face, getting out those few words before falling unconscious.


    <i><b>"Yumi! Yumi, No! Stay with me! </b></i>" Akagi squeezed her tight and screamed. "<i><b>Mimi!" </b></i>as she ran full speed to the Yuki-Onna''s clinic. Not caring about at door, she crashed through the building''s walls, scaring Mimi and her daughters. They were about to say something, but the tear-filled face of Akagibined with the bloody form of Yumi caused them to jump into action instantly. The horrifying pressureing from Akagi didn''t help matters. Mimi took Yumi and ced her into a bed and began casting her highest level of healing magic, while her daughters brought the absolute best and highest quality potions to heal her. They knew that if they used anything less, Akagi would kill them and she wouldn''t make it quick.


    Hishya and Kana appeared a few momentster and saw Akagi sitting on a bench in the hallway down from Mimi''s clinic. Her eyes bounced back and forth, and she clenched her teeth as if she was in pain. As they got closer, they could hear her ramble like a madman as she clutched the locket Yumi had given her.


    <i><b>"She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok, She''ll be ok,"</b></i>


    Kana ran up and tried to speak to her, but was ignored. Akagi seemed to be either unable to or unwilling to speak with her sister, and her shadow''s orange eyes and sharp teeth turned toward her as she approached. When Kana attempted to touch her sister, she was repulsed by a harmless shock. <i><b>"DON''T TOUCH ME!"</b></i> Akagi growled at her in a low demonic grumble. Kana backed away in fear as she was mmed with an intense aura of hatred, nearly causing her to fall to her knees. Hishya began shaking in fear, as she realized that her worst nightmare was about to happen. Akagi couldn''t hold it in much longer, and it was only a matter of time before the seals failed. Akagi raved and ranted as she sat in the hallway speaking in both <em>Demon </em>and Japanese, seemingly at random, and even mixing the two together. Kana and Hishya watched as the sclera of her left eye slowly turned ck and the aura around Akagi got more intense.


    After a tense few minutes, Mimi came out of the clinic and looked at Akagi. Who met her gaze.


    "M-my Lord. P-please calm d-down." Mimi''s legs began to shake. She''d never seen Akagi like this and was genuinely afraid for her life. "Y-Yumi is alive. H-her wounds were s-severe, But I''ve treated e-everything and c-cleaned her up. H-however...." She hesitated to continue as Akagi''s left eye seemed to stare directly at her soul. "S-she is currently in a ca. She will e-eventually wake u-ep. But I c-cannot say how l-long that will b-be."


    *CRACK*


    That was thest straw. Akagi''s mind raced, and she was filled with so many emotions, thoughts, and feelings that she was no longer capable of suppressing the darkness inside of her. Logically, she knew Yumi would be fine. But the thought that she may never awaken from thea consumed her, and she began to imagine what would happen if she never woke up. She feared losing her forever, and how, with Yumi gone, she would be alone once again. When Akagi said she could no longer live without Yumi as her <i><b>[Bonded </b></i><b>Soul</b><i><b>],</b></i><b> </b>she was not exaggerating. While Akagi would not die if Yumi did, the priestess''s death or disappearance would drive her mad in grief and loneliness. The loss of one''s <i><b>[Bonded </b></i><b>Soul</b><i><b>] </b></i>was not supposed to be possible but if it did...


    *CRACK*


    Akagi couldn''t bear the thought of losing her. Since aa was basically death, as while her body was physically present, Yumi was essentially gone from this world.


    *CRACK*


    Yumi had been the warmth in her life, and she''d helped her keep on track through the darkness. The priestess had been a stabilizing force in Akagi''s life, even more so recently.


    *CRACK*


    With her gone.


    *CRACK*


    Akagi would be alone. And<em>that</em> was Akagi''s worst fear


    *SHATTER*


    <i><b>"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"</b></i> Akagi screamed, her voice heavily distorting as she did. She stood up, clutching her head in pain as she screamed in <i>Demon</i> "<b>[</b><i><b>LET ME OUT!]".</b></i> She began clumsily banging into walls, smashing her head against things as she ran down the hallway, chased closely behind by Hishya, Mimi, and Kana. They were all horrified by Akagi''s wail, but pursued anyway. As Akagi ran down the hallway, her right eye slowly morphed from Amber to Orange, and its sclera turned ck. After banging against the walls for a while, Akagi ran straight through the building itself, and crashed into the adjacent courtyard, rolling into the grass while screaming.


    "Onee-chan!" Kana tried to run to her side but was stopped by Hishya who grabbed her.


    "Keep away from her Kana! It''s not safe for you to go over to her!" Hishya tightened her grip around Kana''s arm. "She''s not in her right mind! If you get close, she might hurt you."


    Kana wanted to deny her statement but couldn''t, since she understood that Hishya was right. As she looked out at the screaming and writhing Akagi, should couldn''t even begin to imagine the pain in her sister''s heart.


    <em>{Onee-chan, why must you always suffer...}</em>(Kana)


    Akagi began rolling in pain in the grass, screaming at the top of her lungs. Dark clouds began to swirl above the base as a high winds rushed through the courtyard. Simultaneously in Tokyo, Washington, and Libra''s base, a massive wave of power crushed down on people causing panic to take hold. While around the world, people reported trouble breathing and something akin to an earthquake as the ground shook and writhed, with a few buildings toppling. It was as if the <em>entire</em> was shaking as Akagi''s power went higher and higher.


    All this noise and hoo began to attract attention from the rest of Akagi''s family, who started gathering around Kana. They began asking questions wondering what was happening, and the few that got close to Akagi found an impassable barrier blocking them. When they were told that Yumi was badly injured, they knew something horrible was about to happen. It was well known just how important the priestess was to their master, but they were about to see just <em>how</em> important she was.


    Akagi flipped onto all fours and stared at the ground in anger as she began to scream in <i>Demon</i>. "<i><b>[What do I care about this world anyway?]" </b></i>She punched the ground causing a minor quake that knocked the girls on their backs, the shockwave even caused research stations as far as way as Nagoya to register her punch on the Richter scale. "<i><b>[What has letting the humans live gotten me?]" </b></i>She punched the ground again and a bolt of red lighting crashed next to her, vaporizing the grass. "<i><b>[It''s all my fault. It''s all my fault that Yumi got hurt. I should have just killed them all! ] </b></i>Akagi screamed as the windspeed picked up further. "<strong><em>[</em></strong><i><b>NO! IT''S THE HUMAN''S FAULT. They couldn''t be grateful with getting to live! HA! The ungrateful bastards, I allow them to exist and <span style="text-decoration:underline">this is how they repay me! FINE! I''LL SHOW THEM WHAT REAL HELL IS LIKE, AND I''LL BURN THIS ENTIRE WORLD TO THE GROUND! IF THEY WANT A MONSTER, I''LL GIVE THEM ONE! AHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAAH]" </b></i>Akagi began tough uncontrobly as her power climbed higher and higher. Further bolts of red and orange lightning crashed down beside her, and Kana and the girls were moved under a pavilion to keep them out of danger.


    <em>{W-we''re all going to die...}</em>Hishya stoodpletely motionless, what she''d feared hade to pass and this would be the end of the world.


    <i><b>"[Don''t let it control you Onee-chan!]" </b></i>Kana spoke in <i>Demon</i> to Hishya''s shock. "<i><b>[Fight it! Do you really think Yumi would want you to be some mindless monster! Please, remember who you are!]"</b></i>


    Akagi ignored her as she started screaming and raving once again. <b>[</b><i><b>LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT!]</b></i>


    Akagi screamed in pain and a massive vortex of ck energy swirled around her, shooting into the sky like a tornado until Akagi herself was no longer visible.


    As all this was happening. Mizumi suddenly appeared next to Kana, finally returning from her world after these weeks away. She took one look at the torrent of Demonic<i> </i>energy and said. "I was toote." Her face paled, and she started shaking. "This world... It''s doomed. <em>It''s</em>...<em>its</em> <strong>here</strong>..."


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    *Chirp* *Chirp* *Chirp*


    Akagi was awoken by the sounds of birds at outside her window as light beamed into her eyes from outside. She slowly opened her eyes, only foggily remembering what just happened and her head was pounding as if she had a migraine. She sat up in bed and looked around the room, only to find that she was in a particrly unpleasant ce.


    "Why am I back in my old room?" Her voice surprised her. It was the one she had when she was Rishia. "What the hell is going on?" She slowly got out of bed and checked in the mirror. She was indeed transformed into Rishia, though she was wearing pajamas and her eyes had dark bags under them. She moved over to the window and when she looked out, she saw nothing more than an infinite expanse of white in all directions. "Well, <em>that''s</em> great." She had no clue where she was, but she had a theory. "Well I guess this is happening."


    Figuring it was best to just roll with things, she opened the door and peaked into the hallway. It was exactly as she''dst seen it at the Kyoto house, with Kana''s paper mache bird sitting on shelf on the wall. Looking around and seeing nothing, she decided to head downstairs where she could hear voices. As she crept down the steps, she could hear two people speaking while a T.V. yed in the background, though the voices were all ones she''d heard before. As she looked around the corner and into the kitchen she saw an <em>interesting</em>sight.


    <i><b>"It''s about time you woke up." </b></i>A shadowy form of Akagi sat on the couch sipping tea. <i><b>"I never thought you would get out of bed. Then again, I guess we''re actually pretty attached to sleep."</b></i>


    "Yeah, me neither." Next to her sat a shadowy form of Rishia. "And hey, that bed''s pretty fluffy so it''s understandable."


    The two were hanging out in the living room watching what Akagi figured was her memories. Right now the T.V. was ying her assassination of the Imperial Crown Prince.


    Akagi just sighed. "Let me guess. Shadow Akagi represents the darkness inside me, and the Shadow Rishia is my humanity." She rolled her eyes. "What a nice trope, good to see it''s showed its ugly head."


    "Pretty much." Shadow Rishia smiled. "At least you''re quick on the uptake. And hey, don''t be angry at us, we didn''t ask for this."


    "So where am I, and why am I here? I vaguely remember Yumi getting hurt, but after that, things are a blur." Akagi still had a headache and couldn''t exactly figure things out, though she had an idea.


    <i><b>"We are inside our soul." </b></i>Shadow Akagi answered. <i><b>"When you saw Yumi in such a horrific state, and your mind began to assume she''d never wake up, the seals around our soul copsed, and I was freed." </b></i>She continued.<strong><em>"You were pulled in here not long after things got out of hand and you went a bit crazier than normal."</em></strong>


    "Indeed." Shadow Rishia smiled. "We are currently raving and ranting in the garden at the estate and are unleashing quite arge amount of energy. It would be an entertaining show if it wasn''t for all the massive problems it''s causing."


    "Well, that''s great. I assume this is the end?" Akagi pinched her nose. "I''ve lost control, and now I''ll go on a rampage and end the world. Did you bring me here to just kick back and watch the show?"


    "<i><b>Why do you sound so sad? Isn''t that what we''ve always wanted?"</b></i> Shadow Akagi grinned. <i><b>"Besides, what''s so bad with doing our job? They''re just humans, little more than ants to us. Whole cares if we kill them? It will be fun."</b></i>


    "Destroying the world isn''t right!" Shadow Rishia argued. "No matter what power exists in our soul, we''re still human! We were born this way, and we should stay like that. Being a <i>Demon</i> doesn''t mean we have to stop being <i>us.</i>If we do as you say, we''re nothing different than a puppet being pulled along by someone else''s strings!"


    <i>"<strong>I''d have to hard disagree on that second point</strong>. </i><i><b>And also, why should we constrain ourselves to the notions of humanity?" </b></i>Shadow Akagi asked. "<i><b>We are not human, and never were. You are little more than a lie used to keep me down. You understand that, don''t you?" </b></i>She looked at Akagi. <i><b>"You don''t want to be human anymore, right? You said so yourself. This girl is just an annoyance getting in the way of our true selves. So do us both a favor and banish her from our mind. Destroy her, and let''s have some fun!" </b></i>The shadow Akagi gave an awful smile.


    "Don''t listen to her!" Shadow Rishia eximed at Akagi. "We''re not a monster! We don''t need to do what she says, you don''t have to give in to being a crazy monster of death and destruction! Banish her and keep your humanity, please! If you get rid of me, that will mean giving up everyone you care about. Kana, Yumi, everyone will no longer mean anything to you. Is that what you want? To exist in a world all alone? With nothing but death and destruction? I know that''s not what you want, despite what that fool might say!"


    "But you <em>are</em> fake aren''t you?" Akagi asked. "Why should I keep lying to myself any longer? I''m not human, I never was and I don''t want to be." Akagi shook her head. "You have no idea how horrible it''s been living within this void in my heart for all these years..."


    <i><b>"Exactly." </b></i>Shadow Akagi nodded. <i><b>"We''re a Demon, we exist to bring death and destruction. We don''t need anyone or anything else! Your useless humanity has done nothing but bring us pain and suffering, so it should be expunged forthwith!"</b></i>


    "It''s not useless. It''s been good for us!" Shadow Rishia disagreed. "Just because I was <i>artificially </i>added to us, doesn''t mean I shouldn''t be here! You''ve had so much fun, and so many good memories because of me. You can''t just throw that all away! Do you really want to kill Kana and all your friends? Because that''s what will happen! I know it''s been hard and there has been some pain, but I believe it''s a good trade! You might not be whole, but you get to so much more than what you''ve lost!"


    <i><b>"Who cares. We don''t need Kana or any of them. Though I won''t deny Yumi has been nice. Her pets are top tier." </b></i>Shadow Akagi smirked. <i><b>"However, amazing Yumi or not, it doesn''t matter. All we need to care about is killing humans and destroying worlds, anything else is irrelevant. We shall achieve and even greater level of happiness by fulfilling our duty and exterminating the people of this world. Burning it to ash will be good for the soul."</b></i>


    The two shadows turned to Akagi. "So what will it be? Will you banish me and give in to darkness? Will you be the monster you were meant to be, or will you stay true to yourself?" (Shadow Rishia)


    <i><b>"Or will you banish me? And be little more than a shell of a person, someone who hides behind a mask they can never remove. Someone who lies to themselves every day to please others at the expense of yourself?"</b></i>(Shadow Akagi)


    Akagi thought for a moment. They both made good points and it was hard for her toe to a clear answer. She did want to remove thest vestiges of her humanity, but that would mean giving up Yumi and the others. People, she''de to trust, care for and rely on would be cast aside, could she really do that? Could she really find joy in being alone in a dead world? Whole but without friends or family at her side? Years ago, she would have easily banished her humanity and embraced the darkness. She was always alone, but not anymore. Today she had family, friends, and people that she cared about. She couldn''t throw all that away and consign them to death. But at the same time, she wanted to fill the emptiness in her heart, the urge to be whole only increased after she''d tasted just a bit of the power within, and she could no longer resist the temptation. She looked at the two shadows sitting in front of her, her eyes bouncing between them as she agonized. She didn''t want to destroy the world, but she couldn''t deny she wanted the power to do so. She''d already had a taste, and it was far too intoxicating to pass up. If she banished the darkness and embraced her humanity, that would mean she would never beplete, a grim prospect. The world might be saved, but at the cost of Akagi''s happiness and she couldn''t do that. She might love Kana immensely, but with the chance to be whole right in front of her, she couldn''t say Kana was more important to her, as horrible as that seemed.


    <em>{I truly am a horrible person. I just admitted that my own power and happiness is more important to me than my own sister...}</em>(Akagi)


    She thought things over for what seemed like an eternity before pping her cheeks. She''de to a conclusion and her choice would shape the rest of this world''s history.


    "I don''t want to be human." Akagi dered without hesitation in her voice. This statement caused Shadow Akagi to smile, while Shadow Rishia sighed.


    <strong><em>"Good! Then the world shall burn under our feet!¡±</em> </strong>Shadow Akagi was excited.<strong><em>"The humans shall regret causing us so much pain!"</em></strong>


    However Akagi wasn''t finished. "But I do not want to destroy the world, as much as that sounds like fun." Akagi grinned. "So if my only two choices are to embrace my inner darkness or continue to lie to myself. I''ll just make a third option and banish you both!" Akagi grinned. "I will be something other than a human. And at the same time, no one, not even my own power, has to right to dictate my future." She looked at Shadow Akagi. "I will take the power given to me as a birthright. But <i>I </i>will dictate how I use it, when I use it, and for what purpose! I will not be controlled by instincts, emotions, or expectations of how to use it. If the world is to burn, it will only because <i>I </i>chose to do so, not because I was fated to cause destruction by my birth!" Her deration was the culmination of her years in FWO and the time she''d spent in the real world with her new family. They''d showed her warmth and joy that she never wanted to give up, and reinforced the importance of having those around who cared for her and her stubborn nature and iron will wouldn''t allow her to be controlled by anyone or anything. She''d made a decision and it was final.


    Akagi turned to Shadow Rishia and smiled. "I will not say that the humanity thrust upon me has been bad, after all without you I wouldn''t have Kana and the others. But I''m sorry, you have to go. I can no longer resist my desire to be whole. You have served your purpose, goodbye." Akagi gave a fierce gaze as she red at the two of them. "I am the master of my own fate, so leave! BOTH OF YOU!"


    The two weren''t angry or even shocked by her deration. Rather, they seemed happy.


    <i><b>"Good." </b></i>Shadow Akagi smiled. <i><b>"I''m d."</b></i>


    "Yeah," Shadow Rishia smiled. "You don''t need us anymore. You''re ready, and that makes me happy."


    The two stood up and began to speak in turns.


    "From this day forth, you will be granted the freedom you so desire." (Shadow Rishia)


    <i><b>"As well as the power that is rightly yours."</b></i>


    "A being that was meant to destroy the world."(Shadow Rishia)


    <i><b>"Now has the freedom to choose."</b></i>(Shadow Akagi)


    "Will this world thrive?" (Shadow Rishia)


    <i><b>"Or will it perish?"</b></i>(Shadow Akagi)


    "That is your choice." (Shadow Rishia)


    <i><b>"And no other."</b></i>(Shadow Akagi)


    <i><b>"</b></i>You have banished the light<i><b>." (</b></i>Shadow Rishia)


    <i><b>"And the darkness</b></i>." (Shadow Akagi)


    ¡°Now all that remains. Is you!" (Shadow Rishia x Shadow Akagi.)


    The two disbursed, and Akagi was momentarily left alone in the living room before a bright sh of light consumed her.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    The swirling ck vortex slowed down to a crawl before dissipating. As it relented, the wind calmed down and the shaking began to quiet as a single humanoid shadow could be seen hovering in the air. It stayed there for a moment before slowly descending to the ground. Hishya''s eyes showed her panic, and Mizumi fell over, shaking in fear as her face paled. Akagi had returned.


    As Akagi descended to the ground just ahead of her sister, she spoke. Her voice sounded authoritative and regal. Her outfit had changed and both her eyes were a deep orange. Her sclera were now pitch ck, her skin was even more pale than usual and she stood at well over six feet tall.


    "<i><b>My apologies for themotion. Allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is Akagi Dumetor, and I am the Demon Lord."</b></i>


    End of Book 2.


    Spoiler


    Demon Lord Akagi!


    [copse]

 Chapter 101 – The Demon Lord.

    Chapter 101 ¨C The Demon Lord.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Alrighty! We are back! There are two chapters today as per normal and the schedule is back to as its been. Akagi is now the Demon Lord and the fun will nowmence over this weekend! I''ve also got a fun announcement, with the help of a few members of the Discord we created some extra yers who will be making their appearance in aing Side Story that will then dovetail into the main story! These five awesome discord members got to design their own yer and I wrote the chapters for them! So you''ll see them starting after the beginning of Arc 3. Don''t worry since these are extra, I''ll just add them on as a bonus chapter. I really think you guys will like it and I know the people on discord had fun making yers for the story, they put a lot of work into making them unique and I think its gonna be fun!


    Now, back to the story and enjoy theing show.


    <i><b>"My name is Akagi Dumetor, and I am the Demon Lord." </b></i>Akagi''s words echoed across the garden. The air wentpletely still as everything became quiet. If you listened hard enough, you could almost hear Hishya''s heart pounding. The dragon girl was panicking internally, and when she looked into Akagi''s eyes, she was reminded of what she saw that night in Hassan. Akagi''s aura had be <i>horrifying,</i> as if she was evil and malice given form. The ck aura around her was thick, and it writhed with such inhuman movements that it nearly made the dragon girl feint on the spot.


    Mizumi was shaking in fear, her face turned pale, and she looked like she was about to puke. "D-D-D-D-D" She couldn''t even speak, that''s how afraid she was.


    Kana shook off Hishya''s grasp and slowly walked up to Akagi, her mouth dry from fear. Despite the fear, she was determined to speak with her sister. Hishya desperately wanted to call out to her and tell her not to go near Akagi, and she wanted to take her away and flee to somewhere far away, but she couldn''t. She was too afraid to speak, let alone move. Plus, she knew deep down that there was nowhere to run.


    Kana approached her sister, before stopping and standing at arm''s length. The<em>Demon''s</em> eyes seemed to peer into her soul, and Kana could feel her heart pound in her chest."Onee-chan, is that still you?" Kana asked, her face filled with worry.


    Akagi smiled and slowly lifted her hand. Mizumi and Hishya both thought Kana was about to die, but instead, Akagi simply put her hand on top of Kana''s head and began to pat it.


    <i><b>"Yes, Kana, I''m still here." </b></i>Akagi smiled. "<i><b>Though perhaps I should say, nice to meet you?" </b></i>She chuckled.<i><b> ¡°In a strange way, this is our first meeting.¡± </b></i>She was finally free from her prison. So this was the first time Kana would be meeting Akagi as she was truly meant to be. Though that was merely a technicality as she was still the same person.


    "Does this mean you''re free?" Kana asked as Akagi rubbed her head.


    Akagi smiled. "<i><b>I am. After waiting for twenty-one years... I''m free, Kana." </b></i>Akagi said.


    Hearing this, Kana grabbed and hugged her sister, pulling her close.


    "I''m so d. I thought I''d lost you." Kana let out some tears. ¡°I thought you''d gone somewhere far away, and you''d nevere back."


    <i><b>"I almost did but, because of you and everyone else, I was able to face what was inside me ande to grips with who and what I am. So thank you. Without your love, I wouldn''t still be here right now.</b></i>" Akagi wiped a tear from her sister''s cheek and looked at Hishya and Mizumi. <i><b>"You two don''t need to be so afraid. Not that I dislike it." </b></i>Akagi grinned<i><b>. </b></i>"<i><b>I regret to inform you that the end of the world is postponed." </b></i>Akagi let out augh. <i><b>¡°The rain check will be in the mail.¡±</b></i>


    Seeing that Akagi was still herself, Hishya fell backward, letting out a deep breath as the stress and worry flowed out.


    "Don''t scare me like that!" She eximed. ¡°I thought we were all going to die!¡±


    Mizumi slumped over in the grass. "Thank goodness..."


    <i><b>"We have much to discuss, but first." </b></i>Akagi snapped her fingers and the damage she''d inflicted on the building waspletely repaired. <i><b>"Now that I''ve fixed the building, let''s warm things up a bit." </b></i>She pped her hands, and the temperature in the garden changed to something akin to summer. <i><b>"Could someone get us a table and some chairs, please?" </b></i>Akagi looked at her n members, who immediately scrambled to do as she asked, and a few minutester, a table was set up in the garden. The four of them took their seats, and tea was prepared. Mimi opted to return to Yumi''s side to check on her.


    Kana was the first to break the silence. "So, what do you mean by <i>Demon Lord?</i>" This was a question on Hishya''s mind as well. ¡°Why did you call yourself that?¡±


    <i><b>"That is simply what I am, Kana," </b></i>Akagi answered. "<i><b>I am the Demon Lord."</b></i>


    Not understanding, she pressed for rification. "Ok, but what does that mean? I understand the term but..."


    <em>{Are you like something from one of those fantasy anime?} </em>(Kana)


    "A Demon Lord is a being that is born with the sole purpose of destroying the world they inhabit," Mizumi answered. She was still shaking slightly but was now able to speak. "When I looked into that <i>Demon</i>nguage you both use, I was drawn to some records about a Demon Lord that once terrorized my world once in the past. From what I could gather, thatnguage was something only used by Demon Lords, NOT one shared with the Demon you merged with. They are simr, so that was why both Hishya and I mistakenly linked the two, however they are separate and distinctnguages. As for how we have information on Demon Lords in my library, several thousand years ago one appeared in our world and nearly wiped us out. The only reason we managed to defeat him was because he was young, and in what you would term an infant stage of development. But even still, the devastation to our world was catastrophic and it was touch and go. My records also detailed information gathered from that Demon Lord on what they were and their purpose. After some additional digging and theorizing, I came to the conclusion that Akagi was a Demon Lord that had not yet been released."


    <i><b>"Indeed,"</b></i> Akagi nodded. "<i><b>Now that I''ve been freed from my prison. I have ess to all the knowledge I was meant to have, and I can confirm what you''ve said to be true. A Demon Lord is born to destroy a world, or at least do substantial damage before they are defeated."</b></i>


    "But why? What purpose does that serve?" Kana asked. "Why would you just kill everyone like that?¡± A good question, one Mizumi knew the answer to.


    <i><b>"It''s simply part of nature, Kana." </b></i>Akagi shrugged. "<i><b>Demon Lords are a natural urrence, ced in a world to destroy it if it''s stagnating too much, or if its a drain. Our goal is to annihte all life within that world, thus removing the need to provide energy and resources for it. If we''re somehow defeated, the hope is that our actions spur the survivors to improve. Think of it like how after a wildfire, the forestes back stronger." </b></i>That was about the best example she had. Describing her as a force of nature was probably for the best. <em><b>"I should rify that by world, I am referring to the bubble of reality one would call the Universe. Not just Earth."</b></em>That was an important distinction since it had much wider implications.


    "So you weren''t ced here by someone?" Kana asked.


    "<i><b>No," </b></i>Akagi shook her head. <i><b>"I was uniquely created by the universe itself, there was no intelligent design behind my existence. Ordinarily, I should have awakened long ago, but certain factors kept me restrained. As a result, I''ve be..... different." </b></i>Akagiughed.


    "Different?" Kana tilted her head. ¡°Different how?¡±


    <i><b>"I''m not killing you right now, am I?" </b></i>Akagi smirked. <i><b>"That''s not normal. My kind isn''t really supposed to have cordial conversations with mortals. We''re more the consume souls, burns kind of existence." </b></i>Akagi''s eyes glinted for a moment.


    Kana gave a wry smile at the description. "So, then why are <i>you</i> different?"


    <i><b>"As I said before, it''s because of you and all the people I''ve met. Those connections allowed me to discard that darkness in my heart and use my power as I see fit, rather than sumbing to my instincts." </b></i>Akagi continued. <i><b>"Though, I should also state that I have discarded my humanity as well."</b></i>


    Kana looked at her. "So does that mean you don''t care about me anymore?" She was afraid Akagi had cast her aside.


    <i><b>"No,"</b></i> Akagi denied that im and pat Kana on the head. "<i><b>My feelings for you, Yumi, and all the others remain the same. I don''t need to be human to love my sister now, do I?"</b></i>


    "I guess not." Kana smiled.


    ¡°<i><b>Casting aside my humanity more entails discarding human notions of morals, ethics and other in built or learned things from being born in a human body and raised by humans.¡±</b></i> Akagi exined. <b><i>¡°I still have emotions, feelings and other things that you would refer to as human, though broadly those are more aspects of sentient life than something unique to humanity.¡± </i></b>Akagi continued.<i><b> ¡°However, retaining those things after awakening is what makes me different, since ordinarily those types of thoughts and emotions should have been burned away. My kind generally don''t chat over tea with other people, but I''m actually d that things like that stuck around. Otherwise, I''d be little more than an emotionless machine and that sounds horrible.¡± </b></i>Akagi had banished the humanity which had imnted itself in her soul, but that didn''t mean every human quirk was gone. She still loved her sister, she still cared for her family, she still couldugh and smile, and most importantly, Yumi was still the most important person in the world to her. She was now a strange mix thoughts and emotions, but while that would cause some problems, it was a improvement over her prior condition. Most importantly, the void within her heart had finally filled.


    "<i><b>Hishya, you''ve been awfully quiet."</b></i> Akagi looked at her. <i><b>"Are you that afraid?"</b></i>


    "Yes!" Hishya yelped.


    <i><b>"Good."</b></i> Akagi chuckled. "<i><b>That''s the right reaction."</b></i>


    "Don''t bully her too much." Kana sighed. "She''s having a hard time right now."


    <i><b>"I know, but seeing a mortal quake in fear at my very presence, is nice." </b></i>Akagi''s worst tendencies had only increased now that she''d been made whole. "<i><b>But, you need not worry, little dragon. I am still me, just a bit different than before. I will not harm you, much." </b></i>Akagi smirked.


    "I- when you started freaking out. I thought that was it, that the world was about to end." Hishya said. "I thought we were all about to die, it was.... an experience I''d never like to go through again."


    <i><b>"This world was indeed very close to destruction. I was given a binary choice between destruction or salvation, but I chose my own path." </b></i>Akagi shrugged. <i><b>"If I want this world destroyed, it will be because I made that choice of my own free will. Not because I was told to do it."</b></i>


    ¡°Quite a statement.¡± Mizumi gave a wry smile. ¡°I would prefer if this world doesn''t get destroyed.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, please don''t go doing that.¡± Kana sighed. ¡°I''d like the world I live on to stick around please.¡±


    ¡°<i><b>As I said, I have the power to destroy the world, but there is no guarantee I will do so.¡± </b></i>Akagi grinned. <b><i>¡°But ohhhhhh does the thought of doing so truly invigorate me. Ha-ha-ha.¡± </i></b>Akagi''sugh sent chills down the girls spines.


    ¡°I think you''re sadism has gotten worse again.¡± Kana looked at her.


    ¡°<i><b>Well, considering my kind see mortals as toys to y with or food. I''d say its understandable that I am a sadistic creature.¡± </b></i>Akagiughed.


    ¡°Please don''t tell me you have to eat souls now?!?¡± Hishya asked, afraid of the implications of a soul hungry <i>Demon </i>running about.


    ¡°<i><b>I don''t have to eat them, but I most certainly would like too. Though I think I will save such delicacies for more appropriate asions.</b></i>¡± Akagi grinned. <i><b>¡°Yours''slooks mighty tasty, the soul of a dragon would be quite the.... appetizing morsel.¡± </b></i>Akagi''s eyes seemed to pierce straight into Hishya.


    The dragon girl''s hair stood on end as Akagi stared at her. ¡°Please don''t do that! I can literally feel you ogling my soul!¡±


    Akagi moved her gaze to Mizumi whoined of the same effect.


    ¡°<i><b>Interesting, it seems mortals are instinctively aware when a predator is observing their soul.¡± </b></i>Akagi looked at Kana, who had no reaction. <b><i>¡°I suppose that makes sense, you''re used to my antics.¡±</i></b>


    ¡°Please don''t go around eating peoples souls, or even just scaring them.¡± Kana pleaded with her.


    ¡°<i><b>I''ll restrain myself.¡± </b></i>Akagi put up her hands in surrender. <i><b>¡°I''ll just limit myself to those foolish people who dare raise their de against me.¡±</b></i> Her eyes turned fierce. After a bit more discussion, Akagi stood up. <i><b>"I suppose it''s time to see Yumi. I''ll wake her up now. If you don''t mind can you please leave the two of us alone for the day. I''ll return to you allter.¡±</b></i>


    The three girls nodded and Akagi began walking towards the clinic. After entering, she found Yumi quietly sleeping on the bed. She looked peaceful and there was not a single blemish on her body. Yuzu and Suzu were momentarily shocked by Akagi''s new appearance and power, but went back to work. Akagi bent down next to the sleeping Yumi and touched her face, before emitting ck energy into her body via her hand.


    ¡°<i><b>[Yumi, my Bonded Soul. This is all my fault, it was my failure that caused you to get hurt. I''m sorry for what happened to you, if I''d only epted myself sooner, then perhaps you would not have been harmed so. I hope you''ll forgive me for my foolishness, and I promise that I will never let this happen to you again.]¡±</b></i> Akagi cupped the preistess''s face and pushed back her hair. ¡°<i><b>[Now please wake up, you can''t go leaving me alone like this. I don''t know what to do without you and your warmth, so please wake up. Every moment you stay like this feels like an eternity to me, and my heart aches to be reunited with you.]¡±</b></i>


    "Ugh.." Yumi''s eyes flickered as she awoke from hera. "Where... am I?"


    ¡°<i><b>[Good, you''ve returned to me. And now, let us never be apart again.]¡±</b></i> Akagi bent down and hugged her.¡±<i><b>[You don''t get to leave me, not now, and not ever. You''re stuck with me until the end of time.]¡±</b></i>


    "What''s going on? What happened to you, my Lord?" Yumi asked. She was confused, and thest thing she remembered was teleporting away from Armalthy before she passed out from the pain.


    <i><b>"I''ve been freed Yumi. I''m finally free." </b></i>Akagi squeezed her tighter.


    Yumi looked at Akagi''s face. She felt bad that she was the reason it was contorted in sadness, and she could feel Akagi''s pain through their connection.


    "I''m sorry, my Lord. My weakness, my mistake are what caused all this. I''m sorry that they caused you so much pain." She hugged her back "But, I''m back now. So please stop crying, its alright. I''m here now."


    Being told to stop didn''t help, and the two sat together on the medical bed and cried for almost ten minutes. Akagi had nearly lost the person she cared for most in this world, and Yumi was overwhelmed by all the emotions swirling between her and Akagi. Both needed the other, and neither wanted to be separated even for a moment. The very thought that the other could be unreachable, that they could go to a ce the other could not terrified them to their core, and neither wanted to experience that ever again.


    The irony is that Yumi was never in any danger. With her full knowledge unlocked, Akagi now understood another quirk of the <i><b>[Bonded Soul]</b></i>. As long as the senior partner lived, the junior could never die. Even if Yumi''s entire body was destroyed, she''d just reform so Yumi was never truly in any danger. Yumi would have awokenter that day with or without medical attention and there was no chance she''d stay in aa permanently. Though Akagi would say that didn''t matter. Someoneying their hands on Yumi was a sin she would never forgive, and she was prepared to make this world understand the consequences of harming her.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    Akagi spent the rest of the night at Yumi''s side. The two were inseparable and, as requested, Kana and Hishya left them alone. While they couldn''t fullyprehend everything about the two girls connection. They knew enough to understand that what just happened was an incredibly traumatic urrence. Akagi and Yumi''s bond was the kind that should never be allowed to break, and merely threatening it was grounds for annihtion. The two girls needed each other to continue onward, and one without the other was no longer possible.


    The next day, Akagi called for a general meeting of all of her entire family. She exined that she was the Demon Lord, her purpose in this world, and how she intended to live her life. She would no longer fear the power inside of her and, instead, ept what she is. She told them to prepare for dramatic changes in the near future, as they''d soon have their own nation. Something which caused a massive cheer and celebration. Akagi then told them what happened to Yumi and exined her connection to her. They didn''t understand everything about their rtionship, but they knew how much Yumi meant to their master. Naturally hearing that she was beaten so badly drew outrage, and <i>everyone</i> flew into a frenzy. There were calls for blood, and Akagi wasn''t going to shy away from giving them what they wanted.


    <i><b>"Hishya." </b></i>Akagi pulled the dragon girl aside after she was finished speaking to her people. <i><b>"You''ll being with me."</b></i>


    Hishya instantly got a bad feeling. "And <i>where</i> will we be going? And why me specifically?"


    <i><b>"I''ll be going to wipe out Libra, of course." </b></i>Akagi''s smile belied the anger she felt within. <i><b>"And you areing with to act as a witness. I want your assistance in showing the world what it means to cross me."</b></i>


    Hishya knew she couldn''t refuse and so didn''t even try. Though she was curious to see what Akagi would do, and her morbid curiosity beat out her reluctance to watch.

 Chapter 102 – The Beginning of the Feast.

    Chapter 102 ¨C The Beginning of the Feast.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Not entirely sure I need this, but I''ll include it. Content warning for Akagi killing Libra, its not insanely graphic, but its probably best that I put this here anyway. Content warning is for 102-105 in case its something you wish to skip, though I would highly advise<em>against</em> skipping this. It truly isn''t very bad in terms or gore or anything.


    Hishya and Akagi took off from the estate not long after her speech. With her new powers, Akagi could now fly by using her energy, so the journey was much quicker than it otherwise would have been. In fact, Akagi had to slow down since Hishya had a hard time keeping up at first. As the two flew side by side towards Nagoya, Hishya asked a question.


    "So what exactly <i>are</i> you going to do?" Hishya had only been told toe along and stream what was about to happen.


    <i><b>"I told you, I''m going to show the entire world just what happens if they mess with me. I''m done pulling punches and ying nice." </b></i>Akagi said with a serious expression. <i><b>"I am quite tolerant, Hishya. But harming Yumi is something I have no patience for, and I want the entire world to understand that involving her is a good way for humanity to be exterminated."</b></i>


    "And so you want me to stream you killing Libra? To scare the entire?" Hishya asked.


    <i>{That''s crazy overboard. I mean I get being pissed, but is it really necessary to go this far?} </i>(Hishya)


    <i><b>"Basically,</b></i>" Akagi nodded. <i><b>"I''m about to show them just what kind of being I am and what it means to fight me. I will warn you. Things are going to be graphic and well... I might be just a slight bit </b></i><i><u><b>angry</b></u></i><i><b>, so yeah."</b></i>


    "Only a bit? Funny, the auraing off you seems to imply you''re fucking <i>pissed.</i>" Hishya rolled her eyes. "I would ask you not to go too far, but I can tell that you wouldn''t listen to me anyway. So I''ll just ask you to keep me and the rest of the innocent people out of your little rampage."


    <i><b>"I''ll keep my emotions in check, right now my only target is those fools in Libra. As for the rest of humanity? Let''s just say that if all goes well, people wille to understand me just how you have." </b></i>Akagi looked back at her. <i><b>"You were the first person to glimpse me at Hassan, and I want everyone to see what you did that night."</b></i>


    <i>{Its time to drop the act. If I''m going to crack open humanities thick skull, I''m going to have to use a big hammer. No more Ms. nice Demon.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I just hope people finally understand what I''ve been saying all these months and leave you alone. I''d prefer the I live on not be turned into an empty wastnd." Hishya groaned.


    <i><b>"I hope so too. Contrary to my power and status, what I want is peace and quiet. I don''t want conflict with humanity and, if possible, I want to live peacefully with Yumi and my people."</b></i> Akagi chuckled. "<i><b>At this point, that includes you too, my future sister-inw."</b></i>


    "I have a feeling if I tried backing out on Kana, I''d find myself facing a little bit more than an angry older sister." Hishya gave a nervousugh.


    Akagi didn''t answer and instead let out an eerieugh.


    "What about Alice?" Hishya recalled that she was still part of Libra. "What are you going to do with her?"


    <i><b>"I already worked out a deal for two members of Libra,</b></i>" Akagi replied. <i><b>"They''ll be releasing them into my custody."</b></i>


    "That''s good." Hishya smiled. "But wait, two members of Libra? Who''s the other?"She quickly got confused.


    Akagi thought for a moment before answering, deciding whether or not to bepletely honest. Birdy''s identity as her spy had already been given to the Japanese and American governments during negotiation, thus, her ability to act as a deep cover agent was already finished. But that was fine, so Akagi figured there was no harm in telling Hishya about her since she''d just find outter.


    <i><b>"The second is Birdy. She''s my undercover agent.</b></i>" Akagi continued. <i><b>"I had her join Libra to keep tabs on them, just like how I had her infiltrate the Assault Team." </b></i>Akagi looked back at the stunned face of Hishya. The dragon girl knew Birdy quite well, so this came as a shock.


    "<i>Birdy</i> was the mole?!?" Hishya eximed. "How! Why! And..... ughhhhh."


    <i><b>"She did a pretty good job, huh?" </b></i>Akagiughed. <i><b>"You guys never suspected a thing."</b></i>


    "No, we didn''t. That would exin how you knew <i>everything </i>we were doing, dammit." Hishya hung her head in defeat. "I trusted her so much...."


    <i><b>"In fairness, she was just gathering intel. Her actions to help the team were genuine, and she was free to make friends with you as she pleased." </b></i>Akagi really only wanted information and had no interest in sabotaging the Assault Team''s progress.


    "Do I even want to ask <i>why</i> another yer became your subordinate?" Hishya sighed. She figured it must have been her payment for a contract with Akagi. That was the only way someone would willingly serve her.


    <i><b>"You should be able to put the pieces together yourself."</b></i> Akagi smiled at her. Birdy''s status as a subordinate was indeed unique. She was a yer, not an NPC, so her agreeing to serve Akagi was strange. <i><b>"If you want, you can ask herter. She''ll being off assignment once this is done. Though she might not answer you." </b></i>Birdy''s usefulness as a deep-cover agent had expired, so Akagi nned on folding the girl into other operations.


    "Yeah, and I have a feeling that <i>certain </i>people will have some choice words for her." Hishya knew quite a few people wouldn''t take kindly to Birdy''s position as Akagi''s agent. However, right now, that wasn''t important, and as they approached Libra''s base, Hishya''s stress level spiked.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    Hovering over the base, Akagi felt a great sense of anger well up in her chest. She was tempted to level it with one st, an easy task for her at this point, but to do so would rob her of the chance to demonstrate her power to the world. And more importantly, doing so would allow Libra to get off easy for their transgressions. Her nature as a Demon Lord meant that she preferred slowly humiliating her opponents and watching them realize the futility of their fight. Though, she was not so enraptured by this part of her that she would allow herself to be arrogant and egotistical. If Libra actually posed a threat to her, she wouldn''t hesitate to eliminate them before they had a chance. She figured that this was a happy medium that took into ount her desire for torment and her pragmatic outlook on things.


    As she slowly descended towards the base, she was greeted by the protective barrier that Imperial and his team created to protect it. The Americans hadunched drone strike and heavy artillery in an attempt to prate it, but to no avail.


    ¡°<i><b>What a cute barrier.¡± </b></i>Akagiughed as shended on top of it. <b><i>¡°What do you say Hishya? Shall we let ourselves in?¡± </i></b>She stomped down on the barrier causing it to crack and disintegrate into pieces.


    ¡°Well that''s one way to let them know we''re here.¡± Hishya sighed as the two of them descended into the main courtyard.


    Akagi pped her hands together, causing a minor earthquake. <i><b>¡°Get your ass our here Armalthy! Come and take your punishment like that bitch you are! You too, Herlex!¡±</b></i>


    Less than a minuteter, Herlex Armalthy, Elna, Spellhauser, Zappy, Max and Skipper came outside, it seemed they were the onlybat yers on base at the moment. They were a bit surprised to see Akagi, and Herlex grumbled a bit about Imperial fucking up before turning to Akagi.


    "It''s been a while, Akagi. You look a bit different? Did you dye your hair?" Herlex greeted her sarcastically. "I must say I''m surprised. You were never one to just waltz up to an opponent''s headquarters like this. Have you gone mad? Or are you just confident because Hishya is with you?¡± In all the time he knew the assassin, she''d never do something this brazen, at least, not without a n.


    <i><b>"Oh? Don''t go getting the wrong idea, Herlex. Hishya isn''t here to fight. </b></i>"Akagi stepped forward, cing herself between the two. <i><b>"She''s just here to watch and broadcast, so please treat her as if she''s not even here. This is between me and you lot."</b></i>


    "Really?!?" Armalthy let out augh. "You<i> actually</i> think you can beat all seven of us? Seriously?" He motioned to the other Libra members currently present. "You have to know you can''t win against this many of us. Or are you just so angry that I broke your little priestess that you came here to fight us even knowing you''d lose?" The second he said that, ck energy erupted from around Akagi. The air got heavier, and the wind picked up. In the distance, ck clouds began to swirl as they approached the base, and shes of red lightning cracked through the sky. Akagi''s face went dark as ck lightning briefly erupted around her before everything went quiet. There were no birds chirping, no wind blowing, nothing, until Akagi spoke.


    ¡°<i><b>Shut your mouth.¡± </b></i>Akagi''s words were quiet but caused everyone to freeze, even Hishya, as she felt her blood run cold. Akagi''s eyes turned fierce and the hellish fury behind them was briefly visible for a moment before disappearing. Armathy''s words had caused her usually jovial exterior to momentarily break before she calmed herself.


    <i><b>"Let me make one thing clear to all of you.</b></i>" She red at Armalthy, her eyes showing a level of hatred unfathomable to a mortal. <i><b>"I''m not here to fight you. No, a ¡°fight¡± implies that the other side has a chance of winning, that victory is possible for both parties to the conflict.¡± </b></i> Red lightning crashed into the ground next to her.<i><b> ¡°You can''t ¡°fight¡± me. Rather, against me, you all can do little more than il like helpless children." </b></i>Akagi let out a demonicugh. <i><b>"So rather than ¡°fight¡± you, I''m here to break you, to make you quake in fear, and when I''ve finished having my way with you. You''ll see death as a relief, for you see, you foolish mortals. </b></i><i><u><b>Death</b></u></i><i><b> is a mercy that I have no intention of granting any of you. Muahahahhahhahhaha." </b></i>As she let out insaneughter, she spun in ce, her robes twirled in the wind, and her face contorted into a terrible and twisted smile.


    Hishya backed off. She didn''t want to be anywhere near Akagi when she was like this. The dragon girl understood that Akagi was in control of herself, but that didn''t make her any less afraid of the <i>Demon</i>. She''d started her live stream, and already it had tens of thousands of viewers. Hishya asked Kana not to watch, and advised her to pass the message along to Mika and Naomi, but Kana insisted on seeing what was about to happen.


    Based on Hishya''s experience, Akagi''s anger came in two forms. The first and rarest took the form of total silence. She wouldn''t speak, norugh, nor offer any of her usual quips. This was the worst of the two, and Hishya''d only seen it <i>once</i> and it was a story she vowed never to speak about. The second and more mon¡± was on disy here. In this case, Akagi would act <i>normally</i> speaking, joking and evenughing, but during FWO, Hishya picked up on one major difference. Something that told her that Akagi''s anger had reached a boiling point and spilled over, what she would refer to as a ¡°tell¡±. That ¡°tell¡± was a particr way Akagi wouldugh. It would go from a rather normal, if not creepyugh, to one that was downright psychotic, as if she was little more than a raving lunatic. It was subtle, and most would easily mistake it for one of her usual mad ravings, but Hishya could detect the minute differences between what she was hearing now and Akagi''s normalughter. As soon as she heard it, her hair stood on end as her heartbeat sped up. Akagi was <i>angry</i> and at a level she''d only seen a few times before.


    "I think thess has gone nuts." Skippermented as Akagi cackled like a madman. ¡±Perhaps we should put this sick sea dog down?¡±


    "Wouldn''t surprise me, Akagi''s always been a bit unhinged. Maybe seeing her little pet NPCs get broken sent her over the edge?" Elna agreed. "We should put her out of her misery, no sense letting a mad dog keep barking."


    "Don''t be hasty!" Herlex stopped her from walking towards Akagi. Her power from a moment ago gave him the sense that she was dangerous even if she''d gone crazy. "She''s still dangerous, you should recall what Akagi did to Tomoshi''s group all those years go. We shouldn''t take any chances, we need a pl-"


    "Na," Skipper pushed past him. "Just sit back and let Ol'' Skippy handle this." He took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. "I''ll just be a moment, then we can get back to more pressing matters." Skipper started walking toward Akagi who was still spinning in ce andughing hysterically. She seemed not to be paying attention to him or anyone else, but Hishya knew that was anything but the truth.


    <i>{Run Skipper! Don''t go near the crazy Demon! She''s going to fucking kill you!} </i>(Hishya)


    As he approached the twirling Akagi, he drew his cuss. "Let''s put this crazy dog down." He raised his de and brought it down, intending to sh Akagi. But mere moments before he made contact, he was stopped.


    "Wh-what in the hell!" He yelled in shock. Akagi had turned and grabbed his arm in an instant, it was so fast that no one except Hishya saw her move. "Let go of me, ya wench!" He grabbed onto Akagi''s arm in an attempt to break free, to no avail. Her grip was locked tight and she had no intention of letting him go. ¡°I said let go!¡± He punched her in the face, but she didn''t even flinch.


    Akagi didn''t say anything, but her silence was probably even more horrifying than anything she could say. Her eyes showed glee at the pain she was inflicting, and her lips curved into a terrible smile as she increased the power in her grip. Skipper''s arm began to creek and groan as his bones were subject to increased pressure.


    "Ahhhhhhh!" he screamed in pain, dropping his sword and desperately trying to pull Akagi''s arm off him. "Let me go!" He tugged at his arm, trying to wiggle free, but couldn''t make any progress.


    <i><b>"So weak." </b></i>Akagi sighed as she gripped harder snapping his forearm bones beneath her hand.


    *CRACK*


    His bones snapping made an audible sound that caused Hishya''s stomach to churn. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Skipper screamed even louder as he dropped to his knees. He was in excruciating pain, and it felt like his bones were being ground to dust beneath Akagi''s hand. "Somebody help!" He screamed for help, but none came. The members of Libra just stood shocked and were unable to move. They''d never seen Akagi do something like this, and had no idea what was going on with her power increase. "Please..." He begged. "Let me go...¡±


    <i><b>"Ok, I''ll let you go." </b></i>Akagi smirked as she released her grip, causing him to fall to his knees and start crying profusely. She''d done a number on his arm, which was ck and blue from the internal bleeding. Skipper looked up at Akagi, his eyes filled with tears, and saw the palm of her hand right in front of his face. "Wa-what are you-<i><b>" </b></i>His words were cut off as Akagi said one single word.


    ¡°<i><b>[Consumption.]¡± </b></i>Akagi spoke in her <i>Demon </i>tongue<i>.</i>


    Immediately after she said this one single word, ck fire enveloped Skipper''s body, and he started <i>burning</i>. At first, he had no idea what was going on, but after a moment, he was overwhelmed with a pain so intense words could not describe it. After about fifteen seconds, the mes dissolved his entire body, and he was gone. Skipper had beenpletely <i>erased,</i> his soul little more than a snack for the <i>Demon</i>. Akagi looked quite satisfied as she watched him scream in pain, and the look of sheer terror on the Libra member''s faces'' was delightful. His soul was quite tasty, though she would say that it was a bit too salty for her liking.


    <i><b>"Not quite how I imagined it would taste, but it wasn''t half bad. I can see why my kind get addicted to such a delicacy."</b></i> Akagi let out a demonicugh as everyone stood dumbfounded. This would be the beginning of her <i>feast</i>, and she was going to make sure that the entire world bore witness to her gluttony.

 Chapter 103 – The Feast (Part 1)

    Chapter 103 ¨C The Feast (Part 1)


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Three today since the Feast is two parts.


    The six remaining members of Libra''s upper echelon looked on in absolute horror as Akagi consumed Skipper. He was gone before they could even muster the courage to move, and his screams echoed in their ears. Once she was finished with the pirate, Akagi nced over at them. Her face showed a satisfied smirk, as her eyes glimmered with joy.


    ¡°<i><b>What''s that look for? You''re acting like I''m some kind of monster.¡± </b></i>Akagi let out an eerieugh.


    "Wh-what did you do to him?" Spellhauser asked, her voice filled with fear.


    <i><b>"The same thing I''m going to do to all of you. I </b></i><i><u><b>ate</b></u></i><i><b> him." </b></i>Akagi grinned.


    "A-ate? You <i>ate</i> him?" Spellhauser. "What does that even mean?!?"


    <i><b>"It means exactly that." </b></i>Akagi stretched. <i><b>"I devoured his soul. I am a Demon after all. It''s kind of what I do." </b></i>Akagiughed demonically. Her consumption allowed her to consume the soul of a being much weaker than her. It wouldn''t always work, but the members of Libra were well within its operational range. Plus, since she was far and away the most powerful being in this world, chances are no one could resist it. <i><b>¡°After all, this is my feast. And I am quite </b></i><i><u><b>hungry</b></u></i><i><b>¡± </b></i>Akagi''s eyes lit up as she said that word. While she wasn''t beholden to her desires to consume souls, now that she got a taste, she wanted <i>more</i>. And lucky for her, there were six other volunteer snacks right in front of her.


    "Just who the hell are you?" Herlex asked. "You aren''t Akagi, that much is evident." His angelic senses told him the being in front of him was pure evil. ¡°Did you take her ce?¡±


    <i><b>"I am the Demon Lord,</b></i>" Akagi answered. <i><b>"A being born for the sole purpose of destroying this world. Though, I should correct your misunderstanding, Herlex. Despite all my changes, I </b></i><i><u><b>am</b></u></i><i><b> still Akagi. I might be a bit different than when youst saw me, but I am the same person." </b></i>She took a step forward. "<i><b>Though I''d be less concerned with who or what I am, and more worried about what I''m about to do to all of you." </b></i>Herughter echoed around them and sent chills down their spines.


    "I don''t care if you''re the Demon Lord or just a crazy woman. We''ll take you down right here." Armalthy charged energy throughout his body. Seeing his resolve, the others nodded to one another.


    "That''s right!" Elna''s foot mmed against the ground causing a minor quake. "If we take you down, we''ll be the heroes who beat the Demon Lord. I kinda like that."


    "Who knows, maybe people will actually like us for killing a monster like you," Spellhauser smirked. "Would be funny if nothing else."


    "Yeah, you''re just an overgrown World Boss, and we''ve taken down monsters like you plenty of times. So calling yourself the Demon Lord doesn''t scare us!" Zappy took out his extendable polearm and mmed the butt of it into the ground.


    "It ain''t much, but you have my axe!" Max readied for battle, casting his eyes on his teammates.


    "You hear that, <i>Demon Lord</i>." Herlex charged divine power through his body causing a white glow to form around him. "We''re going to take you down and be this world''s <i>Heroes</i>." He thought this was quite a funny situation and decided to roll with it. Though he was unsure if they could actually win, the power radiating from Akagi wasn''t filling him with confidence.


    Not being one to shy away from a bit of fun, Akagi joined in deciding to give them the Demon Lord they wanted.


    <i><b>"Thene and strike me down! If you are to save this world from destruction by my hands, then you''d best defeat me now, Heroes!" </b></i>Akagi threw her arms open wide as she invited them to attack her. <i><b>"I am Akagi Dumetor, the Demon Lord! And I wee your challenge!"</b></i> As she said this, dark power welled from within her and exploded outward, covering her entire body in a veil of ck energy.


    <i>{I''ve always wanted to do this.} </i>Akagiughed internally. She always loved ying the viin, and Herlex was giving the perfect chance to have a bit of fun. Though, she wasn''t exactly <i>ying</i> in this instance.


    "She''s enjoying this way too much<i>.</i>"<i> </i>Hishya cringed hard at Akagi''s deration. ¡°I can''t believe she gave that little speech. Your sister really is hopeless, Kana.¡±


    "I mean... I actually thought it was kinda cool..." Kana admitted over the call. She''d connected to Hishya so they could talk throughout the battle. The stream had already garnered hundreds of thousands of viewers and the chat was in a frenzy. Normally, this kind of content wouldn''t be allowed on streaming sites, but <i>exceptions</i> were made at Hishya''s request.


    <i>{Are both these sister''s actually chuunibyou?} </i>Hishya asked herself. <i>{Well, Akagi is </i><i><b>literally</b></i><i> the Demon Lord, so maybe chuunibyou isn''t the right word. Perhaps CRINGE is the right term?}</i>


    The dragon girl thought that, and yet she titled the stream <i>The Demon Lord Saves the World?!?</i> Which makes one question if she''s much better than the two sisters in the chuuni department. Not to mention her own <i>chunni </i>proclivities, but that is a topic for another day.


    *KABOOM!*


    All at once, Herlex, Armalthy, and Spellhauserunched powerful sts of energy directly at Akagi, who took them head-on. They poured in more and more attacks hoping to overwhelm her with their firepower. Meanwhile, Elna and Max ran around to her sides, intending to nk and defeat her in closebat. Herlex figured a coordinated effort was necessary for victory and nned ordingly.


    "You can''t defend against all this!" Elna screamed as her fist began to glow with red energy, and she punched down at Akagi. While Max did the same with his axe from the other side.


    <i><b>"Are you sure about that?" </b></i>Akagi chuckled as she caught Elna''s fist and Max''s axe in her hands. She waspletely unaffected by the long-range sts and didn''t even have a scratch on her. <i><b>"Did you really think such weak attacks would affect me?" </b></i>Gripping tightly, Akagi spun in circles at high speed beforeunching the two across the courtyard in different directions. <i><b>"Come now, at least try and make this interesting! Otherwise I might get bored and kill you all instantly!" </b></i>In a sh, she rocketed towards Max, mmed her knee into the dwarfs stomach, causing him to fly upwards slightly, before zipping into the air above and kicking downward bouncing him off the ground like a rubber ball.


    ¡°Ack!¡± Max let out a pained cry as he bounced. Akagi''s hit shattered a few ribs and knocked the wind out of him. As he rebound from her kick, she moved again and mmed her foot into his chest, causing him to fly into a nearby building.


    <i>{And it''s good!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Max!" Zappy yelled.


    <i><b>"I''d make a joke about dwarf tossing, but that''s beneath me." </b></i>She gave a cheeky grin as she turned to Elna.


    *CLAP* *CLAP* Akagi pped her hands together in a taunt. <i><b>"Come on, Elna! I know you can do better than that! Show me everything you''ve got! Unless you''d rather I just rip your heart out right now?" </b></i>She beckoned her to get closer.


    "You bitch!" Elna fumed at this provocation and jumped forward engaging in hand-to-handbat with Akagi. Spellhauser and Zappy decided to jump in to help in closebat. While Herlex went to heal Max, and Armalthy hovered in the air, waiting for the chance to strike.


    In a 3v1 at close range, they expected Akagi to be at a disadvantage, but she deftly avoided and deflected their strikes. It was if they were swinging at air, and Akagi''s bad tendency to dodge the minimal amount only infuriated them as their swings were mere centimeters from connection.


    <i><b>"Your teamwork''s not too bad. But you could use a bit more oomph behind your attacks! </b></i>Akagi chuckled as she easily handled the three of them. <i><b>¡°Come on do something fun! Activate ability boost! Or pull some other bullshit out! Give me something to enjoy!¡±</b></i>


    *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *SWIPE**SWIPE**SWIPE*


    The three continued their onught,ing close but ultimately unable tond any blows as Akagi danced around them. Hishya was impressed with how well they worked together and stood speechless as she watched Akagi effortlessly lead them around by the nose. It was as if Akagi saw this as little more than a game, and was barely taking this serious at all.


    <i>{If this is just her goofing around, how strong would she be if she took this seriously? Could she actually kill them all instantly like she said?} </i>(Hishya)


    Akagi looked up at the floating Armalthy as she deflected Elna''s punch into Zappy''s polearm. <i><b>"Come on Armalthy. Are you just going to float up there all day? I don''t mind fighting you too!" </b></i>Akagiughed as she mocked him. <i><b>"Are you too scared? Or are you just worried about hitting your allies? Come on join the party! Not like you doing anything will make a difference, but at least give our audience a bit of entertainment before I get my hands on you!" </b></i>Akagi spun, dodging out of the way of Spellhauser''s de and deflecting it into Zappy. <i><b>¡°So close!¡±</b></i>


    "You bitch! I''m not afraid of you." Armalthy charged up an energy st and sent it straight for her. ¡°Eat this!¡±


    <i><b>"How nice of you!" </b></i>Akagi smirked as she grabbed Zappy''s pole arm. <i><b>¡°This will make a great lightning rod!¡±</b></i> The sudden stop disoriented him and before he could react, Akagi swung him and his weapon in front of her to take Armalthy''s st.


    <i>{Zap goes the Zappy!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Oh shit!" Zappy screamed. He tried to disengage but was too slow and took the full st of Armalthy''s electricity. "Awawaaawawwaww." He yelled as he was electrocuted.


    ¡°That''s gotta hurt...¡± Hishya put her hand up to block a bit of the light that erupted from Zappy when he was hit.


    ¡°That was like a fly when it hits one of those bug zappers.¡± Kana said. ¡°I could <i>feel</i> that from here.¡±


    <i><b>"Here, catch!" </b></i>Still holding onto the polearm, Akagi threw it, and Zappy, towards Armalthy, who caught him. <i><b>¡°He''s a little tuckered out after that, get the angel over here so he''s ready to go for the next round!¡±</b></i> She was more than happy to let Herlex heal them over and over again, since it made no difference how many times they attacked.


    "Armalthy, you idiot!" Elna yelled. "Watch where you''re firing those sts. If you hit me, I''ll rip your head off!" She continued her attack, now with one less teammate, as she grumbled about how stupid Armalthy was for giving in to Akagi''s provocations.


    <i><b>"Don''t me him," </b></i>Akagimented. <i><b>"He can''t help being so stupid. But then again, you all aren''t much different than him!" </b></i>Akagi deflected one of Elna''s punches and smacked her square in the face causing her nose to break and begin to bleed. <i><b>¡°Now that''s better, you''re ugly on the inside and the outside!¡±</b></i>


    "You bitch!" Elna screamed. That was the same line that Excelsior said at the docks and hearing it from Akagi pissed her off even more. "I''ll fucking kill you, you bitch!"


    <i><b>"You''ll die trying." </b></i>Akagiughed as she deftly moved out of the way of Spellhauser''s de that came from behind her. <i><b>"Not gonna use Greater Ability Boost? Not that it will help, but it might make things more interesting."</b></i> Akagi grabbed Spellhauser''s extended arm and threw her into Elna causing the two of them to fly several yards across the courtyard. Funny enough, Spellhauser <i>did</i> activate her Ability Boost, but it was such an insignificant change from Akagi''s perspective that the <i>Demon</i> didn''t even register it.


    "Get off me!" Elna yelled as she threw Spellhauser off her. ¡°Don''t hold me back with your stupidity!¡±


    "This wouldn''t happen if you did your job, you idiot!" Spellhauser eximed. The two then started fighting, ming each other for their mistakes.


    <i><b>"Arguing in the middle of the fight with the Demon Lord." </b></i>Akagi shook her head. "<i><b>I don''t know whether to be annoyed or insulted."</b></i> She didn''t have much time to dwell on that as a twin st from Armalthy and Herlex collided with her causing a massive explosion.


    "Quick, give me Zappy." Herlex flew over and healed the monk. "Max will be here in a minute, so we should wait for him beforeuching another attack.¡± He looked down at the two arguing Elves. ¡°And you two idiots need to stop fighting! Save your lover''s quarrel for <i>after</i> Akagi is dead!"


    "Call it that again, and I''m going to rip your wings off, Herlex!" Elna screamed. She hated when people made that stupid joke about her and Spellhauser, the two <i>hated</i> each other. "I''d sooner cut my own ears off than sleep with this bitch!"


    "Ha!" Spellhauser scoffed. "Bold of you to think you''d ever get a chance! I know your history, and I don''t want any part of that mess!" She seemed ready to drive her de into Elna.


    "ENOUGH!" Herlex yelled. "Kill or fuck each otherter! I don''t care what you do then! But right now, we need to focus!" He pointed to Akagi, who was looking at them.


    <i><b>"You two are absolute idiots. Who the fuck starts fighting with a teammate mid battle? Hishya, how the hell did the RRT have trouble with this team of stooges? I thought you trained those idiots and somehow they still lost?" </b></i>She sighed and peered over at the dragon girl, who decided not to answer. ¡°<i><b>Maybe yourckadaisical attitude is because you think this is a joke? Was killing Skipper not enough to show you all how serious I am? If that''s the case..." </b></i>In an instant Akagi leapt at Spellhauser and grabbed her by the throat as the two of them flew into the side of a nearby building.


    *BANG* A loud m echoed throughout the base as Spellhauser was mmed into the wall, leaving arge indent.


    "Ack!" Spellhauser choked as Akagi''s grip tightened around her throat. Being mmed into the wall hurt considerably, and Akagi''s hand on her throat left her unable to scream or breathe.


    "Let her go!" Elna tried to punch Akagi, but to no avail, as she just batted her fist away with her other arm. ¡°What?!?¡±


    <i><b>"Come on!" </b></i>Akagiughed. <i><b>"I''ve got your teammate in quite thepromising position here. Come and save her before I get bored and snap her neck!"</b></i>


    <i>{Well, more than likely I''ll eat her, but that''s besides the point.} </i>(Akagi)


    Elna tried to get a hold of Akagi but kept missing as the <i>Demon </i>jumped, maneuvered and dodged out of the way despite holding onto another person. Max and Zappy joined in once again, but found that they were also unable to make any progress in saving Spellhauser. Even holding the struggling Elf didn''t slow Akagi down and irritation among the Libra members grew as they failed to do anything to the <i>Demon</i>. If anything, Akagi was finally enjoying herself and perhaps was using a bit more power than she needed, though it really didn''t matter anyway.


    <i><b>"Come on, try harder!"</b></i> Akagi taunted them, swinging Spellhauser just in reach only to pull her back. <i><b>"Tell you what. You''ve got to the count of ten. If I reach that, she dies. So you better make something happen quickly!"</b></i>


    <i>{Lets see what they do now.} </i>(Akagi)


    Akagi started the countdown.


    <i><b>"1"</b></i>


    Elna charged Ki into her fists, using everything to free Spellhauser. She hated the woman but didn''t want her to die, since her aide would be necessary for the battles ahead.


    <i><b>"2"</b></i>


    Max activated his axe''s magical properties that made it lighter and gave it an elemental damage effect. He was going to go all out to save his teammate.


    <i><b>"3"</b></i>


    Zappy channeled his own Ki to make himself faster, busting out the monk''s signature reflex improvement skill as well. After thatst mistake, he wasn''t keen on being grabbed again, and wanted to ensure that he was faster than Akagi.


    <i><b>"4"</b></i>


    The three charged in simultaneously from three directions, hoping to box Akagi in.


    <i><b>"5"</b></i>


    The three attacked at blistering speeds, each trying to eithernd a hit on Akagi or get hold of Spellhauser. But unfortunately, Akagi was still far too maneuverable and easily dodged them. As this dance continued, Spellhauser''s face began to turn blue, and her struggling stopped. She''d soon pass out and then after that, perish from asphyxiation if they didn''t save her soon.


    <i><b>"6"</b></i>


    Armalthy joined in the fray, and began sending multiple bursts of lighting toward Akagi in an attempt to damage or stun her, but they did nothing.


    <i>{Dammit! Let me get in there and go full power you idiots!} </i>He cursed his teammates for staying too close to Akagi.


    <i><b>"7"</b></i>


    Herlex began to panic, understanding that, at this rate, Spellhauser was liable to die. His intuition told him that Akagi would actually kill Spellhauser if her count reached ten and he wasn''t going to bank on her letting the Elf go. Deciding that he couldn''t risk Spellhauser dying, he summoned his armor and the Sacred de "Peacebringer" diving in with the holy de. He preferred long-range casting but was also quite good up close if it came down to it.


    <i>{Damn you Akagi!} </i>(Herlex)


    <i><b>"8"</b></i>


    Diving in, Herlex put everything he had into one single strike. With three other fighters surrounding her, one in her hand and Armalthy providing over watch, he calcted that he couldn''t miss.


    <i><b>"9"</b></i>


    "Let her go!" Herlex screamed as he dove in, swinging his radiant de down at Akagi.


    <i>{Let''s see how you handle this. It''s extra effective against Demons and other monsters! So if you are what you say you are, this will be the perfect weapon to kill you!} </i>(Herlex)


    *CLANG*


    There was a loud noise as his de hit home and made contact with the <i>Demon</i>. But this was no moment of joy and excitement at the destruction of the monster.


    "Wh-what!" Herlex eximed.


    Akagi easily blocked his maximum power strike with her open hand, and caught his de without issue. For while Herlex had the right idea of banishing the darkness with his holy light.


    <i><b>"10"</b></i>


    Akagi was no mere <i>Demon,</i> and it would take much more than his pitiful amount of divine light to even <i>begin</i> to clear away the darkness of a Demon Lord.


    ¡°<i><b>[Consumption.]¡± </b></i>Akagi once again spoke in her <i>Demon </i>tongue and Spellhauser screamed as she was consumed. The Elf began to burn away in Akagi''s hand, all the while, Akagi let out a truly horrifyingugh as she devoured Spellhauser''s soul.


    ¡°S-she''s...¡± Elna stumbled back, and Max froze in ce.


    ¡°She actually did it.¡± Armalthy began to sweat.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Herlex screamed in anger.


    ¡°T-this is a joke right?¡± Zappy gave an ufortableugh. ¡°This <i>has </i>to be a joke.¡±


    <i><b>"A much better taste." </b></i>Akagi looked in delight at their shocked faces. <i><b>"What''s will all the shock and disbelief? I told you exactly what was going to happen. Or did you expect me to hit ten and just let her go? Sorry, but that''s not exactly my style. Muahahahhahhah."</b></i> Demonicughter filled the air as the second member of Libra was consumed by the Demon Lord.


    The stream lit up with an overwhelming number ofments ranging from fear to excitement as they watched Akagiugh. Hishya and Kana sat in total silence as they watched the spectacle before them. The two girls weren''t afraid or even suprised. If anything, they seemed to be totally engrossed by what was happening, like how one found it hard to look away from the scene of a crash.


    <i>{She wasn''t kidding, this is truly going to be a feast in every sense of the word.} </i>(Hishya)

 Chapter 104 – The Feast (Part 2)

    Chapter 104 ¨C The Feast (Part 2)


    "No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No," Max dropped his weapon in utter terror as he watched Spellhauser be devoured right in front of him. "I didn''t sign up for this!" He turned and ran screaming. ¡±I don''t want to be eaten by some fucking monster! I''m outta here!¡±


    "Max, you coward!" Elna eximed. ¡°Get you''re stubby ass back here and help us!¡±


    <i>{That fool!} </i>Herlex turned, ring at the fleeing man.


    The dwarf ran as fast as his little legs could carry him. He intended to flee thepound, running towards the main gates hoping to flee into to the forest. But, just as he opened the gate and tried to run out of the base.


    *BANG*


    He collided with an invisible wall and fell on his back.


    "What?!?" He yelled in confusion. "What''s going on?!?" He stood up and tried to push past the barrier, but it was as solid as a wall.


    <i>{What is this? Some kind of barrier?} </i>(Max)


    <i><b>"Did you really think I''d let you just run away?" </b></i>Akagi appeared directly behind him. <i><b>¡°I told you, didn''t I? That you were all going to die.¡±</b></i>


    "When did she move?!?" Herlex said in shock. Akagi seemed to vanish before his eyes and reappeared next to Max.


    "I-I didn''t even see her move," Elna said in a quiet voice.


    ¡°M-me either...¡± (Zappy)


    ¡°Hey, Hishya.¡± Kana said. ¡°Did you catch that? She just kind of teleported from my perspective.¡±


    ¡°N-no. I-I couldn''t see anything, Kana.¡± Hishya stuttered. ¡°She was too fast for even me to catch it.¡±


    <i>{J-just how fast can Akagi move?} </i>(Hishya)


    Max slowly turned around, and his face paled as he looked into Akagi''s demonic eyes. <i><b>"I''ll never get tired of seeing a mortal''s terrified face." </b></i>Sheughed. <i><b>¡°It''s always so... </b></i><i><u><b>delicious</b></u></i><i><b>.¡± </b></i>


    "Please! I surrender!" Max begged for his life. "I don''t want to fight you anymore, so spare me! Please!" He was hoping that Akagi wouldn''t do to him what she''d done to Skipper and Spellhauser.


    <i><b>"Surrender?" </b></i>Akagi looked annoyed at his words. <i><b>"Tell me, why should I ept your surrender? Would you have done so if the positions were reversed? Did you ept the pleas for mercy from the innocent people you killed?" </b></i>Her voice got louder and was filled with anger. She couldn''t believe he had the <i>gall</i> to try and weasel his way out of death.


    "I-uh...umm well-" Max fumbled over his words.


    <i><b>"No, you wouldn''t and didn''t," </b></i>Akagi answered for him. <i><b>"And so, I will not ept your surrender either. You will die by my hand and be consumed as punishment for your transgressions." </b></i>Akagi reached out and grabbed the dwarf by his arm, lifted him up into the air, and them mmed him into the ground, causing a crater to form from the impact.


    *BANG*


    ¡°<i><b>I guess Dwarves are quite tough.¡± </b></i>Akagi chuckled as Max screamed in agony. <b><i>¡°Let see how much punishment you can take!¡±</i></b> She proceeded to m Max into the ground, over and over again. Each hit caused more and more blood to shoot out across the concrete.


    *BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG**BANG*


    The other members just looked on in horror as they watched Akagi smack him into the ground like a rag-doll. After nearly half a minute, his body was unrecognizable and he was little more than a crumpled bloody mess.


    ¡°<i><b>A,¡± </b></i>Akagi was disappointed. <b><i>¡°Now he only goes squish.¡± </i></b>She dropped his body to the ground whichnded with a wet thud. Her face and clothes were covered in blood, but the smile on her face told everyone how much she enjoyed that.


    <i>{Jesus Akagi...} </i>(Hishya)


    ¡°<i><b>Oh well, I guess that toy''s broken. Onto the next one! Lucky me, there''s no shortage of recements.¡± </b></i>She reached out her hand towards the broken dwarf.


    ¡°<i><b>[Consumption.]¡±</b></i>


    "Iyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Max screamed as Akagi consumed him, his body burning away in the ck fire.


    Akagi scrunched her face as she ate him. <i><b>"You know, I expected him to taste like alcohol. But I''m honestly disappointed. I thought it would taste much better" </b></i>She sighed. <i><b>"I suppose not all souls will be appetizing." </b></i>His was the worst-tasting soul she''d had so far. Though in fairness, that number was only three.


    She turned to look at the remaining four members of Libra. <i><b>"I hope this convinces you that I''m serious.</b></i>" Akagi began to walk back towards them, the concrete melting with each step she took, as a long dark shadow stretched across the courtyard. <i><b>¡°There will be no escape. No survival. And all that awaits you is death. Well, technically a fate much worse than death.¡± </b></i>Akagi''s demonicugh echoed around them.


    "I''m going to need everyone out here now! Alice send all your puppets and soldiers to back us up! We need everything if we''re going to defeat her! Akagi''s gone fucking insane! She''ll probably kill you too, so get out here!" Herlex screamed into hism for aid.


    <i><b>"Sorry to disappoint you, but help won''t being." </b></i>Akagi grinned. <i><b>"I''ve already taken care of that. But by all means, call out for their help. Scream and beg for aide that will nevere, Herlex.¡± </b></i>Akagiughed. <i><b>¡°It''s always fun to watch my pray struggle helplessly before I eat them."</b></i>


    "What do you mean?!?" Herlex eximed. "Carmine, respond now! What''s the situation inside the base? Carmine!"He called out to his central operator in the control room.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Birdy POV>


    "Ack!" Birdy shed her ws into the back of thest man alive in the control room, ripping out arge chunk of his flesh before he died. She''d already handled the rest of the members of the base, including the crafting team, and poor Carmine was thest man alive.


    "Carmine, respond now! What''s the situation inside the base? Carmine!" Herlex''s voice came over the control room''sms. Knowing things were already over, Birdy decided to answer Herlex''smunication and have a bit of fun.


    "Hey there, Herlex. How''s the fight going? Wait don''t tell me, Akagi''s kicking your asses." Birdy asked with a wry smile.


    "Birdy! What the hell is going on in there? Where''s Carmine? Why can''t I get ahold of anyone else?!?" His voice was frantic.


    "Unfortunately, he and the rest of the team have be..." She looked at Carmine''s dead body, which slid onto the floor in a bloody mess. "Indisposed, and will not be able to help."


    "What! How is that possible? Akagi has been right here the entire time! Did she have a separate team infiltrate the base? Either way, get out here! We need all the help we can get, and if Alice is alive, tell her to ready her puppets!" He eximed


    "Yeah, I''ma pass on that one chief. I''m not suicidal and fighting Akagi right now would be certain doom. So no thanks! But I will wish you good luck though!" Birdy twirled a dagger between her fingers. "Also, I''m sorry to report that while Alice is quite alive, she will not be helping you." She looked over at the young girl who was happily sitting in a chair in the corner of the room eating a cookie. ¡°She has no interest in fighting her <i>Mama</i>.¡± Birdy said barely holding in herugh.


    "Akagi isn''t taking prisoners, you idiot! Max already tried to surrender and got eaten anyway! So get the hell out here and help us! Otherwise you''ll just end up dead anyway! At least if you help, we might be able to pull this off!" Herlex screamed.


    "What an idiot." Birdy sighed. "You still don''t get it, do you?"


    "What are you talking about, you dumb bird?" Herlex was annoyed.


    <i><b>"She was never on your side, to begin with, Herlex."</b></i> Akagi''s voice came over the radio.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Akagi POV>


    "<i><b>Birdy is my agent, has been since FWO</b></i>." Akagi continued to walk closer. "<i><b>She''s been keeping an eye on you at my request. Done a pretty good job too.</b></i>"


    "You sent a spy into Libra!" Herlex was shocked. "Birdy, you fuck! How could you work with her?!?"


    <i>{Has she been manipting everything from the start?!?}</i> (Herlex)


    "Considering my boss can now <i>eat souls</i>. I''d say working for the Demon Lord is quite a good health choice." Birdy chuckled. ¡°The other benefits are quite good too! So hell yeah! Demon Lord Akagi all the way!¡±


    Akagi rolled her eyes at Birdy''sments."<i><b>Birdy, finish up inside, gather up everything from Imperial''sb that seems important ande out once these idiots are dealt with. Also, keep Alicepany for me.</b></i>" Akagi chuckled. "<i><b>This won''t take much longer anyway." </b></i>Imperial himself had already been taken into <i>custody</i> by Birdy. He''d be used for some funter alongside Imp.


    "Rodger that!" Birdy cut the connection.


    <i><b>"Well, I hope that allows how fucked you are to sink in, Herlex. You''ve no hope of escape, and no one ising to help you." </b></i>Akagi stopped, standing not too far away from the four of them. <i><b>"So what will it be? Futile resistance? Or will you sit down and ept your fate? Either or is fine with me, so take your time ande to well thought out-" </b></i>Akagi was cut off by Elna.


    "You bitch!" Elna leapt forward, punching Akagi straight in the face with her full power.


    <i><b>"Futile resistance it is!" </b></i>Akagi''s face curved into a twisted smile as Elna''s eyes widened in shock. Her attack had done nothing besides squish Akagi''s cheek a bit.


    <i>{Wh-wha?} </i>(Elna)


    "But that.... that was my full power!" Elna had put everything into that one attack. "How can you take that hit?!? You should be dead! How can you just take my full power and not even flinch?!?"


    <i><b>"Yo know, the funny thing Elna.¡± </b></i>Akagi nced down at her. ¡°<i><b>I didn''t even feel that." </b></i>Akagiughed. <i><b>"If that was your full power." </b></i>Akagi charged ck energy into her fist and sucker punched the stunned Elf in the stomach, causing her to drop to her knees.


    ¡°Ack!¡± Elna coughed up some phlegm as the wind was knocked out of her.


    <i><b>"Then you are even more disappointing than I thought." </b></i>Akagi kicked her across the face sending her flying back towards Armalthy,nding in front of him with a thud, the ck power dissipating into her body as her face contorted in pain.


    Armalthy bent down to look at her. "She''s still breathing, but out cold. Dammit Elna, can''t you keep your temper under control even once?"


    ¡°<i><b>She''ll be having a fun little nap for a while and if she ever wakes up... well. She''ll probably wish she didn''t.¡± </b></i>Akagi decided to have a bit of fun with the Elfter.


    Seeing that things were quickly heading south, Herlex opted to bust out a special attack to defeat Akagi. "Armalthy, let''s try out thatbo we practiced." Herlex looked at him with serious eyes. ¡°I don''t know how well it will work, and we haven''t practiced it much, but...¡±


    "We don''t have a choice, do we? With the way things are going, that''s probably our best bet." Armalthy agreed. "Zappy, take Elna and get as far away from Akagi as you can." As he said this, both he and Herlex rose into the air. Zappy obliged, and took the beaten Elna and ran until he hit Akagi''s barrier.


    <i>{I hope this is far enough away. Thest time they used this move, it blew up an entire mountain...} </i>(Zappy)


    <i><b>"Oh?" </b></i>Akagi looked up at them. <i><b>"Going to try some new move? Go right ahead. If you think it''s got a chance to defeat me, then have at it." </b></i>Akagi stood and watched. She''d let them do whatever it is they wanted.


    <i>{Just be prepared for disappointment.} </i>(Akagi)


    "If you''re gonna just sit and take this, that''d be nice!" Herlex said as he began charging energy into a ball above his head. The bright white light began to spin as more power was draw in to it. Kana said it reminded her of a star sucking in matter from another object and forming an retion disk.


    "Yeah, even <em>you</em> can''t survive this!" Armalthy raised his hand and began doing the same, with his ball being blue rather than white. ¡°Our tag team attack is unbeatable! Even you can''t tank this much boom!¡±


    The two charged a massive amount of magical energy into two separate balls of energy, one electric and the other divine in nature. Hishya noted that the wind began to pick up, almost as if their attacks were drawing in everything around them. After about thirty seconds, Herlex and Arlthy fused the two balls together, creating one enormous ball of energy that crackled with an extraordinary amount of power. Even Hishya was worried about this, as the ball was the size of a ten-story-building, and moved further back to avoid being caught in the pending explosion.


    <i>{They can do something like this?!? Since when?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    "Take this!" (Armalthy x Herlex)


    They flung their arms forward andunched the massive ball down toward Akagi. It slowly drifted downwards, and as it got closer to the ground, the concrete floor started to melt and bubble from the insane amount of heating off.


    <i><b>"Hmpf,"</b></i> Akagi smirked as the energy ball crashed into her.


    "Yes!" (Armalthy x Herlex)


    <i>{No!} </i>(Kana x Hishya)


    "Boom! That''s the end of the Demon Lord! No one can survive that much heat!" Armalthyughed. Though he was partially out of breath. "Even you can''t hold that back, and once it bursts, you''re dead!"


    ¡°It was touch and go for a bit, but it seems you''re arrogance got you killed in the end. Kind of fitting for the Demon Lord to die from her own hubris.¡± Herlexughed, his body was covered in sweat. Building up that attack took a lot of him.


    The energy ball slowly pushed downwards into the spot where Akagi was standing. Her form was no longer visible as she and it began to descend into the earth. Both Hishya and Kana were genuinely worried that Akagi might die, since Hishya figured that even in her dragon form, such an attack would be dangerous.


    However, strangely, after about thirty seconds, the energy ball stopped descending.


    "Why hasn''t it exploded yet!" Herlex yelled. "Come on!"


    ¡°Where''s the kaboom?!? There was suppose to be an Earth shattering kaboom!¡± Armalthy said.


    <i><b>"Not bad. I''ll admit,bining your abilities in such a manner was unexpected. So I''ll give you some praise for that." </b></i>Akagi''s voice echoed throughout the courtyard.


    "She''s alive?!?" Armalthy eximed. "What the hell is going on? That ball should have vaporized you just by being near it!"


    <i>{Don''t tell me she''s actually holding it back?!?} </i>(Armalthy)


    <i><b>"I''ll admit this thing is quite warm. I''d even go far as to say its nice and toasty. Perhaps you two could have gone into the heating business." </b></i>The ball began to ascend slowly. <i><b>"But vaporized? Nah, I''ve had hotter baths." </b></i>As the ball slowly ascended out of the hole it had created, Akagi could be seen holding it above her head with one hand as she walked up the slope of the crater.


    <i>{She-she''s insane!} </i>Hishya was stunned. <i>{Even this far away, that energy has my hair standing on end. I doubt I could touch it, let alone carry it like that!}</i>


    "This... this isn''t possible! Nothing about this makes sense." Herlex''s eyes widened in shock. "How could you possibly be this strong?!?"


    <i><b>"Because my little angel." </b></i>Akagi punched the energy ball, sending it high up in the air. <i><b>"I''m the Demon Lord." </b></i>


    *BOOM*


    A massive explosion urred above the base, muchrger than Hishya''s over Nagoya. The st was so powerful that the shock wave caused Hishya to fall over. Trees were knocked over for several miles, and Nagoya registered a minor earthquake on its monitors.


    ¡°<i><b>You were looking for a kaboom, Armalthy?¡± </b></i>Akagiughed.


    ¡°Fuck you!¡± Armalthy yelled.


    <i><b>"Now then, if that''s all you have." </b></i>Akagi vanished and appeared in the air next to Armalthy. <i><b>"</b></i><i><b>Then I''m ending things, this has gotten boring." </b></i>At lightning speed, she kicked Armalthy across the chest causing him to plummet to the ground, creating a crater where hended. <i><b>"I''ll save him forter, I''ve got ns for him." </b></i>She vanished again appearing next to Zappy and Elna. <i><b>"Now to deal with you!" </b></i>She punched, breaking Zappy''s polearm in half as he tried to block.


    ¡°<i><b>Now then, lets try out something I''ve always wanted to.¡± </b></i>Akagi gave an evil smile as her shadow form began to writhe.


    ¡°W-what the fuck is that?!?¡± Zappy screamed in terror as he could now see it.


    ¡°<i><b>You don''t mean me? Do you?¡± </b></i>Akagi''s voice came not from her mouth, but from her shadow. As it spoke, two orange eyes and a row of razor sharp teeth appeared from which she continued speaking. Hishya turned pale and started shaking when she saw this, and Kana went silent. <b><i>¡°Now then, how about we see if I can eat you like this?¡± </i></b>Akagiughed as her shadow lurched forward, its teeth digging into his leg.


    ¡°AHHHH!¡± Zappy screamed as Akagi bit into him.


    ¡°<i><b>Quite a peculiar taste. Not exactly to my liking, so lets get this over quickly.¡± </b></i>Akagi said as she began to chomp away at Zappy''s body.


    ¡°Herlex! Help!¡± Zappy screamed, but Herlex just floated in the air. Watching as Zappy was slowly eaten alive.


    *CHOMP* *CHOMP* *CHOMP* *CHOMP*


    Akagi consumed Zappy, eating up his leg before moving on to the other one, she avoided his head, wanting to maximize his pain, before he was eventually consumed in his entirety.


    Hishya ended up puking and Kana could be heard gagging over the call.


    <i>{What the <u>ABSOLUTE</u> <span style="text-decoration:underline">FUCK?!?} (</i>Hishya)


    Akagi sighed as she finished her meal.<i><b>¡°Seems that didn''t consume his soul. Oh well, dead or alive you''re not getting away from me that easily.¡± </b></i>Akagiughed, she didn''t need Zappy to be alive in order to eat his soul as it was still lingering about.


    ¡°<i><b>[Consumption.]¡±</b></i>


    ¡°<i><b>Ah, a much better vor. Reminds of lemon lime soda.¡± </b></i>Akagi smiled. <i><b>¡°Good news, Hishya! I don''t like the taste of human flesh!¡± </b></i>She looked over at the dragon girl who was still dry heaving.


    <i>{What the hell is going on?} </i>Herlex cursed Akagi in his head. <i>{Everything was going well. We were on the offensive. We were winning, and then, and then SHE had to show up!} </i>


    "DAMMIT!" Herlex screamed. "DAMMIT! DAMMIT! DAMMIT! DAMMIT!" Herlex began to freak out. "AKAGI!" His voice carried throughout the entireplex. "You said the level of power we''ve shown you hasn''t been enough. That you were bored with us!" He smirked. "So FINE! Here''s everything I''ve got!" He started channeling a massive amount of power as his body was engulfed in a bright glowing light. Akagi knew what this was and smirked.


    <i><b>"It''s about time you pulled that out. I''ve always wanted to fight an angel, and I thought you''d expire before I got the chance." </b></i>Akagi stood and watched as he gathered more and more power. After nearly a minute, the bright light disappeared and revealed Herlex''s transformation. As a Cleric, he could briefly assume Angelic form. It was the capstone ability of his ss, and it was powerful. Akagi didn''t have much data on it, since he rarely used it, but it wasparable to Hishya''s dragon form in the game. Though not as powerful.


    Herlex''s blonde hair turned white, growing long, his face assumed an androgynous appearance, his body was cloaked in an aura of divinity, and his armor transformed into a white outfit and cloak. His wings grew to a massive size, and he had a halo above his head. He was an angel in every sense of the word.


    <i><b>"Well, this should be good." </b></i>Akagi''s eyes shimmered in excitement. <i><b>"Finally, something worth getting excited about."</b></i>


    Spoiler


    Angel Mode Herlex!


    [copse]

 Chapter 105 – The Angel and the Demon.

    Chapter 105 ¨C The Angel and the Demon.


    Akagi pped as she walked toward the center of the courtyard. <i><b>"Not bad, Herlex. Not bad at all. I like it!" </b></i>She grinned, she was d to see Herlex''s transformation was a bit more interesting that she predicted. <i><b>"I think in that form, you might just be able to give our little dragon some trouble." </b></i>She pointed to Hishya, who was hiding behind a building.


    <i>{Don''t bring attention to me!} </i>(Hishya)


    "I''ll take a bit of pride in that." He said floating closer to the ground. "I''ve always hated ying second fiddle to her, so hearing that I might be able to finally beat her is quite nice."


    <i><b>"I can imagine. I always strove to be number one and I can''t stand the idea of someone better than me." </b></i>Akagi didn''t take losing well either. <i><b>"So to put all that divine power to the test, how about this." </b></i>She put up her pointer finger. <i><b>"We could zoom around this ce and battle it out, trading blow for blow. It would be a legendary fight where, while I still win, we could give our audience quite the show." </b></i>Akagi was still confident of her victory against the powered up angel.


    "Or?" Herlex asked. Figuring that she had something else in mind.


    <i><b>"Or we can just do this." </b></i>Akagi put her hands at her sides, leaving herself wide open. <i><b>"You can just hit me as hard as you can. I think that would be the most expedient way of handling this."</b></i>


    "What?" Herlex was confused by her request. "You want me to just.... hit you with my strongest attack?¡±


    <i>{What are you nning?} </i>(Herlex)


    <i>{Is she serious? Wait, no this is Akagi. She''s 100% serious.} </i>(Hishya)


    ¡°Was Onee-chan always this bad?¡± Kana asked.


    ¡°Unfortunately...¡± Hishya sighed. She''d seen Akagi act like this before, it was pat of her tendency to humiliate her opponents.


    <i><b>"Yep! Hard as you can my boy!" </b></i>Akagi nodded. <i><b>"Not half. Not 75%. Not some arbitrary number. You, me, hard as you can. What do you say?" </b></i>Akagi chuckled. <i><b>"I think that''s a much quicker and easier way to deal with this. But if you would rather us do the climatic battle between Angel and Demon, I''m good with that too. Just figured I''d give the choice and spice things up a bit."</b></i>


    "You really are insane, aren''t you?" Herlex looked more dumbfounded than anything else. "But if that''s what you want." His mouth curved into a smile. "Sure, why not? Just don''t chicken out and move at thest second."


    <i><b>"Oh, don''t worry about that." </b></i>Akagi smiled. <i><b>"I wouldn''t dare." </b></i>She wanted to see what would happen if she let him do this, so she had no intention of moving an inch.


    "Then, if it''s everything you want." He stuck his arms out beside him. "Then it''s everything you''ll get! But don''te crying to me when you get vaporized!"


    Herlex leveled himself off in the air and put away his de before channeling power into his body. "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" He began focusing energy into his arms and hands, as the ground began to shake, and the sky started darkening from the sudden gathering of power.


    <i>{Is she insane? If she takes his Angel''s Lance head on, there''s no way she''lle out unscathed!}</i> Hishya decided to get further away so that she wouldn''t get caught in theing attack<i>.</i>


    Energy began to swirl around Herlex, as it channeled into his body at an extraordinary rate. Electricity started to swirl and crackled around him as he prepared to unleash his attack. Slowly but surely, the amount of energy being gathered increased until he moved his hands in front of him. They were locked together at the base of his palms, and when he did so, the lightning around his body arched off and crashed into the ground creating massive gashes in the concrete as it flew outwards. One of these arcs went right by Akagi, whose hair blew in the wind.


    <i><b>"Ho, ho!" </b></i>Akagiughed in excitement. <i><b>"That''s much better! I can actually feel that!" </b></i>She remarked with great joy that his attack seemed to be substantial.


    <i>{Lets put these powers to the test, and see just how much damage he can do to me.} </i>(Akagi)


    "In mere moments, all you''ll be <i>feeling</i> is OBLIVION!" Herlex screamed as he gathered more power.


    <i><b>"That or disappointment. Go ahead, flip that coin." </b></i>Akagi gave a smartass remark as she crossed her arms.


    "EHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA." Herlex grunted as he gathered even more power, causing the surrounding area to shake as if there was an earthquake. The sky darkened further and people as far away as Kyoto reported clouds swirling due to the changing air pressure. More and more energy was poured into his palms as a bright white light formed between them, flickering and shing as the divine energy pulsated. Herlex''s muscles bulged slightly as his body struggled to contain the awesome power he was about to unleash.


    Once Herlex was finished powering up his attack, he screamed.


    "ANGEL''S LANCE!" And a massive wave of energy erupted from the palms of his hands, streaking right for Akagi. The energy wave was well over a hundred feet tall and wide enough to epass almost the entire base''s width. As it approached, the <i>Demon</i> let out a quiet chuckle as it struck her.


    Akagi waspletely engulfed by the st, and Hishya was sent flying backward from the sheer pressure of the energy. The Lance continued further, carving straight through a nearby mountain, and it was so big that the st could be seen from space as it ran straight off the edge of the Earth and into the void. The st kicked up a massive amount of dust and debris, and it took a moment for Hishya to right herself. As she looked at what was left of the base, she breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, at least he missed the." The chatments were also simrly grateful.


    "Ha.ha.ha." Herlex breathed heavily and sweat poured down his forehead. The st had drained him considerably. "Hmpf." He scoffed. "Hard enough for you?" He asked sarcastically. His st had <i>erased</i> everything in front of him. Even the mountains themselves were no match, as a massive crater ran for miles.


    Kana freaked out. "Onee-chan! Is she ok?!? That looked really bad!"


    Hishya calmed her down. "I don''t think she would have allowed him to do that if she couldn''t handle it. Probably."


    <i>{Funnily enough, I''m not sure what''s worse of an oue. Akagi surviving that or dying.} </i>Hishya sighed internally.


    "He, he. Hahahahahahhahah." Herlex began tough. "You dumb bitch! How''s that? You asked for everything, and you got it! And guess what, now you''re dead!" Hisughter continued for nearly a minute before a voice echoed throughout the area.


    <i><b>"I see, so an attack on that level </b></i><i><u><b>can</b></u></i><i><b> </b></i><i><b>damage me." </b></i>Akagi''s demonicughter resounded throughout the destroyed base. <i><b>"Though not much."</b></i>


    "Wh-what!" Herlex''s eyes widened as he watched Akagi''s unharmed form appeared from behind the dust.


    Akagi had no visible injuries, and the ground below her feet waspletely intact, as if the st simply went around her.


    <i><b>"Not bad, Herlex. Not bad at all." </b></i>Akagi pped in admiration. <i><b>"That would have easily killed Hishya. Good on you for pulling out all the stops and finally surpassing her at the end. Well, kinda."</b></i>


    "How!" Herlex screamed. "There''s no way! That''s impossible!" Herlex''s jaw dropped.


    <i>{T-this has to be a trick! There is no way anyone could take that kind of attack head on and live! Let alone bepletely unharmed!} </i>(Herlex)


    <i><b>"Well then, if that''s everything you have." </b></i>Akagi moved behind him. <i><b>"Then I''ll be wrapping things up." </b></i>She grabbed his shoulder and spun him around, smashing her elbow into his face.


    "Ack!" The weakened Herlex couldn''t move after his st and took the full force of her blow to the face, stumbling backwards as Akagi delivered a rapid barrage of punches and kicks all over his body before performing a spin kick and sending him flying into the middle of the courtyard.


    ¡°<i><b>Now then, I''ve got the perfect way to end you.¡± </b></i>Akagi snapped her fingers and a massive shadow spike appeared next to her. <i><b>¡°If you were a student of history, you''ll know what''s about to happen. In fact, I think Kana had a history quiz about this.¡± </b></i>Akagi walked over to the barely conscious Herlex.


    ¡°Y-you monster!¡± Herlex coughed up some blood. ¡°What the hell are you?!?¡±


    Akagi stopped for a moment, picking him up and whispering something into his ear. Whatever she said caused Herlex''s eyes to go wide, and his entire body started shaking.


    ¡°<i><b>Unfortunately, you won''t have much time to process that.¡± </b></i>Akagi threw him up into the air, before impaling him the shadow spike, much like a certain Wachian King would do to his enemies.


    ¡°<i><b>What a lovely sight, an Angel impaled on a Demon''s spike. If I wanted to get a bit more offensive, I should have nailed you to a cross. But that''s probably a bit overkill.¡± </b></i>Akagiughed as Herlex struggled to get free, blood poured from his wounds.


    ¡°I-Is that really necessary Akagi.¡± Hishya asked quietly.


    ¡°<i><b>Very...¡± </b></i>Akagi answered without even looking at her. Hishya jumped slightly as she hadn''t expected the <i>Demon </i>to hear her.


    ¡°I suppose that <i>this</i> is what Onee-chan really is, huh?¡± Kana sighed.


    ¡°Yeah...¡± Hishya''s body went numb as she realized, the world truly was without hope. Akagi was the most powerful being in existence, and these was nothing anyone could do to stop her.


    <i>{What did this world do to deserve such a fate? To be a ything for a creature like her... I shudder to imagine what she might do with all that power now that she has ess to it.} </i>Hishya thought to herself. <i>{I suppose this is what she meant by showing the world what happens if anyone messes with Yumi.}</i>


    After a bit of time, Herlex bled out and died. Seeing this, Akagi decided to finish things up and consumed his soul.


    ¡°<i><b>[Consumption]¡±</b></i> Herlex''s body was covered in ck fire for a moment before disappearing.


    Akagi let out a smallugh. <i><b>¡°Definitely the best vor of the bunch.¡±</b></i>


    <i><b>"And with that, I''d say we''re done here. Eh Armalthy?" </b></i>Akagi looked over at injured man who was limping towards her. Her kick seemed to have done quite a lot more damage than she assumed, and his head was bleeding profusely above his right eye. <i><b>"d to see Herlex''s attack didn''t kill you. Otherwise I wouldn''t get to have my fun with you."</b></i>


    "Yeah..." He coughed. "That idiot only barely missed me. I had no idea he could do something like that. Fuck." He fell backward as his legs gave out. "Go ahead, kill me. I can''t do shit if that crazy attack didn''t work."


    <i><b>"Oh no."</b></i> Akagi walked over to him. <i><b>"Killing you would be too easy.¡± </b></i>She had ns for him.


    Hishya walked over to the two of them. "Is it over?"


    <i><b>"I''d say so" </b></i>She looked down at Armalthy. <i><b>"You understand that this is all your fault, right? You attacked Yumi and dared to wound my [Bonded Soul]! She is my warmth and my light! </b></i><i><b>Harming her</b></i><i><b> is an unforgivable offense and you will pay dearly for it!" </b></i>She smashed her hand straight through Armalthy''s chest, pulling out a white ball of light in her hand.


    "Is-is that?" Hishya looked at it and backed off, she knew what it was.


    <i><b>"Yes, this is Armalthy''s soul." </b></i>Akagi looked at it, her hand shaking in anger as she held it.


    "Well damn, it''s pretty neat looking." Armalthy was still alive as his soul was merely removed, not destroyed.


    ¡°What are you going to do with it? Eat it like the rest?¡± Hishya asked nervously.


    ¡°<i><b>Absolutely not!¡± </b></i>Akagi eximed, the idea of consuming Armalthy''s soul disgusted her. <b><i>¡°Destruction of one''s soul is apparently the most painful thing in existence, however that lets him off too easy.¡± </i></b>Akagi formed a few shadow tendrils from her real body and wrapped them around Armalthy''s soul. <i><b>¡°No, I''m not going to kill you Armalthy. In fact, congrattions you get to live!¡± </b></i>Akagi''s smile creeped Hishya out, and she backed away. The dragon girl had an idea about what was going to happen. <b><i>¡°In fact, I''m going to ensure that you get the honor of living forever!¡± </i></b>The tendrils wrapped around his soul further, and he began to squirm in difort.


    ¡°Wh-what do you mean?!? What are you going to do to me?!?¡± Armalthy started to freak out.


    ¡°<i><b>What I am I going to do? That''s simple.¡± </b></i>Akagi''s neck jolted in an inhuman fashion as she affixed her gaze on him, her eyes showed a iprehensible amount of hatred and her teeth became razor sharp, no longer fitting within her mouth. It was as if she''d dropped the act all together and showed the world what a true <i>Demon</i> looked like. <i><b>¡°I''m going to have you spend the rest of eternity within my shadow. There will be no leaving, no respite and no hope as I inflict the worst pain on imaginable on you, from now until the end of time.¡± </b></i>Akagi pulled his soul into her shadow body as she turned to look at Hishya, who panicked when she saw Akagi''s horrifyingly twisted face. <i><b>¡°Let this be a lesson to all of you.¡±</b></i> She spoke to the stream<i>. </i><i><b>¡°If you dare toy your hands on Yumi, you''ll be given the same fate as him!¡± </b></i>She practically hissed as she said that. Armalthy screamed as his soul was dragged into Akagi''s shadow, going quiet once his soul was fully engulfed. His body went limp as his soul was taken away.


    Once his soul disappeared, Akagi returned her face to normal. <i><b>"All that remains is Elna."</b></i> Akagi looked at the unconscious elf who was ced against the side of a building.


    "S-shouldn''t we take her in?" Hishya asked nervously, Akagi''s sudden change in attitude had shaken her to the core. She knew what kind of monster she was, but seeing it in person was another level of terrifying. "S-he''s not really a t-threat a-anymore."


    <i><b>"Are you even capable of containing her?" </b></i>Akagi asked. "<i><b>Because I don''t exactly want to go on a manhunt for this stupid Elf if she breaks out."</b></i>


    Hishya thought for a second and calmed herself down before answering. "Imp said she was working on something to restrain them. I think she''ll have it done soon, and if it''s just her. we can keep an eye on her until then."


    <i><b>"Fine." </b></i>Akagi shrugged. <i><b>"Just FYI, whatever your nning to use on Elna, if thates anywhere near me or my people...." </b></i>Her subtle threat was not very subtle.


    "Don''t worry! That will not happen! Besides, I doubt it can restrain you!" Hishya denied that they were intending to do anything against Akagi or her family.


    <i><b>"It''s not me I''m worried about. I don''t need you taking my people hostage." </b></i>Akagi growled.


    "Who the hell would do that after they witnessed this!" Hishya eximed. "You realize that millions of people are watching us right now! They saw you utterly destroy Libra and take that-bursting attack like it was nothing. I would hope that <i>no one</i> is dumb enough to try anything against you now!"


    Hishya turned to the stream. "You see what I was telling you during my interview! Please, for the love of all that is good, <i>LEAVE AKAGI ALONE</i>!"


    <i><b>"Point the feed at me, I need to say something," </b></i>Akagi asked and Hishya obliged.


    <i><b>"To all remaining members of Libra, throw down your arms and surrender. Do that, and you will be spared the same fate these six were just given. If you don''t, then expect to be my next meal." </b></i>Her Akagi''s mouth curved into a grin.


    "Please surrender. I don''t want to feed the Demon Lord more souls. Lest she starts getting a <i>taste </i>for them." Hishya pleaded for the members to give up.


    <i><b>"I already have a taste for mortal souls." </b></i>Akagi chuckled. <i><b>"Technically it''s my preferred food, one that my kind desire above all else. But I am happy to restrain myself to volunteer snacks."</b></i>


    "Not helping, Akagi." Hishya looked at her and sighed. "I''m ending the stream now. Thanks for watching, and hopefully I don''t have to do a part two called <i>The Demon Lord Destroys the World." </i>She swiped in the air, and the stream was finished.


    Kana wanted to speak to her sister, but without AR imnts, that wasn''t possible, so she told Hishya to get her back home ASAP.


    "I''ve already got Superbia on her way up here to collect Elna. Can you stick around till then, in case she wakes up?" Hishya asked.


    "Sure, I''ve nothing better to do." Now that things were finished, Akagi reverted back to her usual appearance, though her eyes were still orange and ck.


    "Oh good, I was worried you were stuck like that and could only use that voice." Hishya breathed a sigh of relief.


    "I still have full control over my body, so of course I can change back and forth." Akagi smiled. "Let''s just say that was <i>Demon Lord </i>mode. I''ll bust it out when appropriate. Otherwise, I''ll just be back to normal."


    "Can''t you change your eyes back?" Hishya looked at them. "You''ve got slit eyes like me when I transform, and your sclera is ck. That''s going to be unsettling to most people."


    "I like them." Akagi shrugged. "Plus it''s a reminder of what lies within." She winked.


    "Yeah, and now the Demon Lord will have its own country. Great." Hishya pinched the bridge of her nose. "That''s gonna be fun."


    "Hey, look on the bright side, you''re gonna be dating a princess!" Akagi patted her on the back.


    "Wait!" Hishya just realized what Akagi said. "Your right! Kana''s gonna flip!"


    Spoiler


    Angel''s Lance!


    [copse]

 Chapter 106 – The Dragon Hero and The Demon Princess.

    Chapter 106 ¨C The Dragon Hero and The Demon Princess.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    2 Chaps!


    After tying Elna up, Hishya and Akagi waited until Superbia came to take her to RRT headquarters for processing and containment. Hishya figured Elna would struggle, but Akagi wasn''t so sure.


    "Jesus." Superbia looked around at the destruction. "I watched it live, but seeing the chaos in person is something else. I had no idea that Herlex could fire off a st like that! It obliterated an entire mountain and I swear I saw it from Nagoya!"


    "Yeah, and what''s it tell you that Akagi just stood there and took it!" Hishya sighed. "How the fuck was the world supposed to defeat you, Akagi?" She turned to the <em>Demon</em>. "Like seriously, if you can handle our crazy powers, this world was never going to beat you with conventional weapons..."


    "I mean. You weren''t supposed to beat me, Hishya." Akagi answered. "Sure, technically, I am kible. But I was <i>intended </i>to destroy this world, so naturally, I''m crazy strong. Demon Lords, <i>real </i>Demon Lords, are not meant to lose. If one of us shows up, that''s usually it." Akagi shrugged.


    "Please don''t tell me another one of you can appear..." Hishya groaned.


    "Nope, one per world." Akagi shook her head. "Otherwise, we''d fight, and you can imagine what that would do."


    ¡°Good.¡± Hishya breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°I don''t need two world ending cmities running around thank you.¡±


    "Out of curiosity." Superbia picked up the restrained Elna. "Can <i>you </i>fire off a st like that?"


    Rather than answer, Akagi gave a cheeky grin.


    <i>{I''m going to take that as a yes.} </i>(Superbia)


    "Well, if she ever starts losing, the world goes boom." Hishya sighed. ¡°Joy.¡±


    "If I actually started losing to someone or something, then this world has much bigger issues than me.¡± Akagiughed. ¡° Besides, I''d rather not have to do that. This world is quite nice, and I''d like to continue having fun on it." Akagi said. "Hopefully, my little disy showed the world the futility of fighting me."


    "I''d like to think so." Superbia gave a wry smile. "Considering you effortlessly beat some of the top yers <i>and </i>took that st with no issue. You''d have to be crazy to want to fight you."


    <i>{But was eating Zappy and impaling Herlex REALLY necessary! I nearly lost my lunch like Hishya did!} </i>(Superbia)


    "Ugh...." Elna started waking up. "Where am I?" She looked around, her eyesnding on Akagi. "IYAAAAAAAAAAA! Don''te near me." She started wiggling in her restraints as she freaked out. ¡°The monster! The darkness! It ate them all!¡±


    ¡°Hey, stop wiggling!¡± Superbia bonked the Elf on the head.


    "What the hell did you do to her?" Hishya asked. ¡°Did you break her or something?¡±


    "I just showed her a bit of the darkness within me. Kind of like how I did to you, my little dragon." Akagi shrugged. "Also I kinda ate her entire her team and beat her super easily, things the human mind don''t take too well to." Akagi smirked as she said thatst bit.


    "Stop freaking out, Elna!" Superbia bonked her on the head again, this time harder, to get her to shut up. Which she finally did after a few additional hits. "It''s over. Akagi defeated Libra. Armalthy, Herlex, Zappy, Spellhauser, and Max are all dead."


    "As are the rest of the crafting team and everyone inside the base. Well, barring yours truly and Alice of course." Birdy called out to them as she walked across the courtyard. She was holding Alice''s hand as the two approached. ¡°How''s it going everyone? Having a nice day? I know I am!¡± She smiled.


    "Mama!" Alice took off running towards Akagi, who bent down and picked her up, all while giving her a big hug.


    "There''s my little one." Akagi smiled.


    "Mama! It''s really you! You''re free." Alice rubbed her face against Akagi''s chest. "I''m so d."


    "Me too." Akagiughed as she ruffled the girl''s hair. ¡°Me too.¡±


    Hishya and Superbia looked at each other and sighed. "Seeing Akagi switch from Demon Lord to <em>mom</em> is quite something." Hishyaughed. ¡°What a 180 from five minutes ago.¡±


    "Yeah, I''ll say." Superbia sighed. "I can''t say I agree with letting Alice go after she killed all those people with her puppets. But I''m not going to argue with the fucking Demon Lord over this." She let out a dryugh. ¡°I''m not interested in being devoured or being throw into whatever hell you ced Armalthy in.


    ¡°A wise decision!¡± Akagi chuckled. ¡°All you have to do is everything I tell you and you''ll be fine!¡±


    Superbia rolled her eyes. ¡°Yeah, sure, ok...¡±


    ¡°When do we line up for the branding? That way everyone will know we''re Akagi''s personal property.¡± Hishya rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Hmmmm.¡± Akagi thought for a moment. ¡°I''ll pencil you in next Tuesday, Monday is filled with snuggles and I can''t move those around.¡±


    ¡°Pffffff.¡± Superbia and Hishya burst outughing, as did Akagi.


    ¡°It''s not so bad, the burning sensation goes away quickly once all your nerves get fried.¡± Birdy added herment.


    "Before I forget! Birdy!" Superbia red at the rainbow-haired girl. "<i>You </i>were the mole! You son of a bitch!" She wasn''t really mad, just exasperated.


    "Hey, don''t get all mad at me." Birdy chuckled. "I''d say working for Akagi was the best decision I ever made."


    "Why the hell would you be her subordinate?" Hishya asked.


    "Reasons." Birdy shrugged. ¡°Not really your business.¡±


    <i>{Let me guess, you had someone bumped off and you paid with your servitude?} </i>(Hishya)


    "So Akagi made you her ve?" Superbia sighed. "Real nice, Akagi."


    "Listen, we don''t call them ves in this day and age, Superbia." Akagi chuckled. "In the modern civilized world of the twenty first century we call them <i>interns.</i>"


    "Considering I did an internship once, I can confirm it''s not much different." Birdyughed. "Though at least Akagi pays me, unlike those bastards in corporate."


    "You know what...I don''t care anymore." Superbia just gave up on the subject. "Go be her <i>intern </i>for all I care. I''m going home and rxing now that all this nonsense is over. Hopefully this is the <ist</i> world ending disaster I need to get involved with." She turned to leave with the, very quiet, Elna.


    "Superbia," Akagi called out to her right before she left. "Hishya and I will be heading back to my ce for the day, but we''ll pop over to Tokyo tomorrow to finish things up. So do me a favor and make sure everyone''s present and ounted for."


    "Sounds good,¡± Superbia stooped for a moment. ¡°There''s a bunch of debriefing after today''s events and it would be good for the <i>Demon</i> herself to be there.¡± She jumped away, heading back to Nagoya.


    After she left, Akagi looked at the three girls. "Well shall we head home? Birdy, you won''t be able to do the whole deep cover thing anymore, but I''ve got other tasks for you. Soe along, we should introduce you to the rest of the family.¡±


    "As you wish, my Lord." Birdy bowed, and her tone became more formal.


    "Kinda strange hearing a non-NPC calling you that," Hishyamented as she put out her wings.


    "I only do it for the formal stuff." Birdy shrugged. "Akagi likes to stand on ceremony and by this point, its just natural."


    "You''re damn right!" Akagiughed as the four of them took off, flying towards her estate. Alice enjoyed flying up so high and was in awe as she watched the clouds below them.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    After a bit of flying, Akagi, Birdy, Hishya, and Alice arrived back at the estate. There was much to unpack, and Akagi wanted to rx a bit.


    "Why don''t we go inside and get some tea." Akagi said as she ced Alice down. "Would you like that, little one? I can even get some snacks."


    "Yes!" Alice smiled. ¡°Tea sounds wonderful! And I want cookies! Yumi makes the best ones with the little faces on them!¡±


    ¡°Then have them you shall!¡± Akagi telepathically told Yumi to acquire the desired cookies, something the priestess found funny.


    The four went inside and were greeted by Kana. After a bit of discussion, they moved into the living room, where Yumi was preparing tea and the requested snacks, which Alice happily munched on.


    ¡°Mmmmm. Animal cookies....¡± Alice was in bliss over the cookies.


    "So this is Alice?" Kana looked at the little girl who was happily eating. "She''s pretty cute. When you told me of a daughter, I figured she be some horrible monster or something." She joked.


    "Very funny, Kana." Akagi rolled her eyes. ¡°Sorry to disappoint, but Alice isn''t some horrible shadow monster or anything like that. She''s human, well Star Human, but close enough. And yes, she is very cute.¡± She smiled.


    Alice downed a cookie before turning to Kana. ¡°Nice to meet you, Kana Onee-chan.¡± Alice smiled, her words as sweet as honey.


    ¡°<i>Onee-chan...¡±</i> You could practically see the heart arrow hit Kana in the chest. ¡°I already like her! She gets my approval!¡± Hearing that word caused Kana''s heart to melt.


    Akagi sighed. ¡°Well that takes care of one worry...¡±


    <i>{All it took was that one word and you folded...} </i>(Akagi)


    Kana took a moment to recover before she greeted Birdy. "And umm. I''ve never met you, you''re Birdy, right?" Kana looked at the rainbow-haired girl. "Nice to meet you."


    "Hello." Birdy smiled. "Akagi''s told me all about you, but it''s nice to finally meet you too."


    With introductions out of the way, the conversation moved to the future. "So what happens now?" Kana asked her sister. "Libra''s beaten, but well... I''d say the entire''s going to be afraid of you." Akagi''s actions were broadcast to the entire, and the inte was currently aze with discussions about her, not to mention the news media was in a frenzy.


    <i>{You went way overkill on you''re little disy, Onee-chan. You even got me scared and that''s something if I''m normally resistant to your actions. I really hope Mika and Naomi took my warning to heart and didn''t watch. Wait. This is those two were talking about. Mika probably recorded it and it watching it over and over again. While Naomi 100% watched...} </i>(Kana)


    Akagi shrugged. "Hopefully, people just leave me alone and let me rx. I''ve got plenty of Yumi snuggling to do from now until the end of time, and I''d rather that not be interrupted." Akagi pulled the priestess into a hug. "I just want to chill with my people in my own little world, that''s all."


    <i>{Yumi snuggling...} </i>Kana rolled her eyes.


    "I would prefer that too, but you and I both know people usually can''t leave well enough alone. Humanity is known for its stupidity." Hishya sighed. "Who knows how the rest of the world will react to you and your power. You did also dere that you would wipe out humanity, even if that was just you messing around."


    <i>{Messing around, sure. That''s what all that was, Hishya.} </i>(Kana)


    "People do tend to be stupid, at least in my experience." Birdy agreed.


    "I''ll have to chat with President Rosewood and make sure she understands that leaving me alone is the only path forward." Akagi took a sip of her coffee. ¡°Otherwise, she might get her prophesized Demon Lord invasion of the world. Though in that case, rather than just blow up the world, I''d so make an actual army andmand it properly. That would be amazing.¡±


    "Well, hopefully, getting your own country will incentive people to leave you alone. I''d rather not see you lead a <i>Demonic </i>army of foot soldiers on a victory parade in Washington D.C. or Tokyo." Hishya groaned. "Just please, please, please, humanity. Don''t be dumb." She prayed that humanity acted smart for once.


    ¡°I think a tank parade is more my style.¡± Akagiughed. ¡°I can see it now, my version of Ghost Division smashes the American''s lines and envelops the entire army. It will be like May 1940 all over again, except I wont issue a halt order.¡± No one except Akagi appreciated her joke.


    "Ignoring Onee-chan''s stupidments, how is you owning a country going to work anyway?" Kana asked. "Will that mean I have to leave and return to ''Japan?'' Will you be unable to visit me and move around freely?" She looked sad.


    "Lines on a map mean nothing to me." Akagiughed as she squeezed Yumi a bit. "I own this world. It''s mine and I''ll go wherever I want, whenever I want. International borders be dammed. Being the leader of a nation changes nothing regarding me and you or you being able to stay her, so don''t worry. I''ll ensure the Japanese government allows you to move around as you please. They don''t exactly have the ability to say no to me anyway." Akagi was never going to allow such things to separate her and Kana, and with her power, there was little anyone could do to stop her from going wherever she pleased.


    "I''d think many people would take exception to the idea of you owning the world, but I understand." Kana sighed.


    "Well, I do." Akagi was firm on this idea. "This world belongs to me, and I can do with it as I please, such is my right as a Demon Lord. Rather than exterminating humanity, I''m allowing it to exist on <i>my</i> world. Thus I own it and everyone. At least, that''s how <i>I </i>view things." Akagiughed.


    <i>{Ah so the branding of us as cattle was unneeded since one already exists on our souls... great...} </i>(Hishya)


    "The Demon Lord owns a kingdom now." Hishya pinched the bridge of her nose. "What are you going to call this nation of yours anyway? The Scary Nightmare Nation of Hell and Also Cute Puppies?" Herment made Kana, Birdy and Yumiugh.


    "I''m thinking The Demon Kingdom of Dumetor. It''s simple, tells you who runs it, and includes my family name." Akagi smiled. ¡°But darn yours was so good. I might steal that.¡±


    "At least you have sensible naming conventions." Hishya chuckled. "I was worried about what you''d call it. Knowing you, my joke might have been closer to the truth."


    "All joking aside, I needed to make sure it was ptable for the masses." Akagi sighed. "Otherwise, how could I convince people toe here."


    "You think people woulde to live here?" Hishya asked. She hadn''t expected Akagi to want more people to start living around the estate.


    "I''m going to put out a call to all the FWO survivors. Those with or without powers are wee to settle here. There''s not a great deal of room or fancy things, but they could live their lives quite peacefully out here." Akagi looked at her. "You and I both know people are not too weing of even those who were not granted powers, what with all the Libra attacks. I suspect I might get a few who are willing to move just for peace and quiet. I mean we already have that team of crazies living not to far away anyway." She was referring to a certain dryad and fairy that lived in the mountains nearby. She let them stay if they provided vegetables and fruits for her people.


    "I think so too," Birdy interjected. "I''ve kept in contact with a few of my friends from FWO, and a lot of them are getting heaps of abuse." She continued. "I could see a few of theming here. You''d just have to build up the infrastructure and make sure they felt wee. I think you might even get some of those with no powers too. I know plenty of them are having a hard time adjusting back to normal life."


    "I''ll look into what I can do for the non-powered people. Perhaps we can do what we''re nnig for the girls and give them magic if they agree to be citizens." Akagi thought that would be fun. "As for infrastructure and such. We can easily have an entire town made in a few weeks, and I suspect Daikael and Imp would be able to hammer that out with enough resources."


    "How are you even going to run a country anyway?" Hishya asked. "Do you even know the first thing about that? I don''t think your people will be enough to handle all that entails and even if you pull in more yers, there aren''t any that have such experience."


    "I think we''ll be fine." Akagi squeezed Yumi. "I''ve got my trusty <i><b>[Bonded Soul] </b></i>right here. What do you think about being Prime Minister, Yumi?" Akagiughed. ¡°Sound like fun?¡±


    Yumi poked Akagi in the cheek, squishing it.


    "I will decline your <i>generous</i> offer." Yumi said. "I''d much prefer to be head of intelligence. I know nothing about running a country, even if it''s little more than a vige. So you''d best find a more qualified individual."


    "Oh well, I figured you''d decline." Akagi smiled. "I wonder which poor sap will be suckered into that job?"


    ¡°Shouldn''t you run the country?¡± Hishya asked. ¡°Why are you trying to pawn that job off on someone else?¡±


    ¡°Why do I want all that work?¡± Akagiughed. ¡°Screw that I don''t wanna actually have to deal with all that paperwork! I''ve got enough responsibility running the n, adding more would just reduce my ytime, and we can''t have that¡±


    "Why do I have the feeling <i>I''m </i>going to be forced to take on that role?" Kana sighed.


    "Because you know me very well." Akagiughed. "Just ept your role, Kana! Ites with great perks!"


    <i>{Yeah and all the pain in the ass associated with a monarch that won''t do her job...} </i>(Kana)


    "At least let me graduate high school before you start trying to make me take on such a position, please." Kanained but didn''t look unhappy to do such a thing. In fact, she actually thought it sounded fun and challenging.


    The girls continued chatting about a number of things well into the evening. They then broke, had dinner and took a nice long dip in the host springs before it came time for everyone to rest and get some sleep after the busy day. Akagi and Yumi went to sleep in the master bedroom and Kana decided to retire for the night.


    She was sitting in her bed brushing her hair in her pajamas when a knock came from the door.


    "Um... Kana. Can Ie in?" Hishya asked.


    "Sure," Kana replied, and Hishya came in. She was also in her PJs. "What''s up?" Kana was brushing her hair after the bath.


    Hishya looked a bit nervous as she walked over to Kana''s side and sat next to her. The two were actually rather close in height so Hishya was able to easily look straight into Kana''s eyes.


    "I umm. I promised myself that after things with Libra were over, I would settle things between us." Hishya took a deep breath and looked into Kana''s eyes. "I love you, Kana." She dered her love with a straight face. "You epted everything about me. Even knowing how I was in the past, you still cared for me. I don''t know that much about love or rtionships, mostly because I never thought I would live long enough to find one. But I''m sure that what I''m feeling in my chest is love. So what I''m trying to say is-" Hishya''s words were cut off by Kana''s lips ced over her own.


    "I''ve been waiting for you to say it." Kana giggled. "I love you too, Hishya."


    The two kissed again, as they fell onto the bed together. What happened after that will remain private. Or it would have if the two didn''t discuss it with others in the following days.

 Chapter 107 – Reactions and the Family Secret.

    Chapter 107 ¨C Reactions and the Family Secret.


    Rewinding time a bit to earlier that day. The annihtions of Libra was broadcast to a huge number of people, with the recording quickly going viral. Reactions to Akagi''s actions varied with many being grateful, while others were horrified at her excessive disy of violence. In the United States, President Rosewood was feeling a mix of both.


    Sitting in a briefing room, President Rosewood sat inplete silence until the rest of her cab and other important government officials arrived.


    "So the good news is, Libra has been defeated." She sighed as she recalled the video footage of Akagi <i>defeating </i>them. "The bad news is, now we have a much greater problem." She ced her head in her hands. "Why can''t things be easy?"


    <i>{She wasn''t kidding when she dered herself to be a monster, was she?} </i>(Rosewood)


    Secretary Nowakmented. "That st given off by Herlex... our calctions project it had enough energy to <i>severely </i>damage the if he''d pointed it in a different direction. I... I apologize Mam, but I''m a little dumbfounded by this whole series of events." Even an experienced member of the defensemunity had a hard timeprehending what just happened. "If that Akagi woman took that hit and <i>survived</i>, then I''d be inclined to agree with her assertion that nuclear weapons would not affect her."


    <i>{Yeah, I think nukes are the least of her worries if she can survive a st which could''ve blown up a.} </i>(Rosewood)


    "To be entirely honest, I thought she was exaggerating her power in an attempt to intimidate us. But after that disy..." President Rosewood groaned. "I''m not so sure anymore. I guess that means when she told me she could destroy us all, she wasn''t joking."


    <em>{If we could feel her aura from the other side of the, just how powerful is she?}</em>President Rosewood had been in a meeting when suddenly the entire room started shaking. At first they believed it to be an earthquake, but soon reports flooded in about simr events across the globe. It seemed that when Akagi let out her power, the entire began to shake.


    "Madam President, I say this with all due respect. What fuck do we do against <i>that?</i>" Secretary Nowak dropped all formality for a moment. "If she can withstand a st which our analysis suggests could destroy the, we have no hope of beating her. I''m at a total loss for how to proceed against such a threat."


    "Perhaps she has some kind of weakness?" One of the military brass spoke up. "She''s got to be vulnerable somewhere, perhaps she simply requires a specific type of attack. There must be a way to defeat her, she''s not a god.¡±


    "No, but she is a Demon Lord. Our little spy has informed me a bit about what that status means before you all arrived." President Rosewood nced at the militarymander. "It''s not just a title, General. It''s a designation, and we''d be fools to ignore it." She didn''t know everything, but Hikari told her enough to make her wary.


    "With all due respect Madam President." The military man continued. "That girl is likely feeding you tall tales on orders of her master. She is a spy after all, so I wouldn''t advise taking her words at face value." Hisment was reasonable, but wrong. ¡°I believe we should double our efforts to recruit some of these powered individuals into our ranks as a deterrent for future threats. Perhaps we can even deepen our intel gathering from those who knew about this Akagi woman. They may be able to shed light on her abilities and may even give us a method of dealing with her.¡±


    <i>{If it were that simple, I suspect the Japanese Government would have already dealt with her General.} </i>(Rosewood)


    "Be that as it may. I believe the best path forward is to avoid antagonizing her and seek peaceful coexistence with her and her people. She seems to be more interested in her own life and those of her group than fighting us or humanity as a whole, so I see no reason to go testing theories about defeating her." President Rosewood looked at the others in the meeting room. "Need I remind you that if we''re wrong, it won''t just be this country that''s destroyed but the entire <i>world.</i>"


    The room grew silent as she said those words, because they knew she was right. "Japan will be granting her territory as part of its deal to handle Libra. That will mean she steps onto the international stage as a new power, and I think it''s in not just the United States, but <i>humanity''s</i> best interest to start our rtionship with her on the right foot." She took a deep breath.


    "Abigail, please work on getting Congress on board with a formal invitation to Demon Lord Akagi to the White House. I would like to speak with her in person so we may discuss our rtionship going forward. Please exin to Congressional leadership the need for a dialogue with her and my desire to have our two peoples exist together peacefully. Inviting her here formally as a representative of her soon-to-be nation will be a good first step in establishing a positive rtionship with her." She said to her Chief of Staff.


    Technically she could just invite Akagi without approval, since the President was America''s chief diplomat, but inviting the <i>literal</i> Demon Lord to the White House would cause <i>issues</i> and thus she figured it would be beneficial to seek approval from at least Congressional leadership before extending an invitation.


    "That might prove difficult, and I suspect we''ll get pushback from some of the more hawkish members of Congress, but I''ll make it happen." Abigail nodded.


    "Secretary Hubbard." She turned to her Secretary of State. "Please stress to the Japanese government that they should under no circumstances take actions against Akagi or otherwise provoke her wrath. I''m not saying they can''t defend themselves, but they <i>should not</i> be the ones to initiate hostilities." President Rosewood didn''t need further crisis in Japan now that things had stabilized.


    "I will speak to the Japanese Ambassador after we finish here." He nodded.


    "Also, get me in touch with Ambassador Wakemore. The U.N. was also intended to deal with non-human existences, and I suspect it will want to be involved in any and all negotiations involving the Demon Lord.¡± She gave a dryugh. ¡±Though technically, the Secretary for Outer Space Affairs was created assuming we''d be negotiating with Aliens from another, not a something born on our own world." She sighed.


    <i>{At this point, nothing could surprise me...} </i>(Rosewood)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    Meanwhile, in Japan, the RRT was still in a state of shock over the sudden and total destruction of most of Libra. They''d figured Akagi would handle Libra, but <i>this</i> was far beyond their expectations. Not long after things finished up, Superbia returned with the restrained Elna, who, didn''t put up any resistance. After being healed and thrown into a specially-made cell, she stayedpletely quiet muttering something iprehensible about Akagi and eternal darkness.


    Mixu, Excelsior, and Aoi stood in thems room as the other members logged in to speak over video call.


    "So... Demon Lord." Mixu sighed. "Anyone have any ideas about that?" She had no clue what that meant or any of the details, and neither did anyone else.


    "I guess we have our answer as to <i>why</i> Hishya was so freaked out." Minazawa clutched her head over the video call. "So Akagi wasn''t human, and in fact, she was a world-ending <i>Demon </i>hell-bent on the extermination of mankind. Great, just what we needed in our lives."


    "Not to mention she eats souls." Hoshino shuddered as she recalled what Akagi did to Libra''s members. "I''m just d she''s not after me, that looked horrible."


    "All hail the Demon Lord!" Imp burst outughing. "May her reign be long-eternal! All shall quake-cower in fear-terror at her darkness!" Herment annoyed or exasperated everyone else.


    "Imp...¡± Mixu red at her. ¡°Forget it, I don''t even have the energy to smack you. Go worship your God Empress or whatever..." Mixu was going to say more but gave up. "I don''t care what you do anymore."


    ¡°Heh-heh.¡± Imp continuedughing.


    "Well, at least Libra''s dealt with!" Aoi tried to be positive. "So, hopefully, things will start getting back to normal soon, and at least this means the attacks should stop! So lets look at the bright side!" The other members were <i>less</i> enthusiastic about this turn of events.


    "You know, when I joked about Akagi being the Demon Empress of the world. I wasn''t expecting to be proven <i>correct</i> on that." Excelsior was kicking himself for thatment. "And normal? Really Aoi? Do you seriously think that Akagi is just going to sit in her little vige and just do nothing? God only knows what she''s going to do next, and I wouldn''t be surprised if she starts a serious bloodletting for shits and giggles."


    "I mean, even if she does start her eradication of humanity we can''t do anything to her, Excel." Mixumented. "Tell me, could you eat that st ande out unscathed? Any of you?" She looked around, and no one answered. "Thought so. I''m not interested in bing <i>Demon</i> food, so count me out of any schemes to fight her. If you all want to go poking the <i>Demon </i>bear, then be my guest, but don''te crying to me when she eats you."


    "Akagi friend, not foe," Imp spoke up in her friends defense. "Leave alone-ignore. Best choice-decision."


    "So, are you going to run off and be the Demon Lord''s topckey? You seemed quite enthusasitc about your new overlord." Mixu asked sarcastically. "I''m sure she can get you all sorts of toys to y with Hell she might even go big and bag you a few souls to y with."


    "Hmmmmmm." Imp stuck out her tongue in thought. "Perhaps... hehehhehe."


    <i>{Though I already have test subjects. Heh-heh...} </i>Imp was already working with Akagi on <i>experimenting </i>on Merkyul and his team in conjunction with Daikael. Things were proceeding <i>smoothly</i> and it was bearing many fruits.


    "So what happens to the RRT now?" Hoshino asked. "Libra''s done, so are we disbanding?" She asked Aoi.


    "No," She shook her head. "This organization was created to be a response team for attacks or natural disasters. With Libra defeated, the team will enter standby mode, only being called when normal emergency services are insufficient." There was much more the super-powered fighters could do other than fight terrorists.


    "Akagi will being here tomorrow with Hishya, so please be in Tokyo in person. She wants to speak with all of us." Superbia mentioned what Akagi asked her to. "And I''d rmend <em>not</em> ignoring the Demon Lord''s request." She gave a dryugh.


    "You saying that just makes me think we''re back in FWO." Minazawa shook her head. "Wasn''t there some lore about a Demon Lord in the game?"


    "Yes-yes!" Imp answered. "But Akagi not same Demon Lord. Akagi much more dangerous-deadly."Imp gave a tooth smile, she knew that this new Akagi would give her so much more fun toys to y with.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    In a mountainpound West of Kyoto.


    Kenji Tomogawa sat around a conference table with his first son (Akagi''s uncle) and his second daughter (Akagi''s Aunt). He was in formal attire, simr to that of a Buddhist priest. While his children were in simr clothing.


    "It would seem that the events our forebears prepared for has finallye to pass." Kenji looked at the image of Akagi in her Demon Lord form projected on the wall. "Darkness has returned to Japan. After two centuries, we are called upon to perform our sworn duty as banishers of Yokai and all things evil. This <i>Demon Lord </i>was born of our own blood and thus it is our responsibility to destroy her and save the world as is our duty by blood." He looked at his two children who nodded in agreement.


    "Begin preparations. We will require the blood of our Masters to seed in this great endeavor. Take great care in securing the girl. Once we have her, we can unlock the sacred implements left to us in case the darkness ever returned. With their aide, the stain upon our family shall be erased and peace and order will be restored." The girl he was referring to was Naomi. Their two ns had once been one, but in the 1700s, the Tomogawa was split off from the main branch to create a dedicated Yokai hunting n. This was something only known to the highest members of each family as secrecy was paramount. Naomi''s father and grandfather were killed before she was informed, and thus she was unaware of the connection, as tradition dictated that family members would not be informed until their eighteenth birthday.


    The Tomogawa n was also simrly secretive, with only its Head and those deemed worthy being brought into the fold. This was usually the Head''s immediate children as well as the children of heirs and the siblings of the head as well as their children. But at times there were those unsuited to their duty born into the n. Those deemed unworthy were not informed of this part of the Tomogawa legacy, such as Akagi''s mother, and thus were unaware of the truth. At present, the Tomogawa family had ten active agents spread amongst the generations. Simrly to the Tokugawa n, members were not inducted until their eighteenth birthday, as the ritual used to awaken their spiritual power was unsafe until maturity.


    "Father," Juichiro spoke up. "While I do not disagree with the need to act, I find it concerning that we would kidnap a member of the Tokugawa n and act without their direct approval. She might be a mere girl, but she is thest remaining member of our Master''s house and she would perish during the release ritual!" The Tomogawa''s were sworn to the Tokugawa''s in blood and oath, doing this would vite both of those. ¡°Is there no other option? Could we not take from one of the other branch families? Or perhaps negotiate with this girl?¡±


    "We do not have the luxury of standing on formalities," Miyabi interjected. "That girl is not aware of our family''s history and sacred duty, and she cannot make an informed decision as she has been tainted by that <i>Demon</i>. Her death will atone for her sins and her betrayal of our founding oaths." Her eyes told just how serious she was. ¡°If it wasn''t for that fool of a sister of ours, we wouldn''t have to take such drastic measures anyway.¡±


    <i>{She even failed to kill that monster discretely, even with all the help I provided her over the years! What a worthless woman!} </i>Miyabi had tried to get Shima to secretly kill Akagi when she was younger, but attempts were either aborted or failed to finish her off.


    "Indeed, your sister is right." Kenji nodded. "Akagi is a threat to the entire world, and we are the only ones who can stop her. On top of that, she has spirited away our family''s most gifted member in generations. Kana would make a fine head in the future, and we must rescue her from Akagi''s demonic corruption. Once we do that, we can <i>reeducate</i> her in our ways." He was absolutely sure that his family could handle whatever power Akagi had obtained. ¡°As for other branch families, I''m afraid that will not be possible. None exist which have enough direct Tokugawa blood for use in the ritual.¡±


    He was especially angry at Kana being with her sister, because in just over a year, Kana would have been officially brought into the family business. Her incredible intelligence made many people wondering why she was left in a normal school setting when she could easily have been ced in university at a young age. The answer was because Kana was intended to use her mental prowess for the sake of the n rather than for herself. Kenji had already determined that she would seed him as family head once he stepped down, and things were already in motion to include Kana into the family business. She was expected to be the ns most powerful members in generations and early spiritual tests were off the charts. Refusal wasn''t really an option, and it was expected that she would acquiesce once the importance of the n''s mission was revealed. If that failed, there was always good old fashioned brainwashing with spiritual power. Something the family could and <i>has</i> used on its members in the past. Until then, like all future members, Kana would live a normal life until her eighteenth birthday. This was done to allow them a sense of normalcy and to make sure they didn''t be aloof and forget why they protected this world. Kana''s high intelligence <em>did</em> cause some issues, but since the girl herself wanted to remain in a normal environment anyway, things worked out.


    However, despite all his training and preparations, Kenji made several fatal mistakes in his nning.


    One, he assumed Akagi was unaware of what was going on behind the scenes in the Tomogawa household.


    While it''s true that she was not informed of the true history of their family while she grew up. She''d <em>had</em> sent some of her agents to spy on the family, and was shocked by what she''d discovered. Out of concern for Kana, she''d decided to withhold this information, but intensified surveince on the family out of a sense of caution. Though she told her agents to keep their distance, afraid that the Onmyoji could harm her people, meaning that her information was iplete.


    Two, while it''s true that his family''s spiritual power was great, Kenji was heavily underestimating Akagi''s power, and assumed she was no different than the <i>Demons</i> recorded in his family''s bestiary. He failed to understand that his family was not strong enough to handle her even with dedicated anti-demon techniques, and his reliance on ancient weapons from the past made his n highly susceptible to failure.


    And three, he assumed that Akagi couldn''t adequately protect Naomi from whatever attack they tried, as he was unaware of the protective shadow that surrounded the girl. If/when they tried something, Akagi would know and that would signal the family''s destruction. For no matter how much Akagi cared for Kana, she wouldn''t allow anyone to get away with harming her or her friends, and Naomi was kind of like a second daughter to her, though Akagi would deny that. If it came down to it, Akagi would just ask Kana for forgiveness afterward rather than permission.


    These three factors woulde together to bring down the centuries-old Tomogawa n, and Akagi would not hesitate to enact her vengeance. For it would take much more than a few priests to bring down a Demon Lord.


    ________________________________________________________________________________________________


    West of Sendai, deep in the mountains.


    ¡°Hiyyah!¡±A woman with long red hair, tied in a ponytail, yelled out as she fired sts against the mountainside. ¡°YaYaYaYaYaYaYaYaYaYaYaYa!¡±


    Her name was Eris, leader of the secondrgest yer organization in FWO, the guild Shining de. The mountains around Sendai were her favorite training area, and she''d constructed a small base nearby with some of her other guild members.


    <i>{Just you wait Hishya, next time we fight. I''ll definitely defeat you!} </i>(Eris)


    Eris was snapped out of her thoughts by one of her friends. ¡°Hey! Eris! It''s time for lunch! Come on down, everyone''s waiting.¡± A girl in a brown tunic called out to her.


    Eris put our her fires and turned to the girl. ¡°Sounds good Ema! I''ll be down in a bit!¡± She smiled. After a few minutes of cool-down, Eris walked down to the small clearing where Ema had set up a table for lunch.


    ¡°There you are Ayame.¡± Eris called out to the blue haired girl sitting at the table. This was Ayame, her best friend and second inmand. The two had been friends even before FWO and both had taken to continuing their training even after escaping the game.


    ¡°Yo!¡± Ayame made a peace sign. ¡°So check this out.¡± She pulled up a video feed and sent it to Eris. ¡°Looks like our favorite assassin went and finished the job for us.¡±


    Eris watched as Akagi <em>consumed</em> Zappy. ¡°Damn, she really went for them, huh?¡± She wasn''t particrly disturbed by the footage, but it was still a sight to behold. ¡°I guess that means the government really did hire her.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, apparently Armalthy went and fucked up big time by attacking that priestess of hers. Akagi said at the end of the stream that if anyone else touches her, we''re all dead.¡± Ayame took a sip of her tea.


    ¡°Hey those ass hats had iting. If we were stronger, I''d like to have done it myself.¡± Eris clicked her tongue. She wanted to defeat Libra herself and finally show up Hishya.


    ¡°Tell me about it. Those bastards hit Sendai a few times, and I''d love to tear them apart for that.¡± Ayame was also from the city and hade to loath Libra for all their destruction. ¡°I just wish more of our members would actually take training seriously. Most of them skip out and some don''t even show at all.¡± She sighed. ¡°The bastards think peace is free.¡±


    Most of the Shining de members, at least those who retained their abilities, had chosen to stay out of the Libra-RRT war and remained neutral. Each had their own reasons, but Eris and Ayame were angry that more people wouldn''t get involved. They''d originally thought of joining the RRT, but decided to stay near Sendai for the time being to protect their home.


    ¡°At least it wasn''t Hishya that finished things off. All she got to do was stand on the sidelines and watch, serves her right.¡± Erisughed.


    <i>{Reformed or not, I don''t give a damn Hishya. I''m going to get you on your knees and humiliate you one of these days like you did to me and so many other yers!} </i>Eris didn''t hate Hishya, and epted that she was a better person now than she was before, but that didn''t mean her lingering anger had disbursed.


    ¡°Alrighty! The soup is done!¡± Ema came back with a big pot and a small basket which had bread.


    ¡°Let me take that.¡± Eris took the hot soup pot from Ema and ced it on the table. ¡°Oh that smells good.¡± Ema had taken to cooking quite well over the years, something the two girls were grateful for.


    ¡°Yeah! I''m starving! Lets eat!¡± Ayame''s stomach growled. ¡°Thank god for Ema! Otherwise we''d never get good food out here!¡±


    Ema got slightly embarrassed. ¡°My cooking isn''t really anything special, you two are the special ones with all those powers you have.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but our power involves getting angry and hitting things really hard. It''s not that impressive¡± Eris gave a wry smile, both her and Ayame were barbarians and were trying to handle their rage ability with its changes in the real world. It was also one of the reasons the two hadn''t engaged Libra outside of attacks on Sendai since they didn''t trust their powers at the moment. ¡°Don''t go discounting yourself like that. You''ve always been a massive help!¡±


    The three sat down and ate lunch, discussing their progress, future training and what would happen now that Libra was dealt with.


    ¡°Well...¡± Ayame said while chewing. ¡°If all the Libra members give up, that''s the end of that. But I don''t think we should stop training. Who knows what might happen next.¡±


    ¡°I agree, we need to whip the rest of the members into shape, lest we fall behind. We have no idea what threats might emerge, and I have no interest in being turned into a pawn for the government or any other group.¡± Eris said while taking a bite of bread. ¡°Wouldn''t shock me of more things from FWO start cropping up too. This whole situation still doesn''t sit well with me. We''ve seen that NPCs can cross from the game into our world, so perhaps other things could too? Maybe monsters?¡± That was a possibility Akagi had broached to her once on a phone call.


    ¡°No clue, but we just need to be ready for whatever the future brings. I can imagine the government is going to try even harder to bring us under its thumb from here, and we need to be powerful enough to resist.¡± Ayame nodded.


    <i>{I also need to be strong enough to protect the people I care about.} </i>She nced at Ema and Ayame. <i>{Hishya''s only gotten stronger, so now I need to work double time to get more powerful than her. Perhaps Akagi has some ideas? She did offer to train us if we were interested. Perhaps we should take her up on that offer, if its still on the table.}</i>


    Spoiler


    Kenji Tomogawa!


    Juichiro Tomogawa!


    Miyabi Tomogawa!


    Eris!


    Ema!


    Ayame!


    [copse]

 Chapter 108 – The Dragons and the Demons.

    Chapter 108 ¨C The Dragons and the Demons.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    3 Today! One is the first special side story written with the characters created by people on my discord! So give them a big thank you for all the effort they put in to making these characters!


    Kana sat in one of the side rooms with her two friends, she''d called them over to speak about her <i>experience </ist night as they were the only people she could talk to. Her sister was busy with Hishya and, frankly, Akagi was <i>not</i> the person Kana wanted to discuss <i>this </i>with. Her face was flushed red from embarrassment as she told Mika and Naomi what happenedst night.


    "Wow!" Naomi was surprised. "So you and Hishya.... you actually... ummm." She got a little red herself.


    <i>{That''s unexpected...} </i>(Naomi)


    "I can''t believe it!" Mika was excited. "Little Miss honor student was somehow the first of all of us!" Mika was still quite <i>pure</i>, in body not mind, but was very interested in this information.


    "It was one hell of a night." Kana''s face got redder. "Now I understand what Onee-chan was saying when she talked about a dragon''s <i>appetite </i>and <i>stamina."</i> Hishya had gotten quite <i>aggressi</i>ve.


    ¡°N-now that I think about it, I-isn''t Hishya a bit <i>small</i>?¡± Naomi was referring to <i>several </i>issues that caused her some concern.


    ¡°O-ordinarily, you''d be right. But it turns out that Hishya can change her body shape a bit. So she was anything <i>but </i>small. She was even taller and more <i>shapely</i> than me.¡± Kana was still red.


    <i>{I had no clue she could do that, but by god was it amazing to see adult Hishya!}</i>(Kana)


    ¡°S-she can do that?!?¡± Naomi got redder as she imagined <i>adult</i> Hishya


    "You have to tell us everything!" Mika wanted details. "Everything! I need this!"


    "I agree with Mika. Tell us!" Naomi was equally interested.


    Kana sighed. She knew that there was no way to satisfy these two without divulging everything, and figured better to just rip that band-aide off now and get it over with. Psyching herself up, she told them every single detail of her <i>experience </ist night. As she described things, the two girls'' faces got redder and redder until they were just as embarrassed as she was. Once she was done, Kana took a drink of the water next to her to cool down, as it was not exactly fun to provide a detailed y-by-y.


    "I can never look at Hishya''s tail the same way again." Naomi''s eyes zed over. The information provided was <i>shocking</i>.


    "She actually called you her mate!" Mika squeed. "That''s kinda hot!"


    "Yeah, I think she was quite <i>frustrated</i>. Because boy, once she got into it...." Kana recalled Hishya''s draconic eyes, which oozed with hunger. "She was quite <i>aggressive." </i>Kana''s entire body was sore and she had a bite marks in <i>certain</i> ces.


    "Just to be clear." Naomi chimed in. "Hishya didn''t uhhh force you or anything, right?"


    <i>{Please don''t tell me we need to go y the dragon.} </i>(Naomi)


    "No, no, no, no, no," Kana shook her head vigorously. "Absolutely not! She might have been really into it, but she always made sure I was ok. Nothing that happened was without my <i>explicit </i>approval."


    "Then it''s fine." Naomi breathed a sigh of relief. "I was kind of worried since she could easily take advantage of you." Hishya was a dragon, and Kana was not exactly strong, so the concern was warranted.


    "Trust me, if Hishya did act like that, Onee-chan would have already skinned her and turned her into boots." Kana chuckled.


    "True." (Mika x Naomi)


    "So then you''re official?" Naomi asked.


    "Yes, after <ist night </i>we''re going out." Kana nodded.


    <i>{If we didn''t start dating afterst night, that would be even stranger.} </i>(Kana)


    "So does that mean she''ll call you her <i>mate </i>instead of girlfriend?" Mika gave a cheeky smile.


    Kana got a bit embarrassed. "I''ve told her not to call me that unless we''re alone." She wanted to end that conversation.


    <i>{But she''s going to call you it...} </i>(Naomi)


    "Aww, that''s cute." Mika smiled. "So when will she beying an egg? Should I start preparing to be a godmother soon?"


    "Mika, do you want to get burned again?" Kana''s face got scary.


    "Please, no," Mika put her hands up in an X.


    "And I could ask you the same." Kana smirked. "When are you gonna be a mom? Those two Yuki-Onna sisters would probably go for it." Unlike Kana and Hishya, Mika and the Yuki-Onna <i>could </i>have children.


    Mika''s face got bright red. "Ok, you win. I won''t bring that up anymore."


    <i>{You walked into that one, Mika.} </i>(Naomi)


    "Oh yeah, I wanted to ask something," Naomi recalled something Kana said during her exnation. "Why did she call you princess?"


    Kana turned away for a moment and debated whether to answer. "Uhhhh, because it will technically be true..." She looked conflicted.


    "What?!?" (Naomi x Mika)


    "W-well..... Onee-chan''s reward for beating Libra will be her own country." Kana put her hand behind her head and started dryughing.


    "What!" (Naomi x Mika)


    "Yeah, so she''ll be the Demon Lord of her own kingdom centered around this estate as well as thend around it. Sooooo technically, I''ll be a princess because that''s how that works." Kana was trying to hold herself together as she exined this fact.


    "What?!?" (Naomi x Mika)


    "Now I understand why Onee-chan hates it when Hishya and I act like that." Being sted in stereo was not fun.


    "Hold up!" Naomi spoke up. Her eyes had turned into swirls from confusion. "When did this happen?!?¡±


    "Not that long ago. I only found out from Onee-chan the other day." Kana coughed. "So it was quite surprising to me."


    <i>{Princess Kana... six year old me would probably be excited. But sixteen year old me... is... less so...} </i>(Kana)


    Naomi turned to Mika. "What the hell?!?"


    "And here I thought you couldn''t get any weirder." Mika crossed her arms. "The Genius Demon Princess and the Dragon Hero, what abination." She shook her head while cracking a smile.


    "School will be starting back up soon, will you be able to continue?" Naomi asked.


    "I don''t see why not." Kana told them that Akagi said that she would make sure things remained the same.


    "I wonder how our ssmates will react to Kana being the Demon Princess?" Mika asked. "And also the Dragon Hero''s girlfriend."


    "A lot of guys are gonna cry." Naomi nodded her head. "She was quite popr."


    "Yeah." Mika agreed. ¡°Kana was definitely in high demand.¡±


    "Wait, really?" Kana didn''t know anything about this. ¡°Since when? I never noticed anything, in fact no one, guy or girl ever asked me out.¡±


    "Kana," Mika put her hand on her shoulder. "As a woman who hase to embrace other women, let me tell you that you''re an absolute catch. You might not have noticed, but that''s because you are dense as hell."


    "I don''t want to hear that from you considering you''re only with those two because they''re Yuki-Onna!" Kana eximed.


    "But that doesn''t mean I''m wrong." Mika winked. ¡°Besides, I''m not with them <i>just </i>because they''re Yuki-Onna, that would be shallow as hell and wouldn''t be healthy or stable.¡± It was a far more sensible and logical response than Kana expected.


    <i>{Since when we''re you a responsible person, Mika?!?} </i>(Kana)


    "Naomi, a little help." Kana looked at her friend.


    "I''ve got no input on this and I will notment on whether my friend is a desirable partner, even hypothetically." Naomi shook her head. "I think I''ve made my preference for men quite apparent in the years we''ve known each other, and that''s not changed. But I will say that there have been at least one boy and girl who''vee to Mika and I for rtionship help regarding you."


    <i>{Wait really?!?} </i>(Kana)


    "We must get Naomi to join us on the dark side!" Mika eximed. ¡°She must learn to abandon her foolish love of men and join us on the fun side! Women are the superior sex for loving! We are squishy and fun! For even <i>I </i>have seen the error of my ways and changed paths.¡± She decided to y around a bit.


    "Yes! We shall make her a lily yet!" Kana joined in. ¡°Come Naomi, we can probably set you up with a cute girl! There''s gotta be one or two around here that will convert you? Maybe Chloe? ¡°


    "I won''t let you idiots corrupt me!" Naomi yfully smiled as she bonked the two of them on the head. ¡°Don''t go trying to set me up with another girl!¡±


    ¡°Owchi!¡± (Kana x Mika)


    <i>{I have a feeling that this won''t be thest time they mention this...} </i>(Naomi)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    Meanwhile, while the <i>fun </i>conversation continued between the girls, Hishya and Akagi sat across the kitchen table from one another. Hishya looked like a child who just broke something and was going to be scolded, and Akagi had the biggest shit eating grin on her face.


    "So then." Akagi smirked. "Shall we call this story: <i>I Couldn''t Defeat the Demon Lord, so I Married her Sister!" </i>Akagi could barely contain herughter as she said that. ¡°I think that title would sell very well, its just long enough for a light novel."


    <i>{Actually, that might even be too short nowadays.} </i>(Akagi)


    Hishya''s face only got redder as Akagi teased her.


    "Well damn," Akagi wiped a tear from her eye. "I didn''t think you had it in you, Hishya. You actually defied my expectations." Akagi pped. ¡°I honest to god did not expect this turn of events. You actually pulled one over on me and got past my ability to predict things. Congrattions, you''ve done what few others have.¡± She was <i>totally </i>not dumping salt on the wound.


    Hishya buried her face in her hands. "It''s not funny dammit." She grumbled.


    <i>{Ok, it''s actually a little funny. But that''s not the point!} </i>(Hishya)


    "From where I''m standing, it''s very funny." Akagi was stillughing. ¡°You transformed into <i>big </i>Hishya just for <i>activities</i>. That''s hrious! I didn''t even know you could do that!¡±


    "I figured that out a while ago, but using it to do <i>that </i>was not exactly what I envisioned when I yed around with that ability.¡± Since she was actually a dragon using a human shape, it made sense that she could customize her human appearance to a point. Though unlike Akagi, Hishya''s ability was quite limited and she could only adjust minor physical features such as height, age, <i>size</i> and a few other things. ¡°I just hope she''s not mad at me. Things escted quite quickly." Hishya recalled that she was quite <i>aggressive, </i>and she hoped Kana wasn''t upset at how she was with her.


    "If Kana was mad, she would have told me, and then you would be food." Akagi grinned. "So since you are not food, she is not mad." Akagi continued. "Besides, Kana''s a pretty tough girl, and I think you''re just overthinking things. She''s talking with Mika and Naomi as we speak, so I think she''s fine." Akagi waved off her concerns.


    <i>{Also, Kana has a very dirty mind. So I''d wager that she was probably not very innocent in terms of knowledge. I''ve got no clue what she''s looked up online, nor do I want to know, but it was probably a lot more than Shima or Taichi would have wanted.} </i>(Akagi)


    "But wasn''t that too soon! We weren''t even technically dating yet! And I''ve known Kana for like five months!" Hishya eximed. "That was so much, so fast. Argh! I should have held back and taken things slow!"


    "Hishya, you are both pent-up teenagers. It''s totally normal to just dive into that stuff." Akagi shrugged. "Trust me, humans are depraved creatures in <em>that</em> department. Compared to <i>certain people </i>I know, what you did was tame. And honestly, <i>too fast </i>is very subjective. If you were bothfortable and willing, then I''d say it was perfectly timed."


    <i>{People sleep with each other on first dates, so five months of quasi courtship before that is leagues more than many people have before they dive in.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Out of curiosity." Hishya looked at Akagi. "Have you and Yumi..." She both did and didn''t want to know the answer to that question.


    "Twice." Akagi nodded. "Though recall that I don''t get anything out of the act itself. I did it because I wanted to make Yumi happy." Akagi smiled.


    The Demon was tantly lying as she said that. The first time was one thing, since it was basically Akagi gifting Yumi what she wanted as a kind of reward for the locket. But the second time was <i>not</i> instigated by the priestess, and was 100% because Akagi wanted to <i>embrace</i> Yumi after nearly losing her. Even if Akagi banished her humanity, removing certain parts of it from her mind would be quite hard, and desire for skinship could easily intermix with a desire for physical intimacy. It was most certainly <i>not </i>the same kind of mental drive that humans have, but it proves that the act could still mean <i>something </i>to her. However, it was true that Akagicked actual libido or drive, so it <i>was</i> entirely psychological in nature. In the end, it didn''t really matter to Yumi who was happy either way.


    "Though I must say, Yumi and I are tamepared to you two." Akagi burst outughing. "We basically just snuggle." They were much less <i>aggressive</i> than Hishya or Kana had been.


    ¡°*Pzzzt*¡± Hishya blew a raspberry. "I''m just d I had enough awareness to put up a sound-canceling barrier. Otherwise, I''d be dead from embarrassment." That would be bad for everyone, not just Hishya and Kana.


    "Yeah, thanks for that." Akagi sighed. "My room is right next door, and I''d rather not hear that."


    <i>{I am physically incapable of forgetting now, so please don''t make me have to eternally recall you and my sister''s nighttime fun.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Oh fuck." Hishya went wide-eyed. "That would have been bad."


    "Oh, trust me. I would have made things awkward as fuck just to make you two regret causing me that distress" Akagi chuckled. "<i>Remember, I can mimic people''s voices</i>." She spoke to Hishya in her own voice as she winked.


    Hishya sighed but suddenly got an idea. "Uh strange question, but how are you handling that issue with your people?" Hishya asked. "You''ve got like a hundred people split between men and women in this small area. That''s gotta be a problem." A reasonable question, though not something Hishya wanted to think too deeply about.


    "Simple," Akagi sipped from her cup. "Contraceptive magic. Also, children may only be born out of approved marriages. If children result outside of that, punishment may ur, and the two parents will be fully responsible for that child. Those two things have kept that issue under control."


    <i>{Though that hasn''t stopped people from having their fun. Oh well, better that we don''t need to build an orphanage around here. People try pulling that crap and they''re going to get a visit from a very angry Demon.} </i>Due to her past, Akagi had little tolerance for child abuse or neglect.


    "You actually have restrictions on that?" Hishya was surprised. ¡°I never expected you to micro manage rtionships.¡±


    "My n is an organization, Hishya. It has a function and purpose, and is far more than a collection of people. I generally don''t care what people do in their private lives. But if it starts affecting my n''s ability to operate, then I''ll intervene. And interpersonal rtionships going sour or unwanted children is a very quick way to mess with my operational capacity, hence the rules." Akagi shrugged. "So far, we''ve had no problems, and these rules were made in conjunction with all the upper levels of the n. So it wasn''t like I just made a dictate and told them to deal with it." Theck of issues made sense, since there was not really any reason for unnned children to ur with the magic, as it was 100% effective. Also, loyalty to Akagi outstripped basically everything else and most n members would ensure that any children were raised to have absolute loyalty to her. Some even considered having subsequent generations dedicated to her an honor. Something they kept secret from the <i>Demon,</i> knowing full well she would find that excessive.


    "Keep in mind that the approval process doesn''t take the form of gic selection or anything like that. If members of the n wanted to marry, as long as it was genuine, it would be approved." Akagi had no interest in policing such things in a draconian way. "This method just exists to stop problems before they ur and make sure things don''t start breaking down. Also, my people know better than to start causing inter-family drama." Akagi''s eyes grew fierce for a second before reverting to normal. "Harassment or anything like that by <i>either </i>sex is a quick way to be my dinner." She had a zero tolerance policy for such things and would enforce that rule with a massive stick.


    "Good to see HR is taking that issue seriously." Hishya burst outughing at Akagi''s seriousness.


    "Luckily, unlike in our world, FWO''s lore and setting didn''t have discrimination based on sex." Akagi exined. "So I''ve not had to deal with such mindsets within my n."


    <i>{Thankfully, otherwise I''d be tempted to start stacking bodies until that stupid crap disappeared.} </i>(Akagi)


    Theck of discrimination in a medieval style fantasy setting was because having such things would cause issues for female yers or men who wanted to y as a woman. Thus the game world was explicitly gender-neutral. "Sure, there were asshats in FWO, can''t really stop someone from being a prick, but <i>none </i>of my people care about an individual''s sex." Akagi shrugged. "If they did, I doubt they would have followed me. Granted, calling me <i>female </i>at this point isn''t exactly right."


    "I never knew you thought so deeply about this stuff." Hishya was pleasantly surprised at just how much work Akagi had put into running her n. ¡°I figured you just told some poor sucker to handle everything while you goofed off.¡±


    "Seriously! What''s with you people and thinking I''m azy good for nothing?" Akagi eximed. "First Kana and the girls, and now you too! Do you guys really think that I do nothing around here?!?"


    <i>{What is with people and thinking I just sit on my ass all day and y around?!? I mean granted I <u>do</u> make sure I have lots of free time, but that''s because I get all the things done that I need to <u>first</u></i>!<i>} </i>(Akagi)

 Chapter 109 – Fulfilling the Contract.

    Chapter 109 ¨C Fulfilling the Contract.


    "Alright." Akagi stood near the front door with Hishya. "Let''s go do the <em>fun</em> thing. I''ve been looking forward to today."


    <i>{I''m gonna have so much fun with this. Not to mention killing Hoshino tonight. I''ve been nning that out and rewatching some horror movies for inspiration. She''s going to love it! Well, not really, but I will and that''s all that matters.} </i>(Akagi)


    Hishya sighed. "I don''t have the best feeling about this. Please don''t go doing anything crazy, Akagi." She was going with to hopefully diffuse any conflict and prevent a massive esction between the RRT and the <i>Demon</i>.


    "Please don''t go getting into a fight." Kana asked. She knew what Akagi was heading to Tokyo for and was worried. ¡°There''s no reason to turn their HQ into a blood bath...¡±


    <i>{Please don''t go acting all crazy again.} </i>(Kana)


    ¡°As long as they don''t do anything stupid, there shouldn''t be any issue.¡± Akagi shrugged. ¡°Whether they agree to my terms is irrelevant anyway, as anyone who gets in my way will be crushed.¡± This trip was basically a formality, since Akagi could just do whatever she wanted anyway.


    <i>{Do these two think I''m some kind of loose cannon that goes off at the drop of a hat or something?} </i>Akagi''s prior actions had no exactly inspired confidence.


    ¡°I''ll deal with the RRT business first, then I''ll move to deal with more <i>official</i> business afterwards.¡± She would handle Hoshinoter once she''d gone home alone. Akagi snapped her fingers and switched into <i>Demon Lord </i>mode. <i><b>"We''ll be back. I suspect that there will be much to discuss, so it may take a bit."</b></i>


    Kana ran up and hugged Hishya. "Please try and keep things from getting out of hand, ok?"


    Hishya became slightly embarrassed at the hug. "I''ll try, but no promises." Kana kissed her on the cheek.


    <i>{DON''T ASK THE IMPOSSIBLE OF ME!} </i>(Hishya)


    ¡°Go get em Mama!¡± Alice cheered her on, which caused everyone tough.


    <i>{Show them the true meaning of fear!} </i>Alice''s internalments were markedly <em>less</em> cute.


    "<i><b>Are you ready to go, Yumi</b></i>?" Akagi looked at the priestess, who nodded.


    "Anytime." (Yumi)


    "<i><b>Then, let''s go.</b></i>" Akagi, Yumi, and Hishya stood in front of the doorway, as Yumi summoned her staff and teleported them to the top of a building in Tokyo.


    Upon arriving, Yumi turned to Akagi and asked "Shall I return to the estate?" She usually didn''t apany Akagi on such outings, and was unsure what to do.


    <i><b>"No, I want you by my side. If you don''t mind sticking around." </b></i>Akagi smiled. <i><b>"As my [Bonded Soul] you have the right to stand next to me at such asions and I just kind of want you around."</b></i> Akagi have a wry smile.


    "I would be more than happy toe." Yumi smiled, and the three girls headed towards the RRT headquarters. They reached it quite quickly, and were swiftly taken up the elevator and into the main conference room, where the six RRT members plus Aoi were gathered.


    <i><b>"It''s good to see you all again." </b></i>Akagi smiled. <i><b>"I hope all is well with the mopping up of Libra." </b></i>She''d seen some movement and wanted to check in on the status of the surrendering members.


    Aoi spoke. "Yes, we''ve detained the rest of Libra''s members. It would seem your request for them to surrender worked. Libra as an organization no longer exists and things have calmed down considerably. Though we''re having a bit of trouble containing people, but luckily it seems they fear you killing them if they break out. So no one has tried anything." That fear was what allowed them to all gather for this meeting, plus the Libra members were being held in a special area below this building, so if anything happened they were close-by.


    <i><b>"Good, I''d rather not chase them across the country .ying Japan wide manhunt sounds awful. Though Chloe would probably love the chance to hunt some live prey." </b></i>Akagi smirked. <i><b>"Though I''m sad none decided to go it alone, more snacks would have been nice.¡±</b></i>


    "So why did you want to speak to all of us?" Minazawa asked.


    <i>{I hope this isn''t about to be a whole, under new management thing.} </i>(Minazawa)


    <i><b>"A few reasons, actually." </b></i>Akagi walked over and took a seat, pulling out her Kiseru, which Yumi lit. <i><b>"First, as Libra is dealt with, my restrictions on your movement are finished. You are all free to traverse Kansai as you please without fear of getting detained. Second, I wanted to discuss giving you a new member. Finally, I''d like toe to an understanding on our rtionship going forward.¡±</b></i>


    "Well, it''s good that moving through Kansai won''t get us killed. It''s been annoying have to deal with that restriction on our movements." Minazawa sighed. "So what''s this about a new member?"


    <i><b>"I''d like you to take in Birdy." </b></i>Akagi grinned. "<i><b>I''m sure your all aware that she''s my agent, but I want her in the RRT as my eyes and ears."</b></i>


    "You want us to willingly take in a spy?" Minazawa was confused. "Why would we agree to that?" It was crazy to expect them to take in someone they knew had loyalty elsewhere, so Minazawa couldn''t understand why Akagi would even make that offer.


    <i>{She can''t be serious. Her skill aside, Birdy is literally your ve. Why would we agree to take on someone who could turn on us at the drop of a hat?} </i>(Minazawa)


    "<i><b>Because spy or not, Birdy is quite strong, and she''d make a good addition.</b></i>" Akagi exined. <i><b>"Ever since I took her under my wing in FWO, I''ve specially trained her, and her build is quite powerful. She''s easily in the upper tier of yers, and definitely on par with the rest of you."</b></i> Akagi continued. <i><b>"You''re free to decline of course, but know that I will make this same offer to the Americans if you do."</b></i>


    "You would actually give over Birdy to the Americans?!?" Mixu was surprised. "What reason could you possibly have for doing that?" A returnee working for a foreign nation was not desirable.


    <i><b>"Leverage and influence." </b></i>Akagi grinned. "<i><b>Won''t they be more inclined to work with me if my agent is helping them? Also, having Birdy working for the States would allow me even more ess to intelligence. So it''s a win-win. Besides, even if she works for the Americans, her loyalty is to me, not them." </b></i>Birdy would never betray Akagi, as that would be both suicidal and a vition of the girls sense of honor.


    Aoi thought for a moment. "Further expansion of the team must be approved by the higher-ups. I can''t make that call on my own, but I suspect having one of your agents embedded in our system is gonna be a hard sell." Aoi gave a wry smile. Expecting them to willingly take in a known spy who would be actively giving intel to Akagi, was going to be a lot to ask.


    <i><b>"As I said, you''re free to decline." </b></i>Akagi chuckled. <i><b>"Not like I need Birdy to get intel on what goes on in the Japanese government or military." </b></i>She could get that information regardless.


    "So your third point?" Minazawa moved the conversation forward not wanting to get bogged down on the Birdy issue. "What do you want with us?"


    <i><b>"Simple," </b></i>Akagi took a puff of her pipe. <i><b>"I don''t want to kill you and I have no desire for conflict with Japan or the RRT. So stay out of my way, and I''ll stay out of yours. This isn''t negotiable and I will not tolerate interference in my work or affairs." </b></i>Akagi red at them. <i><b>"I have no interest in causing chaos, and right now, I wish to enjoy myself with Yumi and all the people I care about by my side. As long as you don''t threaten them, then we won''t have a problem."</b></i>


    "So you''d just expect us to turn a blind eye to your activities? We can''t just let your people do whatever they want!" Minazawa eximed. That would put Akagi''s followers above thew and allow them free reign. Though in fairness, they were effectively already above thew by this point anyway.


    <i><b>"As I said, non-negotiable. Though I think you''re misunderstanding what I''m talking about." </b></i>Akagi sat her pipe down on the table. <i><b>"I have no intention of sending my people out to cause chaos and havoc throughout the country. Rather, I want you to leave them in peace. My family does engage in illegal activity, but nothing so major that it would cause instability." </b></i>Her people did a great number of criminal activities as part of their usual activity, though mostly extortion, theft, and contract killings; along with other assorted things. If anything, the Dumetor n was basically a Yakuza family and operated like a criminal organization. <i><b>"My family has already taken work from domestic clients and foreign governments, so its already toote to stop me."</b></i>


    "So basically, you''re saying if wee across one of your <i>operations, </i>we should just ignore it." Aoi sighed.


    Akagi nodded.


    "Not like we have a choice." Aoi shook her head. "Fighting you isn''t an option."


    <i><b>"And I know that." </b></i>Akagiughed. <i><b>"I hold all the cards, and you can bet I''ll take advantage of that."</b></i>


    <i>{It''s nice when I can just walk into a room, dictate terms and no one can do anything since they know full well I can erase them if they talk back.} </i>(Akagi)


    "You truly are evil, aren''t you?" Excelsior was disgusted with Akagi''s actions and words. He''d watched the recording of her destruction of Libra and felt a deep revulsion to the <i>Demon</i>.


    <i><b>"I am a being born to destroy the world, Excel. I am by my very nature an evil being." </b></i>Akagi red at at him. <i><b>"Though, I''d say I get a bit of credit for casting aside my worst impulses and giving this world a chance. That''s got to count for something, right? Or would you prefer if I just start killing all of you right now?"</b></i>


    <i>{Excel, please don''t poke the Demonic bear.} </i>Hishya began to sweat nervously, fearing that the man of justice would start arger conflict.


    "Having all that power doesn''t justify using it tomit crimes and do evil acts! I can understand protecting what you care about, but why go so far? You don''t <i>need</i> to act evil just because you were born as a <i>Demon,</i> do you?" Excelsior said. ¡°Why don''t you help people with all that power? Or at least use it more responsibility than you do now?!?¡±


    <i><b>"Need? No," </b></i>Akagi shook her head. <i><b>"But want? Yes," </b></i>Akagi continued. <i><b>"I act solely because it''s what I want to do. And if I want to have my peoplemit criminal acts and take lives, then that''s what I''ll do. Excelsior, understand that I''ve already given both you and this world a kindness by allowing it to exist despite my cement here. I think that''s a big enough concession." </b></i>From her perspective, allowing this world to continue despite its designation as a world to be destroyed<i> </i>was a <i>massive</i> concession, ones other worlds would have dly taken.


    ¡°<i><b>As to your second point about using my power to help people or restrain myself.¡± </b></i>Akagi picked up her pipe, cing it in her mouth. <b><i>¡°Why should I? Human morals do not hold any weight with me, so asking me to act responsibly or to use my power for the grater good isn''t really appealing to me. I don''t care what happens to the rest of this world as I have only a minimal amount of empathy for humanity as a whole. As for limiting my actions, I''d say not dering war on humanity and enving you all is quite the limitation on my actions, yet you ask for more? How greedy.¡± </i></b>Akagi was starting to get annoyed.


    "So you don''t care about the repercussions your acts have on the world? The lives lost? The people harmed?" Excelsior asked. ¡°You just think that because you <i>let us live</i> that you get to do whatever you want without any care in the world? And we just have to live with that?¡±


    <i><b>"Yes.¡± </b></i>Akagi nodded. <i><b>¡°That is exactly right.¡± </b></i>She took a puff of the Kiseru. <i><b>¡°From my perspective, I can''t understand why you are struggling to ept my generosity. I''ve told you that you get to live, enjoy your life and not worry about a sudden obliteration of your world.¡± </b></i>Akagi continued. <i><b>¡°You should be happy, and overjoyed. What I''ve given you, as such a deal is unprecedented when ites to my kind. My offer is much more than what other worlds that have hosted my kind have received, since they were all </b></i><i><u><b>obliterated</b></u></i><i><b> without so much as a discussion.¡± </b></i>Akagi was getting increasingly irritated with Excelsior.<i><b>¡±I''m not even asking you for much really, just leave me and my people alone. All you have to do is overlook a few things every now and then, not really that much of a demand if you think about it carefully.¡±</b></i>


    ¡°But-¡± Excelsior was cut off by Akagi


    ¡°<i><b>Now, I''m going to give you one final warning. Do not take my kindness for granted, Excel. There is very little if anything left in my mind from my time as a human, so don''t try and y to a better nature which no longer exists. </b></i>Akagi exined what happened when she went into her soul the day Yumi was hurt. <i><b>"In body and mind, I am no longer human. So expecting me to act like one or embrace human ethics and morals is asinine."</b></i>


    "You cast all that aside, your humanity, everything you ever were before FWO... For... power?" Mixu was ufortable at how easily Akagi embraced bing a <i>Demon,</i> even she still struggled to maintain her humanity now that she was a vampire. ¡°That''s...¡±


    <i><b>"Power was part of it but not the deciding factor vampy. My primary reason for casting my humanity aside was because I wanted to be whole. And that false humanity that had attached and suppressed me had to go, it acted as a seal on my true self." </b></i>Akagi''s face scrunched as she recalled how she felt for all those years. <i><b>"You have no idea how awful it felt to be missing an important part of yourself, so don''t act flippant with me. You try existing as an iplete person for over two decades and then you can sit and lecture me about how I shouldn''t have done everything to remove that feeling of emptiness!"</b></i>


    Sparks began to fly as Akagi argued with the RRT and it seemed that it wouldn''t take much to ignite the powder-keg.


    ¡°That''s enough! Mixu, Excelsior Knock it off! We are not here to lecture or berate her, she came to speak with us in good faith, and I will not allow you to continue arguing like this!¡± Aoi broke up the conversation, fearing that it might erupt into conflict as she could tell things would likely only escte from here. "I will pass along your message to the higher-ups. I don''t know what they''ll say, but I''ll let them know."


    ¡°<i><b>Good, then we''re done here.¡± </b></i>Akagi stood up, <b><i>¡°I''ll see you allter, feel free to drop by for a chat if you''re in the area.¡± </i></b>Akagi looked at Hoshino, smiling ominously, before the three of them returned back to the estate.


    <i>{What was that all about? It was creepy...} </i>(Hoshino)


    ______________________________________________________________________________


    <Hoshino POV>


    After the <i>meeting</i> with Akagi, the RRT continued with its normal daily routine. They still needed to deal with guarding the Libra members they''d captured as well as other things which required their assistance.


    Hoshino went home just after sundown, her shift being over for the day. She lived in a small apartment in the middle of downtown Tokyo, alone. After joining the RRT she''d cut ties with her family, who were less than enthusiastic about her changes. It was already after dark, and the street she lived on was poorly lit with only a few streetlights that flickered on and off. For whatever reason, she''d started to feel as if someone, or <i>something</i> was watching her.


    <i>{What the fuck is this creepy feeling?!? None of my detection abilities are sensing anything, is it just some paranoia? Or there a ghost around here?} </i>(Hoshino)


    Upon reaching the outside of her apartment building, she quickly walked up the stairs, which were dimly lit by a handful of weak lights. It was as if the darkness was licking at the weakening light sources, waiting for the chance to swallow them whole and plunge the entireplex into darkness


    ¡°Alright I''m back!¡± Hoshino entered her apartment with the usual greeting. ¡°Not like there''s anyone here anyway.¡± She kicked off her shoes and went into the kitchen to grab a beer. She wanted to unwind after work, and had been craving a drink all day. As she rooted through the fridge, she saw something out of the corner of her eye, a shadow seemed to dart into the spare bedroom. She swung around quickly, drawing her de, as she looked at the dark room across the hall.


    ¡°Is someone there?!?¡± Hoshino slowly moved over to the room and flicked on the lights, showing an empty bedroom. She looked around a bit more, opening the closet and moving the drapes before concluding that she was just seeing things. ¡°I''m just jumpy from a long day at work, and also seeing that monster eating people.¡± She sighed in relief. ¡°Who the hell would break into <i>my</i> apartment anyway? Like seriously that''s basically suicide!¡± Sheughed at the absurdity of the notion, grabbed a beer and plopped on the couch to watch some mindless T.V.


    *BONK*


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Sheughed at the TV. ¡°That guy got hit on the head with a coconut!¡± Hoshino was enraptured in theedy she was watching and spent most of the night rxing on the couch.


    *CREEK*


    ¡°What was that?¡± Hoshino looked over and saw that same bedroom door had opened slightly. ¡°I thought I closed that door?¡± She walked over to the door, but as she did the T.V. screen flickered and for a brief moment, a dark shadowy figure could be seen in the image projected. It seemed humanoid and had two orange eyes with slits like a snake, it only stayed for a brief moment before disappearing. Approaching the door, Hoshino closed it once more, making sure the lock clicked. ¡°Fucking ghosts.¡± Sheughed at her joke, not noticing the dark mass just within the door frame as she shut it.


    As she turned around, she looked at the wall clock. ¡°Ahh its already midnight...¡± She sighed. ¡°Alrighty time for a shower, then bed!¡± She yawned and stretched as she went into the bathroom and started the water. ¡°Tomorrow''s gonna be a bitch with all those idiots locked up in the cells. I just hope none of them get ideas and try to bust out during the night.¡±


    She started whistling an anime song as she washed up.


    *CREEK*


    Another door made a creaking noise, she pulled back the curtain and saw that the bathroom door had opened slightly.


    ¡°Seriously...¡± She got annoyed. ¡°Its going to get cold in here! That damnndlord didn''t fix the bathroom door like I told him! Ugh!¡± She decided to quickly wrap up her shower rather than get out and close the door. After about ten minutes, she was done with her shower and wrapped the towel around her before getting out and standing in front of the fogged up mirror.


    ¡°At least this body doesn''t have the horrible ckhead problem I had before.¡± She chuckled as she cleaned off the fog with a towel. ¡°Now to do a bit of prep then go to sleep.¡± Hoshino cleaned up her face, applied some product, and then turned on the sink to wash things off.


    *SCRUB* *SCRUB* *SCRUB* *SCRUB*


    She bent down and started washing off the product and cleaning off her face.


    ¡°Hmm.Hmm.Hmmm.¡± She hummed as she washed her face. ¡°Alright, that''s done, so where is that towel?¡± Hoshino reached out to her right where the face towel she kept on a hanger was, but couldn''t find it.


    ¡°Dammit! Didn''t I put that stupid towel back?¡± She growled. She couldn''t see at the moment because of the wash on her face and kept feeling around looking for it.¡± Come on! Where are you?!?¡± After a few seconds, she felt someone put a towel in her hand.


    ¡°Ah thanks!¡± Hoshino said as she took the towel.


    ¡°<i><b>You''re wee.¡± </b></i>(Akagi)


    The moment she heard Akagi''s voice, Hoshino''s eyes snapped open and she turned towards where the voice came from, seeing nothing.


    ¡°What the fuck?!?¡± Hoshino eximed.


    <i>{Am I hearing shit?!?} </i>She started to panic.


    ¡°Akagi!¡± Hoshino called out. ¡°Are you fucking with me! Is this another one of your pranks?!? Because its not fucking funny!¡±


    ¡°<i><b>Really? Because I''m having a st.¡± </b></i>Akagiughed.


    Hoshino spun around, trying to find where she was, but couldn''t.


    <i>{I gotta get the fuck out of here!} </i>Hoshino tried to open the bathroom door, but found that it was locked. Annoyed, she punched it full power, intending to break it, but it didn''t budge.


    ¡°What the fuck?!?¡± She pushed on the door, trying to open it, but to no avail. ¡°I''m trapped!¡± She pounded on the door. ¡°Someone! Can anyone hear me? I''m stuck in here!¡±


    ¡°<i><b>I can hear you.¡± </b></i>Akagu chuckled. <b><i>¡°But I suspect that I''m not the one you wish to have help you. Not like I would anyway.¡±</i></b>


    ¡°Listen, you had your fun of freaking me out and scaring me with the whole horror movie shtick! So please let me go now...¡± Hoshino sighed, still thinking this was a prank.


    ¡°I''m afraid that I''ve got some bad news for you Hoshino, this little room will be your final resting ce.¡± Kaori appeared within the bathroom, seeming to form out of the walls themselves.


    ¡°What! K-Kaori! Why are you here?!? How did you just do that?¡± Hoshino was thoroughly confused.


    ¡°Kaori isn''t here you fool. Its still Akagi, your friendly neighborhood <i>Demon</i>, did you forget that I can transform into other people?¡± Akagi chuckled.


    ¡°What the hell is going on?!?¡± Hoshino screamed.


    ¡°You really are stupid, aren''t you?¡± Akagi sighed. ¡°I''m here to kill you, Hoshino.¡±


    Akagi''s words caused Hoshino to freeze. ¡°K-kill? Don''t screw with me! Why would you kill me! I''ve never done anything to you!¡±


    ¡°True, but you''ve done plenty to your sister.¡± Akagi smiled. ¡°And she wanted to ensure you got paid back in full for everything you did to her over the years.¡±


    ¡°K-Kaori sent you?!? That stupid toy dared to send you after me?!?¡± Hoshino backed up towards the door. ¡°Y-you have to be lying! She wouldn''t dare, and how could she anyway! There''s no way she could-¡± Hoshino''s eyes went wide as she realized how her sister could have gotten Akagi''s help.


    ¡°Now then.¡± Akagi stepped forward. ¡°I think its time to get started. Kaori gave me a very long list detailing exactly what she wanted me to do, and its going to take a while.¡± She snapped her fingers and Hoshino fell to the floor, paralyzed. ¡°Lucky for you, she didn''t request your soul to be consumed or even tormented for all eternity like Armalthy, so you''ll get to die. Well, eventually.¡± Akagi shrugged. ¡°I can make the flow of time go as I please in here, so we''ve got all the time in the world, Hoshino.¡± Akagi''s face reflected in the mirror as she spoke. But rather than show the innocent face of the young Kaori, it was contorted into a <i>Demonic</i> smile and showed her true eyes.


    <i>{N-no! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.} </i>(Hoshino)


    Akagi spent an extraordinary amount of time torturing Hoshino that night. How long? Only she knows, but it wasn''t quick. That was for certain.


    ______________________________________________________________________________


    <Minazawa POV>


    The next morning Minazawa went over to Hoshino''s apartment. She hadn''t show up at HQ that morning and wasn''t answering her phone, so Minazawa decided to check in on her.


    ¡°I swear if she got drunk again, I''m going to kick her ass.¡± She swore as she walked up the steps to Hoshino''s apartment.


    *KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK*


    She knocked on the door. ¡°Hoshino get the hell out here now!¡± Minazawa waited for a moment.


    *KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK*


    ¡°Hoshino!¡± Minazawa got annoyed. ¡°Fine I''ming in anyway!¡± She had a key from a prior incident so she could get in.


    She slowly opened the door and walked inside. ¡°Hoshino!¡± Minazawa called out for her. ¡°Where the hell are you?!?¡± She closed the door behind her and walked into the living room where she could hear the sound of the shower.


    <i>{Is that idiot in the shower?} </i>Minazawa growled as she walked over to the bathroom door.


    ¡°Hoshino! Are you in there you idiot!¡± Minazawa banged on the door. ¡°Why didn''t you show up this morning?!? Aoi''s going to kick your ass!¡±


    There was no answer.


    ¡°Hoshino!¡± Minazawa banged on the door, the shower was still running.


    <i>{Did she get hurt in the bathroom?} </i>Minazawa decided to open up the bathroom door, which wasn''t locked. ¡°I''ming in!¡± She said.


    ¡°Are you alr-¡± Minazawa froze as she opened the bathroom door. Inside the shower was a mutted Hoshino, whose body was almost unrecognizable. The shower was still going, and seemed to have washed a way a majority of the blood. However, above her body, on the shower wall, painted in blood was a single sentence which said: <i>Help! I''ve fallen and I can''t get up!</i>


    Minazawa turned her head slightly and saw that the bathroom mirror was simrly painted with blood, though this time in the shape of a hand-print. Something she recognized instantly.


    In a state of shock, Minazawa stumbled backwards out of the bathroom as the smell overwhelmed her, nearly causing her to puke. In a panic she called Aoi.


    ¡°Aoi, send <i>someone</i> over to Hoshino''s apartment.¡± She held back the urge to scream and was struggling to speak without vomiting.


    ¡°What''s going on?!? Is Hoshino ok?¡± Aoi asked, concerned.


    ¡°Our friendly neighborhood assassinpleted another job...¡± Minazawa put her head in her hands as she waited for emergency services to arrive. ¡°Who the fuck wanted Hoshino dead so bad they''d get Akagi to do it?!?¡± She had no idea who or why, but she honestly didn''t care since she was just d it wasn''t her.


    <i>{What the absolute fuck?!? Was Akagi always this twisted?} </i>(Minazawa)

 Side Story 1 – The Band of Misfit Adventurers.

    Side Story 1 ¨C The Band of Misfit Adventurers.


    If you asked those yers who survived through to the end of FWO what the scariest period was, most would point to the terror of the ck Gauntlet. Just whispering their name was enough to cause people to pale, and it was considered bad luck even to speak of them. The infamous PKer guild had racked up quite arge number of kills over the first year of the game and showed no signs of slowing down. Their tendency to prey on weaker or low-level yers caused panic and fear to spread if even <i>rumors </i>of one of their members being sighted cropped up.


    Low-level or nonbat-focused yers hid within cities or other safe areas, while others fled to ces far away from their operational area. The Great Forest of Silka was one such outlying ce and was home to a wide variety of magical nts and other nature-rted creatures. It even boasted its own dungeon that ran deep underground, so deep in fact that no one had ever reached the final boss and cleared it.


    Local viges that bordered the forest spoke of a dryad that made the forest its home and told tales of other powerful individuals who''d moved in as ofte. Rumors and tales spread as traveling merchants carried information about a strange group of people, known as yers, who''d begun appearing. Many began to question just who and what these ''yers'' were and why they''d suddenly appeared. Compared to the other inhabitants of Altarus, yers were much stronger, could freely change their race, and advanced at a pace so rapid that it left one''s head spinning. There had been sightings of such strange peopleing in and out of the forest and trading with local merchants and vigers, and soon people began to wonder if some of these ''yers'' had taken up residence within the Great Forest.


    Travel into the forest was perilous in the best case and suicidal at worst. Thus, contacting these strange people was neither easy nor desired. If they meant no harm to the vigers, then they decided to simply leave these strangers alone, rather than stir up trouble. A few people hade to trade with them asionally and always seemed to get generous deals, thus many weed these new faces.


    Deep within the forest, far deeper than any sane person would or could go, was a cabin. One that was quite a bitrger than your average home and surrounded by all manners of magical nts. Inside, four different voices could be heard arguing about what to have for dinner. Though one sounded especially <i>odd</i>.


    "Nyi nyalready told nyu nyi want mewnat meow~!"


    <u>[</u>I already told you I want meat!] A ck-haired cat girl spoke in a very hard-to-understand ent. Her giant floppy ears twitched around as she spoke and her massive tail flicked behind her.


    <u>Trantion for Ara will be done below her speech in brackets.</u>


    "Yes! We need meat in our diet! Unlike you two, Ara and I can''t exist solely off vegetables! We demand meat!" Another dark-skinned catkin with a single horn spoke up in agreement.


    "Meat nyis nyecessary for nyour diet meow~! nyu might have tamewnd nye rat nyinto nyeating nyonly those yucky greens, but mewot mewn meow~!"


    [Meat is necessary for our diet! You might have tamed the rat into eating only those yucky greens, but not me!] Ara eximed. She''d gotten sick of eating only vegetables grown by Shiru the dryad for the past month.


    "Don''t call me a rat! I''m just short! Do you see whiskers or a tail on me?" Alveron was only a one-foot-tall fairy, and due to his small size and tendency to prank people, many yers began calling him a rat. It was kind of endearing at this point, not that he liked it. "Come on Shiru, back me up here!" He looked to the dryad, who was tending to one of the nts on a windowsill.


    "I don''t know. You''re about as small as the critters I find in my vegetable patches." Shiru giggled. "And I think mice are cute, so it''s fine. Besides, Ara is only ying."


    "You guys...." Alveron hung his head. "Why must you be like this? If you don''t cut it out, one day I''m going to assemble a rat army just to spite you!"


    "I''d like to see you try! We''ve got two cats here! That''s more than enough to destroy your rat army!" Avahn had a smug face.


    "Yeah meow~! nye mice shall perish meow~!"


    [Yeah! The mice shall perish!] Ara hissed in agreement.


    "Perhaps the kitties are right, though. When Daikael returns from her run to Elso, we should discuss acquiring some meat, lest our carnivores here go crazy and start digging up my nts. Again..." Shiru gave a wry smile, Ara may or may not have destroyed the carrots the other day.


    "Well, you don''t have to wait long." A voice came from the front hallway, and a momentter, a kitsune woman in a brown and gold kimono appeared in the kitchen. "I''m back, and boy, have I got some info for you all."


    "Wee back Daikael. Did you find the ingredient you were looking for to finish your weapon?" Shiru poured her some tea and offered her a seat in the kitchen.


    "Yupper! I''ve got everything together for my master n! Those fools condemned firearms to be a useless gimmick, but I''ll show them!" Daikael''s eyes shined with excitement. She was an artificer who excelled at crafting magical and mundane gear, but unlike dedicated crafters, she could also fight exceptionally well with her devices. Though she had the unfortunate habit of being quite <i>entric</i> and might have a tendency to get a bit <i>crazy</i> with her creations.


    "Meowhat did nyu want to tell us nya~?"


    [What did you want to tell us?] Ara asked as she used her telekinesis skill to flip and flop her own hair around.


    "Yeah, we don''t get much outside info here. And it''s been hard enoughying low and keeping away from ck Gauntlet these past months." Avahn had her own bad history with Pkers and hade to hate them from the bottom of her heart. She met up with the others when she fled into the forest to escape a group of ck Gauntlet''s guild members who was hunting her. Avahn had <i>slightly </i>angered the group by bumping off one of its more well known members in an ambush. In retaliation, his friends chased after her seeking revenge. While Avahn was quite the powerful yer and had experience in handling other Pkers, she was not quite strong enough to handle a 5v1 ande out victorious, yet.


    <i>{If I ever get my hands on those bastards, they''re all dead! I just need to get stronger first, and then I''ll make them, and all those disgusting Pkers pay!} </i>(Avahn)


    "Yeah, well about that. We don''t need to worry about them anymore, hurrah!" Daikael said with a wry smile.


    "What?" (Shiru, Avahn<b>, </b>Ara and Alveron.}


    "Yeah. Apparently, someone wiped them out a few days back. I got info from someone in town about it. It was big news and spread around crazy fast. Everyst one of them too, no survivors. It was aplete obliteration of the organization, whoever did it was through." Daikael exined. "So it looks like it will be much safer to leave the forest now, which will be great for us."


    "Well, that''s good!" Alveron smiled. "We can finally hit up some quests and dungeons to improve our skills without worrying about being attacked by other yers." He was quite powerful with his space magic, but fighting other yers wasn''t an easier or desirable task.


    "Who killed them nya~? was nyit nye nyassault team nya~? nyor was nyit shining de nya~?"


    [Who killed them? Was it the assault Team? Or was it Shining de?] Ara asked who did it since there weren''t that many potential suspects. Shining de was the secondrgest group of yers in the game after Assault Team and thergest non-crafting guild. Their respective leaders didn''t get along so it was unlikely to be a joint operation.


    "No idea," Daikael shook her head. "No one I spoke to could pinpoint the one who took them out, and neither Hishya nor Eris imed the kill. Which is actually quite surprising since I know both wanted Gauntlet dead." There had been pressure for the two groups to work together to deal with the ck Gauntlet, but neither group''s leader seemed willing to handle it at the moment.


    "Then, if it wasn''t them. Who could it be?" Shiru asked. "ck Gauntlet had almost twenty members if I recall. I don''t think any small group of yers or NPCs could handle them."


    <i>{I don''t think many yers could do something like that.} </i>(Shiru)


    "There is one..." Avahn''s face went dark. "Someone who could <i>definitely</i> do it." She bit her lip in irritation causing Ara to pat her on the shoulder.


    "You don''t mean to tell me you believe that rumor about a single yer acting as an assassin?" Alveron hopped on the table with his tea. "I mean, it''s crazy to think that one single person could take down that many people. So I kinda doubt it, even if such a person exists they''d never be able to pull that off."


    "It''s mewot just nya rumor though meow~!"


    [It''s not just a rumor, though!] Ara disagreed.


    "Nyakagi nyis very real meow~! nyi''ve nyeven mewnt her nyonce when she killed somewn nyoble meow~! nyi don''t know nyif she was nyinvolved, but she''s much more than just nya rumor meow~!"


    [Akagi is very real! I''ve even met her once when she killed some noble! I don''t know if she was involved, but she''s much more than just a rumor!] Ara knew a bit about Akagi and what little she did know made her sure she was dangerous.


    "Ara is right. I actually came across her once before. She actually made her way through this forest once before any of you arrived." Shiru gave a nervousugh. "She put her de to my neck and told me not to bother her. It was <i>fun</i>..."


    "Really?" Alveron had never heard anything about this.


    "Yeah, it was a while ago and I honestly forgot about it until now. She wasn''t really mean or anything, but I think she was being chased by someone and wanted to move through the forest sneakily." Shiru exined.


    "Yeah, that assassin could probably do it. I even heard that she''s killed members of the Assault Team." Avahn growled. She hated Pkers, but if Akagi took care of ck Gauntlet, that would improve her opinion of the assassin a bit.


    "So then, if Gauntlet is gone. We should start preparing to do some dungeon clearing! The one in the forest is still too hard for us now, so we need to get more powerful to actually get down past floor six." Alveron continued. They''d tried to tackle the dungeon a few times, but the mid-boss was always too much. "My space magic makes for a good tool, but it''s not strong enough now. The system says that there are more skills down the tree that would help, so I''d like to start taking quests again."


    "Let''s go meow~! nyi wannya nyimprove my fans meow~! nyand we nyan nyeven try to find somewn nyexploits meow~!"


    [Let''s go! I wanna improve my fans! And we can even try to find some exploits!] As a streamer, Ara loved hunting bugs and finding exploits. Her current weapons, which were basically just paper fans, were something she found by ident while messing around. While they didn''t do much damage themselves, they could stack a modifier on enemies, and when it hit a certain amount, the next attack would do massive damage. It stacked well with Daikael''s weapons due to their high damage and long range.


    However, before they could discuss any concrete ns for leveling up.


    *GROWL~~~~* Daikael''s stomach growled loudly.


    "Sorry... I ran pretty fast and depleted all my stamina." She was a bit embarrassed. "Can we eat first?"


    "We must hunt nye mewnat meow~! nyi nyeed nyit meow~!"


    [We must hunt the meat! I need it!] Ara eximed.


    "Yes, meat is required first! Then we can n!" Avahn said as her stomach also growled in agreement.


    "You guys and your meat cravings. You really have turned into cats, huh?" Alveron rolled his eyes but smiled. He found the two kitties to be cute and funny, though Shiru still took his number one spot on the cute chart for him.


    "Good thing I got THIS!" Daikael reached into her magic pouch and pulled out a massive boar that mmed onto the floor.


    "Oh my!" Shiru covered her mouth as she gasped. "That is a big friend."


    "MEAT!" (Avahn x Ara)


    The two cat girls started drooling the second the boar dropped out.


    "Think this will be enough?" Daikael asked. "It''s a Hyper Ram Boar, quite a juicy fellow if I do say."


    "YES! MEAT!" (Avahn x Ara)


    Shiru giggled. "I''ll prepare some sides for you two. If you''re going to eat all that meat, you need to have some vegetables to go with it." She turned and walked over to the counter as Alveron floated up onto her shoulder.


    "Let me help! I want to try making some vegetable stir-fry!" Alveron said excitedly. He''d been trying to learn more about cooking since he''d met the dryad.


    "Sure, but just be careful not to fall into the pot this time while I''m cooking. I''d rather not find a rat in my stew." Shiru smirked.


    "NOT YOU TOO!" Alveron said, defeated, as everyoneughed.


    <i>{With the ck Gauntlet gone, things are probably going to get a lot more hectic now. The Assault Team has already taken down two World Bosses and I think they''re going after Slurga next. At this rate, who knows how long until we get out of here?} </i>Daikael thought to herself as everyone prepared for dinner.


    Spoiler


    Ara!


    Alveron!


    Avahn!


    Shiru!


    Daikael!


    [copse]

 Interlude 5 – An International Connection.

    Interlude 5 ¨C An International Connection.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    2 Chaps.


    In the wake of Akagi''s extermination of Libra and demonstration to the world, the leaders of China and Russia held a secret meeting in Moscow. Chinese President Lin Gui had been in Moscow during the incident for separate trade negotiations between their two countries, though this was simply a cover for his real objective. Once the official negotiations concluded, he and Russian President Alexander Mikhailov sat in a meeting room together with a third individual and began the <em>real</em> meeting.


    "It would seem that everything is going to n, President Mikhailov." Gui smiled. "Libra has been crushed, along with any definitive proof we were involved in their creation, and on top of that, we got ess to some <i>interesting</i> information. The Americans won''t be able to cover up the Japanese nuclear program anymore. Well, not unless they are willing to work with us." Gui gave a nasty smile. He knew just how far the Americans would go to keep this under wraps, as Japan was vital for American Indo-Pacific strategy. The discovery of a hidden nuclear program would cause international outcry and likely cause a huge shakeup in Japan, something the United States couldn''t afford.


    "Indeed." Mikhailov nodded. "Now that Brus has been brought back into the mothend, I have a bit more leeway in my diplomatic maneuvering. And these events in Japan will strengthen our hands to reim our rightful territories." He was referring to Ukraine and Taiwan, respectively. "That fool Lukashenko caused decades of dy, and his longevity only further stymied the reunification of our peoples. But that is all in the past, and we can now move together as one again." Brus had only voted to unite with Russia a few years after Alexander Lukashenko''s death at an extremely advanced age. The man had stood in the way of Russian efforts for decades, and even in his nies, the dictator blocked attempts to unite the countries. Mostly for his own personal reasons since he enjoyed the power and wealth from being President.


    "Yes, that was a truly unfortunate matter, and hopefully we can convince the Americans that further efforts to enforce our sovereignty and territorial integrity should be permitted." Gui said. "But moving on to the present circumstances, while I expected Libra to eventually be destroyed, that Akagi woman''s power was unexpected. I must admit, I didn''t expect the backdrop of this meeting to be such an extraordinary disy of power."


    "Indeed. She effortlessly killed the most powerful members of the organization, and my spies tell me that Herlex''s final attack would make our weapons seem trivial byparison.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I am d to see him destroyed, for I suspect he may have turned that power on us in the future. I believe that we may have underestimated these returnees'' powers, and it would be wise to take a more cautious approach towards them in the future." Mikhailov sighed. "I would like to acquire one or two of these <i>superpowered </i>individuals for myself, and I can imagine your military wishes to inspect them as well. My agents in the United States tell me that there are ongoing negotiations between them and the Japanese for the transfer of returnees to their military and civilianmands." Their two countries were pushing to lift the ban on international travel for returnees.


    "Yes, I''ve heard simr reports. It seems the Americans wish to get ahead of us in the research of magic and its military applications." Gui pursed his lips. "It may not be easy to get hold of such individuals for ourselves, and so far, our recruitment attempts have been cold at best."


    "I don''t know, shall we ask our friend here? Ambassador Nima, you havee here on behalf of your master. Would she be interested in working with our governments on this matter?" Mikhailov looked over at the ck-haired cat-eared woman wearing a suit. She''d been sent by Akagi in the days before the attack on Yumi, and as a result, certain <i>changes</i> were made to her instructions.


    "My Lord has informed me that she would love to work with your governments. Though you should understand that she intends to invite those who were trapped within FWO, even those without powers, into her new nation." Nima pulled out a notepad. "However, she is willing to offer people a choice, and if you would present an attractive enough offer, I suspect you might find at least one or two people willing to enter your services. The only caveat is that you must agree to treat whoever you take in well, meaning involuntary experiments and such are not permitted." Akagi didn''t want people being sent to nations just to be turned into guinea pigs, not after what she''d heard from Alice.


    The two men looked at one another and nodded. "I believe we can start negotiations from that position. Naturally, we would take great care of any returnee if they agree to work with us, so rest assured that nothing like you''re imagining will ur." Mikhailov smiled.


    "Indeed." Gui nodded. "They would be working for our national interests and would want for nothing." Though Nima knew better than to believe either man, since the Russians and Chinese had a <i>history</i> of doing quite horrible things to people.


    "Good. I willmunicate with my master for additional instructions and will contact your respective foreign offices to schedule further meetings. I suspect things will need to wait until the Kingdom of Dumetor is formally established. However, I believe we can perform negotiations in the meantime." Nima stood up. "That was all I wished to cover today, as this was more of an introduction than a proper meeting, so I will take my leave . Please have a pleasant day, President Mikhailov, President Gui." She bowed and shook the men''s hands.


    "Please extend my congrattions to your master on her ascension to her nation''s leadership." Mikhailov smiled.


    "Yes, please do the same for me." Gui also smiled. "I hope this will mark the beginning of a great rtionship between us."


    "Thank you very much, and I shall pass along your kind words." Nima smiled as she left the room, disappearing into the shadows. Once she was gone, Gui took out and lit a cigar.


    "Do you smoke?" Gui asked as he took a puff and offered a cigar.


    "I''ll take one, lord knows I need it." Mikhailov took and lit the cigar. "That woman, she was quite the fierce one. Her eyes were like that of a predator!" Heughed. "She might have cat ears and a tail, but she reminds me more of a honey badger with her ferocity." Nima''s mere presence had caused both men to be tense. Even if they couldn''t detect magic, they could tell that she was powerful just by her proximity.


    "Yes, our new friend Akagi sent quite the interesting negotiator. My aides tell me she''s scared a few of them with just her gaze, and now I understand what they were talking about!" Guiughed. "Word through the grapevine is that woman is also a highly trained assassin."


    "I believe it. She reminded me a bit of some of the old KGB men I met in my youth. It was as if she was able to speak with us while also devising a n to kill us and escape at the same time." Mikhailov let out a puff. "But it makes sense, I suppose. Her master is quite the deadly creature and an assassin to boot, so it''s only natural she has capable people working for her."


    "Indeed," Gui held the cigar off to the side and knocked it against an ashtray. "The world order that has been stagnant for over one hundred years is about to change, and that Akagi woman will be at the center of things." He took a puff of the cigar. "I suspect she is also speaking to the Americans as well, she seems more interested in ying all sides, not that I me her. So I think it would be best if we try to persuade that we are the best partners." He looked at Mikhailov.


    "I think you''re right." Mikhailov thought for a moment. "Security is not something she needs, nor does she need material wealth. I honestly do not know what she could want from us."


    "Well, if she ns on building her nation, power or not, she''s going to need material and people for that." Gui said. "I suspect infrastructure and technical cooperation will be at least part of what she seeks from her partners. Her nation will be small and have limited manpower and natural resources, things we can provide in abundance."


    "Perhaps." Mikhailov nodded. "And I imagine the Americans will be all too eager to build up another ally in the far east. I suspect there will be quite the bidding war between our nations, this will be interesting."


    "Yes, but we have a bit of the upper hand in those negotiations." Gui grinned. With their information about the Japanese nuclear program, they could strong-arm the Americans and Japanese into staying out of their way. "I doubt she will ally with us outright, but I believe a mutually beneficial rtionship between us is possible. Especially if she''s anything as I believe."


    <i>{That woman wants to watch her pawns dance on the chessboard. She''s not interested in ying the game so much as she is curious to seeing what happens when pieces move. That makes her both a powerful ally, and a dangerous opponent.} </i>(Gui)


    "We should just be careful not to allow ourselves to get too caught up in whatever that woman has nned. " Mikhailov reminded him. "Working with her is fine, but I''d rather not be little more than puppets dancing to hermands."


    Gui startedughing. "My friend, it may already be toote for that. After all, that woman was the one who approached us first about all this! We''re already dancing to her tune, and at this point, why not see just how much benefit there is to following her song." He figured that he and his party would benefit even if Akagi was just using them.


    "Perhaps, but I still don''t like it." Mikhailov frowned.


    "Like it or not, it''s simply how things are. That woman is a schemer, and I personally wish to see just what her end goals are." Gui smiled. "After all, she is a <i>Demon, </i>and what can man do against such a creature? So long as she does not ask for my soul, I''m happy to make deals with a real-life Devil if it benefits me and my party." Heughed.

 Chapter 110 – The Squishy and Clothing.

    Chapter 110 ¨C The Squishy and Clothing.


    Mika, Naomi, Yumi, and Kana sat around the kitchen table having lunch together at the estate. Hishya and her parents went home yesterday after they''d recovered from their poisoning, something that took a bit longer than expected. Akagi figured that the effect of the drug was even more potent in the real world, and since the twocked magic to bolster their constitution, recovery would be slower. She''d warned the two of them to watch their health in theing weeks and to immediately notify Hishya or her if anything seemed wrong, to which they agreed.


    Originally, Mimi wanted them to stay a bit longer to monitor them, but they declined, stating that they wanted to return to work. They were grateful for being saved, and thanked Akagi for her help, who told them to repay her by keeping her future sister-inw in line. Ament that the two found funny.


    "So are we just going to ignore the fact that Akagi is coiled around Yumi like a rope?" Mika said while chewing on a sandwich. ¡°Because no one is saying anything. Was I not suppose to bring it up?¡±


    "I didn''t want to be the first person to say anything, but I guess there''s no reason <i>not </i>to speak of it." Naomi gave a wry smile.


    "Onee-chan has been doing that for a while, you''ve just not been around when she''s done it." Kana sighed. ¡°Just ignore her like we ignore Mika when she gets all hyper.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Mika took a moment to realize what Kana just said. ¡°What''s this about ignoring me?¡±


    "Yumi is my squishy!" Akagi said while wrapped around the priestess. "What''s wrong with wanting to be close to her?" She didn''t see the problem.


    "Did bing the Demon Lord make Akagi clingy?" Naomi chuckled. ¡°I never imagined she could be like that.¡±


    "I think it''s cute." Mika smiled. ¡°I''d like to snuggle like that.¡±


    "Not clingy! <i>Possessive!"</i> Akagi corrected. "Trust me, as someone who previously <i>hated</i> physical contact with other people, this is a strange thing for me too. When the bond between us was created, for some reason, we were both struck with a insatiable desire for skinship, hence me being like this.¡±


    <i>{Also doesn''t help that my anxiety has now expanded to include separation anxiety too, but lets not get into that.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I like how casually she says that." Kana rolled her eyes. "Aren''t you suffocating, Yumi? You can tell her to stop if it''s bothering you."


    <i>{If Hishya got that clingy, I''d need to break out the descaler...} </i>(Kana)


    "Ah... um... I would prefer she stay like this." Yumi averted her eyes, blushing. "Having her wrapped around me feels nice, so its fine."


    <i>{Ah, so both of them are weird.} </i>(Kana)


    "See! Yumi understands!" Akagi said. Her imaginary chest puffing out in pride. "She is my squishy! Tis only natural she likes being squished!"


    "What the hell does that even mean?" Naomi asked with an exasperated face. "Squishy?"


    "She feels good to snuggle and hold tight, and when I thought about a word to describe it, the term squishy came to mind!" Akagi coiled around Yumi further. ¡°Yumi is my squishy!¡±


    "Sure..." Kana shook her head. ¡°Odd choice of word, but whatever.¡±


    <i>{I don''t care enough to challenge every one of your oddities. So go ahead and touch Yumi to your hearts content. You two both deserve each other if you want this kind of rtionship.} </i>(Kana)


    "You can''t tell me you didn''t enjoy having Hishya all over you, Kana." Akagiughed. "So you must understand my feelings."


    Kana got slightly red as she nearly choked on her food. "I... I guess."


    <i>{Don''t bring that up!} </i>(Kana)


    "Perhaps a better exnation is necessary, my Lord? I''m afraid this will be hard for anyone but us to understand, and you are quite <i>bad</i> at describing things at times." Yumi sighed.


    ¡°Hey! Am not!¡± Akagi protested, but was ignored.


    "She and I are bound by a connection that runs between our souls, a literal link between us if you will. It does many things, but a side effect is that we prefer to be around each other as much as possible. Which means that such <i>closeness</i> is desired by the two of us.¡± Yumi continued as she stroked one of Akagi''s smaller tendrils.


    <i>{Mmmmm pets...} </i>(Akagi)


    ¡°As my Lord is the Senior partner, she has be quite possessive and protective of me, as you can see by her coiling around me. Its a natural defensive mechanism, especially as shecked someone of such closeness in her life before. It was why she reacted so violently when I was harmed by Armalthy. I may no longer be able to die, but the thought me being taken away, even temporarily, is uneptable to her." Yumi had gotten a bit more information from Akagi, and the bond gave her a vague sense of understanding. She actually thought it quite a nice connection, as it was something of a deeper level than mortal love.


    "We watched an anime once where the two characters could fuse into a single body, and they felt happier that way, right? Think of it like that, minus the desire to fuse together." She had found the concept amusing when she saw it the first time. ¡°Neither of us want something like that.¡±


    "Wait can you actually do something like that?" Kana asked her sister. With Akagi''s repertoire of crazy powers, taking control of someone''s body wouldn''t surprise her.


    "No." Akagi responded. "I cannot merge with or take over someone''s body, and I wouldn''t want to." The thought of having a mortal body again made her non-existent stomach churn, she''d messed around with giving her body more <i>human</i> features and it always disgusted her.


    <i>{Though, within my body, I''m pretty sure I can control people.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Yeah, that''s probably for the best," Kana said. "I''d rather not see the two of your run around fused into some crazy thing." She imagined what kind of amalgamation the two would form into.


    <i>{It would be kind of neat to see.} </i>(Kana)


    "Even if I could, I wouldn''t do it." Akagi said. "Joining together like that would blur the lines between Yumi and me too much, and I want Yumi and me to be separate beings, not merged as one." Akagi and Yumi craved the attention and affection of each other, and while they enjoyed being close, merging into one person would actually have detrimental effects, rather than make them happier. ¡°I view Yumi as a part of me, but joining together would mean she disappears and just the <i>thought </i>of that makes me <i>violently</i> angry.¡± Akagi''s form shook for a moment before returning to normal.


    "What a conversation topic." Naomi rolled her eyes. "Here we are, sitting at the kitchen table of a centuries old estate speaking to the Demon Lord and the Demon Princess about merging bodies and soul bonds." She shook her head. "Whatever happened to nice normal topics?" She said this but had a smile on her face.


    "They went out the window the moment you met me." Akagiughed.


    ¡°I''d say we got an upgrade.¡± Mika smiled.


    "Demon Princess..." Kana slumped in her chair. "School starts back up tomorrow. I wonder what''s going to happen this time..." If the first return to school was problematic, this one might be even worse.


    <i>{Please don''t let people cause me trouble. At this point I''m starting to understand why Onee-chan''s motto is LEAVE ME ALONE.} </i>(Kana)


    "Yeah, I better avoid going out in public for a bit." Akagi sighed. "The literal Demon Lord walking through town would cause a panic, and I don''t want to deal with that." She didn''t care if people freaked out, but it would be a pain.


    Mika finished her sandwich. "You know. I think people might not be that afraid of you now. So things will probably be fine.¡±"


    "I had Hishya stream me devour the souls of six people, one of who I <i>devoured</i> in the literal sense, as I gave a speech about being the incarnation of evil who can to destroy the world. People <i>not </i>being afraid would be strange, especially since I was <i>trying </i>to scare people." Akagi lifted up a shadow tendril and shook it in disapproval.


    <i>{You three being so ok with everything is the strange part. I have no clue how on Earth Mika and Naomi are able to be around me, or why they would even want to? Is it because they''re afraid? That they think I''d kill them if they tried to leave? I bet that''s it...} </i>Akagi began to imagine the worst case scenario, a habit caused by her mental instability and illness, and something that only worsened with her release. <i>{It''s fine... I shouldn''t have real friends anyway...} </i>


    "T-true..." Mika flinched as she listened to Akagi''s words. "But! You defeated the terrorist group that was killing so many people, and the online conversation about you has trended positively over thest week!¡± She tried to convince Akagi that things weren''t all doom and gloom.


    ¡°People are d you stopped Libra, though many are also now worried about what you may do next." Mika gave a wry smile as she recalled some of the chatroom conversations she had with people.


    <i>{You''re overboard killing of Libra mayyyy have soured a few people on you. Even for me, that was a bit much to watch.} </i>Despite Mika''s thoughts, the girl was glued to her screen during the attack and even recorded it for future re-watching.


    "Mika, I still think if Akagi walked down the street, a lot of people would run away screaming." Naomi said while wiping her mouth. "Her eyes <i>alone</i> would probably freak people out." Demonic eyes were unsettling to most people, and Akagi''s were especially <i>unique</i>.


    "Yeah, you should really change those back, Onee-chan." Kana agreed. ¡°They''re kind of-¡± Kana was cut off by Akagi


    "No!" Akagi growled. "My eyes are an important part of me! I refuse to change them back when I''m not using a different body!" Her sudden out burst took everyone by surprise "People can get over themselves if my eyes are enough to cause them to scream in fear." They didn''t understand <i>why</i> Akagi got so defensive and Naomi decided to get further rification


    "You really like them that much?" Naomi asked. She personally didn''t care about them, but that was because she was used to Akagi by now.


    "These are my real eyes, Naomi." Akagi tensed up. This conversation rankled her and got under her skin. "They are proof of who I am, and to hide them away is to deny<i> </i>that I am a <i>Demon</i>. And <i>that</i>, is something that I will never do again." Changing them while in another body was fine, but for some reason walking around in her usual body without them felt unthinkable. ¡°On top of that, they serve as a good warning. I am a <i>Demon</i> masquerading as a human, and it would do well for you and everyone else to never forget that there is a <em>monster</em> standing before you.¡±


    <i>{I might take a human form, but that is more for convenience and utility. My real appearance is a far cry from what you see before you. And while Kana knows better than most what I really look like, she''s never seen all of it. Yumi is the only one to have gotten that privilege, and I''d prefer to keep it that way. Plus, I have a sneaking suspicion that simply looking upon my true form might break peoples'' minds.} </i>(Akagi)


    Akagi''s words caused the conversation to stop, and you could almost cut the tension in the air with a knife. Akagi was right, it was best that people remember just whaty behind the mask, lest foolish people do foolish things.


    "I wonder when Kana will start turning into a demon?" Mika decided to cut the tension with a joke.


    "She''s already scary. So, soon?" Naomi ced her finger on her lips in thought.


    "I''d rather not, thank you!" Kana eximed. "Unlike Onee-chan, I actually like being human."


    "I agree with Kana. She should stay human." Akagi''s words surprised the girls.


    "Wait, really?!? I figured you be excited to have Kana change?" Naomi was surprised.


    ¡°Huh... I thought you''d be making some magic item to transform her.¡± Mika was equally surprised.


    ¡°I was honestly expecting to wake up one morning as a shadow blob...¡± Kana gave a wry smile.


    "Why are you all acting so surprised? Especially you, Kana!" Akagi sighed. "A fundamental change like that is not something a normal person should deal with. Even other returnees had a hard time adjusting to their new bodies, and some still are having issues! <i>My</i> eptance of such changes is not normal, and even <i>I </i>had trouble during the transition. I wouldn''t wish that on anyone, especially Kana!" Akagi''s thoughtful statement caught everyone off guard.


    "I must admit that even <i>I</i> thought you''d be overjoyed to see Kana be like you, my Lord." Yumi gave an embarrassed smile.


    "Et tu, Yumi?" Akagi said. "Why do you people think I''m some heartless, uncaring monster?!? Akagi yelled. ¡°I mean, I <i>can </i>be, but that''s not me 100% of the time! Demon Lord or not, I''m still a person with feelings!" Akagi eximed. Sometimes she got the sense that people had the wrong idea about her.


    ¡°I''m not mad, but please try to be more respectful of that in the future. I might have to turn on Demon Lord mode at times, but I''m mostly a pretty chill person who doesn''t want to have to do that.¡± However, Akagi didn''t make reading her intentions clear, and she could be contradictory and hard to read. Something that was likely an artifact of her broken mind and minor insanity.


    Akagi wanted to be feared as the Demon Lord, but also asked to be treated as a person. These things were not necessarily mutually exclusive, but her attitude and mental problems made finding that bnce difficult. Kana and Yumi understood this better than anyone else, and even <em>they</em> still could struggle at times, since determining how the <i>Demon</i> wanted to be treated in a particr moment could be difficult. ¡°I-It hurts to hear that you think of me like that...¡± She was genuinely sad, probably a bit more than she should''ve been. It didn''t help that her emotions were still jumbled from her release, and things were still in the process of stabilizing.


    <i>{Good thing I''m not using a body right now, otherwise I might have cried. Stupid fucking mind! Can you just knock off the mood swings and hurry up and fix yourself?!? It''s been an annoying past couple of days with you acting all stupid! It feels like I''m going to split in two with all these strange contradictory thoughts and emotions!} </i>Akagi sighed internally. <i>{At least it has gotten better, and I guess being a Demon Lord that kept its sane mind has some repercussions. I just hope this hurries up and finishes soon...}</i>


    "Um. Sorry about that." Naomi apologized.


    "Ye-yeah. I thought that would be a good joke, not kill the mood further." Mika sighed. Her attempt at levity only caused more tension.


    "At least I know you won''t be scheming to make me a <em>Demon</em> like you." Kana breathed a sigh of relief.


    "I won''t be <i>scheming</i> to turn any of you into Yokai or other creatures." Akagi groaned. "That''s also why I was so reluctant to allow Mizumi to try the magic experiment with Mika."


    "I can''t wait!" Mika''s eyes glistened. Akagi had reluctantly given permission for Mizumi to perform the procedure to give her magic circuits. Akagi had tried to talk her out of it, but the blue-haired girl''s enthusiasm was too much, even for Akagi.


    "I still want your parent''s approval, which reminds me." Akagi uncoiled from around Yumi and formed behind her. "I would like toe with you after school tomorrow if that''s ok? Maybe we can hang out?"


    "Eh?" (Mika, Naomi and Kana)


    "You want to hang out with us after school?" Naomi asked.


    <i>{That''s a shocker! She''s never shown interest in that before.} </i>(Naomi)


    "Yes." Akagi nodded. "You can say no if that''s not ok. I just wanted to ask. I''d understand if you don''t want anything to do with me in your regr life." She scratched her cheek nervously.


    <i>{And now she''s gone to self depreciation mode....} </i>Kana sighed. <i>{If either Naomi or Mika tried to avoid her outside of the estate, I''d kick their ass for being so rude! And besides, they wouldn''t do that.}</i>


    Kana turned to her two friends. ¡°How about it? I think it sounds fun, and I''ve never really got the chance to do some after school stuff with Onee-chan before.¡± Akagi was part of the going home club and rarely went out of the house except for school or things she either wanted or needed to do, which was very infrequent.


    "I don''t mind." Naomi smiled.


    "Yeah, we never get to just hang out together." Mika nodded.


    Hearing their eptance, Akagi''s face turned into a smile. She was excited to spend some time after school with them. The <i>Demon </i>hade to value Mika and Naomi''s friendship and wanted to start acting more like peers and friend with them if possible. Being a normal girl was definitely off the table, but Akagi wanted to try to act as <i>normal</i> as possible with them every now and again.


    "Really!" Akagi smiled. "I''m not good at that stuff, so I''ll just go along with whatever you guys have nned." Akagi thought for a moment. "Trying on clothes or dressing me up will see you tossed on a deserted pacific ind for the day." She actually didn''t mind going clothes shopping, but hated the idea of someone ying dress up with her. Kana tried to do that once when they were kids and found herself trapped under aundry basket.


    <i>{They actually want to hang out? But do they really? Or are they just doing it because they feel they have too...} </i>Akagi''s anxiety was once again making her doubt things. <i>{It would make sense, I am the Demon Lord, who would willingly hang out with me? They probably just fear me and what I''d do to them if they said no... but that''s fine... Demon Lords don''t have friends... right?}</i>


    "Dang." Kana snapped her finger. "And here I was wanting to see you in a proper dress."


    "That would have been fun." Mikaughed. "Akagi always wears Kimonos and other traditional clothes, so I''d like to see her in something more normal."


    "Yeah, that would actually be kinda neat." Naomi agreed.


    "Uhhhhh." Akagi snapped her fingers and changed into a t-shirt and shorts. "I in fact, <i>do</i> have other clothing. You just aren''t around when I wear it." Akagi actually wore quite arge variety of casual clothing, though she did prefer Kimonos and other traditional dress to normal clothing.


    "Huh." Mika eyed her up. "It''s kinda strange to see you dress like that."


    "Yeah," Naomi just stared at her.¡± But you look good, almost like a normal girl. Minus the eyes.¡±


    "I''m going to strangle the two of you one of these days, I swear." Akagi put her head in her hands. "What do you people want from me?!?"


    "Oh yeah. I guess they''ve never seen you in different clothes." Kanaughed. "Onee-chan actually has a pretty big wardrobe."


    "In that case, if you''re gonna hang out with us after school tomorrow,e in something different!" Mika asked, excited to see Akagi in other clothes. ¡°Wear something normal, like what we''d wear!¡±


    "Fine, but I won''t be in this body. People would probably freak out if they saw me walking around Kyoto.¡± Akagi shrugged. ¡°Is that ok?¡±


    "Wait, who are you gonna look like?" Kana asked, worried. "Please don''t copy us, that would be bad."


    "You''ll just have to wait and see." Akagi gave a toothy smile. ¡°But don''t worry I won''t do anything bad.¡±


    Spoiler


    Akagi in Casual!


    [copse]

 Chapter 111 – Hanging out Afterschool.

    Chapter 111 ¨C Hanging out Afterschool.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    2 Chaps.


    *RINNNNNNNNNNNNNNG*


    The bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. Today was the first time since before winter break that sses had been held, and Kana was worried about what would happen upon her return. As expected, things were a bit difficult with many students avoiding her, Mika and Naomi. It seemed that Akagi''s over the top destruction of Libra had its intended effect of putting the fear of god into people, while also causing additional headaches. Her ssmates were not outwardly mean or hostile to any of them, mostly out of fear, but there were whispers about the girls behind their backs. Hito was the only exception to this, as he''d made his displeasure with the girls return known to them during homeroom, before being promptly told off by Kana, who was in no mood.


    Figuring it best to ignore these issues for now, the girls went about their day and tried to return to as normal of a life as possible. Mika and Naomi had no real issues, as their other friends hadn''t abandoned them, but Kana had it a bit worse. She had no other friends outside the two girls and was thus left alone when they were not around. While this was all technically her sister''s fault, Kana couldn''t bring herself to get angry with her, not when she knew everything that happened and understood <i>why</i> Akagi is the way she is. Though, Kana did find it strange that she didn''t care as much about the istion or the whispers as much as she''d expected. She figured that this was probably due to either her soul imprinting or just her numbness from dealing with her sister''s antics, likely both. In this case, she was happy to ignore people and go about her day, figuring that if they didn''t have the courage to say things to her face, that they weren''t worth stressing about.


    "Alright, I texted Onee-chan, and she said she''ll be waiting near the front gate." Kana slung her bag over her shoulder.


    "I can''t wait to see what she looks like! I hope she actually came in some normal clothing, it will be nice to see her in something different." Mika smiled.


    "I do too, but we should be wary about bringing attention to the fact that she''s here." Naomi sighed. "People might freak out if they realize who she is, you saw how people acted today."


    "Yeah I''d rather not have a panic on our hands. Hito was already bad enough." Kana agreed. "So are we ready to go? I can see in Mika''s eyes that she''s hungry, so let''s get to that caf¨¦ before she goes crazy."


    "I''m not hungry!" Mika protested.


    *Growl*


    But her stomach betrayed her, causing her face to go red.


    "That''s what you get for leaving your lunch at home." Naomiughed. ¡°How many times are you going to do that?¡± This was sadly a regr thing for the blue-haired girl.


    "I wouldn''t be so hungry if you would''ve shared." Mika puffed out her cheeks. ¡°Stingy!¡±


    "If we did that, you wouldn''t learn your lesson. Take care to make sure you''ve got everything before you rush out the door in the morning." Kana chuckled, and Mika stuck out her tongue.


    The three of them walked out of the school building and into the courtyard. Today was actually pretty mild. Not exactly <i>warm</i>, but for February, it was rather nice. Though Naomi still thought it was too cold and uttered her usualints.


    "So where is she?" Mika asked as they looked around. ¡°I don''t see her anywhere.¡±


    "We don''t know what she''ll look like, so that''s already an issue." Naomi didn''t see any sign of Akagi. ¡°She really should have told us ahead of time.¡±


    "Let me call her, that will make this infinitely easier than poking around in the dark." Kana swiped her hand to call her sister, and a few secondster she heard a phone ring to her right.


    "Come now. You don''t you recognize me?" A voice Kana was all too familiar with spoke out, causing the three girls to turn their heads. Leaning up against the wall was Akagi in her original body, a sight they''d only rarely seen. She was wearing a ck leather jacket, a white T-shirt, and blue jeans. ¡°I''d be sad if this wasn''t expected.¡± She gave a two finger salute. ¡°Is this <i>normal</i> enough clothing for you? I pulled some of my old favorites out of the wardrobe.¡±


    "Onee-" Kana covered her mouth before she could finish. People knew who her sister was, and calling her that out loud would draw attention. "When you said you were going to show up looking different. I didn''t expect this." Kana and the girls walked over.


    <i>{Those are some really old clothes, she used to wear those back during her time in high school when I''d force her out of the house. It really is nice to see her like this again.} </i>(Kana)


    ¡°You look nice. Though the leather jacket was unexpected, but it definitely suits you and your personality.¡± Mikaplimented her. ¡°Its too bad you can''t stay like that more, you really do have good features and style.¡±


    "Yeah, I thought you hated that body?" Naomi recalled an earlier conversation. ¡°You said using it was unpleasant, so why are you like that now?¡±


    "I do hate this body." Akagi nodded as she put her phone away. "But if I can''t handle a bit of difort so I can hang out with you guys, that would be pathetic." She smiled. Akagi was really looking forward to today and was able to put aside her disgust long enough to hang with them.


    "What should we call you?" Kana asked. "Rishia? Since that''s what you look like?"


    "Please, don''t call me that." Akagi flinched. "That name is even <i>worse</i> now, so I''d rather you not. Just speak at me if you can, and if necessary, just call me Akagi. I have no interest in ever being referred to as Rishia ever again."


    "Our secret weapon to defeat the Demon Lord is to call out her true name." Mikaughed.


    "You know, Mika, I know a few fun deserted inds out in the pacific. You want to go check them out with me?" Akagi put on a nasty grin. She really hated being called by her original name. Being the Demon Lord only made that worse.


    "Eep!" Mika ducked behind Kana yfully. "The princess will protect me!"


    "Can you leave her on that ind for like a week? I think that will set her straight." Kana had a simr reaction to being called <i>princess </i>in public.


    "Scary Kana has embraced being the Demon Princess." Naomiughed.


    "Do you want to go to the ind too?" Kana red at her, but thenughed since it was all in good fun.


    "Alright, enough messing around. Where to?" Akagi chuckled. ¡°But seriously Mika, please don''t ever call me that name. I genuinely hate it and I''ve got a lot of tolerance but that''s a good way to get me angry.¡±


    Diving deep into the knowledge given to her after being released, she understood just <i>why</i> that name always bugged her. Demon Lords are born with an innate name from inception, and hers was Akagi. She always used it as an online handle, even before FWO, and now she knew why. Her subconscious desire to be released manifested in this single name and thus, she feltpelled to refer to herself as it, even while sealed. As such, calling her Rishia was tantamount to rejecting her existence as the Demon Lord and to still consider her a human. Two things she would never tolerate. Kana calling her that was one thing, she didn''t like it but would suck it up. But no one else, not even <i>Yumi</i> was allowed to call her Rishia. At least not without risking a serious beating.


    Seeing how serious Akagi was, and recalling their conversation yesterday, the two agreed. Having fun was one thing, but knowingly making Akagi ufortable wasn''t something they wanted to do, and after yesterday''s conversation the two girls spoke to each other in private. They''d recognized that perhaps they hadn''t treated Akagi as well as they should, even keeping her slightly at arms length. Mika brought up that Akagi seemed to genuinely appreciate theirpany and friendship and that she and Naomi should strive to treat her more as a peer and friend than some being that lorded over then on high. Something they admittedly did, at least in their minds.


    Mika was quite good at reading people and their emotions, and she picked up on serious difort and distress beneath Akagi''s generally happy exterior. She figured that part of this was the sudden changes she was experiencing as a result of her release. While the rest were likely a result of Akagi''s internal struggle over how she wanted the girls to treat her, and general anxiety. Naomi agreed and having done a bit more research on Akagi''s specific mental illness she concluded that it would be for the best if they changed how they approached the <i>Demon</i>. They couldn''t entirely separate Demon Lord Akagi from normal Akagi, but they''d do their best to treat her as a friend whenever they could, as they''d alsoe to enjoy the time they spent with her.


    Kana even pulled the girls aside and told them that her sister was in a kind of crisis over whether they even liked her in the first ce, spurring them to take drastic measures to break through her thick head with a carefullyid n.


    "Before we do anything else, we have to feed Mika before she goes crazy. There''s a nice caf¨¦ up the street from school that we''ve been wanting to check out." Kana said as they started walking up the street. Mika wanted to protest, but her stomach betrayed her, <i>again</i>.


    "Been a while since I''ve just walked around Kyoto casually like this," Akagimented as they started walking toward the caf¨¦. "Last time I tried something like that, people kept away from me."


    <i>{You never exactly did this before FWO either, Onee-chan.} </i>Kana sighed in her head.


    "Well, it''s not like people would recognize you as you look now, anyway." Naomimented. "Your original appearance was posted for about five minutes before your new look was the only one people came to associate with you." Rishia Tomogawa was more or less scrubbed from everything. Akagi had made sure of that, even going as far as to <i>threaten</i> some members of government agencies to remove her information, and now, as far as the Japanese Government was concerned, Rishia Tomogowa never existed.


    "Yeah, and afterst week, thest thing people will suspect is that the Demon Lord has transformed into a normal girl and is going to a caf¨¦ after school with her friends." Mikaughed.


    "That was the idea, and why I chose this body." Akagi shrugged. "Being able to swap appearance at will is quite useful and enables some good fun." She''d yed around extensively with it, causing Kana some major headaches.


    "It would be funny if you could transform us." Mika joked. ¡°We could go to school as Kana or something.¡±


    "That would be funny, but I cannot do that." Akagi smiled. "<i>My power is more for destruction than y</i>." Akagi said in a fake stuffy voice.


    "Though you can y quite hard with it when you want." Kana rolled her eyes. "I''ve seen you mess around with Yumi and the others."


    "Hey, you enjoyed the shadow body too. Need I tell these two how much you enjoyed throwing me around like a bean bag?" Akagi smirked, recalling that incident in the living room.


    "Oh wait, you have to show them the rabbitter!" Kana looked at her friends. "The voice she did had me and Yumi dying!"


    "<i>Rabbit want souls, not carrots</i>!" Akagi mimicked the rabbit''s voice, which caused Mika and Naomi to bust outughing.


    "What the hell was that?!?" Mika eximed.


    "Yeah, that was great." Naomi wiped a tear from her eye.


    "Demon rabbit who wanted souls." Akagi shrugged. "Kana was ready to offer up yours, Naomi. She said Mika didn''t qualify since she''s impure."


    "I knew you were evil, Kana. But this is thest straw!" Naomi yfully punched Kana in the back.


    ¡°And what do you mean <i>impure</i>!¡± Mika eximed. ¡°You''re the one whose impure, Kana!¡±


    "You should be honored, Naomi." Kana nced back. "Your soul was deemed worthy of being eaten by the Demon Lord." As she said this, Kana startedughing. "What the hell am I saying?"


    ¡°Scary Kana is offering sacrifices to her master.¡± (Mika x Naomi)


    The three continued their silly conversation until they reached the caf¨¦ up the street. The inside was nice and warm, much to Naomi''s delight and was quite nice. It was small, but cozy and gave off a nice vibe. Akagi told them she''d pay, something Naomi and Kana resisted, but Akagi was infinitely more stubborn.


    Mika got a sandwich and instantly dove in the second it arrived.


    ¡°This is so good!¡± She said as she munched away at it.


    "You weren''t kidding. The poor girl was probably starved." Akagiughed as she sipped her coffee.


    "She slept through her rm this morning and forgot her lunch." Kana sighed. "You wouldn''t believe how many times this has happened." On more than one asion, the girls were pressured into sharing their lunch.


    "Yeah, and she always mooches off someone when she does." Naomi shook her head as she ate her crepe.


    <i>{And we usually cave too...} </i>(Naomi)


    "Why didn''t she buy something in the cafeteria? It hasn''t been that long since I went there, wasn''t that an option?" Akagi asked.


    "No money." Mika said while she ate.


    "More like her parents don''t <i>trust</i> her with money, since she always blows it on dumb things." Naomi added context. "She would be the kind of person to hit the lottery and be poor the next day."


    "Pfff." Akagiughed. "I guess that means Yuzu and Suzu will have to get jobs to support her! Those two are gonna have their work cut out for them to keep Mika afloat!¡±


    "Nah," Mika wiped the sauce off her mouth. "I''m sure you''d support your future daughter-inw, right?" Mika gave puppy eyes.


    "They aren''t her daughters Mika." Kana tilted her head.


    <i>{What is this idiot saying?} </i>(Kana)


    "By agreeing to join the Dumetor n, they kinda are. At least only <i>technically</i>." Akagi said. "Mimi is their actual mother and always will be, but they and all of my people are treated as either a brother/sister or a child. So if you want to be technical, calling the Yuki-Onna my children isn''t exactly wrong, though I wouldn''t refer to them as such.¡±


    "Huh..." Kana thought for a moment. "Wait! So, I have like 100 brothers and sisters?!?"


    "No." Akagi said. "They are sworn to <i>me.</i> That does not spread further, especially since you are not part of the n. Thus calling them your siblings is not correct, though I suspect they''d love that." This was somethingmon in old feudal ns where those joining would bee sworn children or siblings of the leader.


    "I''ve never heard you address anyone as your child. Except for Alice." Naomi said.


    "Because I don''t see them in such a way, and I don''t want to call any of them sibling or child. As far as I''m concerned, we''re a n of equals, though they <i>heavily</i> protested that notion." Akagi shrugged. "It was like pulling teeth the get the heads to agree to being my siblings on paper, since they wanted to be children or some other lower level equivalent. Even Yumi is a pain the ass and getting her not to stand behind me and act like some kind of lessor has been a chore!¡± Akagi sighed thinking about Yumi''s inferiorityplex. ¡°Damn girl still doesn''t agree that she has the right to treat me as an equal, something I don''t think will ever change.¡±


    ¡°I guess that makes sense.¡± Mika said. ¡°You are the Demon Lord and she''s just a pretty normal girl all things considered. I think anyone would have a hard time epting being your equal, even if you tell them.¡±


    <i>{I mean, even Kana sees you as above her, though she''d never admit it.} </i>(Naomi)


    ¡°You might be right, but that doesn''t make me happy. She can be so stubborn about the dumbest things some times! She''s also <i>still</i> refuses to call me by my name thinking that doing so is above her station.¡± Akagi groaned. She''d tried to get Yumi to drop the <i>my Lord</i> thing but was rebuked fiercely. ¡°They''re all like that! I get the respect and formality, but would it kill those idiots to think a just a bit better about themselves?!?¡± Akagi really disliked how the rest of her family had a tendency to down y their own value and importance. She cared for each of them and seeing degrade themselves genuinely upset her.


    <i>{Onee-chan, you do realize you self depreciate quite hard yourself, right?} </i>(Kana)


    "They really are loyal to you, huh?" Kana sipped her tea. "Not to sound rude, but I don''t get it. Why are they like that? What did you do for them to have such unwavering devotion to you?"


    "It''s hard to exin." Akagi thought. ¡°They all have their own circumstances.¡± Exining it in detail would take a very long time.


    "They respect you." Naomi chimed in. "It''s clear as day to me that each one of them has a deeply held respect for you. I don''t know exactly what your interactions with each of them were and why they came to serve you, but all of them think very highly of you." She had a staff of her own and understood it better than the other two girls.


    "That''s a way to put it." Akagi nodded. "I helped each one of them with their own problems or issues. I''ve shown them that loyalty to me is repaid with loyalty, and that I''ll fight for each of them until the bitter end. They all know if the chips are down I''ll have their back, no matter what. From the top brass of the n to the humble foot soldier they''re all important to me and I''d do whatever I could to help them."


    "I''d say it goes beyond respect." Kana tilted her head. "It honestly seems more like <i>fanaticism</i> than anything else. Seems like many view you as some higher being, almost like they''re part of a cult." She recalled some conversations with Chloe and Yumi that made her head spin.


    "Yumi aside, you aren''t wrong." Akagi gave a wry smile. She knew Kana was right about their level of devotion being <i>too </i>great. "I know that they''d do anything for me, and being the Demon Lord has only made it <i>worse </i>now since they view all their hype and faith as having been <i>correct</i>." She hung her head in defeat. ¡°I overheard some of them talking about how much longer it would be till I conquered the world! Like seriously, don''t force me into something like that! I''m good thank you very much.¡±


    <i>{I wouldn''t be shocked if they started gathering in secret for prayers and stuff. Perhaps even sacrificing people on an alter.} </i>Kana''s thoughts were only partially in jest.


    "I wonder if the game caused that?" Naomi asked. ¡°They were technically NPCs and it would make sense if the game enforced a level of loyalty to their master.¡±


    "Perhaps." Akagi shrugged. "I did ask Mizumi about this issue, and she told me nothing within the game or her magic would cause such effects and at this point, I don''t really care about the why." Akagi had brought up potential maniption of their feelings to some of her people, and they all vehemently disagreed with that notion. ¡°Whether their feelings are their own or imnted they still have them. That was what they told me at least, so I just figured rolling with it would be for the best. Though I did tell them to temper things a bit.¡±


    <i>{Though I have a feeling that they''re ignoring that directive...} </i>(Akagi)


    The girls sat and chatted for a bit more, disusing mundane things like school, family and other things. They even discussed a few uing anime and games that wereing out.


    *RING*


    The door to the caf¨¦ rung as someone entered and moved the bell above the door, and a group of girls from the same high school came in and started walking toward Akagi and the girls. Kana recognized one of them and her face briefly twitched in irritation, something Akagi caught.


    Spoiler


    Rishia in Casual!


    [copse]

 Chapter 112 – The Guardian Deity.

    Chapter 112 ¨C The Guardian Deity.


    The three familiar girls approached the table that Akagi and her friends were sitting at, and the <i>Demon</i> instantly recognized one of them. Something about her seemed to bug both Akagi and Kana who were displeased by her sudden appearance.


    "I didn''t expect to see you here, Miyako." Kana politely greeted the girl, and Akagi could instantly tell she didn''t like her.


    <i>{Is this the one Kana was alwaysining about?} </i>(Akagi)


    "Nor I you." Miyako scoffed. "I''d rather avoid associating with you if possible, but Yemi wanted to try this ce out." She was referring to the brown-haired girl next to her. ¡°We caught sight of you within the caf¨¦, but decided to be civil anyway.¡±


    "Hey, Yemi." Naomi waved to the girl she knew from the basketball team.


    "Ummm h-hey." The girl waved back, though she was nervous. Yemi''d been avoiding Naomi since the incident at Camp Katsura, and she seemed to still be ufortable around her. ¡°Ummm.¡± Her eyes flickered as she clearly didn''t want to be around Naomi or the other girls at the table. Naomi and her had been decently close untilst falls events, when she began avoiding her.


    Miyako looked over at Mika who was ignoring her and chomping away at her sandwich. "I see Mika forgot her lunch <i>again</i>." Miyako sighed. "You really are hopeless, aren''t you? If you can''t even remember to pack your food, how are you going to be a functioning adult?" She knew the blue-haired girl all too well and had tried to correct her behavior on several asions, all to no avail.


    "Her airheadedness is we keep her around." Akagiughed. "It''s her only endearing trait!¡± She snickered


    "Hey, I have more qualities than just being empty-headed!" Mika retorted.


    "Name them, I''ll wait!" Akagi challenged her.


    ¡°I have-¡± Mika was cut off.


    "Having a girlfriend isn''t a quality." Kana preempted a suspected point.


    *Tsk* Mika clicked her tongue. "Well, I''m still cute, and that''s what matters." She went back to eating her food.


    ¡°Yeah, cute like when a dog gets a bucket stuck on its head and ils around helplessly.¡± Kanaughed.


    "In all seriousness, I''d say her ability to just take everything in stride is her best quality. If she can keep up with me, that''s pretty good." Akagi chuckled.


    "And who exactly are you, anyway?" Miyako asked. "I don''t recognize you, and I''ve never seen you around any of these three idiots before." Naturally she had no idea that this was Akagi transformed. ¡°Are you a student from another school? You look around our age, maybe a bit older.¡±


    "Umm... this... this is... um..." Kana tried to find a reliable answer but nothing came to mind.


    <i>{Come on Kana, figure something out!} </i>(Kana)


    "I''m her sister." Akagi answered truthfully. "I''m here to spend time with her, our friend and Mika." Her answer made the three girls hearts sink.


    <i>{Really! I thought we were trying to prevent a panic?!?} </i>Kana retorted internally.


    <i>{What do you mean <u>AND</u> Mika?!?} </i>(Mika)


    Miyako and the two girls were stunned for a second before rebooting. "Don''t even joke about that!" Her face had slightly paled. "You know just what kind of monster her sister is! Why would you want people thinking such things about you? Even in jest, that is a foolishment!"


    "Uh, Miyako," Naomi spoke up.


    "What?" The girl turned to her.


    "That really is Kana''s sister." Naomi sighed. Seeing no choice, and figuring it was best to cue her in before she did something stupid, Naomi confirmed what Akagi said was the truth.


    Miyako looked back at Akagi, who briefly shed her demonic eyes before changing them back to normal. The three girls backed off and started trembling a bit.


    ¡°Please don''t eat us!¡± Yemi cowered behind her friends. ¡°We don''t taste good.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah! I''m probably too salty!¡± The other girl said.


    "I-um. Monster is actually apliment, yeah! Right, you two?" Miyako looked at her two friends, who nodded in agreement. ¡°Yeah, I d-didn''t mean it bad! I swear!¡±


    "Calm down. I''m not going to hurt you." Akagi sighed. "I''m here to spend time with these three idiots, not start a pogrom." Akagi continued. ¡°Besides if I''m going to eat any set of three high-schoolers it will be these knuckleheads right here. 10:1 they have a much better vor than you.¡± She pointed at Kana who smacked her on the back of the head.


    ¡°Not helping!¡± Kana red at her.


    "Please ignore her, she''s actually quite harmless. Besides I''ve told you before that Onee-chan isn''t out to hurt people." Kana groaned. "So you don''t need to act like that. Cowing in fear is unnecessary.¡±


    ¡°Unnecessary, but I''ll still take it.¡± Akagi winked and Kana groaned.


    <i>{Do you really have to do that...} </i>(Kana)


    "Uh, yes, well... look at the time. We''re almostte for that thing we had to do!" Miyako and the three girls turned and ran out of the caf¨¦.


    <i>{What a clich¨¦ line.} </i>(Naomi x Mika)


    "Well, that was nice." Akagi had a smile stered on her face.


    "You just enjoyed them fleeing in pure terror." Naomi chuckled. "Though I must admit, seeing Miyako humbled is quite nice. That girl can be a bit much sometimes."


    "Yeah, she really gets on my nerves." Kana did not like the girl, and she always got under her skin. ¡°But I''m not sure how to react to her looking at my sister and fleeing in terror.¡±


    ¡°The correct reaction would be to be proud!¡± Akagi puffed out her chest in pride.


    <i>{No I think Kana''s reaction is the correct one.} </i>(Naomi x Mika)


    ¡°Please don''t get into the habit of tormenting other people just to watch them cower in fear.¡± Kana sighed.


    ¡°A but its so much fun watching the mortals scatter like cockroaches.¡± Akagi continued tough. ¡°What''s that look for?¡± Kana was giving her a re.


    ¡°You really are just awful aren''t you?¡± Kana sighed. ¡°Why do you have to be such a massive sadist? Poor Yumi. I fear what you do to that poor girl when we''re not looking.¡± She smirked.


    ¡°Hold up!¡± Akagi sat up really quick. ¡°I don''t pull that stuff with Yumi, she''s off limits.¡± Akagi wasn''t above picking on Yumi, but her more sadistic tenancies didn''t go near Yumi.


    ¡°Oh but your sister isn''t?¡± Kana shook her head. ¡°Thanks, guess I know where I stand in the pecking order.¡±


    ¡°<i>You</i> get special treatment <i>because </i>you''re my sister. It''s the older siblings job to bully the younger, its part of the agreement we sign.¡± Akagi winked. ¡°If you want, I <i>can indulge </i> myself just a bit more in my <i>bullying</i>. Though I doubt you want that.¡± Akagi''s eyes glinted for just a second causing Kana to have a chill run down her spine.


    <i>{Oh no you don''t! I know what kind of indulging you''d want to do!} </i>(Kana)


    ¡°Regr bullying is fine, no need for changes!¡± Kana began to nod rapidly.


    ¡°HAHAAHHAA.¡± Akagiughed. ¡°The look on your face was priceless. Man that''s good!¡±


    <i>{I''m starting to understand what Akagi meant that day when she said that <b>especially </b>Kana would be in trouble.} </i>Naomi got to see a glimpse into that dark part of Akagi''s mind, and she was d the <i>Demon</i> had that under control.


    ¡°Its nice to see Kana get all scared like that sometimes.¡± Mika smiled as she finished her food. ¡°Besides, Kana your also a sadist too.¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Kana eximed. ¡°I''m not sadist!¡±


    Mika and Naomi looked at each other. ¡°She really thinks that, huh?¡± (Mika x Naomi)


    ¡°Must be from her <i>Demon</i> side.¡± Naomi chuckled.


    ¡°Yeah, naturally the Demon Princess enjoys tormenting us mere mortals.¡± Mika poked fun at Kana.


    ¡°What? Is today <i>pick on Kana day</i>?¡± Kana slumped back in her chair.


    ¡°All for making today the official holiday?¡± Akagi stuck up her hand followed by Mika and Naomi.


    ¡°Do I get a say?¡± Kana asked weakly.


    ¡°Sure you do! You can vote too, but since its three against one, you lose.¡± Akagi smiled. ¡° Moving along from tormenting the <i>Princess</i>.¡± Akagi shifted topics. ¡°You really don''t like that Miyako girl, right?¡±


    ¡°She''s.... an absolute pain.¡± Kana sighed. ¡°Miyako has never really done anything to me, but she extremelypetitive and hates the fact that I beat her in test scores. She''s always got some snidement or slings sass around.¡±


    ¡°So she''s basically your Hishya?¡± Akagi asked. ¡°Because that''s what she was to me, a pain in the ass who couldn''t take losing and always had ament.¡±


    <i>{As if you don''t have ament prepared for everything...} </i>(Mika)


    ¡°Maybe?¡± Kana shrugged. ¡°I''d just rather she leave me alone and keep the sass to her self for once.¡±


    ¡°Should I visit her during the night?¡± Akagi asked. ¡°You know what my real shadow looks like.¡± She pointed behind her. ¡°How about seeing that on the ceiling in the middle of the night? It would probably make her faint in fear.¡±


    <i>{Hoshino didn''t enjoy seeing it before she died either. I guess just seeing it can cause people some damage.} </i>(Akagi)


    Kana thought for a moment. ¡°I want to say yes. But, I''m going to take the high road and ask you not to traumatize one of my ssmates.¡± Though it seems she actually gave that genuine consideration.


    "Maybe you could throw her on an ind for a bit?" Mika gave an idea based on what Akagi threatened her with earlier.


    Akagi shrugged. "If she does anything to upset Kana, she might wake up one morning and find her bed sitting on a beach somewhere."


    "That would be kinda funny." Kanaughed. "She''d freak out." She imed not to be sadistic, but the look in her eyes said otherwise.


    <i>{Scary Kana came out for a second.} </i>(Naomi x Mika)


    "I think anyone would, Kana." Naomi sighed. She knew Kana would absolutely love to watch Miyako get tormented by her older sister.


    ¡°On a separate but rted note, answer me this.¡± Akagi said. "Is that girl from the Hitsubane family?"


    "Yeah, her name is Miyako Hitsubane." Mika answered. "Why?"


    *Tsk* Akagi clicked her tongue. "I knew her older sister Saiya. She was in my grade." Akagi groaned as she recalled her. "She was a real bitch."


    <i>{Note to self, find Saiya and repay her for the tacks in my shoes freshman year.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I wonder what it is about sisters and being alike?" Mika asked with a cheeky smile.


    "No clue," Akagi bopped her on the head. ¡°I wonder what it is with Mikas and deserted inds?¡±


    "Owchi!" Mika cried out. ¡°Such abuse!¡±


    <i>{Why do I have a feeling that one morning Mika won''te to school and Kana and I will instantly think she''s on some deserted ind somewhere?} </i>Naomi sighed internally.


    Kana decided to ask her sister about something she''d noticed. "When Miyako walked in the door, your face briefly scrunched up. What was that about?" Kana had caught that brief change in Akagi''s demeanor.


    "Her family owns a shrine, and she was wearing a charm that gave off spiritual power," Akagi answered. ¡°As I''m a being that is quite opposed to such things, its as quite an unpleasant feeling just being around that power.¡±


    "Wait, really?" Kana knew the Hitsubane family ran a shrine, but spiritual power wasn''t something she expected. "So that means that whole Onmyoji power thing is real?"


    "Seems so." Akagi shrugged. "I''ve been to a couple of shrines, and while I''ve detected some residual power. I''ve had no luck in meeting any Yokai or guardian deities."


    "Maybe they''re afraid of you?" Naomi guessed. "You are the Demon Lord. Not hard to imagine they want to stay away from you."


    "No, I don''t think so." Akagi shook her head. "If that were the case I''d still be able to track em down and find them. But I''ve had no luck so far, though granted I''ve never searched that girls family shrine.¡±


    "Then why was there power around her?" Kana asked. "I didn''t see or feel anything when she came in either."


    "That''s because you''re not ustomed to sensing power like that. Youck the magical ability to do so." Akagi said. "But as to <i>why</i> it was emitting from her. From what I saw, it wasing off a charm on her right wrist, and was likely given to her to ward off evil."


    <i>{But who gave her it?} </i>Akagi thought to herself.


    "Well, it didn''t work on you!" Mikaughed. "In fact, she ran right into you. So I''d say it attracts demons rather than repel them!"


    "If I so much as sneezed on her, that charm and its protective aura would burst like a balloon." Akagi smirked. "It will take a hell of a lot more than such pitiful spirit power to even begin to harm me."


    ¡°Considering the Yokai in my family legends couldn''t destroys, that''s understandable.¡± Naomi gave a dryugh.


    "Isn''t her family shrine close-by?" Akagi asked.


    "Yeah, it''s actually only a few blocks away if I recall correctly. We''ve been there at least once." Naomi answered. "Why?"


    "I''d like to take a visit if you don''t mind." Akagi said.


    "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Kana sighed. ¡°Please don''t turn things into another news story. I already woke up to an article this morning about the Shingeki Corp''s CEO being <i>idented</i> during the night.¡± Turned out that said CEO was actually embezzling a ton of money from thepany and the board couldn''t legally get rid of him without destroying thepany. Akagi''s help solved all those problems and saved thepany from destruction.


    ¡°Hey, I''ve got bills to pay.¡± Akagi shrugged.


    Kana rolled her eyes. ¡°Well your <i>job</i> gets in the headlines every once and a while. Also, as if you don''t have enough money never to work again...¡±


    <i>{Its less a job and more of a hobby for her, honestly.} </i>(Naomi)


    <i>{Couldn''t Akagi just take whatever she wanted anyway? Does she even <u>need</u> money?} </i>(Mika)


    ¡°We should go to that shrine! I kinda wanna see what''s going to happen when she arrives! Maybe Akagi will fight the god?" Mika chuckled.


    "Fine," Kana gave in. "If that''s fine with you?" She looked at Naomi. ¡°Also, Mika don''t say things like that. Its how you jinx things!¡±


    ¡°Guardian Deity versus Demon Lord would make for a great sequel to Demon Lord versus Angel.¡± Mikaughed. ¡°I can''t wait!¡± If it did happen, she''d record it for sure.


    ¡°I don''t really want to watch Akagi rip apart my faith but sure.¡± Naomi sighed. She actually prayed to some of the local gods regrly.


    ¡°If said God exists and isn''t stupid we should have no problems.¡± Akagi sipped her tea.


    The four finished up their food and tea and set off toward the Hitsubane family shrine. Akagi paid the bill by stealing it away before the other three couldin. Something Mika was happy for as she had no money to pay for her food.


    "Here we are." Kana stood in front of the Torii gate that lead up the stairs to the shrine.


    The girls headed up. Mika, Naomi, and Kana gave a quick prayer before stepping through the gate and heading up the left side of the stairs. Meanwhile, Akagi had <i>different </i>ideas and walked straight up the middle. Something that caught the attention of other people who were nearby, and the girls.


    "Onee-chan, you know that''s not where you''re supposed to walk." Kana sighed. The center was supposed to be for the deity who lived in the shrine and people shouldn''t walk there. ¡°Never mind.¡±


    <i>{At this point, she''s probably higher up status wise than the god that lives here. So she''d probably say something like: Your lucky I didn''t make youe to me!} </i>Kana mocked her sister in her head.


    "If the god is pissed about it, then they cane out here and fight me!" Akagiughed as she walked up the stairs. Naturally, nothing happened, but Akagi found her tant sphemy hrious.


    "I don''t think they could even do anything if they did exist." Naomiughed nervously.


    The four of them reached the top and found the shrine quiet and empty, save for a single older man sweeping the temple grounds.


    "Oh, this is quite rare." He looked up at them. "We hardly get any visitors these days."


    "Yes, well. My sister wanted to see the shrine." Kana put on a fake smile. "And we''re from Miyako''s ss. We saw her earlier, and our conversation went to the family shrine she lived at."


    "Ahh, friends of my granddaughter." The old man smiled. "I can go get her if you want. She came back from school in quite a hurry and locked herself in her room." His eyes snapped to Akagi before returning to Kana.


    <i>{This man.} </i>Akagi noticed something about him.


    "No! That won''t be necessary!" Kana waved her arms. She didn''t want to traumatize Miyako anymore, <i>yet</i>.


    "I see. Then please enjoy yourself. You can offer your prayers to Lady Kukurihime up ahead.¡± He pointed to arge building adorned with many different religious effects.


    <i>{Interesting, I sense something here.} </i>Akagi thought. <i>{Perhaps this guardian deity is actually home?} </i>Prior to FWO, she''d thought the Shinto ideas of gods and spirits were bogus. But recently, the idea of such existences being real entered her mind. She''d never met another supernatural existence besides herself, Mizumi and the others notwithstanding, but figured it was <i>possible</i> they existed in this world.


    "Hey," Akagi called out to the old man. "When was thest time someone actually met Kukurihime?" She asked. ¡°Have you met her?¡±


    "Long before my time." He answered. "I''ve never met her in person, but that is because she has not deemed me worthy."


    <i>{And he''s lying. Great.} </i>Akagi sighed as she felt some kind of energy stir in the shire up ahead.


    <i>{Yeah, something is definitely here.} </i>Akagi grinned. <i>{Time to meet a god I guess.}</i>


    The four of them walked up to the front of the shrine. The girls offered a prayer, while Akagi''s eyes moved around looking for this guardian deity.


    *p* *p*


    *Tink*


    The girls made an offering, except Mika, and when they did Akagi noticed the energy within the shrine move around for a bit, as if it was watching the girls.


    "Alright, I''ve seen enough. I''m satisfied." Akagi said loudly, raising her hand in front of her.


    "Onee-chan, what are you doing?" Kana asked, her bad feeling wasing home to roost.


    "Kukurihime or whoever you are, you''ve got five seconds to get out here and face me. If you don''t, I detonate this ce and you." She charged up a ck and red energy st in her hand.


    "5!"


    "Wait, what?!?" Kana was surprised, but before she could say anything more.


    "Please wait!" A voice called out from the shrine, and the doors opened causing a bright light to flow out from the building. "There is no need for violence!"


    A young girl around Kana''s age walked out of the door. She had long brown hair tied in two buns that ran down behind her head. She was wearing a pink Kimono and had two horns protruding out from her head. She looked like an Oni, and the resemnce to Superbia was quite high.


    "There you are." Akagi put her hand down and released the energy harmlessly. "I''ve been trying to find a guardian deity since I got back, and now we''ve got one right here." Akagi had an awful smile on her face.


    "Wait, is that actually Kukurihime?!?" Kana was surprised, and so were the other two.


    <i>{A real god?!?} </i>(Mika x Naomi)


    "Y-yes, that is who I am." Kukurihime nodded and looked at Akagi. "May I ask what a being like you is doing here?"


    Spoiler


    Kukurihime!


    [copse]

 Chapter 113 – The Pecking Order and Mika’s Home.

    Chapter 113 ¨C The Pecking Order and Mika¡¯s Home.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    2 Chaps!


    "May I ask what a being like you is doing here?" Kukurihime asked. Her eyes showed that Akagi was quite the <i>unwee </i>guest to her shrine.


    "Not much, just hanging with my sister and our friends. Figured I''d stop by the shrine and have a chat with the local god." Akagi shrugged. "Normal stuff."


    <i>{Only Onee-chan can be so casual and flippant with a god.}</i> Kana sighed.


    "Yes well, I''d very much rather not speak with a creature like you." Kukurihime said. "So if you have nothing of substance to discuss, please leave."


    "No." Akagi smiled. "I don''t take orders from an overgrown spirit, and I''ll leave when I damn well please." Coping an attitude was <i>not</i> the best way to start a rtionship with Akagi.


    "You may be-" Kukurihime tried to speak, but Akagi cut her off.


    "Let me put this another way." Akagi allowed her eyes to return to their demonic form. "Drop the attitude, or you''re going to quickly get on my nerves." She allowed some of her energy to crash onto Kukurihime, who was stunned by the power. "And people who do, don''t tend to exist for very long."


    Kana and the girls watched as the guardian deity was overwhelmed by Akagi''s power.


    <i>{She really is even more powerful than a god!} </i>(Kana, Mika and Naomi)


    "<i>I</i> am the one of higher status. <i>You</i> are little more than a spirit with some extra bells and whistles. Count yourself lucky I did not demand you prostrate yourself before me." Akagi returned her eyes back and retracted her aura. "Now, let''s try this again.''


    Kukurihime struggled to stay on her feet. "I-I... My apologize for acting so rude. How may I help you?"


    <i>{Just like that, she got all nice?!?}</i> (Kana, Naomi and Mika)


    "Why are you the only local guardian I''vee across?" Akagi asked. "There was supposed to be one of you at many of the shrines I''ve investigated, but I''ve seen none. Nor have I found any Yokai, despite my best attempts to locate them." She''d been hunting for them on her own time, but never found anything.


    Kukurihime was a bit reluctant to answer, but did. "The reason you cannot find any of them, is because they have all fled this world, and I am the only one of my kind remaining."


    <i>{Oh?} </i>(Akagi)


    "So wait, does that mean my family''s story about the Yokai leaving was actually real?!?" Naomi asked. "My parents told me stories about our ancestors striking a deal with the Emperor to let the Yokai go to a ce safer for them. Does that mean all those stories were true?!?"


    <i>{That''s unreal!} </i>(Naomi)


    "Your family?" Kukurihime tilted her head. "Ahh, you are a member of the Tokugawa family. That makes sense, and yes, you are correct. The rest of our kind agreed to relocate to a world more hospitable to us. With the country''s modernization and theck of a proper home for most of us, we were left with no choice but to flee." The darkness that allowed Yokai to thrive had been steadily driven back until there was so little left, that a confrontation with humans was inevitable. Fearing annihtion, they chose to flee rather than fight.


    "And yet, <i>you</i> stayed." Akagi continued. "It''s because you have family, isn''t it?"


    "Yes." Kukurihime nodded. "The Hitsubane family are descendants of mine."


    "Wait! Miyako is the descendant of a god!" Kana eximed.


    "If you want to call this Oni a ''god'', then sure." Akagi shrugged. She wouldn''t consider Kukurihime a god since she knew what actual gods were. "So you stayed behind because you didn''t want to leave them?"


    "Yes, I couldn''t bring myself to abandon my flesh and blood. Even if it meant that I was destined to one day fade away." Kukurihime gave a bitter smile.


    "That''s right. Your kind require prayer and offerings to survive." Akagi snapped her fingers in realization. "I''m surprised you''ve survived two-hundred years with how few people actuallye here." Religion in Japan had been on the decline for around a century by this point and very few people took it very seriously.


    "It has been tough, but my descendants have tried their hardest to keep me from fading." She smiled. "But it''s not enough, sadly. I fear I don''t have too many years left until I dissipate."


    <i>{T-that''s awful...} </i>(Mika x Naomi)


    "Does Miyako know about you?" Kana asked.


    "Yes, I interact with my family quite often. Miyako is a good girl and ever since her mother passed on, I''ve taken to raising her like my own. I even gave her a charm hoping to ward off negative energy, which I see did not affect you." The Oni looked at Akagi. "I cannot even fathom the depths of the evil that lies within you."


    "I''ll take that as apliment." Akagiughed. Her natural aura, when released, was quite <i>unpleasant</i> for most beings to feel or see.


    Kukurihime sighed. "Even at the height of my power, I doubt I could ever hope to harm you, let alone defeat you. You''d likely overpower all the other guardians if they were still around."


    <i>{Well that cements it. Congrattions Onee-chan, you are even more powerful than the gods...} </i>(Kana)


    "That''s the point." Akagi shrugged. "Things should have been. I show up, world burns, everyone''s sad. But we flipped the script and changed things up a bit, and now I enjoy snuggles with Yumi."


    <i>{Yeah, you''re always with her. I swear I don''t understand how you idiots get work done when you''re always cuddled together.} </i>(Kana)


    "I can see that." Kukurihime groaned. "Well, if you''vee to kill me, then just do it. But please leave my family alone. They have nothing to do with any conflict between us." She was prepared for death.


    "I''ve had way too many people say lines like that. Do I really look like the bad guy?" Akagi looked at the girls, who just red at her. Naturally, that was a rhetorical question, and they had to resist the urge to retort. "But don''t go killing yourself off just yet, little Oni." Akagi sighed. "I came here to talk not kill. If I wanted the title of god yer, you''d already be my snack." She winked.


    <i>{Gotta admit, eating a guardian deity sounds nice. Wonder how she''d taste?} </i>(Akagi)


    Kukurihime''s eyes widened. "You truly are not going to kill me?" She hadn''t expected that.


    Akagi rolled her eyes. "Not unless you keep annoying me."


    "It''s just that, beings made of such evil and malice shouldn''t be capable of having a reasonable discussion, let alone exist peacefully. You are truly a curious creature." Kukurihime looked at her in shock.


    "Trust me. I had to ovee that inner nature so that destroying the world wasn''t mandatory." Akagiughed. ¡°Now its <i>optional.</i>¡±


    Suddenly the older man from earlier came from around the corner.


    "Lady Kukurihime!" He was surprised to see her and ran over. "Is something the matter?"


    "No Junichiro, there is no problem. I''m just having a discussion with our <i>guests</i>." Kukurihime answered.


    "I''ve never seen you show yourself to anyone but the family. May I ask just what urred to cause this?" Junichiro asked.


    "I forced her out." Akagi chuckled. "I told her toe out and face me or get blown up, and she came out a few secondster."


    Junichiro was bbergasted and looked at Kukurihime, who nodded. "This being is the same one we saw on the news the other day, the one who killed that group of terrorists. She has taken another form, but this is the Demon Lord, Akagi." Kukurihime exined. "Please take great caution when dealing with her."


    "The Demon Lord?" Junichiro looked at Akagi, who shed her demonic eyes briefly, causing the old man to step back a bit. "I see."


    Akagi thought for a moment. "Would youe with me back to my estate briefly?" She asked Kukurihime.


    "What for?" She was apprehensive about traveling with Akagi.


    "I want your opinion on something, and you''d be the perfect person to confirm a theory I''ve got going in my head right now." Akagi answered. "I''ll make it worth your while. If you agree, then I think I can solve your energy problem."


    "What!" Kukurihime eximed. "How could you possibly do something like that? I''ve been searching for a substitute for nearly a century and a half! How could you have found one so easily?!?"


    "I have quite a bit of knowledge now that I''ve embraced being the Demon Lord." Akagi continued. "Combine that with a certain Imp''s talent, and I think we can make you an energy source that will act as a substitute for the normal energy that sustains you."


    Kukurihime looked at Akagi. "You''re serious?"


    Akagi nodded. "I don''t expect people to work for free, since I don''t. Come with me for a bit and answer some other questions. If you do that, I''ll see what I can do about removing that energy issue."


    <i>{Shouldn''t be too hard. I''ve already got an idea about what to do.} </i>(Akagi)


    Kukurihime closed her eyes and thought for a bit before answering. "I never thought I''d take a deal from a <i>Demon,</i> but if it saves me from vanishing into nothing, I''ll take it." She was afraid to disappear since she knew there was no afterlife for her kind.


    "Good." Akagi nodded. "If my first idea doesn''t work, I''ll put my team on finding a solution ASAP. Shouldn''t be too hard."


    "That''s fine." Kukurihime nodded. "Though if the method requires the use of evil power or the deaths of others, I will decline." She gave a wry smile. Those things were not eptable to the Oni god.


    "Well, lucky for you none of my ideas require either." Akagiughed. "Magic is quite a flexible tool. I think we can figure things out and I''ve got a few people who know even more than I about magic and devices."


    <i>{Imp and that nutty fox could probably figure it out.} </i>(Akagi)


    Akagi chatted a bit more with Kukurihime before telling her she''d return tomorrow to collect her. The god was a bit annoyed at being ced below the three girls in importance, but didn''t say anything for obvious reasons.


    Once they were done, the four of them walked down from the shrine and headed to Mika''s house to watch a movie. This was the original n for the day, and the shine and caf¨¦ had gotten them sidetracked a bit.


    As they walked down the street, Akagi made ament. "Now that I think about it. This will be the first time I meet Mika''s parents." She''d never met them before today.


    "Yeah, you''re right." Kana thought back and realized that Yumi or another n member had always been the ones to take Mika home. "They''re about as you would expect."


    "Totallyid back and easygoing?" Akagi looked over at her.


    "Yea." Kana nodded. "They don''t really seem to be affected by anything, it''s where Mika gets her personality from."


    <i>{If only she''d gotten their brains...} </i>(Kana)


    "My parents are great!" Mika smiled. "And I think you''ll get along with them."


    <i>{Yeah, just forget the fact that I killed their son.} </i>Akagi thought to herself. That whole issue hadn''t reached a head just yet, and while many spected she was responsible for ck Gauntlet''s death, there was no way to 100% prove it.


    "You never told them about your brother, right?" Akagi wanted to double-check.


    "No." Mika gave a wry smile. "I''d break their heart, and I don''t want to see that." The revtion had impacted her hard enough, and she was only his sister. His parents would be devastated if they ever found out the truth about him.


    "Then I will keep that in mind and refrain from saying anything." Akagi said.


    About fifteen minutester, the four of them arrived in front of Mika''s house. She lived in an apartment that was built as a set of row-homes. They headed up the stairs to the second floor and headed inside the small but cozy home.


    "We''re here!" Mika yelled as she went inside.


    "There she is." A male voice came from the kitchen. "Your mother and I are in the kitchen. Bring your friends in here once you take off your shoes!"


    Heading inside, the girls kicked off their shoes, while Akagi just made them disappear.


    "That clothing thing is super convenient," Mikamented. ¡°I wish I could change outfits with a thought.


    "Yup! It super nice!" Akagi smiled.


    "Also." Mika turned to Akagi. "While we''re here, you don''t need to disguise yourself."


    "Uhhh." Akagi was surprised. "I don''t think your parents are going to take well to that."


    <i>{Do you want them to freak?!?} </i>(Akagi)


    "Trust me. It will be fine, so just switch to how you looked yesterday when we were having lunch. I know that body makes you ufortable, and I want you to feel at home here." Mika smiled, and Akagi was touched. She''d never had friends before and never gone to someone''s house to hang out. Mika was trying to be considerate since she knew Akagi''s true feelings and was trying to better navigate the difficult waters that were Akagi''s emotions.


    <i>{I want to show her that there are other people out here that can ept her. I know deep down she just wants to be herself. I just hope mom and dad are ready to y their parts.} </i>(Mika)


    "Don''t get mad at me if they scream and freak out." Akagi told her.


    <i>{Why don''t I want them to scream? I should want people to be afraid of me! So why does the idea of Mika''s parents freaking out bother me so much? Its not like Mika actually cares about me as a friend anyway! She''s probably just afraid of me...} </i>Akagi, once again, allowed her anxiety to get the better of her.


    "If they <i>do, </i>I''ll smack them upside the head." Mika''s eyes told her she was serious.


    "Fine." Akagi snapped her fingers, and she changed into the same appearance from yesterday, sporting a green t-shirt and ck shorts in her usual body with her ck and orange eyes.


    <i>{Let''s see how this goes. Maybe they won''t freak out? But why wouldn''t they? I''m a monster...} </i>Akagi prepared for the worst, but decided to trust Mika''s faith in her parents. She liked Mika, and while she was mostly indifferent to most people''s opinions of her. She''d rather Mika''s parents not scream from just the sight of her.


    <i>{Onee-chan, it''s time for your intervention!} </i>(Kana)

 Chapter 114 – The Contradictory Emotions.

    Chapter 114 ¨C The Contradictory Emotions.


    The four girls headed into the kitchen one by one. Mika''s dad was sitting drinking tea, while her mother was in the adjacent kitchte preparing more. Akagi was strangely nervous as she entered the room, fearing that Mika''s parents would freak out.


    <i>{Why am I so nervous? Why do I care so much about what they''ll think of me?!?} </i>(Akagi)


    She''d been having these contradictory feelings since she''d been released, and was struggling to understand them. For some reason, she felt great sadness at the idea of Mika''s parents being afraid of her, and was worried that such a reaction might cause Mika to distance herself.


    <i>{She''s definitely freaking out on the inside.} </i>Mika caught on to Akagi''s internal struggle. <i>{Akagi really can be kooky sometimes. But I guess it''s understandable. I can''t even imagine what''s going through that mind of hers, but hopefully this will ease her worries just a bit.} </i>She''d actually informed her parents of their arrival previously, and told them <i>not </i>to freak out about Akagi.


    "Please have a seat. Mika''s mother is making some tea for you all, and will done shortly." Mika''s dad smiled.


    The four of them took a seat, and Akagi sat across from Mika''s father and next to Kana. Neither parent had made anyments yet, which was a good sign. After a few minutes, Mika''s mother finished the tea and brought it over, pouring the girls a cup before taking a seat next to her husband.


    "You must be Akagi." Her mother smiled. "It''s nice to finally meet you. Mika''s told us all about you over these past few months. My name is Shinobu Yuminaka, and this is my husband, Ken."


    "It''s nice to meet you." Ken smiled as he sipped his tea.


    Akagi was a bit surprised by this normal greeting. "My name is Akagi Dumetor. I suppose you know very well what I am." Akagi pointed to her eyes. ¡°But it''s nice to meet the two of you, sorry it''s taken me so long...¡± She was still nervous.


    <i>{Why am I acting so shy?!?} </i>(Akagi)


    <i>{Man, she really is acting funny. But then again, this was kind of how she used to be, now that I think of it. It''s kinda cute to see her all flustered.} </i>(Kana)


    "Indeed, we''re very well aware of who you are." Shinobu chuckled. "I never imagined our daughter would be friends with a <em>Demon</em> or have two Yuki-Onna as girlfriends."


    "Much better than those boys she used to bring around." Her fathermented about a past boyfriend, which caused Mika to blush. ¡°They we''re always nothing but trouble.¡±


    ¡°Dad!¡± Mika cried out.


    Akagi was taken aback by this <i>normal </i>interaction between her and Mika''s family. She knew they wereid back, but they were sitting across from the Demon Lord and chatting like she was a normal person.


    <i>{H-how can they just be cool with me?!? I''m literally a monster!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Akagi." Ken calling our her name shocked Akagi out of her stupor. "Thank you for saving our daughter, truly." He and Shinobu bowed their heads which surprised Akagi.


    <i>{Oh?} </i>(Kana)


    "Yes, thank you." Shinobu thanked her as well. "If not for you, we would have lost her twice now. She told us how you rescued her from the military and how your ability protected her from the attack at the mall. So thank you for ensuring our daughter came home to us. We will be forever in your debt."


    <i>{EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!?} </i>Akagi started freaking out inside and it took her a moment to collect herself.


    "I-uh, there''s no need to t-thank me." Akagi scratched her cheek. "Mika''s my friend, so it''s only natural to help her. There''s no need to bow your heads or say you have some kind of debt to me." She was not expecting to be thanked and was caught off guard, stumbling a bit.


    <i>{She really is awful at this kind of thing isn''t she?} </i>(Naomi)


    "Even so, thank you." Ken smiled. "We lost our son in the same game that trapped you, and so the thought of losing Mika as well is just..." His eyes grew sad.


    "I don''t even want to imagine that." Shinobu bit her lip.


    <i>{Definitely don''t tell them I killed their son.} </i>Akagi made a mental note.


    <i>{I feel awful inside that we''re hiding the truth...} </i>(Kana)


    "I can imagine." Akagi nodded. "I''ve got people I''d be lost without too. Mika is one of them, she means a lot to me. Especially since I''ve never really had friends, and its nice to have someone willing to deal with a freak like me.¡±


    <i>{There she goes again, taking shots at herself.} </i>(Naomi x Mika x Kana)


    "Mika, you''ve got a good friend, make sure you don''t lose her." Shinobu said.


    "I-I don''t n to..." Mika was a bit embarrassed. ¡° Plus my girlfriends live with her, gotta keep on good terms with their <i>boss</i>.¡±


    ¡°Pfffff.¡± Kana put out a smallugh.


    Seeing how calm Mika''s parents were, Akagi decided to say something. ¡°Can I ask the two of you something? If you don''t mind.¡±


    "Go ahead." Shinobu smiled.


    "Why are you both so... <em>calm</em>?" Akagi tilted her head. "You know what I am, so how can you just act so normal?"


    "Is there a reason we shouldn''t?" Shinobu asked.


    ¡°Yeah, why wouldn''t we treat you like any other friend of Mika''s?¡± Ken agreed.


    "A reason you shouldn''t?" Akagi was nearly rendered speechless. "I''m the Demon Lord! I exist to kill people and destroy this world! I''d even go so far as to say that I <i>enjoy</i> taking people''s lives. What about that shouldn''t concern you?!? You should be shooing me out of the house with a broom, or even screaming and running away while telling me not toe near your daughter! Not having a nice happy conversation with me like... like I''m <i>normal</i>!"


    <i>{Seriously! Just how easy going are these people?!?} </i>(Akagi)


    <i>{Alright mom and dad, go get her!} </i>Mika''d been preparing for this moment.


    "I suppose that may all be true, but you''re not doing any of that now, are you?" Shinobu asked. "You''vee to our home to spend time with our daughter and her friends, and you''ve been nothing but kind to her and our family. Yuzu and Suzu have told us so much about you, and the impression we got from them was that you were a good girl with a lot on your te. I see no reason to judge you on <i>what </i>you are rather than <i>who </i>you are."


    Akagi was left speechless.


    <i>{W-what?... H-how could THAT be the conclusion they drew from everything? What did those two Yuki-Onna tell them?!? They''ve totally got me all wrong...} </i>Akagi couldn''t believe what they were saying. {<i>W-why? Why does this feel... good? Why does my chest hurt?!? No! This isn''t right! I can''t be...} </i>This conversation was starting to cause her head to spin.


    <i>{Sorry Akagi, but please tough it out for now. I know it''s hard, but we need to break through those stupid barriers you''ve ced over your heart. You don''t need to be alone or reject other people. Just because you''re the Demon Lord, doesn''t mean you don''t get to have people care about you. } </i>(Mika)


    "I agree." Ken nodded. "Besides, from what Mika told us about you don''t take drastic actions for no reason. Each time you''ve acted has always been because someone tried to hurt you or those you cared about. I don''t see anything wrong with protecting your friends and family."


    "But I''m an assassin!" Akagi eximed. "I kill people just because someone was willing to pay me!"


    <i>{That must be irredeemable! I kill for payment! I''ve killed children and innocent people who had nothing to do with anything bad! Surely now they''ll understand that I''m not someone they should be dealing with!} </i>Akagi was trying her best to push them away. She''d shut herself off from the outside, and her mind couldn''t rationalize why people outside of her family would ever care about her or show her kindness.


    "And I''m sure those people deserved to die, didn''t they?" Shinobu said. "Besides, even if they didn''t I''d say that being an assassins isn''t not the worst thing in the world, is it? You simply do a job that people want you to, and from what Mika told us you have a strict set of rules even for assassination. I might not agree with it, but I see no reason to reject you over that."


    <em>{That''s basically how I feel.}</em>(Kana)


    "Yeah, at least you know where you stand with someone like you. Unlike so many people who hide what they are from others just to screw themter." He looked like he was speaking from experience. ¡°From what I can tell, you just want to be left alone and you probably will never harm people if left to your own devices. I can respect that.¡±


    <i>{These people are nuts! There... there''s no way these people are sane! Who thinks being an assassin is something you can just...} </i>Akagi slowly turned her head to Kana and her two friends who just smiled and nodded. <i>{I...I is it really alright? Can... can I have friends? Normal friends? Is it ok for me to ept such people? For people to ept me?}</i>


    <i>{I think we broke through!} </i>Mika.


    Seeing Akagi so utterly dumbfounded caused Kana tough "I think you just broke Onee-chan. She considers me crazy for epting her as she is, so for two rational adults to do so might have made her mind crash." Kana inched over and hugged her. ¡°It''s alright. There is no reason you can''t be yourself <i>and </i>have people ept you.¡±


    Shiobu nodded in agreement "Assassin, Demon, whatever. It doesn''t matter." Shinobu smiled. "A bad person would never have saved our daughter''s life or been such good friends with her. And Ken and I''ve gotten good at judging people''s character over the years." She continued. "Are you a good person? Who knows, that''s hard to say. But as far as we''re concerned, you''re certainly not a bad person."


    Akagi had never been told something like that before. Her parents had hated her from birth, and she never had anyone else, besides Yumi and Kana, truly ept her. Kana knew her sister generally didn''t care what most people thought about her. But she knew that deep down there were people that Akagi wanted to ept her for who she is, despite everything. So, after a bit of discussion, the three girls hatched a n to forcefully rip away this barrier Akagi had ced over hear heart so many years ago. Akagi''s treatment by her parents and the trauma of her childhood made it hard for her to ept or trust people. Being the Demon Lord only worsened this aspect of her personality, since it convinced her further that she wasn''t worthy of anyone''s kindness. The girls knew Akagi would shrug their words off as being skewed because they''d known her for so long or were otherwise intertwined with her, so they went to Mika''s parents for help. They exined the n and the two were more than happy to help.


    "Onee-chan, are you alright?" Kana kept hugging her. ¡°I know its going to be hard to break down all those barriers you put around your heart, but please know that we care do about you. You don''t have to push people away, and there''s no reason you can''t have friends or allow people to care about you. It doesn''t detract from anything, and despite what you might think, you are not an unlikable person.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Mika smiled. ¡°I know you''ve been struggling with all those strange emotions, and your own internal issues and such have only made things worse. But I wanted you to see that we all really do care about you and your not strange for wanting such a thing.¡±


    "We''re your friends, and we don''t just stick around because we feel we have no other choice." Naomi said.


    ¡°Mika and Naomi are right.¡± Kana let her go. ¡°Do you feel better now? Have you calmed down a bit? I''m sorry we pushed you so hard, but you''re quite the stubborn person.¡±


    "Yeah-Yeah, I''m good." She''d intentionally removed her tear ducts to prevent herself from crying. "I''m really d to hear that, all of that. Thank you" Akagi smiled. Hearing Mika''s parents ept her was cathartic as she never even got something close to that from her own. She might enjoy the terrified reactions of most people, but for some, she just wanted to be their friend.


    This contradictory and confusing mindset was likely a consequence of a Demon Lord being raised human and retaining a rational mind. She should never have even had the capacity to feel such emotions, so they would easily sh with her instincts and nature as a Demon. Even after banishing her humanity, Akagi was still a person with feelings, and sometimes she wanted to turn off all the scary parts and just be <i>Akagi, </i>at least with some people. Over the days since her release, these two ideals shed within her mind and she thought herself crazy for holding both simultaneously. She figured it would be impossible to be the Demon Lord <i>and </i>crave friendship and eptance from normal people. In her fractured mind, such a thing was impossible, and anyone who said otherwise was lying to her. However, Mika''s parents helped to calm the storm within her heart. They knew just who and what she was, but epted her anyway, Demon Lord or not. Akagi thought such a thing was impossible outside of her family, but sitting across from these two adults and hearing it from their mouths showed her that she was wrong. Just because she was a Demon, didn''t meant people couldn''t care for her, and she didn''t need to push people away out of some sense of pride. There was nothing wrong with the Demon Lord wanting some friends in her life.


    "Thank you, both of you, for saying that." Akagi looked at Mika''s parents. ¡°And thank you for showing me just how stupid I''ve been.¡± She smiled at her friends. ¡°I really am stubborn, aren''t I?¡±


    ¡°Yup!¡± (Kana x Mika x Naomi.)


    ¡°Its funny, I''ve pushed people away my entire life. I never had friends and effectively had no family. It was <i>normal </i>to be alone, and somewhere along the way... I guess I thought that I wasn''t worthy of anyone''s feelings, that no one should like me because of who or what I am. When I was finally released and became the Demon Lord, that only made things worse. I began to think, <i>what kind of Demon Lord has friends?</i> While also wanting them from the bottom of my heart...¡± Akagi smiled. ¡°These strange and contradicting feelings and thoughts shed in my mind ever since I was released, and it felt like a battle was raging within my mind, but now... now I see things differently.¡±


    ¡°Different how?¡± Kana motioned for her sister to continue


    ¡°Now... now I see the truth.¡± Akagi giggled. ¡°I''m already a strange existence. A Demon Lord that doesn''t want to destroy the world is a already off the rails enough. So, why not go further have friends and ept that some people might actually care about me despite what I am? Who cares what a Demon Lord is <i>supposed </i>to be. Even if I act much differently than I''m supposed to, that doesn''t make me any less of a Demon Lord, it just makes me... me!¡± She''d finally understood the truth.


    ¡°I''d say we all agree." Kana said and Mika and Naomi nodded in agreement. ¡°You might be the Demon Lord and an assassin, but more than that, you''re my sister and our friend!" Kana smiled. "It''s ok to want people to like you, and there''s nothing wrong with wanting people to ept you. You said it yourself, you''re selective, and there''s nothing wrong with that. So it might seem contradictory to be a Demon Lord with friends. But well, I''d bet that just like Humans, <i>Demons</i> are also walking contradictions. It''s normal to have such opposing feelings. It just goes to show that you''re a person rather than a mindless monster, and it doesn''t make you any less of a person to have them."


    Akagi turned to Mika and Naomi who smiled.


    "You might be the Demon Lord, but you''re our friend first and foremost." Mikaughed.


    "Mika''s right. I''m sorry if we get a bit inconsistent with how we treat you. From now on, we''ll try to be better at that." Naomi smiled.


    <i>{I''m d to see she''se to realize that we do see her as friends and I hope from now on, we can start to tackle some of the other problems she has. Her entire life she was basically alone, left to deal with her inner Demons by herself, and from the looks of things, she lost many of those battles. It might take a long time, but hopefully we can get her on the road to recovery. I know not everything can be fixed, but she deserves just a small bit of piece of mind. This will be how I repay her kindness to me, but giving her what she always wanted. A friend.} </i>(Naomi)


    "Heh-heh." Akagiughed. "I just hope you can put up with me and my entricities. I know I can be a bit strange to be around, but if you''re still willing to be my friends regardless, that would be great." She smiled. Akagi enjoyed spending time with the two of them as friends, even if she sometimes struggled to keep one mind on how to act around them. But she felt that it would be a bit easier now.


    "It''s toote to back out now." Naomi shrugged.


    "Yeah, we''re already in this deep. Nowhere to go but down!" Mikaughed. "Being a bit goofy or strange is par for the course at this point, and you''ve never done anything that bad, honestly."


    <i>{Besides, you''re pretty fun to be around with all your goofiness.} </i>(Mika)


    "Exactly!" Kana smiled. "You can just keep being your usually goofy self. Just being a bit messed up in the head isn''t enough to scare us off." Sheughed. "If it was, these two would have run away from me long ago."


    "Yeah. Scary Kana might even be scarier than the Demon Lord." Naomiughed. ¡°Unlike you, she''s put us through boot-camp!¡±


    "At least now we know where Kana got it from!" Mika chuckled.


    "As the Demon Princess, I have a reputation to uphold." Kana puffed out her chest. "I have to make sure I don''t make Onee-chan look bad!"


    Her statement caused everyone to bust outughing.


    After chatting a bit more, the girls went into the living room to watch a movie that Mika rmended. It was a fantasy flick, and they enjoyed Akagi makingments about how poorly the viin acted in stopping the hero before he defeated him.


    Akagi found that the strange feelings that had been swirling in her mind for thesest weeks had disappeared. While there were still many mental hurdles to ovee, for the first time in her life, part of Akagi''s mind had healed.


    Spoiler


    Mika''s Mom!


    Mika''s Dad!


    [copse]

 Chapter 115 – Seeing the Parents Again.

    Chapter 115 ¨C Seeing the Parents Again.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    2 Chaps!


    A little whileter, the girls finished up their movie, and after a bit more discussion, Akagi, Kana and Naomi decided to head home as it was starting to gette. They still had school tomorrow, and wanted to get home at a decent time. Before they left, Mika''s parents told Akagi she was always wee, and Shinobu even gave her a hug, which embarrassed the <i>Demon</i>. There was a warmth to their words that touched Akagi''s heart, though ironically while it made her feel joy, it also ignited her anger at Taichi and Shima for how they never treated her like this.


    <i>{Is this what its like to have parents?} </i>Akagi thought to herself as she left the house.


    Naomi opted to call her driver rather than have Akagi take her home, since she wanted to do some work during the drive, so Kana and Akagi left the house together. Akagi opted to stay in her usual form, and Kana found it funny to see her wearing a t-shirt and shorts in the cold. A few passers by on the sidewalk found it strange, and there was some people who stared at the girl wearing shorts in such cold weather.


    "Do you feel better now?" Kana asked her sister as they walked along the sidewalk. ¡°I know you stopped yourself from crying earlier, you really shouldn''t do that by the way, but are you good now? No more questioning if your friends really are your friends?¡±


    ¡°I do feel better, and yes I now understand that those two aren''t just sticking around because they''re afraid of me.¡± Akagi gave a wry smile. ¡°Having all these mental issues is really a pain in the ass. I''d hoped that by bing whole many would go away, but it seems life isn''t that kind.¡±


    "Good." Kana smiled. "And remember, you can always talk to me. It''s the least I can do."


    <i>{I''m partially responsible for how messed up you''ve be, its only fair I do what I can to help you.} </i>(Kana)


    "Thanks. I really do have the best little sister in the world." Akagi scratched her cheek.


    "Yes, you do." Kana nodded her head vigorously. "And don''t you forget it!"


    "So, what do you want to do now? Head home? It''s getting kind ofte, and I know you wanted to review for that math quiz." Akagi asked. They still had time before the sun went down.


    Kana thought for a moment. "Yeah, I think we can-"Akagi cut her off.


    "You don''t want to stop and see your parents? The house isn''t that far from here." (Akagi)


    <i>{I know you must want to, its been months since you''ve seen them.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I can''t ask you to do that!" Kana eximed.


    <i>{We finally got some progress on your mental health, I don''t want to risk that!} </i>(Kana)


    ¡°I know you want to see them...¡± Akagi wasn''t happy with that answer.


    "It''s fine. I text them every day." She put on a smile, but Akagi knew she wanted to visit them. ¡°So we don''t need to go. I know how much you hate them, so its best if I stay away from them.¡±


    "Kana, just because I hate them doesn''t mean you have to keep them at arm''s length. I won''t get mad if you go see them, and it''s only natural for you to want to." Akagi gave a wry smile.


    "Let''s go over, I''ll be hiding in your shadow since I have no interest in speaking to those two. And also, my very presence will probably cause issues." She could leave Kana there alone, but she was worried about that the family might do some thing.


    "Thanks." Kana said quietly.


    "They''re your parents, Kana. You don''t need to <i>thank</i> me for anything. If you want to see them, then go. You don''t need my permission." Akagi sighed. "I''ve told you that before. You might live with me, but that doesn''t give me any right to control what you do or who you spend time with."


    <i>{She''s about as stubborn as I am...} </i>(Akagi)


    Kana nodded. She knew that, but it was still hard toe to terms with all her emotions on the subject, and still felt like having a good rtionship with her parents was tantamount to betraying her sister. The two walked for about twenty minutes before arriving in front of the house. Akagi hugged Kana and hopped into her shadow to prevent issues. She''d be fully aware of what was going on and was ready to jump into action at a moment''s notice. Kana told her parents she''d being to visit on the walk over, though she refrained from mentioning anything about Akagi.


    The outside of the house looked as normal as it ever did, and Kana could tell that Shima had been decorating as there was a variety of different ornaments and other things in the small front yard. It reminded Kana of a happier time, where she''d y with Shima as she decorated around the house.


    Taking a deep breath to psych herself up, Kana opened the door and headed inside. "I''m here-" She was cut off by a sudden hug from her mother, it was so fast that it surprised Kana.


    "Kana!" Shima hugged her tight. "You really came. I''m so d..."


    "Uhh, yeah, I''m here." Kana gave a wry smile. "It''s good to see you again, Mom." Kana hadn''t seen either of her parents for months. When she left with Akagi, she''d intentionally distanced herself from the two of them out of anger at their actions and concern for her sister. They''d tried to get her toe home a few times, but Kana always put her foot down. She didn''t want to kick them out of her lifepletely, but she still hadn''t sorted out her feelings.


    "I thought I''d never see you again." Shima squeezed her. ¡°When I heard what happened at the mall...¡± They''d seen about the attack and knew Kana nned on being there that day.


    "Yeah, we''ve been so worried about you this whole time." Taichi came down the hall and hugged her too. After a moment, the three of them went into the kitchen where Shima prepared some tea, and they sat at the kitchen table.


    <i>{Seems they really did miss her...} </i>(Akagi)


    "So, things at school have been going well? Have you been eating good? Has anyone caused you any problems?" Shima shot out a variety of questions out of nervousness. She was a bit unsure of what to say or how to act with her daughter, as funny as that was. Seeing how emotional her mother was, Kana decided to y along and answer questions about what she''d been doing, her time in school and other more mundane things. Eventually Kana told them about Hishya, and how she''d begun dating the dragon girl. Both Akagi and her sister could tell that neither Shima or Taichi were happy with this turn of events, but they held their tongues.


    After a bit, the discussion shifted to the inevitable topic of Akagi. Something Kana was dreading.


    "So where is, um, <i>you know who</i>?" Shima asked. She didn''t exactly want to say Akagi or Rishia.


    "<i>Onee-chan</i> is around." Kana emphasized the first word. "If you won''t call her your daughter, at least have the decency to call her by her name." She was a bit annoyed.


    <i>{Seriously, have these two not changed at all?} </i>(Kana)


    "Uh-" Taichi didn''t know what to say. "She hasn''t done anything strange to you, right?"


    <i>{I mean she was imprinted on by me and perhaps I''ve skewed hermon sense, but that''s not exactly strange is it?} </i>(Akagi)


    "No, she hasn''t." Kana shook her head. "Contrary to what you might think, Onee-chan is quite overprotective of me, and while I''ve been staying with her, I''ve not wanted for <i>anything</i>." Akagi was more than happy to spoil Kana.


    <i>{I have a feeling that if I let her, she''d probably spoil me rotten. It took so much effort to convince her to at least CAP the amount of money she gives me as an allowance, and its still more than I can reasonably use...} </i>(Kana)


    "Besides, it was her idea toe here and speak with you. We were hanging out at Mika''s house, and she pushed me to stop here since it was close. She told me it wasn''t right to ignore you and I''ll admit I did miss you two." Kana said.


    "Oh... I''m d you came." Shima didn''t really know how to take that. "I was worried she wouldn''t let you see us again."


    <i>{I''m surprised. I expected that monster to hold her hostage and keep her away from us.} </i>(Shima)


    "Yeah, seeing her on T.V. the other week really hammered home that she was never our child. There''s no way a monster like that could be our daughter. I mean, she ate people and did such horrible things, she truly is an inhuman creature. How dare she pretend to be our child!" Taichi was angry.


    Kana sighed. "You two... I swear. " She got even more irritated. "Onee-chan has been so nice to the two of you, and yet you<i> still </i>act like this!" She continued. "She hates the two of you, and I can''t me her! All you do is degrade her and push her away! It''s funny because when we went to Mika''s house today, her parents epted her with open arms and no issues! They didn''t care what she looked like or what she was, they were just d to see Mika had a friend that cared about her!" Kana wasn''t done. "I was hoping that you might have had a change of heart after everything. That maybe you realized what you''d done to her! But I see you''re just as bad as you were all those months ago!"


    "Kana, please understand," Shima spoke. "That thi-" She stopped when Kana red. "Akagi is not a good being. She''s a monster! You''ve seen what she can do and what she did to those people! Terrorists or not!¡±


    <i>{What do you see in that creature? That thing is not your sister, she''s a monster that''s just pretending to care about you! I''m sure that one day she''ll kill you too!} </i>(Shima)


    ¡°How on earth can we ept something like that as a child of ours? It''s hard enough seeing you beside her, let alone ept something like her as our own!¡± Shima fought back. ¡°I know I told you that the family was plotting something and that you were safer with her, but as your mom, I''m still worried about you!"


    <i>{Please understand that we only want what''s best for you and to keep you safe.} </i>(Shima)


    "Your mother is right." Taichi spoke. "You don''t belong with her, Kana. You''re a normal person, and you should stay away from someone like her. Who knows what might happen if you stay with her! She''ll probably kill you, or even turn you into a creature like her! As your parents, do you know how awful its been everyday? Praying that we don''t see you on T.V. killing people?"


    <i>{You two have no right to try and pull the <b>parents</b> card!} </i>(Akagi)


    "You''re right, at least partially.¡± Kana''s face went dark and she gave a quietugh. "Onee-chan is different, she isn''t human and she does things that I personally find <i>objectionable. </i>But that''s what''s different between you and I.¡± Kana red at them. ¡°You turned your back on your own daughter because she''s different, because she had issues. You didn''t even try to work with her, to understand just who she is or why she acts like she does. Heck you''re both responsible for what she is today. But me? I''ve always been by her side, perhaps not as much as I could or should have been, but infinitely more than you two. <em>And</em> I n on staying, its what I both must and need to do. For while<i> </i>I might not know what will happen if I stay. I <i>do</i> know what happens if I leave her." Kana''s face got dark.


    "What do you mean?" Shima asked.


    "She kills you, <i>both</i> of you. And perhaps so many more people..." Kana said quietly. "I''m not sure why, but I was granted a vision of a world in which I never existed. In that world, Onee-chan went mad because of her power. She had no one to confide in or keep her sane, and thus when it came time to confront the darkness within her heart, she gave in..." That dream was still fresh in her mind and was a constant reminder of what Akagi was capable of.


    "That''s..." Shima didn''t know what to say.


    <i>{S-she would actually kill us? R-really?} </i>(Shima)


    "I watched her kill you in that vision, mom." Kana said this causing Shima''s eyes to widen in shock. "She burned Kyoto to the ground and even killed Mika. The entire world was doomed, all because I wasn''t there to help her in her time of need. So when you tell me to leave, you''re effectively telling me to chance this worlds destruction. Onee-chan would probably be fine, but I don''t think its worth the risk. Plus, even if the world isn''t destroyed, Onee-chan needs me and I want to be there to help here to grips with the trauma in her mind, and at least <i>try </i>to undo some of the damage you''ve done to her."


    Both Taichi and Shima couldn''t speak as they werepletely shocked by Kana''s statement.


    "The two of you nearly caused this world to be destroyed with your actions!" Kana''s anger had reached a boiling point. "You pushed Onee-chan to the point that she would willingly give into the hatred in her heart and allow the darkness to take over!¡± She continued.¡± Lucky for us, Onee-chan isn''t like that in the real world. She''s had me and so many other people to rely on, but things were much closer than they should have been. When she was confronted with that darkness in <em>this</em> timeline, she was able to cast it away and retain what''s left of her sanity. But make no mistake." Kana leaned in across the table. "Onee-chan is still capable of making that vision be reality. Except this time... this time she''d be in her right mind when she did it, and that... that would be <i>far</i> worse."


    Kana knew just what kind of twisted mind her sister had, and the hell she could unleash if she so chose to. The disy the other day only solidified Kana''s view that her sister <i>needed </i>someone to anchor her down and keep her stable, a job she was perfect for. "Right now, Onee-chan just wants to enjoy a peaceful life with me and her people. But if pushes to shove, I won''t talk her out of doing whatever is necessary to protect what she cares about. Her happiness is my highest priority right now, and that means I care more about her than you two." Kana''s face turned serious. "I don''t hate you, but I <em>am</em> disappointed in you! I''d hoped this would be a much better discussion, that perhaps you''d changed a bit and maybe at least a small amount of reconciliation could happen, but it seems the two of you learned nothing in my absence!" She mmed down on the table in anger.


    "Kana." Shima looked at her. "I''m sorry. I''ve failed you as your mother. Perhaps you''re right, perhaps..."


    <i>{Is... is she really right... did we...} </i>Shima pushed these thoughts away.


    Kana shook her head. "You didn''t fail <i>me</i>. You failed Onee-chan, and you will never get a chance to fix that mistake." She was right, no matter how much of a change of heart her mother had, Akagi would sooner kill her than forgive her.


    "Just... be careful ok. I still don''t know what your grandfather is up to, but knowing him, it can''t be good. Whatever you do, don''t trust my brother and sister.¡± She stopped for a second.¡± No... don''t trust any other member of the family, not even your cousins." Shima''s face went dark. "They''ve always kept me in the dark about things, but I can tell you that they''re ruthless. I think they''re nning to take you away, but they won''t tell me anything...¡±


    "Your right, for once. They are keeping you in the dark, and have been for a long, long time." Akagi popped out of Kana''s shadow, forming next to her. "Hello there." Her demonic eyes red at Shima. "It''s been a while, <em>Shima</em>."


    Both Taichi and Shima stiffened up when Akagi appeared. It seems the two had finally learned to fear her.


    "You didn''t need toe out." Kana looked at her.


    <i>{I thought the point was to stay hidden so things wouldn''t escte?} </i>(Kana)


    "Actually, I do since I needed to expand upon something Shima said." Akagi turned to her. "I''ve had my people surveying the Tomogawa family since not long after I awoke, and I found out something quite interesting." Akagi said.


    "It''s something about the familypound, isn''t it?" Shima said nervously. She had an idea that something went on there, but was never told more.


    "Well yes and no. What I discovered is that the Tomogawa family is an off-shoot of the Tokugawa family, and was created to be dedicated <i>Demon</i>/Yokai hunters sometime during the 1700s. Your father, brother, and sister, plus some nieces and nephews, are Onmyoji." Akagi exined.


    "What?!?" (Shima x Kana x Taichi)


    "You never told me this!" Kana eximed.


    <i>{How long have you known?!?} </i>(Kana)


    "I was keeping it quiet since it''s a pretty big revtion, Kana." Akagi sighed. "However, I can''t keep it a secret anymore."


    "Because they''reing for you." Shima dered. "That would exin why father was so confident that you''d be dealt with. He told me that my <em>mistake</em> would be corrected." She bit her thumb. ¡°I guess being Onmyoji would mean they have some way of dealing with a literal <i>Demon</i>.¡±


    "They''re going to try to hurt you?!?" Kana was furious that her family would attack Akagi.


    "<i>Try</i>, being the operative word." Akagiughed. "They are too weak to harm me, but it''s not <i>me</i> I''m worried about, Kana."


    "What do you mean?" Kana asked.


    "In order to use something the Tokugawa gave them in the past, they n to sacrifice member of the family to release the seals around whatever it is they have. And well, there''s only one member left. Three guesses as to who it is." Akagi''s eyes got serious.


    "Sacrifice?!? Naomi!" Kana eximed. She was the only living member of the Tokugawa family. "We need to save her!"


    "Don''t worry.¡± Akagi pat her on the head to calm her down. ¡°Did you forget? This is <em>me</em> we''re talking about. I''m already on it." She winked.


    Akagi knew they were nning to go after the girl and took steps to set up a trap. If the Tomogawa''s actually attacked Naomi, that would spell their doom. "Though this means that a good chunk of the family might die, Kana. Since I have no intention of letting those who cross me live." (Akagi)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    Around the same time, Naomi was sitting in her car on her way back home. Her driver hade to pick her up from Mika''s house and was taking her back to her estate when suddenly.


    *SCREEEEEEEEEEECH*


    The driver mmed on the brakes and came to a hard stop as something jumped in front of the vehicle.


    "What happened?!?" Naomi eximed as she was pushed forward in her seat. This was a residential street, and there wasn''t much traffic, so a sudden stop like this was unexpected.


    "There''s someone in the road my Lady." The driver said. "She''s blocking the way forward. She looks like a... a shrine maiden?" He was quite confused.


    <i>{A Miko?} </i>(Naomi)


    "Descendant of the Tokugawa n!" Miyabi yelled. "I call upon you as thest member of your family toe forth and perform your sacred duty. Your blood will allow us to banish the darkness that seeks to destroy this world!" She walked a bit closer to the stopped car. "If youe willingly, I promise you will not be harmed. Refuse, and I will take you by force!"


    <i>{What the hell is going on?!?} </i>(Naomi)

 Chapter 116 -The Cat and the Snake.

    Chapter 116 -The Cat and the Snake.


    Miyabi tapped her staff against the ground, causing spiritual des to form around and begin circling her her. With a wave of her hand, she sent one of them forward, piercing into the car''s engine, and immobilizing it.


    "You have no hope of escape, Naomi Tokugawa! Your sacred duty as thest member of the Tokugawa n is to enable the destruction of the darkness that has arrived in this world!" Miyabi spoke again. ¡°Now be a good girl ande with me.¡±


    <i>{By darkness, I hope she doesn''t mean Akagi...} </i>Naomi groaned internally. <i>{She 100% does...}</i>


    "Please stay in the car, I don''t want you to get hurt. Hopefully this can be resolved peacefully." She said to her driver as she got out.


    "Here I am. I''lle with you as you''ve asked. Just please don''t hurt him." Naomi figured she had no other choice. Her AR device still required a gesture to activate and there was no telling what Miyabi would do if she noticed her movements or took too long to get out of the car.


    "A wise decision." Miyabi walked over to her. "This will all be over soon, once you break the seal, we shall use the implements passed down to us from our ancestors to eliminate the darkness that threatens this world. As is our sacred duty."


    "You''re a fool if you think you can defeat Akagi." Naomi said. "She''s far beyond whatever you can hope to do."


    <i>{Not to mention she''s not exactly out to harm anyone. Well, not many people anyway...} </i>(Naomi)


    "That <em>Demon</em> is little more than an annoyance to my n." Miyabiughed. "We have ways of dealing with her, so do not worry. She will not be a problem for this world much longer." She was confident her family''s anti-demon measures would easily handle Akagi.


    "I hope you understand what it means to cross her." Naomi red at her, causing Miyabi to stop in her tracks. "She has no mercy for those who raise their hand against her, and she won''t stop until you''re all dead." She knew all too well how Akagi would react to the discovery that Naomi was kidnapped by this woman.


    "Ha! I would like to see that fool try and stop us. We exist to protect this world from her kind. <em>She''s </em>the one who aught be afraid, we''ve dealt with creatures like her in the past, and we always came out victorious." Miyabi reached her hand out towards Naomi to grab her, when suddenly.


    *WIZZ* *SWISH* WRAP*


    A set of thin wires wrapped around Miyabi, holding her in ce.


    <i>{What?!?} </i>Naomi.


    "That''s far enough!" Chloe appeared on top of a nearby roof. "My myaster has ordered me to protect Naomi! You will noty one hand on her!" She hopped down and ced herself between Naomi and Miyabi.


    <i>{A cat? Ahh. I see.} </i>(Miyabi)


    "You''re one of the Demon''s pets." Miyabi sighed. "Annoying, but not a problem." She moved one of the spiritual des to cut Chloe''s wires, but found them too tough.


    "Unexpected, but not an issue." Miyabi thought for a moment. "How about this?" Her body glowed bright, and she teleported a small distance, escaping the wires. "They''re unable to prevent such a basic form of movement. How pitiful." She dusted her self off.


    "Chloe! What are you doing here?!?" Naomi was surprised to see her.


    "Myaster had me tail you these past few days. She knew these people would being for you soon and wanted to make sure they didn''t hurt you." Chloe responded, not taking her eyes off Miyabi. "It''s a good thing I''m here, otherwise things might have gotten out of hand."


    <i>{Akagi protected me again...} </i>(Naomi)


    "The <em>Demon</em> may have sent you, but it''s all for naught. I will simply defeat you and take the girl." Miyabiughed.


    <i>{I can''t contact Myaster while fighting her...} </i>Chloe would have to do this alone.


    Seeing that Miyabi was focused on Chloe, Naomi stealthfully activated her messenger function on her AR device, and sent a frantic message to Akagi and Kana, telling them her location and what was happening. Being able to use thought rather than gestures to do so made it easy to hid what she was doing.


    "Come, little kitten." Miyabi beckoned to her. "I''d rather not waste my time with weaklings like you. I''ve got much better things to do."


    <i>{WEAK!} </i>(Chloe)


    Calling Chloe weak was a good way to piss her off, and she growled in anger.


    <i>{This woman is trouble. We don''t know these priests'' capabilities, but I''m not taking any chances.} </i>Chloe figured ying defensively against an unknown opponent would be best for now.


    "Noting?" Miyabi sighed. "Then I suppose I''lle to you!" She moved forward at rapid speed shing her staff with Chloe''s kunai. "Feeling confident still?" The two engaged in a duel exchanging blow for blow. Chloe was a master at defensive fighting and was easily able to block and parry each swing of her staff. After a bit, the two back away to reposition.


    <i>{They were so fast!} </i>(Naomi)


    "If you run now kitty, I''ll let you live. At least until your master is dealt with." Miyabi was confident after that exchange that she was much stronger than Chloe.


    <i>{The Demon''s minions are quite a bit weaker than expected. But that just goes to show how seriously I''ve taken my training.}</i> (Miyabi)


    <i>{Are- is thisdy serious?} </i>Chloe waspletely confused. <i>{Thisdy is weak! Like seriously weak!} </i>She was actually stunned by how easy to read she was. <i>{Is she just testing me? Is she hiding her real power?}</i>


    Miyabi was, in fact, not hiding her power. Chloe and the other members of Akagi''s n had gotten so powerful from her awakening as the Demon Lord that they now eclipsed a significant chunk of <em>yers</em> inbat power. Miyabi was little more than an Earth-born and trained Onmyoji. Expecting her to defeat Chloe was ridiculous.


    "Nyahahahahahha." Chloeughed andughed andughed. "We were seriously worried about you guys, nya! But it seems there was never any danger, nya!" She''d stopped being so tense the moment she realized this woman couldn''t harm her.


    "That''s some big talk! Let me show you just how wrong you are!" Miyabi flicked her staff and shot spiritual bolts at Chloe which simply bounced off the cat. "What?!?"


    <i>{Those were some of my most powerful energy sts?!?} </i>Miyabi was confused. <i>{How could she just take them like that?!? She''s much weaker than me! I''m sure of it!} </i>


    "In that case!" Miyabi twirled her staff and channeled some power, grabbing a few talismans from her pocket and chanting a sutra. "Divine power of the tsuchinoko destroy this cat and purge her evil taint from thisnd!" She threw the talismans to the ground, forming them into a circle as spiritual lines connected them. A few momentster a light shone from the center and arge tsuchinoko appeared inside of the circle. "This is my shikigami! One of the most powerful in the n! Go tsuchinoko! Defeat this monster cat and show her just how powerful we of the Tomogawa n are!" Seconds went by as Miyabi stood and watched the shikigami do nothing. "What are you doing? Kill the cat!" She screamed.


    <i>{Why isn''t he listening?!? Move you stupid snake!} </i>(Miyabi)


    "Sorry nya!" Chloeughed. "I think your snake is a bit, <i>tied up </i>at the moment, nya" From her gloved hands, Miyabi saw countless threads extend outwards around the tsuchinoko, tying it in ce and leaving it unable to move.


    <i>{What a corny joke Chloe...} </i>Naomi sighed. <i>{I see Akagi taught you her sense of humor too...}</i>


    "That''s impossible! Tsuchinoko is one of the most powerful shikigami in the n! It''s able to defeat several Yokai on its own and even fight against <i>Demons. </i>How can mere threads contain it?!?" Miyabi channeled further power into her summon, but it couldn''t break free.


    <i>{What''s going on?!?} </i>(Miyabi)


    "Bye-bye, snakey!" Chloe grinned as she pulled on the threads, slicing the tsuchinoko into pieces and causing it to dissipate into a mist.


    <i>{Too bad I couldn''t capture it, that snakey was kinda cute.} </i>(Chloe)


    "What..." Miyabi waspletely stunned. "There''s no way... Tsuchinoko... couldn''t be defeated so easily..."


    <i>{That''s not possible! A shikigami of that power was used in the great Yokai war to defeat some of the most powerful Yokai warlords! How could a mere cat defeat it?!?} </i>(Miyabi)


    <i><b>"Well, it was." </b></i>Akagi sat atop a brick wall overlooking the fight. She was in casual wear, but her aura was unmistakably that of the Demon Lord, and she was visibly upset. "<i><b>Great job Chloe. As a reward, you shall receive extra ear scratches!" </b></i>Akagiughed as she hopped down and walked over to the Miyabi. <i><b>"But damn, you guys are a real fucking joke, aren''t you? I mean, I wasn''t exactly scared of you, but I did have my guard up. Now I feel like an idiot." </b></i>She put her hand on her forehead.


    <i>{All that nning, and these stooges can''t even fight one of my people.... even a little bit... I really overestimated them.} </i>(Akagi)


    Panicked, Miyabi shot several energy sts at Akagi which did nothing. <i><b>"Man, that really is weak." </b></i>Akagi sighed. <i><b>"Chloe could have easily handled you, even before her power-ups. But now, I''m certain she could defeat the entire n if you are anything to go off of." </b></i>She walked closer.


    "This isn''t possible!" Miyabi fired more sts. "Our n is the defender of this world! The champions of justice and defenders of the light! How can a simple <em>Demon</em> survive our holy smites?!?"


    <i><b>"Holy smites? Those pathetic fireworks?" </b></i>Akagiughed as she got right in Miyabi''s face. <i><b>"Herlex transformed into a literal angel, and his attacks couldn''t do anything. And you have the gall to think a mere mortals pathetic attack powered by such weak energy could harm me?" </b></i>Akagi mmed her in the stomach, causing Miyabi to fall over and gasp for air.


    "Ack!" Miyabi copsed onto the road in pain.


    <i>{This doesn''t make sense! How can a creature of this power exist! It''s not possible!} </i>(Miyabi)


    <i><b>"Whatever, the family has finally decided to make its move. Weak or not, I don''t tolerate attempts on my life or those who I care about." </b></i>Akagi was about to consume her before she got a nasty idea.<i><b> </b></i>She picked Miyabi up and stared into her eyes, causing the woman to squirm. <i><b>"Two days." </b></i>Akagi said. <i><b>"Run back to your littlepound and tell them. In two days I will being to kill all of you." </b></i>She threw her backward, causing Miyabi to stumble onto the ground. <i><b>"So I''d advise getting your affairs in order and enjoying what little bit of time left you have."</b></i> Since they couldn''t threaten her, Akagi decided to have fun with them. <i><b>"Tell the old man I can''t wait to see whatever tricks he''s got. Muhahahhah." </b></i>Akagi let out a demonicugh as Miyabi stood up and ran screaming. <i><b>"Such a satisfying sight that." </b></i>Akagi seemed happy with herself and turned back to Chloe and Naomi.


    "Myaster was so cool!" Chloe ran up to her, and Akagi rewarded the cat with some ear scratches.


    "He-he." Chloe enjoyed the petting.


    "Thanks for saving me, Chloe." Naomi said.


    ¡°No problem, nya!¡± Chloe purred while being pet.


    "But just who was that woman?" Naomi asked


    "My ''Aunt''." Akagi sighed.


    "What?" Naomi was shocked. "Since when was your family Onmyoji?!?" She was never told about that.


    "Apparently for about three hundred years. There''s a lot to discuss, but first, let''s get you back to my ce. It''s safer to stay there till I wipe them out. Is your driver ok?" Akagi looked over, and the man nodded.


    Akagi then proceeded to contact Yumi and had her transport the three of them back to the estate where Kana was waiting. After making sure her friend was ok, Kana asked for an exnation. The four of them sat in the living room as Akagi told Naomi everything about their family''s shared history. The fact that they were once one family, that the Tomogawa were Yokai hunters, and how they needed Naomi to unlock whatever they were going to use against Akagi.


    "That''s a lot to take in." Naomi sighed. "So I guess that makes us distant rtives?"


    "Kinda, I guess, but we''re about as rted as the average person at this point." Akagi shrugged. The split was so many generations back that calling them rted would be quite the stretch. ¡°Also, this body has no DNA so I''m not exactly rted to <em>anyone</em>.¡±


    <i>{If you wanna be technical, Kana isn''t actually my sister because of that little factoid. But we choose to ignore that.} </i>(Akagi)


    "What on earth could they hope to gain by taking me?" Naomi didn''t have any idea about whaty in thepound. ¡°She said something about sacred implements, but what are those? I''ve never heard anything about things like that, nothing about that was mentioned to me by my father.¡±


    "I''m pretty sure I know what she''s talking about." Akagiughed. "But let''s wait and see if I''m right."


    "So what happens now?" Kana asked. "You told aunt Miyabi that you would kill them all in two days..."


    <i>{Does this mean that...} </i>(Kana)


    "And that I will." Akagi didn''t even flinch. "I hope you understand that they must die for what they''ve done. Even if they are of no threat now, letting a hostile force live coulde back to bite me in the future."


    <i>{Last thing I need is to give them a pass then they pull something out of their asster which screws me. Too many people have made the mistake of letting an enemy live only to have them resurfaceter and cause problems.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I understand that, and it''s not like I have much love for the family, but still I don''t exactly like the idea of a good chunk of them dying." Kana sighed. She''d never really gotten along with her aunts and uncles, though some of her cousins were nice. "Just please only kill those who were involved with the Onmyoji business. The rest aren''t involved."


    "That''s the n, Kana. The rest of the family is in the dark, and killing them serves no purpose." Akagi nodded.


    "Isn''t it dangerous to let them have two whole days to prepare?" Naomi asked. "Why not just defeat them now?"


    "Because I want them to dread my arrival." Akagi started ranting. "I want them to feel fear each morning when they wake up, knowing that they have less and less time on this earth. They are no threat to me, and I want to show them that. My nature as a Demon Lord wants me to show weaker opponents just how weak and helpless they are before finally crushing them." Akagi then started cackling like a madwoman. ¡°They will know the meaning of fear!¡±


    "And this is the girl who was so meek talking to Mika''s parents." Naomi sighed. "I swear..."


    "At this point, I would be more concerned if she <i>didn''t </i>do something like this." Kana sighed as well. She''d been doing that much more since Akagi came back from FWO and that wouldn''t be stopping anytime soon.


    Spoiler


    Tsuchinoko!


    [copse]

 Chapter 117 – The Connection.

    Chapter 117 ¨C The Connection.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    2 Chaps!


    The three girls sat around the living room table chatting a bit more about the Tomogawa situation before Akagi made an interestingment.


    "Hey, so." She looked at the two girls. "I''m the Demon Lord? The being meant to destroy the world and exterminate mankind, right?"


    "Yeah?" (Naomi x Mika)


    "And the Tomogawa n was created <i>explicitly </i>to defend mankind from evil beings and drive back the darkness?" Akagi continued.


    "Yeah?" (Naomi x Mika)


    "And they want to kill me <em>because</em> I''m a threat to mankind and the world?" Akagi smirked.


    "I see where you''re going with this." Kana sighed.


    "???" Naomi tilted her head, not understanding.


    "Doesn''t that mean they''re actually the good guys!" Akagi got excited. "A, man. That''s so awesome! I was messing around with Herlex and the others, but I''m going to actually get to be the viin this time!" She was right. The Tomogawa family <em>was</em> the force fighting for good against the evil darkness that was Akagi.


    "Gotta prep my evil speech and make sure theugh is on point!" Akagi busted outughing. She was going to enjoy herself.


    Normally, Kana would retort. But deep down, she actually thought her sister was cool when she did the whole viin routine. Though in Akagi''s case, it was less of a routine and more <i>genuine evil</i>.


    <i>{I wanna see it!} </i>Kana thought to herself.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Miyabi POV>


    After fleeing from Akagi, Miyabi returned to the Tomogawa familypound where she reported her failure to capture Naomi to her father.


    "I see, so the <i>Demon</i> was more powerful than we expected." Kenji had a bit of sweat on his forehead. "No matter, we shall prepare to meet her at our home as she wishes. Theck of the sacred implements will prove an issue, but we can still defeat her without them. Our ancestors have handled monsters such as her, and we will prevail. This is the way."


    Juichiro spoke up. "I will gather up all able-bodied members of the n. We shall meet this <i>Demon</i> and destroy her on our home turf. I swear on the honor of our family that we shall defeat this darkness and defend the world from her evil. This is the way."


    "Father." Miyabi looked at the old man. "I fear we will not be able to win against this <i>Demon</i>." She was still visibly shaken by her easy defeat. "That monster and her minions are far more powerful than anything I''ve ever faced. The cat treated my most powerful attacks like nothing, and defeated tsuchinoko with ease."


    "You were just taken by surprise, Miyabi." Juichiro said. "With preparations and our numbers, that <i>Demon</i> will be no match for us. Besides, we have developed specific countermeasures for handling <i>Demons. </i>Once we draw her in, we can trap and exorcise her."


    "Indeed, while the level of power she exhibited <i>was</i> high than expected, I assure you that we wille out victorious. This is what we''ve trained for and the reason our family was created, Miyabi. We have nothing to fear but fear itself, as we shall reign victorious against evil, just as our ancestors did." Kenji agreed. "Our n has been fighting the darkness for three centuries, and we have always ovee even the mightiest foes in our defense of humanity. This time will be no different, and as long as we do not lose hope and believe in ourselves, we will win."


    Miyabi was still concerned, but agreed with her father and brother. They had a duty to save humanity from the darkness that was the Demon Lord. Perhaps it would be a tough fight, but they had no choice <i>but </i>to win, for if they lost, the world would be at Akagi''s mercy.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Akagi POV>


    The next day, Akagi returned to Kukurihime''s shrine and brought the Oni back to her estate for her nned discussion. She wanted her to speak with Mizumi, as Akagi had begun to theorize that a connection between the two beings existed.


    "This is a lovely ce." Kukurihimemented on Akagi''s home as the two entered the garden. "It feels as if I''ve stepped back in time, sights like this weremon until a few centuries ago."


    "It''s part of the reason I acquired this ce." Akagiughed. "I''ve always preferred traditional Japanese clothing and such, so an entire feudal estate was right up my alley." Her clothing was a high-quality Kimono and Hanten, not exactly normal dress anymore.


    "I can see that." The Oni looked at Akagi''s outfit. "Your choice in clothing is quite peculiar indeed, at least for this era. Though I must say, it looks lovely on you." She smiled.


    The two chatted for a bit more until Yumi brought out Mizumi and Alice.


    "Mama!" Alice ran up and hugged her.


    "Hello little one, were you lonely?" Akagiughed as she pet the girl''s head. She tried to see her every day, but made sure to keep her separated from Kana and the girls. Not because she feared Alice doing something to harm them, but rather because Alice''s history would make them ufortable. She did kill a substantial number of people, and unlike Akagi''s killings, Alice''s actions were done for less-than-desirable reasons. Akagi didn''t care, but knew the girls were not necessarilyfortable around her. She hoped that would change in the future. But for now, keeping her at arm''s length from them was best.


    "No, but I wanted to see you." Alice shook her head. ¡°I had fun with Kana, she was dressing me up in all sorts of fun clothes.¡±


    <i>{Good to see Kana is taking to her, and also its good to see that Alice is more than happy to act as a dress-up-doll.}</i> Akagiughed internally.


    "It''s so weird seeing the <i>Demon Lord</i> act like that." Mizumi sighed. ¡°One might <em>almost</em> forget what kind of creature you really are.¡±


    "What''s wrong? Do you want to be coddled too, Mizumi?" Akagiughed. "You''re small enough, so if you ask nicely, I might just."


    "I will decline." Mizumi groaned.


    "Oh well, more snuggling for Yumi." Akagi said. "Now, then." Akagi turned to the Oni, whose eyes went wide as she stared at Mizumi. "That tells me I was right."


    "How is this possible!" Kukurihime got close to Mizumi, and began to touch and move her as she inspected the spirit.


    "Uhhhh." Mizumi was confused.


    <i>{Why is thisdy squishing my face?} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Just endure it." Akagiughed.


    After thoroughly inspecting the water spirit, Kukurihime turned to Akagi. "Where did you find her?!?" She demanded to know.


    <i>{I kinda wanna say she was in a cardboard box with a: Take Me Home Sign. But I''ll hold off on the joking, for now anyway.} </i>(Akagi)


    Seeing her reaction, Akagi told the Oni about the events of FWO, Mizumi''s involvement, and her people''s fate. The Oni''s face turned more serious as the story continued, and when Akagi was finished she turned to Mizumi and asked a question.


    "Does the name Dokorimon mean anything to you?" (Kukurihime)


    "Of course, he was the great founder of our nation. He and the other great elders brought our people together over four thousand years ago after the great migration of spirits." Mizumi recounted the basic history, of her people. "But how do you know him? He was from an entirely different world."


    <i>{I bet I know the answer.} </i>Akagi held her tongue, deciding to let things y out and focus on feeding Alice snacks.


    "Because I''ve met him. Many times as a matter of fact." Kukurihime answered.


    "What?!?" Mizumi was taken aback. "That''s not possible. You''re from this world! How could you have met our founding ancestor from nearly four millennia ago?!?"


    "Because, like me, Dokorimon was a guardian deity who was enshrined in Kyoto." Kukurihime exined. "He was a good friend of mine, and was the chief architect of the n to have the rest of Japan''s Yokai leave this world to survive."


    "Hold on! Our people are not from this world!" Mizumi denied her im. "We were native to that dimension. We didn''t flee! Nothing in our records shows anything like that!"


    "Most likely the Yokai intentionally concealed this information from their descendants. It was easier for them to believe they were simply from that world rather than refugees, and it probably helped to restart in that world, free from their past." Kukurihime continued. "You said your elders sacrificed themselves to create the spell that allowed you to travel to this world, right?"


    "Yes, wecked the necessary raw magical power, and with time running out and the human armies pushing closer, they gave their own life force to power the ritual." Mizumi nodded. It was clearly a painful memory. "I am not an <i>elder</i> per se, but I am thest high-ranking spirit left, and I was heavily involved with the elders and the ritual. I was never told anything about a secret history of our people!"


    <i>{Probably because they either didn''t want you to know, or just couldn''t find the time.} </i>(Akagi)


    "What happened to Dokorimon and the other founders?" Kukurihime asked.


    "We don''t know." Mizumi shook her head. "Records say they just vanished one day. Other than that, we have no clue what happened to them, or if they are even alive. "


    "I suspect their sudden disappearance was probably because, like me, they required faith from non-Yokai to sustain themselves. After some time, they probably just ran out of power and disappeared." Kukurihime had a pained look as she exined that, since it would also happen to her without Akagi''s help.


    "Ahh...." Mizumi didn''t know what to say.


    <i>{T-that would exin things...} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Also, how did you choose this world to escape to?" Kukurihime asked.


    "Huh? That''s easy, it was in our records. Something about-" Mizumi froze. "Wait! Why <i>did</i> we know of this world?" She had no answer. Her library and the Spirit''s records did talk about this world and <i>that</i> was how they were able to lock on to it. But there was no logical reason they should know about it in such detail.


    "Also." Akagi chimed in. "Why do you speak Japanese?" A very good question, one Akagi chose to put off until now.


    "I-uhh." Mizumi broke. "That''s-that''s because..."


    <i>{I-I never thought about that...} </i>(Mizumi)


    "It''s because you are the descendants of those Yokai who fled from this world." Kukurihime answered for her, bending down to hug the spirit. "It seems that the world they went to was no more weing than this one. I''m sorry."


    "This... this is really..." Mizumi was still in a state of shock. "I need to tell everyone!"


    "If possible, could Ie with you?" Kukurihime asked. "You said you have over thirty thousand others. I would like to see them for myself, and it''s been so long since I''ve seen another member of my kind."


    <i>{I hope they''ve been doing well.} </i>(Kukurihime)


    "I''d like toe too." Akagi dered her intention to see the other spirits in their little world, which surprised Mizumi.


    "You want toe to the pocket dimension?!?" (Mizumi)


    <i>{That''s going to be a problem...} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Now that I''ve got my Demon Lord power, even if you try to lock me in there, I can just kick open a door between the worlds ande back. That was my biggest worry before, and why I never went inside." Akagi shrugged.


    <i>{That would be the literal version of I''m not trapped in here with you, YOU''RE trapped in her with me!} </i>(Mizumi)


    Mizumi sighed. "I would never have done that. If I did, you would have just massacred my people. Not exactly what I want. Besides, you''ve given me no reason to do something like that. Demon Lord or not, you''ve been kind to me and even helped with some of the issues in our new home with your knowledge and resources. I can''t betray you after everything you''ve done for me, nor would I." Mizumi groaned. "Your paranoid is ridiculous. You know that?"


    Akagi had been sending a few of her people into the spirits'' home as advisors and was working with them to provide construction equipment and other things for infrastructure. As it was now, the spirits'' vige was a sight to behold. It looked like something between a traditional Japanese vige and arge town.


    "It''s that paranoia that keeps me alive and my enemies dead, Mizumi." Akagiughed, but she was serious. People always said she was too paranoid and always thought the worst of anyone and everyone. But as far as she was concerned, one wrong move and she could lose everything. A risk she was unwilling to take.

 Chapter 118 – Family.

    Chapter 118 ¨C Family.


    After a bit more discussion, Mizumi took Kukurihime and went to the pocket dimension to show her around. They nned on having her speak with the Spirit Council and spread the word about their true history, something Mizumi figured would be difficult. Akagi would join them once she was finished with the Tomogawas, and Mizumi wanted to make preparations for her arrival, so a dy was wee.


    After they left, Akagi moved into the living room, and squeezed against Yumi, while she exined things to Kana.


    "You don''t look particrly shocked." Akagi was expecting more of a reaction from her sister than a nod and sigh.


    "With everything that''s gone on, hearing that Mizumi and her people are actually Yokai who fled from this world three hundred years ago isn''t that high on the list of crazy." Kana shrugged. "Pretty hard to top my sister being the Demon Lord or that my family are Onmyoji."


    <i>{Yeah, you might have a point on that one.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Fair." Akagi shrugged. "It should be interesting to see just what kind of society they''ve built in their little home. I''m looking forward to seeing it, it should be fun."


    <i>{Perhaps it will be something like the sights in FWO? I wouldn''t mind seeing things like that again.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Yeah, you''ve been sending quite a bit of material and other things to them over thesest few months. But if they''re building an entire town, I guess that makes sense." Kana had noticed therge quantity of building materials and other things being taken by Mizumi into her portal.


    <i>{That was a lot of things, though. It included construction equipment and heavy machinery. What kind of town are they building? I''d like to go with and see it for myself.} </i>(Kana)


    "I''ll take some video and show youter." Akagi smiled. She was still unwilling to take Kana into the spirit''s world. Mostly because she was worried something might happen, or that there might be some unforeseen side effects.


    "That would be nice. From what Mizumi told me, it seems like a pretty unique amalgamation of old and new. Something like Kyoto, but on a smaller scale." Kana smiled. Mizumi had taken a few pictures to share, and ounts from n members made it seem like the town was pretty neat.


    "Yes, well. We now need to move on to a more... <i>depressing </i>topic." Akagi sighed as she let go of Yumi and looked straight at Kana. "I will be killing a good chunk of your rtives tomorrow, Kana." Akagi was blunt. "They want to kill me, and I''m sorry. My love for you is great, but I can''t allow a threat to me or my people to survive. Even if they are <i>your </i>family, they''ve already tried to hurt someone I care about." Akagi emphasized the word <i>your </i>since she didn''t regard them as her own rtives. She might have been born into a human family, but as far as she was concerned, the Tomogawas were strangers. Kana was the only exception.


    <i>{Now that I''ve gotten over my doubts, I''m even more determined to keep those two girls safe. I finally have real friends, and I''m sure as hell not going to let anyone take them from me!} </i>(Akagi)


    "I can''t say I''m excited about the prospect, but you don''t need to worry about me." Kana''s eyes got sharp. "They tried to kidnap one of my friends in order to kill you. Heck they were even going to kill her too! What happens now is on them." Her words were sharp and her tone said she was angry. "Our family is trash, Onee-chan." Kana shook her head in disbelief. "Even mom and dad are no good. You saw that yourself. Even after everything, they still treat you as an other, and they don''t take any responsibility, nor have any guilt for what they did to you<i>.</i> I''d been hoping for things to get better... but... but..." Kana started crying. "Why couldn''t we just have a normal family?!?" She eximed. "Why did we have to be born to such awful people?!?" Tears streamed down her cheek, causing Akagi to move over next to her and bring her into an embrace.


    <i>{You''ve been holding in your frustration at them, haven''t you?} </i>(Akagi)


    "You can''t pick your family, Kana. But if nothing else, being born into that family gave me you. If I had to go through it all again, I would." Akagi hugged her tightly. Though she wasn''t entirely sure her words were truthful, but she said them anyway tofort her sister. "Shima and Taichi have their issues, and maybe one day you can have a better rtionship with them. At the very least I can say I was wrong about them in one way." Akagi chuckled.


    "Wrong? How?" Kana asked meekly.


    "They genuinely love you, Kana." Akagi''s eyes got a bit watery. "They don''t see you as something to use like I thought. I could see it in their eyes, Kana. They were genuinely concerned for you and were worried about your wellbeing. They love you as parents should." She squeezed Kana tight again, so that she wouldn''t notice Akagi crying. "<em>I</em> can never forgive them, but you might just be able to salvage that situation. It might seem strange for me to say this, but don''t give up on them just yet."


    <i>{You don''t want to go through life with no parents. Trust me, it''s not fun...} </i>(Akagi)


    It was a strange statement indeed but made sense. Akagi was effectively telling her sister not to cut ties with them unless absolutely necessary. Kana''s parents loved her, and no matter how close the two sisters were, Akagi could never rece Kana''s parents, nor would she want to.


    "Just remember that, no matter what, I''m here for you, now, always, and forever." Akagi held onto her.


    <i>{Your the only family that cared about me for most of my life. I''d never leave you alone, especially not when you need me. If nothing else, I have a debt to pay to you for helping me cope with the loneliness for all those years and trying your best to help me, despite those two.} </i>(Akagi)


    "And not just her." Yumi smiled. "We all see you as a member of our big family, and I consider myself lucky to have met you, Kana." Yumi continued. "Family doesn''t have to mean rted by blood, and the bonds that bind all of us here go far beyond such a simple thing. At the very least, you will always be a part of <i>our </i>family, Kana."


    "Yumi''s right." Akagi smiled. "I consider each and every one of these chuckleheads to be my family. I''d still think that way even if we didn''t make an <i>actual </i>family together."


    "Thank you, Yumi, Onee-chan." Kana giggled. "Thesest few months have been hard. My entire world has been turned upside down, and I won''t lie... it hasn''t been easy. But I think it''s for the best that things have changed as they have. We''ve had a fresh start in both our lives. In more ways than one." She said as she poked Akagi in the cheek. "I''ll be ok. I think I just need time to process everything. I always knew our family was rotten, but I guess it went deeper than I thought."


    "The irony." Akagi pulled away from her. "Is that had the family stepped back and gotten off its high horse, they could have actually been a force for good. Hell, you could have grown up to be the well-respected head of an Onmyoji house. If they''d only talked to me, actually listened to what I had to say. Perhaps this wouldn''t have needed to happen. As much as I enjoy being the Demon Lord who blows things up. I think I''d prefer to be the Demon Lord who lives in rtive peace." Akagi chuckled. "Oh well, there''s no pointmenting over what could have been. We have to y the hand we''re dealt. I won''t deny that tomorrow will be cathartic for me. Lord knows I''ve wanted to rip half these people''s heads off since I was young."


    "I can''t exactly me you. Most of our family did some nasty things to you." Kana thought back to certain painful memories.


    <i>{I recall how our cousins used to treat you and I know for a fact our aunt and uncle sanctioned such behavior. Lord knows what else they did that you''ve never told me.} </i>(Kana)


    "On that note, I think it''s best if you go to Hishya''s ce tomorrow after school." Akagi said.


    "I''ll be-" Kana was cut off by Akagi.


    "Go spend time with your dragon girlfriend. She probably misses you, and it''s better to hang out with her tomorrow night so you''re not thinking about what I''m doing." Akagiughed. "Just don''t wake up her parents with your <i>activites</i>." Akagi winked and Kana bopped her on the head.


    "I don''t really have a choice in the matter, do I?" Kana giggled.


    "Nope, doctor''s orders. Lolis are the best medicine." Akagiughed.


    "Does she really count as one, though? She''s only slightly shorter than me actually, and I don''t exactly count as a loli" Kana asked. The height difference between the two wasn''t actually <i>that </i>much, and Kana wasn''t exactly short. Said difference inverted whenever Hishya transformed into <i>adult</i> Hishya, something that Kana requested when they got <i>intimate</i>. Whether <i>normal</i> Hishya counted as <i>true </i>loli was also the topic of fierce inte debate, with most people considering her more <i>petite</i> than short. "Do you know what she told me when I asked her why she chose that look?"


    Akagi smirked. "Because it was <i>fucking adorable." </i>She used Hishya''s voice. "Also, it''s debatable if she is one, and I lean more towards yes."


    "I mean, she''s not wrong. She is amazingly cute." Kanaughed and got a terrible idea for tomorrow. "I wonder what she''d do if I started treating her like a kid? Should I give her uppies?"


    <i>{That would be amazing and I''d pay to see it. Maybe I should do that to her next time she''s over?} </i>(Akagi)


    "50/50 chance she''d either love it or hate it." Akagi thought for a moment. "Nah, more like 60/40 love favored."


    <i>{Hishya is kinda strange in her own right, being treated like a child might be something she has fun with.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Yeah, you''re right." Kanaughed. "That idiot would probably enjoy it, hell she might even start getting into the role!" She was already nning what kinds of fun she''d have with Hishya.


    "Go spend time with her tomorrow. Turn it into a sleepover, and make it a movie night too. I''ll have someonee and grab you in the morning so you can go to school. Hishya can fly fast, but Tokyo to Kyoto in like twenty minutes isn''t going to happen." Akagi chuckled.


    "Yeah, arriving on the back of a dragon <i>would </i>be kind of cool, but then I''d have to deal with Mika and Naomi''s incessant pestering, and everyone else''s reactions, so let''s not do that." Kana figured they''dy into the princess thing even more if that happened.


    Once they were done talking about the Tomogawa issue. Kana went off to her training session in the Dojo. Akagi needed Chloe for something important, so Sakura would assist her this evening. A gathering of the heads of the n was called, and Akagi and the five of them met in one of the side rooms of the estate.


    "My apologies for calling all of you here so suddenly." Akagi said while leaning against the wall. Kira, Chloe, Yumi, Marshal, and Mimi stood across from her.


    "It''s no issue. If you call for us, we will alwayse." Marshal said, and everyone agreed.


    "Chloe, did you inform the rest of the family about what''s going on with the Tomogawa family?" Akagi asked her.


    "Yes," Chloe nodded. "I made sure your intention to eliminate the priests was clear to everyone. nya."


    "My Lord, will <i>you</i> be ok doing this?" Mimi asked. "I know you don''t view them as family, but I just want to make sure <i>you </i>are ok." She was worried for Akagi''s mental health.


    Akagiughed. "I''m fine, don''t worry. I already talked this out with Kana, and she agreed with my decision. If they''re going to threaten the lives of me and those I care about, all bets are off. I don''t care if they <i>are </i>weak, that means nothing. I won''t risk them pulling something out of their asster and harming one of you. Your lives mean infinitely more to me than their''s." The five of them smiled when she said that. "I have no lingering attachment to them, and what remained of my familiar ties to them vanished when I banished my humanity. So you needn''t worry about me or my feelings. I''ve got no reservations about exterminating these people, former rtives or not."


    "I just wanted to make sure. I apologize if that was disrespectful." Mimi lowed her head.


    "Don''t be sorry. I appreciate it." Akagi smiled. "But as for how we''re going to do this. Well... I''ve decided to take this and have some fun." Akagi turned to Kira.


    "Have you ever heard the story of the Night Parade of One-Hundred Demons?" Akagi''s eyes glowed.


    <i>{I''ve always wanted to do this.} </i>(Akagi)

 Chapter 119 – The Night Parade.

    Chapter 119 ¨C The Night Parade.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    3 Chaps with one being the second Side Story!


    The following day was used to prepare for the impending attack on the Tomogawa family''spound. Akagi''s agents detected an uptick in activity at the base, and figured they were prepping for the attack. Several other individuals began to enter thepound, their descriptions matching other members of the family. Akagi''s estate was a flurry of the activity, as arge number of family members were recalled to join the attack. She didn''t need this many to assault the base, but the <i>Demon </i>demanded re and pomp, and that was exactly what she was going to get.


    Akagi would lead the attack, naturally, and apanying her would be ny-nine members of her n. This was a number far in excess of what was required to defeat the ten Onmyoji they were facing, but the opportunity to lead a real Night Parade was too tempting for the <i>Demon</i> to pass up. Kana had gone to Hishya''s earlier in the morning as requested, and would stay the night. Akagi hoped this would relieve a bit of her sister''s anxiety and take her mind off events toe, but was certain Kana would still have some issues the next day.


    The attack would begin during the gloaming, the time of day most associated with Yokai and monsters. Today would be stormy, and it was expected that a massive rainstorm would nket the Kansai region just after sunset. The perfect time for a Yokai attack on an Onmyoji base. Whether Akagi may or may not have manipted this weather pattern is unknown.


    Around four PM local time, Akagi gathered her followers and began the trek across Kansai. The Tomogawa familypound was a bit west of Kyoto, and by five, they had taken up positions around the perimeter. Now all they had to do was wait for the signal, and everyone was oozing with excitement.


    <i>{Never thought I''d get to lead a genuine Night Parade like a certain Nurarihyon I watched when I was a kid. But well, I''d say its par for the course. My kind are technically suppose to be the suprememander of all Yokai, and I''d say that''s an urate assessment.} </i>(Akagi)


    With each passing minute, the sun got lower, and the rain clouds rolled in. By five thirty, the sun hung low in the sky just barely peaking over the mountains as the distant shadows grew ever closer and a few areas became nketed in darkness. Rain began to drip down over thepound. Slowly at first, but it picked up with each passing minute.


    *CRACKLE* *BOOM*


    Lightning and thunder began to roar overhead as the storm picked up, and just after six, the sun went downpletely, covering thend in an inky ck night, the natural home of the Yokai. Lights turned on at thepound in an attempt to keep vision in the surrounding woods, and spot lights scanned the area around the perimeter. The Onmyoji knew the attack wasing, but not from where or when.


    One younger Onmyoji stood at a window in one of the buildings, looking out over the forest. As he stared into the darkness beyond the searchlights, he noticed a pair of red eyes among the trees, which startled him. Calling out to a younger woman nearby, she came over and took a look for herself. But what she saw was not one pair of eyes, but <i>ny-nine </i>peering back at them. The two panicked before turning one of the mechanical lights to get a better look. But they found that no matter how many they honed on that location, the darkness would not fade and they could see nothing more than eyes starting directly at them. After a few moments, one final pair of eyes emerged, this one a deep orange, and it seemed to stare directly into their souls.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    Akagi turned to her left and right. Her followers were itching to go and prove themselves to her. This would be the first time they''d fought as a family, and the first time they''de together for amon mission of this scale. They were disciplined, not moving a muscle without hermand. She slowly raised her hand into the air in front of her.


    <i><b>"Begin."</b></i> Akagi said as she flicked her fingers downward. In a sh, everyone charged forward through the darkness. Akagi''s ability disrupted any attempt to shine a light on her group, and shemanded a thick dark fog to engulf the base.


    <i><b>"Shall we?"</b></i> Akagi looked to Yumi, who nodded with a smile. Akagi was taking this seriously and had opted toe as the Demon Lord, though she chose to wear her normal attire, while Yumi was wearing her formal Hakama. She wasn''t going to fight, and Akagi asked her to look nice for the asion.


    The two began their slow walk toward the base. Her family had already breached the perimeter wall and fanned out inside. Fighting between the Onmyoji and her people erupted, with the family deploying dozens of shikigami and other summons to shore up their numbers. They could have easily ughtered the Onmyoji, but Akagi explicitly requested they all be taken alive. Not because she intended to show the family mercy. No, she wanted them alive so that she had the pleasure of showing them just how weak they really were, and well, the <i>Demon </i>wanted to have a bit of fun.


    Chaos erupted all around them as they walked into the base, but Akagi and Yumi werepletely ignored. She''d extended her ability to walk unseen to Yumi, and the two strolled towards the main building where Kenji, Miyabi, and Juichiro were waiting. The two casually entered the main house, which was empty, and the three Onmyoji seemed to be waiting downstairs. They likely understanding that Akagi would head straight for them and were preparing to face her together in a favorable environment.


    Finding a door leading to the basement, Akagi and Yumi walked deeper into the base until they came across what looked like arge underground sparring arena. At the center were Kenji, Miyabi, and Juichiro, all with their weapons at the ready and stern looks on their faces.


    <i><b>"How nice of you to wait for me." </b></i>Akagi walked closer, her geta clicking against the dirt floor. <i><b>"You even prepared a stage for your doom. How thoughtful." </b></i>She stopped walking as she got the half way point in the arena and stood across from them, with Yumi standing behind her.


    "You truly are a fool, <i>Demon</i>." Kenji said. "Walking straight into our home, you must either be naive or aplete idiot." He snapped his fingers, and a circle appeared under Akagi. Momentster, she found herself surrounded by an energy field, trapping her.


    "<i>That</i> is our family''s most powerful <i>Demon</i> sealing barrier. Even the mightiest Yokai from eras long past couldn''t escape." Kenjiughed. ¡°You''ve lost <i>Demon</i>.¡±


    Yumi was outside the barrier but didn''t flinch.


    <i><b>"Oh no." </b></i>Akagi threw up her hands in defeat. <i><b>"Whatever will I do? You''ve defeated me. My hubris got the better of me. I walked right into your trap. How could I have fallen for something so obvious. Oh woe as me."</b></i> She said in a monotone voice.


    <i>{That was terrible my Lord...} </i>Yumi sighed at Akagi''s delivery.


    "Laugh all you want, <i>Demon</i>! But you''re never getting out of that barrier! It''s of the same kind that the Tokugawa family sealed our sacred weapons with! You have no chance of escape." Juichiro was confident that Akagi was trapped. "See Miyabi. I told you that we''d win. That girl was stupid, even before being turned into this monster. No wonder Shima thought so low of her."


    "Y-yeah, you''re right." Miyabi wasn''t entirely convinced that the barrier would hold Akagi. "But how do we kill her?"


    "I will prepare an exorcism ritual. She cannot move from that spot, and once it''s done she will be purged." Kenji was quite happy with himself.


    "What about the girl?" Miyabi asked about Yumi. Who was standing behind the "trapped" Akagi. ¡°What should we do with her? She isn''t a Yokai.¡±


    "Kill her." Kenji said. "She will suffer the same fate as the rest of the <i>Demon''s</i> followers. Yokai or not, she''s be tainted by the monster and must be destroy."


    As he said those words, the ground started shaking violently for a few seconds before stopping.


    <i>{Oh dear.} </i>(Yumi)


    <i><b>"It''s funny." </b></i>Akagi''s face turned dark. <i><b>"I know you idiots can''t actually harm her. But for some reason, hearing you talk about killing Yumi right in front of me... has made me just a tiny bit </b></i><i><u><b>angry</b></u></i><i><b>." </b></i>She stared at them, her eyes glowing brightly.


    <i>{S-she really is trapped right?!?} </i>Miyabi was growing increasingly nervous.


    "Be angry all you want <i>Demon</i>. It won''t mean anything once we purge you!" Juichiroughed. "You and your kind must be destroyed. Good must triumph over evil, and our light shall banish your darkness, <i>Demon</i>!"


    <i><b>"Unfortunately for you." </b></i>Akagi reached out and touched the barrier, causing it to spark with blue energy. <i><b>"You don''t have enough light to banish the darkness that I am." </b></i>Akagi gripped onto the barrier causing it to crack and explode into a shower of light particles. <i><b>¡°It''s going to take much more than a little candle like you to drive me away.¡±</b></i>


    "That''s impossible!" Kenji was stunned. "That barrier is unbreakable! You shouldn''t have been able to touch it, let alone break it! Not even the ancient <i>Demons</i> our n fought could do something like that."


    <i>{What''s going on?!?} </i>(Kenji)


    At his words, Akagi started cackling. <i><b>"Muhahahahahhahah." </b></i>Sheughed andughed andughed as she allowed her aura to crash down on the three of them, freezing them in ce. <i><b>"You might have been right. Had I been some ordinary Demon." </b></i>She locked eyes with Kenji. <i><b>"But you see, you''re not dealing with the average Demon, Kenji</b></i>." Akagi slowly walked closer to them, ck aura poured out from her body and enveloped her in something akin to ck liquid fire. <i><b>"Allow me to tell you what I am. What kind of being now stalks your world, and what kind of creature you''ve drawn the ire of, Kenji.¡± </b></i>Akagi stood mere feet from the three of them ¡°<i><b>I''m a being born of pure darkness. I am evil, malice, and hatred gave form. I am the terror you''ve heard of in legends, a being corrupt to the core and nourished by the darkness in men''s hearts.</b></i>" Akagi''s mouth turned into a horrifying smile. <i><b>"But more than that. More than anything else, Kenji." </b></i>Akagi let out a demonicugh. <i><b>"I am a monument to all your sins."</b></i>


    <i>{W-what kind of evil has been unleashed upon our world?!?} </i>(Kenji)


    Once she was finished her little monologue, Akagi had her shadow leap onto each of them. The three of them began to panic as they frantically cast spells to remove it, to no avail. Slowly the darkness engulfed the three of them before they were swallowed inside. They would not die, yet, Akagi still had much more nned for these three.


    She was quite happy with how things turned out, and was equally happy with how well she delivered her carefully prepared speech. Akagi grabbed onto Yumi and began to spin around in the center of the arena, as the two danced to music only they could hear. The battle outside soon came to a close, though calling it a battle would be to give the Onmyoji far too much credit. The ''battle'' had been easy, and the entire Tomogawa n had been subdued, with minimal effort.


    <i><b>"Did you get that on video?" </b></i>Akagi asked Yumi, who was startled by her sudden question and nearly tripped.


    "How did you-" Yumi was cut off by Akagi cing a finger over her mouth.


    <i><b>"Do you really think you can get anything past me, Yumi?" </b></i>Akagi asked as she spun Yumi around, revealing a small recording device in her right hand that she''d snagged from her. <i><b>"I noticed this thing quite early on." </b></i>She sighed. <i><b>"That Kana... she asked you to record my little speech, didn''t she?"</b></i>


    "It''s unfair that only I got to hear it, I was going to share it with the others." Yumi stuck out her tongue as she walked back over. "Are you embarrassed?¡± She asked yfully.


    <i><b>"Not in the least. Go ahead and show everyone for all I care." </b></i>Akagiughed. <i><b>"I worked hard on that one. Combining a corrupted version of a famous speech from a blonde-haired warrior with one of the most memorable quotes from an amazing series. I''d say it''s my favorite so far, especially since it was all true." </b></i>Akagi smiled as she grabbed onto the priestess to begin their dance anew.


    The two spun around in each other''s arms as the storm raged outside. All that was left was to pass judgment upon the n''s members and finally bring things to a close.


    Spoiler


    Akagi in the Basement Arena!


    [copse]

 Chapter 120 – The Demon’s True Nature.

    Chapter 120 ¨C The Demon¡¯s True Nature.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Content Warning, descriptions of torture.


    "Ugh..." Kenji awoke after being absorbed into Akagi''s shadow. His head pounded, and he felt like he''d just been struck by a truck.


    <i><b>"Nice of you to join us, old man." </b></i>Akagi chuckled.


    Kenji looked towards her voice. She was sitting on a raised tatami mat that was brought into the underground arena, and her face showed just how much she was enjoying things.


    "What''s going-" He went to speak but stopped as he noticed the other members of his n were bound next to him. His son, daughter, nieces, nephews, brother, sister and other family members were all restrained. They were alive but beaten, bloody, and bruised from the battle outside. Surrounding him was a menagerie of Akagi''s followers, all sitting or standing around them, watching silently.


    <i><b>"Don''t worry about the rest of your people. They''ll perk up in a little bit. So fear not, they are not dead." </b></i>Akagi smiled.


    <i>{And with what I''ve got in-store, they''re going to wish they were. But, that luxury will not be afforded to any of them.}</i>


    "You truly are a monster, aren''t you?" Kenji was disgusted.


    <i><b>"Yes, I am." </b></i>Akagi nodded as Yumi handed her a pipe. <i><b>"As I said, I am what you and this family made me, old man."</b></i> Akagi lit the kiseru and took a hit.


    "What you are is not my family''s fault! You were born a monster, and that''s all you''ll ever be!" Kenji eximed. ¡°Do not try to push responsibility for your actions onto us! We were created to destroy the darkness and exterminate vial creatures like you. So don''t try to act like you''re anything other than a homicidal maniac!¡±


    <i><b>"I''d say I''ve gone well beyond my nature, Kenji." </b></i>She let out a puff. <i><b>"The irony is by treating me as a monster and an unwanted child. You eventually created the very thing you feared. I believe that''s akin to a self-fulfilling prophecy." </b></i>Akagiughed.


    "My only <i>mistake </i>was not ordering you killed as an infant. I allowed my emotions to cloud my judgment, and now I''m reaping the seeds of my folly!" Kenji replied. "Your mother was right! We should have killed you before you caused problems, even if it would have caused other issues!"


    <i><b>"You take no responsibility? None whatsoever?" </b></i>Akagi sighed. <i><b>"It may be true that I was always meant to be the Demon Lord, but that does not mean you and the family are meless in how things turned out. If not for the intervention of Kana and the events of FWO. I would have been consumed by the darkness in my soul. Had the family treated me with care, while I still would have eventually be the Demon Lord, the chance of me going rouge would have been far smaller than it otherwise was." </b></i>Akagi was annoyed with hisck of awareness.


    <i>{These fools are so self-righteous that they can''t understand that their own strive for perfection and sense of duty has ced the world in quite the precarious position.} </i>Akagi sighed. <i>{They truly are all fools. I used to think that it was just Shima who was stupid, but now I see that it''s gic. Its a surprise that Kana turned out as well as she did.} </i>


    "P-perhaps you are right." Miyabi sat up.


    "Miyabi!" Kenji eximed. "Don''t tell me you agree with this monster!"


    "She''s not wrong to say that our treatment of her pushed her closer to the darkness she was born with." Miyabi''s head was pounding, but she managed to speak. ¡°Perhaps rather than push her away, we should have aided her in dealing with the darkness.¡±


    "You know this family has no use for weaklings or the talentless. Even if she wasn''t born as a <i>Demon</i>, she was still a useless girl!" Kenji said. "We have a sacred duty to protect this world from beings like her. There''s nothing wrong with weeding out those who cannot perform that duty like we did with Nana and Shima."


    "I don''t disagree with our family duty or how we ensure the next generation ispetent enough to protect people. Shima''s treatment was a rightful use of her to aid the family where she was otherwise a drain." Miyabi nced at Akagi. "But she is right, father. We are responsible for making her what she is, or at the very least, we bear some fault for pushing her closer to the abyss." Miyabi continued. "Our family is supposed to protect this world from the darkness. Yet, in our foolishness, we helped unleash a creature we cannot hope to defeat upon the world. We''ve failed."


    <i>{And now, the entire world must pay for our failure.} </i>(Miyabi)


    <i><b>"At least one of you has more than two brain cells." </b></i>Akagiughed. <i><b>"Indeed, now that I''m free, this world belongs to me, and all its inhabitants are at my mercy. If I so chose, every man, woman, and child would die." </b></i>Akagi smirked.


    <i>{Well, killing them would be boring. I think I''d much rather more creative uses for humanity.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Ugh..." (Onmyojis waking up)


    <i><b>"Oh?" </b></i>Akagi''s lips curved into a grin. <i><b>"It seems the rest are waking up. Good, with them awake, the game show can begin."</b></i>


    <i>{Game show? What kind of horrible things is she nning to do to us?} </i>(Miyabi)


    <i><b>"Good morning, everyone. Did you all enjoy ying with my friends?" </b></i>Akagi smiled as the ten members of the Tomogawa family red at her. <i><b>"Tough crowd. Anyway, my name is Akagi Dumetor, the Demon Lord, the Lord of Pandemonium, the Supreme Commander of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, and the Lord of all Yokai. The particrly observant of you might remember me as your one-time cousin or niece." </b></i>Akagiughed. <i><b>"Now, you might all be wondering what''s going on. What I n on doing with you-" </b></i>Akagi was cut off as one of the young men yelled out.


    "Go fuck yourself, monster!" (Young Onmyoji man.)


    Akagi shifted her jaw and thought for a moment before extending her arm andzily pointing at him.


    ¡°<i><b>[Consumption]¡±</b></i>


    The young Onmyoji burned in ck fire as he was consumed.


    <i><b>"Anyone else want to interrupt me?" </b></i>Akagi waited for a moment, and no one said anything.<i> </i><i><b>"Good. Now as I was saying. I had nned on ignoring the Tomogawa family and its activities, but you all decided to go out of your way and pick a fight with me. You even went so far as to make an attempt on the life of someone important to me."</b></i>


    Akagi continued. <i><b>"As you can see, that was a poor life decision, and now you''repletely at my mercy. So now I have to figure out what to do with the </b></i><i><u><b>nine </b></u></i><i><b>of you." </b></i>She emphasized nine. <i><b>"And that leaves me in a conundrum. You see. I have so many horrible things to choose from that I just can''t decide." </b></i>Akagi threw up her hands and did an exaggerated shrug.


    "Just kill us already, monster." Kenji said.


    <i><b>"Oh, you will be dying, but it''s the </b></i><i><u><b>how</b></u></i><i><b> that really matters." </b></i>Akagi tapped her chin as she mulled things over. <i><b>"The floor is open to ideas. Anyone can put something out there." </b></i>She looked around at her followers. <i><b>¡°Please speak your minds, and give me some fun ideas!¡±</b></i>


    "Pull them apart with horses!" (Follower 1)


    "Public hanging!" (Follower 2)


    "Consume their souls!" (Chloe)


    "Make them fight to the death!" (Follower 3)


    "Feed them to pigs!" (Marshal)


    "Petrification!" (Mimi)


    <i><b>"Oh! I like that one!" </b></i>Akagi got excited at Mimi''s idea. <i><b>"The garden is always in need of more statues." </b></i>She thought for a second. <i><b>"Only issue is Kana might not like that, so maybe not."</b></i>


    <i>{I''ll shelve that idea forter though.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Dropped from Orbit! (Follower 4)


    "Crushed at the bottom of the ocean!" (Follower 5)


    "Boil em alive!" (Sakura)


    <i><b>"Could remake that whole bronze bull thing I read about once." </b></i>Akagi nodded. <i><b>"I''m liking that. It''s painful, slow, and amusing."</b></i>


    <i>{That''s going to be happening, definitely.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I believe there was something in the one book I read that spoke of using bamboo to kill someone by having it grow through a person," Yumi said with a smile.


    <i><b>"Oh yeah, that''s the shit the Japanese did to American POWs during the Second World War," </b></i>Akagi recalled that bit of history. <i><b>"Though while I''m not sure if it''s true they actually did it, it does work."</b></i>


    ¡°Make their insides their outsides!¡± (Follower 6)


    ¡°Launch them into space!¡± (Follower 7)


    ¡°Twist them until they snap!¡± (Follower 8)


    ¡°Let them be slowly eaten alive by bugs!¡± (Follower 9)


    ¡°Give them to Imp!¡± (Follower 10)


    ¡°Burned alive!¡± (Follower 11)


    ¡°Break every bone one by one!¡± (Follower 12)


    ¡°Defenestration!¡± (Follower 13)


    ¡°Death by pillows!¡± (Follower 14)


    ¡°Tickle them to death!¡± (Follower 15)


    ¡°Peel them apartyer byyer, its what we did to certain criminals back home!¡± (Kira)


    ¡°<i><b>Ohhh that would be so nice!¡± </b></i>Akagi was happy that her people


    Akagi thought for a moment. <i><b>"Why not do all of them!" </b></i>She dered her intention to try a number of different ideas, much to her follower''s glee.


    <i><b>"Alright, now that I''ve got some ideas, we''ll start by making the parents watch their children die. Once they perish, the next oldest generation will be killed and then the next till we''re finished." </b></i>She snapped her fingers, and the younger members were grabbed by her followers.<i><b> ¡°Will my lovely assistants please show our lucky contestants what''s behind door number 1!¡± </b></i>Akagi had now fully gotten into the swing of things and her eyes glowed with madness and delight.


    <i>{I think we''ll first start with bathing a few in boiling oil, then we can move to more fun methods of torture.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Wait, Wait, No!" (Screaming Onmyojis)


    <i>{She''s really going to do something like this?!?} </i>(Miyabi)


    "Please, let our children go!" Miyabi screamed. "They have nothing to do with how you were treated. It''s our fault we caused this! So please, let us take responsibility for what we''ve done!"


    <i><b>"If I do that, they''ll just grow up wanting revenge. Best to put an end to that seed before it sprouts."</b></i> Akagiughed demonically. Though not necessarily all their children were here since not all were Onmyoji. But Akagi had little interest in harming those not involved with the family business. <i><b>¡°Besides, you tried to kill Naomi. A girl who has nothing to do with anything, so who the fuck are you to ask for your children to be spared?!?¡±</b></i>


    "Please! I beg of you!" Miyabi wiggled in her restraints. "My children shouldn''t die for my mistakes!"


    <i>{That''s gotta be like the what? Twentieth time I''ve heard that line? I think I should start keeping a mental list of all the clich¨¦ lines I''ve heard over the years, might be fun to see how often certain onese up.} </i>(Akagi)


    <i><b>"You should have thought about that before you fucked with me." </b></i>Akagi snapped her fingers again, and her shadow wrapped around the adult''s mouths. This was to both shut them up and prevent them from biting off their own tongue.


    <i><b>"Yumi, do me a favor and grab a list of items from back home, please." </b></i>Akagi handed the priestess a small notepad with some things written down.


    "As you wish, my Lord." Yumi summoned her staff and teleported back to the estate to bring the items.


    <i><b>"Now then, let''s get things started," </b></i>Akagi ordered the adults to be held down and forced to watch as their children were burned alive, boiled, torn apart, and much much worse. Screams echoed throughout the arena as one by one the Onmyoji were tortured and mutted. It was a gruesome disy. One that would shock the consciousness of any sane person. If Kana knew what Akagi was doing right now, even <i>she </i>would probably beg her sister to stop. Not all of the younger Onmyoji were direct children of either Miyabi or Juichiro, but that didn''t matter to Akagi. She enjoyed watching the show from her seat, and her followers cheered as each Onmyoji died in agony. Most of these people were directly or indirectly responsible for the hell Akagi was forced to endure since she was a child, and her twisted mind had burned that hatred into her soul. Their deaths and torment were catharsis for the <i>Demon, </i>and As far as Akagi was concerned, they were getting their just deserts.


    <i>{Ahhhh this is bliss. I now understand why my kind enjoy the screams, the agony, the ughter. It''s truly <b>delightful </b>to watch such a wretched group of people squirm. It''s intoxicating!} </i>(Akagi)


    ¡°Mpfh! Mpfh!¡± Miyabi tried to wiggle and scream as the young Onmyoji burned, but she was powerless to do anything.


    ¡°<i><b>Haaaa. I admit that I enjoy my human friends and the mundane things thate along with them, but this... <u>this</u> is just another level of satisfying! Muhahahhahahahah.¡± </b></i>Akagi''sugh echoed throughout the arena as the <i>show</i> continued.


    <i>{Part of me wishes that Kana and the girls were hear to watch this disy. What would their reactions be to such unmitigated evil? Would I finally see Mika afraid? Would Kana''s views on me change? Oh how fun it would be to force her watch her precious Onee-chan perform such acts to her family.} </i>Akagi''s mouth curved into a terrible smile as she imagined the girls'' reactions. <i>{But I shall refrain from such things. Their friendship is far more valuable to me whatever temporary entertainment I''d get from their reactions, and I''d rather not lose them. Oh well, I''ll simply have to enjoy myself with Yumi at my side. Seeing how she reacts should be entertaining enough.} </i>As she sat and enjoyed herself, Akagi allowed her human disguise to fade away until she was little more than a shadow in the shape of a human, with her eyes and teeth on full disy to everyone.


    <i>This </i>was the real Akagi. When she said she was a <i>Demon</i> that loved tormenting and killing people, she wasn''t lying. What Akagi was doing was beyond cruel, filled with malice and evil to its core, but she didn''t care. In fact, she was having a great time. The Demon Lord demanded torture and misery, and her followers were all too happy to provide. Here is a glimpse into what Akagi could have been like 24/7 had her inner darkness overtaken her. Thankfully for the world, she contains herself to these isted events and only punishes <i>deserving</i> individuals. On top of that, this situation was also a bit unique since it involved revenge on a group of people she''de to hate. While the <i>Demon</i> did enjoy such cruelty, it is likely that such an extreme disy wouldn''t bemon, at least not unless the target was deserving of such an intense hatred.


    Yumi was very d Kana and the girls would be unaware of tonight''s specifics. She knew that a disy like <i>this</i> would be far too intense for them to handle and might be enough to send the three of them running in fear. Though, funny enough, she was enjoying the disy. Whether this was simply out of loyalty to Akagi, or because of her own mental issuesbined with the bond was impossible to say, but it didn''t matter.


    <i>{I can feel the joy swelling in my Lord''s heart. She''s truly enjoying this disy of cruelty, and strangely, so am I. I don''t exactly think this is normal, and I know in the past I would''ve been horrified at such a sight, but for some reason, watching these people... these awful people who caused Akagi so much pain be tormented in such a manner is... satisfying.} </i>(Yumi)


    Once all the younger Onmyoji were dead, and the adults were well and truly broken from the horror. Akagi ordered them to be tortured next, followed by any other adult member. Akagi found them far less amusing since their screams were less intense. Kenji was given very special treatment as Akagi allowed Chloe to peel him a partyer byyer with her threads.


    Juichiro was given the same form of torment that he''d inflicted on Akagi on one asion. Though rather than just having one finger broken, Marshal took pleasure in snapping every bone in his body in as many ways as possible before he perished. When Akagi was a small child, he''d broken one of her fingers because she tried to take a cookie from his house, and she decided to repay his actions, with interest.


    Miyabi was the final member to die, and Akagi had a bone to pick with her. She''d always encouraged Shima''s treatment of Akagi and was the mastermind behind some of the worst things she''d experienced over the years. The <i>Demon </i>never forgot the time she spent trapped outside during winter because of her aunt, and she would never forgive the multiple attempts on her life.


    So, with all that in mind, Akagi decided to have a bit of fun with Miyabi. At first, she was subject to extreme cold for several dozen minutes, pushing her to the brink of frostbite before she was healed. After that Miyabi was tied to a massive wooden stake in the middle of the room, doused with napalm and set aze. Mimi continually applied healing magic so she wouldn''t immediately expire, and Miyabi spent nearly forty minutes burning alive before Akagi permitted her to die. Naturally, Akagi also consumed their souls afterward. As she said before, volunteer snacks wouldn''t be turned away.

 Side Story 2 – The Misfit’s Begin Leveling Up!

    Side Story 2 ¨C The Misfit¡¯s Begin Leveling Up!


    Around three months since the destruction of the ck Gauntlet.


    "Gi! Gi! Gi!" (Goblin.)


    KABOOM!


    A loud bang rang out throughout the forest as a goblin''s head exploded into red mist.


    "Ohhhh! It worked perfectly!" Daikael''s eyes glinted as she squeezed at her new invention''s lethality. "And they told me firearms were bad! HA!"


    "Yeah, it''s great that you made a double-barreled shotgun, but..." Daikael was whacked on the back of the head by Avahn''s sheathed sword.


    "OW!" Daikael cried out in pain. "What was that for?!?" She turned around to see the cat demon covered in brains. "Oh..."


    "Yeah. <i>Oh...</i>" Avahn''s face telegraphed just how pissed she was at being covered in goblin goo. "Maybe next time, give us a bit of WARNING before you explode someone that close!"


    "Also, that weapon is super loud, and you''ve probably just alerted every goblin in the camp that we''reing." Alveron sighed. He was sitting on top of Shiru''s head, and the dryad was simrly unimpressed.


    "We were <i>supposed </i>to be scouting the warbands'' camp so we could make a n, Daikael." She sighed. "I even sent out my nts to scout stealthfully, but your gun just alerted them. I detect well over two dozen goblins and a hob making their way here."


    "Nyits oki-doki meow~! we nyan just battle of the nya~ them nyin nye forest meow~! nyit will myake dealing with them nyeasier since nyi nyan bounce between nye trees meow~!"


    [It''s Ok! We can just fight them in the forest! It will make dealing with them easier since I can bounce between the trees!] Ara was happy to fight whether in the forest or the open, and her speed made it easy for her to maneuver around enemies.


    "Easy for you to say, but I''d rather not be jumped by a goblin and turned into a snack." Alveron shook his head.


    "Indeed, while I <i>can</i> fight in close quarters, I''d prefer to remain <i>away</i> from the enemy." Shiru agreed.


    "But it''s fine!" Daikael smiled. "We''ve got two front liners!" She said while reloading the shotgun.


    "<i>You</i> are not a frontliner, Dai." Avahn wiped off her face. "You''re a ranged fighter. Ara is the only other person whoes close to filling that role as my vanguard, you wouldn''tst very long against a hob if he got his hands on you." She rolled her eyes.


    "Looks like we''ll be able to put that theory to the test." Shiru giggled.


    "They''re here?" Alveron asked.


    "Right about... now!" Shiru spun around and caused a series of vines to appear from the ground and impale a goblin who tried to jump at her.


    "More areing, Avahn get ready to deal with the chaff. Ara, start stacking hits on the hob he''s gonna need a few before he goes down easy. Alveron start using magic to help Ava and me keep the goblins away, and Dai." She turned to look at the fox, whose desire for carnage was visible on her face. "Just... just do <i>Dai </i>things." She sighed.


    "Rodger!" (Everyone)


    A few momentster, a horde of goblins appeared from the treeline.


    "Gi! Gi! Gi!" (Goblins)


    "Creepy buggers!" Alveron said as he shed at the air and sent a spacial distortion forward. Upon impacting one of the goblins, it paused for a moment before being sucked inwards and imploding. "Ava, now!" He called out to the demon cat, who leaped past him.


    "You got it!" Avahn activated her rage before pulling out her massive de, a cursed Oda. "TIME TO DIE, GOBLINS! AHAHAHAH." Once she entered her blood frenzy, she got a bit <i>unhinged.</i> "Time to feast, Furui! Drink ''em up!" She called out to the spirit within the de as she cleaved two goblins in half with one strike.


    "Get nyem nyavahn meow~! feast upon their souls meow~!"


    [Get em Avahn! Feast upon their souls!] Ara cheered on her friend as she started bouncing between trees at high speed. Her skill set and equipment meant she was unsuited to fighting vast hordes of chaff, and her paper fans were specifically designed for single target focus.


    "Maow, where nyare nyu hobby nya~? nyi nyeed to smyack nyu meow~!ewn nyout,ewn nyout where nyever nyu nyare meow~!"


    [Now, where are you hobby? I need to smack you! Come out,e out where ever you are!" Ara continued to bounce between treetops, deftly avoiding arrows and javelins thrown by the goblins.


    "Ha ha meow~! nyu nyan''t hit mewn meow~!"


    [Ha ha! You can''t hit me!] She blew a raspberry at the goblins, who grew visibly angry, before turning around and shaking her tail at him in mockery!


    "Comewn nyon gobby meow~! try nyand hit mewn meow~!"


    [Come on gobby! Try and hit me!] Her mockery continued, and the goblin readied another javelin, only to have his head blown off by a solid slug from Daikael''s shotgun.


    "Nice distraction, kitty!" Daikael said as she fired the second barrel and exploded another goblin in two with her weapon. "And man, this thing is awesome! For just a prototype, it beats the normal flintlocks by a mile!" As she smiled in triumph, a loud roar echoed throughout the forest, and a dead goblin body flew past her.


    <i>{That was close!} </i>(Daikael)


    "It''s the hob!" Shiru called out. She was busy throwing some of the goblins around with her vines and couldn''t focus on the leader just yet. "Ara, keep him busy and stack as many hits on him as you can!" Just as she finished giving directions, a huge orange pig man came crashing through the forest.


    <i>{And its ugly...} </i>Shiru groaned.


    "OHH! Finally a challenge." Avahn said as she punted one of the goblins through a nearby tree. "Let''s DANCE!" She let out a battle cry as she charged the hobgoblin.


    "Oooga!" The massive hob brought down his great axe, while Avahn easily deflected, and the two engaged in an all-out duel.


    *CLANG* *SMASH* *CLANG* *SMASH**CLANG* *SMASH*


    The axe and the de crashed together causing the ground to shake with each hit.


    "HAHAHA!" Avahnughed as she took a punch to the face. "Is that all you''ve got you stupid pig?!?"


    The hob was annoyed that his attacks were having seemingly no effect, but his troubles weren''t over just yet as he was assaulted by a rapidly moving cat.


    "MEOW! MEOW! MEOW! MEOW! MEOW! MEOW! MEOW! MEOW! MEOW!" Ara began bouncing from tree to tree as she scraped the hob with her paper fan. Each hit only did a tiny amount of damage, but that wasn''t the point. Once her strikes hit 500 and the full stack was applied, the next hit would do an insanely high amount of damage.


    "Take that, nyand that, nyand that, nyand that meow~!"


    [Take that, and that, and that, and that!] Ara bounced around at an incredible speed, buoyed by Alveron''s space magic creating temporary footholds for her to bounce off of in case trees were too far away.


    <i>{Nice! It looks like that practice worked out!} </i>Alveron cheered his unique use of spatial magic and its effectiveness as he rocketed two more goblins into the stratosphere.


    "Hey, don''t forget about me!" Daikael threw several grenades into the fray, which exploded around the hob, but rather than do damage, they blinded him.


    <i>{Good old shbangs! And they said it couldn''t be done!} </i>(Daikael)


    Ordinarily, this should have also blinded Avahn, but her special rage ability nullified such status conditions while she was in her frenzy!


    Weakened and blinded by the shbang, the hob began to falter, something that the demon cat wasn''t about to let go unpunished.


    "Time to carve up the piggy!" Avahn cried out as she brought down her de, slicing off the hobs left arm.


    "GAAAAAAAA!" It screamed in pain as it swung its axe down, which missed the demon cat.


    <i>{Easy!} </i>Avahn smiled.


    "Don''t get toofortable!" Shiru cried out as a goblin jumped up behind Avahn in an attempt to ambush her. "We''re supporting you, but you need to watch your surroundings!" She made a vine extend from one of the trees and grabbed the goblin before throwing it at the hob, who smacked it into the ground.


    <i>{Thanks for the save, Mom!} </i>(Avahn)


    <i>"</i>MEOW! MEOW! MEOW! MEOW! MEOW! MEOW! MEOW! MEOW! MEOW! DING!" Ara cried out her signal, which indicated that the 500th hit hadnded.


    "Go, Ava!" Shiru called out, and the cat obliged, charging forward and smashing her de into the hob''s chest after getting past his de. The moment she contacted the hob, all five hundred stacking buffs exploded causing a huge crash as the hob was vaporized by aicallyrge st.


    Seeing their boss get annihted, the remaining goblins disbursed into the forest, where Shiru manipted nts to finish them off before they could return to base.


    "Excellent work everyone, it seems we''ve each got a few levels from that fight!" Shiru cheered. It wasn''t much xp, but it was more than enough to push them up a bit. "Especially you, Ava! You went in and showed that hob who was boss!" She walked over and began to pet the demon cat''s ears, which caused her to blush a tiny amount.


    "Yeah meow~! nyu were nyawesomewn nyava meow~!"


    [Yeah! You were awesome Ava!] Being touched by Ara made Avahn blush even harder.


    "Aww is someone being-" Daikael''sment was stopped prematurely as a vine cracked her on the back of the head.


    "Ha! You had thating, Dai!" Alveron floated over andnded on her head.


    "Now, now. Noughing at other''s pain, Alve." Shiru nced at him. "If you keep that up, I''ll have to start setting rat traps in the house." She giggled.


    "Yeah, I''ve noticed some of our cheese has gone missingtely, anything you want to share with the rest of us, ratboy?" Avahn wasn''t going to miss her chance to get a bit of payback for Alveron''s pranks at the house.


    <i>{I AM NOT A RAT!} </i>The usible rat man held his tongue.


    "Meowhat maow nya~?"


    [What now?] Ara asked, the quest they were on tasked them with clearing out a goblin warbands'' camp and it was close by.


    "Hmmm." Shiru thought. "There are still plenty more in the camp from what my nts tell me, Daikael." She turned to the fox.


    "Yes?" (Daikael)


    "This will be where your <i>talents </ie in handy." Shiru sighed and the fox''s eyes shined.


    "You want me to explode them, don''t you!" Daikael had an idea about what wasing.


    "I hate to use such methods, but it''s our best bet for doing this safely. Can you make a big enough bomb to-" Shiru was cut off as Daikael dropped a massive sack in the middle of the group?


    "What kind you want? I''ve got napalm, chemical, conventional, cluster, thermobaric, and high explosive. Just take your pick." Daikael smiled.


    "W-why do you have so many already made?" Avahn was both shocked and impressed with the number of bombs in the bag.


    "Me-wow!" Ara''s eyes went wide as she looked in the bag.


    "I just... you... Never mind, this is what I asked for, so I''m just going to stop asking questions and be grateful you''re on <i>our </i>team." Shiru shook her head.


    "What, no nukes?" Alveronughed.


    "Yeah, sadly, that''s not possible." Daikaelughed, and so did the entire group. Building nuclear weapons in the game was impossible, even for the crazy fox.


    <i>{Yet...} </i>(Daikael)

 Chapter 121 – The Sacred Weapons.

    Chapter 121 ¨C The Sacred Weapons.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    2 Chaps!


    Once the <i>festivities</i> concluded, Akagi had her people sweep the property and begin a clean-up operation. She ordered everything valuable to be looted, all documents to be seized, and a thorough investigation of the property. The <i>Demon</i> didn''t think a mortal group of such low power would have much of worth, but wanted to check just to be sure.


    While her people tore the upper level apart, Akagi stayed in the arena, rxing with Yumi while the buildings above were turned upside-down. She was currently using the priestess''sp as a pillow as the two chatted and at Yumi''s rmendation, she returned to her usual appearance.


    "That went well." Akagiy with her eyes closed as Yumi stroked her hair. She had a happy smile on her face, and was quite content. Not only had she gotten vengeance against those who wronged her, but she was also happy to have gotten another meal.


    "You seemed to enjoy yourself." Yumi smiled. She knew Akagi hated those people, hence why she went to such extremes. "Though I can''t say whether that is a good or bad thing."


    "Who cares." Akagi waved her hand dismissively. "They deserved everything they got. Not only did they treat me like hell, but they also tried to kill Naomi. I have no patience for that."


    <i>{I feel so much better now, like a good chunk of stress melted away.} </i>(Akagi)


    Yumi giggled. "You''d almost think she was your daughter with how far you''ve gone for her. Should I prepare for a second child toe live with us?"


    "Not you too..." Akagi sighed. "I just don''t want her to go through any more pain, is all." Naomi had lost her family, and Akagi empathized with her plight. "I admit she''s grown on me, but I can''t take the ce of her real parents, Yumi. And I doubt that''s something she''d ever want of me either."


    <i>{Unlike Alice, having Naomi call me mom would be very weird. Kana would probably be so angry.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Fair enough. I suppose just being supportive is good enough then." Yumi smiled. "It''s funny. You can so quickly switch between modes. One minute your being the Demon Lord and acting as one would expect. The next yourying here with me rxing like its just another quiet morning. It''s amusing."


    <i>{She can flip modes so easily. Though I suppose that''s because she''s quite strange. It must be hard having such a divided mind.} </i>(Yumi)


    Akagi didn''t respond.


    <i>{Ignoring me only tells me I''m onto something, my Lord.} </i>Yumi poked her on the cheek.


    "Well, it''s fine." Yumi giggled. "It''s part of what makes you, you. Going so far to protect those you care about is kind of... <i>swe</i>et in a way."


    "You have to be the <i>only </i>person who would consider what just happened any form of <i>sweet</i>, Yumi." Akagi sighed.


    <i>{Ah yes, the Demon Lord boiling a man alive while his mother screams in horror is so <b>sweet</b> Yumi. If you really believe that, you''re just as messed up as me. Not that I dislike that.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Not the exact events, per se. More just the idea around it, I suppose." Yumi said as she stroked her hair. "I know that deep down, you don''t want to have to do things like that. I know that despite all your <i>Demon </i>instincts and emotions, you just want to spend time with those you care about. You want to be loved and spoiled and coddled. You kind of remind me of my sister in that respect."


    "Well, sorry that I don''t fit the stereotypical Demon Lord trope." Akagiughed. "Like I told the girls, I might enjoy blowing things up and causing mayhem, but I''d much rather have peace." Akagi continued. "As for the other thing. Noment." Sheughed.


    <i>{Being pet and squeezed and loved is something I might enjoy just a bit.} </i>(Akagi)


    "You really can act like a kid sometimes." Yumiughed. ¡°Just be honest with me, you enjoy the affection I give you, don''t you?¡±


    <i>{If you didn''t you wouldn''t be hereying on myp. And you''d never transform into silly shapes just to get coddled.} </i>(Yumi)


    "me my arrested development for my terrible social skills and strange behavior. Growing up with all the problems I did really screwed with my mind, Yumi. Enough that even being the Demon Lord can''t fix that mess." Akagi stretched. "I already had enough issues before, then you p the insanity from being the Demon Lord, and you''re bound to have some interesting results."


    <i>{Considering my attitude from a few hours ago, yeah I''m fucked up in the head.{ </i>(Akagi)


    "Well, insane or not, I still love you regardless." Yumi stretched Akagi''s cheeks.


    "It''s part of my charm." Akagi winked.


    The two chatted a bit more before Chloe walked over to deliver a report on their findings.


    "Myaster, we''ve cleared out the buildings. Arge number of documents were found within the priests'' library, and we found several hidden vaults containing items, rare metals, and other unknown items, nya!"


    "Good work," Akagi sat up. "Did you find something that could be described as sacred implements? They said they were sealed behind some kind of barrier."


    "Yes." Chloe nodded. "There is another floor below this one, and there is what seems like arge vault sealed by a barrier. I instructed no one to touch or interact with it for fear of the barrier harming someone." She had inherited Akagi''s paranoia to an extent.


    "Good call." Akagi stood up and pat Chloe on the head.


    "Nya..." Chloe purred. ¡°Oh yeah, myaster. I have a question!¡±


    ¡°What''s up?¡± Akagi asked.


    ¡°I found those talismans for the snakey that I battled the other day, if I can summon him can I keep him as a pet?¡± Chloe really liked the tsuchinoko and was sad she had to destroy it.


    ¡°Sure why not. As long as it doesn''t go doing any damage and you promise to take good care if it.¡± Akagi smiled.


    ¡°Hurrah!¡± Chloe cheered.


    "Alright, now that our little pet collection has gotten bigger, let''s head down to the vault." Akagi turned and helped Yumi up. "Let''s see just what kind of weapons they wanted to use against me. Maybe it will be something interesting?"


    The three of them headed down to the lower floor below the arena. Several ninjas were scanning the area and standing guard throughout the many hallways, and it seemed they were on alert for traps or potential threats. After descending down a set of stairs, the girls arrived at the lowest level of theplex. At the end of a long and well decorated hallway, adorned with paintings of what Akagi assumed were past members of the n, was the aforementioned door. The vault door was massive, easily two to three times taller than Akagi, and wide enough to epass the entire hallway''s width.


    "Big door." Yumimented as they walked up to it.


    "Well, whatever is in there <i>must </i>be important!" Akagiughed. ¡°Large vaults in games always meant big important loot. So why wouldn''t that be the case here?¡±


    "The barrier on the door looks to be different than what they used against you, my Lord." Yumi inspected it. "I can easily break this if you''d like."


    "Go ahead." Akagi waved her on, and with a tap of Yumi''s staff, the barrier broke into ss-like pieces before fading away.


    "Damn, that one was <i>weak</i>." (Akagi)


    "I believe it was because the barrier wasn''t maintained very well." Yumi thought for a moment. "I suspect the Tomogawa familycked the magical knowledge to properly repair it. Most likely, that knowledge was lost over the generations."


    <i>{Though why they would allow such crucial information to disappear is beyond myprehension.} </i>(Yumi)


    "Figures, they were a bunch of idiots after all." Akagi shrugged and slowly pushed the massive door open. After a moment, it swung inwards revealing an unexpected sight. Within the vault was what seemed like a sanctuary. There was a small flowing river fed by a waterfall that drained into a smallke that was so clear that you could see the bottom. In the middle of thatke was a rocky ind with two items jammed into pedestals sitting side by side. A Staff and a Sword, each made of gold and adorned with charms and other talismans along with chains that bound them to the ground. Around the cave were outcroppings of flowers, and Akagi felt a breeze indicating that this ce was somehow connected to the surface.


    <i>{This ce reminds me of those areas that we''d get to after clearing an entire dungeon. They were always so eerily peaceful and felt out of ce. Seeing something like this in real life Japan is definitely strange. Funny how I used to think this world was so in and boring, and low and behold something like this was so close by.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Be careful and stay right next to me." Akagi looked at the two of them. "This ce probably has security to keep intruders out, and I don''t want any surprises."


    "Right!" (Yumi x Chloe)


    The three slowly and carefully approached the ind. Akagi could tell this ce was covered in spiritual energy, and the two weapons seemed to be radiating an immense amount of power. She was genuinely impressed with the power she felt from them. After such a poor disy, she''d assumed the <i>sacred implements</i> spoke of were little more than dusty antiques. Though, the power they gave off still seemed like far less than needed to even scratch her.


    Standing before the two sealed items, Akagi could tell that Kenji wasn''t lying. They were sealed with the same spiritual binding that he tried to use on her. Though, just like earlier, she could easily break it.


    <i>{Why do I have a very bad feeling about these two weapons?} </i>(Akagi)


    Akagi sighed. "Alright, who wants to bet these are sentient weapons that can talk and have their own personalities?" She asked the two of them.


    "100%" Yumi nodded.


    "Yeah, it''s pretty obvious. nya." Chloeughed.


    They''d been around long enough to see the tropes and figured it was a good bet that these two weapons were more than simple tools.


    "Yeah..." Akagi groaned. "I hated them in FWO. In every game you get one, they''re always such a fucking pain in the ass." Akagi <i>really </i>hated gear that could talk. "If they get on my nerves, I''m melting them into g."


    Hearing Akagi''s irritation caused the two of them to giggle.


    "You two stand back and stay sharp. I''m going to break this seal and see what happens." Akagi reached out and waved her hand, causing the magical seal around the weapons to crack and break.


    <i>{Please don''t talk. Please don''t talk. Please don''t talk. Please don''t talk. Please don''t talk. } </i>Akagi crossed her fingers in her mind.


    A few seconds passed and nothing happened, prompting Akagi to cry out in glee that they weren''t able to speak. However, that joy was short lived as a pair of voices came from the weapons.


    "As per the sacred covenant. When the seal is broken, it is our duty to aid in the fight against the darkness." (Weapon''s voices)


    *Whimper noises* (Akagi)


    Magical energy swirled around the two weapons as they began to glow in bright light. After a few moments, the two weapons began to morph as they were reced with two young girls around the same age as Kana, perhaps a bit older. One bore short pink hair, and the other had long red hair. Both wore shrine maiden outfits.


    "Why is it always young girls? WHY!!!!!" Akagi yelled. "This isn''t even a game this time!" Akagimented this trope. "At this point, I''m convinced the world is just fucking with me..."


    <i>{Seriously?!? Why? What the hell is the point of this?!? At least in anime and games its basically a trope or used as fan service, but why are both of them young girls in real life?!?} </i>Akagi cried internally. <i>{At least they seem to be old enough not to qualify as children. So that''s a relief at least. I don''t need a loli army that follows me around...}</i>


    "You who have released our seal, state your name and-" The two stopped mid-sentence as they looked at Akagi, their eyes going wide.


    "How has a being of darkness entered into the inner sanctuary!" (Red)


    "This isn''t possible! What are the n members doing?!?" (Pink)


    "To answer both questions." Akagi snapped her fingers and activated Demon Lord mode. <i><b>"They are dead." </b></i>She answered, cing pressure on the two girls.


    "Impossible! They can''t be dead. The Tomogawa n was created to destroy Yokai! They''ve never been defeated before!" The Red haired one eximed.


    "A mere <i>Demon</i> could never defeat the n! They were the most powerful spiritual hunters in all of Japan!" The pink-haired one agreed.


    <i><b>"Them? The strongest?" </b></i>Akagi was actually shocked. <i><b>"They were a joke! They literally couldn''t even harm me or any of my people." </b></i>She tried to hold in augh.


    "Lies! I don''t know how you got in here <i>Demon</i>, but that doesn''t matter! We shall defeat you!" The pink-haired one summoned her staff to begin battle.


    "We don''t need a human partner to fight, so prepare yourself to be banished <i>Demon</i>!" The red-haired one summoned her sword and swung at Akagi.


    "Hiyaaaaaaah" She brought the de down, but Akagi justzily caught it.


    "Impossible! <i>Demons</i> should be purged just bying into contact with me!" (Red)


    <i><b>"As I told Kenji before he died, I am no mere Demon." </b></i>Akagi grabbed onto the sword. <i><b>"I am the Demon Lord, and I am far above whatever trash you fought in the past!"</b></i> Akagi yelled as she dumped her <i>Demonic </i>power into the sword.


    "Wait!" The red hair girl started to panic. "What''s going on? What are you doing to me?" The de started to darken with ck energy, its bright white light dimming as Akagi overtook the spirit''s power. "Stop! If you do that, I''ll-"


    <i><b>"What? Don''t want to be a Demon Sword?" </b></i>Akagiughed. <i><b>"It will be fun. The dark side''s got all kinds of perks."</b></i>


    "Free cookies.... yum..." Chloemented.


    <i>{Chloe....} </i>Yumi sighed at the cats gluttony.


    The red-haired girl started to panic, and she turned to the pink girl. "Onee-chan help!" She cried out for help, and as soon as she said this, Akagi stopped. That word caused her to freeze as she imagined Kana in her mind.


    <i>{Damn you traumatic childhood!} </i>(Akagi)


    Akagi temporarily halted the corruption of the sword girl. <i><b>"I''ll give you one chance. Stand down, or I''ll corrupt both of you and use you as door stops!" </b></i>Akagi growled as she let loose her power, causing both girls to stare at her in fear. The pink girl fell backward, her staff dissipating, and the red girl stumbled backward. Akagi let go of the sword, which also vanished. <i><b>"Good choice."</b></i>


    <i>{I really am a softy.} </i>Akagi sighed. <i>{All it took was the girl calling out to her sister to get me to stop.} </i>She reverted back to her usual appearance.


    "Now, how about we try this again? My name is Akagi Dumetor, and I am the Demon Lord. Your masters tried to kill me and someone I care about, so I eliminated them." She red at the two of them as the girls shook in pure terror.


    Spoiler


    Himari! (The Sword)


    Momo! (The Staff)


    [copse]

 Chapter 122 – Darkness Swallows the Light.

    Chapter 122 ¨CDarkness Swallows the Light.


    Akagi dragged the two weapon-girls upstairs into one of the main rooms to speak with them, all the while her followers continued to tear thepound apart. The two weapon-girls were shaken after seeing some of Akagi''s power and became quiet and meek at the prospect of angering her. Before they continued, Akagi had them introduce themselves. The pink-haired one was named Momo, she was the older sister, and the red-haired one''s name was Himari. They''d apparently been sealed away quite a long time ago.


    "You really did kill them all..." Momo was still taking everything in, though she''d been steered away from the <i>grisly </i>fate of the family. "The n tasked with protecting the world from the darkness has been destroyed..."


    <i>{This is truly the worst case scenario. Without them, who will protect this world?} </i>(Momo)


    "What''s going to happen now?" Himari looked worried.


    "Well, not all the Tomogawa''s are dead," Akagi said. "I only killed the Onmyoji. Those not involved with the family business are alive and kicking."


    "Does that matter?" Himari asked. "You''re just going to kill them all anyway."


    "A being of darkness cares little for such differences, its only a mater of time until you dispose of them as well." Momo sighed.


    <i>{Yet more people who assume the worst about me. I suppose that''s understandable though.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Are you two really unaware of what''s been going on while you were sealed away?" Akagi asked since she figured they were probably in a sleep-like state.


    "Yes, we agreed to be sealed away to help in the future not long after the Tomogawa n was founded. We were supposed to remain sealed until the greatest darkness would emerge, and the world would be ced in peril. It was prophesied to ur sometime in the future and we were sealed away to ensure that such evil could be defeated, so We have no knowledge of anything during the intervening centuries." Momo answered.


    "So you''ve missed three centuries, ok." Akagi nodded. "Let me fill you in a bit on what''s been going on."


    Akagi exined everything to the two of them. She told that what a Demon Lord was, that she was at one point a member of the Tomogawa family, what they did to her, the events of FWO and many other things that had urred since she returned from the game world. She also exined why she''d attacked the family and the circumstances leading up to the massacure.


    "Strange. For some reason, I don''t believe you''re lying." Momomented after Akagi finished.


    "Yeah, how can a <i>Demon</i> tell the truth about all that, though?" Himari was confused.


    "I don''t care whether you believe me or not, that''s up to you. " Akagi shrugged. "But it is the truth. I had no intention of attacking the Tomogawas until they came for Naomi."


    "Attacking thest member of the Tokugawa family to sacrifice her in order to break our seal is a gross vition the pact they swore with our masters." Momo was annoyed. "And if what you say is true, while you may be a <i>Demon</i>, the family needlessly antagonized you."


    "Yeah, had they seeded, we wouldn''t have helped them anyway. Our masters are the Tokugawa, not their branch family. To raise their hand to them is the ultimate betrayal, even if they had good intentions." Himari was simrly upset.


    "Not like it would have mattered." Akagiughed as Yumi handed her a freshly lit pipe. "You two are strong for weapons of this world, butpared to this." Akagi summoned World Breaker. "You''re just fancy ornaments." Her de was very special and her partner in crime.


    "The evil radiating off that weapon is unbelievable." Momo scooted back a bit, away from the Demon de.


    "I can''tpete with something like that!" Himari was more struck with a sense of defeat than disgust.


    "Well. I mean, this is a copy of a legendary <i>Demon</i> weapon from Altarus. It''s no wonder you both feel that way." Akagi put the weapon back in her inventory.


    "So what will you do with us?" Momo asked. "I suppose you will corrupt us and turn us into Demon Weapons."


    "I don''t wanna be a Demon Sword..." Himari pouted. The curl on her head drooping down.


    "Man, people are quick to kill themselves off in their heads, aren''t they." Akagiughed. "Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I have no interest in doing that."


    "What?!?" (Himari x Momo)


    "I don''t have any reason to destroy you or corrupt you, as that would basically be the same thing. It''s not like you''re much of a threat to me, and I don''t see any reason for us to fight since we''re not really enemies. You''re free to go if you wish." Akagi took a hit of the pipe and let out a puff of smoke.


    "Free to go?" Momo''s eyes went wide. "But, where would we even go to?" She looked at Himari. "We''ve existed solely to strike down Yokai defend against the prophesied evil, and we can''t even do that. As it stands, we have no purpose anymore."


    "I don''t wanna get a job!" Himari cried out in horror.


    "Then why note with me?" Akagi offered. "I''ve got an idea how the two of you can help. Even if you can''t defeat me, you still have some use."


    "Helping a <i>Demon</i> goes against our very reason for existing, and I refuse to be used to harm people." Momo shook her head.


    "Yeah!" Himari agreed. ¡°We don''t want to be used for evil!¡±


    "Even if you would be used by the Heads of the Tokugawa and the Tomogawa families?" Akagi smirked. "Because I feel like you''d make greatpanions for both of them."


    "???" The two weapon-girls tilted their heads in confusion.


    "We''re nning on using some special methods to open up my sister and her two friends'' bodies to magic. Naomi is the head of the Tokugawa n and would benefit greatly from some guidance. Especially since her family was killed before she was made aware of the real history of her family and its connection to Yokai.¡± Akagi continued. ¡°Kana would likely be helped by a guiding hand from a weapon that is sworn to her family, and I suspect you would get along well with her." Akagi smiled. "How''s that sound? You can''t strike down the Demon Lord, but I''d say helping those two girls is a good second career opportunity."


    "If we agreed to that, and I''m not saying we are, that means we wouldn''t be taking orders from you, right? We would only answer to those two?" Momo asked. She wanted to make sure Akagi wouldn''t be their true master.


    "I don''t control either girl. Kana lives with me, and we''re around each other a lot, but I have no right to control her or what she does. If you ept her as your master, then <i>she </i>not <i>I </i>would be the one you answer to." Akagi smiled.


    "Naomi is in a simr situation. She is my friend, but I do not and <i>will not</i> order her around like a subordinate. She is her own person independent of me." Akagi chuckled. ¡°You will never be required to do as I say, nor will I use the girls to force you to do something you otherwise would refuse to do.¡±


    "I see." Momo thought for a bit and looked at her sister. "What do you think?"


    "I think that sounds fine!" Himari smiled. "We can still do our duty to both families this way!"


    "I agree." Momo smiled. "I might not exactly like being so close to a <i>Demon</i>, but I don''t really think it''s worth dying on that hill." The two took formal stances.


    "We will ept your offer." (Himari x Momo)


    The two bowed their heads to Akagi, who returned a warm smile. Having these two would make the study of magic and training in such arts much easier for the girls. Mika would be left out, but she had two Yuki-Onna who could easily teach her whatever she wanted to know.


    <i>{At least I won''t have them talking in MY head. That''s going to be a problem for the girls to deal with.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Good, then I think that settles everything here at thepound." Akagi stood up and looked over at Chloe. "Instruct the teams to get ready for return back to the estate. Once everyone is back. I want this ce burned to the ground, we''ll leave nothing standing."


    "Yes, myaster!" Chloe quickly took off to spread the word.


    "Why not keep this ce?" Momo asked. "There must be valuable resources and information here."


    "I already cleaned it out before I woke you two up. All that''s left is the buildings, and I have no use for another base." Akagi shrugged. "Besides, I''ll be ruling my own nation soon, so having this location will cause issues."


    "The Demon Lord''s own country?" Himari tilted her head. "Sounds like something out of one of the old stories. I bet it''s filled with dead trees, the undead and eternal sadness."


    Akagi bapped her on the head.


    "Owchi!" Himari cried.


    "I''ll have you know that it''s a lovely ce." Akagi sighed. "It''s got green mountains, rolling hills, and clear blue skies. I might be the Demon Lord but don''t go assuming I''m like those <i>Demons</i> in your stories, and enjoy living in some dark dank ce like that."


    <i>{Though some aspects like the love of absolute darkness do apply.} </i>(Akagi)


    Once everything wasplete, Yumi slowly teleported everyone and the looted items back to the estate. Akagi was thest to leave as she looked at the inferno she''d lit in the estate. In the ckness of the night, the entire hillside seemed to erupt in mes, and Akagi''d left a nice present for anyone who came to check things out.


    "Hmpf." Akagi cracked a smile as she vanished into the night.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Mixu POV>


    News of the fire at thepound quickly spread to nearby towns and viges. The massive ze acted like a beacon in the night and could be seen from Kyoto. Firefighters from all over were called in to put out the ze, and after a several hours-long fights and needing the military''s air tankers to dump water on the burning forest, the ze was defeated. Investigators came in the morning, and Mixu was brought in. She was in Kyoto for unrted reasons when Aoi passed along a request for assistance from the local police. There was still some concern in Japan regarding Libra and the returnees. So Mixu was sent to check things out and see if this massive ze was caused by another returnee since it seemed extremely odd.


    "Jesus," Mixu whistled as she looked around the courtyard. "That must have been one hell of a ze."


    "We were lucky the boys got on top of it before it spread too far." Investigator Nakagumomented as he lit a cigar. He''d retired from his position as Police Chief but couldn''t just sit in retirement and joined back as an investigator for returnee-rted crimes.


    "Anything from the people that owned this ce?" Mixu asked.


    "No, our records show that this ce was owned by the Tomogawa family, but nothing beyond that. We tried to contact some of the family members, but those we spoke to had no idea what went on here. Apparently the family was secretive about this ce." Nakagumo said.


    "Did you say Tomogawa?" Mixu stopped walking and turned to look at him.


    "Yes." Nakagumo nodded.


    "Fuckin hell..." Mixu put her head in her hands and sighed. "That was Akagi''s family name before FWO."


    "I knew it sounded familiar. So does that mean she was responsible for this?" The two walked towards the burnt ruins of the main building.


    "I have no idea, but if this was her family''s ce, her being involved is likely. I don''t know everything, but from what she told me they were some truly fucked up people." Mixu exined a bit of what Akagi told her over the years.


    "Yeah, that would give her a reason to hate them. What is wrong with people? Treating your own flesh and blood in such a manner." He didn''t even question if it was true, he could instinctively tell Mixu''s words were not lies.


    The two sifted through rubble for a bit as they tried to find anything of use.


    "I can''t imagine she just did this for shits and giggles," Mixu said while moving arge part of the structure out of the way. "Akagi''s fucked in the head, but she never attacks without reason."


    "Yeah, trust me, I know. I thought she was going to kill me when she showed up in the parking garage." He shook his head. "I tried talking the brass out of taking her sister, but they just wouldn''t listen."


    "Yeah, we''re lucky that didn''t spiral out of control. Just thinking about what would have happened had one of those girls got hurt makes my hair stand on end." Mixu gave a dryugh as she heaved anotherrge piece out of the way.


    "Oh?" Mixu called out.


    "What''s up? You find something over there?" Nakagumo asked as he walked over.


    "Looks like the entrance to the basement. Seems intact." She tapped her foot on the stairs. "They''re solid. Should we check it out?"


    "There might be people trapped down there, so definitely. Let me call over a few officers toe with in case we need some help." He tapped on his radio. A minuteter, two other officers came over, and the four of them headed down the steps slowly. Mixu lead the way, and once they got to the bottom and into the underground arena they were greeted by a terrible sight.


    "Oh, holy shit..." Mixu let out a breath of air, and one of the officers puked.


    Nakagumo lit another cigar as he walked next to her. "You know what that says up there?"


    The bodies of the ten members of the Tomogawa family that Akagi had killed were nailed to the wall crucifixion style. The middle of the arena was covered in a massive Red Hand painted from their blood, and above the bodies was writing in <i>Demon</i>.


    "Aoi, you got anything on that?" Mixu walked closer and radioed Aoi. Akagi had given her a bit of info on her <i>Demon</i> tongue, and Aoi cooked up a trantion program for it.


    "It says: <i>Darkness swallows the light</i>." (Aoi)


    Spoiler


    Darkness Swallows the Light!


    [copse]

 Chapter 123 – Basketball!

    Chapter 123 ¨C Basketball!


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    2 Chaps!


    After returning back to the estate, Akagi decided to hang back and enjoy herself after the night''s events. Himari and Momo would need to wait untilter that day to speak with the girls and were taken to find rooms for them in the meantime. This left Akagi and Yumi alone in the living room watching news feeds about the massive fire west of Kyoto, and some analyst spection on what urred. She''d gotten a message from Mixu which consisted of a great number of frown emojis. To which Akagi replied by saying she had no idea what the vampire was mad about.


    "This has got to be the work of another one of those returnees, Kirika." A male reporter was speaking to local reporter Kirika aboutst night''s fire. "The police haven''te out with a cause so far, but apparently they''ve found ten bodies within the property. The Libra organization was defeated, but that has only left us with more questions, and problems are still unresolved."


    "I''d be wary about jumping to conclusions. Mr. Michi." Kirika responded. "Right now, the entire country is jumpy. Wild spection about the involvement of returnees will only serve to cause more fear." She tried to get him to walk back from the more inmmatory statements.


    "But ignoring the obvious is just as bad." Michi shook his head. "You''ve sat down with that Hishya girl, so you must understand. Those people are dangerous, Kirika. They''ve caused countless deaths in these few months they''ve been back. Whether it was Libra or that Akagi woman is irrelevant. Over one hundred thousand innocent people are dead as a result of returnee actions sincest June. And that''s not counting the numerous reports of crimesmitted by them in the same time period. I''d say it''s high time we start considering taking a much harsher policy toward them."


    "Don''t forget that it was the returnee members of the RRT who helped bring down Libra and save many lives with their heroism. I understand the fear and concern that so many people are sharing, as these are people with extraordinary powers, but it would be wrong to lump innocent andw abiding people in with criminals." Kirika fought back.


    "Lest you forget, the government was responsible for the first sh with a returnee by kidnapping her sister. And that same returnee was the one who ultimately defeated Libra." Kirika continued. "Besides, what do you want to do about them? We''ve already seen what happens when they sh. The damage they can do is immense, and we''re all too aware that the military is unable to handle them." She was basically asking what are we suppose to do.


    "There were sessful military strikes against the members of Libra. I believe with proper effort, things will be taken care of by the JSDF and Americans." Michi replied.


    "So you want to sic the JSDF on Japanese citizens?" Kirika asked. "You must know how much of a slippery slope that is."


    "These are an exception, Kirika, and calling them <i>Japanese</i> is a bit of a stretch at this point." Michi''s answer annoyed her, and the two went back and forth until the program ended.


    "What an idiot," Akagi sighed as she closed that stream. "If I hadn''t gotten involved, Libra would have eventually won. Even with the U.S. military backing the RRT and the JSDF, Herlex would have been a big problem."


    <i>{He could have ssed Tokyo with his Angel''s Lance if he so chose.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Why do people continuously underestimate just how strong you and the others are?" Yumi asked. "It seems silly to me that they can just watch people do all these crazy things and believe that they''d be defeated so easily with a straight face."


    "This world never had people like us before, so that probably ys into it." Akagi thought for a moment. "Also, our world''s fiction tends to always make humanity win against all odds no matter what, so that might also cause people to be biased."


    <i>{Most movies with humans fighting some bigger evil tend to conclude with humanity pulling a win out of its ass.} </i>(Akagi)


    "So they just believe that things will work out in the end?!?" Yumi was a bit surprised. "That''s ridiculous!"


    <i>{Are the people of this world really so foolish?} </i>(Yumi)


    Akagi could only shrug. "Trust me, I know. And it''s that stupidity that''s caused so much conflict between people throughout this world''s history."


    <i>{Lord knows humanity in this world has shed far more blood than on Altarus, and for even stupiderreasons too.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I just hope that means people won''t keep trying to attack you." Yumi sighed. ¡°I''d much prefer spending our time together peacefully.¡± She leaned on Akagi''s shoulder.


    "I <i>thought </i>taking Herlex''s full st head-on and not being harmed would get the message across, but well..." Akagi rolled her eyes. "Humans are really stubborn and dumb at times."


    "Even me?" Yumi asked yfully.


    "You and I both know you''re not technically <i>human</i> anymore." Akagi poked her in the cheek. "But, yes even you."


    "So mean!" Yumi pouted. "No pets for you today!" She turned up her chin.


    "Nooooo, anything but that!" Akagi clung to her, and fake cried. "You can''t do that to me..."


    Yumi hugged Akagi back and giggled. "Fine, the ban on pets has been revoked." She pat Akagi on the head. "I can''t stay mad at you."


    "No, you can''t." Akagi smiled. "You ready for bed? It''s been a long night, and unlike me, you still require sleep."


    "Sounds good. We can nap for a few hours, at least until Kana is finished school." Yumi yawned, and the two headed into the bedroom to sleep until Kana was done with school. Akagi always enjoyed snuggling with Yumi and this situation was basically bliss for the <i>Demon.</i>


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Kana POV>


    Kana had a fun night with Hishya at the dragon girl''s home. The two hung out as a couple for the first time and even went on a quasi-date together. Hishya''s parents were super nice, epted Kana instantly and were more than happy to let her stay the night. The two girls yed some games and watched a few movies before heading to sleep, using Hishya''s secret pillow hoard as a bed. This time they actually <em>did</em> sleep, since they were a bit too embarrassed to do a repeat of the other night. Especially in Hishya''s house since that would be a whole nother level of awkward.


    In the morning, one of Akagi''s followers arrived and picked her up before transporting her and Naomi to school. Kana felt a bit feverish that morning, but her temperature was normal, so she went to school anyway figuring that it was just some mental fatigue. The day went normally, though there was tons of talk about the massive fire at her family''spound , and a few students even expressed sympathy for her loss. Kana messaged her mother about it that morning, but was only told that she and her father were alright. She and Naomi knew it was her sister who caused the massive ze, but Kana decided to stay silent, not even telling Mika when she asked about it.


    Today was gym day, and the girls were going to y basketball on the gym court. Before they got started Kana, Mika, and Naomi threw a few practice shots at one of the baskets for some fun until the rest of the students were ready.


    *SWOOSH* *SWOOSH* *SWOOSH* *SWOOSH* *SWOOSH*


    Kana picked up one of the balls and easily made sessive shots with seemingly no effort. It caught everyone off guard, especially Naomi.


    "Since when can you do that?" Naomi asked as she made a basket of her own. She was a member of the basketball team and, while good, wasn''t able make baskets <i>that</i> constantly. Kana never had an interest in sports, and was generally quitex on exercise, so seeing her do this was a bit of a surprise.


    "Maybe it''s from my training? I''ve been learning martial arts and body movement from the ninja, so perhaps that bled over into other things?" Kana shrugged.


    "I don''t think self-defense training makes you suddenly good at basketball..." Naomi sighed.


    "Kana is apparently good at everything." Mika threw a ball thatpletely missed the rim, nearly hitting another student in the head.


    <em>{Oops...}</em>(Mika)


    "I''m not good at <i>everything.</i>" Kana blew a raspberry. "I''ve never really yed basketball, so maybe I was just always good at it? I know I suck at ser and baseball."


    <i>{Onee-chan is really bad a sports too. Or well, she was. I''d assume with Demon Lord cheats she''s probably unbeatable now.} </i>Kana giggled in her head. Akagi was the definition of a couch potato in the past, and the only reason she never got fat was because she only ate the bare minimum.


    "If you''re good, you should join the team! We can always use another good yer, and I think you''d fit in well." Naomi smiled. "We can finally win the league championship with the Demon Princess on our team!" As she said this, Kana chucked a basketball at her head.


    "Eeep! That was really fast, Kana! You could have actually hurt me!" Naomi eximed as she dodged out of the way.


    "I didn''t throw it that hard?" Kana tilted her head in confusion. She thought she put only a bit of oomph into that throw, but maybe she overdid it a bit. "Sorry."


    "It''s fine. Just be careful. I''d rather not get sent to the nurse with a ck eye." Naomi picked up the ball and threw it right into the basket.


    *WHISTLE*


    The gym teacher sounded her whistle and called the girls over.


    "Alright, we''re going to split into teams and y to best of three, first to ten. Team A, you''re over here. Team B, get over there." She read off the names and pointed them in different directions. Mika and Kana would be against Naomi, who was on the other team.


    *WHISTLE*


    Once everyone was in position, the teacher started the game. Kana was ced at the center and easily jumped and grabbed the ball, surprising everyone. Her training with the ninja meant she saw the movements of the other students as slow and lethargic. With rtive ease, she took the ball down the court running right through the other students, and shot it into the basket for one point.


    Naomi was floored at this sudden and unexpected disy of athleticism from her friend.


    <i>{Since when could she move like that?!?} </i>She''d never seen Kana be this athletic in the nearly three years she knew the girl, and watching Kana just glide through the other students was astonishing. <i>{Was she always just good at sports?}</i>


    The other students on her team cheered for Kana as they reset. Kana was again ced right at the center and easily got the ball passing it around between her and the other yers. From there things quickly got out of hand, with Kana''s team hitting nine points in record time.


    <i>{Something''s not right...} </i>Naomi thought to herself. <i>{What the hell is going on? Kana is not this good, and there''s no way she could have improved this fast. Self-defense training with ninja or not, this is far too much of a change!} </i>Her first thought went to Akagi doing something to her sister, but she quickly dismissed that. Akagi had specifically told them that she would never mess with Kana to transform her, so that idea was out. Naomi was also covered in the same protective aura as Kana, so that was also not causing it.


    <i>{Let''s test things out a bit. We''ll see if she''s doing anything suspicious by pitting her against me!} </i>Naomi decided to go all out against Kana to see just how much she could handle.


    This time, <em>she</em> met Kana at the jump-off instead of another student.


    "Let''s see just how much you''ve improved." Naomi smirked at her friend.


    "Bring it!" Kana replied.


    *WHISTLE*


    Kana and Naomi jumped, but to everyone''s surprise, Kana still got the ball! Naomi was the center of the basketball team and was the primary yer to get jump balls. So seeing someone jump higher than her was unbelievable.


    <i>{She jumped higher than me!} </i>Naomi was surprised as well and didn''t expect this. She was a bit taller than Kana and had her technique down perfectly, so she shouldn''t have missed the ball.


    Not noticing all the surprise, Kana grabbed the ball and spun around quickly before running down the court and passing it between several of her teammates before it finally came back to her. Kana saw an opening, and ran directly at the basket leaping high in the air and dunking the ball for the final point.


    <i>{WHAT THE HELL, KANA!} </i>Naomi was fuming in her head. She had no clue what was going on, but understood that this was not normal.


    <i>{She actually made it?!?} </i>Mika was just as confused.


    "Oh man, I didn''t think I''d actually make the dunk!" Kana squealed in delight. She turned around to look at Naomi. "Looks like I''ve got the better jump! Ha!" She put out her arm and made a peace sign, but the look on Naomi''s face was neither anger nor joy.


    "Huh?" Kana asked. "What''s wrong?" She looked around. Everyone, even the teacher, was frozen. "Is there something on my face?" She rubbed her her cheek.


    "Uhhh. K-Kana." Naomi walked up to her. "Don''t freak out, but uhh." She took a picture of Kana and forwarded it to her.


    "What? Did I mess up my-" Kana opened up the picture and looked, her eyes going wide. "Wh-why is my eye?!?" Her right eye had changed. It was orange like Akagi''s and had the same slit iris. The sclera was still white, but that was little constion. "N-Naomi." Kana stared at her friends, both of whom were lost for words.


    Spoiler


    The Demon Princess Arrives!


    [copse]

 Chapter 124 – The Demon Princess!

    Chapter 124 ¨C The Demon Princess!


    "K-Kana just calm down." Naomi slowly got closer. "Don''t freak out. If it''s rted to <i>you know who,</i> then we both know freaking out is probably <em>bad</em>." She was worried Kana might suddenly go out of control if her emotions started running amok.


    <i>{We don''t need two Demons rampaging uncontrobly!} </i>(Naomi)


    "What the hell..." Kana groaned. "What the hell is going on?!?"


    The other students backed away, and the gym teacher walked over.


    "Um... Kana, maybe you should go to the nurse? I''m not sure..." She had no clue what was going on, but assumed that was the best ce for her.


    "We''ll take her. Come on Mika!" Naomi motioned for Mika toe over. "Grab our stuff from the locker room, quick!¡± Mika took off, and Naomi walked out of the gym with Kana, while the students keeping their distance. Mika caught up a few momentster with their stuff, and Naomi called Akagi as they walked to the nurse.


    *RING* *RING* *RING*


    "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Akagi answered. "You''re calling me during school hours..."


    "Unfortunately, we might have an issue." Naomi sighed. "Kana, well, her eye now looks your <em>yours</em>."


    "Son of a...I''ll be there. Just give me like five minutes to get everything together." Akagi hung up.


    "We just get back to school and this happens." Kana sighed. ¡°Why me...¡±


    "At this point, it''s kind of par for the course." Mikaughed. "Hey, it looks pretty, if nothing else." She tried to joke to help Kana feel better.


    "It''s not funny Mika..." Kana bit her lip. "This might mean something... <em>bad</em>... The Demon Princess joke, might not be a <i>joke</i> anymore." The three continued down the hall in silence until they reached the nurse''s office. Naturally, she had no idea what was going on, and Kana just told her that waiting for Akagi was for the best. They didn''t have to wait long, as a few minutester, Akagi materialized in the nurse''s office. She took one look at Kana and groaned.


    "You''ve got to be fucking kidding me." Akagi smacked her face with her hand. "Yumi, bring Mizumi as we discussed." In a sh, Yumi and the Spirit appeared.


    "What''s going on now?" Mizumi said.


    Akagi pointed to Kana, and Mizumi''s eyes went wide.


    "Oh. <i>That</i> exins the urgency, and why you dragged me out of my meeting." (Mizumi)


    "Do you know what''s going on?" Kana asked nervously. "Am I going to be like Onee-chan?!?"


    "Do you remember that discussion about soul imprinting?" Mizumi said. "Where I exined that Akagi''s power had caused some changes to your soul due to proximity when you were younger?"


    "Yeah, but I thought you said thenguage was the <em>only</em> thing that was transferred!" Kana eximed.


    "No, I said that thenguage was transferred <i>and</i>it was<i> </i><em>possible</em> you also received some other things." Mizumi reminded her. "What you are seeing here is as a result of that imprinting. On top of the visual change, I can also sense magic power in your body as it seems you''ve generated magic circuits too."


    "What!" (Kana, Mika, and Naomi)


    They looked at Akagi, who begrudgingly nodded. "Yeah, I can see them too."


    "So what''s going to happen?" Kana started panicking. "Am I going to go crazy like Onee-chan?!?" An <i>interesting </i>choice of words.


    <i>{Real nice Kana...} </i>(Akagi)


    "No!" Mizumi yelled. "You''re still human, Kana." She pulled up an image of Kana''s soul as she had before. ¡°See, that spot is the same size." She pointed to the small ck water droplet on her otherwise white soul. "It''s just that since Akagi is so insanely strong, even that small amount is enough to have dramatic effects. From what I can see, you can use magic now, and it''s running around wildly inside you at the moment. Most likely this sudden change is because of Akagi awakening as the Demon Lord, as her power increased and had some kind of effect on that imprint."


    "That would exin why she was suddenly so fast and strong during gym!" Mikamented.


    "Magic power can reinforce the body, and without training, it could do that on its own." Mizumi shrugged.


    "But what about my eye!" Kana asked. "Why did it change color?"


    "Things like that can happen when magical power is channeled." Mizumi exined. "Magic is quite aplex subject, so let''s just say that it can do many things, such as make your eye change colors without you meaning to. As to why it''s the same as Akagi''s? That''s probably because <em>she</em> was the one who imprinted on you, and you <i>inherited</i> a bit of her features."


    <i>{Makes it sound like I''m Kana''s mom when you say it like that...} </i>Akagi sighed.


    "Can I change it back?" Kana was worried about it staying orange.


    "Yes, you''ll just need to practice getting your magic under control, and eventually you can change it at will. However, most likely, using magic will always result in that changing color. Think of it as a kind of like a signal that you''re using magic.¡±


    <em>{I don''t want to be the one to tell her that its only a matter of time before the other eye turns too. That''s on you Akagi!} </em>(Mizumi)


    "Well, thank goodness I just got a great magic teacher for Kana." Akagi said. "But she''s fine? She won''t have the same internal issues as me? No inner darkness making her go mad. No sudden urge to annihte mankind?"


    <i>{I''d rather not have to contain my sister''s rebellious phase.} </i>(Akagi)


    <em>{I kinda wanna ask her if she has a desire to eat souls now, but that would probably get me sent to a desert ind...} </em>(Mika)


    "No, nothing indicates anything other than just imprinting, and I''ve taken a deep look to make sure." Mizumi was quite certain about this. ¡°I don''t think we need to worry about her mind being effected.¡±


    "Good." (Akagi x Kana)


    Seeing that her sanity was not in danger, Akagi felt better. "How do you feel, Kana?" Akagi asked her. "Anything strange?"


    "Now that you mention it, I can feel a of buzzing throughout my body, and I feel warm and sore." Kana said.


    <i>{I guess this exins why I''ve felt sluggish all day.} </i>(Kana)


    "That''s the magic causing those issues. When you first awaken to it, your body can be thrown out of wack. You''ll be fine once you learn to control it, and that will make the <i>buzzing</i> will go away." Mizumi exined about the side effects before turning to Akagi. "She should return home for rest, and start practicing once her body stabilizes. I don''t mind teaching her if you''re ok with it."


    "I''d rather not skip ss," Kana said. "If it''s just this, I''ll hold out until school is over." She was unwilling to miss school unless needed.


    <i>{I''ve gone to school sick plenty of times, and this is nothingpared to that time I had the flu during my math final.} </i>(Kana)


    "That''s fine, but if anything happens, I get called immediately." Akagi looked at Mika and Naomi, who nodded. "Also, Naomi, I would like for you toe back with Kana at the end of school, I''ve got something for you."


    "Oh? Ok." Naomi agreed.


    <em>{But not me?}</em>(Mika)


    "Actually, no, fuck it." Akagi shook her head. "I''m not messing around, and rather than just leaving you here and going home, I''ll hang out in your shadow today."


    "You don''t need to-" Kana''s words were cut off by Akagi''s re.


    "My sister might be sick. I''m taking no chances." (Akagi)


    <i>{Overprotective Onee-chan strikes once again. Not that I''m mad about that though.} </i>(Kana)


    "Aww, ain''t that nice." Mikaughed. ¡°When you go home is Akagi going to feed you soup while she covers you in a million nkets? Should I get a get well card and some flowers on the way home from school today?¡±


    <em>{Knowing Akagi, she''s probably one of those people who''d overreact to a fever and rush Kana to a hospital.}</em>(Naomi)


    "Hey, for my practice, can I send Mika to some inds?" Kana grinned.


    "I know plenty we can use." Akagi grinned too.


    "Oh great, now the Demon Lord and the Princess are cackling together." Naomi sighed. "Have fun getting a tan, Mika."


    "S-she wouldn''t actually do it? <em>Right</em>?" Mika got a bit nervous.


    "Normal Kana? No. <em>Scary</em> <em>Kana</em>? Yes!" Naomi put her hand on Mika''s shoulder. "Have fun."


    "You''re not gonna help me?!?" Mika said.


    "You made your bed, now lie in it." Naomi smiled. Her look was practically saying <i>"Goodbye, Mika!"</i>


    <i>{Traitor!} </i>(Mika)


    After a bit more discussion, Yumi and Mizumi headed back home. The nurse had no clue what just happened and told Kana that she could stay if everything was fine. Once they''d gone into the hallway, Akagi hopped in her sister''s shadow and they started on their way a back to the gym.


    <i>{It''s been a long time since I''ve been in here, and I don''t miss it one bit. I swear if she has Mr. Kushitani today, I''m going to wring that old man''s neck!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Now, don''t go scaring people while your here!" Kana looked down at her shadow judgingly. She didn''t trust Akagi to behave.


    "Kana, it''s not good to speak to your imaginary friends, you''re too old for that." Akagi replied, and both Mika and Naomi bust outughing.


    ¡°She got you good with that one Kana!¡± Mika''s face was red fromughter. ¡°I mean it <em>does</em> look like that!¡± From an outsiders perspective, Kana just spoke to no one.


    "Oh, this is gonna be good!" Naomi looking forward to the rest of the day.


    Kana put her head against the wall. "And now she''s even doing this to me in school!" Kana groaned. "My only reprieve was taken away. Also, what happened to being worried about me?!?"


    <em>{Was I born just so you can pick on me?!?}</em>(Kana)


    "I am still worried, but not enough to stop being me." Akagiughed. "I''ll be here if needed, otherwise just have a normal day."


    "It''s not going to be <em>normal</em> with you here." Kana sighed.


    "Nope!" (Mika x Naomi)


    The three girls returned to the gym and sat in the bleachers as the final basketball game finished.


    "I guess that means no sports for me?" Kana turned to Naomi. "If I joined the team, that would be cheating."


    <em>{At least this gives me a good excuse to turn them down when theye asking. The going home club is much better than being stuck dealing with sports!}</em>(Kana)


    "I mean, I was going to stay on even with magic. Who cares about all that notion of fair y, I wanna win!" Naomiughed.


    "You''re just awful." Kana rolled her eyes. They watched the final game and afterward went to change back into their school uniform. Next period was lunch, and Kana found herself quite hungry, which Akagi told her was likely because of the magic. The three girls got their food, Kana got extra, and sat down at a table off to the side. People were avoiding Kana for the time being, mostly out of fear and confusion.


    "I feel like <i>you </i>experienced something like this when you went to school here." Kana was referring to Akagi and how people tended to avoid her.


    "No, no, no." Akagi disagreed. "You see, unlike you I had 0 friends, so it was even <em>worse</em>."


    Mika nearly choked on her food when Akagi said that. "Jesus, that''s sad." (Mika)


    <i>{Oh my god.} </i>Naomi nearly spit out her drink.


    "I mean, granted, I wasn''t exactly the kind of person you wanted to spend time with during my time in school. It might surprise you, but back then, I was quite an umm, <i>abrasive </i>person." Akagi had anger and personality issues long before going <em>Demon</em>. ¡°So yeah, friends were not on the table, or sitting at it!¡± She snuck in another joke.


    <em>{Onee-chan...}</em>(Kana)


    "I''d believe it." Naomi said while eating her sandwich. "Though I figured you''d be more of the kind of person to eat their lunch on the roof or the bathroom." She joked.


    Now it was Kana''s turn to nearly choke. "She wasn''t that bad! Right?" She looked down at her shadow, unsure how urate Naomi''sment was.


    <i>{Please don''t tell me that was true. I know Airi and the others caused you issues but...} </i>(Kana)


    "I''m not gonna say it happened every day but... man did I see quite the number of cloud types. Got good at telling them apart too." Akagi reluctantly answered. "Just yeah... I''d sooner end it all than go back to that life."


    "Why didn''t you ever make any friends?" Mika asked. "I mean, we''re your friends even though we''ve seen you be a bit more <i>extreme</i> than what some gloomy girl would be in school."


    <em>{There are a few girls like that who I know, so I can''t imagine her personality was that rotten.}</em>(Mika)


    "Yeah, and that''s because pre-FWO I was a very bitter person. You''ve only seen me in <i>happy </i>mode." Akagi continued. "The person I was before FWO, would have <i>never</i> gotten along with the two of you, and I would have probably made you really dislike me."


    <i>{I was a very hate filled person in the past, and kinda still am, but nowhere near as bad as I once was. Also my social skills were negative 5.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Really?" Naomi asked Kana. ¡°Was she really that hard to deal with in the past?¡±


    <i>{I know she has ASPD, but was it really that bad?} </i>(Naomi)


    "Onee-chan was quite... yeah..." Kana couldn''t deny it. "Her old personality was pretty bad. Trust me, there were some days that she could even be too much for me to handle, and that''s saying something."

 Chapter 125 – History Class.

    Chapter 125 ¨C History ss.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    2 Chaps!


    "Hmmmm." Mika thought as she chewed on her lunch. "Doesn''t this mean that Kana really is a Yokai?" They''d been teasing her about this for a while, but now it seemed to be a reality.


    "I''d like to retort, and say no, but..." Kana sighed.


    <i>{I guess I''m not human anymore...} </i>(Kana)


    "Now we know why you do so well with the cold." Naomi had an ah-ha moment.


    "Yeah, shadows don''t care at all!" Mikaughed


    <em>{I''m going to hit both of you after school...}</em>(Kana)


    "If anything, she''s more like a quarter Yokai." Akagi said. "She''s definitely not a full Yokai, and to my eyes, she''s still human." She was referring to her soul specifically.


    "Joy, I''m only <i>part </i>monster." Kana rolled her eyes.


    "Sorry, Kana." Akagi apologized. She felt responsible for this whole thing.


    "I''m not mad at you or anything, and this isn''t your fault. You had no control over this, so don''t me yourself and get all pouty." Kana immediately moved to assure her sister that she wasn''t upset with her.


    "I know, but still. I feel like I''ve slowly taken away your normal life thisst half year." Akagi said.


    <em>{First her parents, now this...}</em>(Akagi)


    "It is what it is." Kana shrugged. "Nothing we can do about it now, and I still say things are for the best."


    <i>{Though I could have lived without the Demon powers.} </i>(Kana)


    ¡°I mean, I think it''s kind of cool. You''re like one of those special kids in a school anime that has magic powers from their bloodline!¡± Mika smiled.


    <i>{She''s not wrong... and that''s what''s so annoying.} </i>(Kana)


    As they sat and chatted, a group of students from the ss came over, included in them were Miyako and Hito.


    "What do you guys want?" Mika asked. They figured this wasn''t just some kind of social call.


    <i>{I can see this going sideways really quickly with our resident overprotective older sister lurking in the literal shadows...} </i>(Mika)


    "What do we want?" A male student was surprised that she even asked that question. "We want to see if Kana is dangerous?!? Why else would we be over here?"


    "I''m no more than usual." Kana answered without looking at them.


    <i>{Not exactly the best answer Kana...} </i>(Naomi)


    "You think this is funny?!?" A female student eximed. "We already deal with that monster of a sister you have, and now we have to be worried that <i>you''re</i> some kind of freak too!"


    <i>{Oh boy...} </i>(Kana)


    "Hey,e on guys, that wasn''t-" Miyako tried to stop them, but was cut off when Hito interrupted her.


    "You need to leave this ce, all three of you!" His eyes showed contempt. "We don''t want a freak like you running around here, so how about you go stay with your monster of a sister and leave us alone!" He turned to Mika and Naomi. "And you two need to go with her, since you''re no better being friends with that <em>thing</em>!" (Hito)


    <em>{Thing...}</em>(Akagi)


    "Knock it off!" Naomi yelled, causing the entire cafeteria to go silent. "Where do you get off calling Kana a freak?!?"


    ¡°Yeah, that''s an awful thing to say about her!¡± Mika agreed.


    "Look at her eye!" Hito pointed at Kana. "She''s just like her sister, a monster! I bet she''s hiding her real appearance too!" A few other students agreed. ¡°I don''t doubt that she would kill us like how her sister killed my brother!¡±


    Akagi stayed silent, waiting to see what would happen. She would let Kana handle this on her own, at least unless it got too bad.


    "I hate to disappoint you, but no, I cannot change my form. Nor will I be eating anyone." Kana sighed. "What happened to me is a result of my sister being near me when I was a child. I just found out today that some of her power bled into me, hence my sudden changes."


    "So that monster <i>is </i>responsible! And yourck of knowledge means nothing!" Hito scoffed. "You''re no different than that monster! You''re a freak who shouldn''t be around normal people, so pack your things and leave. We don''t want to be around someone like you, and we shouldn''t be forced to live in fear just to amodate you!"


    "Make me." Kana looked directly at the students.


    <i>{Guess we gotta do this the hard way.} </i>(Kana)


    "Wha- what?" Hito was taken aback. "What''d you just say to me!" He took a step forward.


    "I said <i>make me</i>." Kana stood up, ready to fight. "If you want me gone, then be a man and throw me out yourself. Or are you too scared?" Kana smirked.


    <i>{Oh boy, Scary Kana is here.} </i>(Mika x Naomi)


    Hito thought for a moment before looking back at the other students, all of who shook their heads.


    "You''ll regret this." Hito said as he walked away.


    <i>{What a clich¨¦ line.) </i>(Akagi x Kana)


    "Wow, what a big man." Mika growled. ¡°Guess he''s all bark and no bite, even with that posse of his.¡±


    "What a prick." Naomi sighed. "Where do they get off acting like that?!? The nerve of these people."


    "They''re scared." Akagi answered. "People have been on edge since I attacked Camp Katsura, and Libra only made the public''s anxiety about returnees worse. I''ve had Birdy going around and taking the temperature, and people are even going after FWO survivors who didn''t keep their powers."


    "Yeah, and thank you for not jumping out and stting him." Kana gave a wry smile. ¡°I was worried that you might pop out.¡±


    "If he touched you, I would have done to him what I did to-" Akagi cut herself off. "You don''t need to hear that."


    <i>{Lets not go spilling the beans on my funst night.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I can only imagine what you did to our family this morning, and I''m grateful to not know." Kana sat back down.


    "Wait, that fire was you?" Mika asked. She hadn''t been told anything.


    <i>{Oh... that''s right Mika didn''t know.} </i>(Naomi)


    "Yeah, I had some <i>family business</i> to take care of this morning." Akagi chuckled as she recalled her <i>fun </ist night.


    "Was that really necessary?" Mika asked. She looked sad.


    "They tried to kill Naomi". Akagi said. "They wanted to sacrifice her to get ess to a weapon to kill me. So yea, <em>exterminating</em> them was very necessary."


    "What?!?" Mika looked at Naomi. "Why didn''t you say anything?!?"


    Naomi shrugged. "I would''ve gotten around to it eventually.¡±


    "Don''t start acting like nearly dying is normal!" Mika eximed. "Because it''s <em>not</em>!"


    "No point in letting it get to you though." Kana shrugged while chewing. "I mean at this point we''ve been kidnapped and nearly exploded, yet we just go on like normal. No reason to start getting all uppity about it now."


    Mika wanted to say something but realized Kana was right. "That still doesn''t mean we should normalize almost dying!"


    <i>{Why am I the only one who sees the problem here?!? I''m usually the one who doesn''t care? What''s with this role reversal?!?} </i>(Mika)


    "So what happened this morning anyway?" Naomi asked. "There was a bunch of <i>contradictory </i>news, and its hard to get any concrete information."


    "You don''t wanna know what happenedst night, Naomi." Akagi replied. "My advice is just to forget about it and don''t look into it on the inte. Otherwise you might no like what you find..."


    <i>{That''s ominous...} </i>(Mika x Naomi)


    "That bad, huh?" Kana sighed. "That leaves me with what? An aunt and three cousins left?"


    "Shima and Taichi are very much alive too." Akagi pointed out that her parents were alive. "But yes, Airi, Masako, Chisato, and your Aunt Nana and her husband are all that remains."


    "Aren''t you sad, Kana?" Naomi looked at her with some pity.


    "Not really." Kana shook her head. "Our family sucks, and most of them were... let''s just say quite... <i>awful</i> people, Naomi. They tried to kill you and Onee-chan, so as far as I''m concerned they got what wasing to them." She couldn''t deny that she felt a bit sad at seeing parts of her family die, but she''d steeled her heart this.


    "Is it just me, or is a sixteen-year-old girl talking about the death of her family like it''s not that important very <i>strange</i>?" Mika asked.


    "I mean, I guess." Naomi said. "But then again, Kana''s not exactly normal." She continued. "Also, <i>you </i>don''t seem all too perturbed by it."


    "Yeah but this is me we''re talking about. It''s normal that I don''t care." Mika replied. "But yeah, you''re right. I guess we''re all weird."


    "She won''t be sixteen much longer anyway." Akagi pointed out that her birthday was in March. "We need to have a party for that."


    "Absolutely!" Mika smiled. "Birthdays are always fun."


    <i>{I hope we don''t do something strange like have my birthday on Mars...} </i>(Kana)


    The girls continued to chat for a bit more until it was time to go back to ss. Up next was history, Kana''s <i>least</i> favorite subject. The teacher decided to make today''s ss a kind of history trivia game so that they could do a review before the exam that would be next week. The girls grouped into a team, and the teacher posted a bunch of categories on the board. A group could choose one and try to answer, and each question was worth different points with the high-point total ones being harder. If you didn''t get it right, other teams got to answer.


    "Alright, just listen to me, and you''ll win this thing easily." Akagi chuckled silently.


    "We''ve contracted a <i>Demon</i> to help us win the history game." Mika silentlyughed.


    "I''ll take it! We get bonus points!" Kana readily Akagi''s <i>help</i>.


    "Alright, Ms. Tomogawa''s team, you may choose first." (Teacher)


    "Choose 19th Century Europe for 500." Akagi whispered her suggestion, and Kana did exactly that.


    "This is a tricky one." The teacher said as he put up a graphic. "Name the naval battle during the Greek War of Independence in which ships of the British, French, and Russianbined fleet destroyed over 50 Turkish and Egyptian ships." He continued. "For extra points, please give me the exact date of the battle."


    The moment he finished, you could just feel the dread in the room as it seemed no one knew the answer. Not like that was unexpected, that was a question very few people would know the answer to.


    "I''ve got nothing." Naomi whispered, and Mika shook her head. Naturally, Kana had no clue either.


    "Battle of Navarino October 20th, 1827," Akagi whispered an answer, and Kana decided to trust her and repeated it.


    "Yes, you''re correct." The teacher smiled. "For a correct date, you get double points."


    Kana looked down at her shadow. "How did you know that?" She whispered.


    "I love history, Kana. I know <i>a lot.</i>" Akagi chuckled. This was how the rest of the trivia match went. The girls tried to answer the ones they did know since this was a good review for them. But Akagi was always willing to pop in and answer the hard ones. In the end, Kana''s team ran away with it. Mostly because of their resident history buff, and they ended up winning the maximum bonus points on the history exam.


    "Yeah!" Mika was excited. "Now I can study less hard!"


    "No." Kana sighed. "It means you''re going to study just as hard as before so you can get an extra high score."


    As they talked, they caught bits and pieces of other students'' conversations.


    "Of course, the monster would win." (Student 1)


    "Yeah, she probably cheated with her monster power." (Student 2)


    "I bet she killed her family this morning. Probably went all crazy like her sister. She came to school and acted all normal. What kind of person is like that?" (Student 3)


    "Don''t listen to them, Kana." Mika said. "They''re just idiots."


    "I know but..." Kana seemed to be ok. But Akagi could tell she was holding back tears.


    "Grrrrr." Akagi started growling. Kana was quite a strong girl, but even she had her limits. Just as she was bout to leap out and scream at the other students a student spoke out.


    "That''s enough!" Miyako spoke up. "There''s no reason for you all to act like this!"

 Chapter 126 – Kana’s Rival and Contractors.

    Chapter 126 ¨C Kana¡¯s Rival and Contractors.


    "There''s no reason to act like petnt children!" Mikyako said. "Hiding behind one another and whispering behind her back, you make me ashamed to call you my ssmates!"


    Everyone was surprised by Miyako''s outburst. She and Kana never got along, so to see her defend her like this was quite out of character. Miyako''s scolding caused the other students to stop, and things got quiet for a moment before everyone went back to what they were doing. A little whileter, the bell rang to signal that ss was over, and everyone disbursed.


    "Um... Miyako..." Kana wanted to thank her, but the girl ignored her.


    "That was <i>unexpected.</i>" Naomi said as they walked to their next ss. "Never imagined she''d speak up in your defense."


    "Yeah." Mika nodded. "Good thing too. Since Akagi was probably about to do something <i>bad</i>."


    <i>{Just call it a feeling...} </i>(Mika)


    "Noment." Akagi said. "But that entire bit just reminded me <em>why</em> I hated school. Might have to move wiping out humanity up on my to-do list."


    <i>{They dared make Kana cry! I shall make them pay!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Please don''t. I''ll be fine." Kana chuckled. "But perhaps you <i>shouldn''t</i>e with me to school again. I''m afraid you might actually get angry enough to do something."


    <i>{Yeah, probably a good call...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Yeah..." Akagi answered quietly. She <i>was </i>about to step out of the shadow and give them all something to cry about. But Miyako''s intervention stopped her.


    The rest of the day went by without further incident, and while the other students were still displeased with Kana''s presence, they kept their thoughts to themselves. Once the day was over, the girls packed up their things and were ready to go to Akagi''s estate. Kana noticed Miyako was talking to her friends in the main entryway and she decided to speak to her about earlier.


    "Miyako?" Kana said as she approached. She felt like she should at least thank the girl.


    The long-haired girl turned around and looked at her. "We can talk over here." She motioned for her to follow her into a side hall. Kana followed along, and they two spoke ''alone.''


    "Just let me get this out of the way. I still don''t like you, Kana." Miyako said. "I just didn''t like how they were acting. It was immature andpletely uneptable for students to speak behind your back like that or harass you."


    <i>{That idiot Hito is causing so many problems after we literally just got back!} </i>(Miyako)


    "That''s fine, I understand." Kana replied. "I just wanted to thank you. Even if you and I don''t get along, you still went out of your way to get them to stop. So thank you." Kana bowed her head


    "It''s quite diforting seeing you act like that, so let''s just say we''re good." Miyako sighed. "Listen, I know you''re going through a lot. Lady Kukurihime told me a bit about the circumstances around you and your sister. So, just... I''ll say that I acted inappropriately when Ished out at youst fall. If she trusts you, then so will I."


    <i>{At the very least, I should conduct myself responsiblyand with maturity if I''m going to demand others to do the same.} </i>(Miyako)


    "Good to hear it." Kana smiled.


    "Now that I''ve said my peace, don''t go thinking just because you can use magic that you can start cking off on your studies!" Miyako pointed at her. "I''ll defeat you one of these days. Just you wait, Kana!"


    "Ho? I''d like to see you try!" Kana''s face turned into a fierce grin as sparks flew between the two rivals. The two shook hands and agreed topete for the highest scores on the uing term exams. Kana headed back to Mika and Naomi, while Miyako stood in the hallway.


    "What a pain." Miyako sighed. "Can''t have my rival getting run out of school by some idiots who let their fear get the best of them. Then again, I almost did the same thing." Her own fear made her get angry at Kana after the Camp Katsura incident.


    "At least you''re self-aware enough to notice." Akagi appeared right next to her and spoke, causing her to jump.


    "W-when did-?" Miyako hadn''t expected to see Akagi here.


    "I''ve been with Kana since her eye changed." Akagi nced at her. "I was worried about her since what happened to her is my fault."


    "S-so you were in the room when..." Miyako was a bit ufortable around Akagi.


    "Yes, and thank you." Akagi turned and smiled. "As that idiot''s older sister, thank you for standing up for her."


    "As I said, I didn''t do it for her." Miyako replied.


    "Regardless of your reason, you still acted, and that''s all that matters." Akagi chuckled. "I can see what that stupid Oni was saying when she said you were awful at showing your true feelings."


    Miyako''s face went red. "She always embarrasses me."


    "That Oni really cares for you, huh?" Akagi asked as she walked down the hall a bit.


    Miyako thought for a moment before speaking. "After my mom died, she basically acted as my mother. She''s been by my side since I was little."


    ¡°She did say something to that effect.¡± Akagi said


    "She always told me that she doesn''t have much time left, and I''ve been dreading that day for years. The thought that I''d lose my mom again... it''s been eating at me." Miyako gripped her arm as she recalled what Kukurihime told her about her time left.


    "Well, you don''t need to worry about that anymore." Akagiughed. "We ended up having just the thing to convert magical power into the energy she needed to keep around. So she''ll be around for a long, long time."


    "Wha?!?" Miyako looked over to where Akagi was but found that she had disappeared. "Wha-was she telling the truth?"


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    After speaking with Miyako, Akagi and the girls returned to the estate for a <em>fun</em> introduction to Himari and Momo. The two sacred weapons were summoned and introduced themselves to the girls, after which they gave a brief exnation of who and what they were.


    "I''m Himari! Nice to meet ya!" The red-haired girl gave a toothy smile.


    "My name is Momo. Please forgive my sister''s foolishness." Momo sighed.


    "What do you mean!" Himari cried. ¡°I didn''t do anything yet!¡±


    <i>{I like how she herself said yet.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Even after all this time, you still act like a kid." Momo shook her head. "Perhaps we <i>should </i>turn you into a Demon Sword? You''d probably mature a bit." She said yfully.


    "No! I''ll be like some dark edgy version of me!" Himari pouted.


    Kana and the girls were sitting on the couch with Alice as this back and forth went on.


    ¡°Now don''t grow up to be like her.¡± Kana pointed to Himari as she spoke to Alice. ¡°You''re a good girl, so stay that way.¡±


    ¡°Yup! She''s no good! Mama warned me about people like her and Mika.¡± Alice smiled causing Naomi tough.


    ¡°Even the child thinks less of me!¡± Himari fell to her knees. ¡°Why?!?¡±


    ¡°Wait! Why am I included?!?¡± Mika cried out in protest.


    <i>{You know darn well what its about, Mika.} </i>Akagiughed internally.


    "If they''re too annoying, just let me know. I can contact Imp, I know she''d love some additional living test subjects." Akagi grinned, causing the two weapons to feel chills.


    <em>{Do I want to even know who the others are?}</em>(Kana)


    "I don''t know who that is, but I have a bad feeling about them." Momo said.


    "I felt a sense of dread just hearing their name." Himari cried.


    "Damn, Impy is bad enough to send weapons cowing in fear even if they never met her. Good for her." Akagiughed.


    <i>{Imp probably would enjoy their reactions too.} </i>(Akagi)


    "So you told us that these two were the sacred weapons sealed by our families to destroy you. I understand that, but what are they going to do with us?" Naomi asked.


    "We would like to form a pact with each of you." Momo answered. "As the heads of your respective ns, it would be in line with our mission to teach you about magic and aid you in your future growth and development."


    "A pact?" Naomi and Kana tilted their heads.


    <i>{Wait why am I the head of the Tomogawa family? Shouldn''t that go to Mom or Aunt Nana?} </i>(Kana)


    "Essentially, you two will be our chosen wielders and our contractors. Onceplete, we will be bound to you." Momo exined.


    "And what do we have to do or give you?" Kana asked. She was wary of getting something for free.


    "We only seek to aid the family of our master and fulfill our duty. We will ask for nothing <i>except </i>that you do not use our power to harm the innocent." Momo continued.


    "And that''s it? No secret provision or monkey''s paw thing?" Kana pursed her lips.


    <i>{I don''t think Onee-chan would let them do something like this if there were risks, but I need to be sure.} </i>(Kana)


    "Nope!" Himari smiled. "We''re not like some nasty <i>Demon</i> who lies and maniptes humans to mess with them."


    "Ah-hem." Akagi coughed loudly. "I don''t lie, Himari, and it''s not my fault if they don''t read the fine print in my deals. That''s their own issue."


    "I can just imagine Akagi giving someone one of those EULA things that are like a million pages." Mikaughed. "You just click ept, and whoops you sold your soul."


    "Don''t put ideas in my head, Mika." Akagiughed. "But don''t worry, these two will not be doing anything sneaky. If they tried anything funny with either of you, I''d make them regret ever being forged." Akagi''s eyes got fierce for a second. "Also, Himari. It''s not a problem that Kana has gotten a bit of my power is it? I know you don''t like <i>Demon </i>stuff."


    "No." Himari shook her head. "She''s still human. The power is a bit ummm <i>Demonic,</i> but it''s no problem for me."


    <i>{Well at least this girl said I''m human. So that makes me feel a bit better.} </i>(Kana)


    ¡°You guys are free to decline if this is something you aren''tfortable with.¡± Akagi exined that they could choose to not be linked to the weapons. ¡°Don''t feel pressured, either of you.¡±


    ¡°I don''t really mind, if they''ll help me understand my family better and even aid with ideas I''ve about merging magic and medicine. I''m all for it.¡± Naomi smiled.


    ¡°At this point, getting a spirit weapon isn''t that crazy. Besides you said it yourself, I need to get my magic under control. If doing this will help, then fine. On top of that, with Himari around I won''t be so helpless anymore!¡± Kana agreed with Naomi and she wanted to stop being a burden to her sister. Gaining a spirit partner might be a strange turn of events, but it was par for the course by this point.


    "So what do we have to do?" Kana asked.


    "Please stand over here." Momo pointed to an open space in the room, which Naomi and Kana walked to.


    "It''s not a problem that I don''t have magic, right?" Naomi asked.


    "No, we''ve spoken to Mizumi, and she will open your pathways after things areplete. Technically you don''t need magic to wield us since spiritual power is separate from magic anyway. Though, it will be quite a boon I suspect." Momo exined.


    The two spirits stood in front of their respective contractor. Himari would go with Kana and Momo with Naomi, they figured that their weapons and personalities would work better this way. The two began chanting some long-winded sutra before they eventually shed in a bright light, turning into small balls of energy that floated into each of the girl''s chests.


    "Is that it?" Kana asked.


    "I don''t feel anything." Naomi shrugged.


    <i>{Everything isplete. The contract was sessful!} </i>Himari spoke in Kana''s mind, which made her jump.


    "You can talk in my head!" Kana eximed.


    "Makes sense. They are bound to your soul." Akagi said as she sipped some coffee that Yumi brought her. ¡°That kind of connection goes quite deep.¡±


    "They can''t read our minds, right?" Naomi asked.


    <i>{Not unless you permit us.} </i>Momo answered.


    "Please don''t." Naomi sighed.


    <i>{Then we shall not.} </i>(Momo)


    "Can you guys stop talking to them out loud?" Mika said. "It''s strange hearing only one half of the conversation."


    "Lucky for me, I can hear them." Akagiughed.


    "Wait! You can read thoughts?!?" Kana asked.


    ¡°Mama can do anything!¡± Alice smiled as she sat in Akagi''sp


    "Not <i>anything</i> but I can read minds. Though I don''t normally do it out of respect for privacy." Akagi shook her head. "I just did it, in this case, to make sure everything was good."


    "So what now?" Naomi asked.


    "Now?" Akagi stood up. "Now, we conduct a <i>test</i> of the weapons."

 Chapter 127 – Akagi v Kana.

    Chapter 127 ¨C Akagi v Kana.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    2 Chaps!


    Akagi instructed everyone to move over to the training arena for a brief testing of the spirit weapon''s abilities. She wanted Kana and Naomi to get acquainted with their new partners before they disbursed for the night, and to befortable with their new friends. When they arrived, Chloe and the other ninja were training, and Akagi politely requested they allow them to use the training ground. Something they did without issue.


    "Ok, so now what?" Kana asked.


    "Now you just need to summon me." Himari had started to speak aloud rather than via thought.


    "And how do I do that?" Kana asked. She had zero experience with or understanding of magic.


    "Just envision a collection of energy appearing in your hand, and then imagine that energy forming into a sword. I can take whatever shape you desire, so you can make something that fits you best!" Himari''s smile came through her words.


    Kana centered her mind and began to imagine the energy as Himari exined. She could feel a power well up from her chest, extend into her right arm, and flow into the palm of her hand.


    "Come on out, Himari!" Kana gave a battle cry as a de formed in her hand. Himari took the form of a short sword with a red de. For a brief moment, she was even covered in a thinyer of mes before they disappeared.


    <i>{Not bad Kana.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Congrattions!" Himari cheered. "You did it!"


    "That was kinda strange to envision, but it looks like it worked out." Kana looked at the sword. "Are you alright?"


    "Yupper, all good here!" The girl seemed like she was having fun.


    "Alright, I did it!" Naomi eximed as she managed to summon Momo in her staff form. "Oh wow, that''s such a pretty jewel!"


    "Good job, both of you." Momo congratted them.


    "Yeah! You both brought us out so easily!" Himari praised them too. "Strange, I feel even stronger than normal for some reason?"


    "Really?" Kana asked.


    "Yeah, it''s like a whole bunch more power than normal is flowing to me from you." Himari thought for a moment. ¡°I wonder why?¡±


    "Most likely because of Akagi''s influence and power." Momo answered. "Kana has quite a bit more power than even the most powerful members of the n. I''d even go as far as to say she might be the most powerful human on this. Not including those returnees of course." It was a statement that caused many groans and pained expressions.


    "Mika, Naomi, don''t even start!" Kana red at them.


    The two just whistled innocently.


    <i>{They are soooo thinking bad thoughts right now...} </i>(Kana)


    "Oh well. Not worth all the trouble getting angry." Kana sighed. "But hey, Himari, are you stuck like that?" Kana asked the sword.


    "No." Himari replied. "I can go back to human form if needed, see."


    The de glowed for a bit before leaping out of Kana''s hand and forming into Himari''s human form in front of her. "Though most of the time, we stay in weapon form or within our contractor for ease and convenience."


    "Indeed, we <i>are </i>just tools for our masters to wield." Momomented.


    "That''s not true," Kana said. "Even if you were created as a weapon, you were given human thoughts, forms, and emotions. You''re anything <i>but </i>tools. So don''t call yourself that." She looked at both Himari and Momo, almost scolding them.


    "Himari." Kana turned to her.


    "Y-yes, Master!" Himari snapped to attention.


    "I want to be your friend, not your master." Kana walked over and stuck out her hand. "So don''t call me that."


    "Friend? But, I''m just a sword?" Himari was a bit confused and surprised. "Why would you want to be friends with me?"


    "Why shouldn''t I be?" Kana replied. "We''re going to be working together from now on, and I don''t like the idea of being someone''s <i>owner</i>." Kana shook her head. That wasn''t something she could agree with, and unlike her sister, Kana had no interest in such things. "What I want is to be your friend, so let''s get along." She smiled.


    "I feel the same way, Momo." Naomi agreed with Kana''s sentiment. "We won''t work with you unless you agree to be our friends and treat us as such."


    <i>{Not an unexpected turn of events. I''d suspect the family never even considered these two more than tools that could speak.} </i>(Akagi)


    "You two are both strange." Momomented. "Our previous wielders were more than happy to use us as tools. But if what you desire is to be friends, then I would be d to be your friend."


    "Yeah! Me too! I''ve never had a friend!" Himari smiled.


    <em>{...}</em>(Mika x Naomi x Kana)


    "I''ll prepare a dedicated room for Himari." Akagimented. "You should try to stay in human form as much as possible, little sword. I think Kana would like it better like that."


    "Yep." Kana agreed with her sister. They were people, and they should be treated as such.


    "I''ll have a room made out for you at my home as well, Momo." Naomi offered the same thing.


    "You lot really are strange humans." Momo chuckled but smiled as she did.


    "I get a bed and pillows!" Himari cheered as she spun in ce on one foot.


    "Now that you''ve figured out how to call them forth, you should focus on getting your magic under control." Akagi spoke to the two girls. "Naomi, if you want, we can do your magic awakening when we do Mika''s, since at this point its kind of needed."


    "Sounds fine to me." Naomi nodded. ¡°I wanted to get ess to magic anyway.¡±


    "Kana, you should transition from training with the ninja to working with Himari. She knows magic better than most here, and I suspect that she''ll be quite helpful in getting used to her and her power." Akagi looked at the red-haired girl. "Do you think you can teach her?"


    "Yupper!" Himari saluted. "I''ll have to get her to control her magic first, but after that, we can move on to sword training."


    "I figured you would train me in that, Onee-chan?" Kana tilted her head. She was looking forward to Akagi training her.


    "I mean, <i>I can,</i> but I''m a tough coach. Just ask Chloe." She pointed to the cat who also started whistling nervously. "You should let Himari get the basics drilled into you before you start training with me anyway." She shrugged.


    <i>{Besides I might identally hurt you during our practice, not exactly desirable.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Sounds good, but..." Kana thought for a second. "How about a quick practice match? I wanna see how I am right now."


    "Oh?" Akagi''s eyes glinted. "You want to fight me?"


    "I''ve been practicing sword stuff with Sakura not just martial arts, so I''ve got at least some of the forms down." Kana grinned. "Plus, with Himari''s help, I think I''ll be able to put up a good fight. Who knows, I might even beat you! I think defeating the Demon Lord is well within my reach!" Her look reminded everyone of Akagi, it left no doubt that the two were sisters.


    Hearing those words caused Akagi tough hard.


    ¡°Oh boy...¡± Alice squeezed Floofy. ¡°Poor Kana.¡± she said quietly.


    <i>{She pushed Mama''s fight button...} </i>(Alice)


    <i><b>"You know what, sure. Why not?" </b></i>Akagi''s voice distorted.<i><b> "Chloe, get me a practice sword. I need to teach my sister who''s boss." </b></i>She grinned.<i><b> </b></i>


    "Did I just goof?" Kanaughed nervously.


    <i>{Big time...} </i>Alice thought to herself. She knew just how bad Akagi could get.


    "Even in jest, my Lord doesn''t take ims of defeating her well..." Yumi sighed.


    <i>{Just don''t go hurting her too much, my Lord.} </i>(Yumi)


    A momentter, Chloe handed Akagi a wooden practice sword, and she walked into the fighting arena.


    <i><b>"Alright,e on, Kana. Show me what you''ve got. Or are you all bark?" </b></i>Akagi stared right at Kana, her eyes fierce like a predator staring at prey. <i><b>"Yumi, be on standby in case-¡± </b></i>Akagi stopped herself. <i><b>¡°For when, the Princess gets a few scraps and bumps."</b></i>


    <i>{Oh boy. I goofed big...} </i>Kana realized she just stepped on andmine.


    <i>{I hope she doesn''t break me...} </i>Himari was simrly worried.


    <i><b>"Whenever you''re ready." </b></i>Akagi twirled the wooden sword in her hand. She wasn''t even pretending to take this seriously.


    Kana took one of the stances that Sakura taught her during their practice, and inched closer to Akagi.


    <i>{Her stance is sox. Does she even have one anyway? I''ve never seen Onee-chan use a proper form before.} </i>Kana''s observation was partially incorrect. While it was true that Akagi could get a bitx with her form, she did indeed have one that she would use during serious fights. Though, funnily enough, her proper stance was quite fluid and many would easily mistake it for having none at all.


    "Hiyah!" She swung down at her sister, but in a sh.


    *CLANG*


    *SWISH*


    *TINK*


    Kana found herself disarmed, and Himari flew across the room smacking onto the ground.


    <i>{I didn''t break!} </i>(Himari)


    <i>{I-I didn''t even see her move!}</i> Kana was surprised. She figured her newfound power would at least give her a bit of a chance against Akagi.


    <i><b>"Weak grip. Keeping hold of your weapon is one of most important and basic parts ofbat." </b></i>Akagi held her wooden sword right next to Kana''s neck as she lectured her.


    <i>{When did she?!?}</i> Kana didn''t even notice it was there at first.


    <i><b>"Dead." </b></i>Akagi smirked. <i><b>"Fun fact. My sword technique is designed to kill in one stroke. When I''m fighting properly, my primary aim is to disorient or confuse my opponent. Then I search for and use an opening to deliver one swift strike, killing them." </b></i>Akagi withdrew the de.


    <i><b>"Again!" </b></i>Akagi told her to go another round. <i><b>"This time, don''t focus so much on your own stance. Keep an eye on me and try to read my movements."</b></i>


    Kana called Himari back into her hand and readied herself for another try. She got closer to Akagi, inching forward, and being careful to watch her sister''s sword. However, unfortunately for her, she fell for the ssic blunder, and got so focused on Akagi''s weapon that she failed to take into ount Akagi''s ability to move the rest of her body.


    *TRIP*


    *TUMBLE*


    *THUD*


    Akagi swept her feet out from under her and held her wooden sword in her face.


    <i><b>"My sword isn''t the only thing that can hurt you, Kana. Don''t get so focused on it that you get tunnel vision." </b></i>Akagiughed. <i><b>¡°But that''s ok, we''ll beat those bad habits out of you.¡±</b></i>


    <em>{B-beat?!?}</em>(Kana)


    <i><b>"Again!"</b></i> Akagi and Kana continued this dance for several more rounds. Each time, Kana waspletely defeated, even taking a few blows to the stomach and face from Akagi''s sword. At the end of it, Kana was knocked to the floor, exhausted, and her face was red from several hits, but she was fine.


    <i><b>"Hmph." </b></i>Akagiughed. <i><b>"Still think you can defeat me, Kana?"</b></i>


    <i>{I hope I''ve dispelled your foolish notions of defeating me. Though perhaps I let myself get carried away. She wasn''t exactly serious. Oh well...} </i>(Akagi)


    <i>{Note to self, Onee-chan doesn''t take too kindly to ims you can beat her inbat.} </i>Kana swore never to do <i>that</i> again.


    {<i>Noted</i>.} Himari wrote that down on imaginary paper.


    "Nope, its not happening." Kana gave up and Akagi helped her up. ¡°You''re way too good at this, and I can tell you didn''t even use any of your <i>Demon</i> power.¡±


    <i><b>"I''ve had to hone my sword skills every day for four years, most of which I was constantly fighting with my life on the line. I have no doubt you can get good over time, but beating me... well..." </b></i>Akagi''s face contorted into a nasty grin. <i><b>"You''re a few millennia too young to be thinking like that." </b></i>She cackled like a madman as she said that.


    Demon Lords are creatures that like to dominate, so any im of parity or supremacy is viewed as a challenge to them. And Demon Lords <i>love</i> a challenge.


    ¡°Mama''s so cool!¡± Alice smiled as she ran over to her for hugs.


    ¡°Yes I am!¡± Akagiughed.


    <i>{¡­} </i>(Everyone else)


    Spoiler


    Kana and Himari!


    Naomi and Momo!


    [copse]

 Chapter 128 – The Family Trip and The Broken Elf.

    Chapter 128 ¨C The Family Trip and The Broken Elf.


    Once the two sisters were finished, Yumi healed Kana''s minor cuts and bruises from her <i>practice </i>with Akagi. It would take time, but Akagi figured Kana would be quitepetent with the sword after some training. Akagi reminded her sister of the deadly nature of the weapon, despite how cute it might appear, and made sure to lecture the three girls on the danger magic posed and reminded them not to misuse it. Ament that caused them to retort that Akagi had little room to talk about misusing power. Which caused her to simply say that <i>she </i>could do whatever she wanted and that this wasn''t about her.


    Yumi then returned the two girls to their respective homes, but not before Kana asked everyone to keep Himari and Momo a secret from Hishya. She told Akagi about a <i>fun</i> idea she wanted to use to mess with the dragon girl, and after an exnation, Akagi was onboard with the idea of pranking Hishya, finding Kana and Himari''s idea hrious.


    Once things settled down and everyone was returned home, Akagi, Kana and Yumi went and had dinner. It was curry night, and even Himari was given something to eat, despite not needing food. The four enjoyed a nice meal together until Kana asked about Akagi''s nned trip to Mizumi''s world.


    "So when are you going there?" Kana asked while eating some rice.


    "I believe this weekend if I''m not mistaken. Things are taking a bit more time than expected, and Mizumi is inundated with meetings, so she asked me to wait." Akagi answered.


    "Hmmm." Kana thought while chewing. "Can Ie with?" She asked something unexpected.


    "Errrr." Akagi wasn''t really thrilled about bringing her, and her paranoia was telling her to minimize risks. "I don''t know. I''m still worried about what effects entering a different world might have o you."


    <i>{I''d rather not find outter that you were made sick because of me.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I can use magic now Onee-chan, and I think you should stop coddling me all the time. I''m nearly seventeen, I think you can back off the overprotectiveness just a bit." Kana sighed. "I know you''re super paranoid about things, but you really should learn to tone it down once and a while. Living like that can''t be good for you."


    <i>{At this point, being paranoid is just my default state. Though she might be on to something.} </i>(Akagi)


    "None of our agents have reported any issues going to and from that world, so I think taking Kana would be fine." Yumi joined in to aid Kana. "Besides, if you take her, you can make it into a family trip."


    <i>{You two really should spend some time together, alone.} </i>(Yumi)


    "You too..." Akagi groaned. "Fine... but if anything starts being weird, you go back instantly. No, if''s ands, or buts. Kapish?"


    "Fine by me." Kana smiled. She rarely got to spend much time alone with Akagi, so a trip like this would be great. They''d never really done family vacations before, so that would also be a plus.


    "Hmmm, dish karre is reewy goob!" Himari talked with a mouth full of food. She was happily enjoying herself.


    The three of them looked at her and sighed. "It''s like we gained another child in our home." Yumi said.


    ¡°I don''t know. I think Alice might be better.¡± Kana sighed.


    "Oh well, she''s your child. Have fun straightening her out." Akagiughed.


    "I''ll try my best..." Kana had no hope of actually doing so, for Himari was much too set in her ways to change. Once dinner was over, Kana opted to practice a bit with Himari. She wanted to at least be able to get her eye back to normal, which she managed to aplish by the end of the night.


    _____________________________________________________________________________________________


    <Elna POV>


    It had been around two weeks since Akagi defeated Libra and brought the terrorist group down with her violent disy of force. As the only surviving member of Libra''s upper echelon, Elna was effectively made into the face of the tragedy. She''d been charged with countless crimes, and was facing the death penalty for her actions.


    She had no hope of escape either, as Imp''s magical shacklesbined with the reinforced cell meant that she wasn''t going anywhere, not that she even wanted to. She''d rarely spoken to anyone during her time in captivity, and the other yers who''de to speak with her got little more than sporadic phrases out of her. Most of her time was spent mumbling to herself about a monster, darkness, and other simr ominous words. Hishya postted that she''d beenpletely broken, likely from the utter horror Akagi inflicted on her. When sheter queried the <i>Demon</i> on this, Hishya was told that her strikes were filled with dark energy which had seeped into and damaged the Elf''s soul.


    The effect was simr to what Hishya went through all those years ago, only this time much worse. Elna was a broken woman, her mind partially shattered by exposure to Akagi''s darkness, and her failure to damage Akagi with her full power only helped drive her into madness.


    Excelsior and Superbia came down to visit her today, something they did frequently, as Elna was someone the two knew reasonably well. Excelsior knew her IRL before the game, and Superbia was friendly with her within FWO. While they both agreed that Elna and Libra needed to be stopped, seeing the Elf in such a broken state didn''t sit well with them.


    "Still no better today..." Excelsior said as he looked through the ss into Elna''s cell. "I know she probably won''t ever get better, but part of me wants her to. If nothing else, I want to talk to her... one more time."


    <em>{Chi, why did ite to this?}</em>(Excelsior)


    "Akagi really did a number on her, huh?" Superbia sighed as she watched Elna twitch while sitting on her bed. "Breaking a person''s mind so easily. It''s horrifying to think she can do something like this."


    "Yeah, it''s a wonder that Hishya didn''t end up in the same state." Excelsior recalled how Hishya described her own mental break. "Such a monster is just freely walking in our world. And there''s nothing we can do to slow her down! Let alone beat her."


    <i>{Its like we''re living in a nightmare} </i>(Excelsior)


    "Be grateful that <i>this</i> ancient evil doesn''t want to destroy the world at least." Superbia shrugged. "At this point, I''ll take what I can get. Even if this isn''t exactly that ideal of an oue for us."


    <i>{We''re basically just Akagi''s toys. Hishya might have been joking about the branding, but Akagi really does believe she owns us all. And I can''t exactly say she''s wrong after what Hishya told me.} </i>(Superbia)


    "The monster... the monster... it... it ate them!" Elna started rocking back and forth. "Consumed... eaten... devoured... all gone..." She looked over at Superbia and Excel. "And it will devour all... it will devour you too." Her eyes twitched as she spoke.


    "You got what you deserved, Elna." Superbia spoke to her. "So did Herlex and the others. Akagi only came after you because it became necessary. If you hadn''t gone on a rampage, none of this would have happened."


    "Akagi... Akagi... Akagi... the monster... the evil... the darkness... Akagi... Akagi is-is... all the darkness... all the evil..." Elna began ranting. "You!" she pointed at the two of them. "You-you don''t you-don''t understand!" She stood up and walked to the ss pressing her face against it. "She-she is... a never-ending pit-pit of darkness... where no light can escape!"


    "She''s the Demon Lord, we know." Superbia sighed. "She told us all about what she is and what she-" Superbia was cut off as Elna screamed.


    "SHE IS THE DARKNESS! THERE IS NO LIGHT!¡± Elna''s scream startled them both. ¡°The darkness swallows the light. The darkness swallows the light. The darkness swallows the light. The darkness swallows the light. The darkness swallows the light. The darkness swallows the light. The darkness swallows the light. The darkness swallows the light. The darkness swallows the light. The darkness swallows the light." Elna repeated the phrase Akagi had put above her grisly disy at the Tomogawapound, as she sat back down on her bed. "Superbia, Excelsior. I''m sorry. We did it. We released it. The Darkness has been unleashed, and it was all our fault. The Darkness knows. It hungers. It-Itughs." She ranted until passed out on the bed.


    "Oh shit, get medical!" Excelsior screamed, and a team was quickly brought in, including Imp. After a brief examination, it was determine that Elna would be fine, she had simply fallen just asleep, but Elna''s words rang in their heads. The cell was recorded, so Imp was able to watch a yback of what she said before she fainted.


    "How did she even know that phrase?" Superbia asked. "Nothing about that incident hasn''t been made public, and no one is allowed to give info to those in custody."


    <i>{Did Akagi sneak back in here?} </i>(Superbia)


    "Nothing in video-recording or other sensors-detectors. No info given-transferred to Elf." Imp looked through some video logs. "No clue-idea."


    "At the end, she spoke to us/" Excelsior pursed his lips. "She apologized for unleashing Akagi." He sat down in a chair. "What the fuck man!" He put his head in his hands. "Are we dealing with Satan?!?"


    <i>{Is this punishment for our sins? Is Akagi an agent of the great evil himself?!?} </i>(Excelsior)


    "Not wrong-far off." Imp spun around in her chair and looked at him. "Akagi is darkness-evil incarnate. She is being of malice-hatred. She exists to murder-kill-enve." Imp continued. "The stories she and blue-haired girl told me... make biblical-Christian stories sound tame." She gave a dryugh.


    <i>{Spooky-scary stories... But fun. Demon Lord Akagi, is best Akagi!} </i>(Imp)


    "The more I think of this, the more this feels like one of those horror movies where it''s already toote, and everyone starts dying to the monster." Superbia gripped her arm.


    <i>{Are we suppose to just live in fear everyday, and hope that Akagi doesn''t get bored and kill us all?} </i>(Superbia)


    Imp just shrugged. "Perhaps, but this monster-demon wants to be left alone-ignored. I estimate-predict a less than 1% chance-possibility that Akagi goes crazy-psycho."


    ¡°Even a 1% chance, is still a chance Imp.¡± Excelsior sighed. ¡°That''s still far to great of a risk.


    "Maybe." Imp shook her head. "But no point-reason to worry-fret over something you cannot control."


    <i>{Extra stress is bad.} </i>(Imp)


    "Heh," Excelsiorughed. "The literal incarnation of evil walks the Earth, and there''s not a damn thing we can do about it!" He mmed a nearby table. "It''s ridiculous, you''re telling me that all we can do is pray that nothing happens. That she just <i>lets </i>us live our lives!"


    <i>{That''s uneptable! There has to be something we can do to beat her! She said herself that killing her is possible, but damn if I can''t see a way to do it!} </i>(Excelsior)


    "As much as I don''t want to admit it, that does seem to be the case." Superbia looked at him. "We can''t fight her, Excel. You saw how easily she took Libra apart, and that was her just fucking around!"


    <i>{If Herlex can''t harm her, and Hishya won''t fight her. Than nothing of this world can ever hope to defeat her.} </i>(Superbia)


    "I know. I know" Excelsior let out a deep breath. "It''s just.... this is a lot, ya know. We get back from FWO. From fighting for four years, and what do we get? A world where our ex-teammates start rampaging. A world where Akagi holds all the cards and could kill us at any moment? A world that <i>hates</i> us because of what they did?!?" He groaned. "I don''t want to live on this anymore."


    "Akagi could lift-fly you to Mars?" Imp giggled.


    "I don''t doubt she could, Imp." Excelsiorughed. "Honestly, I don''t think I''d feel better on Mars or the other side of the Universe. She''d just find me there anyway." He wasn''t wrong.


    "Let''s just do what Imp suggested and put it out of our minds." Superbia shrugged. "If we treat Akagi like a volcano or a tsunami that might be better for our stress levels."


    "Yeah, your probably right," Excelsior said.


    <i>{Maybe we''ll get lucky and something wille along and kill her, that would be nice.} </i>(Excelsior)


    ______________________________________________________________________________


    ¡°A-choo!¡± Akagi sneezed.


    ¡°I guess someone''s talking about you.¡± Yumi giggled as she cuddled up next to Akagi.


    ¡°Yeah...¡± Akagi was a bit confused.


    <i>{How did I just sneeze?!? This bodycks both lungs and muscles!}</i> (Akagi)


    It would seem even the Demon Lord was not immune to the gag.

 Chapter 129 – A Warm Night.

    Chapter 129 ¨C A Warm Night.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    2 Chaps!


    A few dayster, Hishya arrived at the estate to spend some time with Kana. The two were going to head into Kyoto to see a movie and have a kind of first proper date. The movie was in the evening so it was almost dark out when the dragon arrived.


    Hishya entered the main house, finding Kana sitting in the living room with Yumi, Alice and Akagi. "Hey." She smiled.


    "Hishya! You''ve got some nerve showing up all causal after what you''ve done!" Kana put her prank into motion.


    <i>{This is going to be good.} </i>(Akagi)


    Hearing Kana get angry caused the dragon girl to freeze. "What! What did I do?!?" She panicked.


    <i>{Did I do something bad?!? Is Akagi going to eat me now?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    "You know darn what you did! How could you ignore all my messages!" Kana smirked.


    <i>{Messages?!? Did I miss something?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    Before Hishya got a chance to ask any questions, Kana called for Himari. "Himari,e in here!" A few secondster, Himari arrived and she ran over to Kana.


    <i>{Who is that?!?} </i>Hishya started to sweat.


    "I''m here!" She looked at Hishya. "Is that her, the one you told me about?" She was in on the prank and acted the part.


    "Yep." Kana nodded. "That''s her!"


    Hishya waspletely lost. "Uhhhhh."


    "Yippie" Himari ran up and hugged the dragon girl. "Mommy! It''s so nice to meet you!"


    "Mom-my?" Hishya looked down at the girl. "Eh? EHHHH? What?!? Kana, what''s going on?!?" She looked at her girlfriend for answers.


    <i>{MOMMY?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    "She''s your child, Hishya. The one you forced upon me." Kana pretended to cry. "You need to take responsibility for your actions and raise her with me."


    <u>Hishya.exe has stopped working.</u>


    Hishya couldn''t handle this turn of events and fell over, unconscious.


    "Well, she took that about as well as expected." Akagi finally let out theugh she''d been holding in. "Damn Kana, and you call <i>me </i>evil."


    "Pfffff." Yumi startedughing too. "I''d say that was a cruel joke, but it was just too funny!"


    ¡°Hishya actually fell over!¡± Alice startedughing. ¡°That was perfect, you could literally pinpoint the exact moment her brain turned off!¡±


    "Oops." Himari poked the unconscious Hishya in the cheek a few times. "She went sloop."


    "What can I say." Kana shrugged. "I am the <i>Demon Princess</i>. Things like this are in my DNA." As she spoke, a wicked smile formed on her lips.


    <i>{Oh this just amazing. 10/10 would see Hishya break again.} </i>(Akagi)


    ¡°Wait! I''ve got an even better idea!¡± Akagi whispered into Alice''s ear, which caused the little girl to begin cackling.


    ¡°Mama really is <i>evil</i>.¡± Alice''s face contorted into a nasty smile as she pulled a marker out of her inventory.


    <i>{She wouldn''t!} </i>Kana watched as Alice walked over to the sleeping Hishya and scribbled marker on her face, drawing a mustache and even a monocle on her eye.


    Once she was done, she turned to Kana and did a <i>Tee-hee pero</i>, before returning to Akagi''sp.


    <i>{SHE FUCKING DID! AND SHE DID THE ANIME THING TOO!!!!} </i>Kana was dying on the inside from bothughter and cuteness, since that gag was one of her favorites in anime.


    ¡°Good job, my child. ¡° Akagi high-fived her daughter. ¡°You have learned well in the ways of the dark-side.¡±


    ¡°Ku-Ku-Ku!¡± Alice''sughed evilly. ¡°I''ve learned from the best!¡±


    A bitter, Hishya woke up on the couch, and Kana exined that it was all a prank. This time she gave a proper exnation and informed her that Himari was not her bastard child, and that she was actually a spirit weapon from her family.


    "YOU ABSOLUTE ASS!" Hishya bonked Kana on the head a few times. "You have no idea how much my heart sank!"


    "If you''d thought about it for a second, you''d have quickly figured out it was a lie." Kana rubbed her head.


    <i>{We''re both girls after all.} </i>(Kana)


    "Kana, with all the magical BS around us, a magical child of ours isn''t exactly that insane of a concept!" Hishya groaned in frustration. "Akagi rubbed off on you so hard..."


    "Fair point." Kana thought about it for a second. "I still thought it was funny though."


    "Yeah, it was great." Akagi chimed in.


    ¡°Yeah, Hishya falling over was great!¡± Alice agreed.


    "Quiet you! And don''t go dragging the kid in on your shenanigans." Hishya pointed at Akagi. "This between me and Kana!" She then looked at Himari. "And <i>you</i>.... you''re just as guilty!"


    "I was only doing what I was told." Himari puffed out her cheeks.


    "Don''t you lie! You were the one who egged me on, Himari." Kana poked the sword girl in the cheek as she giggled.


    "Argh!" Hishya flopped on the couch. "You''re lucky I love you..."


    "I love you too." Kana patted the dragon girl on the head.


    "It''s like their are two Akagi now." Hishya sighed. "I''m not going to survive this..."


    <i>{Why did I fall in love with the Demon Princess...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Now, now stop the melodrama." Akagizily waved her hand. "You''ll be fine."


    "Easy for you to say." Hishya looked over at her and sighed. "So this girl is now tied to you?" She asked Kana


    "Yup." Kana nodded. "I can summon her at will. She''s actually a sword."


    <em>{She also may or may not be quite immature, but that''s a different issue.}</em>(Kana)


    Hishya sat up and looked at Akagi. "I''m shocked you didn''t destroy her when you first met. I know how much you hate talking weapons."


    "I nearly did." Akagi shrugged.


    "And so, the ancient de meant to y the Demon Lord is now working for her younger sister." Hishya gave a dryugh. "What kind of joke is that?"


    "I mean, you''re the <i>Hero </i>Hishya, and you''re dating the Demon Princess." Kanaughed. "Things are all sorts of topsy-turvy."


    <i>{My earlier joke about a light novel title is quite apt.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Trust me. The irony of that is not lost on me." Hishya leaned on Kana. "As long as I don''t think about it though, it''s not an issue." She figured denial was the best method to protect herself.


    "Could always be worse." Akagi took a sip of her coffee.


    "Yeah, I could be Elna..." Hishya thought back to what she''d seen be of the girl. "You really went overboard with that one, Akagi."


    "I''d say she got off lightly." Akagi shrugged. ¡°I mean, she still exists. Unlike the rest of her teammates.¡±


    <i>{Yeah, ok. Existing as a broken person isn''t really much of a life, Akagi. She was probably better off getting eaten than living like this. Hell they can''t even try her since she''s been dered legally insane.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Elna? That was the Elf from Libra, right?" Kana asked. "I saw something about her on the news. They were talking about her being put on trial or something." Kana didn''t really keep up such things anymore.


    "No trial, not after what our resident <i>being of supreme darkness</i> did to her.¡± Hishya sighed.


    Seeing that Hishya didn''t borate, Kana asked her sister for rification. ¡°What <em>did</em> you do to her?¡±


    ¡°The same thing I did to our pet dragon.¡± Akagi and Alice giggled in sync.


    <i>{I''ll ''pet'' you!} </i>Hishya grumbled in her head before exining.


    ¡°To borate, Akagi here went and did an overtuned version of what she did to me to that idiot." Hishya shivered as she thought about it. "I got trauma. Elna got mind broken."


    "Hey don''t act all sad! There was a sliver lining to all that nightmare!" Akagi called her out. "Said <em>trauma</em> fixed your head and rectified your personality issues, so it was a win for everyone."


    Hishya was about to tell her she was wrong but couldn''t. "The ends don''t justify the means dammit!"


    <em>{I hate that I can''t say she''s wrong!}</em>(Hishya)


    "Well, <em>I</em> say they do." Akagiughed. "So that''s that!"


    *Tsk* Hishya clicked her tongue.


    "Now, now, children." Yumi intervened. "No fighting."


    <i>{I swear these two act like siblings sometimes with how they argue.} </i>(Yumi)


    "It''s not fighting." Akagi shook her head. "Just a philosophical disagreement."


    ¡°Besides Mama is right! Whatever she says isw!¡± Alice stuck her tongue out at Hishya and blew a raspberry.


    "It''s not worth arguing with you two idiots." Hishya pinched the bridge of her nose in defeat. "It''s like banging my head against a brick wall."


    "In fairness, the brick wall wouldn''t survive." Kana giggled. To which Hishya responded by pinching her cheeks.


    "What is with you sisters and needing to have thest word!" Hishya eximed.


    "Its fun!" (Akagi x Kana)


    "And now they''re in stereo!" Hishya groaned. "Can go we go now? Please, before my sanity drops further..."


    "Yeah Kana, take your pet for a walk. " Akagi chuckled at her own joke, and Yumi followed suit.


    "Can I throw you through some buildings? Just to make myself feel better? Please..." Hishya red at her.


    "Angry pet! Bad!" Himariughed while doing a spray bottle motion directed at Hishya.


    Not amused, and deciding that Himari was an easy target for her frustrations, Hishya stood up and went after the girl, and chasing her around the room.


    "Wait till I get my hands on you!" She eventually grabbed Himari and pinned her down, ready to start tickling her.


    "How do you like that! Unlike the other people in this room, I can punish <em>you</em> without fear!¡± Hishya cackled.


    "No please, anything but the tickles! Kana, save me!" Himari called out for help, but none came. "Nooooo."


    <i>{I''ve been forsaken!} </i>(Himari)


    Hishya then proceeded to tickle Himari senselessly until she was left limp on the ground.


    ¡°Eeeeeeeee.¡± Himari cried meekly.


    "I think Himari might be a good addition to our little group. I can bully her risk-free!" Hishya smiled and looked refreshed. "Now, let''s go! The movie won''t wait for us, and the longer we stay here the more I wanna bang my head against a wall."


    With that, the tormenting of the dragon concluded, for now. Kana went and got dressed, which took a bit longer than Hishya liked, and the two flew off toward Kyoto.


    "Those two are funny." Akagi sat on a bench in the garden with Yumi after Alice went with Sakura for story time.


    "They get along very well, yes." Yumi agreed. "It''s nice to see them happy together like that. The way they y with each other reminds me of how my sister would try to cheer me up when I was the vige priestess."


    "I wish I could have met her." Akagi''s face went dark. She''d always wanted to give Yumi back her family, and the<em>Demon</em> even searched for a way within the game to do so, but always came up with nothing.


    "Miji would have loved you." Yumi gave a bitter smile. "She was a bright young girl with more energy than even you could contain. She was much younger than me, and if I have it right, she would have turned ten this year. I really wish I could have shown her this world."


    <em>{I imagine she would have treated you like another big sister.}</em>(Yumi)


    "I''m sorry, Yumi." Akagi leaned on her. "I have all this power as the Demon Lord, but bringing back those who died in FWO is beyond my power. Especially since..."


    <i>{Especially since the NPCs like your sister were technically lines of code.} </i>Was what Akagi wanted to finish with, but she couldn''t say that to her.


    "You avenged them and brought that disgusting man to justice, and you have no reason to apologize. I know you would bring them all back in a heartbeat if you could." Yumi put her hand over Akagi''s. "It''s fine, I miss them every day, but I have a new family here in this world. So don''t worry about it. As long as I have you, I''ll never be alone again."


    Akagi gripped Yumi''s hand. "And as long as I have you, I''ll never be alone either." She continued. "Are you sure it''s ok if I just go alone with Kana?" She was referring to the trip this weekend.


    "Yes, I''m sure." Yumi giggled. "Go spend time with Kana as her sister. It''s not often you get to do that. We can always spend more time togetherter, but you need to treasure every little moment you can with her. You missed four years of her life, so go make and it up, even just a little."


    "Yeah." Akagiughed as she stared at the moon. "You know. I got a message from the U.S. earlier today. The President wants me toe to the White House for an official meeting."


    "That sounds nice." Yumi smiled. "When is it?"


    "April 14th. They want me toe and have dinner with the President, and the message said something about addressing the U.N." Akagi sighed and sat up straight. "Never imagined I''d be doing something like that."


    <em>{In fact, these past few months have been nothing BUT me doing things I never imagined. Though I don''t exactly mind it.} </em>(Akagi)


    "If I recall correctly, it won''t be much longer after that when you''ll officially be made ruler of thesends." Yumi had been inmunication with the Japanese government regarding thend transfer. It would be done over the summer and would be a significant international event.


    "Yeah. Hopefully, we can focus on turning this sleepy piece of wilderness into a nice home for us and everyone. I know we can handle that, and it might get a bit more lively with some new people moving in." Akagi smiled. "It''ll be like my own little city builder, and I want this ce to turn into somewhere fun where everyone can be happy." She chuckled at her ownment. "Look at me." She shook her head. "I''m the Demon Lord building the Demon Kingdom, and here I am going on about making people happy. This timeline is quite messed up. But you know what? I don''t think I care."


    <i>{Living a quiet life with everyone here, that''s what I really want.} </i>(Akagi)


    "The Demon Kingdom. It''s funny, back in my vige, hearing that term would have evoked feelings of fear and dread. But now it sounds homey and warm." Yumi leaned on Akagi''s shoulder as the two stayed together silently in the garden, enjoying the clear night sky.

 Chapter 130 – The Spirits’ Home.

    Chapter 130 ¨C The Spirits¡¯ Home.


    The rest of the week came and went with little fanfare, though Hishya was quite pouty over the marker on her face. Akagi and Kana woke up bright and early Saturday morning, ready to head on their little family vacation. It would be the first time they''d gone on a trip together, since Akagi was never brought on family vacations, and even if it wasn''t really a big endeavor, both were looking forward to it. Himari would technically being along as well, though she opted to remain mostly silent and leave the two sisters to enjoy themselves. She and Momo were finding it difficult to adapt to a more<em>human</em>life than expected, and even getting them to speak unprompted at times was difficult. Akagi figured this was part of their inbuilt ''programming'' as they''d been created as tools to serve a purpose, something she guessed would begin to fade over time if they were prodded enough.


    Mizumi originally wanted to have Akagi meet the Spirit Council <i>today</i>, but she was told no, and that was the end of the discussion. Akagi was not at their beck and call and she would see them when she got around to it. Mizumi said that would only annoy them, but the <i>Demon</i> said it wasn''t her problem.


    Seeing no point in arguing, Mizumi went on ahead to deal with her fellow Spirits and left Akagi and Kana to enjoy themselves. She''d gone ahead previously and made amodations for them during their stay and informed them of where to go after they arrived. Once they were ready, Akagi opened a portal to the Spirit''s home, a world they had named Omara, a word that meant sanctuary in an ancientnguage from the other world.


    "Shall we?" Akagi looked at Kana, who was dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. It was always summer in Omara, so heavy clothes were unneeded.


    "Yup!" Kana smiled.


    "Keep an eye on things while I''m gone, Yumi." Akagi turned to the priestess. "And if you need anything, don''t hesitate to contact me." She didn''t think anything would happen, but her paranoia told her to be on alert, just in case.


    "Don''t worry about anything, and just enjoy yourself." She hugged Akagi before the two sisters disappeared into the portal.


    <em>{At least she didn''t ramble on about all sorts of things before she left.}</em>Yumi sighed internally.<em>{I was half expecting her to start demanding I show that I''d prepped meals for each day like some kind of overprotective mom.}</em>


    Once she was gone, Yumi turned and went back into the house. "Sometimes I wish she''d just rx a bit." She sighed. Getting Akagi to let her guard down a bit was going to be hard, but it was a goal of hers.


    ____________________________________________________________________________


    After going through the portal, Akagi and Kana found themselves standing in a grassy field overlooking arge town that was situated along ake. Numerous farms covered the vast northern ins beyond the town, and in the distance, you could see a dense treeline in every direction with what appeared like a barrier flowing upward and creating a dome that covered the entire area.


    "Oh wow!" Kana was amazed by the sight before her. "This is amazing! It''s like something right out of a fantasy VR game!" She''d yed a few games like that, but this was on another level. The town below looked simr to Japanese architecture from the early 20th century, and she could see people moving about in the distance.


    Kana looked over at her sister, who was standing still with her eyes closed as the wind blew through her hair. Akagi took a deep breath as she enjoyed in all the sensations and feelings that flowed to her. This world was different than Earth and it tickled something within her heart, something primal.


    "Everything alright?" Kana asked.


    <i>{She looks like she''s at peace.} </i>(Kana)


    "Yeah, it''s all good." Akagi opened her eyes and nced at her. "Just... it feels <em>nice</em> to be here." Akagi smiled.


    <i>{I suppose it makes senseto enjoy the flow of magic into my body. I''ve never got to feel something like this before, and its nice. This ce, it kind of feels like I''vee home.} </i>(Akagi_


    "Nice?" Kana tilted her head.


    "Probably because this world contains magic, Kana. I can feel it flow in and around me, as it swirls and dances through my body. It''s not something that exists on Earth, and I quite enjoy the sensation." Akagimented.


    "I don''t feel anything." Kana said.


    ¡°You''ll need to develop your magic senses a bit more before you start picking up on it, its subtle, but its here.¡± Akagi smiled.


    ¡°I suppose.¡± Kana nodded


    "However, its not just the magical energy that is making me feel these emotions. Staring down at the town it... it reminds me of my time in FWO. While the buildings are very different, it''s still a fantasy town." Akagiughed. "Perhaps I''m feeling a bit of nostalgia, that''s not something I ever expected."


    <i>{I guess I do kinda miss my time in FWO, though I''d much rather be back in the real world with my powers and my family.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I guess that makes sense. You spent nearly four years running around in what was basically a different world, so it''s only natural you have a fondness for it to an extent." Kana hoped Akagi would open up a bit more to her about her time in FWO now that they were in a familiar ce.


    Once they''d gotten their bearings, the two walked down the small hill and onto the road that led into the town. There were no walls surrounding the city, as the barrier covering the area kept out any monsters which might wander too close, so entering was easy. The two guards near the entrance stopped them briefly for an inspection and some questioning. But once they found out who the two girls were, they were allowed in with no issue.


    "This ce is even cooler up close!" Kana couldn''t stop looking around at the buildings. The streets were packed with stalls, and it seemed lively. The people who lived here were definitely Yokai, as Akagi pointed out the simrity between them and the creatures depicted in legends. There were big Yokai and small ones, most looked Humanoid, but many were more creature like in appearance withrge eyes, multiple feet and hands and other fantastical elements. However, after a bit of discussion, both girls pointed out that none of the residents looked <i>exactly</i> like the Yokai from the stories back home. They often looked close enough, but there were always differences. Akagi guessed this was the result of four thousand years of evolution in their new environment, a conclusion Kana agreed with.


    As the two walked down the main road, and Kana took in the strange environment, while Akagi got hit with a sense of Deja vu.


    "You know, this ce reminds me of Antkellion." Akagi thought for a moment. "The main street of that city was filled with merchants and different wares, like here, and it was always busy with all the shipsing into the port."


    <i>{That ce was always so fun to visit.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Was that a city in the Empire?" Kana asked. She''d only had a vague understanding of the FWO world, and didn''t know much about its geography or locations.


    "Yes, it was one of thergest cities on the Western half of the Eubora continent. Its harbor was connected to every major city along the coast, and you could find almost anything in its markets. It was also one of few ces you could get goods from areas not implemented in the Alpha, which you can imagine made it <i>very </i>important." Akagi smiled as she recalled her time in the city.


    "Did you spend a lot of time there? From what you said, I assume yes." Kana asked.


    "Yep. Actually, one of the merchants who ran arger tradingpany was quite a good friend of mine." Akagiughed. "Antenobrech was a funny man, he always had a joke for any situation, and could drink most people under the table."


    <i>{Except Ara. That cat was invincible when it came to drinking games.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I see..." Kana couldn''t bepletely happy since she knew that man no longer existed, which meant her sister lost a good friend. When FWO waspleted, the game world inside was deleted, and thus all the people who lived within it were destroyed. Without a second thought countless millions of people were wiped out.


    "He was a good man, Kana. I tried to recruit him on a few asions, but the old Dwarf just wanted to spend time with his family, and I chose to respect his decision." Akagi put on a fake smile. She clearly missed him and many others from the game world.


    "Isn''t there any way to bring those people back?" Kana asked. "Mizumi must have a way, right?"


    <i>{If she had the power to manipte the game world, surely there must be a way to recover at least a few people?} </i>(Kana)


    "She has never said anything about it, and as far as I know, once Hishya defeated Serval and cleared the game, that was the end. FWO was scrubbed from existence both on Mizumi''s and the devs end." Akagi looked into thepany behind the game a bit, but since it had closed and disbanded, it was hard to get information. All she knew was that the game was scrubbed once the people inside were freed.


    "It''s too bad. I kinda want to see the ce where you lived for all that time." Kana smiled.


    "It was a ce of both good and bad, Kana" Akagi said as the two turned a corner onto another street. "It was a beautiful ce, and one with so much to do and see. But it was also a dark and dirty world filled with horrors beyond yourprehension. For the residents, life was cheap, and death haunted them every day."


    <em>{I''ve seen more than one vige wiped off the face of the earth by a random monster attack.}</em>(Akagi)


    "It really was a whole different world, huh?" Kana said.


    "It was, and anyone who lived through it would tell you the same thing. You can ask Hishya a bit more about it if you''d like, as I''m sure the dragon has some fun stories to share." Akagi looked at the buildings around her. "This ce is a microcosm of that world, not quite the same, but any of us would feel the simrities." Akagi and Kana chatted for a bit more on the main street beforeing across the Inn Mizumi told them about.


    "The Wandering Spirit." Kana read its name. "It really is like we''re in a game." Sheughed.


    "But it''s real, don''t forget that, Kana." Akagi pointed to the people in the street. "These people, this world, it''s all real. Even more than the world in FWO."


    Kana nodded as the two headed inside.


    *DING!*


    A small bell rang as Akagi entered the front door. The inside of this ce brought back so many memories of her time in FWO. She''d spent more nights than she could count in ces like this, so it was <i>strange</i> seeing something like this again.


    "Hello!" A small tanuki girl greeted them from behind the counter. "How can I help you?" She gave a big smile.


    "Mizumi set up reservations for us for tonight and tomorrow. My name is Akagi, and this is Kana." Akagi walked over and exined who they were.


    <i>{That girl is so cute! Good thing Mika isn''t here, she''d probably pet her to death.} </i>(Kana)


    "Ah, yes! Lady Mizumi said guests of hers would being!" The tanuki girl rifled through a drawer. Here is your room key. The number on it matches the number of your room, and you can find the rooms up that stairway over there.¡± She pointed. ¡°Lunch and dinner times as well as our menu is listed on a board in the dining room. Please let me know if you need anything else!"


    <i>{Why am I getting the feeling that this little girl is more responsible and mature than like 99% of people I know? It''s because she is... isn''t she?} </i>(Kana)


    Akagi took the key, and the two went upstairs, acquainting themselves with their room. It was nice, though nothingpared to what they were used to at their home. Akagi flopped down onto the bed andughed as the bed creaked.


    "Man, it''s funny. I think part of me missed these lump mattresses and creaky beds." (Akagi)


    The room had two beds and a few other amenities. It wasn''t anything special, but that didn''t matter to Akagi.


    "Why is there an Inn in this town anyway?" Kana asked a good question. "It''s not like they get travelers."


    <i>{Seems like a very bad business decision.} </i>(Kana)


    "Food and rooms." Akagi lifted her head up. "Peoplee here to eat and also from what Mizumi told me, there isn''t enough housing for everyone yet. So this ce acts like apartments more than an Inn."


    <em>{This ce still needs tons of development, and construction seems to be proceeding mostly as nned. But things could always be faster.}</em>(Akagi)


    "That makes sense." Kana nodded. She looked around the room before sitting on the bed. "It''s quaint, I like it." She looked out the window which had a view of the main road. "So did you used to stay in ces like <em>this</em> a lot?" She asked, referring to the Inn room.


    "Yeah, in fact, Inns like this were basically my home for most of FWO." Akagi stood up. "Most of my time was spent traveling, either alone or with Yumi. So ces like this were a life saver."


    "Didn''t you have a home?" Kana asked. She recalled Akagi mention a base of her own during FWO.


    "Yes, but it was more a ce I used to keep items and where my followers lived than a true <i>home</i>." Akagi thought for a second. "I never had a proper home, mostly because sitting in one ce for too long wasn''t a good idea."


    <i>{The few times I tried having a home, it was burned down. Not very fun...} </i>(Akagi)


    "I assume that was because you were being hunted by yers?" Kana figured her status as an assassin lead her to being wanted.


    "yers <i>and</i> NPCs, though mostly NPCs to be honest. By the end of the game, the bounty on my head was over 126 Million gold coins. To put that in perspective, one gold coin is worth around one hundred yen."


    <u>(Since 100 yen is about one dor, her bounty would have been around 126 million USD)</u>


    "That''s crazy!" Kana was surprised. "That''s more than any bounty given out in the real world!"


    <i>{Just how many people did you piss off?!?} </i>(Kana)


    "It''s just how much people hated me, Kana." Akagiughed. "Come on. We can continue talking as we look around town. I want to see this ce a bit."


    Spoiler


    Omara! (Not Exactly a Perfect Picture)


    Akagi in Omara!


    [copse]

 Chapter 131 – The Spirits’ Wares.

    Chapter 131 ¨C The Spirits¡¯ Wares.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    2 Chaps!


    "This ce is even busier than that other street." Kana was wowed by the sheer number of stalls and people as the two wandered around. The two sisters had decided to check out the shopping district first, as both Akagi and Kana were keen to see what the Spirits had for sale.


    "Then, <i>this</i> must be the main bazaar." Akagi looked around. "I guess what we saw earlier was just another set of stalls, my mistake."


    "I''m surprised that they can have this many stands. It''s not like there''s any tradework, so how can they sustain something like this?" Kana thought it was a bit strange that such a small town could have what seemed to be a thriving economy.


    "You''re correct to point out the strange situation, however you''re im is not entirely urate." Akagi corrected her sister. "While it''s true that a single town of even thirty thousand people by itself couldn''t have this level economic traffic, it''s not alone. In fact, I have some of my people acting as the middleman for trade with Earth, and we''ve been helping ship goods in and out of Omara for a while. Most of this city has been built as a result of my management of resources, and most of the Yokai here are at least aware of the outside world and its importance. As for the rest, the Yokai seem to have a culture of crafting, so most people here likely made things themselves and do it either as a hobby, or a secondary source of ie."


    <i>{That was much more of a rational and sound answer than I expected from her. Has bing the Demon Lord given her some extra brainpower?} </i>Kanaughed in her head.


    "I didn''t know you were trading with this city. I don''t recall seeing anythingrge being moved in or out besides construction equipment." Kana was kept in the dark about a lot of Akagi''s family activities.


    "You probably just didn''t notice, since it''s not really that relevant to you." Akagi shrugged. "I can tell you more stuff about our operations if you''d like. But the question is, do you really care?"


    <i>{It''s not exactly the most entertaining thing in the world to sit in on meetings and discuss economic policy. Though my sick mind enjoys it.} </i>(Akagi)<i> </i>


    "Of course I do!" Kana eximed. "This is all important to you. So it will be important to me!"


    <i>{Why can''t you understand that I actually care about you and what you do?} </i>(Kana)


    "You''ve got your own stuff to worry about, Kana." Akagi waved her off. "I''ll keep you in the loop on certain things, but don''t forget to live your own life and handle your own stuff first."


    <i>{But YOU are my priority.} </i>Kana held back that thought, not wanting to get into a stupid argument.


    The two began checking out the many stalls in the main bazaar. The Yokai had arge variety of things, from handmade clothing to carvings and even jewelry. Kana even saw a few of Akagi''s family members shopping around. Apparently, they likeding here during their time off and the Yokai seemed to appreciate their tendency to spend copious amounts of money.


    "This is a really pretty kimono!" Kana said while she was looking at one created by a spider Yokai.


    "It''s made from my own silk." The spiderdy smiled, she seemed happy to have her work praised. "My n has long sewn all kinds of clothing, and I was taught by my mother since I was just a girl. In fact, the one I''m wearing right now is something I made myself." She spun around, which was a bit difficult because she was quiterge, to show it off.


    <i>{This woman is basically just a tiny Arachne.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Can I touch it?" Kana asked the spiderdy, who nodded.


    Kana slow reached out and grabbed the kimono, running her hands along it. It was incredibly soft, as if it was made from top quality silk. The only thing she couldpare it to was her sister''s kimono, though Akagi''s was still nicer.


    "Ahh." Akagi walked up behind her. "I believe that uses a simr type of silk to what my own is made of."


    <i>{Getting that was annoying, stupid bugs wouldn''t just calm down and let me farm them.} </i>(Akagi)


    "You said your outfit was made in the Empire, right?" Kana thought back to an earlier conversation.


    "Yes, I paid an insane price for ess to the best talents the Empire had, and used I the absolute best thread possible." Akagi grabbed the hem of her Kimono. "Mine is simr to that one, but its not made from Arachne silk. Rather I went after the threads of another creature named a Wyum. Think massive caterpir/silkworm." That was the best way to describe the creatures.


    "I think I''ve heard of something simr to that back in our old world." The Arachnedy spoke up. "Our silk is generally regarded as the best by humans and other outsiders, but in actuality, there are several monsters that produce something of even finer quality. Though obtaining it was very hard."


    "Regardless of what its made from, this kimono is amazing." Kana was entranced by it. It was a simple green color, simr to Akagi''s Hanten, and the Obi was light pink. While its sleeves were slightly oversized so they seemed to flow.


    "Do you want it?" Akagi asked. "I think it would look good on you. You could even wear it to the meeting tomorrow with the Council."


    "I can''t ask you to-" Kana was cut off as Akagi paid the Arachne woman for the Kimono, even giving a bit extra.


    <i>{Oops, silly me. The money just left my hand. Oh well.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Can you do some fitting?" Akagi asked.


    "Absolutely!" The Arachne grabbed Kana and pulled her behind some cloth that was hung behind her. "Let''s get started!"


    <i>{Wait!} </i>Kana squirmed but was powerless to resist.


    After a few minutes, Kana reappeared from behind the curtain wearing the Kimono. Akagi was right, it looked amazing on her.


    "See! Doesn''t that look nice?" Akagi smiled.


    "It''s like it was made for you." The Arachne woman agreed. Her big smile showed just how much she enjoyed putting people into her creations.


    Kana was a bit embarrassed and said nothing.


    "I''ll put it in storage for now. So it doesn''t get dirty from walking around." Akagi chuckled as Kana got changed and ced the Kimono in inventory.


    "Thank you!" The Arachnedy waved as the two sisters walked off.


    <i>{She was nice.} </i>(Akagi)


    "You didn''t need to do that..." Kana said quietly.


    "Why?" Akagi asked. "I already told you, money isn''t a problem."


    "It''s not the money, its that you spoil me too much..." Kana sighed.


    <i>{Hishya''s teasing about Onee-chan having a slight sisterplex wasn''t exactly wrong.} </i>(Kana)


    "And what''s the problem with that?" Akagi shrugged. "You''re my only little sister. What''s wrong with wanting to see you happy?" She had missed so many years with Kana, and Akagi wanted to make up for that, which meant a ''tiny'' bit of spoiling was inevitable.


    "Yeah, I know. But sometimes, it makes me feel bad." Kana said. "I don''t do anything for you..." She still felt like a burden on Akagi, since she was basically taking care of her.


    "You know that''s not true." Akagi quickly denied her im. "Just being here with me means more than you can imagine, so I''d say you do plenty."


    Kana sighed. "It''s just strange being given everything and not being able to give back. I know things are a bit unorthodox, but I''d still like to contribute sometimes."


    <i>{I just don''t like things being as one sided as they are. All I''ve been able to do is provide some emotional support, but is that really enough?} </i>(Kana)


    "If it bothers you so much, then we''ll figure something out." Akagi pat Kana on the head. "I still say that you don''t need to worry about it." Kana''s face told her that no matter what she said, her sister would still worry.


    <i>{I guess she''s just as stubborn as me.} </i>Akagiughed internally.


    The two continued browsing the many shops and stalls until Akagi came across something interesting. A group of what looked like children were selling carved toys and stuffed animals along the side of the street using a nket as a stand. They were all different kinds of Yokai ranging from Tengu to a type of fish folk.


    "Hello!" The small fish girl greeted Akagi.


    "Did you make these yourselves?" Akagi asked as she picked up a stuffed toy crow.


    "Yeah, we learned from our parents in our vige before..." The fish girl grew silent. Akagi figured these were war orphans, children left behind after the purging of the Spirits from the other world.


    "I see. I''m sorry you had to go through that." Akagi bent down and pat the girl on the head. "There''s a little girl back home that loves stuffed toys like this. How much for this little crow?"


    "Umm." the girl thought for a moment. "It''s this much!" She stuck out her hand showing a number.


    "Then I''ll give you this." Akagi stuck out her hand and ced one hundred times the amount of coins in her hand.


    "Wha!" The girl and the other children were taken aback by the crazy amount of money Akagi handed over. "We can''t-"


    "I already gave it over, so you can''t give it back." Akagi winked and grabbed the crow before walking back over to Kana.


    "Thank you nicedy!" The children called out to her. Akagi just waved without looking back as she went over to Kana. Akagi might not <i>like</i> children per se, but she also hated to see them mistreated or suffer. Most likely because it reminded her of herself and her childhood.


    "What was that all about?" Kana asked.


    "Just some kids." Akagi shrugged. "And I figured Alice would like this toy." She showed Kana the stuffed crow.


    <i>{It''s pretty basic.} </i>(Kana)


    "I think she will, but doesn''t she have enough stuffed animals in her room." Kana had seen the mountain of plushies and other stuffed toys in Alice''s collection.


    "If you think that''s bad, then never ask her to show you what''s in her inventory." Akagiughed as she put the stuffed toy away. "Now then, what say we break for lunch?" She asked, hearing Kana''s stomach growl. "The ce we''re staying serves it in about fifteen minutes, so why don''t we start heading back? We should arrive right on time."


    "Sounds good to me. I wonder what kind of lunch they have." Kana was interested in the food being served and was curious to try some local cuisine.


    "I hate to put a damper on your excitement, but the food will probably be not that amazing." Akagiughed. "I suspect that it will be fine by this world''s standards, butpared to what you''re used to it might be a bitcking."


    <i>{If its anything like most food in FWO, she''s gonna be disappointed.} </i>(Akagi)


    The two went back to the inn they were staying at and found it much busier than this morning. People were sitting at different tables eating lunch, and the variety of Yokai they saw only went up.


    The food provided was actually a bit more interesting than Akagi expected. It was a simple sandwich with some vegetable soup, but this was beyond the gruel that was expected. The two sisters went and sat at one of the tables near a window across from each other as they dug in.


    "This is actually not too bad. Its definitely worse quality wise that what we have at home, but its surprisinglypetent." Kana said as she took a bite.


    "Yeah, I''m surprised. I expected it to be like the food in FWO." Akagi shivered, recalling how bad <i>most </i>food tasted in-game.


    "Your reaction tells me it wasn''t a pleasant memory." Kanaughed.


    "Let''s just say we valued anything that tasted better than cardboard." Akagi gave a wry smile. There <i>was </i>good food in the game. But it was much harder toe by and required proper preparation.


    The two chatted as they had their lunch together until a group of three spirits wearing armor and carrying swords entered the inn. It seemed they were some kind of exploration party who had just returned from beyond the barrier.


    "Loud, aren''t they." Akagi rolled her eyes. Whoever they were, she wanted them to use their inside voices.


    "They''re <i>jovial.</i>" Kanaughed nervously.


    "Hey, you two!" The single male in the group yelled as he walked over. "Get out of our seats." The man was quite tall and had two horns sticking out of the sides of his head. Akagi had no idea what race he was and didn''t care.


    <i>{Why...} </i>(Akagi)


    "And now this is happening." Akagi sighed. ¡°Fucking great!¡±


    "Just try not to do anything too rash, Onee-chan." Kana groaned, knowing this wasn''t going to end well.


    "Didn''t you hear me?" The horned man put his hands on the table. "This table is reserved for the exploration team only, so get lost!"


    "Oh, I heard you. I''m just choosing to ignore you. Perhapse back when you have something interesting to say." Akagi red at him.


    "What''s going on?" The Elf woman with pink hair in his group came over. "Everything alright, Ferrix?"


    "Don''t get involved, Mami. Everything will be fine once these two leave our table!" Ferrix mmed down on the wooden table, causing Kana to flinch.


    <i>{I swear, people just WANT me to fucking eat them...} </i>(Akagi)


    "And why is there a human in here anyway?" Ferrix turned to Kana. "Such a disgusting creature is dirtying our home! How can the Council allow their kind in here when they did so much to us!"


    "Uh, wait, Ferrix..." The Elf woman seemed a bit concerned about something, but Ferrix ignored her.


    <i>{Why do I get the feeling that this is someone we shouldn''t mess with?} </i>Mami felt like she''d seen Akagi''s face somewhere before.


    "Your kind should all be ripped to pieces, human. I don''t know why you''re here, but you should leave! Now!" Ferrix eximed, his voice causing the inn to go silent.


    "Are you done?" Akagi stood up. "Because, I don''t appreciate you talking like that to my sister."


    "A human and a woman with orange and ck eyes..." The third member of their party walked over. She was an Oni with short blue hair. "Why does that-" She recalled something posted around town before they left on their most recent expedition. "Oh, fuck..."


    <i>{Wait she''s the!} </i>(Shisa)


    "You know, Kana and I were discussing <i>dessert,</i> and well, low and behold a volunteer snack shows up!" Akagi gave a smile that belied her anger. "It would be rude for me <i>not </i>to eat that which was provided for me.¡±


    <i>{Oh boy, she''s pissed.} </i>(Kana)


    "Wait, Wait, Wait!" The Oni woman intervened, stepping between Akagi and Ferrix. "I''m so sorry for him. We''ve been out in the forest for a while, but I recall seeing a posting about you in the city center." She tried to stop this from escting further. "You''re the Demon Lord Akagi, right?" Her words caused some murmuring in the inn.


    "What?" Ferrix went wide-eyed.


    <i>{Demon Lord?} </i>(Ferrix)


    <i><b>"Yes, I am."</b></i> Akagi allowed her voice to distort.<i><b> </b></i>She''d had been hiding her presence since she got to this world. Mostly because she didn''t want to cause a panic as Spirits were even more attuned to her aura than normal people. Mizumi had informed people about Akagi before she arrived in Omara, but it seems most people assumed Akagi was some kind of Yokai and didn''t recognize her until just now. <i><b>"Now, remind me what was that about my sister being a disgusting creature?"</b></i>


    Spoiler


    Kana''s Kimono!


    Ferrix!


    Shisa!


    Mami!


    [copse]

 Chapter 132 – What a Fun Conversation.

    Chapter 132 ¨C What a Fun Conversation.


    *BANG*


    *CRASH*


    *TUMBLE*


    *SMACK*


    Akagi grabbed the horned man by his neck and threw him through the wall of the inn, sending him tumbling into the street, and causing passerbys to scream.


    "Ack!" Ferrix cried out in pain as he hit the ground, while Akagi stood in the hole in the wall andughed.


    <i><b>"I''ll repair the damage after, so don''t worry little tanuki." </b></i>She looked at the little girl from earlier and chucked a bag of coins to her. The young girl looked inside before zipping it shut and returning a nervous smile, then running into the kitchen area to stay away from this mess. <i><b>"Now, back to you." </b></i>Akagi hopped down into the street and started walking towards the disoriented man.


    "This is bad..." Shisa panicked as she turned to Kana. "Can you please do something to stop her?!? I know Ferrix is an ass, but she''s going to kill him!"


    <i>{Dammit! Why did that dumbass have to run his mouth?!? I told him that one day he was going to piss off the wrong person!} </i>(Shisa)


    Kana gave a dryugh at the Oni''s request. "That''s funny, you think I can stop her." Kana took a sip of her drink. "Once Onee-chan gets like this, even Yumi can''t do much about it." She sighed. "I did ask her not to do anything rash, so maybe she''ll just <i>y </i>with him a bit."


    <i>{I hope.}</i> Kana wasn''t exactly confident about Ferrix''s chances.


    "If you want my advice, don''t try to stop her." Kana looked at the Elf woman. "You two can''t do anything to stop her, and if things start to escte, Onee-chan might switch from <i>y </i>to <i>kill</i>..."


    <i>{Hopefully not, I''d rather not have to watch her kill someone else if I don''t have to.} </i>(Kana)


    Neither woman was thrilled with Kana''s response, but didn''t have the time to discuss things further.


    "Well, whatever we do, we need to do quickly!" Mami said. "Shisa, we can''t just stand here while she kills him!" The Elf hopped down into the street and put herself between Akagi and Ferrix.


    "Dammit!" Shisa followed suit, and the two stood with their hands out to try and calm Akagi down.


    "Hold on! Please stop!" Shisa eximed as she iled her arms. "Listen, I''m sorry for what Ferrix said. We''ll handle him and make sure he''s punished, so there''s no reason to take this any further."


    "Yeah, I think you''ve made your point." Mami was a bit nervous as Akagi was sending out her aura to everyone nearby. ¡°Let''s not have any more violence please.¡±


    <i><b>"No reason?" </b></i>Akagi scoffed. <i><b>"That bastard insulted my sister to her face as I sat right next to her! He called her a disgusting creature!" </b></i>She was agitated with the man.<i><b> "I''d say that''s more than enough reason to torment him a bit" </b></i>Akagi grinned. <i><b>"So get out of my way, unless you want to join your friend."</b></i>


    <i>{Yeah, fighting is out of the question. Lady Mizumi was clear that not only can we not defeat her, but she could wipe us all out in an instant if we pissed her off.} </i>Shisa was put in a bind. She couldn''t just sit and watch Akagi kill Ferrix, but she also couldn''t do anything to stop Akagi.


    *Cough* *Cough* Ferrix slowly stood up. "You bitch!" He yelled at Akagi. "I''ll fucking kill you!"


    "Ferrix, knock it off!" Mami yelled at him. "You''re not helping matters by running your mouth!"


    <i>{Don''t you understand the situation you idiot?!?} </i>(Mami)


    "Shut the hell up!" Ferrix wiped the blood from his mouth. "I''m not afraid of some stupid <i>Demon</i>." He reached down for his de.


    <i><b>"Careful little Spirit." </b></i>Akagi''s voice caused him to freeze. <i><b>"At the moment, I have no intention of killing you. But if you draw that de, it will be thest mistake you ever make." </b></i>She was serious. As of now, she was only doing this to prove a point and y with him. After all, Kana did ask her not to go too far. But if someone pointed a de at her, all bets were off.


    <i>{Go ahead, make my day.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Ferrix!" Mami looked back at him. "She''s serious! Don''t do anything to make this worse!"


    <i>{If you draw that de, shits going to get out of hand REALLY fast.} </i>(Shisa)


    Seeing how bad things were, he calmed down a bit and took his hand away from his de.


    <i><b>"Good choice." </b></i>Akagiughed. <i><b>"I think we''re done anyway." </b></i>She nced up at the roof of a nearby building. <i><b>"Looks like the fun police have arrived." </b></i>


    "I''d rather you not refer to me in such a way." Standing on top of the building behind the three Spirits was a blue-haired woman wearing a blue dress with a red bow. On her head was a small top hat, and she wore a red hair band that kept her long hair in check. She looked at the three exploration team members and sighed, hopping down to the street below.


    "Lady Mizumi!" (Ferrix, Mami, and Shisa)


    "Wait! That''s Mizumi?!?" Kana yelled from the inn.


    "Now, would you three like to exin why you''ve antagonized the Demon Lord after I <i>explicitly </i>told everyone not to cause her or her sister any trouble." She was angry, something Akagi had never seen before.


    "I''m so sorry, Lady Mizumi." Shisa bowed. "We left on the day your notice was circted, and we didn''t recognize her at first. Ferrix ended up acting rudely towards her and things nearly escted out of control."


    Mizumi looked at Akagi and bowed slightly. "Please forgive this foolish man. I am terribly sorry that your time with Kana was interrupted, and it is uneptable for a guest of mine to be harassed like this. If you''ll allow it, I''ll see that these three are punished ordingly." Everyone was shocked to see Mizumi, a high-ranking spirit, bow to Akagi.


    <i>{Ah, its so nice to see people respect their ce in the pecking order.} </i>Akagi giggled internally at this very formal act from Mizumi.


    "Fine." Akagi returned her voice to normal. "I just wanted to y a bit, so do with them as you wish." She snapped her fingers and fixed the damage to the inn. "Now, if you''ll excuse me, I''ve got things to do.¡± She went back inside to finish her lunch with Kana.


    Mizumi stuck her head in her hands and groaned. "You three areing with me. <em>Now</em>!" She teleported them back with her to the main building where the Council met for a massive scolding.


    Once things settled down, and they finished their lunch, Kana and Akagi continued their sightseeing tour of the city. They headed toward the part of the city that dealt more with entertainment rather than shopping. As the two walked around, they checked out the different shops and other interesting ces, including one that sold unique musical instruments While they checked out the inside, Akagimented that the shop didn''t sell violins.


    ¡°Why do you even care?¡± Kana asked while inspecting what appeared to be a hurdy-gurdy.


    ¡°What?¡± Akagi was puzzled by her sisters question beforeing to a realization. ¡°Oh that''s right you don''t know.


    ¡°Don''t know what?¡± Now it was Kana''s turn to be confused.


    ¡°I can y the violin, quite well in fact.¡± Akagi said with great pride.


    ¡°Wait what?!?¡± Kana eximed. ¡°Since when could <i>you </i>y a violin?¡±


    ¡°Since I was around ten?¡± Akagi thought back. ¡°Yeah, I think I picked up the violin around then, and I''ve practiced ever since, even in FWO.¡±


    ¡°That''s gotta be a lie! I''ve never <i>once</i> seen you even pick up a violin! Let alone y one!¡± Kana didn''t believe her.


    ¡°For the longest time I yed in VR until I got a real one. I think I picked up my first physical violin on my sixteenth birthday.¡± Akagi went through her memories.


    ¡°And why was I never made aware of this? I think I''d''ve noticed a violin in your room.¡± Kana still didn''t believe her.


    ¡°I hid it away of course, and I never told you, so you couldn''t have known.¡± Akagi sighed.


    ¡°Why would you hide it?¡± Kana asked. ¡°And where?¡±


    ¡°The <i>why</i> should be obvious, Shima or Taichi would have destroyed the fucking thing like they did to lots of other crap I bought over the years.¡± Akagi growled. She never did forgive them for smashing that Saturn she''d found at a garage sale.


    ¡°I want to say you''re wrong, but I cant.¡± Kana gave a wry smile. ¡°I know they smashed or junked other things of yours, and I wouldn''t put it past them to destroy a violin, lord knows they hated our recorders from school.¡±


    <em>{I specifically recall mom telling me that if she heard me y that thing in the house one more time, she would shove somewhere Mr. Kimaguchi wouldn''t appreciate.} </em>(Kana)


    ¡°Hence why I never yed it at home.¡± Akagi said. ¡°As for where it was, I hid it within the crawlspace in the wall behind some fake drywall, so they''d never find it. It was still there even after FWO, so I assume they never did.¡± Akagiughed.


    ¡°I guess, but why haven''t I heard you y it at the house since you got back?¡± Kana had never once heard violin music being yed at the estate.


    ¡°I usually y it when you are asleep or not around. I wasn''t hiding it, you just were never around or awake when I yed. When we get back, I''ll y a bit for you.¡± Akagi smiled.


    ¡°I''d love that!¡± Kana smiled back.


    <i>{I can''t wait to see it! I never imagined that she would actually take up ying an instrument. But I guess it makes sense, she is a massive audiophile.} </i>(Kana)


    Once they finished up in the music store, the two sisters continued to walk around the entertainment area until eventually they came across what seemed like a theater with an advertisement for uing ys, and Kana made note of one that was being put on tomorrow night and rmended going, something Akagi happily agreed to.


    After a bit more walking, Kana brought up something she''d wanted to discuss but forgot. "So that was Mizumi earlier, right?" She knew the Spirit could change her appearance but she''d never seen Mizumi do so.


    "Yeah, I''d never mistake her energy." Akagi replied.


    <i>{This was the first time I''d seen her look like that as well, so it was a bit strange for me too.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Why did she look so <i>different?</i>" Kana thought it was strange how she looked like an adult but had a strange outfit on.


    "When she''s acting in her official capacity, she changes into an adult form She said it was something about honor, dignity and formality." Akagi shrugged. "Her outfit was most likely just something she likes." Akagi didn''t really care what Mizumi wore, and the outfit was actually kind of cute, at least in her opinion.


    <i>{And then you have me who shows up to official n meetings in bunny form just because I feel like it.} </i>Akagi''s tendency to do random things had caused many headaches for her people. <i>{Its worth it though, not only does everyone have to handle the crazy situation of speaking to me as a rabbit, but Yumi pets me.}</i>


    "I guess." Kana didn''t really get it. "But anyway, thank you for not going overboard earlier. I know you probably wanted to eat that guy." Kana might be a bit desensitized to Akagi''s <i>overboard </i>since most people would consider throwing a man through a building to be a bit much.


    The two wandered around a bit more before Kana tried to turn a corner into a smaller street, only to have Akagi grab her shoulder and jerk her back.


    "Hey!" Kana eximed. "What''s wrong?!?"


    "Kana." Akagi sighed. "That is <i>not</i> where you should be going."


    "Why?" Kana turned around and tilted her head.


    "Because that way... that way leads to the <i>entertainment</i> district." Akagi didn''t really want to have this discussion with her soon-to-be seventeen-year-old sister.


    "Entertainment?" Kana looked down the street and realized exactly what Akagi meant, her face getting bright red.


    "Yeah, you shouldn''t be going there." Akagiughed, and the two went to a nearby park bench to sit down since Kana was struggling a bit.


    "You alright?" Akagi pat her on the head. "That''s not exactly something you should see at your age. Sorry I didn''t realize what it was until it was toote." Akagi was quite familiar with such ces and instantly picked up on what that street was, though not before Kana turned the corner.


    "Yeah, I''m good." Kana''s ears were still red. "How did you know anyway?"


    "I went to a lot of ces during FWO due to the nature of my work. And well, as you can imagine, the Red Light District has a very seedy underbelly..." Akagi had routinely had contracts for assassination eithere out of the Red Light District or she''d been asked to kill people in such a ce.


    "Please don''t tell me you went to a...." Kana couldn''t finish her sentence. She was too embarrassed.


    "A brothel?" Akagiughed. "I''ve been to one before, but that was because the owner was a target. I never went to one for its intended use though. However, <i>many </i>yers did, as risk-free fun was <i>very </i>popr and the stress of being in a death game <i>loosened</i> morals quite a bit." Kana knew <i>exactly </i>what she meant and turned redder.


    "Hishya?" Kana meekly asked, hoping her girlfriend never went.


    "Can''t say." Akagi shrugged. "Wouldn''t shock me if she did though. Lots of stress in that job of hers, what with being the leader of the Assault Team. Besides, those were virtual bodies anyway, so it didn''t really matter." Getting Hishya to admit it if she did would be like pulling teeth, even for Kana or Akagi.


    Kana sighed. "I could have gone without such knowledge, Onee-chan."


    "I mean, I don''t exactly want to have this conversation either, Kana." Akagi gave a wry smile. ¡°Also <i>you</i> asked me. So don''t act like I''m just oversharing for no reason.¡±


    "I''m actually kind of surprised you never went into such a ce." Kana nced up at her. "Knowing your <i>tastes,</i> I figured you''d be very interested." Kana knew all too well how much Akagi used to like cat-girls in anime.


    <i>{I figured Onee-chan would have gone to a cat-caf¨¦brothel.} </i>(Kana)


    "Well, <i>sorry </i>that I like cat girls." Akagi poked Kana in the forehead. "Though, while I never went to a brothel, I did spend a bunch of time with Geisha in the district. That was always a fun time, and I spent more nights than I''d like to admit in such ces." Akagi had enjoyed the social and drinking aspect, and having a bunch of beautiful women around her was something she enjoyed back then. ¡°I tried to get Hishya toe with once, but she refused something fierce!¡±


    "What!" Kana stood up really fast. "You did something so disgusting! And you tried dragging Hishya down with you?!?"


    <i>{Why was my sister doing such things?!?} </i>(Kana)


    "What''s so disgusting?" Akagi asked. "We spent the night drinking and talking, that''s all. Have you ever seen one of those old Samurai movies? Where the main character goes to a ce with a bunch of women in kimonos where they sit around a table and drink and talk?"


    "Well yeah, but that''s just a euphemism for what they <i>really</i> did at such ces!" Kana said.


    <i>{We both know the truth!} </i>(Kana)


    "No, it''s not?" Akagi looked at Kana like she was dumb. "Kana, you do realize that a courtesan does more than just sleep with clients, right? And Geisha''s are not prostitutes, you''re confusing them with Oiran." This was amon mix-up.


    "Does that really matter?!?" Kana was still stuck on this point.


    "Yeah?" Akagi was still dumbfounded by Kana. "There is a <i>major </i>difference between a courtesan who provides nightly services and those who didn''t. Trust me, plenty of men just wanted women to talk to while they got drunk, and Geisha tend to be quite adept hostesses. Sleeping with them was generally not allowed." Akagi was a much better student of history than Kana, so she knew more about this bit of human culture.


    "Do you do that stuff now?!?" Kana wanted to know if Akagi was still as bad today.


    <i>{I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU GO TO TOKYO FOR SUCH THINGS!} </i>(Kana)


    "No." Akagi shook her head. "I''ve got Yumi if I want more <em>intimate </empany, and I really <i>don''t</i> to be honest. Plus, any of the members of the family would dly drink with me and we actually have regr social sessions at the house. On top of that, you idiot, recall that I no longer have a sex drive or libido. So I have no <i>desire </i>or <i>needs</i> that need to be taken care of in that department." Akagi stopped for a moment. "Why am I talking to my sister about this?" She groaned.


    "So, to answer your question. <i>No</i>, I do not visit such ces anymore. Nor do I engage in more <i>untoward </i>activities with members of the family. Bing a <i>Demon</i> has dulled <i>that</i> part of my mind almostpletely, and I don''t miss it." She shrugged.


    <i>{Losing that stupid mortal desire was one of the best aspects of bing an incorporeal being, only second to no longer being made of disgusting flesh and squishy organs, I hated that stupid inbuilt biological drive. It was aggravating and got on my nerves.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Why don''t I believe you?" Kana sighed. "Something is telling me that Chloe is getting more than just pets from you!" Chloe was quite close to Akagi, and Kana had seen enough ear scratches to get suspicious.


    "Well, go and believe whatever you want, but I would never betray Yumi by seeking such acts from anyone else. I might not adhere to human senses of romance, but the idea of cheating is still a thing, Kana." Akagi rolled her eyes. "Also, I <i>do not</i> sleep with my followers. That''s a rule I have, and trust me, I know many who''d go for it in a heartbeat." Akagi knew Chloe would be down for it, and it took all of the <em>Demon''s </em>willpower during FWO never to give in to the temptation.


    <i>{RIP Hishya. Sorry little dragon, but Kana''s probably gonna grill you when we get back. I hope for your sake the hero stayed pure.} </i>Akagiughed in her mind a she imagined the scene of Hishya being scolded by Kana while sitting on her bed.


    Spoiler


    Adult Mizumi!


    [copse]

 Chapter 133 – A Bit More Knowledge.

    Chapter 133 ¨C A Bit More Knowledge.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    3 Chaps. Just like before, as I went back and edited this arc, I added a few extra chapters in where I felt them needed. Thus there will be half chapters, and like before they are full chapters part of the main story.


    While the <i>awkward</i> conversation between Akagi and Kana continued, Mizumi brought the three Spirits from earlier to the Council''s main building. She pulled them into her office and wasying into them for their mistake, and her anger left her unable to hold back.


    "YOU FOOLS!" Mizumi screamed. "One wrong move and our entire <em>people</em> could''ve been wiped out! I deliberately put out that warning to ensure that nothing stupid like this would happen, but I guess that wasn''t enough!"


    <i>{Even if these three are part of the exploration team, how could they have missed this? I informed their leadership of Akagi''s presence in the city! Did they not pass things along? Dammit Kumora!} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Lady, Mizumi-" Shisa tried to speak but was cut off.


    "No! No excuses, no buts, no <em>nothing</em>! I don''t care that only Ferrix did anything wrong, and I don''t care that you left the city on the day I gave that warning. Akagi can eliminate this <em>entire</em> <em>world</em> with thought, and even if she didn''t have the anchor in her grasp, she could genocide our entire people with no issue." Mizumi took a deep breath before ring at Shisa and Mami. "You two should have controlled him better and stopped things before they got out of hand. End of story."


    <i>{Even if it wasn''t Akagi, a member of the exploration team shouldn''t be acting like that, and from what I''ve heard Ferrix has a history.} </i>(Mizumi)


    The two women red at Ferrix, who was trying to avoid eye contact.


    "I will rmend punishment for the three of you to the Council, and I shall speak with Kumora about further discipline. I''m sorry, but I risk Akagi getting upset with us or seeking her own form of justice if I choose to let you off lightly." (Mizumi)


    "It''s ridiculous that we have to cower before some <em>Demon</em>." Ferrix said under his breath, but Mizumi heard him.


    "She''s not just <i>some</i> <i>Demon</i>, you idiot!" Mizumi eximed. "She is the <em>Demon Lord</em>, a being that exists for nothing but destruction. Akagi is the literal incarnation of evil! Have you forgotten what happened thest time one of her kind appeared?!?"


    "Didn''t we defeat that Demon Lord though?" Ferrix scoffed. "If we beat one once, we can do it again."


    "What we defeated was effectively a <i>baby</i> Demon Lord, Ferrix." Mizumi corrected him. "The one from our former world was young and undeveloped. Akagi is a fully-fledged and realized Demon Lord. Her power is on apletely different level, and even if you take away her ability to destroy us via the Anchor, we could <em>never</em> defeat her in a fight."


    <i>{Not to mention, the only reason we beat Vikes was because the gods descended and used vessels to fight him directly! We have no such luxury here!} </i>(Mizumi)


    "I still think you''re exaggerating." Ferrix shrugged. "The Council is right, you''ve let yourself get too involved with that <i>Demon</i> and the other world to keep an objective mind. And Councilor Onmiyame is right to question if she''s even the Demon Lord in the first ce. The only proof you have is those ancient texts and <em>your</em> trustworthiness hase into question due to your rtionship to her!" In the past, it was unthinkable that <em>any</em> Spirit would speak to Mizumi in such a way, but this was bing the norm within Omara''s political ss. Since they''d arrived, the factions within Spirit society have begun to bicker and fight now that the threat of annihtion was over. The Trading Guilds under Momorma had been the only reasonable voice in Spirit Politics, but his power was much too weak at the moment. The Exploration Team under Kumora should have been apolitical, but in practice she''d been using her position to umte power. While the other members of Spirit ''nobility'' were constantly vying for concessions, privileges and kickbacks.


    This political maneuvering and tant corruption caused Mizumi no end of conflict with the Spirit Council since they''d first made contact with Earth. Freed from the threats to their power, the Council had gotten back into its bad habits and the wartime unity had entirely disappeared. No matter what world you were from, politics was always at y.


    Despite her high status, Mizumi did not have control over the rest of her people, and was more of an advisor than anything. The Council treated her respectfully on the surface, but it had intensified its efforts to undermine her position ever since Akagi''s status as a Demon Lord was revealed. Her most recent trip with Kukurihime had only caused further arguments and bickering, and currently, the Council was unwilling to even ept Akagi''s status as a Demon Lord.


    "Go ahead and call me crazy or foolish, but I will not allow you or anyone else to put this world and our people at risk!" Mizumi said. "I know what she is. S<i>he</i> knows what she is. And I''ve watched her <i>eat</i> souls, something we all know can''t be done under normal circumstances!" She continued. "Lucky for us, <i>this </i>Demon Lord can bemunicated with, and is uninterested in mindless ughter. But that part of her still exists, and she''s willing and able to flip that switch!"


    <i>{I know damn well what Akagi can be like if she really wants to be. She might normally be a kind person, but piss her off and she''ll have no problem reminding everyone what lurks within.} </i>(Mizumi)


    Once she was finished her lecture, Mizumi called for some guards to escort the three of them to holding cells until they could be punishedter. After they left, she walked over to the window behind her desk and leaned her head against it, staring into the city below.


    "That fool Onmiyame just wants to consolidate his own power, and he''s been more than happy to use the chaos of our exile to build his faction and increase his control over our people.¡± Mizumi groaned. ¡°And the rest of the Council! The second we get peace, they get right back to their politics!¡±


    <i>{Even Shinlua has been reluctant to take things seriously! And she''s not even part of the normal cliques!}</i> (Mizumi)


    ¡°They don''t respect me because I was the youngest high spirit and treat me like a fool! GAH!¡± She as she ran her hands through her hair in fury. ¡°If Hymone was here, he could handle these idiots, but its up to me...¡±


    <i>{If... if things don''t improve. If the Council continues to put our people in danger... I might have to take drastic measures, its my duty to keep our people safe... even from our own leaders.}</i> (Mizumi)


    She stared out into the city looking upon the bright and happy world they''d begun to call home, as her stomach was twisted in knots. She could only hope the Council would heed her warnings and give Akagi the respect she deserved, lest this new home turn into their and everyone''s graves.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    Kana and Akagi had finally finished their conversation about <i>activities</i> and moved on to their continued exploration of the city.


    "This ce really is impressive." Kana said as they looked out upon the massiveke next to the city. "They really built all this in only a few months?"


    "From what Mizumi told me, the Spirits were basically in stasis until the transfer wasplete, so they''ve had maybe around a year to build this." Akagi exined. "This ce was much less developed until I started pouring resources into it though."


    <i>{She hasn''t given me too much information about things, not that I really need knowledge of world traveling at the moment.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I imagine all the assistance you''ve been giving sped it up quite a bit." Kana said as the wind blew through her hair.


    "Modern building equipment and techniques really helped make things go faster." Akagi replied. "It''s been busy, but I put a team on doing all that stuff. Albrecht is quite the supervisor, and that man could create a metropolis in the Sahara if I gave him the time and resources. When things get up and running on Earth, I''ll have to start drafting city ns with him."


    "You''re going to build a town? Around the estate?" Kana looked at her. "I guess that makes sense, but is that even necessary?" Akagi only had around a hundred people, and the number of FWO survivors that woulde was likely small.


    "That mindset is because you''re not thinking in the long term, Kana." Akagi smiled.


    "Long term? I guess a few years isn''t that long when discussing a country." Kana thought about it for a minute. "Even if you get more people and they had children and such, you wouldn''t have that many. Maybe after a few decades, you''d have arge enough group."


    Akagi shook her head. "Long term for me, Kana, is in thousands, not tens of years." She nced at her. "Remember, I am a being that has no concept of lifespan or time for that matter. In a thousand years, I''ll still be here, and I need to n for that." Akagi was ageless and was no longer bound to the limited scope of a human lifespan.


    "Y-yeah, that''s right." Kana had a hard time understanding something like that. She was only sixteen, and even just ten years seemed like a lifetime for her, let alone one hundred.


    <i>{I suppose, depending on how things go, I''ll be here for the end of it all. Huh?} </i>It was an amusing thought, but Akagi pushed it aside for now.


    "That''s not relevant right now anyway. It just means that I''ve got all the time in the world to think about things." Akagiughed.


    "More like you''ll have all the time in the world toze around and do nothing." Kanaughed.


    "Yeah, just like in FWO where I did nothing at all." Akagi rolled her eyes. She did spend a lot of time having fun though.


    "What <i>did</i> you do when you weren''t out on a job anyway?" Kana asked. It was something she''d wanted to know for some time.


    "Besides hanging out in ces like we discussed before? I spent a lot of time traveling checking out the world and seeing the sights. I actually want to do that back on Earth once I get the chance." Akagi recalled some fond memories of trekking across the continent. "Discovering local cuisine, seeingndmarks, and just generally taking things in. Yumi and I hit up just about every interesting ce you could imagine. I also enjoyed honing my skills and pushing my abilities to their limits."


    "Huh." Kana was kind of impressed. She never thought Akagi would act in such a <i>mundane </i>manner.


    "Also dealing with the countless bounty hunters. Yumi and I made a game out of killing them in creative ways." Akagiughed.


    "For a moment there, I thought you could be normal. I see now that I was na?ve and foolish for thinking so." Kana sighed.


    <em>{Some days I forget just what kind of things you do for a living. Then I turn on the news and see a report that you took out some business mogul. People at school were even specting that it was you who wacked the BrazilianPresidentst week.}</em>(Kana)


    "Hey, don''t me me." Akagi shrugged. "They came for me, not the other way around."


    The two continued to traverse the town and Akagi discussed a bit more about her time in FWO, telling Kana a few interesting stories about some of the more interesting locations she''d seen.


    ¡°My favorite ce was actually the Great Northern Falls in Galicen, they were massive, evenrger than Victoria Falls.¡± Akagi continued. ¡°There was a small vige nearby, I think it was named Hypa? Anyway, the vigers were a nice bunch and they really liked it when people came to their town to enjoy the local ecosystem and see the falls. They even had a unique religion that worshiped a god that created those falls in their folklore.¡±


    ¡°Huh, sounds like the devs put a lot of work into things like that.¡± Kana said.


    ¡°Yeah, there were a few ces like that throughout the continent, and while most were little more than something for sightseeing, a few like the Dragon Graveyard had more significance.¡± Akagi ran through her memories on the location.


    ¡°Dragon Graveyard? I assume it was a ce with lots of dragon bones.¡± Kana figured the name told you what it was.


    ¡°Yes, the name is pretty self exnatory. However it was a really cool ce, and more importantly, its the location where your girlfriend was transformed, and Kira''s home was close by.¡±


    ¡°Really? You said Hishya became a dragon because of a quest, but what did that have to do with dead dragons?¡± Kana asked.


    ¡°Its a long story, and you can ask her more about itter, but the end of the quest required her to fight and defeat a massive skeletal dragon in the graveyard. Once she did that, she was given the ability to be a dragon via one of the bosses bones.¡± Akagi smiled. ¡°At the time, we had no clue what the ending of that questline would be, and it was crazy difficult. But damn was the reward sweet.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Why didn''t you do it then?¡± Kana asked, she knew her sister was an optimizer and loved finding secrets in game. So it was strange that she hadn''t gone after something so rare as well.


    ¡°Well by then I''d already be a shadow, and on top of that. My build wasn''t really good at dealing with the challenges that questline presented.¡± Akagi gave a wry smile. ¡°Back then, fighting a boss on my own wasn''t going to be easy and I could have died. Do recall that my kit was designed to kill <em>yers</em>, not monsters.¡±


    <i>{That bone dragon was also something else as well. Hishya only barely managed to win, I doubt I could have pulled it off at the time.} </i>(Akagi)


    ¡°I can''t imagine you being a dragon, that would be strange.¡± Kanaughed.


    ¡°Well, I mean.¡± Akagi chuckled. ¡°I <i>can</i> turn into one.¡±


    ¡°Wait what?¡± Kana''sughter stopped. ¡°Since when?!?¡±


    ¡°Remember, I can transform into <i>anything</i> with my powers.¡± Akagi lightly bonked her on the head. ¡°Dragon is just a shape, so bing one, at least in appearance, is easy.¡±


    ¡°T-true.¡± Kana swiped at Akagi hand. ¡°I sometimes forget that aspect of your powers. But when did you transform into something like that?¡±


    Akagi went through her memories. ¡°A while ago, I think it was around the time that Hishya first tried out her full dragon body. I was curious how well I could mimic it, and the results were surprisingly good.¡±


    <i>{Though I really have no use for it.} </i>(Akagi)


    ¡°I kinda want to see it.¡± Kana smiled.


    ¡°I''ll show you at some point, but just don''t go telling Hishya. The poor girl would get jealous. Believe it or not, she likes being the world''s only dragon.¡± Akagi put her finger to her lips.


    ¡°Don''t worry, I''m good at keeping secrets. Like how I''ve never told anyone about her pillow hoard!¡± Kana smiled, but then pped her hand over her mouth.


    ¡°Good job keeping those secrets...¡± Akagi sighed.


    ¡°You. Heard. Nothing!¡± Kana red at her.


    ¡°I''d say I''ll forget about it, but that''s literally impossible for me.¡± Akagi shrugged. ¡°Don''t worry though I won''t say anything, and instead I''ll just tuck that little factoid away forter to use as ammo.¡± She gave a nasty smile.


    <i>{I''m so sorry Hishya...} </i>(Kana)


    The two continued walking around Omara and seeing the sights. Kana really enjoyed the murals painted on the sides of buildings, and they even checked out the library for a bit. Kana was interested in reading more about the Spirit''s history, so she and Akagi checked out some history books.


    "So the people of the other world, the one they came from, thought the Spirits were causing magical disasters?" Kana talked with Akagi as she read a book.


    "Yeah, kinda stupid since none of them have such power. Those issues were probably because of world structural destabilization due to the magical breakdown of reality causation. The Demon Lord they killed was probably spawned for that reason, since that world is most likely going to die eventually." Akagi started ranting in technical terms that even Kana didn''t understand.


    "Wait! Stop, I''m not getting any of that!" Kana eximed.


    "Sorry, Demon Lord talk. I''ve got all kinds of knowledge on how the fundamental parts of reality work, at least the parts relevant to a Demon Lord." Akagi giggled.


    "Oh? So does that mean you''re finally smart?" Kana asked sarcastically.


    "Nope, being the Demon Lord does not make one smart." Akagi stuck out her tongue. "I still suck at Grammar and English."


    "<i>Only</i> those two?" Kana smirked, recalling how many hours of tutoring she gave her older sister all those years ago.


    "Doesn''t matter, since I have the power to hammer every nail I find. It''s as they say, Kana. Violence isn''t the solution, it''s a question, and the answer is yes!" Akagiughed, and Kana rolled her eyes.


    "Getting back to the point about the magical disasters. What was the reason you were created in our world? Do you know? You said something before about stagnation and low energy, but was there more?" Kana asked.


    Akagi thought for a moment before answering. "Stagnation is probably the best descriptor." Akagi continued. "Imagine it like this. All reality, not just our universe, but all the countless other ones beyond it. Imagine that they exist as fruit growing on a vine. Sometimes the fruit can spoil or be otherwise toxic. Good fruit produces energy that feeds back to the vine, allowing it to grow and expand, producing new fruit, while bad fruit consumes more than it creates."


    "So our world was one of those bad fruits?" Kana asked.


    "Kinda." Akagi shifted her jaw. "My purpose was to kick things up in the world and see <i>if</i> it could be changed into a producer or at least energy neutral." Akagi continued. "Now granted, that was to be done via mass chaos and destruction. If all went as it should have, I would have wiped humanity off the face of the Earth and then started hopping throughout the cosmos to do the same to every other bit of life I could find out there."


    "Like a forest fire? You said that before, how the new growth was better than it was before the fire." Kana recalled Akagi''s first description of what she was.


    "Yes." Akagi nodded. "If I was defeated, the world would be given the chance to heal and change. Effectively, the vine would say. <em>Ok, you killed the immune response, so you get to live. Congrats</em>. Since the few worlds that do manage to pull that off really don''t matter in the grand scheme of things." Akagi exined. "Generally when a Demon Lord is sent in, that''s the end of it. It may take a very long time, but we''ll clean the world up."


    <i>{How long is a long time if you are saying it?} </i>(Kana)


    "So really my existence as a strange Demon Lord that retained their sanity doesn''t really matter. There''s no admin whose gonna bitch at me to do my job or anything." Akagiughed. "Though it does mean that if a world was suffering from structural issues, like what I assume is happening there, it will continue to do so. Those magical events from the other world are most probably the symptoms of a muchrger issue."


    "What happens to the Demon Lord after it wipes everything out?" Kana asked.


    "Nothing." Akagi shook her head. "They''re left in an empty reality devoid of life. They''vepleted their job, and that''s all."


    "That''s horrifying!" Kana eximed. "All alone in an entire universe."


    "I mean, I''m an exception. Normally, they don''t care. Demon Lords will have already lost all sanity by that point, and what does it matter if the rampaging monster is allowed to run freely in a dead world?" Akagi chuckled.

 Chapter 133.5 – The Hero Meets Her Rival.

    Chapter 133.5 ¨C The Hero Meets Her Rival.


    While Akagi and Kana were enjoying their trip to Omara, a certain dragon was just waking up and starting her day.


    *YAWWWWN* Hishya''s head popped out of a massive pile of pillows in her room, each with different designs, patterns, and shapes. This was Hishya''s hoard, specifically a <i>pillow </i>hoard. Dragons tended to be obsessed with something and form an inescapable desire to collect endless amounts of that something. As Akagi said, <em>normally</em> that desire is gold or magical objects. But for whatever reason, Hishya''s hoard was made of pillows.


    "Oh man, what time is it?" She looked opened her AR clock and checked the time. "2 pm?!?" Hishya never slept thiste and was surprised.


    <i>{It must have been because the pillows were so warm... That new one with the fur was just so fluffy...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Oh well, its not like the mall is going to close anytime soon." She pulled herself out of the pillows and slid down them like a slide.


    <i>{Note to self, pillow hoard is dangerous. Sleep within at my peril.} </i>Hishya giggled as she sucked the pillows into her inventory. She actually had even <i>more</i> than what was on disy, but her bedroom was too small for the <em>true</em> pillow hoard toe out.


    "Hrrrgh!" Hishya let out a grunt as she stretched, and her tail wagged around. "Oh? Did I let you out again during my sleep?" She grabbed her scaly tail. This wasn''t the first time her dragon features had appeared during the night. "Do you wanna get a bath? Do you?" She began speaking to her tail as if it were a pet.


    *FWIP* *FWIP* *FWIP* *FWIP*


    The tail moved back and forth, showing its excitement at being cleaned.


    "Alright then! Let''s go scrub you nice and good!" Hishyaughed at her joke and drew a bath. She cleaned up her tail and made sure to use extra nice soak on it, before flopping back down on her bed in some light clothes.


    "Ahh I''m so d being a fire dragon didn''t make it so I don''t feel warm baths anymore..." Hishyaid on her bed in bliss.


    <i>{Kana went with her sister to check out that Spirit World ce. Sounds kinda fun actually, especially since those guys are actually real Yokai.} </i>Hishya thought to herself while she dried off. <i>{I have to admit, I''d like to see it for myself. That Mizumi girl aside, the other Spirits seem like they''d be fun to hang around with.} </i>She still had mixed feelings about the Water Spirit, even after everything she''d been told about her circumstances. While she understood<em>why</em>Mizumi and the other Spirits did what they did, that didn''t make Hishya feel any better. Not to mention that Mizumi''s attitude could be a bit grating.


    "Kana''s birthday will be soon! So when I''m at the mall today, I should try and find her something she''d like." Hishya sat up.


    <i>{But what to get the Demon Princess? Akagi could literally give her anything, so that''s going to make things hard.} </i>Hishya thought for a moment. <i>{Perhaps, me? I think she''d enjoy a bit more of our fun.} </i>Sheughed at that thought. <i>{Then again, that wouldn''t exactly be a birthday-specific present!} </i>


    "Oh well, I''m sure I''ll figure it out." Hishya leaped off the bed and got dressed. Lewd jokes aside, she wanted to get Kana something that the girl would appreciate.


    Not really needing to care about the still chilly weather, Hishya opted for something lighter and morefortable. Once she was ready to go, she unfurled her wings and took off towards the Tokyo Mall, which had just recently reopened after the events ofst fall. Once she arrived, she went inside and began her shopping. She''d originally came to grab a few household items she wanted, as well as a game she wanted to y. Unlike Akagi, <i>she </i>could and did dive into VR, though less than she used to.


    <i>{There are a lot more people here than I expected.} </i>Hishya thought as she looked around the mall. Most people seemed to ignore her, but a few could be heard whispering about her.


    "Isn''t that the monster girl" (Citizen A)


    "Yeah, I saw her on the news, apparently she was the one that made that big explosion in Nagoya." (Citizen B)


    "She''s a dragon, right? Is she gonna eat us?" (Citizen C)


    <i>{Just ignore them, Hishya. It''s not worth it...} </i>Hishya figured ignoring them was for the best.


    Whispers aside, things were mostly normal and uneventful as Hishya proceeded to grab the things she needed. The dragon went to a couple of different ces, and bought a variety of household goods before heading toward the final shop she wanted to visit.


    "Ok, that was that. Mom needed that... I got dad''s medication..." Hishya said to herself as she checked things off a virtual list. "Now to just go to..." Hishya stopped midsentence as she saw three familiar faces sitting in the food court at one of the tables.


    <i>{Oh fuck, why is Eris here?!?} </i>Hishya tried to back away, but before she could make any progress, Eris caught sight of her and waved her over.


    <i>{Please don''t let this turn into a fight...} </i>She knew the former guild leader <i>disliked </i>her, to put it mildly. Hishya may or may not have had a hand in getting her ejected from the Assault Team, and was <i>potentially </i>responsible for some <i>embarrassment</i> the red-headed girl was forced to endure.


    Seeing little choice, and not wanting to make a scene, Hishya slowly approached the three girls.


    "Funny running into you here, Eris." Hishya said with a wry smile. She hadn''t spoken to the girl since they''d gotten back from FWO. "I thought you lived in Sendai, what brings you to Tokyo?"


    <i>{Ayame and Ema are here too? That''s must mean something is happening, unless they decided to take a family trip together.} </i>Hishya greeted the other two girls.


    "Nothing much, we''re taking an extended trip to Kyoto and we''reying over in Tokyo for about a week, so we decided to check out the sights." Eris said while sipping her drink. "What about you?"


    "J-just some shopping." Hishya replied.


    Eris sighed. "Why are you acting like a child who got caught doing something bad? You don''t need to act like that, Hishya."


    "It''s not like we hate you... anymore." Aymae chimed in. "We don''t exactly <i>like </i>you, but we''re not going to bite your head off. So chill out, as hard as that might be for a fire dragon." Sheughed.


    "I... ummm.... yeah..." Hishya had apologized to these two and many other members of Shining de for her actions years ago, but many didn''t ept her apology.


    "Though I will say that it''s nice to see you act all meek." Erisughed. "I never thought I''d see the day when the mighty <i>Hero</i> starts acting like an embarrassed child!"


    "Yeah, our little dragon here was always a bitch, so it <i>is </i>kinda nice to see her being a bit more down to Earth." Ayame chuckled.


    "Did you call me over here just to abuse me?" Hishya sighed. "Because I don''t need it, I''ve got plenty of people who <i>already </i>do that. Thank you very much."


    <i>{I''ve already got two sisters who like to torment me, I don''t need more trouble!}</i> (Hishya)


    "Ah yes, I imagine Akagi gives you quite a bit of headaches. She always loved pushing people''s buttons." Eris said.


    "Yeah, and dating her sister only made things <i>worse, </i>not better. I''ve got her and her sister in stereo..." Hishya groaned. "They<em>both</em> love messing with me! Kana even pulled a stupid joke by passing off a girl I''d never met as our child!"


    "Hey, that''s what rtionships are." Ayameughed. "You marry the whole family, as they say. Akagi''s basically the wicked step-mother in this situation, and trust me, I know a lot about those kinds of people."


    "Oh? Is that a dig at my family, Ayame?" Eris flicked her on the head.


    "Owchi!" Ayame recoiled in pain. "And yes, it was! Your mother is an <em>Oni!</em> Don''t try and deny it! You two have given me enough grief over the years!"


    "Now, now!" Ema spoke up. "No fighting!"


    "Yeah, listen to your daughter!" Hishyaughed. "She doesn''t want to see her mommies fight." The family dynamic here was a bit more concrete than what Akagi, Yumi, and Alice shared. Ayame and Eris were actually married and had been long before FWO. While Ema was a curious case of a ve from FWO that the two had adopted as their child.


    "As if she doesn''t pour fuel on the fire when she gets the chance!" Eris rolled her eyes. "Our daughter here loves to cause fights, and she even gets her sick kicks when we exchange blows."


    "I will neither confirm nor deny my enjoyment such things." Ema turned her nose up.


    "Oh? Then I guess we''ll just have to punish you!" Eris nodded to Ayame, who nodded back.


    Ema got a shiver down her spine. "Wait no..."


    <i>{They''re gonna tickle me...} </i>(Ema)


    "Toote!" (Eris x Ayame)


    <i>{I''m getting a feeling of deja vu...} </i>Hishya sighed. This exchange reminded her of Akagi and Kana.


    "But anyway, why are you guys heading to Kyoto? It''s rare for you to leave Sendai. Are you visiting family?" Hishya asked.


    <i>{These two have basically started living in the mountains with Ema. I''ve heard they even made a base for their guild to train at!} </i>(Hishya)


    "No not family. We''re actually going to visit your best buddy." Ayame giggled.


    "Best... Akagi?!?" Hishya was confused. "What are you going to her for? Please don''t tell me you want someone... umm... <i>deleted.</i>" Hishya was wary of their intentions.


    <i>{I don''t exactly think I''m next on the hit list, but we can''t be too careful.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Yup, we''re going to get her to deal with <em>you</em>!" Eris red at her, causing Hishya to momentarily panic until Eris startedughing.


    "Oh, man! The look on your face was priceless!" Eris couldn''t control herughing.


    "Yeah it was a<em>oh fuck I''m gonna die</em>face!" Ayame cackled.


    "Eris... I swear to god! I will eat you!" Hishya growled. "Don''t make jokes like that because we both know it''s possible! Akagi is more than capable of killing me!"


    <i>{WHY DO PEOPLE ENJOY PICKING ON ME?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    "If Hishya ate you, would that be cannibalism? I mean, she used to be human, but is now a dragon. Hmmmm, these are the important questions of our time." Ayame began thinking hard about this.


    "Let''s not find out, please..." Hishya groaned.


    <em>{I don''t wanna have to find out what people taste like...}</em>(Hishya)


    "As for the real reason. That''s a secret." Eris put her finger over her lips. "Can''t spoil the fun."


    "Well, whatever it is won''t be very <i>fun </i>for me." Hishya groaned. "Usually when people go to Akagi, it ends in something crazy happening."


    <i>{And if it''s these two, it must bebat rted. I just hope Akagi doesn''t start supeing people''s powers up even more than they already are. This world doesn''t need the returnees to get even stronger.} </i>(Hishya)


    "We''re meeting Zephiria in Kyoto, and she''ll be joining us too." Ayame said.


    "Wait, really?!?" Hishya was shocked to hear that name. "Zeffy dropped off the face of the earth after we got out, and I haven''t heard <em>anything</em> about her over these past months." Zephiria was a high-ranking yer, and the single best support caster in the entire Assault Team. Hishya and the RRT <em>did</em> try to find her during the Libra crisis, but there was no sign of her anywhere in Japan. Not even her family knew where she went after leaving the hospital.


    "Yeah it was a bit surprising to us too when showed up in Sendai. We told her about something Akagi mentioned to us previously, and she was insistent on joining us." Eris answered. "I''m not sure how, but she''s gotten even more powerful than before. I could feel the massive increase in mana, and whatever she''s been up to thesest months has made her a force to be reckoned with."


    <i>{As if she wasn''t bad enough before, Zeff''s now got the mana to back up those crazy spells. I can only imagine what she''d be like as an opponent and how powerful of a teammate she''d be.} </i>(Eris)


    "I just hope she won''t be causing problems for us..." Hishya was worried about yers causing more problems than they already had.


    "I don''t think you have to worry." Ayame waved off her concern. "Zeff''s a good kid, and she seemed more interested in getting stronger for her own curiosity rather than some crazy ns like taking over the world."


    <i>{Now that I think about it, Akagi did say something about her once in passing. But I can''t recall what it was that she said.} </i>(Hishya)


    "I''d like to meet her at least once. It''s been a while since we talked." Hishya said.


    "I''ll let her know when we see her." Eris said.


    The girls continued talking for a bit more before Hishya departed, as she wanted to finish up her shopping and head home to make dinner.


    "Alright, that''s everything on the list. Now just to..." Hishya stopped dead as her eyes became glued to a window disy. She zoomed over to it and pressed her face against the ss, behind which was a white pillow sitting in furniture disy.


    "The Supreme Pillow!" Hishya was practically drooling as she looked at it.


    <i>{It. Looks. So. FLUFFY!} </i>She bolted inside the store and <i>politely </i>told the shopkeep that she wanted to purchase the disy pillow. She was initially told no since it was a store decoration. But with a bit of <i>persuasion, </i>the dragon was given another pillow for her hoard.


    After walking out of the store, Hishya squeezed the pillow tightly.


    <i>{I will add this to my collection!} </i>She began to giggle uncontrobly as a few passersby looked at her like she was crazy, with a few parents even shielding their children''s eyes.

 Chapter 134 – A Nice Dinner.

    Chapter 134 ¨C A Nice Dinner.


    Akagi and Kana enjoyed themselves for the rest of the day as they wandered around the city, exploring and adventuring. Omara was a lively and interesting town, and both had fun discovering all sorts of unique things within the Spirits'' home. As the day wound down and the streets got quiet, the two sisters decided to call it for the day and headed back to the inn for dinner.


    "That was a pretty fun day, all things considered." Kana smiled.


    <i>{I could have gone without our discussion of the entertainment district though, and that whole incident at the inn.} </i>(Kana)


    "Yes, it was." Akagi agreed. "Walking around, exploring an unknown town, and seeing all the unique wares and shops is always a pleasure. Its honestly something I never thought I''d get to do again." The two were just about back at the Inn when they noticed Mizumi standing in front of the building, she seemed to be waiting for the two of them.


    "I figured you''d be back around now." She walked over. Mizumi was still in her adult form from earlier, and Kana was still surprised at how much more mature she seemed. "I really am sorry about earlier."


    "It''s not a big deal." Akagi waived off the concern. "Just some idiots acting obnoxious. If I let every incident like that get under my skin, half the bars in the Empire would have been destroyed." She''d gotten into plenty of bar fights during FWO, and, by the end of it, they were something she''de to enjoy.


    "Yeah, it wasn''t really anything that bad. Compared to nearly dying or getting kidnapped, that guy''s stupidity wasn''t anything special." Kana shrugged.


    <i>{I''d say it went well to be honest. Onee-chan didn''t end up killing anyone, so that''s a good day in my book. Not that such things should be normalized, but well... Here we are.} </i>(Kana)


    "Even still, the two of you are my guests. You might be the Demon Lord, but you were invited here by a high Spirit." Mizumi shook her head. "Being harassed in such a manner is not eptable and its something that would have never happened in the past. As for that group, I''ve rmended they be punished, and I would like to make amends by treating the two of you to a nice dinner. A restaurant run by a friend of mine is close by. Would you care to join me? I think you''ll enjoy her cooking." She asked with a smile.


    "What do you think?" Akagi asked her sister.


    "Why not? We get to check out more of this ce, and I don''t mind having dinner with her." Kana smiled.


    "Lead the way." Akagi motioned for her to start walking, and Mizumi took them to a small restaurant named the Happy Snail. It was a quaint ce, not muchrger than an ordinary caf¨¦. At this time of night, it wasn''t very busy, and it seemed that only a few other people hade. The owner was a dryad named Enm, and apparently she''d known Mizumi for a long time, and had been cooking even longer. The three girls took their seats at a booth and ordered some interesting-sounding dishes. Kana ordered something the water Spirit described as a vegetable version of Karaage while Akagi ordered Curry and Mizumi ordered a snail themed pasta dish.


    The three girls sat and chatted about their day within Omara, describing what they''d seen throughout their exploration. Mizumi was very happy to see they both enjoyed themselves, and when Kana mentioned the y tomorrow night, Mizumi went into a bit more detail about it and the story being shown. As per her description, it was a dramatized version of the Spirits'' oral history of both their creation and their nation''s founding. As she exined some of the basic elements, Kana began to get more and more interested since it seemed fascinating. While Akagi was much less interested since, as she put it, she''d seen this kind of story at least eleven times.


    After a bit more discussion, the food arrived and it was far better than the dishes served at the Inn. Mizumi was d to hear thempliment her friend''s cooking, and everyone dug in.


    "So, is the Council still giving you trouble?" Akagi asked. "Last I heard they wouldn''t even ept me as being an actual Demon Lord."


    <i>{What an annoying bunch.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Y-yes." Mizumi nervously nodded. "I''m truly sorry about that. I''ve been trying to convince them, but now that peace has returned to us, they''re back at their politicking. Right now, they care more about consolidating their own positions and power than doing the right thing."


    "Council? I thought <i>you</i> were their leader?" Kana asked while taking a bite. "Aren''t you like thest elder Spirit?"


    Mizumi thought for a second before answering. "While I am quite old, I am not an <i>elder </i>per se. That title is only granted to spirits of considerable more power and prestige than I." She continued. "Spirits are generally ssed into High, Mid, and Low tier spirits. As I''ve said, I am a High Spirit, and at present, I am the only Spirit of that tier. The rest were either killed or gave their lives for the ritual that created this new world. That I am still alive is more due to chance than anything else, as one of us was needed to finish the ritual and guide our people once we''d established a new home."


    <i>{Though I''m pretty sure I was chosen to survive because of my young agepared to the rest of the elders.} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Huh." Kana thought for a moment. "In stories, the High Spirits are always the leaders of their people, so I just figured you would be like the Spirit Queen or something."


    <i>{Pfff.} </i>Akagiughed internally at that notion.


    "We do not have such a position." Mizumi chuckled. "The Council has governed our kind since our founding, and is a body appointed to govern. Our people tend not to like centralized power structures and a single leader is usually undesirable. However, unlike in your world with its elected legitures or executives, we do not vote the Council members into power. Instead they designate a recement or sessor if one dies or retires." She continued. "High Spirits are treated with great reverence by most others, and <i>my</i> word generally has great weight among our people, but Imand no official legal authority. Though recently, my advice has be much less influential than it was in the past." She gave a wry smile. "Nowadays, the Council''s advisors, that is to say their factions, are the ones that have their ears."


    "They see you as an obstacle." Akagimented. "Since you''re thest one, they want to use this opportunity to diminish whatever power you have so that the Council is the only power structure for the Spirits. They probably got sick of High Spirits acting on their own or challenging them."


    <i>{I can understand not wanting to deal with a parallel power structure, I''d move to crush it myself if the chance arose.} </i>(Akagi)


    "More or less." Mizumi nodded. "We''ve tried to stay out of politics, but that was easier said than done unfortunately. The factions that surround each Council member, and the upper ss, have made things <em>difficult </em>at even the best times."


    <em>{Most of those idiots are enjoying the high life, blissfully unaware of the structural problems in Omara. Well some ARE aware and they are more than happy to use those problems to strengthen their position. At least some of the more economically minded ones are willing to work with Akagi, since they see the insane amount of money that can be made from trading with Earth.} </em>(Mizumi)


    "Politics is such a pain." Akagi sighed. "No matter where you go Human, Spirit or <i>Demon </i>it''s always an ever present thing, huh?"


    "Yes, even in our old world, it was the same. The Demon Kings would constantly bicker among themselves, causing them to fall to human armies." Mizumiughed.


    <i>{And many human or elf leaders would fight amongst themselves as well. Truly a foolish thing, but it''s simply the way things work.} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Demons?" Kana tilted her head. "You mean like Onee-chan?" She wanted to know what Mizumi meant by Demons since she''d been told the other world did have demonic creatures.


    "No." Mizumi shook her head. "When I say Demon, I am referring to something like the yer race from FWO. They are usually ck/dark-skinned with horns and other features. You''ve met Avahn, right? Most members of the Demon race are simr to her in appearance, though they are not as battle hungry." She gave a wry smile. "As you can imagine they are not ''proper'' <i>Demons</i> in the same vain as Akagi."


    "Then why are they called that?" Kana asked.


    "It''s just the term used to describe them, and they''ve never taken any issue with it. As to where it came from? I think it originated from the mistaken idea that they were the offspring of true <i>Demons</i>." Mizumi shrugged.


    <i>{Even in the Demon''snguage, the word for their own kind can roughly be tranted to Demon, so it''s possible that some connection might exist, but I can''t say for certain what that connection is or was.} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Now I wonder if they have their own so-called Demon Lord." Kanaughed. However, herughter was quickly broken by the sound of a spoon snapping next to her.


    "Oops... sorry." Akagi mended the spoon back together before she continued to eat.


    "What was that about? You never mess up your strength like that." Kana hadn''t seen her sister identally break things before.


    "Yeah well, I would rmend not speaking about <i>pretender</i> Demon Lords near me." Akagi''s eyes looked serious. "Just the thought of some mortal calling themselves Demon Lord makes me violently <i>angry</i>." The title of Demon Lord was very special and wasn''t something mortals could give out or receive. "If any fool dares to im that title for themselves, I''ll quickly dispel their false notions of grandeur." Akagi smirked, her aura ring up as sheughed quietly.


    <i>{Probably should tell Mika not to try that one joke she''d been thinking of. Lest she really does end up on some ind in the Pacific.} </i>(Kana)


    "Noted." Kana sighed.


    "Yes..." Mizumi tried to steer the topic away from that. "No one would call themselves such in our old world. The story of the Demon Lord was actually quite well known by both Humans and Spirits. Anyone who called themselves such would quickly find the entire world united against them, or ridiculed harshly." There were a few people who tried to call themselves the Demon Lord throughout history, but they were always swiftly and violently defeated. Even members of the Demon race would never approve of a leader calling themselves as such.


    "On that topic of another Demon Lord. You guys defeated thest Demon Lord, right?" Kana asked. "How was that even possible? Onee-chan said they aren''t meant to be beaten and I''d don''t get how you beat something like her if even Hishya and the others can''t scratch her." She recalled ament by Mizumi about beating their Demon Lord because it was young, but not much else on the subject.


    "Because they probably killed them when they were immature." Akagi said as she sipped her drink. "My kind might be insanely powerful, but as ''infants'' were much easier to kill. Just like mortals, my kind do have growth cycles and something akin to maturity, kind of anyway. If I''d been released early, at say twelve, my power would have been far less than if I''d been releasedter. We <i>do</i> still grow and develop once released, but it takes time. If I''d been set on the world earlier than I was, it <i>might</i> have even been possible to kill me with enough of Earth''s weapons, <i>maybe</i>." She figured it still would have been an uphill battle for humanity''s military even if she was in a weakened state.


    "Indeed." Mizumi nodded. "The Demon Lord we killed was named Vikes, and he was approximately eight years old when he first appeared. His power paled inparison to yours. But even still, it took thebined forces of the entire continent and the gods to bring him down. Even still, the world was nearly destroyed by the end of it." She thought back to the historical notes she''de across while researching Akagi.


    "Unfortunately, while the Demon Lord''s name retains its infamy. The fact that we yed one of your kind in the past has given some the false sense that we can defeat you as well." Mizumi didn''t want to tell her this, but figured it was better than letting the Council spring such a statement on her tomorrow.


    <i>{I''d always thought that Humans were the ones to forget historical lessons due to their short lifespans, but it seems that even our kind have the same w.} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Oh?" Akagi''s eyes glinted for a moment. "Really?"


    <i>{What a stupid, yet hrious, notion.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Please note that this is <i>not</i> the opinion of most Spirits, I know full well that fighting you as you are now isn''t possible." Mizumi sighed. "The Council is their own problem, so I''d request you not assume they truly speak for the rest of Spirit society on this matter." She was trying to direct Akagi''s anger at the four members of the council. Them dying was much better than the nearly 30,000 spirits in Omara.


    <i>{One good thing about Akagi, is that I know she''s generally a rational person and wouldn''t take out anger on people who don''t truly deserve it.} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Man, if that''s the case, tomorrow''s going to be a <i>fun</i> meeting." Akagi gave a tiredugh. <i><b>"Maybe I should show them just how wrong they are." </b></i>Her voice distorted as she continued tough, which seemed to echo throughout the entire city.

 Chapter 135 – The Council of Fools.

    Chapter 135 ¨C The Council of Fools.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    2 Chaps!


    The three chatted for a bit more over dinner before parting ways for the night. Mizumi woulde to gather the two sisters in the morning, and bring them to the Council chamber for the meeting. This was done not just as a formality, but to also drive home the point that Akagi was an important guest who should be treated well. Though both Akagi and Mizumi suspected that things would not go well and that conflict might erupt over the Council''s attitude.


    Akagi and Kana returned to their inn and went straight to bed after washing up, as Kana was tired from the day''s events, and her full stomach only exacerbated her sleepiness. Akagi was on alert throughout the night, believing that some sort of attack might ur, though nothing happened.


    The next morning, Akagi woke Kana bright and early so they could speak with the Council. She wanted to get this meeting out of the way, and then spend the day rxing and enjoying themselves before to returning to Earthter that night after the y.


    "Hold still." Akagi was busy tying Kana''s obi. "If you keep wiggling, I''m going to bonk you on the head.¡± Kana was having a hard time remaining still while her sister dressed her. She was never one to wear this kind of clothing and struggled a bit.


    "Is it really necessary for me to wear this?" Kana sighed. "I know it''s technically formal wear but..."


    <i>{I''d wager that your insistence is just because you want to see me wearing a kimono...} </i>Kana sighed. <i>{Is this payback for my attempts to dress you up when we were kids?} </i>


    "I want you to look nice in front of these idiots. Besides, it looks good on you." Akagi smiled as she finished up. "See." She summoned a full-length mirror from her inventory. Kana inspected herself, blushing slightly.


    "I guess..." She couldn''t take thepliment well.


    <i>{I mean, it guess I do look nice, but you''re the one built for this style of clothes, not me.} </i>(Kana)


    "Now stand still. I''m going to do your hair, and if you move too much, I might pull out some hair." Akagi got a brush and began straightening and fixing up Kana''s hair. Normally, this wasn''t something she did for her sister, but the <i>Demon</i> seemed to be enjoying herself.


    <i>{Eat your heart out dragon!} </i>Akagi thought to herself.


    Kana thought it a bit strange to have Akagi all over her like this, but she wasn''t going toin. She almost never spent this kind of time with her sister, and she could count on one hand the number of times they''d dressed up together.


    <i>{I''ll admit, its nice to do something like this with her though. She was never this happy or enthusiastic before, so it makes me happy to spend time together as sisters. Even if this outfit is a bit embarrassing.} </i>(Kana)


    Akagi stood behind her sister and slowly and gently brushed her hair. She was surprisingly good at this, considering she never actually had to style anything herself. A fact that she was very happy with considering she hated dealing with her hair. Having a body you had total control over was nice, and she appreciated theck of maintenance in her style, due to simply needing to <i>think</i> her look together. After nearly twenty minutes, and a few pulled knots, Akagi was finished and showed Kana the mirror again.


    "Ta-dah!" Akagi said after finished fixing Kana''s hair. "All done! Let me take a picture for Mika and Naomi." She pulled out her phone and snapped a few pictures. "Nice." She smiled. One of these would definitely go in a frame in her room.


    <i>{And she tries telling us she can''t dress up nicely.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I don''t think anyone would believe me if I told them the Demon Lord just dressed me and styled my hair." Kana giggled. "Where did you learn all that anyway? You never dressed up before, and you hated when I tried doing this to you as a kid."


    <i>{I remember well theundry basket you trapped me in when I tried to make you wear that pink dress.} </i>(Kana)


    "I spent a ton of time with nobles during my time in FWO. So, I got used to their dress and formalities. My technique and style are not perfect, but they''re good enough to get by when I need to." Akagi exined. "Though I admit, I more cared about the etiquette rather than the fashion. I''m even less <i>girly</i> than I was before, and that''s saying something." Sheughed.


    <i>{That''s an understatement...} </i>(Kana)


    "Yeah. Back home, you used to wear nothing but baggy clothes, and your hair was always a mess." Kana sighed. "Even now, it''s kind of the same. Though instead of sweatpants, you just wear a kimono all the time. I guess that''s an improvement?" She shrugged.


    "What can I say, kimono are awesome." Akagi gave a toothy smile. "And I''ve tried to mix up what I wear around the house. Lest Mika and Naomi start thinking I have one pair of clothes again." She''d been making a conscious effort to dress more casually when they visited.


    <i>{Maybe myck of femininity is because I''m the Demon Lord? We don''t have a concept of male and female, so that might be why my personality is an amalgamation of both sexes. That would exin my partially female mindset and feminine traits, as well as other aspects of my personality that don''t line up with how most women behave. Though in fairness, Kana, Mika and Naomi don''t exactly behave how one would expect a stereotypical Japanese girl to act, so who knows. Regardless, I''m me, and whateverbel one puts on what I am is irrelevant.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Speaking of clothes. What are you wearing? Your normal outfit?" Kana asked.


    "Nope." Akagi snapped her fingers and dawned her Demon Lord outfit. <i><b>"I''d say this is more fitting. They''re meeting the Demon Lord, so I need to look the part." </b></i>She smiled.


    "And she''s doing the voice thing again." Kana shook her head.


    <i><b>"I can do other voices. Would you prefer something annoying? Or perhaps I distort it so bad it sounds like something out of a horror movie." </b></i>Akagiughed.


    "Onee-chan, your distorted voice <i>already</i> sounds like something from a horror movie, so it''s toote for that." Kana sighed. Akagi''s distorted voice was already unsettling enough. It sounded simr to her normal voice except if you ran it through a <i>Demon </i>filter. Kana was already used to it, but ordinary people would find it horrifying.


    <i>{Maybe I should do a prank while she sleeps? That might be funny, just sprinkle some unimaginable horrors during the night to scare the daylights out of her! Even if she knows its me, the human mind isn''t rational and I can imagine the reaction she''d get from hearing some eldritch abomination''s voice from her closet would be priceless!} </i>(Akagi)


    <i><b>"Are you ready? Mizumi should be here shortly." </b></i>Just as Akagi said that, someone knocked on the door.


    "May Ie in?" Mizumi asked.


    <i><b>"Yeah." </b></i>Akagi replied, and Mizumi entered.


    "Are the two of you ready to go?" Mizumi asked, her eyes briefly shifting to Akagi and then Kana. "In this one instance, I''m d to see you looking like that. Also, Kana you look lovely." She sighed. "As for you Akagi, if possible, please restrain your aura. As it is now, you''ll probably cause some Spirits to feint."


    <i><b>"I''ll see what I can do." </b></i>Akagiughed.


    "I''m good to go." Kana said. ¡°And thank you.¡±


    "Excellent, I''ll transport the three of us into the main hall. The Council should be there when we arrive, they were heading in when I left." Mizumi waved her hand, and the three of them teleported into a long hallway with a red carpet running down it. This was the main hall where the government met, and it was quite a bit more extravagant than anything else within Omara. The windows were made of high-quality ss, and the ceiling was easily twenty feet high.


    <i>{Well, if this isn''t a case of political opulence, then I don''t know what is.} </i>(Akagi)


    <i><b>"But seriously, rolling out the literal red carpet for me?" </b></i>Akagi looked at her feet. <i><b>"How nice."</b></i>


    "Sorry to burst your bubble, but this is here every day." Mizumi rolled her eyes. "Follow me, please." She asked as the three of them walked down the long hallway towards a massive set of wooden double doors. It didn''t take more than a minute to reach them, and Mizumi asked the two girls to wait outside so she could inform the Council of their arrival.


    "Onee-chan, please don''t do anything <em>crazy</em>." Kana red at her. Last night''s conversation had made her worry that Akagi might kill the Council for their arrogance.


    <i><b>"Define crazy."</b></i> Akagi said without looking at her.


    Kana wanted to say more, but before she had the chance, the double doors opened, and Mizumi waved them in. Kana and Akagi walked forward into therge chamber. Toward the back wall sat four people of different races on raised chairs behind a wooden counter simr to a judge''s bench. Kana looked around and noticed therge ss dome atop the rotunda and saw that each of the four windows in the room were stained ss paintings of various individuals.


    Mizumi escorted the two sisters up to the four Council members and introduced them. She used a very formal tone of voice, and Kana was momentarily surprised to hear just how official sounding the usually casual Spirit girl was.


    "Members of the Supreme Council of Spirits, please allow me to introduce my guests. Demon Lord Akagi Dumetor and her sister Lady Kana Tomogawa." She bowed and stepped off to the side.


    <i>{Ldy?} </i>(Kana)


    "I see, so this is the <i>Demon</i> you''ve been ranting about." An older man with a very long gray beard spoke. "My name is Onmiyame, and I am a senior member of this Council. These are my fellow councilors, Daruma, Shinlua, and Sizix." He pointed to the three other spirits to his left and right. "Forgive me for not providing pleasantries, as your kind are not exactly wee here, <i>Demon</i>." Akagi could these Spirits wanted her to leave ASAP.


    <i>{Not a great start. Dammit Onmiyame!} </i>(Mizumi)


    <i><b>"It doesn''t really matter." </b></i>Akagi shrugged, her voice causing the Spirits to flinch. <i><b>"What you think of me is irrelevant, and I''m only here as a gesture of goodwill and cooperation."</b></i>


    "I''m failing to see why we''re wasting our time with this <i>Demon</i>. She seems no different than the other vile creatures we''ve seen in our world." The me-haired man named Daruma said. ¡°Just because she''s a guest of Lady Mizumi, doesn''t mean we should deal with such a creature.¡±


    "She is not just <i>some Demon</i>, Daruma!" Mizumi interjected. "She is a Demon Lord, and you know very well what that title means. Your words are supremely disrespectful, and I demand you treat my guest with respect!" Mizumi was worried he and the Council''s words might anger Akagi. Though funny enough, Akagi found their dismissive attitude more amusing than insulting.


    <i>{So this is going about as well as I expected. Let''s see what else they''ve to say for themselves, this should be fun.} </i>(Akagi)


    "So you say, but you''ve failed to produce any real evidence that she''s anything other than a simple <i>Demon</i>." The blond-haired elf woman Shinlua spoke up. "Your ims have been based on ancient texts of dubious validity, texts you''ve yet to provide for my review I might add. On top of that, you''ve stated this <i>Demon</i> was one of the humans who took part in the game which facilitated our transport to this world. Does that not undermine your im?" She seemed to be less hostile toward Akagi than the other two, and was trying to analyze the situation objectively.


    <i>{She''s not a Spirit. I think she might be a genuine Elf.} </i>Akagi noted that this member seemed different than the other three.


    "Akagi was indeed a yer within the game, but she was never a human." Mizumi shook her head. "She was always a <i>Demon</i> and, in fact, her being a Demon Lord exins <i>why </i>she was able to help me facilitate a cross-over point between the two worlds. She''s already a <i>type </i>of <em>Demon</em>. Thus it made joining her soul with that of a Shadow Demon easy."


    "But what has you so sure that she is a Demon Lord?" The green-haired elemental woman Sizix asked. "You base everything on her word and the connection betweennguage. But that alone is not enough for us to ssify her as a Demon Lord. On top of that, the Demon Lord of legend had no desire for dialogue." She pointed to Akagi. "Which makes me lean toward her being a regr <i>Demon,</i> as while they are disgusting creatures, they are willing and able to deal with us diplomatically."


    Akagiughed. <i><b>"If you''d like, I can stop being so cooperative. I''m always up for some good old-fashioned genocide."</b></i>


    The four council members red at her, and Mizumi started sweating.


    <i><b>"I''m giving you all a great kindness by letting you live. So I''d advise you not to test my patience." </b></i>Akagi smiled, but it was very obviously fake.


    <i>{These idiots are just as bad as Excel and the others. Do you really not understand just how much I''m conceding by not murdering or enving you?} </i>Akagi sighed internally. <i>{No appreciation for my generosity. I swear, sometimes it makes me think that just enving all life would be a much better path. At least then people won''t bother me and I can just enjoy Yumi snuggles without any issue.}</i>


    "We do not take threats to our people lightly, <i>Demon</i>." Onmiyame red at her. "Hold your tongue. I do not care what Lady Mizumi says about you, or that you are her guest. I will not permit you to act so brazenly."


    <i>{Permit? You don''t PERMIT me to do anything old man.} </i>(Akagi)


    <i>{Ohhh hell.} </i>Mizumi''s face paled at Onmiyame''s words.


    <i>{Not the best choice of words old man.} </i>(Kana)


    After shifting her jaw around for a moment, Akagi turned to four Councilors and was about to say something, before turning to Mizumi with a nasty smile on her lips.


    <i><b>"Mizumi, would you please remind me how many people live within this city?" </b></i>Akagi said in a monotone voice, she was <em>angry</em>.


    "U-um. A-around t-thirty thousand." Mizumi was quite nervous as she spoke. She could tell Akagi was not in a great mood after Onmiyame''sment.


    <i><b>"Thirty thousand, huh?" </b></i>Akagi nodded to herself. <i><b>"I think half of that should suffice. What do you think?" </b></i>She looked at Onmiyame.


    "Half?" He was confused. "What?"


    <i><b>"Is that too little? I can consume more of them if you''d like." </b></i>Akagi gave a serious expression, and the entire room went silent.


    Spoiler


    Onmiyame!


    Daruma!


    Sizix!


    Shinlua!


    [copse]

 Chapter 136 – Keep that a Secret.

    Chapter 136 ¨C Keep that a Secret.


    Her threat to <i>eat</i> half the Spirits within Omara stunned everyone, except Kana.


    <i>{And here we go... Why must people always provoke her?} </i>(Kana)


    "Do you think this is some sort of joke?!?" Daruma yelled, mming his hands on the table in front of him. "How dare you make such statements!"


    <i><b>"I''m not joking."</b></i> Akagiughed. <i><b>"You lot keep going on about how I can''t possibly be the Demon Lord, so I offered a method of proving it. I figured half your poption getting consumed by me would make you change your tune." </b></i>She smiled.


    "Please stop!" Mizumi intervened to prevent disaster. "You are ying a dangerous game by continuing to insult her! Need I remind you that, Demon Lord or not, she has the Anchor which binds our world to hers!" Mizumi was trying to get the Council to listen. "If she wants, all of us could die in an instant. So I implore you to cease your insulting of someone who holds our lives in their hands!"


    "I am certain we can handle things if ites down to it." Onmiyame said. "The Anchor is important, yes, but it''s not the be all end all. So we are not concerned about it."


    Mizumi couldn''t understand his statement. "That Anchor is what keeps our world stable! What do you mean it''s not that important?!? If she destroys it, this entire ne of existence copses, and all within perish!"


    <i>{Has he gone MAD?!?} </i>(Mizumi)


    "As I said, we have contingencies in ce. Keeping the Anchor intact would be beneficial, but its destruction will not kill us all as you''ve suggested." Onmiyame smirked.


    <i><b>"So then, you don''t mind if I destroy it?" </b></i>Akagi grinned. <i><b>"If it''s not that important, you won''t try to stop me."</b></i>


    "That''s assuming we don''t stop you before you get the chance. The four of us are more than able to take you down, so return the Anchor to us before you get hurt, little <i>Demon</i>." Daruma taunted her.


    <i><b>"Ho?"</b></i> Akagi''s grin turned into a smirk. <i><b>"You think you can beat me? A weakling like you? Perhaps I really should consume you all. Such disrespectful creatures that you are."</b></i>


    <i>{Just throw more fuel on the fire Mr. Red Haired Man... go ahead piss her off. I''ve already learned how bad of an idea iming to be more powerful than her is.} </i>(Kana)


    "I urge you not to take these fools as proper representatives of our people! Please limit any retaliation to them, and I would dly give my head if it appeased your anger." Mizumi bowed deeply. Her statement also angered the Council as she just undermined their authority and legitimacy.


    "Mizumi, you might be a High Spirit, but that does not give you the right to make such statements. Hold your tongue or we will be forced to censure you!" Onmiyame reprimanded her.


    "I will not!" Mizumi red at him. "If you keep this up, all the effort the elders went through will have been for nothing! You fools are intentionally antagonizing someone who can and will kill our entire people! Of course, I''m going to do anything in my power to save them from your mistakes!"


    *CLAP* *CLAP*


    Akagi pped to get everyone''s attention.


    <i><b>"Alright, Alright. This entire conversation has bored me. I''m taking my leave. Otherwise, if I stay any longer, I might just kill you all and be done with it." </b></i>Akagi turned to leave, but before she did, she reached into her shadow and pulled out the Anchor. <i><b>"Mizumi catch!" </b></i>She threw it to the spirit, who caught it.


    <i>{This is!} </i>She noticed something about it but kept quiet.


    <i><b>"There''s your Anchor, but don''t go giving it to those idiots. I''m giving it specifically to you. If I find out you handed it over or they took it." </b></i>Akagi looked over her shoulder. <i><b>"Well, I''m always down for a good feast." </b></i>Sheughed maniacally as she and Kana left the Council chamber.


    It took a moment to register everything that just happened, but once sheposed herself Mizumi ran after Akagi.


    <i>{It seems we''ll need to speed up our ns. The old order of the Elders interfering with the Council must end, and Lady Mizumi is thest thing standing in our way. It won''t be much longer until our nse to fruition and we remove her and her pet Demon. Once that''s finished, we can move on to phase two.} </i>(Onmiyame)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    "Wait!" Mizumi yelled as she chased the sisters down the hallway.


    "You don''t need to follow us." Akagi stopped and turned around. She''d reverted back to her usual appearance now that the meeting was over.


    "Yes, I do!" Mizumi regained her breath. "I am so sorry for how they acted. Please allow me to offer my sincerest apologies on behalf of all Spirits." She bowed deeply.


    <i>{Demon Lord or not, insulting the guest of a High Spirit is unheard of!} </i>(Mizumi)


    "It''s really not a big deal." Akagi waved off her concerns. "Honestly, this was expected. I figured they wouldn''t want to believe the truth and would act like idiots. Its kind of part for the course at this point, so I''m used to it."


    "I''m shocked you didn''t attack anyone." Kana sighed. ¡°The moment that red haired guy said they could beat you, I figured you''d give them what for.¡±


    <i>{d to see you held back.} </i>(Kana)


    "Kana." Akagi put her hand on her sister''s shoulder. "If I killed every person who was an asshole to me, reality would start looking <i>real </i>empty." Sheughed. "Besides, my rules still apply even as a Demon Lord. Unless these fucks actually do something to me, I''ll just let them stew." She shrugged. If they were dumb enough to try anything, they''d get to see the Demon Lord''s <i>fun </i>side.


    <i>{Being an asshole is annoying, but I don''t kill people just for words. My pride as a Demon Lord is one thing, but my personal standards are more important. If people want to run their mouths, fine. But cross that line and start fucking around, and you''ll find out.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Now then." Akagi turned to leave. "Let''s get back to enjoying our little vacation. You too, Mizumi. Come on!" She ushered the Spirit to join them. Figuring it best to keep away from the Council for now, Mizumi followed, and the three of them returned to Omara. Mizumi ended up acting like a guide, showing them some unique ces and telling the two some interesting history. Kana was much more interested in such things than Akagi, and as they traveled around, the two girls went into their own little world as the <i>Demon</i> zoned out. She might love history, but <i>this</i> conversation bored her.


    "Hey, Mizumi." Kana wanted to ask Mizumi a question while were taking a break at one of the town''s parks, and eating ice cream. "Do your people not have any temples? I''ve not heard you talk about your faith at all and I don''t see any religious buildings." She noticed none of the buildings in the town looked like shrines or churches.


    Mizumi took a bite of the cone. "We don''t really worship gods like humans or elves." She thought for a second. "Which makes sense, as we''ve recently learned that I am technically what the humans of Japan would call a god." Mizumi had talked a bit more with Kukurihime about their shared history. While not exactly the same due to nearly four thousand years of evolution, Mizumi was <i>simr </i>to a guardian deity. Though unlike Kukurihime, she did not require faith and prayer to subsist.


    "Yeah, mortals might refer to you as such, but we both know that''s <i>very</i> wrong." Akagiughed.


    "I am aware." Mizumi sighed. "The gods from our old world were leagues more powerful than I."


    "Your world actually had gods? Like real gods?" Kana was increasingly interested.


    "Yes." Mizumi nodded. "All other races worshiped the same gods, though the names differed."


    <em>{The humans called the god of light Sozin, while the elves called him Eiros.}</em>(Mizumi)


    "And they were like <i>actually</i> real? Not just theorized to exist?" Kana pressed further, as she wanted a clear answer on this.


    "They indeed existed. Unlike Earth which has no gods, ours did, and they were quite real." Mizumi thought for a moment, popping her tongue out unconsciously as she thought. "They rarely appeared in the flesh, but they did speak to their followers, and they would sometimes descend in vessels to take more direct action. In fact, that was part of the reason Vikes was defeated, as they yed a pivotal role in trapping him."


    <i>{Real gods aside, that part about Earth''s gods...} </i>(Kana)


    "You might not want to let that cat out of the bag on Earth, Mizumi." Akagi gave a nervousugh. "Humanity will probably not take too well in being told that every faith it''s ever had is... well..." She didn''t want to finish that statement.


    <i>{Oh man. I can imagine the pandemonium that would erupt. I guarantee that plenty of people would just start doing horrible shit to each other knowing that there is no judgment for their sins once they die. So lets just keep that a secret. I might not like religion very much, but it has been useful for giving human society a moral foundation.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Point taken." Mizumi nodded. "There are very few who know this, so it should be fine." She looked at Kana. "Are you ok with that? Knowing that your world''s religions are..<i>. off the mark</i>?" She wasn''t sure how pious Kana was.


    "I never believed to begin with." Kana bit into her ice cream. "Knowing human history, it only made logical sense that faith was little more than just that, <i>faith</i>." Her level of intellect made her predisposed to challenge any established idea, and religion was no exception. "Though I must admit, finding out that we simply die and get reborn for eternity is kinda..." Kana gave a wry smile.


    "That depends on the world, since others <em>can</em> have a heaven equivalent. Earth just happens to be one of the ones that have no such thing." Akagi said. "And don''t go worrying about that. I''ll handle things."


    <i>{I wonder what Excel would do if he found out? I doubt he''d believe me if I just told him, but if he did, would that change things about him? Would he fall into a crisis?} </i>(Akagi)


    "Do I even want to know what you mean?" Kana asked her sister, who just smiled. "Don''t tell me you''re going to try and be some kind of god?!?"


    <i>{Your family members already quasi-worship you. Please don''t go bing some Demon God that demands blood sacrifices on an alter.} </i>(Kana)


    "Hell no!" Akagi eximed. "Why the hell would I want something like that?!? A Demon Lord is leagues above gods in the pecking order! Bing one would be a massive step <i>down </i>in my power. Fuck that." She didn''t think such a thing was possible anyway, and even if possible, she''d never do it. "I was just saying that I''ll figure something out to make that whole reincarnation issue less of a problem, is all."


    "I mean, from our perspective, a Demon Lord is already a type of god anyway." Mizumi said. "She''s more powerful than traditional gods and can easily destroy them. If she demanded to be worshiped, it would probably happen."


    "Yeah, no thanks." Akagi sighed. "I don''t want any of that. Sorry, but if you pray to me, all your going to hear is a dial tone, like when someone hangs up a phone."


    "Pffff." Kanaughed. "Oh my god, that''s horrible."


    "But not inurate." Akagiughed.


    ¡°I imagine your faith would be one that requires copious amounts of sacrifices.¡± Mizumi chuckled.


    <i>{Yeah, skulls for the fucking skull throne...} </i>Akagi rolled her eyes.


    The three chatted for a bit more before continuing their exploration of Omara until the time came for the y. As Mizumi said, it told the tale of their people''s origin, their founder''s journey to unite the Spirits, and how the their nation was created. Kana thought it was fascinating, but Akagi was bored out of her mind as she had no interest in the Spirit''s history. Once it was over, Mizumi bid the two of them farewell before they returned back to Earth. She would stay in Omara for a few more days to clear things up with the Council and handle a few tasks Akagi had assigned her.


    Akagi and Kana returned to the house just after sundown, Kana was tired and wanted to get a nice hot bath. While Akagi immediately grabbed Yumi and forced the priestess into a snuggle session, something Yumi only pretended to resist. Their little vacation to Omara was short, but nice. The two sisters got to spend a bit of time together, and Kana got to learn a bit more about Akagi''s life in FWO. All in all, it was the best family trip they ever had, not that they had any others topare it to. But that was beside the point.

 Interlude 6 – Alice’s Tea Party.

    Interlude 6 ¨C Alice¡¯s Tea Party.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    2 Chaps!


    A few days after Akagi and Kana returned from Omara, Alice was preparing for a tea party in the greenhouse. Her two trusty friends, Fluffy and Floofy, were helping her set the table and prepare tea and snacks. Naturally, Akagi would be joining her, and Alice was looking forward to spending some time with her once now that she had returned from the Spirit''s world.


    "Hmmm. Hmmm. Hmmm." Alice hummed as she finished setting the table. "There! Now everything is set for tea with Mama!" She smiled as she turned to the two bears and started talking in a funny military-esque voice. "Gentlemen!" She eximed, causing the two bears to snap to attention. "Your mission, should you choose to ept it, is to bring to me the snacks I have ced within the kitchen! I won''t lie, it might be dangerous, but it needs to be done! What say you?" The two bears nodded their heads in eptance, causing Alice to giggle as the two of them goose-stepped out of the greenhouse towards the main building.


    A few minutester, Akagi entered the greenhouse. "I see your brave soldiers havepleted their mission." She pointed to the two bears walking past her with trays above their heads.


    "Good work!" Alice walked over to the two bears and grabbed the items, and cing them on the table. "Everything is all set! Thanks for your service gentlemen!" She salute the two bears who returned one back.


    "But before that!" Akagi grabbed Alice from behind and picked her up, spinning her around in circles. "How''s my little one doing today?" She smiled as she brought the girl into a hug.


    "Heh-heh." Alice giggled as she hugged Akagi back. "I''m doing better now that you''re here, Mama." Alice was, generally speaking, doing well at the estate. Akagi was initially worried about her due to her time with Libra, but she quickly returned to her usual cheery state.


    "Good to hear!" Akagi put her down and pat her head. "Are you ready to start?"


    "Yup!" Alice nodded, and the two sat down as Fluffy and Floofy provided tea and snacks.


    "Have you been adjusting to life here?" Akagi asked as she sipped some tea. "I know things have been a little strange between you and the girls, and I''m sorry about that."


    <i>{I know that you''ve wanted to y with them more.} </i>(Akagi)


    "It''s fine." Alice gave a wry smile. "I know it''s better for me to stay away as much as possible." She was fully aware that her status as an ex-Libra member and the one responsible for thousands of deaths in Nagoya would make it <i>difficult </i>for to get along with Mika and Naomi. Kana was less perturbed by things, but Akagi still tried keeping the two at somewhat of a distance from one another.


    Though this did not mean that Alice was left alone, as she was constantly surrounded by members of the family who treated her as Akagi''s daughter, not caring about her past. She''d gotten along with the family in FWO and was happy to be back.


    "I just feel bad." Akagi scratched her cheek. "I''d like you to have some normal rtionships with people, but sadly that''s going to be hard."


    "It''s always been like this." Alice sighed. She knew full well how messed up her mind was, and contrary to expectations, she was very aware of her strange situation. "But it''s fine! I have you and everyone else, Mama! All the other members of the family have been so nice to me! Sakura evenes to my room every night to read with me!"


    <i>{The story about the bunnyst night was really funny! Sakura even got tied up at the end when Chloe showed up.} </i>(Alice)


    "Yes, I''ve heard." Akagiughed. "Word on the street is that she spoils you with baked goods and snacks." Sakura had taken a special liking to Alice since her arrival at the estate, and apparently, she reminded her of her younger sister. "At this rate, it won''t be long before you start calling her Mama and run off with her." Akagi fake cried.


    "Nooooo!" Alice shook her head vigorously. "Mama is the only Mama I''ll ever need! Sakura is like my big sister, so don''t cry!"


    Akagiughed. "I know that I''m just messing with you."


    Alice puffed out her cheeks. "Mean Mama! Hmpf!" She turned her head away.


    "Shall I begin Phase Two of Operation Tickle Monster?" Akagi made a tickling motion with her fingers causing Alice to shiver.


    "No tickles..." Alice said that, but her lips showed a smile.


    "I can''t help it." Akagi cried. "You''re too cute! It makes me want to pick on you." Akagiughed.


    <i>{You''re like a little squirrel! I just wanna squeeze you! And Yumi might deny it, but I know that she wants to coddle you too.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Poor Kana. I don''t know how she survives." Alice sighed. She knew from Kana''s stories the kind of torment Akagi liked to do because she found it <i>cute </i>or <i>funny.</i>


    "Ahh, she deserves it." Akagi waved her hand. "Kana needs to loosen up a bit. Sometimes she can be a bit uptight, but we''re working on that, and she''s gotten better than she used to be."


    <i>{I''m just d Mama doesn''t do such things to me...} </i>Alice counted herself lucky Akagi''s tormenting didn''t usually apply to her.


    "Speaking of the twerp, have you been getting along with Kana?" Akagi asked. "I know you''ve had tea with her a few times, and she liked your stuffed animal collection." Akagi gave her the stuffed crow when they returned, adding another one to the vast number in her room.


    "Kana has been very nice to me, and she really enjoyed the fluffy animals..." Alice smiled. "Though..." Alice stopped.


    "Though what?" Akagi asked.


    "I don''t think she knows what to make of me..." Alice pouted. "I mean, I''m some strange kid that barged into her home and called her sister Mama. Not to mention I was part of the group that hurt her. She always seems to act a bit strange when it''s just the two of us..."


    "Yeah, that makes sense." Akagi nodded. "But it''s fine. Kana will eventually figure things out, and if you want, I can talk to herter about it. No matter how strange you are, you''re my daughter, and I want you to get along with her."


    "You don''t have to do that." Alice shook her head. "I should be the one to do it. I want to be friends with her, and I don''t want her to be strange around me, so I''ll talk to her." Akagi was happy to see Alice acting so proactive. She always struggled socially since she was ejected from the Assault Team, so this showed at least some development on her part, which was nice.


    Unfortunately no matter what kind of progress she made, her growth would always be limited due to her arrested development. Her mind had been irreparably damaged during her time in the hospital and by what happened in FWO. She could get slightly better, but Alice would likely always remain in this strange in-between of a kid and a young adult. Her maturity and intellectual capacity fluxed at times. One minute she could act far older than her appearance, and other times she''d slip into a childlike stupor.


    This meant that she could never lead a normal life, and she knew this. While she was always the same person no matter how she acted, it meant she had a hard time interacting with other people; especially if they were not aware of her issues. It was a big part of the reason Akagi kept her at the base in FWO rather than allow her to run around in the world. Her mental state <i>had</i> improved significantly over these two-plus years, but it was to everyone''s benefit that she remained in an environment where those around her could provide her with the care she needed.


    "How about I try to slowly introduce you to the girls a bit more?" Akagi said. "It''s been a few weeks since you got here, and you''ve met them a couple of times. I think having you around them more will help." She figured keeping Alice away from them forever was both not-possible and a bad idea. "I believe that they''ll being over today, so why don''t don''t youe sit with me? Maybe you can talk to them a bit?"


    <i>{Gotta start somewhere.} </i>(Akagi)


    Alice nodded. "I''d like that."


    Hearing that made Akagi smile, and the two continued their tea party for nearly an hour before they wrapped up and went inside the main house. Alice sat on Akagi''sp while they waited on the sofa for the girls toe over, and the warmth made the two fall asleep hugging one another. Yumi came across them a bitter and ced a nket on them before going back to some of her other work.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    A bitter Kana and the girls got off school and arrived at the estate to do some studying.


    "Onee-chan!" Kana yelled as she walked into the living room. "Yumi said you were... in..." She went quiet as she caught sight of the sleeping Alice and Akagi on the couch.


    "Aww, that''s cute." Mika smiled.


    "I guess she really is like a mom." Naomiughed.


    "How about you go ask her to snuggle with you, Naomi? Cause you''ve called her that twice now if I recall correctly." Kana smirked as she looked at her friend, who turned away in embarrassment.


    "I don''t know why I keep doing that!" Naomi eximed.


    <i>{This is even worse than calling the teacher that!} </i>(Naomi)


    "Just ept it, Naomi. Akagi''s your new mom!" Mikaughed before getting bonked on the head by Naomi''s fist.


    ¡°Owchi.¡± Mika cried in pain.


    ¡°What''s wrong? Don''t you want to snuggle with Akagi? I''m sure she wouldn''t mind having a second daughter.¡± Kana''s eyes glinted.


    ¡°Ho?¡± Naomi tightened her fist. ¡°I''m going to hit you-¡± She was cut off by Akagi.


    "Could you idiots be any louder?" Akagi yawned as she woke up. "I swear you could wake the dead."


    "Ah, sorry." Kana apologized.


    ¡°Ye-yeah.¡± Naomi stumbled.


    "Hmmmm." Alice rubbed her eyes as she woke up. "What''s wrong, Mama?" She looked over at Kana and the girls. "Hello, Kana, Mika, Naomi." The half awake girl was too cute for the three of them to handle.


    "Too much sugar." Mikaughed.


    "Yeah, I can practically feel the diabetes." Naomi giggled.


    Kana rolled her eyes.


    "Don''t be jealous." Akagiughed. "I''m sure Alice would let you squeeze her if you asked nicely, right?" She looked down at Alice, who didn''t answer.


    Kana and the girls took a seat and put down their bags. "So what''s the asion? I''ve never seen you fall asleep like that with Alice." Kana asked as she got out some school supplies, they were going to review for an uing test.


    "Alice and I had a tea party, afterward we came in here to wait for you three, and we fell asleep." Akagi chuckled. "It was just so warm andfy, that we couldn''t resist dozing off."


    <i>{You don''t even need to sleep, you just wanted to snuggle with Alice, admit it!} </i>(Kana)


    "Just like the ssroom." Mika agreed. "It makes you want to fall asleep and not do anything productive!"


    "That''s just you, Mika." Kana sighed. "And it''s also why you''re here getting tutored. Otherwise, you''ll be held back, and I don''t think you want to repeat your third year."


    "Yeah, if we left her to her own devices, I''m pretty sure Alice would catch up to her in no time." Naomiughed.


    "Isn''t Alice like fourteen! I''d have to fail quite a bit for us to be in the same grade!" Mika pouted.


    Kana finished getting things out of her bag and put a book on the table. "What are you going to do with Alice on that front anyway?" She asked Akagi. "Are you going to send her to school?"


    <i>{That would be an interesting turn of events, and probably a bad idea.} </i>(Kana)


    "That would be an extremely poor idea, Kana." Akagi shook her head. "Not only is she an individual most would dislike, but frankly she is not suited for school. It''s best if she avoids such a thing, plus its not like she has any need for it anyway."


    "Not pulling any punches there, huh?" Mika said feeling a bit bad for the girl.


    "It''s the truth." Alice spoke up. "I''m too strange to be around other people my age, and many people hate me for being part of Libra. So it''s fine." She gave a bitter smile. ¡°I''d rather stay with Mama.¡± Alice gripped onto Akagi.


    "But still, shouldn''t she spend time with people her age?" Naomi asked. ¡°Even if its just for a little while, it would be good for some children to y with her.


    "No." Alice spoke again. "I don''t get along with other children. They find me creepy, and it never ends well. I''m better off with people older than me since they can understand things a bit better." She wiggled in Akagi''sp, hugging her. "Besides, I''ll never grow up anyway so it wouldn''t matter."


    "???" The three girls tilted their heads.


    "What do you mean?" Mika asked as she got out a notebook.


    "Hmmm." Alice seemed to struggle to answer, so Akagi stepped in.


    "Alice is a Star Human, much like how Hishya was, and she will always look this way. In the game, lore made it so they had no lifespan since Star Humans were basically a type of human which was part divine. So she won''t die from old age or disease." Akagi chuckled. "She''s <i>literally </i>an eternal child. In both mind and body." Minazawa was also a Star Human. It was amon choice among yers for its useful benefits and quite a few returnees were such an incredible species.


    "That''s crazy." Naomi was surprised. "Living forever..."


    "I mean, so will I." Akagi shrugged. "And Yumi won''t be aging or dying, so she''s in the same boat. In fact, quite a bit of my followers either have such insanely long lifespans that it''s effectively ageless, or they <em>are</em> ageless." Though, she intended to find a way to spread longevity to all her people eventually.


    "I guess that means when we''re all olddies Akagi will look exactly the same huh?" Mika scratched her cheek as she gave a dryugh.


    "Kana too." Akagi pointed out that Kana was a bit different.


    "What?" (Mika x Naomi x Kana)


    "What do you mean what?" Akagi raised an eyebrow. "She might still technically be human, but with my power, I have no clue if you even <i>can </i>age anymore."


    "What?!?" Kana eximed. "This is the first time I''m hearing about this!" She''d never been told anything about having a longer lifespan.


    "And you two, you do realize that having magic will make you live longer, right?" Akagi sighed. "Didn''t Mizumi tell you that?"


    "No!" (Mika x Naomi x Kana)


    "Ok, note to self, bonk her on her head when she gets back to do the procedure." Akagi groaned. "But yes, those with magic will long outlive those without. It''s why humans in her old world had an average lifespan of nearly two hundred years." There were even cases of humans hitting nearly one thousand years old if they had arge amount of magic.


    "That''s..." Naomi hadn''t been told anything about this, she wasn''t upset or even disturbed. It was more just shock.


    "That''s so cool!" Mika''s eyes sparkled. "I''ll get to stay young and cute!"


    "Of course, <i>that''s</i> what she focused on." Kana sighed.


    "If I may." Momo spoke from within Naomi. "As I am contracted to Naomi, she would have already lived longer anyway, though likely only around one hundred fifty years rather than centuries." Momo exined that spiritual power had a slight rejuvenation effect on those who used it.


    "So that''s why our family always seemed to live abnormally long!" Kana had an aw-ha moment. "Now it all makes sense why most of our ancestors lived to over one hundred, and why even in old age our great grandparents were still active!"


    <i>{I suppose this means the three of us better n for a much longer life than expected. I see this as positive news, but it will definitely cause issues in the future.} </i>Naomi thought to herself about what this newly discovered longevity meant for her and her two friends. Humans were not expected to live for centuries, and it would mean they needed to n for much more than expected. <i>{Perhaps this can be used in medicine? Even if we can''t make everyone live longer, it might be able to help some people.}</i>


    Spoiler


    Alice having some Tea!


    [copse]

 Chapter 137 – The RRT’s New Member and Training.

    Chapter 137 ¨C The RRT¡¯s New Member and Training.


    "Hiya!" Shimari swung her de at Hishya, whozily deflected it.


    "Come on, Shimari! I know you can do better than that!" Hishya continued to deflect and parry a rapid series of blows from the dog-girl.


    After her defeat by Minazawa, Shimari remained in aa for several weeks due to the severe trauma of her wounds. Upon regaining consciousness, she was interrogated by the RRT. They wanted information on Libra''s members, locations, and why she joined them. Unfortunately, the dog-girl was not important enough to have any real knowledge and couldn''t tell them much outside of what was already known.


    As to the reason she joined Libra, Shimari told them that she felt like she had no other option <i>but </i>to join the group. Her parents abandoned her after she woke up from FWO, iming that she wasn''t their child, along with a host of other reasons. This mentality was sadly bing more and moremon as the vast majority of returnees found themselves disowned or abandoned by their families. With nowhere left to go, she was left alone and went to live with Ketosu, as he was a friend of hers who had also retained his powers.


    The two lived together for a while, stealing food to get by, until they saw a news articles about Libra. Ketosu told Shimari that they should join and strike back at the world and make it pay for treating them like trash. She was initially reluctant to harm people, but Ketosu eventually talked her into it. After joining, her first mission was to link up with Tatsumaki and attack Matsumoto with Ketosu. However, they never got the chance, as Mixu and Minazawa defeated them before they could move forward with their ns.


    As she had technically not done anything, besides joining Libra, Shimari was given a choice. Join the RRT or face jail time for aiding a terrorist group. Naturally, she didn''t want to go to prison, so she joined the RRT. By the time everything had settled down and she became an official member, Akagi had already defeated Libra and killed Hoshino. So she was now the <i>sixth</i> member of the group. Hishya had backed out of the RRT after Libra''s destruction, but offered to train Shimari and the other members if they wished. The dragon had known the girl during FWO and wanted to help her, even if it was just a bit.


    *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG*


    The two shed des for a while as they battled in the training area created for the RRT''s members. Minazawa watched from the sidelines as she was also helping to coach the dog-girl. She and Hishya had simr battle strategies, as they were both tanks, but Minazawa was much better at taking hits, while Hishya was more powerful on offense.


    *BANG*


    *TINK*


    Hishya swung her de, disarming Shimari, and causing the dog-girl''s de to fly off into the corner which hit the ground with a loud thud.


    "Not bad." Hishya smiled as she lowered her weapon. "You''ve gotten better sincest time Shimari, but you still need work. Your form is still inefficient and you''ve got lots of openings to exploit."


    "Is this even necessary?" Shimari fell onto the floor, exhausted. "I mean, Libra''s been defeated, so I doubt-" Hishya cut her off.


    "That kind of mindset is exactly what causes people to die." Her voice got firmer. "Just because things are peaceful now doesn''t mean they''ll always be so. I might not want to fight, but I train nearly every day."


    <i>{Who knows what might happen next. Even if we have Akagi, it isn''t a good idea to just allow ourselves to becent.} </i>(Hishya)


    Earth might not have been some fantasy with constant wars and magical threats, but that didn''t mean bad things couldn''t happen. The RRT was intended to protect the country, be it from terrorists, foreign militaries, or natural disasters, and they needed to be ready to respond at a moment''s notice. Shimari was right, they <i>could</i> probably handle whatever came their way, but that was a risk the higher-ups were unwilling to take.


    As things returned to normal in Japan, old fears and global geopolitics began to resurface. China continued to saber rattle over Taiwan, and Russia started making additional threats to nations once part of it during thest century. Politics never sleeps, and Libra''s actions were little more than a distraction to the world''s major powers.


    Naturally, Akagi herself was also considered a threat. But by this point, it was more or less understood that she was beyond the capabilities of the RRT or Earth''s militaries to handle. Ironically, this meant that the Demon Lord was actually lower on most analysts'' threat lists, since she had professed a desire for peaceful coexistence. With the impending creation of her nation, Akagi was seen less as a threat to the world and more as a curiosity, something Hishya was very happy to see.


    "With all the magical craziness over thest year, we have no idea what might happen in the future." Hishya''s eyes pierced into the dog-girl. "And I don''t think I need to exin why relying on Akagi to handle some world-ending threat is a bad idea." Shimari had been brought up to speed on Akagi and was floored by the revtion.


    <i>{My biggest worry is that other world, the one Mizumi came from.} </i>Hishya thought to herself.<i> {Mizumi said traversing worlds is nearly impossible. But her people managed to do it, twice. Meaning that the people from the other world doing the same and pursuing them is also possible, albeit improbable.} </i>


    Akagi had mentioned this as a possible threat, and she and Hishya had agreed to cooperate on handling whatever might show up if it posed a threat to the world. Akagi had no real desire to y world savior, but if they came to destroy this world, she''d eject them.


    <i>This world isn''t theirs to destroy</i>. That was the line Akagi used when Hishya asked the <em>Demon </em>about her response to an extra-dimensional invasion by the other world.


    So far, nothing had indicated such an invasion, and Mizumi stuck to her guns on it being impossible. But neither Akagi nor Hishya were willing to take that risk.


    <i>{If something does attack, or if we need to fight. Then I''ll be ready, I know Eris has been training as well, and while we don''t get along. I know if things got rough, I could count on her to help.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Go get your weapon! Minazawa is up next for training, and we''re going to show you proper blocking and damage reduction forms!" Hishya eximed as training continued well into the afternoon.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    "Aw man, that was awful!" Shimari said as she copsed on the break-room couch.


    "Here." Minazawa handed her some water.


    "Thank you!" She perked up and wagged her tail as she downed the drink. "Ah! That feels so much better." The dog-girl smiled.


    "You''re not half bad with that shield, but you''re still too slow, and your movements are sub-optimal." Minazawa critiqued her as she sat down. "Our job as a tank is to soak up as much damage as possible and dy our opponents. We should be slowing our enemies down to allow our other members to dish out the damage, and right now, you''re more like a heavy and slow swordsman than a tank." She continued giving her pointers until Mixu arrived from the elevator.


    "I got pizza!" The vampire smiled while holding a box.


    "With extra <i>sauce</i>?" Minazawaughed at her own stupid joke.


    "Yeah, my supply of blood isn''t sufficient, so we''ve swapped to tomatoes." Mixu flipped her off as she ced the box on the table.


    "Where is everyone else?" Shimari asked as she grabbed a slice. She hadn''t seen the other members in a bit.


    "Excel is doing stuff with the military, and I think Imp is with him." Mixu answered as she started eating. "Superbia is on leave with her folks. I think the anniversary of her sister''s death ising up soon, and she wanted to go to her grave to pay her respects."


    "Oh..." Shimari''s ears drooped a bit. She''d met Gim and Grim once during her time in Libra and felt bad about everything that happened with them.


    "Well, at least she can tell her sister that the two goblin bastards are dead." Mixu smiled. "Hishya saw to that."


    "I only wish I did it earlier." Hishya came out of the other room, her hair wet from taking a shower. "Part of me wishes I never talked Superbia out of getting Akagi to kill them all those years ago."


    "Let''s not go hiring her for anything, <i>please</i>." Minazawa sighed. "I''d rather not walk in and find one of us dead <i>again</i>. That wasn''t fun the first time, and it won''t be any better the second or third."


    "Yeah, I know, but at least Hoshino deserved it." Hishya sat down and too a slice of pizza. She''d told the RRT exactly what caused Akagi to go after Hoshino, and let''s just say they were disgusted. They weren''t exactly happy about Akagi killing <i>another </i>yer, but in this case, they figured letting it slide was for the best. "Besides, god only knows what she''d ask for. I''d joke around and say she''d want your soul, but since she can now <i>eat </i>those..." Hishya sighed.


    <i>{I really don''t want to find out what that sensation feels like.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Yeah, no thanks." Mixu shivered. "Just watching that on stream gave me the willies." She looked at Shimari. "You lucked out little puppy. Good thing you weren''t at the base. Otherwise, you''d be either dead or <i>Demon</i> food, and I can''t say what''s worse."


    "<i>Demon</i> food," Hishya answered. "She told me the only thing more painful than being eaten by her is having your soul obliterated. So when she says death is a mercy, she''s not lying."


    "Fun..." Minazawa sighed.


    "I''ve never met Akagi before, but from what I''ve seen she seems like quite the awful person." Shimari spoke. "Her attack on Libra''s base was... <i>graphic..."</i>


    <i>{She literally ATE Zappy!} </i>(Shimari)


    "Try having been there in person!" Hishyaughed. "It was ten times worse for me. I thought she''d eat <em>me</em> when it was all said and done."


    <i>{Also, being forced to watch that gruesome disy up close and personal, was the worst experience of my life.} </i>(Hishya)


    "You''re dating her sister, so I''d say you''re pretty safe." Mixu smirked.


    "Yeah sure, <i>safe</i>. I''m so safe in fact that I''m pretty sure that if I ever make Kana upset I might get a visit from <i>Onee-chan</i>." Hishya gave a nervousugh. "Trust me, dating Kana is its own stressor."


    <i>{Knowing Akagi, she''d probably enjoy tormenting me for a bit as punishment for making Kana cry even a small amount.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Aww, is the <i>princess</i> too much for the <i>hero?</i>" Minazawa grinned.


    "Honestly, Kana might actually be <i>more</i> of a handful than her sister, and that was <i>before </i>she got powers!" Hishya sighed. "She''s just as bad as Akagi when ites to picking on me! She even got her sword spirit to act as a fake daughter, then made fun of me all night during our date!"


    <i>{And after I was so kind as to let her sleep on my hoard! I even broke out the best pillows in my collection!} </i>(Hishya)


    "A tragedy it is to be loved, oh wo is Hishya." Mixu said sarcastically.


    "Don''t act as if you don''t have like a million people who''d go out with you in a heartbeat!" Hishya fired back. "You know damn well that you''re popr."


    "Yeah, I wonder how many young boys Mixu has <i>drained</i>." Minazawaughed.


    "Funny..." Mixu rolled her eyes. "As if you''re much better. Oh <i>Purple Thorn.</i>"


    "I never imed to be." Minazawa shrugged. " And I see no reason not to have a bit of fun, not like I''m seeing anyone."


    Shimari''s face turned red as she caught on to what the two were talking about. "Y-you...."


    <i>{How can these two just so calmly discuss such debauchery?!?} </i>(Shimari)


    Mixu looked over at the embarrassed puppy. "Shimari''s literally a puppy girl, so it won''t be much longer till she catches someone''s eyes." Sheughed.


    "I umm...." Shimari got even redder.


    "Akagi''s got a couple of cute cat and dog boys. I could introduce you to one of them." Hishya winked, and Shimari put her head on the table in shame. Her ears dropped down, and her tail went limp.


    "You guys are just awful..." Shimari groaned, and the three womenughed at her innocence.

 Chapter 138 – The Nightmare.

    Chapter 138 ¨C The Nightmare.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    2 Chaps and a content warning for Suicide.


    Akagi and Yumi were getting ready for bed after a long day of busy work, ns, and preparation for the uing formation of her new nation. Family operations never ceased, and currently, Marshal was leading a team to hunt down South American drug cartels, while others were on an extensive intel gathering operation within Omara. Yumi was busy finishing up the bathroom, so Akagi decided to have a bit of fun by ying around with the mirror while she waited.


    <em>pbbbt!</em> Akagi stuck out her tongue at the mirror and blew a raspberry.


    "Heh-heh..." She smiled as she started to make all sorts of funny faces at herself. Getting into it, she began morphing her face into other strange shapes and even other people before bursting outughing.


    <i>{Kana would kill me if she saw me transformed into her like that. Though she might like the cat ears.} (</i>Akagi)


    "Are you having fun?" Yumi said while leaning in the bathroom doorway.


    "Yes!" Akagi smiled.


    Yumi shook her head. "You really do remind me of my sister sometimes with your antics. One minute you''re acting normal, then the next I see you transformed in front of the mirror ying with yourself." Yumi sighed as she crawled into bed.


    <i>{Not that I dislike any of that.} </i>(Yumi)


    "I''ll take your words as apliment." Akagi leapt into bed with her. "We''ve got a busy weeking up, so let''s get some rest." She smiled as Yumi wrapped her arms around her from behind.


    "Indeed, and don''t forget that in May I''ll be gone for around a week to wrap things up. I''ll try to pop back in as much as possible, but we might be apart for a few days." Yumi smiled as Akagi turned off the lights.


    ¡°I''ll be fine! If I couldn''t be away from you for that small amount of time, that would be pathetic.¡± Akagiughed, but internally she knew those few days would be awful.


    ¡°But in the mean time, we''ve got a really fun eventing up this month and I''m looking forward to it!¡± Kana''s birthday would be in a few days, and they nned on going to see the Sakura trees bloom.


    "Goodnight." (Yumi)


    "Goodnight, Yumi." Akagi closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    *CHIRP* *CHIRP*


    The sound of birds echoed throughout Akagi''s room, it seemed the morning had came quite quickly, and it was time for the start of the day.


    "Stupid birds." Akagiined that they''d woken her up. "What time is it anyway?" She slowly opened her eyes and looked at the small digital clock that was on the table next to her bed. "Nine? Why didn''t my rm go off?" She yawed, but a moment,ter her eyes snapped open. "Wait!" She sat up fast. "That''s the-" The small digital clock was not the one she usually used, and the table it sat upon was apletely different one than should have sat next to her bed. She recognized both, but that only made things <i>worse</i>.


    "No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No." She leapt out of her bed, a bed that was very different than the one she got in with Yumi, and stood in front of her mirror. What greeted her was not her face as Akagi, but Rishia''s.


    "Wh-what''s going on?!?" Akagi screamed. ¡°W-Why am I?!?¡± She ran her hands over her face in a panic. Akagi could feel the blood pulsing through her body, and could hear the beat of her heart in in her chest. Things that ordinarily shouldn''t be possible.


    "Wait, Wait, Wait. Calm down me. Calm down! No need to panic. This same thing happened when I went and spoke to the inner versions of myself. I transformed back then too and it was just a dream basically." She took a deep breath. "I can just transform back and-" Her entire body shuddered at a sudden realization.


    "I-I can''t feel it..." Akagi stumbled backward, nearly tripping and falling onto her bed. "I can''t feel <i>anything.</i>" She couldn''t sense her power or her abilities, and her shadow was not behind her like it always was.


    ¡°M-my power... its gone! I can''t change back! I can''t I can''t.... I CAN''T CHANGE BACK!¡± Akagi screamed as her head swirled. ¡°My power, my strength all of it. It''s gone! Why? How?!?¡±


    <i>{Did someone do this?!? Is this punishment for not destroying the world?!?} </i>Akagi was struggling to keep her thoughts together as she tried to figure out what was going on. Looking around, it was clear that she was in her room at her old house, and she could tell the outside world was there, unlike before.


    ¡°I-I can''t go back.... I can''t go back to being like this!¡± Akagi began to w at her own face, in a futile attempt to rip it off, even drawing a bit of blood as her nails scratched her cheeks. ¡°This isn''t me! I''m not Rishia! I''m Akagi. Akagi dammit!¡±


    But unfortunately for her, being stuck in her old body wasn''t the end of it. Her body began to shake as she clutched her chest in pain, and she felt like she was about to vomit.


    <i>{Nooo. NOOOOOOOO!} </i>(Akagi)


    "YUMI!" Akagi screamed as panic set in further. "I can''t feel Yumi!" She began shaking. "I can''t feel her! I can''t feel her anywhere!" Ever since the two connected, both could feel a small warmth from within that let them know the other was alive and well. But now, she couldn''t feel Yumi at all and the sudden loss of that warmth had begun to drive her mad. Real or not, the loss of that feeling was not something she could tolerate.


    "Onee-chan!" Kana''s voice rang out as she opened the door to the room. "Are you ok? You screamed really loud!" However, this Kana was not the same one she''d seen earlier that day. She was younger, probably around twelve years old and her face gave off a much more innocent look. "You look pale. Are you ok?"


    "K-Kana?" Akagi stumbled, barely able to speak over the massive headache and nausea. "Are you r-really Kana?" She asked.


    "What do you mean? Did you have a bad dream or something?" Kana tilted her head. "Of course I''m me."


    <i>{I-if she''s small like that, then... did I go back in time?} </i>(Akagi)


    "Do you remember any of it?" Akagi asked. "Yumi, Chloe, Mika, Naomi any of them?!?" She grabbed her sister''s shoulders and started to shake her. ¡°Please tell me you do!¡±


    "W-what are y-you t-talking about?" Kana said while being shaken. "Who are they? Friends of yours?"


    Upon hearing that Kana had no idea who she was talking about, Akagi let go. "What day is it? Tell me!"


    "Hm? Today?" Kana gave her the date. It was the same day that FWOunched all those years ago. "Was something supposed to happen today? I don''t recall you saying anything about a gameunch or something."


    <i>{FWO... it neverunched?!?} </i>Akagi thought for a moment. <i>{Don''t tell me... please don''t tell me that it was all a dream. That everything was just...} </i>She began to think that somehow she dreamed everything from thest four years, as insane as that was. But right now, that was the only thing her mind could think of, and that meant that everyone was gone, her power was gone, <em>all</em> of it was gone.


    "I''m... I''m alone again..." Akagi wrapped her arms around her torso. ¡°I''m alone, they''re all gone. They never existed... it was all a dream...¡± She started to hyper ventte.


    ¡°Onee-chan?¡± Kana started to get worried. ¡°What''s wrong?¡±


    Akagi ignored her and slowly walked out of her room and downstairs into the living room. Shima and Taichi were elsewhere this weekend and weren''t home, so it was just the two of them.


    "Onee-chan!" Kana chased after her. "Please tell me what''s going on? Did you have a nightmare? Did mom and dad do something again?¡± She could tell something happened and wanted to help.


    Akagi looked back at her. But instead of her usually kind and caring eyes. Akagi''s eyes were filled with hate and anger. "Don''t talk to me, you fucking brat!" She was in no mood for Kana, and her mental state was slowly copsing under the idea that she was back to being Rishia again.


    "Onee-chan!" Kana grabbed onto her shirt, trying to stop her. "Why are you being so mean?!?"


    "DON''T TOUCH ME!" Akagi screamed as she pushed Kana away, causing the young girl to tumble onto the floor. "It''s all over! All of it! Everyone''s gone! I''m alone again! I have nothing, no one! I''m... I''m..." She started to cry.


    <i>{WHY??? AM I NOT ALLOWED TO BE HAPPY?!? IS MY LIFE SUPPOSE TO BE NOTHING MORE THAN SICK JOKE?!?} </i>Akagi copsed onto the floor.


    "Who''s gone?!? What are you talking about?" Kana was confused. "And you''re not alone! You have me." She tried to hug Akagi, but once she got close enough, Akagi punched her sister in the face.


    ¡°Keep away from me you disgusting BRAT!¡± (Akagi)


    Kana rubbed her cheek and began crying.


    ¡°Go ahead! Cry! And know that what you''re feeling pales inparison to what I''m experiencing right now.¡± Akagi screamed.


    ¡°Onee-chan...¡± Kana was still crying. ¡°W-why did you-¡± She was stopped as Akagi grabbed her by the cor.


    ¡°I lost it all! Everyone, all my friends, my new family and the most important person in the world! All of them are gone!¡±(Akagi)


    ¡°What are you-¡± Kana was again cut off by Akagi''s screaming.


    ¡°Nearly five years! Five fucking years! All of it was a dream! All that happiness, that joy... it was all fake!¡± Akagi threw Kana into the nearby end-table causing a loud smack as a picture frame fell off, causing the ss to shatter.


    ¡°I found happiness, Kana! I found people who cared for me! Who loved me despite <em>everything</em>!¡± Akagi startedughing. ¡°And it was all a cruel joke yed upon me by my own mind. I was given a glimpse at a better life, only to have it pulled away from me once I''d gottencent. Once I''d thought I could finally be happy...¡±


    ¡°Onee-chan please calm down!¡± Kana stood up, still wobbly from being tossed around. ¡°I don''t know what you''re talking about, but there is no reason to get violent!¡±


    ¡°It doesn''t matter anymore.¡± Akagi red at her sister. ¡°None of it does...¡±


    <i>{So what? I''m suppose to just go back to how things were? ept being an unloved child in a house that hates me, have no power, and have to listen to others?} </i>Akagi thought to herself. <i>{No... NO! I might be back to being Rishia in body, but my mind, MY MIND, is still Akagi. I am still Akagi!} </i>(Akagi)


    Akagi began tough manically as she looked at her sister.


    ¡°Onee-chan, you''re scaring me.¡± Kana shuddered at her sistersugh.


    ¡°Good.¡± Akagi''s eyes had changed, and Kana could tell, that something inside her sister had snapped. ¡°You <em>should</em> be afraid of me.¡± She walked closer to her sister. ¡°You know, I''ve always hated you Kana. You were the favorite child, everyone loved you and you could do nothing wrong.¡±


    Kana had frozen in fear, she could tell Akagi was about to do something horrible to her as she continued to get closer. ¡°They alwayspared me to you, told me I was a waste of space, that I would never be good enough.¡± She stopped just in front of Kana, staring down at her. ¡°Now, how funny would it be if Shima and Taichi came home from their little trip...¡± Akagi cupped Kana''s cheeks. ¡°And they were greeted with you chopped into all kinds of tiny bits and strewn across the house? I don''t know about them, but<em>I</em>think that would be fun!¡± Akagi stepped backwards as she began tough psychotically. ¡°Oh! How wonderful would that be! The looks on their face as I bathe in the blood of their <i>precious daughter</i>. The realization that all their life''s work was undone in a second by the very monster they created!¡±


    Kana began to shake as she watched. She wanted to run away, but her legs wouldn''t move.


    ¡°I don''t need my powers to kill a twelve year old.¡± Akagi''s lips contorted into a horrifying smile as she looked at her sister. ¡°From what I recall, those two won''t be back for a good while. So Kana, how about we y a game.¡±


    ¡°A-a g-game?¡± Kana said meekly.


    ¡°Indeed, a game!¡± Akagi chuckled. ¡°The rules are simple! All you have to do is stay alive! So do your best!¡±


    <i>{S-she''s serious! She''s going to kill me!} </i>Kana once again tried to back away, but fell onto the floor as her legs gave out.


    ¡°Ohhh....¡± Akagi''s entire body shuttered. ¡°There it is! The look! AHHHHH.¡± Akagi ran her hands over her body as she shivered in pleasure. ¡°Kana, you''ve made me one happy girl! The forbidden fruit has been picked and I''ve finally got to see what it would look like for my <i>precious little sister</i> to have that look of sheer terror and horror on her face.¡± Akagi knelt down on front her her. ¡°So how does it feel? To know that the <i>Onee-chan</i> you love so much is about to kill you?¡±


    ¡°....¡± Kana whispered something.


    ¡°Speak up I can''t hear you.¡± Akagi asked her to speak again.


    ¡°Do it...¡± Kana said.


    ¡°What?¡± Akagi was momentarily shocked by her words.


    ¡°I said, do it.¡± Kana looked into her sisters eyes. ¡°I deserve to die anyway...¡±


    ¡°W-wha?¡± Akagi had no response.


    ¡°I took your family from you, Onee-chan. So please, kill me.¡± Kana grabbed the hem of Akagi''s shirt. ¡°If killing me will make you happy, if it will repay the debt I have to you.... then do it!¡±


    Her words brought Akagi back to the conversation in the kitchen all those months ago, where Kana revealed that she knew Akagi was going to kill her when she was a child.


    <i>{Kana said the same thing back then too. That she deserved to die... What... what is wrong with me... This isn''t Kana''s fault... its Shima and Taichi''s... Even... even if it was all a dream... No... I can''t allow myself to go down that route... because...} </i>Akagi took a deep breath and stood up.


    ¡°I''m sorry, Kana.¡± Akagi said. ¡°I''m not going to hurt you. You don''t deserve to die, and its not your fault those idiots have treated me like garbage for all these years. They never loved me to begin with.¡± She hugged her.


    ¡°Onee-chan.¡± Kana said from the floor.<i> </i>


    ¡°But, this <em>will</em> be the end.¡± Akagi gave a bitter smile as she turned to leave the house. ¡°This is goodbye Kana, I''m sorry and... and no matter what... I love you.¡±


    Kana panicked at these words and jumped up to follow her sister. "Onee-chan! Where are you going?!? Why does it sound like your going to leave and nevere back?!?" Akagi stood in the half open door to the house, just about to leave.


    Akagi looked back at her, tears running down her face. "I can''t stay anymore, Kana. I''ve lost too much, and I''m not strong enough to continue on anymore. I can''t stay here and pretend to be someone I''m not, not when I''ve seen what real happiness is."


    <i>{Without Yumi and the others, this life just isn''t worth it anymore, and I need to get away before I do something I''ll regret.} </i>(Akagi)


    Akagi walked out the door and took off down the street. She could hear Kana screaming from behind, but she ignored it. It was just like she''d told her sister at the school. If she had to go back to being Rishia and live her old life, then she''d rather end it all.


    Not too far from her house was a train crossing, one that she knew would soon be active formute. As she walked towards her death, she thought back to all the happy memories, things she was now certain were dreams. Perhaps if she''d given it a bit more thought, she''d have figured out that everything couldn''t have been a dream, and that it was impossible for a mind to create such a long and borate construct. But with her unstable mental state, and theck of Yumi''s warmth, it was hard for her to process anything logically. That''s just how important their bond was, and the loss of her other half meant that she could no longer continue living.


    <i>{Everyone... I''m sorry...} </i>Akagi slowly walked toward the crossing, her eyes zed over and her face filled with tears. <i>{I can''t do this... I can''t do it alone... I''m not... I''m not strong enough... not anymore...}</i>


    *BING* *BING* *BING* *BING*


    As she stood in front of the crossing, lights started ring and rms rang out as the gates closed in front of her. She could see the train approaching from the north, and when it got close enough she would jump.


    <i>{But none of that matters, because, I''ll be with you all soon...}</i>


    *BING* *BING* *BING* *BING*


    The train got ever closer, and once it reached the point where it couldn''t stop, Akagi leapt over the guard rail and jumped in front of the oing train. Thest thing she saw before it collided with her was the screaming face of Kana on her bike, watching in horror at what was about to happen.


    <i>{I''m sorry Kana... Grow up to be the kind girl you were in my dream, and if possible. Forget about me...}</i>


    *BANG* *SCREECH*


    "ONEE-CHAN!!!!!!!!!!" Kana screamed as she watched the horrific sight of Akagi''s body exploding on contact with the train.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Yumi POV>


    Yumi was peacefully sleeping when she heard Akagi fidgeting in her sleep and wincing in pain.


    "Hmmm?" She slowly opened one eye. "Is everything alright, my Lord?" Yumi pushed on Akagi, who started fidgeting harder in her sleep.


    <i>{A nightmare?} </i>Yumi didn''t think Akagi could have those, but figured it best to wake her up.


    "My Lord, wake up. It''s just a dream." Yumi pushed on her harder, to no avail, as Akagi started sweating and her face contorted in pain. "Please wake up!"


    Nothing seemed to be working as she prodded, poked, and even pped Akagi to get her to wake up. "Please, it''s just a dream! Wake up!" Yumi was starting to get worried. She''d never seen Akagi in so much distress, and figured that whatever she was dreaming was extremely unpleasant.


    "Hmmmm." Yumi thought for a moment before summoning her staff and channeling healing magic onto Akagi. "Perhaps this will help? I''ve heard healing magic can be used to quell nightmares." But even this seemed to do nothing.


    <i>{I might need to get Kana.} </i>Just as Yumi was about to get out of bed, Akagi sat up, her eyes snapped opened, and she screamed in a horrifyingly distorted voice.


    <i><b>"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"</b></i> (Akagi)


    "My Lord, calm down!" Yumi grabbed onto her and pulled her into a hug as Akagi iled about. "It was just a nightmare! Please calm down! It''s ok! I''m right here!"


    <i><b>[They''re all gone! Everyone''s gone!] </b></i>Akagi began to talk in <i>Demon</i>.


    "It''s alright. It''s alright. I''m right here." Yumi hugged her tighter.


    <i>{What the hell happened?!?} </i>(Yumi)


    A few secondster, Kana burst into the room. Hers was next door, and Akagi''s scream woke her up from a dead sleep.


    "What''s going on?!?" Kana eximed as she saw Akagi shaking on the bed and her eyes started darting back and forth as her teeth chattered.


    <i><b>[I''m-I''m alone again. Alone again.] </b></i>Akagi kept speaking in <i>Demon</i>


    "She had some kind of nightmare!" Yumi looked at Kana, who ran over.


    <i><b>[It''s ok! Onee-chan breathe. It''s fine. You''re not alone. We''re all right here.] </b></i>Kana spoke to her in <i>Demon</i>.


    When she did, Akagi looked up at Kana through teary eyes.


    <i><b>[I''m sorry, Kana. I''m sorry you had to watch. I''m sorry for what I did. Don''t hate me...] </b></i>Akagi continued to ramble.


    "What did she say?" Yumi asked.


    "She apologized for making me watch something and for doing something." Kana started stroking her sister''s head.


    <i>{This isn''t good. I don''t know what brought this on, but its worse that the kind of attacks she''s had before.} </i>(Kana)


    "She''s having a bad attack, Yumi. I haven''t seen her like this since we were kids. Whatever she saw must have been horrific if she''s freaked out this bad." Kana didn''t like seeing her sister this way and was getting upset herself.


    "What should we do?" Yumi wasn''t really sure what to do in such a situation, as her knowledge of Akagi''s illnesses and issues was iplete.


    "Just keep hold of her like you are. The best thing we can do is stay with her until the attack passes or at least settles down a bit." Kana had done something simr in the past. ¡°This one... it might take a while though.¡±


    Akagi''s scream sent the entire estate on alert as, one by one, other members of the family poured into the main house to check on their master. Chloe''s team went on high alert and were scouting for enemies, while Yumi and Kana exined what was going on to those who stopped by. None of them had ever seen Akagi so shaken, so this was aplete surprise. Of course, their first concern was for her safety and well-being, and the entire estate spent the next several hours in a state of anxiety until she calmed down.

 Chapter 139 – Lingering Trauma and Complications.

    Chapter 139 ¨C Lingering Trauma and Complications.


    It took nearly three hours before Akagi calmed down enough to speak. Her attack hadn''t fully passed, but she was no longer rambling uncontrobly. Though she was still a wreck. Kana brought her sister to the living room, where she was currently wrapped in a nket sitting on Yumi''sp. She''d shrank down slightly to fit better and was clinging hard to the priestess.


    "Well, you definitely blew past your previous best time of an hour." Kana tried to make a joke.


    "Y-yeah... I''d rather not have, though." Akagi''s eyes were still shaky as she was still quite anxious. ¡°I-I''m just g-d its over.¡±


    "Can you talk about it? Telling us what you saw might help, and just speaking about it might make you feel a bit better." Yumi asked as she squeezed her.


    <i>{I hate seeing you in so much pain. I can feel it through our bond, just what happened?} </i>(Yumi)


    "You said you were alone, so what happened?" Kana asked.


    <i>{And what were you apologizing to me for?} </i>(Kana)


    "I-I woke up in our old house." Akagi exined. "I w-was back to being Rishia." Hearing that gave Kana an idea of what happened. "It was the day FWO lunched, but FWO wasn''t a thing, and I couldn''t feel my powers. I had nothing. I was just a normal human, and even my shadow behind me was g-gone."


    "I know how much you hated your life in the past, so I understand being forced back into it must have been traumatic." Kana sighed. "But it was just a dream. So-"


    "NO!" Akagi shook her head. "K-Kana, y-you don''t u-understand! I thought, I thought everything that happened in FWO and since was a dream! I was convinced that everything else was the dream and that I was now back to being in the <i>real world!</i>" Akagi continued. "It meant everything that made me h-happy was g-gone! And I was left alone in the world again!"


    Kana thought for a moment. She knew Akagi was afraid of going back to her old self, but she still couldn''t quite understand why the dream had such a negative effect on her psyche.


    "I-I couldn''t even feel Yumi!" Akagi squeezed the priestess harder. "It was g-gone. The connection, the warmth, all of it!" Akagi started to cry again. "Yumi was gone! And it hurt! It hurt so much to lose her! I thought I was going to die."


    "AH!" Yumi understood why Akagi had such a bad reaction. "That would exin it." She sighed as she hugged Akagi back.


    "What do you mean?" Kana didn''t fully understand the connection between the two and figured it best for Yumi to exin.


    "My Lord''s soul and mine are connected, and we can always feel each other. It''s a kind of slight warmth in our chests, it''s not very noticeable, but we''d know if it was gone. It''s meant to let us know the other is alive, and we can also ascertain some things about emotions and condition based on that feeling."


    "And Onee-chan losing that was bad? I guess thinking you died would cause her severe grief, but..." Kana was still not convinced.


    "It''s <i>much</i> more than that, Kana." Yumi shook her head. "My lord is the senior partner in our bond, meaning that she views me as part of her and as something irreceable. She exined it to me like this. Once her kind bond with another soul, they <i>cannot</i> <i>live without them</i>."


    <i>{I hope she understands what I mean.} </i>(Yumi)


    "So she''d die without you?" Kana was still a bit confused.


    <i>{I don''t recall her mentioning something like that. I know she said Yumi is important but...} </i>(Kana)


    "Not physically, but mentally." Yumi shook her head. "It''s why the bond keeps me alive as long as my soul is intact. It''s to prevent us from being permanently separated. However, if on the off chance that the junior partner <i>is</i> permanently destroyed, well..." She looked down at Akagi who was still shaking. "You get what you saw earlier. It''s no wonder she was so distraught and why she freaked out so hard. The thought of losing me was simply too great for her to bare, and its a wonder she didn''t fly into a rampage!¡± She gave a nervousugh.


    ¡°Would she actually do something like that?¡± Kana asked nervously.


    Yumi gave a wry smile. ¡° Lets just say that she told me once before that if I actually were destroyed, this world would not be around very long.¡±


    <i>{That''s... that''s not good.} </i>(Kana)


    ¡°So what your seeing here is an understandable reaction to losing me, even if it was just a dream. Her kind are not meant to lose their other half and such a thing can have <i>dramatic consequences</i> on both her and the entire world." Yumi''s exnation made things click with Kana, and she noted that keeping Yumi alive was of utmost importance.


    "That makes sense, I guess. I don''t fully understand everything about the bond, but I''ll take your word for it." She nodded before looking at Akagi.


    ¡°But what was the rest of that about? Apologizing for making me watch and doing something to me?¡± Kana asked.


    <i>{Did something happen with me in the dream?} </i>(Kana)


    Akagi didn''t want to answer that question, but some prodding from Yumi and Kana forced her hand.


    ¡°Before I answer.¡± Akagi nced at her sister. ¡°Promise me you won''t be mad...¡±


    ¡°Mad? Why would I be mad?¡± Kana tilted her head.


    ¡°Promise me!¡± Akagi eximed which surprised her.


    ¡°Ok. Ok. I promise that I will not be mad by what you tell me.¡± Kana sighed.


    Akagi gulped. ¡°I... Kana... I think I hate you...¡±


    Her sentence caused the entire room to go silent, and even Yumi stopped her petting.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Kana couldn''t believe her sister''s words. ¡°C-can you repeat what you said? Because I don''t believe I heard you correctly.¡±


    ¡°In the dream, once I''d convinced myself that I''d lost my powers and that Yumi as gone... I nearly killed you out of anger.¡± Akagi spoke without looking at her. ¡°I was so angry with everything, that I decided to kill you before Shima and Taichi got home.¡±


    ¡°...¡± Kana couldn''t muster up any words.


    ¡°I was going to do something horrific to you, and... and...¡± Akagi''s entire body shuddered as she recalled that moment. ¡°And it felt <i>good</i>... Its like I told you before, seeing you of all people made to fear me... in that moment when twelve-year-old you was cowering on the floor knowing what I was going to do... my entire body electrified.¡±


    <i>{I mean, I kind of figured she had lingering resentment towards me. So her having a subconscious desire to kill me isn''t exactly that surprising. Especially since she actually DID try to kill me once before.} </i>Kana listened as her sister spoke, but was trying to put things together in her mind.


    ¡°My Lord...¡± Yumi finally snapped out of her stupor and hugged Akagi. ¡°Please tell me you didn''t actually do something like <em>that</em>, even in the dream.¡±


    ¡°No, I didn''t.¡± Akagi said through the hug.


    ¡°Well that''s good at least.¡± Kana finally spoke. ¡°Even if it was a dream, I''d rather not have you kill me if that can be prevented.


    <i>{I might have told her she could eat my soul if it would bring her happiness, but that doesn''t mean I WANT to actually die if I can help it.} </i>(Kana)


    ¡°Aren''t you angry?¡± Akagi asked her sister. ¡°Don''t you hate me now?¡±


    <i>{I always told you that I''d never hurt you, but now... now I''m not so sure.} </i>It might have been a dream, but in the moment Akagi was truly going to kill her.


    ¡°I promised you I wouldn''t be mad.¡± Kana shook her head. ¡°But more than that, its not exactly <i>abnormal</i> to have dreams where you kill people, or thoughts about doing so.¡± She continued. ¡°Think back to when we were younger, and I asked you why you didn''t despise me even though Mom and Dad hated you and loved me. You told me that it wouldn''t be right to pass the me on to me for what they did, but I always thought it was strange for you <i>not </i>to have resentment. I mean, we know for a fact that you <i>do </i>resent me and how much nicer I was treated by them, since well, you did try to kill me once before.¡±


    Akagi flinched when she said that. ¡°T-that...¡±


    ¡°Is in the past and I don''t care.¡± Kana stuck up her hand to stop her sister from speaking. ¡°I''ll say it again, I am not angry at you or upset for your actions back then. Mom and Dad pushed you that far and <i>they </i>are responsible for what happened. Nor am I angry that you have such feelings towards me. It would be stranger if you <i>didn''t</i> have a subconscious hatred of me, I mean siblings who aren''t treated anywhere near as differently as we were can develop such feelings.¡± Kana gave a dryugh. ¡°I was the golden child who could do no wrong, and you were the ck sheep who could never do anything right. I''d even go as far as to say you have every right to hate me.¡±


    ¡°But... I don''t want to hate you...¡± Akagi said meekly.


    ¡°Those inner feelings will take time to address.¡± Kana said. ¡°We''ve only been out of that house for less than a year, so there''s no way your mind has healed that much in that sort time span. But I think moving forward, you need to talk to someone about your feelings and problems. Otherwise you''re never going to address these issues and keeping them confined will only cause this to happen again.¡±


    ¡°I am not going to therapy!¡± Akagi eximed. She hated such things and didn''t trust those people.


    ¡°Trust me, I know better than to try and send you to some shrink.¡± Kanaughed. ¡°No one in the industry is trained enough to handle <i>your </i>problems.¡±


    ¡°Well fuck you too.¡± Akagi stuck out her tongue.


    ¡°I''m not a good person to speak to, since your feelings do involve me to a point, and Yumi isn''t really suitable either.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I have no idea what to do other than just sit and say its all ok.¡± Yumi gave a wry smile.


    <i>{Plus I''d just tell her to go smash things to feel better. Either that or let me pet you until the sad goes away.} </i>(Yumi)


    ¡°So then who are you going to have talk to me? None of the family can handle that.¡± Akagi didn''t know <i>who </i>Kana would suggest.


    ¡°Naomi.¡± Kana dered that her friend would be the one to do such things.


    ¡°What?!?¡± Akagi nearly jumped out of Yumi''sp. ¡°Naomi can''t do something like that!¡±


    ¡°She isn''t exactly a therapist, and I doubt she can act like one, but out of all of us <i>she </i>is probably our best bet.¡± Kana said. ¡°She knows you, but is also able to keep an objective mind about things and well, she wants to help you. This was actually something she originally brought to my attention a few weeks ago.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Akagi tilted her head.


    ¡°She told me that she wanted to try and set up a kind of venting session with you, and just allow you to <i>talk</i> to her about your issues. You and her one-on-one. I know it might seem strange, but after talking with her about it, and especially after tonight, I think its worth a try.¡± Kana exined.


    <i>{Naomi told us what she had Onee-chan do for her, and how she wants to repay the debt she feels she has, and I think this would definitely be helpful for both of them.} </i>(Kana)


    ¡°I really want to say no, since Naomi is my friend and she shouldn''t have to listen to my issues.¡± Akagi sighed. ¡°But you''re probably right. I''ve never really tried to do anything to help myself and have always just bottled everything up, something which isn''t a good idea. This nightmare was probably the result of years of holding things in.¡±


    ¡°Then I''ll talk to her tomorrow about setting things up. I''m not sure how much this will help, but its worth a shot.¡± Kana smiled.


    ¡°Yeah, thanks...¡± Akagi said as she snuggled up to Yumi.


    ¡°I''m d to hear your trying to get better.¡± Yumi hugged her back.


    ¡°Now then, there''s one more thing. What was that about making me watch? Was that rted to killing me?¡± Kana wanted to dissect the dream in its entirety.


    Akagi paled when she asked that question. ¡°Ummmmm.¡±


    <i>{I have a feeling that it wasn''t something good...} </i>(Kana)


    Akagi took a moment to answer before speaking quietly. "You watched me kill myself." Her words caused the two girls to freeze. ¡°At the railroad crossing, the train came and I went explode...¡±


    "Y-you killed yourself?!?" Kana couldn''t believe her sister''s words.


    "What did you want me to do?!?" Akagi eximed. "I was back living as Rishia! I was alone, Kana! I had nothing, and Yumi was gone! Why would I want to remain in such a world?!?" To her that was the greatest hell possible.


    <i>{Asking me to live in such a situation would be like asking me to ept being tortured for the rest of my life!} </i>(Akagi)


    "So your first thought was taking your own life?!?" Kana was annoyed. "Why would you do something like that?!?"


    "You don''t understand anything, Kana!" Akagi yelled back. "Try being in my shoes! You go from being happy, having all the power in the world and having a loving family who epts you for who you are, to waking up back in that miserable house with people who hate you!" Akagi continued. "I told you at school that day, that if I had to go back to such a life that I''d rather kill myself!" Kana did recall that, but thought it was a joke.


    <i>{Even still, why was ending your life something you just instantly jumped too?!?} </i>(Kana)


    "Please don''t argue!" Yumi tried to calm the two of them down. "My Lord, understand that Kana is just upset with the thought of losing you like that. So try to understand that she''s not angry at you for feeling like that, she''s just aghast at the thought of you taking your own life." She exined.


    ¡°I-I guess, yeah... sorry for yelling.¡± Akagi apologized.


    ¡°And Kana.¡± Yumi turned to her. "Please understand that Akagi has gone through a lot, both in the past and just now. It''s understandable that she''d be in severe distress over being sent back to her old life, especially when that means losing everything that she''se to love over thesest few years. You know better than I just how it was in your home. Combine all that trauma with the consequence of our bond being broken, along with her instability from bing a Demon Lord, and its not surprising that she''d choose to end her own life rather than exist in such a state." She brought Akagi''s face to her own and rubbed against it. ¡°It''s all right my Lord, I''m right here and I won''t be going anywhere.¡± Akagi cooed in her arms.


    <i>{Wow, I''ve never seen Yumi go all in like that.} </i>(Kana)


    "I understand that, but still..." Kana didn''t like the idea that Akagi would so easily end her own life. "Getting past that, your words, made me watch, make me assume you did it in front of me.¡±


    "Since it was back on the day of FWO, you were just a twelve-year-old kid. I asked you if you remembered anything about Yumi or Mika, and you said no." Akagi continued. "I got mad at you, tried to kill you, and stormed out of the house, telling you goodbye, and I went to the train crossing near the house. You know the one where that kid got his bike destroyed? When the train drove by well... you can fill in the rest. Thest thing I saw was you sitting on your bike screaming, and that was it." Akagi got quieter as she finished. "I didn''t want you to see that..."


    "I-I''m d I <i>didn''t</i> have to see that." Kana sighed. "I can''t imagine twelve-year-old me watching you dive into a train."


    <i>{Talk about scarring a kid for life.} </i>(Kana)


    "Yeah, trust me, it wasn''t exactly fun on my end either." Akagi gave a dryugh. "Thank god Tachi and Shima were away that weekend. Otherwise... there probably would have been a triple murder suicide.¡±


    ¡°I must admit, I''d hoped that bing the Demon Lord and getting released would have helped with some of your, pardon the expression, <i>inner Demons</i>.¡± Yumi giggled at Kana''s pun. ¡°But I guess that was a false hope.¡±


    "Yeah." Akagi gave a bitter smile. "Nothing will ever make me right. Like Alice... I''ll have to live with my problems. There is no fixing them, and while I might make <i>some </i>of them better. You will never get me to be 100% normal, that''s impossible."


    <i>{It really is sad that she has to suffer so much because of our parents.} </i>(Kana)


    "It''s fine." Yumi said. "We''re all here for you, no matter what. You''re not alone. I''ll never allow it."


    Akagi remained silent.


    "Do you feel better?" Kana asked.


    "A bit." Akagi smiled. "I just need some time is all. You two should get back to sleep. Unlike me, you need it."


    "I''m not going anywhere." Yumi shook her head. "You need me right now, and I can sleepter." She was adamant in her refusal.


    "I''ll be fine." Kana said as she yawned. "So don''t worry about it."


    <i>{This isn''t my first rodeo with you during the night, so its not exactly that big a deal.} </i>(Kana)


    Akagi looked at them and smiled. "Thank you."


    The three girls then chatted in the living room until daybreak, with a small break for some breakfast. Akagi was still not feeling great, but curling around Yumi helped. She figured it would take the rest of the day for her to get back to normal, and Yumi canceled all other ns she had. Spending time with Akagi was the most important thing right now, and no one was going to tell her otherwise.


    "Are you sure you''ll be alright for school?" Akagi asked Kana as she got dressed.


    "It''s fine." Kana shrugged. "I got a bit of sleep, and it wouldn''t be the first time I''ve missed sleep and gone to school." Akagi didn''t want to let go of Yumi, as she was still wrapped around her in her rope-like form, so she came along with the Priestess who transported Kana to the front of the school.


    The weather had improved now that March had arrived, but it was still a bit chilly outside. The three of them arrived in front of the school and saw arge crowd of students surrounding something.


    "Alright, have a nice day." Akagi waved her off with a small tendril, which caused the two girls tough at how silly it looked.


    "I''ll see youter, Onee-" Kana was cut off when a few students screamed.


    "He pushed her!" (Student A)


    "He''s so dead!" (Student B)


    "Those girls are nothing but trouble!" (Student C)


    Confused, Kana went over to see what happened, and as she did everyone backed away revealing Mika on the ground staring up angrily at Hito, with Naomi standing nearby in a state of shock.


    "What''s going on?!?" Kana rushed over to her friend. Mika had a small scrape on her knee but was otherwise unharmed.


    "Hito came over and started arguing with us, and when Mika wouldn''t take his crap, he pushed her on the ground." Naomi exined.


    "You three need to leave this school!" Hito eximed. "You''re all monsters! Each and every one of you!" Hito looked at Kana before turning back to Mika and Naomi. "I heard them talking about being able to use magic. I guess its no surprise that the monster is turning other people into freaks!" Naomi and Mika had still not undergone the procedure, but Naomi could cast <i>some</i> magic via her pact. "Your kind don''t belong here. Ever since those freaks got back from FWO, they''ve caused nothing but trouble." A few of his friends nodded in agreement.


    "Hito!" Miyako pushed through the crowd. "I thought I already told you that acting this way is uneptable!" She was irritated with the boy.


    "Screw you!" He told her off. "And why are you sucking up to them? Is it because you''re afraid? Or because you''re hoping to be a freak like them?" He thought it suspicious that she''d be more friendly with the three of them recently.


    "Where do you get off acting like that?!?" Kana yelled. "You hurt Mika for what? Because she was excited to use magic? Hito, this world is changing, and things are going to be different which <i>includes</i> people being able to use magic. I understand it''s scary, but acting like <em>this</em> will only make things worse!" Kana continued. "It''s because of people like you that Libra grew sorge, and why so many returnees have been forced into crime!¡± There were quite a few FWO survivors who''d turned to crime due to being cast out by family and society. ¡°You cast them out for something that wasn''t even their fault! They didn''t ask to get these powers, and they didn''t ask to be forced into a death game for all those years" She understood why he and the other students were afraid, but that didn''t make it right.


    "I want to use magic to help people with medicine." Naomi spoke up. "Is that so wrong? And Mika just wants to use it because she thinks it''s fun. Is that a crime? Is it wrong to want to enjoy something so special?!?"


    "Perhaps not, but what about the rest of us?" Hito gestured to the other students. "We each live in fear of what people with that power might do to us!" Libra''s destruction had left a scar on the Japanese collective consciousness.


    He turned to Kana. "Your monster of a <i>sister</i> could kill us all with a thought! And why are you defending her anyway? She''s a <em>Demon</em> that eats people! How can you possible call a monster like that family? How can you cover for her?!?¡± He asked a question many wanted an answer to. Family or not, Kana''s unrelenting defense of her sister was considered strange by many.


    ¡°She''s my sister! Its not that I don''t care about any of that, but I''ve just epted that its part of who she is and that I can''t do anything to change her!" Kana was getting increasingly angry with hisments. "Onee-chan''s been through so much, and the least I can do is stay by her side. Besides even if she is a <i>Demon</i>, she''s not a bad person! She doesn''t attack people randomly, and she''s not as bad as you make her out to be! You all likely never have to fear anything from her, and as long as you don''t do anything stupid she''d never even notice you!¡± Kana fired back.


    ¡°You''re crazy!¡± Hitoughed. ¡°You''d defend a literal <em>Demon</em> and tell us that she''s not so bad cause she eats only a <em>few</em> people, rather than <em>all</em> of us. What a joke! That''s like saying the murder isn''t bad because he only killed a couple people when he could have killed more!¡± He turned to Naomi and Mika. ¡°I wouldn''t be shocked if she did something to you two as well. Otherwise, what reason could you have to ept a monster like her? She''s probably using some monster magic to control you and make you like her. Kana is a monster herself, so its understandable that she would back her, but you? Aren''t you disgusted by Akagi? Don''t you find her actions revolting?¡± It was strange that Mika and Naomi could be friends with Akagi, despite her past actions. But that was because they genuinely liked her, not because Akagi was controlling them.


    ¡°Akagi isn''t a bad person, and she''d never control us like that!¡± Mika shouted. ¡°Believe it or not, she''s actually quite nice when you get to know her. She even saved my life <i>twice</i>, and she''s been nothing but kind to me and my family! Sure she has some parts about her that are strange or even bad, but so what?¡± Mika hade to view Akagi as a close friend over these months. She''d seen the good and bad within the<em>Demon</em> and made her own decision about her. And that decision was and she wanted to be friends with her, <em>Demon</em> or otherwise.


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Naomi interjected. ¡°Don''t talk about her like she''s some crazy maniac! You know nothing about her or who she is, and you have no right to pass judgment on her!¡± Naomi was especially defensive towards Akagi who she regarded as someone important to her.


    ¡°You''re all crazy! We''ve only held our tongues so far because we didn''t want to end up on the chopping block, but after everything that happened, with Libra and that monster, did you really think we would just ept you?!?" The other students either nodded in agreement or turned away. It seemed the resentment and fear ran deeper than the girls expected. "The three of you should just leave with that monster and nevere back! Do you have any idea how awful it is to live in fear each day? Because of people like you!"

 Chapter 140 – Using the Demon Lord.

    Chapter 140 ¨C Using the Demon Lord.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    3 today! Thank you so much for getting us to FIRST on trending!!!!!!!!


    "Why are people always so stupid?" Akagi sighed. She was still wrapped around Yumi and had made both of them invisible with her ability. "I really want to go out and p that kid silly, but I''m not in the best headspace at the moment. Going out right now would probably just make things <em>worse</em>."


    <i>{And honestly with my current stress levels, I''m probably one stupidment away from killing people. So lets not go out there and tempt fate.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Should I go say something instead?" Yumi asked.


    "That would <i>also</i> be a bad idea. You''re directly rted to me, and if one of those fucks attacked you or even just insulted you...." She didn''t finish. "We''ll just have to let Kana and the girls handle this one."


    <i>{We might be running out of time though. People''s fear of returnees is bleeding further into society. At this rate, I don''t know if those three will be able to lead even semi-normal lives anymore.} </i>(Akagi)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    "Libra has been defeated, and Onee-chan doesn''t want to hurt people. You all have nothing to fear!" Kana tried to reason with them. "Please, all your doing is making things worse. Treating innocent people like pariahs will make them resent society and turn to crime! That''s how we got Libra in the first ce!"


    "If it weren''t for people like you, my uncle would still be alive!" (Student A)


    "Yeah, and my friend was killed because of freaks like you!" (Student B)


    "Those people should have all just died in that game and done the world a favor!" (Student C)


    Seeing the other students jump on the anti-returnee bandwagon, Hito smirked.


    "I told you! We''re sick of living in fear, and we don''t want people like you around. So leave and never return!" As he said this, some students cheered in agreement.


    Hearing all themotion, a group of teachers and staff came out to see what was going on. After a bit of effort, they managed to disperse the students, and Kana, Mika, Naomi, and Hito were brought to the principal''s office. Akagi and Yumi followed unnoticed, keen to see what was going to happen.


    Principal Erika Fubuki was an older woman, in her seventies. She''d been doing this job for a long time and had a history of being strict and inflexible. The girls had never been called to the office before and were a bit intimidated by her.


    "This situation is getting out of hand." The older woman grumbled. "Hito I understand you and the other students'' fears, but you have no right to harass people. You even went as far as to push Ms. Mika on the ground, a criminal action I might add, thus there will be punishment for your actions.¡± Mika''s leg had only bled a bit, and Kana ced a band-aide on the scrape.


    "Principle Fubuki, you must understand how we all feel." Hito was irritated with her. "These three are dangerous and we all feel unsafe with them at school. Not only is Kana rted to such a horrible person, but she <em>herself</em> is a monster!¡±


    <em>{I don''t know how Onee-chan puts up with being called that word...}</em>(Kana)


    "Be that as it may, your actions are inappropriate and unbing of a student of this school. These are difficult times, but we cannot allow fear to overtake reason. Ms. Kana has been an exemry student during her time here, that she has some <i>interesting</i> abilities or ancestry is of no concern in an academic setting. Simrly, Ms. Naomi and Ms. Mika have never caused any problems during their time here. There are no rules which forbid a student from pursuing magic as an extracurricr activity, and thus you have no right to demand they leave the school." She shook her head. "Mr. Hito I will decide on your punishmentter, so you are dismissed." She waved Hito away, who grumbled as he left the office.


    Principal Fubuki let out a big sigh when he left the office. "I never imagined I''d need to have a discussion about fear of supernatural powers in my lifetime. But I guess we can''t exactly predict the future now, can we." She let out a dryugh.


    <i>{This world really is going to hell, isn''t it?} </i>(Fubuki)


    "I understand why they''re so scared, but if they''d just listen to reason..." Kana shook her head.


    <i>{There''s no danger from any of us, but if they keep acting like this... its going to CREATE problems.} </i>(Kana)


    "Unfortunately, not all are like you. <i>You </i>understand the cold logic of things, analyzed the threat these abilities and their wielders pose to the world, and determined that fear is unnecessary. However, people''s emotions are not logical, Ms. Kana, and I know you understand that." Principal Fubuki smiled.


    "I thought things had settled down a bit after Libra was defeated, but I guess they were just hiding their fear and anger under facades." Naomimented. "I can''t believe I misjudged the other students."


    "Yes, and unfortunately due to the nature of this situation, things have be rather difficult." The principal gripped the bridge of her nose. "No matter how much I or the staff tell the students to behave, or instruct them on their attitudes. It won''t stop them from repeating the events of earlier."


    "Are you going to kick us out?" Mika asked quietly.


    "No." The principal shook her head. "I do not have the authority to do so, and wouldn''t even if I could. You three have done nothing wrong, and punishing you would only embolden such foolish behavior. I wish you were in your final year, if that were the case, I''d just tell you to go home early, and you''d be graduated with no issue. But I cannot do that with over a year left in your education."


    <i>{I might be able to push through such a thing, but it would get blow back from the board. Kana is more than qualified for graduation, while the other twock her level of genius.} </i>(Fubuki)


    "So what should we do?" Kana said. "I know I said Onee-chan isn''t an issue, but if one of them goes too far... Well, I don''t think she''d <em>kill</em> anyone, but her getting involved wouldn''t be good."


    <i>{She joked about scaring people, but I don''t know how far her patience willst.} </i>(Kana)


    "It''s strange hearing about her causing all this trouble. Thest time I met your sister, she was just a quiet girl with a dark cloud hanging over her head and an attitude problem. It''s hard to believe she''s the same person I met all those years ago." Sheughed.


    "All it took was finding out what I really wanted to be in life, just like you told me." Akagi appeared behind the three girls, startling them.


    "How long were you here?!?" Kana eximed.


    <i>{Did you follow us?!?} </i>(Kana)


    "Yumi and I never left. We watched that whole disy from afar, since we didn''t want to make things worse, and we stayed out of the argument and followed you into the office after the teachers showed up." Akagi looked at Principal Fubuki. "It''s been a while." She greeted her.


    "Yes it has, and you''ve grown into, well, I want to say a fine young woman, but I don''t think that necessarily applies to you." The principal sighed.


    "I''d say I became a fine <i>Demon</i>." Akagiughed. "I''ve got all the basics of the trade down."


    "Yes, the least problematic problem child has now be my biggest headache." She shook her head. "I don''t know what''s worse, having your grandfather breathing down my neck over you, or dealing with your new attitude."


    "Who knows." Akagi shrugged. "The old man was a gigantic prick. But he''s gone now, so you don''t need to worry about him." Akagi grinned.


    "Yes well, discussion of your kin ying aside. What do you want? I doubt you appeared for no reason." Principal Fubuki figured Akagi was here with a purpose.


    "I just want to make sure these three idiots are fine." Akagi shrugged. "My actions haven''t exactly made things easy on them, and I don''t want their lives turned <ipletely </i>upside down because of me."


    <i>{So a small amount is fine?} </i>(Kana x Mika x Naomi)


    "Well, I''m afraid there is little we can do to change the past. Not unless those powers of yours allow the rewinding of time, in which case I''ve got a list of things for you to change.¡± The principalughed.


    ¡°It''s on my list.¡± Akagi chuckled.


    "Unfortunate. But getting back on topic, while I can tell you they will not be removed from the school, I can do little to stop the students from harassing them. As sad as that is to admit." She gave a bitter smile.


    <i>{A principal that cannot protect her own students, how low have I fallen.} </i>(Fubuki)


    "And we don''t exactly want to leave." Kana said, and the girls agreed. They wanted to finish school, even if it would be hard on them. "Nor do we want to be ced in a separate ss all alone." She sighed. "I think we''ll have no choice but to just suck it up and deal with it. At least until graduation next year."


    ¡°That is most likely the only option, I''m sorry.¡± Fubuki groaned


    "I hate that ites down to that, but I''ve got no options that won''t drastically mess with your lives." Akagi sighed. "Funny, I''ve got all the power in the world, but fixing <i>this</i> seems to be beyond me." She gave a dryugh.


    "So even the mighty Demon Lord is powerless in some situations." Mika smirked. "Nice to know even you have some weaknesses."


    "It''s not that I''m powerless, you smartass." She flicked Mika on the forehead.


    "Owchi!" She cried in pain.


    "It''s just that my solutions would require things you three don''t want. I <em>do</em> feel bad since this is my fault, to begin with." Akagi''s attack on Camp Katsura is what caused arge chunk of this mess in the first ce. Though, she didn''t regret her actions.


    Kana thought for a moment before she got an evil look on her face. "I have an idea."


    "Scary Kana has arrived!" (Mika x Naomi)


    "If we can''t convince them not to be afraid, then why don''t we make them so terrified they don''t <em>dare</em> do anything?" Kana chuckled.


    "I don''t exactly think I can sign off on some kind of drastic action." The principal tried to interject, but was ignored.


    "What was your idea?" Akagi asked. She was more than happy to be Kana''s partner in crime.


    "I was thinking something like this." Kana exined her n, which made Akagi''s eyes sparkle.


    "Scary Kana has gotten scarier!" (Mika x Naomi)


    <i>{I really should''ve retiredst year when I had the chance...} </i>(Fubuki)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    The girls returned to their ssroom just in time for homeroom to begin. The other students were wary of them, and they could hear whispers and otherments as they took their seats.


    "They''re still here?" (Student 1)


    "I wish they''d just leave." (Student 2)


    Just after the second bell rang, the homeroom teacher was called out and the students began to chat amongst themselves until the door opened once again. But this time it was not the homeroom teacher that returned, it was someone far less <em>fun</em>.


    <i><b>"Hello, everyone." </b></i>Akagi arrived in full Demon Lord mode. <i><b>"It''s been a long time since I''ve been in one of these rooms. I''d say it''s nostalgic, but that would be a lie." </b></i>Sheughed demonically as she sat on the teacher''s desk. The other students started shaking and panicking, a few even tried to flee the room, but found the doors were sealed shut. <i><b>"Where did all that confidence from earlier go? You were all more than happy to trash those three, but the moment a bigger fish shows up you start wetting your pants." </b></i>She looked at Hito who was both angry and scared.


    <i><b>"I believe I warned you that my patience, whilerge, is not infinite, Hito." </b></i>She smirked. <i><b>"So here''s what''s going to happen." </b></i>She pped her hands and took the entire ssroom into her shadow, causing the students to freak out. <i><b>"You lot as well as the entire rest of the student body are going to agree to leave these three alone. You don''t have to be friends with them, and all I''m asking for is basic civility, like two divorced parents who hate one another but act normal for the kid''s sake." </b></i>Kana thought that was oddly specific, but stayed quiet. <i><b>"Just do that until those three graduate next year, that''s all I ask."</b></i>


    "A-and if we don''t." Hito asked while stammering.


    Akagi gave an evil smile. <i><b>"I''m d you asked! If you refuse, then I''m more than happy to stick you and your entire families in the same fun ce that Armalthy is currently enjoying.</b></i><b>" </b>She cackled as she snapped her fingers and opened a small ck window, through which you could hear Armalthy''s horrific screams. <i><b>"He''s having fun being tortured for all eternity. Since he''s just a soul, I can keep him alive and sane! Ain''t it nice!" </b></i>Akagi''s smile showed she enjoyed listening to him scream, and the sound horrified the students. The <i>Demon</i> allowed the screams to linger a bit before closing the window, returning silence back to the room. <i><b>"Now, what will it be? Will you cut the crap and act like reasonable human beings? Or will you require an eternity of torment in my happy farm? Honestly, I don''t care which you choose. I win either way."</b></i>


    Mika and Naomi knew what the n was, but this still surprised them. They knew Akagi wasn''t acting, and she was dead serious about her threats. Though funny enough, they weren''t exactly disturbed by the whole situation.


    <i>{I don''t like it in here.} </i>Himariined to Kana. The inside of Akagi''s shadow was not a pleasant ce for the holy sword, but this was Kana''s n. A Demon Lord is a terrifying existence whose mere <em>presence</em> causes mortals to quake in fear. Kana figured that if she had her sister put on just a bit of a show, the other students would buckle. If they wouldn''t show a basic level of respect and decency, she''d get them to fear her.


    <i>{She really is the Demon Princess, isn''t she...} </i>(Mika x Naomi)

 Chapter 140.5 – The Secret Training Method

    Chapter 140.5 ¨CThe Secret Training Method


    "Well damn, this ce really is some kind of feudal estate." Eris said as she climbed up the stairs toward Akagi''s home.


    "I didn''t think this world had ces like this." Emamented.


    "Well, we used to have nobles and kings and stuff, but nowadays, if they still exist, they don''t really have any real power or anything." Ayame exined. "I think this ce was actually a historical location or something that the Tokugawa family preserved." She didn''t really pay much attention to history and knew very little about this location.


    "Neat house aside, I''m more curious what kind of training she has out here." Eris was fired up to see what Akagi had in mind. ording to the <em>Demon</em>, it was something substantial.


    The three girls reached the top of the stairs and were greeted by Yumi, who appeared from inside the estate to greet them.


    "Good morning." Yumi smiled. She knew they''d be arriving soon and wanted to be at the front gate when they arrived.


    "Well, there''s someone I haven''t seen in a while." Ayame greeted her. "And I see Akagi''s got you wearing a formal Hakama as well. it looks nice on you."


    Yumi giggled. "Her tastes <em>might</em> have rubbed off on me a bit." She turned to Ema. " And It''s good to see you as well, Ema. I see we were both lucky that my Lord''s crazy ns worked out."


    "Indeed." Ema smiled. "It was a strange experience at the time, but I''m d I went along with it." As an NPC, Ema was only able to apany Eris and Ayame into the real world because Akagi used a glitch to make the game think she was an item, simr to what the <i>Demon </i>did to Yumi and the other followers. Though once summoned, that quirk seemed to have disappeared as Yumi and the others could not be ced into inventory.


    "Yeah, losing our little cook here would be a tragedy." Ayama poked Ema in the cheek.


    "You and your food." Eris rolled her eyes. "I say she''s more valuable as a cleaner, I hate doingundry." Sheughed.


    "Do you see what kind of hardship is ced upon me to please my parents?" Ema put her hand on her forehead in fake exasperation. "Please rescue me from this life of servitude, Yumi." She giggled.


    "Now, now. Respect your elders, youngdy." Yumiughed.


    "Aren''t you almost the same age as her anyway?" Eris asked.


    "Ema is seventeen right?" Yumi thought for a moment.


    "We think she is anyway," Ayame answered. "They didn''t exactly have a registry for that sort of thing and its not likemoners kept track of those kinds of things."


    "Well if your guess is urate she is a bit younger than me, as I''m twenty." Yumi said.


    "So you''re <em>old</em>." Emaughed.


    "Ha-Ha." Yumi gave a monotoneugh before walking over and pinching her cheeks. "Just remember that while I might be older than you, one day<i> you </i>will get old and wrinkly, while I will always be fresh and smooth!" Her status as Akagi''s junior partner meant that she''d always be youthful and wouldn''t look much different than she did now.


    "Cheater!" (Ayame x Eris)


    "You two are in the same boat, so why are youining?" Akagi appeared from behind Yumi, throwing her arms over her shoulders. "Star Humans shouldn''t age, and hey you were already in your thirties. So I''d say you got a nice deal out of things."


    <em>{I wonder if they''d get mad if I called them hags in young bodies?}</em>(Akagi)


    "Yo!" Eris smiled as she greeted Akagi. The two actually got along pretty well in FWO due to their many simr interests.


    "There''s our resident evil god of death." Ayame fist-bumped Akagi. "So what kind of fun training program have you got for us?"


    "Straight for the training, huh?" Akagiughed. "Then again, I''d be the same way." They both shared Akagi''s love for battle, which was partially why they got along with her so well. "First,e on in. I''ll get Ema all set up with a ce to stay while you two are busy with training, so don''t worry about her." Akagi let go of Yumi and turned to go into the Estate. The four girls followed her, and the new visitors'' heads rotated around as they inspected the Estate''s interior. It was a unique sight in the modern day, and they were impressed by how beautiful it was.


    After heading into the living room, Yumi brought everyone drinks while they discussed Akagi''s idea.


    "Wait, where''s Zeff?" Eris asked as she sipped her tea. "I thought she was supposed to be here?"


    "Our little academic has already arrived, gone ahead, and started her research. She arrived a while ago, and she''ll be waiting for us when we head over." Akagi said.


    "So where are we going anyway? Do you have a ce in the mountains around here for us to use as training grounds?" Ayame asked. Akagi had told the two girls nothing about what her n was.


    "Nope." Akagi smiled. "We''ll be going somewhere a bit more <em>fitting</em>." She waved her hand, opening a small portal to her right. On the other side, you could see Omara from high up in the air.


    Eris, Ayame, and Ema''s eyes went wide. "Where is that?!? It looks like Kishu!" (Eris)


    Kishu was a Japanese themed town on the eastern side of the main continent in FWO and was set up as a colony of Ocha.


    <i>{I guess it does look like that small town, just a bit anyway.}</i> (Akagi)


    "<i>This</i> is Omara." Akagi smiled. "It''s a real city and the location where you''ll be training."


    "Omara? Is that somewhere around here? I''ve never heard of it." Ayame asked.


    "Nope, in fact, it''s not even in this ne of existence." Akagi winked as she began to exin what she''d learned about the Spirits. Mizumi was brought up, but neither girl seemed to be bothered by her or her people''s actions.


    "Well, fuck..." Eris mused. "That''s pretty nasty, but I guess that exins why we kept our powers."


    <i>{Still though, fleeing from another world. What kind of crazy turn of events is this?} </i>(Eris)


    "So you want us to practice there?" Ayame asked.


    "Not in the city itself. Rather you''re going to be diving into a dungeon." Akagi grinned.


    "A Dungeon?!?" Eris and Ayame eximed, their eyes glinting in excitement.


    <i>{Oh dear...} </i>Ema sighed internally as she knew just how excited her mothers could get when it came to training andbat.


    "They have a Dungeon!" Eris squeed in excitement. "I''ve missed diving into those so much!"


    "Yup, that world actually has monsters due to its natural mana or something like that. I honestly don''t care about the technical aspects." Akagi shrugged.


    "So the mana made a natural dungeon?" Ayame asked, figuring it worked like dungeons in novels.


    "No, this one was <i>my </i>creation. I don''t think natural dungeons are a thing, at least in Omara." Akagi smirked.


    "YOU MADE IT?!?" (Eris x Ayame)


    "Yup!" Akagi smiled.


    Eris and Ayame looked at each other, before looking back at Akagi.


    "Is there anything you <i>can''t</i> do?!?" Eris let out a massive sigh.


    "I''ll let you know when I find out." Akagiughed.


    <em>{If you can make a whole dungeon then I doubt much is beyond you...}</em>(Eris)


    "And here I was wondering what kind of crazy training you had in mind, but <i>this </i>just blew away my expectations." Ayame gave an fierce smile.


    "Trust me. If your already excited now, just wait until you''ve actually <i>seen </i>it. I''ve had my people working on this thing for a good while, and I finished it personally a few days ago." Akagi said. "I think you three are going to love it."


    Akagi then exined a bit more about Omara, and what they could expect within the Spirits'' home. Eris and Ayame were down to remain in the pocket dimension for a good while since they didn''t really have anything better to do. Though, Ema would remain at the estate for her safety since she couldn''t go into the dungeon and they were wary about leaving her alone. Not wanting them to be separated, Akagi gave Eris a small device that could open a portal between the estate and Omara if magic was channeled into it, to which she was grateful. Once things were settled, Akagi, Ayame, and Eris headed to Omara. The familiar sight of the city made the two women have the same feeling of deja vu as Akagi did, and they evenpared the city to Antkellion.


    After a bit of a trek, they crossed outside the protective barrier that surrounded Omara and headed deeper into the forest.


    "This ce is crazy." Eris said. She and Ayame had suited up before they left the protected area. "The magic in the air makes me feel so <i>awake</i>."


    "Yeah, it''s like I had a direct shot of energy into my mind." Ayame agreed.


    "Mizumi said something like that can happen when you''ve been in a low magic environment, like Earth." Akagi said. "It won''tst long, but it will make you a bit sharper."


    "So, is Zeff out here already?" Eris asked.


    "Yeah, I can sense her up ahead and she seems be waiting in front of the dungeon. We''ve just got a bit further to go, so lets pick up the pace." Akagi replied. A few minutester, the group came across arge stone structure jutting from the ground. It looked like a pir but was around twenty feet in diameter. The outside wasn''t particrly decorated, and its only feature was a single set of stone double doors.


    "There you are!" A blonde-haired girl called out to them as she looked up from her book. She was standing in front of the stone pir and slowly walked over to them.


    "Zephiria!" Eris called out to the girl. "There you are."


    "We were wondering where you snuck off to." Ayameughed. "I thought you would have been in that town tearing it apart to figure out how it worked."


    "She already got plenty of time to bug the Spirits about magic, so don''t worry." Akagi chuckled.


    "I would have gotten <em>more</em> if that Water Spirit would let me into her library! But <i>no </i>it''s for authorized personnel only!" Zephiria pouted. "There is so much more for me to research and tons of theorizing to do here! Ack!" She ruffled her hair.


    "I see you''re just as obsessed with magic as ever." Eris sighed.


    <i>{Has she gotten even more powerful since thest time we saw her? Her magical aura is definitelystronger thanst time we met.} </i>(Eris)


    "Why wouldn''t I be?!?" Zephiria looked at her like she was crazy. "It''s magic! Think of all the possibilities!" Even in FWO, Zephiria had acted as a wandering schr of sorts by collecting various tomes and magical knowledge. She was a highlypetent and skilled mage, though she only rarely engaged inbat.


    "So is this the dungeon?" Ayame pointed to the stone pir.


    "Yeah, I made it pretty in on the surface, but it goes down ten floors. At least for now." Akagiughed. "There is a mid-boss at 5 and a final boss at 10. But be warned, this ce is neither small nor safe. You <i>can </i>die in there, and since I made it, you can bet it won''t be easy."


    <i>{Alveron''s spatial magic came in handy for making the inside bigger than the outside and he seemed to have fun designing this ce. Though I hope the girls are ready to deal with his traps.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Is there anyone elseing?" Eris asked. She figured more people would make tackling this ce easier and she was wary about hitting a dungeon with three people.


    "Not at the moment. Our little dragon wasn''t interested, and most other yers I asked were not particrly enthusiastic." Akagi shrugged.


    "Yeah, I guess that makes sense." Eris gave a wry smile. "Ayame and I are pretty crazy for wanting to challenge such a dangerous ce after escaping FWO."


    "Yeah, and Zeff''s just crazy <em>generally, </em>so its not surprising that she wanted toe with." Ayameughed.


    "Oh? Keep that up, and you won''t get any buffs or healing." Zephiria gave an evil smile.


    "Oh no, whatever shall we do?" Ayame feigned sorrow. As a barbarian she didn''t really need much of that.


    "Also." Akagi interjected. "Since leveling up is no longer a thing, I''ve made it so that the monsters within do drop loot, which you can easily take back to Omara for some good money, <i>and </i>I''ve added a few neat items for people to get if they reach the bosses or other areas." She continued. "I mean, what good''s a dungeon without nice prizes for winning." She winked.


    "And since this is <i>you </i>we''re talking about." Eris thought for a moment.


    "The <i>prizes </i>will be good. <i>Very </i>good." Ayame was practically licking her lips at the thought of a challenge.


    "Indeed. Imp and I''vee with some nice gear, and for Zephiria, we''ve got some special magical tomes and items." Akagi nced over at the blonde-haired girl, who was visibly excited. "I might have even <i>borrowed </i>from Mizumi''s library."


    "WHY ARE WE JUST STANDING AROUND OUT HERE?!?" Zephiria began pulling on Eris. "WE SHOULD START NOW!"


    "This is going to be so much fun!" (Eris x Ayame)


    Spoiler


    Zephiria!


    [copse]

 Chapter 141 – Kana’s Birthday.

    Chapter 141 ¨C Kana¡¯s Birthday.


    "Oh wow, there''s a lot of people out today." Mikamented as she looked around the park. Akagi had brought up going to see the Sakura trees bloom on Kana''s birthday after school, something the girls were all too happy to agree to.


    "Yeah, I''m actually surprised by how many people came. When I used toe with my parents, there were never this many people." Naomi had fond memories of watching the trees as a child.


    "Good thing we got here early. Otherwise, we might not have gotten a good spot." Kana smiled as she ced down a nket. "Onee-chan will be here in a bit. She said that she had to grab something at the house." Kana always celebrated her birthday in some manner, unlike Akagi. Her parents were pretty consistent about having some sort of family gathering, and it was always a happy time for her, though the memory of her eighth birthday still haunted her.


    This would be the first time she''d gone to see the Sakura trees bloom with her sister since before FWOunched. For whatever reason, Akagi always enjoyeding to see the trees, and Kana always tagged along. She''d continued the tradition even while her sister was trapped in FWO, so this year''s outing would be special.


    <i>{I''m so happy that I can do this with her again.} </i>(Kana)


    The three girls got to work setting up a nket for everyone to sit on, and it wasn''t muchter that Akagi, Yumi, and Alice showed up. The sudden appearance of the Demon Lord and an ex-Libra member caused a mildmotion among the other people in the park. But after a few minutes, things calmed down, and people went back to their business. Though, some would stare from time to time.


    "Sorry, we''rete. It took a bit longer than I expected to find what I was looking for." Akagi smiled as they sat down. Alice decided to sit in Akagi''sp, causing Mika to giggle.


    "Happy Birthday, Kana!" Alice said with a big smile on her face.


    "Thank you." Kana pat her on the head, causing the girl to giggle.


    "Yes, Kana is old now." Akagiughed.


    "Says the person who''s four years older than me." She rolled her eyes in response to Akagi''sment.


    "Hey, age doesn''t apply to me, so your little jab doesn''t work." Akagi smirked. "Besides, I don''t really mind anyway."


    <i>{Also, with how long I''ve dted time in my shadow, chances are that I''m not twenty one anymore.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Mika is the oldest of the three of us anyway." Kana shrugged. "So if anyone''s going to be <i>old, </i>it''s her." Mika was already seventeen, and her birthday was in August.


    "Hey! Naomi is only a few months younger than me!" Mika cried. ¡°Don''t go calling me <em>old</em>!¡±


    "A few months is a few months! Thus I''m still younger, olddy." Naomi grinned. "But I guess being jealous of younger women is what happens when you get to be your age." That quip made Akagi bust outughing.


    "Hooooo. What a burn." Akagi covered her mouth, trying to hold in herugh. "Are you just going to sit and take that, Mika?"


    "It''s fine, see unlike her, I''ve got a girlfriend." Mika stuck out her tongue. "Naomi''s the one who''s got to worry about bing a <em>spinster</em>."


    Kana nearly choked on her water at thatment. "Jesus, Mika!"


    <i>{This is great.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Not even five minutes, and I''m already d we''re here." Akagi was struggling to stopughing.


    <em>{Too bad the dragon couldn''t be here untilter, she''d by dying ofughter right now.}</em>(Akagi)


    "Well, at least I''m not dating two cougars." Naomi hit back, causing Mika to turn red.


    <i>{Naomi went in for the kill!} </i>(Kana)


    "They''re such good friends." Yumi chuckled. "Conversations like this remind me of some of the women in my vige. They''d always bicker andin about being unable to find a partner or about their spouses if they had one."


    "Yeah, though, unlike these two. The girls in your vige were a bit more strapped for choice." Akagimented.


    "Fair." Yumi gave a wry smile. You were basically limited to your local poption for that purpose.


    "Speaking of which." Mika looked at her. "Did you ever have someone you liked? Before Akagi, I mean."


    Yumi thought for a moment before answering. "I don''t think so. As a priestess, I was not supposed to ever get married, it was a job simr to the nuns of this world, so I never really gave it any thought." Her vige wasn''t thatrge to begin with, and her duties never gave her the time to think about love. "I took my duties seriously and strove to meet expectations, so I don''t recall any instance of me thinking about such things." She shook her head.


    "I can''t imagine being forced into such a role." Naomimented.


    <i>{Being forced into a religious convent from that young of an age sounds like hell.} </i>(Naomi)


    "It was tough, I won''t lie, and it was quite... unrewarding." Yumi scratched her cheek. "From a very young age, such important duties were thrust upon me without any care for my well-being. I never had any friends my own age, and it was almost impossible to spend time with my family as a result. My sister even had to sneak into the temple to y with me during the few chances I got to rest." She smiled as she recalled those times.


    "I bet your little sister was super cute!" Mika smiled.


    "She was." Yumi giggled. "Miji was full of energy and was a bright and cheery girl. Life in my vige was tough, and we went through our share of hardship, but she never stopped smiling. My parents once told me that she always talked about me and was constantly worried about me. I think she was hoping that one day I''d get toe home permanently."


    <i>{I miss them everyday.} </i>(Yumi)


    "I lost my own family, so I understand where youring from." Naomi smiled. "It''s not easy, but you''ve got Akagi and us now!"


    "Exactly! Just get Akagi to start making little Yumis to run around, and you''ll have one big family in no time!" Mika''sment caused Yumi to turn red and Akagi to burst outughing.


    "Besides the <i>impossibility</i> of that, I very much dislike children." Akagi sighed. "So even if possible, it''s ain''t happening."


    <i>{Yeah, no. I''m good.} </i>(Akagi)


    <i>{Children is a bit much.} </i>(Yumi)


    "Even me?" Alice looked up at her with fake tears.


    "You''re the exception." Akagi started tickling her. "I''ve already got one problem child. I don''t need more!"


    "No! Not the tickles!" Alice was helpless at fending off the onught and was quickly reduced to an exhausted mess in Akagi''s arms.


    "Why can''t you have children anyway?" Kana asked. She knew her sister hated kids but was curious as to why it wasn''t even an option. Kana recalled her mentioning something about Demon Lords not being able to have children, but not <em>why</em>.


    "Well, for starters, do you really think it would be a good idea for a bunch of half-Demon Lords to be running around." Akagi sighed. "One of my kind is enough to destroy the world, so even some strange half mortal half Demon Lord would be a problem. Not to mention my kind don''t y well with others. I''d bet we''d kill any children we make along with the rest of the universe we inhabit." She continued. "Remember, usually we go insane and don''t exactly have a concept of friend and foe. Even if the children were marked as <i>do not kill</i>, you''d still wind up in a strange situation. Hence when we''re created, that option is made impossible. Any attempts at making children, either with another Demon Lord or anything else, will fail." It wasn''t something she cared about anyway, and far as Akagi was concerned, nothing of value had been lost.


    "What about you, Kana?" Akagi looked at her sister. "I hope you''re aware that as strange as things are, that''s not going to be an option between you and your little dragon."


    <i>{And I have no idea if magic can rectify that and I don''t intend to find out anytime soon.}</i> (Akagi)


    Kana got a bit red. "I didn''t exactly give it any thought."


    <i>{That''s something for wayyyter in our rtionship.} </i>(Kana)


    "It''s not important now anyway." Akagi shrugged. "Unlike normal people, you and Hishya have no timer on that issue."


    <i>{I suspect our little lizard very much wants children, though how many is unknown to me.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Mika''s probably going to have her own army of children." Naomiughed. "Those two Yuki-Onna strike me as the kind to want a <i>big</i> family." Herment caused Mika to turn red again.


    "I''m not thinking about that for a while." Mika squeaked out a response. "Besides, they''re the ones who <em>have</em> the child, so we''ve got all the time in the world to figure it out..."


    "And that shouldn''t be on any of your minds anyway." Akagi waved it away. "You haven''t even hit twenty. Figure out your own lives first, then enjoy for a while before considering such things."


    The six of them continued to chat about random mundane topics for a while longer until Akagi brought up school.


    "So how have things been? Did my little disy quiet things down?" She looked at Kana.


    "Yeah, things have gone back to <em>rtive</em> normalcy. Though rather than cause problems, people just avoid us. It''s not exactly ideal, but considering the circumstances, I''ll take what I can get." She sighed. "Hito, on the other hand..."


    "He''s kept quiet, but we all think he''s plotting something." Naomi finished for her. "At this point, I think he''s only gotten ever angrier after your disy. I just hope he doesn''t do something drastic and leaves us alone." He''d been ced on suspension for a while, but that didn''t stop him from spreading vitriol via social media.


    "I figured he wouldn''t just sit down and shut up like a good boy." Akagi sighed. "Oh well, if he does anything, let me know. Otherwise, just let him stew. If we''re lucky, he does nothing, and you all graduate and never see him again."


    <i>{But sadly, knowing how these things go, he''s going to do something stupid...} </i>(Akagi)


    "I''d like to say he wouldn''t hurt us, but well..." Kana knew angry and irrational people didn''t exactly act predictably or logically. "The loss of his brother really sent him over the edge, the two were quite close.


    "As I told him that day, his brother''s death is squarely in the hands of the government. They wanted the three of you and me dead. I had no ill will toward him, but he pointed his weapon at one of my followers, and they killed him. It might suck, but he was a soldier who did his duty and he died for it." Akagi shrugged.


    <i>{Doesn''t make it any easier though.} </i>(Mika)


    "Anyway, enough sad talk. I''ve got a present for you, Kana." Akagi smiled as she reached into her inventory.


    "You don''t need to give me anything. You already do enough." Kana sighed.


    "Too bad you''re getting a present." Akagi stuck her tongue out as she rooted through her items. "There it is." She pulled out an ornate ck wooden box and handed it over to Kana. "Happy birthday, I think you''ll like this. It''s nothing crazy, but when I was thinking of something to give you, I recalled an item I got hold of in Antkellion."


    Kana took the box and slowly opened it, and her eyes widened in surprise. Within was a white ivoryb with gold trim around the handle. It rested within a velvet interior. "You can''t give me this!" She eximed. "This is way too much for a birthday present!" She tried to give it back, but Akagi refused.


    "No takebacks!" Akagi smiled. "Besides, what use do I have for it? I obtained it because it was rare and unique. I think the lore said it came from Indus?" She thought for a second. "Yeah, it came from Indus that was the game''s India equivalent. It''s made of that continent''s ivory equivalent from elephant-like creatures. I figured it would be perfect for you. I know you won''t use it, but you''ve always wanted an ivoryb. I remember you talking to me about it years ago." Kana had mentioned something like that when she was a kid, but she never expected to actually get one since they were rare and expensive. Legally owning one was also quite tricky since the ivory trade was mostly banned globally.


    "You really are awful." Kana closed the box. "You spoil me so much, and I can''t give you anything in return." She still felt guilty about the one-sided rtionship. At least that was her perception of things.


    <i>{More spoiling...} </i>(Kana)


    "What do you mean? As I told you before, just being here is more valuable to me than any gift you could give me." Akagi smiled as Kana hugged her.


    "Thank you..." Kana giggled. "It''s beautiful, and I''ll make sure it stays safe."


    <i>{It really is an amazing gift though. I don''t know why, but I always thought ivory was so pretty.} </i>(Kana)


    The girls sat in the park for a while longer, enjoying the Sakura trees and celebrating Kana''s birthday. Spring had finally arrived properly and it wouldn''t be much longer until Akagi would make her debut on the world stage.

 Chapter 142 – The Gift of Magic and The Elf’s Realization.

    Chapter 142 ¨C The Gift of Magic and The Elf¡¯s Realization.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Three Chaps!


    Just over a weekter, the time finally came for Naomi and Mika to undergo the procedure to generate their own magic circuits. Mizumi took a bit longer than expected to resolve things within Omara, as the Council seemed to be causing her further headaches. Akagi was still reluctant to go along with this whole idea, but Mika and Naomi''s insistence eventually broke her down. However, she made some conditions. First, they''d need to remain at the Estate for at least the entire weekend to permit monitoring. Second, any anomaly must be immediately reported to her, Mimi, or Mizumi. Third, magic is not permitted to be used outside of training until Mizumi signs off on things. And finally, they are not permitted to disclose <i>anything </i>about how they got magic.


    The girls easily agreed, seeing the terms as reasonable, and arrived ready to go. Everyone gathered in Mimi''s clinic where Mizumi would perform the procedure and there was a degree of excitement in the air. Once things were finished, Mimi would monitor the girls, while Akagi would watch for any abnormalities during the process.


    "Are you two <i>sure </i>you want to go through with this?" Akagi looked at the two girls who were lying on separate beds. "We have no clue if this could be dangerous, and there is a risk that your bodies might not take well to being manipted like this." She wanted to be <i>certain</i> they understood the risks. "I cannot guarantee that I can undo any damage, and it''s possible you might be disabled <em>permanently</em> or even killed. Knowing that, do you still want to go through with this?"


    <i>{These two are either incredibly brave, or na?ve. Perhaps a mix of both?} </i>(Akagi)


    "Yes." Mika smiled. "I always wanted to be a magical girl, and this will be the closest thing to it!"


    <i>{Of course that''s what Mika''s mind goes too...} </i>(Naomi)


    "I also want to go through with this, despite the risks. My dream is to unite magic and medicine, and being able to use magic myself is a necessity." Naomi nodded. She''d really taken to this idea and it became her long term goal in life.


    "Fine, don''t say I didn''t warn you if things go wrong." Akagi sighed. "I''ll be staying to watch, and if I see <i>anything</i> strange, I''m pulling the plug."


    "Your such a worrywart." Mikaughed.


    "Yeah, well. My paranoia and skepticism have been more of a boon than a demerit, so I''ll keep it." Akagi chuckled. She was actually <i>extremely </i>nervous inside, but was keeping her cool so to not worry the girls. "Mizumi, if anything happens to these two, consider your people eaten." She red at the Spirit, who started sweating. "So, no pressure!"


    <i>{No pressure she says...} </i>(Mika x Naomi)


    "Yeah..." Mizumi sighed. "I doubt there will be any issues. I''ve done this many times before, and I see no reason why humans from this world would react poorly to being granted magic circuits."


    <i>{We shall see.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I''ll start with Mika." She walked over to the blue-haired girl. "It will take around one hour toplete the procedure, and please try to limit movement as much as possible. You will feel some pain and difort, but nothing too severe. If anything feels strange, please alert me immediately. Are you ready?"


    "Yup!" Mika smiled and Mizumi extended her hands out over her and channeled magic, creating a blue magical pattern over top of Mika.


    "I will now begin." Mizumi said as she started waving her hands around in some type of pattern. Akagi stood back and watched. She didn''t understand the technical parts behind the magic, but could detect magical fluctuations and changes within Mika as Mizumi proceeded.


    Things went smoothly, until around twenty minutes in, Mika made a noise.


    "Ugh..." Mikained. "I see what you mean by pain or difort... It feels like I have a stomach ache."


    <i>{I''m d I didn''t eat much today...} </i>(Mika)


    "That''s normal." Mizumi said without missing a beat. "It will calm down in a bit, so just bear with it for now. Once we''re done, you''ll be sore for about a week as your body adapts to the circuits."


    "Anything else strange?" Akagi asked. She couldn''t detect any issues.


    "No, just the stomach ache." Mika replied.


    Besides the slight difort, nothing else happened during Mika''s procedure, and around forty minutester, Mizumi waved away the magic circle. Akagi could see some magical energy flowing within Mika''s body as the circuits began to form.


    "Alright, we''re all done." Mizumi smiled. "I detected no issues, and it appears to be a sess."


    <i>{It looks like I was right, the humans of this world are the same as humans from our old world, with the only difference being theck of magic circuits. I wonder if humans from this world crossed over like we did?} </i>(Mizumi)


    "My whole body feels warm and sore." Mika groaned as she sat up. "Also, what''s this buzzing feeling in my arms and legs? Is this what Kana was talking about the other day?"


    <i>{It feels like I''m sitting in a massage chair.} </i>(Mika)


    "Yeah, that''s the magic." Mizumi nodded. "It will go away once you get it under control, so don''t worry about it. As for the other symptoms, those are all normal. Just take it easy for now and rest until your body finishes generating the circuits and filling them. I''d also advise eating around one and a half times the amount of food for the next few weeks since your body will need the extra energy to generate the magic and the circuits."


    "Rather than eat. I kinda want to sleep." Mika yawned.


    "Yeah, that always happens after the procedure. Do you have somewhere we can move her?" Mizumi asked Mimi.


    Mimi thought for a moment before turning to Akagi. "My Lord, would one of the guest rooms in the main house be ok?" Mimi asked her. "I feel like that would be best for her."


    "Yeah, I''ll get on that." Akagi went into the hallway, pulled one of her people aside, and instructed them to have two rooms in the main house ready for the girls. "Alright, that''s taken care of. Now on to Naomi."


    "We''ll take Mika to her roo.," Suzu said, referring to herself and her sister.


    "No funny business, you two. She needs her rest." Akagiughed, and the sisters rolled their eyes.


    <i>{Hey, jumping her while she was in that state wouldn''t be that crazy of an idea.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Come on, Mika." Yuzu picked her up princess carry style. She was too tired toin, and her girlfriends took her out of the clinic.


    "Those two were very worried about her." Mimi chuckled. "I think they might have been even more nervous than you, My Lord."


    "Good, that just shows how much they care." Akagi smiled as she looked at Naomi. "You''re up."


    Naomi''s procedure went as well as Mika''s and there were no obvious issues. Sheined of the same stomach ache and was sore and sleepy afterward and was taken to rest in the guest rooms. Mizumi was content with how things went, but would regrly monitor them for now. Akagi had asked them to stop by each day for the foreseeable future in order to give them regr checkups.


    Once Naomi was taken to one of the guest rooms to rest, Akagi sat with Kana, Mizumi, and Yumi in the living room to go over things. Naturally, Akagi had turned into her shadow form and wrapped around Yumi, something normal by this point.


    "Everything seems normal." Mizumi said while sipping tea. "Now we just need to wait. It will take a bit of time before the circuits areplete and filled. Once that happens, it''s just a matter of training. With Momo''s help, I suspect Naomi will limate to magic much quicker than Mika."


    "Kinda crazy we''re all going to be able to cast magic." Kana gave a wry smile. She''de back from her errands to check on her two sleeping friends.


    "With all the insanity of thest year, it''s not the craziest thing to happen. And that''s saying something." Akagiughed as Yumi pet her. "Once things settle down with them, I''d like the three of you to practice magic together. I know it''s <i>very</i> strange for me to say this, but you need to respect the power and not misuse it." Her statement caused Yumi to choke on her drink as she startedughing.


    "I can''t believe the Demon Lord is pleading for restraint and moderation." Mizumiughed. ¡°What''s next? Cats and Dogs living together happily?¡±


    <i>{Well technically that''s already happening since we''ve got dog and catkin living here.} </i>Kana held back the urge to retort.


    "I just think it''s for the best. I''m a very special case, but you must agree, right? It''s best to make sure they don''t go using it irresponsibly." Akagi looked at the Spirit.


    Mizumi nodded. "Yes, unfortunately too many people in our old world let magic get to their heads. They''d start to act better than other people and lord their magical prowess over people''s heads." Mizumi as she said this, Kana began to stare more intensely at her sister, who flicked her in the forehead.


    "I don''t <i>act </i>better, Kana. I <i>am </i>better." Akagiughed, and Kana and Mizumi rolled their eyes. "Hey, I''m just sayin."


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Shinlua POV>


    Shinlua was unique among the Council as its only member who was not a Spirit. Born and raised in one of the many Elf viges of her world, she spent multiple centuries as a wandering adventurer, honing her skills in her pursuit of knowledge. Eventually, her travels led her to the home of the Spirits, a strange race of people who were very different than the other residents of the continent.


    Theirnguage, architecture, and culture were radically different than any of the other races she''d visited. To her, they almost seemed alien, a theory backed up by their mysterious origin, as even they didn''t have a concrete exnation of where they came from. Intrigued by these people, she opted to stay in their country and learn from them, and as she did, Shinlua became fascinated by their tales, their history, and their unique magics. Before she knew it, nearly three centuries had passed since she''d arrived, during which she''d be close with them. As magical disasters broke out around the world, and the different races pointed fingers at the Spirits, Shinlua was one of the few voices that defended them. She visited the Elves and tried to convince her people''s King that the Spirits were not at fault, but was in turn exiled for treason. Her attempts to speak with the Humans, Demons, and Dwarves resulted in a simrly hostile reaction.


    Sensing the impending conflict as more and more disasters urred, Shinlua returned to the Spirits and warned them of the impending danger the other races posed to them, but it was toote. The other nations had already agreed to invade the Spirit''s home and exterminate them in misguided retaliation at the direction of their gods. Wanting to protect the people that so warmly weed her, Shinlua joined in the Spirit''s efforts to drive off the other races, lending her magical and battle knowledge to them. For a time, it worked, and it appeared that the Spirits might be able to force a draw. However, that was a false hope.


    Humanity had been hiding a trump card, one they waited nearly ten years to use. Sensing danger, and wanting to protect their worshipers, the Gods had pooled their power and conducted a summoning ritual, bringing a team of four young heroes from another world to defeat the Spirits.


    Using their incredible powers granted to them by the gods, these four heroes drove back the Spirits and pushed them to the brink. Shinlua attempted to engage them inbat but was easily defeated as their power was too great even for her. Fearing for the worst, she advised the Elders and other High Spirits that fleeing was the only way to save their people. The only issue was, to where? Leaving the continent was possible, but they would likely be hunted no matter where they went. Thus, it was decided that the Elders would use a secret technique passed down from their founders and flee to a world described in their records. It was a gamble, but it was their only choice. Shinlua agreed, and together, with many of the Spirit''s best fighters, she fought to buy time for the ritual. It would take nearly five years toplete and cost the lives of countless Spirits, but in the end, it was a sess, and for her part in saving their people, she was granted the privilege of filling the vacant Council seat.


    Things hadn''t been easy since the establishment of their new home, and Mizumi''s deration of a Demon Lord caused ripples throughout the Council and the Spirit political ss. Shinlua was skeptical of such a im, as she had a good understanding the historical ounts of Demon Lord Vikes and his destruction. Thus, when she met Akagi in the Council chamber, she initially dismissed her status as a Demon Lord, believing her to be little more than a powerful <i>Demon</i>.


    Today, Shinlua sat in her study going over the information Mizumi had left her before she departed for Earth. Before the Elf sat hundreds of pages of memorandum and technical documents all drafted by the water Spirit, and provided after the incident in the Council chamber. Shinlua respected Mizumi greatly, and understood that the rest of the Council was attempting to undermine her authority in Omara, though that didn''t mean she took everything she said as gospel. The Elf had little interest in political games and was more focused on building a home in this new world and she thought, not necessarily incorrectly, that Mizumi was part of this political dance.


    "She really went all out on this research, huh?" Shinlua pinched the bridge of her nose. "Full linguistic analysis, historicalparisons via eyewitness testimony, and even a full breakdown of this ''Demon Lord<i></i>ability'' to consume souls." She sighed. "Either Lady Mizumi is off her rocker, or she''s on to something." Shinlua was still on the fence as to whether Akagi was actually a Demon Lord. She''d spoken to several older Elves in her time who lived during Vikes rampage, and the image she got was of a being of pure malice and destruction. The Akagi she met the other day was rather calm and rational, showing no signs of the mindlessness that defined Vikes.


    "This Akagi ims to be a Demon Lord and ims that she managed to expunge her predisposition to mindless killing. I admit that while that seems far-fetched, it is possible." She flipped through a few documents, beforeing across the written sample of the Demon Language Akagi had given Mizumi earlier. At first, she pushed it off to the side, but a momentter something clicked in her mind.


    "Wait!" She grabbed the paper and took a look at the words,paring them to the few examples of Vikes''s writings. Her mind turned as she tried to put all the pieces together, before she recalled that Mizumi had also given her the audio recording of Akagi''s <i>Demon</i> tongue.


    She picked up the strange metal device and inspected it before attempting to y the recording. "I just click this button, right?" She pushed on the device, causing an unholy sound toe out.


    <i><b>[@$@$#@$#$@$@#$@$@$#]</b></i> Her entire body tensed, and she nearly threw the recorder across the room in fear.


    "N-No... It can''t be!" Her mind went back to one of the discussions she''d had with a man who heard Vikes speak and survived. At the time, she''d used a type of memory sharing magic to witness the Demon Lord''s destruction via his memories and within them was a few snippets of him speaking. "T-this is the same... the intonation, the spacing, that horrifying feeling just from hearing it. S-she really is the Demon Lord..." Shinlua''s eyes went wide as she understood the truth. Akagi was a Demon Lord, and the Council was nning on attacking her in their ignorance.


    "I need to speak to Lady Mizumi and the rest of the Council immediately!" (Shinlua)

 Chapter 143 – The Plan, the Cookies and the Secret.

    Chapter 143 ¨C The n, the Cookies and the Secret.


    "It would seem that all is going to n." Onmiyame stood around a magical formation with Daruma and Sizix. Deep beneath the main Council building was a hidden floor known only to the four council members which contained a massivework of magic circles and other formations wove into an intricate and beautiful pattern. At its center, was a massive ball of flickering lights and swirling patterns.


    "It won''t be much longer until we can test things." Sizixmented. "We won''t be able to tap into the archive more than a handful of times before it dissipates. So we''d better make sure what we pull out will be worth it." She was performing some kind of analysis on the ball of energy.


    "I still don''t know why we need to resort to using such creatures." Daruma scoffed. "She''s only a <i>Demon</i>. We can handle her kind." He''d killed plenty of Demons in his time and was confident.


    Onmiyame sighed. "Perhaps, but it would be best not to take chances. On top of that, those we retrieve will make conquering Earth much easier. These humansck magic, and with our powersbined, we can make short work of them." <i>This </i>was the secret n of the Spirit Council, only known to these three. While Shinlua was also a member, as an outsider, she was not fully trusted. Especially as she had a close rtionship with Mizumi. Thus, she was kept at an arm''s length and was not fully aware of what was being done down here.


    "What about the Elf?" Sizix asked. "She''s going to be trouble.¡± She didn''t particrly like Shinlua.


    "We''ll handle her soon enough. When we remove Mizumi, she can be discarded alongside that foolish girl." Onmiyame grinned. He''d only ced Shinlua on the Council due to massive public support for the Elf. Once they''d consolidated power and removed thest obstacle in their path, she''d be removed, along with Mizumi.


    ¡°For now, Sizix, just concentrate on your mission. Convince those foolish humans to join forces with us in the destruction of the <i>Demon</i>.¡± Onmiyame said. They were nning on sending her to a few of the major nations to discuss an ''alliance'' to defeat Akagi. Naturally, they would stab them in the back the moment things were over, but they figured the humans of this world would be easy pickings once Akagi was removed.


    ¡°Yes, I''ll be heading to two of the major nations once were finished here. It should be <i>interesting</i>.¡± Sizix sighed, she was the only one of them who could do this, but was not looking forward to it. Diplomacy was always something she hated, and she had no love of humans.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    A few days after the magical surgery, the girls stopped by the estate as promised for regr checkups. They''d reported that the soreness had faded, and they felt mostly normal, though a bit sluggish.


    "It looks like things are going well." Mizumi said as she checked over both of them. "The circuits are nearly finished forming, and now all that remains will be to watch them stabilize, then fill." Her glowing eyes returned to normal.


    "When you said we''d be even <em>hungrier</em> than normal, you weren''t lying." Mika sighed. "I''ve eaten more food in thest few days than you can believe."


    <i>{I ate two entirerge pizza''sst night... And I was still hungry! I had to hold off from eating the entire box of bread sticks!} </i>(Mika)


    "Hey, on the bright side, we can easily keep weight off now." Naomiughed.


    "THAT''S TRUE!" Mika eximed. "Because of this, now I can eat <i>all </i>the cookies!" She seemed not to have realized a more <i>beneficial </i>part of her increased energy needs.


    "Of course that''s what you got out of this." Kana shook her head. She suffered from even higher caloric requirements with her increased magical power. Akagi already warned her that the more powerful she got, the more she''d need to eat. Something that both annoyed and excited the Demon Princess.


    "More cookies is always good though?" Himari agreed with Mika causing everyone tough.


    "How''s your training going anyway?" Mika asked Kana. She''d been learning from Mizumi and Himari since her magic was unlocked.


    "Fine, I''m adapting to magic much quicker than I expected, and Himari has already finished teaching me the basics. Onee-chan is going to start teaching me swordy once she gets back from the U.S." It was a little over a month until the big meeting with the President, and Akagi was looking forward to it.


    <i>{Though I''m not going to lie, that training is probably going to be more like boot camp.} </i>Kana shuddered at the thought of her sister''s ''<i>training''.</i>


    "Ah, that''s right," Naomi recalled the uing meeting with the President. "I can''t believe Akagi is going to meet the U.S. President and speak at the UN."


    "Yeah, it''s kinda crazy." Mika giggled.


    <i>{Crazy is an understatement.} </i>(Kana)


    "It''s for the best." Mizumimented while writing something down. "The people of this world need to understand just what Akagi is and how dangerous she can be. I''ve already made sure the other Spirits are aware of her status as Demon Lord... to varying sess..."


    <i>{If only the Council would listen, Shinlua sent me a message asking for a meeting when I return. Perhaps she finally understands...} </i>Mizumi sighed.


    "Are you going with, Kana?" Naomi asked.


    "No." She shook her head. "I don''t want to miss a week of school, and there''s not really any good reason for me to go with. Onee-chan said I coulde if I wanted, but I declined." She <i>did </i>want to go to the United States at one point, but not right now.


    "So who in all is going?" Mika asked.


    "I believe it will be myself, Yumi, and Akagi." Mizumi answered without looking up from her notes.


    "You''re going?" Mika was surprised.


    "I need to represent my people, and we need to have a good rtionship with this world if we''re to thrive." Mizumi finished writing. "The Council might pitch a fit, but too bad."


    <i>{Besides, Akagi wants to present me to the world as the one who caused the entire FWO incident. That''s going to be a pain, but hiding it much longer won''t be good.} </i>Mizumi thought to herself.


    Mika and Naomi had both been told exactly who and what Mizumi was. After the events with Kukurihime, holding that information back was nearly impossible. Naturally, Mika was not exactly <i>thrilled</i> with Mizumi, but decided to just drop the subject. She might have set up the entire chain of events that led to her brother''s death, but she did not kill him herself. She had an idea of <i>who</i> that individual was, but was staying silent for now.


    Mizumi finished her remaining checks before giving the girls a clean bill of health, and they chatted a bit more until Akagi returned, apanied by Imp.


    "I have brought the mad scientist herself!" Akagi dered loudly.


    "Heh-heh!" Impughed too.


    "Hey, Imp." Kana greeted her. "I didn''t know she wasing over today."


    <i>{I don''t have a good feeling about this.} </i>(Kana)


    "Well, originally she wasn''t, but Mika had a small request, and I figured Imp would be the best person to handle it." Akagi smirked.


    "Request?" (Naomi x Kana)


    "It''s a secret!" Mika eximed.


    "Secret!" Imp smiled. "Fun-entertaining secret!" She walked over to Mika, and the two began whispering, with a few giggles mixed in.


    "Should I be worried?" Kana red at her sister. She knew Imp was no good, and Mika was just as bad.


    "Yes!" Akagi nodded. "When Imp''s involved, things get <i>fun</i>."


    "At least deny it!" Kana sighed. "What are they doing anyway?"


    "A secret!" Akagi repeated the same line, which only caused her sister''s re to intensify. "It''s nothing to really be worried about though, just something Mika asked for. Once she told me, I knew Imp would be down for it."


    <i>{I''ll admit, I never expected Mika to want something like this, but its in character for her.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Heh-heh." Imp let out a hardyugh. "This is going to be awesome-amazing!"


    "Can you do it?" Mika asked.


    "Yes-Yes!" Imp nodded. "Will take time-effort, but will be donepleted!"


    "Send me the bill." Akagi said. "I want to see this as much as she does."


    "Payment in dragon scales?" Imp grinned as she looked at Kana.


    "I don''t think Hishya will go for that." Kana groaned.


    <i>{Please don''t turn my girlfriend into your little piggy bank...} </i>(Kana)


    "It''s fine. We''ll just hold her down and scrape them off." Akagiughed. "They''ll grow back."


    "Royal scale farm!" Imp smiled. "Many uses-applications!"


    "At least give her a chance to flee." Kana figured they were just joking and let out a smallugh. "And make sure give get one for me. I want a ne."


    "Scary Kana wants to skin her girlfriend alive and wear her as essories!" Naomi covered her mouth in fake shock.


    "How evil!" Mikamented.


    Unamused by her two friendsments, Kana sifted her jaw back and forth in thought before a nasty smile appeared on her lips. "Himari, is it ok if I use you to teach these two a lesson?" Kana wanted to make sure the Spirit would be ok with being used as Kana''s instrument of pain delivery.


    "I won''t tell anyone if you don''t." Himari chuckled.


    "Excellent!" Kana summoned Himari and walked over to her two friends. "Don''t worry. I''ll use the <em>blunt</em> end!"


    *BONK* *BONK*


    Kana smacked the two girls on the head, not super hard, but enough to hurt.


    "Owchi!" (Mika)


    "Yow!" (Naomi)


    "Onee-chan was right. Violence is the answer!" Sheughed as Himari disappeared.


    "What happened to using our power responsibly?!?" Mika cried out.


    "Yeah! That was clearly an abuse of power! And Momo, why didn''t you say anything?" Naomi queried her spirit partner.


    "Because you had thating." Momo said whileughing.


    "Sold out by my own partner?!?" Naomi eximed. "What''s that about?!?"


    "Kana has learned to embrace violence!" Mika eximed. "The world is doomed!"


    "You have learned well, my sister." Akagi bust outughing. "The dark sidees to you naturally. Let it flow through you and give you power!"


    "Don''t encourage her!" Naomiined. "At this rate, Kana might <em>actually</em> be the Demon Princess for real!"


    "Toote for that." Kana smirked. "Twas my destiny from birth." She gave a coy look.


    "Honestly, I can''t say if Akagi corrupted her sister, or if Kana was just born bad." Mizumi sighed. She''d seen Kana when she embraced <i>Scary</i> <i>Kana</i> and couldn''t be sure either way.


    "A mix of both!" (Akagi x Kana)


    "Oh great, now <i>they''re </i>in stereo..." (Mika x Naomi)


    "Are you sure that you''re not Kana''s mom, instead of her sister?" Mikamented. "Because she takes after you far more than is normal."


    <i>{Just imagining Kana calling Akagi mom is making meugh so hard inside.} </i>(Mika)


    "We''ll I did imprint on her with my power, so it wouldn''t be strange if parts of my personality bled over a bit." Akagi looked at Mizumi for an answer.


    "It can ur." She nodded. "And I''d say that''s likely what happened. What you''ve been calling <i>Scary Kana</i> is probably just that small bit of bleed being temporarily amplified. Think of it like a personality trait that gets activated under certain conditions."


    "So basically, Kana has three parents. Shima, Taichi, and Akagi." Naomi let out a massiveugh, but everyone else stayed quiet.


    "That... that''s an <em>interesting</em> way to put it..." Akagi didn''t know how to respond to thatment, but Kana got an evil look in her eye.


    <i>{God, now all I can think about is Kana being my daughter... god dammit Naomi.} </i>(Akagi)<i> </i>


    "I always knew you were more than just my Onee-chan! From now on, I''ll call you <i>Mom</i>!" Kana ran over and hugged Akagi. ¡°Mama! I''m so happy to be your child!¡±


    "Don''t you fucking dare pull that!" Akagi tried pushing her off. "It''s going to be fucked if you start actually calling me mom!"


    "Why is Mama rejecting me?" Kana looked at her sister with puppy eyes. "Does Mama not love me?"


    <i>{HA! I can mess with you too! Serves you right for everything you''ve done to me!} </i>Kana was happy to get some payback on her sister for all the tormenting.


    Akagi wasn''t one to take this lying down. "Ok then. If I''m your mom, that means I get to go to all the parent events and embarrass the hell out of you for the rest of your life." Akagi turned to Naomi and Mika. "Do you want to see Kana''s baby pictures? I''ve got <i>tons </i>of cute images for us to look at." Two could y at this game.


    "Wait! No, don''t do that!" Sensing danger, Kana instantly changed her tune. "Your not my Mom! You''re Onee-chan!"


    <i>{Please for the love of god, don''t show them the dog costume from Halloween when I was ten!} </i>(Kana)


    "I wanna see them!" Mika said excitedly.


    "Don''t you dare! I know what pictures you''re talking about, and some are embarrassing as hell!" Kana began to hit Akagi in the chest. "I''ll stop messing around, so please spare me that embarrassment..."


    Akagiughed. "Fine, but just remember, Kana. You might be the <i>Demon Princess</i>, but I''m the <i>Demon Lord</i>. I''ll always win a contest of evil between us."


    <i>{I''ll never be able to win against her in tormenting. GRRRR.} </i>Kana grumbled internally as everyoneughed.

 Chapter 143.5 – Venting Session

    Chapter 143.5 ¨C Venting Session


    A bit after the <i>mom </i>discussion, Akagi and Naomi moved into one of the side rooms, alone. Since she was already here, and was nning on sticking around to monitor her new magical power, Naomi figured that now would be a good time for her first session with Akagi. The <i>Demon </i>was reluctant to do something like this, mostly because she didn''t want to bother her friend, but Naomi insisted.


    "Here, I got something for you to drink." Akagi handed Naomi a cup of juice while she sat down with her coffee.


    "Thanks." Naomi took a sip.


    "How are you feeling?" Akagi wanted to check in on her condition before they began.


    "I still ache a bit, but it''s definitely gotten better than the other day." Sheughed. "Though the increased food consumption has really spooked my staff."


    <i>{They were a bit concerned with my sudden increase in intake, and exining that I could now use magic was a fun conversation.} </i>(Naomi)


    "I can imagine. Suddenly needing a good bit extra food daily is sure to cause some concern and confusion among those around you. There aren''t many reasons for such a change normally." Akagi chuckled. "Mika has apparently just been sleeping a ton and eating even more, much to her parent''s chagrin."


    Naomi rolled her eyes. "As if she needed an excuse to sleep or eat."


    "Fair point." Akagi smiled.


    "So then, how about we get started." Naomi put her cup down. "Is there any ce you wanted to begin? Or should we start from the beginning?"


    "To be honest, I have no idea what to even say or do here." Akagi gave a dryugh. "I''ve never really talked about things to <em>anyone</em>, even Yumi, so I''m a bit at a loss. And I don''t exactly want to burden you with my problems."


    <i>{She shouldn''t have to do this. It''s not right to rely on her for something so heavy, so maybe I shouldn''t go too in-depth.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Stop right there." Naomi put her hands up to signal a time-out. "I might not be able to read minds like you, but I can tell what you''re thinking." She scolded Akagi. "Don''t you go thinking this is a burden on me, and don''t go holding back because you think I shouldn''t be doing this."


    <i>{You''re such a pain...} </i>(Naomi)


    "<i>I </i>brought this up to Kana, and it was my idea to give you someone to talk to. After the nightmare the other day, it only strengthens my resolve to give you help." Naomi''s eyes told how serious she is. "I can''t do <i>much </i>for you in this friendship, so at a bare minimum allow me to lend you an ear. Trust me, I''m not going to get upset or anything from just listening to your story or problems. Lord knows I''ve gone to enough therapy myself after my family was killed, so I understand how strange it can be to talk to someone about how you feel."


    <em>{And it didn''t help that said therapist was garbageat her job...}</em>(Naomi)


    "Are you really ok with this?" Akagi asked. "Isn''t hearing what I have to say going to stress you out? I mean, it can''t be easy to listen to someone else''s-" She was cut off by Naomi tapping her fingers on the table between them.


    "Do you really think me so weak that I couldn''t handle listening to my friend''s issues?" Naomi red at her.


    "N-no, that wasn''t what I was trying to say..." Akagi averted her eyes.


    "Listen... Friends listen to other friends problems, it''s one of the perks of being <i>friends</i>." Naomi sighed. "I''m not going to pretend to be a therapist, but I can <i>listen </i>and that is probably just what you need since you''ve never really articted your feelings to anyone else. So I''ll be ok."


    "Fine, but if it gets to be too much, then please tell me to stop." Akagi sighed.


    "I will, but I don''t think that will happen. Besides, we''re going to do this a bit at a time rather than all at once." Naomi shrugged. "So, since you''ve got no idea where to start, let me kick things off." She straightened up and picked up her juice cup. "Kana has told me <i>many </i>things about your childhood and how things were at the house. But I''d like to hear about it from <i>you </i>since you were the one affected by everything." Naomi wanted to get the entire story and was hoping for more detail than what Kana could give.


    "Well... where do I even start?" Akagi gave a deadugh. "Shima and Taichi... they hated me. Ever since I was little, I couldn''t tell you one instance where either told me they loved me, and looking back the few moments that I <i>thought </i>were them showing me affection were just my young mind imagining things."


    <em>{I still feel stupid for thinking we had fun at the summer festival after my fourth birthday...}</em>(Akagi)


    "So they never acted like parents? Not once, ever?" Naomi only knew <i>part </i>of the conversation in the kitchen fromst fall since Kana didn''t want to talk about it that much.


    "Yeah, I originally thought that Kana being born was where things really went downhill, but that was just me lying to myself." Akagi sighed. "I thought..." She paused. "I thought that, at least before then, before Kana''s intellect became known, that... that at least until <em>that</em> point they loved me. But that wasn''t true, and they told me as much themselves." Akagi gave a bitter smile. "From the day I was born, the two never loved me and always thought of me as some creature that took away their real child. I got as much from the documents I found in the Tomogawapound, as there were a few correspondences between Shima and Kenji discussing what should be done with me." She gripped her cup harder.


    <em>{She... she was asking for advice on how to kill me... her own...}</em>(Akagi)


    "They wanted to kill me as an infant... at least they were nning on it, but Kenji for whatever reason couldn''t go through with it. Something about killing children I suppose didn''t sit right with him." Akagiughed. "But that didn''t mean I was <i>epted </i>by the family, and once Kana was born. <em>That</em> was when things only started getting worse."


    "Because they had someone topare you to." Naomi guessed why.


    <em>{I can imagine that even in a normal house there would be problem if such a disparity between siblings emerged.}</em>(Naomi)


    "Yup, Kana was the born genius, and I was just the mediocre monster with behavioral issues." Akagi sighed. "After it was revealed just how talented Kana was, and how fucked up<em>I</em>was, the abuse gradually got worse, and worse. What little remained of their parental attachment disappeared, and I was basically just a stranger in my own home." Akagi''s grip on the cup nearly caused it to crack before she stopped and put it down. "Did... did you know they never took me to my kindergarten graduation? Heh..." Akagi put her hands on her face as she gave a sad chuckle. "They couldn''t even bother taking five-year-old me to a stupid little ceremony where I got a silly piece of paper... All because I didn''t matter and because it would have required them to give up their night!" Akagi''s voice got louder. "Like... I''m a five-year-old kid who doesn''t know any better, and you tell me that your stupid fucking night where all you did was sit on the couch and watch T.V. was more important than this event?!?" Akagi got increasingly angry as she remembered that day. "I remember that night... I was so sad and disappointed that I couldn''t go!" She red at Naomi. "I thought... I thought that I did something <i>wrong. </i>I thought that... I thought that I was a bad girl and this was my punishment. I cried in my room that night... and what did those two fucks do! NOTHING! They never came to check on me either, and they yelled at me when I came downstairster for causing a fuss!" She sat back down.


    "That''s truly awful. I just can''t imagine something like that happening." Naomi said.


    <i>{We''ve only just started, and if these things are just the tip of the iceberg. Just what the fuck did these people do to her for this to be a seemingly minor footnote?!?} </i>(Naomi)


    "Yeah, well. It did." Akagi scoffed.


    "Let me interrupt for a second." Naomi took a sip of her drink. "How much have you told Kana about what they did to you over the years? Does she know how bad it was?"


    "Honestly." Akagi thought for a moment. "What she knows doesn''t even scratch the surface of the surface. She knows <i>generally </i>that I was abused, and is aware of certain things. But I''ve kept a lot from her over the years, mostly to protect her."


    "While I understand not wanting your younger sister to know what her parents were doing to you, I think you need to start being a bit more open with Kana about what happened." Naomi sighed. "Because to be honest, I think Kana has a very <i>limited </i>understanding of what kind of treatment you dealt with."


    <i>{I believe that Kana is drastically underestimating just how bad things were. I''ve only heard this small amount, but the look in Akagi''s eyes are telling me this goes deep.} </i>(Naomi)


    "You might be right." Akagi slumped back onto the couch. "She should know the truth... I''ve just been hiding things from her for so long... that it might be a painful conversation."


    "Yes, but I think she''d rather you be truthful. It might hurt to hear the truth about her parents, but she can handle it." Naomi smiled.


    "Yeah, your right. But it''s gonna suck to tell her about all those times I <i>went to Aunt Nana''s</i>." Akagi groaned.


    "???" Naomi tilted her head. "What does that mean?"


    "That was code for leaving Akagi at home alone while the family went on a trip somewhere, or dumping me at her house to get rid of me when I was being inconvenient." Akagiughed. "If you go look through the family album, and carefully inspect <em>all</em> the pictures. You''ll notice a conspicuous <ick </i>of photos of me, with the few that exist being school pictures or a handful of other events where they couldn''t keep me away."


    "So wait, t-they just lied to Kana and left you at home?" Naomi''s eyes went wide. "Every time?"


    "Mostly, yeah." Akagiughed. "Kana would always ask why I wasn''t going, and they always said that I was going to stay with Aunt Nana for whatever reason." She shrugged.


    "And in reality, you were left at home by yourself?" Naomi said while sipping her drink.


    "Yeah, at least most of the time. There were plenty of times where they <em>did</em> dump me at her house, but it really doesn''t matter. Do you know how stupid and dangerous it is for a ten-year-old kid to be left at home <i>alone</i>?" Akagi sighed. "I''ll never forget the time I burned my hand on the stove trying to cook popcorn and nearly burned down the house. The best part was that I got scolded for wasting food, and then went without dinner the day they got back as punishment."


    <i>{T-that''s...} </i>(Naomi)


    "And if you think <i>that''s </i>bad. Ohhhh boy do I have stories for you." Akagiughed. "I''ve been put out in a blizzard, poisoned, left at school and forced to walk in the rain, nearly ran over by them, and so much more."


    <em>{Not to mention the time Shima locked me in the shed for an entire day...}</em>(Akagi)


    "I hate to ask, but was there really <em>no one</em> who could have done anything for you?" Naomi asked. "Or couldn''t you have reported them?"


    <em>{Where the hell were child protective services?!?}</em>(Naomi)


    "Pffff." Akagiughed. "You don''t think I tried?!? Kenji had a fuck ton of influence, and the one time I told a teacher about what those two did to me when he asked about ament I made, not only did <i>I </i>get punished for spreading ''<i>lies''</i>, but the teacher in question<i> </i>mitted suicide.''" Akagi put up air quotes around that phrase.


    "Did the Tomogawa family really have that much power?!?" Naomi''s eyes went wide in shock.


    <i>{The Mitsuhides had lots of influence, but that was because of their political connections. I don''t recall the Tomogawa''s having something simr.} </i>(Naomi)


    "The Tomogawa n had sunk its teeth into so many different businesses, NGOs, political parties, and the like that we''d be here all day if I tried to tell you each one." Akagi shrugged. "I found all the info in their archives, the family had apparently used its spiritual powers and shikigami to get dirt on people so they could exploit themter."


    <i>{They even had dirt on the Mitsuhide and Tokugawa ns.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Quite ironic then that they were supposed to be the defenders of good." Naomi gave a dryugh.


    "Yeah, they bought into their own hype <i>hard.</i>" Akagi said. "Everything was for the greater good, and h, h, h. Thus they couldn''t do anything wrong since they were the <i>force for good and defenders of the world.</i>" She mocked them.


    "They were nothing but a bunch of fucking hypocritical blow-hards, and I''m so d I tortured those fucks before eating them!" Akagi identally spoke aloud.


    "Hmmmmm. I''ll just ignore <em>that</em> one." Naomi sighed.


    "Oops." Akagi let out a wryugh. "Yeah, I <i>might </i>have gone a bit <i>overboard </i>in how I went about that..."


    <em>{But god was it fun.}</em>(Akagi)


    "Yeah, I can only imagine what you did, and honestly, I don''t want to know." Naomi shook her head.


    <i>{Venting about your issues does not mean telling me the gory details of how you tortured your rtives before consuming their souls.} </i>(Naomi)


    "Yeah, no." Akagi shook her head quickly. "Let me just tell you this, that night.... that night, I dropped the human disguise for a bit." She bit her lip but cracked a smile. "And it felt <i><b>good</b></i><b>." </b>Her voice distorted briefly. "I got to sink my teeth into those who I''ve wanted revenge on for so long, and in that moment, I wasn''t Akagi, the nice older sister of Kana and your friend." Akagi looked into Naomi''s eyes. "I was Akagi, the Demon Lord, and nothing else."

 Chapter 144 – International Deals.

    Chapter 144 ¨C International Deals.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    3 Chaps!


    President Rosewood sat in a conference room across from a group of monitors, each disyed some of her important international counterparts. Her invitation to the Demon Lord to speak to Congress and the United Nations was <i>controversial</i>, to say the least, and reactions to her invitation were both positive and negative, with the issue crossing party and ideological lines. Some viewed Akagi as a menace to society, while others feared her power and wished to cooperate with her. Unsurprisingly, the Vatican hade out staunchly against any such normalization of rtions with Akagi, even going so far as to threaten the withholding ofmunion from any government member who met with her. As an irreligious individual, this did not affect President Rosewood, but some members of Congress and other governments were a bit uneasy at meeting a literal <i>Demon.</i>


    It wasn''t easy to convince a majority of Congress to ept such an invitation, and even if she didn''t need their consent, she wanted it. Rosewood wanted to present a united government to the Demon Lord and show her that, as President, she had the support of her government. With some prodding and countless meetings, she was able to convince afortable majority of Representatives and Senators that meeting with Akagi was in the best interest of humanity as a whole. Convincing the United Nations was actually a bit easier than originally expected, since Akagi would soon be the leader of a new nation, there was less pushback from her making an address.


    "It''s not often we get the leaders of Russia, China, the United States, and Japan in one meeting." President Rosewood started speaking. "I''ll try to keep this brief as we''re all busy people. The Demon Lord is a threat to this world, she told me that herself. However, as long as we do nothing to provoke her wrath, we have nothing to fear."


    <i>{At least, that''s the hope. Though for whatever reason, something is telling me that we can trust her.} </i>(Rosewood)


    "My intelligence reports have told me something simr about her, President Rosewood." Chinese President Lin Gui spoke. "We have had our own contact with this Akagi woman over thest few months, and we have expressed our desire for a peaceful rtionship with her new nation."


    "Yes, her destruction of Libra defied all expectations. We predicted she would easily destroy the terrorist group, but the manner in which she did it was <i>unexpected </i>though not unwee." Alexander Mikhailov agreed. "We''ve determined that it would be best for regional stability to work with her as a partner. Simrly to my friend President Gui, my diplomatic team has already made contact with her and expressed our desire to cooperate peacefully so as to benefit our peoples."


    <i>{What a change of tune. Your two nations were the ones that created Libra, and you initially dismissed Akagi''s strength. But then again, this is all just one of the many games being yed, and you were both smart enough to hedge your bets.} </i>President Rosewood thought back to what the C.I.A. told her about Libra''s formation.


    "Prime Minister Nodoka, what is the timetable for the handover?" President Rosewood turned to the Japanese Prime Minister.


    "We''re in contact with her people, and things are proceeding rtively smoothly. We expect the transfer to be in June." He was sweating a little bit. "The Diet has been giving us a few problems, but things will be sorted out."


    "Please ensure the members of the Diet understand the foolishness of attempting to renege on a deal with someone who could destroy the very we live on." President Rosewood held back the urge to sigh.


    <i>{I see there are still some fools out there that have failed to grasp the situation.} </i>(Rosewood)


    "Yes, I would rather not have another crisis in Japan." President Mikhailov said. "If you are not careful, she might just take your entire country, and there is very little which can be done about it." Heughed.


    <i>{He''s not wrong. That''s what my analysts have told me is a likely oue if Japan tries to back out of its promise.} </i>(Rosewood.)


    "Yes and that leads me to my next point." President Rosewood then pivoted into the unstable situation in East Asia. The Chinese were still interested in recovering Taiwan and the Russians were always up to something in the region. With Akagi now active, she wanted to try and cool things down so as to not drag her into human conflicts. She was, unfortunately, not very sessful. While the Russians and Chinese paid lip service to the idea of cooling tensions and limiting activity, they wouldn''t agree to anything concrete.


    Once the conference was over, President Rosewood sat in the conference room alone with her trantor.


    "And politics marches on..." She sighed. "It''s been a month since the defeat of Libra, and we''re already back at this game of great power politics once again. I just hope those two aren''t foolish enough to ce humanity at risk." She shook her head.


    "If I may offer something." The trantor requested to speak.


    "Go on." President Rosewood nodded.


    "I''m not exactly an expert on geopolitics, but I am good at reading bodynguage and vocal cues. I cannot be certain, but the way the Russian and Chinese Presidents spoke, and the words they chose, made it seem like they were genuinely worried about this Akagi woman. I believe it likely they understand just how dangerous she is, but don''t just take my word for it. I''m just a humble trantor." He smiled.


    <i>{Interesting, perhaps we should look to include such analysis in future reports.} </i>(Rosewood)


    "No that''s alright, and I''m d to hear your input. You understand the twonguages very well, so if you say they seemed to understand things, then I''ll trust your judgment." President Rosewood thought for a moment. "We''ll need to keep an eye on things between them and Akagi. I want to know exactly what kind of ''diplomacy'' they''re engaging in."


    <i>{The C.I.A. reported some movement between her estate and both Beijing and Moscow. She''s likely sending out diplomatic parties or spys much as she did with Hikari.} </i>President Rosewood estimated that Akagi would take a proactive approach to international rtions, and figured that the Demon Lord wouldn''t take some kind of exclusive rtionship with the United States. As Russia and China were the other two primary powers in the world, setting up connections with them made sense.


    Deciding it best to table such thoughts for now, President Rosewood left the conference room and continued about her daily schedule. Akagi''s arrival would be in less than a month, and she needed to make sure everything was ready. Normally, such a short time frame from invitation to arrival wouldn''t ur, but the United Nations was already scheduled to meet in April, so some rushing was necessary. She''d ordered Agent Nariyuki to escort Akagi and her two other members to the White House, and she authorized a U.S. diplomatic aircraft to be used to bring her here. The Air Force pitched a fit about it, but President Rosewood quashed suchints easily.


    <i>{This is going to be one hell of a month, for both me and the entirety of humanity.} </i>(Rosewood)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    Beijing, March 21st, 10 pm local time.


    "So you''vee on behalf of your people, wishing to form an alliance with the People''s Republic of China?" President Gui was speaking to a green-haired woman. She''d stealthfully infiltrated his office during the night to negotiate with him, alone.


    "Indeed, most honored President Gui." Sizix spoke to him via trantion magic. She''d managed to ''sneak'' out of Omara and made her way to Beijing as part of the Council''s n to gather allies on Earth to defeat Akagi. They might have nned on conquering the, but defeating Akagi came first. "We have amon foe in the <i>Demon</i> known as Akagi. With our magical knowledge and your military power, defeating her should be a simple matter."


    "And after she is defeated? What then?" He asked calmly. He was trying to feel this woman and her intentions out. "What can you offer me and my government?"


    "Many things." She gave a devilish smile. "We are more than adept in magic than her, and it would be easy to grant some of your top agents the ability to use it. We could even discuss an agreement to trade your technology for our magical know-how. The Japanese are working on something simr right now, and I know you don''t want to fall behind." The Council had sent agents out of Omara and into Japan to collect intelligence on Earth, which allowed them to uncover Imp''s experiments to merge magic and technology.


    "That is certainly of interest to my government, though I would need to see more concrete information before I can make a decision, and I would need to run this by the other ministers and the party before I canmit to anything." He knew epting her deal would be tantamount to a deration of war on Akagi, and he needed to be sure this would work out in his favor.


    "Ipletely understand." Sizix put on a fake smile. "Please discuss this with your advisors and such, we can arrange to speak again in the future." She ced a small item on his desk. "Simply break this and I will be informed you wish to speak, now goodbye." She snapped her fingers and disappeared.


    "Hmmmm." President Gui examined the rock. It had magical runes carved all over it. "I see things went as you expected. Quite something, that master of yours." He spoke to seemingly no one.


    "Of course, my Lord is able to see the plots of these fools before they even form in their silly little heads." A dog-eared ninja dropped down from the ceiling. "So? Will you be taking their offer?"


    "Hmpf." President Gui chuckled. "Why should I? Your master has already offered a better deal, and that woman was clearly hiding something. Most likely she wanted to trick us into engaging your master in some foolish endeavor with no chance of sess." He shook his head. "This game might require a level of deceit and backstabbing, but I don''t deal with someone who has no intention of holding their end of the bargain." He looked at the dog-ninja. Tell your master that we ept <em>her</em> deal, and we can begin further negotiations once her trip to the States is over."


    "A wise decision. I will ry this to my Lord." He snapped his fingers and disappeared.


    President Gui spun around in his chair, looking over the Beijing skyline as he pulled out a cigar from his pocket and lit it. "This should make things interesting. Eh President Rosewood?" Heughed as he let out a puff from the cigar.


    A few hourster, Sizix gave the same offer to the President of Russia. She even offered to help them reim the borders of the old Russian Empire. However, just like with President Gui, the Russians were already in contact with Akagi and were much more inclined to pay with her rather than these unknowns.

 Chapter 145 – Coulrophobia.

    Chapter 145 ¨C Coulrophobia.


    A few days before Akagi''s departure to the United States.


    Kana and the girls were sitting around the living room table gossiping and taking a break from studying for an uing test. Yumi was busy with some negotiations with the Japanese government regarding Akagi''s new nation and was not around. While Akagi wasying on Mika''sp, sleeping in blob form and chilling out.


    *SCRATCH* *SCRATCH* *SCRATCH*


    "She really does feel nice to pet!" Mika smiled as she scratched and petted Akagi. ¡°She''s actually kinda fluffy!¡±


    <i>{It''s like petting a small dog!} </i>(Mika)


    "I like how you''re just casually petting the Demon Lord like she''s a small animal." Naomi said as she bit into a pocky stick.


    "Are you saying you <i>don''t </i>want to pet her?" Mika grinned. "She''s super squishy and feels <em>reeeaaaally</em> soft."


    Naomi rolled her eyes. "I thought she''d only let Yumi do that anyway?"


    "No, it''s just that she <i>prefers</i> it to be Yumi." Kana shrugged as she swiped through a page she was reading on her AR device. "I''ve gotten to do it, and so have others. Actually, it''s more surprising that it took <em>this</em> long to have Mika do it."


    "I''m jealous of Yumi!" Mika pouted at Kana. "She gets something this nice all to herself! Its not fair!"


    <i>{Akagi needs to let me cuddle her sometimes! This is amazing!} </i>(Mika)


    "Well, <em>I''m</em> not." Kana sighed. "I couldn''t handle her coiling around me like a snake. The one time I let her do that, it made my skin crawl." Kana really hated snakes, though they were only second on her list of hated things.


    "What?!? She did that for you?!?" Mika looked down at the ''sleeping'' Akagi, ring in disapproval. "Come on, do it with me! Go ahead and wrap all around me as much as you want, I don''t mind!" She poked Akagi a few times, but she didn''t respond. "I''m being ignored?!?"


    <i>{This means war!} </i>(Mika)


    "You''re just..." Naomi shook her head at Mika''s antics.


    "I''m afraid that you''re out of luck." Kana took a drink of her juice. "She won''t do that to anyone but me or Yumi. Apparently its <i>special</i>."


    <i>{I''d trade my privildge to Mika if I could, I really hated when she wrapped around me...} </i>(Kana)


    "Nooooo." Mika pouted. "Fine! Then if you''re going to be that way, I won''t pet you anymore." She turned away in a huff, and once again, Akagi did not react. "Don''t ignore me dammit! I know you''re notpletely asleep, Akagi!" She began squishing and smacking the ''sleeping'' Akagi. ¡°Come on! Do something! Otherwise the poking will continue!¡±


    "You realize that you''re just asking for trouble by doing that?" Kana sighed as she looked at Mika who continued to mess with Akagi. "Onee-chan has a vast arsenal of ways to mess with you, so I''d be careful."


    <i>{Onee-chan is going to do something funny, isn''t she? Oh well, I can''t wait to see Mika get hereuppance.} </i>(Kana)


    "She wouldn''t hurt me, right?" Mika smiled innocently as she looked down at Akagi, who responded by making her real eyes and sharp teeth appear on top of her blob form.


    "EEP!" Mika jumped up, startled, and smacked Akagi sending sending her flying across the room and squishing onto the floor.


    <i>{Pfff.} </i>(Naomi)


    "I warned you." Kanaughed. ¡°That''s what you get for abusing the <i>pet.</i>"


    "You bastard! You almost gave me a heart attack!" Mika eximed as she threw a pillow at Akagi, who was still on the floor.


    "Now, now." Naomi went over and picked Akagi up, bringing her back over and cing her in herp. "I won''t disturb you like Mika. She''s such a naughty girl, picking on you like that." She smiled as she began petting Akagi.


    "No fair! You stole her!" Mika cried.


    "Hey, <em>you</em> threw her across the room. Such a mean thing to do to such a poor defenseless creature." Naomi chuckled.


    <i>{I can''t believeyou held a straight face as you said that.} </i>(Kana)


    "Who would you rather be pet by? Me or the meanie who threw you away?" Akagi responded by pointing a shadow tendril at Naomi.


    <i>{I love how there was no hesitation in that choice at all.} </i>(Kana)


    "After everything I did for you!" Mika fell to the floor, defeated. "I''ve been used and abandoned! Did my pets mean nothing?!?" She cried out in an exaggerated manner.


    "Fool! You were only ever a stepping stone before she reached her true goal! Me!" Naomi put on a fake haughty tone and puffed out her chest. "Oh-ho-ho-ho."


    Kana watched this stupid disy and rolled her eyes. "You guys are just..." She sighed. "What the heck are you even doing?"


    <i>{Why are my friends such idiots...} </i>(Kana)


    "We''re having fun!" (Naomi x Mika)


    "I can see that." Kana nced at Akagi. "And <i>she''s</i> just enjoying herself and all this stupidity. I''m beginning to think that Onee-chan is capable of lowing the IQ of the entire room with her powers. It''s like once you start ying with her, your brain turns into mush."


    "Perhaps, but it <i>is</i> rxing." Naomi smiled as she stroked the blob. "You really are soft, though. It reminds me of some of the cats my family used to have."


    The girls continued to chat a bit more until Mizumi arrived.


    "Sorry it took me so long. I lost track of time while teaching." She turned to Naomi, who was still petting Akagi. "What the heck are you doing?" She asked as she walked over.


    "Petting the Demon Lord." Naomiughed. "She''s quite soft."


    "Do I even want to know<i> why?</i>" Mizumi sighed. "Also, just seeing the embodiment of evil causallyying on yourp and being pet like a rabbit is very strange."


    <i>{What kind of screwy timeline is this?} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Onee-chan wanted to sleep for a bit until Yumi got back and decided to go into shadow form while we studied." Kana exined. "Mika ended up wanting to pet her, and well, now we''re here."


    "Sleep?" Mizumi looked at Akagi. "She needs to sleep?"


    "Not to my knowledge, no. Onee-chan told me she just enjoys it is all, something about it beingfy." Kana shrugged. She didn''t really know or care to know the specifics. "She''s still able to see and hear while like that, so don''t be stupid like Mika and harass her, lest you get a fright."


    <i>{That was hrious though.} </i>(Kana)


    "That was so uncalled for!" Mika pouted. "She nearly scared me out of my skin with that stunt!"


    "Scared? What did she even do anyway?" Mizumi asked as she nced down at Akagi, who shed her eyes and teeth for a brief moment. "Ho boy..." Mizumi took a half step back. "Yeah, that would do it..."


    <i>{Nice, the Demon Lord is out here pranking people with horrifying visages from hell itself.} </i>(Mizumi)


    Mizumi turned around and looked at Kana. "How do you cope with seeing <i>that </i>all the time?" She knew that Kana was able to see Akagi''s shadow even while it was intentionally hidden, and thus she could see her eyes and teeth.


    "Wait, you see that all the time?!?" Mika eximed.


    "Well yeah?" Kana replied. "I told you that I can always see Onee-chan''s real body, remember."


    <i>{I think I told them, or did I? I don''t recall now that think about it.} </i>(Kana)


    "Well yeah, I know that, but you never said anything about seeing <i>that.</i>" Mika said, putting her fingers under her lips to make fake fangs.


    Kana thought for a moment. "Huh, I guess I didn''t. Oh well, but yeah that''s what I see behind her when she''s in human form. It''s usually around here." She put her hand behind her back to approximately where Akagi''s shadow would float. "There''s a ck floating mass that hangs around here, and sometimes it has those eyes and teeth."


    <i>{I understand her being spooked, it wasn''t very pleasant to see the first time for me either.} </i>(Kana)


    "I''m d I <em>don''t</em> see <i>that</i> all the time..." Mika shivered.


    <i>{That''s some terrifying stuff right there.} </i>(Mika)


    "Don''t tempt Onee-chan or she just might start showing it off." Kanaughed. "She usually keeps those things hidden, since it would cause the kind of reaction you just had."


    "Wait, but why can <i>you</i> see it?" Naomi asked. "We all have magic, but I didn''t notice anything different."


    "Hmm." Kana thought for a moment. "Probably because of the imprint?" She looked at Mizumi for rification.


    "Most likely." The Spirit nodded. "I have no idea what kind of power Akagi uses to hide that part of her when using a human form, but her influence likely makes it so it doesn''t work on you."


    "I guess that''s also why your eye looks like hers when you use magic." Mika said. "But still, I mean, I know it''s Akagi, but well...pared to her eyes <em>normally</em>, something about what she showed me before was just..." She shivered.


    "I mean, it makes sense you''re freaked out. You were literally being stared at by a <i>predator</i>." Mizumi chuckled. "Your natural instincts told you to be afraid, as did mine. Knowing she won''t harm you can only go so far in suppressing that reaction."


    <i>{I mean, Demon Lords feed on us, so its understandable that our souls scream in terror if we''re looked at by what is basically a hungry beast.} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Then what about Kana?" Naomi asked. "She seems fine."


    "I used to not be, Mika." Kana gave a dryugh. "When I originally confronted Onee-chan about the shadow, I was scared as hell. I had no idea what it was, and I actually thought some monster had taken her ce and was <i>pretending</i> to be her." She continued. "By now, I''m just used to it, so it doesn''t phase me. Yumi also doesn''t seem to care, but that''s probably because of the bond."


    <i>{Not entirely sure its good that I''m used to seeing something so horrifying, but at this point I''ve stopped questioning things.} </i>(Kana)


    ¡°Huh... I''m not sure if I''d want to see it enough to get used to it.¡± Mika gave a dryugh.


    "If you think <i>that </i> is bad, you should pray you never see anything deeper. Apparently, Hishya saw something even <em>worse</em> all those years ago at Hassan." Kana shrugged. Hishya tried not to talk about that incident in much detail.


    "Y-yeah." Naomi gave a nervousugh. "Good thing Akagi would never <i>intentionally</i> go out of her way to scare the daylights out of us, right?" She looked down at Akagi, who did nothing. "Theck of confirmation is <i>worrying</i>..."


    "I mean, she did threaten to put that face on the ceiling of Miyako''s bedroom if she kept it up." Kana chuckled. "Perhaps she''ll do that to you two if I asked."


    "Please, no!" Mika ran over to Kana and grabbed her shoulders before shaking her. "Are you trying to kill me?!?"


    "Onee-chan was always a bit horror fan, so she might try to replicate some of her favorite scenes." Kana was not so subtly trying to convince Akagi to do just that.


    "Sure, how about we start with you, Kana?" Akagi finally spoke. "I can do what I did to Hoshino and follow you around before trapping you in the bathroom. Or perhaps I could unleash some evil clowns?"


    "DON''T YOU DARE! YOU KNOW I HATE CLOWNS!" Kana screamed at the top of her lungs.


    *HONK* *HONK*


    Akagi made a clown nose honking sound effect.


    "I swear fucking to god!" Kana growled. "If see so much as a red nose in this house, I will <em>cut</em> you!"


    "Oh yeah, I forgot Kana was afraid of clowns." Mika grinned. "Naomi, we should use this to our advantage."


    Kana summoned Hikari and pointed her at Mika. "If I see you dressed as a clown I will split you in half!"


    "But I like clowns!" Himari said. "They''re so much fun!"


    "Too bad!" Kana red at her. "As long as you''re with me, we hate clowns. This is not up for negotiation!"


    Her statement caused the entire room to erupt inughter as Akagi recalled what happened to thest clown that got near Kana. The poor man was sent to the emergency room for a week with a broken nose and leg.


    "Good thing <i>Clown</i> wasn''t a ss in FWO. Otherwise, we''d have to hide them from you." Akagi said whileughing.


    <i>{Though there were clown monsters.} </i>Akagi decided not to mention that.


    "If there was, I''d smite them from this Earth!" Kana''s eyes burned with a bright fire. "Onee-chan, when you get your country. I demand that being a clown be made punishable by death!"


    On that day, every clown on Earth got a chill as they sensed great danger.

 Side Story 3 – The Misfits Make a Decision!

    Side Story 3 ¨C The Misfits Make a Decision!


    The Misfits were rxing in a small tavern in the nearby vige of Elso after a hard day''s work. They''d begun to steadily level up over the past year and were confident that they''d soon be able to handle the dungeon within their forest home.


    "See, I told you that I could make C4!" Daikael said as she put a ball of putty onto the table.


    "I didn''t say that you <i>couldn''t.</i> I said you<i> shouldn''t</i>." Shiru sighed.


    "Why are you putting that on the table?" Alveron scooched away from the explosives. "That''s dangerous!"


    "Nah, it''s fine." Daikael began to smack the putty. "Without a sting cap, it''s harmless." She began to sculpt it into different forms.


    "Danger putty meow~!" Ara hissed at the C4.


    "How much damage can that stuff do?" Avahn looked closely at the small snowman Daikael had created. "Is it more powerful than your grenades?"


    <em>{I wonder how it would feel to get exploded by it?}</em>(Avahn)


    "I don''t know!" Daikael said with a massive smile. "We need to test it!"


    "Preferably <i>not </i>in my forest..." Shiru knew what happenedst time Daikael did weapons testing on her trees.


    "It will be perfectly fine!" Daikael smiled. "Remember, I''ve been in the military for a while, so I''m a trained professional."


    <i>{If you''re a professional, then I''m worried about the American military''s readiness level...} </i>(Avahn)


    "I thought you were in charge ofndmine clearing? You know, like how they have animals walk into conflict zones where they couldn''t remember exactly where they put them." Alveronughed.


    "For you''re information, I only exploded <i>three </i>times." Daikael chuckled. "After that, they transferred me to Okinawa so I could teach others my ways!"


    "Kaboom meow~!" Ara made an explosion noise.


    "I wonder if this counts as AWOL?" Shiru asked. "You''ve been gone for nearly two years now."


    "I have no idea, but seeing as my CO isn''t breaking thews of reality toe to drag my ass back to base, it''s probably fine." Daikael didn''t really like hermanding officer and thought he was a bit of a hardass.


    <i>{I wonder what would happen if he did that, though? It would be kinda nice to run around Earth as a fox girl.} </i>(Daikael)


    "Hey, guys?" Avahn interrupted their conversation. "Are you seeing this?" She was referring to the global chat.


    "What''s going on?" Alveron opened up an additional screen. "Silfana... attack.... Hassan?" He began reading a few chat messages aloud.


    "Silfana is leading an army to attack Hassan?!?" Shiru''s eyes went wide. "Is this real?" Even this far detached from the wider events of FWO, the Misfits generally knew what was going on and who the World Bosses were.


    "I assume <em>this</em> isn''t part of the n." Avahn knew from talking to other yers that Silfana was dangerous, so to hear that she was leading her army of monsters and Demons was both concerning and exciting.


    "I didn''t think Bosses could move from their locations?" Daikael mulled over this information. "There''s something about Akagi in the flurry of messages."


    "People nyare saying that nyakagi caused Silfanya to move nya~?"


    [People are saying that Akagi caused Silfana to move?] Ara wasn''t really sure if that was the case but passed along the info she caught from the chat.


    "Is that even possible?" Alveron asked. "You can''t even talk to World Bosses let alone influence them."


    "Silfana is a bit different, so maybe it''s possible?" Avahn said. "She is a vampire and, from what I''ve been told, she <i>can </i>speak." There were ims by some yers of speaking to the Vampire Queen, but unlike other NPCs, she didn''t seem willing or able to work with yers.


    "I heard that someone got turned <i>into</i> a Vampire because of a questline from her." Shiru thought back to the stories she heard. "But I can''t be sure."


    "Regardless, this nyis bad meow~!" Ara thought that such an attack would prove devastating. The Assault Team was hoping to fight Silfanater, but this might force them into a battle earlier than expected.


    "If she destroys Hassan, there''s no telling what she might do next." Daikael pointed out that the Fortress was the only thing keeping her forces hemmed into that portion of the continent. "So the Assault Team will probably have no choice but to react."


    "I feel like we should do something..." Alveron thought for a moment.


    "I do too, but I''m not sure we''d be of much help." Shiru gave a wry smile. "The Assault Team is much higher level than us, and this kind of battle is probably beyond all of us except Avahn." She looked at the Demon cat. "What are you going to do?"


    "Hmmmm." Avahn thought for a moment. "I''m pretty sure that my abilities would allow me to cleave through plenty of the normal monsters, but I''m not entirely sure how I''d fair in a fight with a World Boss. Though regardless I''d <em>love </em>to try, just getting into that kind of epic battle sounds amazing." She was powerful, but a World Boss was an entirely different animal to the normal dungeon bosses she''d faced, though the Demon cat was not one to care for her own well being. "Plus, from what I''ve been told, Silfana fights more like a yer than a monster..."


    <i>{Her blood de is apparently able to give her several different attacks, one of which can bypass my Demonic protections. But damn if that doesn''t sound like an amazing battle!} </i>(Avahn)


    "Everyone is wondering where Shining de is during all of this." Alveron said while reading chat messages. "I can''t imagine Eris sitting this one out, but we all know how much de can''t stand Hishya." Most of that guild had bad blood with the Assault Team leader.


    "Who knows, she might just leave this up to the Assault Team for now." Daikael shrugged. "Wouldn''t shock me if she and the others wanted a bit of payback."


    <i>{Wouldn''t be the first time something like this happened.} </i>(Daikael)


    "But this isn''t some stupid game!" Shiru eximed, causing the room to go silent. "We can actually die in here! So we all need to band together and help!"


    <i>{Letting people die just to make yourself feel better is awful! I don''t care what Hishya did to them!} </i>(Shiru)


    "People nyare saying that nyover fifty-thousand monsters nyare nyon nye myarch meow~! That''s too myany nyenyemies meow~!"


    [People are saying that over fifty-thousand monsters are on the march! That''s too many enemies!] Ara couldn''t really deal with mass waves of weaker mobs, so throwing her into such a fight would be dangerous.


    "I do want to go and help, plus this would be a good source of experience." Avahn smirked. "I think I can handle a group of monsters like that, at least for a while."


    <em>{My entire body can''t stop shaking at the thought of so many enemies!}</em>(Avahn)


    "Hey, don''t leave me out!" Daikael grinned. "If there''s that many in one space, I can try out my experimental artillery!" Her eyes shined with excitement.


    "Nyif nyu''re going, I''m going meow~! nyi nyan zoom between nyenyemies to nyasukete nyu meow~! myaybe nyi nyan nyeven nyasukete nyagainst silfanya meow~!"


    [If you''re going, I''m going! I can zoom between enemies to help you! Maybe I can even help against Silfana!] Ara wasn''t going to let her two friends go alone.


    "You hear these three?" Alveron shook his head. "Ready to dive head first into danger with no regard for their own safety." He cracked a smile. "I guess <i>I''ll </i>have toe with and make you idiots get home safely."


    "And I guess that means that <i>I''ll </i>have toe with to make sure that <i>you </i>don''t do anything stupid either." Shiru giggled. "The babysitter needs a babysitter of his own. Or should I say <i>ratsitter." </i>


    "I AM NOT A-" Alveron stopped himself. The army of small rodents he''d been making via his taming magic had basically turned him into the Rat Lord, and that was actually one of the titles he''d gotten. "I hate you all..."


    "We love you too." Shiru said while petting him on the head.


    "Yeah, meowhat would we do without nyour resident seasoning nya~?"


    [Yeah, what would we do without our resident seasoning?] Ara enjoyed making fun of Alveron for falling into the soup pot back home.


    "That was only two times! One of which was your fault, cat!" Alveron growled. Ara had thrown a pan at him while he was floating next to Shiru in the kitchen and caused him to fall into that night''s dinner.


    "One of these days, Shiru''s just gonna trap you in the stew and eat you up." Daikaelughed.


    "I don''t need him in the stew to do <em>that</em>." Shiru''sment caused everyone but her and Daikael to go red.


    "Why did I fall in love with such a woman?" Alveron sighed. "There must be something wrong with me..."


    "As if you aren''t happy with things." Shiru rolled her eyes.


    "Yeah, at least you''ve got a girlfriend." Daikael said. "The rest of this team is hopelessly single."


    Ara and Avahn exchanged looks and sighed. "She really is stupid." Avahn said.


    "Yeah..." Ara agreed. The two cats had already gotten together and so technically only Daikael was single, but it seemed she hadn''t noticed this fact yet.


    "Well then, let''s get you a boyfriend." Shiru decided to mess with the fox.


    "Hmmm." Daikael thought about it.


    "Nah I''ve got a better idea." Alveron''s lips curved into a nasty smile. "Let''s find a way to clone Daikael, that way she can be her own waifu!" Heughed and got a bonk on the head from Shiru.


    "That''s just...." Shiru shook her head. "I don''t even know what that is, but it seems <em>bad</em>."


    "Hmmm." Daikael thought for a moment. "If I cannot find a waifu, then I can be my <em>own</em> waifu!" It seemed she took to this idea quite well.


    "Oh no." Avahn had a bad feeling.


    "Snyupid rat meow~! why would nyu put that nyidea nyin her head nya~?"


    [Stupid Rat! Why would you put that idea in her head?] Ara figured the fox was crazy enough to try it.


    "Hey, I kinda wanna see it for myself." Alveron said while rubbing his head.


    <i>{Not like she could actually do it anyway...} </i>(Alveron)

 Chapter 146 – Akagi’s Overseas Trip.

    Chapter 146 ¨C Akagi¡¯s Overseas Trip.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    2 Chaps!


    Early in the morning on the thirteenth of April 2059, Agent Alexandra Nariyuki arrived at the Dumetor Estate to escort Akagi and her party to an awaiting aircraft at Osaka International airport. The nearly fifteen-hour flight would be nonstop from Osaka to Washington D.C., so their arrival would be sometime around 3 pm local time. Naturally, Akagi could have either teleported or flown to the United States, both of which would be much faster than taking a ne, however, she chose not to. For her, this was an exciting spectacle, and she was going to soak in every moment of it. A V.I.P. flight to the United States on an official diplomatic ne so she could speak to the President of the United States. Well, her vanity wouldn''t let her say no to that.


    Things proceeded smoothly that morning. Akagi said goodbye to her sister, and she, Yumi, and Mizumi departed from the house along with Agent Nariyuki. Before leaving, the <em>Demon </em>instructed Kana to contact her if anything happened, and that she''d return home in a sh, no matter who she was speaking with. Naturally Kana thought her sister was being overly paranoid, but agreed.


    Once things were wrapped up, Akagi and the girls left the Estate. Not wanting to attract attention, the Americans had decided to go with a single unmarked SUV to transport the them to Osaka Airport, and there were no listed departure or arrival times. This was actually both Mizumi and Yumi''s first time in a car, and they both found it quite neat.


    There was very little that urred on the ride to Osaka, as Agent Nariyuki wasn''t the most talkative individual. She''d been chosen for this mission because President Rosewood trusted her and because of her prior meeting with Akagi, something the Agent was not pleased with. She''d being with to D.C. as well to act as a trantor between President Rosewood and Akagi, much to her displeasure. Mizumi originally offered to use trantion magic, but this was declined due to American reservations about magic being cast on a sitting President.


    After a short drive, the four of them arrived at Osaka Airport, and were swiftly taken aboard a ratherrge ne emzoned with an American g and official markings. Yumi and Mizumi poked about in the interior until they were asked to have a seat during takeoff. While not on the level of the 747s used by the President, the C-32 was still quite something. Once they got airborne and at cruising altitude, the three girls got situated around one of the small tables and began chatting on the long journey.


    "I can''t believe we''re so high up in the air." Mizumi said as she looked out the window. "To be able to do all this without magic." She was truly awestruck by humanity''s ingenuity. "I guess that goes to show that underestimating humans really was a foolish mistake on our part." She sighed.


    "If you think <em>this</em> is impressive, then just wait until you''ve seen some of the other crazy things humans have pulled off. I can tell you right now that they''ve done much more than just make a big tube that can fly." Akagiughed. "They''ve gone to the moon and developed weapons to level cities, among other things."


    "I can''t imagine actually leaving the like that." Yumi said. "It sounds kind of scary, honestly." She was not a big fan of such heights.


    "Yeah, I don''t really like that either." Akagi gave a dryugh. She actually had a unique phobia that meant going too high up was not pleasant.


    <i>{That was the first and only time I yed one of those space VR games. That was not a fun experience...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Oh, even the Demon Lord can fear heights?" Mizumi chuckled. "I suppose I''ve figured out to defeat you."


    ¡°Pfff.¡± Yumi struggled to hold in augh.


    Akagi shifted her jaw around in thought for a moment before replying. "Remind me Mizumi, can you fly?" Akagi gave a nasty smile.


    "No..." She replied meekly.


    "Really? Well then, it would be a <em>real </em>shame if I kicked you out of the emergency hatch." Akagi let loose an evilugh.


    "The Demon Lord has no weaknesses! I was mistaken!" Mizumi eximed.


    "Good!" Akagi nodded. "But putting aside the question of a Spirit''s terminal velocity." She looked over at Nariyuki. "So what''s the protocol when we arrive? Are we just heading straight to the White House? All I know is that Rosewood wanted a joint presser and for us to do some events together." Akagi had been giving a briefing on what the schedule would be, but knew things could fluctuate.


    "Yes." She nodded. "President Rosewood will be waiting at the White House for you, and that''s where you''ll meet. After a quick photo-op, you''re scheduled to have a Press Conference with her. Media outlets will also be present and will be asking questions, so please try to control yourself." Though, they''d been explicitly told <i>not</i> to ask or say anything that might anger Akagi. "From there, we''ve got a full schedule of meetings, dinners, and other events over the week, culminating in the meeting of the United Nations on Monday."


    "Sounds good." Akagi then turned to Mizumi. "Are you going to be ok with all this?" She was going to officially announce Mizumi as the ''leader'' of her people and also the one behind the FWO incident. Technically the Council was the leading body of the Spirits, but Akagi could care less about them. As far as she was concerned, Mizumi was the one calling the shots in Omara. There was some discussion about simply hiding the Spirit''s existence from the world, but Mizumi declined stating that hiding was what drove her people away from their homes <i>twice</i>. Thus, she believed that the best course of action would be to present themselves openly and work with Earth''s people.


    "It will be tough, and no doubt many will hate me and my people. But this must be done if we are to survive." Mizumi was determined to make things work.


    "President Rosewood has been briefed on your situation and will speak with you separately. I suspect she will move to recognize your people and establish diplomatic rtions between our countries." Nariyuki said.


    <i>{The Council is going to pitch a fit over this. When we get back, I need to meet with Shinlua and discuss the future of our people. Perhaps the time for the Council to lead our people has passed...} </i>Mizumi thought to herself. She''d been repeatedly pestered by the Elf for a meeting, but was too busy with Akagi and the girls to return to Omara.


    "Then it looks like everything is going as it should." Akagi looked out the window. They were already over the sea and could see nothing but dark blue water for miles in every direction.


    <i>{This is going to be fun.} </i>Sheughed internally as the ne continued its journey toward the United States, knowing full well that it wasn''t just hering deration to humanity that would be entertaining. <i>{Let''s see what you''ve got old man. Whatever your n is, I can''t wait to see the look on your face when I grind it to dust before your very eyes.} </i>


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    At roughly the same time that Akagi''s flight was halfway through its journey. Deep within the Council''s main hall, in a room warded and hidden from the outside world Sizix, Onmiyame, and Daruma stood around the same magical formation they''d been preparing previously.


    "Everything is ready." Sizix said. "We can begin the revival at any time. Though please be aware that this is untested, and we have no idea if they''ll be bound to us as we expect. So be on guard for a potential attack."


    Daruma nodded. "If these foolish creatures dare rise up against their masters, then we shall dispose of them."


    "Begin the ritual!" Onmiyame said as all three began chanting a sutra and channeling their power into the ball of flickering lights. After a few minutes, one of the lights changed color to red and began to grow.


    "We''ve locked on." Sizix said. "Now we just need to perform the extraction and imbue binding magic."


    As they poured more power into the ritual, the single red light moved up, out of the ball of energy, and floated alone above them.


    "Good, now for the-" Sizix stopped speaking as the ball of light began to distort and shake. "Not good! It''s resisting. At this rate, it''s going to be unstable!"


    "Give it more power!" Daruma said, channeling more energy. The three Council members fought with this ball of light for several minutes until Sizix spoke up.


    "It''s no good! The binding isn''t taking. Something''s wrong!" Sweat dripped down her forehead. "We need to eject it from Omara before it gets loose!"


    Daruma and Onmiyame nodded, reluctantly. As they chanted another sutra and opened a swirling orange vortex,unching the red ball through it, and causing it to vanish.


    "Well fuck." Sizix cursed. "It looks like <em>that</em> binding ritual wasn''t good enough."


    "We can just try again. Let''s just call this a test run and learn from our mistakes." Onmiyame said. He was exhausted from the ritual. "Draft up new binding tethers, and we''ll try this again once we''re ready. How is the structural cohesion of the data?" He asked.


    Sizix analyzed the ball of lights at the center of the magic circle. "Stable, for now. But I estimate we''ve got two or three more uses before it ispletely dissipates. So we can''t afford more screw-ups."


    ¡°Sounds good, in the meantime, how is your alternative nmencing?¡± Onmiyame asked.


    ¡°Our agents are in ce and our operative has taken up position at the target''s destination. I''ve allowed him toe up with an attack n with the info we''ve supplied provided. He''s the best assassin we''ve got and has never failed to remove those who''ve gotten in our way, and I''ve taken all the necessary precautions to prevent any trace of out involvement being found as per usual. As for those three explorers, they''ve been dealt with. They were resistant to my magic at first, but crumbled with a bit of pressure.¡± Sizix said.


    ¡°Good, with luck we''ll be rid of the <i>Demon</i> and that meddlesome girl in due time.¡± Onmiyame smirked.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Hito POV>


    Walking home from school, Hito found himself alone and aggravated.


    "Just who does that freak think she is!" He kicked a rock. "She kills my brother, then just shows up to school and forces everyone to y nice with her <i>Demon</i> sister." He''d been temporarily suspended after his outburst against Mika, and today was the first day since he''d been allowed back. "It''s not fair that Kana just gets to act like everything''s ok when it''s <em>not</em>! She asked me if letting them die was worth having my brother, and the answer is yes! If it meant having him back, I''d rather all three of those girls be dead!" He kicked another rock which bounced off a garbage can and went into the alleyway nearby.


    <i>{Its ridiculous that I get punished for trying to get rid of those monsters!} </i>(Hito)


    "Ow!" A voice rang out from the alley.


    "Did I hit someone?" Hito ran forward to check if he''d identally hurt someone in his irritation. He slowly approached the ally and saw a woman with long white hair and blood-red eyes sitting on the ground in the shade. She was wearing strange clothes that reminded him of armor from a fantasy video game he''d yed once.


    "Hey, are you alright?" He asked the strange woman. "I''m sorry if I hit you with that rock." She looked pretty injured. There were cuts across her body, her face was bloodied and what seemed like arge gash was visible across her chest. The woman slowly turned to him, muttering something under her breath.


    "What was that?" He got closer. "I''m sorry I didn''t quite catch-" He didn''t have time to finish his sentence as he was grabbed by the throat and dragged into the alley. Once she''d gotten him away from public view, she let out a grin that revealed tworge canines, which she quickly sank into his neck, drinking his blood. Before he even knew what happened, he''d passed out, and thest thing he saw was the woman''s bright red eyes staring into his own.

 Chapter 147 – The Demon Lord Meets The President.

    Chapter 147 ¨C The Demon Lord Meets The President.


    After a long and, frankly, boring flight Akagi arrived at Andrews Airforce Base in D.C. Yumi and Mizumi were a little tired from jetg but were mostly fine as Akagi had them sleep for the majority of the flight. Once they arrived, Mizumi assumed her adult form, and Yumi changed into her formal wear. Akagi decided against changing into Demon Lord mode just yet as she would save that for the UN.


    "What? No massive procession and fanfare?" Akagiughed as they descended the steps out of the ne." There were only a few vehicles in the motorcade, and the entire runway was empty.


    "We figured it best to keep people away." Nariyuki sighed. "There''s already enough unrest and unease about youing here, and chancing any incidents or issues was determined not to be worth it."


    Akagi shrugged. "Whatever, not like I care."


    "It would be a very strange sight if there were adoring crowds waving to the Demon Lord as she entered their country." Mizumiughed.


    <i>{Considering what she is, weing her with open arms like this is already strange enough.} </i>(Mizumi)


    The four of them entered therge ck SUV motorcade and began the trip from the Air Force base to the White House. Along the route was a crowd of people, and there was a great deal of energy. Opinions on Akagi were <i>divisive</i>, to say the least. Sure, she''d avenged the Americans who died in Yokosuka, but the awesome power she''d disyed taking down Libra had terrified many.


    "I don''t need to understand English to understand what those people are saying out there." Akagiughed as the crowed lining the road screamed.


    Nariyuki sighed. "Public opinion is split, with many believing you to be some sort of monster. While others are either grateful for your actions or, at the very least, they see you as a curiosity."


    "Well, I <em>am</em> a monster. So those who believe so are entirely correct." Akagi smirked. "As for the rest, I suppose that''s fine. I enjoy being feared by these people. It tickles something deep within me." She chuckled.


    <i>{After all, this is just a game anyway. Visiting the President and ying politics. It''s all quite amusing, though, in the end, it''s nothing more than a way to entertain myself.}</i> (Akagi)


    As they drove through the suburbs and into D.C. proper, Mizumi became entranced by the sight of such arge urban area.


    "I''ve never seen such a massive city. Even the Human and Elven Capitals in our old world pale inparison to this." Mizumi watched out the window with a bit of childlike awe.


    "Oh yeah, that''s right, you''ve never really been down to Kyoto." Akagi had mostly kept Mizumi at the estate. "Well, as Yumi can attest, D.C. is small potatoespared to Tokyo."


    "Yeah, it was dizzyinglyrge at first. I think I read that around twenty million people live there." Yumimented.


    "Twenty million!" Mizumi eximed. "That''s insane! I think that might be more than the entire poption of the Western continent!"


    "Well, considering this world''s poption hovers at around ten billion, even that massive number is quite smallpared to the overall number of people on Earth." Akagi said.


    "B-billion?!?" Mizumi was stunned. "Do you people have nothing better to do than make children?!?" She couldn''t believe that massive number was real.


    "Funny enough, that metric is falling rapidly." Akagiughed. "In most nations, people don''t have many children. Japan is <i>especially </i>notorious on that front."


    "Even still!" Mizumi was still shocked. "I always joked that humans replicated too fast, but this is far beyond anything I ever imagined."


    <em>{Instead of the idiom breed like rats, we should probably say breed like humans!}</em>(Mizumi)


    "Yeah, and that massive number happened <em>despite</em> over 200 million people being killed during the 20th century to either war or ideological purging." Akagiughed.


    <i>{Not to mention the countless other millions of people who died from civil wars, unrest and other things. Plus then you add on top of that the human death total from the first half of the 21<sup>st</sup> century and you''ve got a crazy number of people who died.} </i>(Akagi)


    "What the hell is wrong with humans?!?" Mizumi was even more shocked. "So you must make more people only to kill evenrger numbers?!?"


    <i>{That''s crazy!} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Human history is covered in blood." Nariyuki sighed. "Warfare and conflict are what''s kept humanity moving forward for its entire existence. We''ve gotten better since the two massive warsst century, but there''s still conflict."


    "Well, also, the fact remains that everyone knows the next massive war means the death of <em>all</em> humanity. So I''d say it''s less ack of desire for war and more of the realization that ruling over an empty is pointless." Akagi chuckled. "Trust me, without nukes, WWIII would have happened by now."


    "You people are nuts..." Mizumi sighed. "No wonder the Demon Lord was spawned from your kind! You''re already bloodthirsty enough anyway." Suddenly she had a realization. "Wait, Vikes was <i>also</i> human! So does that mean humans are <i>more</i> likely to be Demon Lords?"


    "I doubt that. It was probably just a coincidence." Akagi shrugged. "Also, don''t go assuming that it''s <i>only</i> humans who kill each other like this. If you looked at your world''s history, you''d definately find plenty of bloodshed that didn''t involve them. So it''s wrong to say that <i>only</i> humanity is predisposed to be bloodthirsty."


    "I guess..." Mizumi shook her head. "Doesn''t really matter now, does it? My people need to parley with humans if we''re going to survive."


    They continued various discussions on the drive to the White House, arriving a few dozen minutester. The crowd directly outside was massive and held up signs and banners that Nariyuki tranted. Some were positive, while others were... <i>not so much</i>. The motorcade went within the White House grounds and pulled up in front of the main entrance.


    "Please wait here for a moment." Nariyuki said as she got out and started speaking with a member of the White House staff. A few minutes went by before President Rosewood came through the main entrance and Nariyuki opened the vehicle door. "Alright, we''re ready." She motioned for the three of them to get out.


    They''d actually arrived right on schedule, which ironically caused some issues since President Rosewood was in a meeting right before that ran longer than expected. Getting out of the vehicle, Akagi took a moment to look around. The White House was somethingmonly seen in media or on T.V. But she''d never imagined she''d get to see it in person, let alone be invited by a sitting President.


    There wasn''t much fanfare around her arrival, no music or bands or anything of the sort, though you could hear some screaming from the crowd beyond the White House perimeter. It was actually quite mundane when you think about it, but Akagi preferred that in this case. The three girls and Nariyuki walked up to President Roswood, who stood in front of the main entrance with a smile.


    "It''s good to finally meet you in person." President Rosewood extended her hand, which Akagi shook.


    "Likewise." Akagi smiled. It was an interesting sight, as she stood over six feet tall Akagi was a bit taller than Rosewood. "I never thought you''d actually invite someone like me all the way over here."


    "Yes, well, it''s quite unprecedented. Even if you weren''t to be a head of state in the near future, I''d still have wanted to speak with you in person." President Rosewood''s expression briefly turned serious. "Our mutual <i>friend</i> has filled me in extensively on exactly who and what you are, hence why I wished to meet you in person." She was subtly referring to Hikari. "But enough standing out here." She motioned for Akagi to follow her inside. "We''ve got a bit of time before the press conference, so I''d like to go over a few things if you don''t mind."


    "Fine by me." Akagi looked back to Yumi and Mizumi, who nodded. With everything all set, the three of them followed President Rosewood into the White House and up into the Oval Office, where they had a small discussion about the schedule and a few other events that would take ce during her week''s stay. Akagi and the girls would be staying in ir house across the street, though most of their time would be spent attending various events. Mizumi and Yumi were introduced, and it was amusing watching Rosewood attempt to understand exactly <i>what</i> the rtionship between the <i>Demon </i>and her bonded soul was. Mizumi was a bit more acquainted with this type of formal political setting and took to it quickly. Once introductions werepleted, President Rosewood assured her that she and the United States wanted to form a friendly and cooperative rtionship with her people. Hikari also briefly showed up to greet Akagi before returning to her duties.


    Around twentyish minutester, the time for the joint press conference arrived. Heading into a packed briefing room with hundreds of reporters from the United States and around the world, Akagi and President Rosewood stood opposite each other as President Rosewood began to speak. The <i>Demon</i> had been given a small earpiece so that trantion could be provided.


    <span style="text-decoration:underline"><em><strong>The press conference is contained within a spoiler box. It is not required reading, but I wanted to include it anyway as I had fun writing it.</strong></em>


    Spoiler


    "Good Afternoon, everyone." President Rosewood smiled. "Today is a historic day for not just the United States, but the entire world. Most of you will recognize the woman next to me as Akagi Dumetor, one of the survivors of the FWO incident, which concludedst year. You may also recognize her as the same individual who defeated the terrorist organization Libra. A group that I''m sure all Americans know, as they were responsible for the deaths of far too many of our servicemen and women in Yokosuka." She took a breath.


    "First, I would like to extend the thanks of not just myself but the American people for bringing them to justice. With your assistance, we were able to bring this tragic saga to a close, and while it will not bring back the dead, it will hopefully bring some closure to those who lost friends and families in their attacks."


    Akagi smiled. "I simply did what was asked of me."


    "Even still, thank you." President Rosewood nodded. "However, her work in defeating the Libra organization is <i>not </i>the only reason I''ve invited her here today. As many of you no doubt know, Ms. Akagi is ted to be the leader of this world''s newest country." There was some murmuring in the press.


    "This information <i>was</i> originally ted for release today, but keeping things secret is <i>difficult </i>in this day and age." Sheughed, and so did the crowd. Someone had leaked a good chunk of ssified information about Akagi to the press, and Rosewood had been hunting down the leaker. For once, Akagi actually didn''t have anything to do with a scheme, though she found it amusing.


    "As part of the deal brokered between the Japanese Government, the United States, and Ms. Akagi. She is to be given an area ofnd within the main ind of Japan, where she will assume status as sovereign, a process that will bepleted over the rest of this year." She paused for a moment. "No doubt many will question <em>why</em> such a concession has been granted and <em>why</em> my administration openly supported such measures. I hope by the end of her stay here in D.C., all of humanity wille to understand her as I have." Her words confused the press pool, information about Akagi being the Demon Lord was not very well known or understood. As of now, most simply thought of it as some silly title.


    "I have already spoken at length with many other world leaders about Ms. Akagi and her new nation, and after exining the situation at length..." She took a deep breath. "We''ve collectively agreed that peace and cooperation with her are in the best interest of <em>all</em> humanity, not just the United States. Let me repeat that, cooperation with her is in the interest of <i>humanity.</i>" The press pool had no idea how to react to such a statement.


    "Ms. Akagi is <i>not</i> just another returnee who was granted fantastical power by the FWO incident. She is what is referred to as a Demon Lord." President Rosewood looked into the camera. "That is not a joke or a title given forughs, it is a designation. As for the specifics, I believe Ms. Akagi will share those when she addresses the United Nations on Monday." She finished her small speech. "We will now open the floor for some questions. Just bear in mind the need for trantion and the fact that some questions will be deferred until <i>after</i> the uing meeting at the United Nations."


    Seeing the press nod, she called on one reporter who spoke.


    "A question for Ms. Akagi." He looked at her. "Can you please just tell us a bit about yourself? We have no real information about you other than some general information about your background. We know you''ve attacked the Japanese government before, went on national television threatening the entire country, and that you defeated Libra, but we don''t really have anything."


    Akagi thought for a moment. "I will exin more about myself on Monday, but for now, I will say this. I have no desire for conflict with humanity and I wish to live peacefully. The times I''ve acted have always been because someone attacked me or those I care about. The Japanese government kidnapped my sister and our friends, intending to kill them and me for no reason other than fear. Thus, I struck back in a manner I believed would be most beneficial to both me and the world atrge. As for my other actions, Libra and my other killings were jobs. I was hired to kill, and that''s what I did, its as simple as that." She shrugged. "I''m a rather simple person, and I keep my own rules. I don''t kill without a reason, and I abhormindless ughter. As I said all those months ago, I don''t begrudge people whoe for my life. But I have no tolerance for those who drag in my friends and family who have nothing to do with my dealings. As such,ing for them means I stop abiding by my rules." Akagi''s smile curved into a twisted grin. "And well... you don''t want to see what happens when <i>that</i> urs."


    He nodded and sat down, causing President Rosewood to call upon another reporter.


    "This one is for you, President Rosewood. Can you exin a bit about why you say that cooperation with her is important for <i>all</i> humanity? It almost sounds like you''re saying she''s a global threat?"


    "That... that''s because it''s true." President Rosewood sighed. "She is a threat to all humanity. She''s told me as much herself." There was some murmuring over that statement.


    "Can you please rify what you''re talking about?" The reporter asked.


    "Ms. Akagi will exin things in a bit more detailter, but let me say this. That st the ''angel'' Herlex fired had enough power to severely damage, if not destroy, the had he fired down instead of into space." Rosewood pointed to Akagi. "She took that st without any damage and has confirmed to me that she could easily replicate such an attack, and far quicker than he could. Need I say more?"


    "Can I ask, Ms. Akagi is that true? Could you actually destroy the?" The reporter got a bit nervous.


    Akagi smiled. "Yes, easily."


    "That... that''s hard to believe." The reporter said.


    "Unfortunately, proving it would kill all of humanity, and weck any celestial bodies nearby that could serve as substitutes. I''d say destroy the moon, but that''s got its own issues." Akagiughed. Doing that would doom the, and her fear made leaving Earth difficult, so flying and blowing up something like a massive asteroid was not going to happen.


    [copse]


    The press questions continued for a while longer. There was a lot of confusion about Akagi, and while she answered many questions. She was purposefully dodging things so as to make her speech to humanity more interesting. After a while, President Rosewood closed down questions, and the two retreated away from the press pool.


    "Well, that didn''t go as bad as expected, though I guarantee I''m going to get sted by the media." President Rosewood sighed. "A President going on national television and being <i>truthful</i> about a dire situation is generally not appreciated."


    "Oh well." Akagi shrugged. "Better that than dancing around the issue and setting up future problems. Besides, once I speak on Monday, that''s when the real fun will begin."


    "I wish you''d let my team see what you''ve prepared first." President Rosewood pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation and exhaustion.


    "Where would be the fun in that?" Akagiughed. "It''s more fun if you <i>don''t</i> know what''s gonna happen."


    "Why do I have a feeling your <i>fun</i> is going to cause me a massive headache." President Rosewood groaned.


    "Because that''s just the kind of person I am." Akagi chuckled. "So what now?"


    "We don''t have anything else scheduled until dinner this evening. You should head over to ir House until them. I imagine the other two girls with you would like some rest." President Rosewood looked at Yumi and Mizumi. "I don''t envy the two of you. I''ve known her for a very short amount of time, and I can already tell she''s a handful..."


    "You get used to it." The two said with monotone voices and zed-over eyes.


    <i>{Oh? I suppose I''ll have to instill some discipline in these two. Looks like tickles are back on the menu!} </i>(Akagi)


    "I''d say the Secret Service will escort you while you''re in D.C. but I have a feeling that would be both pointless and unwanted." President Rosewood said. "Just please don''t cause too much trouble." She looked at Nariyuki who just arrived. "If you don''t mind, please escort these two to ir House and I''d like you to act as a trantor while there here."


    "Of course." Nariyuki nodded with a smile.


    <i>{Why me?!?} </i>(Nariyuki)


    "I can just grab Hikari instead." Akagi said.


    <i>{A way out!} </i>(Nariyuki)


    "I would feel better if one of <i>my </i>people were around you at all times." President Rosewood rolled her eyes. "At least that way, someone is around who can diffuse any situations that might emerge."


    <i>{Why Rosewood?!? Why?!?} </i>(Nariyuki)


    "What? Don''t you trust me?" Akagiughed.


    "I''ve just learned that it''s best to have one hand on the wheel at all times." President Rosewood turned to leave. "I''ve got a few other meetings to attend, and I''ll see the three of you at dinner here at six. Enjoy your stay in D.C."


    She walked off escorted by Secret Service and other staffers, and Akagi and the girls left the White House. ir House was only across the street, so they reached it quickly and settled in. There was still arge crowd outside, so Akagi used her ability to make the four of them unseen when they crossed.


    ir House was quite high-end, which made sense as it was the primary location for White House guests to stay. Mizumi was given her own room, while Akagi and Yumi shared one. With nothing else to do in the meantime, they decided to watch the news to gauge the reaction to the press conference. Which was exactly as expected. Coverage was wall to wall about Akagi, who she was, what she wanted, and why she was brought to the White House as a guest. Outlets aired debate segments and other discussions about her, which ranged from neutral to negative.


    "Ah yes, a raging dumpster fire. All ording to n." Akagiughed.


    "You''re just..." Nariyuki shook her head. "You''ve got the entire country in an uproar, and you just think it''s a joke?"


    <em>{This is not funny...}</em>(Nariyuki)


    "I mean. It is, isn''t it?" Akagi nced at her. "I mean, at the very least<em>I</em> find this very entertaining."


    <i>{This is the kind of fun that I enjoy anyway. Maybe that''s just my Demon Lord nature or maybe that''s just who I really am as a person. But I don''t really care either way.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Can I ask you something?" Nariyuki asked with a serious expression.


    "Speak freely." Akagi waved her on. "I won''t get mad." She could tell by the look on her face that whatever she was going to say wouldn''t be kind.


    "Is this all just some kind of sick game to you?" Nariyuki asked. "Because I''ve seen some nasty people over my lifetime, but you... <i>you</i> really take the cake. Whether it was defeating Libra or the press conference, you seem not to take things seriously. Almost as if you either know the oue or don''t particrly care what happens."


    <i>{It''s like you just want to see what happens and don''t even care about the consequencesfor us normal people!} </i>(Nariyuki)


    "Let me answer your question, with a question of my own." Akagi looked at her, the <i>Demon''s </i>eyes practically smiled. "How much do you know about me?"


    "I know you''re some kind of destructive being with power far beyond what we can deal with." Nariyuki sighed. "Though anything specific has been kept from me."


    "I see." Akagi turned back towards the T.V. "I''ll leave a proper exnation for Monday. But for now, I''ll say this. <i>Yes</i>, this is all a game to me." She wrapped her arm around Yumi. "With the kind of power I possess, it would be easy to violently take over the world and impose my will by force. However, not only is that boring, but it is also not what I want to do. Thus, I''ve limited myself by deciding to y by the rules so to speak. <em>That''s</em> why I consider this all a game, though it''s one I''ve already won." Akagi smirked. "I am a being with the ability to flip the proverbial table at any point and shoot the other yers. However, rather than do that, I''ve decided to stay in my seat and y within the rules. Not because I <i>have</i> to, but because I find doing so<i> amusing</i>." Akagi gave an eerieugh. "And well, even with these self-imposed restrictions, I''m still the master of this game."


    "The way you speak, it almost sounds like you''re some aloof god..." Nariyukimented.


    <em>{How could someone who was once human even think like this?}</em>(Nariyuki)


    "I mean, that''s not exactly that far from the truth, honestly." Akagi smiled. "Combining a rational human mind and a Demon Lord''s instincts is bound to have some crazy results." Akagi chuckled. "That''s what I get for being an existence that shouldn''t be possible. Oh well.¡± She shrugged.¡± Though, I will say that despite my alien viewpoint on matters, I do try to keep myself in check to a point. While I see this all as nothing more than a game. I am very aware that people''s lives and futures are involved. Sometimes I can get a bit carried away with my fun, but I do try to limit myself from causing too much damage where possible." She continued. ¡°I enjoy having fun, not ruining peoples lives and causing needless suffering. Though I will cause such things where necessary or beneficial to my ns.¡±


    <i>{It''s hard to exin how I feel to anyone else. Even Yumi struggles to understand my mentality. Hell, it''s still confusing and strange to me! Oh well, just another mental quirk to deal with. No sense in crying about it now.} </i>(Akagi)

 Interlude 7 – The Circus.

    Interlude 7 ¨C The Circus.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    2 Chaps, and I hope everyone enjoys THE CIRCUS!!!!


    *WHOOSH!*


    Fire poured out of the door,pletely engulfing Eris for a brief moment until she closed it.


    "So I take it that we''re not supposed to go down that way." Zephiria burst outughing. This had been only thetest trap they''d stumbled into and she''d been enjoying watching Eris get sted by a variety of funny effects.


    "I''ve never been more grateful to have fire immunity than right now..." Eris grumbled as she picked up her ive.


    "When Akagi said this ce was dangerous, she wasn''t joking," Ayame said. The three of them were in a room with dozens of doors, and they were attempting to figure out which one led to the next floor. So far they''d checked ten, and each had some kind of trap.


    "Yeah, and this is only the <i>fourth </i>floor." Eris opened the next door, which caused a boxing glove to rocket out and punch her in the face, knocking her to the floor. "REALLY?!?" She got up and smashed the mechanism with her ive. "I swear, Akagi just built this ce to fuck with us!"


    "Yeah. I wouldn''t doubt it." Zephiria was still holding inughter. "But you can''t deny that it''s been great training so far. The chest in this room had amazing stuff for level four, and the monsters have been a good challenge." She''d been enjoying herself so far.


    "Hence why I''m just <i>annoyed</i> and not <i>angry.</i>" Eris said while closing the door. "Pain in the ass or not, she wasn''t lying when she said-" She paused as the next door she opened led down a flight of stairs.


    "Hmmmmm." Eris tapped her foot on the top stair. "It <i>seems </i>safe."


    "Thest staircase had swinging des and an acid pit, so maybe this one is also a trap?" Ayame threw a rock down, which tumbled into the darkness.


    Zephiria''s eyes glowed as she checked the passage for magical traps. "I don''t see anything. Looks safe, Eris you check it out!" She pushed her in.


    "If I die, I''m haunting your ass!" Eris growled as she started down the stairs. It was unlikely she would actually die from most mundane traps. As a barbarian, she had incredibly high vitality and constitution, which mean she was extremely tough. Combine that with her passive resistance and it would take an extraordinary amount of force to kill her. Plus, Akagi may have put in ce safety measures just in case, though she wasn''t going to tell anyone if that was the case.


    Eris continued down until she hit the bottom of the stairwell, which contained arge set of double doors, indicating the entrance to the next floor.


    <i>{Unless Akagi wants to be such a prick that she''d make an entire fake fucking floor door, this should be it.} </i>Eris called back up for the others to join her, which they did slowly and carefully.


    "Alright, let''s see what''s behind <i>this </i>door." Eris used her ive to poke at the door before pushing it open.


    <em>{I swear if I see another crying child monster...} </em>(Eris)


    Beyond the door was a massive forest that sprawled in every direction. The door itself came from the massive rock formation which seemed to mark the boundary of this floor, though Zephiriamented that this ce was likely as big as Kyoto.


    <i>{How the hell does she do it? Making all this for fun, its gotta be one hell of an effort...} </i>(Eris)


    "This should be the boss floor. At least that''s my theory based on Akagi''s words from earlier." Ayame drew both her des, one in each hand. She was unique as a barbarian, choosing to dual-wield instead of wielding a heavy weapon. "So what''s it going to be? Giant Zombies? Nightmarish hell creatures from the aybss?" She chuckled.


    "Maybe the boss will be one of Akagi''s people?" Eris replied.


    "I hope not..." Ayame gave a wry smile.


    "I''m detecting a significant power signature about a mile that way, and I don''t think we have to worry about it being one of her followers. I doubt she''d use them in such a fashion." Zephiria pointed in a direction. "I''m assuming that energy is the boss, as there is nothing else within my range."


    <em>{Its not weak, whatever it is.}</em> (Zephiria)


    "Alright, I guess its time to see what crazy creature Akagi ced as the mid-boss." Erisughed. She was fired up and was fully enjoying herself.


    <i>{This ce has been amazing. Ever since we got back, I''ve been itching for something like this!} </i>(Eris)


    Moving in formation, Eris, Ayame, and Zephiria slowly moved toward what they suspected was the boss. The forest was eerily quiet, with no sounds other than the crunching of leaves and twigs beneath their feet.


    <i>{Is there really nothing else out there? It seems like a waste to create such arge space and put nothing in it.} </i>Zephiria kept her senses open, expecting an ambush.


    "Keep sharp. We''ve got no idea what kind of tricks this boss has up its sleeve, and knowing who made it, I doubt it will be conventional." Ayamemented. "We''ll do this by the book and try and get a read on it like we did back in the day."


    Eris nodded, and the three girls walked quietly until they came to a clearing in the forest. At the center of which was an <i>interesting </i>sight.


    "Is.... is that a fucking bear?" Eris stumbled.


    "Why is it wearing a clown costume?" Ayame was simrly surprised.


    "Is that a fucking unicycle?!?" Zephiria eximed.


    <i>{I... do I even want to know WHY there is a clown bear riding a unicycle as a mid boss?!?} </i>(Eris)


    Indeed, Akagi, with Alice''s help, created a special boss for this floor. His name was Bonko the Clown Bear, and he was the star performer of the circus. Though technically he wasn''t her own design since something simr existed in an FWO dungeon that she and Hishya cleared back in the day.


    "Do we really have to fight this..." Ayame groaned.


    "I don''t think we can skip the clown bear..." Zephiria sighed.


    "I mean, this is right up Akagi''s alley. Her sense of humor ispletely fucked..." Eris shook her head. "Come on, let''s go fight the <em>clown</em>." She motioned for them to follow, which they did reluctantly.


    As they got closer, Bonko rose from his resting position, got on top of his unicycle, and began to ride it. It seemed that his main weapon would be a sickle in his offhand while he drove around on the vehicle.


    <i>{This guy is massive!} </i>Ayame thought to herself. Bonko was easily as tall as a five-story building, even when not on top of his unicycle, which only made him taller.


    Once they got close enough, Entry of the diators started ying as a massive circus tent rose up around them, covering the entire clearing.


    "Well, I suppose that makes sense. It''s a clown, after all." Zephiria sighed.


    *VROOM!* *VROOM!* *VROOM!* *VROOM!*


    Suddenly what sounded like a motorcycle engine could be heard as several dozen smaller bears on bikes appeared out of nowhere. They were each dressed as clowns and began to drive on ramps and start doing tricks in the background such as driving through fire hoops. It was a literal circus act, and the sound of a cheering and pping audience could be heard faintly over the music.


    "I guess this really is the <i>circus</i>." Ayame readied herself for battle. "Be careful, I''ve got no fucking clue what this guy''s going to do, and that worries me."


    <em>{Why do I have the feeling that he''s going to smack us with that unicycle...}</em> (Ayame)


    As she said this, Bonko let out a massive honk from the horn on his bike as he steamed forward, sickle at the ready and eyes filled with a need for speed... and death...


    "Here hees!" Eris called out as both she and Ayame activated their rage. Zephiria cast a few spells to restrain the bear with various chains and vines, but they failed.


    <i>{Of course...} </i>(Zephiria)


    Eris leaped forward, shing with Bonko, bringing the bear to a halt with her ive as he brought down his sickle. The two locked together in a contest of strength, and Bonko was no slouch.


    <i>{Jesus, this guy is strong!} </i>Eris pushed Bonko back slightly, only to have the bear spin his cycle around and smack her with the wheel.


    "Ack!" Eris cried out as she wasunched, crashing into the stands.


    "Oh damn, she went flying." Ayameughed. "Are you ok?"


    "Just fucking fantastic! I got out hit by a bear on a unicycle, and now I''m below some wooden bleachers. I couldn''t be better." Eris''s voice could be hearding from the small hole she made when she crashed.


    As she said this, the sound of augh track yed.


    <em>{I swear to god, if Akagi is livestreaming our fight...}</em>(Eris)


    "Well, good." Ayame turned towards Bonko. "You''re a tough boy, aren''t ya!" Her eyes lit up with excitement. "Let''s see just how well you handle this!" She crashed both des into the ground sending a st toward Bonko who leaped into the air and over the attack.


    <i>{HE JUMPED?!?} </i>(Ayame)


    "Nice try buddy, but that left you vulnerable!" Zephiria lifted up her grimoire and sent a massive electrical st, which struck Bonko head-on, causing the bear to growl in pain. "Nice!"


    Not taking kindly to being attacked at range, Bonko threw his sickle towards Zephiria. It was on a chain so it could be directed and withdrawn easily.


    <i>{EEP!} </i>Zephiria dove out of the way, barely missing being squished by the massive weapon.<em>{THAT NEARLY KILLED ME!!!}</em>


    "Ayame, get in there now! I don''t want to see Zep get turned into paste!" Eris rockted past her wife and started whaling on the bear while he was defenseless, with Ayame following up.


    The two began inflicting massive damage on the bear until he retracted his weapon and began fending them off again. Things then devolved into a pattern. Zephiria would attack at range, which caused Bonko to throw his weapon, and the two barbarians would inflict massive damage to him. After a dozen minutes passed, it was clear that Bonko had taken significant damage, as his outfit was torn, and there was blood everywhere.


    "O-Ok..." Eris was starting to get winded. "This guy... he is <em>very</em> tough." Sheughed as she dodged a strike.


    <em>{Why won''t you die, clown-bear?}</em>(Eris)


    "Yeah... he... he''s got way more HP than I thought." Ayame was simrly tired, but was enjoying herself.


    "Come on! We''ve got a good system going! Don''t quit on me!" Zephiria said as she shot another series st at the bear, which inflicted huge damage.


    <em>{I''d prefer not to have to dip deeper into my powers just yet.}</em>(Zephiria)


    "ARGGH!" Bonko let out a deep growl as the music turned much darker and more sinister. The other bears which had been, until now, doing tricks off to the side, all stopped and gathered up in one area before revving their engines.


    "I guess <i>this </i>is phase two." Zephiria sighed. She sent a st forward, killing one of the bears. This caused the rest to pull out metal baseball bats as they drove towards her, their faces morphing from the cute bears they had been into something far more terrifying. Their faces turned ck, their eyes bludged out and turned red and they had razor-sharp teeth which protruded out of their lips.


    "GYAHAHAHAHAHA!" The bears let out a psychotic clownugh that sent chills down the girls'' spines.


    "Great!" Eris cried out as she smashed one of the smaller minions with her ive. "Just what we needed!"


    "Don''t me me!" Zephiria said as she exploded a few of the clown bears. "They were going toe at us regardless! I figured attacking them would be for the best!"


    "I might honestly hate fucking clowns now!" Ayame leaped forward, slicing several bears in half.


    The <i>circus</i> continued as the bears drove around in circles around the girls, all whileughing. asionally they''d dive in and sh with one of them and swing their baseball bat. They weren''t particrly tough, however, they were numerous and fast, which made fighting them a pain.


    "Get your ass in gear, Zephiria!" Eris called out to their mage, who made several dozen grimoires appear in the air next to her as she fired sts at the bears. "I know you''ve got <em>way</em>more magic than those tiny sts! So start pulling out the big guns or I''m going to stick my ive where the sun don''t shine!"


    <em>{Why the hell is she holding back?!?}</em>(Eris)


    "Alright, but if you get hit, don''t me me!" Zephiria began chanting as arge ck tome appeared, from which dozens of blots of ck power shot forward, killing all the minions.


    <i>{Oh hey, it worked... but... oh fuck...} </i>That attack had exhausted the mage, and she began to cough up blood from internal damage from casting. She wouldn''t likely be able to do much more this fight.


    <i>{What kind of magic was that? It almost felt like.} </i>Before Eris could finish her thought, Bonko got off his unicycle and picked it up. He let out a massive roar and charged at them, holding it up by the handlebar.


    "Is he gonna start attacking with that thing?!?" Ayame panicked at the thought of dealing with such a massive blunt weapon.


    <em>{I KNEW IT!}</em>(Ayame)


    "Oh fuck!" Eris cried out as the massive unicycle crashed down on her.


    "Ergh!" She managed to block it with her ive, but the sheer size and weight of the attack meant she took huge damage. Being a barbarian stopped her from feeling the pain inflicted upon her, but that didn''t mean she ignored all physical strain.


    "Eris!" Ayame cried out as she rushed forward. "Get off her you stupid bear!" She charged energy into her des as she jumped on Bonko, before running around the massive bear and digging her de into him at every possible chance.


    Zephiria was barely able to stand after thatst attack but channeled as much magical power into buffing Ayame as possible.


    <em>{My everything hurts..} </em>(Zephiria)


    "ARRRGH!" Bonko fell back in pain, allowing Eris to get free. She was bloodied and bruised by was still able to fight.


    "Are you alright?" Ayame asked as shended next to her.


    "Yeah, I''m a bit banged up. But I''ll be fine." Erisughed as she spit out some blood. "But we need to end this <i>now!</i>" She looked over to the exhausted Zephiria.


    <i>{I''ve got an idea about why she got so strong, but I''ll save the interrogation forter} </i>(Eris)


    "Let''s channel everything we''ve got into one final rush." Eris said. "He looks pretty bad. If we just nail him at the same time, that should bring the clown down!" Her pun made Ayameugh.


    "Let''s crush the clown!" (Ayame)


    "I just hope he dies before me..." Zephiria was pale and looked like she was moments from passing out.


    The two rushed forward, evading the sickle and unicycle attacks by Bonko, who was frantically trying to smash them. Zephiria used what little strength she had to cast her most powerful buff spells on the two of them as they leaped into the air and rammed their weapons down onto Bonko''s head.


    Eri''s ive became wrapped in a raging fire, while Ayame''s dual des glowed blue with Zephiria''s power.


    "DIE YOU STUPID CLOWN!" (Eris x Ayame)


    "ARGGHH!" Bonko took the attack head-on and fell backward onto the floor as the two women leaped away,nding on the ground, exhausted. A few moments went by as they waited to see if he was defeated until the music stopped and the circus tent melted away.


    "Oh, fuck thank god!" Eris copsed on the floor, as did Zephiria and Ayame.


    "We killed the clown bear!" Ayame cheered.


    "I feel like death..." Zephiria coughed up more blood as she fell to the ground.


    "You look like it too." Erisughed.


    As the three of themy on the floor, Bonko''s body dissipated, and in its ce was a small clown-themed chest.


    "I guess that''s our reward..." Ayame sighed as she stood up.


    "Y-yeah." Eris''s body felt like hell, but she wanted her prize.


    "I need help..." Zephiria was too weak to stand on her own and required some help from the two girls, who had her lean on their shoulders.


    Opening the chest revealed several interesting items, all of which the girls recognized as highly valuable loot.


    <i>{Akagi wasn''t kidding, the prizes are soooo worth the pain.} </i>Eris''s lips curved into a smile as the three girls checked out their new items.


    "Ahh, look at this tome!" Zephiria hugged the book whileying on the ground. "So many magical secrets!" She started giggling like Hishya when she found a pillow she needed.


    "Oh yeah, so Zeffy." Eris talked while slipping on her new gauntlets. "You wanna exin <em>why</em> that power earlier was eerily simr to our resident <i>Demon''s</i>?" She noticed something off about that book and attack from earlier.


    "Oh yeah." Zephiria began tough nervously. "So... I <i>might </i>have made a contract with Akagi."


    "A contract?!?" (Eris x Ayame)


    "Yeah... kinda like those warlock pacts! Neat huh! I got a tiny bit of her power and knowledge, and all it cost was my eternal servitude!" She performed a tee-hee pero while shey on the ground.


    The two barbarians just looked at her and shook their heads.


    <i>{That''s... that''s not exactly surprising...} </i>(Eris x Ayame)


    Spoiler


    BONKO!


    Bonko''s Minions.


    [copse]

 Chapter 148 – Dinner with the President.

    Chapter 148 ¨C Dinner with the President.


    Akagi and the girls rxed in their private room together until it was time for the formal dinner with President Rosewood. Akagi''s discussion with Nariyuki made the agent even warier of the <i>Demon</i>, and she assumed Rosewood would be made aware of her statements. Though, Akagi didn''t care.


    Returning to the White House, Akagi, Mizumi, and Yumi were escorted to arge and ornate dining room. Nariyuki would be joining them as a trantor, a position she had <i>already</i> grown tired of. Taking their seats, they were informed that President Rosewood was runningte with one of her meetings and that it would be a few more minutes until she arrived. The Speaker of the House wanted to discuss the situation in more detail after their press conference, and Rosewood couldn''t exactly duck out of a meeting with the third most powerful politician in D.C.


    After around twenty minutes of waiting, President Rosewood finally arrived in the dining room and greeted everyone.


    "Good afternoon everyone and I''m so sorry for beingte." Rosewood looked exhausted.


    "It''s fine. Trust me, I know just how bad meetings can get." Akagiughed. She dealt with a simr issue within the n during peak times. "You sure look like hell, though. Did our little conference cause that much of a headache?"


    "Like you wouldn''t believe." Rosewood let out a deep sigh as she sat down at the table across from Akagi. "I had to answer god knows how many questions, some of which I couldn''t even give a concrete answer to."


    <i>{And its only going to get worse as the week goes on. Woopie...} </i>(Rosewood)


    "I''m confident you''ll be fine!" Akagi gave a smile, acting like this wasn''t her problem.


    Rosewood groaned. "I have a bad feeling this is only going to get <i>worse </i>after your address on Monday.... isn''t it?" Her eyes looked dead as she imagined theing headache. "Perhaps I should just resign now while the going is good?"


    "Where would be the fun in that?" Akagi chuckled. "Besides, when you''re all done, I want you toe and work for me. So I think you''ll be in trouble no matter what."


    "Oh great, the <i>Demon</i> has its sights on me now. Lovely." Rosewood slumped back in her chair. For whatever reason, she felt like she could rx around Akagi.


    "Hey, just ask anyone who works for me. The perks are amazing! Right, Mizumi." Akagi turned to the Spirit,


    "Well, besides the fact that my entire people might die if I anger you, sure. It''s great being your ve!" Mizumi shrugged as she gave a cheeky grin.


    "Oh? A wise guy?" Akagi poked Mizumi in the cheek. "You say that, but the other day, you were singing a <i>vastly </i>different tune. Weren''t you?" She was referring to her thanking Akagi for helping get Omara off the ground.


    "That is that, and this is this," Mizumi smirked. "I can enjoy our good rtionship and point out that fact that you''ve got me in the palm of your hand."


    <i>{When did she get so cheeky?} </i>(Akagi)


    "I''ve heard much about your kind from Hikari, but could you tell me a bit more?" Rosewood asked Mizumi.


    "There is <i>much</i> to tell, but here is the long and short of it." Mizumi began to exin everything to Rosewood. She discussed what she was, where she came from, and her connection to the FWO incident, and even told her they were originally from this world. President Rosewood knew <i>some</i> of this information but not all of it, and to say she was shocked would be an understatement.


    "So this world really did have supernatural creatures?" Rosewood put her hand over her mouth. "You wouldn''t happen to know if this was exclusive to Japan? Or should we be looking for such existence throughout the rest of the world?"


    <i>{I''d rather not find out that bigfoot is alive and well or that Loch Ness really does have a monster.} </i>(Rosewood)


    "Sadly, I have no idea. Kukurihime couldn''t answer that either since she''d never left Japan. She did say in the past, there were rumors of mystical creatures throughout East Asia, but she couldn''t confirm anything." Mizumi said.


    "I think it''s possible that they exist across this world," Yumi spoke up. "I would find it hard to believe that only Japan had supernatural creatures. That would be strange."


    "My people haven''t found anything, as of yet, but I''ve got them on it." Akagi said as food was brought in from the kitchen. "Oh? This looks good."


    "I had no idea what kind of food would be eptable, so I left that up to my chefs." Rosewood smiled. "I hope you two can eat most food of this world. I didn''t think to check if you had any dietary issues."


    "I have no problems," Mizumi said as she picked up a fork.


    "Same." Yumi smiled.


    "Good, then let''s continue our discussion over dinner." Rosewood put a napkin over herp and started eating.


    "May I ask something, Ms. Yumi?" Rosewood nced over at her.


    "Sure, and just Yumi is fine," Yumi replied as she took a bite.


    "I hope this is not offensive, but you were an NPC within the game, correct?" Rosewood''s words caused a brief pause in Yumi''s movements.


    "Yes, I was." She gave a wry smile as she swallowed her food. "I''ve been told that I was nothing more than a background character in a simted world for entertainment. So I do understand what I was."


    "And while you were still within the game, you could act as you are now?" Rosewood continued. "You were free of thought and action? Like a normal person."


    "Yes, I never noticed anything restricting me or otherwise confining my thoughts. As far as I was aware, that world was as real as this one." Yumi said.


    "Strange." Rosewood thought. "I''ve been told countless times that such advanced artificial intelligence was impossible even with our best tech. You said Ms. Mizumi had a hand in that world''s creation with her magic, does that have any bearing on this?"


    Mizumi answered. "Yes, the ritual crossed the boundaries between worlds and caused time and space to bend. The virtual world created by those developers ovepped with the world my people inhabit now. As a result, the NPCs were given self-awareness. It''s not easy to exin how, and sadly my people''s most knowledgeable elders are no longer with us to exin the process. But suffice to say, our actions are what gave Yumi and the others life." She looked at Yumi.


    "It''s fine." Yumi smiled. "I was indeed subject to great tragedy, but without you and your actions, I wouldn''t have met my Lord."


    "I presume that ovepping is why the yers trapped within died?" Rosewood asked.


    <i>{As far as I''ve been told, there was no exnation as to why they died. Doctors couldn''t detect any physical injury or trauma.} </i>(Rosewood)


    "Yes, since their souls were bound to their avatar bodies, if they were destroyed or disconnected, so was their soul." Mizumi looked guilty. "Our kind view souls as sacred, and doing something like this was... a <i>gross </i>vition of our taboos."


    <i>{There was a lot of debate among the elders before we agreed to this, and many felt we weremitting a grave sin.} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Since it was all technically just data, is there no way to recover those who died?" Rosewood was hoping for some positive news.


    Mizumi shook her head. "I''m afraid not, that world was purged once the transfer wasplete and the yers were logged out. Even if the servers on this end still existed, it wouldn''t matter. All who died or were left behind were removed from existence entirely." She sighed. "I wish we could at least revive those yers who died, but that is not possible."


    President Rosewood froze for a moment as she realized something. "S-so basically an entire world''s worth of people were deleted?"


    Mizumi just looked down at her te, not wanting to answer that question.


    "It''s why I''ve told people that FWO was much more than a game. All those innocent people who were not lucky enough to follow me out of the game were destroyed. And every one of them was just like Yumi, real and alive."


    "Th-that''s..." Rosewood paled slightly.


    <i>{That''s horrifying...} </i>(Rosewood)


    "I will never be able to atone for that sin." Mizumi''s face darkened. "It might have been indirectly, but my actions caused the deaths of millions of people." She continued. "It was to keep my people alive, and while I would do it again. It was still a horrible act." It meant Mizumi and her people were responsible for an extraordinary loss of life. There were millions of residents in the FWO game world, all of which, baring Akagi''s family, were gone.


    "I wish I would have known that those turned into items via my exploit woulde with." Akagi sighed. "I would have tried to bring as many as possible."


    "Don''t me yourself." Mizumi said. "You had no way of knowing anything. That you treated the people of that world as real was already more than what most people did."


    "How widespread is this information?" Rosewood asked.


    "I''ve put it out there that the NPCs were real, and the devs have evene out denying it. But Mizumi being involved or the real scope of things is something I''ve kept close. Though I intend on bringing that to light on Monday." Akagi said.


    Rosewood thought for a moment. "I have no idea how people will react to the issue of the residents of that world being real and being wiped out, but I can say finding out you were responsible for nearly two thousand yer deaths isn''t going to go over well."


    "That''s why I''ve kept that quiet until now, but if her people want to have a good rtionship with humanity this needs to be disclosed. If I hide it and it leaks outter, that''s gonna cause a worse problem." Akagi figured lying here would only make things worse down the line since leaks would happen and rumors would swirl.


    "You''re probably right." Rosewood sighed. "But, it''s going to cause bacsh in Japan and likely around the world. People will want her to face trial for their deaths, and I can''t do anything to stop that." An intervention on that issue wouldn''t be politically feasible.


    "That''s fine, Mizumi is mine, and I won''t let anyone have her. I''ve epted her as a subordinate and she is my responsibility. Thus if anyone has issues with her actions, they must go through me first." Akagi grinned. "And we both know that won''t be easy."


    "Really starting to regret the whole <i>Demon Lord </iments..." Rosewood sighed. "Can you at least give a rundown of what you n to exin on Monday regarding that? Because otherwise, I''m going to struggle to answer the countless questions flung my way."


    "Sure," Akagi smirked as she began giving her the <i>entire</i> story of what a Demon Lord is, why they exist, and what they do. This prompted more paleness from Rosewood and a bit of sweat to run down her face. The added exnation of this world''s religions being wrong was also an unpleasant conversation, and Nariyuki and Rosewood vowed to take that knowledge to their graves.

 Chapter 149 – Checking out the Sights.

    Chapter 149 ¨C Checking out the Sights.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    2 Chaps!


    After dinner was concluded, the girls returned to their rooms for the evening. The week would consist of many meetings between Akagi, Mizumi, and various government officials. Topics would vary between magical trade, diplomatic rtions with Omara, and the lending of Birdy to the Americans. Mizumi would spend arge amount of time independently of Akagi as she would be handling the important task of representing her people to the American government. So she would be busy, which was fine.


    The week went on with meeting, after meeting, after meeting. Something Akagi was all too used to, and she actually had some fun with this setup. There were a lot of tense discussions, but the Americans generally had a cautious yet respectful and amicable attitude, something that pleased Akagi. So in return, she agreed to work on more favorable deals with them. A few of the most important agreements were as follows.


    (1) Akagi would be recognized as the leader of the Kingdom of Dumetor, once it was established, with the promise of limited Democratic institutions in the future.


    (2) The U.S. would set up official diplomatic rtions with her new nation.


    (3) The U.S. would sponsor her country''s entry into the UN.


    (4) The U.S. would guarantee her nation against hostile attacks and invasion.


    (5) The U.S. would ept Birdy and use her as a part of a <i>non-military</i> unit to deal with natural disasters and relief efforts.


    (6) Akagi will begin trade in both knowledge and material regarding magic.


    (7) Akagi will be recognized as a Demon Lord by the United States.


    (8) Akagi will facilitate trade and transport between the U.S. and Omara until other methods are developed.


    (9) The U.S. will recognize Mizumi as the official spokesperson of her people.


    (10) In a gesture of goodwill, Akagi will recall her agents from spying on the American government and its military institutions.


    (11) The American government will recognize the status of those brought from FWO into the real world as people protected under internationalw as de-jure humans thereunder.


    (12) The U.S. will not interfere with her family operations where possible. (I.E. not stopping nations from hiring them and ignoring small-scale crimes. This provision is secret.)


    (13) The U.S. will work with Akagi to provide technical support for the construction of her new town, and will work with Japan to provide safe transport and relocation for those who wish to enter it as citizens.


    (14) The U.S. and Japan will work together to mp down on discrimination of returnees and FWO survivors.


    (15) The U.S. will assist in future negotiations with Japan on legal issues regarding her new nation, such as tariffs and customs.


    In addition to negotiations, Akagi met with ambassadors from various nations ranging from South America to Europe. And while each were kind and cordial, she could tell that opinions on her were divided.


    Mizumi met a simr number of important figures and had an equally long list of meetings over the week. Though, it seemed that there was more interest in her and her people than Akagi. Something the <i>Demon </i>found funny. Thursday was set aside as a free day so that Akagi and the girls could check out D.C. Originally, Rosewood wanted to prepare an itinerary and even have Nariyuki apany her. But when her agent checked in Akagi''s room that morning, she found a note saying that she and Yumi would head out with Hikari to walk around D.C. and that she could rx on a nice happy day off.


    Naturally, this resulted in a minor panic as Nariyuki contacted President Rosewood, but she was told to just leave things be. Though the annoyed agent had to take a few more stomach pills that morning due to stress.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    "I am honored you wished me to apany you, my Lord!" Hikari smiled. She was excited to see D.C. together with Akagi. She''d not spent much time with her as she was always overseas and was looking forward to spending time with her leader.


    <i>{I get to hangout with Lady Akagi! Everyone''s going to be so jealous!} </i>(Hikari)


    "It''s the least I can do. Plus, this way, we don''t have that minder watching us over our shoulders." Akagiughed. "Mizumi is a bit busy still, so it will just be the three of us." The three of them walked down one of the many busy streets in D.C. People seemed wary of them, and there were a few hecklers. Most of whom were silenced by one of Akagi''s sharp re along with Yumi''s scowl.


    "So, where are we heading?" Yumi asked.


    "Well, we''re in D.C., so we''ve got to hit up all the important locations, the Smithsonian being one." Akagi was excited to see one of the best Museums in the world. "Then we should hit up the National Mall, the Holocaust Museum, the National Archives Museum, and oh! We need to go check out as many of the U.S. government buildings open to the public as possible!" She wanted to see things like the Lincoln Memorial and even Capital Hill.


    "Ah, heh-heh." Hikari gave a dryugh. She had little interest in history or museums but would go anyway.


    "It''s rare to see you get so excited over something like this." Yumiughed. "It''s almost as if you did <em>all</em> <em>this</em> just toe to this city as a tourist."


    <i>{I wouldn''t be surprised if she did.) </i>(Yumi x Hikari)


    "I can neither confirm nor deny that statement." Akagi chuckled. "Now onwards!" She charged forward with her two <i>totally willing </i>tour buddies. The Washington Monument was first on the list since it was so close. The girls thought such a massive structure was neat, and Akagi started rambling about how it was only partially finished before the Civil War, and that''s why it had two colors of bricks. As they walked around, she gave the two of them a ''brief'' history of the country, and you could literally see the Hikari''s eyes ze over in boredom.


    The WWII memorial was nearby, and they checked that out as well. Akagi then exined just a small amount about what happened, who the war was between, why it was fought, and <i>what side Japan was on...</i> It was <i>interesting </i>exining that some of her ancestors had been the bad guys in the war, a fact that made Yumi state that nothing had changed since Akagi was now the Demon Lord. Which saw Yumi get bonked on the head. Once they were finished, they went to the nearby Holocaust memorial. A ce that actually caught both girls'' interest. There was a bit of confusion from the employees as they entered, but they soon found themselves checking out the exhibits.


    "So many people died in such a terrible way." Hikari''s ears drooped a bit. "How awful."


    "Yeah, it''s truly horrifying. People were killed for nothing. Just because they were undesired for some arbitrary reason." Yumi shook her head. "They were even considered non-human." That bit hit close to home for her since it was how many yers interacted with NPCs.


    "Yeah, and the sad part is that this was only <i>part</i> of it." Akagi shrugged. "The Japanese in South East Asia, Korea and China did some <i>really</i> messed up things." There was still a lot of denial and revisionism within Japanese education and politics to this day.


    "I want to joke about such people spawning you, but I think that would be in poor taste..." Yumi sighed.


    "Yeah, probably don''t." Akagi rolled her eyes. "Now that I think about it, me standing here andmenting over millions of pointless cruel deaths is very strange." If you thought about it, she was right. As a Demon Lord, she was meant to kill everyone and make what happened during WWII look small.


    "Not necessarily." Yumi said. "It just goes to show how you''ve kept hold of yourself despite your nature. You were born evil but overcame that through a great struggle. I''d say it''s a wonderful thing." She smiled.


    <i>{I wouldn''t say overcame that, since well...} </i>Akagi was still very twisted, and she only restrained herself for her own reasons rather than some moral or ethical feelings. She was still capable of and willing to cause death and destruction where necessary. <i>{Yumi, you were in the basement of the Tomogawapound. You sat and watched what we did. Are you just ignoring that, or are you just trying to make me feel better?} </i>She sighed. It wasn''t really worth discussing.


    As she was thinking to herself, Yumi pointed out a small video set that was ying a recording of an older man speaking in English. "What''s that?" She asked.


    Akagi couldn''t understand what he was saying but figured it out immediately. "Those are recordings of survivors. They were made while they were still alive so that their stories could be preserved for people born long after they died. Today since it''s been over one hundred years since the events of the Holocaust, there is no one alive today who was alive when it happened. All those involved are dead and buried." The three of the walked over, and Hikari tranted a bit. The man was a young boy during the events, and he and his family were separated and taken to camps during the war. He managed to survive, barely, until Allied forces liberated where he was being held in 1945. Though, he''d lost his younger sister and his mother.


    "Is that really all true?" Yumi looked at her.


    "Sadly, yes." Akagi nodded. "Humanity is fucked up, both in your world and this one. Hell, the Empire ain''t got nothing on this." The two girls were more impacted by the man''s story than Akagi expected. Though, this was probably because, while their world had tragedy and horrors of its own, something like this was unimaginable. As they left, Akagi swore she saw some tears in their eyes.


    Figuring it would be best to go somewhere less <i>depressing</i> they next went to the Smithsonian, which Akagi loved, and then to the Capitol building where Akagi had a fun time checking out the historical artifacts, documents, and other things. She''d been here for some meetings, but hadn''t had the chance to just look around. The girls were also simrly disinterested in these things, but kept quiet since Akagi was enjoying herself.


    After a while, and<em>a lot</em> of wandering around, Akagi sat on a bench holding a coffee as she checked off her list of ces to visit.


    "SCOTUS building, Library of Congress, Grant Memorial, Lincoln Memorial. We saw the inside of the Capitol building. Alright!" Akagi stood up. "I think that covers everything I wanted to check out!" She had a massive smile on her face. "That was fun!"


    "You really do enjoy things like this, huh?" Yumi giggled. "You''ve been like a kid in a candy store since we started this morning."


    "Well, <i>sorry, </i>I have hobbies and things I enjoy outside of being an assassin and the Demon Lord. Hmpf!" Akagi turned away.


    "Now, Now." Yumi poked Akagi in the shoulder. "Don''t get all pouty. It was fun for me too. And Hikari, you had fun, right?" Her eyes told the dog girl to say yes.


    "Yes!" Her tail stood up. "It was so much fun!"


    <i>{No it wasn''t. But if I said that, Yumi would kill me.} </i>(Hikari)


    "Well, I''m d to hear it." Akagi smiled. "We should get back for dinner though. Nariyuki said they were going to serve us something Japanese inspired tonight, and I can''t wait. Hikari, you should join us too." She figured the girl needed a reward, and food was very wee to the beastkin.


    "Sounds great!" Hikari''s stomach growled.


    "It''s like we never left behind Mika with you here." Yumiughed, and Hikari growled at her. Once they finished up at the park they were at, the three of them began a return trip to ir House. Today was a full day, and Akagi thoroughly enjoyed herself, noting to make time to check out other historical ces in the world and perhaps make a trip to Europe in the near future.


    After a bit of a walk, they returned not long before dinner was to begin. Nariyuki gave Akagi a lecture about not taking off without her or someone from the government with her, but was promptly ignored. Akagi didn''t want or need a minder.


    "You''re not even listening to me, are you?" Nariyuki sighed.


    "Nope." Akagiughed. "I do what I want. If that''s an issue for you, too bad."


    <i>{As if I''m going to just leash myself to you. What do you take me for, some kind of weak minded fool?} </i>(Akagi)


    "You could have at least informed me <i>before </i>you went out." Nariyuki said.


    "Hey! I left a note." Akagi shrugged. "I figured that would be good enough."


    "She''s doing this on purpose, isn''t she?" Nariyuki looked at Yumi who startedughing.


    "She has a bad habit of picking on people, and I think you''ve caught her interest on that front." Yumi giggled.


    "Well, fuck me." Nariyuki put her head in her hands. "Why did I have to be the <i>trustworthy </i>one." She cursed Rosewood for this assignment.


    <i>{I swear, if the Secret Service wouldn''t jump me, I''d kick her ass!} </i>(Nariyuki)


    Mizumi was runningte with a meeting, so the four of them sat down for dinner in the dining hall. The chef brought out something that looked like curry and naan bread, two things Akagi very much loved. However, not all was well with this seemingly amazing food as just when Yumi moved to start eating, Akagi stopped her.


    "No one touch the food." Akagi dered.


    "What''s wrong?" Nariyuki''s eyes got sharp.


    "It''s poisoned." Akagi''s words caused the three girl''s eyes to widen in shock.


    <i>{I had a feeling something like this might happen.} </i>Akagi internally sighed. <i>{Why can''t we just have a normal, peaceful day?}</i>

 Chapter 150 – Another Assassin.

    Chapter 150 ¨C Another Assassin.


    "Poisoned?!?" Nariyuki eximed. "What are you talking about?!?"


    <i>{How did that happen?!?} </i>(Nariyuki)


    "My senses are far better than yours, so detecting it is easy." Akagi looked down at the curry. "Someone slipped a magical poison into the food, and the effect would have made whoever eat it slowly weaken until they died."


    <i>{I''ve seen poison like this before during some of my jobs in the Empire. Whoever did this wanted usible deniability, since it would appear that the target simply got sick and died in their sleep.} </i>Akagi thought to herself.


    "How the hell did something like this slip through?!?" Nariyuki immediately dialed the Secret Service and began yelling at someone. She was quite angry.


    "Have you seen something like this before, my Lord?" Yumi asked. She didn''t really know the ins and outs of poison making.


    "Yes, it''s a poison using an herbal remedy that I''ve seen before. Ordinarily, the nts would be used to create a sedative, but with the proper mixture and some magic, it goes from a calming tea to a <em>permanent</em> nap." Akagi exined.


    "We use things like that." Hikari said. "And we''ve even been taught how to make something simr during our training."


    <i>{Though I can''t believe I didn''t notice it! Chloe is gonna kill me when she finds out!} </i>(Hikari)


    "Indeed, poison is an essential tool in an assass-" Akagi stopped mid-word and vanished in sh.


    *BANG*


    Akagi moved across the room, mming something into the wall of the dining area.


    "Not bad, but you''ve got to do better than that to get past <em>my</em> senses." She spoke to seemingly nothing. "Now then, let''s see who we''re dealing with." She snapped her fingers, causing a three-eyed man wearing a ck cloak to appear where her right hand was extended. Akagi held him by the throat, and he could barely breathe.


    "I-Impossible! No one can see through my magic!" The three-eyed man eximed.


    "If it were anyone but me, you''d be right. I suspect Chloe, Mimi and Kira would be the only other members of the n who''d detect you." Akagi smirked. "Too bad for you that I''m someone who knows a thing or two about masking one''s presence and steathfull infiltration." Sheughed.


    A few momentster, a few members of the Secret Service ran in, and Nariyuki started yelling at them in English.


    "Now then, are you going to talk?" Akagi stared the man in the eyes. "Or do I have to pull information out of you by force?"


    <em>{A quick jaunt through his mind isn''t giving me anything. Looks like this guy is a real pro and made sure not to leave any traces of his real employer within his memories. If I wasn''t so annoyed, I''d actually be impressed.}</em>(Akagi)


    "Y-you monster." He bit into something in his mouth, causing him to start heavily spasming, before dying.


    "Well, I have to give him props for not selling out his employer." Akagi sighed as she let his body hit the floor. "Though sadly for you, death does not save you from me."¡±


    <i><b>"[Consumption.]¡±</b></i> She consumed the man''s still lingering soul.


    "Akagi!" Nariyuki yelled. "What the hell is going on?!?"


    "No clue, but where there''s one assassin, there''s often more." She shrugged. "I''d advise putting things on high alert. If he has backup around with simr capabilities, they could easily kill Rosewood."


    Nariyuki spoke to one of the Secret Service Agents, who confirmed nothing suspicious was happening at the White House.


    "Then let''s just wait here until Mizumi gets back." Akagi shrugged. "And get something <em>not</em> poisoned to eat for us while you''re at it. I think we''d all enjoy a nice meal after that." Akagi went and sat on one of the sofas in the dining room before pulling out her phone and sending a few messages to her team.


    <i>{Never a dull moment, huh?} </i>Akagiughed internally.


    After around thirty minutes passed and Mizumi entered the dining room where Yumi and Hikari were eating non-poisoned food. Akagi quickly brought her up to speed on what happen, which caused her to panic for a moment until the <i>Demon</i> calmed her down


    "So I''m gone for like an <em>hour</em>, and you had an attempt on your life, great..." Mizumi sighed. "Where''s the body?"


    Akagi waved her hand and took it out of her shadow.


    *Tsk* Mizumi clicked her tongue when she looked at the man. "I know him, fuck." She put her hand on her head. "He''s an assassin, easily the best of our kind. The Council and many members of our upper ss had a habit of contracting him to eliminate <i>inconvenient</i> individuals."


    <i>{What are those fools thinking?!? Do they want to die?} </i>(Mizumi)


    "I figured as much. Since <i>he</i> himself wasn''t a yer that meant he must have been sent by someone else, and there aren''t many people who could hire an assassin who could use magic." Akagi shrugged as she sipped her drink. "Problem is, he was a good boy and didn''t sell out his client and he also made sure to counteract mind reading by keeping all contact to intermediaries and proxies. So I don''t know who sent him.¡± Akagi wasn''t actually too upset since she appreciated the man''smitment to his job.


    ¡°There isn''t exactly many it could be <i>besides</i> the Council.¡± Mizumi groaned.


    ¡°True, but if I go charging into the Council''s chambers and start tearing off heads, it''s not justifiable under my rules. I might <em>think</em> I know who did this, but Ick proof, and there''s always the chance it could have been someone else." Theories were not sufficient to warrant a retaliation, and Akagi wouldn''tsh out with good enough evidence. It didn''t have to be bulletproof, but him being a Spirit assassin frequented by the Council isn''t enough. If that''s all it took, Akagi''s body count would be much higher.


    <em>{Lord knows I''ve seen assumptions cause huge issues for people in this industry. You know the old saying about assumptions...} </em>(Akagi)


    "And I wouldn''t want you doing that anyway." Mizumi rubbed her temples. "If possible, I would prefer concrete evidence of their actions so I can turn public opinion against them or at least hold it over their heads. Just killing the Council will only cause chaos, especially if the people aren''t shown any proof of their misdeeds."


    <i>{But how did he get all the way to the United States?} </i>(Mizumi)


    "We''ve been monitoring Omara, but I had no reports of an assassin like this man leaving or entering which is both strange and irritating. When that Councilwoman with green hair left, we were able to track her." Yumi said. As the head of intelligence, she was given reports on all pertinent activity, and Akagi had made sure to trackings and goings into Omara tightly.


    "He might have had some backdoor route or even some magic that got past the ninja." Akagi theorized. "He was good enough that most of them wouldn''t detect his movements, so it wouldn''t be a shock if he slipped past them and their surveince."


    <i>{Which means they need better training.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Entering and leaving the pocket dimension is not something anyone can do. Sizix aside there shouldn''t be many, and I don''t think he could do it himself." Mizumi thought for a moment. "The Council <i>does</i> have a deeper level of their building that''s reserved for only them, so it''s possible they did <em>something</em> down there." She wasn''t allowed in for obvious reasons, and Shinlua had never mentioned what was within.


    "I got a report that our agents were unable to enter beyond their secret door, something about a barrier and other wards." Yumi recalled some information provided to her. "I''d been wanting to attempt infiltration, but my Lord told me to hold off."


    "It''s too dangerous to send them in when we have no idea what''s in there. Besides, a barrier like you described would require some serious firepower to take down, and just weakening it to enter has its own problems." Akagi didn''t want to risk her people where it was otherwise not necessary. She figured that whatever n the Council had cooked up could be handled without cing the ninja at greater risk.


    "Perhaps it contains a special teleportation circle? They weremon in certain towns in the Empire." Yumi said.


    "Maybe, but that would mean they have some ce on Earth to connect to, and that would leave a magical signature. So I don''t know. Granted I''m no expert on magic." Akagi shrugged.


    <i>{Also that would s still require them to leave Omara, something we should have caught.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I''ll speak with them when we return." Mizumi said. "Shinlua already wanted to speak with me about something urgent, but I''vecked the time to spare for her." Mizumi <i>could </i>have made time for her, but was frustrated with the Elf for her unwillingness to ept Akagi as the Demon Lord. "I suppose it might have been a warning about this attempted assassination." She shrugged. "But that will have to wait until things wrap up here."


    Agent Nariyuki entered back into the dining room and walked over to Akagi. "I''m truly sorry for what happened." She bowed her head. "It''s inexcusable that an assassin made an attempt on our guests'' lives."


    <i>{I can''t believe this just happened. But at least no one got hurt.} </i>(Nariyuki)


    Akagi shrugged. "You weren''t going to be able to detect him, so there was nothing you could do."


    "Still, the President wanted me to give her apologies. Something like this cannot be tolerated and we''ll make changes to ensure it doesn''t happen again." Nariyuki bit her lip.


    <i>{I appreciate the sentiment, but we both know you cannot do that.} </i>Akagi held her tongue.


    "I''ve already sent out a warning to our people back home to be on the lookout for additional assassins or attempts." Akagi said. "I just hope no one is foolish enough to go after Kana or the girls." She looked at Mizumi.


    "I hate to say it, but they might." Mizumi hung her head. "If they''re foolish enough to try and poison the Demon Lord, they might go after your sister. They do know who she is after all."


    "Yeah, they go trying that, and I might just <i>eat</i> half your people as I proposed before." Akagi red.


    <i>{Theyy a single finger on any of the girls, and Demon Lord Akagi is going to have toe out and y.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I will handle things! Please don''t go doing something so drastic because of them!" Mizumi panicked slightly. "But for now, maybe Kana and the girls should refrain from going out alone."


    "That might be for the best." Akagi sighed. "I swear to god, why can''t people just leave me alone..."


    <i>{Is it really that hard to just NOT fuck with me?} </i>(Akagi)


    "My Lord has always had a habit of attracting trouble, even back in FWO." Yumiughed. "Just ept your fate as a trouble ma."


    "Yeah, sure." Akagi rolled her eyes. "Instead of epting my fate, how about I just ss the instead? If no one''s alive to bug me, then no trouble, right?"


    <i>{Would be a much easier thing, and a simple matter.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Please don''t do that..." Yumi sighed. "While that would indeed be <em>effective</em>, it would have many other consequences."


    <em>{And I don''t want you to do something like that.}</em>(Yumi)


    "Yeah, like no more humans to make games for me to y or animators to make more anime for me to watch!" Akagiughed. "Gotta keep ''em around to make things for me to y with!"


    "I like how your reason for keeping us around is so we can entertain you..." Nariyuki shook her head. "You really are awful."


    "Ahh, it''s not so bad!" Akagi said with a smile. "I <em>could</em> enve you all and force you to make statutes in my honor instead. Now <i>that </i>would be fun!"


    "Why do I get the feeling you''d actually do that?" Nariyuki asked.


    "No idea." Akagi shrugged. "It''s <i>totally</i> something outside my character. The Demon Lord would <i>never</i> do something so heinous." Her sarcasm was quite obvious to all.


    "At this point, I have no idea <i>what</i> your ''character'' is." Mizumi put up the air quotes. "I just treat you like you''re crazy and call it a day. Saves a lot of headaches."


    "My Lord can be two-minded about things, and sometimes she acts strange for no reason at all." Yumiughed. "That''s just who she is. At this point, it''s best to just ept she''s like this and move on."


    <i>{Plus, its so cute when she acts like that!} </i>(Yumi)


    "So, what? You just smile and nod when I do something weird?" Akagi red at her.


    Yumi smiled and nodded.


    "Ohhh." Akagi shifted her jaw. "I''ll remember this, Yumi. Remember, I know where you sleep!" Akagi held out her hands and moved her fingers to mimic tickling. "And I know your weakness!"


    Yumi backed up. "Please, no..." She said meekly. "Thest time you did that..." Akagi''s tickle powers were nothing to sneeze at, and both Yumi and Kana rightly feared them.


    "Ah-hem." Mizumi coughed. "Sorry to interrupt your <i>flirting</i>, but can we get back on topic?"


    <i>{I swear these two...} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Fine." Akagi shrugged. "I''ll pick on Yumi <emter</em>." Her words sent a chill down the priestess''s spine.


    The girls got back to discussing the situation and what the n would be going forward. For now, Akagi ced her people on alert and told Kana and the girls to be cautious. She''d be back home in a few days and could handle things better upon her return to Japan. Something that would be almost instant via teleportation.


    Once they were finished discussing things, Mizumi sat and ate dinner, before the girls broke to rx for the night. Akagi and Yumi went to their room andid in bed watching T.V. until it was time to sleep. It wasn''t long until Yumi passed out, as all the walking around today seemed to have drained her energy, which Akagi thought was cute. Snuggling in next to her, Akagi drifted to sleep.


    *RING* *RING* *RING* *RING* *RING*


    Just after midnight American time, Akagi''s phone went off. It was a call from Naomi, and Akagi had a bad feeling as she picked up the phone.


    "What''s wrong?" Akagi said.


    "We''re being attacked! Pleasee back immediately!" Naomi said frantically.

 Chapter 151 – What the Training Was For.

    Chapter 151 ¨C What the Training Was For.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    2 Chaps! And now for a sad announcement. Due to life reasons and general fatigue, after this Sunday, the Red Hand will only release one chapter per release day from now on. I do have chapters written past chapter 200, but with the uing job and other things, I will not have the time to ensure release consistency if I keep doing two per release day. I''m sorry if this disappoints you, but I hope you understand I made this decision so to keep both the quality of the story high and make sure there is consistency in releases.


    Thank you!


    Rewinding time to a bit earlier that same day.


    Akagi''s trip to the United States caused some buzz and gossip among the girls'' ssmates. Most were wondering what would happen, and there were even some who thought the <i>Demon</i> would announce her takeover of the world during the UN address. Something Naomi and Mika found hrious, while Kana just groaned in exasperation.


    Besides a bit of idle gossip, things had mostly returned to normal, owingrgely to Akagi''s <i>polite</i> request for civility. Most students were still standoffish towards, and Hito was still a problem once he returned from his suspension, but things were otherwise fine. The week blew by quickly, and it was soon Friday. Akagi''s speech to humanity would be on Monday and it was already decided that the students would tune in to watch, which again gave Naomi and Mika ample opportunity to poke fun at Kana.


    "So, hows does it feels knowing you will soon be the Princess of all humanity?" Mikaughed as they chatted in the ssroom during break.


    "Yeah? Will you still associate with us, peons?" Naomi smirked.


    "You both <em>do</em> remember I can bend steel now, right?" Kana red at them. "And I think bones are a bit easier to snap than that."


    <i>{Don''t tempt me!} </i>(Kana)


    "The Princess is violent!" Mika cried as gave an overly dramatic recoil. "Please don''t eat me!"


    "It''s in her blood, Mika." Naomi shrugged. "She can''t help but wish to harm us lowly mortals."


    "I swear to god, <i>the moment</i> I figure it out, you two are both going on an ind in the Pacific!" Kana growled. "Why must you two aggravate me like this? Isn''t Onee-chan''s teasing enough?!?"


    "What are friends for if they don''t pick on each other?" (Mika x Naomi)


    *Whimper Noises* (Kana)


    <i>{Why must people pick on me...} </i>(Kana)


    "Now, Now." Naomi pat Kana on the head. "No need to get all sulky. The Demon Princess shouldn''t show such a sad sight to her subjects."


    "I wouldn''t need to be if you two would just..." Kana sighed. "Never mind. At this point, I should just ept my fate."


    "She''s learning." Mika grinned.


    "Yeah, and I guess in order to be fair I should start picking on <em>you</em> <em>two</em> in return." Kana switched to an evil smile. "Perhaps <i>Scary Kana</i> should be my new default? I think that sounds like <em>fun.</em>"


    Mika and Naomi felt a chill run down their spins. "Wait, hold on! There''s no need for something that drastic!" Mika eximed, waving her hands around in protest.


    "Yeah! Just think about all the good times we had together!" Naomi gave a dryugh.


    "Oh?" Kana grinned. "But won''t it be much more <em>fun</em> this way?" She was genuinely contemting going full Scary Kana.


    "I want to live!" Mika cried out.


    "I take it all back! Just don''t let the sadistic Kana out of the box!" Naomi started sweating. "Once that happens we''re all doomed."


    "Pfffff." Kana startedughing. "Man, the look on your faces was priceless! Good to know that all it takes is a few words and you turn tail real quick!"


    <i>{Onee-chan was right, seeing people freak out like that really is fun!} </i>(Kana)


    "Because it''s a very <em>real</em> and scary threat!" Mika said. "You might not be as bad as Akagi, but you can get close enough!"


    <i>{We don''t call it SCARY KANA for nothing!} </i>(Mika)


    "Yeah, I remember the story about the monkey bars." Naomi sighed.


    "Hey! He deserved that for picking on Kaori." Kana puffed out her cheeks.


    "But did you really have to break his arm?" Mika squinted her eyes in disapproval. "Sounds like overkill."


    "It made him stop, didn''t it?" Kana smiled.


    "The world''s doomed if Kana starts seeing violence as the solution to every problem..." Naomi put her head in her hands.


    "Our only hope will be the clown army." Mikaughed.


    "I will exterminate them all!" Kana''s eyes became sharp. "They will suffer my righteous fury!"


    "And at that moment, every poor clown across the world got a chill down their spine as they felt danger." Naomi said sarcastically.


    "They''d better!" Kana said. "If they wish to live, they should give up on being one of those horrible creatures."


    "We really need to get Akagi to transform into one for a bit. That will be the only way to save the world from the Princess''s wrath!" Mika said.


    "And if she does, I will find a way to destroy her! Demon Lord, or not!" Kana crossed her arms confidently.


    "Just imagine the alternate timeline where Akagi chose the <em>clown</em> ss in FWO, and Kana had to handle that." Naomi chuckled. "I wonder what she''d do?"


    "It would be tough, but I''d make sure her death was swift and painless." Kana nodded. "I''m sure she''d understand."


    Mika and Naomi just rolled their eyes.


    "Moving away from the clown topic, have either of you noticed that Hito hasn''t been in ss since Monday?" Mika said.


    "Now that you mention it." Naomi looked at his empty seat. "Kana, what did you do?" She said with a smirk.


    Kana flicked her friend on the forehead. "I didn''t <i>do </i>anything. Nor has Onee-chan. So, <i>no, </i>we did not bump him off."


    <i>{Though I can''t me them for being suspicious.} </i>(Kana)


    "I think I saw him walking somewhere the other day." Mika thought for a moment. "He was super pale."


    "Maybe he''s sick?" Kana said. "There has been a flu going around." She enjoyed a boosted immune system from her new Demon power and thus didn''t get sick often.


    "Maybe." Naomi shrugged. "But he was never one to miss, even if he got sick." Hito was generally one of the better-performing students in the ss.


    <i>{Maybe he''ll just nevere back.} </i>Kana thought to herself.


    *BZZZT*


    "Time for gym." Kana said. "I think we''re outside for track today, right? Since it''s warm out."


    "Yeah, it''s actually quite nice today." Mika smiled as she got up.


    "Still too cold for me, and Momo is refusing to teach me that warming spell yet..." Naomi growled.


    "Of course, <i>that</i> is the first thing you want magic for." Kana rolled her eyes.


    "Unlike <i>you</i> <i>two</i> idiots, I actually feel the cold!" Naomi bit back as she grabbed her bag.


    "Hey! I still feel cold!" Mika said.


    "You spend time cuddled with two Yuki-Onna. By this point, your idea of <i>cold</i> is skewedpletely!" Naomi eximed.


    The three continued their conversation as they made their way to the changing rooms. Kana''s magic could be easily toggled now, so she was allowed back into some of thepetitive activities during gym. Though, the teachers were still wary of her hurting another student and reminded her to tone things down where possible.


    As Kana mentioned, Gym was outside today, and the cool spring air was perfect for runningps around the track. Thanks to her training, and a bit of magic, Kana was easily able to beat out everyone else. While Mika and Naomi found themselves second and third behind her. Even this early in their development, their magical ability meant their bodies were much stronger than their peers.


    Once they''d finished, they moved off to the side, waiting for the next activity.


    "Man, that was so easy!" Mika cheered.


    "Yeah, you were always deadst in sports stuff." Naomiughed. She was usually pretty fit due to her ce on the basketball team. "Nice to see the couch potato has gotten in shape."


    "I wouldn''t say <i>in shape,</i> more like using magic power to make things easier." Kana said. "But to be honest, we''re no better." Though technically, Mika and Naomi were experiencing body improvement due to the magic flowing in them, rather than actively using it.


    "We should enter the Olympics," Mika said. "We''d get <em>all</em> the gold medals!"


    "I think magic might be a banned substance, Mika." Naomi sighed.


    "Not yet!" Mika smiled. "We just have to get in <i>before</i> they realize we have it, win, then retire with our fame!"


    "Sad part is, that would probably work." Kanaughed.


    The three kept talking for a bit more before a scream interrupted them.


    "What was that?" Kana went on alert and saw what looked like one student biting another. "What the hell?!?"


    The three girls and the teacher rushed over to the grisly sight of one of the girls in the ss having her neck chomped by a young man.


    "What''s going on?!?" The teacher cried out. She tried to pull them apart but was thrown back by the boy. In that brief moment, the girls caught a glimpse of the young man''s face.


    "I-is that? H-Hito?" Kana stammered.


    "Why is he attacking her?!?" Mika cried out.


    "We need to do something!" Naomi said as the girl cried out for help.


    "P-please, someone..." The girl went limp as Hito dropped her to the ground, her blood pooling around her.


    "Ka-na!" Hito was stark white, even more so than Akagi, and his veins were visible on his face. His eyes had be red, and you could see two fangs protruding from his mouth.


    <i>{W-wha?} </i>(Kana)


    "Ka-na!" He yelled out, sticking out his hand and causing his nails to length into sharp des. "Ka-na!"


    He leapt at the girls, barely missing Kana, who jumped out of the way.


    "Stop this, Hito!" Kana yelled. "What the hell are you doing?!?"


    "Ka-na!" He didn''t respond, only speaking her name as he tried to sh her.


    "Naomi! You need to call Akagi!" Mika said. "We need her to get here and handle this!" She started to panic.


    "A-ka-gi..." Hito stopped attacking Kana and turned towards Mika. Something about her name set him off.


    "A-ka-gi!" He screamed as he ran towards her, going down on all fours, like an animal.


    Mika screamed as Hito leaped towards her.


    <i>{Damnit, no!} </i>Kana activated her magic, she still needed training, but it would have to do. She moved as fast as she could, summoning Himari and getting between Hito and Mika, blocking his ws with her de.


    "Get back! Call Onee-chan. I''ll hold him off!" Kana said to her friends.


    "Ka-na! A-ka-gi!" Hito put more power into his arms, causing Kana to be pushed back a bit.


    Mika and Naomi moved back, trying not to panic. Naomi opened her AR device and called Akagi, but it would take a bit before she arrived.


    <i>{This isn''t good. Himari, can we deal with him?} </i>(Kana)


    <i>{Probably, but its risky to just try dy rather than destroy him. Holding back against him will be hard, and it might get you hurt.} </i>(Himari)<i> </i>


    "Ka-na!" Hito screamed as he put more power into his attack, causing Kana to fall backward onto the ground "Ka-na!" He went in to sh her but was hit with a rock thrown by Mika.


    "Leave her alone!" Mika yelled.


    "Rawrhg!" Hito growled as he lunged forwards at Mika. There was no room to get in between the two, and Kana made a snap decision.


    <i>{Himari, full power!} </i>She cried out in her mind asking her partner for everything, to which Himari obliged.


    <i>{I''m sorry, Hito.} </i>Kana apologized in her mind as she rocketed forward, faster than she''d ever moved, and dove Himari straight into Hito''s back. Sending the de straight through his heart as the two tumbled onto the asphalt


    "Ka-na!" Hito cried out as his blood ran across the ground, he squirmed and twitched, reaching out towards Mika. But before her could do anything, he died.


    Kana slowly stood up, her gym cloths were covered in dark red blood, and Himari was simrly stained red. The entire world seemed to go silent as she stared into the distance as she contemted what she just did. What seemed like an eternity in her mind was only interrupted by a hand on her shoulder.


    "na... Kana!" She was shaken by Akagi, who just arrived.


    "Onee-chan." Kana turned to look at her sister. "I- I killed him. I-" she heaved forward as she puked on the ground.

 Chapter 152 – A State of Shock.

    Chapter 152 ¨C A State of Shock.


    Kana heaved up everything in her stomach as the full weight of what she just did crashed down on her. Among everyone else present, there was a general sense of shock over these sudden events. Mika was mortified by what just happened and she felt guilty that Kana had to kill Hito to protect her, and Naomi was, while shocked, less impacted than most of the others. The other students were left speechless and there were many who thought this was some kind of sick prank, as they never expected Hito to just start attacking people, let alone witness Kana <em>kill</em> him.


    The gym teacher freaked out as she watched helplessly from the sidelines, and it took her a solid few minutes to process things before she leapt into action.


    Unfortunately for Kana, Akagi was just a moment toote in her arrival, and the<em>Demon</em> was angry at herself for not being faster in teleporting back from the U.S. As soon as she arrived and witnessed Kana drive her de through Hito''s chest, she rushed to her side andforted her. Akagi understood what her sister was going through. After all, killing someone for the first time was not a pleasant experience for most, even if done for a good reason.


    After she grabbed onto Kana, Akagi yelled to the teacher, telling her to call the police while she called Kana''s parents. This was going to be a not-so-fun day and while she hated Shima and Taichi, she figured they were going to be needed tofort the shocked girl.


    Seeing Kana like this made Himari felt guilty since, while she was created to kill, she didn''t like seeing her friend this upset. Figuring it would be for the best, she disappeared back inside Kana so the blood-stained de wouldn''t stick around.


    "It''s alright, Kana. It''s alright." Akagi squeezed her. "Breathe. You did the right thing. You did the right thing." She rocked her sister in her arms. "It''s gonna be ok." She looked at Mika and Naomi. "What the fuck happened?!?" She was pissed.


    Naomi, nervously, spoke up. "W-we were outside for gym, and H-Hito he... he showed up like <i>that</i>." She couldn''t bare to look at the body. "He <em>bit</em> one of the girls from our ss, and then attacked Kana. When he went for Mika, Kana killed him to save her."


    Akagi looked down at the body.


    <i>{What the fuck? He''s a thrall? Why is he a thrall?!?} </i>Akagi knew there was only one way to make someone into a thrall like this. <i>{I swear to god vampy, if this was you you''re gonna wish you''d kept your fangs to yourself.}</i>


    Saving the me game forter, Akagi turned back to Naomi. "Naomi, take my phone and call her parents. and... <em>I''ll</em> talk to them... Kana''s gonna need them here for this." Akagi sighed as she threw Naomi her phone.


    <i>{Well Shima, you were right. Being around me did cause Kana to kill someone. Great...} </i>(Akagi)


    The other students either fell over in shock, started puking or ran away screaming as Akagi held onto the sobbing Kana. The <i>Demon</i> might not care about taking people''s lives, but she never wanted Kana to experience something like this.


    <i>{Whoever is responsible for this, I''m going to find you and when I do... You''re gonna wish I hadn''t!} </i>(Akagi)


    The teacher quickly called for emergency services, and Akagi spoke to Shima and Taichi, who were naturally <i>furious </i>at what just happened. Though they each swiftly left their jobs, as expected. Minutester, police arrived on scene and tried to understand what just happened. Akagi was still in protective mode and wouldn''t let them harass her sister, who was still in shock. This left Naomi and Mika to exin what happened. At first, the police didn''t believe them and their story about being attacked, but an examination of the body and some footage taken by another student quickly dispelled their doubts. They wanted to take Kana down to the station house along with the girls for questioning, something Akagi resisted, but Kana overruled her by agreeing to go. Shima and Taichi were on their way, rushing over from work, but were subsequently redirected to the police station. At first, the police didn''t want the <em>Demon</em>ing with, but Akagi told the officers in no uncertain terms that if they refused to bring her along, she would add <em>their</em> bodies to the pile.


    Not wanting to die, they agreed, and Kana and the girls were taken to the police station. Before leaving, Akagi took a few pictures of Hito''s body before the EMS team came to collect it. Once she was finished, she and the girls got in the police car and headed off. The drive itself was quiet and no one spoke, not even Akagi, as she held onto Kana, who was still shaking. Upon their arrival at the station, Tachi and Shima were already waiting in the lobby, and as one can expect, the look they gave Akagi was <i>nasty</i>. Mika''s parents were also there and gave her a big hug. This would mark the <i>third</i> time she''d nearly died in one year, and theyined to her that she needed to stop scaring them like this. Once things settled down, Kana was taken in the back for a statement. She wouldn''t be in trouble since this was self-defense, but the police still had procedures to follow. Though, even if the police tried to charge her with anything, Akagi would never permit such a thing and they knew that.


    Akagi, surprisingly, did not go back with her sister, as she figured that her presence would be little more than a distraction and hindrance. Thus, the<em>Demon</em> told Shima and Taichi that they as Kana''s parents they should be with her in this stressful moment, a statement that shocked them, but they swiftly agreed and went back with her, something that pleased Kana greatly. Though despite Kana''s outward sturdiness, Akagi could tell her sister''s mind was still spinning from the ordeal.


    Once they were taken into the back, Akagi stood in front of one of therge windows in the waiting area and let out a massive sigh.


    "What a fucking mess." Akagi pulled out her phone and dialed Mixu.


    *RING* *RING*


    "I have a bad feeling about this phone call... You don''t exactly do social calls with me." Mixu groaned.


    "Well yeah, that''s because if you''re responsible for this, you''re joining Armalthy in the happy farm." Akagi growled.


    "Woah! Woah! Hold on!" Mixu eximed. "I haven''t done <em>anything</em>!"


    "Oh really? So you wanna exin why the fuck a <i>vampire</i> thrall just <em>killed</em> one of my sister''s ssmates and nearly killed her and her friends?!?" Akagi yelled. "Someone turned the kid into a thrall, and you are the only vampire I know of Mixu!"


    <i>{I will be in Tokyo faster than you can blink if you did this vampy! Even if it was unintentional there will be punishment!} </i>(Akagi)


    "I never did that! I''ve never done <i>anything </i>like your describing!" Mixu denied changing someone into a thrall. "I''ve been banned from pulling that shit by the government! And I sure as <em>hell</em> wouldn''t loose someone anywhere near you or your sister. I''m not stupid, nor do I want to get eaten or <i>worse</i>."


    <i>{I''ve explicitly stated my desire NOT to be made into Demon food. I sure as hell wouldn''t go doing something reckless like setting a thrall loose in Kyoto!} </i>(Mixu)


    "Well, either way. Get your ass to Kyoto. Now!" Akagi said. "You''re going to help me figure this out because either you fucked up, or we''ve got a bigger problem."


    <i>{If it wasn''t Mixu, then that means we''ve got another vampire on the loose. A not-so-fun prospect.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Ok, I''lle after wo-" Akagi cut her off.


    "I said <i><b>NOW</b></i>!" Akagi screamed, her voice rattling the windows. "I don''t give a fuck about the RRT or your job. What''s worse, Mixu, pissing me off? Or leaving your job for the day?"


    "I''ll take the fastest train, but it will still be a few hours..." Mixu said weakly.


    "Move it." Akagi said as she hung up. Granted Akagi could send Yumi to pick her up, but she wanted some time before Mixu arrived to settle things.


    Akagi took a deep breath to calm down. A few minutester, she turned to Mika and Naomi who''de back from giving separate statements. "Are you two ok?" She asked.


    "I''m fine." Naomi said.


    "Yeah." Mika nodded. "But this is my fault..."


    "No, it''s not." Akagi shook her head. "Kana killed him to protect you. If anyone is at fault, it''s whoever turned him into a thrall and set him loose."


    "But still..." Mika had tears in her eyes. "Kana had to kill someone to protect me!"


    <i>{I-I...} </i>(Mika)


    "If you really feel bad, Mika. Then get strong enough to make sure that if there is a next time, that you can protect yourself." Akagi sighed. "Look, I''m not the best for emotional support on this issue, since I see nothing wrong with what Kana did, so my advice might not be the best."


    Mika nodded. "I just can''t believe that happened! What happened to Hito?!?" Why did he do something like that?!?¡±


    <i>{Whatever happened, he definitely didn''t look human anymore.} </i>(Naomi)


    "Well I can at least answer part of that question. First of all, he was turned into a vampire thrall." Akagi said. "What Kana killed wasn''t even a person, and is technically more like a husk with some vague memories of his time as a human. So calling him Hito isn''t really urate."


    "A vampire thrall?!?" (Mika x Naomi)


    "Yes, and since I know of only one vampire. I''ve called her here to figure this out." Akagi said.


    "Thatdy from the RRT? I think her name was Mixu, right?" Naomi asked. "Did she do it?"


    "She told me no, and frankly, I know Mixu well enough to say she wouldn''t be stupid enough to pull something like this." Akagi shook her head. "Which then leads to a bigger problem. If it wasn''t Mixu, who was it?"


    <i>{No other returnee was a vampire, and there were no simr abilities in other sses. Unless a native vampire just showed up out of the blue, I''ve got no idea what''s going on.} </i>(Akagi)


    Akagi decided to ring up Chloe and told her to have her team drop nonessential tasks and start hunting for a vampire or something simr in Kyoto. Whoever did this, she''d find them and figure out what was going on. The <em>Demon </em>also instructed them not to engage said creature/person if they found it/them and were to alert Akagi immediately of any new information.


    ¡°Were either of you bitten?¡± Akagi asked the two girls. Thrall bites came with risks of turning into a thrall, so she wanted to make sure. If they were, she could easily administer medicine to counteract the process.


    ¡°No he didn''t get close enough to me. Kana stopped him before he ever got a chance to touch me.¡± Mika said weakly.


    ¡°Same, no bites. Though the girl, Misha, that he first bit is probably already dead.¡± Naomi sighed. She didn''t know the girl too well, but still felt bad.


    ¡°Ok well, that''s still a problem. Even if she died, she could still turn and that''s its own problem.¡± Akagi groaned.


    ¡°Wait really?¡± Naomi was surprised.


    ¡°Yeah, though don''t get your hopes up of hering back as a vampire.¡± Akagi shook her head. ¡°Thrall bites can only turn you into another thrall. So if she came back, it would just be as a mindless ve.¡±


    ¡°Can you revive her?!?¡± Mika asked. ¡°You''ve got all that power! Surely raising the dead is possible!¡±


    <i>{If anyone can do that, Akagi could! Right?} </i>(Mika)


    ¡°It is possible to resurrect someone if they''ve only recently died by healing their body and reattaching their soul.¡± Akagi replied.


    ¡°Then please do that!¡± Mika cried out. ¡°She didn''t deserve to die!¡±


    ¡°I mean. I can try, but since I''ve never done it before I can''t guarantee anything.¡± Akagi shrugged.


    <i>{Though it would make a great way to test my power. Her soul should still be lingering near the spot she died earlier, and her body has likely been taken to the morgue. Kana will probably be in the back for a bit, so I''ll go grab that girl''s soul and do the workter to put her back together.} </i>(Akagi)


    ¡°You two wait here, I''m going to grab that girl''s soul and I''ll be back.¡± Akagi snapped her fingers and teleported back to the school yard. There was caution tape around the area where the attack happened, and neither body was still in the field.


    ¡°There it is.¡± Akagi walked over, ducking under the crossing tape and slipping past the police officers who couldn''t see her. ¡°Looks like its still here, good.¡± Akagi grabbed the girl''s soul and held in in front of her. ¡°I wonder how long it takes until they disappear back into the cycle? Questions forter.¡±


    <i>{I wonder if I canmunicate with the girl while she''s like this?} </i>Akagi thought for a moment, and channeled some power into her telepathy ability.


    <i>{Hello! Can you hear me?} </i>Akagi tried reaching out. <i>{Yo! Anyone home?}</i>


    <i>{Who''s there?!?} </i>A frightened voice replied. <i>{What''s going on?!? Where am I?!? Why is it so dark and cold?} </i>


    <i>{Ah good, I can talk to you while you''re like this.} </i>(Akagi)


    <i>{What do you mean?!? Where am I? Who are you?!?} </i>(Misha)


    <i>{Me? I''m just your friendly neighborhood Demon Lord.} </i>Akagiughed.


    <i>{Demon Lord?!? Wait you mean Kana''s sister?!?} </i>(Misha)


    <i>{The one and only!} </i>(Akagi)


    <i>{Ok, but what happened? Thest thing I remember is... is... Hito...} </i>(Misha)


    <i>{So the bad news is. You died.} </i>(Akagi)


    <i>{I DIED?!?} </i>Misha was shocked.


    <i>{Yup, dead.} </i>(Akagi)


    <i>{¡­} </i>Misha went silent.


    <i>{Now, now. Don''t get all pouty. See the good news is that Mika asked me to go and bring you back, so that''s why I''m here.} </i>Akagi tried tofort her.


    <i>{You can bring me back? I... Mika asked for that?} </i>(Misha)


    <i>{Yeah, or at least I should be able to.} </i>Akagi exined her n.


    <i>{I-I see. Well, not like I have much a choice, I don''t exactly want to stay dead. I can''t just leave mom and dad like that, and its really scary in here...} </i>(Misha)


    <i>{We''ll go to your bodyter, I''m sure your parents are already at the morgue to im it.} </i>(Akagi)


    <i>{Can''t we go now?} </i>(Misha)


    <i>{I need to deal with Kana first. She''s not taking things very well.} </i>Akagi exined what happened.


    <i>{K-Kana did that? She killed him?} </i>(Misha)


    <i>{Yeah, not exactly what I wanted her to have to do, but it was to protect Mika, so it was the right thing to do.} </i>(Akagi)


    <i>{I just can''t believe all this is happening... Its so cold in here, and it feels awful... please hurry.} </i>(Misha)


    <i>{I''ll give you a bit of warmth then.} </i>Akagi channeled at bit of power into Misha''s soul to calm her down.


    <i>{W-what is this? I feel warm? And its like... its like I''m being hugged.} </i>(Misha)


    ¡°Don''t worry kid, everything will be fine.¡± Akagi sighed as she tucked away Misha''s soul into her shadow. It wouldn''t exactly be a <i>fun </i>ce for her to stay, but it was probably a better idea than cing her in inventory.


    Once she''d finished collecting Misha''s soul, Akagi returned back to the police station where she exined that she''d recovered Misha and would attempt to revive herter. Both girls were thrilled to hear that she''d be saved, though Akagi cautioned them not to get their hopes up, as she''d never done something like this before. After around thirty minutes of waiting, Kana, Shima, and Taichi emerged from the back room.


    "Are you alright?" Akagi asked her sister.


    "Y-yeah." Kana was still shaken. "I-I just need time to process everything."


    "You shoulde home with us." Taichi said as he ced his arms on Kana''s shoulder. "This is all that monster''s fault!" He pointed at Akagi.


    "Really?" Akagi sighed. "You''re going to just jump to pointing fingers in the middle of all this? Talk about tacky."


    "It''s <i>your</i> fault all this happened!" Taichi said. "You forced these strange powers on Kana. You made her a killer!"


    "It was those powers that kept her <i>alive</i>, Taichi." Akagi growled. "And in case you forgot, that idiot Hito was the one who started all this. Thrall or not, <i>he</i> went for Mika, and Kana was forced to make a decision. She could either stand and watch her friend get torn apart or stop him!" She got in Taichi''s face. "If your so displeased with what Kana did, then please go over there and tell Mika''s parents that you wish <i>their</i> daughter was dead just so Kana could keep blood off her hands. I''m sure that will go real fucking well!" Akagi couldn''t be sure the shadow barrier would havepletely protected the girls against Hito in his thrall form. They <i>probably </i>would have been ok, but it was still risky. "I wish I would have been faster so that it could have been me who killed him. S<i>orry </i>that I was on the other side of the sleeping when the phone rang!"


    "Please stop!" Kana yelled, causing the room to go silent. "Just stop... No more yelling. Please"


    ¡°Kana, understand that your father and I-¡± Shima tried to speak, but was cut off.


    "Be quiet for a minute mom.¡± Kana took a deep breath. ¡°This is <i>not</i> Onee-chan''s fault." She looked at her Dad. "So don''t go ming her and starting a fight with her over this!" She paused for a moment before continuing. "<i>I</i> made the decision to kill Hito using Himari. <i>I</i> knew what might happen when I drew the de and <i>I</i> chose to save Mika rather than let Hito harm her." She turned to look at Akagi. "And <i>you</i> don''t need to take everything on yourself! I know you would have preferred to have been the one who killed him, but you weren''t. <i>I</i> had to. <i>I</i> wanted to be able to protect myself and those I care about. It''s why I had the ninja train me and why Himari practiced with me."


    <i>{I''d hoped that I wouldn''t have to actually use any of those things though...} </i>(Kana)


    "Kana..." Shima put her hand on her shoulder. "We just want what''s best for you."


    "I don''t want to argue with you, and I don''t want to fight. Right now, I just don''t want to think of anything." She shook her head. "Mika, can I stay at your ce tonight, please?"


    "Uhhh." Mika was a bit nervous.


    "Sure she can." Shinobu said. "Your wee to stay as long as you want."


    "I just need some space." Kana looked at Akagi. "Is that alright?"


    "Yeah..." Akagi was a bit sad, but agreed.


    <i>{She wants to make sure Mika is ok. That''s definitely a part of it, so I understand. I just hope she isn''t really upset with me over this, after all. I did give her these powers, and knowing how things go. Whoever did this might have been connected to me in some way.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Can Ie over too?" Naomi said. She was worried about her two friends.


    "That would be great." Shinobu smiled.


    Akagi hugged her sister and told her she''d have Yumi drop off her things at Mika''s houseter that evening. She figured letting the girls have a bit of time together would help them to heal. Though she suspected that Kana was putting on a front so that Mika wouldn''t feel worse about what happened.


    <i>{Your strong Kana, but don''t hold it all in forever. That''s not good for you. I can attest to that myself.} </i>(Akagi)


    Shima and Taichi tried to protest and insisted that Kanae with them, but Kana''s re caused them to back off. After a bit, the three girls left, with Mika''s parents leaving Akagi, Shima, and Taichi standing in the police station''s lobby.


    "I knew you''d make Kana kill." Shima said.


    "And here it is." Akagi sighed. "I knew you''d say that."


    <i>{I didn''t need my processing ability to see this oneing.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Being around you has been nothing but trouble for her! You must know that!" Shima eximed. "From school issues and harassment to now <i>this</i>! She''s had her life targeted twice! All because of you and your powers and your attitude! Please tell her to go home! That way she won''t be involved with your nonsense anymore. If you really cared for Kana, you''d keep her away from you!"


    <i>{Why are you so insistent on keeping her by your side and pretending to be her sister? Do you really intend to keep her from us? Is this your attempt at payback? Is it because you wish to do something to Kanater? I can''t understand what you want Rishia!} </i>(Shima)


    "That''s a bunch of bullshit, and you know it," Akagi growled. "Send her away? Keep her at a distance? What would that do besides trample on her feelings and ce her at <i>more </i>risk?" Akagi continued. "I will not deny that my actions and attitude have caused her some trouble, but she''s no better with you than staying with me! Besides, she can leave whenever she wants! I''ve told her that countless times, so don''t act like I''m holding her hostage for my own needs!"


    <i>{Sure, if Kana went back to them. I''d be sad, but I wouldn''t force her to stay with me against her will!} </i>(Akagi)


    "She''s just confused." Taichi said. "Kana doesn''t understand what needs to be done or what is truly best for her. For whatever reason, she''s been obsessed with you since you were both children. She''s blinded by her feelings for you and her belief that you''re her sister means that she can''t make an objective decision on what''s best for her."


    "So we should just impose our will on her?!? Take away all her agency?!?" Akagi got mad. "FUCK THAT!" she screamed. "Even if she''s got rose-tinted sses for me. IT''S. STILL. HER. CHOICE!" Akagi continued. "It might be the wrong choice, it might not be the best decision, but it''s hers to make! Don''t you dare try taking that away from her! I''ll kill you both where you stand before I allow you to dictate her life!"


    The two took a step back, as Akagi began giving off heavy pressure. "You have no right to act like parents or tell <i>anyone</i> what to do. Not after everything you''ve done." Akagi grabbed Shima by the cor. "Let me spell this out for you two since you''re apparently too dense to understand." She took a deep breath. <i><b>"I WANT TO KILL YOU. I WANT TO MAKE YOU SUFFER FOR EVERYTHING YOU DID TO ME. BUT I''VE HELD BACK SOLELY BECAUSE OF KANA. BUT GO AHEAD, KEEP PUSHING ME! MY LOVE FOR MY SISTER IS VAST, BUT IT WILL EVENTUALLY REACH A POINT WHERE I''D RATHER BEG FOR HER FORGIVENESS THAN LET YOU TWO LIVE A MOMENT LONGER!" </b></i>Akagi let go of Shima, causing her to stumble backward and fall on the floor.


    "Now then. I''ve got better things to do than deal with you two and if I stick around any longer, the cops are gonna have two more bodies to clean up." She snapped her fingers and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

 Chapter 153- The Lord of Vampires.

    Chapter 153- The Lord of Vampires.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    3 Chaps!


    After leaving the police station, Akagi headed onto the roof of a nearby building and called Hishya. She figured the dragon would want to know what just happened, and knew that no one had clued her in as of yet.


    *RING* *RING*


    "What''s up? Its not often you call me out of the blue." Akagi could hear her cooking in the background.


    "Yeah well, you might want to call Kana." Akagi sighed.


    "Why, what happened?" Hishya asked what was going on, and was informed of the day''s events.


    "Are you fucking kidding me?!?" Hishya screamed.


    "I wish I was." Akagi shook her head. "Go and check on her and make sure she''s fine. Right now, she''s putting up a strong front for Mika. But she''s going to need a shoulder to cry on when the timees, and well, that''s your job." Akagiughed.


    <i>{Let her girlfriend handle that need.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I''ll call her and check in, and I''ll probably head over in a bit. But who could have turned that kid into a thrall? Mixu isn''t stupid enough to do that kind of thing." Hishya said.


    <i>{At least, I hope so. Otherwise Akagi and I are going to enjoy taking that vampire apart piece by piece!} </i>(Hishya)


    "Well, unless <em>this</em> world had vampires in it, which I doubt, that doesn''t leave us with many culprits." Akagi said. "None of the other yers have an ability like this, and if it wasn''t our resident vampy, that only leaves a very disturbing set of possibilities."


    "..." Hishya went silent as she thought for a moment. "In-game, there <i>were</i> NPC vampires, but they were few and far between." One of the few yers could fight was actually another World Boss.


    "Yes." Akagi nodded. "Not to mention, they were <em>all</em> servants of Silfana, and as far as I''m aware, no one else managed to bring people from FWO into this world besides me. Ema is the only former NPC not working for me, and she was brought over because of my exploit.¡±


    <i>{And she''s just a human, not a vampire.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Is it possible one of them crossed over?" Hishya asked. "I know you said things were wiped clean, but is that 100% confirmed?"


    <i>{Did we miss something?} </i>(Hishya)


    "Unless Mizumi is lying to me, which I don''t think is true, yes." Akagi replied. "FWO and everything within should have been wiped as soon as we departed."


    "Great, so we don''t even have a clue as to what''s going on." Hishya sighed. "Well, there isn''t much we can do about it at the moment, so let me call Kana. Keep me posted, and if you figure <em>anything</em> out, let me know. When we find whoever did this I want to tear them to pieces." She disconnected.


    "Yeah, Hishya, me too. Me too." Akagi chuckled. "But before I get too distracted, I''d better call Yumi. She''s probably worried, since I kinda just zoomed off.¡±


    *RING* *RING*


    Akagi called Yumi and exined the situation, naturally the priestess was none to pleased with this turn of events, and was angry that someone forced Kana to take a life.


    "That''s terrible." Yumi''s anger came through the phone.


    "Yeah, it''s fucked." Akagi sighed. "Hey, do me a favor and cancel everything for this weekend. Tell Rosewood something came up, and that I''ll try to be back for Monday." Akagi said.


    "Should I return to Japan?" Yumi asked.


    "No, you go back to sleep." Akagi replied. "I''ll let you know if I need you, alright?"


    "Ok, but please be careful." Yumi said.


    "Always am. I''ll pop back over and see you once things calm down a bit, bye." Akagi disconnected.


    <i>{I just can''t have five minutes of uninterrupted peace with Yumi, can I? First the Council tries to kill me, then this happens. Is it too much to ask for me and Yumi to be just be allowed to snuggle in peace?} </i>(Akagi)


    "Now then I suppose I should get to vampire hunting." Akagi stretched. "Not only did they attack my sister, but they interrupted my sleep and my snuggle time with Yumi. There will be hell to pay for <em>that</em>." She hopped between roofs to rendezvous with Chloe, who''d arrived in Kyoto with her team. The cat''d been in the middle of intel gathering when she''d gotten the call to abort and redirect her forces.


    Standing on the roof of one of thergest buildings in Kyoto, Chloe, and four ninjas arrived.


    "Myaster, we have arrived as requested, nya." Chloe and the four ninjas got on one knee. "We are ready to begin the hunt at your word, nya" The other ninja nodded in agreement.


    "I see you''ve brought Sakura with you." Akagi looked at the pink-haired girl. She didn''t normally apany Chloe on such outings so it was a bit unusual to see her.


    <i>{Also, I see your pet snake is riding on your head... I''m just going to ignore that.} </i>(Akagi)


    "She wished to atone for her earlier failure and insisted myaster." Chloe and the ninja stood up.


    "Very well." Akagi nodded. "I presume you''ve sent out other teams?"


    "Yes, I have three teams searching the city as we speak, nya." Chloe replied.


    "Good, take these four and assist the others in searching the city. I want Kyoto searched from top to bottom. We''re likely dealing with some kind of vampire, so be careful. If you find them, do not engage. If you find<em>anything</em> you are to first report to me, understood?" Akagi gave her orders.


    "Yes!" (Chloe and the ninjas)


    "Good luck and happy hunting." Akagi waved them off, and the ninja jumped away to begin their search.


    <i>{I''ve gotten no reports of vampire activity or any unusual events within Kyoto before today.} </i>Akagi thought to herself as she looked down at the city. <i>{If they arrived at the same time FWO ended, why wait until now to make themselves known? And how did they stay hidden from mywork? I keep Kyoto under close watch, and something like this shouldn''t have gone under the radar.} </i>


    "Perhaps-" Akagi was interrupted by a phone call.


    *RING**RING*


    "Hello, vampy." Akagi answered and spoke to Mixu. "You almost here?"


    "Yes, though there''s a small addendum." Mixu spoke.


    "Oh?" Akagi was interested.


    "Can you meet me at the Coroner''s office? We''ve got some things to discuss regarding this case, and our attached investigator will be meeting us there. Apparently, another case from Tuesday has some simrities to this incident." Mixu said.


    "Fine." Akagi turned and walked to the other side of the building. "I''ll meet you there, I needed to go there anyway for a separate matter." She disconnected and started hopping from building to building. It didn''t take long to reach the Coroner''s office, as it was close by, so Akagi waited outside until Mixu arrived. Once she did, the two went inside, where Investigator Nakagumo was waiting.


    "Well, it''s been a while since I''ve seen you, Chief." Akagi smiled as she greeted the man.


    "It''s not Chief anymore. Now I''m just an investigator who handles things rted to the supernatural and returnees." Nakagumo sighed. "I''ve already had the Coronery out the two bodies in the back. We can discuss things further there." He turned, motioning them to follow, and they went into the rear of the building where two metal tables had sheets covering them, underneath which were two bodies. An older man was also present, Nakagumo introduced him as the Coroner and he was going to assist if possible.


    "These are the twodies I was referring to, Niji." Nakagumo introduced Akagi and Mixu.


    "Yes, I see." He was clearly ufortable around them, but put on a brave face.


    "So these are the bodies?" Akagi pulled off the sheets. "That''s Hito alright, but this one... I don''t recognize him."


    "Juju Sakai, 37 years old. He was brought in on Tuesday." Niji exined. "His body was found in an alleyway, cause of death,pletely drained of blood leading to cardiac arrest." He pointed to the man''s neck. "As you can see, we have a bite pattern here. Two small punctures, we believe that this was how his blood was extracted."


    "Just to get out ahead of this, they already measured my bite, and it doesn''t match up. So it wasn''t me." Mixu wanted to get that out.


    "This young man, Hito, also has a bite mark, and it has the same spacing between the punctures, so it was likely the same person or tool that caused this." Niji said.


    <i>{So we probably do have a serial vampire on the loose, but this older man doesn''t seem to have changed.} </i>(Akagi)


    "This other man, Juju. He wasn''t turned into a thrall, and as far as I can tell, he''s still human." Akagi said as she analyzed one of his arms. "He was fed upon, then cast aside once drained, a typical facet of vampire predation. There are no residual changes or alterations that suggest mutation into a thrall or vampire."


    <em>{Which means this was never anything more than food for our would-be hunter.}</em>(Akagi)


    "Yes, we saw no signs of life or any movement from his corpse. Nor have we had any reported attacks in the nearby area." Nakagumo said.


    "Akagi." Mixu said as she walked over to Hito''s body. "This kid is definitely a vampire thrall. Lord knows that I''ve seen enough of them in my time to confirm that''s what he is..." She continued. "But, he is not a normal thrall."


    "What do you mean?" Akagi asked for rification.


    "When a vampire gives their blood to a non-vampire. One of two things can happen. Either they be a vampire themselves, or they turn into a thrall." Mixu mulled for a moment. "But this kid, he''s a <i>third</i> option."


    "A third?" Akagi asked. "What do you mean?"


    <i>{I don''t know much about vampires, so lets she what vampy has to say.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Look at his ws and the length of his canines." Mixu let her fangse out. "They''re almost as long as mine." She put them away. "Normal thralls are little more than a zombie essentially. They <i>do</i> have fangs and ws, but they are small and generally unsuited for serious use. But this kid, it''s almost as if he''s some kind of in-between of a vampire and a thrall. And that..."


    <em>{That''s not a good sign...} </em>(Mixu)


    "Ok, so does that tell us who did this? You know more about vampires than me." Akagi wanted her to continue.


    "Yes, but that answer leads to other problems." Mixu sighed. "Only a Royal Vampire can do something like this. They are the highest level of their kind, and their blood can have <i>different </i>effects on non-vampires."


    ¡°A Royal Vampire? I think I''ve heard that term before...¡± Akagi went through her memories to find the information. ¡°That term is from FWO, and was an race exclusive to...¡± Her eyes went wide as she figured it out.


    "Silfana." Mixu''s naming of the Lord of Vampires caused the temperature of the room to drop. "She was the leader of all Vampires and was how I became one myself, via her quest-line, and she was the <i>only </i>Royal Vampire in existence."


    "Yes, I tried to blend that power with my Shadow form, but she told me that wasn''t possible." Akagi thought back to that conversation. "And you''re <em>sure</em> there were no others like her?" She asked.


    "Not unless they were very well hidden, but since they are termed <i>Royal,</i> I''d think the Vampire Queen was the only one in existence. She was said to be the ruler of their kind in the games lore, so I''d guess she was the only one the Devs implemented, at least in the Alpha." Mixu said.


    "But if that''s true and Silfana <i>is</i> the only Royal Vampire, that brings up its own problem." Akagi continued for her. "If Silfana did this, the question is how? Hishya took her down once she''d recovered post-Hassan, and the Assault Team regrouped. Otherwise, we wouldn''t have gotten out of the game."


    "I''d also like to know that. But regardless, if she somehow got into our world, that''s going to be an issue." Mixu had a worried look on her face. "She''s a fully-fledged World Boss, and defeating her wasn''t easy the first time. She''s way more powerful than a yer, and it took an entire raiding team to beat her."


    <i>{I could handle her, but I doubt anyone else, bar Hishya, can 1v1 her.} </i>Akagi thought to herself.


    "I''ve got my people searching Kyoto. If she''s here, I''ll find her." Akagi said. "I''d like to speak with her if she really has arrived in our world. Her presence on Earth raises a mountain of questions that I want answered."


    <i>{And I want her. A World Boss, especially Silfana, would make an excellent addition to my forces. Though she will still be punished for what her little thrall did.} </i>Akagi kept that to herself for now.


    "I''ll radio this into HQ and request some backup. Superbia, Shimari, and Minazawa are free, and I''d feel better with more of us here." Mixu said, pulling up something on her AR.


    "I''ve pulled Hishya into this too. She''sing to visit Kana, so I imagine she''d be interested in hunting down Silfana if she''s really here." Akagi said.


    "That would be helpful." Mixu said as she walked to the other side of the room and began talking to Aoi.


    "Nakagumo." Akagi turned to the man.


    "Yes." He replied.


    "Do me a favor and get your people looking for more incidents like this man. If Silfana really is behind this, you''ll probably find more bodies as she feeds. Also, be on the lookout for further thrall attacks. Check back over the records from the past few days and see if any other bodies were found that have simr patterns. It''s possiblew enforcement overlooked them and didn''t report a connection." Akagi exined.


    "Sounds good. I''ll put in a call to HQ." He took out his phone and started dialing.


    <i>{Now, where are you, Silfana? And why have youe to my world?} </i>(Akagi)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Silfana POV>


    *SQUISH**SUCK*


    "Ah yes, such a wonderful taste." The Vampire Lord sat on a couch in a darkened home as she sucked the blood from a young woman. Her stark white hair contrasted with the dark red blood on her face. "I wonder where that ve of mine went. He disappeared earlier today and hasn''t returned. I hope he''s bringing me back something delicious. Otherwise, I''ll have to discipline him for going AWOL." Sheughed as she threw the drained woman onto the floor. "I have no idea where I am, but there is such an abundant human poption. If I don''t control myself, I might just go on a feeding frenzy! There are just so many fresh cattle for me to drink! It''s as if I''ve died and gone to paradise."


    Spoiler


    Silfana!


    [copse]

 Chapter 153.5 – Resurrection.

    Chapter 153.5 ¨C Resurrection.


    Once she was done inspecting the bodies of Hito and the other victim, Akagi brought up Misha, the girl killed earlier that day.


    "Ahh yes..." The old coroner looked sad. "What a tragedy, such a young life cut short."


    "Can I see her body?" Akagi asked.


    "I suppose so, but may I ask why?" The coroner was a bit confused by her request.


    "I''m going to bring her back." Akagi''s statement caught everyone off guard.


    "Wait, what?!?" Mixu eximed. Interrupting her call with Aoi. "You can revive people?!?"


    <i>{Why the fuck haven''t you done that BEFORE?!?} </i>(Mixu)


    "I mean, I''m pretty sure I can. If its possible, then this girl would be the first." Akagi shrugged.


    "Things just keep getting stranger and stranger." Nakagumo shook his head.


    "I uhhhh..." The coroner had no idea how to react. "Should I... who do I even call?"


    "Well, let''s see if it works <i>first</i>." Akagiughed. "No reason to alert her parents if this fails. That would probably end up badly."


    <i>{Giving them hope and then pulling it away would be a bit much, even for me.} </i>(Akagi)


    The coroner took Akagi and Mixu into another adjacent room where Misha''s body was sitting in a bag on a table. Nakagumo wanted nothing to do with this and left to speak with his officers.


    "Alright, first things first. We gotta fix the body. Otherwise, she''d just die again." Misha''s neck had been torn open quite well, and the damage was extensive.


    "Well, I don''t have healing magic and I don''t think a potion is going to do any good with her being <i>dead</i>." Mixu sighed. "Unless your Demon Lord powers allow you to heal?"


    "They do." Akagi smirked.


    "Of course they do." Mixu rolled her eyes. "Is there anything you <i>can''t </i>do?"


    "I''ll let you know when I find out." Akagiughed as she allowed a small amount of dark power to flow from her hand to Misha''s body, causing her wounds to slowly close.


    "Well, I''ll be dammed. You <i>can </i>heal." Mixu whistled. "Should I start ssifying you as a Cleric now? Poor Excel is gonna be out of a job at this rate."


    "I think rather than Cleric. I''m the being that <i>provides </i>the Cleric with its power." Akagiughed.


    <i>{Though it might be more urate to call me something akin to a Warlock patron instead.} </i>Akagiughed internally. <i>{Hmmmm, technically, I think Yumi might get her priestess power from me now, so who the fuck knows anymore.} </i>


    After thinking about it for a bit longer, Akagi pushed that thought process to the side since it didn''t really matter whatbel you ced on her anyway. Once all the wounds closed up, and she cleaned off Misha''s body, Akagi grabbed the girl''s soul from inside her shadow.


    "Alright, now to figure out how we ce this back in without causing problems." Akagi ran through her knowledge about souls.


    "So <i>that''s </i>what a soul looks like up close." Mixu leaned in to inspect it. "It looks about what one would expect, to be honest."


    "Yeah, souls are just balls of light and energy." Akagi shrugged. "Though they are generally <i>not </i>something mortals can mess with, for obvious reasons." She tapped on it, channeling a bit of her dark power into Misha''s soul.


    "So are you going just to smash it into her chest or something?" Mixu asked.


    "That would not work." Akagiughed. "The bindings which attach her soul to her physical body have been severed. Thus, I''ll need to rebuild them before <i>reinstalling </i>her."


    <i>{What is she? An OS update?} </i>(Mixu)


    Akagi began channeling arge quantity of dark power into both Misha''s soul and her body while waving her hands around to direct it.


    <i>{Alright, here goes nothing.} </i>Akagi lifted up Misha''s soul with her power and gently ced it over her chest before allowing it to sink down and out of sight.


    "Her soul is attached, so now we just wait and see if she wakes up." Akagi walked over to the body and tapped Misha on the forehead. "Wakey wakey!"


    <i>{As if that''s gonna-} </i>(Mixu)


    "Ugh...." Misha''s body began to twitch as her eyes slowly opened. "W-where am I? What''s going on?"


    "Holy fuck, she <i>did </i>revive her!" Mixu''s eyes went wide. She genuinely didn''t think Akagi could do it.


    "I-I''ll go call her family!" The coroner bolted out of the room.


    "Everything <i>seems </i>to be fine." Akagi sighed. "However, it looks like we''ve got some side effects."


    "What are you talking about?" Mixu asked as Akagi pointed to Misha''s eyes. "Ohhhhh. <i>Ohhhhhhhhh.</i>"


    <i>{That''s probably not normal...} </i>{Mixu)


    "Yeah, well, it''s fine." Akagi shrugged. "It''s a miracle this even worked, and it''s not surprising that using my power had some side effects." Misha''s eyes had turned orange like Akagi''s and Kana''s, though her sclera was still white.


    <i>{I guess this is better than death.} </i>(Mixu)


    "Where am I?" Misha tried to sit up but found herself too weak to move.


    "You are currently in the morgue." Akagi smiled.


    "The morgue?" She looked down at herself. Most of her body was still in a ck bag. "I... that''s right... I died...<i>"</i>


    "Yup, and after you got bit, you were taken here where they put you on ice." Akagiughed. "They even put a tag on your foot with your name."


    "You... you really did bring me back!" Misha looked like she was about to cry. "You really saved me!"


    <i>{Oh boy... heree the waterworks.} </i>Akagi looked over to Mixu, who mouthed. <i>You revived her, so you handle it!</i>


    "<i>Saved</i> is a subjective term, but yes. How does your body feel?" Akagi asked as she pulled some clothes out of her inventory. "Vampy, help me dress her." The two pulled Misha out of the bag and put some pajamas on her beforeying her back down.


    "I feel cold..." Misha was visibly shivering.


    "Well yeah, dead bodies go cold <i>real </i>quick." Akagi chuckled as she cast some warmth on her and took out a nket. "And you''ve been dead for what? A good couple hours I think."


    "This might be insensitive to ask you right after everything, but I gotta know. What was being dead like?" Mixu asked.


    "I could kill you and let you find out directly." Akagi chuckled.


    "Not interested!" Mixu shook her head vigorously.


    "I-it was <i>cold</i> and dark... and there was nothing..." Misha shivered. "I couldn''t move, or see, or hear, or feel anything... It was just... <i>nothing</i>... and it was scary..."


    <i>{Makes sense to me.} </i>(Akagi)


    "That sounds horrible." Mixu got a shiver through her spine. "I never want to experience that."


    "But!" Misha eximed. "In that darkness and cold, there was a bit of light and warmth! It enveloped me and drove away the cold!"


    <i>{Ohhh nooo. I don''t like where this is going...} </i>(Akagi)


    "It was you, Lady Akagi! You came to me when there was nothing! In that dark awful ce, you were warmth got through like a nket that protected me." Misha''s eyes now went slightly <i>crazy</i>. "Lady Akagi, you were the beacon of warmth that pierced through the darkness and pulled me back. Your warmth is what kept me going!"


    <i>{Great. She has now found faith. IN ME!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Your warm touch pulled me back from that horrible ce! You saved me from the cold embrace of death!" Misha wanted to sit up but was still too weak to move. ¡°I can never repay you for your kindness!¡±


    "What did you do to her?" Mixu looked at Akagi, judging her.


    "I didn''t <i>do </i>anything!" Akagi didn''t like being used here. "I just revived her from certain death. You know how stories of peopling dying and resurrected go!"


    <i>{And people wonder why I don''t do nice things...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Lady Akagi, please do not be angry! I have merely been shown the truth of this world! That in the darkness that surrounds us, your warmth keeps us safe while we drift between life and death. That there is nothing to fear in the dark as long as one has you!" Her time being dead seemed to have traumatized her severely, most likely because souls are not supposed to linger for as long as she did. Also, she was ced <i>within </i>Akagi, a Demon Lord who eats souls, so probably not the most happy and hospitable of ces.


    "Pffff!" Mixuughed at thatment.


    "Mixu, if you tell <i>anyone </i>what she said. YOU will be getting to experience death <i>personally</i>." Akagi red at her.


    "Hmmm, I mean, telling everyone <i>might </i>be worth it." Mixu couldn''t stopughing.


    ¡°There is nothing to fear in death as long as one believes in Lady Akagi!¡± Misha smiled. ¡°Her warmth wasforting, it was as if I could fall asleep peacefully and nothing could harm me!¡±


    <i>{Great, now to deal with this mess...} </i>(Akagi)


    ¡°Was my power really thatforting to you?¡± Akagi asked.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Misha nodded slightly. ¡°That ce was cold and scary. But the moment your power poured into me, I felt a sense of calm and warmth like I was being held in my mothers arms!¡±


    ¡°Pfff!¡± Mixu was still trying hard not tough, and Akagi smacked her on the head.


    <i>{I wish I could record this!} </i>(Mixu)


    Figuring that attempting argue with Misha was pointless, Akagi decided to just roll with her ravings. "<i><b>Yes, you understand well mortal.¡±</b></i> She put on a haughty air and allowed her voice to distort. <i><b>¡°I am that which lurks within the darkness between life and death. What you felt was my protection, something given out only to those I deem worthy.¡±</b></i>


    <i>{IS SHE ACTUALLY ROLLING WITH THIS?!?} </i>(Mixu)


    ¡°I knew it!¡± Misha cried out. ¡°You <i>were</i> protecting me! Thank you my Lady for such benevolence in saving me from death! I am forever in your debt.¡±


    <i>{Should I feel bad for this girl? I''m not even sure anymore.} </i>(Mixu)


    ¡°<i><b>Think nothing of it, I simply saved a wayward soul at the request of a friend. Put simply, it was not your time, and thus I extended my grace to you.¡± </b></i>Akagi smirked. <b><i>¡°If you wish to thank anyone, thank Mika, as she was the one who requested me to share my warm embrace with you.¡±</i></b>


    <i>{You caused this, Mika. So I''m dragging you down with me!} </i>(Akagi)


    ¡°I see. Mika must be one of your most ardent devotees if she was able to make such a request.¡± Misha said. ¡°I shall endeavor to repay her kindness once I am better.¡±


    ¡°<i><b>Good. Though I doubt she will want such things. Mika is most charitable.¡± </b></i>Akagi was struggling to keep this act going.


    ¡°Then, in exchange, I shall spread the word and inform everyone about your warmth within the darkness!¡± Misha seemed raring to go.


    ¡°<i><b>I will ask you to refrain from such things.¡± </b></i>Akagi wanted to stop her before things got out of hand.


    ¡°But why?!?¡± Misha cried out. ¡°Shouldn''t all know of your warm embrace?¡±


    <i><b>"Because, Misha."</b></i> Akagi said. <i><b>¡°It is important to maintain bnce in the world. Ordinarily I do not interfere within the cycle of death and rebirth, but you were a special asion. It would trouble me if more were toe seeking special treatment, and its possible that reality might be imbnced if too many are saved.¡± </b></i>Flying by the seat of her pants was a <i>generous description</i> of what Akagi was doing.


    <i>{Oh my god. She''s just making this shit up as she goes! I''m impressed that she can make it sound so coherent and so bullshit at the same time.} </i>(Mixu)


    "Imbnced?" Misha tilted her head.


    <i><b>"Yes, but I am afraid it''s tooplex for a mortal to understand." </b></i>Akagi nodded. <i><b>"Just know that it''s best that people </b></i><i><u><b>never ever find out what we discussed here today!</b></u></i><i><b>"</b></i>


    <i>{This... I''m so d I came with.} </i>(Mixu)


    "Forgive me for speaking out of turn, Lady Akagi!" Misha apologized. "I will never speak of these events again!¡±


    <i>{WHY ME?!? Is it toote to just kill her again and never speak of this?} </i>(Akagi)


    <i><b>"I am d to see that you understand." </b></i>Akagi nodded.


    "But!" Misha eximed


    <i>{Oh great... more...} </i>(Akagi)


    "I must still spread the word about you, even if I must conceal the truth! I shall gather others worthy of your grace and we shall-¡± Misha was cut off by Akagi.


    ¡°<i><b>No! We''re not doing this! I don''t want a cult, a religion or anything like that, capish! If </b></i><i><b>you want to personally pray to me or something, go ahead. But DO NOT EVER SPEAK TO ANYONE ELSE ABOUT THIS EVER</b></i>!¡± Akagi put her foot down.


    "But-" Misha was cut off.


    <i><b>"NO BUTS!</b></i>" Akagi shut her down. <i><b>¡°You may speak to Kana, Mika, Naomi, Hishya, Yumi Mixu, myself or my family about such things, but no others! That goes for you too Mixu!¡± </b></i>She red at the vampire, who just smiled and nodded.


    "Fine..." Misha sulked. ¡°If that is what Lady Akagi wants, then I shall abide by your wishes.¡±


    <i>{Next time I see Mika, I''m going to hit her. I know this isn''t technically her fault, but I''m still going to hit her.} </i>(Akagi)


    A little whileter, Misha''s parents barged into the coroner''s office and were greeted by a revived Misha. At first, they were concerned about her eyes, but Akagi informed them that it was simply a product of her power being used to bring her back. There was a bit of arguing, but Akagi shut them up by saying that they could either have a dead child or one with some orange eyes. This very direct method made them agree that having Misha alive was better than not. While she was a bit <i>off </i>due to her newly found devotion to Akagi, she was <i>normal</i> for that was worth.


    <i>{I have a feeling that Misha is going to cause me headachester...} </i>(Akagi)


    Spoiler


    Misha!


    [copse]

 Chapter 154 – The Emotional Trauma.

    Chapter 154 ¨C The Emotional Trauma.


    While Akagi was busy meeting with Mixu and attempting to find the vampire who caused this mess. Kana and the girls headed to Mika''s house for an impromptu sleepover. The ride was quiet, as this afternoon''s events were both unexpected and traumatic for the girls. Kana kept looking down at her right hand, her mind showing images of blood covering it. Himari was worried that Kana was angry with her, but the sword spirit''s worries were dispelled when Kana apologized for making <i>her </i>kill someone. Naturally, Himari didn''t care, as killing was what she was designed to do. But Kana still felt guilty, even if Himari waspletely unphased.


    Kana knew in her heart that what she did was right, and that saving Mika was the correct decision. But the thought of taking someone''s life, even in such a situation, was <i>horrific</i>. Chloe had warned her when they started training that she might one day be forced to use her training to take a life. And while Kana did not underestimate the weight of such an action, she was still ill-prepared for such a reality. Despite all her issues with Hito, he was still a ssmate and one she''d known since middle school. They didn''t always get along, but the <ist</i> thing she wanted to do was have to kill him. Even after being assured by Akagi that he was little more than a zombie-like creature, that didn''t make her feel any better. On the outside, Kana was keeping a cool and stoic fa?ade, but on the inside, all she wanted to do was curl up on a ball and cry. But she couldn''t do that, not yet. Because she knew that would Mika feel even worse than she already did, and she needed to help her friend first.


    Mika was in some ways worse off than Kana. She''d seen attacks and terrifying scenes in the past, even nearly dying on two separate asions, but this attack struck hard enough to shake even <i>her</i>. Simrly to Kana, she never got along with Hito, and his recent actions only angered her even more. Kana was an important friend, and Hito and the other student''s attitudes disgusted her. She understood their fear and revulsion to a point, but felt things had gone far past reasonability. As she sat in the back seat, the sight of her ssmate being eaten by Hito continued to y in her mind over and over again. Misha''s screams for help rang in her ears, and she couldn''t get the sound out of her mind. Hito''s horrific appearance and actions also shook her, but what really hit home, was the idea that her best friend was forced to end someone''s life to save her.


    She was angry at Hito for attacking, sure, and she would never disparage Kana''s decision, as she knew in her heart that Kana was in the right to save her. But more than anything else, she was angry with <em>herself</em>. Mika hated her weakness and the fact that, yet again, someone else needed to save her. At first, she''d wanted magic for fun things and a general sense of wonder. Even asking Imp to make a special item to allow her to y around with a fun idea she had. But now, she had a different mindset. Mika wouldn''t just <i>y</i> with her magic, she would master it and be strong enough so that no one else would have to defend her. But before all that, she needed to make sure Kana was ok. She knew these events weighed heavily on her friend''s heart and she would do anything to ease her suffering.


    Naomi was the least affected of the three girls and, while still shaken, she''d mostly recovered by the time they got to Mika''s house. The girl had seen her family gunned down before her very eyes, so at this point two ssmates dying wasn''t particrly traumatic. Rather than worry about herself, Naomi was more concerned for her two friends and their mental states. Naomi figured Kana was putting on a front, and she could tell Mika felt incredibly guilty for making Kana save her. For now, she resolved to help the two of them as best she could. Akagi texted her that she''d send over some stuff for a sleepover, asking her to keep an eye on the two girls. The <em>Demon</em> figured that staying away would be best for now, and that letting the girls handle this together was for the best.


    Upon arrival at Mika''s home, the girls went inside and sat around the kitchen table. Mika''s mother poured some tea and got some snacks, though Kana first brushed her teeth and cleaned her mouth. Hishya texted her that she was going toe over, something Mika''s parents were fine with. They told the girls to stay the weekend if they wished, and they offered any help they could.


    Figuring sitting at a quiet table and allowing negative thoughts to stew wasn''t the best idea. Mika''s parents told them to watch a movie or something to get their minds off things, so the girls opted to watch someedies and light-hearted fluffy shows. This helped to improve the mood, and Hishya''s arrival a few hourster made Kana feel better. The four girls spent the night in Mika''s room, watching shows, ying cards, and just generally trying to rx as much as possible. Today''s events seemed to fade into the background, but Hishya could tell the girls were simply repressing things.


    As the night went on and people went to sleep, Mika quietly texted Kana and asked to speak with her in the kitchen, alone. Knowing what this was about, Kana obliged, and the two sat across from each other in total silence. Everyone else was asleep, so they could talk things out without interference.


    "Ummm." Mika found it hard to speak.


    "Mika, it''s fine, you don''t have to-" Kana was cut off.


    "Please!" Mika said. "Let me do this." She said, holding back tears.


    Kana stopped. She could tell Mika was serious, and figured trying to talk her out of this was pointless.


    Mika took a deep breath and looked at Kana, her eyes slightly watery. "I''m so sorry..." She started to cry a bit. "I''m sorry, Kana. Because of me... because of me, you...you had to...to. It''s all my fault."


    Kana reached across the table and grabbed Mika''s hand. "It''s not your fault." Kana shook her head. "I made the decision to kill him, you''re not to me for anything."


    "But I am!" Mika eximed. "I threw the rock to help you and that made hime at me! I wasn''t strong enough to defend myself! I forced you to make that choice between me and him!" Mika started crying more.


    <i>{I forced you to kill!} </i>(Mika)


    "You did nothing wrong!" Kana wrapped both her hand''s around Mika''s. "It was a choice between killing him and saving my friend or letting you die, and there was no way I''d let anyone hurt you. It''s not your fault he attacked, and if you hadn''t distracted him, <i>I </i>would have been hurt. So instead of you apologizing to me, I should be thanking you, Mika. Had you not had the courage to do that, I might not be sitting here right now." Kana started tearing up. "So, I''d say we''re even. You saved my life, and I saved yours. How does that sound?" Kana smiled.


    "But you still had to kill someone! Even if he was some vampire thing, it was still Hito, wasn''t it?!?" Mika wiped tears from her eyes. "All I did was throw a rock. That''s nothingpared to what you had to do! I can tell you''re just pretending to be ok, Kana! I can see it in your eyes!" Mika was right, Kana <i>was</i> just pretending.


    "Is it really that obvious?" Kana smiled as she bit her lip. "I''ve been trying to stay strong for you."


    <i>{I didn''t want you to see me wallow in sadness, since I knew that would only make you feel worse.} </i>(Kana)


    Mika giggled with tears in her eyes. "You''re not fooling anyone, Kana. You''re hurting, even more than me, yet here you are trying to be strong to make me feel better. You really are too much sometimes."


    <i>{And you''re so strong.} </i>(Mika)


    "I just didn''t want you to... to..." Kana couldn''t finish speaking as tears spilled out. "I killed him, Mika." She squeaked out. "I killed Hito! I took someone''s life! I can still feel his flesh tear as I drove the de into him, and my hand still feels sticky from his blood!" Mika got up and moved around the table to hug her.


    "It''s ok, Kana." Mika said. "Let it out. Holding it in... it''s not going to help."


    <em>{Lord knows its not been good for our resident Demon Lord.} </em>(Mika)


    Kana turned and started crying, and crying and crying. It was probably the most she''d ever cried in her entire life. For all her maturity, she was still just a kid, and taking a life was hard on anyone, especially someone so young. Hishya stood around the corner out of sight, watching silently as this all went on. She hated seeing Kana like this, but decided to stay back and allow the two to work this out between themselves. She''dfort Kanater, but for now, she figured that Kana and Mika needed to spend time together.


    The two sat together in the kitchen together for what felt like hours until Mika eventually went to bed. The two girls felt better after discussing things and letting out their emotions. Though, it would take time, and therapy, for them to fully recover.


    Once Mika went to sleep, Kana stayed at the kitchen table alone, as she was unable to sleep. After a few minutes, Kana went to see if Hishya was still awake. Naturally, she was, and the two stepped outside into the cool air for a walk, holding hands as they wandered around the neighborhood together.


    "Are you alright?" Hishya asked her. "Well, I mean, do you feel a bit better?" She was also bad at this.


    "I feel better now that I''ve talked to Mika... and cried. That helped more than expected." Kana giggled. "Though it''s going to take time. This is just, <i>a lot</i> to process. How the hell can Onee-chan take people''s lives and not care?"


    "Can I speak freely?" Hishya asked, and Kana nodded. "Akagi is fucked in the head, Kana." She continued. "Your reaction, being sick, scared, and anxious. <i>That''s </i>normal, and as bad as this is to say I''m <i>d</i> to see you taking it so hard." She could tell Kana was confused. "I mean, it shows that you''re still human. You haven''t changed because of Akagi''s power, and you''re still <i>normal</i> for that''s worth." Sheughed. "When I heard you''d killed him, I was worried you wouldn''t care and just walk it off. I was worried that you''d-" Kana interrupted.


    "That I''d be like my sister and not care at all." Kana said. "I admit, that did worry me too. That with everything that''s happened, I might start bing more like her. While I don''t mind that to a point, that is one aspect I don''t want to copy.¡±


    "Well, yes, but actually I was going to say like me." Hishya gave a wry smile. "I might bitch about Akagi, but I''m no different at this point, Kana." Kana''s eyes went wide. "I killed Gim and Grim, and I didn''t feel anything. No pity, no remorse. Nothing." She shook her head. "I guess bing a dragon removed that part of me. The only time before that I''de close to killing was when I fought Akagi at Hassan, and looking back, I truly had no reservations about ending her life.¡± Hishya sighed. ¡°If it was only that one time, then I could write it off as a fluke, but ever since we got out of the game, I can just tell that I don''t care about killing anymore and that it doesn''t bother me. I was worried that might have happened to you." She squeezed her hand. "So I''m d to see you''re still human, Kana."


    ¡°So am I. And I''m d to have you, Hishya.¡± Kana smiled.


    The two continued to wander around the street together on that cool night until eventually, Kana got sleepy. Hishya flew the tired girl back to Mika''s house, tucked her into the futonid out for her, and slept beside her, holding her tight throughout the night.

 Chapter 155 – Akagi Addresses Humanity.

    Chapter 155 ¨C Akagi Addresses Humanity.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    This will be thest time (Barring half chapters and specials) that I do more than one per release day. Thank you all for this amazing support!


    The weekend went by exceedingly slowly for Akagi. Kana stayed at Mika''s over the weekend, and school was temporarily closed for a while, so she decided to stay Monday as well. The <em>Demon</em> kept contact to a minimum, only calling or texting her sister briefly to make sure she was fine, and to bring needed items. Kana understood <i>why </i>her sister was keeping a distance, since Akagi wasn''t great at this type of thing, and because she respected Kana''s need for space. She was grateful for her sister''s understanding, and decided to head home once Akagi finished up her work in the United States. She''d speak to her sister about what happened on Friday once she returned, and was worried that this might have put a wedge between them.


    Monday eventually arrived in the United States, and the time for Akagi''s speech to the United Nations drew near. Rosewood was initially annoyed that Akagi disappeared, but upon hearing what happened, she offered her condolences. She even offered to reschedule her appearance at the UN, but Akagi said there wasn''t a reason to do so. Kana would be fine, and it wouldn''t change much if she went home now anyway.


    The UN General Assembly would meet at 10 am, and Akagi would speak shortly after, once some initial business was dealt with. Before that, however, Akagi had a meeting with both the U.S. Ambassador to the UN Albert Wakemore, and Muhammad Alhaadi who was the current Secretary for Outer Space Affairs from Kenya. They wished to discuss her speech and a few other issues before the Assembly began, and Akagi didn''t mind. So that morning, President Rosewood, Mizumi, Yumi, Akagi, and Nariyuki, flew to New York City, where the General Assembly building was. Upon arrival, the group was immediately taken to the UN building where the Ambassador and the Secretary were waiting in a separate conference room. President Rosewood did not attend the meeting, and went to speak with some other nations'' representatives in the meantime, while Yumi and Mizumi followed Akagi. Agent Nariyuki was excluded from the meeting, and another trantor was provided, something that aggravated her.


    Upon entering the small room, Akagi greeted the two men, shaking their hands and giving introductions before sitting across from them.


    "So, what can I help you with?" Akagi asked the two of them.


    "<i>I </i>wanted to be sure of your intentions going forward." Alhaadi answered. "While my position was technically created to handle extraterrestrial life, I figured that you are sufficiently <i>alien </i>to qualify." Heughed. "My goal is to understand what you want and how you wish to interact with humanity going forward. President Rosewood was kind enough to give me the rundown on who and what you are." He turned to Mizumi. "And I understand that you and you''re people are a special case, as you were originally from this world. But for simplification, let''s just consider you aliens as well for my purposes." He said.


    "That''s fine." Mizumi shrugged. "We don''t really have a connection to our past anyway, so we don''t consider this world to be our home."


    "I see." Alhaadi nodded. "I would like to speak to you at length another time, if possible. I want to try and form a good rtionship between your people and humanity. Hopefully, this time, we can do things right so you won''t be forced to flee from us again."


    "That would be great." Mizumi nodded. "I also think that running from our issues has only exacerbated our problems." She figured that had her people actually tackled the human issue more directly, rather than ignoring it, they might not have been branded as evil.


    "So then, Ms. Akagi. What can you tell me?" Alhaadi asked.


    "Well...." (Akagi)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    After Akagi finished speaking with Secretary Alhaadi, it was time for her address. The General Assembly was called to order, and some minor matters were dealt with before an announcement was made, giving Akagi her time to speak.


    "I now give time to Ms. Akagi Dumetor, representative of the soon-to-be-established Kingdom of Dumetor and the Demon Lord." (Chairman)


    Akagi slowly walked up to the central podium, changing into her Demon Lord mode as she did, which startled some people. Standing before representatives from every nation in the world, she gave an address that would go down in history.


    <i><b>"Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will try to keep this brief, but I cannot guarantee that." </b></i>She smiled, her distorted voice causing some difort among the representatives.


    <i><b>"I am here today to speak to all of humanity. To every man, woman, and child that inhabits this earth, because I felt it important for you all to understand who I am and just how lucky you all are. </b></i>She took a breath. <i><b>"I am the Demon Lord. That is not just a fancy title or something I''ve styled myself as. Rather, it is the designation given to me by this reality itself.¡± </b></i>She tapped the podium.<i><b> ¡°My kind are created when a world has be stagnant, or when it is determined that a world is no longer worth keeping. Either because it is a drain of resources or because it has fundamental structural problems. This decision, to annihte a world, is controlled by natural forces dictated by the fabric of the universe itself, much like a natural disaster. There is no intelligence behind our creation, merely cold hard logic.¡±</b></i> She paused for a moment to let that intro sink in.


    ¡°<i><b>Now you may ask, what is my kind''s purpose? Why we are created? And to those questions, I can give a simple answer, </b></i><i><u><b>destruction</b></u></i><i><b>. I was ced in this world for one single purpose, to kill all of you and exterminate all life so that this world would wither and die on the proverbial vine. My kind are genocidal monsters who revel in ughter, and enjoy the very act of killing itself. After all, what good is a tool if it refuses to do its job?¡± </b></i>Sheughed.<i><b> ¡°Ordinarily, I shouldn''t be speaking to you all today. My kind is not supposed to be capable of much rational thought, and we are intended to be controlled by our base emotions which blot out all cognitive reasoning. We are little more than machines of ughter and destruction, with no room for co-existence with mortal life. However, as you can clearly see, I am not killing you all. I am not ending the world. In fact, I''d say rather than wish to destroy it, I actually enjoy this world and its people. While I am a Demon Lord, and still have those base instincts for destruction, I am a unique existence and something that should be an impossibility. Through a series of extraordinary circumstances and bonds with those who I''vee into contact with throughout my life. I managed to do something that no other member of my kind has.¡± </b></i>She paused.<i><b> ¡°I was given the power to choose. To choose my own future, and by extension, the future of this world. I''ve retained my destructive power, but am no longerpelled to use it against you. As I am now, I am free to live my life as I choose, and I have chosen peace. I will not stand here and say I have some deep love for humanity in my heart, for that would be a lie. I simply find you interesting and capable of providing entertainment, but I believe that is good enough. I seek not to destroy humanity, nor do I wish to rule over it. What I want is to live in peace, and enjoy time with those who I''vee to call family. Since I awakened from the FWO incident, I''ve had to strike out against those who would threaten me and those I care about, but I''ve been careful to limit my attacks to those who''ve made me their enemy. But at the same time, I am also an assassin. It is a line of work I came to love from my time within the game, and it is one of the things I''vee to enjoy most in this life. I mention this because I want to make it clear that I intend to continue my work, regardless of what you or anyone else thinks. While many of you will find such a line of work objectionable, I''d say that permitting me this bit of leeway is a small price to pay for the continuation of mankind.¡± </b></i>Akagi smiled.


    ¡°<i><b>So my demands to humanity are as follows. You are to leave me and my family alone and, in turn, I will allow this world to continue existing as it has. My presence and influence will always be felt. But I promise to limit my actions as much as I can, so as to not throw the world''s bnce out of alignment. Though, I have no issue with humanity working cooperatively with me and my people, or making use of our services. Understand that this is not negotiable, and refusal will have dire consequences for this world.¡± </b></i>She red out at the representatives, her gaze sending chills down most people''s spines.


    ¡°<i><b>Now, I would like to turn my attention to the blue-haired woman sitting in the guest seating.¡±</b></i> She pointed to the Spirit.<i><b> ¡°Her name is Mizumi, and beyond being a representative for the Spirits, she is also the person responsible for the FWO incident. Her people hail from another world, a parallel dimension where magic is real. They were falsely med for causing a disaster on their home world, marked for death by those who lived there and were driven to the brink of extinction. Seeing no other choice, they conducted a grand ritual, which cost the lives of so many of their kind, to flee to this world. Unfortunately, as a result of this ritual, I along with three thousand other people were trapped within a Virtual Reality game for nearly four years, and nearly two thousand of those trapped did not survive. She understands that many will be angry with her and believe she is a murderer."</b></i><b></b>She stopped for a moment. <strong><em>"After much reflection, </em></strong><i><b>she has epted your hatred and anger, but she believes that she was left with no choice. When faced with the genocide of her people, she had to make a choice, and she chose the lives of her own over that of strangers. I challenge anyone to condemn humanity to its destruction if it means a few thousand unknown people died elsewhere. I suspect the number of you who would do so is rather low, but I will not stop you from voicing your displeasure with her. However, I have taken her in as my own subordinate, and as such, she has be one of my people, and any attacks on her will be considered an attack on me."</b></i>She paused again.


    <i><b>"There will be tough times ahead as the world reorients itself in the face of all the changes over these past months. But I believe things can be handled respectfully and peacefully. Magical knowledge will begin to spread in this world, and slowly but surely, life will change for everyone, whether you like it or not. Thus, humanity has a choice. Does it seek to adapt and survive? Or will it remain stubborn and unchanging in the face of change? I personally do not care what path humanity chooses and how it handles these dramatic changes. I simply wish to be left alone, for in the end, I will be here eternally. Humanity''s short existence is but a passing moment in time for me. But, when thest star goes out and the eternal night reigns over the cold, lifeless world that will eventuallye, I would like to think back, d that I choose to allow you to continue forward."</b></i>


    Akagi looked out to the room of representatives. They gave no apuse, no cheer. Rather, they sat in total silence, unable to speak. Even Rosewood was taken aback by what Akagi said and thestment in particr truly shook her to her core.


    <i>{S-she... she truly is a being beyond ourprehension...}</i> (Rosewood.)

 Chapter 156 – The Investigation Continues.

    Chapter 156 ¨C The Investigation Continues.


    "Well, that was <i>interesting</i>." Kana sighed. She and the girls had stayed upte to watch Akagi''s speech, which went about as expected.


    <i>{I guess it could have gone worse, so I can''t be mad.} </i>(Kana)


    "If by interesting you mean <i>horrifying. </i>Then yes, that was <i>interesting</i>." Hishya groaned. "She basically just said I own you, so count yourself lucky I don''t exterminate you like insects!"


    <i>{I mean, she isn''t wrong, but I don''t like her saying it!} </i>(Hishya)


    "I think that was the point, Hishya." Naomi pointed out that Akagi had said nothing that was new or untrue. "She''s been consistent in telling people to leave her alone ever since she woke upst summer. I think the idea <em>here</em> was to make that message loud and clear, even if ites across as a dictate to the world."


    <i>{Which, in fairness, is what it was.} </i>(Naomi)


    "So basically par for the course?" Mika said. "Nothing in there was that shocking, though that line at the end about eternal darkness was... uh..."


    "I suppose <i>that</i> was what Onee-chan was talking about when she meant her ''long-term'' nning." Kana rolled her eyes. "What a hell of a way to put it."


    <i>{Last star burning out, what a crazy thing to end on, Onee-chan.} </i>(Kana)


    "Yeah, hurrah. The Demon Lord will exist for all eternity, have fun!" Hishya flopped backward on the floor. "We''re all locked in the cage with the hungry monster, and all we can do is pray it won''t eat us out of boredom or curiosity..."


    "I suppose that''s one way to put it." Naomi gave a dryugh. "Though I imagine there are <i>worse</i> supreme overlords of the universe."


    "Yeah, sure." Hishya said. "The literal incarnation of evil just told us all to y nice or die. That''s not too bad now that I think about it." She was being sarcastic.


    "Now, now." Kana flicked her on the nose. "Stop being so melodramatic, Hishya. In spite of all her <i>problems,</i> Onee-chan isn''t that bad."


    "<i>For now.</i>" Hishya rubbed her nose. "Let''s see how she is in a few centuries or millennia. She might just get bored or even stop giving a fuck. Unlike you three, I''ll probably be around long enough to watch her slowly go from <i>Nice</i> to <b>Evil</b>."


    <i>{She''s already shown her true colors enough times for me to be skeptical she''ll remain as nice as she is now.} </i>(Hishya)


    "No point worrying about it, though." Mika shrugged. "We can''t do anything to stop her, so at this point, just go on with your life and put it out of your mind. You don''t worry about a meteor blowing up the every day even though it can happen."


    <em>{Besides, I don''t think Akagi wants to do any of that anyway. Knowing her, she might just want to turn in to a catgirl and get pet!} </em>(Mika)


    "I agree with Mika, It''s probably for the best that we just don''t think about it." Naomi agreed. "Doing so will only give you unneeded stress, and my sessions with Akagi have me convinced that she''s not as bad as you think."


    <i>{She''s just got a lot of baggage. But overall, she really isn''t that bad of a person inside. Heck, from what she''s told me if she could just cling to Yumi in some dark corner of the universe for all eternity, she''d be happy.} </i>(Naomi)


    "Yeah, you''re probably right." Hishya sighed. "Still, I can only imagine the hell that''s about to erupt. Social media is already on fire, and that broadcast was viewed by like half the poption. So you can bet that there''s gonna be chaos."


    "I mean, granted, she did <i>just </i>say leave me alone." Kana shrugged. "So maybe it won''t be so bad?"


    <i>{Hopefully!} </i>(Kana)


    Hishya squinted her eyes in doubt. "Let''s change the channel and see what''s happening." She sat up and turned on the news, which was a panel of anchors discussing what just happened. Naturally, there was panic, fear, and confusion. The girls listened in and got the sense that people were confused, and not fully understand things. A spokesman for the government came on and tried to assure people that everything was alright. Though, he seemed as nervous as everyone else.


    "Ok, not as bad as expected." Hishya rolled her eyes. "Still bad, but we have to wait and see what happens over the next few days. Probably riots, protests, and the usual."


    "Maybe." Mika shrugged. "I think it will be fine. She didn''t dere war on humanity, so I think things will settle down."


    <i>{Though, I am worried about Misha. She might have taken being revived by Akagi a bit to umm... religiously...} </i>(Mika)


    *RING**RING* Hishya''s AR device alerted her of a call from Superbia.


    "What''s up?" Hishya answered.


    "What do mean <i>what''s up</i>?!?" Superbia eximed. "Did you <i>not</i> just watch that entire thing?"


    <i>{Oh boy, now I have to deal with this...} </i>(Hishya)


    "I''m sitting with Kana and the girls, and yes we did indeed watch the Demon Lord <em>threaten</em> humanity." Hishya sighed. "But why are you calling me? Please don''t tell me someone decided to send you guys after her."


    <em>{</em><em>That would be both pointless and stupid.}</em>(Hishya)


    "Hell no!" Superbia yelled. "We''re not going near <i>that </i>mess with a ten-foot pole! I actually didn''t call because of that anyway, I just wanted to see what your take was."


    "My take?" Hishya said. "Be d you get to die one day and have your soul reincarnated in some other reality. The rest of us are locked in here with the monster."


    "Pffff." Mikaughed. "She actually said that?!?"


    <i>{I mean, she isn''t wrong Mika...} </i>(Kana)


    "Well, that''s about what I expected." Superbia sighed. "Anyway, getting to the actual reason I called.¡± Her voice got sharp. ¡°We found another body." This instantly got Hishya''s attention, and she stood up.


    "Where and when?" Hishya instantly got serious. She''d been briefed that Silfana might be behind things, and she was itching to take the vampire down again. She''d lost good friends to her once before, and was hell-bent on stopping her before she killed more people.


    "Not long before Akagi''s <i>thing</i>. A body was found in a back alley in the residential district." Superbia exined what they''d found.


    "Was it a thrall?" Hishya asked.


    "Nope, just a poor bastard drained of blood. Though the bite pattern on his neck is different from the others we have on record." Superbia said. "I''m heading over with Mixu and Shimari now."


    "You want me toe over?" Hishya asked.


    "I want to say no, but since this is a World Boss. Please do." Superbia groaned. "And, I hate to ask this, but please contact our resident Demon Lord. If she''s around then Silfana isn''t a threat, and I''d rather not fight the vampire myself."


    "I''ll shoot her a text." Hishya said. "Let me finish up here, and I''ll head out."


    "Alright, I''ve sent you the address, and I''ll let them know you''reing." Superbia disconnected.


    "You heading out?" Kana asked.


    "Yeah, they found another body." Hishya clicked her tongue. "That bitch..."


    <em>{I''ll take you down again if I have to Silfana. You''ve killed too many good people already, and I won''t let you have your way in this world!}</em>(Hishya)


    "Just be careful, ok." Kana stood up and hugged her. "I know you''ve got a bone to pick with thatdy, but don''t get in over your head."


    <i>{I don''t want to see you get hurt.} </i>(Kana)


    "I know. I''m going to let Akagi know what''s going on. Like it or not, with her around, things will be safer..." Hishya stopped for a moment. "I can''t believe I just said that." She put her head in her hands as she groaned. "What is this worlding to when the Demon Lord is a beacon of safety?!?"


    <i>{At this point, its not exactly surprising.} </i>(Kana x Mika x Naomi)


    Hishya said goodbye to the girls, who were going to head to sleep, and headed out after messaging Akagi, who just sent back "K". Kana would be heading home in the morning, so she''d check on her then.


    Not taking any chances, Hishya suited up for battle and started jumping between rooftops to the address provided. After a few minutes, she arrived in the alleyway where the RRT members were standing. There was already a police presence, and she could see a body covered under a nket.


    "Well, I see you came dressed to dance." Mixuughed.


    "We''re, most likely, dealing with Silfana, taking chances with a World Boss is a bad idea. You weren''t part of the Assault Team, but you must know she killed so many of us." Hishya red at her.


    "I''m just joking, so calm your scales." Mixu waved her off. "And yeah, trust me, I know what these World Bosses can do." Serval <i>alone </i>killed quite a few members of the team before they beat him, and while weaker, Silfana was crafty.


    "Any sign of her?" Hishya asked as they moved into the alley and looked at the body.


    "No." Superbia said. "The woman who found the body said she saw nothing."


    "Of course." Hishya sighed. "And you said that it''s a <em>different</em> bite mark?"


    "Yea, most likely she turned someone, and this came from <i>their </i>feeding." Mixu said.


    <i>{Which means we''ve got other vampires running around. If we don''t handle this ASAP, we''re going to get an entire nest of them in Kyoto.} </i>(Mixu)


    "How can''t we find her? Shouldn''t she glow like a Christmas tree to magic detection?" Hishya asked. They''d used simr things against Libra and in game, so it was annoying that it wasn''t getting results here.


    "Probably because she can conceal herself. In game, she had no reason to, but in the real world, she probably figures going unseen is for the best." Mixu said. ¡°Vampires tend to hide in the shadows, so keeping a low profile makes sense, and its not like we can start kicking in every door in Kyoto. Even Akagi''s people haven''t gone down that route yet.¡±


    "We might not be doing FBI style no knock raids at 3am, but my people have been looking everywhere, and the sly bastard hasn''t shown up. She''s quite good to avoid that many ninjas for this long." Akagimented on Mixu''s statement.


    Her sudden appearance startled the four of them, who turned around quickly.


    "Did you<i> really</i> have to go scaring us like that?" Hishya groaned.


    <i>{I swear she''s going to scare me to death one day...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Yes!" Akagi smiled.


    Hishya red at her in disapproval.


    "Hey, you messaged me. Now you must deal with the consequences of your actions." Akagi shrugged.


    <i>{Which includes me picking on you.} </i>(Akagi)


    "If they''re hiding from <i>your</i>work, she must be good." Mixu said. "I''ve <em>never</em> known you to struggle to find someone or something if you wanted it."


    "I''ve pulled more resources in, so it''s just a matter of time. She can''t hide from Chloe forever." Akagi said.


    "Just be careful with those people of yours." Superbia said. "They can''t handle a World Boss."


    "Hmmm." Akagi thought for a moment before waving off their concerns. "I think they''ll be fine."


    "How?" Shimari spoke up. "NPCs can''t fight yers, let alone a World Boss."


    "Special ability my little doggie." Akagi grinned. "Who do you think took down Merkyul and his team?"


    "You?" Shimari said, tilting her head.


    <i>{I actually never asked how she handled them.} </i>(Hishya)


    "<i>Chloe</i> took out the two idiot siblings and Kira and Marshal dueled Hitamaguchi and Roxlex, easily beating them." Akagiughed. "My special ability lets my people get more powerful the stronger I am."


    "That''s..." Hishya didn''t know this information. "So wait?!? Your people are stronger than<i> us</i>?!?"


    "<i>Some</i> are." Akagi corrected her. "Most of the regr ninjas, no. But I''m confident that in a 1v1, Chloe would beat most of you. Though I''m not sure about you, Hishya. She''s strong, but you''re vastly more powerful than you were before." She thought for a moment. Maybe we should have you two fightter?"


    <em>{That might be fun.}</em>(Akagi)


    "Putting aside <em>that</em> issue, does that power up include Birdy too?" Hishya asked, wondering if that girl was now even stronger.


    "She''s strong, but the rainbow bird is <em>not</em> boosted by my power, as it does not effect anyone who was not registered as a follower in-game." Akagi shook her head. "Though, she''s probably one of the top yers if she goes all out. She cleaned out the inside of Libra''s base on her own after all."


    <em>{Not to mention her transformation and use of negative energy sts makes her quite the formidable long range opponent. Even Hishya here wouldn''t want to take those sts head on.}</em>(Akagi)


    "Great, not only do we have to deal with Akagi, but the assassin troupe is overpowered now..." Superbia sighed. "Anyway, getting back on topic, we''ve got no leads as of yet. Have your people found anything at all?" She was hoping for any knew information she could get.


    "Sadly, no." Akagi replied. "I''ve been told that, so far, they''vee up empty."


    "Maybe she''s not in Kyoto? She probably knows that arge city like this is well monitored, and Akagi lives quite close. If I was her, I''d try and hide out in a smaller settlement rather than stay in Kyoto." Shimari posed the idea that they were looking in the wrong ce.


    "Possibly." Akagi said. "But I think <em>this</em> body disproves that. She wouldn''t send a new vampire too far from her."


    "This feed was pretty fresh. Whoever did it can''t be that-" Mixu stopped as a green re went up in the air a few blocks away.


    "Bingo." Akagi zipped away. She''d grabbed Chloe beforeing here and told the cat to search the immediate area and fire a re if she found anything interesting.


    In a sh, Akagi moved up the street and found Chloe sitting on a tied-up man who was iling about.


    "Get off me, you stupid cat!" The man yelled.


    "Myaster told me to capture you, so no, nya." Chloe kicked him.


    <em>{Its taking every single bit of will power that I have not to say: Well, Well, Well. Look what the cat dragged in.}</em>(Akagi)


    "Good work Chloe, so what''s up?" Akagi walked over and instantly knew this man was a vampire. She bent down and looked him in the eyes, causing him to freeze. "Now, are you the vampire that attacked that man up the street?" She asked.


    "M-maybe." The man was afraid. "Why do you care?"


    "I don''t really care about the death per se." Akagi smiled. "But, I do want to speak with your master. Can you tell me where she is? I''d love to meet her, and we have <em>much</em> to discuss."


    "I-If I do that. Will you let me live?" The man asked nervously. He could tell that saying no would get him killed.


    "Sure." Akagi smiled. "Just tell me what I want to know, and I won''ty a finger on you."


    <em>{Though that doesn''t mean Hishya and the others won''t.}</em>(Akagi)


    "You''d better keep your word!" The man started sweating. "Lady Silfa-" The man stopped speaking. "She''s... she''s." Suddenly a great deal of magic built up in his head.


    <i>{Oh well...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Chloe, get back!" Akagi yelled, and the cat jumped away just in time to avoid him exploding.


    "What the hell was that?!?" Mixu eximed as she and the others arrived.


    "Well, good news and bad news." Akagi turned to look at them. "Good news, it <i>is </i>Silfana. Bad news, she imnted him with magic that made him go boom if he turned on her." She pointed to the mess of blood and guts behind her. "Effective, but annoying."


    <em>{10 Points for Operational Security, Silfana. But know that this only DELAYS the inevitable.} </em>(Akagi)


    "How is it being Silfana the <i>good </i>news?!?" Hishya said.


    "Well, it''s good news for <i>me</i> at least." Akagiughed.


    <i>{Just you wait, Lord of Vampires. We''re going to have a nice long chat when I find you, and I''ve already got the perfect punishment in store for you.} </i>(Akagi)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Silfana POV>


    "Oh?" Silfana was filing her nails on the couch while drinking some blood out of a ss. "I see that fool tried to turn traitor on me." Sheughed. The vampire''s magic would inform her when the spell she''d ced on her servants activated. "Oh well, but that does raise an interesting question as to who defeated him." She took the nail file and threw it across the room, impaling it into a picture of Hishya pinned to the wall. "Those incessant spies of that stupid assassin are making things difficult, and finding good help is so hard these days. I suppose I should deal with <em>her</em> first. I hear tell she lives not far from here, so perhaps a visit is in order." Sheughed


    <i>{And once you''re dealt with Akagi, I''m going to find that little dragon girl and make her pay for killing me!} </i>(Silfana)

 Chapter 157 – The Assasssin’s Origin.

    Chapter 157 ¨C The Assasssin¡¯s Origin.


    The next morning, Yumi went and picked up Kana to bring her home. Akagi hadn''t seen her since she''d left the police station on Friday, and was a bit nervous about speaking with her. She''d kept in contact with Kana over the weekend, but intentionally distanced herself out of respect for her sister''s emotional needs. Throughout the weekend, Akagi kept second-guessing herself, and debating whether she should have stayed with her sister during this trying time or not.


    "Onee-chan, I''m back." Kana walked into the living room, seeing Akagi sitting on the couch in casual wear.


    "H-hey, Kana." Akagi gave a wry smile.


    Kana instantly noticed Akagi''s strange demeanor. "Everything ok?" She asked as she walked over.


    "That''s what I should be asking you." Akagi''s wry smile continued.


    "I''m not exactly <i>fine</i>, but I''ll manage. Spending time with Mika, Naomi, and Hishya this weekend was a good idea. It helped calm things down, and Mika and I got to talk things out." Kana took a seat next to her sister. "But what about you? Why do you look like a kid who got caught putting their hand in the cookie jar?"


    <i>{Did something happen?} </i>(Kana)


    Akagi took a second to answer. "I was worried about you, and I thought that maybe you were mad at me."


    "Mad at you?" Kana tilted her head. "Why would I be mad? Unless something happened while I was gone, you didn''t do anything."


    <em>{Please don''t tell me you did something bad...}</em>(Kana)


    "I just thought you''d be mad that I didn''t stay with you after what happened. Or that you''d be angry at me for giving you that power. I mean, Himari was my idea, and it''s my fault you have magic in the first ce." Akagi shook her head. "It''s been eating at me all weekend.¡±


    <i>{So that''s what this is about. I''m actually relieved its just guilt for something like that, and she didn''t do something really awful while I was away.} </i>(Kana)


    "Come here you." Kana sighed as she brought her sister in for a hug. "I''m not mad about <em>any</em> of that. I told you already that what happened <i>is not </i>your fault. Plus, if you didn''t give me these powers Mika might have die, so why would I be mad at you? As for staying away, I wanted some space to figure things out. I''m sorry if that made you think I was upset with you, and I should have been clearer about my reasoning." She squeezed her. "I already told Himari this, but I''ll tell you too. <i>I</i> made the decision to kill Hito, it wasn''t easy, but it was <em>my</em> choice to use the power I''d been given to save someone important to me."


    <i>{It... it still isn''t easy for me, but I think I''ll be fine, eventually...} </i>(Kana)


    "I just wish you never had to deal with that." Akagi said. "You shouldn''t have had to kill someone, you''re not like me."


    Kana giggled. "You know, that''s the same thing Hishya said to me the other night. She said that I was still normal and shouldn''t have to experience something taking a life."


    "It''s true." Akagi pulled away from her. "I don''t care about taking lives, never have, but you... you''re still human. You shouldn''t have had to kill, and even if it wasn''t really Hito, it was close enough." Akagi shook her head.


    <i>{Those two really are alike in some ways.} </i>Kana smiled internally.


    "Can I ask you something?" Kana''s face turned a bit more serious. "You don''t have to answer if you don''t want to."


    "Go ahead." Akagi replied. At this point, she felt the need to hide very little from her sister anymore, so she''d likely answer most questions.


    "What was <em>your</em> first time killing like?" Kana asked an interesting question. "Was it hard for you? And why did you do it? I''ve been wondering this for a while, and ever since Friday. its been on my mind a bit more. You''ve killed so many people, but how did that all start? What made you be an assassin?"


    "That... its honestly not that interesting of a story." Akagi chuckled. "I don''t mind telling it, but it might be a bit long."


    "There''s no school today, so go ahead and take all the time you want." Kana smiled.


    "Then, can we move to the greenhouse? I want to check on Alice, and I''ll get her to make tea." Akagi stood up.


    "Sure." Kana nodded, and the two went over to the greenhouse. Akagi went and got Alice, who swiftly got to setting a table, bringing snacks, and making some tea.


    "Mama, it''s all done!" Alice ran over, and Akagi gave her a big hug.


    "Well done, little one. Now, how about you stick around? Kana wants to hear a story, and you can sit on myp." Akagi smiled.


    "Yeah!" Alice cheered, and Akagi picked her up and sat on a chair opposite Kana.


    "That really is adorable." Kana smiled as she took a sip of her tea.


    "Now then." Akagi took out her pipe and lit it. "Where to begin?"


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    February 16<sup>th</sup>, 2055


    It had been a little over four months since yers were trapped within Free World Online, and told that death in game meant death in the real world. Things had finally settled down after the initial chaos and confusion, and there was already rumbling of a dedicated team to defeat the World Bosses. This broughtfort to some, while others had begun to act on their worst impulses, believing that things were hopeless.


    Walking down the busy main road in the Imperial Capital was a single figure wearing a dark cloak, under which could be seen some light metal armor. At her hip was a rapier, and her amber eyes and green and ck hair made her stand out from the rest of the residents.


    <i>{Alright, quest is done. Now I just need to report back to that stupid NPC and get paid. I hate working for assholes like him, but that reward was just too promising.} </i>Akagi had taken a quest from a disguised noble who was promising an interesting item if she defeated a few specific monsters and brought him the parts.


    After a rtively easy fight, she returned back to the Capital and arrived at the designated point rendezvous point in a back alleyway. Once the noble contact arrived, Akagi handed over the trophy pieces.


    "Ah, excellent! These are in perfect shape and will make an excellent addition to my collection!" The noble seemed pleased.


    *Cough*


    "Reward?" Akagi red at him.


    <em>{If you stiff me like thest noble I worked for, you''re going to wind up nailed to the central district''s outer wall!} </em>(Akagi)


    *Tsk* The man clicked his tongue. "A peasant like you should be honored to receive a quest from one such as myself, but a deal''s a deal." The noble handled over arge quantity of green silk-like material. "This is worth far more than what you''ve brought me, but I need these pieces. Take that cloth and be gone from my sight." He turned away and left.


    <i>{And this is why I hate nobles.} </i>Akagi sighed as she put the cloth in her inventory. She wanted to make special clothing out of it since it was rare material from Ocha.


    "I''ll take it to a tailorter, hopefully I can make something that looks nice and is powerful in the stat department." Akagi turned to walk out of the alley, heading back to the inn room she''d rented. Flopping onto the bed, she opened her status screen and started going through all the possible quests in the area, looking for anything that seemed interesting.


    "Boring, boring, boring, not worth it, not worth it. Too high level." Akagi flicked through things until something caught her eye. "A named quest? And its colored ck?" Quests in FWO were color coated with each color reflecting the type of job. A ck-named quest was not something she''d seen before and it caught her interest.


    "Who''s offering this? It doesn''t even have a description or anything." Akagi clicked on it, with it cing a map marker on her HUD. "Well, I''ve got nothing better to do, and I might have just found something rare." She smirked. Her gamer instinct told her to check this out.


    Following the marker lead her to a small tavern in the border area between the poor district and the slums. Upon arriving, Akagi noticed an older dwarf sitting at the back table who was wearing rather fine clothing. He was covered in bruises, which seemed recent, and the scowl on his face could curdle milk.


    <em>{That man...}</em>(Akagi)


    Curious about this very out of ce dwarf, she took a seat across from him, which earned her a growl from the old man.


    "Kid, I''m in no mood for games. If you want some charity or just to bother a beaten man, go somewhere else." The old dwarf grumbled as he downed his cup of ale. "Besides, <i>your</i> kind have already caused me enough trouble, so beat it." He was referring to her status as a yer.


    "Not sure what others have done to you, but I''m not here to kick you while you''re down." Akagi smiled.


    "Hmpf." He rolled his eyes. "Sure, your kind show up and steal all my cargo, then leave me for dead in a ditch. So perhaps you can understand myck of trust, especially when I''m not able to do much to retaliate!" He mmed his cup down.


    "And why''s that?" Akagi knew the answer already, but wanted to talk for a bit.


    "You know damn well that putting quests on your kind is nearly impossible!" He growled. "Don''t y dumb with me." NPCs were generally forbidden from going after yers. Mostly because the Alpha was intended for yers to <i>break </i>the game and mess around, thus NPCs were predisposed to <i>not </i>interfering with them. Though that didn''t mean it was impossible, as NPCs can and would retaliate if they found a way.


    "True." Akagiughed. "But while <i>you</i> might not be able to do anything, what about asking a yer to deal with a yer?"


    "Ha!" Heughed. "Good luck with that! Your kind won''t fight each other, and without my paperwork I can''t even ess my ounts to pay anyway."


    <i>{I see where this is going</i>.<i>} </i>Akagi smirked.


    "Then how about me?" Akagi said. "I''d be willing to get your stuff back."


    The old man stared at her. "Don''t go ying with me, littledy."


    "I''m not." Akagi shook her head. "I''m always down to do something new, and rescuing stolen goods from a yer is <i>very </i>new."


    <em>{Its not often you get a quest that pits yer versus yer.}</em>(Akagi)


    "I can''t pay anything upfront." The old dwarf said. "He took my books and paperwork, and my injuries mean that moving much further isn''t going to be easy for me." His face showed a good deal of bruising.


    "That''s fine." Akagi smiled. "How about this? Rather than money, I''d rather you owe me a favor."


    "Oh?" The dwarf leaned in, eyes glinting. "And what kind of favor would that be?"


    Akagi returned an evil smile. "Well, as one of therger merchants on the continent, I''m sure you can help me get out of a jam if needed." She''d known from the start that his man was Antenobrech Windhide, owner of one of the biggest merchant conglomerates in the Empire.


    Antenobrech shifted his jaw in thought. "Fine, get back my cargo and papers from that bastard, and you''ve got a deal."


    Akagi reached out her hand, and the two shook on it. "Now then, how about some details? Where are they, how many, and how much did they take?"


    <i>{I have a feeling that this is going to be fun.} </i>(Akagi)


    After a bit more discussion, Akagi was informed that a yer named Lightrune had attacked Antenobrech en-route to the Capital around one day prior. The Dwarf figured that with the number of goods being carried and their weight, he couldn''t have gotten far in the short amount of time, even as a yer. After a bit more discussion, Akagi headed out, having a good idea where Lightrune was hiding. She knew the Imperial Capital and its surroundings quite well, and figured he''d pulled the wagon into one of the nearby caves to loot it.


    After gearing up and heading out of the Capital, Akagi began searching the nearby forests and looking through the nearby caves until she came across some carriage tracks in the woods.


    <i>{He didn''t even try to cover his tracks. What an idiot...}</i> Akagi followed the tracks while keeping an eye out for Lightrune, until she reached a cave the tracks seemed to enter.


    <i>{He must be inside here, though I suppose it''s possible ditched the wagon and left. Let''s be careful, I just need to get him to surrender and then take the stuff.} </i>Akagi could feel her heart racing. She''d fought other yers in duels, but never for real. Her rogue kit was good at 1v1bat, but this would be the first time Akagi fought where she could die. <i>{I''m really d it got my racial change the other day.} </i>


    She unsheathed her rapier and slowly inched towards the cave entrance giving a listen as she crept forward. As she approached the mouth of the cave, she heard a voice.


    "Man, that old man really had nothing but garbage!" A voice inside inside the cave rang out. "I was hoping for weapons, but all I got were ceramics and paperwork! I spent an entire day sorting all this crap for nothing! I guess I should hit another wagon and try again..."


    <i>{Looks like he''s still here.} </i>Akagi activated her body enhancement and slowly walked inside the cave, crouching behind a rock as she looked down at the man who was standing around a magical light and pulling items out of arge cart.


    <i>{Medium armor, one sword on his left hip. Most likely a fighter, and his level is around forty less than mine.} </i>Akagi used her analysis ability to check his stats. He was far weaker than her, which wasn''t surprising since she''d been grinding like crazy. Hishya was the only person at her level, and Akagi was confident that even at equal level she could beat her one time friend and rival.


    <i>{I''ll give him a chance to surrender and hand over the goods first. If he doesn''t, well...} </i>Akagi stood up and walked over.


    "Hey!" She called out to him.


    The young man spun around. "Who''s there?!?" He drew his de and saw Akagi standing at the entrance of the cave. Her hood was up, so he could barely make out her face. "A girl? What do you want? This is my loot and I ain''t sharing, even if it is garbage!"


    "Yes, well. I''m sorry to say but your ''loot'' is why I''m here." She pointed her rapier at him. "Hand it over quietly, and you don''t need to get killed."


    <i>{Lets see what he does.} </i>(Akagi)


    "What?!?" Lightrune was surprised. "This is mine, fuck off! I robbed it fair and square, and I''m not going to cower before some girl!"


    <i>{This stupid girl thinks she can just scare me into giving over my stuff!} </i>(Lightrune)


    "Last warning, hand it over, or I''ll take it by force!" Akagi yelled, her eyes showed just how serious she is.


    The two stared at each other for a moment before the young man charged forward. Akagi was far stronger than him and easily deflected his des.


    *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG*


    <i>{Slow and weak. Not exactly surprising considering the level difference, but his build is also probably geared around fighting monsters, not people.} </i>Akagi thought as she parried his strikes.


    "Why can''t I hit you?!?" Lightrune cried. "This is bullshit! I''m level twenty already! How is this happening?!?"


    "Only <em>twenty</em>?" Akagiughed. "Kid, I''m in the <em>sixties</em>. You''re out of your league against me." She said as she deflected his strikes.


    <i>{That''s the difference between us, we could do this all day and you wouldn''t evene close to beating me.} </i>(Akagi)


    "That''s not possible! It''s only been four months since we got trapped in here, and it takes so long to level up!" Lightrune couldn''t believe that she''d leveled so high so fast. ¡°There''s no way you could be that high level!¡±


    "Check your analysis through your hud. You won''t be able to see my stats because of the level difference." Akagi knocked him back. "Go ahead." He motioned for him to check, which he did.


    "I- I can''t see it!" He was stunned. That meant Akagi was <em>at least</em> thirty levels higher than him. "That''s crazy! You must have cheated!"


    <i>{Even the best yers are only in their forties or fifties! And those people are crazy!} </i>(Lightrune)


    "Nah." Akagi shrugged. "I''m just <em>really</em> good at this stuff. So what will it be? Surrender or die?" She wasn''t exactly sold on killing him, but he didn''t need to know that.


    "I can''t fight someone that much stronger than me, so fine." He lowed his de. "Take that dwarf''s stuff, it wasn''t even that good anyway." He walked off to the side.


    "Good choice." Akagi lowered her rapier and started collecting the items into her inventory. As she did, Lightrune circled around her back and waited until she was busy.


    <i>{Turning your back on an opponent, what a fool! Now I''ve got you!} </i>When he was sure Akagi was too distracted, he dove toward her at full speed, shing at her from the side, his de sinking into her waist.


    <i>{Yes!} </i>He cheered, believing it was over.


    "Man, that new ability really is great." Akagi said.


    "W-what?!?" He was stunned, his de carved cleanly through her, leaving behind a trail of ck shadow that disappeared after a few seconds, before showing that Akagi was unharmed by his attack. "How?!?"


    "Racial abilities are <em>very</em> important, kid." Akagi swung around, shing him across the chest with her rapier. "It took a lot of effort to get this one, but damn is it good." Akagiughed as Lightrune stumbled backward, heavily injured.


    <i>{Bing a nurarihyon was pain in the ass, but was definitely the right call with my build.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I surrender, please!" He cried out, his HP was in the red, and one more attack would end him. "I don''t want to die!"


    <i>{I can''t die! Not like this!} </i>(Lightrune)


    Akagi let loose an evil grin. "You should have thought about that <em>before</em> you pulled that little stunt." She lifted her rapier.


    "No, please You''ll be a Pker if you do this! A murderer!" He screamed.


    "You know." Akagi''s face contorted into a perverted smile. "For some reason, that sounds <i>nice</i>." She shed downwards, killing him.


    As his body hit the floor, Akagi was greeted with a notification telling her that she would now register as having killed another yer for a few days. "Oh well." Akagi shrugged. "Not like that matters to me anyway." She continued collecting all the material in the cave before heading back to Antenobrech, who was surprised she managed to get his stuff back so quickly.


    This would mark the first of many times she''d taken another yer''s life, and was the beginning of a friendship with her most prolific client.


    Spoiler


    Akagi in FWO!


    Antenobrech!


    Lightrune!


    [copse]

 Chapter 158 – A Deep Hatred.

    Chapter 158 ¨C A Deep Hatred.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Content warning.


    Akagi finished her story about her first kill and how she started down the road to bing an assassin. Kana stayed quiet throughout, as she was both entranced by the tale, and curious to hear her sister out. Alice hadn''t heard this story either, and was simrly interested.


    ¡°And that about raps it up.¡± Akagi smiled as she recalled that day. ¡°After that, I went I started taking on other jobs that brought me into conflict with yers until eventually I decided to be a dedicated assassin.¡±


    "That was a neat story, Mama!" Alice said. "You should tell us more stories, like the time you dueled those mean guys from the Assault Team on top of the airship! Kana would love to hear that one."


    <i>{Oh that was a good time, and Mika would probably love that one.} </i>(Akagi)


    Akagiughed. "Maybeter." That was always one of her favorites.


    "That whole series of events with the dwarf man was only a few months after you got trapped, and you were already like that?" Kana broke her silence. "Didn''t killing him bother you?"


    <em>{They way you spoke about it makes it seem like you never had any hesitation.}</em>(Kana)


    "Nope." Akagi shook her head. "I never really thought about it before, but I guess it makes sense that I didn''t care. I''m a Demon Lord, it would be strange for me to care about taking people''s lives. Looking back, I was always good with morbid things, even as a kid, so I guess that part of my personality bled through the seals from the start." She shrugged.


    <i>{It probably exins a few other things, like my ASPD. Demon Lords are aggressive and violent by nature, so it makes sense that kid me would be like that.} </i>(Akagi)


    "From there, my career as an assassin would take off, and I''d slowly make a living killing yers and NPCs. A few months after this, my infamy reached the point that my first bounty-hunting party of yers came for me." Akagi smiled. "That was a fun battle."


    <i>{Watching that one girl plummet to her death will never NOT be funny.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Hard to believe that one chance encounter sent you down that path." Kana said. "I wonder what would have happened if you''d never met Antenobrech?"


    "Who knows, but that single event changed my life for the better. It let me meet so many amazing people and gave me purpose. Before that, I was just wandering aimlessly and doing whatever." Akagi waved her handzily. "It took a while, but eventually, it got to the point that I fully engrossed myself in my identity as Akagi." She smiled. "Hell, by the time Hishya finished the game, I''d forgotten my <i>fake</i> name." Sheughed.


    "You forgot your name?" Kana went wide-eyed. "You never mentioned that!"


    <i>{And... fake? I know why you think that way, but I don''t really like hearing you say that.} </i>(Kana)


    "It wasn''t really important, Kana. Besides, <i>Akagi </i>is my real name, not Rishia." Akagi shrugged. "I forgot what I was called on Earth since I''d distanced myself from that lifepletely." She''d exined the Demon Lord name thing to Kana before.


    "Yeah, but still. That''s some pretty bad disassociation to actually <i>forget</i> your name." Kana sighed. "Don''t tell me you forgot me?"


    "No." Akagi shook her head. "I forgot a lot of things, but you were one of the few things that stuck. My pain in the ass little sister isn''t something I''d ever forget!" Sheughed.


    Kana rolled her eyes. "I''m d I gave you something to remember me by." As she said this, another question came to mind.


    "If you were given the choice between staying in the game forever or returning back without all those powers. Say you weren''t the Demon Lord, and nobody kept abilities after logging out. Would you have wanted to return?" Kana asked.


    "No." Akagi shook her head. "I wouldn''t havested much longer in this world as Rishia, Kana. I told you earlier, that I killed myself in that dream where I woke up without my powers. It might not have happened quickly, but after a while, I most likely would have ended my life after returning." Akagi sighed. "That life was simply so much better, and returning back to being...¡± She shook off that thought. ¡°I love you kid. But well, I hate to say this, but you''re not enough to keep me around in that situation." It was harsh, but not unexpected. "For all my power and strength, I''m actually pretty weak-minded. I can''t handle going back to that loneliness again, and I''m afraid of losing everything that''s made me happy. It''s why I''m so protective of you and my new family."


    <em>{After finallygetting the loving family that I''ve always craved, there''s no way in hell that I''d go back.}</em>(Akagi)


    "You really were hurting so much more than I realized, huh?" Kana got sad. "I never knew just how bad it was for you. I was aware that you had it rough, but I guess I was too young to understandpletely."


    <i>{I... I really was blind wasn''t I? I knew mom and dad were doing bad things, but I never really understood it, did I?} </i>(Kana)


    "Considering Shima and Taichi made most days <i>miserable</i> at best. Yeah..." Akagi gave a dryugh. "Kana, do you understand <i>why</i> I hate them so much?"


    "I know they abused you and treated you like trash, so yeah." Kana nodded. "I understand what they did to you, and it''s why I''ve never tried to get you to reconcile because they don''t deserve that."


    "Yeah, well. I''ve been keeping things from you for years." Akagi sighed. "What you saw and heard was only the tip of the iceberg."


    <i>{Naomi did tell me to be a bit more honest with Kana about these things, so now''s as good a time as ever.} </i>(Akagi)


    "What do you mean?" Kana instantly got tense. "What else did they do to you?!?"


    Akagi''s face went dark. "Well for starters, on more than one asion, Shima tried to kill me."


    "WHAT?!?" Kana stood up, and her yell caused Alice to flinch. "I thought they only beat you that one time?!?"


    "What I said was true, your eighth birthday was the first andst time they ever touched me. But they didn''t need to beat me, Kana." Akagi sighed. "After your birthday, they never again physically assaulted me, but Shima tried poisoning me at least three times after that day."


    "What?!?" Kana was stunned. "When?!?¡±


    <i>{What...} </i>(Kana)


    "You remember when I got <i>really </i>sick freshman year? Over that summer?" Akagi was referring to a really bad stomach illness that kept her down for weeks.


    "Wasn''t that just food poisoning?!?" Kana remembered that incident. Akagi was never taken to the hospital, and it was strange that only <i>she </i>got sick from the food. "Don''t tell me..."


    <i>{Did Mom...} </i>(Kana)


    "Shima and Taichiced my meal with a type of poison that Miyabi gave them. I got lucky and survived, but it was a close call." Akagi gave a dryugh.


    <i>{Lucky for me, it seems that being the Demon Lord probably gave me a bit tougher of a constitution and helped me survive some of their antics.} </i>(Akagi)


    "That''s... that''s..." Kana couldn''t believe it. Well, she could, but hearing that her mother tried to kill Akagi back then was not something that sat well. "Mom..." She slunk back down to her seat.


    "Besides attempts on my life, I was routinely abused in other ways. My things were hidden or even destroyed , and one time I was even kicked out of the house during a blizzard." Akagi sighed. "That almost killed me, luckily the neighbor''s dog house was heated, and it was conveniently empty and powered on."


    "What the fuck?!? When was that?!?" Kana was getting increasingly angry.


    <i>{You were made to stay in a DOG HOUSE?!?} </i>(Kana)


    "If I recall correctly, you were staying at Aunt Nana''s that weekend, Shima got angry at me for something, and Miyabi''s egging her on didn''t help. Once she threw me out in the <em>literal</em> cold, she locked me out for like two days." Akagi thought back to that time. "I think that was when you were like eleven."


    <em>{That wasn''t the first time she threw me out of the house in a storm, its a wonder I never developed a fear of thunder and lightning after being locked out during that Typhoon.}</em>(Akagi)


    "Is <i>that</i> why you were so sick when I got home?!?" Kana asked. "Mom just told me you caught the flu!"


    <i>{She LIED to me?!? About trying to KILL you!} </i>(Kana)


    "Nope no flu, it was abination of hypothermia and frostbite." Akagiughed. "The flu doesn''t make your fingers and toes turn blue. At least, not unless they invented a new strain I''ve never heard of."


    "So <i>that''s</i> why she wouldn''t let me see you when I got home!" Kana eximed. "She told me I''d get sick and kept me away!"


    Akagi rolled her eyes. "Kind of hard to catch frostbite. No, Shima just didn''t want you seeing me all blue and messed up, since you''d probably freak out and call EMS."


    <i>{I sure as hell would have!} </i>(Kana)


    "Just to ask. You''re not joking, <i>right</i>?" Kana asked. She knew Akagi would tell dark jokes, and this was something right up her alley.


    "Not this time, Kana." Akagi shook her head. "Trust me, if you knew half the shit those two did to me, you''d take Himari and cut their heads off right now. There is a <i>reason</i> I hate those two, and it''s not as simple as them being garbage parents."


    <i>{If they''d just limited themselves to ignoring me or just being general pricks, I could get past it. But this... what they did to me over those years, what they TOOK from me... that''s not something that''s going to be easy to put out of my mind.} </i>(Akagi)


    Kana''s knuckles turned white as she tightened her fist. "And yet they had the gall to act like that on Friday!" She mmed down on the table, shaking it. "They acted all sweet and kind to me, yet they did such awful things to you! I thought what I knew was bad, but you''re telling me there''s more!"


    <i>{Just what ELSE is she not telling me?!?} </i>(Kana)


    "I''m just grateful that Shima never tried selling me to some human trafficker something." Akagi sighed. "I was honestly expecting them to just ship me to some family''s house to be a toy. Since Shima was forced to marry Taichi for his family''s influence, I envisioned such an awful future was in store for me."


    <i>{That... that was honestly something that kept me up at nights. I''m just d it never happened, otherwise well... there wouldn''t be an Earth right now...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Don''t tell me they were going to do that?!?" Kana said, barely holding back her urge to scream. The thought of something so disgusting both sickened and angered her.


    <i>{If I find out that EITHER of them was going to do something like that...} </i>(Kana)


    "I don''t think so, since they never did anything that indicated it. Probably because my disappearance would tip you off that something was wrong, and <i>I</i> wouldn''t have held my tongue if they tried that. Well, rather than not holding my tongue, the world might have ended in such a situation." Akagi said. "But who knows what they had nned, and the rest of the family was no better, as they were eitherplicit in Shima''s actions or gave their approval. I didn''t just hate Miyabi and Junichiro because they attacked Naomi, those two were part and parcel to my abuse."


    <i>{And its why I had so much fun taking my sweet time making them suffer like I did.} </i>(Akagi)


    "No wonder you hate them..." Kana sighed. "Why didn''t you tell me about this before?!?"


    <i>{Did she not trust me? Or did she just think it was too much for me?} </i>(Kana)


    "Because I wanted you to live a better life, Kana. My original goal was to hit eighteen and then run away." Akagi shrugged. "To be honest with you, I was going to disappear the day of my eighteenth birthday. I had a lot of money saved up from my part-time job, and I was going to take that and flee somewhere else."


    "You were going to leave?" Kana looked at her with sadness in her eyes.


    "Yeah, I was at my wit''s end, Kana. The only reason I didn''t leave before that was because of my age, as I couldn''t legally run away yet." Akagi sighed. "I knew it would be hard on you, but I hoped that you''d forget me and be happy. Maybe in the future, we would have met again. But that wasn''t in my n." It was a stunning admission. "I''m sorry, but it was too much, Kana. Does that exin <i>why</i> I killed myself in the dream?"


    "Now that you''ve exined all that, yeah..." Kana sighed. "I''m still not happy with it, but I understand now." She looked at her sister. "Those two need to pay for what they did to you." Her eyes were fierce.


    "Just leave it alone." Akagi waved the thought away. "It''s not worth it, and I have no interest in going after them."


    <i>{Trust me... I want to... I want to so bad...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Even if <i>I </i>asked you to kill them?" Kana''s words caught Akagi off guard.

 Chapter 159 – Not Funny.

    Chapter 159 ¨C Not Funny.


    "Don''t even joke about that!" Akagi screamed. "That''s not funny!"


    "But would you? If I asked?" Kana didn''t back down.


    "No!" Akagi mmed on the table, startling Alice. "I will not ept a job to kill your parents for you. That''s not happening, end of story!"


    <i>{Why they hell would you even ask that?!?} </i>(Akagi)


    "But you were more than happy to kill other members of the family! You even killed the Mitsuhide family for Naomi!" Kana replied.


    "I killed the Tomogawa who fucked with me, there''s a <em>big</em> difference there. And who said I killed the Mitsuhides for Naomi? Why would she want them dead?" Akagi wouldn''t admit who her client was, even to Kana.


    <i>{Did Naomi tell her?} </i>(Akagi)


    "Don''t try and lie about it. I''m not stupid, Onee-chan. I figured out who hired you for that a long time ago. I always found it strange when Naomi talked about her family, and I guessed the Mitsuhide were involved in their deaths. When I confronted her about it, she told Mika and I the truth." Kana sighed. "I''m not happy that she used you for that, but it''s whatever."


    "Well, I don''t disclose <i>who</i> hires me, so even if she did, I wouldn''t confirm nor deny it." Akagi shrugged.


    "Either way." Kana moved back to the other topic. "Why wouldn''t you kill them if I asked?"


    "Why? Are you serious? Kana, I''ve held off killing them because of <i>you</i>!" Akagi got increasingly irritated as this conversation continued. "I don''t want to leave you an orphan and have you go through the loss of your parents. <i>My</i> issues with them aside, they genuinely love <i>you</i>. You don''t need to hate them for my sake, and asking me to kill them is absurd!."


    <i>{I appreciate you being angry on my behalf, but calm down and think this through!} </i>(Akagi)


    "So even if I tell you it''s fine, you would refuse?" Kana said.


    "Yes! Because it <i>wouldn''t </i>be fine." Akagi gritted her teeth in anger. "You''re angry with them right now, but once I''d kill them, you''d be sad and depressed. Don''t let temporary emotions make you do something you''ll regret! Plus, if I kill them, you''re going to have a problem with <em>me</em>, even if you think you don''t it will likely manifest as an unconscious resentment! You''ll always see me as the person who killed them, and that might very well tear us apart!"


    <i>{You''re smarter than this, dammit!} </i>(Akagi)


    "I''d never hate you!" Kana eximed. "And they deserve it after everything they did to you. So go and do it!"


    "I will not!" Akagi stood up and screamed, causing Alice to slide off herp. "Kana, don''t tempt me. <i>Please,</i> you have no goddamn idea how much I want to kill them. I hate them so much that I''ve made a game ofing up with fun ways to do it. Hell I''ve made copies of them in my shadow and tortured them for fun! So don''t try and weaken my resolve like this!"


    <i>{Don''t tempt me! Please stop!} </i>(Akagi)


    "But-" Kana was cut off.


    "As the old saying goes, BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR BECAUSE YOU JUST MIGHT GET IT!" Akagi mmed down on the table, causing it to crack. "Now drop it! And never think of killing them again, unless you <i>really </i>want me to get mad at you!"


    <i>{I''m surprised she resisted it that much. I assumed she''d jump on the opportunity...} </i>Kana was a bit surprised at how fierce of a resistance Akagi put up over the issue. <i>{At least she''s got enough self-restraint to hold back.} </i>Kana was only <i>partially</i> serious. If Akagi had epted, she would have gone along with it but would have preferred she <i>not</i> kill her parents. <i>{Sorry for testing you.}</i>


    "Fine." Kana sat down. "I''m sorry for pushing you."


    "Good, just understand that it''s a <i>very</i> <i>bad </i>idea to push that particr button." Akagi sighed as she sat down.


    "Sorry, Alice." Akagi patted herp, and Alice hopped back on.


    <i>{I might have gotten a bit too worked up. But dammit Kana, don''t say things like that!} </i>(Akagi)


    "It''s ok, Mama." She hugged her. "Are you alright?"


    "Yeah, I''m fine, just my pain in the ass sister over here aggravating me." Akagi said.


    "Oh? So it''s fine for <i>you</i> to aggravate <i>me</i> but not the other way around?" Kanaughed.


    "Two very different kinds of aggravation, Kana." Akagi red at her. "Don''t hang a piece of meat in front of a dog and be shocked when it bites." She continued. "Don''t forget that I''m still the Demon Lord, and those violent instincts are still in here.¡± She tapped on her chest. ¡°Even if the <ipulsion</i> is gone, the <i>temptation </i>is still around. Yumi got to see what happens when I indulge in my base instincts the night I hit thepound, and believe you me, it wasn''t pretty."


    <i>{That night was the REAL me. For what that word''s worth anyway. And trust me, Kana, you don''t want to see what happens when I drop the human act.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I thought you had yourself under control?" Kana asked. "Wasn''t that the whole reason you were able to be the Demon Lord and not go crazy?"


    "I do, at least as much as is possible when talking about being a living killing machine." Akagi sighed. "I don''t have to worry about being driven mad, or forced by my power to do anything, but my base desire for carnage still exists. <i>That''s</i> why I pushed back so hard, since it''s not easy to hold back when something so tempting is ced in front of me."


    <i>{Hence the dog and the meatparison.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Are you really holding that much for my sake?" Kana asked.


    "Kana, I want to kill them. More than you can ever imagine, and it takes every ounce of self-control I have not to march to that house and do to them what I did to the others." Akagi''s eyes showed how serious she was. "God only knows they deserve it. On Friday, when they tried to trample over your choice to be with me, that pushed me to the edge."


    "It''s ok, Mama." Alice rubbed against her. "You''ve got all of us here, so it will be alright."


    <i>{Don''t get all angry, you don''t need to be...} </i>(Alice)


    "I know, I know." Akagi smiled as she rubbed her head. "And I''m grateful for that, my child." Akagi looked over at Kana. "So please, <i>don''t</i> say things like that again, Kana. It''s not a good idea. I might be your sister, but I''m also an unstable monster, pushing me can easily result in undesirable<i> </i>results."


    <i>{My own internal issues with Kana also mean that if I get heated because of her, there''s no telling what I might do. I sincerely doubt that I''d actually kill her, but I''d rather not chance things. I thought Naomi was suppose to have a sit down and exin things to her, but I guess that didn''t happen yet.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I won''t, but those two need to be given some kind of punishment for what they did." Kana sighed.


    "That will be up to you to decide." Akagi said. "I''d imagine aplete break from them would be the harshest thing you can do. Not that I''d rmend that option, since having no parents sucks."


    <i>{Lord knows I wish I had them...} </i>(Akagi)


    "I''ve got no idea, but..." Kana thought for a moment. "How about this? We meet with them one more time, together. I know that''s asking a lot, but I want you present this time."


    "What do you have in mind?" Akagi asked.


    "I want to present everything to their face and give them a single chance to admit their mistakes and own up to what they did. If they <i>still</i> deny everything or y it off as unimportant, I think that will be it." Kana sighed. "I can''t keep tolerating them anymore, not after everything you''ve told me."


    <i>{I love them, but after hearing all this. Finding out what they did to her. I just... I can''t continue ignoring that. I won''t be happy knowing that behind those smiling faces are two monsters.} </i>(Kana)


    "I don''t minding with, but you understand what that means, right?" Akagi stopped petting Alice. "You''ll be effectively orphaning yourself if you break with them."


    "Does it matter at this point? My sister is the Demon Lord with her own country and infinite money. On top of that, you love me more than you probably should and spoil me rotten." Kana shrugged. "Sure, the emotional thing will exist, but I can get over it. It''s not like I''ll be on the streets."


    <i>{I don''t want to cut ties with them, but this needs to happen.} </i>(Kana)


    "Those two are never going to change, Kana." Akagi sighed. "I''ll go, but don''t get your hopes up. They couldn''t swallow their hatred of me long enough tofort you, so I think expecting them to have some epiphany is asking for the impossible."


    <i>{Even if they apologized, does Kana really expect me to forgive them? I doubt it, but I think she wants to try and salvage something here, and I hate to tell her this, but I''d sooner kill the two of them than forgive them. Even if Shima came crawling to me, begging for forgiveness, its too little toote. They stole something from me that can never be returned, and no matter how much they might change, they can never give it back.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Maybe you''re right, but I''d like to give them that chance." Kana said as she started swiping on her AR. "I''ll message them and ask for a time to meet with the four of us in theing weeks. I''d say do it here, but..."


    "Yeah, no." Akagiughed. "I doubt they''d leave alive, since most of my family wants them dead. Plus, I don''t want them stinking up my home."


    <i>{If she thinks I hate them, trust me. Chloe and Yumi actively PLAN methods of tortuing them for if I give the go ahead. Those two might even hate them more than me, and that''s saying something.} </i>Akagi chuckled. <i>{Yumi I understand, but Chloe... I know our bond as Master and Student is important to her, but I guess I sometimes forget just how it significant it is to her.}</i>


    "I guess they won''t get to meet their <i>granddaughter</i>." Kana chuckled as she looked at Alice. "Do you want to meet grandma and grandpa?"


    Alice shook her head. "Mama doesn''t have parents! Only mean evil people that hurt her!" Alice clung to Akagi.


    "Ain''t that cute? She''s protective of <i>mommy</i>." Kana smirked. "Aren''t you happy to have such a cute daughter, <i>mommy </i>Akagi?" She was enjoying poking fun at her sister for being a mom.


    Akagi shifted her jaw in thought before getting an evil look in her eyes. "Hey Alice, you''ve got lots of fun puppets, right?" She asked her.


    "Yup!" Alice smiled. "Did you need one in particr?"


    "Yeah, you see Alice, Kana over there <i>really </i>likes clowns, and she wants you to show them some to her." Alice grinned as she looked at her sister.


    "You wouldn''t!" Kana growled. "Don''t you dare!"


    <i>{She wouldn''t!} </i>(Kana)


    "Can you get a few out for <i>mommy</i>?" Akagiughed.


    <i>{She would!} </i>(Kana)


    "Sure!" Alice smiled, oblivious to what was going on. "How many do you want? I''ve got a few."


    "Alice, don''t you dare!" Kana stood up. "I <i>will </i>destroy them!"


    "But why?" Alice looked sad. "Clowns are nice..."


    Seeing that cute face gave Kana pause for a second, but she stuck to her guns. "I <i>hate </i>clowns. Onee-chan is just trying to pay me back for messing with her."


    "What''s wrong with clowns? They''re so much fun." She asked.


    "Yeah, clowns are awesome!" Himari spoke up.


    "Quiet you!" Kana scolded her. "I thought I told you we hate clowns!"


    "I mean, if I recall correctly, you told me that I''m a person with my own life. Thus, I don''t have to agree with you on this since you''re my <i>friend,</i> not my <i>master</i>." Himari was being a smartass.


    <i>{Man, Himari just got her good with that one.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Damn you past me." Kana bit her thumb in irritation.


    "Mama, let me get out the clowns! They''ve got some funny outfits, and we can have some fun!" Alice was now excited about the clowns.


    Akagi looked at Kana. "What will it be, Kana? If you don''t want the clowns, you have to give me something in return." She was enjoying this.


    "What do you want?" Kana growled.


    <i>{Why do I do this to myself?!?} </i>(Kana)


    "Lets see.¡± Akagi thought for a moment before her lips curved into an evil smile. ¡°How about this, for the rest of the day, you must call me <i>Onee-sama.</i>" Akagi''s eyes glinted. "Do that, and the clowns will remain sealed away."


    "O-onee-sama..." Kana stammered. She debated in her head if that was worth it and came to a decision.


    <i>{Mark my words, I shall have my vengeance!} </i>(Kana)


    "Please keep the clowns away, <i>Onee-sama.</i>" Kana''s eye twitched as she said that while gritting her teeth. Calling Akagi in such a respectful, and frankly cringey, manner killed her on the inside.


    <i>{I know how much she hates calling me that, and boy is this going to be a fun day.} </i>Akagiughed in her head.


    "Sorry, Alice. We can y with the clowns with just the two of uster, ok?" Akagi pat her on the head.


    "That''s fine." Alice smiled. "But we should work on making Kana like clowns."


    "Yeah, maybe I should get a nose and shoes!" Himari cheered. "I can be the clown sword!"


    "Himari, you do that, and you''re going to be used for some <i>very </i>unpleasant activities." The anger radiating off Kana was immense. "Or we can find a way to turn you into a Demon Sword. I think you''d look good in ck."


    "Please, no! I don''t wanna be cringe!" Himari cried out. "I was just kidding! I actually hate clowns too! Ha-ha-ha." Her monotoneughter hid a cry for help.

 Interlude 8 – MEW!

    Interlude 8 ¨C MEW!


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    There will also be a Misfits Chapter tonight.


    Akagi and Yumi were rxing in their bedroom while Kana and the girls were doing something in the living room. For whatever reason, Akagi was feeling lonely and wanted some attention from Yumi, so she decided to have a bit of fun by transforming herself into a catkin like Chloe. The <em>Demon</em> gave herself a long fluffy tail and ears the same color as her hair. She even shrank down a bit for extra cuteness, so she could easily fit in Yumi''sp! Akagi even went as far as to make her body squishy like a marshmallow to allow the maximum amount of fluffing and to increase her cuddly factor one hundred fold.


    "Mew Mew Mew!" Akagi meowed happily as she rubbed against Yumi''s side.


    The two were sitting on the edge of the bed in pajamas after a day ofzing about and rxation. As for the "mew" noise? That was just something Akagi wanted to do for fun and both she and Yumi thought it was cute.


    "Do you want ear scratches?" Yumi trying to hold back the urge to squeeze Akagi. ¡°Is that what you want?¡±


    "MEW!" Akagi liked that idea.


    "Ok." Yumi smiled as she scratched Akagi''s fluffy ears.


    <i>{They''re so soft!}</i> Yumi squealed inside as she touched the floof.


    "Mew." Akagi purred in delight. "Meww."


    "You like that?" Yumi failing to hold in herughter. ¡°Does that feel good my little kitty? You want more scratches? Is that what you want?¡±


    "Mew!" Akagi nodded. Her face showed pure bliss as her tail wrapped around Yumi.


    <i>{This is amazing! She''s so cute that I could just squeeze her until she pops!} </i>Yumi was struggling to hold back her glee. She had no clue what brought <i>this </i>on but wasn''t about toin. If Akagi wanted to y kitty and snuggle with her, she''d never say no.


    ¡°How about your chin?¡± Yumi pulled Akagi''s face up to hers. ¡°Does kitty want me to scratch it?¡± She booped Akagi on the nose causing her to giggle.


    ¡°Mew!¡± Akagi nodded and Yumi obliged using both her hands to rub Akagi''s chin, which caused Akagi''s body to shiver in happiness.


    "Mew Mew Mew!" It seemed the chin was even better than the ears, and Akagi began to lean in closer to Yumi as she continued.


    "Whose a good <em>Demon</em> Kitty?" Yumi started talking in a funny voice, like you''d use for a pet.


    "Mew!" Akagi meowed.


    ¡°Is it you?¡± Yumi asked.


    ¡°Mew!¡± Akagi meowed again.


    "Yes, it''s you!" Yumiughed. "You''re a good world-destroying <em>Demon</em> Kitty!"


    "Mew. Mew." Akagiughed.


    Yumi''s resolve eventually broke and she couldn''t hold back anymore. In one swift stroke, she pulled Akagi into a hug, squeezing her face into her chest.


    "Your so soft and fluffy!" Yumi said as she pet Akagi all over. ¡°You need to do this more often! This is so much fun! You''re like a life sized plushy!¡±


    "Mew!" Akagi sat up rubbed her face against Yumi''s in delight. "Mew Mew Mew!" The two rubbed against each other for a bit as Yumi yed with Akagi''s tail before switching tactics.


    "Time for belly scratches! Come ere little kitty!" Yumi pushed Akagi down and started petting her stomach. At this point, Yumi had lost all self control and was fully indulging herself in the kitty.


    "Mew!" Akagi enjoyed this new petting even more than thest. Yumi rubbed her belly and scratched her back and sides. It was simr to tickling, though much nicer for the recipient, and the <em>Demon </em>shook in happiness as Yumi''s hands ran over her.


    "Who''s a good kitty?" Yumi said while rubbing her nose against Akagi''s "Who''s a good kitty!" Yumi was enjoying herself even more than Akagi as she continued to pet and cuddle her <i>Demon</i> kitty master.


    <i>{The girls would be so jealous if they saw me. Good thing they''re too busy.} </i>Yumi''s thought was interrupted by a cough at the door.


    "Ummm." Kana stood in the doorway, watching this <i>strange </i>disy. Akagi was in a state of euphoria and didn''t pay attention to the sudden appearance of her sister, but Yumi most certainly noticed. Yumi slowly turned towards Kana, her face turning red in embarrassment.


    "Should wee backter? You guys seem to be in the middle of something <i>intimate</i>." Kana was simultaneously embarrassed for Yumi, and also trying hard not to burst outughing seeing her sister be pet relentlessly by the normally reserved priestess. "Word of advice, you should probably lock the door during <i>special alone time."</i>


    Mika poked her head around the corner.


    "That was amazing! Akagi looks like she''spletely out of it, and her face is like a cat who got too much catnip!" Mikaughed. "<i>Whose a good kitty!</i>" She tried to mimic Yumi. "I love it. That was so god damn cute, Yumi. I never knew you had it in you.¡± She was struggling to stand as she wasughing so hard.


    "Is this what they do when we''re not around? Because its not exactly surprising, but at the same time still unexpected." Naomi chuckled. ¡°Shadow blob Akagi is one thing, but <i>cat</i> Akagi? Never saw thating.¡±


    <em>{Perhaps we should term it Catkagi! Just kidding.}</em>(Naomi)


    "I-umm, this is uhhh." Yumi had no idea what to say. ¡°We''re just... my Lord is ummm... it''s... we''re not..¡± She put her head in her hands in defeat. ¡°SHE''S TOO DAMN CUTE! I COULDN''T HELP MYSELF!¡±


    "Mew!" Akagi slowly got up as the girls were talking and leapt off the bed onto the floor in front of the girls. She looked up at them, and only <i>now</i> did they realize she was smaller than normal. "Mew!" She put up her hand and made a cat paw motion as she tilted her head innocently. It was amon trope in anime, and she found it cute.


    "Why?!?" Kana eximed. ¡°Is there a good reason you''re doing this? Or are you just being your usual brand of stupid?¡±


    "Mew?" Akagi meowed innocently as she tiled her head.


    "That''s so cute! It''s like that anime I saw the other day with the kitty girl!" Mika''s eyes sparkled. "Can I pet you? Or is this another Yumi only thing?" She asked.


    Akagi nodded in approval. "Mew!"


    "KITTY!" Mika bent down and pet Akagi''s fluffy ears. "Oh my god! They''re so soft! Wait, YOU''RE so soft!¡± She squished Akagi''s cheeks, before stretching her face in a funny manner.¡± This is so unfair! Why is Yumi getting this whenever she wants, while I''m denied the floof?!? You need to get fluffy for me for often! I demand dedicated kitty snuggle time!" She rubbed her face against Akagi, who seemed to enjoy this interaction.


    ¡°Mew. Mew. Mew.¡± Akagiughed.


    "Mika, don''t encourage her! We''ve already got enough weirdness in this house, and thest thing I need is for her to start acting like a cat!" Kana sighed. ¡°Naomi, back me up here would you. You''re the sane one he-" Kana looked over where her friend was standing a moment prior, but found Naomi had moved to scratch Akagi on the chin.


    "Is this good?" Naomi asked with a smile. ¡°Should I go lower? Or is here fine?¡±


    ¡°No fair Naomi! I won''t let you steal her from me this time!¡± Mika started giving chin scratches too. ¡°See mine''s better! Isn''t that right kitty?¡±


    "Mew!" Akagi''s tail wagged, showing her joy at all the pets. Though she seemed to prefer Mika''s <i>slightly</i> more.


    ¡°Ha I knew it!¡± Mika smiled. ¡°My pets are the best! Kneel before my superior technique Naomi!¡±


    *Tsk* Naomi clicked her tongue. ¡°Looks like I''ll just have to get serious!¡± She used on hand to pet Akagi''s ears while the other rubbed her chin.


    ¡°MEW!¡± Akagi meowed loudly as she was being given an absurd amount of attention by the two girls. While Kana stood back and looked at the two them like they were idiots.


    "Now you''re doing it too?!? Am I the <i>only </i>sane person here?!?" Kana groaned. "She''s not a cat or an animal! She''s just my goofy sister being weird and stupid like always and you two are enabling her behavior!¡±


    "Mew!" Akagi let out an angry meow and a hiss towards Kana.


    "Don''t you "Mew" like that at me!" Kana got mad. "I''ll dump water on you, you fake cat!"


    <em>{I''ll get the hose. Don''t you fucking tempt me!} </em>(Kana)


    "Mew mew mew mew." Akagi shook her head rapidly. The threat of water seemed to scare her greatly, likely due to being a cat at the moment.


    "Don''t torment the poor kitty like that." Mika brought Akagi close to protect her from the mean Kana. ¡°She''s done nothing wrong! You''re just jealous is all.¡± Mika stroked Akagi''s head to calm her fear. ¡°There there kitty, the mean Yokaidy can''t hurt you. So don''t be afraid.¡±


    "Yeah, animal cruelty isn''t ok, Kana." Naomi gave a look of disapproval. ¡°How could you put the kitty in water like that. I thought you were better than this!¡±


    "She''s not a cat! Why the heck are you two ying along with this stupid situation. She''s just pped on some ears and grew a tail! Besides don''t you find it weird that a <i>person </i>is meowing and getting scratched like a cat?!? Because I sure do!" Kana eximed. "Yumi, do something about this. She''ll listen to you, so tell her to stop. I don''t care what you two lovebirds do in your own privacy but don''t drag these two idiots in. They''re far too impressionable, and they might start acting stranger than usual because of Onee-chan''s influence! "Kana was hoping for some help, but that was not what she got.


    "No fair! Don''t go hogging her all to yourselves! She''s <em>my</em> kitty, not yours!" Yumi grabbed onto Akagi''s shoulders. "Hand her over! She transformed for <em>me</em>!" Thus started a tug-of-war contest between the three girls over who could pet Akagi.


    "Mew mew mew mew." Akagi sang happily as she got pulled back and forth. She didn''t really care who pet her, only that she was given attention.


    "Mine!" Yumi cried. ¡°Release her to me!¡±


    "Sharing is caring!" Mika said. ¡°And I can see Kana does not care!¡±


    "Yeah, Yumi, you get her enough as it is." Naomi tried to help Mika pull her away. ¡°Let us have some fun! She can just do thister with you. But for right now ,let us pet the <i>Demon</i> kitty!¡±


    <i>{This... this is so stupid. Why are all my friends weirdos and why is everyone in this family nuts?!?} </i>(Kana)


    "Why are you all like this?!?" Kana was annoyed. "She''s just.... this whole thing is... argh!" She muscled through the three girls and tried to pulled Akagi away by activating her strength magic. ¡°Give her to me. This ends now!¡±


    ¡°Nooo!¡± (Naomi x Mika x Yumi)


    After a bit of a tussle, Kana manged to pull her kitty sister away from the three girls.


    "There! Now stop this dumb fighting." Kana had Akagi squished up against her so she couldn''t be easily removed from her grip.


    "Thief!" Mika yelled. ¡°You stole the kitty!¡±


    "Hand her over!" Yumi cried out. ¡°I won''t hesitate to use force! Even against you, Kana!¡±


    ¡°Kana is just upset she''s not as cute and cuddly as her sister.¡± Naomiughed.


    <em>{I''d rather my sister be cool and mature, not cute and cuddly thank you!}</em>(Kana)


    "Will you three stop-" Kana was cut off, as Akagi began rubbing her face against Kana chest.


    "Mew!" Akagi seemed very happy to be touching Kana. "Mew!"


    "Don''t rub against me like that! That''s so fucking creepy!" Kana''s words seemed to really hurt Akagi''s feelings as the kitty got a bit teary eyed.


    ¡°Mew...¡± Akagi started to cry a bit.


    ¡°How could you!¡± Mika said. ¡°You didn''t need to say something so hurtful.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Kana that was a bit much...¡± Naomi shook her head. ¡°You might not like it, but there''s no need to say something like that.¡±


    ¡°She''s just a bit lonely. That was too harsh Kana, please apologize to her.¡± Yumi disapproved.


    ¡°What? I''m the bad guy?¡± Kana was shocked. ¡°Wait you''re not really upset are... you...¡± Kana looked down to the teary face of Akagi.


    ¡°Mew......¡± She let out a quiet mew. It seemed the use of the word <i>creepy</i> had genuinely hurt Akagi''s feelings, something Kana didn''t expect.


    <i>{Great, now I feel bad...}</i> Kana sighed.


    ¡°I''m sorry, ok?¡± Kana hugged her. ¡°I shouldn''t have said you were creepy. That was uncalled for and I won''t say something like that ever again. You''re strange and kooky, but you''re not creepy.¡±


    ¡°Mew....¡± Akagi rubbed against her in forgiveness.


    <i>{Why is she so squishy? It''s like she''s made of fluff...}</i> Kana sighed internally.


    ¡°There''s only one way to make up for your words.¡± Mika said.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Naomi nodded.


    ¡°It''s only right that you take responsibility for making my Lord cry.¡± Yumi''s face was serious.


    ¡°Ugh.....¡± Kana sighed. ¡°Fine!¡± Sat on the floor and dragged Akagi into herp. ¡°Just the ears!" Kana dered. "Nothing more!"


    ¡°Mew!¡± Akagi gave a happy meow as Kana started petting her.


    <i>{Kill me...} </i>Kana was so embarrassed to be petting her own sister like this. The shadow form was one thing, but <i>this</i> was not what she wanted to do. Akagi was suppose to be her cool and mature older sister that she looked up to, not a cute pet that got spoiled and was fed treats.


    She looked up at her friends. "You''re all crazy for petting her like some kind of animal. She just has cat ears and a tail and says ''mew'' over and over again. I have no clue how you could be so into ying with her like this. Petting her would be like grabbing one of the ninjas and petting them! They''re <i>people</i> not animals, you don''t pet them!"


    "Ummm." Mika turned slightly red. "I may or may not have done that a few times..."


    "Yeah..." Naomi looked away in embarrassment.


    "What?!?" Kana yelled in surprise. ¡°You''ve <i>pet</i> some of the ninja?!? When?!?¡±


    Neither girl answered.


    "I mean, they do like it." Yumiughed. ¡°I''ve heard many good things about Mika from them. It seems she''s in high demand for ear scratches.¡±


    ¡°I''ve had a few cats over the years and got really good at it.¡± Mika puffed her chest out in pride.


    "You don''t just <i>pet</i> people!" Kana was so exasperated. ¡°That''s so....¡±


    "Why not?" Mika said. "If they were ok with it, it''s fine."


    "Yeah, they seemed to enjoy it. Otherwise, they would have said no." Naomi agreed.


    ¡°Mew!¡± Akagi gave an angry meow as Kana''s hands had stopped moving while she talked.


    ¡°Alright, alright! You don''t need to get all mad at me! Just be quiet!¡± Kana put her hands back on Akagi''s ears and this time she grabbed hold of the fluffy part within the ear itself and started scratching it. Something that caused Akagi to purr in delight.


    <i>{Please don''t purr in my arms... I''m going to kick your asster for making me do this!} </i>She vowed revenge on Akagi and her friends. <i>{Though, man are her ears soft. Wait! What I am I thinking?!?} </i>Kana shook her head to clear her thoughts. <i>{It''s just Onee-chan being stupid. She wants me to enjoy the fluffy softness of her ears... and dammit I just thought about the warmfy... I hate this...} </i>She was beginning to loose to the ear floof''s power.


    "Mew mew mew mew." Akagi hummed in delight at the petting, even bouncing her head as if she were bopping along to music.


    <i>{Ok, so there''s nothing wrong with admitting she''s cute... and that her ears are fluffy and soft... Those are just facts! So its safe,pletely safe...} </i>Kana assured herself that she was still not ok with this. With her superiority over Naomi and Mika reaffirmed, at least to her, she moved into a more rigorous petting and scratching of Akagi''s ears, since there was <i>nothing </i>wrong with appreciating the floof.


    "Aww, look at that peaceful sight. A girl and her cat. It''s so precious." Naomiughed.


    ¡°Yeah, it gives me the warm fuzzies inside.¡± Mika smiled


    "Mew!" Akagi meowed in agreement.


    "Laugh it up all you want, but I don''t care anymore. " Kana sighed. ¡°I''ve resigned myself to my fate. So go ahead, make all the stupid jokes you want. Just remember that unlike you, <em>I</em> still have my dignity intact, since I''m not fussing over a fake cat girl.¡±


    ¡°Oh, are you sure about that?¡± Naomi smirked. ¡°I think you might be lying to yourself about that one, Kana.¡±


    "Yeah you seem to be enjoying yourself much more than your letting on" Mika chuckled.


    "I''m just doing this to shut her up, that''s all," Kana grumbled. ¡°She''s a bit cute, but its still a weird thing that I''d rather not be a part of.¡± She tried to convince the others, but they weren''t buying it.


    "If that''s true, then why has your hand moved to scratch her chin?" Yumi asked.


    "What? It''s not-" She looked down, and indeed it was. At some point, she''d moved her hand and was scratching Akagi''s chin. "When did I do that?!?" She tried to move it away, but Akagi grabbed it.


    "Mew!" She didn''t want her to stop, since it felt good.


    "You can admit you''re enjoying yourself, Kana. There''s nothing wrong with it." Yumi giggled. ¡°Just embrace the floofy cat and forget all your troubles. Resistance is futile and all shall fall to her power.¡±


    "Sure, let me just say, <i>hey, I like petting my cat sister</i>. Cause that''s a sane and normal thing to say." Kana rolled her eyes. ¡°Please let me keep at least <i>a little </i>of my sanity. I''d rather not turn out like you three and throw away allmon sense."


    <i>{Are you really one to talk?!?} </i>(Mika x Naomi x Yumi)


    "I mean, at this point is that really the strangest thing?" Naomi pointed out that with everything they''d seen, Catkagi was pretty tame. ¡°It''s definitely abnormal, but Akagi is a very crazy existence, at this point why not just lean into it and enjoy the insanity like we do?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, its much more fun when you just go along with the crazy. Plus, Akagi always makes stuff fun!¡± Mika said.


    "Ok fair points, but still. We shouldn''t enable her strange behavior!" Kana tried to protest. ¡°What if she starts walking around like this full time. We have to give her at least a small amount of discipline every now and again!¡±


    "You say that, yet <i>both</i> of your hands are petting. Looks to me like <i>you </i>are the one whocks discipline." Naomi pointed to Akagi''s ears which were being scratched by Kana''s other hand.


    "What''s going on?!?" Kana eximed. "Are you doing something to control me?" She looked at Akagi. ¡°I swear if your using some magic to make me do all this, you''re going straight into the bath!¡±


    "Mew!" She shook her head, denying the usations levied against her.


    "She would never! My Lord''s a good kitty." Yumi came to her defense. "Face it, you''re just enjoying yourself. So stop hogging her and give her back if you won''t admit your true feelings! She deserves to be loved by those who appreciate her, not some abusive little sister who can''t be honest with herself." Yumi grinned.


    <i>{Since when did Yumi get sassy?!?}</i> (Kana)


    "Fine then.¡± Kana pushed on Akagi to get her off her. ¡°Go on! Get! You''ve got your adoring public waiting for you, and they''ll give you much more attention than me." Kana stared at Akagi, who let go of her and jumped at Yumi, tackling her to the ground and rubbing her face against hers.


    "Mew mew mew mew mew." Akagi seemed to be having fun and appeared to be happy to be back with Yumi.


    "Great, now I''ve got hair all over me." Kana stood up, but the smile on her face betrayed her words.


    <i>{She wasn''t so enthusiastic with me.... Wait no! I don''t care about that! I''m not jealous that Yumi seems to be getting smothered with joy by Onee-chan...}</i> (Kana)


    "Come here you! Time to give the kitty the loving she deserves! Let''s go Naomi, we''ve got a kitty to spoil!" Mika ran over, followed by Naomi, and together with Yumi the three pet Akagi all over. Her face showing bliss from all the touching.


    "Mew mew mew mew mew!" It was literally heaven for the <em>Demon</em> cat as she got more scratches and pets than one could imagine. Kana stood by and watched, struggling to hold herself back from joining. After a few minutes, her small amount of willpower eventually gave out and she to grabbed onto Akagi''s tail with the excuse that ''it looked lonely''. This crazed petting of the worlds most dangerous catgirl continued for a good while until Chloe knocked at the door.


    "Hello, Myaster. I''vee to-" She stopped as she started at the sight of Akagiying on the floor and being pet by the girls. "Myaster has be one of us?!?" She ran over, shocked. "When did this happen? nya?"


    The girls stopped their petting and looked at Chloe, allowing Akagi to sit up.


    "Mew." Akagi crawled over and looked up at Chloe, staring into her eyes..


    "Mew mew mew mew mew." She meowed at Chloe.


    "Nya? nya nya nya nya nya." Chloe responded, tilting her head.


    "Mew mew mew mew mew mew." Akagi continued to meow.


    "Nya Nya Nya." Chloe smiled, and the two continued ''speaking'' for a bit.


    "Can they actually understand each other?" Kana asked Yumi.


    "I have no idea." Yumi shook her head. ¡°I thought Chloe''s nya thing was just a verbal tic, and not an actualnguage thing.¡±


    ¡°I thought it was just some anime catgirl thing anyway.¡± Naomi sighed.


    Mika decided to ask. "Chloe, do you actually know what she''s saying?"


    "Hmm? No." Chloe shook her head. ¡°I''ve got no idea what she''s saying. I actually don''t think she''s ''saying'' anything anyway.¡± She shrugged.


    "Wait, then why are you doing that nya thing?" Naomi asked. ¡°It looked like you were talking to her.¡±


    "???" Chloe tilted her head. "I was doing it because I thought it was funny."


    "Mew mew!" Akagi nodded in approval.


    The four girls just looked at each other and sighed.


    ¡°Yeah that figures.¡± Yumi gave a wry smile.


    ¡°Chloe is kinda strange. She is Akagi''s student after all.¡± Naomi shook her head.


    ¡°It was a cute little exchange though. I wish I''d recorded it.¡± Mika chuckled.


    "I guess there are more weirdos in this house than just Onee-chan." Kana shook her head. "Is it a cat thing?"


    "Weird?" Chloe said. "Why am I weird? And no! Not all of us cats are like this! Why are you looking at me like I''m some sad person that you pity?!?"


    They didn''t respond to herments. Instead, they shook their heads in disapproval and muttered something about everything making sense.


    "What did I do?!?" Chloe eximed. "You''re all awful!¡±


    "Mew mew!" Akagi meowed happily as the day continued onward with Catkagi causing chaos.


    Spoiler


    Catkagi!


    [copse]

 Side Story 4 – The Misfits Discuss the Future.

    Side Story 4 ¨C The Misfits Discuss the Future.


    "Nyah hah meow~! nyu nyan''t nekyonch mewn meow~!"


    [Ah hah! You can''t catch me!] Araughed at Avahn as she danced around the Demon cat. The two were currently engaged in a bit of training near the Misfit''s home while the other members of the team looked on.


    "Don''t worry, I can and <i>will </i>get my hands on you, Ara!" Avahn yelled out as she gave chase and swung her de. While the Demon cat might excel inbat, Ara was simply too fast, and the speedy cat easily dodged Avahn''s strikes, sometimes by a mere hair''s breadth.


    "Get back here and fight me Cat to Cat!" Avahn yelled as their training continued.


    "Is Avahn ever gonna learn?" Alveron sighed as he and Shiru watched from the sidelines. The small fairy was lying on his wife''s head, and the dryad was simrly exasperated.


    "She''s much too stubborn, and I doubt she''ll <em>ever</em> give up on beating Ara in a test of speed." Shiru sighed. "I hate to break it to her, but there aren''t many people who can actually challenge Ara in that department, and Avahn isn''t one of them."


    "Well, we know Ara is at least faster than Jerry!" Alveronughed. They''d finally defeated the Goat boss blocking them at level seven of the Forest dungeon, though it took a bit of effort and a lot of preparation.


    "Yeah, and we also learned that Avahn isn''t very good against magical restraints." Shiru said. "It shouldn''t be much longer till we hit the final boss, and after that..." She stopped.


    <i>{What DO we do after that? We''ve basically been training to deal with this dungeon for over two years. After that... What do we do with ourselves?} </i>(Shiru)


    "We''d better pick up the pace on defeating the Dungeon. The Assault Team only has two more World Bosses to take down." Alveron hopped onto her shoulder. "Wouldn''t want to have our time end here without at least beating <i>one </i>dungeon."


    "Yeah, but from what I''ve heard, those two are on a whole nother level." Shiru bit her lip.


    <i>{Apparently, a team went after Serval the other day, and not only were they wiped out, but they didn''t even do any noticeable damage to the Dragon.} </i>(Shiru)


    "Probably doesn''t help that the Devs decided to <i>cheat </i>and make game mechanics to prevent swift and easy kills on World Bosses." Alveron replied. World Bosses had damage nullification powers, and it made them much harder to defeat than one would expect.


    "Don''t worry!" A wild Daikael appeared, her body covered in soot and ck ash. "I''ve got just the thing for dealing with those naughty World Bosses!"


    <i>{Please don''t say Multiple Launch Rocket Systems...} </i>(Alverson


    "Multiple Launch Rocket Systems..." Daikael smiled.


    <i>{...} </i>(Alveron)


    "With MAGIC!" Daikael finished.


    <i>{THAT DOESN''T MAKE IT BETTER!} </i>(Alveron)


    "And <i>how </i>are we going to build something like that?" Shiru gave a wry smile. "I doubt the Devs made something like that part of the game..."


    <i>{If they did, I''d have some SERIOUS questions for the design team.} </i>(Shiru)


    "Easy! We just make a magical artillery system to hurl high explosive rockets! We''ve already got gunpowder, and I''ve figured out how to infuse it with magic." Daikael exined.


    "Yeah, that''s ni-" Alveron stopped. "Wait, can you please run that by me again? Because I think I justgged and heard you say something <i>insane</i>."


    "I found a way to mix gunpowder and magic." Daikael smiled.


    "Oh... it wasn''tg..." Alveron stared at the fox for a few seconds. "HOW AND WHEN?!?"


    "Just now." Daikael looked proud of herself.


    <i>{Of course.} </i>(Shiru x Alveron)


    "Now that I''ve got my hands on magically infused explosives, it shouldn''t be hard to make some crazier equipment." Daikael pulled a small ss bottle out of her inventory. "Just this tiny amount of powder is capable of leveling a building."


    Shiru and Alveron hastily backed away from the danger jar.


    "Don''t bring that stuff near people!" (Shiru x Alveron)


    "It''s fine! As long as it doesn''t receive a proper shock or ignition, it won''t do anything, see." Daikael dropped the bottle onto the ground.


    <i>{EEP!} </i>(Shiru x Alveron)


    As the bottle hit the ground, Shiru and Alveron prepared for the worst, but nothing happened.


    "Told you it''d be fine." Daikael put it back in her inventory. "I <i>am </i>smart enough to know safety measures."


    "Forgive me if I don''t believe you." Alveron remembered the fox''s other experiments and how<em>kaboom</em> was a standard oue.


    "I am a responsible member of the U.S. armed forces and a mature adult. So have at least <em>some </em>faith in me." Daikael said smugly.


    <i>{I...no...} </i>(Shiru)


    <i>{If THIS is what passes as a U.S. soldier, the world is doomed...} </i>(Alveron)


    "Well, at least you didn''t spend all that time cloning yourself." Alveron sighed.


    "Don''t worry, that''s on the list." Daikael grinned. "You put that idea in my head, and now I want it!"


    "There''s gonna be two of them..." Shiru put her head in her hands.


    "I''ll make sure I get you a nice wedding present." Alveronughed.


    <i>{Oh god, there''s gonna be more than two once they figure out how to make babies...} </i>Shiru continued to have a crisis over the thought of more Daikaels.


    "Nyahahaha!" Araughed loudly in the background as Avahn red at her from the dirt.


    "Silly nyavahn, nyu''re gonnya nyeed much more than muscles to nekyonch this kitty meow~!"


    [Silly Avahn, you''re gonna need much more than muscles to catch this kitty!] Araughed as she turned and ran into the forest, with Avahn following suit.


    "When I get my hands on you, you''re going to regret mocking me!" Avahn screamed manically while chasing her speedy girlfriend.


    "At least those two''s rtionship is somewhat normal." Shiru said, head still in hands.


    "Well... not really, but sure..." Alveron looked away. He knew those two cats were nothing but trouble.


    "We need to get those two married." Daikaelmented. "Then we can find out what happens when you mix speedy kitty with Demon kitty." Sheughed.


    "Sure, right after we find out what happens when two Daikaels mix." Alveron rolled his eyes.


    "The universe probably implodes..." Shiru groaned. She''d long given up hope of tempering Daikael''s crazy.


    "Maybe I''ll run some experiments. Alveron, how would you like to assist? It will probably be <i>fun</i>." Daikael got a mischievous glint in her eyes.


    "Nope." Alveron crossed his arms. "You know the rule about sticking it in crazy."


    <i>{Not to mention, I don''t want to die.} </i>(Alveron)


    "But you regrly do that with this one here." Daikael pointed to Shiru, who was still reeling over this whole conversation.


    "Yeah, but. Shiru is MY crazy." Alveron nodded. "So it''s fine."


    "As if <i>you </i>aren''t a bag of problems <i>yourself </i>mister!" Shiru finally snapped out of her stupor.


    "I never imed <i>not </i>to be." Alveron smirked.


    Shiru red at him.


    <i>{I hate that you''re right!} </i>(Shiru)


    "In all seriousness, what are you two nning on doing about that once we get out?" Daikael asked. "I''ve asked Avahn this question before, and she said that she would first and foremost have aplete emotional breakdown." She continued. "She isn''t exactly the most emotionally stable person out there."


    <em>{That poor girl is in for a world of traumawhen she gets back...}</em>(Daikael)


    "Well, we''re both in Japan, so we''ll just need to find one another." Shiru answered. "I n on continuing my education and furthering my studies if possible, and I''d like this idiot to be with me." She smiled.


    "That''s my n too." Alveron agreed.


    "Too bad we don''t get to keep all these awesome powers." As Daikael said this, arge explosion went off in the background, and a few trees copsed, followed by Avahn screaming profanities.


    "WHEN DID YOU MANAGE TO DRAW ON MY FACE?!?! I''M GOING TO BREAK YOU, YOU STUPID CAT!!!!!" Avahn screamed.


    "NYAHAHAHAHAH!" Ara cackled evilly.


    "Yeah... I don''t know if I want those two running around Japan with those kinds of powers..." Alveron sighed. "But yeah, it''s gonna be sad going back to normal. I kinda like being small."


    "I''ll definitely miss my connection to nature, that''s for sure." Shiru gave a bitter smile. "Hearing the sounds of nature all around is something I dreamed of since I was a little girl, and is a big reason I went into biology and natural sciences."


    "What about you, Dai?" Alveron asked her what she was going to do upon her return.


    "I suspect the military is going to be up my ass." Daikael sighed. "Even if it wasn''t my fault, those bastards will probably treat this as AWOl. I just hope I''m not dishonorably discharged. If I''m lucky, the time I''ve been in the game will go towards my contractpletion, and I can go back to the States as a civilian."


    "Random thought, but what''s going to happen to people who killed while in here?" Shiru asked. "Will they be arrested for murder?"


    "I have no idea." Daikael shrugged. "I''m not really sure how that works, and I''m not part of JAG, so legal stuff is over my head."


    "If they''re in trouble, Akagi is gonna be in for one hell of a judgment." Alveron said.


    "Yeah, what''s she at now? Last I saw it was nearly one hundred yers killed?" Shiru mused.


    "It''s creeping up there, but thest few guys did it themselves by picking a fight with her." Daikael shook her head. "Like seriously, why would you ever think it was a smart idea to take that red cat hostage? Oh boy did <i>that </i>not sit well with her." The global chat spoke of a <i>very </i>unhappy Akagi after that incident. Apparently, Hishya was present when the Assassin went after that group, and the dragon girl wasn''tfortable repeating what Akagi did that day.


    "Well, at least <em>one</em> thing good wille out of going back." Alveron hopped down to the ground.


    "What''s that?" Shiru asked.


    "Akagi will no longer be the uber-scary person we all have to watch out for!" Heughed.


    "Yeah, it will be nice not having the threat of <i>death</i> loom over us at all times." Daikael smiled.


    "I admit that while she has been nice to us, it will be good <i>not </i>having to worry about someone sending her after us." Shiru gave a nervousugh.


    <i>{The end of FWO will bring the end of the Red Hand, but whates after that? Not just for her, but for ALL of us?} </i>(Shiru)

 Chapter 160 – All the President’s Headaches.

    Chapter 160 ¨C All the President¡¯s Headaches.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Hello everyone! I have one quick announcement before the chapter today. After a few individuals messaged me, and some discussion on my discord server, I have created both a subscribestar and Ko-Fi for this story and my future works.


    I want to say upfront that there is <span style="text-decoration:underline"><em><strong>NOTHING</strong> </em>locked behind either website, nor will there ever be. I created these to allow those who want to the ability to donate to or tip me. You may ignore both of these ces and nothing will change about the story, my releases or what you get from me. I have no interest in or need to mize my work, as I write for fun, and not to make any money, so I will <span style="text-decoration:underline"><em><strong>NEVER</strong></em> paywall chapters or content.


    Links to both can be found at the bottom of the chapters and if anyone does actually use these, then you will get a special role on my discord server, though this is simply a color change and conveys nothing extra.


    Thank you all for getting this story to number one on trending again yesterday, and for helping to get us across a quarter of a million views! I hope you enjoy the uing chapters and I look forward to talking to you all on discord!


    In the aftermath of Akagi''s speech to mankind, President Rosewood had been having a <i>difficult time, </i>to say the least. In the days after the event, things had spiraled out of control, there was a minor panic across the entire world, and while things had calmed down a bit, the global mood was still tense. Rosewood was currently handling a press conference at the White House, and the reporters were bombarding her with questions about Akagi.


    "Please, everyone, one at a time!" President Rosewood was trying to keep things in order. "I will get to as many of your questions as possible, so please calm down, and let''s all act like respectable professionals. Please."


    <i>{Akagi, why did you have to give that speech and then leave right after?!? You left everything to me, dammit!} </i>She cursed Akagi in her head.


    "Now, let''s start with you." She pointed to one reporter and began the <i>very</i> long process of addressing a deluge of questions rting to Akagi. In one of the longest press conference Q&As in White House history, President Rosewood went over everything she knew about the <em>Demon</em>. She made sure to reassure the public that she was not a threat, at present, and that there was no need for panic or hysteria. The threat of such a powerful world-ending monster was not lost on her, but she tried to bring down the temperature and calm people''s nerves. President Rosewood had a good idea of who Akagi was and how she would act, so by the end of the press conference, she''d manage to, at the very least, prevent breakdown ofw and order. She was grateful this whole ordeal happened<i> after</i> her reelection, since she figured another term would be impossible after this, and a continued career in politics wasn''t necessarily guaranteed.


    Once she was finished, Rosewood retreated to one of her side rooms for a small break, with Nariyuki close by. The agent poured her a small cup of coffee and the two took a moment to speak about the present situation.


    "I just want to crawl in some hole and hide, Nariyuki." Rosewood rubbed her temples as Nariyuki brought her drink. "I knew things would be miserable, but <i>this</i> was just..."


    <i>{I know I''m the President, but this is not what I signed up for...} </i>(Rosewood)


    "It''s like I told you. Akagi sees this as nothing more than a game to y for entertainment. She''s probably getting a kick out of all this." Nariyuki sighed.


    "Yeah well, I wish she''d leave me out of this <i>game.</i>" Rosewood said while sipping her coffee.


    "It''s a bit toote for that. You''ve caught her eye, and I doubt she''s going to leave you alone." Nariyukiughed. "At least your future employer seems to treat her people well enough."


    "Hey, if they run me out of the country, at least I''ve got somewhere to go." Rosewood rolled her eyes. "It seems that the press pool calmed down a bit. But I have a feeling there''s going to be a round of congressional hearings on this whole event. Have fun. Since they will 100% call you."


    <i>{Thank god I got them on board with this whole thing FIRST. Otherwise I''d be getting impeached for sure...} </i>(Rosewood.)


    "Joy." Nariyuki sighed. She hated going before Congress. "Do you think they''re going to make you back out of the deals we made over the week? Akagi''s not going to like that."


    "I will do <i>everything</i> in my power to ram those through Congress where we need their approval. If I have to wash a few hands to get it done, so be it. I''d rather not take chances when we''re dealing with a <i>literal</i> <em>Demon</em>." Rosewood sighed.


    "Yeah, the world-ending creature meant to kill us all just wants to live peacefully in the mountains of Japan with her little vige." Nariyuki shook her head. "If you''d told me a year ago I''d say those words, I''d''ve told you to check into the mental ward."


    "Yeah, when I ran for office I thought I''d be dealing with the Chinese, the Russians, or hell, even some stupidity out of the EU. But no, I get <em>this</em>. Goodie..." Rosewood groaned. "Why the hell did I make that stupidment about <i>Demons</i> and the Demon Lord? I jinxed myself."


    "But it''s so much fun!" Hikari popped out of the ceiling and dropped to the floor. "Man, that press conference was great! I thought you were going to rip that one guy''s head off when he started getting sassy!"


    "Are you<i> always</i> around at the perfect time, Hikari? And why are you even here? I thought you were going home." President Rosewood sighed. "Akagi told us she''d call off her intel gathering, so seeing you still around is concerning."


    "Intel gathering has been wrapped up, and we''re moving our assets to the next job site." Hikari smiled. ¡°So we''ll be out of your hair soon!¡±


    "Whoever you go to next, I feel bad for their security forces. Lord knows you''ve given the Secret Service more aneurysms than I ever thought possible." Nariyuki said.


    "Are you going to be heading down south? I''ve heard tales of ninja cats saving viges and destroying drug cartels." Rosewood was very aware of the n''s activities in South America.


    <i>{Not that I would mind that since their activities have crippled drug operations and smuggling into the States has dropped a good amount.} </i>(Rosewood)


    "Sorry, but our next assignment is ssified." Hikari put her finger over her lips in a ''sssh'' manner. "But it will be so much more fun! I''ve been bored around here since you guys just gave up trying to stop me, and that gotme."


    "Well, <i>sorry</i> we don''t have anti-magic systems in ce yet." Rosewood rolled her eyes. "Perhaps when we get some knowledge exchange with your master, things might be more interesting in the future."


    ¡°I think we''ll still win.¡± Hikariughed.


    "Yes well, anyway. Did you stop by just to say goodbye?" Rosewood asked.


    "Partly, I was also tasked with delivering a message from my Lord." Hikari''s words caused Rosewood''s eyes to turn sharp. "Now where was that paper?" She reached into a pocket and pulled out a small notepad. "Here it is! Ok, so there are a few things."


    "Go ahead." Rosewood motioned for her to proceed.


    "First, she wanted to thank you for such a lovely reception. She said she enjoyed your hospitality and D.C. itself. Second, she wanted to let you know that a formal Ambassador has been chosen to represent the Kingdom of Dumetor, and they will arrive once the territory is turned over to her in the summer."


    "I will alert the State Department, though it will take a bit of time to get a formal office ready." President Rosewood figured it would take a few months for that to be ready.


    "Yeah, she figured that. Anyway. Third, she wanted to give you a warning." Hikari looked at Rosewood.


    "A warning?" President Rosewood tensed up.


    "Yes." Hikari nodded. "Out of consideration for you, and because of your kindness, she wanted to give you a bit of info that she hasn''t shared with many others."


    <i>{I don''t like the sound of this.} </i>(Rosewood)


    "My Lord wanted you to be aware that one of the World Bosses from FWO has appeared in Japan and that she is currently hunting her." Hikari said.


    "What?!?" President Rosewood''s eyes went wide. "You mean one of the game bosses is in our world?"


    <i>{What does that even mean?!?} </i>(Rosewood)


    "Yes, it appears that the Lord of Vampires Silfana has appeared in Kyoto. In my world, she was the leader of a nation of monsters, and was widely regarded as quite the terrifying being." Hikari exined. ¡°She routinely waged war on the rest of the continent and was regarded as one of the biggest threats to the Empire.¡±


    "How is that even possible?" Nariyuki asked. "I thought the game was purged once you all left?"


    <em>{Our intel agencies dug as deep as they could, but nothing indicated the developers knew anything about this situation, and they still deny any responsibility.}</em>(Rosewood)


    "We are investigating that as we speak, though my Lord has a few theories." Hikari shrugged. "What''s important is that she wants you to be on alert in case any of the <em>others</em> appear. If Serval shows up in the U.S. that will be a disaster."


    "Serval?" President Rosewood had no idea who that was.


    "The Emerald Dragon Emperor, Serval." Hikari exined who he was. "He was the final World Boss defeated by the Assault Team, and was responsible for arge number of yer deaths. In our world, he was a being told of in legend, and there were stories of him plunging the world into armageddon if he ever awoke again." Hikari continued. "He was considered to be the single most powerful being in our world, not counting the gods, and defeating him was thought to be impossible."


    "And she thinks such a monster might appear in our world?" President Rosewood began to sweat a bit.


    "Possibly. If Silfana appeared, it''s possible that the others might." Hikari reached into her pocket again and threw a small notepad at Rosewood. "That contains data on all ten World Bosses based on what my Lord has documented with help from Hishya. I''d advise going over it just in case."


    President Rosewood looked at a few pages and noted that there were even a few drawings of the World Bosses before something caught her attention. "The sixth World Boss was the Lord of all Demons, Rivenshaft. He resided in a parallel ne of existence termed the Underworld." She sighed. "Great, more <i>Demons</i>."


    "He was quite scary, but not actually problematic since he only rarely came to the material ne." Hikari exined. "Though if he showed up in <em>this</em> world, that would be <em>bad</em>. However, I wouldn''t be worried about him, since my Lord told me that if he shows up, she''d handle him <i>personally</i>. This world only has room for one top Demon, and that''s a seat reserved <i>exclusively </i>for her."


    <i>{None of us would stand for a pretender Demon Lord, or anyone who ims this world as their own. It belongs to Lady Akagi!} </i>(Hikari)


    "Well, that''s reassuring." Nariyuki rolled her eyes. "One <i>Demon</i> or another, does it really matter for us? We''re still screwed regardless."


    "I''d say your all getting off lucky, all things considered." Hikari said. "My Lord is more interested in her own life and those of the family. As she said on Monday, if you leave her alone she''ll probably leave you alone."


    "Either way, thank you for this information. As for the returnee she''s sending us. Can you tell her to send someone to perform further discussion on that issue? The Pentagon is chomping at the bit to start running tests with magic." President Rosewood said.


    "I''ll pass along the message, though I have word of advice." Hikari held up her hand. "Birdy is a bit of a handful, and while I''d never question her loyalty, she''s a bit more apt to<i> creatively interpret orders</i>." She gave a dryugh. "Birdy isn''t one to take orders from anyone but my Lord, so she might be a bit hard to work with. Though she''ll probably be fine, just make sure you don''t push her buttons and try not to aggravate her too much."


    "I''ll make sure she''s treated well." President Rosewood gave a wry smile.


    <em>{Just what we need MORE problem children.}</em>(Rosewood)


    "Excellent! Then, until we meet again!" Hikari jumped into the ceiling and disappeared.


    "Well, one problem left the building, and several more showed up to rece it." Nariyuki smiled.


    "Why are you acting like you''re not involved." Rosewood grinned. "You''re going to be <i>very</i> busy with all the new fun things going on. I''ll be assigning you to our iing returnee, and I suspect that you''ll be called upon for further discussions with our resident Demon Lord."


    *Tsk* Nariyuki clicked her tongue. "You don''t pay me enough for all this crap."


    *KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK*


    "Madam President, it''s time for your next meeting. The Speaker is waiting for you in conference room 3." (Staffer.)


    "Well, I guess my respite is over." Rosewood stood up. "No rest for the weary. I''ve got a country to run, Demon Lord or not."

 Chapter 161 – The Council will Decide Your Fate.

    Chapter 161 ¨C The Council will Decide Your Fate.


    While President Rosewood was dealing with the aftermath of Akagi''s speech to humanity, Mizumi returned back to Omara for a meeting with Councilor Shinlua. The Elf had been trying to get her attention for some time, but Mizumi was too busy with other duties to meet her. Not to mention, Mizumi was quite annoyed with her refusal to give Akagi proper respect and thus postponed any meetings until her return.


    Summoning Shinlua to her office, Mizumi greeted her with all the necessary formalities before they got to talking. The Spirit could tell that whatever the Elf wanted to discuss was not good, and prompted her to start.


    "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Lady Mizumi." Shinlua took her seat. "I know you''ve been very busy, but this is simply that important, so please excuse my constant messages these past weeks." She''d been sending a flurry of meeting requests to Mizumi via her attendants, and it was starting to get on the Spirit''s nerves.


    "It <i>better</i> be important." Mizumi sighed. "I have a million other things to do, so let''s make this quick." She motioned for her to speak.


    Seeing that Mizumi was already in a bad mood, Shinlua decided to get straight to the point. "Yes, well. First, please forgive my earlier skepticism regarding Demon Lord Akagi."


    Mizumi''s eyes went wide at her statement.


    <i>{Does this mean she...} </i>(Mizumi)


    "I''ve looked through the documents you provided, andpared them with the information I had in my own collection. Specifically, the voice recording you provided matched information I received from an individual who heard Vikes speak during the war against him ages ago. Thus, I''vee to the same conclusion as you." Shinlua took a deep breath. "Akagi is the same type of being as the one who terrorized our world, a Demon Lord."


    "Well, I''m d you <i>finally</i> understood what I''ve been saying." Mizumi rolled her eyes. "I wish you would have figured this out <i>before</i> meeting her and potentially pissing her off, betterte than never I suppose."


    <em>{It seems that at least ONE Councilmember isn''t a total idiot... The factional politics are getting worse and I''ve gotten far too many messages from the upper ssining about my rtionship with Akagi.}</em>(Mizumi)


    "Please understand that my reluctance was not out of malice or foolishness like the other three. I simply found it hard to believe that a Demon Lord could behave like her." Shinlua gave a wry smile.


    "Yes, and it''s <i>because</i> she''s so strange that we''re all still alive. By sheer luck, she was able to find enough to cling to and prevent her from giving in to the darkness within her mind. Her kind are not meant to retain a rational mind for long, and that power is <i>intended</i> to consume them as we saw with Vikes." Mizumi continued. "Akagi is a <i>very </i>unique existence, and frankly, I''d say she''s actually <em>more</em> dangerous than if she''d gone feral."


    <i>{A mindless beast is predictable and simple, but Akagi... Akagi is intelligent, maniptive, cunning, and sadistic. Going against her even without the Demon Lord power was already a dangerous prospect.} </i>(Mizumi)


    "I''d say you are correct." Shinlua agreed. "At least with Vikes, he was mostly devoid of a strategy and nning. It''s how we defeated him, though even then, the traps used only barely worked."


    "Exactly." Mizumi nodded. "Akagi is abat genius, and she''s probably the most dangerous schemer I''ve ever seen." Mizumi gave a dryugh. "You should see just how much that <i>Demon</i> ns, it''s terrifying. I swear if you asked her, she''d probably be able to predict what was going toe out of your mouth before you said it."


    <i>{Considering she had Libra, the RRT, and the U.S. dancing in the palm of her hand BEFORE she got released, lord knows just how far she can see now.} </i>(Mizumi)


    "<i>Demons</i> are always schemers, tricking people into deals just to pull one over on them is their M.O." Shinlua had dealt with a few in her time.


    "Yeah, the only difference is that Akagi is less likely to ask for your soul." Mizumiughed. "Though in fairness, that might be quite cheappared to her real price."


    <i>{I''m basically her ve... Oh well, I suppose there are far worse fates than assisting her. After all, she''s given us far more help than I ever expected.} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Yes, and that brings me to the second reason I needed to speak with you." Shinlua''s eyes turned serious. "The Council is nning to make a move against her. They believe that defeating her is possible, Demon Lord or not, and they''ve been preparing powerful allies in a foolish attempt to crush her."


    Mizumi sighed. "I knew it... That fool really was sent by the Council."


    "What do you mean? Have they already acted?!?" Shinlua was afraid she''d been toote.


    "The Council''s favorite assassin made an attempt on her life while we were in a diplomatic meeting with another country. Sadly for him, he underestimated Akagi''s detection skill and was easily defeated before anyone was harmed. He was trying to use a special poison to make it seem like everyone who ate their meals died in their sleep." Shinlua knew exactly who and what she was talking about.


    "I''m d to hear no one was harmed, but how did he manage to leave? I thought only you and a few others could traverse between the two worlds freely?" Shinlua was not aware of any methods of going to Earth outside of a select number of official channels.


    "I suspect that the Council has some method of leaving." Mizumi shrugged. "But if you don''t know, it''s probably because they''re keeping you in the dark as well."


    <em>{My contacts tell me Shinlua here isn''t exactly part of the IN crowd among our ''nobility.''}</em>(Mizumi)


    "It is true that they see me as an outsider, and I''ve always suspected that they keep things from me." Shinlua thought for a moment. "They''ve been spending a great deal of time doing something together recently, and they always keep me away from the chambers below the Council hall."


    <em>{I''ve triedasking more about that location but am always given excuses as to why I can''t enter.}</em>(Shinlua)


    "Akagi made note of that sealed room and suspected something nefarious was going on within." Mizumi said. "I suspect attempting to enter will be difficult, and frankly, if you went in alone with them, you probably wouldn''t return alive."


    Shinlua flinched. "I want to say you''re wrong but..." In the past, she never would have imagined the political and personal aspirations of the Council members would leave her fearing for her life, but that was exactly what was happening now.


    "We''re reaching a dangerous point Shinlua." Mizumi red at her. "I will be taking this information to Akagi. She needs to know the Council is making moves against her. Do you know anything more specific?"


    ¡°Yes, though my information is iplete. Just understand that you''ll likely be branded a traitor for going to her." Shinlua said.


    <em>{I might be too considering what I''m doing.}</em>(Shinlua)


    "I suppose that would apply to you too." Shinlua had just leaked sensitive information to Mizumi in an attempt to undermine the Council; it was textbook treason. "And besides, why do I care what those fools think? My concern isn''t them. It''s the best interest of our people!" She mmed her hand on the desk. "I was told to watch over them and keep them safe! <i>That</i> was thest mission given to me by the others, and I won''t allow three idiots and their politics to put them in harm''s way!"


    "Well, if that isn''t an admission of guilt, then I don''t know what is." Suddenly Onmiyame along with three armed individuals entered the room, weapons at the ready.


    "What is the meaning of this?!?" Mizumi yelled. "Why have you brought those three here?" The three armed fighters were the explorers she''d brought into custody after their conflict with Akagi at the Inn.


    <i>{Their eyes are zed over. Did those idiots use magic to control them?!?} </i>Mizumi didn''t think they would sink that low as such magic was taboo and illegal under theirws.


    "The <i>meaning</i> of this is quite simple, Mizumi." Onmiyame snapped his fingers, and the three explorers drew their des, pointing them at the two women. "I''vee here to take the two of you into custody. By order of the Council, the two of you have been charged with high treason and will be brought to trial for your conspiracy to undermine the Council and deliver our people into the hands of a <em>Demon</em>."


    "I did not authorize this!" Shinlua stood up. "There was never a discussion of such things! So how can you im to have the Council''s authority when <i>I </i>wasn''t involved." She was correct, such a decision could not be made without her involvement, even if <em>she</em>was also dered traitor.


    "Your position as Councilor has been revoked, Ms. Shinlua. Some recent re-reading of our ancientws found that non Spirits are not permitted to be council members. A pity that." Onmiyame<b> </b>smirked. He was lying out of his ass, but that didn''t matter.


    <i>{More like you''re just kicking her out...} </i>Mizumi sighed.


    "Now, will youe with me quietly? Or do my friends here need to get rough with you? I must say that while bringing you in alive is most preferable, well, things can get a bit... <em>blurred</em> during conflict." Onmiyame said.


    ¡°Please Onmiyame, stop this madness at once! Whether you believe that Akagi is a Demon Lord or not, you must understand the danger posed by unleashing such a fearsome creature on the world.¡± Shinlua pleaded with him. ¡°Are you even able to control that Dragon?!?¡±


    ¡°Your concern is unwarranted, everything is under control and both the Dragon and the <i>Demon</i> we''ve recruited are following ourmands unquestionably. It will be only a matter of time before the so-called Demon Lord is defeated and that entire world bows to us.¡± Onmiyame smirked.


    <i>{So they intend to take over Earth? And what''s this about a Dragon and a Demon? Shinlua probably knows more about his ns, damn if only he''d been a bit slower and if only I''de sooner. We need to get out of here so I can warn Akagi, but Onmiyame isn''t weak, and fighting him plus those three won''t be easy.} </i>Mizumi was no slouch inbat but wasn''t exactly sure she could win this fight, even with Shinlua here, things would get tricky if Daruma showed up along side others.


    The Elf looked to her and nodded as Mizumi sted the window behind her with water magic, shattering it and enabling the two to dive out into the street below.


    "After them! I don''t care if it''s dead or alive, just bring them to me!" Onmiyame yelled, and the three brainwashed explorers gave chase.


    Dropping onto the street below, Shinlua and Mizumi took off at high speed as the three explorers quickly caught up to them. They would need to reach a safe location for Mizumi to create a portal to Earth, and their pursuers wouldn''t make that easy.


    "Those three are some of our best fighters! We''re going to struggle to keep them away for long, especially if we don''t want to hurt them!" Shinlua said as a magic st flew right by her. "There are civilians here dammit!" She turned to yell at them, but they didn''t seem to care.


    "Can''t you undo the spell cast on them?" Mizumi asked.


    "Not like this." The Elf shook her head. "We''d need to capture them to allow me to work on them. That magic isn''t supposed to be used like this! I see the Council is more than happy to break all the taboos they please." Shinlua flung a small st back at her pursuers, which Ferrix deflected.


    <em>{I just hope I don''t need to draw my de, I''d rather not shed more blood if I don''t have to.}</em>(Shinlua)


    "Well, we need to think of something." Mizumi said. "We need to get back to Akagi and let her know what''s going on. Otherwise, our entire people might find themselves <i>Demon</i> food!" The two women picked up the pace as the chase throughout Omara continued.

 Chapter 162 – The Chase and a Last Stand.

    Chapter 162 ¨C The Chase and a Last Stand.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Hello everyone! I have an exciting announcement. After much drafting, revision and feedback from a group on my server, I''ve decided to publish a second story! The title is A Piece Left Behind, and follows a French World War One and Two Veteran and his Isekai journey after he dies of old age. Its going to be a slower release than Red Hand, at once per week on Mondays, but after drafting the initial story and brainstorming, I fell in love with the concept. The story has gotten positive feedback from the server members who read the first nine chapters, so I think you''ll like it!


    I''ll tell you upfront that it is a bit of a different story than Red Hand, as while it has a powerful MC, he is nowhere near Akagi''s level, and it will be a bit more serious than Red Hand can be. The link is . I''m doing the first ten chapters tonight so be on the lookout!


    Additionally, do not worry about this story interrupting Red Hand releases. At only one per week this is barely any additional work, and I''ve got plenty of Backlog for Red Hand.


    Thank you and I hope you check it out!


    As Mizumi and Shinlua ran down the busy streets of Omara, they were chased closely by the brainwashed explorers Mami, Shisa, and Ferrix. In their current state, the three spirits were unleashing magical attacks without care for the innocent civilians, and Mizumi was increasingly worried that someone might get caught in the crossfire.


    "We need to get away from the main roads, or someone''s going to get hit at this rate!" Mizumi yelled at Shinlua, who nodded in agreement.


    "Turning and fighting is an option." Shin figured the two of them alone could easily win.


    "No! I don''t want to hurt them, and if a fight breaks out now, there''s no telling what kind of magic they''ll use." Mizumi shook her head as she dodged another st.


    <i>{Plus, if the other Council members show up, things will go south really quickly.} </i>(Mizumi)


    "We need to give them the slip, let''s jump duck down that alleyway!" Mizumi pointed to an area up ahead, and the two did a quick pivot down a smaller walkway with the explorers right on their heels.


    "How long do you need to create a portal?" Shinlua asked as a st flew overhead and struck some poor woman''sundry.


    "Not too long, but if they get too close, they might follow, and I don''t want to bring them to Akagi''s estate." Mizumi figured that would cause a problem. "If we can get less than a minute of prep time, we can get to Earth no problem, but these three are persistent." She said as they turned down another alley.


    "I think I know a ce we can go," Shinlua said as yet another st flew past her, nearly striking some ying children. "A few warehouses are being used for storage by the fishing docks. We can go there, and you can open a connection with Earth. We just need to get away from these three or at least slow them down enough to get some distance between us."


    "Can you put up a smoke screen?" Mizumi said as she waved her hand ck to deflect another attack.


    "A small one but yes." Shinlua nodded


    "Then do that. Once we get close enough to the docks, we''ll turn down an alley with multiple routes. Hopefully, they pick the wrong one." Mizumi said. "They can detect magic, so we won''t have much time to act." As explorers, their pursuers are some of the best magicalbatants, and were likely ex-soldiers.


    Continuing the chase, Mizumi and Shinlua slowly made their way toward the fishing docks, dodging more and more fire as the explorers got closer. Once they got to a close enough point, Mizumi pointed out a four-way intersection in the alley, and Shinlua dropped a smokescreen. The two of them went right. While their pursuers stopped and used magic detection to attempt to locate them.


    "I hope that buys us enough time," Shinlua said. "The warehouses should be just up ahead, let''s get inside, and you start your magic ASAP."


    "That''s the n!" Mizumi nodded, and the two quickly tore through the lower district and as they came up to the docks and ran full speed into a nearby warehouse, frightening some of the dockworkers.


    "Get the portal open now!" Shinlua said as she mmed the door behind them shut.


    Mizumi began channeling her magic, but right before she could finish.


    *ZAP*


    "Ack!" Mizumi cried in pain as she was struck with a st from the side.


    "What was that? Did they already catch up?" Shinlua looked around for whoever shot the attack until she saw Onmiyame floating near an open window on the second floor.


    "You followed us?!?" Shinlua channeled magic and pointed her arm at him.


    <i>{I didn''t even notice him! That st looks like it did some serious damage to Lady Mizumi. I hope she can still open a portal like that.} </i>Shinlua looked over at Mizumi, whose arm was bleeding and burned.


    "Did you really think you could escape me? And also, why would you assume I''d just leave your capture to those three? Do you really think me so foolish to leave such an important task in the hands of such ipetent foods?" Onmiyame grinned. "I''ve been following you this whole time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike."


    "<i>You''re</i> the fool!" Mizumi yelled while clutching her arm. "If you go through with whatever you have nned, Akagi will destroy you and quite possibly our entire people!"


    "I''m afraid not." Onmiyame smirked. "Your little <i>Demon</i> friend will soon find herself defeated by a much more powerful member of her race. Perhaps you''ve heard of him, after all, he was a product of your design in a way."


    "A product of..." Mizumi''s eyes went wide. "You can''t possibly mean-" She was cut off.


    "Yes, your little ''World Bosses'' are now our tools for conquest and retribution. It took a bit of time to get it right, but we''ve got the two most powerful under our control. So thank you Lady Mizumi, for providing the instruments of our conquest of Earth." He smiled.


    "If you unleash Rivenshaft on the world, the death toll will be catastrophic! He''s nothing more than a murderous monster with more mental capacity than a Demon Lord!" Mizumi eximed. "He''ll kill everyst human on Earth!"


    "And why should I care?" Onmiyame shrugged. "They''re just humans, creatures that tried to exterminate us not just once but twice. Besides, they are such disgusting creatures who squander what resources they have. You know as well as I that our people are superior to them, and will make much better use of the."


    "Regardless of our history with humanity, the people of Earth have done nothing to us! They even allowed your ancestors to peacefully leave, and they are not responsible for the atrocities that the humans of our old worldmitted." Shinlua said.


    "Semantics." Onmiyame waved her off. "We shall crush them and those who remain will live to serve us, that is what the Council has decided. For the good of all Spirits, we must do this."


    "For the good of all Spirits? Or for the good of the Council?" Mizumi scoffed.


    "Those two things are one and the same." Onmiyameughed just as the three explorers kicked into the side of the warehouse and surrounded the two women. "Now, I believe we shall move up your execution date, to right about... <i>now</i>."


    "Mizumi, can you still create a portal?" Shinlua whispered to her.


    "I can, but I don''t think I''ll have enough time to make one for both you and me to pass through before it dissipates." Mizumi clicked her tounge. "I can''t risk these four following, sorry."


    "That''s fine." Shinlua moved back and put herself in front of Mizumi as a shield. "Just do me a favor. When you get to Earth, tell Akagi I''m sorry for doubting her." It was looking like this would be the two''s final farewell, with Shinlua gearing up for a single desperatest stand while Mizumi fled.


    <i>{I suppose I have no choice but to use my de. May the Forest Spirits forgive me for the blood I am about to spill.} </i>(Shinlua)


    "Now then, it''s time to-" Onmiyame''s words were cut off by a single Kunai that flew past his face, barely scraping his cheek. "What?!?" He eximed as several smoke bombs went off inside the warehouse, leaving everyone blinded.


    "Sorry, we''rete! Things moved a bit faster than expected." A voice rang out as several shadows zipped through the obscured area and knocked out the three explorers with swift blows to the back of the head.


    "What''s going on?" Mizumi cried out as a rabbit-eared ninja dropped in front of her.


    "No time to talk!" He reached out and grabbed hold of Mizumi and Shinlua. "Everyone group up! Operations are over, and we''re pulling out!" The rabbit man called out, and two other ninjas appeared next to him as he cracked a small blue crystal between his fingers, causing the five of them to disappear in a blue light.


    "What the hell was that?!?" Onmiyame waspletely confused. He had no idea who those ninjas were or why they just helped. For the first time in a long time, the old man waspletely lost for words.


    <i>{Were those agents of the Demon? I know some of her people wereing and going within the city, but how could counter-intelligence have missed their movements like this? I was told that all members of that Demon''s household were present and ounted for. So how did three agents get into Omara and avoid detection like that?!?} </i>He was pissed and would see heads roll for this mistake.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    Akagi and Hishya sat in the garden having drinks together. They were discussing how to find Silfana and other information about subsequent vampire and thrall attacks when a bright light appeared off to their side revealing Nemino along with two other ninjas, Shinlua and a wounded Mizumi.


    "Damn, three uses of a transport crystal in only a few months? That''s annoying." Akagi rolled her eyes. "I''ll hear a report in a moment. Get Mizumi to Mimi for healing."


    "Before that, please, you need to listen!" Mizumi yelled. "The Council has somehow revived at least two world bosses, one of them being Rivenshaft and going by the use of the term Dragon, probably Serval as well!"


    "What?!?" Hishya stood up. "What do you mean they revived Serval and Rivenshaft?!?"


    Before she could answer, Mizumi fell to the floor, barely conscious. She seemed to have lost more blood than initially thought and her injuries were worse than they seemed.


    "Fuck, run her to Mimi NOW!" Akagi yelled at Nemino, who grabbed her and ran off at full speed. She looked at Shinlua, who couldn''t bring herself to meet the <i>Demon''s </i>gaze. "So you wanna exin to me what the fuck is going on?"

 Chapter 163 – The Deal.

    Chapter 163 ¨C The Deal.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    I just wanted to take a moment to thank you all for checking out my second story. We''ve already got a few hundred views and over thirty readers! So thanks for giving it a try, you guys are awesome!


    "Well, that''s interesting." Akagimented. Shinlua had just finished exining what happened before they arrived, and she''d informed the <i>Demon</i> of the Council''s ns.


    "<i>Interesting?!?</i>" Hishya eximed. "They have both Serval and Rivenshaft on their side! The two most powerful World Bosses! This is a disaster!"


    <i>{Oh that''s right. SHE doesn''t give a fuck about the rest of the world, so no wonder this is INTERESTING to her!} </i>(Hishya)


    "I guess we''ve got our answer as to how Silfana showed up in this world." Akagi shrugged. "Though I''d like to know more about how they summoned them, I thought FWO waspletely purged."


    "They kept me at a distance, so I cannot answer anything specific on that matter." Shinlua sighed. "This is truly the worst-case scenario, and it''s only a matter of time before they bring those two monsters into this world. I suspect it won''t be long until preparations areplete."


    "I''m going to contact Superbia." Hishya started typing a message on her AR. "We''re going to need everyone to handle this, and honestly, I don''t even know if we''ll be enough to handle this."


    <em>{Fucking Serval did massive damage to us during each fight, and even at the end we STILL lost people even once we had his attacks and abilitiesdown.}</em>(Hishya)


    "Eh. You can probably handle them individually, maybe." Akagi said. "I''m not really worried."


    "Please don''t tell me you''re just going to park your ass here and watch them burn the!" Hishya eximed. "I know you don''t give a fuck about the rest of the world, bute on!"


    "No, I''m going to help." Akagi answered. "They wish to conquer this world and enve humanity." Akagiughed. "And I''m sorry to tell them but..." Her eyes turned sharp." <i><b>This world isn''t theirs''s to conquer. </b></i>It already has its owner, and I don''t appreciate someone trying to take that which belongs to me."


    Hishya gulped. "W-Well good. That makes things easier."


    <i>{I guess you do kind of own us all in a way, huh?} </i>(Hishya)


    "Don''t go getting all happy yet, my little dragon." Akagi nced over at her. "I''m not doing all the heavy lifting, that''s boring. I''ll handle Rivenshaft, but you''re going to defeat Serval."


    "What?!? Why won''t you help with both?!?" Akagi didn''t answer. "At least let us fight Rivenshaft! You know damn well that Serval is insanely strong! He took so many attempts by the Assault Team before we managed to beat him, and we <em>still</em> lost people! I only managed to kill him the first time because I had a team of our best people backing me!" Hishya protested.


    "Do not rely on me to do everything." Akagi scolded her. "I''m helping this time because of the specific circumstances. But in the future, you might not be able to rely on me. It''s best that <i>you</i> get strong enough to protect this world. Unless you''d rather I take over this formally as its ruler?" Hishya chose not to retort since she didn''t want to give Akagi the satisfaction.


    "You''re just awful, you know that?" Hishya sighed. "Just admit it, you want to watch me fight Serval cause you''ll find it fun!"


    <em>{She wants some live action kaijuaction! I know you well enough Akagi to understand how you get your sick kicks!}</em>(Hishya)


    "You''re not wrong." Akagi smiled. "I didn''t get to see you fight him the first time, and I''d like to see dragon v dragon. I wonder who''s stronger now? You''ve gotten much more powerful than in-game, so I think victory is possible."


    "I think you''re <i>vastly </i>overestimating my power, Akagi. Suped up or not, I''m still one person, and Serval is a <em>World Boss</em>. Something intended to fight an <i>entire raid party</i>. You''re probably the only person that can fight something like him 1v1." Hishya said.


    Akagi thought for a second before getting a nasty look on her face. "Well then, how about a reward for a job well done?"


    "A reward?" Hishya tilted her head. "What kind of reward?"


    <i>{I don''t like the sound of this.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Well, how about that one pillow you''ve been drooling over every time youe over?" Akagi grinned.


    "Really! You have no idea how much I''ve been wanting that for-" Hishya got excited for a moment but covered her mouth when she realized what she just said. "How do you know about that?!?"


    <i>{MY SECRET!} </i>(Hishya)


    "Hishya, your girlfriend is awful at keeping secrets. She told me all about the pillow hoard in your room." Akagi chuckled. "I''ve been informed that it''s quite <i>extensive</i>."


    <i>{She apparently has enough that the both of them couldfortably sleep on the mass of pillows. Kana seemed to enjoy it too.} </i>(Akagi)


    "She promised she wouldn''t tell!" Hishya pouted. "It''s embarrassing!"


    <i>{Stupid Kana! I''ll pay you back for spilling the beans!} </i>(Hishya)


    "It''s part of being a dragon. You get obsessed with something and want a lot of it." Akagi smiled. "Normally, it''s money, but for you, it''s pillows!"


    Hishya''s face turned bright red. "At least they''re nice to sleep on..." She had <i>many </i>pillows and it was bing hard to hide them from her parents.


    "Now, what do you say? I''ll even go the extra mile and fluff it up and give it a good cleaning. I can even include a nice case for it." Akagi was egging her on.


    "You <i>Demon</i>!" Hishya eximed.


    "That <i>is</i> what I am, and we''re all about providing for our clients." Akagiughed. ¡°Call it a bit of service.¡±


    Hishya agonized over the decision. Logically she knew that the pillow in question wasn''t anything special, but her dragon instincts told her she <i>needed </i>it above all else. "FINE!" Hishya finally came to a conclusion. "And I''m holding you to the promise of a case! That pillow it better be fresh and clean when you give it over!"


    <i>{I hate you! But dammit I want that pillow!} </i>(Hishya)


    "A pleasure doing business with you. I''ll get it all nice and packaged up for you so it''s ready to go." Akagi nodded.


    "Kana, you''re going to regret revealing my deepest darkest secret! I hope you''re ready for the tickling of a lifetime!" Hishya started cackling manically as Akagi watched on.


    <i>{Have fun, Kana.} </i>(Akagi)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Kana POV>


    "Ugh!" Kana shivered. She and the girls were currently sitting in a park after going shopping.


    "What''s wrong?" Mika asked while eating her ice cream.


    "I just got a chill down my spine. Like something <i>bad</i> is going to happen." Kana looked around the park they were sitting in but saw nothing wrong.


    "What do you mean? Is there an enemy around here?" Naomi said.


    "I don''t detect anything." Momo spoke up.


    "Same." Himari agreed.


    "I just have this feeling that something<i> </i>bad is going to happen, and that it involves me." Kana sighed. "And for whatever reason, it also feels like Onee-chan is at fault for it."


    Mika and Naomi looked at each other in confusion.


    "Whatever you say." (Mika x Naomi)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Akagi POV>


    Once the<em> intense negotiations</em> concluded, Akagi, Shinlua, and Hishya moved to the infirmary where Mizumi was being treated by Mimi.


    "You''ve brought me more injured people in these past few months than you ever have before." Mimi sighed. "Are you trying to overwork me?" She had to work frantically to heal Mizumi''s injuries before it was toote.


    "I just figured you had nothing better to do." Akagiughed. "Did I interrupt granny''s afternoon nap?"


    <i>{You and I both know you don''t actually have much to do right now...} </i>(Akagi)


    Mimi rolled her eyes. "I''m just going to ignore thatment since it''s not worth it." She looked over at the sleeping Mizumi. "That injury was quite severe. Had you not got her to me when you did, she might have died."


    "Lady Mizumi is quite tough, but Onmiyame is no slouch at magicalbat. It''s a miracle she was even conscious after taking that hit, let alone long enough to cast a spell and speak." Shinlua looked guilty. "It''s my fault she was injured so badly. I should have listened to her when she first spoke to me all those weeks ago."


    "At least you wised up eventually." Akagi said. "And honestly, it probably didn''t matter anyway since those three would have just schemed with or without you."


    <i>{And you''d probably be dead, since they would have most likely bumped you off if you kept getting in their way.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I hate to admit it, but you''re probably right." Shinlua sighed. "I knew the Council could be irritating, but I thought they were better than this."


    <i>{I guess I was just blind to how bad their politicking got. I knew they wanted to consolidate power, but I never thought they''d go this far.} </i>(Shinlua)


    "Politics is a pain and no matter where you''re from or what your race is, it''s going to exist and cause problems." Akagi said. She''d dealt with enough political issues both on Earth and from the Empire to know just how annoying it was.


    <i>{We do have some internal factions inside the n, but they''re all loyal to me first and foremost.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Will she be alright?" Hishya asked Mimi. "She looks mostly fine, but that''s a lot of bandages on her arm."


    "Yes, she took quite a bit of damage, but my magic and some potions handled things. Though, she''ll be weakened for a few days until her body recovers properly." Mimi answered. "As I said, it''s a miracle that she survived."


    "She really pushed herself just to warn us about the impending attack." Hishya mused. She never really liked the Spirit due to her bearing the responsibility of killing so many yers. But seeing her wounded and unconscious after fighting to warn them about Serval and Rivenshaft gave her pause.


    "Hey, wait a second." Hishya turned to Akagi. "I thought Mizumi dying would copse that world of theirs''s, just like with that Anchor being destroyed. So why would they attack her?"


    <em>{That''s actuallya good question.}</em>(Akagi)


    "Lady Mizumi''s continued existence is no longer necessary to maintain the world," Shinlua exined. "At first, it was, but sheter performed a ritual toplete the dimensional binding. She was acting as a spiritual anchor of sorts via her own soul which was necessary until everything was finished. Thus, when you first met her that was true, but now it''s not."


    "Ok, but what about the Anchor? They must know Akagi can just destroy it and wipe out Omara." Hishya thought the Council''s decision was insane given that Akagi could easily kill them all.


    "But Akagi no longer has the Anchor?" Shinlua tilted her head. "She gave it to Lady Mizumi after her meeting with the Council. Though, I have no idea where it is now."


    "Wait, you gave it <i>back</i> to them?!?" Hishya turned to Akagi and eximed. "Why would you do that?!?"


    <i>{Are you crazy?!? Wait... she is... but still WHY?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    "N-no, she didn''t." Mizumi said weakly as she sat up.

 Chapter 164 – The Demon Lord’s Subjects.

    Chapter 164 ¨C The Demon Lord¡¯s Subjects.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    There will be two tonight as I have a half chapter for you as well.


    Mizumi was given an herbal drink made by Kaori to help speed up her recovery. It was the same one the girls had drunk when they were burned at the mall, and Mizumi had a simr reaction to drinking it.


    "Bleck! It tastes like grass!" Mizumi shivered as she pushed the empty cup aside. "Can''t you make it taste better?" She asked Kaori.


    "Sorry, but adding extra things like voring would reduce its potency." Kaori smiled as she took the cup away. "Just be grateful it''s not as bitter as it used to be."


    <i>{Also, its kinda fun to see people react like that when they drink it. Mimi said we could make it taste a bit better, but also that we shouldn''t tell them that little secret.} </i>(Kaori)


    "I swear you just enjoy watching people gag on that stuff." Mizumi sighed.


    "Noment." Kaoriughed as she went into the back room to prep other medicine.


    "d to see everything''s going well with her. She''s been getting good at making moreplex potions, I think we''ll move into giving her magic at some point in the not too distant future. I hope she''s been helpful, Mimi." Akagi said.


    "Kaori has been a wonderful assistant. Honestly, I might run out of things to teach her at this rate. She''s quite skilled and knowledgeable about potion making, which has been helpful." Mimi giggled. "Unlike <i>certain</i> people who shall not be named." She red at her two daughters, who looked away in shame. "I''ve been teaching them for so long, yet they still mess things up."


    "Kids these days." Akagi shook her head. "They just don''t listen." She looked over to Hishya.


    "Why are you looking at me?!?" Hishya pouted. "Besides, you''re not much older than me! So where do you get off acting like that?!?"


    Akagi reached out and pat the dragon girl on the head.


    "Why?!?" Hishya smacked her hand away.


    "Because it''s fun." Akagiughed.


    "Don''t <i>you </i>start that crap too! Kana is already bad enough with babying me!" Hishya had already experienced Kana treating her like a child just to mess with her and didn''t want Akagi pulling that.


    "How about if I turned into Kana?" Akagiughed. "Would it be fine then?"


    "No!" Hishya pouted. "Please don''t do that!"


    <em>{I swear to god, If I ever find out the Kana I''m fooling around with is YOU. I WILL find a way to kill you, Akagi.} </em>(Hishya)


    "Funny, Kana was ok with it." Akagi decided to continue her fun.


    "What?!?" Hishya eximed.


    "Yeah, she has me turn into you and snuggle with her sometimes." Akagi said while holding backughter.


    "No way...." Hishya''s eyes started to ze over.


    <i>{Damn, she really is gullible.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I''m just kidding, my little dragon. I''ve never done such a thing, nor will I, so don''t get your panties in a bunch. Kana hates it if I even bring that up as a joke. So don''t worry, you''re not getting reced anytime soon." Akagi burst outughing. "I literally watched as your brain broke, Hishya. That was so worth it! You give the best reactions."


    Hishya came back to her senses and grabbed Akagi by the cor, shaking her back and forth violently. "Why must you torment me so?!? What did I ever do to deserve this?!?"


    <em>{Besides trying to kill you that is!}</em>(Hishya)


    "d to see I''m not the only one she makes miserable with her shenanigans." Mizumi chuckled.


    "Don''t youugh too! It''s not funny! We need to band together and get her to stop messing with us!" Hishya eximed as she let Akagi go. "She''s already corrupted Kana and the girls, so it''s probably toote to save them, but we must fight to save as many as we can from her influence!"


    <i>{We cannot let this virus spread!} </i>(Hishya)


    "As if <i>you</i> aren''t equally as bad, don''t forget Kana tells me <i>everything</i>." Akagi grinned as she recalled some of the stories Kana told her about Hishya''s more <i>yful </i>side.


    "I''m going to shove a sock in that girl''s mouth!" Hishya growled. "She''s getting a serious talking to next time I see her! Does she not understand <i>privacy</i>?!?"


    "Ah-hem." Mizumi coughed. "Not to interrupt your <i>deep and thought-provoking discussion</i>, but can we please move to a more pressing topic?" She figured the two of them would keep this up indefinitely if she didn''t step in.


    "I guess." Akagi shrugged.


    "<i>I guess,</i>she says." Mizumi rolled her eyes. "Whatever, now that I am able to speak a bit more, we can continue from the point where I passed out.¡±


    ¡°Before that, what did you mean when you said Akagi didn''t give you the Anchor¡± Hishya was curious to know what was going on.


    ¡°I can answer that.¡± Akagi interjected. ¡°The Council were being pricks, so I gave Mizumi a fake Anchor just to see what they''d do.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I noticed it immediately after I touched it and yed along.¡± Mizumi sighed. ¡°I honestly thought they''d attack me over it, but they surprisingly didn''t.¡±


    <i>{Probably because they feared everything being destroyed still.} </i>(Mizumi)


    ¡°I mean, I did tell them if they took it, they''d all die.¡± Akagi shrugged. ¡°I guess even their stupidity has it''s limits.¡±


    ¡°So then, does that mean that you still have it?¡± Hishya asked.


    ¡°Yes, though I have no desire to do anything with it, since I''d rather keep that little world around.¡± Akagi had ns for Omara and preferred it to stay intact.


    ¡°Yes well, did Shinlua fill you in about what''s going on while I was asleep?" Mizumi wanted to get back on track.


    "Yeah, we''re fighting Serval and Rivenshaft. Somehow your Council managed to bring them back from FWO, and now they''re under their control." Akagi shrugged. "So nothing too crazy."


    "Just how powerful are those two anyway?" Shinlua asked. "I''ve only been told they are dangerous, and likely more powerful than the yers who were trapped."


    "<i>Very</i> powerful, Shinlua." Mizumi said. "Enough that the twobined would be too much for this world. Heck, Serval alone would probably be enough to destroy this world."


    "Yeah and don''t forget, we''ve got Silfana running around. She''s probably under the Council''s control too." Hishya reminded them about the third World Boss they needed to deal with.


    "I don''t think so." Shinlua shook her head. "From what I overheard from the Council, their first attempt failed. So she''s probably not under their influence."


    "Well regardless, we need to destroy her before the other World Bosses show up. She''s already killing people, and if we don''t stop her, that number is only going to increase." Hishya still bore a grudge against the vampire.


    "She''s around here somewhere, and I''ve got my people on it. So it''s just a matter of time till she slips up." Akagi had arge portion of the ninja handling Silfana, and she''d made her their top priority. The <em>Demon </em>had ns for the vampire and wanted to secure her before the RRT killed her.


    "Regardless." Mizumi sighed. "Akagi, I hate to ask this, but I need your help." She looked up at her. "I need you to assassinate the Council, minus Shinlua of course."


    <i>{I never thought the day woulde where I had to ask something like this...} </i>(Mizumi)


    Akagi burst outughing. "I never thought you''d ask me for something like that!"


    "Lady Mizumi!" Shinlua eximed. "I understand the anger at them, but killing the Council in such a fashion will only destabilize Omara. Would it not be better to bring to light their crimes and take them down that way?!?" She didn''t want to see such bloodshed.


    "They''ll just bill it either as lies and falsehoods from a traitor, or as justified measures for vengeance against humanity. Surely you must know how much most of our kind <i>hate</i> humans." Mizumi red at the Elf. "So many of our people were butchered by their hands, and that kind of thing breeds a deep resentment." Ferrix''s statements towards Kana were not unique, and most Spirits had some form of negative opinion of humans.


    "But..." Shinlua knew Mizumi was right. "If you kill them, things will be thrown into chaos. I imagine many will see this as some form of coup by the two of us."


    "You''re most likely right. <i>My</i> influence and status amongst our people might not be enough to keep things calm." Mizumi looked to Akagi. "But a Demon Lord''s <em>would</em>. The fear of you alone would keep everyone in line, even if they hate me. They''d be more afraid of you than angry at me."


    "So what? You want me to kill them and install you as the new leader?" Akagi asked. "That could work, but it''s definitely going to cause issues."


    "I think forming a new Council might be better." Shinlua still didn''t like this n. "That might be better than having you take sole control, Spirits are not exactly a fan of monarchy or simr institutions."


    "I don''t exactly care what form of government you guys have, but I need assurance that you won''t renege on your end of the bargain." Akagi replied. "You understand that even if I''ve already got beef with those three, you''re asking for quite a lot. I''m going to need to dedicate some people to controlling public order in Omara if we go through with this. I suppose I could just kill them and let the chips fall, but I''d rather not lose out on my investment in your home." Akagi had already dedicated too many resources to allow Omara to copse, and her future ns relied on the world in which the Spirits lived. So, she couldn''t afford to lose it now.


    "Yes." Mizumi nodded. "At this point, the only thing left to give you is our allegiance. I''ve already be your servant, but the rest of my people have not. If you agree to help me overthrow the Council and keep order in Omara, I will offer you suzerainty over all of my people." Her eyes were filled with sadness and anger.


    "Bowing to a <i>Demon</i>, especially a Demon Lord, is <i>not</i> going to go over well with anyone in Omara." Shinlua sighed. "The people will resent that decision, and may even rise up against whatever takes the Council''s ce."


    "Perhaps, but we don''t have any other choice." Mizumi shook her head. "You''d kill them with or without my asking. Wouldn''t you?" She looked at Akagi, who nodded.


    "At this point, they''ve bared their fangs at me, and I don''t tolerate dogs who bite the hand that feeds them." Akagi was genuinely angry with the Council. She''d helped them far more than necessary, and <i>this</i> was how they repaid her. They were lucky she didn''t burn their entire world to the ground and call it a day. "The only difference here is who will be running things and how the administration of Omara will continue forward. I will decline a contract in this case, as I am already going to be handling the Council." Akagi continued. "Instead, we''ll do this." Akagi leaned against the wall. "I''ll wipe out the Council and its power base, this will be an easy process, and in its ce, I want either Shinlua or Mizumi to run Omara, and by extension the entire dimension, as my Governor." Akagi looked between the two women. "Figure out which of you will handle that taskter. For now, I''ll draw up ns for the attack and draft up post-coup policy. However, I''d like tomence the actual attack after we''ve dealt with Silfana and the other World Bosses. I only have so many people, and, right now, they''re a bit busy." She could provide the necessary firepower herself, but Demon Lord or not, she was still just one person. She couldn''t be everywhere at once, and splitting off more bodies wasn''t a great idea.


    Shinlua looked to Mizumi, who nodded. "As painful as this is... I ept your terms. We can discuss further detailster." Mizumi had been left with no choice. The elders tasked her with protecting her people, no matter what, and this was likely the only path forward. If she refused, she feared her people might be relegated to status as ves under Akagi or even purged. At least this way, they''d be <i>subjects</i> of the Demon Lord and enjoy some protection.


    <em>{Onmiyame, I''m going to make sure you pay for what you''ve done!}</em>(Mizumi)

 Chapter 164.5 – Political Blowback.

    Chapter 164.5 ¨C Political Blowback.


    "So, the old man fucked up." Darumaughed. He, Onmiyame, Sizix, and several other members of the Spirit ''Nobility'' were holding an emergency meeting after Mizumi and Shinlua''s escape. "I never thought I''d get to tell you I told you so!"


    "This isn''t funny, Daruma!" Sizix mmed down on the table. "We failed to apprehend either Shinlua <em>or</em> Mizumi and now they''ve returned to Earth, doubtlessly to warn that <i>Demon</i> and assemble forces to oppose us!"


    "Failing to capture either will require changes to our ns." A triclops man spoke up. "It will be hard to keep public order under control, and Mizumi''s name still carries great influence."


    "I understand your concerns, Anadora, but we''ve got everything under control." Onmiyame reassured him. "I''ll admit that my failure to capture either of them was a pity, but it does not fundamentally alter our goals. So please assure your people that things will proceed as nned, and they''ll soon have ess to all the crafting resources they could ever want." He smiled. Anadora was the leader of Omara''s crafting guild and was one of the most powerful men in the city.


    "I still think this is going to be trouble." A ck Tengu man spoke up. "Those creatures you''ve summoned, are you sure they are up to the task?" He asked. "Mizumi might be beholden to that creature, but I must admit that her ims about its power are... <i>disturbing</i>..."


    <em>{I know well the legend of the Demon Lord...}</em>(Temura)


    "Do you doubt my power, Temura?" Daruma red at him.


    "I don''t doubt your strength, Councilor Daruma. I''m just cautious is all." Temura shook his head. "I don''t likerge-scale shake-ups, and our people are in no shape to fight an all-out war. As you know, our reserves of magic casters are at an all-time low, and it will take many years to replenish our forces." As the leader of Omara''s mages, he held an important position, but hisck of mages was causing his power to dwindle.


    "My explorers have been doing a fine job. I think they can handle any attack by the <i>Demon </i>if need be." Kumora was the leader of the Exploration Teams and a type of humanoid spider Yokai. "I''ll show you that your ways are no longer needed, old man." She smirked.


    "Your Explorers are undoubtedly excellent at finding resources and handling monsters, but it''s still to be seen if they can handle a <i>Demon</i>." Momora was arge and rotund tanuki man who ran the cities trading guild, and he''d already thrown his lot in with Akagi and Mizumi covertly so as to not leave him vulnerable. He''d assumed conflict was inevitable but hadn''t expected it this soon or in this manner.


    <i>{They really went and kicked the ho''s nest, didn''t they?} </i>Momora sighed internally. <i>{At least Lady Mizumi and Shinlua got out safely. Now to just wait until that Demon kicks these idiots out, and we can get to work rebuilding our nation, free from their stupid politicking!}</i>


    "Just sit back and count your coins, Tanuki." Kumora red at him. "Me and my people will make sure your fat ass doesn''t have to worry about missing a meal."


    <i>{I''m not even that fat for a tanuki though...} </i>(Momora)


    "How much more time until those beasts are ready?" Anadora asked.


    "Not too much longer. Sizix is entering the final stretch of their binding, and once that isplete, we can send them to Earth with orders to hunt down the <i>Demon</i> as well as the two traitors." Onmiyame grinned. "With them out of the way, it will be easy to enve humanity and take our revenge on those loathsome creatures."


    After a bit more discussion, and some backdoor dealings regarding influence, the group disbursed. Momora tried to exit the Council Hall as swiftly as possible, but he was stopped by Kumora as he was walking down the hall.


    "Where are you headed, Tanuki?" The spider woman crept up next to him.


    "I''ve got other meetings to attend. Once these events are finished we need to figure out the best path forward for Omara, and I want the guild to be ready." Momora put on a poker face as he spoke. He knew Kumora was fishing for intel and was suspicious of his motives and loyalties.


    "Really? I figured you were nning on fleeing to Earth." Kumora smirked.


    "And why would I do that?" Momora wasn''t going to be taunted this easily. "My loyalty is to our people, and to the Council. Why would I feel the need to turn traitor, especially when everything I built is here?"


    "I don''t know, you tell me." Kumora''s smirk turned into a scowl. "You''ve been dealing extensively with that <i>Demon</i> and her little pets. I''ve heard you helped them establish some operations within Omara, and you walked away with a tidy little profit." She pat his vest. "Onmiyame said he was attacked by members of that <i>Demons </i>forces. Forces that <em>shouldn''t</em> have been in Omara at the time, but low and behold, they <em>were</em>."


    "I did have dealings with Akagi and her people, but I categorically deny any connection to thebat forces that interfered with awful arrest." Momora did have a hand in that, but he wasn''t going to let Kumora find any proof.


    "Sure you didn''t." Kumora walked past him, pushing him aside with her shoulder. "A word of advice, watch your back and keep your fat ass on the up and up. It would be a tragedy if someone else had to take your ce."


    <i>{And a right FUCK you to you too, Kumora!} </i>Momora told her off in her mind. <i>{That stupid spider! Ever since she got control of what is basically our army, she''s gone mad with power! Part of me even thinks she''s going to try and oust the Council! And people wondered why I never trusted her back in our old home... She and her mentor were just as bad as Demons when it came to scheming and conniving!}</i>


    Rather than let himself get worked up, Momora decided to head back to his main Guild Hall, which was by the docks. Once he arrived, Momora called for a meeting of his two deputies.


    "Whatcha need bossman?" The same Tanuki girl that Akagi met previously asked with a toothy smile. She was a bit more than just a poor girl running an Inn and was actually an important member of Momora''s guild who gathered intel.


    "Has the Council finally made its move?" Another Tanuki, this time an older woman asked him.


    "I spoke with them, plus other important figures..." Momora took a seat on hisically oversized beanbag. "It seems that esction is unavoidable, and conflict between Akagi and the Council is guaranteed." He pulled a pipe out of his pocket and began smoking it. "Alma, what is your taking on the situation on the ground? How have the average folk been reacting to the news?" He looked at the small girl.


    "Most people are kinda... <i>ambivalent."</i> She gave a wry smile. "Right now, many think it''s nothing but politics, and I think they''re not getting just how bad things are.


    "How can you not understand how bad of an idea it is to piss off a <i>Demon? </i>Not to mention one who might actually be a Demon Lord." The older woman sighed.


    "That''s right, you''ve dealt with <i>Demons</i> before, Halmori." Momora let out a puff. "If I recall correctly, they destroyed your vige."


    "Indeed." Halmori bit her lip. "A fool within our tribe attempted to contract a <i>Demon</i> and swindle his way to power, and in his stupidity, he brought the creature''s wrath down upon all of us."


    "Which is why we shouldn''t be provoking a foe like her." Momora set down his pipe. "Akagi is a powerful <i>Demon</i>, and Demon Lord or not, I don''t want a poor rtionship with someone who holds our lives in her hands." He smirked. "You got to see firsthand what happens when someone ticks her off." He nced at Alma.


    "Akagi was scary! She even exploded part of my shop!" The Tanuki girl''s tail stood on end.


    <i>{At least she paid me a bunch of gold and fixed it, so I can''t actually be mad.} </i>(Alma)


    "And that was just for insulting her sister. What do you think she''ll do when she finds out that not only was one of her servants attacked, but that the Council intends to dere full-on <i>war</i> against her and that world?" He continued to smirk.


    "The Council will fall." Halmori dered the Council''s doom with no hesitation.


    "Precisely." Momoraughed. "And when that happens, I want you two to be ready to swoop in and cozy up to her and her people." He continued. "I don''t care if she''s a <i>Demon </i>or a Demon Lord. When I met her that day, I didn''t smell sulfur; I smelled <i>gold</i>. More gold than I ever imagined." He cracked a smile as his eyes practically turned to dor signs. "And if there''s one thing I love more than food, it''s money."


    Spoiler


    Alma!


    Anadora!


    [copse]

 Chapter 165 – The Realization and the Confrontation.

    Chapter 165 ¨C The Realization and the Confrontation.


    "L-Lady Silfana, please forgive me." A ck-haired man was held down by two other vampires, his face pressed against the floor, as Silfana sipped a winess filled with dark red blood. "Those ninja have made it impossible to acquire more blood or servants for you, My Lady. I beg your mercy." Akagi''s forces had been tightening the noose around Silfana, and they were close to finding the Vampire''s location.


    "All I hear are excuses, you worthless whelp." Silfana red at him. "How difficult can some beastkin be? I transform you into a vampire, give you extraordinary power and eternal life, and you repay my kindness by shaming me and losing to such weak creatures? and then to add further insult, you insist on giving me suchme excuses!" She kicked the man across the face, causing blood to spill onto the carpet.


    "I have no need for worthless vampires that can''t do something as simple as acquire blood!" She snapped her fingers, and the two vampires holding him down snapped his neck, killing him instantly. "I suppose the humans of this world are equally as worthless as they were in my own. I guess it''s true that if you want something done right..." She summoned her ck cloak and armor. "You have to do it <em>yourself</em>."


    "Shall we apany you, My Lady?" The two other vampires bowed. They were the parents of the boy she''d turned originally. Silfana had no idea what became of their son, and they didn''t seem to care.


    "No, you two will remain here. I will bring back food and new servants, and I want you lot to continue my preparations." Silfana walked towards the door, opening it and gazing into the night sky. Her red eyes glistened under the moonlight as she bit her lip in frustration. The Vampire hated going hunting herself and thought such activities beneath someone of her stature.


    <i>{When I get my hands on you, Akagi, you''re going to regret getting in my way!} </i>She thought as she jumped onto a nearby rooftop.


    "Now then, let''s see just how many we can get, and if any of those fools from ''n Dumetor'' get in my way. Then I''ll remind them why I am the Lord of all Vampires." Sheughed as she bounced between buildings and disappearing into the night, unaware that in a short amount of time, a fateful encounter awaited her.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Shima POV>


    After a long day at the office, and working well past her normal time, Shima got off the train and began walking home. It was nearly midnight, and she was exhausted.


    <i>{Why do they always push everything on me?} </i>She ruffled her hair in frustration. <i>{Those assholes got to go home at a normal time, but here I am just getting off the train at midnight, and I''ve got to be back at the office for seven tomorrow!} </i>This had be an increasingly normal thing for her, and her reputation among her co-workers was quite low due to Akagi''s actions.


    <i>{That stupid monster! She just can''t be content to make me miserable at home. Noooo, she takes my daughter, turns her against me, and then goes on a rampage! Does she not realize just how many problems that''s caused me?!?} </i>Shima had be increasingly frustrated with Akagi, and her actions against the rest of the family only served to cause more aggravation with the issues resulting from inheritance and the drama of the funeral.


    "Ahh, that stupid girl!" Shima eximed as she walked down the darkened street. "Why the hell did I have to give birth to such a monster?!? Why did she have to be my problem?!? She needs to just disappear!" She kicked a rock which smashed into a garbage can. "And she''s got Kana believing that whole <i>big sister </i>act. For all the brains in that head of hers, why can''t that girl realize that she has no sister, only a monster pretending to care about her!" Shima and Taichi had both received a message from Kana stating that she wanted to speak to the two of them onest time in an attempt to reconcile, at least a small amount. Naturally, they were aggravated but agreed. Though they were insistent that it took ce somewhere private and that Akagi muste alone. They''d hoped that Kana woulde to her senses and return to them, but both figured that wasn''t likely. There was even an argument between Shima and Taichi over who was to me, with Taichi arguing that Shima failed to keep Kana away from Akagi over the years.


    "God dammit! Why couldn''t Rishia have been one of those stupid kids that died in that game?!?" Shima was at her wit''s end when she heard footsteps approaching from the opposite direction.


    Looking up, she watched as slowly a shadow moved down the street toward her.


    <i>{Someone else is out thiste?} </i>Shima started to get nervous. She''d never been scared walking home alone at night before, but for some reason, her body was shaking.


    "My, my." A voice came from the shadow as it approached, it sounded female but very elegant and refined. "I don''t know what that fool was talking about, there are just so many humans ripe for the picking in this town." The voice got closer as the shadow passed under a streetlight revealing Silfana.


    The moment sheid eyes on the Vampire, Shima''s entire body froze in fear as she caught sight of Silfana''s fangs and blood-red eyes.


    <i>{I-It''s a monster!}</i> She tried to back away, but tripped over herself in fear.


    "Ah, I might hate doing this dirty work myself. But there''s always a sense of satisfaction from seeing a human cower in fear." Silfana grinned. "Don''t worry, you won''t feel that fear for much longer once I drain you dry."


    Shima watched helplessly as Silfana walked closer, her silver-white hair practically reflecting the moonlight. She wanted to scream, but found herself unable to speak or even make a noise.


    <i>{I-I''m going to die...} </i>Shima felt in her bones that this was the end, this woman would kill her, and that would be the end of it all. As the vampire walked closer, her mind was flooded with pictures of Kana. She recalled the joy on the day she was born, and the happiness she felt holding her. Her life seemed to sh before her eyes, showing her all the time she''d spent with Kana up until the day she left with Akagi, until finally, right as Silfana reached out to her, one final image shed into her mind. It was one she''d forgotten herself, and it showed another child swaddled in her arms, and a smile on her face as she held a young Rishia close. She''d long forgotten the time when she brought her first child into the world, and the joy she''d felt while holding her. It had gotten buried under the subsequent two decades of anger she''d felt since then, and only now, in herst moments did she realize Kana was right.


    <i>{When did I start hating her? Was it really on the day she was born? I-I was so happy when she was born. I''d always wanted to be a mother and give my children a better life. But after that, I felt nothing but disgust for my own child... I hated her, wanted her dead, and even tried to kill her, but why?} </i>Thinking back, she couldn''t figure out <i>why</i> she''de to hate Akagi. All her memories of that time seemed fuzzy and thinking about it only caused more confusion. She''d always thought of Akagi as an other, and that she wasn''t her real child, but <i>why</i>? What caused her to think like that? Even with all of Akagi''s issues, how could shee to hate her child from such a young age?


    She had no answer to any of these questions and figured that she would never find out.


    <i>{Kana was right. I''m sorry, Rishia. I did fail you, and I truly am a failure of a mother to both you and your sister. I won''t ask for your forgiveness, and I don''t deserve it} </i>Shima closed her eyes, ready to ept her fate.


    Silfana leaned in, ready to drain Shima dry, but was stopped by a pping sound behind her.


    *CLAP**CLAP*


    "Alright, I''m going to have to ask you to stop right there." Silfana turned around and saw Akagi and Hishya standing at the other end of the street. "Not that I give a damn about that woman, but if anyone''s going to kill her, it''s going to be me. Sorry, Silfy." Akagi grinned.


    "Akagi!" Silfana growled. "And you!" She pointed at Hishya. "I''ll make you pay for killing me, you bitch!"


    "Nice to see you too Silfana. I see that hole in your chest has healed up nicely. How about I make another one?" Hishyaughed as she drew Sun Strike.


    Silfana scoffed at her words. "You got luckyst time we fought, Hishya!" She drew her rapier. "And this time, you don''t have the luxury of so many of your littlerades being around to help you. I hope you don''t think Akagi and you will be enough to defeat me!"


    "Oh, don''t worry, <i>I</i> won''t be fighting you." Akagi shrugged. "My little dragon here can handle you all on her own."


    "What?!?" (Silfana x Hishya)


    "Why are <i>you</i> surprised?" Akagi looked at the dragon girl. "I thought it was obvious that I''d leave this to you."


    "NO!" Hishya eximed. "She''s still a World Boss! <i>You''re</i> the only one who can fight her solo!"


    <i>{Do you want me to die?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    "Nah, you got this." Akagi patted her on the back pushing her forward slightly. "You''ve gotten much more powerful than when you first fought her. I guarantee that beating her is <i>possible." </i>


    "Only <i>possible</i>?!? Not guaranteed?" Hishya sighed. "Well, I guess that''s better than being told I''m doomed. But if I start getting my ass kicked, you better step in and save me!"


    <i>{If I die, I''m going to fucking haunt you, Akagi!} </i>(Hishya)


    "Yes, yes." Akagi rolled her eyes. "Can''t have Kana''s favorite <i>pet</i> going and dying on me. Unlike that goldfish she''s had for all these years, recing you will be significantly harder and more time-consuming."


    "I always thought it strange when she told me Fishy''s been alive for nearly ten years!" Hishya eximed. She''d seen the goldfish in question in Kana''s room and was always confused by its apparent longevity. "And for thest time, I''M NOT A PET!"


    <i>{These two are just standing in front of me, bickering like idiots! I am the Lord of Vampires goddammit, I will not be insulted like this!} </i>Silfana fumed at the idea that she wasn''t being taken seriously.


    "Fine." Silfana let out a slightly angryugh. "I''ll kill your little dragon, and then once I''ve dealt with her, you''re next, Akagi!" The Vampire readied herself for battle, and Hishya took a fighting stance, channeling her power, and causing her hair to turn into a living me as it grew in length and extended halfway down her back.


    <i>"This time, when I kill you, I''ll make sure you stay dead, Silfana." </i>Hishya red at the vampire and spoke using her more draconic and authoritative tone, ready to end this once and for all.

 Chapter 166 – The Hero v. The Vampire (Part 1)

    Chapter 166 ¨C The Hero v. The Vampire (Part 1)


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    We hit first on trending again! Thank you all so much!


    *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG*


    Hishya and Silfana began exchanging blows as they dueled under the moonlight. Silfana was a master swordsman who was highly adept at using finesse weapons to control the flow ofbat, and her de flourishes kept Hishya at bay, as the dragon grumbled about her inability to get in a hit.


    "Come on dragon, I thought you would be a little tougher than this!" Silfanaughed as she deftly moved around Hishya''s de. "I guess it''s as I always thought, you''re nothing more than a stupid girl with power! You''ve got no skill to back it up!"


    "<i>Keep running your mouth Silfana. It''s only a matter of time before this de runs straight through your heart like it did before!</i>" Hishya yelled as she swung her sword.


    "Oof. Come on, Hishya. You can do better than that, and I''ve been training with you, so don''t go making me look bad." Akagi shook her head as she walked around the fight and over to Shima.


    "Y-you saved me." Shima nervously stood up.


    "Yeah, <i>saved</i>." Akagiughed. "Trust me, I want you dead. But as I said, <i>I''m </i>the only one who gets the pleasure of doing that." Akagi sighed. "Also, your death will be really bad for Kana, even if shees to hate you."


    <i>{Having you idiots die will be problematic, and as tough as that girl is. I know she wouldn''t take their deaths well.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I-I don''t understand how she could still care about me or her father after everything we''ve done to you." Shima said quietly, her words catching Akagi''s attention.


    "Oh? Have you finally realized just how bad you were?" Akagi red at her.


    "I-I just... when she appeared before me." She pointed to Silfana, who was making a fool out of Hishya. "I saw everything. My life... it shed before my eyes. I saw Kana, all the birthdays, the family trips, the happy moments... everything."


    "Well, good for you." Akagi rolled her eyes. "At least you had <em>one</em> child you cared about."


    "But at the end of it all, I saw you..." Shima''s words caught Akagi off guard. "I saw the day you were born and the happiness that you brought me. I don''t know how or why, but sometime after that... I came to resent you. I hated you just for existing, and I don''t know why."


    <i>{Nothing about my hatred makes any sense... why did Ie to view my first child as such a disgusting creature? Why did I push her away when she never did anything to deserve it?} </i>(Shima)


    Akagi hadn''t expected this. To be honest, she expected Shima to yell at her and then storm off, and she found herself lost for words as Shima continued to speak.


    "I know this won''t mean anything, and I don''t deserve forgiveness for what I did to you, but... I''m sorry." Shima stared into Akagi''s eyes. "For everything. I failed you as a mother, and what I''ve done to you can never be taken back. You have every right to hate me, and so does your sister."


    Akagi took a moment to respond. "Yeah, you''re right." Akagi''s face darkened. "I''ll never be able to forget or forgive what you two did to me. All the pain, the torment, the torture... all of it. I''ve told Kana about it, and as you can imagine she was furious."


    *CLANG**CLANG**CLANG**CLANG*


    Silfana and Hishya continued to sh as Akagi and Shima spoke. It seemed that the dragon girl finally got her act together and was actually making some progress.


    ¡°As garbage as the two of you were to me, you were always there for her, and I don''t want her to be like me and grow up without parents." Akagi nced over at her. "Perhaps this was just fated to be. As the Demon Lord, I was meant to go mad and destroy this world. Perhaps my very existence pollutes the minds of people around me to make forming connections less likely. That might exin why you took an irrational turn and began hating me for no reason." Akagi shrugged. "Though that doesn''t matter, and I don''t care if you <i>were </i>controlled or charmed or whatever. You still did what you did to me for all those years. Perhaps if you were speaking to the me from <i>before </i>FWO, I would have happily epted your apology and run into your arms to get the love I always wanted." Akagi turned and red down at her, her <i>Demonic</i> eyes aze with fury. "But now, now all I can feel when I hear your<i> apology</i> is anger. You took something from me, Shima. Something I can never get back, and I will <i>never</i> forgive you or Taichi for that." Akagi turned back to watch the fight. "So just stand there and watch as your future daughter-inw fights the vampire who was going to kill you. And perhaps think about ways to salvage your rtionship with Kana, before it''s toote."


    Shima shook a bit as Akagi turned away. The brief glimpse into Akagi''s eyes told her everything she needed to know about Akagi''s feelings toward her. The hatred in her eyes burned hotter than any star, and was of such an intensity that Shima was baffled at how it hadn''t consumed her. But she was grateful for Akagi''s restraint and vowed to meet Kana honestly next week and try her best not to lose her remaining daughter to hatred.


    <i>{Rishia, I''m sorry...} </i>(Shima)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    Hishya and Silfana''s little dance had left each with a few cuts as their des found their marks.


    "I suppose that''s enough of a warm-up." Silfana smirked. "Try to entertain me just a bit before you die, little lizard."


    Her taunt seemed to amuse Hishya more than irritate her. "<i>Fine by me, but I wouldn''t be so confident in your victory, you </i><i><u>leech</u></i><i>." </i>Two could y at the name calling game and Hishya had was a master at verbal warfare.


    Silfana''s eye twitched at the use of the term leech. It seemed Hishya''s insult was more effective. "You''re going to regret your words, you stupid lizard!" She yelled out in anger as began moving towards Hishya. However, before the two could continue their battle.


    *CLAP* *CLAP*


    Akagi pped her hand, causing both women to look over at her. "Before you start tearing up the city." She snapped her fingers, causing darkness to pour out from her body. "How about we move this to a ce with less chance of coteral damage?" As she said this her shadow engulfed the entire area, bringing the four of them inside her.


    "Alright now that we''ve ced you in a safe space, you kids have fun." Akagi summoned afy chair next to her and took a seat, creating a cup of coffee as she leaned back, ready to enjoy herself.


    <em>{Now all I need is some cookies. I wonder if I still have some those animal ones Alice and Yumi baked the other day?}</em> (Akagi)


    "What is this?!?" Silfana looked around. "This ce feels <i>wrong</i>."


    <i>"Yeah, wee to the closest thing to hell in this world." </i>Hishya gave a nervousugh. She''d been in here once before and <i>really</i> didn''t like it.


    In the distance, the two of them could hear something that sounded like crying, sad whimpers and ghastly screams.


    "<i>Do I even want to know what that is</i>?" Hishya looked over at Akagi, who summoned a T.V. remote and pressed the mute button, causing the crying to stop.


    "Sorry about that. I forgot to mute the Happy Farm. Continue." Akagi waved them on.


    <i>{What the fuck is going on?!?} </i>Silfana was simultaneously confused and afraid, a feeling she''d only experienced a few times.


    <i>"Pay attention, vampire!</i>" Hishya shed forwards and mmed her de down. Silfana''s concentration momentarilypsed, and she failed to properly block Hishya''s strike, allowing the dragon''s de to swipe across her left shoulder. A small amount of blood spilled from the vampire, who winced in pain.


    <i>"Not so fun to have your blood spilled, is it?</i>" Hishyaughed.


    "Oh, don''t worry. I''ll be recing it soon enough once I''ve drained you <i>dry</i>!" Silfana screamed. She lifted up her left arm and pointed it into the air.


    "Maximize Magic! Swords of Damocles!" She shouted the name of her attack as multiple magic circles appeared above her. Once they formed, Silfana threw her arm down and pointed at Hishya. A momentter, the magical circles shot out a variety of energy des, which flew directly toward Hishya.


    "Oh yeah, I forgot she could do that." Akagi said as she bit into a cow shaped cookie with sprinkles on it. "This is gonna be fun."


    <i>{Oh fuck. I forgot she could do that. This is going to suck...} </i>Hishya thought to herself as the des collided with her, causing a massive explosion.


    One of Silfana''s primary abilities, beyond summoning minions, was to create a variety of weapons and attack with them. Akagi alwayspared her to Gilgamesh and his Gate of Babylon from myth, since she could attack with an unlimited arsenal of magical weapons from her vaults.


    Hishya took quite a bit of damage from the st, despite her armor and resistances. Her face was scorched and there was a bit of blood trickling from her mouth. It wasn''t fatal damage, but she would be best served avoiding hits like that from now on.


    "There we go. That''s much better." Silfanaughed as she shot more des toward Hishya, which the dragon avoided by running at high speed as the sts chased just behind her. "You can''t run forever, Hishya! My arsenal won''t ever run out, and it''s only a matter of time until you get tired!" She goaded her. Silfana was actually more interested in closebat and wanted Hishya to charge her. Her skills were abination of ranged and close quarters, but she was generally more adept at directbat with her de.


    "<i>Don''t be so sure of yourself! I''m a lot stronger thanst time!" </i>Hishya roared as she swapped her de into her other hand and started firing sts toward Silfana, which the vampire blocked with her sword. Thus began a silly game of Hishya running in a giant circle while shooting sts toward Silfana, who was also chasing her with magical explosions.


    "This is so fucking stupid." Akagi groaned. "Come on! At least make it interesting for me! If I wanted to watch two super powered idiots shoot explosions at each other, I''ve plenty of Shonen anime I could watch!" She called for entertainment, and was met with a st from Silfana, which she easily deflected into the darkness. "Now that was uncalled for!" She smirked.


    <i>{That stupid Demon!} </i>Silfana raged in her mind. <i>{Once I''m done with this stupid dragon, she''ll be next!} </i>She turned all her attention back to Hishya, who was still running from her attacks. <i>{Come on! Charge me! I know you can''t resist the temptation!}</i>


    The farce continued for a while longer, with neither warrior wanting to change tactics and give the other the upper hand. Hishya couldn''t slow down lest she get hit by the torrent of attacks, and Silfana couldn''t stop them since Hishya would take the chance tounch a powerful ranged attack.


    <i>{I think it''s about time we kicked it up a notch. 90% is my max right now, and I think that''s more than enough if she''s only this strong. I think Akagi was right about our rtive strength levels. As usual, that monster knows everything about a battle before it even begins...} </i>(Hishya)


    <i>"Hey Silfana, you wanted me to charge at you, right? That''s why you''re doing this?" </i>Hishyaughed. <i>"Fine, I''ll give you what you want." </i>Sheunched forward, unleashing even more of her power and causing scales to cover arge portion of her skin. Her speed increased to incredible levels, and Silfana, who didn''t expect this sudden increase in speed, was left shocked as Hishya appeared directly in front of her, the dragon''s de bore down on her, and her eyes showed intent to kill. <i>"Let''s see just how strong a World Boss really is!" </i>Hishya roared as she brought Sun Strike down.


    <i>{Oh? Is Hishya finally going to make this fun for me?} </i>Akagi thought to herself. <i>{I must admit that Dragon has some serious power packed in her small form. Perhaps I actually underestimated her abilities. How interesting.} </i>Her lips curved into a smile. <i>{Best of luck Silfana. You might need it against Hishya.}</i>

 Chapter 167 – The Hero v. The Vampire (Part 2)

    Chapter 167 ¨C The Hero v. The Vampire (Part 2)


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    There is a Misfits chapter as well tonight!


    Hishya brought Sun Strike down, mming it against Silfana''s hastily risen de.


    <i>{When did she get so fast?!?} </i>Silfana didn''t have much time to react and only barely managed to stop the dragon''s de before it reached her. However, Hishya wasn''t done with her attack. She opened her mouth and channeled a massive amount of magical energy into it. Silfana knew exactly what was about to happen, but couldn''t disengage due to Hishya''s strike pinning her. A me appeared in front of Hishya''s lips before exploding outward, covering Silfana in a scorching hot fire even more powerful than what she''d fired at Akagist fall.


    Seeing what was about to happen, Akagi put on some sunsses and turned Shima away so her eyes wouldn''t be destroyed by the bright light of the dragon''s fire.


    "Oof. Looks like Silfana got scorched. I wonder if that counts as sunlight?" Akagiughed. "Shoulda given the vampire some sunscreen, oh well. I wonder if Hishya will toast some marshmallows for me? I could go for smores."


    <i>{What kind of monsters are these girls to do things like this?!?} </i>Shima caught a glimpse of what happened and became even more afraid. <i>{And why is Rishia just sitting here and rxing like everything is fine?!? Shouldn''t you be out there helping your sister''s girlfriend?!?} </i>


    Hishya''s attack stretched far beyond where Silfana stood and acted as a beacon of light within the darkness around them. Once she''d finished her attack, she disengaged her de and sent the ming vampire flying with a kick, causing her to crash into the ground.


    "Ack!" Silfana cried out in pain as she slowly got up. Her body was ckened and her hair was singed. Hishya''s breath had done massive damage to her, but she was still alive.


    <i>"You actually survived?" </i>Hishyaughed as she swung Sun Strike in a flourish. <i>"I''m impressed, I expected a full power breath attack at point nk would turn you to ash. I guess I just need to try again."</i>


    *COUGH**COUGH*


    Silfana coughed out some smoke as she red at Hishya. While she hadn''t forgotten about a dragon''s breath attack, she was unaware that Hishya could use it in human form. Her lungs felt like they were on fire, and her entire body was covered in burns that made her skin tingle in pain.


    <i>{H-how is this even possible?!?} </i>Silfana screamed in her head. <i>{I am the Lord of Vampires! As powerful as a dragon is, one should not be capable of inflicting this much damage on me in a single blow! Even with its breath!} </i>In all her years, she''d never suffered this much damage this quickly. It was a testament to Hishya''s increased strength, as well as changes to World Bosses in the real world.


    Both Hishya and Akagi quickly picked up on something important about Silfana after that attack. Simply put, she was much weaker than she was in-game, and both gamers came to the same conclusion.


    <i>{She''s lost her damage resistance.} </i>(Akagi x Hishya)


    World Bosses were strong on their own, but FWO had a dirty trick up its sleeve to make them even harder to defeat. All World Bosses were provided with a t damage resistance based on their difficulty, with Silfana typically nullifying somewhere between 40-50% of all iing damage. It seems that since this was something provided by the game system rather than an innate characteristic, it did not carry over when Silfana entered the real world.


    "I think this will be over even sooner than I expected." Akagi said, sipping from her drink. "I didn''t anticipate Silfana''s most important element being removed. I suppose that will make Serval much easier, since that monster nullified 90% of all iing damage."


    Hishya decided to jump on this opportunity and press home her advantage. Silfana was injured and couldn''t easily move, so when Hishya came at her, she was forced to fight the dragon in directbat. Ordinarily, this would have been to her benefit. However, Hishya''s massively increased power,bined with her weakness, put the Vampire on the back foot.


    *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG*


    The two exchanged blows at close range, their des exploding with magical energy as they fought. Silfana might have been a skilled warrior, but her wounds and Hishya''s speed made things difficult, and she could tell this was a losing battle.


    <i>{This stupid dragon! What''s going on?!? This isn''t possible.} </i>She thought as she got pushed back. <i>{That stupid Demon must be doing something with whatever this strange darkness around us is! There is no way Hishya could be this powerful!} </i>


    "I guess I don''t have any choice!" Silfana eximed as she channeled energy into her de and blew Hishya back a bit. "Night de! Take of my blood and convert it into supreme power!" She called out to her rapier, which extended whip-like thorns from its handle and wrapped around her hand.


    <i>"Fuck!" </i>Hishya charged forward, knowing what this was, but it was toote. Silfana''s sword had drunk her blood, and its de glowed red as its special ability activated.


    "Oh?" Akagi sat up, interested. She knew about Silfana''s sword, but had never seen it in action.


    Silfana''s hair turned blood red, and her eyes changed to silver as she activated the Night de''s special ability with her blood sacrifice. As soon as Hishya got in range, she blocked Sun Strike and deflected it off to the side, using her other hand to punch Hishya in the face.


    *BANG*


    The hit caused a massive shockwave as Hishya was sent flying.


    "d to see <i>this</i> is still working properly!" Silfana smirked as a massive full moon appeared high in the air above her. She pointed Night de into the air, directing it towards the moon. "Queen of the Night Lords! Third Phase!" She eximed as the moon slowly turned phases going from full to half.


    Hishya stood up and looked at the moon. "<i>Not good!</i>" She''d dealt with this ability in the game and was afraid of Silfana using it. Queen of the Night Lords was only able to be activated in conjunction with the Night de''s ability. It shot Silfana''s power up considerably, and gave her ess to a set of abilities that varied depending on the moon phase. The Third phase would allow her to channel lunar light into an attack that rained down on the battlefield.


    "Try and dodge all these!" Silfana swung the Night de down causing the moon to shine for a moment before a torrent of white sts streamed down at Hishya.


    Hishya quickly jumped to the side, acrobatically dodging the iing sts, though unfortunately, a few managed to hit home. <i>"Ack!</i>" Hishya yelled in pain. These sts were piercing in nature and would bypass her heavy armor, not to mention they were powerful.


    *WOOSH* *WOOSH* *WOOSH* *WOOSH* *WOOSH*


    A torrent of sts reigned down, leaving Hishya with practically no room to maneuver. Hits were starting to rack up and she couldn''t get close to Silfana with this many stsing at her.


    <i>{This was what I wanted to avoid!} </i>Hishya cursed her failure as two more sts struck her dead on, causing blood to spill out her mouth. <i>{I can''t do this much longer! There must be a way to disrupt her concentration. Wait!}</i> She thought of a dirty trick.


    "<i>AKAGI, DO IT NOW! SHE''S DISTRACTED!</i>" Hishya yelled at the top of her lungs.


    "What?!?" Silfana turned around looking towards the <i>Demon </i>who was still sitting on her chair. Akagi simply smiled and waved as she pointed towards Hishya while mouthing. <i>You fucking idiot.</i>


    Realizing she''d been yed, Silfana turned around to find Hishya charging at her again. Not wanting a repeat ofst time, decided to charge at Hishya with full power. "Let''s settle this dragon! Queen of the Night Lords! Fifth Phase!" She called out to the moon causing it to disappear, the new moon phase increased her physical prowess even more, but restricted her ranged attacks. The two began to sh at incredibly high speeds, bouncing around the darkness, each blow creating a shockwave and a sh in the night.


    *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG*


    *ZOOM* *ZOOM* *ZOOM* *ZOOM* *ZOOM* *ZOOM*


    This exchange was even faster than when Hishya fought Spellhauser in Nagoya, and it was truly a battle of speed. It got to the point that most other outsider observers, save for Akagi, wouldn''t be able to see them as they bounced around. The two eventually backed off and prepared for one final sh, this blow would decide it.


    "This will be the end of you, Hishya!" Silfana rocketed forward, prepared to end things.


    <i>"Not on your life vampire!" </i>Hishya kicked off the ground. and the two each exchanged one single blow before flying past each other and slumping over slightly. It was a very iconic type of scene that was done in so many old movies.


    <i>{What is this? Some old samurai movie?} </i>Akagi rolled her eyes at the stupid clich¨¦.


    For a few moments, nothing happened, until blood started pouring from both Hishya''s shoulder and Silfana''s chest.


    "I see. Once again, you''ve beaten me..." Silfana fell forward onto her face. "Damn you..."


    Hishya staggered but held herself upright thrusting Sun Strike into the air and letting off a massive roar. Her left arm was limp and covered in blood, but she''d won.


    She turned to see Silfana who flipped onto her back, the vampire was bleeding out and wouldn''tst much longer with the hole in her chest where Sun Strike pierced her. The dragon girl walked over, clutching her arm, and stood over her, grinning.


    <i>"You fought well Silfana. This was definitely a fun match." </i>Hishya smiled. She hated Silfana for killing so many yers in the game, but right now she respected her for her skill inbat.


    "I-Indeed it was. Now end it. If I am to die a second time, at least it will be in battle with a worthy opponent." Silfana let out a smile of her own.


    Hishya raised Sun Strike, flipping it over in her hand, and brought it down at Silfana''s heart intending to crush it. However, just inches before it struck, Hishya''s entire body froze. She couldn''t move, and she had no idea what was happening.


    "Now, hold on." Akagi walked up alongside her. "I can''t very well let you do that now, can I?" She chuckled. "I''ve got ns for our little vampy and you killing her would cause me some trouble." It seemed that it was finally time for the <i>Demon </i>to make her move.

 Side Story 5 – The Misfits Finish their Goal.

    Side Story 5 ¨C The Misfits Finish their Goal.


    "He''s weakening! Do it now, Shiru!" Alveron yelled across the battlefield.


    "I just hope this works!" Shiru twirled her staff as a mass of vines and other growth restrained a massive Archangel. "He''s not going to stay like this for long..." She could feel the Boss resisting her restraints. This wasn''t the first time they''d tried to fight Michngelo, but they were hoping this would be thest.


    <em>{I''d be nice not to see this idiot''s face anymore. I never thought I''de to hate angels, but the developers seemed to REALLY want me to.}</em>(Shiru)


    "Ara! Hurry up with your fan! I don''t know how long these will keep him upied, and we don''t have much time!" Shiru''s face contorted in pain as she looked for the catgirl.


    "He''s resistant to nye fans meow~! nyit will take nya bit more time to get him full meow~!"


    [He''s resistant to the fans! It will take a bit more time to get him full!] Arained as she bounced betweenser shots out of the angel''s mighty halo. Her ability usually put one counter per hit, but it seemed this boss required multiple hits for each instance to stack.


    "Wooo that''s hot meow~! nyi don''t wannya get turnyed nyinto fried kitty meow~!"


    [WOOO That''s hot! I don''t wanna get turned into fried kitty!] She panicked as one st nearly hit her, but she leaped out of the way as she began smacking Michael''s massive legs with her fan.


    "NYA! NYA! NYA! NYA! NYA! NYA! NYA! NYA! NYA! NYA! NYA! NYA! NYA! NYA! NYA! " Ara began toy into Michael, scraping and buffeting him with her paper fans. The Angel Boss''s resistance was annoying and one of the primary reason they''d not been able to win as of yet.


    "FOOLISH MORTALS! YOU DARE TO THINK YOU CAN DEFEAT ME?!? THE MOST HANDSOME AND FAIR ANGEL OF THEM ALL?!?" Michael roared. He had a <i>tiny </i>bit of vanity and narcissism and would usually speak of his beauty in each sentence. "YOUR FOOLISH PLANTS CANNOT HOPE TO HOLD ME AND MY MASSIVE PECS! I SHALL CRUSH YOU SINNERS BETWEEN MY MIGHTY THIGHS OF JUSTICE!" His appearance <em>was</em> quite attractive, and the girls did it admit he was handsome. Though ording to Shiru, he was a 9 of out 10 tops.


    <i>{Who the fucking hell designed this boss? If we get out of this game alive, I''m having a talking-to with the dev who made THIS obnoxious thing!} </i>(Alveron)


    Michael channeled energy into his biceps and other muscles, causing them to bulge and expand.


    "He''s gonna break out!" Shiru yelled out a warning.


    <em>{Stupid or not, being hit by him hurts like hell! Alveron might have no choice but to use the backup n...} </em>(Shiru)


    "I suppose I''ve got no choice!" Alveron smirked began chanting a ritual to summon one of his many beasts. "I, the Rat Lord Alveron, call upon you Mr. Scruffy! Aid us in our time of need!" A momentter, a massive purple and ck vortex appeared behind Alveron the size of Micheal. From within, two deep red eyes peered through the darkness as a deep voice, suspiciously Italian ented voice, boomed throughout the boss chamber.


    "I have heard your pleas, my master. What will yous have me do?" A chittering could be heard, as out from the portal came a massive Rat the size of a building. Around each hand was one of a pair of boxing gloves, and the scar over his right eye told you this Rat meant business. Additionally, he was also wearing something that looked like the shorts that boxers would wear, and his nose/snout was bent ever so slightly out of shape.


    <i>{I hate this fucking thing, and Alveron for creating it. But right now, I just want to win...} </i>Shiru REALLY didn''t like Mr. Scruffy and forced her husband to keep him sealed away.


    "Take''m down Mr. Scruffy! He told me your mother was a hampster, and your father smelled of blue cheese!"


    "Oh, he <i>dids, </i>dids he?" Mr. Scruffy cracked his knuckles as he leaped forward and punched Michael straight in the jaw. He was around the same size as the angel, and the Rat was a master boxer.


    "HOW DARE YOU PUNCH ME IN MY PERFECT JAWLINE, YOU RAT!" Michael was angry to be punched by the massive rat, and a momentter, he finally broke out of Shiru''s binding as he and Mr. Scruffy started duking it out.


    "You insulted me MA! You get what you fucking deserve!" Mr. Scruffy''s Italian ent only got worse when he was angry, and he gave Michael a left hook causing a tooth to fly out of the angel''s mouth.


    "Ara, how much more?!?" Shiru asked.


    "SOON!" Ara yelled as she weaved between the two fighters smacking Michael again and again with the fan. She needed to be careful not to get squished between the two massive fighters, though for someone with her agility that wasn''t too hard.


    "Is it time yet?" Avahn asked over thems. " I''m getting bored sitting back here..."


    "No, stay hidden. Once Ara is ready, only <i>then</i> should you attack him! He''s not aggroed to you right now, so just wait a bit longer. I''ll give the signal when its time." Shiru knew the Demon cat wanted to be on the front lines, but they''d tried that before, and it didn''t work, as Michael would punt her around the room.


    <em>{At least we only have one Demon kitty to worry about, I don''t know what I''d do if a second one appeared.} </em>(Shiru)


    "Dai, is your contraption ready?" Alveron jumped into thems. He was busy channeling power to Mr. Scruffy in order to power him up. His status as the Rat Lord gave his rat summons a massive power boost, but only if he maintained concentration.


    "It''s not a <i>contraption</i>, it''s a rocket-propelled-" Dai was cut off by Alveron.


    "So yeah, the contraption. Is it ready?" He asked as he channeled more power into Mr. Scruffy.


    "You ain''t so tough! Me and the boys are from the street, and we took care of mooks like you all the time!" Mr. Scruffy bobbed and weaved through Michael''s sword strikes before mming him in the face and chest.


    "YOU DISGUSTING BEAST! HOW DARE YOU PUT YOUR HANDS ON MY FLAWLESS SKIN! I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO DERAIL MY MODELING CAREER!" Michael roared as he punched Mr. Scruffy back.


    "Why did you make him Italian?" Shiru groaned as she fired more magic at Michael.


    "Because it was funny." Alveron shrugged.


    "I like it." Dai agreed.


    <em>{I fucking don''t...} </em>Shiru mumbled something about how rats were disgusting.


    "Shoulda given him a Brooklyn ent. You could have made much better jokes that way." Avahnmented.


    "Nyi think talking like nyimp would''ve been more themyatic."


    [I think talking like Imp would''ve been more thematic.] Ara liked the same game series that Imp took her speech pattern from.


    "Well, I''m the Rat Lord, and I say he''s Italian." Alveronughed as a right hook from Mr. Scruffy smashed Michael''s nose.


    "YOU BASTARD! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW LONG THE WAIT IS FOR PLASTIC SURGERY?!?" Micheal screamed as she returned a punch straight to Mr. Scruffy''s face. "I HAVE A PHOTO SHOOT WITH ANGEL UNLIMITED TOMORROW! HOW WILL THE PUBLIC SEE MY PERFECT FACE NOW?!?"


    <em>{The devs REALLY went overboard with this guy... Whoever made him... I hope you had fun, because when I find you...}</em>(Shiru)


    "What''s wrong? Don''t like being ugly on the outside as well as the inside?" Mr. Scruffyughed.


    "It''s ready!" Dai said over the call.


    "Avahn, you''re up!" Shiru gave the antsy cat the go-ahead.


    "FINALLY!" Avahn started cackling as she mounted a gigantic missile that Dai had assembled in the corner of the Boss room. In her hand was not her trusty Oda, but rather a massive magically enchanted tree created by Shiru and Daikael. They''d used the Oda before, but something about Demon power didn''t really work on the Archangel, so they decided to try a bit more<em>mundane</em>types of damage.


    "DING!" Ara singled that the final modifier had been applied, and a momentter, Daikael ignited the rocket andunched the Demon Cat towards Michael.


    "And this one''s just because I hate you!" Mr. Scruffy wound up a massive punch and mmed Michael in the face sending him back a few feet.


    "HOW DARE YOU-" Michael''sining was cut off as he noticed the crazy-eyed cat flying straight toward him on the back of the rocket. "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!?"


    "HAHAHAHAHAHHA!" Avahn cackled as she leaped from the rocket. "TIME TO DIE PRETTY BOY! SAY HI TO YOUR FRIENDS IN HELL!" She brought the massive magical tree into Michael''s head, causing a huge explosion as it impacted before leaping away safely. A momentter, the rocket impacted the same spot and a second explosion erupted from his head. Avahn wasunched by the st but was caught by Alveron using his teleportation. As the Misfits, and Mr. Scruffy, watched the smoking body of Michael, they hoped he''d stay dead.


    <i>{Please don''t get back up...} </i>Shiru crossed her fingers in her mind until a momentter they got a notification congratting them for the defeat of the Silka Forest Dungeon.


    "WE DID IT!" (Misfits)


    The group hugged one another and let out a massive cheer. They''d been trying the final boss of this dungeon for months and they were worried they wouldn''t manage to clear it before Serval was defeated.


    "Dai, no matter what other people say about you, I think your ns are alright." Alveronughed.


    "I''m d you finally see- Dai stopped and yoinked the fairy off Shiru''s shoulder. "What do you mean, <i>no matter what others say about me?!?" </i>She started shaking him as everyone elseughed.


    "Good job, nyavahn meow~! that was nyawesomewn meow~! nyu myade nye nyangel go boom meow~!"


    [Good job, Avahn! That was awesome! You made the Angel go BOOM!] Ara started scratching her girlfriend''s ears, which caused the Demon cat to blush.


    "I-It was nothing..." Avahn barely squeaked those words out as her face went red. Even all this timeter, she still got embarrassed easily when it came to Ara.


    "I''m just d we all managed to-" Shiru''s words stopped short as each of them received a notification.


    "Unique item?" Alveronmented. Dai had stopped squeezing him long enough to let him read the notification.


    "I got a skill." Dai said.


    "Nyi got nya fan upgrade nya~?"


    [I got a fan upgrade?] Ara tilted her head. It seemed to make her fans do an order of magnitude more damage and allowed for it to stack to one thousand hits.


    "Ohhhh!" Avhan''s eyes lit up as she looked at her reward. "I got a new technique! And it looks... AWWWWWWWESOME!" She started cackling as she read over its effects.


    "I guess we all got something." Shiru reached into her inventory and pulled out what looked like a watering can. "Mine is apparently the Divine Vessel of Greater nt Growth." She sprinkled some water on the ground, causing the entire room to bloom with nt growth. "Ok, well, we learned <i>not </i>to use this recklessly..." Shiru sighed.


    "Mine is something with creation." Daikael said. "I think it buffs my creation and crafting skills. But we''ll need testing."


    "What did you get, Alveron?" Shiru asked.


    "I umm... I sent you a private message." Alveron''s face was not visible, but his embarrassment was audible.


    "Why did you... do... <em>oh</em>..." Shiru simrly got embarrassed as she read about the item.


    "Don''t keep us nyin nye dark meow~!"


    [Don''t keep us in the dark] Ara demanded to know what he got.


    "Yeah, we told you guys what we got!" Avahn agreed.


    "T-this isn''t something <i>children</i> should see..." Shiru''s face was bright red.


    "We''re both adults!" (Ara x Avahn)


    "NO YOU''RE NOT!" (Shiru x Alveron x Daikael)


    Spoiler


    Mr. Scruffy!


    [copse]

 Chapter 168 – Hishya’s Bet.

    Chapter 168 ¨C Hishya¡¯s Bet.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Thanks for 300k views!


    "What''s going on?!?" Hishya turned to Akagi and asked. She could still speak and move her head, but nothing else. "What did you do to me? Why can''t I move?"


    <i>{Did you do something to me?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    "Now hold your horses, little dragon." Akagi bonked her on the head. "I need to stabilize our little vampy quick." She reached into inventory and grabbed a healing potion, before forcing it down Silfana''s throat.


    "What the hell are you doing?!?" Hishya was still trying to move, but couldn''t. She was angry that Akagi was healing Silfana and started screaming profanities. "Are you insane?!?


    "Yes?" Akagi tilted her head. "I am very much insane."


    "Ok." Hishya sighed. "MORE THAN USUAL! How''s that." She said sarcastically.


    Silfana sat up but quickly found herself restrained by shadow ropes that wrapped around her. "What''s the meaning of this?!?" She flopped over and wriggled on the ground but was eventually unable to move like Hishya.


    "<i>You</i> don''t get to go anywhere either. Well not like you could anyway." Akagiughed as she turned back to Hishya.


    "What the hell are you doing?!? I just exerted all that effort to <i>kill </i>her and now she''s back to full!" Hishya fumed.


    "Didn''t I tell you?" Akagi smirked. "I <i>want</i> her."


    Hishya realized what she meant. "You want Silfana as a subordinate! No way! I won''t allow that!" She was still angry at the vampire for the yers'' deaths and for killing innocent people in this world. Not to mention her being responsible for Kana needing to take a life.


    <i>{Allow? There''s that word again...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Why would I work for someone weaker than me?!?" Silfana eximed.


    "Oh?" Akagi turned to her, unleashing a wave of her demonic power which crashed on Silfana. <i><b>"Weaker than you? Don''t make meugh." </b></i>The Vampire started sweating profusely as Akagi red at her.


    "W-what are you? You can''t be Akagi! That fool was powerful, but nothing like this." Silfana was still not entirely aware of <i>what</i> Akagi was at this point as she''d only barely kept up with the news.


    <i><b>"I love it when people ask that." </b></i>Akagiughed as she leaned down and got in Silfana''s face. <i><b>"I''m Demon. One on a level far higher than anything you can imagine. Demon Lords are meant for one thing and one thing only, universal genocide of all life." </b></i>Akagi ced her hand on Silfana''s head and showed her a few bits of information.


    Silfana''s eyes rolled back for a moment before snapping back into position.


    "Y-you''re a monster.... h-how...." Silfana started to twitch.


    "Always fun to see them get like that." Akagi stood up. "So Silfana, the way I see it. You''ve got two choices. Be my subordinate or die by Hishya. So take your time and make a decision that we can both be happy with."


    "Why can''t I move dammit!" Hishya was struggling. "Come on! Demon Lord BS or not, I should be able to wiggle even a small amount! Hungggggggggggg." She tried pulling herself free, but her body wouldn''t listen.


    "You''re not going to be able to move, Hishya." Akagiughed. "Did you forget where we are?"


    "We''re inside your body, I know. But what does that have to do with-" Her eyes snapped wide. "No! NO! Don''t tell me that you can-"


    Akagi cut her off. "I can!" Akagiughed. "My power allows me to control this cepletely, and that doesn''t just extend to creating illusions." She snapped her fingers and Hishya put Sun Strike away and then stood on one leg. "I can also control <i>people</i> who find themselves in here." Akagi''s smile horrified both Silfana and Hishya.


    "Y-you can control me?!?" Hishya started sweating. "T-that''s..."


    "Don''t worry, I''m not going to do anything too bad." Akagi thought for a moment. "Though I''m going to do this at least." She snapped her fingers again and Hishya started to hop around in a circle like a rabbit. "This is payback for that stupid prank you pulled on me in Grim. Don''t go putting Usagi potions in people''s drinks any more!" Akagi always bore a grudge for that prank.


    <i>{I''ll have to have a small chat with her about using such disgusting words. I might be friends with the lizard, but sometimes I feel like she forgets her ce. Kana''s uses those words as well, so perhaps a small amount of discipline is in order.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Alright, I''m sorry!" Hishya cried. "Just stop making me hop around like a rabbit!"


    ¡°I didn''t hear the magic word.¡± Akagi chuckled.


    ¡°Please...¡± Hishya said meekly.


    <i>{I had thising, I know... But dammit was it funny to give you that stupid drink! You looked so stupid for those three days, and it was perfect payback on someone like you!} </i>(Hishya)


    Akagi snapped her fingers, and Hishya was released, falling onto the ground.


    "I am nevering back in here again!" Hishya yelled.


    "I can just bring you in here if I want, so good luck avoiding it." Akagiughed. "I need to get Kana and the girls in here and have some fun with them. Do you have any requests for pranks? I can even make Kana say some embarrassing things." Akagi continued. "How about I get her to say: <i>I love you so much Hishya, please never leave me!</i>"<i> </i>She mimicked Kana''s voice.


    Hishya red at her. "I will offer noment on that matter since I''ll lose no matter what I say."


    "Kill joy." Akagi shrugged before turning to Silfana. "So what will it be, vampy? Die by Hishya or work for me?"


    "Is that even a choice?" Silfana sighed. "I can tell that even if I said no and Hishya killed me, you''d just do something horrific with my soul anyway."


    <i>{Its always nice when they understand their position.} </i>(Akagi)


    "There is <i>always</i> a choice." Akagi smiled. "Just understand that no matter which one you pick, I will win."


    "What is this, gambling? Are you the house?" Hishya sighed.


    "Basically!" Akagi burst outughing. "Though rather than the house, it''s the Demon Lord that always wins!"


    "Well, I''d prefer <i>not </i>to be turned into some <i>Demon''s </i>ything." Silfana shuddered as she recalled what Akagi showed what she''d been shown about Merkyul and his crew. "I will ept your offer."


    "You can''t be serious!" Hishya got up and stormed over. "I won''t let you just take her! She needs to die, and how can you trust her anyway! She''ll probably just attack one of your people!"


    <i>{Yeah, strict discipline will be needed for the lizard. She said the no-no words twice in such a short span of time. What kind of negative reinforcement should I use? I''ve got plenty of options and no shortage of time or material.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I''m not a fool!" Silfana eximed. "She showed me what would happen if I did something like that, and while I don''t know who this Armalthy is, I''ve seen what she''s doing to him! I don''t want to end up like that!"


    "You heard her." Akagi said. "She''s epted my offer, Hishya. I''m obligated to protect her now." Akagi grinned. "However, I''ve got an idea."


    "Why don''t I like this?" Hishya sighed. "What''s your <i>idea</i>."


    Akagi pulled another potion out of her inventory and threw it at Hishya. "Take this, get back to full, and then let''s have a match."


    "I can''t beat you!" Hishya said as she caught the bottle. "What''s the point of fighting you? It''s not possible to win against you with all that power you have."


    "How about if I limit it to the level of power I had when I first got out of FWO?" Akagi''s eyes got fierce. "How does this sound as a bet? I''ll use that level of power and nothing more. You can use as much as you wish and any techniques you''ve gained since then against me. If you win. I''ll allow you to kill Silfana."


    "You''re serious?" Hishya drank the potion. "You won''t pull some BS?"


    "Do you ever recall me lying to you?" Akagi asked.


    Hishya thought for a moment. "Never about anything <i>important</i> at least." She knew Akagi took deals and bets seriously. "Ok, so I win she dies, you win she lives.¡±


    "Not quite." Akagi wagged her finger. "I want something else for winning."


    "What do you mean?!? You already get Silfana." Hishya groaned.


    "I can have that if I just kick you out of here." Akagi chuckled. "It''s not really much of a reward if I can just tell you to fuck off right now and get what I want, now is it? I have no incentive to do this other than the have a bit of fun if that''s all I get."


    Hishya knew she was right, Akagi could probably tell people the sky was red and they''d have to agree. "Then what do you want? I''m not betting my freedom or something like that."


    "Nothing that serious." Akagi shook her head as she pulled a small dog cor out from her inventory. "If I win, you have to wear this for one week, except in the bath."


    "Why the fuck do you have a dog cor for me?!?" Hishya was sketched out.


    "It was Kana''s idea. She thought it would be <i>hriou</i>s to see you wearing it." Akagiughed. "And well, here we are. Look, it even has a small medal that says, <i>If found, please contact Kana.</i> isn''t it cute?" Akagi showed Hishya who growled.


    "I''m going to pay her back tenfold for this crap!" Hishya said. "Deal!" The two shook on it, and Akagi''s eyes lit up.


    "This is going to be fun!" The <i>Demon''s </i>smile seemed to freeze the very air itself, though Hishya was far too busy grumbling to notice it.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    A little whileter, Akagi, Shima, Hishya, and Silfana appeared from a ck vortex back onto the street where they''d been before. Hishya''s face was red, and she was mumbling something under her breath. Around her neck was a dog cor, and Akagi trying, and failing, to hold in herughter.


    "It looks good on you," Akagi said to the dragon girl. "Maybe Kana was right? You should be the family pet. Maybe a dog house and water bowl would go great with your cor?"


    <i>{OOOH! I know what her discipline will be!} </i>Akagi cackled internally at the impending torment of Hishya, and potentially Kana.


    "I''m going to make her pay!" Hishya''s eyes went yandere. "She shall feel my wrath! And she will learn that my bite is far worse than my bark!"


    Seeing her slow decent into madness, Akagi pulled the dragon in by the shoulder, and whispered into her ear. "So hey, Kana''s told me a few embarrassing secrets about you, so in exchange...¡±


    *WHISPER* *WHISPER* *WHISPER* *WHISPER*


    Hishya''s mouth curved into an evil smile. "Ohhhh. Oh really? That''s so cute.¡± One of Kana''s most embarrassing secrets was the adorable dog costume she wore when she was a kid for Halloween.


    ¡°I''ve got pictures too, feel free to use them against her if she ever gets out of hand.¡± Akagi and Hishya began cackling.


    <i>{Kana, I hope you''re ready to wear that dog costume at some point as payback!} </i>(Hishya)


    Akagi had still managed to defeat her, even in a weakened state, something that both confused and aggravated Hishya. After the fight, the <i>Demon</i> exined that while her Hishya was more <i>powerful </i>than Akagi during the fight, Akagi''s technique and skill made up for the gap.


    "Alright, let''s get everyone home. Chloe!" Akagi called out into the night.


    "Myaster!" Chloe hopped down onto the street from a rooftop doing an borate flip as shended. Somehow the tsuchinoko that sat on her head didn''t move, and Akagi didn''t bother to question the physics of such a thing.


    "Would you do me a favor and be a good kitty and take Shima home?" Akagi sighed. "And please don''t kill her." She felt the need to add that since Chloe <i>hated </i>Shima, much like how the entire family did. Causing their master as much pain and misery as she and Taichi did was a <i>very </i>quick way to earn their enmity.


    "I will try, nya" Chloe red at Shima before grabbing her and dragging her off.


    ¡°H-Huh?!? W-Wait!¡± Shima tried to resist, but was taken away by force, kicking and screaming as Chloe leapt between rooftops. Chloe was told not to <i>kill</i> Shima, but Akagi didn''t forbid terrifying the woman a bit.


    "I should call the RRT and let them know what''s going on. Mixu and Superbia shouldn''t be too far away." Hishya said as she swiped in the air and called Mixu.


    "Mixu?" Silfana remembered the vampire. "That''s right, I gifted her my blood as a reward. Interesting, so she is in this ce too."


    "Yeah, but don''t expect her to start calling you master or something," Akagi said. "You''ll find zero sympathy from her, and she''s been especially angry at you for all the hunting since it''s gotten her in some hot water."


    "What did you want me to do?!? Drinking blood is necessary and only to be expected of our kind!" Sifana furrowed her brows. "Do not try and tell me that she doesn''t partake in moral blood?"


    "I don''t <i>hunt</i> people!" Mixu and Superbia stood on top of a building before dropping down beside Hishya. "Well, well, well. Been a long time Silfana." Mixu red at her.


    "She really is back!" Superbia was surprised. She''d been at Hassan and saw Hishya kill her all those years ago. So this was a big surprise even though she already knew Silfana was alive.


    "I guess you wouldn''t understand." Silfana shrugged. "You''re kind aren''t exactly interested in anything other than power. So I shan''t imagine you canprehend everything that my blood gave you. In fact, you should be grateful I shared it with you."


    "Oh, I <i>am </i>grateful." Mixuughed. "That vampire blood made me so much more powerful, but being a vampire doesn''t mean we need to act like arrogant pricks! That''s the kind of shit that got our kind hated in the first ce. Besides, you know as well as I that we don''t <i>need</i> to drink blood to survive!"


    "What are you talking about?" Silfana lifted an eyebrow. "Of course we do! How else do you think we survive? We cannot eat human food! Otherwise more of our kind <i>would</i>."


    <i>{Stupid girl. You can''t lie to ME about how our kind''s biology works! I''ve been around for far too long to be deceived by a newborn pup like you!} </i>(Silfana)


    "Uhh, Silfana." Akagi turned to her. "Mixu confirmed that she didn''t <i>need </i>blood to live. She eats normal food all the time. Heck we just had Curry the other night at the house together, and Mixu at like four tes."


    "That''s not possible!" Silfana rejected Akagi''s assertion. "Our kind can only consume blood! Anything else only makes us sick!"


    Mixu took a gran bar out of her inventory and took a bite. "No issues for me." She took out a second one and threw it toward Silfana, who caught it. "Plenty of things changed between this world and the one you came from. I think the whole vampire weaknesses and need for blood was stripped, since I''ve gone several months without drinking blood and never felt the urge. Though I do like to drink it, and it powers me up, I get it from <i>willing </i>donors rather than hunting people."


    "Those poor guys." Superbia shook her head. ¡°You are the definition of a femme fatale.¡±


    "Hey, they know what they''re getting into with me." Mixu shrugged. "Besides, I''ve taken from a woman too, so it''s not <i>just </i>guys."


    "Like that makes it better." Superbia rolled her eyes. "Besides, we both know <i>Imp </i>is crazy, and you shouldn''t exactly count her."


    "Hey, not my fault Imp wanted to see what it was like." Mixuughed. "And besides, she has fun."


    "Oh, trust me, I <i>heard</i> Imp''s <i>fun." </i>Superbia groaned. That was a memory she''d never get rid of.


    <i>{I''m convinced that Imp sees Mixu as stress relief with how often she visits her for activities. And Mixu seems to enjoy that idiot''s blood too! Something about it tasting spicy...} </i>(Superbia)


    Silfana looked down at the gran bar and reluctantly took a bite. As she did, her eyes went wide. "I-I can taste it!" She scarfed it down before ring at Akagi.


    "I''ll fill you in more on what''s going on, but wee to the team vampy number 2!" Akagiughed. She''d give Silfana her <i>punishment </iter, but for now she need to deal with the impending Council nonsense. Though the <i>Demon </i>already had ns in store for Silfana, and it would be hrious.


    ________________________________________________________________________________________________


    <Chloe POV>


    Once she''d dropped Shima off at her house, Chloe went back out on patrol. As she wandered around Kyoto, she was called out to by a familiar young girl with orange eyes.


    ¡°Ms. Cat!¡± Misha was standing on her balcony as Chloe hopped around on the rooftops.


    <i>{That''s the girl who hase to understand just how amazing myaster is!} </i>Chloe stopped moving and hopped onto the balcony.


    ¡°Hello, nya.¡± Chloe greeted her. ¡°Did you need something?¡±


    ¡°I saw you going by and I thought it would be a great time to broach an idea that I had.¡± Misha smiled.


    ¡°Idea?¡± Chloe tilted her head.


    ¡°Lady Akagi told me that I shouldn''t talk to anyone outside of her family about my <i>experiences</i>, so its been so hard to properly appreciate her for saving me.¡± Misha looked genuinely sad.


    ¡°Myaster just doesn''t want to deal with all the trouble.¡± Chloe snickered. ¡°She even told us not to worship her, and I think that''s a waste. She deserves it!¡±


    <em>{Myaster is more than some god. She''s is everything! Thus its only natural to revere her!}</em>(Chloe)


    ¡°Indeed!¡± Misha nodded. ¡°And that''s why I wanted to speak with you. If you''d be willing to listen, I have an idea.¡± Her eyes glinted in the moonlight as she and Chloe discussed things for a while. Whatever they were nning was sure to be a headache for Akagi, and an unwee addition to her alreadyplex rtionship with the n.

 Chapter 169 – That Which Can Never Be Regained.

    Chapter 169 ¨C That Which Can Never Be Regained.


    *GULP* *BITE* *MUNCH*


    After discovering that she could indeed eat real food. Silfana requested to be fed, something Akagi easily agree to. Currently, the vampire lord was inhaling arge quantity of food from the kitchen table at Akagi''s home. While the rest of the group stood around, either shocked orughing hysterically.


    "Man, she''s got quite the appetite." Hishya was genuinely shocked at the amount of food being consumed by Silfana, and was beginning to wonder where it was going. "That''s like her fourth whole chicken..."


    Silfana turned to her with food in her mouth. "You try going thousands of years on nothing but blood! I haven''t had anything else to eat since I turned into a vampire! So *Plpppt*" She blew a raspberry.


    <i>{I just... what the fuck...} </i>(Hishya)


    "As nice as it is to have Silfana no longer running around. What''s going to happen with her other thralls and vampires?" Superbia asked Akagi.


    "I took care of them." Akagi said. "I don''t want vampirism running around my world, so I had my team destroy them. Silfana gave me names and ces, and Chloe dealt with them all. So now, Mixu and Silfana are the only vampires left in the world." Akagi looked to both women. "And let me make myself clear<i> it will </i>stay that way. No making more of your kind without my permission."


    <i>{I''d rather not have vampires fucking about unsupervised, thank you very much.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I mean, I''m not going to do that anyway." Mixu shrugged.


    "Why are you so against it?" Superbia asked. "Not like I <i>want</i> more vampires running around either, but I figured you wouldn''t really care."


    "Being totally honest, I dislike vampires." Akagi scratched her cheek as she tried not to look directly at Mixu. "And by dislike vampires, I''m specifically referring to Silfana''s kind who are assholes and think humans are nothing more than cattle. Never liked that crap, so if I can prevent that issue, I''d like to."


    "Hey, not my problem that most humans are weak." Silfana shrugged as she continued feasting. "Oh man, this is so good!" She smiled as she chowed down.


    "Well getting past <i>that</i> whole issue." Mixu sighed. "Though I might not like it, better Silfana be here than running around killing people I guess."


    "Yeah, Aoi''s gonna have a fun time exining this to the higher-ups tomorrow." Superbia gave a wry smile. "d we don''t have to be in on that meeting."


    "No, but unfortunately the fun''s not over for us." Hishya looked at the two of them, her cor nking. The two of them had been informed of why she was wearing it and were trying not to bring attention to it, lest they get fireballed.


    "What do you mean?" Mixu asked nervously. "Silfana was ''defeated'' so that''s it, right?"


    "It would be if we didn''t need to deal with two more world bosses." Hishya gave a dead smile. "So I look forward to working with you!"


    "There''s more?!?" (Superbia x Mixu)


    After a quick exnation, Akagi informed the two that somehow Rivenshaft and Serval had returned.


    "You''ve got to be fucking kidding me!" Superbia eximed. "We have to fight him <i>again</i>?!?" She''d been at the final fight and nearly died a few times. "That monster killed so many of us, and now we have to beat him again?!?"


    <em>{What the fucking fuck?!?}</em>(Superbia)


    "And let me guess, Akagi won''t be helping?" Mixu rolled her eyes.


    "Serval is on you all, but Rivenshaft is mine. Can''t have someone iming to be the bigger <i>Demon</i> around here." Akagiughed. "Besides, you can do it! Plus there are some other yers I can <i>persuade</i> to help."


    <i>{I''m sure my freeloading tenants would love to be conscripted into the final battle. Plus Eris has been training like crazy in the dungeon. I imagine she''d love a chance to strike down the Dragon Emperor.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Do you know <i>when </i>or <i>where</i> he''ll appear?" Superbia asked.


    "Nope." Akagi shrugged. "Though thew of averages says the Council will probably send them straight for me."


    "Great, <i>more</i> fun." Mixu put her head in her hands. "I really should just run away and hide somewhere."


    "Please don''t..." Superbia groaned. "It''s gonna be hard enough with what we''ve got to win this."


    "I believe in you guys!" Akagi smiled. "You got this!"


    The three of them just red at her in irritation, exasperation and disapproval.


    After a bit more discussion, Superbia, Mixu, and Hishya decided to head off for the night. They wanted to return to Tokyo and speak with Aoi and the rest of the RRT about the impending battle. Yumi was not actually at the estate at the moment, as she was busy with negotiations, so Akagi had someone else take them back.


    Once things settled down, Silfana was given over to Kira to be dealt with. Akagi''d let the half-dragon decide what to do with her since she was usually in charge of deployments and general security. The <i>Demon</i> had a few ideas about what to do with the vampire but was still mulling things over and would speak to herter.


    Late into the night, when most everyone else was asleep, Akagi slowly crept into Alice''s room. The girl was asleep in her bed, snuggled up with the stuffed crow Akagi''d given her. She walked over slowly and stroked her head, which caused Alice to wake up.


    *Yawn*


    "Mama?" Alice looked up at her. "What''s the matter? You look sad."


    "I just wanted to check on you, that''s all." Akagi smiled. Her face was a bit sullen as if something was eating at her. "Sorry for waking you. I''ll let you get back to sleep." Akagi pulled away, but found her sleeve grabbed by the young girl.


    "Don''t go..." Alice said. "You look sad, and when you''re sad, you need to hug it away." She sat up and pulled Akagi into a hug. "Mama shouldn''t be sad..."


    Akagi hugged her back. "Thank you, it''s just... I saw someone today... and what they said... it... it brought back so many things..." Akagi squeezed her. "Since I woke you up, how about I sing you a little luby? That way, you can get back to sleep."


    "That sounds nice." Alice looked up at her and smiled. Sakura was the one who usually put Alice to bed, so this was a nice surprise for the girl. Akagi swiftly pulled Alice onto the floor and put her in herp, hugging her tight as she began to rock Alice back and forth in her arms, and sing a song. One she''d heard many times during her childhood. It was a luby that Shima would sing to Kana when she couldn''t sleep, or when she was afraid during the night. As she sang, Akagi slowly cried as Alice fell asleep in her arms.


    <i>{I''ll make sure I''m not like her, Alice. You won''t have to continue on without a Mom, and while I''m not perfect, I''ll do everythingI can to make sure I''m there for you when you need me most. I promise you that I''ll always be here, now and forever.} </i>(Akagi)


    Kana''s room was next door, and she was awoken by the familiar song and was confused by the sound of Akagi''s voiceing from Alice''s room. She looked at the time and saw that it was nearly four in the morning and decided to check on her sister since she''d <i>never</i> heard her sing that luby before.


    After waking herself up, Kana waited in front of Alice''s room until Akagi put Alice to bed. As she slowly crept out the door, she turned to Kana, who could see her sister''s face was red from crying.


    "Are you alright?" Kana asked with worry.


    "Not really." Akagi let out a smallugh.


    "You wanna talk about it?" Kana seemed like she wouldn''t take no for an answer.


    Akagi thought for a minute before letting out a sigh. "Let me go make some coffee first, we can chat in the living room."


    <i>{I wish Yumi wasn''t busy, otherwise, I''d go squish her...} </i>(Akagi)


    Akagi made a pot of coffee and the two sisters moved into the living room, cups in hand.


    "So... where to start." Akagi looked ufortable. "First of all, sorry for waking you."


    "It''s fine, I decided to get up. It''s not an issue, but what''s wrong? Why were you crying, and why did you sing that song?" Kana knew exactly what it was, but was still confused what made her sister sing it.


    <em>{I didn''t even think she knew that stupid song.}</em>(Kana)


    Akagi took a sip of her coffee and let out a deep breath. "I met Shima again tonight, Kana." She gave a wry smile. "Silfana was going to attack her, but we stopped that whole mess. On a side note, the vampire is now my newest team member, but we''ll discuss thatter."


    Kana nodded.


    "So after I pawned Silfana on your girlfriend... I got a moment to speak with Shima... <em>alone</em>." Akagi looked down into her coffee. "And do you know what she told me?"


    "Something bad I assume?" Kana clenched her fists.


    <i>{Dammit mom!} </i>(Kana)


    "Not exactly.¡± Akagiughed. ¡°She...She told me that she was sorry, Kana." Akagi looked up at Kana, who was shocked.


    "Yeah, that was my reaction too." Akagi let out a quietugh. "She wasn''t lying either, she was genuinely remorseful for her past actions. Shima told me that her life shed before her eyes as Silfana was going to attack her, and that she saw you and all the good memories she''d made over the years."


    "S-She was sorry?" Kana said quietly.


    "Yeah, she told me that at the end of her little trip down memoryne, was an image of me in her arms as a newborn. She said that on the day I was born, she was so happy to be a mother, and that for whatever reason she''d forgotten that joy and came to hate me." Akagi sighed. "Shima seems to have no idea why she''de to hate me as she did, and is now in a minor crisis over it. She told me that she was sorry and that she failed both of us as a mother."


    "Is-isn''t that a good thing? Does this mean you and mom will-" Kana was cut off by Akagi shaking her head.


    "I will never <i>ever </i>forgive her, Kana." Akagi''s words were quiet, but the anger was palpable. "Even if she was manipted into acting the way she did. That doesn''t just magically make it all go away."


    <em>{Being controlled... What would I do with all these feelings? I remember not just what she did to me, but what she DIDN''T, and honestly I think thetter is much worse than the former.}</em>(Akagi)


    "But, why would you being a Demon Lord affect her?" Kana asked. "I mean, I''ve spent my entire life around you, and I didn''t turn out like them."


    "Who knows, and there''s no guarantee that''s what even happened." Akagi shook her head. "Nothing in my knowledge pool mentions the family a Demon Lord is born into being made to hate them."


    "We''ll at least she finally understands what she did was wrong!" Kana tried to put a positive spin on things. "Now we just need to get dad to change, and hopefully things will get better."


    <em>{Maybe... maybe there''s a slim chance that we could be a family again...}</em>(Kana)


    "Does really matter Kana?" Akagi looked up at her with teary eyes. "Regardless of if they change their minds and understand what they did was wrong. I can never get it back! I can never have loving parents! Can never reim those years they took from me!" Akagi yelled, catching her sister off guard.


    "I never got to have a mom sing me to sleep, and tell me it would all be ok!" Akagi stood up. "Shima took that from me! Taichi took that from me! And for all my power I can never experience being a little girl, scared of the dark who''sforted by her parents. I never had their love! None of it! And I... I..." Akagi started tough through her tears. "That song, the one you heard me sing to Alice. That was the one Shima used to sing to you all the time. The only reason I even know it, was because I could hear her through the wall." Akagi took a moment to calm herself. "Whenever I''d hear her sing to you... I''d make sure I was extra quiet so I could listen in through the wall, just to close my eyes and imagine she was singing to me, Kana. That she loved me enough tofort me during the night when I was afraid, but she never did. No matter how much I was afraid of the dark, no matter how hard I cried for my mother... she... she never came." Akagi sat down. ¡°My mother never came... she never came...¡± She started to cry again.


    <em>{How could you do that to me Shima? You ignored the cries of your own child. You left me alone in the darkness when I was so afraid. You... you abandoned me when I needed you the most...} </em>(Akagi)


    It was a sad story and just one of the many things Kana didn''t know about her sister''s suffering. She was honestly lost for words, not knowing what to say to make her feel better. Akagi was right, she could never get back what she''d lost. No matter if someone adopted her or how close she got with Yumi or others, no one could give her the childhood love she''d been robbed of.


    Kana slowly stood up, going up to her sister and hugging her. "I''m sorry... I''m so sorry... I... I never thought about that..."


    <em>{I''m going to fucking wring that woman''s fucking neck!}</em>(Kana)


    "You don''t need to apologize, it''s not your fault." Akagiughed. "But thank you." The two stayed like that for until Akagi told Kana to go back to bed, since she had school in the morning.


    "Fine, but I want you toe with me." Kana smiled.


    "What?" Akagi didn''t expect this.


    Kana tugged on her. "Come on, Yumi''s not here, soe with me. You can even turn into the cat tonight. I''ll hold you." Sheughed.


    <em>{Don''t get used to this. I still don''t like it but I''ll treat you this one time since I feel so bad.} </em>(Kana)


    Akagi shook her head. "Fine, but next time you want to snuggle with the kitty, you can just ask." She winked before bursting outughing. The two headed to Kana''s room where Akagi gotfy. Kana enjoyed the squishiness of Catkagi, something she''d deny till the cows came home. Though in the morning, she found it <i>very</i> hard to get out of bed since Akagi was simply too warm and fluffy.

 Chapter 170 – The Kitty and the Magical Girl.

    Chapter 170 ¨C The Kitty and the Magical Girl.


    *YAWN* *STRETCH* *SCRATCH**EAR TWITCH*


    Akagi woke up the next day in Kana''s bed, alone. Her sister went to school <i>reluctantly </i>that morning, as Akagi was apparently quite thefy body pillow. The <i>Demon </i>cat sat up slowly, stretching herself out before looking around the room.


    "What time is it?" Akagi asked aloud. "I can do many things while in that sleeping state, but apparently, urate perception of time is not one of them." She hopped out of bed, instantly realizing that her vision was much lower than normal.


    "Huh?" She turned to the full-length mirror in Kana''s room. "Oh right, <i>cat</i>." Akagiughed as she went up to the mirror and started ying with her ears and tail. "I should do this more often! Mew! Mew!" She smiled before grabbing a small nket from Kana''s closet and wrapping it around her.


    <i>{Warm...} </i>(Akagi)


    "The clock says it''s after three, so Kana is probably back from school. Dang, I haven''t slept thiste in a while. I guess the emotional toll of yesterday must have left me wiped." Akagi shrugged as she walked out of Kana''s room, and went downstairs into the living room, where she heard some conversation.


    "So, does that core with a leash?" Mika asked, barely holding in herughter.


    "Very funny, Mika." Hishya rolled her eyes.


    "I mean, it <em>is</em> pretty funny." Kana chuckled. "I can''t believe Onee-chan actually went through with it!"


    "So it <i>was</i> you who put this stupid idea in her head!" Hishya growled.


    "<i>Maybe</i>." Kana gave an innocent look. "But while you''re wearing it, I should get a leash! I can take you for walkies!"


    "Try that, and I''m dropping you on top of Mt. Fuji." Hishya sighed.


    ¡°Bad pet!¡± Kanaughed.


    "I think it suits you, Hishya." Yumi stifled augh.


    "Grrrr. You''re just luck that I can''t do anything to you without invoking the wrath of god." Hishyamented Yumi''s invincibility.


    "I won''t prevent someone from paying Yumi back if she messes with them" Akagi popped up on the other end of the couch, one of her ears covered by the nket. "Good morning." She smiled. "Also, I''m higher up in the chain of management than god, so it would be invoking the wrath of a Demon Lord." She chuckled.


    "KITTY!" Mika said excitedly. "You have returned!"


    "A-Akagi?" Hishya stumbled. "Why are you <i>small</i>? And why are you a catkin?"


    <em>{The fuck is this?!?}</em>(Hishya)


    "Because it''s cute?" Akagi tilted her head, prompting Yumi to pick her up and ce the <em>Demon </em>in herp.


    "Oh yeah, I never did mention that she did this before." Kana groaned. "Yeah, Onee-chan likes cat girls, and she has now taken to <i>bing </i>one."


    <em>{I might have unleased a monster with my snuggle requestst night. I really shouldn''t of done that since it probably encouraged her bad behavior...}</em>(Kana)


    "MEW!" Akagi meowed happily. "Hey, this body is nice andfy, and sleeping in that big bed was fun!"


    <em>{It was so nice to be held like that, and Kana''s grip is scary strong. Good thing I don''t have any bones, otherwise she might''ve broken em.} </em>(Akagi)


    "I heard you slept with Kanast night! How could you forsake me like that?!? Are my snuggles not good enough?" Yumi said while scratching Akagi''s ears.


    "You were busy, and I didn''t want to bother you." Akagi gave a wry smile. "Plus, it was kind of a family issue, and something that was rted to the two of us more than you. So it made sense to lean on her."


    "I guess, but don''t forget that I''m always here for you." Yumi put her head on top of Akagi''s.


    "Be honest with everyone, Yumi. You just want to squeeze me. I can see the greed in your eyes, so don''t try and hide it." Akagi rolled her eyes, and everyoneughed.


    "Isn''t it strange for siblings to sleep in the same bed at this age, though?" Hishyamented. "I mean, you''re twenty-one, and she''s seventeen. Please don''t tell me you take baths together and stuff too..."


    <i>{That would be a bit much...} </i>(Hishya)


    "If you don''t count the hot spring, then no. We do not do that." Akagi stuck out her tongue. "I''ve got the sensibility not to do something that strange. As for sleeping together, fuck it. Who cares what people think."


    <em>{I don''t really think such mortal sensibilities apply to me anymore, and I''m not about to deny myself some happiness because of stupid optics.} </em>(Akagi)


    "It''s not really a big deal anyway." Kana shrugged. "It''s not exactly amon urrence, and it really only happens when something bad goes on. Last night kinda warranted it, because of... yeah..." She''d already told the girls about it, and they both shared her anger with Shima.


    "That''s so cute." Mika smiled. "But it''s not fair! Why did only <i>you</i> get to snuggle with the kitty?"


    "Kana <i>really </i>liked it too." Akagi got a mischievous grin on her face as Yumi moved to scratch her chin.


    "I didn''t like it <i>that </i>much." Kana protested.


    "Recall that I am still aware while sleeping." Akagi grinned. "I remember your little debate about leaving this morning. Apparently I''m quite warm and soft, and Kana couldn''t decided whether to stay or get out of bed and go to school. You were arguing with yourself for a good ten minutes.¡±


    Kana''s face turned slightly red. "Dammit! I forgot about that!"


    "It was a cute sight." Himariughed. "Kana was practically squealing in joy when she got Akagi to transform."


    "Quiet you!" Kana admonished her. "Do you just enjoy embarrassing me?!?"


    "Yes." Himari answered.


    "Good job, Himari! Give Kana a taste of her own medicine." Hishya chuckled. ¡°Pay her back for all the torment she inflicts upon us!¡±


    "Oh? So the doggie <i>can</i> bite back!" Mikaughed. ¡°I always thought Kana had you on a short <i>leash</i>.¡±


    "I swear to god, Mika! On top of a mountain, in the snow!" Hishya growled.


    "Great. So first I go to a deserted ind, then the mountains." Mika rolled her eyes. "Kana keep your pet under control."


    "I try, but she''s quite unruly. Perhaps she needs to go to obedience school?" Kanaughed. ¡°The spray bottle isn''t working anymore.¡±


    "Pffff." Akagi held in augh. "Obedience school... That''s not gonna work. Hishya''s a pretty hard pet to tame."


    "Stupid cat..." Hishya sighed. "Keep it up, and I''ll throw you in the bath!"


    *HISS* Akagi hissed as that thought displeased her.


    "Don''t pick on her!" Yumi eximed. "There''s no need to be mean. There there. Don''t worry, the mean lizarddy won''t even get the chance to put you in water." She squeezed Akagi while giving Hishya a death re.


    "Wow, Yumi really is overprotective." Mika said.


    "Yeah, she''s almost as bad as Onee-chan." Kanaughed.


    "I think she''s probably just as obsessed with Akagi, as Akagi is with her." Hishya rolled her eyes.


    "You''re just envious." Akagi giggled.


    "I''m not envious! I''ve got Kana, and we do plenty of stuff together!" Hishya denied her statement.


    "Yeah, but you and Kana don''t do this." Mika pointed to Akagi and Yumi, who were in their own little world as they snuggled on the couch. ¡°Those two are <i>always</i> like this when I see them.¡±


    "Well yeah, because that''s just... <i>way</i> too much PDA for me." Kana sighed. "I don''t mind acting as a couple, but I couldn''t handle <i>that </i>kind of skinship. Especially not in public." She didn''t mind touching, but wasn''t overly enthusiastic about it.


    "Yeah, I have to agree." Hishya gave a wry smile. "Akagi and Yumi are a bit<i> much</i> at times. I don''t know how they can act like that and <em>not</em> be embarrassed."


    "Because I don''t care about what people think." Akagi said while being fluffed by Yumi. "Though while Yumi can still get a bit embarrassed, at this point she''s gotten over most of it. As long as we''re not out somewhere public anyway, hence why I limit this stuff to the house."


    "So you <i>do </i>have some tact in that empty head of yours." Hishya said. "And here I thought you were just an idiot all the time."


    <i>{Keep talking pet, remember I''ve got the descaler ready to go at any time!} </i>(Akagi)


    "I wanna get a picture of you two together. Can I take it?" Mika asked Akagi and Yumi, who agreed.


    *SNAP*


    "That''s going on my timeline." Mikaughed.


    "Yeah, show off the Demon Lord being treated like a fluffy kitten." Hishya rolled her eyes. "Actually, send me that too, I want to forward it to the RRT. I have a feeling that they''d get a kick out of it." Which Mika did, and a momentter, Hishya sent the picture to the RRT group chat, and the image immediately got attention.


    Mixu


    <ul>


    <li>


    Is that really Akagi?!?


    </li>


    </ul>


    Superbia


    <ul>


    <li>


    That''s a cute picture. : )


    </li>


    </ul>


    Minazawa


    <ul>


    <li>


    Yeah, the ultimate evil being scratched and pet on the couch...


    </li>


    </ul>


    Excelsior


    <ul>


    <li>


    Noment.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Shimari


    <ul>


    <li>


    THAT''S SO CUTE!!!!!


    </li>


    </ul>


    Imp


    <ul>


    <li>


    Kitty Akagi cute-adorable.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Aoi


    <ul>


    <li>


    She is kinda fluffy...


    </li>


    </ul>


    "She actually <i>types </i>like that too?" Kanaughed, referring to Imp. "What the hell?"


    "My post is getting flooded with messages. It seems the verdict is in, and cute has won in andslide!" Mika chuckled.


    "Cute is justice!" Akagi squealed.


    "Ah yes, the <i>cute</i> genocidal monster." Hishya rolled her eyes. "I can just see it now, the Demon Lord deres war on mankind, and as the news cameras show the burning cities, it''s just <i>that." </i>She pointed at Catkagi. "Walking down the street killing people, surrounded by fire."


    "Don''t tempt me." Akagi stuck out her tongue. ¡°Should I start speaking in cat like Ara?¡±


    <i>{Please god don''t. Its hard enough having one cat girl speak like that, let alone two...} </i>(Hishya)


    "It <i>would </i>be very moe. A little cute catgirl kills everyone and takes over the world, meanwhile I pet her happily and spoil her! Isn''t that called gap moe?" Yumi said recalling the term Akagi had used.


    <i>{The fuck Yumi...} </i>(Kana)


    "Why did you teach her those words?" Hishya deadpanned. "Don''t corrupt her with your otaku stuff."


    "Don''t be throwing those stones, she who lives in a ss house!" Akagi retorted. "We both know you''re no better than me!"


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about." Hishya feigned innocence.


    "Shall I begin to tell the tale of how excited you were over the magical gir-" Akagi''s mouth got covered by Hishya.


    "Don''t you DARE!" She eximed.


    "I don''t need my mouth to speak, Hishya." Akagi''s voice came out, but her mouth was still covered. "But fine, just remember I know your dark past, little miss chuuni." Akagi winked.


    "Oh? Was Hishya into magical girls?" Mika asked. "That''s not strange though, is it?"


    "Normal interest, no. Even I was for a bit as a kid." Akagi turned to Mika. "But our little dragon was <i>extra </i>into them."


    "Like me?" Mika tilted her head. "I always wanted to be one, that''s why I had Imp start making a transformation item." Mika''s deration caused everyone, except Akagi, to freeze.


    "Wait, what?!?" (Kana, Yumi, and Hishya)


    "Wait, Imp''s making you a transformation thing?!?" Hishya eximed.


    <i>{What?!? Where''s mine?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    "Yeah, and it will be done soon. It uses my magic to power it." Mika smiled.


    "Why wasn''t I told of this?!?" Kana red at her sister.


    "Because it was supposed to be a surprise." Mika smiled. "I thought it''d be funny."


    <i>{I''m so jealous!} </i>(Hishya)


    "Mika..." Kana sighed. "You know what, forget it. Just do whatever you want. I don''t care anymore."


    "Mika''s gonna be a superhero Magical Girl who saves people from danger." Akagiughed.


    "Please don''t start running around Kyoto dressed as one..." Kana said. "I''ll die from proximity embarrassment."


    Mika grinned and stood up, taking a pose from one of the magical girl shows she''d watched. "Have no fear! Magical Girl Miracle Sparkle is here!" She stood in that pose for a solid minute, and you could <i>feel </i>Kana and Hishya cringe.


    "Please, for the love of god.... <i>don''t</i> do that..." Kana groaned. "You''re going to kill<i> </i>me."


    "Y-yeah..." Hishya''s face was bright red.


    <i>{Thank god FWO didn''t have a magical girl ss, or I might have actually picked it...} </i>(Hishya)


    "I can''t wait to see this." Akagi burst outughing. "Kyoto''s own magical girl! The superhero it needs but doesn''t want."


    "Yeah, we really<i> </i>don''t <i>need</i> it either, Onee-chan..." Kana was dying on the inside as she imagined a frilly Mika beating up robbers.


    "I got the best idea ever Mika." Akagi''s lips turned into an evil smile. "Magical Girl Mika defeats the evil Demon Princess!"


    Mika''s eyes lit up. "YES! I shall save Kyoto from her evil ns!"


    "Don''t drag me into this!" Kana eximed. "I don''t want to be part of whatever stupid nonsense you''ve cooked up!"


    "Toote!" (Akagi x Mika)


    "Mika and Akagi are on the same wavelength.... the world is doomed." Hishya''s eyes zed over.


    The two schemers then discussed ways to make things interesting and even brainstormed some costumes for Hishya and Kana, who were getting the feeling that they''d be given no choice in the matter.


    Spoiler


    Catkagi Pictures in a fun artstyle! (Couldn''t make the sclera ck since it looked strange, but I was able to recolor them orange at least!)


    [copse]

 Chapter 171 – Naomi Corrects Her Friends.

    Chapter 171 ¨C Naomi Corrects Her Friends.


    The streets of Omara were buzzing with talk of the unexpected deration that Mizumi and Shinlua were traitors. The other members of the Council spoke out against them, described their ''crimes'', and even suggested an invasion of Earth to recover them and to defeat the human ''puppet masters'' who turned they were working with. It seemed that the mood of the citizens were split, with many refusing to believe that a High Spirit like Mizumi would act against her people, while others fell in line with the Council''s message.


    Inside the Council hall within its deepestyers at the center of two magical circles, hovered two balls of light covered in magical chains. The room was awash with magical energy as Sizix worked tirelessly to finish an incantation. Her body was covered in sweat, and she seemed to be nearingplete and total exhaustion.


    "T-This is fucking awful! W-What kind of power does this stupid dragon have!" Sizixined.


    <i>{And they expect me to control this thing? I have no idea if or how long my magic will hold, but those idiots won''t listen!} </i>(Sizix)


    "Are you nearly done, Sizix?" Daruma asked as he walked up behind her. "It''s been how many weeks, and you still haven''t gotten everything done with those two yet?"


    <i>{Such a useless woman. How hasn''t she brought one dragon under her control?} </i>(Daruma)


    "I''d like to see <i>you </i>channel this much magic and urately reconstruct it!" Sizix yelled at him, her eyes showing just how unwee hisments were. "You''re lucky I can go <i>this </i>fast. So shut up!"


    <i>{Fucking asshole! How about helping me instead of standing around like a useless idiot!} </i>(Sizix)


    "Now, now, Daruma. Stop bothering her. She''s going as fast as she can, and I don''t want any mistakes." Onmiyame reprimanded him. "Do you have any idea how much more time will be needed? I can tell you''re nearly done but..."


    "I have no clue, but probably no more than a week. The database is barely holding together, and it''s taking a hell of a lot of effort to keep it stable. If I do it right, we <i>might </i>get one more use out of it before it copses, but no promises." Sizix struggled to speak. " So, just leave me be! It''ll be done when it''s done!"


    "Fine, let''s go Daruma. Leave her to her work. We''ve got nning to do anyway." Onmiyame tapped the red-haired man on the shoulder with his staff and the two left. As they climbed the stairs, Onmiyame looked at Daruma over his shoulder.


    "It won''t be long now, so just hold yourself back a bit longer. Once all preparations areplete, you''ll finally get your vengeance upon humanity. Just don''t go jumping the gun, and stop harassing Sizix." Onmiyame growled at him.


    "I know, I know..." Daruma went silent. He''d lost his entire family during the war and came to <i>hate</i> humans.


    <i>{Just you wait you disgusting bastards! I''m going to take everything from you, just like you took everything from me!} </i>(Daruma)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    The weekend finally arrived, and with it came an outing into downtown Kyoto. The girls stood around the kitchen table and would soon teleport into Kyoto via one of Akagi''s family members. Yumi was in Tokyo doing further negotiations with the Japanese Government over theing transfer ofnd, and would be there for a few days. She''d been going there more frequently ofte, due in part to the depth of the negotiations, and Akagi was sad that she didn''t get to spend much time with her, which was causing the <i>Demon</i> some anxiety.


    "Alrighty. Are we ready to go?" Kana asked.


    "Yup!" Mika nodded.


    "I''ve got everything I need." Naomi said.


    "Good to go here." Hishya nodded, and as she did, her cor jingled. "Nobody. Say. <i>Anything." </i>Hishya growled through clenched teeth.


    <i>{I shall have my vengeance! Mark my words Akagi, you shall PAY! And that goes double for you KANA!}</i>


    "Pffff." The girls barely held inughter as Hishya grumbled andined.


    "I can''t believe you''re going to wear that in public." Naomi wasn''t holding herselfughter off very well. When she first saw the cor, she nearly fell over fromughing hysterically.


    "We should stop at the pet store and get her a chew toy!" Mika grinned. "How about a squeaky bone? Or would you prefer something to snack on?"


    "And while we''re at it, we can go to the dog park! I think I''ve got a frisbee around here somewhere. Would you like to y fetch my little doggie?"Kana pat Hishya on the head as she giggled.


    <i>{This ''little doggie'' is going to fucking BITE you Kana, and not in the ways you usually like!} </i>(Hishya)


    "Let me go say bye to Onee-chan, then we can go. I think she''s in her room doing... <i>something</i>. I''ll be right back." Kana went upstairs and knocked on her sister''s door.


    *KNOCK* *KNOCK*


    "Onee-chan! You in here?" Kana heard rustling from the other side of the door and a muffled noise.


    <i>{What is that idiot doing? She better not be doing that dumb cat thing again. No matter how cute and fluffy it is, she really should act more mature. I like having a cool and collected badass older sister, not some pet that likes ear scratches and treats!} </i>(Kana)


    Getting no response, Kana decided to open the door anyway, as it was unlocked.


    "Alright, where are you?" Kana looked around but saw nothing save for an unmade bed with several lumps moving around under the nkets.


    "Are you ying around in the bed?" Kana sighed. "What are you, four? Come on, get out of there..." She walked over to the lumpy sheets which began to wiggle and move until a Catkagi head popped out, then another and another until three separate Catkagi appeared.


    "Mew!" (All three Catkagi)


    <i>{Great she''s like this again... So much for my badass Demon sister...} </i>Kana groaned.


    "What are you doing?" Kana asked.


    "Mew?" The three Catkagi tilted their heads.


    "Really..." Kana sighed. "Whatever. We''re leaving here in a bit and will be backter, ok?"


    The three Catkagi smiled and nodded as they rubbed against one another. Akagi seemed to be enjoying herself as her three bodies were smiling and their tails flicked around and thumped on the bed.


    "You just go enjoy doing <i>whatever </i>it is you''re doing." Kana rolled her eyes as she turned and left the room. In the background, she heard the three Akagi start to tackle each other and flop around as she closed the door.


    <i>{Just don''t think about it, Kana. Just ignore it. Onee-chan is just being her normal weird self. At least she keeps it in the house. I swear, if she makes me take her to a cat park and y with her...} </i>(Kana)


    Deciding to put the whole Catkagi thing out of her mind, Kana went downstairs and back to the kitchen.


    "Everything alright?" Hishya asked her. "You look irritated."


    <i>{Now what did Akagi do?} </i>(Hishya)


    "It''s fine, just Onee-chan being stupid is all." Kana sighed. "I just wish she''d act her age sometimes."


    "Wait, what did she do?" Mika asked.


    "She''s upstairs in her room split into three of her cat selves flopping around and ying in bed." Kana groaned. "I swear she really is like a child sometimes." She had a small bit of contempt in her voice that the other girls caught.


    "Kana! Didn''t I scold you already for acting like this?" Naomi''s exmation startled everyone. "She''s doing that because it''s a coping mechanism for stress! Yumi hasn''t been around as muchtely, and <i>this </i>is how she deals with anxiety."


    "I know, but-" Kana tried to talk, but was shut down.


    "No buts!" Naomi shook her head. This would be the <em>second</em> time she caught Kana berating or being disrespectful regarding the whole Catkagi thing. The first time it happened, Naomi was reasonable and just tried to move past it, hoping that Kana would drop the attitude, but this time the way Kana spoke pissed her off. "I thought I sat down and exined this to you before, but I guess it wasn''t good enough!¡± Naomi''s voice got slightly louder and Mika''s eyes widened as she listened to how angry her friend was. She''d never seen Naomi go off on anyone, especially her friends, so this was a shock.


    <i>{Go get em, Naomi. These two dolts deserve every bit of your verbalshing!} </i>Mika loved Catkagi and was happy to see more of Akagi''s goofy side, so she was firmly in the ''<i>floof is justice''</i> camp.


    ¡°Listen, I understand that you find her antics to be silly and childish sometimes, but that''s just how she is. She never <i>had </i>a childhood, Kana! So its not exactly strange for her to seek that out, even just a bit. So stop being so rude and take a minute to look at thing through her eyes! If you grew up like she did, I don''t doubt for a second you''d act like that! Especially when she can basically do <i>anything</i> she wants to now!¡± Naomi wasn''t about to tolerate such disrespectful attitudes toward Akagi, especially after she''de to understand the <i>Demon''s </i>mind a bit more.


    ¡°As for this specific instance, I''ll exin it <i>again</i> since it seems you didn''t get it the <em>first</em> time.¡± Naomi''s frustration kept building. ¡°Her tendency to retreat into her own little world like that is a result of her trauma and the other internal issues she''s had to deal with. I won''t get super technical, but suffice to say that she doesn''t have a lot of methods to deal with her mental problems, and this kind of stuff is one of those ways. DO NOT go judging her because of how she copes! Otherwise, <i>I will </i>get mad at you." Naomi''s vigorous defense of Akagi surprised Hishya and Kana. Her sessions with the <i>Demon </i>over these weeks had made her very sympathetic to Akagi, and she''d already chastised both Kana and Hishya for some of theirments in private.


    "I... um..." Kana had no idea how to react. "Sorry..."


    <i>{I guess I have been thinking badly about the whole cat thing even though I asked her to snuggle with me like that... I just don''t like my supposedly older and mature sister acting like a child. Am I really in the wrong here?} </i>(Kana)


    "It''s fine, Kana. As long as you understand <i>why </i>you shouldn''t act like that, then we''re good." Naomi smiled. "I don''t mean to yell, so sorry for that, but I just... I don''t like seeing anyone treat someone who went through what she did like that. It''s not right. Especially when she tries so hard to keep it within reason." Akagi mostly kept her silliness within the house, and Naomi figured letting her run wild in her own home was perfectly fine. Especially since if you actually needed a mature reasonable Akagi, she''d instantly return to normal.


    <i>{I wouldn''t say this to Kana''s face, but I also think its in quite poor taste to talk behind Akagi''s back when she''s literally doing everything for you and asking for nothing in return. I have a feeling saying that would probably cause either an argument, or make Kana fall into depression, so lets keep that thought safely within my mind.} </i>(Naomi)


    "Err..." Hishya didn''t really know what to say. "I mean, Akagi can be a bit strange. Seeing her act so <i>childlike </i>the other day<i> </i>threw me off, so I can understand why Kana would be put off, Naomi."


    <i>{Fundamentally, we''ve got a twenty one year old woman acting like a kid and doing the sorts of things I''d expect from someone like Alice. I know Akagi is strange, but letting people pet and feed you is a bit much, don''t you think?} </i>(Hishya)


    "I get it, but Hishya you don''t really understand the story behind her." Naomi sighed. She figured now was the time to break through the lizard''s thick scaly skull "Listen, strip away your issues with her, along with your fear and such rting to her being the Demon Lord, ok?"


    "Alright?" Hishya didn''t really see what she was getting at but went along with it.


    "What that leaves you with is a young woman who was <i>abused</i> for her entire life, Hishya.¡± The use of that word caused something to click within Hishya and she gulped. ¡°She had <i>nothing</i>, and was effectively left <em>alone</em> to deal with both the abuse <i>and </i>her mental issues for all these years. Even within FWO she never got the help she needed, and it''s only <i>recently </i>that she''s started to make progress." Naomi exined.


    <i>{I just hope these idiots understand that Demon Lord or not, for seventeen years Akagi was nothing more than a girl who suffered from parental abuse! Suddenly gaining power and bing the incarnation of darkness doesn''t retroactively make that all go away!} </i>(Naomi)


    "I mean, we know she''s had it rough, but I still think she should grow up a bit. I know we can all act immature at times, and I''ve epted that I''m a bit underdeveloped myself, but Akagi really goes beyond the pale with her antics." Hishya was trying to present an alternative viewpoint. She thought that Akagi shouldn''t use her past as an excuse to act like this, and that she should push past it. "It''s not even just the cat stuff, she can really act infantile at times. I don''t really think she should be acting like that at her age."


    <i>{She''s hyperactive and her general attitude is so immature. I don''t know how much of that is Demon Lord stuff, but it can''t entirely be out of her control.} </i>(Hishya)


    "I''m going to disagree with your assertion that her attitude is inappropriate, but I will not address such statements further because that will open up a massive argument rted to social norms." Naomi shook her head, she found no fault in Akagi wanting to act as silly as she pleased since it was just part of her personality. Since the <i>Demon </i>didn''t allow that part of her to impede her life or negatively effect others, Naomi believed there was no harm done and that people shouldn''t judge her. It probably didn''t help that she also found Catkagi cute and enjoyed ying with her, but surely Naomi would never allow that to impact her judgement. "I''ll just say this. I''ve spoken to her at length about her issues and what she''s gone through, and what she''s told me..." She thought for a moment. "Let''s just say it''s been <i>bad</i>, Hishya. You suffered from MD, so wouldn''t you be angry if someone told you to just get over your issues and dismissed what you''ve been through?"


    "I mean yeah, but isn''t this different?" Hishya still didn''t understand theparison, as this was about attitude not ability to move.


    <i>{We''re talking about a physical disability. Mental stuff can be ovee since its all in your mind.} </i>Hishya''s thoughts were amon facy, and one that many people sumb to.


    "No, it''s not!" Naomi was getting increasingly annoyed. Not to mention she could tell what the dragon was thinking. "For how smart you two are, do you really not understand just how damaging her upbringing was?!? Then youbine that with a very severe mental illness, <i>one that has no cure or treatment in her case, </i>I might add."


    <i>{I really hate when people are this ignorant, but I guess I need to beat them over the head with this information until it gets though their thick skulls!} </i>(Naomi)


    "It''s not that we don''t understand she has issues, Naomi. I''ve lived with her my entire life, so I know she''s had it bad. I guess I just don''t fully understand why she can''t find a different way to deal with them other than acting so strange." Kana said. ¡°I mean, I sincerely doubt it could be <i>that </i>hard for her to handle things in a more mature manner.¡±


    <i>{Like, get a stress ball or something. Or well, in Onee-chan''s case, she might just torture people, so perhaps the cat is the lesser evil...} </i>Kana was only now hit with the realization that she might not like what happened if Akagi''s outlet turned to something <i>less</i> innocent.


    "And that''s because you fundamentally <i>do not</i> understand mental illness, Kana." Naomi sighed.


    <i>{I guess being a certified GENIUS doesn''t mean that Kana can''t be stupid sometimes...} </i>(Naomi)


    "Kana, listen closely. Your. Sister. Is Sick! What she''s dealing with is a sickness of the mind, and one that CANNOT be cured. She suffers from ASPD, anxiety, and other issues. All of which were made <i>worse </i>by suffering through her home life." She was trying to hold herself back from flipping out since she knew these two weren''t malicious, just ignorant. Though she was tempted to hit the both of them on the head with Momo for being so dumb. "If you haven''t noticed, her recent meeting with Shima caused her to go into a minor crisis, which is partly why she''s been diving into her coping mechanisms even more than usual. I hate to sound rude, but the two of you are acting <i>very ignorant </i>of how mental illness affects people! When you say she needs to ''grow up'' you''re saying something incredibly ignorant and rude!"


    "We''re not trying to-" Hishya tried to talk, but Naomi cut her off.


    "Please let me finish." Naomi red at her, and her voice was cold enough to make Hishya flinch. "When you say such things, you are effectively telling a sick person to do something they are unable to do. Yourment about it ''not being that hard'' for her to find a different coping mechanism is tantamount to telling an MD patient to walk." She nced over at Hishya. "Just like Alice, Akagi <i>cannot </i>''grow up'' as you say. She suffers from a type of arrested development <i>on top of </i>her other issues, which means you are asking the impossible of her. This AD was created <i>because </i>of how your parents treated her, Kana. She never developed mentally past a certain point in some areas and likely never will." She continued, as she could tell the two girls were starting to understand what she was saying."Akagi''s mind never properly developed methods to handle stress like yours or mine did, so her mind has very few ways to alleviate it. Turning into a cat and acting like one, or just acting goofy are how her mind lets her <i>relieve </i>stress, not to mention her personality is just naturally silly anyway.¡± Naomi recalled back to her first meeting with the <i>Demon</i>. Her first encounter showed that she was quite mature and collected when she needed to be, but that as she grew closer to her and Mika she gradully opened up and showed her true personality. Akagi was a generally silly person, and tried not to take anything seriously if she didn''t need to. Naomi couldn''t say where that part of her personality came from, but she thought it was actually for the best that Akagi be asid back as she is.


    ¡°On top of <i>all </i>that, Akagi suffers from separation anxiety as a result of her bond with Yumi. So understand that when you see her upstairs flopping around on her bed or doing other silly thing, there is a good chance its because she''s <i>suffering </i>and that was the only way she could calm her mind down! So please, check your attitude and realize that both of you have been <i>extremely </i>rude to her!" Naomi let out a breath, that had been quite a long rant but she felt it necessary to do this <i>before</i> either girl said something they couldn''t take back.


    <i>{God help us if Kana were to ever genuinely break Akagi''s heart. I could imagine a scenario where Kana gets frustrated and calls her a monster or something simr in the heat of the moment. If that happened... I honestly don''t think this world would survive.} </i>(Naomi)


    "We... we really were acting bad, weren''t we?" Kana felt immensely guilty for her internal thoughts.


    <i>{How could I think that way about her?!? I... I''m really no better than my mother, aren''t I?} </i>(Kana)


    "Ye-yeah. I feel awful now." Hishya couldn''t even look Naomi in the eye. "I guess I really don''t understand how mental illness works..."


    <i>{It seems they finally understand.} </i>(Mika)


    "Just don''t make the mistake of going too far in the other direction with your treatment." Naomi warned them. "She might be sick, but she''s not stupid. If you start treating her like some kind of invalid, I''ll get <i><b>really </b></i>angry." Her tone caused both girl''s hair to stand on end. ¡°Too many people make the mistake of treating a mentally ill person in a very patronizing way, which is no better than being ignorant of their condition.¡± She was worried the two would start treating Akagi like some kind of sad child, and so wanted to head that off. ¡°What she <i>needs</i> is support and understanding. So just treat her like normal, and when she acts upon her stress, just roll with it. I don''t think that''s asking for too much.¡±


    Naomi tapped her foot on the tile floor before continuing. ¡°And also, Akagi is a grown adult who performs her required duties and manages her household, if she wants to turn into a catgirl and have people pet her, THEN LET HER!¡± She didn''t want to get into this part of the issue, but since she was already discussing this topic, she figured it was the best time. ¡°She''s not harming anyone with her antics so just leave her be. Sometimes she just wants to have fun, and it seems that even when she''s not stressed she enjoys such things. So take a page out of Mika''s and my ybook and embrace her attitude, trust me it makes things so much better.¡± With that she finished up her rant, something none of the girls had expected from the usually quiet and reserved Naomi.


    <i>{Jesus Naomi, that was probably the single longest tangent I''ve ever seen you go on. Though it was kinda needed, since these two are pretty pig-headed. I just hope that got through their thick heads. We''re talking about a dragon and Kana, and honestly I don''t know which one is the denser out of the two of them.} </i>(Mika)

 Chapter 172 – The First of Many.

    Chapter 172 ¨C The First of Many.


    After an extensive lecture and scolding, Hishya and Kana hade to understand why their attitudes were inappropriate, and they agreed to do better and apologize to the <i>Demon </iter. It would probably take the two girls a bit of time to work <i>all </i>their bad habits out, but Naomi was happy to see them move in the right direction.


    Once things cooled down, the girls headed down to Kyoto for a bit of fun. Not only were they going to do a bit of shopping, but they nned on also just hanging out and enjoying the nice weather.


    Walking through downtown Kyoto, the girls were subject to many stares and whispers as they enjoyed themselves. The recent vampire attacks,bined with what happened at Kana''s school had only served to put people more on edge, and the general opinion of returnees and survivors had plummeted further.


    <i>{Well at least things are remaining at this level. I don''t exactly like it, but at least people aren''t openly harassing us.} </i>(Kana)


    The girls chatted for a bit on the way to their destination, and something Mika said along the way caught everyone''s attention.


    "Wait, hold on! What was that about some kind of cult?!?" Hishya stopped Mika after she mentioned Misha''s <i>awakening</i> and some crazy activities the she''d been party to.


    "Yeah. Ima need you to rewind and exin that a bit more." Kana red at her friend.


    <i>{That sounded BAD!} </i>(Kana)


    "Well, I mean. I told you that Misha had taken her resurrection by Akagi a bit <i>religiously.</i>"<i> </i>Mika gave a nervousugh. The girls were aware of the messed up situation regarding their ssmate, but Akagi insisted that everything would be fine and that they should be grateful the girl was even alive. "She even called me Head Priestess and thanked me for pleading to Lady Akagi for her salvation."


    <i>{That was an awkward conversation. I don''t know whether to be happy for her or feel bad about this oue. At least she seems happy?} </i>(Mika)


    "I just... WHY?!?" Kana put her head in her hands. "Onee-chan really needs to fix her..."


    "I don''t really think you can <i>fix </i>this, since nothing was really broken per se. Recall that Akagi said that this was the best she could do at the moment, and its a miracle that she was even able to save her anyway." Mika shrugged her shoulders. "I mean, she did kind of <i>die</i> and I guess it makes sense that it had an impact. That and apparently Akagi''s powerforted her while she was dead."


    <i>{I nearlyughed myself silly hearing that! Akagi being some being of warmth andfort! I''m sure she nearly died from embarrassment when Misha said that to her!} </i>(Mika)


    "How the hell does Akagifort <i>anyone</i>?" Hishya shook her head. "She is literal evil, and her power is enough to <i>break</i> people! What kind of warmth can she provide in the darkness?"


    <i>{All she''s good for is killing and tormenting people. There''s no warmth in that Demon''s body.} </i>(Hishya)


    Naomi averted her eyes upon hearing Hishya''s words.


    <i>{She was really warm when sheforted me after the Mitsuhides were destroyed. So I think she is capable of being caring to people...} </i>(Naomi)


    "Something you want to share with the ss Naomi?" Kana caught on to her friend''s attempt to make herself small. "You already hired her once, so perhaps you have a different view on this?"


    <i>{Don''t tell me you worship her or something! I'' don''t need you falling under her spell and doing crazy things because of her!} </i>(Kana)


    "It''s just that after the Mitshuhides were killed, she checked on me and made sure I was alright. When I had nightmares she used her powers tofort me and ease my mind, that''s all. So I guess I understand what Misha was talking about, though I don''t exactly share her <i>religious</i> interpretation of things." (Naomi)


    <i>{I''m not sacrificing a goat on an alter for Akagi anytime soon. Though giving her snacks in cat form is a KIND of offering I suppose...} </i>(Naomi)


    "Hmmm." Hishya stared at her. "No wonder you''re so protective. You''ve been thoroughly tainted by her." She smirked.


    "What''s that supposed to mean?!?" Naomi eximed.


    "Well, you''ve called her Mom a few times, imed she was so nice andforting to you, and you''ve even taken on a role as a kind of therapist for her." Hishya listed examples of how close she''d gotten to Akagi. "At this point, it really seems like you''ve taken to her quite nicely." Sheughed.


    "What''s wrong with appreciating someone who was willing to reach out to me?!?" Naomi got defensive. "Sure, I''ll admit it! I like her a lot! And yeah, I feel indebted to the person who helped me get revenge! Not to mention she''s been such a good friend to me."


    "So when''s the adoption going through?" Mika asked yfully. ¡°Kana''s going to have a new niece very soon at this rate.¡±


    <i>{I swear to god...} </i>(Kana)


    "Grrr..." Naomi growled. "I''m not making Akagi my mother! I have one, she might be..." She stopped. "My mom might be gone, but... I would never rece her!"


    Seeing how poorly Naomi took thements, the girls decided to back off the topic.


    "Getting back to Misha." Kana pivoted away from the obviousndmine. "What should we do about that? If Onee-chan can''t fix her, maybe we should do something."


    "I have no clue. But we should probably try and talk her out of her crazy obsession." Hishya sighed. "I don''t really want to see her start a crazy blood cult to the Demon Lord or something."


    "It might be toote for that..." Mika gave a nervousugh.


    "What do you mean?!?" Hishya and Kana panicked.


    <i>{Did she already sacrifice someone?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    "She may or may not have gotten in touch with Chloe... and some of the other ninjas. And they may or may not have agreed to create a secret cult to Akagi." Mika averted her eyes. "And I may or may not have been made into a Priestess of the Demon Lord..."


    Thisment caused the other three girls to stop dead in the middle of the sidewalk and drag Mika into a nearby alleyway for <i>interrogation</i>.


    "WHY ARE YOU A PRIESTESS IN CULT TO THE DEMON LORD?!?" (Naomi x Hishya x Kana)


    "W-well... um... Misha asked me, and her puppy eyes wouldn''t let me say no..." Mika tried to wiggle free to no avail. "Chloe told me to go along with it, and so I just kinda said yeah..."


    <i>{I mean, it sounds kinda fun...} </i>(Mika)


    "Is your head made of nothing but magical girls and food?!?" Kana shook her back and forth. "You are going back to the house and telling Chloe and Misha that you are leaving the cult!"


    "Yeah, and then we''re telling Akagi so she can shut it down! I know she doesn''t want something like that!" Naomi agreed.


    "I just... Mika. I understand not wanting to hurt that girl''s feelings, but why did <em>you</em> get involved?!? Chloe and the NPCs are <i>fanatically </i>loyal to Akagi, creepily so." Hishya groaned. ¡°Don''t just let them talk you into things. Lord knows they do some crazy things out of devotion to their master.¡±


    <i>{I wouldn''t be shocked if they DID offer blood sacrifices to their dark god.} </i>(Hishya)


    "I know, but I don''t think it really matters too much." Mika''s eyes spun from being shaken. "Chloe told me not to worry about it since my inclusion would just be in name, and I haven''t actually done <i>anything</i> yet."


    "That stupid cat is probably going to do something crazy!" Hishya eximed. "We need to get Akagi to shut it down right now!"


    "It''s not that bad!" Mika retorted. "Listen, they won''t do anything bad! Chloe just said they wanted a ce to respectfully worship her!"


    "Yeah, it might start cute and peaceful, but those NPCs are nuts! They''ll probably start sacrificing people to Akagi on an altar!" Hishya was not happy with this.


    "They won''t do something like that! Chloe and the others might be a bit overzealous, but they''d never do something that would upset Akagi!" Mika had a point, and Akagi''s family would never go against her wishes. Though creating a secret cult did mean they could <i>ignore </i>her orders, which did not bode well for the future.


    "When we get back, you <i>will </i>discuss this with Onee-chan with us present! We''re going to shut this down <i>before </i>it gets out of hand!" Kana wasn''t about to take no for an answer.


    "Fine..." Mika pouted.


    <i>{It was gonna be fun. The uing meeting would have had a potluck and games...} </i>(Mika)


    <i>{God dammit Mika...} </i>(Kana)


    After the <em>interrogation</em>, the girls continued on with their fun. They hit up a variety of different stores, did some window shopping, and even went to an interesting retro arcade. Naturally, Hishya wiped the floor with the girls, though Kana dumped water on her haughty attitude by reminding her that Akagi could kick her ass six ways from Sunday.


    As they were leaving the arcade, a young woman around Akagi''s age came up to them.


    "Hishya? Is that you?" The dark haired woman asked.


    "Yeah? Who are you?" Hishya put herself between the woman and the girls. She didn''t immediately recognize this woman, and that put her on alert.


    "Ahh yeah. You wouldn''t recognize me like <i>this</i>." She smiled. "In FWO I was called Tsuchimi. That''s actually my real family name too." She was a friend of Hishya''s in the game and someone she worked with regrly on the Assault Team.


    "Ahhhh!" Hishya went up and hugged her. "I''ve been wondering how you were doing. I haven''t seen you since the final battle! How''ve you been?"


    <i>{Its been hard to keep track of everyone. A few have disappeared, and plenty are out on the streets after everything that happened.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Not great I''m afraid." Tsuchimi pointed to the small tote bag she was wheeling behind her.


    "Let''s move over here to talk." Hishya turned to the girls. "Do you mind if we stop for a moment?" They were fine with taking a bit of a break and moved to a small park where they sat on some benches.


    "So what happened? Why are you walking around Kyoto with a travel bag?" Hishya had an idea of what happened but wanted to double-check.


    "As much as I hate to admit it, my parents kicked me out." She sighed. Her face showed just how depressed she was.


    "Why would they do something like that?" Kana asked quietly.


    "Because people think I''m some kind of threat..." Tsuchimi seemed to be on the verge of tears. "I don''t even have powers, but people think I''m no different than those who kept them. I tried to go back to normal life, but once things with Libra happened I got fired from my part-time job and my parents started getting harassed at work." She continued, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe her eyes. "At first they were fine, but as time went on, they got angrier and angrier with me until they told me to leave. They said I was causing them and the family too much trouble and that I was on my own..."


    "That''s stupid!" Mika cried out. "How can they me you for something that''s got nothing to do with you?!?"


    <i>{Why are so many people stupid?!?} </i>(Mika)


    "This story is bing quitemon, Mika." Hishya sighed. "Our forum is filled with people bitching about being kicked out or losing jobs because of the fear. Some are even going ballistic on the returnees, which causes fights between us." She shook her head. "So this kind of exnation is not surprising. But why are you in Kyoto? I know you don''t live here."


    <i>{If memory serves, isn''t she from Hiroshima?} </i>(Hishya)


    "So, funny story about that. I heard through some rumors that Akagi was taking survivors in, and so I used what money I had to gather my things and take a train from Hiroshima. I was hoping to make my way to her home and see if she''d take me in." Tsuchimi gave a wry smile. "I don''t really have any other options. Homeless shelters won''t even take me, and even diners or convince stores toss me out the moment they find out my status as a survivor..." The dark circles under her eyes told Hishya that she''d been through a lot.


    <em>{I swear to god, its things like this that actually make me understand Akagi''s dislike of most people...}</em>(Hishya)


    "Well, Onee-chan is nning on doing that once her new country is established. So she might take you in now, even though it''s a bit early." Kana shrugged.


    <i>{However, she''s in cat mode right now. So we''d have to deal with that whole mess. Wait, no! Bad brain! We talked this over earlier!} </i>Kana went back in forth in her mind as she scolded herself.


    "Let me message her." Hishya sighed. "We''ll see what she wants to do, but I think she''ll say yes. She''s clued me in a bit on her ns, and I imagine she''d want you to join. Though right now we''ve got a minor crisis to deal with, so you''ll probably be put off to the side for now until things are dealt with." They hadn''t informed many people outside a select group about the impending battle with Serval and Rivenshaft, as it would cause mass panic.


    <i>{We need to handle those two Bosses before anything else can be dealt with.} </i>(Hishya)


    "That''s fine. As I said, I''m kind of out of options." (Tsuchimi)


    *BZZT* *BZZT*


    A few momentster, Hishya got a response from Akagi.


    "Well, at least she answered." Hishya read over the message from Akagi before answering. "She said that she''ll take you in and that someone wille to get you in a bit. I assume she''ll speak to you directly once you''ve arrived at the estate."


    "Thank god." Tsuchimi let out a breath that seemed to contain all her stress. "I was terrified that I''de to Kyoto for nothing."


    "Fair warning, Akagi will probably want something from you." Hishya said. "I''ve got no clue <i>what </i>it will be, but be aware that she usually doesn''t do charity."


    "That''s fine. I''ll give her what she wants. I imagine she''s got a use for me if she''s willing to take me in." Tsuchimi smiled.


    Spoiler


    Tsuchimi!


    [copse]

 Chapter 173 – The Punishment.

    Chapter 173 ¨C The Punishment.


    After a bit more discussion, Tsuchimi was taken back to Akagi''s estate by one of the ninja. Once she left, there was a minor argument between the dragon and Kana as to Akagi''s level of responsibility regarding the returnees'' treatment. But the two were eventually cajoled into agreeing to meet in the middle. Akagi was likely responsible for <i>some</i> of the negative public opinion. However, as Mika exined, most people became afraid due to <i>Libra''s </i>actions, not Akagi''s, and she had nothing to do with them.


    "Now, no more fighting." Naomi sighed as the three girls entered the Kyoto Mall. "Otherwise, Hishya might end up being a pet for real if Kana goes home sad."


    <i>{I don''t even want to imagine what Akagi would do to Hishya if she ever made Kana cry.} </i>(Naomi)


    "Yeah, she already has a cor, and I''m sure Akagi''s got a leash that turns off all of Hishya''s magic power." Mikaughed.


    "We keep that for when she acts bad." Kana giggled.


    "She might, actually. The Libra members are being confined with anti-magic restraints that Imp made. So it wouldn''t shock me if Akagi has something simr." Hishya said. "Even if she doesn''t though, Akagi can just suck me into her body and just control me."


    <i>{I don''t want to imagine being at her mercy, but I suppose its already toote for that.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Oh yeah, she told me about that!" Kana startedughing. "She had you hop around like a rabbit!"


    "Dammit, Akagi..." Hishya facepalmed.


    <i>{Why did you tell her...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Rabbit?" (Mika x Naomi)


    "I spiked one of her drinks in FWO with a potion that made her grow rabbit ears for a day, and she''s apparently held a grudge for three years." Hishya sighed. She''d done it on a whim, but right now she regretted that life choice.


    "Oh, I want to see that!" Mika''s eyes sparkled. "Bunny Akagi would be great!"


    "She already turned into a rabbit and let you run around with her on your head." Naomi recalled an earlier event. "So why do bunny ears excite you so much?"


    "Because it''s different! Her turning into a proper cat would be less cute than a cat girl." Mika nodded, very sure of herself. "She needs toe over to my house for a weekend and let me spoil the heck out of her. I could use some kitty lovin!"


    <i>{I must see her eat apples with those tiny hands! It will be so cute!} </i>(Mika)


    "At this rate, Yuzu and Suzu might lose their girlfriend to Akagi." Hishya rolled her eyes.


    "Sad part is, they''d probably be ok with that." Kanaughed nervously.


    <i>{I have no doubt they''d happily move out of the way and give Mika up if Onee-chan demanded it.} </i>(Kana)


    "Oi!" Mika cried out. "I''m not gonna do something like that! I just want to fluff my friend! What''s wrong with that?!?"


    "Yeah... sure..." Naomi''s eyes told the blue-haired girl that she didn''t buy her story.


    "I''m not a cheater!" Mika protested. "I love those two very much, and I''d never do something so horrible! Besides, they told me that they have no issue with me doing those kinds of things with Akagi since it''s just us ying around!"


    <i>{Well, sorry that she''s so cute! I just want to squeeze her until she pops when she gets all fluffy like that! If that''s wrong, then I don''t wanna be right!} </i>(Mika)


    "I mean, I guess if it was crossing the line to feel up my sister, then I''ve cheated on Hishya.. wait, that came out wrong." Kana pinched the bridge of her nose.


    <i>{Onee-chan''s IQ lowering power is effecting us even though we''re not near here. I guess we''ve spent so much time with her that we''re permanently stupid.} </i>(Kana)


    "Cheating on me with your own sister would be... umm..." Hishya pat her on the shoulder. "But lucky you, I understand what you mean."


    <i>{What a verbal flub.} </i>Hishya was struggling to hold backughter from Kana''s poor word choice.


    "I don''t know. Kana might be willing to cross that line." Naomi decided to get a bit yful.


    "Gross..." Kana groaned. "That stuff might happen in anime, but not in real life. Nor should it..."


    <i>{What kind of people actually like that stuff unironically?!?} </i>(Kana)


    "I know. I''m just teasing you. Akagi herself wouldn''t go for that anyway. Not to mention she''s got Yumi." Naomi giggled.


    "Man, this conversation derailed, crashed, and exploded in a fireball." Mika chuckled.


    "That''s being generous." (Hishya, Naomi, and Kana)


    After breaking away from <i>that </i>topic, the girls wandered around the mall for a bit until lunchtime before taking a seat and grabbing a bite to eat.


    *BING* *BING*


    Hishya''s AR device registered a message.


    "Oh?" Hishya read her message while she sipped a drink.


    "What''s up?" Kana asked.


    "Looks like Akagi got Silfana working hard to make amends for what happened." She forwarded Kana the message she''d received.


    "What do you- pfff!" Kana nearly spit out her drink as she looked at the picture. "Why is she..." She could barely control herughter as she forwarded the picture to her two friends.


    "Pffff!" (Mika x Naomi)


    Said image showed Silfana in a full-body dog onesie with googly eyes on its head and floppy ears. She was digging out irrigation ditches with a shovel, and looked <i>very</i> angry.


    "What the fuck?!?" Naomi startedughing uncontrobly. "Why is she wearing that?!?"


    "Because this is Akagi we''re talking about." Hishya was struggling not tough as well. "The Lord of all Vampires, forced to dig ditches in a dog costume! Ya know, this might actually be worth wearing this stupid cor! Ha! Serves that bitch right!"


    <i>{That outfit is even more embarrassing than what I wore during Halloween that one year!} </i>(Kana)


    "Why is she even doing that?" Mika giggled.


    "I think Onee-chan wanted to try growing things near the house, so she''s putting her to work." Kana said, her face flushed red fromughter. "Oh my god, I''m dying fromughing so hard..."


    <i>(My sides hurt...} </i>(Kana)


    "Serves her right!" Hishya eximed. "Heck, this is getting off <em>lightly</em> for what she did!"


    <i>{Sucks to be you, leech!} </i>(Hishya)


    "I mean, I get being angry at what she did since she got out of the game, but is she really to me for the deaths in FWO?" Naomi asked. "Wasn''t she bound by code and forced to act?"


    Hishya thought. "I guess, but she was still malicious, even in-game, so I have <em>zero</em> sympathy for her." Silfana was bound to a certain extent, but that didn''t absolve her of most of her more <i>malicious</i> acts.


    <i>{She enjoys killing people. So it''s a surprise Akagi can stand her since she usually hates people like her. I guess that''s just her putting aside her ''morals'' for pragmatism.} </i>(Hishya)


    "I like how she just goes along with it." Mika said. "I would have imagined she''d put up a fight or something. Maybe even try to flee."


    "I mean, I did kick her ass." Hishya replied. "It was a close battle, but I won in the end. As for why she''s doing this without resisting?" Hishya shifted her jaw before answering. "You have to remember that as nice as Akagi can be, she''s still the Demon Lord. Silfana and most others who understand what kind of power she has, are not stupid enough to go risking eternal punishment for a brief moment of rebellion." She sighed.


    <i>{As much as I hate to admit it, her fear factor does a damn good job of keeping most people in line. Stupid Spirit Council excluded...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Though that doesn''t apply to everyone, since those idiot Spirits seem all too happy to poke the proverbial bear." Hishya sighed.


    "Yeah, are you really going to fight Serval alone?" Kana was worried about that. She knew just what kind of monster the Dragon Emperor was, and so was worried for Hishya''s safety.


    "Not alone, no." Hishya gave a nervousugh. "That would be suicide. I''m not Akagi. Unlike her, I can''t just fight anything solo ande out on top. If Silfana was a close fight, Serval would be impossible for me even I go full dragon."


    "So who''s going to help? The RRT?" Mika asked.


    "Yeah, they''ll being, it''s kind of their job, and also some others. I''ve sent out a call for aid, though many have told me to fuck off." Hishya groaned. "I don''t exactly me them since thest time we fought Serval we lost plenty of people, bute on! If you don''t deal with him now, then he''s just gonna torch the fucking!"


    <i>{Ignoring the giant Emerald Dragon will not make him go away! If that kind of mentality worked, then Akagi wouldn''t be an issue!} </i>(Hishya)


    "Are you going to be able to win?" Naomi didn''t know how much force it would take to deal with the dragon.


    "I have no idea!" Hishya said with a fake smile. "Serval kicked out ass over and over again, the only saving grace is that he likely won''t have his damage reduction buff. I <i>am </i>much stronger than thest time we fought, be he is still a world-ending disaster. This battle will likely be a tough one, and people might die."


    "Onee-chan should just deal with him then!" Kana yelled. "Why does she have to be so stupid at times like this? There''s no reason she can''t just defeat him since I know it would be easy for her!"


    <i>{I don''t want to see Hishya or anyone else get killed or hurt!} </i>(Kana)


    "Kana, it''s <i>because </i>it would be so easy that she won''t do it." Hishya sighed. "She... listen, Akagi sees this all as a game for entertainment. Her mind has been warped by her power and status to the point that this <i>entire world</i> is nothing more than a toy for her entertainment. When she says that she <i>owns</i> all of us, she isn''t joking." Hishya''s tone got sharp. "She''s pitting me against Serval because she <i>wants </i>to see me and the others struggle. I did get her to agree to step in if things go south, but at the end of the day, I fully expect her to stand off in the distance and watch us get thrown around like rag-dolls."


    <i>{Kana can be so smart at times. But when ites to Akagi, she can be blinded by her love for her sister. Akagi is a Demon and one that enjoys games and schemes. She''s told me enough for me to understand that she sees everything as little more than entertainment to pass the time, and this is no different. I don''t doubt for a second that she cares about people, even me, but I have a feeling that her ''caring'' might be more equivalent to how one loves their pet.} </i>(Hishya)


    "I don''t know." Naomi thought for a moment. "I think you might be taking a bit too dim a view of her, Hishya. Don''t take this the wrong way, but you are biased against her, and your past experiences might make you think she''s a bit worse of a person than she really is." She had a different view. Sure Akagi could be cold, but she thought there was genuine affection for those she deemed worthy of it.


    "Yeah, I mean. I get that Akagi likes to mess around with people like that, but actually, I think she cares about people more than you think." Mika agreed. "From what I''ve seen, she just enjoys ying games, and that''s kind of how she shows affection. At least that''s what I think."


    "If watching me nearly die is <i>affection, </i>then I shudder to imagine what she''d do if she <i>didn''t</i> like me." Hishyaughed.


    <i>{What kind of twisted fucking things would she do to me? Hell, I''m pretty sure the crazy Demon would somewhat enjoy making Kana suffer just for the novelty of it.} </i>(Hishya)


    "I mean, Onee-chan <i>is</i> a sadist." Kana sighed. "So it wouldn''t shock me if that was partially true."


    "Regardless." Hishya wanted to move on from this ufortable topic. "Akagi will handle Rivenshaft, while the rest of us handle Serval. We will try to defeat him, but if we can''t, she''ll jump in. That was part of the deal."


    "Deal?" (Kana)


    "A deal rted to certain matters that will not be disclosed." Hishya was keeping her mouth shut about the pillow.


    "Ominous..." (Kana x Mika x Naomi)


    Spoiler


    Silfana in the Onsie!


    [copse]

 Interlude 9 – A Vampire’s Story.

    Interlude 9 ¨C A Vampire¡¯s Story.


    My name is Silfana Tildeshide, and I am the Lord of all Vampires... or at least... I <i>was</i>.


    For six centuries, I''d consolidated power, rose through the ranks of my kind, and eventually sat on the throne of a nation of monsters. Sure, there were some setbacks, and the Imperials proved to be more than a match for me and my forces. However, I did not fret, for I knew that time was on <i>my </i>side not there''s. I retreated, consolidated, and improved. With each attack, with each war, we came that much closer to our ultimate goal, until finally, <i>it happened.</i>


    When word came through that the Imperial garrison at Hassan had been defeated and the fortress breached, I was struck with jubtion. An emotion I''d not felt for nearly two hundred years. The intervention of the ''yers'' had caused some concern, and most of my general staff had expressed doom over their incredible power. However, despite their protests, we continued, and in the end, it seemed that my optimism was vindicated. With the destruction of Hassan, little stood between me and the Imperial hearnds, and cities like Mistif and Eluminaria were ripe for the taking. It seemed that after nearly a millennia of shame, I''d finally being home and reiming my rightful ce as ruler of the Empire. But s... it was not to be.


    "THIS ENDS NOW, SILFANA!!!" Hishya roared as she drove Sun Strike through Silfana''s chest.


    In my arrogance, I''d chosen to fight arge group of yers with only a minimal escort. I know today that this was the work of arger system at y, but I do not believe that excuses my mistake.


    At first, it was easy, and the yers dropped one by one to my attacks. However, there was always one who persevered. One who never backed down. One who <i>dared</i> to take my rightful ce as Empress from me.


    "You killed so many of my friends! So rest in hell, you vampire bitch!" Hishya screamed as she channeled power into Sun Strike, burning Silfana in bright me.


    A curious creature, Hishya was. I''d seen a few dragons in my life. But never one like her. Something about her seemed strange to me and my generals. Not only did she cling to a human form, but something about her blood... it reminded me of <i>him</i>.


    The moment she drove that disgusting de of hers through my chest, I knew it was over. I''d already taken too much damage from the other members of her team, and no matter how restricted she was, a dragon is still a dragon.


    As I burned alive with a gaping wound in my chest, I looked back upon my life, my decisions and... and my <i>regrets</i>. My transformation into a vampire was not... a <i>consensual </i>choice on my part, but at the time, I thought it would serve to stabilize the Empire and perhaps I could use my newfound status as a vampire to bring prosperity to our people.


    However, humans, as they always do, fear the unknown. And the woman who was once the heir to the throne was cast out as a monster and traitor. My name was even scrubbed from Imperial records, and even the mere <i>suggestion</i> that I was tied to the Imperial family was met with... let''s just call it <i>censorship.</i>..


    This was to be the end of my tale, a monster defeated by a hero. A creature of the night banished into the darkness. Or, that''s what <i>should</i> have happened.


    My memories after being struck down are fuzzy, and I barely remember anything between my death and appearing in that back alley. I know something attempted to control me, an ultimately foolish endeavor as there are few with greater willpower than I. When I next awoke, my body was still badly injured, and there was a chance that I would again perish. However, a young human boy chanced upon me... and well... I was a thirsty vampire, don''t me me for prioritizing my own life over some human.


    With my energy replenished and my wounds healed, I began exploring this strange new ce. I could instantly tell that I was no longer in the Empire, the architecture and technology did not match anything I''d ever seen before. And after a small investigation, I found out that I''d been brought, not just to a different country, or continent, but an entirely different <i>world</i>.


    I had no idea how such a thing urred, but I was not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. If I could not regain my rightful ce on the Imperial throne, then conquering an entire would be an adequate substitute.


    Of course, things are never easy. I swiftly discovered that I was not the only one brought to this strange world. While I do not fully understand things, I was informed that this world, Earth as they call it, is the original home of the ''yers''. Without my army, my advisors, and my staff I knew that defeating them all would be difficult. However, I gambled that my power would be sufficient to defeat the small number of them that still possessed their fantastical abilities. Once again, I was proven wrong.


    While the rematch between Hishya and myself was rtively even, it was Akagi who was the bigger problem.


    I had met the assassin once before when she investigated whether my blood could mix with her shadow form. While I informed her it was not possible, I did request that she join my ranks. At the time, I assumed she was little more than a powerful <i>Demon</i>, and I wanted someone with her skills as a retainer.


    As I expected, Akagi turned me down, and that was thest I''d seen of the infamous Red Hand. After that encounter, I never thought about her much again, as while she was strong, I knew that she was no match for me.


    When next I saw her on one of those boxes that project images, I was surprised to see that she<i> </i>had retained her remarkable abilities. My first inclination was to seek her out and offer her a ce at my side again, but before I could even attempt to speak with her, that foolish thrall went and caused amotion. From then on it was a game of hide and seek as I evaded her surveince. Those irritating beastkin from the Ondai n were always excellent hunters and trackers, so I knew it was only a matter of time before my location was discovered.


    When Akagi first appeared before me on that night, I was certain that she was no more of a threat than she''d been all those years ago. Dismissing the assassin, I focused on Hishya, engaging the dragon in a grudge match, hell-bent on my revenge. s, things would go the same way as our first encounter.


    With my second defeat at the dragon''s hands, and my second death imminent. I decided to die with dignity and a warrior''s honor, something leftover from my days as heir to the Imperial throne. However, just as Hishya''s de swung down to end my life.


    "Now, hold on. I can''t very well let you do that now, can I?" (Akagi)


    The <i>Demon</i> stopped the dragon''s de without even lifting a finger, and after healing me made me an offer. Naturally, I would never work for someone weaker than me, as my pride would never allow it. However, what I saw next... what she <i>showed</i> me... left me with little doubt as to <i>who </i>was superior.


    In the subsequent brawl between the Akagi and Hishya, the dragon was utterly crushed <i>despite</i> a massive power advantage. It seemed that I''d underestimated the assassin, even <i>before</i> she became this ''Demon Lord.''


    From there, I was taken to her home, given a few revtions that made me question my entire existence, and then put to work.


    When I agreed to be her subordinate, I expected to be used as a foot soldier or advisor... but that was <i>not </i>what she had in store for me at the moment. Apparently, that foolish thrall attacked her sister and friends, resulting in the young girl having to destroy it.


    I was thoroughly <i>interrogated</i> about that entire event, and once Akagi was satisfied that I had not knowingly sent him on that mission, she dered that my punishment would be minor. Seeing what she ended up having me do... I question what her definition of that word is.


    "Put your back into it!" Akagi yelled out from a very ornate andfy chair overlooking Silfana as she dug the irrigation channels in a small valley near the estate. "You''ve got a few dozen acres to do still, so hurry up! Unless you want to keep wearing that thing? If so I can make one for your personal use." She cackled.


    "This would be a lot faster if I could just use my magic!" Silfana barked. She''d been disallowed from using magic, and her <i>outfit </i>was preventing any use of it. In the distance you could see one of Akagi''s subordinates carving out vast irrigation ditches in seconds with earth magic so this was anything <i>but </i>efficient<i>.</i>


    "That would defeat the purpose of all this. Punishment shouldn''t be easy, and thus magic is banned!" Akagiughed. "You''ve got to dig all this with just normal equipment and heaping helping of elbow grease!"


    "I understand that." Silfana said as she hit the ground with a hoe. "But may I ask... WHY THE FUCK AM I WEARING A STUPID DOG COSTUME!!!!!" Akagi had forced her into a dog-themed onesie, which included a small fluffy tail, floppy ears, and googley eyes. "WHAT PURPOSE IS THIS?!?"


    "It made meugh?" Akagi tilted her head. "And I mean, even <i>you </i>even have to admit it''s cute."


    <i>{Whether or not this outfit is CUTE is not the problem!} </i>(Silfana)


    "And why are you a cat?" Silfana red at her. "I''ve seen you roll around like this the past few days. I thought you were a fucking <i>Demon, </i>not a beastkin?!?"


    "Because I want to be pet, snuggled, and loved!" Akagi puffed out her cheeks. "I''m the Demon Lord, and if I want to turn into a cat and get fluffed, then that''s what I''m going to do." She smirked. "Come on, you can''t tell me that I''m not cute. MEW!" She did a small pawing motion to emphasize her cuteness.


    <i>{I don''t know what''s worse, being forced to dig ditches in this embarrassing outfit or the fact that I DO think she''s cute like that... Curse my stupid brain and curse those fools in my childhood for giving me all those stuffed toys!!!} </i>(Silfana)


    "I will hold my tongue." Silfana looked away from the floof.


    "You know, you sound suspiciously like a certain <i>dragon </i>that<i> </i>I know." Akagi grinned.


    <i>{Hishya is also trying to avoid admitting that I''m cute, but we''re working on that.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Don''t bring up that stupid lizard around me!" Silfana growled. "I might be your minion, but that doesn''t mean I''m going to like her!"


    "I know that." Akagi motioned for her to calm down. "But at least tell me you understand <i>why</i> she killed you."


    "I do understand that!" Silfana said as she struck the ground. "But that doesn''t mean I have to like it!"


    <i>{I mean sure, I was the ruler of a nation of monsters who set out to subjugate and ughter humanity. So I guess I understand her anger with me, especially since I killed some of her friends in battle, but that doesn''t mean I''m suddenly going to like her just because she has valid reasons for killing me!} </i>(Silfana)


    "I''m sure she''ll warm up to you. After all, she''s already befriended one evil being, so I think a second one isn''t off the table." Akagi winked.


    "I don''t <i>want</i> to be friends with her." Silfana groaned.


    "That''s how I know it''s going to happen." Akagiughed. "I can see it now! In the most desperate moment, Silfana leaps in to save Hishya''s life!" The Catkagi began to narrate her delusion while Silfana tuned her out. "Going wide-eyed in shock, Hishya asks <i>W-Why? Why would you save me?" </i>She mimicked Hishya''s voice. "And in response, you''ll say <i>Because the only one allowed to kill you is me!</i>"


    "I suppose that would make you a tsundere, wouldn''t it?" Akagi mused.


    *SNAP*


    Silfana''s tool snapped in half under her grip.


    "I would never say something so embarrassing! And I am not a tsundere!" Silfana yelled.


    <i>{What kind of deluded cat are you to think I''d EVER do something like that?!?} </i>(Silfana)


    "Oh, so she <i>does </i>know what that means." Akagi chuckled. "I can''t wait for Hishya to add a vampire rival to her harem!"


    "Can I strangle you? Just a bit? <i>Please</i>?!?" Silfana groaned.


    "You can <i>pet</i> me." Akagi stuck out her tongue. "They do say petting cute and cuddly creatures makes you feel better. So I''m down for some vampire pets."


    "I would sooner eat my ARMOR than pet you..." Silfana put her head in her hands in defeat.


    "That''s what they all say at first." Akagi cackled. "But don''t worry, soon enough you shall be requesting petting time, and then <i>I </i>will hold all the cards. Kukuku."


    "<i>THIS</i> is the creature that Priestess fell in love with?!?" Silfana said. "A <i>Demon</i> who turns fluffy and wants to be pet like a cat? <i>REALLY</i>?!?


    "And she wouldn''t have it any other way." Akagi smiled. ¡°Now back to work, <i>intern!</i>¡±


    <i>{What kind of hell have I been dropped into?!? Am I sure that I didn''t actually die and THIS is my eternal torment?!?} </i>(Silfana)

 Chapter 174 – Movie Night.

    Chapter 174 ¨C Movie Night.


    The next day Akagi was, once again, in cat mode as she flopped around on her bed. Yumi had been back overnight, which the <i>Demon </i>was happy about, but she quickly left the next morning needing to finish up work in Tokyo. Negotiations were almost concluded, and Yumi estimated things would be finished within theing week. Though, this meant that Yumi would be away for more time, something that had been driving Akagi mad as she didn''t like how limited her time with the Priestess was bing.


    "MEW!" Akagi meowed as she scratched and tumbled through her covers. This had be her norm thesest few days, and she even created other bodies to y with in order to keep her mind from spiraling into loneliness. After a bit of messing about, and some shenanigans with the pillows, she abruptly stopped.


    "Yumi..." Akagi cried out for the Priestess, and it was clear from her tone that her heart was on the verge of breaking. "Come back soon..." She curled into a ball under the sheets and started to shake a bit.


    <i>{Why do I have to be like this? She won''t even be gone long, and I just saw her a bit earlier today... AND I can go see her right now if I wanted, but it still bothers me...} </i>Akagi was on the verge of tears from loneliness when someone knocked at the door.


    "We''reing in!" Mika burst into the room, followed closely by Kana. "Where are you at?"


    "She''s under the covers again..." Kana sighed as she walked over and pulled them off the bed. "Look at you. You''re like a sad child." She looked down at the kitty.


    "Mew..." Akagi gave a sad meow as the nced up at her sister.


    "Now, now." Mika flopped onto the bed next to Akagi. "Stop being all pouty. Kitties shouldn''t be sad, it goes against the natural order."


    "But..." Akagi didn''t want to say anything.


    <i>{I''m sad. I don''t like this feeling in my chest. I feel... alone...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Come here." Mika grabbed Akagi and picked her up, before pulling her into a hug. The <i>Demon</i> had shrunk down to around one-quarter her normal size, so it was easy to move her. "Kana and Naomi told me how sad you''ve been over thesest few days with Yumi only being here for a few hours each day. So I''m here to fix it!" She squeezed the small Akagi and scratched her ears.


    "I''m fine. You can leave me alone..." Akagi said while being pet.


    <i>{You shouldn''t worry about me...} </i>(Akagi)


    "You are very clearly <i>not</i> fine." Kana bopped her sister on the head. "You haven''t been yourself since everything with Mom, and Yumi being gone for most of the day has only made you start spiraling into depression."


    <i>{It reminds me of how you were in the past.} </i>(Kana)


    "Well, there''s nothing I can do about it. Yumi has important work to do, and I don''t wanna bother her with my selfishness..." Akagi said quietly.


    "You and I both know that she would be back here in a heartbeat if you asked. On top of that, she''d probably be angry that you lied to her about being ok." Kana knew that her sister had been deceiving Yumi by telling the Priestess that everything was fine when it wasn''t.


    "But it''s pathetic!" Akagi yelled. "I can''t even go this long without her around! It''s stupid..."


    "You''ve been fine away from her before, but what''s different this time?" Mika asked.


    "I don''t know. I guess when I''ve been away from her before, I always had something else going on that kept me focused or distracted. When we went to Omara, that was just a few days long, and I was never bothered by things. But Yumi''s been mostly away for over a week..." Akagi''s tail went limp. ¡°And I miss her...¡±


    "I should call her right now and rat you out." Kana smirked.


    "DON''T!" Akagi red at her. "I''ll stick you in my shadow and tickle you if you pull that! I don''t want Yumi to get worried about me, and if I can''t even handle something like this..." She paused. "If I can''t deal with this, then one day Yumi might leave me because I''m pathetic."


    <i>{She might tire of my clinginess..} </i>(Akagi)


    "That''s not true." Mika said as she poked the kitty''s cheek." Yumi would never leave you, and Kana''s right. If she called her right now, Yumi''d be back in an instant, and be angry at you for holding this in to boot."


    "Exactly." Kana nodded. "Yumi would be more than happy to drop everything and be with you. Trust me, she doesn''t view you as pathetic."


    <i>{I wanted to talk to Onee-chan about the cult thing, but let''s put that on hold till she gets a bit better.} </i>(Kana)


    "Mew..." Akagi gave another sad meow.


    "If you''re that against it, then why don''t youe to my house for a few days until she gets back?" Mika decided to invite her over for some TLC. "I wanted to have you sleep over, and this is the perfect chance."


    Akagi''s tail started wagging, and her ears perked up. "R-Really?!? Won''t I be a bother?" The <i>Demon </i>was excited at the prospect of a sleepover with her friend, as she''d never done that before.


    "Not at all." Mika smiled. "You can stay in kitty mode, and I''ll spoil you rotten all weekend!" She hugged Akagi again.


    <i>{I shall have the kitty all to myself! Muahahahhaha!} </i>(Mika)


    "Won''t your parents be weirded-" Akagi stopped herself, realizing that this was Mika''s parents she was talking about. "Never mind."


    "Yeah, Catkagi isn''t something they''d care about." Kana chuckled. "But yeah, this might be good for you. It''s better than you staying here in your room alone with your thoughts. We''ve seen what happens if you do <i>that</i>."


    "T-Then. I''ll go!" Akagi smiled.


    "Yippie!" Mika squeezed Akagi harder. "KITTY!"


    "Mika, she''s gonna explode if you keep that up." Just as Kana said that.


    *BANG*


    Akagi exploded into tiny shadow pieces that showered across the room.


    "KITTY, NO!" Mika cried out in horror.


    "Pfff!" Kana startedughing as hard as she could. "You actually exploded?"


    Akagi formed back up next to Mika and started cackling. "I''ve been saving that joke for a while."


    "Bad kitty!" Mika bonked her on the nose. "No more exploding!"


    "Mew!" Akagi''s meow said that she''d do it again.


    <i>{That was so perfectly timed. Onee-chan can be so stupidly funny at times.} </i>(Kana)


    After a bit of discussion, and a message to Yumi that Akagi would be at Mika''s until she returned, the two girls headed off to engage in the slumber party/Akagi stress relief resort. Mika was looking forward to these few days, and the <i>Demon </i>was anticipating lots of attention.


    After teleporting in front of Mika''s home, the two entered, though Akagi was being carried in Mika''s arms while wrapped in a small nket. Mika was going to have as much fun as possible with Akagi, and she was nning on spoiling the kitty rotten.


    "I''m back!" Mika said as she entered her home.


    "There you are." Mika''s Mom came around the corner. "And I see you''ve brought Akagi, oh just look at you!" She pet Akagi''s little ears. "You''re so cute! Mika said you''de like this, but you''re even more precious than I imagined.¡±


    "Heh." Akagi''s face got slightly red. "Thanks for letting me stay."


    "What are you saying?" She shook her head. "Mika''s friends are always wee to stay over, and Mika said this was to help you feel better. So don''t worry about it."


    "Yeah, what she said." Mika hugged her a bit more. "Just please don''t explode again.... <em>That</em> would probably freak them out." An exploding friend would probably be enough to freak Mika''s Mom out.


    "Hmmmm." Akagi thought for a moment. "That <em>would</em> be fun to see." Sheughed, but was struck on the head by Mika''s fist.


    "No exploding!" Mika red at her. "Bad kitty!"


    <i>{I''ll explode when I damn well please! Maybe I should do it right now, huh!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Dinner will be in a few hours, and I''ve got it on slow cook right now. So go have some fun." Mika''s Mom smiled, and the two girls went into Mika''s room to rx. It was a surprisingly normal room, with a small bed and desk. The walls were, shockingly, <i>not </i>covered in magical girl posters and instead had a few family photos and pictures of Mika from Middle and Highschool.


    "Wow." Akagi hopped out of Mika''s arms and onto the bed with her nket. "Your room is much more organized than your head. I expected this ce to be about as chaotic as my own mind." She giggled.


    "Ha. Ha." Mika gave a dryugh. "I try to keep at least <i>this </i>space organized. See, my desk is nice and clean."


    "I don''t know." Akagi inspected the desk closely. "Thatyer of dust is pretty thick, Mika. When''s thest time you used it?" She grinned at the blue-haired girl.


    "Oh, joy... is this going to be the next few days of my life?" Mika sighed. "How does Kana handle you?"


    <i>{Do I need to break out the spray bottle?} </i>(Mika)


    "Hey, you brought me, so I am now <i>your </i>problem." Akagi giggled.


    "Oh well, I guess that means that I''ll just have to y with you enough to make it worth it!" Mika pounced on her and started to pet Akagi. "The fluff is mine!"


    "Mew!" Akagi cried out in joy from being rubbed.


    "So what do you want to do? Watch a movie?" Mika asked while scratching her ears.


    "Hmmm." Akagi thought. "How are you with horror movies?"


    "I love them!" Mika''s eyes glinted. "shers are amazing!"


    Akagi''s head turned and she gazed into Mika''s eyes. "Favorite sher film?"


    "The very first one, of course. Halloween from 1979!" Mika grinned. She''d always loved that one, and blood and gore were here guilty pleasure, especially the cheesy horror movies that went way overboard.


    "You are truly a woman of culture!" Akagi was getting excited. She had no idea that Mika was a fellow horror fan, and she was getting excited thinking about all the movies they needed to watch together. "I love that movie so much! We <i>have</i> to watch it!"


    "I''ve got every edition, even the special ones." Mika winked.


    "EEEEEEE." Akagi squeed in joy.


    "Let me get some snacks, and then we can watch it!" Mika went into the kitchen and grabbed some drinks, as well as sliced apples.


    "Apples?" Akagi reached for a piece, and it was nearly asrge as her hand at this size. Akagi liked to shrink down while in cat mode for extra cuteness points, and because it was less strange to sit on or next to a person while small. People tended to be less adverse to her sitting in theirp if she was the size of a te.


    "I brought these because I''ve wanted to do this ever since I first saw your cat form." She grabbed the slice from Akagi and put it up to her mouth. "Say Aw." She''d been dying to feed the Catkagi apples for some unknown reason, likely because it was very cute.


    Akagi lowered her eyelids in disapproval before shrugging and biting into the apple.


    "IT''S EVEN CUTER THAN I IMAGINED!" Mika squealed as she wrapped Akagi in the nket and put on the movie. With the lights dimmed and the blinds shut, the two began to watch what is regarded as the best sher film in history. Theical sight of the tiny Catkagi being fed apple slices while the T.V. shed with gore and fear was quite the juxtaposition, and Mika was happy to spoil her kitty friend with all the pets and treats she could muster.


    A bitter, the credits rolled and it was nearly time for dinner.


    "That''s always such a good movie." Akagi smiled as Mika scratched her ears.


    "I know right? I''ve watched it like a hundred times and it''s still amazing." Mika said.


    "I had no idea you liked horror movies." Akagi said. "I guess it would exin <em>some</em> things."


    <i>{Still, she''s really good with gore and horror. Hell, she was only really freaked about about Hito because of the suddenness of it and because Kana had to put him down. Otherwise she showed no negative reaction to the his visage or the blood.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I mean, I may or may not enjoy gorefests and such." Mika gave a wry smile.


    <i>{I''ve got you killing Libra on an HD recording in the cloud, but that''s for me to know and you not to find out.} (Mika)</i>


    "Dinner is almost ready!" Mika''s mom called out.


    "Oops let''s get going." Mika went to pick Akagi up, but she resisted.


    "It''s fine, I don''t need to eat, and I shouldn''t intrude on your time with your parents." Akagi gave a wry smile.


    "What''s this? The kitty is giving backtalk?" Mika forcefully picked her up. "You''re a guest, not a burden or nuisance. So don''t try pulling that crap."


    "But-" Akagi was cut off.


    "No buts!" Mika shook her head. "You''reing to dinner! Though you might want to go back to normal size for it."


    <i>{Though I really want to see her eat with a tiny set of utensils...} </i>(Mika)


    "Oh? Are you sure you don''t want me to eat <i>on </i>the table?" Akagi was around the size of arge dinner te, so it would be possible.


    "It would be funny, but let''s not." Mikaughed as Akagi started to grow in her arms. "Wait!" In a panic Mika threw her to the floor, causing the cat to smack into it face first.


    "Nice..." Akagi groaned from the floor.


    "Don''t just start getting bigger without warning!" Mika kicked Akagi in the rear lightly. "I''m not strong enough to hold an entire person up with just my arms!"


    "Yes, you are!" Akagi slowly stood up. "Did you forget your body is much stronger now?!?" She rolled her eyes.


    "Oh..." Mika grabbed onto full-size Akagi and lifted her up with ease. "Oops... sorry." She put her down slowly and looked away, embarrassed.


    "Its not like it matters, anyway." Akagi snapped her fingers and swapped into her casual clothes with no cat parts.


    "Kitty..." Mika gave sad eyes as Catkagi went away.


    "Don''t worry <i>kitty </i>will be back after dinner." She winked and the two went into the kitchen, sharing a nice happy meal with Mika''s parents. Though the entire time,the <em>Demon </em>couldn''t help feel like she shouldn''t be here. After all, <em>she</em> was the reason there was an empty seat at the table.


    Spoiler


    More Catkagi!


    [copse]

 Chapter 175 – Akagi Tells the Truth.

    Chapter 175 ¨C Akagi Tells the Truth.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Small thing, I just wanted to shout out author  who writes  So if you get a moment, give it a read its really good!


    Once dinner was finished, Mika decided to get washed up. The blue-haired girl was unsure what Akagi would do in that department, but she exined that bathing wasn''t needed for her. After a bit of teasing by Mika about getting the kitty wet, she went to get cleaned up, leaving Akagi alone in her room.


    "Hmmmm." Akagi started flopping around on the bed in tiny form while covered in the nket.


    <i>{I... I really shouldn''t be here.}</i> She thought to herself as she looked up at the ceiling. <i>{These people... they''ve been so nice to me, even though I took away someone so important to them.} </i>She rolled onto her side. <i>{Mika... she''d probably hate me if I told her... I need... I need to tell the truth... I can''t lie to someone like her anymore... its not right...}</i>


    Akagi agonized back and forth over what to do for nearly twenty minutes until Mika came back from the bath.


    "Fheww!" Mika said as she dried herself off with a towel. Her body was nice and red from the hot bath. "That was nice. You really should have joined me." She giggled, trying to make a joke.


    *Whimper noises*


    Akagi sat on the bed, swaddled in nkets and letting out a weak cry as Mika approached her.


    "What''s wrong? Did you get lonely from-" As she reached out to Akagi, she was cut off.


    "Stay away from me, Mika!" Akagi eximed.


    "Eh?" Mika stopped. "What''s wrong?"


    "You... I should leave..." Akagi''s ears drooped. "We shouldn''t be friends either..."


    "What''s going on?!?" Mika was shocked by her words.


    <i>{Why are you saying that?!? Did something happen? Did I do something bad?!?} </i>(Mika)


    "I... I''ve been lying to you..." Akagi said weakly.


    "Lying to me?" Mika sat beside her, hugging her. "About what?" She already had an idea of what this was about, but kept quiet.


    "I...I... do you remember how I told you that I didn''t know anything about your brother?" Akagi looked up at her.


    "Yeah, you kept everything about him secret because of what he did." Mika smiled. "I was mad at the time, but now I understand why you did what you did."


    "But... I also said I didn''t know <i>who </i>killed him..." Akagi continued.


    "Yes, you did. Do you know who did?" Mika stroked her on the head slowly.


    "Yeah... it... the one who killed your brother... the one who killed the entire ck Gauntlet... it... it... it was me..." Akagi cried a bit. "I did it! I killed him, and I''ve been hiding that from you all this time!"


    Mika looked down at Akagi, saying nothing as she squeezed her.


    "So I should leave. I''m not the kind of person you think I am. I took away someone you cared about, and I had the gall to try and be your friend. All the while, knowing that I killed him... I lied to you for nearly a year about the truth..." Akagi tried to get up.


    "I see..." Mika grabbed onto Akagi, preventing her from leaving. "Well, I''m d you finally told me the truth." Mika bit her lip. "But I already knew."


    "You did?!?" Akagi was shocked.


    <i>{How?!?} </i>(Akagi)


    "Yeah, I kinda put two and two together a while ago. I asked around on the inte, and people kept telling me that you were the most likely candidate." Mika exined as she continued to pet Akagi''s ears. "Eventually, I asked Kana, and she caved <i>instantly</i>." Sheughed. "She didn''t want to lie to me any longer, and while I was momentarily mad at her for keeping this secret, I understood <i>why </i>she did."


    <i>{She wanted to protect her sister, so I get it. I''m just d that both of them eventually told me the truth.} </i>(Mika)


    "But why didn''t you ever confront me?" Akagi asked meekly.


    "I thought about it, but I guess I just wanted to wait until you came around to telling me yourself." Mika giggled. "I wasn''t really sure if you would, but I decided to wait."


    "But what if I never did?" Akagi asked.


    "Well, then that would''ve been fine." Mika said.


    <i>{I just wanted you to open up with me. I''m not angry, but I wanted this big wall between us toe down.} </i>(Mika)


    "How would that be fine? Don''t you hate me?" Akagi stared at her, surprised.


    "Hate you? No, I can''t hate you for this." Mika hugged her tighter. "My brother did such horrible, terrible things to people. I''m... I''m not <em>happy</em>that he''s dead, but I know he needed to be stopped before... before more people were harmed." She was holding back tears.


    <i>{I talked with people online, and they told me what he did in far more detail than you or Hishya would... I can''t believe Kai did all those things. Why would he be such a terrible person... All I can think about now, is if that was always who he was. Maybe what should''ve been red gs IRL just never registered with me. I don''t know...} </i>(Mika)


    "Thank you... for stopping him." Mika''s words caused Akagi to twitch.


    "Why? Why are you thanking me?!? I just did it because..." Akagi was still shocked.


    "Because it was a job, I know, and I know <em>who</em> asked you too to do it too. It took a bit, but Hishya eventually relented under pressure as well." Mika squeezed Akagi more. "But still, if you didn''t stop him, I''m sure that he would have hurt more people. Even if you did it just because someone asked you to, you still stopped him."


    <i>{Hishya told me her biggest regret was not doing it herself. She''s always kicked herself for relying on Akagi to handle this issue, and it still haunts her to this day.} </i>(Mika)


    "I don''t get any of this..." Akagi''s ears drooped. "How can you not hate me?"


    "Maybe it''s because of my nature, or maybe it''s because I know how you really are." Mika put her head on top of Akagi''s. "I know you only did what was necessary, job or not. Trust me. I cried my heart out for my brother enough times already, but what''s done is done. You''re my friend, Akagi, and that means I''ve epted what and who you are. As crazy and entric of a person as you are, on the inside you''re a good person, despite what you might think."


    "I''m not so sure about that one, Mika." Akagi giggled.


    <i>{I do things that no good person would ever do. Hell I y with people''s lives and feelings just because I find it fun...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Just take it." Mika shook her head. "I don''t think a bad person would feel torn up inside about this, nor would they want to be my friend. As I told Hishya the other day, you care about people more than most would think. You just show it a bit differently is all."


    <i>{I don''t exactly agree, but sure.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Don''t worry, I''m not going anywhere, and I''m still your friend." Mika smiled. "I''m d you eventually told me yourself. It makes me feel like you''ve really opened up to me, and that we''ve truly be friends."


    "You <em>are</em> my friend, a good one, and I''d be lost without you..." Akagi grabbed onto her shirt with her small hand. "I never had any before. No one liked me, and I drove everyone away. But... I don''t want that anymore... I don''t want to be alone, and I don''t want to lose those people around me who... who I''vee to care for..." She started to tear up as she remembered her many years of solitude and the crushing loneliness she was forced to endure.


    "And I don''t want to lose you either, my little friend." Mika booped her on the nose. "You might be cooky, but you''ve made thisst year so much more fun and full than anything before it. It''s been a wild ride, and while I don''t like the almost dying parts, I wouldn''t change any of it."


    <em>{This girl has made my life so much more fun. Before she came along, things were honestly kind of boring, and I felt like I had no direction in life.} </em>(Mika)


    Akagi turned hugged her with her tiny body. "Thank you for being my friend, Mika."


    "And thank you for being mine, Akagi." Mika hugged her back. "Now then! Enough serious talk!" She picked Akagi up and dangled her in front of her. "What movie is next? I wanna watch something with gore in it!"


    "Oh! I got a good one!" Akagiughed, and the two then spent the rest of the night watching a collection of horror movies from different eras until it was time to go to bed. The two snuggled in together, with Mika using the small Akagi as a body pillow and they both quickly drifted off. It was a pleasant night as the two deepened their rtionship and their bond was made even stronger.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    Two dayster.


    "WHY DIDN''T YOU CALL ME?!?" Yumi yelled at Akagi, who was shrunken down on the couch. She''d been contacted by a certain little sister, who shall not be named, and informed that Akagi was not doing very well.


    "Kana! You rat!" Akagi red at her sister.


    <i>{You shall pay for this betrayal!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Who are you calling a rat? Alveron''s not here." Kanaughed. "But yeah, I <em>did</em> call her."


    "And I''m d you did!" Yumi sighed. "My Lord, why didn''t you say anything? Why did you lie to me?" She was annoyed.


    <i>{You know I''d''ve been back here in a sh if you just told me!} </i>(Yumi)


    "Because I thought you''d be mad at me or something for being needy..." Akagi''s ears and tail drooped.


    "Why would I be mad?!?" Yumi pulled on Akagi''s cheeks as she shook her senselessly. "You are the most important thing in the world to me! If you''re lonely or sad, don''t pretend to be fine! I don''t care if I''m in a meeting with <em>gods</em> YOU take priority, you idiot!"


    "I told you so." Kana giggled.


    "I''ll remember this, Kana." Akagi''s re caused Kana to feel a chill down her spine. "Tickles are back on the menu!"


    "Don''t be mad at Kana for doing the right thing!" Yumi chopped Akagi on the head. "Why would you assume that you being needy or lonely is something that would upset me?"


    "Because isn''t that annoying to you? That I want you around all the time?" Akagi said.


    Yumi took a deep breath before yelling at the top of her lungs. "YOU IDIOT! I WANT YOU AROUND ALL THE TIME TOO!" She shook small Akagi back and forth. "I go and do my work, but I''m happiest when we''re together, you dummy! I''d never think you''re too clingy because I''m no better!"


    <i>{For all that power, you really are dense as hell aren''t you?!?} </i>(Yumi)


    "Really?" Akagi tilted her head. It seemed this was a surprise to the <i>Demon</i>.


    "Yes! I thought you understood that, but I guess you''re too dumb." Yumi ruffled her own hair in frustration. "Why do you think I''m always so happy to snuggle up with you or perform skinship?!? I''m not doing it <i>just </i>because I know it makes you happy, since I want it too!"


    <i>{Trust me, if you were more interested in nightly activities, we''d do those all the time too!} </i>(Yumi)


    "But isn''t it pathetic if I can''t go like a week without you?" Akagi asked meekly.


    Yumi sighed. "No, because I know <i>why </i>you''re like that. You need me, my Lord! If being away from me for even that amount of time is negatively affecting you, then so what?!? You shouldn''t have to suffer just because you think it''s <i>pathetic</i> that you aren''t able to do something others can!" She felt that it was her <i>duty</i> to make sure Akagi was happy, so Yumi had no issue with being near her if that helped her feel better.


    Yumi sat down next to Akagi and hugged her. "Just like you need me, I need you. You are the most important thing in my life, and the one who saved me and gave me purpose. I know you don''t want to hear this, but you are basically my <i>god</i>! It''s only natural that I want you around me all the time, and honestly, I''d like to be around you <i>more </i>if it wouldn''t disrupt operations. Your touch makes me feel so happy and warm, and I know it must be the same for you. So please, don''t lie about things like this anymore, alright?" Yumi kissed her on the forehead.


    "Ok..." Akagi rubbed her face against Yumi''s chest. "Sorry for upsetting you."


    "It''s fine. I''m not mad at you." Yumi giggled. "I''m more mad at myself for not noticing that you were suffering."


    <i>{How could I not see it. I guess I''m just as stupid as she is...} </i>(Yumi)


    "Well, I''m d that got all sorted." Kana smiled. "Now you can stop being all mopey."


    "Yes, please. Kana told me all about how you were acting." Yumi sighed. ¡°I''ll have to thank Mika for taking care of you, and <i>you </i>will need to pay me back for the fluffing you gave to her!" Yumi''s jealousy kicked in. "I heard she fed you apples and got do all sorts of ying with you! I will not allow others to get ahead of me in the cat department!"


    "I''ll let you do whatever kinds of fun you want aspensation." Akagi winked, causing Yumi to shudder.


    "I''ll be abusing that tonight. So I hope you''re prepared for no sleep!" Yumi cackled.


    "Well, I don''t need to sleep, so we''re good." Akagi giggled.


    "And now we''re back to copious amounts of sugar." Kana put her finger in her mouth to make a gagging motion. "Oh yeah, before I forget, Onee-chan, we''ve got a <em>minor</em> problem."


    <i>{Now''s the time to handle this issue, since a certain instigator is also here.} </i>(Kana)


    "What''s that?" Akagi asked while being fluffed.


    "Well, you see. Mika might have be involved with a cult dedicated to you." Kana''s words caused Yumi to freeze.


    "W-What are you talking about?" Yumi started to sweat.


    <i>{Oh fuck... Dammit Mika! I knew we shouldn''t have trusted you!} </i>(Yumi)


    "Yumi..." Akagi red at her. "What did you do?"


    "N-Nothing, nothing at all. I know nothing of a cult dedicated to worshiping you and your greatness. Ah-aha." She was clearly lying.


    "I see. Well, I guess you won''t have any problems with me <i>investigating </i>the allegations of a cult?" Akagi smirked.


    "Please go easy on us..." Yumi hung her head, defeated.


    <i>{She really shouldn''t have gotten Mika involved. That was guaranteedto be the weakest point in their whole operation. That girl loves to gossip and can''t keep secrets. Then again, I''m not much better...} </i>(Kana)


    "Oh, don''t worry. Tonight''s <i>fun</i> is going to leave you happy as happy can be." Akagi beganughing maniacally.


    <i>{SHE''S GOING TO BREAK ME!} (Yumi)</i>


    <i>{I am very d their room is soundproof...} </i>(Kana)

 Chapter 176 – The Demonic Cult.

    Chapter 176 ¨C The Demonic Cult.


    In the audience hall of Akagi''s estate sat the unusual sight of both Chloe and Yumi in seiza while Akagi stood over them, irritation clear on her face.


    "Now then, this marks the <i>second </i>time you''ve had toe before me in such a manner Chloe." Akagi red at the cat. "Should I take this to mean you''ve risen the g of rebellion?"


    "NEVER!" Chloe shouted. "I would never go against you, myaster!"


    "Indeed, Chloe is-" Yumi went silent as Akagi stared down at her. Bonded Soul or not, Akagi was currently acting as head of the n and would afford the Priestess no special treatment.


    <i>{She''s really pissed!} </i>(Yumi)


    "Then tell me, Chloe. How should I take you contravening direct orders from me? I believe I made it clear long ago that I do not wish to be worshiped like some petty god!" Akagi''s aura red up briefly.


    <i>{I am so much more, yet you dare topare me... No... that''s not what I''m angry about. I''m angry that these fools wish to venerate me when I''ve done nothing to justify it. Damn these idiots and their stupidity!} </i>(Akagi)


    "We simply wished to give you the respect you deserve, myaster!" Chloe put her head against the floor as she begged for forgiveness. "I know you said you do not wish for such things, but we simply could not ignore what was in our hearts, even if that meant disobeying yourmands."


    "I see, so you idiots <i>can </i>disobey me..." Akagi sighed. "On the one hand, it''s nice to see that you can think without me giving instructions and that you aren''t reliant on me for everything." She mmed her foot against the floor, causing a minor quake. "However, on the other hand, you contravened a directmand from the leader of your n, BOTH OF YOU!" Akagi red at Yumi. "You might be my Bonded Soul, Yumi. But that doesn''t mean you may disregard my decisions as head of this family, Yumi!"


    <i>{It''s taking every ounce of strength not to just let these two go, but I''ve got discipline to maintain.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I am sorry for displeasing you, my Lord." Yumi bowed. "That was never my intention."


    "Yes myaster, I am sorry." Chloe apologized.


    "You two have now put me in an awkward position. You realize that, right?" Akagi sighed. "How many members of the family were involved?"


    "I believe twenty-seven." Yumi answered. "They range from ninja to administrative staff."


    "Are you two the <i>only</i> n heads involved?" Akagi needed to know who else to punish.


    <i>{I swear of they got more involved, then I might just need to start publiclyshing these idiots!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Yes, we were the only high-ranking members involved. Please do not punish the rest of the members as we are responsible for this, myaster." Chloe said.


    "Oh, don''t worry, you <i>will</i> be punished, <i>both</i> of you." Akagi clicked her tongue.


    <i>{Only question is how? I don''t want to harm them, so alternative punishment will be required.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Chloe." Akagi called out to the cat.


    "YES!" She quickly responded.


    "What am I?" Akagi asked.


    "Um, myaster is my myaster." She was unsure if that was the answer that Akagi wanted.


    "More than that." Akagi pushed for a different response.


    "The leader of the Dumetor n." Chloe said.


    "More than that." Akagi was getting annoyed at her failure to get it right.


    "The Demon Lord?" Chloe was starting to sweat.


    <i><b>"Yes." </b></i>Akagi''s voice distorted as she shed off her human appearance as she did in the Tomogawa basement. <i><b>"Both of you, look upon me." </b></i>The twoplied. <i><b>"What do you see?" </b></i>


    "Darkness." Yumi answered.


    "Yes, Darkness." Chloe agreed.


    <i><b>"Anything else?" </b></i>Akagiughed.


    The two girls looked at each other.


    "Warmth." (Chloe x Yumi)


    <i><b>"Exin." </b></i>Akagi figured this was what they''d say.


    "You might be the Demon Lord, but looking at you doesn''t invoke fear in my heart, my Lord. Rather seeing you like that gives me a sense offort as if my worries had melted away." Yumi was quite frank with her response.


    <i>{Ok, so I guess I can get Yumi, but why you too Chloe?!?} </i>(Akagi)


    "I feel the same. No, it''s not just me, myaster. We <i>all</i> feel this way!" Chloe shouted. "You are our warmth! And you provide us with stability andfort in this chaotic world. It''s... it''s like the world is a storm, but you are the safe harbor for us to rest in!"


    <i><b>"You find </b></i><i><u><bfort </b></u></i><i><b>in my embrace?" </b></i>Akagi was genuinely confused. <i><b>"How? You both know full well who and what I am. How could you find a being of pure evil and malice calming?"</b></i>


    <i>{Are we conveniently forgetting that I can and do kill people?} </i>(Akagi)<i><b> </b></i>


    "That may be true, but those traits... they are not all you are, myaster!" Chloe red at her. "You might be the Demon Lord, you might be a being born to destroy, but within all that is someone who cares about me and every member of this family!"


    "Exactly." Yumi nodded. "Even before I was bonded to you, I felt calm just by being near you. It was as if I''d found the ce I was always supposed to be. You might not understand our feelings, but we truly love you, my Lord. It''s why Chloe and I worked with Ms. Misha to create a formal method to revere you. I know that''s not want you want, but I ask you to reconsider in light of our feelings."


    <i><b>"I am not a god." </b></i>Akagi said. <i><b>¡°I cannot and will not act like one, even for you all.¡±</b></i>


    "But you don''t have to be for us to worship you, do you?" Yumi wasn''t backing down. "There are many who worship <i>Demons, </i>so why can''t we find faith in a Demon Lord?"


    <i><b>"While Demon worship ismon, it is usually not benevolent and peaceful. On top of that..." </b></i>Akagi sighed. <i><b>"I still do not understand why you''vee to view me in such a manner. What have I done to warrant such undying love? Can you be sure those feelings you have towards me are not because of the game? You were NPCs bound by the game''s code and logic. How can you be sure that you were not made to feel loyalty towards me simply because of the game?"</b></i>


    "Does it matter?" Chloe asked. "Even if that was true, and the game made us inherently loyal to you or even altered our minds. Does it matter? These feelings in our hearts won''t go away, and they''re real."


    "Indeed, whether they came naturally or the game had some kind of influence, I don''t care." Yumi smiled. "We''ve alle to love you in this manner, so does it matter <i>why? </i>Besides, don''t act like we don''t have logical reasons for following you as we do. You''ve helped each member of this family, my Lord. You saved many of us from certain death or a life of meaninglessness. I''d say that''s more than enough reason for us to follow you anywhere, even without potential influence from the game." Yumi''s eyes grew sharp.


    "Or are you saying that you view us as nothing more than puppets acting on programming? Is everything you''ve told me a lie? Do you not believe us to have free will? Do we not have the right to make our own decisions independently and of our own volition?" She''d basically backed Akagi into a corner with that argument. "Because I see this talk of mind control as nothing more than a convenient way for you to ignore the truth!" Yumi stood up. "As strange as it might seem, as illogical as you might believe it, our love, our faith in you is <i>vast</i>. So vast that we see you as much more than just our leader! My Lord, you might be a Demon Lord created for destruction, but for us... for us, you are so much more." She started crying. "Because... because you... you are the reason each day is worth living. You''re very existence warms our hearts, calms our minds, and gives us meaning. So please... don''t take that away from us... otherwise... otherwise what do we have if you won''t ept us?"


    Akagi stood, silently. <i><b>"I never really thought about it like that. I... I suppose you might be right. Perhaps I was hiding behind the potential for brainwashing to ignore the possibility that you truly felt this way. I think... I think I did that because I was afraid."</b></i>


    "Afraid?" Yumi asked while wiping her eyes.


    <i><b>"Afraid that I wouldn''t live up to your expectations. Yumi, Chloe I know nothing of being an object of such adoration. I''ve no experience with being someone that others find hope and meaning in. But... but if you truly wish for me to take on that role... then fine." </b></i>Akagi reverted back to normal.


    "I will sanction the creation of an official ''faith'' in my name." Akagi gave a wry smile. Though she manged to include the air quotes around the term faith since she refused to be treated the same as some god.


    "YOU WILL?!?" (Chloe x Yumi)


    "However." Akagi nced between them. "There are a few conditions. First, you are not allowed to go dragging outsiders in. So no harassing people and demanding they start worshiping me, that includes members of the family. If they say no, you drop it." She didn''t want her people to cause problems for the world. "Second, no sacrifices or anything of the sort, human, animal, or otherwise."


    "???" The two girls tilted their heads.


    "What? We''d never do that." Yumi was confused. "That''s awful!"


    <i>{What do you think we are?!? Some kind of fanatic zealots who dere holy crusades and sacrifice heathens on an alter!} </i>(Yumi)


    "I''m just covering my bases here since I don''t fucking trust you idiots." Akagi shrugged. "Third, you <i>will</i> remove Mika from her status as an informal priest or whatever you made her and you will apologize for involving her. I don''t want the girls involved in this whole thing, so leave them alone."


    "What about Misha?" Chloe asked. "She has the same views as we do about you."


    "I''m getting to that. Forth, Misha may stay. However, I want you to make sure she doesn''t allow her rtionship with your faith to overtake her life. She must keep a rtively normal life <i>outside </i>her faith in me. I''m partially responsible for breaking her, so I''d like to try and fix what I can here."


    <i>{I''m sure that girl would move here, abandon her family and be some kind of monk or whatever if I gave her the chance, so lets NOT do that...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Sounds good." (Yumi x Chloe)


    "As for the running of the <i>cult</i>. Yumi, I''ll ce you in charge. As my Bonded Soul, you make the most sense to run something like that. I won''t get involved very much, but please keep things <i>reasonable.</i> If things start getting out of control, I''ll shut you down <i><b>permanently</b></i>."


    <i>{This has exhausted me, so much...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Everyone will be so happy!" Chloe squeed in happiness.


    "I know! The next event is going to be so much fun!" Yumi hugged her.


    *COUGH*


    "Ah-hem. We''re not finished here yet." Akagi''s mouth contorted into a terrible smirk causing both girls to shiver. "You two still need to be punished. Heartwarming speeches do not excuse disobeying me, and thus there will be consequences for your insubordination."


    "Yes..." (Yumi x Chloe)


    <i>{I''d hoped she''d forgotten.} </i>(Yumi)


    "Yumi, in addition to what I''m doing to you <i>tonight</i>. Your punishment will be as follows. Since I cannot keep you at a distance, because that would be a punishment for me, you must keep at my side and do whatever I tell you, no questions asked for one month. Naturally, this includes as much fluffing and snuggling as I desire. Thus you will be taken off all assignments during that time to better serve your punishment."


    <i>{THAT''S NOT A PUNISHMENT!!!!} </i>Chloe knew that Akagi was basically just giving Yumi a pass, but there was nothing she could do and she didn''t dare to voice aint.


    "I will endeavor never to displease you again, my Lord." Yumi smiled internally knowing she was basically just let off scott-free.


    "As for you Chloe, the <i>instigator </i>of this insubordination,<i> </i>as I''ve been told." Akagiughed. "You will be temporarily demoted to maid for one month, with Nemino taking over your duties during this period.


    "Maid?!?" Chloe was not happy about this. She sucked at chores.


    <i>{NOOO! Maryanne is so mean! I don''t want to work under that evil woman! She''s going to yell at me when I drop the dishes!} </i>(Chloe)


    "Yes, maid. Or do you have a problem with my decision? Please do inform me what you think is incorrect so we can make a better arrangement." Akagi''s smile told her to keep her mouth shut if she knew what was good for her.


    "Nope!" Chloe''s tail and ears stood up straight. "It is a perfect punishment for my actions, myaster!"


    "Excellent, I''m d you think so." Akagi smiled. "Also, you will both give a formal apology to Mika for involving her."


    <i>{Grrrr. I shall pay you back, Yumi. This was </i><i><u>your</u></i><i> idea, after all, nya! When I brought up Misha''s idea, YOU pushed for us to ept!} </i>(Chloe)


    Indeed, Chloe was merely the fall-guy for Yumi''s entire operation. Since the Priestess knew full well that Akagi would find out one day, she wanted to ensure that she took minimal me with it blew up in their face. Thus the Priestess set Chloe up as the patsy by making her take charge of the operation.


    <i>{Too bad, Chloe. Let''s just call this payback for that time you made me take responsibility for that target getting away back in Richend.} </i>(Yumi)


    This was not the first, nor would it be thest time that members of the family set each other up to take Akagi''s wrath. Since they knew full well just how sadistic their master could be if they earned her ire. Even Yumi was not safe, as her status as Bonded Soul would not entirely shield her from punishment if she truly angered Akagi.

 Side Story 6 – An End, and A New Beginning.

    Side Story 6 ¨C An End, and A New Beginning.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Here it is, the final Misfits Chapter!


    "I love that at such a key moment in time, potentially ourst day in FWO, Daikael is busy trying to reach the fucking sky box..." Alveron sighed as he watched the crazy fox messing with a rocket that she''d been building. Over thest few months, Daikael had been attempting to see just how high up one could go before they reached some kind of invisible barrier, and so far she''d failed to reach anything.


    "I mean, would you expect anything else?" Shiru shrugged as she sat on a rock with her tea. "Besides, it''s better than brooding about going back." She gave a wry smile. After being trapped in FWO for nearly four years, many yers had begun dreading a return to Earth. Living in what was effectively an entirely different world,plete with superpowers and magic was simply too enthralling for many, and the Misfits were no exception.


    "I''m gonna miss sitting on your head." Alveron said as he floated up and sat on top of Shiru''s head. "You make a veryfy seat."


    "I''m going to miss my resident seasoning since I won''t be able to drop you in the soup pot anymore." Shiru retorted.


    "That happened like three times, and only <i>one </i>was my fault!" Alveron had been trying to pay back Ara for the other times, but the cat was too fast.


    "But still, I wonder what''s going to happen when we get out." Shiru said as she looked up at the sky. "This world... Is it really going to vanish?"


    "I guess." Alveron shrugged. "Wouldn''t they just delete it once we leave?" He figured it would a quick and simple wipe of all data rted to FWO since this ce was responsible for a lot of deaths.


    "But what about the people that live here?" Shiru asked about the NPCs. "Surely they have a right to live? The thought of so many being <i>deleted</i>..."


    <i>{It just doesn''t sit well with me. I don''t care what the Assault team says, those NPCs are much more than simple programs. A program can''tugh with me, tell jokes and act as ''human'' as they''ve been.} </i>(Shiru)


    "I don''t think they''re going to even give that a second thought." Avahn said as she and Ara approached from the house. "They''re nothing but data to people on the outside, and many yers still refuse to ept that they''re anything but code."


    "Nyi don''t think nyany nyof these people will survive."


    [I don''t think any of these people will survive.]


    Ara said sadly. She''d made friends with many NPCs over the years and was going to miss many of them.


    "I know, but it''s not like we can do anything." Alveron said as he hopped onto the ground. "We can''t just magically take them back to Earth with us." He couldn''t even imagine where to begin with such a thing.


    "So what are you two going to do once we get back?" Shiru asked the two cats. "Don''t you live pretty far away from each other?" Avahn was from overseas, while Ara was from Yokohama. From what Avahn said, she was in Tokyo to y the game, so it would probably be hard to meet up quickly.


    "I don''t want to think about it." Avahn''s face grew dark. "There are too many problems with going back. So I''m just not going to think about it." She had her own host of reasons why returning was undesirable, and going back most likely meant pain and suffering for the Demon cat.


    "Please don''t do anything stupid." Shiru red at her. "I don''t care how miserable you are. I don''t need to find out that one of my friends took their own life!"


    "No promises." Avahn shrugged.


    "Nyu nyan''t hurt nyurself. Meowhat will nyi do nyen nya~?"


    [You can''t hurt yourself. What will I do then?]


    Ara didn''t want to imagine her girlfriend disappearing like that and poked her in the side to show her displeasure.


    "Nyi''llewn nyand find nyu, so just wait."


    [I''lle and find you, so just wait.] Ara''s re told Avahn that she''d find a way to make her miserable if she took her own life.


    "Because it''s you, I''ll hang in there." Avahn gave a defeated smile. "Just don''t take too long, my little kitty." She scratched Ara''s ears, which made her coo.


    "Are you going to go back to school?" Alveron asked Shiru. She''d grown ever more fond of nts during her time in FWO, and so he figured she''d want to study that back on Earth.


    "That would be ideal yes, though right now I have no idea exactly how things will go." Shiru sighed. "I suspect we''ll be in recovery for quite some time, especially as our bodies will have atrophied to a severe degree.


    "Oh yeah..." Alveron forgot about that part. "It''s gonna suck being trapped in a hospital bed."


    "And being fed nothing but liquid or mushy meals." Shiru''s face turned sour as she imagined <i>that </i>hell.


    <i>{Last time I was in the hospital, the food made me sick...} </i>(Shiru)


    "Guys! It''s ready!" As they discussed their post-FWO ns, Daikael called out to them. "My supreme Totally Going to Reach the Skybox 9000 is done!" She was covered in dirt and oil and had a makeshift parachute pped onto her back


    "Ah yes, the next edition..." Alveron sighed. "Does this one at least explode in a nice fireball uponing back down?" He liked the explosion when 5000 hit a tree.


    "Please don''t blow up my trees, <i>again</i>..." Shiru shook her head.


    "Ah, who cares." Daikael smiled. "This world''s gonna go woosh in a bit anyway, so who cares if I burn a few trees down?"


    "I just... fine..." Shiru waved her hand and told her to just get it over with.


    "I honestly hope you manage to pull this off, just so we can see something stupid." Avahnughed. "Maybe you''ll get stuck in the skybox!"


    "I hope so! That would be cool!" Daikaelughed.


    "Bug hunting meow~!" Ara''s streamer instinct kicked in and her tail started flicking back and forth as she imagined all the exploits such a thing might bring.


    "Gather around!" Daikael called them over to the upright rocket, which had a seat strapped on the side. "Today marks our furthest ent yet! I shall reach the edge of known space!"


    <i>{More like the fucking invisible wall of DOOM.} </i>(Alveron)


    "Better make this quick, it looks like they nearly have Serval dead." Avahn said as she checked global chat. "Get going, you nutty fox. At least if you pull this off, you can tell your CO back home that you should get an astronaut badge or whatever they give them."


    "Don''t talk about him..." Daikael''s ears drooped. "He''s going to kick my ass when we get back... I just know it..." Moving away from the depressing topic, she hopped onto the rocket and began all final checks.


    "Gloves. Check. Hats. Check." Daikael started listing off all the things she needed.


    "Underwear!" Ara called out something silly to throw her off.


    "Ummm." Daikael moved her pants aside a bit to double-check if she had any. "Check!"


    <i>{I hate that she needed to check...} </i>(Shiru)


    After making sure she had everything, Daikael began pushing buttons on a remote control, and the rocket began to emit smoke from its thruster.


    "Alright, that''s everything! Time to fly!" She pped her goggles over her eyes and pushed the big red button on the remote, and after a ten-second countdown the rocket ignited and she took off upwards.


    "LET''S GOO!!" Daikael flew into the air at high speed, as the rest of the Misfit''s looked on.


    "I wonder if it''s going to explode like thatst one?" Alveron asked Shiru.


    "I hope so..." Shiruughed. "At least that way we can end FWO with a bang!" She made a very bad pun and everyone else, just shook their heads in disapproval.


    <i>{OH SO WHEN YOU IDIOTS MAKE A BAD JOKE ITS FINE, BUT WHEN I DO IT''S NOT?!? I SEE HOW IT IS! At least Avahn has my back!} </i>(Shiru)


    "WEEEEE!" Daikael screamed out as she flew upwards into the sky, she''d made several changes to this version of the rocket, and based on her calctions, she was <i>sure </i>this would reach the skybox. "COME ON YOU BASTARD! GO! GO! GO!" As she began climbing higher and higher into the sky, she was greeted by a system message.


    <b>*DING*</b>


    <i>Congrattions yers!</i>


    <i>The World Boss Serval has been defeated.</i>


    <i>With his defeat, all ten World Bosses in Free World Online have been defeated!</i>


    <i>*Calcting Statistics*</i>


    <i>The defeat of the World Boss Serval resulted in the death of eight yers.</i>


    <i>This brings the total number of yers currently within FWO to 1,047 out of the original 3,000.</i>


    "What?!? NO!" Daikael cried out in protest. "I need more time!" The message then began listing off various statistics. "Yes!" She continued to climb as the voice listed off names and records, and eventually, she could see some kind of strange red lettering approaching from the distance.


    "THERE IT IS!" Daikael cheered as the rocket approached the skybox, which said No Entry in red letters across it as she got closer, but her joy was short-lived.


    <i>With a total of 1,047 out of 3,000 yers remaining this rounds to a 35% survival rate and enables 100 yers to receive the final reward!</i>


    <i>Congrattions to those who have survived my game and congrattions to those award winners!</i>


    <i>As promised all surviving yers will be logged out, thank you for ying Free World Online and I look forward to seeing your futures!</i>


    "No, wait! I haven''t hit it yet." The world around her started to go white, and just before she would''ve collided with the skybox, everything stopped and she found herself in a hospital bed.


    "Nooooo..." Daikael let out a weak cry as she was robbed of her dream of crashing into the skybox.


    <i>{Damn you... I was so close...} </i>(Daikael)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    In the aftermath of FWO, each of the Misfits were surprised to find that they''d retained their in-game bodies and powers. As the days post-awakening turned into weeks, they each came to understand their unique position as ''returnees.'' Naturally, Daikael was wanted by the U.S. Military, mostly for study. However, they were never given the chance, for the moment the fox was healthy enough to move on her own, she bolted from the hospital, leaving a note behind telling her CO that she quit.


    Avahn was probably the happiest of the bunch, for she was ecstatic to keep her new body, though her rtionship with her family proved to be problematic. As she waited in the hospital and thought about what to do next, she was surprised to find Daikael had arrived at her location. She had no clue how the fox found her but was unable to pass up her offer to flee together. Over theing weeks and months, Avahn put her power to good use, bing a powerful Yakuza boss, and took over a number of different crime syndicates within Tokyo. Though she quickly ran into an issue, when an all too familiar Red Haired Cat came knocking at her door.


    Ara was probably the most confused and energetic of all the Misfits upon her awakening. Not only could the hospital staff not understand her cat speak, but they didn''t have much time to figure things out as she fled from them several days after awakening after figuring out she could use her inventory and proceeded to chug a potion which restored her body to full health. Zipping around Japan at high speed, she eventually found Avahn after rumors of a Demon cat running criminal dealings in Tokyo spread around. She was annoyed at her girlfriend for turning to a life of crime but was quickly subdued by promises of high-quality meat and other food from her operations.


    Alveron was a very strange case upon awakening. Being much too small for the helmet, he found himself trapped under the hospital sheets and nearly thrown in the wash before his pleas were heard. Unlike most of hispatriots, he happily waited in the hospital until he was cleared to leave, though the fact that Shiru was also in the same location meant he had little reason to try and flee.


    Shiru upon awakening, was overwhelmed with a cacophony of nature that surrounded her. It was quickly apparent to her that something was wrong, and it didn''t take long for her to understand that she''d retained her powers and inventory. After she and Alveron were cleared to leave the hospital, the two of them flew to an area North East of Kyoto. It was a mountainous nature preserve and a ce that Shiru had visited several times with her family as a child. The two built a small home together and began passing the time growing vegetables and conducting magical experiments. Just as she promised, Shiru went back to school, remotely and has been working on two separate degrees in biology. Though she doubts that she''ll ever use them.


    As time went on, the other members of the Misfits found their way to Shirus and Alveron''s mountain home, and the gang was reunited atst. Things quickly settled into something resembling their time in the Silka Forest, until a certain <i>Demon </i>came knocking. Not wanting to anger the most dangerous being on the, they agreed to work with her and provide things that she needed from time to time, and in exchange she''d allow them to do as they pleased with that area ofnd.


    Life on the mountainside seemed to be quite peaceful, and life was a slow but happy one as the Misfits enjoyed themselves and their newfound freedom.


    "I still can''t believe Akagi caught Silfana and made her wear something like that." Shiru giggled as she cooked a big batch of pork tonkotsu ramen for dinner. "That outfit was kind of cute though."


    "It was funny, that''s for sure." Alveron was kept <i>away </i>from the giant pot and was firmly nted on the dinner table. "I''d say she deserved that kind of punishment at a minimum after everything she did."


    "The fact that she wasn''t just killed by Akagi was already a surprise, but this was defiantly more entertaining." Daikaelughed as she sat drafting up notes for her cloning technology. Imp had taken to the idea quite well and the two were making rapid advancements, and both figured it would only be a few years until Daikael had her own clone wife.


    "Too bad nyit wasn''t nya kitty nyonyesie meow~!"


    [Too bad it wasn''t a kitty onesie!] Ara giggled as she was pet by Avahn.


    "I kinda want to fight her though! Do you think Akagi would let me?" Avahn didn''t get much of a duel with Silfana at Hassan and was hoping for a proper match.


    "Maybe." Shiru said as she put a lid on the pot. "But that''s something you''re going to have to ask our resident evil overlord." She shrugged.


    "Nyi think nyavahn will win, nyeasy peasy meow~!"


    [I think Avahn will win, easy peasy!] Ara was confident that her angry kitty would defeat the Vampire in a duel.


    As the five of them sat around the dinner table and discussed various things, the front door was kicked open.


    "Good Afternoon, everyone!" Akagi''s smiling face greeted the Misfit''s and all their hair stood on end.


    "H-Hello..." Shiru greeted her but had a bad feeling.


    "So do I have something exciting for you all!" Akagi continued to smile as she walked into the kitchen.


    "E-Exciting?" Alveron asked quietly, as he too had a bad feeling.


    "Yeah! How would you all like to fight Serval?" Akagi asked with a terrifying smile, and none of them answered her. "What''s that? You''re raring to go? Well far be it from me to deny such wonderful people their heart''s desire." Her smile curved into a smirk. "So let me fill you in on the details."


    And that is the story of how the Misfits willingly volunteered of their own free will to fight the Emerald Dragon Emperor Serval.

 Chapter 177 – Assemble!

    Chapter 177 ¨C Assemble!


    "Hmm. Hmm. Hmm." Akagi hummed along happily while being floofed by Yumi. The two were currently sitting under a pavilion in the garden area, with a whole group of people watching them.


    "Would it kill you to at least <i>try</i> and take this seriously?" Hishya sighed. She, the RRT, the Misfits, a few members of Shining de and Birdy had all gathered at Akagi''s home for the impending attack. The <i>Demon </i>figured that it would be directed at her, and she wanted the team ready to act ASAP.


    "Would you rather I be in bunny form?" Akagi was currently in medium-sized Catkagi mode, but she could be even more silly if requested. ¡°I could do this entire meeting as nothing more than a happy that sits on your head if you want.¡± She giggled knowing how silly it would be as she''d one it before.


    "Forget it." Hishya shook her head. "It''s not important, and I don''t want to get into it with <i>you </i>right now..."


    <i>{Stupid Demon cat, why do you have to do this kind of stuff to me?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    "I think it''s cute." Eris chuckled. ¡°She''s so fluffy and adorable that it makes you forget she could eradicate entire cities with a single attack.¡±


    "Yes-yes Catkagi is cute-floofy!" Imp said while petting her on the head. ¡°Not dangerous-deadly.¡±


    "Mew!" Akagi enjoyed the extra attention but was pulled away from Imp''s hand by Yumi, who red at the Imp.


    <i>{MY FLOOF!} </i>(Yumi)


    "And that''s even cuter!" Ayamaughed. "She''s so jealous."


    "Morepetition meow~!"


    [Morepetition!] Ara hissed at the sight of Catkagi. She wanted to be the cute cat that everyone fawned over, but Akagi was currently stealing the show.


    "Now, now." Avahn bonked her on the head. "I''ll pet you as much as you like."


    "Nya~!" Ara cooed at the ear scratches she was provided by her girlfriend.


    "I think all the <i>fluff </i>is making this ce too warm." Minazawa groaned. "Can we please just get back on track?"


    "Yeah, Hishya you''ve got the floor." Akagizily waved her on. ¡°So have at it!¡±


    "Don''t act like you''re not doing anything!" Hishya growled. "You aren''t leaving this solely to me! So get your tail in gear and start helping!"


    "Ok, fine..." Akagi took a deep breath. "YOU CAN WIN! YOU FEEL GREAT! YOU. CAN. DO. THIS!!!"


    "I fucking hate you..." Hishya figured ignoring Akagi would be in her best interest, and so gave up on demanding help from the <i>Demon</i>.


    "Pfff." Mixu was having a hard time holding inughter.


    <i>{That''s one hell of a reference, Akagi.} </i>(Mixu)


    "You got something to say, <i>leech</i>?" Hishya red at her.


    "Nope, nothing from me, <i>lizard</i>." Mixu was still trying not tough.


    "Yes well, first of all. We need to figure out who''s going to be in charge." Eris red at Hishya. "I don''t think I need to tell you that my guild isn''t exactly one to work with Hishya, let alone take orders from her." Most members of Shining de <i>didn''t </i>have the best rapport with Hishya.


    "I understand your issues with me, but please think of the bigger picture here." Hishya bit her lip. "If we don''t alle together, there is no way we''re going to beat Serval. He''s far to strong to beat <i>without </i>coordination from all of us."


    "I have no issues following orders from either Eris or Hishya." Shiru said. "You are both capablemanders and my friends, so I don''t mind working with you."


    "Yup." Alveron smiled.


    "I''ll get to blow things up regardless of who''s in charge, so I don''t care." Daikael said while stretching.


    "Nyo problem here nya meow~!"


    [We have no problem!] Ara spoke for herself and for Avahn who was too busy petting her to pay attention.


    "The RRT doesn''t really care either." Aoi said. "So figure it out so we can continue." She was barely awake as she sipped her coffee, as it had been a long night due to a few sporadic returnee events.


    "Zephiria and Birdy don''t care either." Akagi spoke up.


    "Why are you talking <i>for </i>them?" Hishya asked.


    "Because I own them." Akagi startedughing.


    "Wait, I knew you had Birdy, but what''s this about Zeff?" Superbia was confused.


    <i>{She has Zeff too?!?} </i>(Superbia)


    "I sold my soul for knowledge and power." Zephiria waved off their concerns. "Nothing major, so don''t worry about it."


    "Zephiria!" Excelsior yelled. "How could you do something so stupid! Even for you, this is a new level of idiocy!"


    "In fairness, what I got in exchange was her eternal servitude, not her soul per se. Since if I took that she would die." Akagiughed. ¡°So its all good!¡±


    "You just..." Excelsior pinched the bridge of his nose. "Are you sure you''re not rted to Satan himself? Because by god you two are looking more simr each passing day..."


    "Who knows?" Akagi shrugged. "Maybe he''s a distant rtive. You know, like ones you meet at family reunions and are constantly told are your cousins, but you never see outside of said events."


    "That sounded oddly specific." Ayamemented.


    "Don''t read into it." Akagi stuck out her tongue. "Just know Zeff is fine. I only did this to see what would happen and because it sounded neat. So I''m not going to do anything bad to or with her."


    <i>{The actual amount of power I gave her is so small that I literally cannot tell the difference. But boy did it power her up. Though her body can''t handle it very well yet.} </i>(Akagi)


    "So the only people who have issues with leadership are Shining de, which isn''t shocking since you guys never liked Hishya." Minazawa sighed. "So what are we going to do? We need to work together if we''re going to win. Eris and Ayame alone are powerful, but if you add in Xerxes and Tiball and that makes for a potent team. Even with Serval''s bullshit damage reduction gone, we still need them.¡±


    "I''ll follow whatever decision Eris makes." A tall man with darker skin said. This was Xerxes, a pure martial build whose fighting style revolved around a short spear and shield. ¡°This is a bit too big to just ignore, even if we don''t like Hishya, so I''d advise cooperation.¡±


    "Same. I don''t mind working with Hishya in this one instance, but it''s gotta be approved by Eris first." A younger man with short red hair agreed. He was Tiball, a Pdin like Hitamaguchi. Though he fought with twin des rather than a great sword.


    "Oh yeah, there are a few more who will be joining youter." Akagi winked. ¡°So expect a bit of backup during the fight.¡±


    "Who else? Isn''t this everyone?" Hishya asked. "We reached out to as many returnees as possible, but no one else agreed.¡±


    <i>{Idiots all of them...} </i>(Hishya)


    "I could tell you, but that would ruin the surprise." Akagiughed. "I''ve been prepping a crack shock team for such an asion, and I think you''ll appreciate the backup. But for now, let''s just say you know each and every one of them." She was looking forward to seeing their reaction to her brand new team.


    "That is a <i>concerning</i> statement." Mixu rolled her eyes. "What about Silfana? Is she going to help?" Her question made the pavilion go silent.


    "That''s up to you all." Akagi shrugged. "If you want her to help, then I don''t mind lending her. Its not like she''s weak, and she has no choice in the matter."


    <i>{Though she''s absolutely going to HATE working under Hishya.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Can we even trust her?" Minazawa asked. "She''s a World Boss and someone we''ve shed with in the past. Not to mention she''s a fucking crazy ass monster who wants to kill or enve the world."


    "I don''t exactly like the idea of having her at my back." Excelsiormented. "She could easily betray us during the battle, so I don''t want to risk it."


    "If she does, then she gets to join Armalthy." Akagi''s words made everyone ufortable since they knew what he was enjoying at the moment. "Trust me, she''s a good girl that knows better than to disobey me. Unlike Yumi here, Silfana listens to orders and doesn''t engage in insubordination."


    Thisment earned Akagi a bonk on the head. "Don''t make it sound like I did something bad!" Yumi growled.


    "Hey, it might have been benign, but you and Chloe <i>did </imit insubordination." Akagiughed.


    "What did they even do? I can''t imagine your people betraying you." Minazawa asked.


    "Excel won''t like this, but umm. So you know the Church of Satan?" Akagi said nervously.


    "Yes..." Excelsior red at her.


    "So those two idiots went behind my back and made their own secret cult dedicated to me. Something I told them <i>not </i>to do, but they did anyway. Currently, the two are being punished, with Yumi being forced to coddle me, and Chloe was relegated to maid duty for a month." Akagiughed.


    "So <i>that''s</i> why Chloe was getting yelled at by Maryanne!" Shiruughed. "I heard something about her tripping and breaking ss earlier this morning.¡± It was not a good idea to anger the seven foot tall angry, and strong hobgoblin who ran the n''s maids.


    "Yeah, that stupid cat is clumsy when ites to household chores." Akagi sighed. "Oh well, it wouldn''t be punishment if it was fun." Sheughed internally as she imagined Chloe getting a verbal and physicalshing from Maryanne.


    Everyone paused and stared at Yumi, who had a big smile on her face as she pet Akagi.


    <i>{I see you are a totally non-biased judge.} </i>(Hishya)


    "So now we have a religion dedicated to the literal incarnation of evil." Excelsior sighed. "I''m just going to pretend I didn''t hear that."


    "Ahe on Excel! It''s fun! We do potlucks and y games!" Zephiria smiled. "It''s great fun, and we had a st yesterday. Watching Sakura get ckout drunk and dance around was hrious!" She giggled.


    "Why am I not surprised that <i>you </i>joined in?" Excelsior waved her off. "Forget it."


    "I wonder if we should register as a non-profit? We need tax-exempt status!" Yumi''sment made everyoneugh hysterically, even Excel thought her joke was funny.


    "Getting back on track." Hishya figured that if she didn''t call things back to order, it would derail entirely. "We need to figure this out, Eris." She looked at the red-haired woman. "I don''t want to sound arrogant."


    "Oh, so that''s not intentional?" Erismented.


    "But...." Hishya was going to ignore that. "I''m the best person for the job. I have the skills and experience leading raiding parties, specifically ones against Serval, so I won''t back down and just casually ept you as leader. Not because I don''t think you could handle it, but because I know for a fact that I can do it better." Hishya''s skill in tactical and strategic nning was well known, and no one here would take that from her.


    "Yes, that''s all true. However..." Eris pointed to her. "I''m not happy with the idea of taking orders from you again! You used your position to kick me and so many others out of the Assault Team because we were inconveniencing you. I know that you''vee to repent over these years, and I won''t disparage such efforts. However, you still have things to answer for! Thus..." She summoned her ive and pointed it at Hishya. "I challenge you, Hishya! We will have a match! 1v1 between you and me! The winner will takemand of this joint team for the duration of the battle!"


    <i>{Oh? I wasn''t sure what would happen, but I''m d to see my favorite predictione true.} </i>(Akagi)


    Hishya''s mouth twisted into a terrible smile. "Deal." Her eyes locked onto the red-headed woman. "I''ve been wanting to see just what kind of <i>training</i> Akagi put you through anyway."


    "Training?" Superbia looked at the Catkagi. "What is that about?"


    "I made a ce for returnees to train and get stronger." Akagi smiled.


    "Why didn''t you say anything to us?!?" Avahn growled. "I wanted to get even stronger!"


    "Yeah meow~!"


    [Yeah!] Ara protested as well.


    "Eris was the only one who asked." Akagi shrugged. "Y''all are free to go in if you want, just don''te crying to me when Bonko fucks you up." Sheughed.


    <i>{Not to mention Alveron helped make it. I guess he said nothing.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Bonko?" Minazawa raised an eyebrow.


    "Don''t tell them! Let it be a surprise!" Ayameughed. The clown bear had be an inside joke at this point, and she wanted to see other people''s reactions.


    "Alice had fun helping me make him." Akagi chuckled. "So I think she''ll be happy if he gets more ymates."


    "Eris..." Hishya turned to her. "What the hell kind of training did you guys do?"


    <i>{Akagi you bastard!} </i>(Hishya)


    "Oh you know, a bit of this and a bit of that. A few trapdoors and massive monsters with crazy weapons. The usual." Eris smirked. "Trust me, I''m not as weak as I was before. This time... this time little dragon, I''m going to defeat you!" Sparks flew between the two women, as their rivalry heated up once again.


    Spoiler


    Tiball!


    Xerxes!


    [copse]

 Interlude 10 – The Spirits Discuss the Past and the Future.

    Interlude 10 ¨C The Spirits Discuss the Past and the Future.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Apologize for the error. My file doesn''t have these in the right ce, so when I uploaded the chapters, I identally skipped this one. I will ce it in the correct order on the list.


    "I can''t believe it''se to this." Mizumi sighed. She, Shinlua, and Kukurihime were sitting around a table in the greenhouse discussing recent events. They''d brought out some alcohol since they needed something to take the edge off.


    "That our own descendants woulde to act in such a fashion... I imagine Dokorimon would be spinning in his grave if he had one." Kukurihime shook her head in disbelief. She''d been informed of the events within Omara, and was both saddened and angered by the foolishness of the Council.


    <i>{Our people fled this world out of fear of humanity, but to think they''d one daye back to kill and enve them... Our people never wanted that, so why would they try and do such a thing. I understand being angry at those who attacked you in that other world, but the people of Earth have done nothing to you. Even in the past, shes were minor, and it was rare for one of us to perish by human hands.} </i>(Kukurihime)


    "It''s funny. Many of our kind think us better than others, and yet we''re no different when you get down to it." Mizumi gave a defeatedugh as she took a shot of sake. "We disparage humans for their petty squabbles, yet here we are... We finally get to a ce where we can live in peace, and the first thing we do is make an enemy of the very being that could destroy us..." She took another sip. Mizumi didn''t really like alcohol, but right now, she needed a drink.


    "At the very least, Akagi seems like she has no malicious intent." Shinlua gave a wry smile. "I''m not sure if that''s just me being optimistic or naive."


    "Probably a mix of both." (Mizumi x Kukurihime)


    "Don''t get me wrong, Akagi has been a big help in getting Omara to where it is, and she''s not exactly a terrible person." Mizumi groaned. "It''s just that I know her well enough by this point... That mind of hers is a crazy ce, and I don''t even want to imagine what might happen to her over the centuries and millennia."


    <i>{I anticipate that things will go the way of EVERY being that has a long lifespan. She''ll eventually get boredand start doing things to entertain herself. I just hope that she doesn''t start seeing PEOPLE as eptable targets for boredom alleviation.} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Time has a way of warping people. I''ve only been around a few thousand years, and I can tell that I''ve be much less attached to the world around me." Kukurihime gave a nervousugh. ¡°Its just what happens...¡±


    "I understand what you mean." Shinlua gave a wry smile. "My kind lives much shorter lives than yours, but even <i>our</i> outlook can confuse humans. I suppose that is a natural part of living longer than most other beings."


    <i>{Humans typically see us Elves as aloof or uncaring, something that is not necessarily untrue.} </i>(Shinlua)


    "And Akagi will live on far longer than any of us." Mizumiughed as she put her head on the table. "If nothing kills her, that crazy <i>Demon </i>will be here forever! And I''ve doomed our people to eternally serving her..."


    <i>{Things couldn''t get any worse...} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Please don''t say things like that, Lady Mizumi." Shinlua tried tofort her. "Things will be fine. While bing subjects of a Demon Lord is not the most... <i>desirable</i> oue, I believe it was the most <i>favorable</i> oue we could have gotten."


    <i>{We could easily be dead or wishing we were right now, so lets just be thankful for the cards we''ve been dealt, rather than wishing we could have a new hand.} </i>(Shinlua)


    "Indeed, from what you''ve told me, she intends to allow things to run as they were before, and she isn''t exactly making you ves. In fact, having such an existence protecting you has its benefits." Kukurihime tried to make her feel better with head pats.


    <i>{Why are they treating me like a child?!? I know your older than me, but its still not right!} </i>(Mizumi)


    As she was dying on the inside from beingforted by Kukurihime, a voice called out to them.


    "Oh? Is someone else using the greenhouse today?" Alice entered the greenhouse while holding Floofy in her arms.


    "Hello, Alice." Mizumi sighed.


    <i>{I swear if she starts tofort me too, I''ma scream...} </i>(Mizumi)


    "It''s that sweet child fromst time!" Kukurihime''s eyes sparkled when she saw Alice. "Come here." She patted herp.


    "???" Alice tilted her head. "Ahh, you''re that olddy who was here before!" She didn''t recognize Kukurihime at first and gave her a knockout blow.


    "Pfff." (Shinlua x Mizumi)


    "O-old..." Kukurihime froze.


    <i>{O-old...} </i>(Kukurihime)


    "Mama said that you were one of those mean olddies who do nothing but drink box wine and take care of cats ''cause you''re lonely!" Alice stepped back.


    "Oh, my fucking god!" Mizumi burst outughing. "Akagi, you''re so awful!"


    <i>{But that was great...} (Mizumi)</i>


    "I..." Kukurihime had no idea what to even say to suchments from the child.


    "I think she broke." Shinlua was having a hard time holding inughter as she watched Kukurihime break.


    Alice''s lips curled into a smirk. "Just kidding!" She startedughing. "Mama said no such thing. I just wanted to mess with you!" She walked up to the Oni and crawled onto herp.


    "THAT''S EVEN FUNNIER!" Mizumi started pounding on the table as sheughed, and Shinlua finally lost control of herself. Being slightly buzzed probably didn''t help.


    "Why would you do such a thing?!? I thought you were a sweet child!" Kukurihime shook off her shock and questioned her.


    "I''m my mother''s daughter. What did you expect?" Alice grinned.


    "She corrupted you!" Kukurhime cried out in horror


    "Maybe?" Alice thought for a moment. "Yeah, probably. But that''s fine." She smiled.


    "I knew that <i>Demon </i>was no good!" Kukurihime''s eyes lit up with fire. "I shall save you, my child, no matter the cost!"


    "Good luck." Aliceughed.


    "I see that Akagi''s child is just as feisty as she is." Shinlua was still giggling. "Though, I must ask what kind of saint the father is if he can put up with such a woman." Thisment caused the entire room to quiet up.


    <i>{Did I ask something I shouldn''t have?} </i>Shinlua started sweating nervously.


    "Alice is <i>not </i>Akagi''s biological child, Shinlua." Mizumi decided to exin things. "She took her in during their time in-game, and formally adopted her as her daughter once they returned to Earth. Her biological parents are... are no longer with us."


    "Oh...." Shinlua felt bad for bringing up the topic. "I''m sorry, Alice. I didn''t mean to bring back bad memories with my words."


    "It''s fine." Alice hugged Floofy. "Mama has been a great Mama to me. She''s taken care of me ever since we first met..."


    <i>{I barely even remember my real parents anymore, and I don''t even recall what their faces looked like....} </i>(Alice)


    "My poor child." Kukurihime stroked her head. "You''ve been through so much, haven''t you?" She had a soft spot for children and didn''t like to see them in pain.


    "It''s been hard, there were so many mean people that did bad things to me, but Mama has been nothing but kind to me." Alice said while her face was pushed against Floofy. "She saved me from the pain..."


    "You love Akagi very much, don''t you?" Mizumi asked. She''d sobered up slightly now that Alice was here, but was still drunk.


    "Yeah!" Alice smiled. "Mama always ys with me every day, and she does everything she can to make me smile. Though I wish she''d let me do more for her..." She knew Akagi kept some of her own issues away from her. When she found out just how lonely Akagi was without Yumi, the girl yelled at her for not seeking her out. The <i>Demon </i>didn''t like the idea of relying on her for support, but Alice told her that it was perfectly fine and scolded her for being stupid.


    "I''m d to hear that." Kukurihime smiled. "I can''t say much about Akagi myself, but it''s nice to see her taking such good care of you."


    "Yeah, it''s still strange to think the Demon Lord can be a loving parent." Mizumi sighed. "It goes against all logic."


    "Mama... Mama''s parents were awful people..." Alice said quietly. "They were terrible to her, and they hated her." She knew a small bit of Akagi''s history, as the <i>Demon </i>had shared a bit about her own past to get Alice to open up. "The other day, Mama''s Mama said something that made her sad... so Mama came into my room and hugged me while singing a song. Kana exined it to meter, but Mama was in a lot of pain..."


    Kukurihime and Shinlua didn''t really understand the situation and looked at Mizumi.


    "Akagi''s parents were, for whatever reason, aware that she was not human, and treated her as a pariah her entire life." Mizumi gave a bitter smile. "She was hated by her own parents, and that contributed to how bitter and twisted of a person she is today. It''s... it''s truly awful. Demon Lord or not, for a young child to experience such hatred is... is uneptable." She shook her head.


    <i>{She''s only told me a tiny fraction of the story, and I imagine it goes much deeper. I wonder if Vikes went through something simr?} </i>(Mizumi)


    "That''s..." Kukurihime had no idea what to say. "To think that one could treat their own child in such a way." She shook her head. "I cannot even fathom such a thing. I''ve loved every member of my family, from my own son to my distant descendants. Hating one''s own child for simply not being human is just..."


    <i>{What appalling people. She was a child who needed a loving family! Pushing her away for being born differently is just awful!} </i>(Kukurihime)


    "But it''s all ok!" Alice smiled as she kicked her feet. "Mama has all of us now!" She smiled. "We all love her and support her so she''s never alone again."


    "That''s good to hear." Kukurihime pat her on the head.


    <i>{I wonder where we fall in that? Does Akagi actually give a damn about me and the Spirits, or are we just toys for her amusement?} </i>(Mizumi)


    "The other day Mama and I had so much fun!" Alice looked over at Mizumi. "She was telling me all sorts of stories about your new home! She even showed me pictures! It was so pretty, and the people seemed really nice."


    "Thank you." Mizumi smiled. The girl''s warmth was infectious.


    <i>{I just hope Akagi really means it when she says that she wants this girl to always smile.} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Mama told me that after Serval is beaten that she''d take me to see the Spirit City." Alice smiled.


    "I''d love to show you around." Shinlua chuckled. "It is a wonderful ce."


    "Mama said so too!" Alice''s words surprised the Elf and Water Spirit. "She loved the whole ce! She told me about all the people she met, and the things that she and Kana did! When she talked to me about it, she had the biggest smile on her face!" Alice giggled. "Mama seemed to like your home a lot, and she didn''t stop talking about it for like a week! Mama said it reminded her of Antkellion, which was our favorite ce to go in FWO. It was always busy, and the people there were so much fun!"


    <i>{Did she really enjoy herself that much?} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Mama even told me that she wants to make your home even better once she gets her country in the Summer." Alice said. "What was it that she said to me?" She thought for a minute. "Ahh, yes. She said. <i>I want to make that world into a ce where everyone can be happy!"</i>


    Alice''s words again shocked Shinlua and Mizumi. They never expected Akagi to take such a liking to their home, and the idea of the <i>Demon </i>genuinely<i> </i>desiring the happiness of their people had never crossed their minds.


    "I would love for that!" Mizumi giggled. "And I''ll work as hard as possible with Akagi to make it happen."


    "As will I." Shinlua smiled.


    <i>{Perhaps I''ve misjudged her yet again. Is it really possible that Akagi truly wants to make my people... happy?} </i>(Mizumi)

 Chapter 178 – The Power of Prediction, and the Gap.

    Chapter 178 ¨C The Power of Prediction, and the Gap.


    "Alrighty! Before we begin our main event, let''s start off with some bets!" Akagi pped her hands and got everyone''s attention. "I''ve got 3:1 on the Lizard and 5:1 on Ms. Angry, so lets see some money people!" They were currently grouped up in a field south of the estate, where Akagi had created a small arena with her power with both Hishya and Eris standing at opposite sides.


    "Really?" Hishya groaned. "Why are you taking bets?"


    <i>{You''re a real pain sometimes, Akagi.} </i>(Hishya)


    "I''ll put a million Yen on Hishya!" Superbia pped down the money on a small table that Akagi created in front of her.


    "Really, Superbia?" Minazawa shook her head. "At least bet something substantial." She pped down ten million yen. "Put it on Hishya too. I love easy money."


    ¡°Easy?!? I''ll fucking kick your ass too, Mina!¡± Eris barked at her.


    "Thank you both for you kind donations." Akagi ced the money in her inventory. "Payouts will be after the match, so just wait a bit."


    "I''ll do a million on Eris." Mixu gave her money as well, not wanting to be left out of the fun..


    "Oh?" Akagi smiled as she took the money. ¡°Vampy feels that Hishya can''t win. A bold prediction, let see how it pans out.¡± She snickered


    ¡°I have faith that Eris''s righteous fury will lead her to victory.¡± Mixu said smugly. ¡°That and I want to see Hishya face down in the dirt.¡±


    ¡°I heard that you fucking leech!¡± Hishya hissed at her.


    ¡°Kick her ass, Eris!¡± Mixu cheered her on.


    "I''ll also do a million on Eris." Zephiria smirked. "Don''t you dare lose!"


    "The <i>Demon </i>is tempting everyone to sin." Excelsior rolled his eyes. "Ten million on Hishya."It seemed this man of faith had no problem performing the sin of gambling.


    "There we go! Finally someone''s putting their money where their mouth is!" Minazawaughed.


    "Put me down for ten million on Hishya as well." Ayame pped down the money.


    "You fuck!" Eris yelled at her. "Shouldn''t you be betting on me?!?"


    <i>{You bitch!} </i>(Eris)


    "Listen cupcake. It''s not that I don''t believe in you, but I gotta be realistic. Hishya is crazy powerful." Ayame winked.


    "I''ll remember this, you bitch!" Eris growled.


    ¡°Aww, love you too babe.¡± Ayame blew a kiss.


    <i>{You''ll be getting sore tonight! I won''t be holding back!} </i>(Eris)


    "Contestants may bet upon themselves as well!" Akagi chimed in.


    "One hundred million on me!" (Hishya x Eris)


    "They <i>do </i>realize that is just doing this for kicks, right?" Daikael pointed out that this whole thing was basically a farce.


    <i>{Also, Akagi probably already knows who wins this.} </i>(Daikael)


    "Don''t spoil their fun." Shiru giggled as she shushed the fox.


    Once everyone who wanted to made their bets, Akagi collected all the money. "Good, looks like we''ve got one heck of a pot tonight!" Akagiughed. "Then let''s make some seating for our lovely audience." She pped her hands and formed a set of bleachers for everyone to sit on to watch the fight.


    "So what are the rules?" Eris asked.


    "How about a limited battle?" Hishya put out an idea. "No magic, just our enate abilities, and raw skill. Otherwise, we might nuke the entire arena."


    "Fine, but you can''t transform into a dragon." Eris didn''t want to deal with that since she knew it would probably be impossible to win against Hishya''s dragon form.


    "Alright, that works for me." Hishya nodded. "As for victory conditions, how about we say victory is obtained in one of three ways." She held up her fingers. "First, one of us gives up. Second, Akagi steps in to call the match if something that would be lethal, or third, we get knocked out of the arena and onto the ground."


    "I''m good with that." Akagi said from Yumi''sp as the Priestess yed with her ears.


    "Sounds fine to me!" Eris smirked. "I''ll just knock you down and make you squeal like the pig you are!"


    "You can try, but unlike Ayame, it takes a bit more effort to make me squeal!" Hishya was getting excited at the prospect of this duel. She had no clue how powerful Eris was now, but that only excited her more.


    <i>{Oh fuck you Hishya! And to think I bet on you!} </i>(Ayame)


    "To start the battle." Akagi put out her hand and created a shadow rabbit that leaped into the middle of the arena. "We shall use <i>this</i>."


    "A rabbit?" Hishya rolled her eyes.


    "When it explodes, the battle begins." Akagi chuckled.


    <i>{Why am I not surprised...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Poor bunny..." Yumi said sadly as she pet Akagi on the head.


    "It''s just part of me, so it''s fine if it goes boom." Akagi giggled.


    Yumi took a second to think before speaking again. "Poor bunny..." She continued petting Akagi on the head as she flipped the <i>Demon</i> cat''s ears inside out.


    <i>{Not poor me?} </i>(Akagi)


    "Alright, on the count of <i>exploding rabbit, </i>we shall begin." Eris summoned her ive, and Hishya took out Sunstrike.


    *BEEP* The rabbit made a noise as it turned green.


    *BEEP* The rabbit made a noise as it turned yellow.


    *BEEP* The rabbit made a noise as it turned red.


    *BANG* The rabbit exploded, signaling the start of the duel. A split second after it detonated, Eris and Hishya rocketed forwards, their weapons shing, causing a loud ng as they collided.


    "And that''s a wrap." Akagi''s statement everyone to turn their heads in confusion.


    "What?" Ayame asked. "What are you talking about? They <i>literally </i>just started."


    <i>{How could it be over already?!?} </i>(Ayame)


    "Yes, but it''s already decided." Akagiughed. "In fact, Hishya will win in this many moves.¡± Akagi drew a small pattern in the air to show the number.


    "How the hell could you possibly know that?" Minazawa didn''t buy it. "There are so many variables here, and you''re telling me you have this shit down to a science? So what? Does your Demon Lord powers give you the ability to see the future or something?"


    <i>{I wouldn''t be surprised if she said yes.} </i>(Minazawa.)


    "No, no future sight here. However, one does not need to see the future to be able to make <i>predictions</i>." Akagi smirked. " And I just so happen to be very good at processing data and giving results."


    "How the hell is it possible for you to already predict a victor?" Excelsior asked. "You can''t tell me that you''ve somehow calcted every single possible oue and move in this duel and boiled that down to an answer."


    "That''s exactly what I''ve just done. Watch." Akagi pointed at the battling women. "Hishya will make a strike at a 45-degree angle which will miss, allowing Eris to smack her in the face with the back end of her ive." Everyone turned looked at the match, eager to see her proved wrong.


    "I''ve got you now!" Hishya cried out as she swung her de down at the exact angel Akagi predicted. Eris moved back slightly and deflected Sun Strike with the body of her ive, making Hishya momentarily lose her bnce and leaving her open to a quick strike with the butt of her weapon.


    "See." Akagi smirked.


    "You''ve gotta be..." Excel looked between Akagi and the battle several times. "How did you just?"


    "Hahahahahha." Akagi began to cackle as Yumi happily snuggled her. "It''s simple my boy! I just take every single bit of avable data on these two and calcte the probability that they may take a particr action. I do this countless numbers of times over and over again until I have a proper data set, then correct for outliers, give margin of error, and then BOOM! I''ve got myself a nice set of reliable predictions about a course of events. I then dissect each of those until I find that most likely one of the bunch. In the end, while it''s not 100% bulletproof, I''m usually correct in predicting which future wille to pass."


    "That''s crazy!" Mixu dropped her cigarette. "So <i>that''s </i>why you always seem to know what the fuck is going to happen?!?"


    <i>{I knew she was good at predicting things, but this is fucking crazy.} </i>(Mixu)


    "I see. That exins things." Birdy mused. "No wonder most things went exactly as you expected, down to the letter even."


    <i>{I always just though her intel was good, but you''re telling me she''s basically a fucking supeputer?!?} </i>(Birdy)


    "But how is that even possible? That kind ofputing power is beyond even the highest spec of supeputers! Is it because you''re a Demon Lord?" Superbia was in disbelief over Akagi''s im.


    "That''s too fast for nyeven mewn meow~!"


    [That''s too fast for even me!] Ara was surprised, though, in fairness, her speed was physical, not mental.


    "Being given ess to all my power <i>did</i> help considerably." Akagi chuckled. "However, this ability <i>did not</i> originate from my status as the Demon Lord. In fact, I''ve had this ability since I was born, and it worked, albeit less efficiently when I had a human body." She grinned. "Since FWO, I''ve been able tomand far more processing power,rgely due to my body no longer having the limitations of a biological brain." She tapped her head. "The brain is an amazing bit of evolution. However, its power has a rather low cap inparison to what I could do, and thus my prediction abilities were always rather limited. Once you added in the Demon Lord power, my in-born talent was ratcheted up to eleven."


    "How far can you see?" Ayame asked with trepidation.


    Akagi turned to her and smiled. "<i>That </i>will remain a secret. My prediction ability is my most powerful weapon and one that I kept close to my chest. Not even Yumi here knows more than what I''ve just exined. However, I will say this..." Akagi hopped out of Yumi''sp and took on her normal form before turning to all the attendees. "As long as I have all the relevant information on a subject, it is unlikely that I will not know the oue." She turned to watch the fight. "The moment those two shed, thest unknown variable was removed, and thus, I was able to make a prediction." The two women shed in the arena, and it seemed like an even fight. "Eris <i>has</i> gotten much more powerful since our return from FWO, and the gear and training I''ve provided her have been a great boon. However, it''s not enough." Akagi shook her head. "Theoretically, a dual without magic and where Hishya may not transform <i>should </i>be in Eris''s favor, however, that is incorrect in practice." Akagi slipped into analysis mode, and everyone was on the edge of their seats as she exined. "Hishya wins out in sheer power, that much cannot be denied, as a dragon is hard to defeat in terms of test of strength. However, Eris''s barbarian abilities provide a massive advantage by nullifying a good chunk of damage, and she''s much more resilient than Hishya. Additionally, her weapon is superior in this type ofbat, as its reach is a great boon. Furthermore, if you break things down by skill levels, Hishya, while better, is not so much so that Eris is doomed just by that."


    "Then why can''t she win?" Ayame asked as a massive bang came from the arena. "What''s holding her back?"


    "That, my friend, is for you and her to figure out. However, allow me to give you this small hint." Akagi chuckled. "Our little dragon here went against Silfana 1v1 and won. While it was a close battle, she was ultimately victorious, an oue that could not be said for Eris if she were to fight her. She even took Silfana''s most powerful attack head-on and survived, albeit with some damage."


    <i>{Then... what''s the difference between them?} </i>Ayame thought as the two women continued to sh. <i>{Is it really just because she''s a dragon? Or is there another reason? Something I''m not seeing?} </i>


    <i>{Figuring out what separates Eris from Hishya will be an important step in ascending to the next level of power, and perhaps that realization will finally give Hishya the rival she needs to increase her power. For all my talk of us being rivals, she''s not worthy of such a title as she is now. Not with the great difference in power between us. I just hope that Eris can aid our little dragon in soaring to new heights, as I''d like for a worthy rival who can provide me with the fight I so crave} </i>(Akagi)

 Chapter 179 – Eris v. Hishya.

    Chapter 179 ¨C Eris v. Hishya.


    The two warriors shed as they zipped around the makeshift arena, their weapons striking against one another, creating a loud ng and causing a shockwave to erupt from their contact points.


    "Oh?" Hishya smirked. "I guess you''re a <i>bit</i> stronger thanst time."


    <i>{I actually felt those hits, Eris. Not bad. But its gonna take more than than to beat me.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Allow me to show you just how <i>strong </i>I''ve gotten!" Eris''s put more power into her ive, and the two rocketed around the arena at awesome speed.


    *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG*


    The pace of their movement easily eclipsed anything the other yers had seen, and there was a general sense of awe as the two high-ranking yers traded blows. Each was a master of their respective weapons, and despite Eris''s reach giving her an advantage, Hishya never relented.


    <i>{She''s a slippery bastard! Not surprising considering she''s a lizard!} </i>Eris thought as she barely dodged Sun Strike''s tip. She assumed that keeping Hishya at a distance would be easier, but the Dragon''s speed and footwork were making that difficult. As such, Eris had to rely on parrying and blocking with the ive''s shaft, something she wasn''tfortable with.


    *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG*


    "Come on, Eris!" Hishya chided her as she pressed her assault. "Move that hunk of metal out of the way and let me get a few hits in!" The Dragon mmed her de down, locking Eris in ce. "Where did all that bravado go? I thought you were suppose to beat me?!?" The dragon''s bad habits where showing, and she''d already gotten into her harassment and mocking phase.


    <i>{This is crazy! Even with my damage reduction from rage, I can still feel each blow ripple throughout my entire body!} </i>(Eris)


    Wanting to get some distance, Eris jerked her ive to deflect Hishya''s de off to the side, before reversing course and smacking her upside the head with the butt of the ive and shuffling backward.


    "Nice block, lizard!" Erisughed as she smashed the tip of the ive into the ground sending a shock wave towards Hishya. Such a small st wasn''t enough to even phase the dragon, and she easily swatted it away with a swish of her de.


    "I hope those tiny sts weren''t your only long-range attack." Hishyaughed. ¡°I''ve seen Akagi <i>sneeze</i> with more oomph than that!¡±


    <i>{Though without my fire, I can''t exactly do much at range either.} </i>Sun Strike''s ranged attacks were ssed as fire, something both she and Eris were immune to.


    "Oh, don''t worry, I''ve got plenty of tricks up my sleeve." Eris smirked as she took a stance and moved in closer. This time she wanted to put her ives reach to good work and tried to keep herself at enough of a distance to parry and deflect Hishya''s de away with ease.


    <i>{If I can just get her into a position where I can throw her off bnce, I might be able to take her out in one single swift motion. I''ve got enough strength to pound through that armor, and with my ive skills, I should be able to knock her out in one hit if I can get a clean blow on her head or upper body..} </i>(Eris)


    But that was easier said than done, and she knew that. Hishya was no easy opponent, and her natural power alongside her skill with her sword, meant that tripping her up was going to be difficult, if not impossible.


    The two inched closer to one another before they resumed their duel. This time, rather than zipping around at high speed, aparably ''slow'' engagement between them urred. Barely moving from their spots, the two warriors shed their weapons together at the midpoint of the arena, with Eris using her ive''s length to keep Hishya from getting closer. It seemed that the two had fallen into a rhythm with Hishya deflecting every attempt by Eris tond a blow while Eris thwarted the dragon''s attempt to sneak past her guard.


    <i>{Nice, now we just need to keep this up. Hishya isn''t the kind of girl to like such a slow paced and methodical battle, nor is her kit set up for this kind of engagement.} </i>(Eris)


    With no magic avable, Hishya''s options were limited, and Eris appeared to have the upper hand as every now and then a few blows from her ive would strike home, and blood started to spill from cuts on Hishya''s face.


    <i>{This is where I''ve wanted you. All that power doesn''t mean a damn thing if you can''t hit me! Prepare to be ground down by my defenses you lizard!} </i>(Eris)


    However despite the iing damage, Hishya never seemed to flinch. No matter how much blood poured from her wounds, her eyes stayed focused on her opponent, darting side to side as she scanned for any openings. After several minutes of back and forth, and a number of injuries on her face and hands, Hishya''s mouth curled into a nasty smile.


    <i>{Let''s see how you handle this, Eris.} </i>(Hishya)


    Slowly, the Dragon began to inhale arge quantity of air. Eris was too focused on the sh of their weapons to notice as Hishya pursed her lips.


    <i>{As Akagi told Kana, weapons aren''t the only thing your opponents can use in a fight!} </i>Once she was ready, Hishya let out a st of Dragon fire from her lips. Naturally, Eris wouldn''t take damage from such an attack, but that wasn''t the point. The sudden eruption of volcanic fire from her opponent caused Eris to flinch as her vision was filled with hot mes.


    <i>{What the fuck?!?} </i>(Eris)


    The audience watched in awe as Eris was engulfed in Hishya''s breath with some questioning the point, though Superbia and Akagi knew exactly what was going on.


    <i>{Thank god she''s immune to fire...} </i>(Ayame)


    Taking advantage of Eris''s confusion, Hishya knocked her ive out of the way as she continued to breathe fire before shing Eris across the chest, and carving a deep wound.


    "YOU BITCH!" Eris screamed as she swung her ive wildly. Hishya backed off and ended her breath attack, revealing a very wounded and angry Eris. Now, barbarians didn''t feel pain while in their enraged state, but that didn''t mean Eris wasn''t angry at what just happened. She could tell her wounds were severe and the fact that she was just yed, only served to piss her off even more.


    *BLECK!*


    Eris coughed up a bit of blood. Sun Strike hadn''t gone very deep, but her wound was severe. The only reason Akagi didn''t call the match here was because she knew Eris''s rage wouldn''t allow her to die from that attack.


    <i>{That attack... that honestly might have killed me if not for my barbarian BS.} </i>Eris was struggling to breathe. She might not have taken damage from the fire, but the de managed caused damage to her lungs via its impact. <i>{Fucking hell Hishya! What kind of insane power did bing a dragon give you?!?} </i>(Eris)


    "Still standing?" Hishya was genuinely impressed. "I put a lot of power into that attack. I guess it''s true what they say about barbs, you''re too angry to die. HA!" She giggled at her own stupid joke.


    <i>{Still, its impressive you managed to stay conscious after that. For a brief moment before my strike connected I unleashed around 90% of my power to make that attack as strong as I could without risking going on a rampage, and she STILL took it. Eris, you really are one hell of a fighter.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Keepughing, lizard." Eris retorted as she wiped the blood from her wips. "I''ll be giving you a nice big gash to pay you back!" She pointed her ive at Hishya.


    <i>{I say that, but I''m not entirely sure how much longer I can go on. That strike did massive damage, and rage might be powerful, but it''s not going to keep me going forever.} </i>(Eris)


    Ragested for a few minutes, and once it dropped, its user would immediately be mmed with all the pain and effects it was negating. If this happened mid-fight, that would be the end for Eris.


    Deciding that ended this battle as soon as possible was her only hope of achieving victory, Eris decided to try something she''d used on other opponents in the past. She took a deep breath and shook off her disorientation before sending a barrage of shock waves from her ive towards Hishya.


    The dragon easily dodged the rtively weak attacks, but damage wasn''t the point of these strikes. While mobile, the attacks still left Hishya momentarily off bnce and seemingly vulnerable. Seeing an opportunity after the dragon momentarily stumbled, Eris moved forward in a sh, closing the gap between her and Hishya before swinging her ive horizontally in an attempt to sweep the dragon''s legs out from under her and knock her prone.


    <i>{Now I''ve got you!} </i>(Eris)


    "A nice try, but that won''t work on me!" Hishyaughed as, rather than attempt to dodge the leg sweep, she lifted her right foot and mmed down on the tip of the ive, pinning it under her boot and trapping Eris.


    "You fucking stepped on it?!?" Eris was shocked to see Hishya attempt such a dangerous maneuver.


    <i>{That''s an insanely dangerous move! If she was too slow, I''d have done serious damage to her other leg!} </i>Eris was momentarily stunned by Hishya''s bold move.


    <i>{Getting your opponent off bnce and then sweeping their legs out from under them with a polearm is a textbook move. However, that means it''s also predictable, Eris. Do you really think I''d fall for that old trick?} </i>Hishya had vastly more PvP experience than Eris, and hers wasn''t just in training sessions. She''d fought real battles against real people, and the dragon was far more experienced in life or death battles than Eris.


    Eris tugged at her ive in an attempt to free it, but this was all for not as the dragon wasn''t about to let it go that easily. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Hishya pushed herself up and onto the ive and brought down Sun Strike, leaving Eris with a decision. Either take the blow and attempt to remove her ive, or let the weapon go and back off. She <i>could</i> resummon it at will, but there was a chance that Hishya would finish her off before she got that chance, and being without a weapon in a duel for even that brief window could prove fatal.


    The two options bounced in her mind as Hishya''s de grew closer until Eris, afraid of the damage from the de, decided to release her ive and back off.


    <i>{Not exactly like she had much choice since taking another hit wasn''t viable. However, this is the end.} </i>(Akagi)


    Akagi was correct in her assessment. For the moment Eris moved backward, Hishya increased her speed. In that brief moment, she activated nearly 95% of her power, her body bing covered in purple scales as she shed forward.


    <i>"And that''s that, Eris." </i>Hishya said smugly as her de was pressed against the barbarian''s neck.


    Eris''s eyes slowly drifted downward as she looked at Sun Strike, an all too familiar sight as something simr usually happened when the two dueled. Seeing this, Eris knew that there was nothing she could do in this situation except surrender.


    "I... you win..." Eris said with a smile.


    <i>"Good." </i>Hishya''s bad attitude shed through for a moment until she retracted her power. "That was an excellent fight, Eris. I enjoyed that."


    "Yeah, I did-" Eris suddenly stopped talking as she fell backward onto the ground unconscious.


    "Oh, yeah..." Hishya turned to Akagi. "Mind healing her before she dies?" She gave a wryugh as she rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment.

 Chapter 180 – It’s Raining Ceiling Fans.

    Chapter 180 ¨C It¡¯s Raining Ceiling Fans.


    "WOOOO!" Eris let out a wail while chugging down another potion. "Oh man, that fucking hurt so bad that I actually passed out!" Her rage had worn off causing the massive amount of pain being suppressed to hit her all at once, hence her copse. ¡°What a rush!¡±


    "You scared the heck out of me!" Ayame smacked her on the back of the head. "I thought you died!"


    <i>{Don''t go living through FWO just to die in some stupid match with Hishya!} </i>(Ayame)


    "Don''t worry about it." Akagi waved her off. "If she died I''da just did to her what I did to Misha."


    "Please don''t. You already corrupted one poor girl with your <i>Demon </i>power. We don''t need <i>more</i>." Hishya sighed. She''d taken a bit of damage and was drinking a potion as well.


    "We wee all those who are willing into the one true faith!" Yumi startedughing hysterically.


    "I''m good." Eris gave wry smile. "I don''t need Akagi brainwashing me into being some religious zealot who worships her."


    "I don''t want that either, so we''re good." Akagiughed. "Also, it''s not brainwashing, it... umm... I know it looks like it, but it''s not I swear."


    "Surrrrrreee it''s not." Hishya rolled her eyes. "I bet one of these days I''m going to wake up happily sacrificing some poor goat to you on an altar."


    "Goats are too little to satisfy me." Akagi chuckled. "But if you''d offer up some human souls, that might go a long way toward gaining my favor."


    She and Hishya looked at each other for a moment before bursting outughing.


    "I swear, those two are nothing but trouble together." Superbia sighed. ¡°I don''t know how it was in FWO, but I imagine this isn''t new.¡± Hishya''d told most of her friends the truth about her personality and history with Akagi by this point, and while some were upset, most had forgiven her and moved on.


    "I know, right? I can''t even tell what their rtionship is at this point. Are they friends?<i> </i>Enemies? Mutual pains in the asses?" Mixuughed.


    "I''d say, friends. Those two have always been like this, at least for as long as I''ve known them." Yumi smiled. "They honestly kind of remind me of siblings at times."


    <i>{Like Miji and I...} </i>(Yumi)


    "I can see it." Zephiria nodded. "They can fight like cats and dogs, or do silly things like this. It''s kinda cute actually."


    "I still can''t believe that she was able to not only predict the exact number of moves until Eris was beaten, but was able to give a y-by-y of events <i>before </i>they happened." Ayame shook her head in disbelief.


    <i>{What kind of insane bullshit is that?}</i> (Ayame)


    "I honestly didn''t believe her, but yeah..." Excel sighed as he walked up next to her.


    <i>{With that kind of power...} </i>(Excelsior)


    "I''ve been working for her for a while, and even <i>I </i>was surprised by her ability." Birdy gave an exaggerated shrug. "She''s always been scarily good at predicting her opponents, but I always assumed it was just due to her good intel collecting. That she can literally <i>calcte </i>the future like this is just..." She smirked. "It just makes me even happier that I hitched my wagon to her train."


    "From what I''ve been told, you didn''t exactly have much of a choice in the matter." Excel was not aware of the specific details surrounding Birdy''s service to Akagi, and, in fact, Birdy hadn''t told <i>anyone </i>what made her swear fealty to Akagi, even Hishya was rebuffed when she asked her.


    "Honestly, it''s nothing that special." Birdyughed. "She helped me out when I needed it the most, and that was that." She shrugged. "It''s not really a story worth telling."


    <i>{I owe her not only for saving my life, but also for helping me give some payback. I suppose that I can understand why some would be interested, but in reality, it''s not a very interesting tale. Besides, it was for nothing more than my own satisfaction, and I know Dad wouldn''t have liked it...} </i>(Birdy)


    "So, are we all good now?" Akagi asked while looking between Eris and Hishya.


    "Yeah." Eris smiled. "A deals a deal. I might not be thrilled with it, but Hishya can be in charge of handling Serval."


    "Good." Hishya walked over to Eris and stuck out her hand. "I look forward to working with you again." She smiled. "It will be just like old times."


    Erisughed as the two shook hands. "If it''s going to be like old times, does that mean I''ll have to bail you out of certain death?" She''d saved Hishya''s life quite a few times during the time they spent together.


    "Sure. If a meathead like you''s good for anything, it''s taking hits." Hishya chuckled.


    "Great!" Akagi smiled. "Make sure you deal with the Dragon in a manner that is entertaining for me." She turned to Hishya. "I expect a climatic battle between you two with a beam struggle, an epic heartfelt struggle within, and a dramatic death sequence."


    "Oh, is that all?" Hishya asked sarcastically. "Are you sure you don''t want me to defeat him with a hand tied behind my back? Perhaps I should swap Sun Strike for a spoon?"


    "Hmmmmm." Akagi thought for a moment. "Nah." She waved off those ideas. "Maybeter, but for now, it''s not needed."


    "So you''re going to handle Rivenshaft?" Minazawa asked. "I know you''ll probably be fine, but is it really alright to fight him on your own? He was the Lord of all Demons and the second most powerful World Boss." She wasn''t exactly worried for Akagi per se, but was wary of Rivenshaft.


    "Without their damage nullification, the World Bosses are much easier to handle." Akagi had exined their missing strength prior. "However, even if I had to fight both Serval and Rivenshaft at the same time, they''d never stand a chance. What I can say is that I <i>don''t </i>know if my Consumption would instantly work on them, since I cannot estimate their exact power. But I suspect it might." She shrugged.


    "You sure you don''t want to swap?" Hishya nudged her. "I mean,e on. A world-ending Dragon is much cooler than a Demon Lord." Hishya''s little joke was not so funny to Akagi.


    <i><b>"He is not a Demon Lord, Hishya." </b></i>Akagi''s sudden vocal distortion and anger caught everyone off guard. "My apologies." She took a breath as she calmed down. "Just please <i>never </i>call something that is not one of my kind a Demon Lord again. <i>No one </i>may im that title without having been born with it. Rivenshaft''s title is the Lord of all <i>Demons, </i>NOT Demon Lord. There is a <i>big</i> difference between the two, and even the so-called Demon Lord from FWO''s lore was not one of my kind. Not to mention that I would exterminate him if he were real for <i>daring </i>to take such a title." Her little rant was a bit more passionate than expected, and everyone froze for a moment.


    "I see..." Hishya didn''t know how to react.


    <i>{Why are you so stubborn about the stupidest things?} </i>(Hishya)


    "I guess that''s a button one shouldn''t push." Eris gave a nervousugh.


    "I simply take pride in what I am, and I won''t tolerate any usurpers or pretenders. Being a Demon Lord is a privilege granted to only a select few, and I won''t have anyone tarnishing our names or reputations." Akagi huffed.


    "''Reputation'' sure." Hishya sighed.


    <i>{I really don''t think any of that matters, but you do you.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Getting back on topic, we should get started on nning. We''ve got everyone here already so let''s get to work." Hishya swapped to leader mode. "I''ll start picking out teams, setting up objectives, and going over roles and expectations." She turned to Akagi. "Can we use some of the rooms at the estate?"


    "I figured you''d ask that so I had my staff handle all the prep work. We''ve got a nning room ready in House 5 and ya''ll are more than wee to stay in the guest rooms in House 7" Akagi''s estate had been expanded a bit more recently with extra buildings. She did so to allow potential refugees and new citizens a ce to stay until city nning and construction could be finished.


    "Oh, you <i>figured</i>? Not <i>predicted</i>?" Zephiria giggled at her joke.


    "No, but I do <i>predict </i>that a ceiling fan is about to crash onto your head." Akagi said with a glint of evil in her eyes.


    "Ceiling fa-" Zephiria didn''t even have time to question Akagi''s words before she was smashed in the head with a ceiling fan that seemed toe out of nowhere, knocking her out cold.


    "I''ve always wanted to do that joke, but never got the chance." Akagi burst outughing.


    "Is it bad that I know what show that''s from?" Superbia was struggling not tough.


    "No, since it''s funny even without the context." Mixu was also holding it in.


    "Will she be alright?" Aoi asked.


    "Here, let me check." Birdy walked over and poked Zephiria in the side with a stick.


    "Ughhhh..." Zephiria groaned in pain.


    "She''s alive, so it''s fine." Birdy smiled.


    "Where the hell did that evene from?" Ayame looked into the sky, but saw nothing which could have dropped it.


    "This is Akagi we''re talking about. She probably just formed it above her head or something stupid..." Hishya sighed. "Please don''t start dropping objects on people for your own amusement."


    "So the amusement of others is fine?" Akagi asked coyly.


    Rather than retorting, Hishya just red at her.


    "Now I feel like I need to carry an umbre when I''m around Akagi." Shimariughed nervously.


    "Can make-create anti-ceiling fan umbre!" Impughed.


    "We could even give it grenadeunching features!" Daikael chimed in.


    "Yes-yes!" Imp and Daikael cackled before being smacked on the head by Minazawa and Shiru respectively.

 Chapter 181 – So it Begins.

    Chapter 181 ¨C So it Begins.


    Once Akagi''s tomfoolery was finished, and Zephiria was roused from her slumber, the other yers started their preparation and nning for theing battle with Serval.


    Based on Hishya''s experience she figured having dedicated teams rather than just letting people run around randomly was better, so the dragon organized people into three teams. Tanks, which consisted of Minazawa, Shimari, Excelsior, and Xerxes. DPS, which contained Superbia, Birdy, Herself, Eris, Ayame, Tiball, Avahn, and Mixu. And Support: Daikael, Imp, Zephiria, Shiru, Alveron, and Ara.


    Naturally, the dragon wanted more people, as it took roughly three times this amount to handle Serval during their final battle with him in FWO. However, she guesstimated that without his damage reduction cheat, they <i>might </i>be able to do it with this smaller number.


    Once teams were decided, Hishya got to work setting up battle ns drawing up an exhaustive list of formations, maneuvers, and methods of attack. Akagi presumed that Serval and Rivenshaft would be drawn to her once they appeared. Thus Hishya opted to use the <i>Demon </i>as bait and lure Serval to a nearby valley. She didn''t want to risk the battle spilling into Kyoto, and while therge open area <i>would </i>give the Dragon some advantage, Hishya made ns to handle his flight with their team''s abilities.


    After nearly three days of non-stop practice, drills, logistical work, and preparation, things wereplete, and all that remained was to wait for the two World Bosses to appear. It would be a tense waiting game, and the knowledge that the two monsters could appear at any time caused significant anxiety.


    Deciding it was best if they remained close by, Akagi generously opened her home and chose to allow the other yers to remain at her estate until it was time for battle. Something that most appreciated as her home was quite luxurious. The baths in particr got rave reviews, and her cooks received so manypliments that they got a bit embarrassed.


    Late into the night, Kana woke up to grab a drink from the kitchen. It was well into May, and the warm breezes could be felt down each hallway as the estate was opened to allow fresh air in. After wobbling down the hallway and getting some water while half asleep, Kana heard something that surprised her. A violin was being yed nearby, so Kana decided to check on the noise.


    <i>{Onee-chan?} </i>Kana popped her head around one of the sliding doors and saw Akagi sitting on one of the internal walkways that surrounded a central garden at the estate while ying a violin. The <i>Demon </i>was smoking her Kiseru while looking up at the full moon, whose light shined on her like a beam. Kana stood there, staring at her sister for a good minute and listening to the melody, before Akagi''s voice startled her out of her trance.


    "What are you doing up thiste?" Akagi asked without even looking at her.


    "Ah! Umm..." Kana stumbled. "Sorry for staring, just... I thought you looked kinda <i>cool</i> sitting like that..." Her ears got beat red from embarrassment.


    <i>{Way to make yourself look stupid, Kana!} </i>(Kana)


    "I see..So you got out of bed at 3 am just to watch my majestic form and hear my wonderful tune. Not exactly my cup of tea, but I can understand it." Akagiughed.


    "I got up to get some water!" Kana eximed. "Grrr!" She ruffled her hair. "Now you''ve got me all flustered! I only got up to get a drink, and now you''ve gone and aggravated me!"


    Akagiughed. "Sorry. I''ll stop since it''s sote." She let out a puff.


    "Why are you awake anyway? Shouldn''t you be happily snuggled next to Yumi?" Kana asked as she sat down next to her sister.


    "While that is <i>exactly </i>where I want to be, right now I''ve got too much on my mind to sleep." Akagi put down the violin before turning the Kiseru upside down and letting the tobo fall out before she packed more and lit it.


    "Are you worried about the fight with Serval and Rivenshaft?" Kana leaned on her.


    "Funnily enough, no." Akagi chuckled. "Neither of those two are really a threat to me, and I could easily handle both. No, that''s not what has me thinking." She took a puff. "Nor is it those stupid Spirits on the Council."


    "Then what is it?" Kana asked as she yawned.


    "Honestly, it''s whates <i>next </i>that has my mind racing." Akagi replied.


    <i>{My mind is always on whates next. As things are never peaceful for long. Not in this or any other world for that matter.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Next?" Kana wasn''t sure what she meant. "Do you mean building your country?"


    "That is <i>one</i> thing on my mind, yes." Akagi nodded as she bit the tip of her pipe. "But it''s not my real worry." She continued. "Ever since Mizumi exined what her situation was, I''ve been worried that her former world would one day be a problem."


    "Do you think they''lle after you because of the Spirits?" Kana queried her. She knew a good bit of information and assumed retaliation was possible.


    "That''s what has my mind racing at the moment." Akagi sighed. "It doesn''t help that Shinlua and Mizumi have recently given me another, unexpected, bit of intel."


    <i>{If it''s got her worried, it can''t be good.} </i>(Kana)


    ¡°That other world, not only did its gods interfere directly in an attempt to exterminate the Spirits, but they even went and brought in some external help." Akagi said.


    "Help?" (Kana)


    "Heroes." Akagi said that word with contempt. "They pooled their power and summoned four people from a separate world and imbued them with power, much like an isekai anime." Sheughed. "They summoned them and fed them garbage about the Spirits being evil and such, and they bought it."


    "H-heroes?" Kana woke up fully at that term. "That trope is actually real?!?"


    <i>{Really?!?} </i>(Kana)


    "I have no reason to doubt them, so yes it is." Akagi clicked her tongue. "Shinlua fought one of them, and she kicked her ass quite thoroughly. That Elf is no slouch for a mortal, and she stood no chance."


    <i>{I''ve heard that one in particr is quite the skilled swordswoman. It might be interesting to meet her, if the tales I''ve heard are true.} </i>(Akagi)


    "But, I thought traveling between worlds was nearly impossible." Kana asked recalling what she was told.


    "<i>Nearly</i> <i>impossible</i> is just a fancy way of saying hard." Akagiughed. "So I''m sure if they could drag ''em here, they can send ''em to another world if they wanted."


    "But these heroes, you can handle them, right?" Kana was getting a bit worried. "Even if they all teamed up and fought you together, you''d be fine, right?"


    <i>{I''ve read enough novels to know what happens if the Hero and Demon Lord fight...} </i>(Kana)


    "Most likely." Akagi shrugged. "The real question is just how powerful they are and what kind of damage they could do. Especially if those gods of theirs start getting directly involved."


    <i>{Though despite my confidence, I''m not taking any chances with these Heroes. I''ve no interest in being the second Demon Lord yed by people of that world.} </i>(Akagi)


    "So if theye here and chase after the Spirits, you''ll have to fight them?" Kana grabbed onto the hem of Akagi''s Kimono.


    "Yes." Akagi nodded. "I will not tolerate any external forces attacking my world."


    <i>{And the thing is, from what Shinlua told me. I have a suspicion that those Heroes might actually be from Earth.} </i>From what she''d been told, the Heroes came from a magicless and technologically advanced world and were most probably Japanese based on descriptions of their apperance. <i>{As cliche as it seems, I think we''ve got a case of isekai heroes being summoned, fighting the good fight then having to go battle the Demon Lord.} </i>She sighed internally.


    "I don''t really want to get into conflict with them or their world, but I suspect that they will note in peace. Most likely, they will be told that the Spirits are still causing their world to copse, and the gods will feed them lines of BS to spur them onward." Akagi said.


    "If you can beat them, why are you so worried?" Kana asked.


    "Unknowns." Akagi wrapped her arm around Kana. "I simply have no idea what they can do, and <i>that</i> worries me. For all I know, they <i>do </i>have a way of killing me." Her words caused Kana to tense. "Even if they don''t, it''s possible they might do something else to harm me, like taking you, the girls or my family away. So yeah, I''m worried. I don''t like unknowns and ack of information drives me nuts."


    "That''s why your mind is racing." Kana said. "It''s trying everything it can to get rid of the uncertainty."


    "You got it!" Akagiughed. "Right now, I''m analyzing everything I''ve got on that other world, and I''mbing my Demon Lord knowledge for information on Gods, Heroes, and ways of killing me. Naturally, I won''t share anything about thest bit."


    "I thought the only way to defeat you was to obliterate you entirely?" Kana giggled.


    "That''s the most straightforward way, but killing me isn''t the <i>only </i>way to defeat me." Akagi gave a wry smile.


    <i>{Sealing me away is technically possible, though that would take such astronomical power that I doubt it''s practical. The amount of power necessary to seal and permanently contain a Demon Lord is likely in excess of what an entire world has at its disposal. And there is no indication that one of my kind has ever been dealt with in such a manner. However, as unlikely as that scenario is, precautions will be taken. I will not allow myself to be defeated, not now and not ever. Because the moment I falter is the moment everything is taken from me, and I won''t permit that to happen. Not when I''ve finally found happiness, and not when so many people rely on me. I''m not fighting for myself anymore. Now... now I fight for my family, and I''ll be dammed if I fail them!} </i>(Akagi)


    After a bit more discussion, Akagi picked up her sister and returned her to bed, something the girl was a bit embarrassed about. The <i>Demon </i>herself didn''t return to sleep, as she was still too worried about future events to properly shut down for the night. Thus, she decided to take one final look at her <i>special reinforcements</i> and pay a small visit to Imperial''sboratory.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    The next day.


    Just after ten in the morning, dark clouds began to swirl over the mountains of Northern Kyoto. Arge amount of magical energy began to build, and everyone at the estate understood that it was time for battle. Grouping up, everyone except for Imp, Daikael and Mixu moved to the nearby valley, directly underneath where the cloud and energy coalesced, until a loud crack echoed out, and a tear in the sky formed above them.


    "Well, it took you long enough." Akagiughed as out from a hole, in reality, appeared two figures, one a massive green and gold dragon, easily twice the size of Hishya, and the other arge gray-skinned man, whose appearance screamed <i>Demon</i>. The two circled around above the grouped yers beforending a bit ahead of them.


    <i>{It looks like things are about to get interesting. I just hope this ends up being as entertaining as I want. Good luck Hishya. Maybe during this fight, you''ll finally understand that you don''t need to hold back anymore.}</i> (Akagi)


    Spoiler


    Rivenshaft!


    Serval!


    [copse]

 Chapter 182 – Demon Versus Demon Lord.

    Chapter 182 ¨C Demon Versus Demon Lord.


    "T-They really are here." Superbia said nervously as she stared down the two most formidable foes she''d ever faced. Her entire body clenched, and she started sweating profusely, as did everyone else. "I mean, I didn''t doubt you when you told us, but..."


    "Calm down, little Oni." Akagi put her hand on Superbia''s shoulder. "Take a deep breath and focus. It''s gonna be fine, you''ve got this." She walked forward toward the two World Bosses, changing into her Demon Lord mode as she did.


    <i><b>"Wee, both of you, to my world." </b></i>Akagi let out a demonicugh. <i><b>"I take it that the two of you are not here for a social call."</b></i>


    <b>"We have been ordered by our masters to destroy the one called Akagi." </b>Rivenshaft raised his massive ck sword and pointed it at her. <b>"I shall endeavor to make your death as painful as possible." </b>His voiced boomed with the same kind of demonic fury that Akagi''s did, though it was noticeably less distorted.


    <i>{Well, I guess that quashes any doubts that Akagi really is a Demon...} </i>(Hishya)


    Akagi beganughing in an eerie fashion. <i><b>"I''d love to see you try, Demon." </b></i>The <em>Demon </em>snapped her fingers, and both she and Rivenshaft disappeared into her shadow.


    <i>{She really did have the power to just take him away...} </i>Hishya shook away her thoughts. Right now, she had a Dragon to destroy. "Everyone, take up positions!" She called out as Serval roared, and their battle began. One that would cause Hishya to realize several truths that she''d been willfully ignoring.


    <i><b>_________________________________________________________________________</b></i>


    <Akagi POV>


    Akagi and Rivenshaft appeared within her shadow, and Akagi quickly got to work converting their battlefield into a literal hellscapeplete withva, volcanoes, and all sorts of sights one usually associated with Demons.


    <i><b>"Oh yeah, before I forget."</b></i> Akagi snapped her fingers. <i><b>"That''s better. I don''t want to fight a charmed opponent. That would be boring." </b></i>She removed the Council''s brainwashing power ced on Rivenshaft.


    <i>{I figured they tried something like that. But I''m surprised that it worked. Though the one on Serval seems to be quite weak. I doubt he''d stay loyal much longer at this rate.} </i>(Akagi)


    <b>"Hmmmmmm." </b>Rivenshaft mulled things for a moment as he inspected his own body. <b>"Interesting. Those mortals dared to use such magic to make a fool out of me." </b>Heughed. <b>"I shall repay their humiliation with blood." </b>His eyes turned to Akagi. <b>"And you, I have nevere across a Demon such as yourself. As a reward for freeing me from that wretched magic, I would offer you a ce as my right hand. Such position is fitting for a Demon of your power, and I think it is more than a generous reward for lifting the spell ced upon me."</b>


    Akagiughed demonically. <i><b>"I''m sorry, Rivenshaft. I''m a Demon Lord, and my kind does not take kindly to ying second fiddle to anyone. The only thing that has the right to call me an equal is another member of my kind, something you are not." </b></i>She summoned World Breaker and prepared for battle.


    <b>"A pity." </b>Rivenshaft readied his de. <b>"Then I shall destroy you before exterminating those foolish mortals who dared chain me. But at the very least, I shall try to make your death as quick and painless as possible to show my gratitude."</b>


    <i><b>"I implore you to try, but know you shall fail in that endeavor, as all who came before you have, and all thate after you will." </b></i>Akagiughed as flurished her de. <i><b>"But out of respect, I shall humor you. My name is Akagi Dumetor, the Demon Lord. And this shall be your final resting ce, Rivenshaft." </b></i>As she said this, a huge burst ofva went off in the background.


    <i><b>"Demon Lord?" </b></i>Rivenshaft got angry at the use of that term. <i><b>"You are not the Demon Lord, and I will not allow anyone to insult my master by iming that title for themselves. I am Rivenshaft, the first Demon Prince and the one crowed as Lord of All Demons by the true Demon Lord." </b></i>ck energy began to pour from his body. <i><b>"And I will show you just how weak you are!"</b></i>


    The two <i>Demons</i> stared each other down, not moving from their spots for what seemed like hours until.


    *FLASH* *CLANG*


    They zipped forward at unbelievable speed as their des collided together.


    *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM*


    Shock waves erupted around the volcanic fields as explosions ofva shot into the air, only to be tossed aside by the sheer force of thebatants'' strikes.


    Akagi expected Rivenshaft to be good, but this was beyond her expectations, something that made her feel excited.


    <i>{Finally! Something worth getting excited for! HAHAHAAHAHAH!} </i>Akagiughed in her mind as she shed with Rivenshaft. His massive de, whose name roughly tranted to Omega from his <i>Demon</i> tongue, proved to be quite a formidable weapon. Allegedly it was forged from the remnants of the Ancient Demon Lord''s personal weapon, and it contained shards of that very de.


    Akagi was more than capable of deflecting his blows, and World Breaker was as good as if not better than Rivenshaft''s own sword. The two continued to sh, with neither letting the other gain a single inch until they backed off, hovering in the air over the ragingva fields.


    <b>"I''m impressed." </b>Rivenshaftughed. <b>"I''ve seen few creatures which can handle going toe to toe with me for that length of time, yet you seempletely unfazed by my power. I suppose that''s a testament to your power. You have earned my respect Lady Akagi."</b>


    <i><b>"I''d say the same to you. There are few who can move that like, and even fewer who can handle my skill with the de." </b></i>"Akagi smirked. <i><b>"But what do you say we skip the warm-up? I haven''t been this excited about a fight in quite some time, and I don''t want to wait anymore!" </b></i>Sheughed demonically.


    <b>"You are truly strange!" </b>Rivenshaft joined in theughter. <b>"But I must admit I like that about you!" </b>He channeled additional power. <b>"Then, in honor of your bravery, I shall show you everything that I am and why I was the favorite of the true Demon Lord!" </b>He stuck out his off-hand and channeled a massive amount of Demonic power before shooting an incredible barrage of ck energy sts toward Akagi.


    <i>{Oh?} </i>Akagi grinned. <i><b>"Now that''s what I''m talking about!"</b></i> Sheughed as millions of sts careened toward her. With World Breaker in her hand, she began to carve through them, hopping between sts as she maneuvered towards Rivenshaft.


    <b>"If you''re enjoying that." </b>Rivenshaft lifted up Omega. <b>"Then allow me to add a bit more to your fun." </b>He shed downwards several times, each seeming to tear reality apart as massive shes of energy hurled toward Akagi.


    Seeing his attacksing, Akagi expertly timed her jumps to barely scrape by each one, some missing her by less than an inch, all while she continued to deflect and destroy the other sts.


    <i>{I see. Then more will be necessary.} </i>Rivenshaft channeled even more power into his attacks, increasing the number of attacks to an insane level. The ckness of the sky above them was illuminated by the explosions and theva fields continued to erupt as his awesome power was unleashed.


    Akagi''s form vanished under the torrent of attacks, and Rivenshaft was quite pleased with himself, confident that she was destroyed. After a few minutes, he stopped channeling his power and allowed things to settle down. Akagi was nowhere to be seen, and he smirked as he gloated in his triumph. <b>"See, this is why you are no Demon Lord. My master wouldn''t have even been phased by such a weak-" </b>He stopped speaking as he sensed danger and pulled back. A split secondter, World Breaker sliced across his chest, causing arge quantity of ck blood toe flying out from a sh wound.


    <i><b>"I''m surprised you managed to dodge that." </b></i>Akagi hummed as she floated behind him. <i><b>"I suppose that means I need to use a bit more power to overwhelm your danger senses." </b></i>


    Rivenshaft spun around, letting out a massive st of power from his hand, whichpletely engulfed Akagi. <b>"Grrrr."</b>


    <i><b>"Over here." </b></i>Akagi waved at him from off to the side.


    <b>"Do you think this is a game?!?" </b>Rivenshaft roared as he lunged forward and sliced where Akagi was.<b> </b>


    <i><b>"I''d say so." </b></i>Akagi was now behind him again, his attack having connected with nothing.


    <i>{How is she doing this? Some kind of illusion?} </i>(Rivenshaft)


    <b>"You''re an annoying Demon. I''ll give you that." </b>Rivenshaft shed forward, but the same thing happened again.


    <i>{This is getting ridiculous!} </i>Getting irritated, he decided to use his full speed. Jetting toward Akagi at maximum speed, he found that he was <i>still </i>unable to make contact with her. The two flew around the battlefield, much as they did before. But rather than having an epic sh of des, Akagi opted for a game of tag, one that Rivenshaft was unable to win.


    <i>{Interesting, it would seem that this level of speed is too much for him.} </i>(Akagi)


    <b>"Your tricks will fail you eventually, and once they do, I shall make you suffer for humiliating me." </b>Rivenshaft pointed at her angrily.


    <i><b>"I fail to see how my speed is some kind of trick." </b></i>Akagi''s voice came from right next to him, and he felt pain in his right side as she dug her de into him.


    <i>{Though in fairness, I''m also predicting every one of your strikes. So perhaps there is a bit of a trick to all this, oh well.} </i>(Akagi)


    <b>"GRAAA!" </b>Rivenshaft swiped at her, which caused Akagi to back off. <b>"Damn, you!" </b>He swung Omega at high speeds, sending a barrage of shes toward Akagi, who deftly slipped between each and shed him across his other side.


    <b>"GRAAA!" </b>Rivenshaft roared in pain as he let out a massive st of energy around him, which caused a huge explosion. Once the dust settled, Akagi was still floating off to his side, unharmed. <b>"What the hell is going on?!?" </b>Rivenshaft screamed at her. <b>"How could you be dodging all my attacks like that?!?"</b>


    <i>{This makes no sense! I''m using my full power, and I still can''t hit her? We were fighting mere moments ago and it seemed we were roughly equal in power and speed.} </i>He thought back to what Akagi said just after she sliced him the first time. <i>{So she had more power? But how much? That can''t be possible, if she survived mybination of Dark Barrage and Omega sh, that should have taken everything she had...} </i>


    <b>"You... what are you?" </b>Rivenshaft asked. <b>"No normal Demon could possibly have such power. Topletely evade me at my full speed was something that only my master could do." </b>He''d never seen another being with so much power, so it left him confused and angry.


    <i><b>"I told you already, didn''t I?" </b></i>Akagi''s voice came from behind as she drove her de through his chest.


    <b>"ACK!" </b>Rivenshaft didn''t even have time to think, that''s how fast Akagi attacked.


    <i>{How?!? I didn''t even see her move!} </i>Rivenshaft spun around in an attempt to hit her, but Akagi evaded. However, this time, rather than simply zipping away, she ducked under his attack and shed him across the chest before carving wounds across his entire body in a single sh.


    <b>"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" </b>Rivenshaft screamed as Akagi''s de sunk into his flesh. ck blood spurted from him like a fountain, and the overwhelming pain left him disoriented.


    <i>{What''s going on?!? Nothing about this makes sense! I am the first Demon Prince created by my master! No mere Demon can defeat me!} </i>(Rivenshaft)


    The bloodied, and weakened Rivenshaft floated in mid-air as theva raged around him. Akagi hovered off to the side,va licking at her heels.


    <i><b>"You are a powerful Demon, Rivenshaft." </b></i>Akagi lifted World Breaker. <i><b>"However, </b></i><i><u><b>I</b></u></i><i><b> am a Demon Lord." </b></i>She shed forward, her de sinking into Rivenshaft''s head. <i><b>"Thank you for the entertainment. This is a battle that I will never forget, but..." </b></i>She dug her de into him further, slicing him in half. <b>"</b><i><b>ytime is over!" </b></i>


    Time seemed to slow down for Rivenshaft as Akagi''s de contacted him.


    <i>{Is... is this death? Am I dying? Heh-he. AHAHAHAHAHAHAH! This woman, I see it now. That darkness, that power, those eyes! What a fool I was for challenging her.} </i>He smiled internally. {<i>My master is most likelyughing at my folly as he looks down at me right now. I see now that he was not the only Demon Lord in existence, but it is toote for those thoughts now. My master, if I ever see you again, I would like to once again swear eternal loyalty to you. Perhaps this time, we can fulfill our dream together.......}</i>


    As soon as her de cleaved through him, she began to slice him into a number of smaller pieces before finally unleashing a st which made what Hishya did in Nagoya look small.


    <i><b>"[Consumption]" </b></i>Unfortunately for Rivenshaft, Akagi had no intentions of letting his soul go, such a delicious morsel as it was.


    <i><b>"Hughuguuugug." </b></i>Akagi shuddered as she ate Rivenshaft''s soul. <i><b>"That was the single best-tasting anything I''ve ever had!" </b></i>Sheughed. <i><b>"I can only imagine what Serval''s will taste like.</b></i>" She looked downwards and saw something glinting in the volcanic rock. Flying down, she found Rivenshaft''s de, Omega embedded in the hardened volcanic rock.


    <i><b>"Hmmmm." </b></i>Akagi reached down and picked it up. The de seemed to fight back for a brief moment, but once Akagi poured her power into it, it stopped resisting. <i><b>"This de..." </b></i>Akagi''s eyes widened as she realized something, her mouth curving into a twisted smile. <i><b>"I never imagined I''d get to finish you..." </b></i>She held up World Breaker and started into the glinting ck de, her reflection staring back at her. <i><b>"With a few pieces of the true de, I''ll make sure that you be even more powerful than the original." </b></i>Akagi began tough as she imagined the weapon she''d create with Imp''s help. <i><b>"Now then, I suppose I should get back. Don''t want to miss the more entertaining fight." </b></i>She slipped Omega and World Breaker into storage before returning to normal.


    <i>{And thanks to time dtion, I should arrive just after I left. That way I haven''t missed a thing.} </i>Akagi thought to herself as her form vanished.

 Chapter 183 – The Dragon Emperor.

    Chapter 183 ¨C The Dragon Emperor.


    "Everyone, get in formation!" Hishya screamed orders as Serval let out a mighty roar. ¡°Don''t freak out! Just remember our n! Do that and we all get out of this in one piece!¡±


    <em>{I hope...}</em>(Hishya)


    Every one of them had prepared for this day, but the sight of the massive Dragon caused a brief moment of discord until people snapped out of their stupor. The Emerald Dragon Emperor was no joke, and his visage was enough to terrify even the hardiest of adventurer into submission.


    "GRAAAAAAAAAW." Serval roared as his wings pped. As expected, he wouldn''t just stand on the ground and fight the yers head-on. In the air, he would be nearly impossible to deal with, but Hishya nned for this.


    "Shiru now!" Hishya called out, and massive vines erupted from the ground,tching onto Serval and grounding him.


    "GRAAAAAAAAAW." The Dragon cried out as he attempted to tear apart the vines.


    "I-I''ve got him, but I don''t know for how long." Shiru strained under the pressure of Serval''s strength. Her power over nature was unmatched by anyone else, but Serval was simply too powerful for her to permanently contain. "I''ll hold him down for as long as I can, but don''t expect this tost for very long!"


    <em>{Holy crap! This guy is strong!}</em>(Shiru)


    "You heard her! Get your asses moving!" Eris activated her rage as the party stormed toward the grounded Dragon. Most of the support team would remain away from Serval while the tanks and DPS attempted to deal with him directly.


    "Nyahahaha meow~! let''s get nye dragon meow~!"


    [Ahahaha! Let''s get the dragon!] As the fastest yer among them, Ara zoomed forward at lightning speed. She couldn''t do much damage herself, but her paper fan''s ability would enable huge damage if she could max out the counters.


    "Go get him, Ara!" Avahn called out. She was right behind her girlfriend, and the moment she got in range, the Demon cat activated her blood rage and began mming down hard on Serval with her de. "LET''S SEE JUST WHAT KIND OF DAMAGE YOU CAN TAKE!!!!"


    "I kinda figured Avahn would just go nuts, so good thing we nned for that." Hishya sighed as she watched Avahn start shing and smashing Serval''s legs "Eris, you and Ayame back me up, n A3."


    The two nodded, forming up behind Hishya as they leaped onto the vines and across Alveron''s spatial tforms as they began shing into the restrained Dragon. The three fighters constituted one core of the team''s damage output, and their task was to get in and hit him as hard as possible. Other yers could and would do damage, but likely not as much as the three them together.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Superbia POV>


    "GRAAAAAAAAAW." Serval let out another roar as his ws and tail began swinging around violently.


    "Woopsie meow~!"


    [Woopsie!] Ara deftly jumped over his tail as it came crashing toward her, hitting him with her fans each chance she got.


    "Nya! Nya! Nya! Nya! Nya! Nya! Nya! Nya! Nya! Nya! Nya! Nya! Nya! Nya! Nya! Nya! Nya! Nya! Nya! Nya! Nya! Nya!" (Ara)


    They knew from their prior fights against the Dragon Emperor that, while he could be affected by abilities like the paper fans, his natural resistances meant that only every third application stuck.


    "Sixth form of the Oni de! Fountain of Dreams!" Superbia called out the name of her ability which cloaked her entire body in a pink me.


    "Let''s go Tiball! Xerxes, Excel back us up!" Superbia shed forward. Her task was to tie down Serval''s head, a dangerous job, but one that she was a perfect fit for with her high speed and damage output. "Hiiiyah!" The Oni''s de went aze with pink fire, as she began to sh into his front right w.


    "GRAAAAAAAAAW." Serval roared in pain. His body, while restrained, was still able to move, and he swung his massive w down toward Superbia.


    Seeing the iing danger, the Oni jumped backward, barely avoiding his blow, and was chased by his w which mmed into the ground relentlessly in an attempt to squish her.


    "Come on!" Superbia said while dodging his attacks. "I''m over here!" She moved out of the way, carving into him as his arm went by.


    <i>{Good, just keep your eyes on me, Serval. We just need things to go likest time.} </i>(Superbia)


    "Behind you!" Xerxes called out as he moved in behind her, intercepting Serval''s other w with his shield. "That was a close one!" His massive shield managed to block a direct hit, but it still did some damage to him. "I was hoping Shiru would hold him down a bit better than this!" He cried out as he pushed the w away.


    "She''s doing her best." Tiball said as he dove in between them. "Just the fact that she''s restraining him <i>at all </i>is impressive." He nced at Superbia. "How about we start to give him a headache. Otherwise he might get ideas about that breath of his." As he said this, one of Serval''s ws came at them, which both he and Superbia deflected with their des. If Serval managed to get off a breath attack, that would be problem for anyone not immune to fire. Thus keeping his head busy and unable to use that devastating move was their primary job.


    "Why not? It''s our job after all." Superbia nodded with a smirk. Serval would only rarely use his breath attack during a fight, but when he did it would be a level of magnitude more powerful than what Hishya could put out.


    "And we''re here to help with that." Mixu''s voice came over them. "Dai hit it!"


    "OHHHH, I''ve been waiting for this!" Daikael squeed as she began pressing all sorts of buttons on her remote.


    "Yes-yes!" Imp cried out in joy.


    "I hope they don''t hit us with this..." Superbia sighed. A momentter, a barrage of rockets came over the tree line, crashing into the Dragon and making a series of massive explosions on his body. Hishya and the others climbing on the vines were made aware of the impending attack and deftly moved out of harm''s way, leaving Serval to take <i>all </i>of the damage.


    <i>{Those crazy bastards really went and created an entire artillery system. Daikael reloads and Imp targets. It''s actually kinda scary how well they work together.} </i>Tiball startedughing in his head as he imagined the crazy duo.


    "Alright, he''s stunned! Let''s go!" He, Superbia, and Xerxes charged forward, with Superbia reaching Serval''s head first.


    "Take this!" Superbia mmed her de down on top of Serval''s head, dealing a ton of damage with her ability. "Seventh form of the Oni de! Twin Dragons Taming the Water!" Blue light erupted from her katana, as she began to sh at Serval''s face at high speed.


    "Don''t forget about me!" Tiball was right behind her, and his des were also glowing blue. Superbia''s technique allowed her to chain a series of attacks with a partner to deal extra damage. "Divine Smite!" Tiball mmed both his swords down onto Serval alongside Superbia, causing a huge torrent of pink and blue me to shoot into the sky.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Birdy POV>


    "This will be, I think, the sixth time I''ve fought you, Serval!" Birdyughed as she chucked a negative energy st toward the Dragon. While she used her ws in most fights, her true power came from her awakened form. In this state, her rainbow hair turned ck and white, her ws grew to extreme size, and her canines erged slightly. Her race are descendant of a type of Dark Phoenixes, and this allowed her to channel certain types of magical energy into long-range attacks. Not to mention Akagi had a bit of fun tweaking her powers and abilities over the years, meaning that she was able to hit much harder than one thought.


    "Keep those hits up!" Minazawa said while blocking a stray knee. "Shimari and I''ve got you covered, just keep hitting him with as much power as you can." She swung at Serval, doing some minor damage. She wasn''t going to be able to hurt the massive beast much, but that wasn''t her job so it didn''t matter.


    "T-This is h-horrifying." Shimari started to panic a bit. She''d never fought a World Boss before, and it was far more intense than she''d imagined.


    <i>{Why did I agree toe?!?} </i>(Shimari)


    "Suck it up!" Minazawa called out to her. "You need to do your job so Birdy can do hers! Excel! Can''t you cast something to help her out?!?" Minazawa said as she deflected Serval''s tail.


    "Steel Heart!" Excel cast a minor buff on Shimari. It would suppress fear and other simr effects for a little while, though it couldn''tpletely remove Shimari''s worry. "I''m not sure how helpful that will be, but it''s the best I can do." His role in this battle was to keep his team topped off in HP and handle wounded as they came in. Birdy was one of the better DPS on the team, and keeping her safe and protected while she unleashed her attacks was one of Hishya''s top priorities, hence why she was allocated two tanks. Though Shimari was sent with Minazawa since she probably couldn''t do her job as a tank alone.


    <i>{I wanna go home!} </i>Shimari''s eyes were filled with tears as a barrage of rocks and other tree parts flew at her, bouncing off her shield.


    "It''ll be fine, Shimari." Birdy smiled as she chucked another st. "Just keep focused on shielding me from debris, your doing a good job so far."


    "Y-Yeah..." Shimari was still shaken but swallowed a bit of her fear. She knew her job was important and thus resolved to see it through.


    "Heaven''s Light!" Excelsior sent a series of sts toward Serval. He couldn''t risk getting close, but his ranged attacks would at least do some chip damage.


    <i>{I just hope Shiru''s restraints hold out. Dammit Akagi, you could handle this yourself, and yet you chose to sit back and watch! I bet you''reughing your ass off watching us struggle!} </i>(Excelsior)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Hishya POV>


    "Nice! They actually got thebo off!" Hishya was referring to Superbia''s attack. Just as she said this, one of Serval''s ws passed right by her, missing by a hair''s breadth. "Let''s keep up the pressure. Ara, how many stacks are you at?" She asked as she carved into Serval''s back leg.


    "167 meow~!" Ara called out as she ran up the dragon''s tail and smacked him again.


    "We''ve got a good while until that pays off then. HIYYAH!" Eris smashed her ive into Serval''s tail as Ayame tried her best to keep his back ws busy.


    <i>{This is going well so far, but I''m worried about Shiru...} </i>Hishya knew that keeping Serval down indefinitely wouldn''t be viable. The dryad was strong, and with Zephiria and Alveron''s aid, she couldst a bit longer than usual. But something in the back of her mind told her Serval wouldn''t be bound much longer.


    "GRAAAAAAAAAW." Serval let out his loudest roar yet, raising his head and channeling fire into his mouth.


    "Here ites!" Hishya called out to everyone over them. When faced with Serval''s breath non fire immune characters would hide behind the tanks whom Zephiria would buff with resistance. However, Serval''s target was <i>not </i>any of the yers attacking him directly, rather...


    "He''s targeting Shiru!" Hishya saw his head turn towards the dryad.


    <i>{Shit! He never targeted support before!} </i>She cursed this oversight.


    "GRAAAAAAAAAW." Serval unleashed a massive st toward Shiru, Alveron, and Zephiria. They weren''t guarded by any tanks, as Serval had no minions, and thus were left wide open.


    "Alveron! Teleport away, I don''t care if that drops the restraints!" Hishya decided to prioritize their safety rather than keep Shiru''s spell up. It was unlikely the dryad could do it again, at least quickly, but their lives were more important.


    "Rodger!" Alveron waved his wand and the three of them relocated to another part of the battlefield. Secondster a massive torrent of fire engulfed their former location, turning the ground intova.


    "GRAAAAAAAAAW." Serval turned his head, directing his st to their new location.


    <i>{He can do that now?!?} </i>(Everyone)


    Serval was never able to unleash such a prolonged st, nor could he redirect it in the game, so this was unexpected to say the least.


    "MOVE!" Hishya screamed, and Alveron teleported them again, and again, and again as the chase continued.


    "Everyone! Focus on his head! We need to stop the fire!" Hishya figured that Serval wouldn''t stop until the support team was destroyed, and while Alveron could teleport for a while, she didn''t want to risk it.


    "Rodger!" (Everyone)


    As soon as she said this, everyone rushed towards Serval''s face unleashing their most powerful attack.


    "Twin de Strike!" (Tiball)


    "Ninth form of the Oni de! Earth Shattering Smash!" (Superbia)


    "Quake Hammer!" (Eris)


    "Blur!" (Ayame)


    "BLADE OF WRATH!" (Avahn)


    "NYA!" (Ara)


    "True Strike!" (Xerxes)


    "Hammer of Dawn!" (Excelsior)


    "Shatter Smash!" (Minazawa)


    "de of Truth!" (Shimari)


    "Vulture ze!" (Birdy)


    "True Strike!" (Hishya)


    Together, they all smashed Serval''s head with their most powerful attacks dealing massive damage to the beast.


    "GRAAAAAAAAAW." Serval groaned, his breath attacking to an end as he was forced to turn his attention back on the other yers.


    "Good, he stopped." Superbia gave a sigh of relief.


    "Yeah, but..." Hishya nced around them. "Now we''ve got ava field to avoid, and he''s free. On top of that, all the smoke has blocked out the sun in the nearby area..."


    <i>{Which means flying, and most likely this asshole''s going to strafe us...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Everyone, get back in formation!" Hishya called out. "We''re far from done here!"


    As she said this, Serval roared again and pped his wings.


    "Shiru?" Hishya asked over the radio. "Can you stop him again?"


    "N-Nope." She replied in the negative. "I''m drained on mana. It''s going to take a bit to recover, and it seems holding him back like that took a significant toll on my stamina. I don''t know how long it will be until I''ve recovered enough, and on top of that, his fire scorched thend around here, so getting more nt life might be hard. I''ll need time and MP to regrow it."


    <i>{I can''t even use the Watering Can since it needs something to grow.} </i>(Shiru)


    Ordinarily, she could regenerate quite quickly, but with the sun blocked by smoke from the fires raging around them, that ability was diminished.


    "Alright, switch to tactic 16-" Hishya''s words were cut off by a familiar voice over them.


    "Hey now, what are you guys doing having a party without us?" (???)


    "That voice?!? It can''t be!!!" Hishya''s eyes were drawn to the sky above Serval, where four figures appeared out from the smoke.


    "No fucking way!" Superbia''s eyes went wide as she recognized the four yers diving towards Serval.


    "MERKYUL?!?" Hishya had no idea what was going on or how they got ess to their teamms.


    "The one and only! And its not just me, I''m joined by my lovely team of righteous avengers!" Merkyulughed. His outfit was a bit different from his usual attire. In fact, his entire <i>team</i> looked different. Their normally unique outfits were instead all the same as if they were uniforms. Each of them wore a ck heavy trench coat, and on the left arm of each yer was the Dumetor family crest emzoned on a patch.


    "Everyone! Let''s show this <em>intruder</em> the might of Lady Akagi''s most powerful special forces team!" Merkyul let out a cry, followed by the other three who were descending behind him.


    <i>{WHAT THE ABSOLUTE FUCK IS GOING ON?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    Spoiler


    Merkyul''s Return!


    Sabia''s Return!


    [copse]

 Chapter 184 – Black Company.

    Chapter 184 ¨C ck Company.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    ATTENTION!


    I messed up. I was suppose to put interlude 10 between 177 and 178, but I forgot about it. I have ced it there now, so just go back down and you can read it. It doesn''t really mess anything up plot wise, but its still important.


    "All members of ck Company, sound off!" Merkyul gave his order as they plunged toward Serval.


    "The Demonic Avenger, Hitamaguchi!" Hitmaguchi said as she drew her great sword.


    "The Trickster, Roxlex!" Roxlex said with augh.


    "The Ghost, Sabia!" Sabia smiled.


    "The Storm, Merkyul! And together, what are we?" Merkyul asked his team.


    "We are ck Company! Those who have died once and been reborn thanks to Lady Akagi''s mercy!" (ck Company)


    "You''re fucking joking..." Minazawa lowered her eyelids in disbelief. "I was wondering what happened to them, and I guess that answers it..."


    "Yeah, I honestly thought she just killed them..." Superbia face palmed.


    "I think this might be a fate <i>worse</i> than death." Hishya put her head in her hands.


    <i>{If we live through this, Akagi. You and I are having a nice long chat...} </i>(Hishya)


    "HAHHAHAHAHAHHAHHA YESSSS-YESSSS! GO, MY PRETTIES! FLYYYYY." Imp startedughing hysterically over thems.


    "Of course, <i>you </i>had something to do with this." Eris shook her head. ¡°I guess that''s why she was so busy thesest few weeks.¡±


    "I think we need to teach Imp about <i>ethics</i> once we''re done here." Mixu groaned.


    "Don''t bother. Imp doesn''t know the meaning of that word." Excelsior decided to wash his hands of the issue.


    "WHY WASN''T I INVITED TO THE BRAINWASHING PARTY?!?" Daikaelined over thems.


    "Do nyu wash nya brain with soap nyand water nya~? nyor does nyit take nya special brain cleanyer nya~?"


    [Do you wash a brain with soap and water? Or does it take a special brain cleaner?] Ara startedughing at her own stupid joke.


    "Maybe we can get Akagi to ''clean out'' all of Avahn''s anger?" Alveronughed.


    "QUIET RAT! I DON''T HAVE AN ANGER PROBLEM!" Avahn simultaneously screamed, pouted, and hissed.


    As the strike team argued and discussed amongst themselves, Merkyul''s team continued to plunge toward Serval, their weapons at the ready.


    "Alright Sis, you ready?" Merkyul nced at Sabia.


    "You know it!" Sabiaughed as both drew their des.


    "SPIRIT BOND!" (Sabia x Merkyul)


    The two siblings cried out the name of an ability as they both became outlined in a ck aura, that was simr to Akagi''s. Immediately after which, they kicked off the air and mmed on top of Serval in preparation for their attack.


    "Alright, let''s go! Hitamaguchi, Rox, you know what to do!" Merkyul barked out orders as he and Sabia began to run around the dragon''s body at high speed, shing into his scales as they did.


    "GWRAAAAAAAAAAA!" Serval cried out in pain as the two siblings shed and carved their way around his body, blood shooting out from each wound. The two were perfectly in sync, even more than they usually were, and theirbination attack was doing massive damage.


    "I''ve never fought a Dragon before, so this should be fun!" Hitamachi''s eyes lit up as she raised her massive great sword. "Demonic Smite!" As she said these words, her de became covered in the same dark aura as Merkyul and Sabia. "Take this!" Hitamaguchi smashed down into Serval''s back, doing massive damage as ck mes shot into the air.


    "GWRAAAAAAAAAAA!" Serval cried out again and thrashed around in pain and anger as he tried to remove the attackers.


    "Don''t forget about me!" Roxlex ran up Hitmaguchi''s back, leaped into the air, and did a flip. "Let''s show off my newest trick, Dark Dagger Storm!" As he said the name of his attack, a massive number of ck daggers cloaked in a dark aura rained down from above, slicing and piercing Serval''s back and wings.


    "GWRAAAAAAAAAAA!" The Dragon cried out for a third time. But rather than thrash, his entire body began to glow orange.


    "Oh no!" Hishya panicked. She knew exactly what this was, and had seen this before. "Get away! He''s going to unleash a st! Alveron!" She turned to the fairy, who used his wand to teleport the four new arrivals next to Hishya just as a massive explosion radiated out from the Dragon. "Everyone, get down!"


    *BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*


    The st was massive, easilyrger than Hishya''s attack in Nagoya. The explosion caused the wind to pick up as the shock wave knocked every single yer to the ground, and all nearby trees were ttened.


    The explosion was so powerful that it easily put out most of the surrounding fires, but simultaneously it kicked up so much dust and dirt that even <em>less</em> sunlight was able to get through than before.


    "Is everyone alright?" Hishya said as she slowly crawled out of the dirt. She and most of the other yers were partially buried from the st. "I didn''t really expect him to do that so soon. I guess they did too much damage too fast." She coughed.


    "Yeah. Oh hell, I feel like shit from that." Eris spit up some blood. "When you said he''d go <em>boom</em>, you weren''t fucking kidding." She pulled herself out of the dirt. They''d been told about this attack during their nning, but those who didn''t experience it before weren''t prepared for the reality of it.


    "I thought he was supposed to <em>only</em> do that when he hit his second health bar?" Superbia groaned. That was what had happened during the boss fight in FWO.


    "You saw how much damage he just took from those attacks. They probably brought him down to that level so fast that he chose to use his explosion early." Minazawa said while picking herself up. "Fucking idiots... Where are they anyway?!?" She looked around, but could barely see because of the dust and darkness.


    "Over here." Merkyul called out. His team was sitting around him, unharmed. "Well damn, I didn''t think he''d pull out such a crazy big boom!" Heughed. "Thanks for the save little rat man." He pet Alveron on the head and gave a toothy smile.


    "I''M NOT A RAT!" Alveron yelled at him, but did not stop the petting.


    "Nyaaaaaaa." Ara was upside down in a nearby tree that managed to survive with Shiru''s help. "Dragon go boom." Her eyes swirled from how dizzy she was.


    "Good thing my mana recovered a bit." Shiru gave a nervousugh. "Otherwise, that might have been bad."


    "Everyone alright?" Hishya asked around. It seemed everyone was alive, though there were some injuries. "Excel, can you handle it?"


    "I''ll try." He coughed. "It might take a minute. I''m still a bit disoriented."


    "GWRAAAAAAAAAAA!" Serval roared through the smoke and debris. They couldn''t see the Dragon but they could tell he was <em>pissed</em>.


    "Now the real fun begins." Hishya gave a dryugh. "His second phase is even worse than his first." She turned to ck Company. "I''m not going to ask why you''re here or why you''ve changed your attitudes, at least right now. Will you fight with us for the time being?" She knew the four of them would be helpful, despite their bad personalities.


    "That''s why we''re here!" Sabia smiled. "Lady Akagi instructed us to help during the fight. Mostly to test our new powers in properbat." She flourished her scimitar.


    <i>{L-Lady Akagi?!?} </i>(Everyone else)


    "G-Good." Hishya nearly stumbled at the use of that formality. "Do you think you can do something like what you just did again? It seemed to be very effective."


    "Probably, but Sabia and I can''t do ourbo attack again, the item needs to recharge." Merkyul pointed to his gauntlet. "Needs a bit more work Imp, it''s still unstable."


    "Whyin? It worked once!" Imp pouted over thems.


    "Dai." Hishya called out to the fox over the radio. "You dead?" She was a bit back with the artillery and other systems, so Hishya figured she was fine.


    "Nopers, but damn, that was a big boom! It toppled things over here and knocked me on my ass." The fox gave a nervousugh. "That was crazy big..."


    "Can you ready rockets for n A-8?" As Hishya asked this, she unleashed more power, letting scales cover most of her body. <i>"I''m going to push my limits for this next attack. 95% will hopefully be enough to end this." </i>


    <i>{I''m still worried about using my full power. Hopefully, we can do this without risking a second rampaging dragon.} </i>(Hishya)


    "The Wunderwaffe is ready to go!" Dai cheered over the radio. "I''ve been wanting to use this thing so badly!"


    "Just try not to get it on us, please." Ayame sighed.


    "No promises!" Daiughed as she cut thems.


    "That nutty fox is going to kill all of you." Mixuughed.


    "You wouldn''t beughing if you were down here with us." Tiball said while stretching.


    "Yeah, get off yourfy chair ande down here!" Zephiria pouted.


    Mixu was currently at Akagi''s estate on a special floating tform that enabled her to see the battlefield from afar. Even at this extreme range, she could both see and hit a target like Serval easily.


    "Nah, this perch is perfect. I''ll let you guys handle all the hard work." Mixu''s smirk could be seen through thems.


    <i>"Mixu ready the AD round." </i>Hishya said as she, Eris, Ayame, Ara, and Avahn took off toward Seval. "Ara, keep up the stacking, and Avahn, keep her safe and do damage.¡±


    "Roger!" (Ara x Avahn)


    "ck Company!" Merkyul jumped up from his sitting position. "Let''s roll!" He called out to his team, and they followed behind Hishya, as did the other yers.


    Serval slowly climbed out of the massive crater he''d created with his explosion, and his massive body seemed to bend and shape thend beneath him. He''d be slightly disoriented from his own st, and it took him a moment topose himself. "GWRAAAAAAAAAAA!" As he peaked over the edge and let out a mighty roar, something came closer through the dust cloud. The Dragon stuck his head further out and used his senses to discern what was approaching him, only to have a massive missile break through the debris cloud and smash into him. "GWRAAAAAAAAAAA!" However, rather than explode, the weapon cracked into several pieces and ejected a ck goop that covered his entire body. Hishya knew that a flying Serval would be nearly impossible to beat, so once Shiru''s vines were dealt with, she wanted a secondary method of grounding him. Daikael''s idea was to create a quick-drying substance that would stick to his body and make flight impossible. As a side effect, the goop would slowly weaken Serval by magically draining his power.


    <i>"Now! While he''s weakened!" </i>Hishya called out as she and every other yer leaped through the debris cloud and pounced on the disoriented Serval.


    "GWRAAAAAAAAAAA!" Serval twisted and turned as he tried to scrape the goop off his body, to no effect.


    Taking advantage of this opportunity, Hishya and the others resumed their previous attack n, with devastating effect. Serval began to bleed profusely, and it looked like it was only a matter of time before the Dragon Emperor was brought down.


    "Danger close, YES-YES!" Imp cackled over the radio as a massive barrage of missiles poured down on Serval.


    <i>"Keep this up! We''ve got him on the ropes!" </i>Hishya cried out as she carved deep gashes into Serval''s side. ck Company unleashed a devastatingbination attack, while Zephira channeled some of her Warlock power to punch a hole straight through Serval''s shoulder.


    <i>{We just need to keep this going long enough to allow Ara to get to 1000 stacks! With that much bonus damage, he should go down instantly!} </i>Hishya was confident they could win, but unfortunately, it wouldn''t be that easy. As they attacked him, Serval began to charge up an incredible amount of power within his body, and as magical formations appeared around him, Hishya could tell that something was wrong...


    "HE CAN CAST MAGIC?!?" Eris cried in shock out as she was smacked by a w and knocked aside. Serval had never done something like this before, and in FWO he was unable to cast magic.


    "<i>Iing!" </i>Hishya called out as a torrent of magical bolts fired out from the formations.


    *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT*


    Not expecting this kind of attack, the yers were caught off guard, and most began taking heavy damage as they were struck by the nearly uncountable barrage of sts. Screams of pain echoed throughout the area, and Hishya watched helplessly as her friends were sted by Serval''s magic.


    <i>"NOOOOOOO!"</i> Hishya roared as she tried to get closer to Serval, but the magical sts kept pushing her back. Damage was starting to rack up on everyone, and it wouldn''t be much time until someone went down for good. <i>"Dammit! We''re so close! Come on!" </i>Hishya was struck with a huge barrage of attacks, which left her disoriented and unable to dodge Serval''s tail which smashed into her and sent her flying into the side of a nearby mountain.


    "Ack!" Hishya cried out in pain. Her entire body hurt, her head was spinning and she could taste blood in her mouth. From her prone position, she could see Serval continuing to st her friends in the distance, and the dragon watched as yers started to go down one by one.


    <i>{N-No! Please get up!} </i>Hishya tried to will her body to move, but found herself without strength. Serval had only struck her a few times during the fight, but it seemed that his blows were enough to inflict significantly more damage than she was expecting. Hishya knew that Serval was incredibly powerful, and she warned everyone not to take <i>any </i>hits since she''s seen the Dragon Emperor one-shot some yers in the past.


    "P-Please!" Hishya tried forcing her injured body to move once again, but it gave out and she found herself on her back and staring at the darkened sky. "Nooo! NO!" She cried. "We were so close! Ara only needed a bit more time!" She cursed her failure, and it was beginning to look like all there hard work would be for naught. Hishya''s mind called back to the Assault Team''s unsessful raids on the Dragon Emperor, and she knew what was about to happen.


    In the distance, she could hear screams of pain, cries for help, and Serval''s roar, which to her ears sounded likeughter. "T-This is the end... We failed...<em> I</em> failed..." Hishya began to cry a bit. "All that nning, all that preparation, and we get taken down by some BS attack we didn''t even know he had!" She tightened her fist in frustration. "We...we lost..." She''d almost given up hope, but an unexpected voice snapped her back to reality.


    "You only lose when you give up. Hishya." Appertaining out of seemingly nowhere, Akagi stood over the incapacitated dragon and chastised her.


    "A-Akagi!" Hishya coughed up some blood. "Please! We need your help! We can''t win against him like this! That magical attack was..."


    "So that''s it? One small setback, and you throw in the towel." Akagi shook her head in disapproval. "How pathetic. I never knew you were the kind of person to so easily give up"


    "That''s easy for you to say!" Hishya screamed at her. "You''ve got enough power to do whatever the fuck you want! People like us have to actually try!"


    <i>{Don''t you fucking talk shit about me!} </i>(Hishya)


    "If you''ve got enough strength to insult me, then you''re fine." Akagiughed. "Come on, get up. You still have a battle to win, and you need to be quick if you want everyone to make it out of this alive." She knew it wouldn''t be long until someone finally bit the big one.


    "I can''t." Hishya bit her lip in frustration. "Just from those few attacks, I''m... I can''t move... My body... its reached its limit."


    <i>{Dammit! How can I be so injured after so few hits?!? I even used so much of my own power!} </i>(Hishya)


    "I''ll admit that Serval using magic was a <em>bit</em> unexpected, but well... <i>you''re</i> also holding back too. So just bust out the rest of your power, you idiot." Akagi flicked her on the head.


    "What? What are you talking about?!?" Hishya red at her. "I gave it everything I-" She was interrupted by Akagi.


    "Hishya, you''ve got so <em>much</em> more power within you." Akagi knelt down next to her. "You just need to believe in yourself a bit more. That power..." The <i>Demon</i> put her hand over Hishya''s heart. "It''s <i>yours</i>, don''t let it boss you around. But more than that... You need to stop <em>lying</em> to yourself." She shook her head.


    "L-Lying?" Hishya asked. ¡°What do you mean? I don''t-¡± She was cut off.


    "You''re not human anymore, Hishya." Akagi answered.


    "I know that! What do you-" Akagi cut her off for a third time.


    "Your words do not match your heart." Akagi tapped on Hishya''s chest te as she gazed into the dragon''s eyes. "You say you know what you are, and you here you are still clinging to the false notion that you''re a human." She shook her head. "I''m sorry to tell you this, but no matter how much you wish it to be so. No matter how much you try to deny the truth... You''re not the human Nina Hoshinomi anymore. You''re a the True Dragon Hishya." Akagi''s gaze pierced through her. "You don''t need to change who you are, but you need to stop clinging to the past. You''ve put up mental barriers which are holding you back as you subconsciously want to reject the truth of what you are. I''ve noticed it over this past year. <em>Every</em> <em>time</em> you use your power, you''re fraught with worry, and your mind is actively fighting <em>against</em> it. You''re afraid of what you are, afraid that you might not be yourself anymore, and you fear leaving behind that which you once were." Akagi gave a bitter smile. "Trust me, I know what that''s like to be afraid of what lies within. But it''s not worth it, Hishya. You don''t need be afraid of what you are, rather you need to <em>embrace</em> it." Akagi''d had her own issues with epting everything in her heart and was hoping that Hishya could finally move past her issues.


    "But... what if I can''t control it? What if I stop being me?" Hishya looked away. "And What if I-"


    "Then I''ll just smack you around until youe back to your senses." Akagiughed. "But I think you''ll be fine. Nowe on." Akagi sat her up against a tree. "Bring out everything within, unless of course you want them all to die." She turned to look at the battlefield and saw that while the other yers were still fighting, it was a hopeless battle.


    "You won''t help?" Hishya asked. ¡°Wasn''t that part of our deal?¡±


    "I''ll help, but perhaps I''ll be a bit <emte</em>." Akagi shrugged. "By the time I get around to things, a few of those idiots might be gone." She stuck out her tongue. "But if you go now. Well, I think things will be fine."


    "You''re methods of motivation are terrible..." Hishya wasn''t sure if Akagi would <i>actually</i> let everyone die, but she wouldn''t put it past the <em>Demon</em>. Hishya knew that she<i></i>was more than willing to do awful things to prove a point, so something like this was right up her alley.


    "Fine." Hishya took a deep breath. "Just don''t be disappointed in me if I can''t actually handle it. I honestly can''t say how much I''ve still got to show off..."


    In a moment of seriousness, Akagi turned to Hishya and looked her square in the eyes. "In all the years I''ve known you. You''ve never <em>once</em> disappointed me, and I don''t think that''s going to start now. You''ve been a good rival, but more than that..." Akagi gave a sincere smile, one that Hishya had rarely seen before. "I''m d to call you my <i>friend</i>, Hishya." Her words stunned Hishya for a moment. She''d always thought that Akagi stopped thinking of her as a friend a long time ago and that their current rtionship was basically a fa?ade. So to hear her call her such a word so sincerely was unbelievable.. "So go and show Serval that his time has passed and that <i>you </i>are the Supreme Ruler of all Dragons. I think Dragon Empress Hishya has a nice ring to it." Akagi chuckled.


    <i>{D-Does... S-She''s serious... S-She really thinks I can do this.. she truly believes in me...} </i>Hishya burst outughing as she''d only rarely seen Akagi earnestly say such things. <i>{She does... She really belives that I can win...}</i> She smirked.


    "You know what, sure. For whatever reason, I feel like I can''t fail to meet your expectations." Hishya''s entire body began to glow in a purple light. "<i>Thanks, Akagi. For everything.</i>"


    <i>{And for what its worth... I''m sorry...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Anytime, Hishya. Anytime..." Akagi whispered as a massive plume of energy erupted from Hishya, extending into the sky like a beacon of light. "After all. What are friends for?"


    ______________________________________________________________________________


    "Grmmmm?" Serval stopped his attacks and turned towards the massive pir in the sky that had emerged from a nearby mountain. He was mere moments from wiping out the strike team, but something far more <i>important</i> had caught his attention.


    "W-What is that?" Eris said while coughing up blood. "Is that Hishya?"


    "I have no idea." Superbia said from the ground, her body covered in blood.


    "That power..." Minazawa spit out some blood. "I can <i>feel</i> it from here..."


    <i>{What''s going on?!?} </i>(Minazawa)


    The massive pir in the sky grewrger andrger until, within, a dark shadow the size of Serval became visible.


    "GRRRRRRRRRRRR" Serval began to growl, and a simr noise came from within the pir of light followed by the appearance of two red eyes. After nearly a minute, the pir began to shrink, revealing what was inside.


    "No way..." (Eris)


    "She''s even bigger than before..." (Superbia)


    "That power is incredible..." (Ayame)


    "Me-wow!" (Ara)


    *Whistle noise* (Tiball)


    "Looks like Lady Akagi was right. She did have a lot more in her!" Sabia cheered.


    "Now I''m even more worried for my nts..." Shiru gave a wry smile.


    "Yeah, tell me about it." Alveron was simrly worried.


    "MOAR SCALES!" Imp cried out in joy.


    "Big Dragon..." Avahnmented.


    "I wonder if she''d let me drop a nuke on her to see what happens." (Dai)


    "Why the hell did she hold this back?!?" (Mixu)


    "I think she was afraid." (Excel)


    "Afraid?" (Zephiria)


    "That once she embraced her power, she''d stop being herself." (Avahn)


    "Well, whatever the reason." Eris limped forward. "I''m d she''s finally going all out! Everyone lets back her up!"


    Spoiler


    True Dragon Hishya Unleashed!


    [copse]

 Chapter 185 – The Dragon Empress.

    Chapter 185 ¨C The Dragon Empress.


    "GAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Hishya roared as she slowly descended in front of Serval. She was almost the same size as the massive beast and seemed to be no less powerful. Her massive frame crashed down into the field, causing a minor earthquake. Her inhibitions and fear of her true nature had kept her from going all out. But with that gone, she was finally able to be what she was always meant to be, a true dragon.


    "Grrrrrrrrrr." Serval growled as he lunged forward, beginning a massive sh of dragons. In a simr vein to a kaiju movie, Hishya, and Serval began their final sh, the winner of which would im the title of Dragon Emperor/Empress.


    "GAAAAAAAAA!" Hishya bit into Serval''s neck, while he shed into her torso with his ws. The two tumbled about in the burned-out ins, while the other yers watched on in awe at such an awesome disy.


    "Oh wow..." Zephiria''s eyes lit up. "This. Is. So. Cool!"


    "I hate to agree with her but... yeah, it''s like watching one of those old monster movies." Minazawa was captivated by the two dragon''s battle.


    <i>{HEY, YOU IDIOTS! STOP GAWKING AND START HELPING!</i>} Hishya screamed at the other yers via her telepathy. <i>{Be impressed AFTER we kill Serval, not before! I might be more powerful now, but I definitely can''t fight him 1v1! So get your asses in gear and help me!} </i>


    "Well, at least she hasn''t gone feral." Erisughed.


    "Yeah, fighting two dragons might have been a bit much." Ayame giggled.


    ¡°Dragon scale boots...¡± Imp pouted over the loss of more scales.


    "What do you need us to do?" Superbia asked as she helped get everyone in position.


    <i>{Keep Ara''s attacks up, we need her fan ability to finish him. Tell Daikael to hold off on more rockets for right now, and inform Mixu to shoot him with the AD round the moment she gets the opportunity. I''ll try and pull him into a sky battle to give her line of sight} </i>In her transformed state, she no longer had ess to themswork and her telepathy didn''t go that far, thus she couldn''t talk to those two directly. <i>{As for the rest of you, just do what we nned! Eris, you take charge on the ground and try not to get squished by either him or I. This body is too big to easily move, and ya''ll are too small!}</i>


    <i>{Ya''ll?} </i>Ayameughed. "She''s been spending time around Akagi too much. Damn Kansai ent."


    "Alright, you heard her!" Eris rounded everyone up. "Let''s get to work! Merkyul is your team able to give this one final push?"


    "Yes, mam!" Merkyul and his team nodded. "We''re a bit banged up, but this is nothingpared to training." He and the others gave an ufortableugh. Whatever Akagi did to them mustn''t have been pleasant.


    <i>{Do I even want to know...} </i>(Minazawa)


    Hishya''s orders were quickly ryed to Mixu and Daikael respectively, and the rest of the yers closed in on the tumbling beasts. Hishya and Serval''s battle continued as they rolled around the hillside, crushing anything beneath them. This was truly a sh of titans as the pair of massive dragons fought w and scale to achieve victory.


    "GAAAAAAAAAAAAA" Hishya mmed her tail into Serval''s head, momentarily stunning him. This left an opening for Merkyul''s team to jump on top of the dragon, and inflict major damage to his head and neck with theirbination attacks.


    ¡°Let''s go!¡± Merkyul and his team began another wave of attacks causing yet more blood to flow from the Dragon''s back and legs.


    "GAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Serval cried out in pain, as he unleashed a breath attack in an attempt to dislodge the other yers. However, Hishya was having none of that. She reached out with her ws and forcefully mped his jaws shut, while she head-butted him over and over again.


    *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG*


    "We''re up next!" Eris yelled as she and Ayame ran up Hishya''s spine and leapt onto Serval''s head, mming their weapons into his eyes, and destroying one of them.


    "GAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Serval wed at Hishya''s torso, drawing blood as the two dragons began tumbling and biting at each other. It was harzardous for the yers to move around the two tumbling beasts, and there were a few moments where either Serval or Hishya nearly squished one of them.


    "Come on! Get him while he''s distracted!" Minazawa closed in on the tussling monsters, slicing at his legs and hands alongside Shimari, Excel, and Superbia.


    "Hidden Oni de! sh of the Twin Rivers!" Superbia called out another of her techniques, one of her most powerful, andbined it with Princess of Blood. "TAKE EVERYTHING I''VE GOT!" She screamed as she sliced Serval''s right w off in one strike before backing away and deactivating her ability before she took too much recoil.


    "GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Serval roared in pain, as his blood poured from his massive wound. With what magical power he had left, he activated a body strengthening ability and pushed Hishya off him before taking off into the air in an attempt to flee.


    "He''s trying to escape!" Shiru tried to use whatever nt life she could to bind him to the earth, but the dragon destroyed them with his breath.


    "Nyoooo meow~! don''t leave meow~! he just nyeeds nyonye more meow~!"


    [Noooo! Don''t leave! He just needs one more!] Ara cried out in protest as she was pushed away by the air pressure from his ps.


    "COME BACK HERE!" Avhan leaped into the air, grabbing onto Serval''s tail before unleashing everyst bit of Demonic power she had left. "FURURI! GIVE ME EVERYTHING YOU''VE GOT!" She called out to the spirit within her de, and a dark energy erupted from her weapon. "TAKE THIS! DEMON SWORD HIDDEN TECHNIQUE: THAT WHICH UNBINDS THE HEAVENS!" This was the special ability she was granted toward the end of her time in FWO after the defeat of the Archangel Micheal. In exchange for massive recoil that would temporarily debilitate herself, she''d cause <i>extreme </i>damage with her next strike. Taking a moment to line it up properly, Avahn sliced down at lightning speed, severing a chuck of Serval''s tail, which plummeted down to the earth alongside the Demon cat.


    "Nyavahn meow~! That was so cool meow~!"


    [Avahn! That was so cool!] Ara rushed over and pet the Demon kitty on the head before scratching her ears.


    "Ummmm." She blushed. "A little help here first..." Avahn was crushed by the dragon''s massive tail and couldn''t get out as her body was now too weak to move.


    Despite the loss of his tail and hand, Serval continued to fly upwards, Hishya in hot pursuit. They quickly erupted from the massive dust cloud over the battlefield and into the clear sky above.


    <i>{You''re not getting away!} </i>Hishya called out to the fleeing dragon, before flying above and over tackling him. The two shed in the air, as Hishya bit into his neck and sliced into his flesh with her razor-sharp ws.


    "GAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Serval cried out in pain, his roar much weaker than before. It was clear that he was nearly finished, but he had some fight left, and used what little he had left to bite Hishya''s neck and rip out a chunk of flesh. But Hishya didn''t even flinch, she had no intention of letting him go and a bit of pain wasn''t going to stop her at this point.


    After a lengthy mid-air duel, she eventually maneuvered Serval between her and Akagi''s estate, which was visible in the distance.


    <i>{Come on, Mixu! Take the shot!} </i>Hishya screamed out, hoping that her friend would hear her, and as luck would have it she did. A moment after she cried out, a massive bang could be heard from across the mountain range, as a huge hole appeared in Serval''s chest as a bullet the size of a small car struck him in the heart and passed right by Hishya''s head.


    "AAHSFDAGAGSFAS!" Serval began to bleed profusely, as he slowly fell to the earth, his form disappearing below the dust cloud.


    Back at the estate, Mixuy on a floating tform, in front of her was the world''srgest sniper rifle specially designed to fire AD (Anti Dragon) Rounds. It took a massive amount of time and money to build, and some testing which Hishya <i>contributed</i> <i>to</i>, but the results spoke for themselves.


    "All in a day''s work." Mixuughed as she put out her cigarette next to her. "You''re up Hishya, finish the job.¡±


    Seeing Serval fall below the debris, Hishya extended her wings to full length and pped them as hard as she could. The force of her wing beats were as strong as a Typhoon, and blew away the massive dust cloud around their battlefield, revealing Serval lying on the ground below her, injured and unmoving.


    "NYA! DING!" Ara ran over and smacked the dragon one final time, which meant that he had 1000 of her stacks applied to him before running away at full speed.


    Seeing that the time hade to finally end this battle, Hishya let out a mighty roar before she began to dive toward the crippled Dragon. She flew at incredible speed, until about halfway down, she transformed back into her human form. However, this form was a bit different than normal. She looked like a full-grown adult rather than a child, her hair had extended down to her waist and was made of purple and pink me, her eye color was something akin to a moving purple fire, and at her back was a cape made of red cloth that extended down to her ankles.


    <i>"THIS ENDS NOW!!!!!!" </i>Hishya screamed as she drew Sun Strike and drove the de straight into Serval''s skull. Her incredible power,bined with Ara''s fan ability meant that her strike created a massive explosion that produced a blinding light.


    In the distance, the other yers watched in awe and suspense, hoping that the battle was over.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Hishya POV>


    "Wh-Wha?" Hishya blinked her eyes in confusion. All around her was a shadowy darkness, not unlike what it was like within Akagi''s shadow. "What''s going on? Where is Serval?!?" She looked around, only to find the Dragon in question lying on the ''ground'' behind her. He was in visible pain, and his eyes shed and flickered. She immediately took a battle stance, but was interrupted by someone speaking to her telepathically.


    <i>{One who bears my blood,e closer.} </i>(Serval)


    Hearing these words caused Hishya to stop, she''d never heard Serval speak before.


    "Y-You can talk?!?" Hishya stopped moving.


    <i>{Of course... my child... just as you can...} </i>It seemed that even via telepathy, speech was difficult for the wounded Dragon, and it was as if he was speaking throughbored breathing. <i>{You have defeated me... I always... anticipated... that one... who... bore... my blood... and who... overcame... my trial... would best me.} </i>


    Hishya didn''t understand his words at first, but then recalled the quest which transformed her into a Dragon. There was something in the quest''s lore that implied that the yer would be a Dragon via ingestion of Serval''s blood.


    "I had help." Hishya shook her head. "If it wasn''t for everyone else, I wouldn''t have been able to defeat you." She wasn''t about to take all the credit for herself, not this time. She''d done that too many times in the past, and wasn''t about to make that mistake again.


    <i>{Perhaps... but you... were... their leader... and without you... they could not... have won... So take pride... in this aplishment... you have done... what others could not... you have bested me...} </i>(Serval)


    "I didn''t want to have to fight you again, not after ourst encounter." Hishya''s grip on her de tightened. "You killed so many of my friends, and I nearly lost more today..."


    <i>{Such.... is the way... of the world... the strong live... and the weak die...} </i>(Serval)


    "But should the strong not protect the weak?" Hishya asked. "Shouldn''t we use the power we have to protect those whock the power to do it themselves?


    The Dragon began tough, albeit painfully. <i>{Indeed... the strong... live... to protect... the weak... and the weak... exist to aid... the strong... in... their... duty... such... is how... it... should... be...} </i>(Serval)


    "It''s strange hearing you say that, considering who and what you are." Hishya knew full well Serval''s lore and backstory as the bringer of the End Times.


    <i>{In... the past... I was once... a leader... of... my kind.... but the gods... they did not... appreciate... how... I threatened... their monopoly on their power... thus... they cursed me... took away my voice... and my mind... if not for... my beloved mate... I would have... destroyed the very... world... I once love...} </i>(Serval)


    "She was the one who put you to sleep?" Hishya asked, not knowing whether to believe him or not. However, she figured that it was possible for there to be more to Serval than just what the game lore said. After all, she knew that FWO was no game.


    <i>{Yes... she... saved me...} </i>He answered. <i>{My time is... short... so please listen to me... As the one who rightfully defeated me in an honorable duel, I hereby relinquish my title of Dragon Emperor... to you, Hishya... You are now... the Ruler of all True Dragons, the Dragon Empress... by right of our ancient codes... I have spoken...}</i>


    Hishya didn''t really know what to say other than... "I ept." She nodded as she put away her de. Something inside her roiled as she said those words. It was as if everything was now in its ce, as if she was <i>meant</i> to take his ce one day.


    <i>{Now go... my child... and use your power... my power... to bring.... peace...... to...... your.....world...} </i>(Serval)


    With hisst word, Hishya snapped back to reality. Her de was embedded deep within Serval''s skull, and the dragon was dead. A single tear ran down her eye, for what reason she did not know. Was it out of pity? Joy? Or sorrow? But that did not matter right now. As Hishya looked up, she saw all her friends surrounding the defeated Dragon Emperor. She withdrew Sun Strike from Serval''s skull, before turning to the other yers.


    "Is it over?" Eris asked, a bit nervous because of Hishya''s appearance. Her hair was no longer on fire, and was now simply a longer version of her normal hair, though her physical age was still much more than what the others were used to seeing. She had a regal, almost royal air about her, and everyone got the sense that something <i>big </i>had happened to Hishya.


    <i>"It is." </i>Hishya nodded. <i>"And by the Ancient traditions of our kind, and his blessing, I have now taken up his title..." </i>She hopped down onto the ground before raising Sun Strike into the air triumphantly. <i>"I am now the Ruler of All True Dragons. Hishya, the Amethyst Dragon Empress."</i>


    Spoiler


    Hishya''s News Look!


    [copse]

 Chapter 186 – Rekindling.

    Chapter 186 ¨C Rekindling.


    "So... it''s over?" Eris side-eyed the dead Serval. "He''s not gonna get back up for round three, right?"


    <i>{Please stay dead. I don''t need a repeat Sengal...} </i>(Eris)


    "No." Hishya gave a dryugh. "He''s gone, and it''s over. The Emerald Dragon Emperor has been defeated for thest time."


    <i>{Why do I feel so... sad? I hated Serval for what he did... for all the lives he took, but for some reason my heart is in knots... Its as if I just lost someone important to me.} </i>(Hishya)


    At her words, around half the team fell to the ground, exhausted.


    "Thank god..." Minazawa said. Her face was covered in burns and blood. "I don''t think we could''ve gone on much longer."


    "Yeah, just using Princess of Blood for that brief time has my entire body feeling like hell." Superbia was t on her back, unable to move.


    *Poke*


    Zephiria poked the injured Oni in the cheek. "Did that hurt?" She asked with a devious smile.


    "No, but <i>you''re </i>going to if you keep that up." Superbia red at her.


    "And no one died, and they lived happily ever after." Akagi appeared out of nowhere and started slow pping. "Congrattions, everyone! I knew you could do it!" She smiled.


    "Yeah, no thanks to you." Ayame rolled her eyes. "Did you enjoy watching our little struggle from yourfy seat on high?"


    "I did! Though I''d have to give your battle a 7/10 at best." Akagi thought for a moment. "There <i>was</i> the epiceback moment during what seemed like a sure defeat, but theck of an epic beam struggle really let me down." She shrugged. ¡°Not to mention, Hishya''s power up didn''te from the loss of someone important, so it was far less impactful.¡±


    "Well, <i>sorry</i> to disappoint you." Eris sighed. "We tried our best, and we weren''t exactly aiming to make it entertaining for our <i>audience</i>."


    "Maybe I should res him and make you do it again?" Akagi smirked. ¡°This time we could have someone die to make it more interesting! Let me get some straws and we can-¡± She was cut off


    "PLEASE DON''T!" (Everyone)


    "I''m just kidding." Akagiughed. "I wouldn''t do that."


    <i>{She totally would...} </i>(Everyone)


    "Speaking of the dead, can you allow Serval''s soul to pass on rather than eat him?" Hishya asked.


    "But I was looking forward to eating such a juicy treat!" Akagi cried out in protest. "Rivenshaft''s was amazing, but Serval''s looks... if I could drool, that''s what I''d be doing right now." The greed was visible in her eyes.


    <i>{I WISH TO CONSUME THE DRAGON!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Ordinarily, I wouldn''t care if you ate his soul. However, in this instance please allow him that one bit of mercy." Hishya wasn''t going to back down.


    "And why''s that?" Eris asked, and Hishya exined what she discussed with the Dragon Emperor in their mental conversation.


    "So that''s why you looked so spaced out." Ayame nodded.


    "It seems there really was so much about FWO that we didn''t know." Superbia sighed. "Are those gods he referred to the Devs?"


    "I have no idea." Hishya shook her head. "But either way, while it doesn''t exactly make me forgive him for all the lives he took..." She thought back to their battles against him in FWO. "He was a victim in his own way, so please let him rest." She once again asked Akagi for clemency.


    "Fine." Akagi shrugged. "I''m not exactly starved, so I''ll allow him to pass on."


    <i>{MY TREAT! NOOOO!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Thank you." Hishya gave a polite bow, which surprised everyone.


    "Can I have body-corpse?" Imp interrupted their nice moment by requesting the Dragon''s body over the radio.


    <i>{You couldn''t wait like five minutes?} </i>(Minazawa)


    "I''d like some parts too!" Dai agreed.


    "Do what you want with his remains." Hishya sighed. "I have no use for it, and I see no problem with putting it to use."


    <i>{Better him than me...} </i>(Hishya)


    "I''m sure Imp, Dai, and Imperial will get good use out of such awesome loot." Zephiriaughed. "Though I''ll request some dragon skin boots!"


    "We should give some dragon-scaled gear to Hishya so I can joke about her wearing her own people as clothing." Akagi chuckled.


    "I''m going to ignore you both." Hishya shook her head. ¡°I''m far too exhausted to want to y stupid games right now.¡±


    "So what now?" Minazawa asked. "I suppose that wraps things up since you handled Rivenshaft."


    "Your roles in this operation have finished. However, the deaths of Rivenshaft and Serval are not the end of things." Akagi still had to deal with the Council.


    "Right, that Spirit Council or whatever that summoned those bastards." Eris sighed. "I presume <i>you''re </i>going to deal with them?"


    "Yes." Akagi nodded. "I''vee to an agreement with Mizumi and a Council Member that defected to take control of their city. The Spirits will fall under my Suzerainty once we oust those three idiots in Omara."


    "So you''re going to just enve them?" Excelsior scowled.


    "Not enve, Excel. <i>Rule</i>." Akagi shook her head. "Mizumi will be taking the position as my Governor-General of Omara, and will lead her people in conjunction with a separate body that acts as a cab."


    "I guess that makes sense. You''re already getting you''re own country, so acquiring more people isn''t exactly strange." Superbia said.


    "And to be honest, I want more." Akagi replied. "It''s why I''m going to be formally inviting all FWO survivors once things get moving."


    <i>{I''ve got lots of work to do if I want to fulfill my goals. We''ve got lots of fun projects ahead of us.} </i>(Akagi)


    "We''ve already gotten a few who''ve either arrived early or who contacted me to get put on a list." Birdy interjected. "Even people without powers have been getting some serious heat from the general poption."


    "And I wonder whose fault <i>that </i>is?" Excelsior muttered to himself.


    "The offer is open to all of you." Akagi turned to head back to her home. "Take it or leave it. I don''t care either way."


    "Wait!" Hishya called out to her as she left. "Let mee with you to deal with Omara." Her words caused Akagi to stop in her tracks.


    "Why? You have no stake in this." Akagi asked without looking at her. ¡°Your deal with me was to kill Serval, so you don''t need to get involved with this.¡±


    "You''re wrong about that." Hishya shook her head. "They attacked my home, and I think that''s a good enough reason to get involved."


    "Your home?" Akagi turned around, surprised.


    "Yes." The Dragon smiled. "Unless your offer didn''t include me?"


    Akagi thought for a moment before bursting outughing. "I honestly didn''t expect this!" She started wheezing fromughing hard. "All my prediction power told me that you wanting to live here wasn''t going to happen for a long time. But here you gopletely defying my expectations!" She shook her head." Yeah, Hish. That offer was to you too, and I''d love to have you aboard. If nothing else, we could use a family pet at home." She smiled.


    "I don''t know about <i>pet</i>." Hishya walked forward, and the two shook hands. "But I don''t think I''d mind sticking around for a while. Besides, I''m pretty sure Kana will be staying here in the future, and it makes sense to move to the country where my girlfriend lives." She smiled.


    <i>{In spite of everything... Akagi''s always been my friend. Even at my lowest point, she never lost faith in me. And even when I cast her aside, denounced her, and spat on the friendship we once shared, she never turned her back on me, even when she would have had every right to.} </i>Hishya thought to herself. <i>{Akagi, you might be a pain in the ass world-destroying monster, but... you really are my best friend, aren''t you? I''m sorry I threw that away all those years ago...} </i>


    The<i> Demon </i>and the Dragon had known each other for many years, fought many battles, and shared manyughs together. Somewhere along the way, Hishya forgot just how much fun being around Akagi was. Whether it was the stress of the game, her moral disagreements, or Hishya''s own rotten attitude is hard to say. But at some point, she stopped seeing Akagi as a friend, and more as an enemy to be defeated. However, after returning to the real world, and spending much more time with the <i>Demon </i>over this past year, Hishya''s opinion changed. No longer was Akagi simply a monster that she was afraid of. <i>Now</i> she was a friend and close ally, and the Dragon was happy that while <i>she</i> gave up on Akagi, Akagi never gave up on <i>her</i>.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Onmiyame POV>


    "D-Defeated?!?" Onmiyame was left nearly lost for words at Sizix''s report. He was sitting in his office reading over some documents as the green-haired woman exined to him what had happened to their new servants.


    "Y-Yes. Both Serval and Rivenshaft have been <em>destroyed</em>, this... this was an unexpected development." Sizix started sweating. "At this point... I..."


    "How could this have happened?!?" Daruma mmed his fist on the table. "Did you mess up their revival?!?" He was quick to pin me on her since she was in charge of the ritual.


    "I did everything <em>exactly</em> as required! Those two had every bit as much power as before! So don''t go ming me for this failure!" Sizix eximed.


    <i>{I made extra sure that those two were in perfect condition. I figured it wouldn''t be an easy victory, but for them both to be defeated so quickly...} </i>(Sizix)


    Onmiyame sat quietly as his face paled. "Is... is it possible that the <i>Demon </i>Mizumi brought to us really is a Demon Lord?" His question caused the other two to go silent.


    "Wasn''t it a team of those fools that defeated Serval?" Daruma asked. "You said that the <i>Demon </i>was not involved in that battle. So I don''t think that means-" Sizix cut him off.


    "T-The <i>Demon</i> transported Rivenshaft to some unknown location where she seems to have fought him one on one and killed him with ease." Sizix paled a bit. "A-At this point, I suspect she wille for us next..."


    <i>{I''ve read the stories, I know what Vikes did to people... I don''t want that to happen to me... I-I need to run...} </i>(Sizix)


    "W-We can defeat her!" Daruma began tough nervously. "We just need to rally our people!" He looked at the other two Council members, who said nothing. "What are you just sitting around for?!?"


    "Daruma..." Onmiyame finally spoke. "I''m sorry. It seems that we will not get revenge for your family."


    "W-What?" Daruma''s eyes went wide. "You can''t be serious!" He swiped a ss off the table, causing it to shatter on the floor. "You''re just giving up?!? When we can still fight!"


    <i>{Unbelievable!} </i>(Daruma)


    "If both Serval and Rivenshaft were defeated, even if Akagi isn''t a Demon Lord, I''m afraid we have no chance if theye here." Sizix shook her head. "We cannot hope to win, even if only a portion of those who fought in that battlee for us."


    "That''s just defeatist thinking!" Daruma fumed.


    "It''s the truth!" Sizix had finally had enough of him. "We cannot bring out anything more powerful than those two, and the database is unstable as is. It''s over..." She sat back down. "I suggest we open negotiations with her. Perhaps that way, we might get out of this alive..."


    <i>{Of course, if she is a Demon Lord, I doubt we''re going to get that lucky. But it''s worth a shot...} (Sizix)</i>


    "I will not surrender! I would rather die on my feet like a man than serve on my knees!" Daruma shouted as he stormed out of the room.


    "His youthful vigor can be a great asset, but at times it leaves him unable to rationalize a situation." Onimiyame''s face went dark. "I fear that this might be the end of not just us, but our entire people..."


    <i>{There is nothing stopping her from consuming the entire city. It would seem that my habit of gambling has finallye back to haunt me.} (Onmiyame)</i>

 Chapter 187 – A Difference of Opinions.

    Chapter 187 ¨C A Difference of Opinions.


    After returning to the Estate, Akagi sent her family into overdrive. She''d been prepping for the upation of Omara for several weeks and came up with what she believed to be the most effective n for a smooth and painless takeover. It was unknown just <i>how</i> the Spirits would react to her sudden appearance and the reorganization of their nation into a client state, but she was prepared for any possibility.


    "Let''s go! Chop Chop! We''ve got to set up the upation quickly! I don''t want those idiotic Council members to have time to try anything." Akagi directed her forces as they began assembling in the main courtyard. "Chloe, get your team in gear, but keep the Maid outfit on. I need you as cute as possible during this operation." She snickered.


    "..." Chloe red at her and pouted before grabbing her team. She might have been on punishment, but Akagi needed her for now, so she was temporarily back on duty. Though Akagi was still going to have fun with her.


    "It''s like an army assembling for battle." Eris was impressed with the level of activity within the estate. ¡°The movements look chaotic, but there''s a rhythm to it.¡±


    "It wouldn''t be the first time we''ve had to takerge-scale actions, and a portion of my forces <i>are</i> dedicated tobat." Akagi said in between shouting out orders. "The ninja are my go-to shock troops, but there are only so many at my disposal, so I''ve brought in Marshal and his team of knights." She pointed to the armored man who was busy giving a detailed exnation to his team. He had a small contingent of ex-Imperial knights that defected alongside him. Some of them even brought their families, which Akagi put to work mostly as maids or other simr upations.


    "What are our orders, my Lord?" Merkyul asked as he and ck Company formed up.


    "You''ll being along with me and Hishya." She responded. "Once we know the situation on the ground, I''ll have you go out and act as my firefighters. If anything pops off, you''ll be in charge of handling it."


    "Yes Mam!" (ck Company)


    "Can we get a bit of an exnation for <i>that </i>real quick?" Hishya wanted to know what Akagi did to Merkyul and his team.


    "I''ll give you the full detailster, or you can just pester Imp since she helped." Akagi replied. ¡°But basically, I rewrote parts of their soul. I purged out the bad parts, rearranged their personalities, and gave them absolute loyalty to me. They''ve had what amounts to a religious epiphany and now serve me as my dedicated special forces team."


    <i>{A very good one I might add.} </i>(Akagi)


    "So you brainwashed them..." Eris gave a nervousugh.


    "In a way, yes." Akagi nodded. "However, they still retain their memories and are fully aware that I messed with their minds. Go and ask them about it if you want more, but overall I''d say this was an improvement on how they were. At least this way, they are both alive and able to do good." She didn''t exactly <i>need </i>a team of yers to act on her behalf, but having them around was a boon. Not to mention, it was good testing for a <i>future</i> project she had in mind.


    "Please don''t go doing that to us..." Hishya sighed.


    "I would say Imp is the more likely of the two of us to start going nuts with this whole thing, but thankfully she isn''t capable of soul maniption." Akagiughed. "As for me, I have no real interest in mind controlling more people or something. I did it in this case because I wanted to test the limits of what I can do, and also because they were fantastic test subjects for game abilities and their changes in the real world."


    "Is that why they seemed so much stronger than before?" Superbia asked. "Because Merkyul''s team was always powerful, but they did crazy damage to Serval."


    <i>{Their power was easily closer to my own, which is something considering only Hitamaguchi should have had that level of ability.} </i>(Superbia)


    "Yeah, they are definitely more powerful than when I faced them in Nagoya." Hishya was referring to Sabia and Merkyul specifically.


    "Lady Akagi has taken great care to amplify our game abilities and provide additional power boosts where possible," Sabia exined. "After some <i>testing, </i>she found a way to manipte our powers, if only a bit."


    "So you <i>did</i> find out what makes our powers function?" Hishya asked. She''d actually been curious about that part herself. Mizumi didn''t really understand it and just assumed it was soul rted.


    "Yeah, and as Mizumi and I guessed, it''s something from within the soul. It''s hard to exin and Imp and I are still researching it, but suffice to say, I can change game powers around, at least a little bit." Akagi thought for a moment. "Just don''t go expecting radical changes for a while. Right now just messing with minor stuff or adding in a few abilities is all we can do."


    <i>{Right now, all we''ve been able to do was retool and swap a few things. But even that was pushing it.} </i>(Akagi)


    "And then you took Imperial''s research and his discovery that abilities could be tied to items." Ayame pointed out the ability used by Merkyul and Sabia at the start of their attack. ¡°Merkyul mentioned gauntlets.¡±


    "Yeah, Imperial''s been hard at work digging deeper into that over these months." Akagi had ced him under favorable conditions. As long as he didn''t cause problems she would leave him alone. Though he was well aware that he was not a free man.


    "Where the hell is he anyway?" Minazawa asked. "I haven''t seen him at the estate." She looked around.


    "A secretb several miles underground!" Daikael spurted out secret information. "I''ve been there, and it''s super cool!"


    "And you didn''t tell anyone because?" Alveron figured the nutty fox was involved.


    "I don''t wanna end up like Armalthy..." Daikael gave a nervousugh.


    "Fair." (Everyone else)


    "So getting past your <i>experimenting, </i>what is the n?" Hishya wasn''t exactly sure what was going to happen in Omara.


    "I can exin that." Mizumi stepped out of the house. She was in her adult form, one that most yers hadn''t seen before. Beside her was Shinlua, and the look on her face was of both exhaustion and sadness.


    "Go ahead and tell them. I''ve got stuff to do." Akagi walked away as she grabbed one of the ninjas andined that preparations need to go faster.


    "We''ll effectively be performing a coup." Mizumi started exining. "Omara has no real defense forces, beyond the explorers, and thus a military takeover should be easy. I presume many of the residents will be confused or angry at the sudden turn of events, but it''s a necessary evil."


    <i>{Though a few individuals might provide some resistance, and we need to either capture or subdue them, hopefully capture. I want this to be bloodless.} </i>(Mizumi)


    "So basically, you''re just going to overthrow the government in Omara and take up the leadership role?" Eris asked.


    "Effectively, yes." Mizumi nodded. "Though, the hope is that the Council willingly surrenders rather than to oust them with bloodshed, and I''ve asked Akagi to limit anybat within the city." Though she knew well that peace wasn''t an option at this point, she was still hoping for it.


    "I still think that will be difficult." Shinlua interjected. "Spirits detest authoritarian rule, and <i>Demons</i> specifically. Some kind of unrest or even a revolt will likely ur once you announce the dissolution of the Council and our new status as subjects of the Demon Lord."


    "If that happens, then Akagi''s forces will attempt to defuse things with as little bloodshed as possible." Mizumi replied. "I''ve already worked things out with her, and while I agree that there is risk of such civil unrest, we really don''t have a choice." She shook her head. "Akagi is already being kind enough to our people by performing a rtively peaceful andx subjugation when she could just crush us and impose her rule arbitrarily. This is far from what I''ve wanted, but it''s the best alternative to very."


    "Akagi sure likes enving people..." Excelsior scoffed.


    "Considering our leadership tried to <i>kill </i>her and Yumi, it''s not really surprising." Mizumi gave a wry smile. "And I won''t go as far as to say she <i>likes </i>very per se, it''s just that she views it as a means to an end. I can''t say I <i>agree </i>with her attitude, but it''s not without its logic."


    <i>{Spirits don''t practice very, but we never exactly condemned it either. So to do so now would be quite hypocritical.} </i>(Mizumi)


    "I still don''t think this is right." Excelsior shook his head. "She''s basically using jungle rules and the idea that might makes right. I get that she''s an all-powerful being, but that doesn''t make her actions right."


    "Just give it up, Excel." Hishya sighed. "Akagi is how she is and there''s nothing we can do to change it. In all honesty, she''s not that bad of a person. At least, not as bad as I''ve made her out to be, and it''s not like she''s been running around acting tyrannical for no reason. Realistically speaking, she could be doing much worse, and I think in this situation we should be grateful for that bit of mercy." Hishya''s words surprised everyone, as the Dragon had a habit of talking bad about Akagi''s habits in private.


    "That''s a change in attitude." Superbia said. "But you''re not exactly wrong." She <i>mostly </i>agreed with Hishya. "Like I said before, Excel. Just try and put her out of your mind. Otherwise, you''re just adding on needless stress."


    "I know, I know." Excel let out a breath. "It''s just that none of this sits right with me."


    "It doesn''t have to." Zephiria spoke up. "I mean, you''re entitled to your opinion, and Akagi doesn''t exactly mind if people dislike her. As long as you keep it to just words and thoughts, what''s wrong with taking a stance against her?"


    "Akagi not mind-care." Imp said as she came from the house. "She has no ill will-bad blood because you have such thoughts-opinions."


    "It''s not like we all agree with her 100%. It''s just that we realize that nothing good cane from getting all worked up about it." Minazawa said. "I learned the hard way that it''s useless to fight her and that one is better off not fighting against the current when ites to her." She shrugged.


    "Indeed." Shiru smiled. "Sometimes just agreeing to disagree is best."


    "I''d say it''s a bit more than <i>that</i>, but Shiru is right." Hishya nodded. "I think rather than fighting against her, we should put as much effort into making sure that she keeps on her current path. At least, that''s my n."


    <i>{It''s as I said before, in a thousand or ten thousand years, who knows what Akagi will do. And I for one would much rather her stay as the goofball who transforms into a catgirl for pets instead of bing a genocidal monster with no feelings.} (Hishya)</i>

 Chapter 188 – Operation Spiritual Intervention.

    Chapter 188 ¨COperation Spiritual Intervention.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    A quick special thanks to Tekbox for donating on Ko-Fi!


    If you wish to donate and get a role on the discord, then feel free to click down below!


    After preparations wereplete, Akagi''s forces gathered in the courtyard. Their numbers totaled sixty-five, and she estimated that such a force would be enough to handle any unrest within Omara. The ninja were outfitted with both rifles and their standard-issue equipment, and Akagi had instructed them to minimize fighting as well as to be careful not to provoke hostility from the civilians. However, if their lives were in danger, the were told to prioritize themselves first.


    "Alright, are we ready for Operation Spiritual Intervention?" Akagi asked Chloe and Marshal.


    <i>{Really? Not Demonic Intervention? Or are you just trying to be funny here, Akagi?} </i>(Hishya)


    "Everything is prepared, myaster!" Chloe saluted.


    "My men have experience handling civilians during upation andbat, so with your permission, I request that we be allowed to handle such things once the Council is dealt with." Marshal asked as he put out a cigarette that he dropped on the ground with his boot.


    "Sounds good." Akagi nodded before turning to Mizumi. "You ready?"


    "Yes, and hopefully, we can do this peacefully and without bloodshed." The Water Spirit was nervous.


    "If possible, please try to capture the Council <i>alive</i> so we can conduct a proper trial. At least that way we can gather some kind of legitimacy for our actions." Shinlua was also not exactly thrilled with things, but came to realize that this was the only option.


    "I mean, isn''t <i>any </i>trial by the conquering force just going to be a show trial?" Hishya figured this would be nothing more than a performance rather than some truly legitimate form of justice.


    <i>{Well yeah, that''s kinda how this whole thing works. Hell the entire post war order is based off something simr. You can try and legitimize things all you like, but putting the leadership of a conquered nation on trial will almost always be a sketchy action.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Not exactly." Mizumi shook her head. "Sure, some will think it that way, and things will look a bit... <i>suspicious.</i> However, by unterally ousting a Council member, using taboo magic to brainwash three citizens, issuing a warrant for my arrest, and then trying to <i>kill</i> me and Shinlua, the Council hasmitted several actual crimes."


    "That''s not counting the attempted genocide of humanity, and their other corruption rted crimes." Shinlua sighed. "It''s not perfect, but at least this way we can bring things to a semi-legitimate close."


    "I''ve tapped the Americans for a bit of help in this matter." Akagi smiled. "They have a history of running trials for high-profile criminals, and I requested some legal assistance for running this as well as possible. I might be a lot of things, but <iwyer</i> isn''t one."


    "The Demon Lord is actually going to havews and rules? Now ain''t that funny." Erisughed. She and the other yers wouldn''t be aiding in this operation, so most had gone home. Though a few, such as Eris, Ayame, Daikael, Imp, Zephiria, Birdy, and Mixu, had stuck around for their own reasons.


    "Can''t have a country without them." Akagi shrugged. "Part of my agreements with the States was to have at least some kind of working democratic system, which meant rule ofw and all that jazz." She waved it off. "At the end of the day, my word is still supreme, but we''ll have a system to keep the little people happy."


    "Ahh yes, bread and circuses." Hishya rolled her eyes. "Such a nice ce I''m going to call my home."


    "I mean, is that really any different than other nations? What''s better? Being told your voice matters only for the shadow Council to work in the background, or being told upfront that someone else is pulling the strings?" Akagi side-eyed the dragon.


    Hishya wanted to say no and tell her that modern democracy was a great and vibrant thing with no corruption, but that would be a massive lie.


    "I will refrain frommenting on that statement. But at least allow us the <i>illusion </i>of self-government." Hishya shook her head.


    "Do not worry, my little lizard! For I shall be a kind and benevolent dictator!" Akagiughed as everyone doubted her in their minds. "As long as the people do exactly as I tell them, then there will be no problems at all!"


    <i>{I could make so manyments right now, but I won''t.} </i>(Mixu)


    "Ah, so it will be <i>that </i>version of democracy, where they have one single party allowed in government, and they only vote onws approved by the higher-ups." Eris sighed. "Wonderful."


    "Hey, your vote will be counted, and your opinion will be recorded." Akagi smiled. "And at the end of the day, isn''t that all that matters?" She smirked.


    "Yeah, sure... let''s go with that." Hishya shook her head. "Can we get on with this? The more I think about things, the more I just want to go home and flop around in my bed..."


    "Nothing wrong with that." Akagi snickered. "The second this is all done, I''m going cat and having Yumi snuggle with me in bed while we watch a movie."


    <i>{You and your cat...} </i>(Hishya)


    <i>{Great, the two most powerful beings on this also happen to be LITERAL fucking children.} </i>Eris shook her head. <i>{I don''t know whether to be happy about that or concerned...}</i>


    With all preparationsplete, Akagi gathered up her forces and ripped open a hole in reality, which connected her estate with Omara. Rather than her normally small portal, this one wasrge enough to fit her entire task force simultaneously.


    "Shall we?" Akagi snapped her fingers and went into her Demon Lord mode. <i><b>"Let''s bring this chapter to a close. Mizumi, Shinlua, form up." </b></i>She nced at the two women, who gulped.


    "Right!" (Shinlua x Mizumi)


    Marshal''s team went in first, and his heavily armored knights took position as the vanguard, followed closely by Chloe''s ninja. Akagi opened her portal on a hill overlooking the city, close by where she and Kana had first arrived. Originally, she wanted to drop her forces straight into the main square but decided against it once Mizumi argued that it would create unnecessary chaos.


    Once her forces were through, Akagi, Hishya, Mizumi, Shinlua, Birdy and ck Company entered the portal.


    <i><b>"We''ll be back." </b></i>Akagiughed manically as she closed the rift, leaving the other yers and Yumi in the courtyard.


    "What a hell of a way to go off." Ayame shook her head.


    "Yes-Yes!" Impughed. "Demon Lord invasion-conquest will be spectacr-amazing!"


    "Oh yes." Mixu turned to Imp. "That reminds me." She gripped the madwoman''s shoulder. "I think it''s time we talked about <i>ethics."</i> The look in her eye was scary, and Imp started sweating.


    <i>{No-no...} </i>(Imp)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Akagi POV>


    <i><b>"And here we are." </b></i>Akagi said as they arrived at the top of the hill overlooking Omara. The sun would be going down soon, something she''d nned for, as this would mean fewer civilians on the streets.


    ¡°It seems that things have already kicked off.¡± Birdymented.


    <i><b>"Marshal''s team has already implemented phase one." </b></i>Akagi said as she started walking down the hill. <i><b>"First, we handle all the guards at each entrance. Then we seal the city. No one will be getting in or out for a while."</b></i>


    Chloe''s ninja was tasked with assisting the knights by handling anyone who was causing trouble, while the cat herself would take a small team of her best ninja to infiltrate the Council hall.


    As the group approached one of the main entrances, they found two guards knocked out and tied up. A few people were looking out their windows or hiding in alleyways as they made their way down the streets.


    "Listen, everyone!" Mizumi yelled loudly. "Please just stay indoors! Everything will be over soon!"


    <i>{I really hope this ends without violence.} </i>(Mizumi)


    Making their way down the street, they came across more onlookers, and it seemed that so far Marshal''s knights had kept the peace, until...


    "MIZUMI!!!!" Daruma came charging down the main road, knocking one of the knights out of the way and sending him flying into a nearby stall, crushing it.


    "YOU TRAITOROUS WHORE!" Daruma charged forward, stopping just in front of the group, and pointing his de at Mizumi. ck Company moved to handle him, but Akagi put up her hand to stop them.


    "I am no traitor!" Mizumi stepped forward, alone.


    "You would sell our people out to a <i>Demon</i>!" Daruma red at Akagi. "And you''ve brought an <i>army</i> into our city to enve our people to that creature''s will! What else could you be <i>but </i>a traitor?!?"


    "I HAD NO CHOICE!" Mizumi screamed at the top of her lungs. "<i>You </i>wouldn''t listen to me when I exined that we''re dealing with a Demon Lord! <i>You </i>ignored my warnings and actively made an enemy of one who could kill us all! <i>You </i>forced me to ask for her help!" People were listening from their windows and nearby alleys to their argument.


    "We''re going to be enved?" (Spirit 1)


    "But Lady Mizumi would never do such a thing." (Spirit 2)


    "The Council dered her and Lady Shinlua to be traitors, but she says the Council attacked that <i>Demon.</i>" (Spirit 3)


    "Our kind do not bow to <i>Demon</i>s! We fought in the great war against Vikes four thousand years ago to cleanse the world of their evil! So why would you think we''d <i>ever</i> work with one?!?" He raised his de. "Even if she is a Demon Lord, even if she can kill me and all of our people, I''d rather die a free man on my feet than live as a ve!"


    <i>{I mean, you won''t be a ve...} </i>(Akagi)


    "I get you''re problem with Akagi. Trust me, I do..." Hishya sighed. "But why would you involve the people of Earth in your stupidity?" The Dragon was much angrier than even Akagi knew about <i>this </i>point. Serval and Rivenshaft being sent after Akagi was one thing. Honestly, Hishya wasn''t really bothered by that. But intending to enve and genocide humanity as a whole wasn''t going to fly with her.


    "Who are you to question me, human!" Daruma''s words wereced with contempt. "Your kind ughtered us! Burned our viges, enved our people, and took away so many of our friends and family!" Daruma himself had lost his wife and son in the war, and he''d harbored an intense hatred fro the other races and their gods ever since. "So why should we feel <i>any </i>sympathy for them, or the Elves, or the Dwarves, or any of those backstabbing bastards?!?" His sentiment was prevalent in Spirit society, and while most were not outwardly hostile to humans or other races, there was a high degree of mistrust among ordinary Spirits.


    "The humans of Earth have nothing to do with what happened in our old world!" Shinlua spoke up. "They have never harmed us, and from what Lady Mizumi has told me they seek to work with us as friends!"


    "Hogwash!" Daruma spit. "Those creatures will betray whatever trust we ce in them! It''s in their very nature to destroy!"


    "I don''t think we''re going to be able to reason with this guy." Hishya shook her head, as she began to draw Sun Strike. "I''ll handle-" She was cut off by Akagi.


    <i><b>"No, I''ll handle this." </b></i>Akagi put her hand on Hishya''s shoulder to stop her and walked forward past Mizumi.


    "Oh? You''reing to fight me yourself, <i>Demon?</i>" Daruma scoffed. "I''ve handled countless creatures like you during my life! Just because you handled that other <i>Demon</i> don''t expect-" His words were cut off as Akagi shed forward, and put her hand over his face.


    <i><b>"That''s about enough out of you." </b></i>Akagi gripped his head and mmed him into the pavement below, knocking him out instantly. <i><b>¡°I have no patience for such nonsense at the moment, so forgive me for ending this quickly.¡±</b></i>


    <i>{Even at 100%, I didn''t even see her move. Jesus Akagi, did you really have to use that much power to handle him?} </i>Hishya thought it was overkill, butpared to what Akagi wanted to do to him, it was a light punishment. In fact, just as Hishya was angry that the Council wanted to invade Earth, Akagi was simrly furious. She might be ambivalent about humanity for the most part, but she had no tolerance for external forces attacking her world. Not to mention, these shenanigans interrupted her peaceful life, and more than anything else, <i>that </i>was something the <i>Demon </i>could not stand.


    <i><b>"Comandri." </b></i>Akagi spoke to one of Marshal''s knights who was nearby. <i><b>"Get Geoff medical care if he needs it, then continue your work." </b></i>She snapped her fingers and sucked Daruma into her shadow to restrain him.


    "Yes, mam!" Comandri ran over to check on the man who''d been knocked away earlier. He seemed to be alright, but Akagi wasn''t taking chances.


    <i><b>"Let''s go." </b></i>Akagi continued walking down the street.


    <i>{Old man. I hope you''ve readied yourself for what''s toe.} </i>(Akagi)

 Chapter 189 – The Unexpected Chance.

    Chapter 189 ¨C The Unexpected Chance.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Thank you all for getting us to 400k views! In celebration of that and a small announcement some of you may have seen on the discord, I''ve decided to give you chapter 190 tonight instead of tomorrow, since that will end book 3. Though this will mean that Sunday has no chapter.


    With Daruma taken care of, Akagi andpany continued onward to the Council Hall. As they approached the building, more and more citizens watched the group as they continued into the heart of the city, and there was already a palpable sense of anxiety in the air. Mizumi was increasingly worried that the other Spirits would start acting out, but it seemed they were content to watch and whisper from the safety of the shadows. As they approached the front entrance of the Main Hall, Chloe, and her team had already subdued the guards, along with some exploration team members that put up resistance.


    "The path is all clear, nya!" Chloe said to Akagi. She''d managed to capture Ferrix''s team unharmed after a small skirmish. Akagi had no real grudge against the three of them and would free them from the Council''s mind control once things were finished.


    <i><b>"Excellent."</b></i> Akagi scratched the cat''s ears as a reward. <i><b>"Where are the other two Council members?</b></i>" She could sense their energy but wanted any additional information.


    "They descended into the sealed room below the building, nya." Chloe exined that she''d kept her team away from that location out of safety concerns.


    "I hope they don''t try to bring back Serval and Rivenshaft <i>again</i>." Hishya sighed as she imagined another round with the Dragon.


    "I don''t think they <em>can</em>." Shinlua gave a wry smile. "From what I overheard, they wouldn''t be able to revive one of those World Bosses more than once."


    <i>{Something about instability and too much energy.} </i>(Shinlua)


    <i><b>"If they somehow did, then I''ll just remove them." </b></i>Akagi said as she pushed past the front gate. <i><b>"Come on. I want to wrap this up. Chloe, scour this entire building and take everything valuable for archival purposes. I want to know what knowledge the Spirits have been keeping from me, and ck Company, its time for you to hunt down that list of Spirits I gave you earlier." </b></i>


    "Yes mam!" (ck Company)


    "Wait, please don''t-" Shinlua tried to speak up but was stopped by Mizumi.


    "Just please return everything to us once you''ve finished." Mizumi sighed.


    <i>{Arguing with her is pointless.} </i>She red up at Shinlua. <i>{She''s in a very bad mood right now, so please don''t go </i>aggravating <i>her.} </i>


    <i><b>"That was the n. Nowe on lets go." </b></i>Akagi waved for everyone to follow as she kicked open therge doors to the Hall.


    The inside of the main administrative building of Omara was quiet, and what little light was left outside flowed in from the massive ss windows that adorned the many hallways. The few members of the staff that still upied the building were gathered in one of the side rooms, with a few ninjas watching over them to make sure they kept out of trouble.


    "We should be careful in here." Hishya said. "Whatever they''ve got in that secret room is bound to be trouble. I won''t be surprised if they try onest hailmary to save their assess."


    <i>{Like some kind ofst resort doomsday weapon. I wouldn''t be shocked if they tried killing us all as a final fuck you.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Maybe they''d try to nuke the pocket dimension itself?" Birdy brought up an idea that Hishya was also thinking about.


    "That would kill everyone! They would never-" Mizumi stopped herself. "Maybe they would..." She couldn''t be sure anymore.


    <i><b>"They did say something about having ns in case I threatened them with the Anchor, so perhaps they do have something." </b></i>Akagi said as they rounded the corner to where the hidden door was.


    "It''s here, behind this wall." Shinlua walked up to an empty spot on the wall and sent a pulse of magic in a specific pattern, causing a secret door to recede and slide off to the side, revealing a descending spiral staircase.


    <i><b>"A ssic, but ultimately uninspired." </b></i>Akagi shook her head. <i><b>"I give them -10 points. Where are theva sharks withser eyes protecting the entrance?" </b></i>Sheughed.


    "I hate you for that reference, and I hate <i>myself </i>for getting it..." Hishya groaned.


    <i>{There are probably like three people alive today who understand that stupid joke... and why did one of them have to be me...} </i>(Hishya)


    Akagi went down the stairs, followed closely by everyone else. Shinlua said there weren''t any traps or the like down here, but the <i>Demon </i>wasn''t one to take chances. After a few minutes of descending the stairs, Akagi came to arge ornate wooden door.


    <i><b>"They''re behind here, and I''m detecting some serious magic as well. Be prepared for anything, and Mizumi." </b></i>She spoke to the Spirit. <i><b>"I know you want them alive, but..." </b></i>


    "If they pose a threat, then go ahead take them out." Mizumi gave the go-ahead. "We''ll handle the fallout from that if need be."


    With that out of the way, Akagi pushed open the door which opened into arge and beautifully ornate chamber filled with gold, jewels, and other precious metals. Onmiyame and Sizix stood in front of a massive ball of flickering lights and energy suspended within a magical formation and wrapped in magical chains. The entire room seemed to overflow with the magic emanating from the ball, though Akagi could tell that the energy behind the two Council members was bing increasingly unstable.


    "Wee... is what I would say if you truly were so in such a ce." Onmiyame scowled at Akagi.


    "Onmiyame!" Mizumi called out to him. "It''s over! Surrender now and allow our people to move forward! There''s still time for you to make amends for your actions!"


    <i>{Please! Don''t put our people in more danger!} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Surrender?" Onmiyame sighed. "To do so would be to doom our people to eternal servitude to a Demon Lord." He shook his head. "And I cannot allow such a fate." As he said this, he pulled a cube from his robe. It was the fake Anchor Akagi gave to Mizumi earlier.


    <i>{And his next words will be. And so, rather than allow such a horrible fate to pass, it is best for our people to disappear along with you.} </i>Akagi predicted his next words as a joke.


    "And so, rather than allow such a horrible fate to pass, it is best for our people to disappear along with you!" He crushed the fake Anchor in his hand.


    <i>{Wow... I actually got it right.} </i>(Akagi)


    <i><b>"Oh, nooo." </b></i>Akagi feigned defeat. <i><b>"You''ve truly done it now. I shall perish along with this world. How foolish of me to give you back the Anchor. Curse myck of foresight..." </b></i>Her monotone voice caused Hishya tough.


    "Jesus, Akagi. Care to kill the man''s pride any harder?" Hishya said while giggling.


    "Laugh all you want, <i>Demon</i>. But it ends now." Onmiyame smirked.


    <i>{I''ve heard that god damn line so many fucking times... I really should start keeping a running count.} </i>(Akagi)


    "This world will begin to copse without the Anchor, and you''ve no way to escape now, <i>Demon</i>!" Sizix said smugly, thought she was sweating slightly.


    "Should I tell them?" Mizumi whispered to Akagi.


    "<b></b><i><b>Give it a minute.</b></i>" Akagi did exactly that as she allowed the fact that nothing was happening to set in.


    "Why is nothing happening? Where is the copse? There was supposed to be a world-ending copse?!?" Onmiyame was confused why he and the others were still alive.


    <i><b>"Are you finished acting stupid now?" </b></i>Akagi shook her head before snapping her fingers and tying the two Council Members up with her shadow.


    "What''s going on?!?" Onmiyame struggled to get free but couldn''t. "The destruction of the Anchor should have copsed this reality, destroying it and everyone within it!"


    <i><b>"Anchor? Oh, you mean THIS Anchor!" </b></i>Akagiughed as she withdrew the real thing from her shadow. <i><b>"Did you idiots seriously think I''d give it back so easily?" </b></i>Sheughed as she twirled it around in her hand before putting it away. <i><b>"Though in fairness, even if I had, a structural copse of reality causation and a subsequent ejection into the void between worlds would not prove fatal to me anyway." </b></i>She shrugged. Her words confused everyone, and Hishya decided not to ask questions. <i><b>"So yeah your finalst-ditch effort failed." </b></i>Akagiughed as she walked over to the two of them before crouching in front of Onmiyame and staring into his eyes. <i><b>"Any LASTst ditch efforts? Or can we wrap this up?" </b></i>


    "This was all his fault!" Sizix said in a panic. "He was the one that pushed us to act against you! So please spare me! I''ll do anything you want!"


    "Sizix!" Onmiyame red at her. "So you too are more than happy to sell our people out if it secures your life. I am disappointed."


    <i><b>"I always love it when mortals beg for their life." </b></i>Akagiughed demonically. <i><b>"It fills me with such great joy to see worms like you trip over yourself to win my favor. But do not worry, I don''t intend to kill either of you at the moment." </b></i>She stood up and shook her head.


    "Yes." Mizumi and Shinlua stepped forward. "We''ll be taking you into custody, and you <i>will</i> face trial and punishment for your actions."


    "HA!" Onmiyameughed. "Go ahead and perform some show trial for your <i>master." </i>He smirked. "Our people will <em>never</em> submit to some <i>Demon</i>, and they will <em>never</em> ept a traitor like you as ruler!" He turned to Akagi. "Know this <i>Demon</i>. It may not be today or a hundred years from now, but one day, <i>one</i> <i>day</i> our people <i>will </i>find a way to destroy you! Mark my words. We will not stand by and be ves to a creature like you!"


    <em>{More clich¨¦lines...}</em>(Akagi)


    <i><b>"So what you''re telling me is that I should consume you all right now? That way I don''t have to worry about a knife pointed at my backter?" </b></i>Akagiughed. <i><b>"Fine, I don''t mind that. I can always find much more willing and pliable people to work under me." </b></i>She growled.


    Mizumi panicked. "Please don''t listen to him!" She waved her arms frantically in front of Akagi. "He does not speak the truth! Our people might be a bit resistant to you, but things will not escte to such an extreme! I promise you that you''ll never have to worry about our people rising against you!"


    <i><b>"Can you truly guarantee that?" </b></i>Akagi asked. <i><b>"Can you tell me with 100% certainty that if I let your people live that I will not one daye to regret that kindness?" </b></i>


    "I...I..." Mizumi''s face went dark. "No... I can''t." She shook her head. "There is always the possibility that Onmiyame''s words might be true... so I''ll understand if you choose to eliminate us... just please allow our souls to move on rather than eating them..." She closed her eyes, prepared for the worst.


    <i>{Is Akagi really going to...} </i>(Hishya)


    <i><b>"I see." </b></i>Akagi reached out her hand and pat the Water Spirit on the head. <i><b>"Then you''d best make sure that you work as hard as possible since I don''t want to have to go down such a route either." </b></i>She smiled. This was a kind of test for the Spirit. Had Mizumi said she could guarantee it, Akagi might actually have gone through with the threat. But seeing as Mizumi had acknowledged the truth of the situation and epted reality, Akagi decided to allow her the chance to change her people''s fate.


    <i>{Why is she treating me like some kid? I''m over fifty times older than her!} </i>(Mizumi)


    "You just love petting people, don''t you?" Hishya sighed.


    <i><b>"A. Is the little Dragon jealous?" </b></i>She moved her hand from Mizumi to Hishya. <i><b>"There, there. Is that better?"</b></i>


    "I..." Hishya closed her eyes. "Never mind, it''s not worth it, and I''m not giving you the satisfaction."


    <i><b>"Getting back to the main point." </b></i>Akagi snapped her finger and sucked Onmiyame into her shadow before turning to Sizix. <i><b>"Before we tuck you away, you''re going to tell me everything about what''s behind you." </b></i>Akagi''s smile sent a chill through Sizix''s spine.


    "W-What do you want to know?" She stammered.


    <i><b>"Well, first tell me what it is. Then tell me how you managed to revive three world bosses from FWO, when I was told such a thing shouldn''t be possible." </b></i>Akagi tapped her foot. <i><b>"And don''t try to lie to me, since I can see straight through that BS. Mizumi did request to take you alive, she said nothing about keeping you sane." </b></i>


    Sizix paled. "It''s a magical data bank of all the souls within that game you were trapped in. We kept a parallel backup of that entire world here for our own purposes, and pulled those three World Bosses out to use against you."


    The word ALL caught Akagi''s attention. <i><b>"What do you mean by all? Does that only apply to World Bosses?"</b></i>


    Seeing that Akagi had gotten agitated, Sizix frantically responded. "N-no." She shook her head. "Within the database would be all of those souls which existed within the game, including residents and other yers."


    Akagi''s eyes went wide as she grabbed Sizix by the scruff of her shirt and pulled her up before locking eyes with her. <i><b>"Does that include people who died?"</b></i>


    "I um..." Sizix started to shake from Akagi''s pressure.


    <i><b>"ANSWER THE QUESTION!" </b></i>Akagi screamed. <i><b>"Before I devour you on the spot!" </b></i>


    <i>{Why is she so worked up?} </i>(Hishya)


    "Yes, it does! Everyone, even yers who died exist within the database! But why does that matter?" Sizix eximed.


    Akagi stood, frozen at those words.


    <i><b>"The-then that means..." </b></i>Akagi''s eyes went wide as she realized something important.

 Chapter 190 – A Choice.

    Chapter 190 ¨C A Choice.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Hello everyone! I have an important announcement/question/poll in this chapter so please be sure to read the authors note at the bottom!


    "Then we could bring everyone back!" Hishya eximed as she stormed over to Sizix, who was dangling from Akagi''s grasp. "How do we do it?!?"


    <i>{They were hiding this the whole time?!?} </i>Hishya was pissed. She lost good friends in FWO and knew so many people who died. If they could bring them all back, then this would go a long way toward making things right.


    <i><b>"Can you?!?" </b></i>Akagi shook the dangling Spirit. <i><b>¡°Answer the question or so help me, I''ll make you regret your very existence!¡±</b></i>


    "I cannot!" Sizix shook her head as her entire body trembled. "The database has already reached a critical point. We used most of its power and by tapping into it and extracting those three bosses, its structural integrity was weakened severely. It''s only a matter of time before it falls apart at the fundamental level. At best, one more entity could be recovered before itpletely disintegrates!"


    "Only one..." Hishya''s fist tightened in anger. "We have to pick <i>one</i> person to save... But wait!" She turned to Akagi. "You can fix this, right?!? I mean you''re the Demon Lord! Surely you can restore it and let us get everyone back?!?"


    <i>{We have bullshit power on our side! Surely Akagi can use all her crazy Demon Lord power to stabilize it?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    Akagi thought for a moment, running things through her mental calctions. <i><b>"I cannot."</b></i> She shook her head, and Hishya''s heart sank. <i><b>"Not only do Ick the technical knowledge required to do something like repair such aplex magical form, but I have no idea where to even begin."</b></i>


    <i>{I am a being meant to destroy, and while I know many things, this is far beyond my understanding. I don''t even know the first thing about such a magical formation, let alone how to conduct repairs.} </i>(Akagi


    "T-Then just take the entire thing inside your shadow!" Hishya was trying to figure out something. "You can do anything in there, right?"


    <i><b>"No."</b></i> Akagi sighed. <i><b>"I can do many things within my body, but again I have no idea what to do here. I don''t magically have all the answers Hishya."</b></i>


    "N-Nor do I." Sizix continued shaking. "We were only given some basic information, and none of our records speak of restoring the database. I honestly doubt it''s even possible, as its simply tooplex. Not to mention it was always meant to be temporary to begin with.¡±


    "Then just store it away! You can stop time and research itter!" Hishya put forward another argument. ¡°If you can do that, we can just fix itter once you know what to do!¡± It was a good idea, and would utilize Akagi''s unlimited time to their advantage.


    <i><b>"The problem with that idea is that, most likely, the database will not survive being taken within me." </b></i>Akagi shook her head.


    "What do you mean?" Hishya had no idea what Akagi was talking about. She''d never heard of her having issues absorbing anything into her shadow.


    Akagi groaned. <i><b>"I hate to tell you this, but when I take a person or item into my shadow, I actually deconstruct them at the fundamental level and then put them back together. I suspect that the database would copse the moment I tried that."</b></i>


    "Deconstruct?" Hishya tilted her head, not understanding her meaning.


    <i><b>"Think how transport beams work in fiction. I strip you apart atom by atom, then put you back together. That''s not a perfect exnation, but it works." </b></i>Akagi gave a wry smile.


    "Ehhh." Hishya felt a chill run up her spine. "So that means..."


    <i><b>"Don''t think about it too much. Your soul, rather than your physical body, is what matters. Basically, all I did was tear away your fleshy exterior, sucked your soul into my shadow, and then built a new body for you. So we have no swamp man issues here since the soul, not the body, is who you are." </b></i>Akagi didn''t want to tell anyone this since it would cause issues, but she had no choice here. <i><b>"So yeah, taking this into my form is a bad idea. I doubt it will go back together once it breaks apart. At least, that''s why my gut feeling is."</b></i>


    <i>{Note to self, DON''T go into her shadow again...} </i>(Hishya)


    "That still means we''ve got to make a choice about who to bring back. I know a few people we could-" Hishya was cut off by Akagi throwing Sizix to the floor.


    <i><b>"Sorry Hishya, but this isn''t up for discussion or debate." </b></i>Akagi red at Sizix. <i><b>"Everyone stay right here, and no one move a muscle or I''ll throw you in with Armalthy." </b></i>She turned, tearing open a portal to the estate and walking through. A momentter, she returned with Yumi, someone nobody expected toe here.


    <i>{Wait! She wants to-} </i>Hishya figured out who Akagi wanted to revive.


    "My Lord, what''s going on?" Yumi was a bit confused, as she hadn''t expected to be dragged here.


    <i><b>"Listen, Yumi." </b></i>Akagi took a deep breath. <i><b>"I''ve found a way... a way to give you back at least part of your family." </b></i>She stared Yumi dead in the eyes.


    "W-what?!?" Yumi yelped. "What are you talking about?!?"


    <i>{R-really?!? I''ll get to see them again?!?} </i>Yumi was both confused and ted at the idea.


    <i><b>"The only problem is..." </b></i>Akagi''s face went dark. <i><b>"That we can only bring back one person." </b></i>She bit her lip. <i><b>"I''m sorry. If it was possible, I''d give you back all of them. If only I''d known about this sooner!" </b></i>Akagi mmed her foot down, causing an earthquake. <i><b>"IF ONLY I''D TAKEN MORE A PROACTIVE ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE SPIRITS, THEN WE COULD HAVE BROUGHT THEM ALL BACK!" </b></i>She unleashed a massive pressure wave which caused everyone, except Yumi, to fall to the floor under its massive weight.


    "My Lord, please calm down! There''s no need for you to get upset!" Yumi rushed over and hugged her, which caused the pressure to recede. "Please give me an exnation for what''s going on. I thought you said such a thing would be impossible?!?"


    After calming down, Akagi exined everything that Sizix told her. How she could revive one person who was within FWO, even if they''d died. Though Akagi left out the small tidbit that said person would technically be a <i>copy</i>, with everyone understanding <i><b>never</b></i> to speak of such a thing again under penalty of eternal torment.


    "If that''s the case, then please revive someone else!" Yumi shook her head. "I love my family, but you should prioritize one of the yers who died! They were dragged into this conflict needlessly by the Spirits!"


    <i><b>"So were you and your family!" </b></i>Akagi disagreed. <i><b>"You and everyone else from that world were created by the Spirits, and they dragged you into this entire thing of their own ord! They had the gall to create an entire world, then destroy it and kill millions of people!" </b></i>She wasn''t going to back down. <i><b>"Besides, YOUR happiness is more important to me than anything else! Fuck the other yers if it means you get to have at least one family member returned to you!"</b></i>


    <i>{I want toment on that statement, but that would be a very bad idea right now...} (Hishya)</i>


    "Akagi, I know you''re emotional right now. But please try and see things through Yumi''s eyes." Mizumi said nervously.


    <i><b>"Keep your mouth shut!" </b></i>Akagi red at her. <i><b>"You are responsible for all of this, so you have no right to speak on this issue." </b></i>


    "I know it''s my fault! I''m just telling you to listen to Yumi!" Mizumi, surprisingly kept pushing. "You''d be making her choose between her mother, father, and sister! You must understand what a horrible thing that would be for her!"


    "Exactly! Mizumi is right! Don''t force Yumi to make that choice!" Hishya agreed.


    "It''s fine, my Lord." Yumi grabbed Akagi''s hand with her own. "I have you now, so it''s fine." Her smile belied the sorrow in her heart. "So please. My family died all those years ago, and sure I miss them every day, but it''s fine. Someone else can be brought back. I''m sure Superbia would love to see her sister again."


    <i><b>"No, it''s not fine." </b></i>Akagi cupped Yumi''s cheek. <i><b>"But you''re right that I shouldn''t force you to make the choice." </b></i>She took a deep breath before pushing her away. <i><b>"I''m sorry, Yumi. But I can''t allow this chance slip by." </b></i>Akagi turned to Sizix<i><b> "Bring back her sister, Miji. Now!"</b></i>


    "My Lord, no!" Yumi grabbed onto the hem of her kimono. "Please! I told you not to!"


    <i>{Its fine! Don''t waste such a boon on me!} </i>(Yumi)


    <i><b>"I heard you... but... I''m sorry. Please forgive me for ignoring your wishes this one time." </b></i>Akagi nced back at her, tears in her eyes. "I just don''t want you to go without your family any longer." She''d returned to her usual form. "Having no family... I know how hard it is, and I know you''re just putting on a front when you tell me it''s fine, Yumi. So whether you want it or not, I''m returning at least part of what you lost." She was resolute in her decision. While Akagi didn''t much mind going against other people''s will, she was generally <i>not</i> ok with doing that to people she cared about. Seeing Shima and Taichi attempt to overrule Kana''s wishes had greatly angered her, but here she was doing the same thing to the most important person in her life.


    <i>{At the end of the day, I guess I am that bitch''s daughter... if there was anyone I shouldn''t disrespect like this, it should be Yumi. But here I go, trampling over her will just for my own self satisfaction. I really am an awful person, aren''t I?} </i>(Akagi)


    "I...I..." Yumi started crying.


    <i>{She''d finally put all the pain of losing her family behind her after all this time, only to be put in a situation where that wound could be ripped open once again. I get Yumi not wanting to be reminded of that tragedy again, and I understand Akagi''s feelings as well. Honestly... I can''t be angry at her for doing this. She might be ignoring Yumi''s words, but she knows how the girl truly feels on the inside.} </i>Hishya thought to herself. <i>{You really do love her, don''t you, Akagi? Even if you say you can''t feel love, I don''t believe it. If that were true, then you wouldn''t go against your own principles for her.} </i>


    "Now do it. Return Miji to this world." Akagi wiped her eyes as she red at Sizix.


    The Spirit stumbled to her feet as Akagi released her from her bindings. She steadied herself before beginning aplex ritual with lots of chanting and sutras. Eventually, one of the many lights within the database started to glow as it slowly rose up and out of the magic bubble. After a few seconds, the light grew as it began to descend toward the floor, shining brightly as it descended. Slowly but surely, the light began to morph into a humanoid form with small arms and legs.


    Everyone watched as it began to look more and more human. It grew hair as green as Yumi''s, and not long after clothing began to form. The small girl was wearing simple brown shorts and a in white T-shirt. Once her body was fully formed, the light disappeared leaving behind a small girl that looked to be around six or seven years old. At this sight, Yumi rushed across the room.


    "MIJI!" Yumi scooped her sister into her arms. "Miji! Is it really you?!?" She hugged her. "Oh, Miji!" She began to cry as she hugged her sister, feeling her heartbeat against her chest.


    "Ughhhhh." The young girl began to stir from her slumber. "Sister?" Miji''s eyes slowly opened. "Sister, is that you?"


    "Miji!" Yumi squeezed the girl even harder. "You''re really ok!" Hearing her sister speak caused Yumi to begin balling, probably harder than she''d ever done in her life. The entire rest of the room went silent as they watched this disy. While the database began to churn, crack and flicker in the background, before disappearingpletely. With that, all those who perished within FWO, yer or NPC were gone forever.


    <i>{I''m sorry that I couldn''t bring everyone back, but this way... this way you can have something, Yumi. Please forgive my selfishness... I just... I couldn''t let this chance slip by me. You''ve given me so much, and I''ve done nothing in return. So... take this... its the least I can do} </i>Akagi thought to herself as tears streamed down her face.


    End of Book 3


    Spoiler


    Miji!


    [copse]

 Chapter 191 – A Plea for Peace.

    Chapter 191 ¨C A Plea for Peace.


    Yumi sat and cried while hugging her sister for several minutes. It was a touching disy that even got Hishya a bit choked up. Once Yumi calmed down, she noticed that Miji had fallen asleep at some point, and after a minor panic, Sizix exined that the revival process is draining and that it may take some time for her to recover.


    "Take her back home and have Mimi keep an eye on her." Akagi said without looking at Yumi. She wasn''t in a happy mood and was barely holding herposure together. The guilt she was feeling from ignoring Yumi''s direct plea was eating her up inside.


    "My Lord, I-" Yumi tried to say something, but Akagi just walked away.


    "I''ll speak to youter, just right now... go make sure she''s alright." Akagi said as she began to walk toward the stairs.


    <i>{I can''t talk to you right now, Yumi... I''m sorry...} </i>(Akagi)


    Yumi knew that this whole situation was eating at the <i>Demon</i>. While Akagi might trample over the will of those she didn''t care for, <i>Yumi </i>was a separate matter. Right now, Akagi''s mental state had taken a significant nosedive due to this additional stress, and the Priestess understood that trying to speak to her at this point in time wasn''t for the best.


    Once things settled down, Yumi returned to the estate with her sister, and Sizix was sucked into Akagi''s shadow. Naturally, the Spirit protested, but Akagi''s fierce re told her to shut up or else.


    "Are you ok?" Hishya asked Akagi as they walked out of the Council building.


    "No..." Akagi gave a dryugh. "But it''s fine. I''ll deal with itter."


    "At the very least, <i>I</i> think you did the right thing." Hishya''s words gave Akagi pause. "Listen, normally I wouldn''t say that ignoring someone''s wishes is a good thing, but I''d say this might be one of the few asions where it''s understandable. I mean, you gave Yumi back her <i>sister</i>. That has to bnce things out, right?" She was trying to make Akagi feel better.


    <i>{Even if its not her original sister, Yumi doesn''t have to know that, and god have mercy on ANYONE who dares let that slip. I imagine she''d do something so horrific to them that it would make what she''s doing to Armalthy look tame.} </i>(Hishya)


    "I don''t know..." Akagi shook her head. "But let''s put that whole issue aside for now. I''ve got an upation to begin, and a job to." She waved to Mizumi. "Let''s start phase two now. I know it''ste, but things have taken a different direction than expected. I can''t stay here until morning like I originally nned." She''d wanted to wait for the new day for her speech and deration. But with the return of Miji, and her current mental state, that wasn''t a good idea.


    "It''s fine. People will just have to deal with ate-night disruption. Let''s head to the main za. Have your people spread the word around town. Hopefully, we get a good crowd of people thiste." Mizumi gave a wry smile.


    Moving swiftly to the main za, Akagi instructed her forces to begin informing the city''s residents that an announcement would take ce in the city center. Naturally, many were not happy to have their nights disrupted, but due to themotion from her force''s sudden appearance, people were more curious than angry. After around an hour of waiting, Akagi constructed a makeshift earthen stage with her power, and she, Mizumi, and Shinlua moved up to address the massive crowd.


    "Damn, that''s a lot of people." Akagiughed.


    <i>{This will be the make or break point...} </i>(Akagi)


    "I think around one-third of the city showed up." Mizumi sighed. "That''s both good and bad..." She was worried things might turn into a riot with this many people. The crowd was already slightly unruly, with lots of whispers and discussion.


    <i>{Now to see if things will go as I''ve hoped.} </i>Akagi stepped forward, switching back into her Demon Lord mode as she allowed a great deal of power to crash down on the audience. In an instant, all the noise and chatter ceased as people became either unable or unwilling to speak. The <i>Demon </i>allowed her power to push down on people for a few minutes until she was satisfied that she had their attention and receded it a bit.


    <i><b>"Listen up!" </b></i>Akagi''s voice carried throughout the entire za. It was loud, authoritative and <i>annoyed</i>. <i><b>"Most of you already know who and what I am, but for those of you living under a rock, allow me to formally introduce myself." </b></i>She allowed her aura to re up for a moment and cover her body in an inky ck fire. <i><b>"My name is Akagi Dumetor, and I am the Demon Lord, and as of this moment, Omara is under my control." </b></i>Her words crashed down on the Spirits like a wave, and their eyes told her everything she needed to know about how they felt right now.


    <i>{Just don''t go doing something stupid, and you get out of this alive.} </i>(Akagi)


    Akagi snapped her fingers and make the three Council members appear next to her, bound in shadow chains. They were awake but gagged so as to not allow them the chance to start a riot. <i><b>"I have here the three members of your Spirit Council, which have made war upon me and my people." </b></i>She began to pace back and forth on the stage as she spoke, and the entire time, she kept her eyes trained squarely on the audience. <i><b>"When I first came to Omara, I did so with an offer of peace and friendship. I had no desire for war or conflict with your people, and I was more than happy to establish a mutual rtionship of trust and cooperation. When I spoke to your Council, I made no demands, no threats, nothing. I simply came to pay my respects to your ruling body and express my desire for a good rtionship with those whose ancestors once called my world home." </b></i>She stopped and pointed at the three Council members. <i><b>"However, my olive branch was not only swatted aside by these three, but it was crushed and ground into dust! Not only did they refuse to grant me the respect I am owed as a Demon Lord, but they also dared to threaten my life and that of my people! And even after I returned the Anchor which binds this world to mine in a show of good faith, they still sought to kill me and my family!"</b></i> Akagi could tell her words were having some effect, as the harsh eyes from earlier had softened a bit. <i><b>"Thanks to the efforts of Mizumi and Councilor Shinlua, I was informed of their ns to invade my world and destroy not only my people but their desire to enve the humans who live there as well." </b></i>Sheughed. <i><b>"Now, far be it from me to stand up for humanity. However, even the most xenophobic among you must know that the humans of Earth and those of your old world are not the same and thus bear no responsibility for what was done to you." </b></i>Akagi could see many of the members of the audience nod in agreement. Onmiyame and Daruma wiggled in an attempt to get free, but Akagi simply tightened their restraints to prevent <i>any </i>movement. <i><b>"I might not be particrly fond of humanity as a whole, but that world. That world and its people belong to ME!" </b></i>Her eyes and tone got fierce. <i><b>"I will not tolerate ANY outside force which attempts to destroy it, for that is MY role and MY role alone." </b></i>She smirked. <i><b>"So now, that brings us to the present situation." </b></i>Akagi stopped moving, held her hands behind her back, and stared out at the Spirits. <i><b>"For such abhorrent crimes against me, I originally sentenced your people to death." </b></i>These words caused a minor panic among the audience, who started to scream.


    <i><b>"HOWEVER!" </b></i>Akagi''s voice caused everyone to go quiet. <i><b>"Thanks to the tireless effort of both Mizumi and Shin, I''ve reconsidered my judgment.</b></i>" She started pacing again. <i><b>"Rather than exterminate your people, you will fall under my suzerainty. Which means that I will be your ruler, albeit indirectly. This will not make you my ves, for I have no interest in doing such a thing. Rather you will be citizens of my nation, the Kingdom of Dumetor, as a vassal state. At her insistence, and with Shinlua''s blessing, Mizumi will take the role of Governor of Omara. She will lead your people as my representative while Shin forms a newly elected Council to aid in the running of this world." </b></i>Akagi took a deep breath. <i><b>"I will give you one single warning before I depart." </b></i>She allowed her aura to crash down on the entire city. <i><b>"Do not make me regret allowing your people to live, for there will be no next time!" </b></i>She retracted her power and Mizumi and Shinlua swapped ces with her on the stage.


    "It is exactly as she says." Mizumi gave a pained expression. "I am sorry that things havee to this. Akagi truly wished to have peace with our people, but Onmiyame and the other Council members became so engrossed in their own desire for vengeance against humanity that they would not listen to reason." She pointed to Shinlua. "Even at both my and Councilor Shinlua''s urging, they would not cease their self-destructive actions. And..." She started crying. "And... as was the job left to me by Hymone, I had to do everything in my power to save our people from destruction!" The tears came on even harder as she continued to speak. "He and the other elders sacrificed themselves to allow us all to live! And thest thing they told me before they entered the ritual chamber... thest thing they told me... was to protect our people! To ensure that their sacrifice would not be in vain! ¡±She screamed at the top of her lungs. ¡°That''s why I begged Akagi not to destroy us! Because while Onmiyame and the others were our leaders, they had no right to jeopardize our lives as they did!" She wiped away the tears with a cloth. "So, please... I know this will be hard to ept. I know this isn''t what we wanted or expected, but it''s what we have to endure! Akagi might be a Demon Lord, but I trust her when she says that she wants to be friends with us! She''s been nothing but kind to me and our people, and if not for her aide, Omara wouldn''t be thriving as much as it is today!" She took a deep breath. "I know this is going to be a lot to ask. I know how much each and every one of you detest <i>Demons. </i>I know the idea of submitting to one must churn your stomach, and I know that this rapid upheaval of your lives is both unwee and undesired, but please..." She gave a deep bow. "Please give her a chance! And If you can''t trust <i>her</i>, then at least trust <i>me</i>! And in return, I will continue to serve you as I''ve always done!"


    "Indeed." Shinlua bowed as well. "I will do everything in my power. I will dedicate my entire life to ensuring that our people are safe. You took me in when my people abandoned me, so allow me to return that favor!"


    The sight of the two most well-liked Spirits bowing so deeply after a moving speech stunned the other Spirits. Mizumi was highly respected due to her status as a High Spirit and her charitable acts throughout her life. Most Spirits had at least a positive opinion of her, and Shinlua was basically a war hero, so seeing both of them pleading for calm and peace in such a manner was astonishing to the residents of Omara, and most had no idea what to say or think about this turn of events. The silence continued for nearly a minute, and both Shinlua and Mizumi began to sweat nervously until.


    "We won''t be ves?" The little Tanuki girl named Alma who worked at the Wandering Spirit Inn squeezed through the crowd and approached the stage.


    "No!" Mizumi vigorously shook her head. "Akagi has <i>guaranteed</i> that our people <i>will not</i> be ves. All she wants is assurance that our people won''t attack Earth or her again. That''s all."


    "Will we still be able to act as we please? Would our lives change much under her umbre?" The Arachne woman Akagi had bought the Kimono spoke up.


    "No." Shinlua answered. "The new Council, not Akagi, will handle day-to-day affairs. She might provide some policy input, but she has no interest in directly ruling our people. Nor will she be policing your actions."


    "I think we should give her a chance!" The small Fish-girl and some of the other war orphans squeezed to the front to voice their support. "Akagi might be a <i>Demon,</i> but she was nice to me and my friends! She even gave us money when she didn''t need to!"


    <i><b>"Your lives won''t really change under my rule." </b></i>Akagi spoke. <i><b>"Hell, if you want, you can go and talk bad about me and make fun of me. I don''t really care." </b></i>She shrugged. <i><b>"As long as your people don''t pose a threat to me or my world, then I don''t really care what you do in yours."</b></i>


    "I think it will be fine." (Spirit A)


    "She might be a <i>Demon</i>, but she was so nice to me at my music shop." (Spirit B)


    "If it wasn''t for her, I couldn''t have gotten the tools to make my store." (Spirit C)


    "She and her sister were so kind to me when we spoke!" (Spirit D)


    One by one, members of the audience voiced their support or approval for working with Akagi, until the slow trickle turned into a cacophony. It seemed that the <i>Demon</i>''s heavy investment in Omara''s construction and development had endeared her to more people than expected. And her kind attitude to the Spirits she met on her travels within the city had convinced people of her kindness andpassion.


    Mizumi was relieved to see her people approve of the transition, and once it was clear that things wouldn''t spiral out of control, she took the opportunity to dere the creation of the Dominion of Omara. Things wouldn''t always be easy, and there would undoubtedly be some friction, but it seemed that, at least for now, things would remain peaceful in Omara.

 Chapter 192 – The Reunion.

    Chapter 192 ¨C The Reunion.


    At roughly the same time as Akagi''s speech to Omara, Yumi sat next to her younger sister in Mimi''s clinic. The young girl had passed out due to exhaustion, and the Yuki-Onna assured Yumi that she''d be fine once her body rested and recovered.


    "You really should go for a walk or something." Mimi sighed. "Sitting here and staring at her isn''t good for you, nor will it make her wake up faster."


    <i>{This girl is just as overprotective as our master...} </i>(Mimi)


    Yumi''s eyes were still red from crying, and she had a small cloth she''d been using to blow her nose. "I know... I know..." Yumi gave a wry smile. "It''s just that, I''m afraid that if I take my eyes off her, she''ll disappear again..." Visions of Great Fox filled her mind as she recalled the horror of watching him drive his de through the young girl''s chest all those years ago.


    <i>{My Lord, you... you really did it... You gave her back to me...} </i>Yumi wasn''t angry with Akagi for ignoring her wishes. In fact, she was <i>angry</i> with <i>herself</i>. She knew how hard it was on the <i>Demon </i>to actively deny her wishes, and the Priestess was regretting her words. <i>{I... I need to apologize to her...} </i>


    "Fine, just don''t go neglecting your sleep." Mimi sighed. "I''ll keep an eye on her throughout the night. So you don''t need to-" As she spoke, a groan came from the supposedly unconscious girl.


    "Miji!" Yumi sat up.


    "Calm down!" Mimi forcefully sat Yumi back in her chair. "I know you''re eager to talk to her, but don''t overwhelm her. She''s still weak. Yuzu! Suzu! Kaori! Bring me my equipment and prepare a herbal remedy for her to drink." She called into the other room before moving alongside Miji.


    "S-Sister?" Miji slowly opened her eyes.


    "I''m here, Miji!" Yumi was increasingly anxious, but a re from Mimi stopped her from moving.


    "Hello there." Mimi spoke to her softly. "Can you hear me?"


    "W-Who are you?" Miji asked weakly.


    "I''m a doctor." The Yuki-Onna smiled. "And I''m here to make sure you''re all better. You were asleep for a long time, so we need to give you a check-up." Mimi knew how to deal with children, and figured taking it slow would be for the best.


    "A doctor? I was sick?" Miji seemed confused. "I don''t remember being sick..."


    "That''s fine." Mimi smiled.


    <i>{It''s probably for the best that she not remember what happened to her...} </i>(Mimi)


    "Where is my sister?" Miji asked.


    "She''s right over here." Mimi pointed to Yumi, who waved at her sister.


    "Sister!" Miji tried to get out of bed, but Mimi stopped her.


    "I understand that you''re excited to see her, but I need to make sure you''re all better, ok? Yumi will be right here the entire time, so can you be a good girl for me and wait? I promise it won''t take too much time." (Mimi)


    "Ok..." Miji nodded.


    With that, Mimi began a full check-up on Miji. Overall, she seemed perfectly healthy, if a bit tired. The Yuki-Onna surmised that the revival process gave her a brand new body, and thus she was likely in better shape than most people.


    "All done." Mimi said as she pat the young girl on the head. "See, I told you it wouldn''t take long." She had decided against giving her the herbal drink since she seemed to be fine without it.


    "I am all better?" Miji asked.


    "Yep!" Mimi replied with a smile. "You''re all better now!"


    These words made Miji giggle. She had no idea what happened, but being told that she was no longer ''sick'' made her happy. "Did you hear that Sister? I''m not sick anymore!"


    "Yeah... It''s great to hear it. I was so worried about you." Yumi said that while holding back tears. She didn''t have the heart to tell the girl that she''d died, but figured it would be necessary at some point in the future.


    "We need to go tell Mom and Dad! They''ll be so happy to hear I''m all better!" Miji smiled, but both Mimi and Yumi froze.


    "What''s wrong? We should go see Mom and Dad now!" Miji tried to get out of bed, but Yumi stopped her.


    "Ummmm." Yumi didn''t know how to put this, but lying wouldn''t work here. "I''m sorry, Miji." She gripped the girl''s hand. "But we can''t see Mom and Dad again..." Saying those words <i>killed</i> Yumi on the inside.


    "What?!? Why not?!?" Naturally, a six-year-old wouldn''t take such words well. "Where are they?!? Why can''t we see them?!?"


    "I... its... its because... its because they..." Yumi struggled to speak. "They... they passed away, Miji..."


    "Passed a-" Miji took a moment to process those words. "You''re lying! They didn''t! There''s no way they could be dead! They wouldn''t leave us behind like that!"


    "I''m sorry, Miji." Yumi started crying. "But it''s true. They''re gone, and we can never see them again... I thought that I''d never see you either, but... but you managed toe back to me..." She hugged her sister. "I''m so sorry, Miji. I''m so sorry..."


    "Mom and Dad... are they really..." She started to cry. "Are they really gone?"


    "Yes..." Yumi said. "They are... a bad man came and took them away..."


    "But why?!?" Miji shouted through her tears. "Why would someone do that?!? Mom and Dad never hurt anyone, and they were so nice!" She started crying more.


    "It''s ok... It''s ok..." Yumi squeezed her sister tighter. "I''m still here, and I always will be. No one can ever take me away." That wasn''t meant to be <i>literal</i> but her rtionship with Akagi meant that it <i>was</i>.


    The two sisters sat together on the bed and cried. Mimi decided to shuffle everyone out of the room to give them privacy, and it wasn''t until nearly an hourter that the two had calmed down.


    "Where are we, Sister?" Miji asked. Yumi had given her some tissues, but her face was still red.


    "We''re... we''re at my new home." Yumi didn''t really know how to exin everything to a child but figured that being as truthful as possible was for the best


    "You''re new home?" Miji didn''t understand.


    "The vige we lived in... it no longer exists. You and I are the only ones still alive." Yumi shook her head.


    "Are we in Karkul?" That was the only other town Miji knew of.


    "No... we''re... <i>very </i>far away from our old home. So far in fact, that we can never go back." Yumi pat her sister on the head. "But it''s fine. Because this new home is even better than the old one, and there are so many good people here that I''m sure you''ll get along with." She figured Alice would be a good friend for her, along with some of the other young teens that lived alongside their parents.


    Miji looked around the room. She recognized some things from the vige pharmacist, but many other things such as modern fixtures were a mystery to her. "How did we get here? Thest thing I remember is everyone yelling about a fire in the vige." That was the moment that Great Fox began his attack.


    "That... is a long story." Yumi sighed. "But all you need to know now is that here, we are safe. my-" She stopped herself. Calling Akagi my Lord would only confuse the girl. "Akagi was nice enough to take me in and also to bring the man who attacked our vige to justice. She even saved your life with her special power." Yumi smiled. "If not for her, I would never have seen you again either."


    "Akagi?" Miji didn''t know that name.


    "She is many things, and I will exin more about who and what she ister. But for now..." Yumi needed a way to exin her rtionship to the<i> </i><i>Demon</i> in a way Miji would understand. "Do you remember how Mom and Dad were? They were happy and lovey-dovey." This wasn''t exactly an urateparison, but it was the easiest to exin.


    "Yeah!" Miji smiled. "They were always smiling and happy together. Mom said she married Dad because he was so funny!"


    "Yes well... Akagi... Akagi and I are like <i>that</i>." Yumi gave a wry smile.


    <i>{Forgive me for using this exnation, but its the only thing she''ll understand.} </i>(Yumi)


    "YOU GOT MARRIED?!?" Miji yelled loudly. She was old enough to understand marriage.


    "Well no." Yumi waved her hands around frantically. "Akagi and I are not <i>married</i>, but we have a <i>rtionship</i> like Mom and Dad. We love each other very much, and we''re always together."


    <i>{She can''t say it, but I know how much I mean to her. I think she''s just fooling herself by saying she can''t feel love.} </i>(Yumi)


    "But I thought you couldn''t do something like that? Wasn''t that what the vigers always said?" Miji was always told that Yumi was married to the gods.


    "We''re not in the vige anymore, and I am no longer a Priestess of the Gods." Yumi gave a bitter smile. "So I don''t have to worry about those kinds of limits anymore.¡±


    Miji thought for a moment before something dawned on her. "D-Does that mean... does that mean you don''t have to go away anymore? That you don''t have to stay in that icky temple all day?"


    "Nope!" Yumi smiled. "Which means we can y together as much as you want!" She started to tickle her sister on the bed. "We don''t have to hide our fun anymore, and we can be a family again!"


    The two sisters talked, giggled, andughed together for the first time in years. Yumi never imagined that she''d get to experience such a sight again. Her parents might be gone, but she had regained her sister, and for her, that was good enough.


    <i>{My Lord... thank you... truly thank you... I... I was so afraid of the pain of the loss that I nearly let this chance slip by me. I was afraid to say yes when you offered to bring her back. Afraid that I would once again be consumed by sorrow and despair.} </i>Yumi thought to herself as she wrestled her sister. <i>{But I was wrong... I''m still sad that Mom and Dad are gone, but having Miji back... having my sister back... the only time I''ve been happier is when you asked me to stay with you forever. I''m sure that wherever they are, Mom and Dad... they''re happy for us. I know that if they''d been given the choice, they''d rather see Miji and I live, even if that meant they stayed gone. So thank you... thank you for taking the pain on yourself, and I swear to never cause you such agony again. Once again... you''ve stolen my heart... I love you, Akagi.} </i>(Yumi)

 Chapter 193 – Returning to the Estate.

    Chapter 193 ¨C Returning to the Estate.


    Once everything was finished in Omara, Akagi, Birdy, and Hishya returned to the estate. ckpany was tasked with assisting Marshal''s forces in maintaining public order, and Akagi requested them to ''visit'' some of the nobles and other upper-ss members to <i>chat </i>with them. Mizumi and Shinlua were extremely busy with the clean-up and establishing a transitional government until elections could be held, so they appreciated any help they could get. The <i>Demon </i>figured that while it would prove difficult, Mizumi was more than up to the task. The Water Spirit had already submitted ideas beforehand for policy changes, and Akagi pre-drafted a constitution for her new Dominion.


    "Well, at least that''s over." Hishya was happy that bloodshed was avoided. While there was some unrest and minor incidents, no one died, and there was only sporadic violence.


    <i>{Things went much better than expected. Akagi can be surprisingly charismatic, and her whole good-cop-bad-cop shtick with Mizumi was probably the best method of handling this.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Yeah, one problem is over. But I''ve got another one to deal with. Not to mention all the work we''re going to need to do in order to handle the integration of Omara''s economy into my ns." Akagi sighed. "Just when Albrecht and I worked everything out, now I''ve got to change things up." She''d originally nned for less integration with Omara, but now that it was her vassal, she was going to take full control over it and its resources.


    <i>{I suppose we''ll need to start getting bids on contracts for resource extraction. Omara''s going to need rapid industrialization as part of my ns. I guess I''m ying city builder now...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Birdy, start prepping for your transport to the States." Akagi nced at the girl. "Negotiations for that have nearly concluded and they''ll want you in Washington ASAP.¡± Now that things have wrapped up here, you don''t need to stick around.


    "I figured." Birdy smiled. She was looking forward to going to the United States.


    "Are you really ok with being traded around like that?" Hishya asked the girl. "You''re basically just being handed over to another employer, and used as a pawn.¡±


    Birdy shrugged. "I''ve been to the States plenty of times as a kid, and I''m going to basically act as a superhero for them." She grinned. "Plus, the pay fucking <i>amazing</i>! Not to mention I''m still working for Akagi, and she''s just loaning me out for the time being." She didn''t really care about where she was being sent, since she''d find a way to have fun no matter what.


    "If I call her, she''ll be at my side in an instant." Akagi said. "The Americans know that, but they''ve epted that as part of the deal."


    <i>{Its crazy that they epted that, but getting their hands on even one returnee is probably just that important. I don''t know what exactly Akagi did to Birdy, but she''s powerful, far more powerful than she should be. I suspect she could vaporize a city with her negative aura sphere if she really wanted to, which is both interesting and scary.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Should we go check on Yumi?" Hishya was worried about the girl and the newly revived Miji.


    "No." Akagi shook her head. "Leave those two alone. I''ll talk to Yumiter. I''m still not in the best head-space at the moment, and I imagine she wants to spend time with Miji right now."


    "Please don''t be so hard on yourself." Hishya sighed. "You really didn''t do anything bad, and you and I both know Yumi could never be angry with you."


    <i>{Yeah, but that''s a problem in and of itself, Hishya. Yumi is willing to let anything I do slide as a result of her infatuation with and reverence for me. I don''t like the idea of her just letting me off for hurting her because of that. It... it makes me feel like she''s being controlled... and I don''t want something like that...} </i>(Akagi)


    "So what are you going to do?" Hishya asked.


    "Me?" Akagi gave a wry smile. "I''m going to spend a bit of time <i>alone</i>. I... I need to think, but you, my little dragon, should go see Kana. She''s gonna love that new look."


    "You think? She always did like me small." Hishya replied.


    "It''s not like you can''t change back, right?" Birdy asked.


    "I can, but I think I like this form." Hishya thought for a moment. "It just feels-"


    "Right." Akagi finished for her. "Trust me, I know the feeling all too well." Sheughed as she started to walk off. "Tell Kana we''ll do a family meetingter, ok?"


    "Sure, what about you?" Hishya turned to Birdy.


    "Hmmmm. I think I''ll go get some packing done and then make some ns for my transport to the States. Sakura will be done with Alice soon, so maybe I''ll go bug her for a bit. Perhaps we''ll get some drinks together?" Birdy gave a toothy smile. "That girl is always fun drunk!"


    <i>{Poor Sakura.} </i>Hishya shook her head.


    "Wait. Where are the others?" Hishya looked around for Imp, Mixu, and the other yers but didn''t see them.


    "They probably dragged Imp off for <i>re-education." </i>Birdy chuckled. "Sadly, I doubt any amount of corrective learning will change her<i> </i>ways."


    <i>{Since this is Imp we''re talking about, I''d be inclined to agree.} </i>(Hishya)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    Entering the estate, Hishya detected that Kana was in the living room. Upon turning the corner, she caught sight of her girlfriend browsing something on her AR device.


    "Yo! We''re back." Hishya said as she entered the room.


    "Huh?" Kana looked at her for a moment. "Who are you?" It seemed she didn''t recognize her.


    Hishya nearly fell over at her girlfriend''s confused reaction. "I don''t look that different, you idiot! It''s me, Hishya! Your Dragon girlfriend!"


    "Eh?" Kana''s eyes went wide. "What?!?" She got up and ran over to her newly changed lizard. "Are you really Hishya?!?" She started squishing and poking her face. "Not Onee-chan transformed and ying a prank?!?"


    <i>{She''d do that. I know she would!} </i>(Kana)


    "Yes, it''s me you, dummy." Hishya sighed as her face was squished, stretched, and poked. "I guess I do look different now, but you''ve seen a more adult version of me before!"


    Kana''s cheeks reddened. "Don''t talk about that!" She pinched her cheeks harder before letting them go. "Are you really Hishya?"


    "Does this answer you''re question?" She moved closer and kissed Kana on the lips, causing the girl to nearly copse on the spot.


    "Y-yeah, you''re Hishya." She''d never forget <i>that</i> sensation.


    "Told ya." Hishya sighed as she moved past Kana and took a seat on the couch, removing her armor and putting it into her inventory. She wasn''t wearing anything revealing, but her level of maturity was causing Kana to have <i>feelings</i>.


    "S-so why do you suddenly look like <i>this</i>." The new Hishya was causing her to drool on the inside, and Hishya could tell that she''d be having some <i>fun </iter tonight.


    "Well..." Hishya decided to exin everything that happened since they went to fight Serval, including what happened in Omara. Naturally, it was a lot of information, and Kana was quite surprised by the ending.


    "She really brought back Yumi''s sister?!?" Kana eximed.


    "Yes, but that''s fraught with its own problems." Hishya shook her head. She wouldn''t tell Kana that Miji was a copy since that increased the chances of an information leak. She trusted Kana never to speak of that, but it was just an unneeded risk. "Since Akagi had to go against Yumi''s express wishes, it''s currently eating her up on the inside. I think she''s spiraling into depression over it..."


    "I mean, I get why she''s kicking herself.. Even if you think something is for the best, when someone says no..." Kana was a bit conflicted. "But, this was about bringing back her sister..." She couldn''t really decide if her sister was right or wrong.


    <i>{Should I be scolding her, or telling her it was the right decision? I feel like I lose no matter what I do...} </i>(Kana)


    "I think it''s fine." Hishya shrugged. "Going against the one you love isn''t exactly easy, nor should one make a habit of ignoring your significant other''s wishes. However, this situation is just so strange and extreme that I think it''s justified." She figured returning someone''s family meant it was an understandable breach of etiquette, at least <i>she </i>wouldn''t mind someone ignoring her wishes if that meant getting someone back that had died.


    <i>{I mean, you gave her back her long-dead sister. Someone who shouldn''t have been able toe back. I think it''s fine. Even if Yumi knew that she''s was a copy, I don''t think Yumi care would care.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Where is Onee-chan now?" Kana was worried about her, and figured she ran off to hide.


    "I have no idea." Hishya shrugged. "She said she wanted to be alone and walked off once we got back."


    "Does Yumi know how she''s feeling?" Kana figured getting the Priestess involved would be for the best.


    "I''m pretty sure that she knows that Akagi isn''t taking her decision well." Hishya gave a wry smile. "But since she went back to the estate after Miji was revived, she probably has no idea what''s going on at the moment."


    "Then we should go talk to her." Kana stood up. "She needs to speak with Onee-chan. We can''t allow this to go likest time, and Onee-chan shouldn''t be left alone with her thoughts. I know full well what happens when she is." She shook her head. "Let''s go. I assume Yumi is in the clinic?"


    "Probably." Hishya got up, and the two walked over to the medical area, where Yumi was still sitting with her sister, who''d fallen back asleep.


    "How is she?" Hishya asked.


    "She''s fine, but tired." Yumi smiled, her face was still red from crying. "We talked for a bit, and I exined... some <i>things</i> to her. The rest will need to wait until she''s older."


    <i>{One day when she can understand everything, I''ll make sure I tell her...} </i>(Yumi)


    "Yeah, I can imagine that a six-year-old wouldn''t really understand everything that''s happened thest four years." Hishya gave a wry smile.


    <i>{Fuck, I''m INVOLVED and I still don''t understand parts of it...} </i>(Hishya)


    "So <i>this</i> is your sister." Kana walked over to the sleeping girl who was snuggled in the bed. She had a flushed face like Yumi''s, though she had a smile on her face as she slept. "She''s cute."


    "Where is Akagi?" Yumi asked Kana. The use of the <i>Demon''s </i>name rather than a title caught both girls'' attention, though they chose not toment on that right now. "I need to speak with her immediately."


    "We don''t know." Kana replied.


    "I can''t sense her, so she''s probably hiding her power." Hishya shook her head.


    "Knowing Onee-chan, she''s probably in her room" Kana said. "That''s where she always goes when she''s upset."


    <i>{She''s done that since we were kids. She usually wraps herself in the nket, and she''s probably in cat mode right now.} </i>(Kana)


    ¡°Yeah that''s probably right.¡± Yumi sighed. ¡°When she gets like this, she ends up locking herself away in her room andying in bed.¡± She stood up. ¡°I should go to her immediately, before this gets out of hand. Can you two keep an eye on Miji for a bit? Or at least until Mimi gets back?¡±


    ¡°Yeah that''s fine. Just go make sure Onee-chan is alright.¡± Kana nodded. ¡°I know how she can get when her mood tanks, and I don''t want this to be likest time.¡±


    ¡°Neither do I.¡± Yumi started out the door.


    <i>{After all, I''m the one who''s at fault...} </i>(Yumi)


    Once she was gone, Hishya and Kana exchanged sighs.


    ¡°Akagi really is such a pain in the ass, you know that?¡± Hishya said while taking a seat. ¡°I know this got to her, but was it really that bad?¡± She''d started to think that Akagi was being a bit overdramatic.


    ¡°Its like Naomi said, Onee-chan''s problems go deeper than we understand, and we should do whatever we can to help.¡± Kana took a seat across from her. ¡°Onee-chan never did well with stress, and hiding was usually how she handled most problems. I know right now she''s probably tearing herself apart inside, since she''s afraid that she upset the most important person to her.¡±


    <i>{Naomi was right, we really don''t understand anything about her problems, do we?} </i>(Hishya)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Yumi POV>


    <i>{Akagi, please be alright!} </i>Yumi stormed through the house and up to the second floor where the master bedroom was. The door was unlocked, and she burst into the room, only to see Akagi wrapped in the bed sheets with tearsing down her eyes.


    "Yumi?" Akagi said through her tears. "Why are you-" She was cut off by Yumi diving onto and hugging her, pulling her down onto the bed.


    "I''m so sorry!" Yumi said as she squeezed the <i>Demon</i>.


    "Heh?" Akagi had no idea how to react or what to say, a rarity for her.

 Chapter 194 – The Importance of a Name.

    Chapter 194 ¨C The Importance of a Name.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Hello all you nice people! I have great news, my official published version of the Red Hand is ready! I''ve put it on Amazon as an ebook which will be dropping next Tuesday Aug 29th and you can get to it''s listing !


    Hardcover is !


    Thank you to anyone who purchases it, and to those who already did thank you as well. If you end up buying either a hard or ebook version let me know and I''ll give you a special role on discord to celebrate!


    "Wha?" Akagi was surprised as Yumi tackled her. She''d not expected to be pounced like this, and was even more confused because of the apology.


    "I''m so sorry, my Lord!" Yumi squeezed her. "I''ve caused you such great pain..." From her perspective, she forced Akagi to take an action that was now causing her distress, something the Priestess couldn''t handle.


    "No! Why are you apologizing?!?" Akagi wriggled free and flopped to the other side of the bed. "I''m the one at fault! So what the hell are you sorry for?!?" She had no idea why Yumi was apologizing, and was getting annoyed.


    "I''m apologizing because my words forced you to make the decision that you did!" Yumi tried to hug her again, but Akagi kept her away with a barrier.


    "NO!" Akagi screamed. "Yumi, that''s wrong!"


    "But-" Yumi was cut off.


    "My decision... I did it because I was selfish! I chose what I believed what was best for you, and put <i>my </i>judgment above yours!" Akagi continued. "You did nothing wrong! I asked for your opinion, you told me NO, and then I overruled what you wanted, just because I thought I knew better!" Her fists tightened. "I... I''m not better than Shima... I ignored you and imposed my will just because... because I <i>could</i>..."


    <i>{Even if it was for a good reason... I still did something wrong...} </i>(Akagi)


    "It''s fine!" Yumi shook her head. "I was just too afraid to say yes! I just didn''t want to relive the pain of losing my family again, so it''s fine!"


    <i>{Please... this was all my fault...} </i>(Yumi)


    "IT''S NOT FINE!" Akagi screamed again. "You should be mad at me or something! But you don''t even understand anything!" Akagi stood up on the bed, ring down at her. "You came in here to apologize, and you told me that it was <i>your</i> fault that I was upset! That you <i>forced </i>me to make the call that I did, and that <i>you</i> are responsible for my behavior and emotions! But that''s all bullshit!"


    "No, it''s true!" Yumi wasn''t backing down. "If I''d just been more honest with myself, then you wouldn''t have had to overrule me! So it <i>is </i>my fault! I''m the one who put you in the position, and so I''m the cause of your-" Yumi stopped as she could tell that Akagi''s anger was about to boil over.


    "You... you..." Akagi''s aura red up around her. "That.... that stupid mentality... it''s the one and only thing that I hate about you and everyone else in this family." Her words were filled with anger, but were quiet, and sent a chill down Yumi''s spine. "The way you''re speaking now is no different than a person making an excuse for domestic abuse!" She growled. "You''re basically saying: <i>Oh, it''s fine, she only beat me because I did something bad. </i>That''s basically the same kind of logic you''re using right now!"


    Akagi retracted her aura and calmed herself down. "Listen to me!" She red at Yumi. "<i>You</i> are not to me here, nor should you be making excuses for my actions! I made a decision, one that I do not regret, but one that I know was not in line with how I should treat you!" She might not take Yumi''s <i>advice</i> on matters sometimes, but tantly ignoring her wishes on a personal matter like <i>this</i> was not something Akagi ever wanted to do. "This entire <i>family</i> is like this, ALL of you!" Yumi just sat and listened, she could tell that Akagi was venting frustrations both rted and unrted to this whole situation. "You idiots seem to think that when you sh with me, that giving way and just conceding is not only the right choice but the ONLY choice!" She gave a dryugh. "I understand having loyalty to me, and hell, I can even get the religious thing a bit, bute on! I''m sick and tired of you all thinking yourselves beneath me!" She ruffled her hair in frustration. "I knew that you wouldn''t be angry with me, but to actively push the me on <i>yourself</i>... that''s just.... NO! This whole situation has gotten out of hand, and <i>I''m</i> to me for letting it go this long without addressing it properly!"


    <i>{I should''ve fucking dealt with this whole screwy rtionship the moment we got out of FWO, but no I kicked the fucking can down the road because it wasn''t causing me a problem, and look what that got me! A fanatically loyal group of people that take my word as divine fuckingw! I was hoping, praying that Yumi wasn''t as bad, but she is... and I need to fix this NOW!} </i>(Akagi)


    "My Lord, I understand your-" Akagi interrupted her.


    "And then there''s THAT!" Akagi pointed at her as she screamed. "WHY DO YOU NOT CALL ME BY MY NAME, YUMI?!?" Her venting only got worse, and Yumi could tell that the <i>Demon </i>was bottling up more frustration than expected.


    "I. AM. AKAGI! <i>You</i> are my bonded soul and my <i>equal</i>, Yumi! I understand if the others want to address me in a more formal manner, but YOU of all people shouldn''t be doing that!" Akagi growled. "It makes me think you still don''t see me as... as someone you can connect with... and it feels like there''s still a wall between us..." She slunk down onto the bed. "Is that all I am to you? Your master and lord? Am I not also your friend, and someone you love?"


    <i>{She''s really been holding a lot in, hasn''t she? I never imagined that so many things were troubling her...} </i>(Yumi)


    "Listen, I... please tell me that you don''t think it''s strange how much love and revere me? Think about it! Isn''t it strange that the first thing you''d do when I''m upset is ming <i>yourself </i>for causing it?!?" Akagi said with a defeatedugh.


    Yumi thought about it for a moment before answering. "Y-Your right." Yumi looked down at the bed. "I... I''m not sure why but... the first thing that came to mind was that <i>I </i>was the one at fault for your pain, even though... you''re correct."


    <i>{That is strange, isn''t it?} </i>(Yumi)


    "So you <i>do </i>understand what I''m talking about?!?" Akagi groaned.


    "Yes... and you''re right that I''ve acted strangely. I guess... I guess I never really thought about it..." Yumi looked back through her time with Akagi and never really found any instances where she was truly upset with her. But she did find an extremelyrge amount of times where she scolded <i>herself</i> for causing Akagi trouble, even when it wasn''t Yumi''s fault.


    <i>{Perhaps...} </i>(Yumi)


    "Perhaps you were right... perhaps the game <i>did</i> have an effect on us." Yumi gave a wry smile. "I don''t recall anything ever forcing me to act the way I did, but looking back... I think it may have influenced me towards prioritizing your happiness and well-being, even where I shouldn''t."


    <i>{Many times my mind would be flooded with the desire to make her happy or to see her will be done. I always thought that was just because of my feelings for her, but... maybe there was something else at work?} </i>(Yumi)


    "So then... you all were controlled..." Akagi started to cry at the thought that Yumi''s and her family''s feelings were all fake. "You all really don''t care about me? It was just the game making you like me?"


    "NO!" Yumi dove onto her and pulled her into a hug. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no." The Priestess moved to prevent Akagi''s mind from copsing, as she knew that could easily mean the end of the world in this situation. "We weren''t controlled, just influenced! Our love and affection for you are real!" She squeezed her. ¡°I love you! I love you so much, don''t go thinking that''s fake!¡±


    "But-" Akagi tried to speak, but Yumi stopped her by kissing her.


    "That influence has nothing to do with my love for you!" Yumi started crying. "You''ve done so much for me! You gave me a ce, a home, and a purpose! You did so much for me when I could give you <i>nothing</i> in return! Over the years, I never really understood my feelings, and it wasn''t until the end of our time in FWO that I came to understand the truth! I love you Akagi, and I always have! Nothing ever made me love you other than my own heart! So please, don''t go thinking that our feelings for you are nothing more than false emotions imnted within our minds because that''s not true!"


    <i>{And even if that was true, it won''t change how I feel, so it doesn''t matter!} </i>(Yumi)


    "But if the game changed people''s-." Akagi tried to speak, but Yumi just squeezed her harder.


    "Trust me, even without some kind of influence, all these feelings of mine, no of OURS, are real!" Yumi said while crying. "And, even if the game influenced us, remember we''re in the real world now, Akagi."


    Akagi''s eyes went wide as she understood what Yumi was getting at.


    "If the only reason we cared for you was because the game made us, then why would we still feel this way nearly a year after we left?" Yumi giggled as she hugged her tighter. "During thisst year, I''ve never felt that same kind of pull towards you that I did in the game, which means we''re no longer under its effects! Since then, I''ve never <i>once </i>felt the urge to leave you, and even now, knowing that my mind may have been influenced, I don''t care." Yumi looked Akagi in the eyes. "Even if it''s true that the game was affecting my mind, that doesn''t take away from the kind of person you are." She cupped Akagi''s cheek. "You still saved me and all the other members of this family, and you still helped every one of us when we needed it the most. So I''d say we already had plenty of reason to love you. All the game did was push us to love you even more than we already did." She smiled as she looked the <i>Demon </i>in the eyes.


    "Are... are you really ok with that?" Akagi asked quietly. "Knowing that you''re mind might have been messed with?"


    "I get to be with the person I love." Yumi chuckled. "For what possible reason could I be unhappy with this situation? As we all told you before, even if these feelings were thrust upon us by the game, that doesn''t stop us from feeling them. Even if you were to tell me today that the only reason I love you is because the game made me feel this way, I wouldn''t care. Because, no matter the reason <i>why</i>, I love you, Akagi. And I assure you that <i>all of us</i> feel the exact same way."


    "I..." Akagi had no idea what to say.


    "But... you''re right that my refusal to see you as my equal has kept a wall between us." Yumi bit her lip. "It''s just that... you... you''re such a powerful person, you can do anything... and... and you just seem to be so much <i>better</i> than me that... that I just... I couldn''t imagine thinking of you as being on my level." She shook her head. "To consider you and I equals... I kept telling myself that doing so would be arrogant... I''m just a vige Priestess, and there''s nothing special about me. So how dare I see myself as your equal?"


    "Yumi..." Akagi hugged her back.


    "But... you''re right... I need to stop thinking of myself as being lower than you. None of that should matter between us. You might be the Demon Lord, and I might just be a vige Priestess, but we''re partners bound together forever." Yumi pulled Akagi down onto the bed beside her. "Akagi, I''m sorry that it took me so long to see how stupid I was, and I promise that I''ll stop depreciating myself. You asked me to stay with you forever, and I know that you''ve never once thought of me as anything less because I''m just a normal girl." She put her head against Akagi''s chest. "So it''s time I started doing the same."


    "I..." Akagi squeezed her tightly. "Yumi... I... thank you... thank you for everything..."


    "And thank you, Akagi. Thank you for everything." Yumi giggled." For saving my life, for avenging my vige, for being my best friend... and for giving me back my sister." She gripped onto Akagi''s shirt. "I won''t say I like the idea of you going against my wishes like you did... but this one time... thank you... I would have regretted it..."


    "I promise you... I''ll never do it again." Akagiughed. "I can''t handle that kind of stress."


    "Well then." Yumi sat up. "How about a bit of stress relief?" Her wily smile told Akagi everything she needed to know.


    "Sure, but I''ve got <i>a lot </i>to blow off." Akagi tackled her to the bed, and the two began an extended period of <i>stress relief.</i>

 Chapter 195 – The Citizenship Requirement.

    Chapter 195 ¨C The Citizenship Requirement.


    Once the <i>stress relief </i>was finished, Yumi and Akagi went down into the living room, where Hishya and Kana were enjoying some snacks on the couch.


    "I wonder how much you can transform your body?" Kana sat next to Hishya poking the dragon girl in the face. She was <i>very </i>interested in Hishya''s <i>malleability</i> and was keen to test it outter.


    "I''ve got no idea, but I don''t think it''s anywhere near as extensive as Akagi. Also, why are you poking me again?" Hishya didn''t appreciate or understand the poking.


    <i>{Am I really that squishy? Is it like Akagi when she goes cat?} </i>(Hishya)


    "I don''t know. It just seemed like the right thing to do in this situation, and your skin is so much softer now." Kana said while continuing to poke her. ¡°Its like poking fluff.¡±


    <i>{It reminds me of Onee-chan in cat mode, except not as soft.} </i>(Kana)


    "She''s just iming you as her squishy." Akagiughed as she and Yumi walked into the room and caught this funny disy.


    "Don''t startparing her to you!" Hishya sighed. "Kana isn''t as strange as you, <i>Ms. Kitty</i>." She stuck out her tongue.


    "MEW!" Akagi let out a meow as she and Yumi sat across from them.


    "How are you feeling?" Kana asked her sister. "I heard what happened, and I don''t want to see you get depressed again."


    "Toote for that." Akagi shrugged as she leaned onto Yumi''s shoulder. "But it''s fine. We <i>handled</i> things."


    "Yes, we did." Yumi smiled. She enjoyed herself, immensely.


    <i>{I GOT TO PLAY WITH THE KITTY!} </i>(Yumi)


    "???" Kana tilted her head in confusion, but Hishya knew exactly what happened.


    <i>{Well at least that''s taken care of... God these two are a pain in the ass...} </i>(Hishya


    "Well, that''s good to hear." Kana sighed. "You really are a pain sometimes, Onee-chan..."


    <i>{SEE! Even Kana agrees with me!} </i>(Hishya)


    "It happens." Akagiughed. "It justes with the territory at this point. Oh well."


    "Akagi and I had a lot to discuss anyway, and it was probably for the best that we talked things out like we did." Yumi smiled as she leaned on Akagi''s head. "She was holding in a lot of frustration, and this event kinda made it explode."


    "I''m not surprised that she-" Kana stopped. "Wait, there it is again!" She turned to Hishya. "I''m not going crazy, right?"


    "No, she definitely did it again." Hishya replied. "And this time, I''m certain it wasn''t a flub."


    "What are you talking about?" Yumi didn''t understand what they were referring to.


    "You <i>never</i> call Onee-chan by her name, and you''ve done it <i>twice </i>today." Kana said. "That''s not normal, and I''ve only heard you do it a few other times."


    "Yeah, you''re pretty adamant about calling her by some kind of formal title." Hishya agreed.


    <i>{Akagiined about that before, so I wonder if that was part of their ''talk.''} </i>(Hishya)


    "Ah... well..." Yumi scratched her cheek in embarrassment. "That was <i>part</i> of what we talked about. I''ve been calling her My Lord because I thought calling her by her name wasn''t eptable, but we discussed that and I won''t do it anymore.¡± She smiled. ¡°We think the game <i>did </i>have some kind of influence on our minds since we were under a follower system, and thus it''s possible that our attitudes towards her were manipted. Which was part of why I found myself unwilling to do it before."


    "I''m not surprised." Hishya mulled that idea over before, but was never certain. "Since you guys were pretty autonomous in-game, it makes sense that it would have <i>some </i>kind of enforcement mechanism."


    <i>{The devs imed the NPCs would be very life like, so I''d bet they had something in the code to prevent a rogue AI from showing up.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Please don''t tell me you''ve been mind controlled." Kana didn''t like that notion.


    "We don''t think so." Akagi answered. "Right now, we think that it simply nudged whoever was within the system to be even more loyal to their master." She continued. "Yumi reported feeling tion when she did something I approved of or that benefited me, and an extra level of revulsion to the opposite."


    "Indeed, but ever since we arrived on Earth, I''ve never felt such things. Likely because in the real world, the game''s systems have no effect anymore." Yumi gave a wry smile.


    "Kinda like how the World Bosses lost their damage reduction." Hishya nodded along. "That makes sense. Those kinds of things were hard-coded parts of the entire system, not specific to a yer or NPC."


    "So what does that mean? What happens now?" Kana asked with worry.


    "What do you mean?" Yumi wasn''t sure what she meant.


    "Well... if your heads were messed with... aren''t you and the others <i>angry</i>?" Kana asked. "I can''t imagine you would be happy knowing that you''ve been controlled like that, even if Onee-chan had no influence over it."


    "I''m not <i>happy </i>about it, but it doesn''t change anything for me." Yumi shrugged. "My feelings for her will not change, and even if they were imnted by the game, which I doubt they were, they won''t suddenly go away."


    "I''ve asked the others about that possibility before, and as you''ll recall, they told me that they didn''t care if it were true." Akagi sighed. "Plus, we technically have no proof, other than ims of such small influence. We have no idea if that was the game or something else."


    "Indeed." Yumi nodded. "So nothing will change. Though we''ve elected to at least <i>inform </i>everyone of the possibility that something was manipting us."


    "I swear, it''s been nearly a year, and we <i>still</i> keep finding out ways FWO fucked with things. Mizumi and her people did one hell of a fucking job with that mess." Hishya sighed.


    <em>{And the worst part is that she has no clue about any of this.}</em>(Hishya)


    "Hopefully ck Company and the others tear through the documents in their archives and let us figure out as much as possible about the entire ordeal." Akagi said.


    "Oh yeah..." Hishya groaned. "Please for the love of god, tell me that you won''t make brainwashing people like <em>that</em> the norm."


    "Brainwashing?" Kana hadn''t been told this story.


    "During the Libra thing, four yers led by Merkyul attacked the house during the night. They were easily captured, and Imp and I used them as test subjects. Once we were satisfied with our research, I decided to transform them into a Special Operations Team by messing with their personalities and souls." Akagi answered. "It ended up working great."


    "I can''t exactly say those four didn''t deserve it since they killed so many people. It''s just that brainwashing them into dedicated, zealous, and loyal servants just seems... <i>wrong.</i>" Hishya shook her head.


    "Would you rather I ate them?" Akagiughed. "Cause I could have easily just done that, but this way they can make up for their past actions and use their power for good."


    "Yeah, I get that. But brainwashing people to make them good is some seriously dystopian stuff." Hishya still didn''t like it.


    "I don''t exactly n on doing it all the time." Akagi waved off her concern. "They''re the only ones I''ve done it to, and I have no ns on further procedures."


    <i>{For now.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I can read your thoughts, Akagi." Hishya groaned. "Whatever, just don''t go crazy with it."


    "Brainwashing people like that is kinda..." Kana gave a wry smile.


    "Speaking of messing with souls and brains." Akagi shifted the topic. "I should probably go fix Elna sometime soon." She figured the Elf had suffered in insanity long enough.


    "You can fix her?" Hishya didn''t think she could.


    "Yeah, I''ve been messing with her over these months she''s been in custody. Driving her mad and ying with her mind was part of it, but I think we can wrap that punishment up." Akagi was also doing it for testing purposes.


    "Well, Superbia and Excel will probably be happy to hear that. Those two have been wanting to talk to her, but she''s been too broken for a real conversation." Hishya had been told about her ranting and raving within her cell.


    "She won''t be back to 100%, as I''ve done some permanent damage to her." Akagiughed. "But she should be <i>mostly</i> fine."


    "I guess that means she <i>will </i>get tried for her crimes after all. Some of the others have already gotten charged, and more than one is facing the death penalty." Hishya said.


    "Can they actually kill one of them with normal methods?" Yumi asked.


    "Probably not. Which means an RRT member or someone else will need to do it." Akagi answered.


    "Yeah, and that discussion has already caused anxiety within the RRT and the forums." Hishya said. "Personally, I''d rather just do it myself. I''ve already taken lives, so it would keep other people from getting blood on their hands."


    "Hishya..." Kana grabbed her hand.


    "Imp might figure it out." Akagi shrugged. "Otherwise, you might have to cook ''em."


    "Can''t <i>you</i> just do it?" Yumi asked. "I mean, it''s not like you care."


    "I could, but then that presents a funny situation since a foreign leader would kill Japanese citizens." Akagiughed. "And there''s no way in hell they want <i>that</i> PR nightmare."


    "I don''t want you to kill more people either." Kana still didn''t like her sister taking lives.


    "Now that I think about it." Akagi recalled something. "Hishya, you probably couldn''t do it either."


    "???" Hishya didn''t know what she meant


    "You''re going to be a foreign national too. Japan doesn''t really do dual citizenship." Akagi reminded her.


    "Ahh, that''s right." Hishya had forgotten that bit.


    "What? Are you moving somewhere?" Kana squeezed Hishya''s hand.


    "Yup! But don''t worry! Your favorite pet is moving here!" Akagiughed.


    "Wait, what?!?" Kana eximed. She hadn''t been told this important detail by the Dragon yet.


    "Y-yeah." Hishya gave a nervousugh. "I might have told Akagi I wanted to move to her new country once it gets established."


    "That''s great!" Kana hugged her. "But wait, what about your parents? Are theying too?"


    "Probably not, since they''ve got their jobs and lives in Tokyo, but I can easily visit them anyway. Plus, I''ve been spending a lot more time here than theretely, so it just kinda works out." Hishya smiled.


    "What are you going to do here anyway?" Kana asked. "Don''t tell me you''re going toze around all day like Onee-chan."


    "Oi!" Akagi took exception to thatment, but was ignored.


    "I have no idea." Hishya hadn''t thought that far ahead.


    "That''s no good! If you don''t figure it out, you''ll turn into the kind of Dragon who sleeps on her hoard all day!" Kana disapproved of that kind of lifestyle.


    <i>{That sounds nice...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Your face is telling me everything I need to know, Hishya." Kana squinted in disapproval. "I won''t let you turn into azy good-for-nothing like Mika!"


    "Hey, Mika provides quality entertainment, so she''s not good for <i>nothing</i>." Akagi stuck up for her friend.


    <em>{Also she spoils the heck out of me, and ys along with catmode, so that means she gets some leeway.} </em>(Akagi)


    "Yeah, Mika is fun!" Himari agreed.


    "Onee-can you just enjoy Mika''s antics..." Kana sighed. "And Himari, you''re as bad as Mika, so it''s no surprise you like her."


    "So mean!" Himari cried.


    "Tell me I''m wrong!" Kana bit back and got no response. "I thought so!"


    "This reminds me of something." Akagi got a nasty smile. "Hishya, since we don''t have all the stuff set up, we''ll do your citizenship thing ad hoc."


    "Why am I getting a bad feeling about this?" Hishya asked nervously.


    "Because this is <em>Akagi</em>..." Yumi gave a dryugh as Akagi leaped into the air andnded next to Hishya on the couch.


    "Great..." Hishya groaned. Akagi had transformed into Catkagi mode and was staring at the Dragon.


    "Don''t worry! This will be <i>easy</i>." Akagi smiled. "All you have to do for eptance into the Kingdom of Dumetor is one simple thing!"


    "And that would be?" Hishya had an idea of what wasing.


    "You must pet me!" Akagi giggled.


    "I fucking knew it..." Hishya sighed. "Why?"


    "Because I find it funny?" Akagi figured she needed no better reason.


    "And if I say no?" Hishya asked.


    "Well, you are more than wee to decline, but just be informed that your visa for entry into the country might be dyed or declined due to administrative or procedural issues. I''m sure Kana will understand if you can''t visit." (Akagi)


    <i>{Onee-chan...} </i>(Kana)


    "You bastard! You''d do it too!" Hishya hissed.


    <i>{Stupid Cat!} </i>(Hishya)


    "Who knows? But go ahead and call my bluff if you feel like finding out." Akagi smiled, and Hishya knew full well that Akagi <i>would </i>do just that if she refused.


    "How much petting?" Hishya caved, not wanting to y chicken with the invincible cat.


    "Until I say to stop." Akagi was going to milk this for all its worth. It wasn''t every day she got Hishya to pet her, and both Yumi and Kana were trying their best not to show anticipation for theing ''show.''


    <i>{I swear to god, Akagi. One day I will make you pay for everything you''ve done to mess with me over the years!} </i>(Hishya)

 Chapter 196 – The Transaction is Complete.

    Chapter 196 ¨C The Transaction is Complete.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Onest plug before the release date! The ebook for volume 1 will be releasing on the 29th, and if you want a copy of it you can go ! (Reminder that none of the story on here will be removed since this is just normal publishing and KU)


    There is also a hardcopy that is already live and thank you to those who bought one!


    "There!" Hishya eximed. "You got your petting! Now give me my reward for killing Serval, before you go forgetting about it!" She pet Catkagi for a while, and both Kana and Yumi found it funny to watch the Dragon''s reluctant floofing.


    <i>{But Hishya, you can''t hide the fact that you enjoyed yourself from me. I could tell by your facial expressions that you thought Onee-chan was super soft, and you even pulled her in against you to feel the squish!} </i>(Kana)


    "I''m like an elephant Hishya, I never forget!" Akagi smiled. "But here you go! A deal''s a deal!" She pulled the pillow in question from her inventory. It wasn''t really special, but the deer pattern in the middle was unique enough to make Hishya want it. "See, all nice and fluffed, and I even gave it a deep cleaning and a new case. She pulled a white case out of her inventory and gave both to Hishya.


    "A pleasure doing business with you." Hishya calmly put the pillow and its case in her inventory. On the outside, she was calm and collected but on the inside...


    <i>{FINALLY! YOU ARE MINE, MR. DEER! I SHALL CALL YOU LINGY, AND TOGETHER WE SHALL CREATE THE GREATEST PILLOW HOARD IN HISTORY!!!!} </i>(Hishya)


    "Do I even want to know what you had to do to get that pillow?" Kana said while giggling. "You''ve been obsessed with it for like a month." She''d noticed her girlfriend''s <i>obsession </i>with that pillow ever since Akagi first put it on the couch.


    "I just had to kill Serval." Hishya answered. "Nothing major."


    "Oh yes, <i>nothing major </i>indeed." Kana rolled her eyes.


    <i>{You put yourself in harm''s way for a fucking pillow that you could''ve ordered online...} </i>(Kana)


    "Nah, Hishya is right!" Akagi smiled while her ears twitched around. "It was easy! She only almost died once! So its all good!"


    "Why am I not surprised..." Kana sighed. "You two are <i>both</i> insane."


    "Hey, wait!" Hishya turned around and protested herment. "Why me?!? Akagi is the crazy one here!"


    <i>{Look at her! She''s in Demon kitty mode! That''s far more crazy than me!} </i>(Hishya)


    "No, you''re crazy too." Yumi said.


    "Am not!" Hishya disagreed.


    Yumi squinted in disapproval. "She who fought the most powerful world-ending being from my world FOR. A. PILLOW."


    "It wasn''t <i>only </i>for the pillow." Hishya tried to dig herself out of this hole but wasn''t having sess.


    "Yeah, don''t pick on Hishya! It was only <i>90%</i> for the pillow." Akagi chuckled.


    "Yeah! What she said!" Hishya said with a smug face that didn''tst long as she realized what Akagi had <i>actually</i> said. "Wait, NO! Stupid cat! Stop confusing me!" Hishya swiped at Akagi, who leaped into the air and onto Yumi''sp.


    "MEW! MEW!" Akagi did a tee-hee pero after shended.


    "I swear, I''m going to soak you in water one of these days." Hishya growled.


    "That''s fine, but don''t be surprised when I start taking scales." Akagi grinned.


    "It might be worth it to see you get what''sing to you!" Hishya hissed.


    "Kana, your pet''s acting sassy again." Yumi said while giggling.


    "Now, now." Kana glommed onto Hishya. "Don''t be rude to her."


    "Yeah, tell her, Kana." Hishya was happy to see her girlfriend sticking up for her for a change.


    "Guys, stop being so mean. Hishya can''t help being this way. The behavioral specialist told me that she''s hopeless, but we still love her regardless of her issues." Kana said with a giggle as she snuggled up to her.


    "I..." Hishya sighed. "Forget it. I''ll just take the love and move on..."


    "The pet has epted her status!" Akagi smiled as Yumi scratched her ears. "Next time I''m out, we''ll get her a nice doghouse and pet bowl."


    "Pfff." Kanaughed. "I kinda want to do that now."


    "Akagi is one thing, but I can and will pay <i>you </i>back if you try that crap." Hishya squeezed Kana causing her to sqeak.


    "Onee-chan would never let you harm me." Kana looked at her sister for support.


    "Ehhhh." Akagi thought for a moment. "Nah go ahead and knock her around a bit, just don''t kill her." She winked.


    "You''d sell me out like that?!?" Kana gasped.


    <i>{You fiend!} </i>(Kana)


    "I won''t protect you or Yumi from getting your just deserts." Akagi smiled.


    "Oh?" Hishya''s eyes glinted. "You hear that, Kana. I guess I can break out the <i>clowns</i> if you get too sassy!"


    "I will fucking <i>murder</i> you, Hishya!" Kana growled. "Dragon Empress or not, you shall perish if you unleash clowns upon me!"


    "Ooooo. Scary." Hishyaughed. "I''m shaking in my scales."


    "Hey, in fairness, Kana is quite resourceful. She might actually find a way." Akagiughed.


    "Yeah, she <i>is</i> pretty smart. So maybe she''s got a bit more bite to her than I thought." Hishyaughed as she pat Kana on the head..


    "If it''s alive, it can die!" Kana cackled. "And I will not rest till I figure out a way!"


    "Maybe use that brainpower to save us from the Demon Lord?" Hishya poked her in the cheek.


    "That might take a bit." Kana replied. "That''s a tough nut to crack."


    "It''s easy! Just hit me <i>really</i> hard!" Akagiughed.


    "Yeah, but where are we gonna get <i>that </i>kinda power?" Hishya rolled her eyes. "Maybe another Demon Lord? But even then, the problem is the same no matter who wins."


    "I mean, there <i>are</i> other Demon Lords. But first, you gotta find one, lure them to me, and then hope I don''t beat them." Akagi shrugged.


    "Might be fun to watch some super old Demon Lord who''s been around for a billion years kick your ass." Hishya smirked. "A little catharsis would be nice."


    "Can you actually beat another Demon Lord?" Yumi asked while hugging her.


    "Who knows." Akagi shrugged. "I''ve never fought one, and I have no interest in doing so either. Besides, I''m not even sure they''d attack me. We''re both Demon Lords, and even in a crazed state, it would probably understand what I am."


    <i>{I suspect having my ''sanity'' intact plus my prediction ability would make a fight against another Demon Lord tilted in my favor. Demon Lords are all around the same power level, so it wouldn''t be a matter of raw strength.} </i>(Akagi)


    "You said only one appears per world right?" Kana asked. "So that means we don''t have to worry about another one of you popping up here?"


    "Yeah, only one can be generated per world. After I was created, this world was ''marked'' as having a Demon Lord. So another cannot be created." Akagi answered.


    "What about oneing from another world?" Hishya asked. "You can tear open holes in reality, so what''s to stop another one from doing that and showing up here?"


    "Technically, nothing is stopping them from doing just that." Akagi thought for a moment. "However, you don''t need to worry about that."


    "Why?" Hishya asked.


    "Because Demon Lords do not like to leave the world they were born in. It''s kind of a natural protective measure ced within our instincts so that we don''t go reality hopping. The idea of going to a different reality is antithetical to us, so we won''t." Akagi shrugged.


    "Does that apply to you? I mean, you went to Omara." Hishya wasn''t sure if Akagi was affected by such rules.


    "No, I have my rational mind. So I can tell those instincts to fuck off." Akagiughed. "As for Omara, it''s technically part of this world, so it''s not an issue."


    "I still think it would be neat to see you fight another Demon Lord." Hishya smiled. She figured such an event would be a crazy spectacle.


    "Oh, it would be." Akagi smiled. "For about five seconds."


    "That sounded ominous..." Yumi gave a wry smile.


    "I assume something bad happens if two of you fight?" Kana figured it would be like two beta fish in one tank.


    "Welllll...." Akagi switched her position and hugged onto Yumi. "I''d wager that an all-out fight between two of our kind would cause whatever reality we fought in to copse."


    "That sounds... <i>bad</i>..." Hishya sighed.


    "Considering that means the entire Universe goes <i>pop</i>, yeah, its bad." Akagi gave a wry smile of her own.


    "So, does everyone die if that urs?" Kana was curious as to the after-effects.


    "Less <i>die </i>and more..." Akagi thought. "So imagine it like this. The void between worlds is a ce thatcks allws of physics and other things we''vee to understand regarding how reality works." She continued. "Additionally, barring the very basic functions of multiversal physics, don''t worry about how that works for right now, most things just don''t work out there. Meaning that if I chucked one of you out there, well.... you''d just kinda stop existing!" She smiled. "Your body would melt into nothing but basic fundamental particles, and I''m pretty sure your soul would do the same."


    <i>{Nice...} </i>(Kana)


    "So when Mizumi said travel between worlds wasn''t really supposed to happen..." (Kana)


    "She meant it!" Akagi nodded. "<i>I </i>can move between worlds in the void, but anything that''s not a Demon Lord would evaporate the moment it leaves a bubble of reality, AKA a universe."


    "So then, how did they travel between our world and theirs?" Hishya wasn''t really following all this information.


    "Hmmmm." Akagi thought for a moment before answering. "From what Mizumi told me, they basically forced open a pathway between the two worlds, think of something like a bridge. Within the pathway, both worlds'' realities ovepped, and thus they were not within the void. This is obviously <i>very </i>hard to do, and it takes a crazy amount of energy to open such a pathway, let alone HOLD one open."


    <i>{Not to mention, you need multidimensional coordinates. Something that is not readily knowable, even to me.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Anyone else think it''s strange to hear Akagi talk about something so technical?" Hishya asked, and the other two girls raised their hands in agreement.


    "I''m so proud!" Kana started fake crying. "She finally got smart. I''m so proud!"


    "I understand Kana and Hishya, but why did <i>you </i>agree with them, Yumi?" Akagi looked into the Priestess''s eyes.


    "Because it was funny." Yumi smiled, only to have her cheeks pinched and stretched by Akagi''s tiny hands.


    "It''s nice to see her getting a taste of her own medicine." Hishya was happy to see Akagi being on the receiving end of some torment for a change.

 Chapter 197 – An Expected Reaction.

    Chapter 197 ¨C An Expected Reaction.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Apologize for thete upload, I fell asleepst night and forgot to pre schedule the chapter! XD


    The next morning, Akagi and Kana gathered in the living room so that Miji could be introduced to the rest of the family. Yumi was a bit nervous about how her sister would react to everything, but Akagi told her it would be fine. Though she suspected the young girl might notice that the <i>Demon</i> was a bit more than meets the eye.


    "Here wee!" Yumi called out from the hallway as she popped into the room. Miji was right behind her, hiding behind her leg as the two sisters entered into the room.


    "Sorry it took me so long. Miji was being a bit of a sleepy head and didn''t want to get out of bed." Yumi smiled as she pat her sister on the head.


    "Kids that age always love to sleep." Kana smiled. "Hello there, Miji." She bent down to eye level in front of Yumi and Miji. "My name is Kana. Its nice to meet you."


    Miji was a bit shy and continued to hide behind her sister.


    "She''s always been like this around new people,e on Miji. Be nice and greet everyone like you were taught." Yumi smiled.


    "H-Hello..." Miji poked her head around her sister. "M-My name is Miji... N-Nice to meet you."


    "Aint she cute? Unlike a certain <i>somebody.</i>" Kanaughed.


    "Hey, I''m cute!" Akagi walked up next to her sister and put her knuckle on her head. "You just don''t see it."


    "Nope, Miji is cute. You''re just... <i>you." </i>Kana sighed.


    "Such a rude child." Akagi huffed before bending down to greet Miji. "Hello, my name is Akagi." She smiled. "I know there''s a lot going on right now, and things are a bit strange, but I want you to know just how important your sister is to me. So I''d like to for us to get along as a family."


    Miji shrunk behind her sister.


    "It''s ok Miji, Akagi has always been good to me. She''s very kind, so you don''t have to be afraid of her." Yumi rubbed the girl''s head.


    "M...." Miji muttered something.


    "Hmm?" Yumi looked down at her. "What was that?"


    "M-Monster..." Miji squeaked out a single word, causing the entire room to go silent.


    "Miji!" Yumi scolded her. "You apologize right now! Akagi isn''t a monster!"


    <i>{Well...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Sister! We need to get away from her! She''s a monster!" Miji tugged on her sister''s clothing, trying to get her to flee.


    <i>{That''s not exactly an unexpected reaction.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I''m telling you that she is not a-" Yumi was cut off by Akagi.


    "You''re right, kid." Akagi smiled as she stood up. "I am a monster and a very scary one at that." Sheughed.


    "Please let my Sister go..." Miji was on the verge of tears as she red at the <i>Demon</i>.


    "I''m afraid I can''t do that." Akagi gave a dryugh. "She''s too important to me, and I don''t think she wants to leave either."


    "I''m not leaving her, Miji!" Yumi''s gaze turned fierce. Even her sister was not exempt from her displeasure. "And you need to apologize for being so mean to her!"


    "Did you do something to Sister?!?" Miji asked. "You did! Didn''t you? Otherwise, Sister would never want to stay with a monster like you!"


    "Miji!" Yumi was going to say more, but Akagi''s re silenced her.


    "If making your Sister fall in love with me counts as doing something." Akagiughed. "Then I guess I did. I suppose bing enraptured by a <i>Demon</i> isn''t the strangest thing in the world, as we''re quite the <i>seductive </i>kind of existence."


    "I knew you were a monster! Give me back my Sister!" Miji hung off of Yumi. "Give her back!"


    "She is free to do as she pleases." Akagi shrugged. "I can''t make her stay or leave, so you''re going to have to talk to her."


    "Sister! Let''s leave! This monster is obviously going to do something bad to you!" Miji pulled on her. "Let''s go right now!"


    "I will not!" Yumi eximed. "I will not leave Akagi!"


    "The monster is controlling you! Please, Sister! We need to get out of here!" Miji started to cry. "Please..."


    "Miji... Akagi isn''t doing anything to control me." Yumi bent down to her sister''s level and hugged her. "She''s a good person. Just because she''s a <i>Demon</i> doesn''t mean you get to act so rude to her! Especially when she''s the reason both you and I are alive!" She wiped her sister''s tears.


    "Wha?" Miji didn''t know what Yumi was talking about.


    "After the vige was attacked, I stayed in Karkul for months looking for help. Akagi was the only one who would listen to me, and she hunted down the evil man who attacked everyone and brought him to justice." Yumi gave a bitter smile. "I''ve been at her side for nearly four years now, and she''s been nothing but good to me, and she never even asked for anything in return for all the help she''s given."


    "But... I can tell... she''s... she''s a..." Miji was still crying and shaking.


    "I understand, Miji." Yumi hugged her. "I get what your saying. Children can always see deeper into who someone is, but Akagi is more than just the... <i>monster</i> you feel." She hated referring to Akagi with that term but had no choice. "She''s a kind person who would do anything for me and those she cares about. In fact, if it wasn''t for her... I never would have gotten to see you again. She caused herself great pain to bring you back to me. So I won''t allow you to return her kindness with such mean words!"


    "Sister... do you really love her?" Miji asked quietly.


    "I do." Yumi looked her in the eyes. "I love her more than anything else in the world. Akagi has done so much for me, and I''ve vowed to stay by her side forever."


    "Do you love her more than me?" Miji asked the question everyone was dreading.


    <i>{What a fucking loaded question. There isn''t really a good answer...} </i>(Kana)


    "I..." Yumi bit her lip. "I love you so much, Miji. You''re my sister, but Akagi... Akagi is also important to me. So please, don''t make me choose. I... I can''t do that... it''s not fair."


    "So you do love her more than me!" Miji got angry and pushed Yumi off her. "You''re not my Sister! My sister would never act like you!" She backed away from everyone. "My Sister is gone! YOU TOOK HER AWAY!" She yelled at Akagi before bolting.


    "Miji!" Yumi tried to chase after her but was stopped by Akagi, who grabbed her arm.


    "Why are you stopping me?!? I need to go get her!" Yumi tried to pull away, but that wasn''t happening.


    "Calm down. I figured that something like this might happen." Akagi sighed. "The family is already keeping an eye on her, and she can''t leave the confines of the estate. Just give her some space, and trust my <i>special</i> <i>agent</i> to handle things." She gave a wry smile.


    "Special agent? Who do <i>you </i>have that can handle kids well?" Kana didn''t think she had someone with those qualities.


    "It will probably take a child to handle a child." Akagi shrugged. "So just leave this to Alice. She''s got the best handle on how a kid sees things, since well... she''s a child herself.¡±


    "I''m so sorry she acted like that..." Yumi started crying as she slumped onto the floor "Miji...." Being called a fake by her own sister had hit hard, and Yumi started bawling. Akagi swiftly took the Priestess into her arms and put her on the couch before pulling her into a tight embrace.


    <i>{It will be alright, Yumi. Everything will be fine. Just have faith in the girl I call my own daughter.} </i>(Akagi)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Miji POV>


    <i>{Sister... Don''t worry! I''ll free you from the monster!} </i>Miji panicked as she fled out of the estate. She had no idea where she was, and with so many of Akagi''s family members around, there were few ces she could hide.


    The young girl began to run around in circles, unsure where to go or how to escape, and the other people she ran into usually left her alone, and after some time she fled into the greenhouse.


    "Haaa... Haaa...." Miji was tired from running so much and was out of breath. Seeing a small container of water in the corner of the room, she bent down and took a big gulp. "Phaaaa!" She smiled as she came up from her drink, having satisfied her thirst.


    Looking around, she didn''t see anyone else and began to talk out loud. "Sister..." She began to walk around inside the greenhouse. The strange tools, the bright lights, and the unknown nts caused her more stress. "I wanna go home..." As she began to cry, a voice called out to her from behind.


    "Hello there." Alice called out to her, and Miji turned around. "Are you lost?"


    "W-Who are you? Are you another monster?" Miji backed away.


    "Monster?" Alice inspected her body. "I don''t think I''m a monster. I don''t have any horns or big scary teeth. Did you see one somewhere around here?"


    "Thedy in the house, the one who took my sister. She''s a big scary monster..." Miji said meekly. "I just want to go home with my sister... but the monster won''t let her go."


    "I see." Alice tried to get closer. "Do you want to hold my friend? He''ll calm you down." She extended her arm out to offer Floofy."


    "A bear?" Miji eyed up the toy.


    "Yeah, his name is Floofy, and he''s a dear friend of mine. Mama made him and his brother for me to celebrate my birthday!" Alice smiled as she recalled that day.


    "Your Mom made him?!?" Miji thought that was cool. "Can I really hold him?" She slowly got closer to Alice.


    "Just be careful, and make sure you''re nice to him." Alice held out her friend, and Miji took him.


    "He''s so soft!" Miji squeezed the bear. "Your Mom must be amazing if she made something like this."


    "Mama is amazing!" Alice smiled.


    *Grrrrrr* Miji''s stomach growled, she hadn''t eaten breakfast yet.


    "Ummm..." The young girl''s face got red from embarrassment.


    "Do you want to have tea with me?" Alice asked. "I can even bring some snacks."


    The promise of food was too tempting for the young girl to pass up, and she nodded.


    "Then wait right here! I''ll go get my snacks from the kitchen!" Alice took off, and a few minutester she was back with a te of tea and cookies. "Let''s go sit over at the table." She motioned for Miji to follow her, which the girl did.


    "MMMMMMMMMMMMM" Miji bit into the cookie and was amazed by how good it tasted. "Dis is an amazing cookie!" She''d never eaten something this sweet before in her life.


    "I''m d you like it! Mama and I make cookies all the time! She even taught me some of her special ways to make them extra fluffy." Alice said as she sipped her tea.


    "Your Mom can even make such tasty cookies?!?" Miji was shocked. "That''s amazing!" She smiled as she ate another one.


    "Right?!? Mama is good at everything!" Alice smiled as she began telling Miji all kinds of stories about Akagi and the time she''d spent with her over the years, though she specifically avoided any names or descriptions of what she looked like.


    "Wow! You''re Mom is so strong! She sounds amazing! And how she beat those bad guys who attacked you... that was so cool!" Her eyes sparkled at Alice''s story.


    Alice smiled. She enjoyed seeing someone else appreciate Akagi. "She takes such good care of me and has always been nice to me, ever since we first met."


    "Met?" Miji tilted her head at that word.


    "Mama... Mama is not my ''real'' Mom." Alice shook her head. "She saved me from some bad monsters a long time ago, and after some mean people tried to hurt me, she took me in when I had nowhere else to go." Alice gave a bitter smile, as those memories were still fresh for her.


    "But... but where was your real Mom?" Miji asked. "Why didn''t she protect you?"


    "My... my ''real''<i> </i>Mom... she''s gone." Alice bit her lip. "She passed away when I was five years old."


    Miji stopped munching on her cookie. That was basically the same as her.


    "I''m sorry..." She felt bad for bringing it up.


    "It''s fine." Alice smiled. "I have Mama! So I''m not sad about it. I don''t really even remember my real Mom and Dad."


    <i>{I can''t even remember their faces...} </i>(Alice)


    "Sister... sister said my Mom and Dad were gone too..." Miji looked down at her tea. "She said a bad man took them away..."


    "But you have her still, right?" Alice was trying to direct the conversation toward Yumi and reconciliation.


    Miji shook her head. "The monster took her away, and now sister isn''t sister anymore..."


    "What do you mean?" Alice asked.


    "She said she loved the monster, and even after I told her to run away, she wouldn''t..." Miji started to tear up. "And... and when I asked her if she loved me or the monster more.... she wouldn''t answer!" She yelled as she started crying. "Sister is gone! The monster took her away from me. WAAAAAA" Miji started crying, and Alice moved over to her side, giving her a hug.


    "It''s fine." Alice said. "Go ahead and cry. There''s no monster in here."


    "WAAAAAAAAAAAAA" Miji cried and cried and cried for at least a half hour until Alice got her to calm down.


    "Thank you..." Miji said as she wiped her nose with a handkerchief given to her by Alice.


    "It''s fine. Crying it good!" Alice smiled as she sat back down.


    "What should I do?" Miji asked. "I need to save sister from the monster... but I can''t do anything!"


    "Hmmmm." Alice thought for a moment. "Do you really need to save her?" She asked.


    "Of course I do!" Miji yelled. "The monster captured her and brainwashed her or something! I need to save her so we can run away!"


    "But are you sure she''s being controlled?" Alice asked.


    "Of course she is! Sister would never fall in love with a monster!" Miji denied that possibility. She was a Priestess of the Gods, she could never love a <i>Demon</i>.


    "But maybe she did? Didn''t she tell you herself that she loved her?" Alice asked.


    "That''s not possible." Miji shook her head. "That monster was a bad monster... a <i>really </i>bad monster... I saw its eyes... they were..." She shivered.


    "But did the monster do anything bad to you?" Alice said.


    "N-No, it didn''t, but I know it will!" Miji said with certainty.


    <i>{That monster will eat me, and probably sister too. I don''t wanna be turned into soup...} </i>(Miji)


    "I don''t think the monster will ever hurt you or you''re sister." Alice smiled. "She''s not that kind of person."


    "How do you know?!?" Miji yelled.


    "Because that monster is my Mama." Alice''s smile turned into a re.

 Chapter 198 – Another Family Member.

    Chapter 198 ¨C Another Family Member.


    "Wh-what?" Miji dropped her cookie at Alice''s deration that the <i>monster </i>was her Mother.


    "The one you''ve been calling a <i>monster</i> is my Mama." Alice smiled. Though behind the sweet smile was a very upset Alice. She didn''t like people something calling Akagi that word to be mean, but she was keeping her cool since she was tasked with cajoling Miji.


    "Your Mom... your mom is the Monster?" Miji asked quietly.


    "Mama is a monster, but she''s a nice monster." Alice said as she poured more tea. "She doesn''t hurt people who don''t deserve it"


    <i>{Usually...} </i>(Alice)


    "Then... then tell her to give me back my sister!" Miji yelled. "I just want her back... and then we can go home..." She said as she squeezed Floofy.


    <i>{I want to go home...} </i>(Miji)


    Alice thought for a moment before answering. "Mama isn''t keeping Yumi here. She could leave if she wanted to."


    "Then why won''t Sister leave?!?" Miji was still having a hard time understanding why Yumi wouldn''t prioritize her over Akagi. "Doesn''t she love me?"


    "Of course she does." Aliceughed, knowing just how happy the Priestess was to have her sister back. "Yumi loves you more than you could ever imagine."


    "Then-" Miji tried to say more, but was cut off.


    "But she loves Akagi just as much." Alice shook her head. "Miji, how much do you know about what happened to your vige?" She asked.


    "Sister told me a bad man attacked it, and that everyone was killed." Miji looked down at the table. "She said I got hurt and that I was asleep for a while."


    "Yes, but did you know that it''s been nearly four years since the attack on your vige?" Alice asked. She knew she didn''t but was trying to use that information gap to her advantage.


    "Four years?!?" Miji was shocked. Yumi had only told her that she''d been asleep for a while.


    <i>{How could I sleep for so long? Was I really that sick?} </i>(Alice)


    "Yes, and during that time, your sister was worried about you every day." Alice smiled. "She always talked about you, and she made every attempt to find a way to wake you up." Alice was informed that Miji had been told she was asleep rather than dead and was ying into that exnation. She wasn''t above misleading the young girl, since she knew that would make things easier.


    "Sister..." Miji hugged the bear again.


    "She was so worried about you, and she checked on you every day, but..." Alice stopped.


    "But what?" Miji asked.


    "We... we didn''t think you would ever wake up..." Alice shook her head. "Nothing seemed to work, and no matter how much Yumi or the others tried, you stayed asleep."


    "N-Never wake up?" Miji''s eyes went wide at those words.


    <i>{Would I have died like Mom and Dad?} </i>(Miji)


    "Yumi was so sad, and she nearly lost hope of ever seeing you again. Even Mama thought that bringing you back was impossible, and seeing Yumi so upset really hurt her. She couldn''t bear to see the one she loved in such pain." Alice was ying the story up to elicit an emotional reaction. Lying to a child wasn''t really a <i>good </i>thing, but she figured that this was the best way to bring her around. "She was even worried about you too."


    "The monster... was worried about me? About sister?" Miji asked.


    "Yes, she was." Alice nodded. "Mama tried everything to wake you up, but there was nothing she could do, until..."


    "Until?" Miji tilted her head.


    "Until, a few days ago... Mama found a way to wake you up.." Alice''s face went dark, as she was trying to sell this as hard as possible.


    "Why do you look sad?" Miji asked.


    "Mama... Mama needed to hurt herself to bring you back..." Alice answered, causing Miji''s eyes to widen. "Yumi protested and told her that she didn''t need to inflict such great pain on herself to bring you back, but she told Yumi that she didn''t want to see her sad anymore. So, she used the power she found to wake you up, all while hurting herself in the process." Alice''s story wasn''t a lie per se, just a slightly more embellished retelling.


    "The monster... the monster hurt itself? For me?" Miji asked quietly.


    "She did it for <i>Yumi</i>, because... because she means the world to her, and if bringing you back would make her happy, Mama wasn''t going to pass up that chance." Alice gave a wry smile. "Your sister was so happy to see you again, and she cried so many tears of joy. She never thought she''d hear your voice or see you awake ever again, so when Mama brought you back..."


    "Sister..." Miji was starting to feel bad. She called her sister a fake and stormed off after acting so mean, something she was now regretting.


    "Do you understand now, Miji?" Alice asked. "Yumi loves you more than almost anything in the world, and Mama did everything in her power to bring you back to her. So the reason she couldn''t answer you... the reason she couldn''t say she loved you more than Mama was because if she said yes... wouldn''t that be betraying the person who did so much for her?" She got up and walked over next to her. "You don''t have to like Mama, and it''s okay to be afraid of her. But understand that both she and Yumi love you very much, and your sister loves Mama as much as she loves you. So please give her a chance. I promise you she''s a nice person Miji. If she wasn''t, then she wouldn''t have so many friends." She smiled.


    "Won''t they be mad at me?" Miji said on the verge of tears. "I said mean things about them..."


    Alice hugged her. "They won''t be mad at you, but you need to apologize. Your words probably hurt Yumi more than they did Mama." She giggled. "She knew you were just scared, so it''s alright."


    After a bit more discussion, Miji agreed to return to the estate and speak to Akagi and Yumi again. Alice''s mission had been a sess, and she was able to calm Miji down and get her to see reason, albeit with a bit of lying, exaggeration, and misdirection.


    Alice guided her back to the living room where, Akagi, Yumi, and Kana were sitting. The Priestess''s face and eyes were red from crying and Akagi was doing her best to console her.


    "Mama! I''ve brought someone who wants to talk with you!" Alice dragged Miji into the living room by the hand. "Come on, you promised you''d talk to them!"


    Miji averted her eyes as she walked into the room, staying behind Alice the entire time.


    "See, I told you she''d be fine." Akagi smiled.


    "MIJI!" Yumi darted over to her sister and pulled her into a hug. "You''re ok! I thought you''d disappeared on me again!"


    "Sister..." Miji was on the verge of popping from how tight she was being hugged. "It hurts..."


    "Ahh, sorry." Yumi let go a bit. "I was just so worried about you... I thought...I thought you would disappear again." She started crying. "Don''t ever run off like that again! My heart can''t take losing you a second time!"


    <i>{I saw you die before my eyes once, so please don''t make me go through that pain again.} </i>(Yumi)


    "I''m sorry, Sister..." Miji started crying too, and the two sisters had a several minutes long cry session until they got it out of their system.


    "Miji... I''m sorry for not exining things better... and I''m sorry for making you scared. I just... I didn''t know how to exin everything to you..." Yumi sat on the couch and pulled her sister into herp.


    "I''m sorry too." Miji hugged her. "I said mean things to you. You''re not a fake... I''m sorry for saying that... I just didn''t want someone to take you away from me again..." She''d always wanted Yumi toe home from her position as Priestess and was afraid that she might lose her to Akagi.


    "I''m not going anywhere." Yumi giggled. "I''ve got everyone I need right here, so don''t worry." She squeezed her. "I love you very much, and I''d never ever leave you! Not in a million years!"


    <i>{And if anyone tries to take you away from me, I''ve got the biggest, scariest, and most powerful person on speed dial.} </i>(Yumi)


    "Sister..." Miji looked up at her. "Do you really love the m-" She stopped herself. "Do you really love her?" She pointed at Akagi.


    "I do." Yumi smiled. "Akagi is very important to me, and I don''t know what I''d do without her. She is the woman I love, and I never want to be separated from her."


    Kana started to giggle, but was whacked on the head by her sister.


    Miji turned towards Akagi. "Do you love my Sister?"


    "Yes, I do." Akagi''s inability to feel <i>love </i>still applied, but she figured just saying yes was the best option. "She means the world to me, and there''s nothing I wouldn''t do for her." She smiled. "Your sister has helped me out so much over the years, and honestly, just being with her makes me happy." Of course, Yumi would disagree with the notion that <i>she </i>helped Akagi, but that was beside the point.


    "Miji." Kana spoke to the girl. "My name is Kana, and I''m this idiot''s sister." She pointed to Akagi.


    <i>{Was IDIOT necessary?} </i>(Akagi)


    <i>{Pffff.} </i>Miijiughed internally.


    "Onee-chan might be many things, but more than anything else, she cares about Yumi. These two are special to one another, and I''d say their lives are better together than apart." Kana smiled. "I know Onee-chan is a bit scary, even I was a bit afraid of her at first, but she''s not a bad person. All she wants is a peaceful life with her family. So can you give her a chance?"


    <i>{Wow, for once Kana actually said nice things about me WITHOUT some kind of sarcasm at the end. I wonder if she''s running a fever, because that''s rare...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Alice said you''re a good monster... one that only hurts bad people..." Miji quietly said to Akagi.


    "I don''t <i>want</i> to hurt people." Akagi shook her head. "But if people threaten my family, isn''t it natural to stop them?"


    "You won''t hurt me? Or Sister?" Miji asked.


    "<i>Never</i>." Akagi said firmly. "I would <i>never </i>do anything to harm Yumi, and I would most certainly never harm a member of my family." She smiled. "And naturally, that includes you."


    Miji thought for a moment before answering. "Ok... But I''ll be watching you! If you ever hurt Sister, I''ll take her and run away!"


    Akagiughed. "You''ve got a deal!"

 Chapter 199 – The Angry Aunt.

    Chapter 199 ¨C The Angry Aunt.


    "I just... I don''t understand it, Nana..." Shima sat across the kitchen table from a short ck-haired woman. The wrinkles on her face gave the impression that she was a good bit older than Shima, and the scowl on her face only served to extenuate other simr features. "How could I do that to my own daughter?!?" She took a sip of her drink, her fourth one, and her flushed face showed that she was partially drunk.


    <i>{What kind of monster am I?} </i>(Shima)


    "Well, con-grad-u-fuckingtions." Nana started pping slowly to mock her. "I''ve been telling you that you were a piece of garbage for twenty years! Good to see you <i>finally </i>figured it out, Shima. But s, its too fuckingte." She rolled her eyes. Nana was the oldest child of Kenji, and was the only one of Shima''s siblings to abandon the Tomogawa family. "You tried to <i>kill </i>your own daughter, tormented her daily for going on twenty years, and it took you until <i>NOW</i> to figure out that perhaps... just <i>MAYBE</i> something was fucking wrong with your behavior?!?" She hadn''t spoken to Shima in several years, as she cut off all ties with the family, but when her sister called her crying hysterically, she couldn''t ignore her.


    <i>{Why can''t things be simple? First the family is wiped out by Rishia, and now Shima is in my house blubbering like a drunken mess!} </i>(Nana)


    "I know... I just don''t understand any of it!" Shima yelled. "Why did I do it all?!? Why did I think it was ok?!?" She looked down at her ss. "What the hell was wrong with me?!?"


    "Who knows? I suspect it''s something in our blood. Our old man was a prick, and Miyabi and Junichiro were just as bad as him!" Nana clicked her tongue. She''d found both the now <i>erased</i> siblings to be distasteful people. "At least now I understand <i>why </i>they were like that, fucking Onmiyoji..." She shook her head. "Not like I''m happy most of our family got killed, but..."


    <i>{They fucking deserved it. You push that girl for so long, abuse her, do all those horrible things to her, and then you go and kidnap her friend in order to kill her.} </i>She sighed internally. <i>{What the fuck did they think was going to happen?} </i>She''d been given the rundown on what happened at the familypound, and was exasperated and disgusted.


    "Rishia had every reason to hate them, and me." Shima shook her head. " And Taichi won''t listen to me. I tried telling him that something was wrong, but I guess whatever had a hold on my mind is still affecting him, because he''s the same as always."


    "Either that or he''s just an asshole." Nanaughed. "I never liked that prick of a husband Dad forced on you."


    <i>{Just because he came from money, he always acted so arrogant.} </i>(Nana)


    "He''s not that bad." Shima gave a dryugh. "He''s a lot to handle at times, but his rough edges are just part of his charm."


    "Sure, whatever you say." Nana rolled her eyes, not wanting to get into that conversation. "So what are you going to do now?" She asked. "I hope you don''t intend to go crawling to Rishia for forgiveness. I know that girl well enough to tell her that you have no chance in hell of being forgiven, and from what you told me that you did to her over the years, that''s understandable." She shook her head. Shima and the family had hidden exactly what they''d done to Akagi from Nana for all these years, and while she knew <i>something </i>was wrong, as well as that her niece was being abused, she had no idea just how bad it was. "Seriously Shima, what kind of mother tries to kill their own child?!?"


    "I know!" Shima yelled back. "I don''t understand why I did what I did either! It''s just that whenever I looked at her, or even heard Rishia speak, all I wanted to do was be rid of her!"


    <i>{Her very existence in the house made me angry. That''s why I was happy when she went into VR since she left me alone.} </i>(Shima)


    "Yeah, and now the child that you treated like dirt has the power to do whatever she wants." Nana sighed. "God only knows what kind of hell she could inflict upon the world if she wanted."


    <i>{She has her own country, and killed such powerful people like they were children. I imagine if she wanted us all dead, we''d already be so.} </i>(Nana)


    "Kana... Kana told me something a few weeks ago... something that I don''t think I fully appreciated until now." Shima took a sip from her ss, which emptied. "She told me that... that one night she had a vision, one where she was never born. In... In that world, Rishia went mad and she killed not just me, but <i>everyone</i>. Kana said that the world was destroyed... and that... and that <i>I </i>was responsible for that future being possible."


    <i>{Without Kana, without her...} </i>(Shima)


    "I''d believe it." Nana gave a depreciatingugh. "You <i>literally </i>created a monster, Shima. Whatever kind of power that girl was born with doesn''t matter, because you and this stupid family of ours made her what she is today." She tightened her fist in anger. "I''ve only seen just a <i>tiny </i>portion of the anger within her heart, Shima. I''ve seen her break things, scream, and hell, one night, I swear her eyes turned into nothing but pure fucking darkness! That girl... she has some serious inner <i>Demons,</i> and I''m not just talking about what you put her through." She took a deep breath before mming her fist on the table. "Why the <i>fuck </i>did you NOT get her medical treatment for her illness? I knew Rishia had ASPD, but you always told me she was on medication, bute to find out that not only did you <i>lie </i>to me, but apparently she has MORE issues? And you never got her <i>any</i> help?!? You''re lucky she didn''t fucking kill you in your sleep <i>before </i>she became a literal living nightmare!"


    <i>{I know she tried to kill Kana once, and with how you idiots treated her, that''s not exactly surprising!} </i>(Nana)


    "I just... I have no idea. All I remember is that I thought that it didn''t matter if she had problems." Shima shook her head. "I think I was hoping she''d kill herself like those people with depression do..."


    <i>{Every morning, I found myself hoping to find her hung from the ceiling in her room. What kind of Mother am I for thinking that about my own child? A child that never did anything to me? A child that I... abandoned...} </i>(Shima)


    "Yeah well, guess what. Now we have a fucking <i>Demon </i>from hell with anger issues, depression, anxiety, and other problems. All because you couldn''t be fucked to get her on meds or even take her to a fucking therapist." Nana was getting increasingly frustrated with her sister, and this issue hit close to home because her own son suffered from his own mental issues. She''d sought out treatment for him immediately when he was young, and as a result he lived a normal life with his own family. The fact that Shima not only <i>ignored </i>Akagi''s issues, but actively hoped to find her <i>dead</i> made Nana far more angry than anything else. "Do you know how <i>terrifying </i>it is to wonder if today she''s just gonna show up at my door and kill me and my family just because we''re <i>rted </i>to you?!? Because it''s fucking <i>awful</i>, Shima."


    <i>{She might too! I don''t know exactly what she thinks of me, but I know for a fact we don''t have some happy close rtionship as Niece and Aunt!} </i>(Nana)


    "She wouldn''t do that..." Shima said. "Rishia... she only kills people who deserve it, at least, that''s what Kana told me..."


    "I sure as hell hope so! I cut you idiots out of my life nearly five years ago, and I sure as hell don''t want to be put on the same list as such awful dirt bags as you people!" Nana clicked her tongue. "You said you''re meeting with her this week right?"


    "Yes, her and Kana." Shima nodded. "Kana messaged me and her father, it was... quite an <i>angry</i> message." She pulled out her phone and showed the message to her sister.


    Nana took a minute to read it and shook her head. "Yeah, that''s not surprising. Considering how much that girl loves her sister, finding out that you tried to kill her, left her out in a blizzard, and much more, probably didn''t endear you to her at all." She put the phone down on the table. "If I was her, I''d cut contact with you two and never look back." That''s what she''d done to her own parents.


    "That''s... that''s what I''m afraid of." Shima''s face darkened. "Rishia... she already has... But Kana... I don''t want to lose her too."


    <i>{I can''t lose both my daughters...} </i>(Shima)


    "You might not have much of a choice in the matter." Nanaughed mockingly. "Kana <i>knows</i> what kind of person you were, and even <i>if </i>something was influencing your mind, that doesn''t undo the damage, Shima." She didn''t believe that was the case, but couldn''tpletely dismiss the possibility.


    "I know that." Shima didn''t look at her. "That''s exactly what Rishia told me... she said it was toote."


    "Beingpletely honest with you, Shima." Nana thought for a moment. "I hope she leaves you, I really do. You deserve to be hurt, and losing the one child you actually cared about... I can''t think of a better punishment." It was a harsh but understandable position.


    "But I don''t want to lose Kana!" Shima eximed. "There... there has to be something I can do! I can''t lose both my children!"


    "Let''s be real, Shima. You only had <i>one</i> child, so don''t go calling Rishia your daughter now." Nana said. ¡°You never treated her like one a day in her life, so trying to act like her mother is not only disgusting, butpletely selfish.¡±


    "I...." Shima didn''t know what to say to thatment.


    <i>{I know that... I know that, but still! I want my daughters... I don''t want to lose either of them... There has to be something I can do...} </i>(Shima)


    "The best thing I can say... is to be honest with Kana. Hell, get on your hands and knees and beg the girl not to leave you in the cold." Nana took a sip of her drink. "I can''t guarantee that will work, but at the very least, the fact that she wants to speak with you two <i>at all</i> leads me to believe that <i>she </i>doesn''t want things to end between you. At least, just yet."


    "I... Taichi is <i>never </i>going to repent. Not unless he somehow realizes how fucked things have been like I did." Shima gave a dryugh.


    <i>{And there''s no sign of that happening, even with my pleas.} </i>(Shima)


    "If ites down to it, ditch him." Nana said. "In a contest between husband and child, the childes first, no question."


    "..." Shima had no response, since she knew Nana was right.


    "Have you decided where you''re going to have this ''family meeting''?" Nana asked.


    "N-No." Shima shook her head. "We haven''t. I figured the house would be easiest."


    "No that''s a bad idea, you should just have it here." Nana sighed. "That house will only serve to remind those two of everything you did, and I''d like to see my nieces. Lord knows it''s been a while, and this ce is usually a pretty neutral zone." She''d taken care of Akagi here many times when she was younger, and she always tried to make her time at the house less hectic then being at home.


    "Yeah, you''re right... thanks, Nans." Shima smiled calling her sister the nickname she used for her since they were kids.


    "It''s been nearly thirty years since you called me that." Nana rolled her eyes. "But you''re wee, I might be angry with you, but I <i>am </i>happy to see my sister trying to clean up her mistakes. Who knows, if things work out, perhaps we can try to salvage what''s left of this family together."


    "I-I''d like that..." Shima smiled as she poured another ss.


    Spoiler


    Nana!


    [copse]

 Interlude 11 – Imp Moves Forward.

    Interlude 11 ¨C Imp Moves Forward.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    PSA I added a glossary with the images of each important character, and I may get around to adding descriptions at ater date.


    Mixu sat in her apartment''s kitchen and drinking some tea while she read over the news. The fight with Serval had attracted significant media attention, mostly because of the massive fire and localized devastation north of Kyoto. She and the rest of the RRT had already gotten the asschewing of a lifetime from Aoi and some of the other higher ups, but they mostly ignored theirints. They all figured that it was better for some uninhabited area of Japan to get torched rather than a city, and they <i>really </i>didn''t want to put themselves into Akagi''s debt to get her to handle Serval quickly.


    "Poor Aoi, she''s gonna have such a fun time dealing with <i>that blow back.</i>" She smirked as she took a sip. Mixu knew Aoi was already going to be put on st by her superiors, which she thought was fitting. "Oh well, not my problem! Suck to be you, Aoi!" The Japanese government <i>was </i>aware of the situation with Serval and Rivenshaft, but this kind of dramatic event was <i>not </i>what they expected or wanted. Especially after the Libra Crisis. The entire country was still on edge due to everything that happened within the past year, and Akagi''s new nation suddenly being <i>on fire </i>did not help things.


    As she checked through the top news stories andughed as she imagined just how angry Aoi was going to be. A familiar voice sounded from down the hallway.


    "Hnggggggggg." A weary Imp slowly entered the kitchen from the hallway, and bumbled around as she tried to find a seat. "Sleeeepyyyyy." She whined as she slowly limped to the table and sat across from Mixu, her eyes showing that she was anything <i>but </i>awake.


    "I was wondering when you''d wake up! Good morning, sleepy head!" Mixuughed as she reached over and pat her on the head.


    "You caused-created this..." Imp had bags under her eyes and two small puncture marks on her neck. "The evil vampire wouldn''t let-allow me to sleep-slumber..." Mixu had taken her back to the apartmentst night for <i>punishment </i>after she learned of her brainwashing fun with Akagi.


    <i>{As if you didn''t enjoy yourself. You were practically giddy as I sucked you dry.} </i>(Mixu)


    "Hey, it was all in the name of justice and reeducation!" Mixu chuckled. "Besides, don''t act like <i>you </i>didn''t enjoy yourself." She rolled her eyes. "You were <i>very </i>into things. If I recall correctly, at one point you begged me to suck on you like a juice box." She smirked.


    "Evil vampire is corrupting me..." Imp groaned. "Needs to take responsibility-me for my entricities..." She was trying to me Mixu for her <i>degeneracy</i>.


    <i>{Evil vampire drank me... But fangs felt very good-nice...} </i>(Imp)


    "I''m sorry to tell you this but me falls on <i>you, </i>Impy. Don''t forget that it was <i>your </i>idea to get blood sucked by me as an experiment. It''s not my fault that you got hooked on the rush of having my fangs sink into you." Mixuughed.


    <i>{Though I''ll admit that sipping on literal Demon blood is quite tasty. Imp is a high quality snack!} </i>(Mixu)


    "Evil vampire takes advantage of me..." Imp grinned as she tried to hide hercency in the debauchery. "Makes me do many embarrassing-bad things against my will-consent..."


    "Says the one who <i>made </i>everything." Mixu smirked. "I take no responsibility for <i>using</i> the tools provided to me. Though I will admit you are quite the fun partner. Not only do you make the most adorable expressions, but you <i>really </i>get into the y aspect" This had be a semi-regr urrence for the two women. They weren''t in a romantic rtionship, though they enjoyed each other''spany, and a bit of <i>activities </i>wereeasy and effective way to refresh themselves.


    *GROWL*


    As they were talking, Imp''s stomach let out a growl, as she hadn''t eaten since yesterday and theck of blood was only making her hunger worse.


    "Foooooood." Imp stared at her. "Feed me!"


    <i>{Ok Catkagi...} </i>(Mixu)


    "Needy little creature, aren''t you?" Mixuughed as she stood up and went to the kitchen. "I''m not going fancy, you''re getting a sandwich and that''s that!"


    "With pickles!" Imp demanded a salty treat.


    "Fine." Mixuughed. "I swear, it''s like I''m taking care of a child."


    <i>{And its my fault for spoiling her I suppose.} </i>(Mixu)


    "Not child! Am old!" Imp giggled.


    "Well, you <i>are </i>twice my age." Mixu thought for a moment as she started making the sandwich. "So, does that make you a cougar? You are an older woman preying upon someone much younger than you." She winked back at her.


    "Don''t know-care. But you are femme fatale." Imp blew a raspberry.


    "Hey, hold on!" Mixu protested her ims. "I don''t bring disaster to the guys I spend time with! Nor do go around seducing them just for their money!"


    Imp looked at her, doubting that first part.


    "It''s not my fault they get attached when I tell them up front that it''s a fling." She shrugged. ¡°I don''t lead anyone on when I bring them into the bedroom. I merely enjoy a nice bit of casual fun, and then we split. Anything beyond that is their fault, not mine.¡± While she would be considered promiscious by many people, Mixu didn''t care. She figured that since she stopped being Human, that there was no reason to hold herself to such morality anymore, and she should take advantage of what she was to enjoy herself. It didn''t help that a <i>ton </i>of men and women were into vampires, and would willingly let her have fun with them.


    "Poor men." Imp shook her head. "Bitten by evil vampire, then abandoned. Their hearts crushed-destroyed."


    Mixu rolled her eyes as she brought a small te with food over. "Don''t act like I''m some heartless woman." She pinched Imp''s cheeks and shook her head around. "After all, who just made you a sandwich and didn''t kick you out after our night of <i>fun?</i>"


    "I suppose evil vampire is right." Imp giggled. "You not homewrecker... <i>yet.</i>"


    "Considering that''s how my mom screwed over my dad, I have no interest in such things." Mixu shook her head as she sat across from Imp. "Fooling around is one thing, but I''m not about to facilitate adultery." She always made sure that the people she spent time with <i>were not </i>cheating on someone else. One girl that tried to hook up with her lied to her about having a boyfriend was thrown out of the apartment before they could get anywhere.


    "No, but will sleep with widow." Impughed as the widow in question.


    "Could be worse." Mixu shrugged, not really caring about something like that. "But on that topic, are <i>you</i> alright with this? I know how much you loved Nariyuki." She knew that Imp was very attached to her deceased husband, and wasn''t sure how internallyfortable she was with being physical with Mixu.


    "Is fine." Imp gave a bitter smile. "He gone, would not want me to sulk and be sad anymore..." She and her husband had been best friends, and even nearly three decadester, she still missed him. "Nariyuki probably find it hot anyway." She gave a smallugh.


    Mixu rolled her eyes. "If he was <i>half </i>as weird as you, he probably would." She figured that since people were generally quite weird,<i> </i>that Imp was probably right.


    "Hmmmm." Imp thought while chewing. "Maybe more than half? Nariyuki was funny-strange man. He made cosy outfits-costumes for us." She thought back to one event they went to where they cosyed as characters of the opposite sex for fun.


    "Oh god, he was a massive otaku like you, wasn''t he?" Mixu sighed as she imagined Nariyuki to basically be a male version of Imp.


    "A little bit." Imp smirked. She and her husband had gone to every convention imaginable and did all kinds of nerdy things before his passing. The two shared a passion for games, sci-fi and many other things, and it was how they met originally.


    "Well, wherever he is, I''m sure he''s looking down at you and remarking how awesome it is that you became a little Demon woman." Mixuughed.


    "I''m sure he would like-approve." Imp chuckled as she figured he''d be even <i>more</i> in love with her looking like this.


    After a bit more discussion, and a second sandwich, Imp decided to head home. Her house was on the outskirts of Tokyo, and she wanted to get a bit more rest since she was missing a good amount of blood. The flurry over thest few days had tired her out, and she was on a weeks-long break after herst project wrapped up.


    As she hopped across the Tokyo skyline, she came to a stop on top of one of the highrises near downtown.


    "It nearly time-date." Imp said as she hopped down the side of the building and onto the street. Her visage had bemon around Tokyo, along with the other RRT members, so people didn''t really pay her any mind. And her entric attitude seemed to have charmed people to a certain extent.


    *TING* *TING*


    A small bell went off as she entered a local flower shop and headed inside.


    "Ahh hello, Yuna!" An older woman who looked to be in herte fifties was behind the counter, and when she saw Imp enter, she greeted her using her <i>original</i> name.


    "Hello, Mera." Imp smiled as she walked over to her. She didn''t really use her original name from before FWO, but didn''t stop people she knew from doing so.


    "How have things been going? I heard something about a fight near Kyoto the other day." She looked a bit worried. The two had been friends since highschool, and even after Imp''s changes they still talked regrly.


    "Is good!" Imp replied. "Evil dragon was defeated by power of friendship!"


    <i>{And explosives! Many such explosives!} </i>(Imp)


    "Well, that''s good to hear." Mera smiled, not really understanding the context, but being happy nheless. "So what brings you here today?"


    "Want flowers." Imp gave a fake smile as she exined what she wanted.


    "Ahh, right. <i>His</i> birthday ising up soon, isn''t it?" Mera said with a guilty expression. She''d and her husband had been good friends of Imp and Nariyuki, and his sudden passing shocked them. Mera had tried tofort her friend during the difficult period, but she knew that Imp took his death hard. "I just got in some Blue Peonies. Do you want them?" Those were Nariyuki''s favorite flowers, and something Imp bought every year for his birthday.


    "Yes." Imp nodded. After a few minutes, she was given a small bouquet of flowers and she continued on her way back to her house.


    Compared to the rest of the RRT, Imp actually lived in quite thevish ce. She had an actual home, much too big for one person, and lived in a well-off neighborhood in the suburbs that surrounded the Tokyo Metropolitan Area. She and her husband had purchased it together after their marriage, and she could never bring herself to leave it.


    "I''m home." Imp said as she entered through the front door. Naturally, no one was here, and there hadn''t been another person living here in nearly thirty years, but she still said it every time she entered. Perhaps it was because she was hoping that one day, Nariyuki''s voice would call out to her, but she knew that such a thing was impossible.


    Heading inside, she moved into the living room where a small portrait of a young man sat in a wooden cab. The room itself was rather sparsely decorated, save for the numerous pictures that showed a younger Imp and herte husband.


    "Look Nari, I brought your favorite." Imp started speaking normally as she ced the flowers in front of the picture frame. "I''m sorry I haven''t been able to bring these for so long, but I promise you that won''t happen ever again." She picked up two sticks of incense and lit them with fire magic before cing them in a small dish off to the side of the flowers.


    "It''s been nearly thirty years since you left me." She gave a bitter smile as she started talking. "For the longest time, I thought it wouldn''t get any better. That I would do nothing but be miserable for the rest of my life, and that the only thing I had to look forward to was our reunion in death but..." Imp let out a deep breath. "But for the first time since you moved on... I''ve... I''ve taken a step forward. I''ve got friends and life... life seems like it''s worth living again." Her time both within FWO and since had greatly affected her. Before the game, she hadn''t really given any thought to socializing with others and had basically shut herself into her work. However, in FWO she found that not only <i>could </i>she enjoy time with others still, but that she <i>needed </i>socialization<i>.</i> It gave her new life, and having a purpose other than just mindlessly going to work made her feel better.


    "I finally watched that anime you were always telling me about." Imp smiled. "Sorry it took me so long, and you were right, it really was funny. I don''t think I''veughed that hard in a long time." She sat in front of the portrait for what seemed like hours, telling her husband about everything she''d been through during thesest five years. It was as if a flood had erupted from her heart as she talked and talked and talked until her mouth ran dry. Imp had never been one to speak with others about her feelings, even now, and her husband had been the only person she feltfortable confiding in. Once she was finished, she prepared a small offering for him before retiring for the rest of the evening. It would take time for her to recover from decades of depression, but today marked an important step forward in her recovery. Imp would never forget her husband, but she could and would move on. Whether that was with Mixu or someone else, only time would tell, but at least now she could make such a choice, free from the restraints that held her back.


    <i>{I will always love you, Nariyuki, and I''m sorry that we never got to grow old together. So please forgive me for living on long after you passed. I don''t know how long I will remain on this Earth, nor do I know if we will ever meet again, but know that I will never forget you, and how much you meant to me.} </i>(Imp)

 Chapter 200 – The ‘Pure’ Maiden, and Revoking the Supply.

    Chapter 200 ¨C The ¡®Pure¡¯ Maiden, and Revoking the Supply.


    "MEW!" Akagi cried out as she dove onto arge nket and started rutching around on it. She and Yumi were nning to have lunch in the garden while they waited for Kana and the girls to get home from school, and once they returned, the <i>Demon </i>was going to do a bit of sparring with her sister.


    "MEW! MEW!" Akagi meowed as she began to scratch at the nket and rub her ears and face against its fluffy exterior. Catkagi had be a regr urrence at the estate, and the other members of the family had long decided to either ignore or embrace the silliness. The fact that Akagi was adorable as all heck in her kitty form helped considerably.


    After a few minutes of ying around, Yumi arrived with a small basket that contained their lunch. "Are you enjoying yourself?" Sheughed as she approached the nket. Akagi was busy rolling around and meowing but managed to get in a smile and a nod between flops on the sheet.


    "I''ll take that as a yes." Yumi giggled as she sat down, and when she did, Akagi immediately hopped over to her side and ced her chin on the Priestess''s shoulder.


    "MEW!" Akagi meowed as she rubbed her ears against her.


    "Yes, yes. I know what you want." Yumi opened up the basket and took out their lunch was consisted of some soup, rice, and bread that she had made herself. "I used some of the fresh vegetables Shiru finished growing, so it should be extra tasty." She smiled as she poured a bit into a small bowl and handed it to Akagi, and once preperations were ready the two began their lunch on this warm and calm Summer day. Things had been a bit hectic over thest few weeks, but with the Council dealt with and Miji integrated into the family, things had finally calmed down. Both were hoping this would usher in a new era of peace, though Akagi knew better than to assume anything.


    "This is really nice." Akagi said as she chewed happily on some soup. ¡°You''re always such a good cook!¡±


    "Oh, you''re actually going to talk?" Yumiughed. "I figured you were only going to meow at me like you usually do."


    "Funny..." Akagi rolled her eyes at herment. She might still be in cat mode, but nothing was stopping her from speaking. "How''s Miji been? Has she been adjusting to her new home?" The girl''d taken a liking to Alice, and the two had be fast friends. Not to mention that Sakura was happy to have a second child to dote on. Akagi was thinking of making her into a teacher of sorts, since she seemed to handle children very well.


    "She''s still a bit nervous, this ce is a bit more lively than the vige, but she''s mostly fine." Yumi replied. "The technological difference is going to be a struggle, but that will abate over time."


    "That''s good to hear. In the future, we''ll have to exin everything in detail to her, but she''s too young right now to understand the whole thing of a game bing reality and magical inter-dimensional maniption." Akagi didn''t like having to lie to the girl but understood that she wouldn''tprehend a more detailed exnation at the moment.


    <i>{Hell, I don''t even fully understand it.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Yeah, it would only confuse her, and I think she''ll forgive us for a bit of deceit once she''s old enough to understand why we obfuscated things." Yumi gave a wry smile. She didn''t want to lie to her sister either, but agreed that it was for the best.


    "At least that''s <i>one </i>piece of<i> </i>family drama out of the way." Akagi sighed. "I''m not gonna lie, meeting with Shima and Taichi again is going to be mentally draining." Her ears drooped a bit, so Yumi scratched them to cheer her up.


    <em>{Sad floof is still cute floof.}</em>(Yumi)


    "Are you sure I shouldn''te with?" Yumi asked.


    "I promised Kana that it would just be us, so no. Besides, it will be fine." Akagi gave a bitter smile. "I just hope things don''t get out of hand..."


    <i>{Depending on what happens, this might be thest time Kana or I see them.} </i>(Akagi)


    "You said Shima had some kind of epiphany when Silfana tried to kill her. So maybe things will go well?" Yumi recalled that conversation.


    "Yeah, if <i>that''s </i>what it you want to call it." Akagi shrugged. "I don''t care anyway. Even if being a Demon Lord predisposed my parents to hate me, that doesn''t take away from the fact that they<i> </i>did what they did. Not to mention that <em>nothing</em> tells me they weren''t in their right minds, and I still don''t buy the convenient Demon Lord excuse." She still couldn''t find anything about such an effect in her knowledge, and she''d had Taichi checked numerous times for mental or magical maniption, and nothing was ever found.


    "I just don''t understand any of it." Yumi sighed. "How could parents act like that? I mean, I understand that not everyone is a perfect parent and that some people are bad at the job but... but actively <em>hating</em> your own child... I just can''tprehend that." Her parents were always loving towards her and her sister, so Yumi couldn''t fathom having parents who acted so differently.


    "It is fine." Akagi smiled. "I''ve got you now, so I don''t need them." She scooted over next to Yumi and leaned on her. "I''m sure you can make a good substitute <em>Mom</em> for me." She giggled.


    "If you start calling me Mom, that''s... that''s gonna be really <i>strange</i>." Yumi groaned. "Please don''t."


    <i>{There are several problems with that...} </i>(Yumi)


    "Does Mommy not love me?" Akagi used puppy eyes to try and break Yumi''s will. ¡°Does Mommy Yumi hated me?¡±


    "I <i>will </i>dump this soup on your head if you keep it up." Yumi red at her. She didn''t want her to start calling her that, even as a joke.


    "You wouldn''t be the <em>first</em> Mom to do <em>that</em> to me." Akagiughed as she recalled the feeling of m Chowder burning her face.


    "That''s... that''s not even funny..." Yumi shook her head as she sighed. "And anyway, I think I baby you <i>enough </i>as it is."


    <em>{At times you feel like your my little sister with how much you want to be spoiled. Not that I mind that...}</em> (Yumi)


    "Fair." Akagi stuck out her tongue as she giggled. "But I like being coddled like this." She hugged onto Yumi''s side.


    "Perhaps the girls are right and I should start weaning you off such tendencies." Yumi got a mischievous look on her face.


    "As if you don''t enjoy it..." Akagi punched her in the arm lightly. "Would you like me to remind you of that time you asked me to-" She didn''t get a chance to finish her sentence as Yumi covered her mouth with her hand.


    "I already know this doesn''t do anything to you, but just let me have this win." Yumi was already regretting teasing the <i>Demon</i>. "Fine, you win. I won''t deny that I enjoy spoiling you, so just don''t talk about <i>that</i> in public. Otherwise, <i>I </i>will die of embarrassment."


    <i>{But it was so cute though.} </i>(Akagi)


    "It''s nothing to be embarrassed about." Akagi smirked. ¡°Just think of it as a healthy and natural part of our rtionship.¡±


    "Perhaps if we were in a ce that nobody else could hear you, then I wouldn''t care. However, we''re in public, and unlike you, <i>I</i> still have my sense of shame." Yumi said in a huff.


    "<i>Shame</i>... sure... Thising from the <em>depraved</em> Priestess over here." Akagi rolled her eyes.


    <i>{You''re probably one of the most degenerate people I''ve ever met, and I''ve been a citizen of the inte for over a decade...} </i>(Akagi)


    "I''m only like that because of you!" Yumi poked her in the forehead. "Before you tempted me into the darkness I was a sweet and pure maiden who could never fathom the naughty things you''ve thrust upon me!"


    "Go ahead and me the <i>Demon </i>for your own vices. But we both know that calling you <i>pure</i> is a load of bullshit." Akagi blew a raspberry. "The second you got ess to the inte and found <i>certain things,</i> your dirty mind went into overdrive. Hell, I''ve been around the inte longer than you''ve been ''alive''<i>,</i> and I''m still impressed with how many <i>creative </i>things you find."


    <i>{Like damn, what websites do you go to in order to find these things?} </i>(Akagi)


    "As I said, YOU corrupted ME." Yumi stuck her tongue out. "So you must take responsibility for <em>your</em> corruption."


    "If that helps you sleep better at night, then go ahead and tell yourself that." Akagi grinned. "But we both know it''s not true, and as for ''responsibility'' I already do that."


    The two continued to chat about less <i>embarrassing</i> topics for a while longer until Kana and the girls arrived at the estate. School had picked back up after the events with Hito, and the end of the semester would arrive soon.


    "There they are." Kana said as she and the girls walked into the garden and saw Akagi tackle Yumi to the nket yfully. "Chloe said you were out here engaging in some kind of debauchery, and I see she was right."


    "Well, since Yumi''s involved, there is always the chance." Akagiughed as she got cracked on the back of the head by Yumi''s paper fan.


    "Where did she even get that?" Mika asked, as she didn''t see a bag for it to havee from.


    "Magic." Naomi shrugged.


    "How was school?" Akagi asked as she rubbed the back of her head. "I assume things went alright?"


    "Well besides everyone asking Misha how it felt to <i>die</i>." Kana sighed. "Things went well enough I suppose. I think most people have just settled into avoiding me. I know most of the other students are ''grateful'' that I saved them from Hito''s rampage, but I don''t think they''ll openly thank me."


    "Well, even if Hito was just a thrall... yeah that makes sense." Akagi gave a wry smile. ¡°But at least they''ve stopped causing you problems.¡±


    ¡°We only have about a month until we''re done for break, so I''ll manage." Kana started rifling through her bag as she spoke.


    "How about I just eat them and install you as Empress of Japan? That would solve lots of problems." Akagi chuckled.


    "Please don''t." Kana groaned. "I hate that I actually have to tell you not to do that since you actually could..."


    <i>{I don''t need to upgrade from Princess to Empress please...} </i>(Kana)


    "Kana couldn''t be a worse leader than the current ones we have." Mikaughed. ¡°At least she wouldn''t try to mess with Akagi and plunge the country into doom.¡±


    "It <em>would</em> be funny to see her go from the Demon Princess to the Demon Empress." Naomi giggled. "All hail the Demon Empress!¡±


    "If that happens <i>you two </i>are getting dragged along for the ride." Kana side-eyed her two friends. "I hope you''re ready for me to work you to the bone."


    "Scary Kana will probably be a ve driver." Mika whispered to Naomi.


    "Yeah, and unlike Akagi she''ll actually make us wear ve cors and use whips on us." Naomi chuckled.


    "Pffff." Akagiughed. Her hearing was much better than Kana, so she caught what they said. "I could totally see it." She said quietly.


    "Are those two..." Kana shook her head. "Never mind, I don''t want to know what they''re saying about me."


    "We''re just saying that you would make a wonderful Empress of all humanity." Mika winked.


    "So that means you think I''ll be some kind of power-mad tyrant..." Kana could read between the lines. "Fine, but you two are being made into my personal servants, and I expect you to everything I demand <em>perfectly</em>." She smirked as she looked at them.


    "Well considering this is Mika we''re talking about, I don''t think you''re getting perfect <em>anything</em>." Akagiughed.


    "Why just me?!?" Mika cried out in protest.


    "Tell me I''m wrong!" Akagi retorted.


    "I meant you''re not, but that''s not the point! I fluff you and give you pets, and <em>this</em> is how you repay me?!?" Mika stuck out her tongue in protest. ¡°Does that mean nothing to you?!?¡±


    "While appreciated, your pets are not enough to get me to <em>lie</em> for you." Akagiughed.


    "No more pets for the kitty then!" Mika smirked, feeling she had the upper hand.


    "Oh no..." Akagi rolled her eyes. "It''s not like I don''t have a hundred people who would do it for me. Whatever shall I doooooooo?" She feigned defeat.


    "Maybe if its only just me, but what if I get <em>all</em> of your family to go on strike?" Mika said. "I''ll bill it as a unionization of sorts! No more pets for Akagi until she improves her treatment of all of us!"


    "She''d go through withdrawal. I''m imagining her in kitty form going into downtown Kyoto in a box that says <i>please pet me.</i>" Naomi chuckled.


    <i>{That is both possible, and likely... and I want to see it...} </i>(Kana)


    "I think we can manage such a movement, Mika." Yumi decided to join in on the teasing. "I <i>was </i>telling her earlier that I should start to wean her off such things. So perhaps a united front against her would prove effective?"


    "That''s fine. Go and do that if it makes you happy." Akagi gave a smile that everyone could tell was fake. "But if the supply of pets is cut off..." She lifted her hand into the air and created a small ball of ck power above it. "Then I have no use for this world anymore." She continued to give her fake smile.


    "You wouldn''t!" Mika eximed.


    "Wouldn''t I?" Akagi continued to smile.


    "She totally would." Kana said as she pulled a tracksuit out of her bag. She was ignoring their conversation and didn''t want to give her sister the satisfaction of a reaction to herments. "Come on, stop goofing around." She walked over to her sister and grabbed her by the shoulder before dragging her away. "And put that thing away, it''s dangerous."


    Akagi started cackling as she was dragged away, before snapping her fingers and dissipating the energy ball.


    "Well, now we know what happens if everyone stops spoiling her." Naomi was stillughing.


    "Yeah, Yumi you better keep the supply of pets and snuggles high." Mika gave a defeatedugh. "Otherwise, we all die."


    "It will be an arduous responsibility, but I shall bear it for the good of the world!" Yumi''s high and mighty words were undermined by the fact that she had no problem with spoiling Akagi silly, and the girls knew that.

 Chapter 201 – Brain Power!

    Chapter 201 ¨C Brain Power!


    Once Akagi stopped goofing around, she and Kana prepared for a bit of sparring. Kana had gotten a bit morefortable wielding Himari, so Akagi wanted to give her a bit of practical training. Also smack her around a bit, since that was fun.


    "Oh, are they going to practice?" Hishya said as she walked into the garden with a bag of chips in her hand. She''d begun living in a small apartment-sized room at the estate after her decision to move to Dumetor, and had taken well to life at the estate, though Kana noted that herziness had gotten <i>worse </i>since she''d embraced her draconic naturepletely.


    "Yeah, I''m still surprised how fast Kana picked up swordy. She got Himari only recently and can already swing it around like a pro." Naomi was still unable to do much with her magic, and Mika was simrly inept.


    "Well, this is Kana we''re talking about." Mikamented. "She''s the Demon Princess with a magical Spirit sword, so getting the hang of using it isn''t <i>that </i>crazy."


    "Considering who her sister is, yeah you''re probably right." Hishya chuckled. "Though I wonder..."


    <i>{Is Akagi going to try and teach Kana her special sword school? She is quite intelligent, but I don''t think Kana can handle it.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Alright." Akagi snapped her fingers and swapped back to her usual appearance, as kittybat was shot down by Kana. "Let''s start out by having you show me what you''ve learned so far. Bring out Himari and try to strike me with her de. You may start whenever you''re ready, and don''t hold back at all" She turned her back towards Kana and began whistling an anime opening.


    "You know, you could at least <i>try</i> to take this seriously..." Kana sighed as she summoned Himari. "Give me a hand here, I want to bonk this sister of mine on the head for being such a pain."


    "I can''t guarantee anything, but we can try." Himari answered. "Just please don''t break me..."


    "I can''t guarantee anything, but I''ll try." Kana decided to repeat Himari''sment back to the sword, which caused Hishya tough.


    ¡°Nah, go ahead and break her in two. It will be a good lesson for my foolish sister of mine.¡± Momoughed from within Naomi.


    ¡°Shut up, stick!¡± Himari, somehow, blew a raspberry.


    "Alright enough of that. Let''s go, Himari!" Kana ran forward towards her sister, swinging her de from right to left.


    Without looking, Akagi casually stepped out of the way, dodging the de by inches. "Come on, let me see all that progress!" Sheughed as she slide around Kana''s de and dodged her attacks with ease. The scene unfolding in the garden was farcical in nature, as Akagi deftly moved around Kana with minimal effort. Kana would always get close to hitting her sister, but her de would never hit its mark. The <i>Demon </i>was more than content to y with her student, and was using her superior speed and skill to show Kana just how little power she <i>really</i> had.


    "Stop moving, and let me hit you!" Kana cried out in frustration.


    "Now where''s the fun in that?" Akagiughed as she spun around Kana''s de, grabbed her wrist, and mmed the palm of her hand into her sister''s back causing her to lurch forward before falling to the ground with a thud.


    "Getting aggravated at her won''t help, Kana." Hishya shook her head from the sidelines. "Trust me, I''ve tried that."


    <i>{If being angry with Akagi made you get more powerful, then I''d be stronger than a Demon Lord by now.} </i>(Hishya)


    Ignoring the Dragon''sment, Kana got back up as she spit onto the ground. "Since when were you attacking back?" Her irritation levels were already rising, and Himari could tell she was getting sloppy.


    "I never said I wouldn''t, <i>did I</i>?" Akagi smiled, happy that her n was working. "Come, let''s go again. Unless that pathetic disy is all you''ve got to show me?" She motioned for her sister toe again, and the arrogance and smarmy attitude on disy by the <i>Demon </i>only served to boil Kana''s blood.


    <i>{Man Akagi. You have no chill even for your sister. That''s a really cold and petty trick you''re using on her, and I find it funny as hell!} </i>(Himari)


    "You''re going to regret those words when I have you on the ground begging for mercy!" Kana channeled her magic power, causing her eye to go orange, before zipping towards Akagi at much higher speeds.


    <i>{Nice, she''s gotten better at controlling her magic. Though thatment...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Oh wow! You''re<i> a bit </i>faster." Akagi smiled as she ducked below the iing de and twirled away from Kana with an overly dramatic flourish. "But still too slow to harm me." Sheughed as Kana unleashed another flurry of strikes, all of which were much faster than before, but none of which managed to strike the <i>Demon</i>.


    "GRRRRR" Kana grit her teeth in irritation as Akagi spun in ce whileughing.


    <i>{Why am I getting so annoyed?!? I already know that beating her isn''t happening. But dammit does her attitude piss me off! I want to smack that fucking grin off her face!} </i>Kana moved forward again, but was likewise unable tond a single blow on Akagi.


    <i>{She''s falling for it, and since she has no resistance or understanding of Akagi''s technique, it''s having an even greater effect. I guess I shouldn''t be surprised that Akagi would use it on her own sister, and I can''t be mad since its probably good to give her some exposure.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Akagi''s just ying around with her." Naomimented. ¡°She''s not even taking this seriously...¡±


    "Yeah. But why is she letting herself get so worked up? This is just practice." Mika asked.


    "It''s because of Akagi''s technique." Hishya answered while sighing.


    "Technique?" (Mika x Naomi)


    Seeing that the two girls were unaware of what she was talking about, Hishya decided to exin while Kana and Akagi continued their practice. "You see, back during FWO, Akagi created her own school of swordsmanship, one that works with her own innate mental ability." She continued. ¡°This one takes that ability and pushes it to its fullest potential, and I can attest that that its effective and dangerous.¡±


    <i>{I''ve been beaten by it more times then I care to admit. Not only does that girl have that stupid brain thing, but she can make it work inbat! Talk about bullshit! I bet that''s how she always kicked my ass in Mech Warriors!} </i>(Hishya)


    "She created an entire sword school?" Naomi asked. "That''s... how is that even possible?"


    "By blending her prediction and calction abilities with her style of fighting." Hishya exined as Kana was knocked to the ground, <i>again</i>. The girl shouted in anger, and Akagi continued tough at her as she got up. "What you''re seeing here, Kana getting agitated, that''s actually one of Akagi''s techniques that she uses duringbat."


    "She''s using magic on her?" Mika figured that''s what was going on.


    "Nope." Hishya answered. "She''s not actually using magic, rather she''s using her words and infusing them with..." She stopped for a moment. "Ok well, it''s not actualy magic, but it''s a kind of mental attack, I''m not sure how to ssify it. However, the point is to undermine your opponent''s concentration and cause them to slip."


    "So she''s basically just trying to make her opponent get angry and take advantage of her mistakes." Naomi surmised.


    "Yes. Akagi coined the term, let me see if I can get this right, Dur Ma to describe this technique. Apparently, it means something akin to mental warfare in the <i>Demon</i>nguage." Hishya exined. "It''s one of the most important aspects of the Thousand Branches School, second only to the ability to predict your opponent''s next move." As she said this, Kana smacked against the ground, hard, and Akagi told her they were finished.


    "You''ve got a lot to work on, your form is sloppy, and you''re too easily riled up. If that small amount of teasing gets under your skin, you''re in for a rude awakening in a real fight." Akagi shook her head in disappointment.


    "Well, maybe you should just teach me whatever kind of style you use." Kana said sarcastically as Akagi helped her up.


    "That''s not possible." Akagi said.


    "What? Why not? Are you afraid I''ll be better than you? Or is it because you don''t <i>have </i>a technique?" Kana smirked, she was still in a <i>mood</i>. "All you seem to do is il about duringbat, and I''ve never seen you take a stance. So I doubt you actually have anything like a technique."


    Akagi shifted her jaw for a moment before calling out to Hishya. "Yo Dragon, you hear that?"


    "Yes, I did." Hishya sighed as she walked over. "Kana isn''t the first person to make that mistake, me included."


    "What?" Kana tilted her head. "What are you talking about?"


    "Akagi <i>does</i> have a technique, Kana. And as I just exined to those two, she is the founder of her own sword School." Hishya exined everything she just told Naomi and Mika.


    "So you <i>were </i>doing something to me!" Kana red at her sister. "I knew something was wrong, during that fight! I never get that irritated." She sighed. "But I still don''t see what you''re talking about. How is that a School? It''s just messing with your opponent duringbat, and she never uses proper techniques. All she does is move around and evade me."


    "Well, you''re wrong, again..." Hishya denied Kana''sment. "Akagi does have techniques, and you were fighting against one just now."


    "The mental thing doesn''t count." Kana quipped.


    "No, I mean a fighting style, Kana." Hishya shook her head. "That rxed and free-flowing movement <i>IS</i> how she fights and <i>IS </i>its own technique."


    "???" Kana still didn''t understand.


    "The Thousand Branches School revolves around predicting an opponent''s next move." Akagi opted to exin. "Thus, maintaining a loose stance is important as it allows me to rapidly react to an opening I find in my enemy. To you what seemed like me just messing around was actually a key part of my fighting style. Think something like the Drunken Fist style you see in movies. The practitioner isn''t actually a fool, but their style helps get people off their guard, and their strange movements trip people up." That was her best exnation.


    "Ok, so why can''t you teach me it?" Kana asked.


    "Because youck the brain power to do it." Akagi gave a blunt answer.


    Kana didn''t know how to react at first. "We both know that I''m smarter than you."


    "This is a different kind of intelligence, Kana." Hishya said. "I tried to learn this before, and I could only <i>barely</i> get it working. And even once I did, I was still limited to a few milliseconds of prediction. It wasn''t workable for me, and while you are miles ahead of me in raw intelligence, youck the calction power of our resident <i>Demon</i>." She pointed to Akagi. "That crazy mind of hers processes information at a scary fast speed, and that technique was created for her own use. It''s not something others can use."


    "Exactly." Akagi nodded.


    "We won''t know till we try!" Kana wasn''t backing down.


    "Fine, but don''t me me when you get a massive headache." Akagi shrugged. Akagi then exined the basics of how to use the technique and the mental steps required, and while Kana understood the technical side, she quickly found out that it was too advanced for her to replicate. The splitting headache she got after attempting even low-level calctions only served to hammer home the impossibility of reproducing the <i>Demon''s </i>ability.


    "I feel like my head is going to pop..." Kana said as shey on the couch. "How the hell do you do something like that? My brain felt like it would turn to mush after just a second." She''d been overloaded with too much information and was feeling ill.


    "It gets a <i>bit</i> better after some practice." Hishya gave a wry smile. "But yeah, opening up your mind like that, even for just a single moment, is crazy. It''s a wonder Akagi was able to do that as a human."


    "It wasn''t perfect back then, and my ability was much more limited." Akagi said as she brought Kana some headache medication. "The problemes from the physical brain itself."


    "I assume it''s because it just can''t handle that much information?" Naomi said.


    "Yes, that''s part of it." Akagi nodded. "The human brain is not meant for that much information toe flooding in every second, and on top of that, the time dy due to biological signals being passed around makes it <i>slow</i>." Neurons could fire off signals at around 275mph, but that was still too slow for Akagi''s needs. This left her hard-capped on the amount of prediction she could do until her body was converted into an incorporeal shadow.


    "If you have that much brainpower, why didn''t you get better grades in school?" Kana asked as shey on the couch in pain.


    "Because this ability is not linked to mundane things like memory recall. It''s independent of it, and while it can be used to brute force something like a math problem, it''s not able to suddenly make me better at grammar." Akagiughed.


    "I wonder why you were born with that ability." Mika questioned the reason.


    "I have no clue where it came from, and it''s not a product of my status as a Demon Lord." Akagi shrugged. "But no matter <i>why,</i> I''m d to have it."


    "Yeah, as I saw myself, even fighting you at a severe power advantage doesn''t mean anything when you know what I''m going to do." Hishya sighed. She didn''t think Akagi''s ability would make their earlier fight as one-sided as it was.


    "Well, I don''t <i>know </i>what you are going to do." Akagi corrected her. "I <i>predict </i>your moves based on all avable data and logic. I do not have precognition, as that would be even more powerful." She wanted to point out the difference.


    "At this point, does it really matter?" Hishya said. "You basically know everything that''s about to happen no matter what term you use to describe it."


    "It does matter, because someone with precog is going to be a very tricky opponent, even for me, because they can <i>literally </i>see what''s going to happen next, and it''s not exactly easy to fight someone like that." Akagi said.


    "Yeah, but no one has that power." Hishya said as she took a sip of her water.


    "No one we''ve <i>met</i>." Akagi corrected her. "I don''t doubt they exist, somewhere anyway."


    "Well, if they do, then perhaps they can free us from the tyranny of the Demon Lord." Naomiughed.


    "Seeing the future and being able to <i>do </i>anything about it are two very different thing, Naomi." Akagi chuckled. ¡°They first have to be capable of <i>beating</i> me for such knowledge to be anything more than a self inflicted horror.¡±

 Chapter 202 – Politics and Tournaments.

    Chapter 202 ¨C Politics and Tournaments.


    "Listen, Yanaga. I know that your constituents are kicking up a storm over this transfer, but it''s already a done deal." Prime Minster Nodoka spoke to an older woman via video call. She represented the residents near the area marked for transfer to Akagi, and both she and they were displeased by the prospect of thend being given away to form Akagi''s new nation. "This was agreed upon by my government as part of the deal to end the Libra Crisis, and I''ve already been <i>politely</i> informed that attempting to renege on said promise will result in <i>all </i>of Japan being subjugated by the Demon Lord."


    <em>{That Priestess''s eyes were terrifying when she told me what would happen...}</em>(Nodoka)


    Yumi had not so subtly threatened the annihtion and subjugation of Japan if they attempted to weasel their way out of turning over thend. Akagi didn''t <i>want </i>to have to do something like that, but she wouldn''t tolerate someone failing to pay her what she was owed.


    "My constituents utilize that territory for a variety of purposes, not to mention the historical importance of several monasteries within those mountains." Yanaga replied. "There might not be many people who live in that area, but Mr. Prime Minster, I urge you to explore other options. Turning over suchnd should never be an eptable option, and I assure you that our people won''t stand for it." There was already some unrest and resentment within Japan at the transfer, though many were terrified of enough to keep quiet.


    "I''m sorry, but we''ve already concluded negotiations with her teamst week, and it''s done." Nodoka shook his head.


    "Then I hope you understand that you will be unable to count on my support within the Diet, either for your reelection to Prime Minster or some of your other proposals!" Yanaga disconnected angrily.


    "That''s the twenty-second person to say something like that to me this month." Nodoka sighed. "At least most aren''t within the coalition, but this whole series of events has only served to cause serious fractures within government." He looked down at the documents on his desk. There was to be a small ceremony in Tokyo, where he and Akagi would speak about peace, friendship, and cooperation between their two peoples. However, the Prime Minster felt nothing but gut-wrenching sorrow over this turn of events. Having to tell the Emperor that part of core Japanese territory would be given away, something that had only ever happened <i>once</i> in their nation''s history, was the worst day of his entire life.


    "Why the hell did it have to be me?" Nodoka put his head into his hands as he leaned on his desk. "When they talk about me in the history books, I''ll be nothing more than a weak Prime Minster who was in power during one of our lowest points since the 1990s." He sat inplete silence for what felt like hours until the next meeting time came.


    *BZZT* A notification came over his internal system, followed by his Secretary''s voice. "Mr. Prime Minster, your one o''clock has arrived. Should I have Mr. Mugunaka escort Ambassador dwell to your office?" He asked.


    Nodoka took a deep breath, stood up, and adjusted his tie. "Yes, please let him in."


    <i>{I never thought a day woulde when the Americans were less of a pain in my ass than someone else. But I guess life is just full of surprises.} </i>(Nodoka)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Mizumi POV>


    After the formation of the Dominion of Omara, Mizumi and Shinlua had been working overtime to get everything in ce and calm the poption. Things had remained mostly peaceful, with a few sporadic instances of violence and disorder. Currently, the Water Spirit was reviewing a mountain of documents that Akagi had provided her a few days ago. It seemed that the <i>Demon </i>had been busy drafting policy changes, governmental and bureaucratic restructuring, and an extraordinary number of reforms that covered all aspects of government. Mizumi couldn''t believe how detailed each proposal was, and she questioned how Akagi had the time to create so many memorandums and statistical analyses.


    "I''ve barely even put a dent in this pile of paperwork..." Mizumi put her head on her desk in defeat. "Akagi... why did you unload all this work on me?!?" She ruffled her hair in frustration as she looked at the massive pile she had yet to even start. "And why the hell did you have to give me so much to do?!?" She picked up one of the packets titled Financial Reform: Book 1. "Just look at this thing! It''s the size of a textbook, and each page has more words than a University tome!" She put it back down, causing it to m on the desk slightly.


    <i>{I can''t exactly be mad. Everything she''s provided has been perfectly tailored to our needs, and certain things like education and mary reforms were desperately needed. But damn is annoying having to be the one that does all this! I wasn''t supposed to be a politician and do all this paperwork, but I guess this is my life now...}</i> (Mizumi)


    Naturally, Akagi wasn''t justing up with these things on her own. While the <i>Demon</i> was pouring a lot of effort into the documents she drafted, Akagi was mostly pulling from Earth''s history to find what kind of changes were needed in Omara, and then tailoring them to its specific circumstances. On top of that, Kana had taken an interest in policy drafting and had been helping from time to time, and she was proving to be quite talented.


    "I need a vacation..." Mizumi groaned.


    "You''ve been busy for like five minutes, so what are youining about?" Akagi suddenly appeared in front of her desk, spooking the Spirit and making her jump.


    "EEP!" Mizumi squeaked in surprise as the incarnation of evil and snuggles appeared in her office unexpectedly. "I thought I told you not to do that!"


    "You did indeed." Akagi smiled. She wasn''t going to stop anytime soon, and Mizumi knew that.


    <i>{YOU JUST ENJOY SCARING ME, DON''T YOU?!? DO YOU JUST ENJOY MAKING CUTE GIRLS SCREAM IN TERROR?!?} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Please don''t tell me you''re here to drop <i>more </i>work on me..." Mizumi groaned as she pointed to the massive stack of paper on her desk. "I''ve already got enough to deal with, and weck the relevant personnel to handle even <i>half</i> of what you''ve already given me." Most of the Council''s former staff had either been fired for their connection to the corruption, or resigned in protest. Some did stick around, but it wasn''t enough to handle the current workload.


    "I just came to check on things. The reports I''m getting can only tell me so much, so I decided toe in person and see how things were going for myself." Akagi smiled.


    <i>{Also I wanted to scare you, but that was a secondary reason, probably.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Well, I don''t really have anything interesting to tell you." Mizumi stood up and stretched. "Things are moving along, albeit quite slowly. Our system was never meant to handle such rapid changes, and there aren''t enough qualified or trustworthy people to handle governance at the moment."


    "I can''t do much on that front." Akagi shook her head. "My people don''t really have the skills or training to handle that kind of work, but..." She thought for a moment. "We <i>did</i> just get in a neer that might be able to help with this problem though. Tsuchimi used to be an administrative assistant before FWO, so she would probably be able to help, though that means taking a <em>human</em> onto your team." She wasn''t sure if that would be doable at the moment with current tension.


    "At this point, I''ll take <i>anyone</i> I can get to help us." Mizumi said as she moved in front of the desk. "If anyone has a problem with her just because she''s human, I''ll <i>politely </i>tell them to shove it where the sun don''t shine." She sighed.


    <em>{Not to mention doing anything to one of Akagi''s own people will provoke her wrath, so lets not...}</em>(Mizumi)


    "Then I''ll talk to her. I suspect she''ll be d to have something to do instead of sitting around all day. At least this way, she''s making progress in her life again." Akagi nodded. She''d talked to her before, and got the sense that Tsuchimi was basically at the end of her rope, so she figured giving her something to do would be for the best.


    "Are things really looking bad enough that former yers are fleeing to you?" Mizumi asked. She knew there was <i>some</i> turmoil in Japan, but wasn''t really sure how bad things were.


    <i>{If people fleeing to the Demon Lord''s domain, that can''t be a good sign of things...} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Birdy and my team have been keeping an eye on things over thesest few months, and the closer we get to the formal handover, the <i>worse</i> the public''s attitude is getting." Akagiughed. "We''re estimating that at least one hundred people will seek entry within the first few months, and that number will likely go up as the years drag on."


    "Just don''t go sending scores of people into Omara." Mizumi said. "We''re not prepared to handle any significant human presence at the moment." She knew that while things were calmish, an influx like that would only bring trouble at the moment.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll be keeping most of them at a small vige at the estate." Akagi had already started preliminary city building ns and was busy drawing up more. "Once I create a stable gateway between Omara and Earth, my n was to have themmute, since that would reduce the risk of conflict."


    "I think that will work, but can I please request that any returnees you bring in be prioritized to the exploration teams?" Mizumi wanted to send people beyond the barrier to better understand the wider world, and yers would be much stronger than the Spirits she had.


    "That was the n." Akagi winked. "I figure between exploration and dungeon delving, that should keep most of them satisfied. Not to mention I''ve got a fun n to celebrate the creation of my Kingdom."


    "Your <i>ns </i>almost always result in headaches..." Mizumi didn''t like it when Akagi started getting <i>ideas</i>.


    <i>{Her ns are almost always at other''s expense...} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Don''t worry! This one will be <i>fun</i>!" Akagi smiled. "You see, I''ve decided to kick things off with a contest of strength! I think a tournament would go a long way towards creating some sense of familiarity between Omara and Earth, so I''d like to invite the Spirits to participate as well." She always enjoyed such asions, and loved participating in tournaments, so there was nothing else she wanted to do more for her nations opening celebration.


    "A tournament?" Mizumi tilted her head.


    "A contest of strength and will! We''d pit fighters against each other to see whoes out on top." Akagi exined. ¡°We''ll get returnees and Spirits to duke it out for entertainment!¡±


    "There are plenty of ''powerful'' Spirits, but returnees are much more powerful than any of us." Mizumi didn''t see the point since it would be a guaranteed loss.


    <em>{Shinlua is probably the most powerful of us and she was still unable to defeat that Hero girl, and I''d wager those Heroes don''t hold up well against most returnees when ites to raw power.} </em>(Mizumi)


    "<i>If </i>it were only a test of power and nothing else, you''d be right." Akagi grinned. "But the thing is, tournaments have <i>rules</i>, and a smart and skillful person can win via Technical Knock Out rather than just beating their opponent into submission." She nned on making ring-outs a part of the rule-set.


    "I mean, I''ll advertise it, but don''t expect many people to show up." Mizumi shrugged.


    "Even if the reward is worth it?" Akagi smirked. "I think people will be quite pleased with the reward foring out on top!"


    "Well... a good enough prize<i> might</i> get people interested, but won''t Hishya kind of auto-win this thing?" Mizumi asked. "She''s powerful enough to go toe to toe with Serval, and none of the other returneese close to her power. Skill and tactics can only go so far against and opponent who''s overwhelmingly powerful.¡± Akagi felt like thatment was being directed at her, but didn''t care.


    "Hishya''s participation isn''t guaranteed." Akagi shrugged. "But I''d ban Dragon mode if she does get in. It''s too powerful, and she''d probably kill people using that level of strength." She was worried Hishya might squish people unintentionally as well.


    <em>{Though I do hope she does enter, that way I can see my little Warlock use her full power.}</em>(Akagi)


    "Yeah, Dragons tend to be bad at holding back. In our old world, they were a bunch of arrogant pricks who thought they were better than everyone else." Mizumi pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. She''d dealt with a few over her life and had always had a bad time with them.


    "Well, I guess it makes sense why Hishya became one then!" Akagiughed.


    <i>{Now it all makes sense! She was always a Dragon at heart!} </i>(Akagi)


    The two then discussed a few other important topics before the <i>Demon </i>turned to leave.


    "Oh yeah, before I forget." Akagi reached into her sleeve and pulled out an item before tossing it to Mizumi.


    "What is-" Mizumi looked at the square box in her hand, and her eyes went wide. "The Anchor!"


    "That''s the <i>real</i> one too." Akagi smiled. "You risked your life for your people and have proved yourself trustworthy over thisst year. So take it. It''s not like I need it anyway." She snapped her fingers and disappeared as sheughed.


    "S-She really is just..." Mizumi was exasperated with the <i>Demon''s </i>antics, but couldn''t help but smile. "Thank you... and I''ll do whatever I can to ensure you were right to put your trust in me."

 Chapter 203 – Going to Nana’s House.

    Chapter 203 ¨C Going to Nana¡¯s House.


    Akagi and Kana stood before a familiar house, one that both of them had been to a number of times when they were children. It was a quaint little ce, with a walled in yard and a rtively tame decoration scheme that matched the rather simple tastes of its residents. As they pushed past the gate, Akagi made ament.


    "Ahh yes, and now all the bad memoriese flooding back." Akagi sighed. She was dressed in casual clothing, sporting a t-shirt and shorts rather than her usual Kimono. Kana <i>did </i>ask her toe as Rishia, but if looks could kill, the re Akagi gave her sister would''ve seen Kana Isekaied into some world''s hero, or more likely its viin knowing <i>Scary</i> <i>Kana</i>.


    "At least Aunt Nana was nice to you." Kana gave a wry smile. "But since this was the ce you got <i>abandoned</i> to quite frequently... I understand your dislike of it..." Akagi was dumped here more times than she could count, usually after some kind of blow-up at the house or when her parents couldn''t be bothered to deal with her. Whenever the family went on a trip or to an event, nine times out of ten, she''d be brought here rather than go with, with Shima and Taich always making up some kind of excuse. Nana usually saw through the lies, but figured it was best that her niece stay with <i>her </i>rather than another member of the family, since her treatment with <i>them</i> would be... less than nice.


    "Nice enough to the unwanted child oft dumped on her front porch." Akagi rolled her eyes. She didn''t dislike Nana, its just that she didn''t really care about her. To the <i>Demon</i> she was a member of the family that caused her so much pain, and while she never did anything <i>to</i> Akagi, she also did nothing to help her. "Come on, let''s just get this over with. I can already <i>feel </i>my stress levels going up, even though this bodycks both nerves and adrenaline." She said as the two of them walked up to the front door. After knocking, their Aunt appeared with a smile and greeted the two of them.


    "Aunt Nana!" Kana smiled as she hugged her aunt. The two hadn''t seen each other since Nana cut off contact with the rest of the family several years ago. She''d had plenty of issues with the family, not just its treatment of Akagi, and finally got fed up with their toxicity around five years a go. Its not easy to cut off contact with your family, but living in Tokyo made that much easier since she was already far away. "I''m so d to see you again. I''ve missed you so much! I can''t believe its been so long since we''ve seen each other."


    "And I''ve missed you too, Kana." Nana smiled. "I''m sorry we haven''t spoken much since..." She''d always felt sorry for her two nieces, and when Akagi was trapped within FWO she nearly broke her self-imposed no contact with her sister.


    "And you too, Rishia." Nana looked at her, not knowing exactly how to address the literal <i>Demon </i>that stood before her. She tried to reach out for a hug, but was quickly rebuffed.


    "Don''t touch me." Akagi red at her. "And if you call me Rishia again, we''re going to have a problem." Nice or not, her Aunt was not permitted to call her that. Kana was the only person she could tolerate using that name, and even then she didn''t like it. Yumi had once called her that as a joke, and in return, Akagi duck taped her to the ceiling of the living room for a few hours.


    "Sorry... Akagi." Nana apologized. "But regardless of your name, it really is nice to see you again. It''s... it''s been a long time, hasn''t it?" She didn''t really know how to handle her niece anymore, though part of her still wanted to help her in any way she could.


    "It''s been a minute, yes. I think thest time we saw each other was just before you finally kicked those idiots out of your house for thest time." Akagi let out a smallugh.


    <i>{Naturally, I got med for Nana turning her back on the family. Shima screamed at me for polluting her sister''s mind, and I honestly thought Kenji was going to kill me. Well jokes on you old man, I got to fucking kill AND eat you and your n in the end, so fuck you!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Yes well, pleasee in. Standing on the porch isn''t going to help anyone, and I know your hear for more than just a visit to your Aunt." She motioned for the two sisters to enter her home, which they did. Unlike Shima''s house, Nana''s was a bit more simplistic. There were photos of her and her family, and a few small curios. But overall, it was quite bare on decoration, owing to the fact that she hated extravagance and worthless ''dust collectors'' as she called them. Her children were all older than Akagi and no longer lived with her, but both girls knew they regrly visited, owing to some of the items that looked out of ce.


    After going inside and removing their shoes, the two of them were brought to the living room where Shima was sitting alone on the couch. The instant sheid eyes on Akagi, she flinched. Which Akagiughed at internally.


    "What, no Taichi?" Akagi said as she sat in one of the armchairs and made sure she looked as ''in control'' as possible with how she sat.


    <i>{God I hope he was too scared to show up. At least that would be funnier then him not giving a fuck.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Yeah, I thought Dad would be here too?" Kana said as she sat across from her mother, irritation in her voice. "Wasn''t the idea to have <i>both </i>of you here for this?"


    <i>{Don''t tell me that Dad didn''t care enough toe...} </i>(Kana)


    "Y-Your father will not being." Shima answered. "H-He... I told him not to bother." She shook her head.


    "Us four are the only ones here, as I asked Arima to step out as well." Nana exined that her husband went to visit his aging parents during this meeting to give the four of them some privacy. Akagi actually liked her husband, and always wished that <i>he</i> was her father, since he was a genuinely nice man. She credited him for her love of history, as when he babysat her, he''d read her all kinds of history books, owing to his position as a History Professor.


    "Do you mind if I smoke in here?" Akagi asked her Aunt as she pulled out her Kiseru.


    "I mean, I don''t really care, but you shouldn''t do that..." Nana shook her head as she sat next to her sister. She was never a fan of smoking, since she hated the smell and the health effects.


    "Smoking <i>literally </i>has no effect on me, and my power can filter it out of the air, so there''s no secondhand issue." Akagi said as she packed her Kiseru and lit it. "I can''t get drunk, so this will be a decent substitute. Lord knows I need <i>something</i> right now to calm my nerves, lest I just kill you both and head out." She let out a puff into the air. "Much better." Her statement caused both Nana and Shima to sweat a bit, which was what Akagi wanted.


    <i>{Onee-chan, did you REALLY have to add THAT?!?} </i>(Kana)


    "Getting back on track, why did you tell Dad not toe?" Kana asked. She was visibly annoyed by her mother''s decision but waited to hear her answer before snapping.


    "Because Taichi... he will <i>never</i> repent, Kana. Not unless he is somehow... not unless whatever has a hold over him is broken... like it was for me." Shima''s face went dark as she recalled that night. Everything seemed to flood in at once, and it was as if a dark fog had cleared from her mind. Ever since then, what she''d done to Akagi over all these years had haunted her, and she''d lost countless nights of sleep. Looking back on her actions over the years had driven her to the point of breaking, and she grew more and more disgusted with herself each day.


    "So basically, Taichi is an asshole, and inviting him would only bog down the conversation." Akagiughed. "Yeah, that makes sense. Not like it really matters in the end if he''s here or not."


    "I tried exining that something was wrong with us, I really did" Shima said. "I talked to him for hours... but he wouldn''t listen. Things ended up in an argument when I... when I told him that we''ve done something unforgivable to you, Rishia." Shima''s use of her old name caused Akagi''s anger to hit a boiling point instantly, and Kana tensed as she knew this might get bad.


    <i>{Oh... no...} </i>(Kana)


    "Let mey something out for you, Shima." Akagi twirled her pipe around in her right hand as she let out a puff of smoke. Kana could tell she was furious but didn''t move to calm her down, mostly because <i>she </i>was afraid of what might happen.<i><b> "I. AM. NOT. RISHIA!"</b></i> She mmed the back of her foot down on the coffee table between them, causing it to shake violently. "Rishia is gone. Technically, she never really existed in the first ce, as she was just a persona ced over me as part of a seal to keep my power under wraps until I was matured enough! My real name, as it has <i>always</i> been since the moment of my creation, is <i><b>AKAGI</b></i>." She continued, her voice flickering for a moment due to her frustration. "Thest vestiges of your ''<i>daughter''</i> were extinguished as part of my release! When I ventured within my soul to discover what I really was, I met what little of my humanity still existed. And do you know what I told her? I told her to <i><b>GET LOST!</b></i>" Akagi let out an angryugh, that the three other women thought sounded more like demonic cackling than anything else. "So don''t try and call out to your non-existent daughter, because you will get no answer! I am Akagi Dumetor, the Demon Lord! I am not Rishia Tomogawa, and I am not your daughter, Shima! So don''t you DARE call me that! You of all people don''t have the right to call me that name, not after everything you did to me!¡± She calmed herself down after her rant, and Kana was just d things didn''t escte further.


    "But do you not still consider yourself Kana''s sister? So why-" Shima was stopped by Akagi''s cold re.


    <i>{Mon, for once in your life don''t stick your foot in your mouth. Onee-chan already hates you as it is, so don''t go pushing her buttons.} </i>(Kana)


    "The only reason I still consider Kana my sister is because she was <i>worth</i> keeping. Unlike <i>you, </i>Kana was always kind to me and treated me as family should, Shima. Thus, even if I cast aside the false persona of Rishia, I''ve retained my bond to Kana, but that continuity goes <i>no further</i>. I do not regard you or any other member of the Tomogawa family as anything more than <i>strangers!</i>" Akagi''s irritation was only growing, so Kana finally stepped in before the house was painted red with her mother''s blood.


    "Please Mom, just call her Akagi and... and ept that Rishia... Rishia is gone." Kana gave a bitter smile, as she still held out a tiny bit of hope that Akagi might one day go back to how she was, as foolish a notion as that was. "Besides, it''s not like you gave her any reason to stay..."


    <i>{You''re hatred for Onee-chan... it meant she never had any reason to cling to her old identity. So the moment a new one appeared, she jumped on it. I might not like it, but I understand WHY she became what she is today.} </i>(Kana)


    "I... I guess you''re right." Shima bit her lip. "But still... regardless of what you see yourself as or what your name is..." Shima stood up and did a ny-degree bow to Akagi. "I am so sorry... for everything!" This sincere disy of sorrow shocked Kana, who never expected her mother to say such things, and even Akagi was a bit surprised. "I was a horrible... no, I can''t even use the term <i>mother, </i>as that would imply that I was ever worthy of such a title. I was a horrible person, and far more of a monster than what I believed you to be." Nana nodded along silently.


    <i>{What else could you call yourself, Shima? You treated your own flesh and blood like a stranger in her own home, abused her regrly, and tried to fucking KILL her. Akagi might be a Demon, but I''d say out of both of you, YOU are far more of a monster than the literal incarnation of hell sitting across from me.} </i>(Nana)


    "Yeah, you were horrible." Akagi let out a mockingugh. "You tried to kill me several times, mentally and emotionally wrecked me, and not to mention you stole something irreceable from me." She was referring to what she and Kana discussed the other night, and Shima knew exactly what she meant.


    "Yes... yes, I did. Because of me... because of what I did to you... you never had a mother... and I can''t even begin to tell you how sorry I am for that." Shima started to tear up. "I took something from you... something so important... and there isn''t anything I can do to give you that back!" She fell back into her seat as she started crying.


    "At the very least, you showed me how <i>not </i>to be a parent." Akagi shrugged. "And I''ll make sure that Alice is never left alone like what you did to me. That girl will know what its like to have a mom."


    <i>{Even... Even if I can''t give her the love she deserves...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Alice?" Nana didn''t recognize that name, and neither did Shima.


    "She is my adoptive daughter." Akagi answered. "I took her in during my time in FWO. The poor girl had a horrible life up until then, and I''ve done everything in my power to help her recover." She felt no reason to tell either about this before today, as she didn''t really care about them.


    "I... had no idea." Shima said quietly.


    "I didn''t tell you about her because I didn''t think it was my ce." Kana gave a wry smile.


    "Its not like she needed to know anyway." Akagi shrugged. "Alice <i>isn''t</i> her grandchild, and I sure as <i>fuck </i>will not be introducing you to her." It didn''t help that Alice was not a fan of Shima based on the stories she heard, and would probably be very nasty to her if they ever met.


    "I hope you can take care of a child." Nana sighed. "I can''t really picture you as a mother, no offense."


    <i>{How can this girl even take care of someone else? Let alone a child?} </i>(Nana)


    "I''m better at it than one might expect." Akagiughed. "Though having an army of people at my side who know how to handle children helps. Plus Alice isn''t exactly helpless just... she needs a bit of a helping hand." She''d made things works, and everyone seemed happy so Akagi figured that was a good sign.


    "Let''s not forget that she can tten an entire city with her fluffy army of doom." Kana sighed.


    <i>{She''s anything BUT helpless...} </i>(Kana)


    "Well, I mean, so can like a hundred other people I know." Akagi shrugged. "Being a walking disaster isn''t exactly strange when you''re talking about those around me."


    "I got that from the gist of your <i>speech</i>." Nana shook her head. She''d watched Akagi''s adress to the world and was concerned what she''d do in the future. "We''re lucky you <i>didn''t </i>just decide to kill us all."


    "The key word here is <i>yet." </i>Akagi smirked. "I <i>could </i>easily do it. All it would take is a single thought, and this entire and everyone on it would die." She took a hit from her Kiseru as she chuckled. "Or be enved to my will. That''s <i>also</i> a possibility, and one that would be much more fun than simple genocide." Sheughed. "I think having you all build statues in my honor before digging your own graves would be quite amusing."


    "I hate that you''re not exaggerating..." Kana groaned.


    <i>{I swear, Onee-chan just likes getting a rise out of people... No wait, SHE DEFINITELY DOES...} </i>(Kana)


    "I''m just saying the truth." Akagi smiled. "I own this world, and everyone/everything on it is little more than a toy of mine. I give you plenty of attention Kana, so don''t worry. I''ll make sure you''re well fed and watered, along with that <i>pet </i>of yours."


    Kana blew her sister a raspberry.


    "Getting past that, Mom." Kana locked eyes with her mother, as she wanted to get to the crux of their visit. "I... I don''t... I <i>can''t</i> hate you, but I do hate what you <i>did</i> to Onee-chan."


    "I know, and you have every right to feel like that." Shima nodded. "Your sister... I know how much she means to you, and... and now you know the truth about me. I lied to you, Kana... for years I lied to you. I''ve tried to kill your sister more times than I can count, not to mention every other horrible thing your father and I did to her." Kana always knew <i>some </i>of the abuse her sister dealt with, but only recently had Akagi given her the full story.


    "Lord knows you dropped her off at my house enough times." Nana scoffed.


    "I used you as a convenient way to be rid of her, even if it was just for a moment." Shima shook her head. "But all I was doing was trying to hide the truth from Kana..."


    "I always thought it strange that Onee-chan never went with us on basically any trips and that she came over here a little <i>too</i> frequently..." Kana bit her lip.


    <i>{There''s a reason why this house fills me with such a feeling of dread. I wonder if it was because I knew going here meant something bad had happened or because I was afraid of going home to an abusing family?} </i>(Akagi)


    "But that brings me to the point of this family discussion." Kana took a deep breath. "Mom, there is no way we can ever go back to how things were. Not after everything I''ve heard, and frankly... I can''t... I can''t look at you the same. You''re no longer the kind of loving mother I''ve known my entire life... now... now all I see is a <i>monster</i>, and I don''t use that term lightly."

 Chapter 204 – The Future.

    Chapter 204 ¨C The Future.


    Shima knew those words wereing, they were the same words she''d flung at Akagi, but they cut through her heart like a read hot knife, and Kana''sck of outward anger and self-restraint did not lessen the impact of her words. Kana might not hate her mother, but she was probably about as close as one coulde. Looking at Shima caused Kana revulsion and it was taking all her self-restraint not to punch her in the face.


    "I...I..." Shima went into shock. Hearing Kana say that her mother was nothing more than a monster was too much to handle, even if she knew it was warranted.


    "Well, that''s a lot nicer than <i>I </i>would have put it." Nanamented. "You tortured your own child, her sister, for nearly twenty years. The fact that Kana even bothereding here in the first ce and gave you a chance to exin yourself is shocking." She shook her head.


    <i>{I walked away from my parents for doing much less. Kana is either naive as hell or is far too good for this idiot sister of mine.} </i>(Nana)


    "Considering I asked Onee-chan to <i>kill</i> her. You''re not wrong." Kana said.


    "Y-you asked her to..." Shima''s eyes went wide. Hearing that Kana had wanted her <i>dead</i> was a genuine shock.


    "For the record, I said no, and I told Kana that it was a stupid idea for many reasons." Akagi interjected. "Though you would''ve deserved it, and it not like I''m going to lose any sleep over mounting your head over my firece."


    <i>{Real nicement there, Onee-chan...} </i>(Kana)


    Deciding to ignore the casual im that Akagi would turn her mother''s head into a wall decoration, Kana continued. "After Onee-chan told me the truth about what you and Dad did to her... yeah, I did. I asked Onee-chan to kill you." Kana gave a wry smile. "She was right to stop me since I would''ve regretted it, but in that moment, I was so angry with the two of you that I genuinely wanted you gone." She clenched her fist.


    Shima was frozen on the couch. She''d never expected to hear that Kana of all people would want her and Taichi dead. Her heart nearly stopped when she heard those words, and while she understood <i>why </i>her daughter would hate her enough to want them dead, that did nothing to lessen the impact.


    "Even if you''vee to regret everything you did, and even <i>if </i>your actions were the result of some kind of external influence." Kana shook her head. "That won''t change my mind about you, Mom." Akagi could tell her sister was holding back the urge to cry, as this was not an easy conversation. "I was there, and I watched everything you did to Onee-chan over the years. To this day... I... I <i>still</i> can''t get my eighth birthday out of my mind." That event had burned itself into her mind, especially as it was the primary reason Akagi nearly killed her.


    Nana was well aware of what transpired that day, and while she might not have been at the Tomogawa household to witness it, she was simrly disgusted by her sister''s actions.


    <i>{I still remember when she told me what happened. I don''t think I''ve ever been as angry as I was that day, and I nearly cut the family off right there if not for fearing what they might do to Rishia if I did...} </i>(Nana)


    "That... that was..." Shima shook her head, stopping herself from making any excuses. "That was my fault. Even though it was your grandfather''s idea, and <i>he</i> put pressure on me to try and break your sister... and I am still responsible." Kenji and the other family members were pushing her to be rid of Akagi in whatever way she could. They''d hoped the girl would take her own life, so they could quietly sweep things under the rug.


    "Oh?" Akagi perked up. "I wasn''t aware the old man was involved in that one. I figured that you and Taichi were the ones behind it."


    "My father wanted to break you down and was bing impatient with your... well, quite frankly, <i>continued existence</i>, as he put it." Shima sighed. "He put immense pressure on me to find <i>some </i>way to handle you without bringing attention to the family."


    "So you wanted to make me go mental and then kill myself or run away?" Akagi guessed the reasoning.


    "Basically." Shima nodded. ¡°Father needed you gone in a way that was easy to bury, and suicide could be chalked up to your mental health issues.¡±


    "That''s disgusting!" Kana mmed her arm into the edge of her chair, startling her mother and aunt with how much force she used.


    <i>{Don''t break the couch, Kana.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Well, rather than kill <i>myself</i>, I tried to kill Kana." Akagiughed. ¡°So that nearly backfired spectacrly.¡± Not to mention, Akagi was sure that if she <i>did </i>kill Kana that day, the world would be dealing with a much less <i>nice </i>Demon Lord.


    "Yes, I am very well aware of that..." Shima said. "That incident caused us to back off you for a while, since keeping Kana alive was so important to Father."


    "Because he wanted me to take over as head of the family." Kana already knew why.


    "Yes... I never understood his reasoning at the time, and I just thought it was because of your intelligence that he was so protective of you." Shima gave a dryugh. "Come to find out that you were also nothing more than a pawn to him... just like the rest of us..."


    <i>{Father kept everything from me... I guess I shouldn''t be surprised. He saw me as a failure just like I saw Rishia as useless...} </i>(Shima)


    "I''d still like to know what caused all this." Nana sighed. "I''ve heard of parents taking out problems on their children, and I''ve known a few who were real pieces of work, but I''ve <i>never</i> seen the level of vitriol that was spewed at you." She looked at Akagi.


    "You said something before about them being influenced by your power, so maybe being the Demon Lord caused the family to hate you?" Kanamented. "We have Onmiyoji blood in our veins, and we''re attuned to spiritual power, so perhaps that had something to do with it?" It wasn''t the strangest idea.


    "I thought so too, but the remains that we have <i>two</i> people in this room with Tomogawa blood who didn''t sumb to that same issue." Akagi pointed to Kana and Nana. "You both have Onmiyoji blood and while Kana''s is highly potent, Nana''s is not. Meaning that just like Shima both of you are spiritually inert." Meaning that if it <i>was </i>their bloodline, then both Kana and Nana should have acted simrly to the rest of the family.


    "I sure as hell can''t cast magic." Nana shrugged. "I guess that''s part of why Dad ignored me."


    "Yeah, we were worthless to his grand ns." Shima agreed.


    "But seeing as how <i>one </i>of you came to hate me and the other did not. That goes a long way in disproving the theory that your blood is what caused this." Akagi let out a puff. "Kana can be excused due to imprinting, but even <i>Airi</i> came to her senses and walked away from the family."She hadn''t spoken to her since that day on the school rooftop, and Akagi didn''t really care what she did or where she went.


    "That girl had more brains than most of the grandchildren." Nanaughed. "She cried at the funeral, but I don''t know how much of that was truly because of grief." She had many issues with her father, but she likely still cared for him. Even after splitting from the family.


    "That whole event was a mess..." Shima sighed as she recalled the whole ordeal. The funeral for the ten members of the family killed caused a <i>huge </i>amount of drama, and the aftermath was even more of a headache.


    <i>{There weren''t many members of the family there, since Rishia killed most of us, but those who attendedrgely med me...} </i>(Shima)


    "I was honestly tempted to show up and be like. <i>Who wants to go into the box next?" </i>Akagiughed. "But I decided to have <i>a bit</i> of decency."


    "I''m so d you didn''t..." (Kana x Shima x Nana)


    "Oh look, they''re all on the same page." Akagi rolled her eyes.


    "Because you''re an idiot..." Kana lightly punched her sister in the side.


    "Well, <i>I</i> think I''m funny." Akagi shrugged. "And isn''t that all that matters?"


    "No..." Kana groaned. "I never thought I''d say this, but how about you go into cat mode for a while? I''ll pet you if you stay quiet, and maybe I''ll treat you to some ice cream." She wanted Akagi to stop derailing things, though she knew that was likely a losing battle.


    <i>{Cat mode?} </i>(Nana x Shima)


    "While tempting, nah." Akagi shook her head with a smirk. "It''s much more fun doing this."


    "Yeah, I figured..." Kana looked at both her Aunt and mother. "Do you see what I have to deal with? Onee-chan has be even <i>more </i>of a pain since she woke up..."


    "I think this is just part of having a sibling." Nanaughed. "It''s kind of her <i>job</i> to make you miserable and pick on you." She did the same thing to Shima when they were kids.


    "It''s nice to see that at least <i>something </i>didn''t change." Shima agreed.


    "Messing with Kana is one of my top ten favorite activities." Akagi smiled.


    "And let me guess, the other <i>9 </i>are snuggling with Yumi?" Kana deadpanned.


    "Hey, how did you know?" Akagi acted shocked. "I''ve tried to keep that a secret!"


    "Do you have any idea what they''re talking about?" Nana asked her sister.


    "No, and I probably don''t want to know." Shima shook her head. She was unaware of Akagi''s connection to Yumi, though she did recall that she was important.


    "Getting back on track, Kana." Akagi blew smoke at her sister. "What are you going to do with her?" She pointed to Shima.


    "That''s..." Kana thought for a moment. "I honestly came here expecting to tell Mom off and walk out of here, not expecting to see her again..." She hesitated for a moment. "But after hearing her apologize, and seeing her truly repentant for what she did... I can''t do it... I''m sorry Onee-chan."


    "Why are you apologizing to me?" Akagi rolled her eyes. "I''ve told you a million times that I don''t care if you continue your rtionship with those two." She took a hit from her pipe. "I have no right to intrude there, and I won''t tell you to choose them or me."


    "I know, but it still feels like a betrayal!" Kana eximed. "You''ve been nothing but kind to me, and hell you''ve spoiled me rotten over thisst year." Akagi may or may not have done so. "So it just feels <i>wrong </i>to keep acting normal with them, especially after everything they did to you."


    "Kana..." Shima didn''t know what to say.


    "But while I can''t go as far as cutting you out of my life, there must be <i>some </i>consequences for your actions, Mom." Kana locked eyes with her mother. "Dad aside, <i>you</i> need to be punished for what you did to my sister. So I think limiting contact with you for a while will be for the best. As for Dad..." She thought for a moment. "We can try a bit longer to convince him, but if he won''t change, then I''ll give him an ultimatum. Either he changes, or I never speak to him again."


    "Taichi''s not going to like that..." Nana said quietly.


    "I don''t know if that will be enough, Kana." Shima shook her head. "Your father is still acting as he was before, and barring something to shock him out of it, I doubt he''ll change."


    <i>{Even for you...} </i>(Shima)


    "Are you <i>sure</i> you can''t break whatever influence is on him?" Kana asked her sister, hoping she could pull something out of her sleeve.


    "It''s not that I <i>can''t</i> break influence, it''s that I don''t <i>detect </i>any." Akagi shook her head. "Just like with Shima, I''ve seen nothing wrong with Taichi. I mean, I could <i>brainwash </i>him into repenting, but I''ve got a feeling that''s not what you want."


    "Getting past the part where I <i>really</i> don''t like you doing that kind of stuff, Dad needs to realize <i>himself</i> that what he did was wrong. Having you mess with him would defeat the purpose." Kana gave a wry smile. She really didn''t like Akagi''s brainwashing.


    "I mean, I can always get Silfana to go scare the fuck out of him like she did to Shima!" Akagiughed. "That seemed to work once, so maybe it will happen again?"


    <i>{That monster woman was horrifying...} </i>(Shima)


    "Please don''t..." Kana sighed. "In fact, you should just stay out of this and just leave it to me... please..."


    "Do whatever you want." Akagi shrugged. "I''m just throwing out options." She said as she stood up. "I''m going to head out now, you''re free to stay here as long as you need to handle everything with these two."


    "Yeah, we still have <i>many </i>things to discuss." Kana nced at her mother, who got a chill. The interrogation would truly begin once Akagi had left.


    "Just wait a moment, please." Shima stood up. "I know you can never forgive me, nor should you, but... thank you." She bowed again. "You saved Kana numerous times now and even gave me the chance to repair my rtionship with her when you could have easily turned her against me. So... thank you, and know that I will do everything in my power to atone for what I''ve done to you."


    Akagi stopped for a moment. "Well... in that case. Do you mind if I repay you for something you didst year?" She walked in front of her mother.


    "Yes, do whatever you want." Just as Shima said this, Akagi cracked her across the face causing her to fall backward onto the floor.


    <i>{Oof, that was one heck of a crack across the face.} </i>(Nana)


    <i>{Was that really necessary?} </i>(Kana)


    "<i>That </i>was payback for the p in the face when I brought Kana home after the military took her, and for calling Yumi a monster." Akagi allowed her aura to re up around her covering her body in ck fire before she disappeared.


    "She really is over dramatic..." Kana helped her mother up. "You''re lucky all she did was smack you."


    "God, that niece of mine is terrifying." Nana was sweating a little bit from her nerves. "I''m just d it''s not <i>me </i>that all her hatred is directed at."


    "She''s a very scary person, even I''ll admit that, but she''s also someone who is deeply troubled." Kana sat back down on the couch. "When she''s not being bothered, she''s actually pretty fun to be around. Not to mention she''s got her entricities, something both Mika and Naomi have wholeheartedly endorsed." Sheughed. "Heck at this point, I''m certain that if she could just take Yumi and hide in the house all day that''s what she''d want to do."


    <i>{I just hope that Onee-chan can finally get the peace she so desperately desires. But with the potential threat of that other world, I have a feeling that it will be some time before she gets her wish and the world leaves her alone.} (Kana)</i>


    ¡°Now then.¡± Kana gave her mother a terrifying smile. ¡°Now that Onee-chan has left, I think its time we got to discussing your terrible habit of <i>lying</i> to me over the years.¡± Scary Kana had arrived, and the temperature of the room dropped by a few degrees.


    ¡°Um... Kana...¡± Shima felt a chill run down her spine. She knew Kana could get like this, and sensed danger. ¡°Nans, a little-¡± She turned to where her sister was a moment prior, but she''d vanished.


    <i>{YOU BITCH!} </i>(Shima)


    ¡°Don''t worry about Aunt Nana.¡± Kana continued to smile. ¡°We''re going to talk long and hard about <i>you,</i> and I''ve got <i>a lot </i>I want us to go over.¡± She leaned on the armrest as she red at her mother. ¡°So what''s this I heard about a <i>doghouse</i>?¡±


    ________________________________________________________________________________________________


    Later that evening.


    Nagoya had suffered extensive damage in the sectors where Alice''s puppets and Libra members unleashed their attacks. Even several monthster, sections of the city bore the scars left by the carnage.


    Akagi was walking down one of the many side streets in that had been reduced to ruins, and while there were a few people around, it was eerily quiet. A few of the passerbys gave her fearful looks, while others turned in the other direction, an understandable reaction.


    After a few minutes, the <i>Demon</i> came upon a multi story building which had been utterly devastated, much more than the other buildings on the block. The build''s exterior stuck out among the mostly modern and sleek designs around it, being made of stone. Its front facade was covered in scorch marks, sections of the exterior walls had copsed, and its windows were blown out. On a small section of door that survived you could see a small name, Kimeguchi Children''s Orphanage.


    ¡°It looks like she really let this ce have it.¡± Akagi sighed as she moved a caution tape out of the way and entered into the wrecked building. ¡°I just hope that something survived this mess, otherwise I''m out of options.¡± She ventured into the ruined building, the front office was mostly destroyed, desks were overturned or demolished and theputers were unrecognizable. Akagi began searching through the office, looking through drawers and rifling through whatever paperwork she could find. Luckily for her, this ce had only gone partially digital, and there was a few filing cabs which contained some documents and other important paperwork.


    ¡°Ichinose, Ichikawa, Ichimura, Ichimonji, Ide, Ifukube, Iga, Igarashi. Ah there it is! Sara Ikebuki. It seems like her file is wasn''t destroyed, lucky me.¡± Akagi pulled the folder out of the cab and sat on one of the intact desks as she read through it. Inside was a picture of a small girl, around five years old with short brown hair. ¡°Yup that''s Alice alright.¡± Akagi said she looked through the other papers. ¡°Information on living rtives, medical file, which is useless now, and... oh?¡± She stopped on one section of paperwork which had been heavily redacted. ¡°And why oh why would arge section of some poor orphan''s file be covered in more ck marker than C.I.A. Documents?¡± She thought for a moment before an idea came to mind. ¡°I wonder if I can remove it?¡± She attempted to manipte the ink itself and remove the addedyer over the text, but unfortunately it was a printed document rather than one covered overter. ¡°Well dang, I thought I had an amazingly cool idea. Oh well...¡± She closed the file. ¡°I''ve already got all the information on the corruption that allowed this stupid situation to ur, so I doubt what''s covered over there is really important.¡± She got off the table and started looking around the room again. ¡°Alice did tell me that she had a box with a bunch of personal affects, but that it was left behind when she was adopted. I wonder if I can find it somewhere? That was nearly a decade ago, so they might have thrown it away.¡± Akagi then began to scourer the ruins, looking for a safe or other deposit box, but found nothing.


    ¡°I guess it won''t be that easy.¡± Akagiughed as she flipped over a desk which revealed a hole in the floor. ¡° Or will it?¡± Looking down into the gap beneath the desk revealed a dark basement with a number of different boxes, files and papers. Figuring that this might be where important information was stored long-term, Akagi hopped down. She was able to see perfectly in this darkness, but put out a bright light to aide her.


    ¡°There has to be like a million boxes down here...¡± Akagi sighed as she looked at the room filled with metal and cardboard boxes, it was clear from the level of dust on most of them, and theck of footprints on the floor, that no one had been down here in some time. ¡°Well, good thing I can move fast.¡± She began to zip around the room at high speed as she examined each container until eventually she found one with a small tag on it that read Sara Ikebuki. ¡°All right, lets see what''s in box number 5,785!¡± The small container was locked, but Akagi used her power to open it. Looking inside, her face slowly turned from a happy smile, to an angry scowl as she examined its contents. There were a number of different papers, including what appeared to be a sealed pack of letters, a photograph of two rtively young adults with what Akagi assumed was a three year old Alice, and with a small stuffed bear. Using her power, she read the contents of the letters without opening them, and her eyes went wide as she bit her lip in irritation. After a few moments, she slowly and carefully closed the box and ced it and its contents within her inventory, before exiting the building quietly.


    Once she''d left, Akagi turned towards the ruined structure, and after checking to ensure that the nearby buildings were empty, she snapped her fingers causing a massive st to erupt from the building and igniting a massive fire that engulfed the structure. Standing in front of the crumbling building, Akagi did notugh, nor did she smile. In fact, her face showed no emotion at all as her eyes reflected the burning building which further copsed in on itself. After a few minutes, sirens began to go off, as it seems emergency services were rushing to the scene of the fire, and seeing no further reason to stick around, Akagi snapped her fingers again and vanished, her body burning away in ck fire.

 Chapter 205 – What Akagi Wants.

    Chapter 205 ¨C What Akagi Wants.


    Akagi was sitting in her office reading over a few documents and drinking coffee when an unexpected knock came at the door.


    "Come in." Akagi said without looking up from the paper she was reading. It was a report from the heads of the n providing feedback and rmendations for her nned construction of a town outside the estate, and she was busy reading it and providing suggestions of her own. Things had settled down somewhat since the ''defeat'' of the Council, and Akagi''s nning of her own city was in full swing.


    "I swear pinning you down is quite a pain." Silfana said as she walked into the office, shaking her head. "I''ve been trying to get a meeting with you for almost two weeks!" Akagi hadn''t been avoiding her, though that didn''t mean she was easily avable. Despite what Kana might think, the <i>Demon </i>was actually quite busy, so she didn''t have all the time in the world to y, just <i>most </i>of the time.


    "What, no onesie? I thought you''de to enjoy that outfit." Akagiughed as she turned over the next page in her hand.


    "I''m going to ignore thatment." Silfana sighed as she walked in front of Akagi''s desk and huffed.


    "Well, now that you''re here and found me, what do you need?" Akagi put the paper down and looked up at her.


    "I wanted to talk to you about a few things." Silfana took a seat. "First, the irrigation system has beenpleted as requested, <i>despite</i> your restrictions..." She was forced to dig it entirely by hand, which annoyed her.


    <i>{Forcing me to do manual, menialbor... I''d say who does she think she is, but then I remember that she''s the ruler of this world and evil incarnate...} </i>(Silfana)


    "d to hear it." Akagi smiled. "I hope you had fun! I know Kana and the girls enjoyed seeing you do all that hard work in that cute little outfit. I thought that it suited you quite well!" Hishya in particr enjoyed seeing Silfana made a fool of and requested<em>numerous</em>pictures for her viewing pleasure.


    "I don''t get why you were so mad at me when it wasn''t even my fault that stupid thrall went out on his own!" Silfana groaned.


    "You of all people should understand that we as superiors are responsible for our subordinates'' actions." Akagi said as she sipped her coffee. "Besides, <i>you</i> wanted to kill <i>me</i>. That''s something that tends to get people <i>eliminated</i>, so a bit of humiliation is quite the light punishment to be honest." Silfana knew well what kind of hell could''ve awaited her if Akagi so chose, and thus did not retort.


    "Well whatever, that''s not really what I wanted to discuss anyway." Silfana''s gaze grew sharp. "Tell me, Demon Lord, what are your ns? What do you hope to aplish in this world?" This had been a question on her mind since she arrived at the estate, and one that she had found no answer to.


    <i>{I''ve watched your actions over these past weeks, and I can''t get a sense of your goals. If I didn''t know any better, I''d say you have none.} </i>(Silfana)


    "What do I hope to aplish?" Akagi thought about those words for a bit.


    "You''ve given me no indication of your grand ns, and from what <i>I </i>can see, you have no intention of conquering this even though you easily could." Silfana had no idea what to make of Akagi, a being with all the power in the world but seemingly no will to use it. "So what are you nning? What is the future supposed to hold? If I don''t know that, then I''m afraid that I can''t do anything more."


    <i>{Not like you''ve even given me any tasks besides that stupid ditch-digging job!} </i>(Silfana)


    "Well, you''re right in that I don''t want to conquer and rule the Earth." Akagi smiled. "Such a thing would be truly annoying, and running a would be such a <em>chore</em>." She cringed on the inside as she imagined the stack of paperwork she''d need to do for such a job.


    <em>{I''d sooner nuke reality than run it. At a bare minimum, I''d just do what I did with Mizumi and have somebody else handle that part.}</em>(Akagi)


    "So you have no drive? No ambition?" Silfana asked, not out of irritation but simply curiosity.


    "I wouldn''t say that Ick either of those." Akagiughed. "It''s just..." The <i>Demons</i> eyes pierced through Silfana, causing the Vampire to tense. "What fun is there to be had in ying a contest that I''ve already won?" She smirked. "This world is already mine, Silfana. Not in name, but in <em>fact</em>. I could walk into the government buildings of every nation in the world and kill their leadership right now if I wished. I could murder a man in cold blood on the street, and there isn''t a <i>thing</i> anyone could do about it." She gave a coldugh. "So what reason do I have to consolidate power in a more <i>formal</i> manner?"


    <i>{Mortals require things like titles, crowns and formal positions. But I am above such things. As a Demon Lord, this world belongs to me by birthright. Those who live within it merely exist and run its constituent parts at my whim and pleasure. Even Rosewood knows that if I told her to step down as President, she''d have no choice.} </i>(Akagi)


    "But then, what <i>do </i>you hope to aplish? Unless you mean to tell me you''re no different than the aloof gods of my world who saw mortals as nothing but ythings?" Silfana had a bad history with religion and gods in the past, and she was hoping her new ''employer'' wouldn''t go down that path.


    "Hmmmm." Akagi thought for a moment. "I suppose that I cannot fully deny such aparison." She chuckled. "The people of this world are little more than toys for me to amuse myself with, tis just the nature of the beast, vampy. I have so much more power than anything else in this world that it''s just... hard <i>not </i>to see myself in such a role. Not to mention I''ve no real emotional attachment to most of those who live within this world." She didn''t believe that humans had no value, its just that she had no real attachment to them.


    "So then you <i>are </i>just like the gods then." Silfana scowled. "You see us all as worthless pawns in your games."


    "Not quite." Akagi shook her head. "I said Ick attachment to <i>most </i>of those who live within this world. I think it''s obvious that I care greatly for my family."


    "They ''cared'' for their followers as well, so I don''t see the difference." Silfana scoffed.


    "Well, there is one." Akagi leaned forward slightly. "<em>I</em> genuinely wish to see those under my protection live happy lives." She continued. "I have no idea <i>why, </i>but the thought of building a happy little society here... it just makes me feel warm inside." She smiled. "So while I care very little for this world atrge, there are parts of it that I <i>do</i> care for. I will not deny that my viewpoint is alien, and is probably not <i>too </i>dissimr to how most gods view the peoples of their worlds, but I would like you to believe that I am <i>a bit</i> different in my outlook than such foolish creatures."


    "So then we''re back to my original question, what <i>is </i>your goal?" Silfana still wasn''t exactly sold on Akagi being different.


    "Peace and happiness." Akagi''s answer confused the Vampire. "I want to live in a ce where those two things are a constant, despite how hard it might be to maintain." The fact that there was not a hint of deception in her words confused Silfana.


    "B-But what does that even mean?" Silfana stumbled over her words, as this was not what she expected. "What does that look like?"


    "A quiet ce, separate from the chaos that surrounds it." Akagi leaned back in her chair. "I want to create a small ind of calm among the storm that is reality. A ce where I and the ones I care about can ride out eternity apart from the chaos that such a thing entails." She let out a smallugh. "In spite of my title, my instincts, and my past actions, what I really desire... what I really <i>want</i> is to just be left alone. I''ve had enough hardship and pain in my short existence, and I''m content with nothing more than to be allowed peace. Between you and I, if I could take Yumi and run off to some far corner of creation and just be with her.... <em>that</em> would be my ideal future." Sheughed. "But she wouldn''t want that, and I''ve got plenty of people who I can''t leave alone, so making this ce into something close enough to that ideal will have to suffice."


    "Y-You sound like some kind of monk who''s found enlightenment..." Silfana hadn''t expected this answer.


    <i>{What the hell is a being like you doing talking about happiness and contentment?!? Shouldn''t you lust for power? Desire destruction? Or want people to worship you?!?} </i>(Silfana)


    "I wouldn''t go <i>that </i>far." Akagi giggled. "I just find myself naturally detached from the world around me. Though I''m not <i>entirely </i>detached like a monk would be, as I find myself enjoying the creations of those outside my purview." She might not care much about the rest of the world''s people, but she enjoyed what they did and created.


    <em>{Without humans, who would make my video games and anime?!?}</em> (Akagi)


    "But why not bring <i>everything </i>under your control then? Surely that would keep things peaceful?" Silfana asked. "If everything was under the control of one person, I think that would reduce the risk of conflict." That was her goal during her time in FWO, after all.


    "I suppose that I could do something like that." Akagi smiled. "Raising a vast army and unleashing it on this entire Universe as I slowly conquered it would be possible, but... I just don''t want to..." She let out a smallugh. "The amount of time that would take... it would be... well, even for me, we''re talking in the <i>millions</i> of years, Silfana. And... and that''s time I''d rather spend in a much smaller portion of the world, spending each of those moments with those who matter to me."


    "But you live forever, so does it really matter how long it takes?" Silfana still didn''t see the problem. As beings without lifespans, wasn''t taking as long as you wanted to do something the luxury they were afforded?


    "You are correct in that it doesn''t matter to <i>me</i>." Akagi pointed to herself. "But in a million years..." She turned to look out the window behind her. "In a million years, this world will look vastly different... so many people will have been born, lived, and died, and so many wonderful and unique events will have urred, all while I was away..." Akagi stood up and looked out the window, watching a bird sit on a fence. "Why would I want to waste all that time just to create an ordered world, one that will likely not <i>stay</i> ordered, mind you, when it means giving up so much time... Time that might not matter to me... but which matters to those <em>around</em> me." The thought of Kana, and the girls dying one day terrified her. Akagi had no idea how she would handle a member of her family or one of her friends disappearing, and she''d already set ns in motion to prevent such things.


    "T-That''s an <i>interesting</i> perspective. I never thought about it like that." Silfana was still unsure what to say.


    "Long-lived beings, ones that do not need to worry about lifespans, tend to forget that the world around them lives and dies. That the other races only exist within the world for such short spans and then move on to the next." Akagi exined. "It''s only natural that you''d forgotten that."


    "S-So wait, what I''m getting from this... is that you want to share as much time with those short-lived creatures as possible? Is that right? Y-You want to make those short lives as enjoyable and peaceful as you can?" Silfana had a sudden realization.


    <i>{What the hell...} </i>(Silfana)


    Akagi turned around and smiled. "That''s right. Perhaps it''s a bit egotistical of me, and perhaps it''s a bit utopian... but it''s what I want."


    "So... then what is it that you want from <em>me</em>?" Silfana asked. "What use can I be in a project like that? I''m nothing more than a warmonger who can do little more than destroy."


    "I''d say your a bit more than that." Akagiughed before walking around her desk standing in front of Silfana, and cing a hand on the Vampire''s shoulder. "It might have been a nation of monsters, but you were still their leader, and I could use that valuable experience." She continued. "Not to mention, having a warmonger or two in my group of advisors is quite useful! It''s not good to surround oneself with nothing but peaceniks, and I suspect the voice of someone who knows the reality of war will be essential in the future."


    "You really think that I''ll be that helpful?" Silfana''s eyes widened at Akagi''s words. She''d never been told such things by <i>anyone</i> and had resigned herself to be nothing more than a leader of monsters.


    <i>{I''d been so hell bent on my vengeance and reiming my birthright, that I''d never imagined that my skill or talents could be used for anything but that purpose...} </i>(Silfana)


    "I do." Akagi smiled. "So if you''re up to it, let''s work together to make my dream a reality. Perhaps along the way... you mighte to understand things as I have."


    After a moment of silence, Silfana burst outughing. "I can''t believe any of this!" Sheughed hysterically. "The being of darkness and evil is asking me to make a happy world of peace and prosperity! What kind of crazy situation is this?!?" She was nearly doubled over in her chair.


    <i>{Trust me, the irony isn''t lost on me either...} </i>(Akagi)


    "You know what, sure." Silfana was stillughing. "I''ve spent my entire life at war with others, and I''ve never even given thought to a life of peace." She stuck out her hand, and Akagi shook it. "So let''s see if we can''t make that ideal your a reality."


    "Then, let''s say we get to work." Akagi smiled. "I''ve already got a few things you can get started on. Ones that <i>don''t </i>involve embarrassing outfits."

 Interlude 12 – A Grim Future.

    Interlude 12 ¨C A Grim Future.


    World-ending cmities, an evil race attempting to bring about the destruction of the world, and four heroes summoned by the gods themselves to save everyone. It seemed to be a ssic tale of good and evil, light and darkness, and the four teenagers summoned to Enoris certainly thought so.


    After being summoned to this strange and fantastic world, the four heroes were filled with excitement at the prospect of being granted magical powers and sent on a quest to save everyone. A few had even read stories about this happening during their free time, which left them with a... <i>distorted</i> view of events.


    In the months and <i>years </i>after their summoning, the four heroes fought at the behest of the gods and the allied races to drive out the <i>Spirits</i>. A race they had been told was actively plotting the end of the world, and the numerous magical disasters they''d seen since their arrival only served to confirm these ims. After all, as one of the heroes said, why would the Gods lie to them?


    After ying countless Spirits, destroying viges, defeating their mightiest champions, and evenying siege to the <i>Spirit''s</i> Capital, the Heroes were informed that the Spirits had used cursed magic to flee Enoris rather than remain and face justice. At first, there was joy among residents of the world and the Heroes, for the assumption was that with the Spirits driven away, the disasters would cease. Unfortunately for them, and the people of Enoris, they did not.


    With the continuing magical disasters, that only seemed to get worse with each event, and panic began to spread among the Enoris''s residents. The Gods seemed unable to prevent further catastrophe, and with the clock ticking towards the next disaster, many were wondering what would be of this world. Some thought it was doomed, while others had faith in their Gods and believed they would find a solution. And others simply went on with life as if nothing had change.


    Neen-year-old Imperial Crown Princess Rebeckah Barnes was not a particrly pious individual, and the purge of the <i>Spirits</i> was something that she deeply opposed on both a moral and practical level. However, as the heir to the Imperial throne, she had no choice but to follow her father''s deration of expulsion, envement, and extermination of the <i>Spirits</i>. During the Great War, she personally witnessed the ughter and envement of thousands of <i>Spirits, </i>and had grown ever more disgusted with her people, and their willingness tomit such horrific acts of ughter in the name of their Gods.


    When the conflict was dered over, and the <i>Spirits </i>were driven from this world, she''d hoped that peace would besting. Though, at the same time, she believed that the humans and other races hadmitted an unspeakable act of horror, one that they could never hope to atone for and one that they would most likely one day pay for.


    Unlike most Imperial Nobility, she had met a few Spirits during her life. Most were little more than residents of the patches of nature which surrounded the Capital, but she''de to appreciate them and their ways, even learning the art of Wind Magic from them when she was a child. This had given her a very unique insight into the mysterious people and their culture, and helped shape her view that the <i>Spirits</i> couldn''t be responsible for the magical disasters around the world.


    When the disasters did not end after the <i>Spirits</i> were driven into exile, her worst fears had been realized. Rebeckah quickly came to the disturbing conclusion that the gods had, at best, been wrong about the <i>Spirit''s </i>culpability, and at worst, <i>LIED </i>to their followers, leading them to genocide an innocent people.


    Her first thought was to spread such information to others and attempt to show the world the evil that the Gods hadmitted, but it quickly became apparent that doing so would see her killed, if not by the Gods themselves, then her own family. The Gods and their Church held an iron grip on every society that worshiped them, and their clergy held sway even over her father, a man who was suppose to be the most powerful leader on the continent.


    Locking herself within the Imperial Castle and drowning in despair, she could not help but think that all was lost, and that there would never be consequences for the horrible act the Gods had perpetrated. That was until she was visited by the riel, the Goddess of Time. Naturally, the Princess had some <i>choice </i>words for the Goddess, and in her fury, she condemned her and her fellow gods for their actions. She told the red-haired Goddess that she and her ilk should be destroyed for what theymanded their followers to do, and that they had no right to act as anything other than the <i>Demons </i>they truly were.


    Surprisingly, riel did not be angry with Rebeckah, nor did she argue the point. In fact, to the Princess''s shock, the Goddess told her that she was <i>right</i>. riel epted the fact that she and the other Gods had done an unspeakably evil act, only made worse by the fact that they <i>knew </i>that it wouldn''t solve the problem.


    ording to riel, the Gods were well aware that the <i>Spirits</i> were not at fault for the magical disasters taking ce, and they knew that killing them would not stop the slow degradation of their world. Furious, Rebeckah demanded to know <i>why </i>they issued such amand to their followers, only to be told a horrible truth.


    Enoris was a doomed world, and one that didn''t have long left. riel informed her that in a few centuries, the magical disasters would increase in frequency and destruction, leaving most of the world uninhabitable, and a few centuries after that, the entire world would <i>copse</i>. The reason the Gods had the <i>Spirits</i> exterminated was because they needed the energy released from their deaths, since killing them was technically a form of blood sacrifice. Such a thing was an abhorrent practice, and one that was almost universally banned. However, the Gods seeing no other option decided tomit thergest blood sacrifice in Enoris''s history by condemning hundreds of thousands of souls to death.


    Naturally, this was not a decision that most of the Gods made lightly, as they knew just how vile the act of sacrificing the few to save the many was. However, things only got worse from there, as it turned out that riel and a few of the other Gods were misled by their peers. Originally, they only agreed to this n reluctantly because they believed that the <i>Spirits</i>'' lives would be used to fix the problems with Enoris''s and allow it and its people to survive. However, once the Deration of Destruction of the <i>Spirits </i>was issued, riel and the others were informed of the <i>real</i> n, which left her disgusted and horrified.


    After she exined all this to the Imperial Princess, riel humbly requested that Rebeckah aid her in putting a stop to her fellow Gods'' ns. Initially reluctant to help a God after everything they''d done, Rebeckah eventually agreed to help her once she was informed of the true intentions of the gods and what their n was. ording to riel the Gods had truly gone mad, and they were preparing to sacrifice this entire world to save themselves, something that neither she nor Rebeckah could ignore.


    After a very lengthy discussion, Rebeckah''s first order of business was to find a specific person to aid them in their ns. This person was someone that she knew very well from the legends and texts about her, and there was likely no one more suitable for the job. The only problem was that their target was illusive, and finding her wouldn''t be easy. After months of investigations, stakeouts and using contacts in the criminal underworld, Rebeckah eventually found who she was looking for and set off incognito to meet with her.


    After slipping out of the Imperial Pce, Rebeckah raced towards the Imperial City of Westend on a fast horse, well aware that time was of the essence. This was only made worse by the fact that was no guarantee how long her target would remain within the area, and riel told her that there some doubt as to her willingness to work with them.


    After leaving her horse at a nearby stable, Rebeckah rushed towards the City''s Adventurer Guild. Her agents reported that the person she was looking for had been frequenting it as part of an ongoing mission and that she would return from a recent outing soon.


    "I just hope I''ve made it in time." Rebeckah practically sprinted towards the guild hall. The Sun would be going down soon, and she needed to find the person she was looking forward to before nightfall, lest they disappear into the darkness.


    Stopping in front of the door, sheposed herself before slowly pushing open therge main doors. Rebeckah herself was a registered adventurer and asionally took quests, so she was used to the environment of the guild hall. Knowing that it was unwise to walk around openly as the Imperial Crown Princess, she used a disguise when acting as an adventurer to hide her identity. Her Azure hair, a trademark of the Imperial family, was changed to an ordinary brown color, and she went under the alias Fey while she was acting as an adventurer.


    The inside of the guild hall was busy, even thiste in the evening, and based on therge number of people at the main desk, it seemed that a party had juste back from a mission. As Rebeckah slowly approached the group of adventurers, her eyes scanning over each one looking for her target.


    <i>{Nope. No. No. No. No.} </i>As she looked at the crowd, she became increasingly frustrated and worried as none of the people their matched the description of her target. The one she was after was notoriously elusive and hard to find, not because they went out of their way to hide, but because they tried to blend in as much as possible. While they were a <i>historically </i>famous individual, the average person would likely have no idea who they were dealing with unless you told them directly. This meant that she was effectively trying to find a needle in a haystack, and if Rebeckah let this chance slip away, then there was no telling how long it would be until she could track her target down again.


    <i>{Dammit I don''t see her anywhere!} </i>Rebeckah bit her lip in frustration. <i>{I was told that she''d taken a quest to wipe out a nest of ck Tigers in a nearby forest, was my intel wrong? Or did she already leave?} </i>


    Rather than start running around the city, Rebeckah decided to wait and see if her target showed upter. Taking a seat in the corner of the guild, she kept watch on the door while listening to the conversations between the various adventurers. A few people mentioned someone she thought sounded <i>simr </i>to her target, but she couldn''t be sure if it was her or someone else.


    While it might have been easier to simply ask about the individual they were discussing, Rebeckah knew that would be a bad idea. Generally, asking about other adventurers was considered suspicious practice, and most wouldn''t give information about appearance or names, even to other adventures. Nobody wanted to find outter that someone got killed because they carelessly gave out names or locations, and thus unless you gave most adventurers a <i>very </i>good reason you wouldn''t get that kind of information out of them.


    After nearly an hour of waiting, Rebeckah was almost ready to begin searching the city when the guild door opened and in came someone that made Rebeckah''s eyes go wide.


    "What an absolute pain in the ass..." An orange-haired woman with green eyes in a brown trench coat entered. At her side was a sky blue sword without a sheath, it''s color not too dissimr from Rebeckah''s real hair color.


    <i>{THERE SHE IS!!!} </i>Rebeckah had to stop herself from leaping out of her seat and running up to this woman out of excitement and relief. She''d finally found her target, now all she needed to do was talk with her.


    "Ah! There you are, Hally." One of the other adventurers that had been at the counter earlier called out to her. He and a group of others were sitting around one of therge tables, eating and drinking together. "We were wondering where you went. Did you get lost or something?" Heughed as she walked over.


    "I fucking <i>wish</i> that was what happened." Hally groaned as she walked over to the gray-haired man. "Some fucking noble brat wanted one of the Tigers I took down, and wouldn''t leave me alone until I gave it over to him..." She groaned. "This is why I can''t stand nobles. They''re such a pain in the ass..."


    "Oof." One of the women at the table gave a wry smile. "Been there, done that. So my condolences. Did he rip you off?" She figured that he did.


    "Basically..." Hally sighed. "I could have just told him off, but then that would have caused all kinds of drama and I just can''t be bothered with that whole mess.¡± She shook her head. ¡°But it''s fine. It''s not like I need the cash anyway, and I do this to help people more than make a fortune for myself anyway." She was more than good on money, and could have easily retired long ago, but chose not to.


    "Lucky you for having so much money.." Another adventurerughed. "But unlike you, we actually do this to live, not just for fun."


    "Don''t worry, one day you''ll be able to rx and enjoy yourself like me." Hally winked.


    "Yeah, sure." The adventurer rolled his eyes as he sipped his drink. "That will probably be five minutes before my death!" He and the othersughed at his joke.


    "And a happy five minutes they will be!" Hally joined in on theughter.


    "Will you be sticking around? We''d love to have you join our party, and your skill is incredible. Not to mention hanging around with a legend like you would be fun!" One of the other adventurers at the table asked with augh.


    "Nah." Hally waved him off. "I''m a lone wolf through and through. I don''t do parties, plus I''ll be heading off soon anyway. I need to go to the Dwarven Kingdom after this, so I''ll probably head out tonight after getting a bit of rest."


    "Well, that''s too bad..." The adventurer looked sad. " But that was to be expected. Then at least let us buy you a drink. You saved our asses today!" The rest gave a cheer, and Hally epted, drinking with them for a while until the group disbursed for the night.


    <i>{Alright, if I run full speed. I think I can be there by morning.} </i>Hally thought to herself as she reached for the door, ready to get moving onto her next adventure. But before she could even open the door, a young woman called out to her.


    "Excuse me." Rebeckah approached her as she moved to leave, causing the orange-haired woman to stop. "Forgive me for bothering you thiste at night, but could I please speak to you... privately?" She figured being cautious was needed, since she was in no position to stop Hally if she tried to leave.


    Hally nced over at her. "Could you tell me what for? I''m a very busy person, and I don''t have time to waste on silly things." She didn''t really want to deal with anyone right now, and was ready to get a move on.


    "It''s..." Rebeckah looked around before whispering. "I''m here by the request of Lady riel..." She didn''t really want to say the Goddess''s name aloud, but figured that she needed to get Hally''s attention somehow.


    <i>{How many times is that woman going to bother me? Does she have no shame? I thought I made it perfectly clear that I don''t want to deal with that bitch ever again. Not after what she did.} </i>Hally sighed. She really wanted to take off at full speed, but she knew better than to try and flee from the Goddess of Time.


    "Fine, but this <i>better </i>be important. Otherwise <i>you </i>are going to experience my displeasure for that woman." Hally turned around and motioned for Rebeckah to follow. The two girls walked up to the front desk and Hally used her status as an Mythril rank adventurer to secure a private conference room upstairs for them to speak in. The room woulde with soundproofing magic to prevent any eavesdropping, so they could both be sure that nothing would be overheard by third parties.


    <i>{I just hope she''ll listen to me. I know that she doesn''t like getting involved in world affairs anymore, but I hope she understands just how dire things are...} </i>(Rebeckah)


    The two women entered a small conference room on the second floor of the guild hall. Hally took a seat on one of the couches and pointed to the other one across from her. "Alright let''s make this quick. If you''re here to waste my time, I''m out. Though judging by the fact that the Imperial Princess came to greet me <i>herself</i>. I''ve already got a bad feeling about this." She sighed as she put her feet up on the table.


    "You knew who I was?!?" Rebeckah''s eyes widened. No one had ever seen through her magical disguise before.


    "Of course I did." Hallyughed. "You might be using magic to mask your physical features, but I''ve been around the Imperial family long enough to detect when someone has their blood. From there it was just a simple deduction based on other information I''ve gotten over the years about you." She shrugged. "So what do you, or rather what does riel want? I thought I told her I''m <i>done </i>running errands for her." She huffed.


    After deactivating the magic which altered her appearance, Rebeckah started to speak, but was cut off partway through. "Lady Halifax. I''vee here to-"


    "Please drop the formality." Halifax sighed as she shook her head. "I hate that stuffy crap, so call me either Halifax or Hally. I don''t want you talking to me like some high and mighty Noble..."


    "Umm..." Rebeckah didn''t really know what to say. Halifax was a legendary existence in this world, so speaking to her informally was not something the Princess wanted to do. "Ok then, Ms. Halifax. I''vee here to request your aide." She bowed, deciding to try a less formal title which Halifax seemed to ept.


    "I figured that was why you were here, and unless you''ve got a <i>really </i>good reason why I should break my policy of <i>not </i>get involved in the affairs of this world anymore, then you''re going to get the same answer I gave your ancestors when they came crying to me three hundred years ago." Halifax clicked her tongue in irritation. She hated when people came to bother her, and she found the constant demands made of her to be annoying.


    <i>{This girl is of Sherry''s blood, meaning she''s probably going to be very stubborn...} </i>(Halifax)


    "I am well aware that you''ve walked away from the people of this world, and I do not me you. Not after what was done to the <i>Spirits</i>." Rebeckah nodded.


    "Yeah, considering you basically <i>exterminated </i>them for no reason, I think I was right when I considered the people of this world a lost cause." Halifax gave some mockingughter. "If I could leave this ce behind, I would, but sadly that''s not possible."


    <i>{I just want to be left alone... is that too much to ask? These people have never been grateful for what I or others have given them. Its always more and more and more, and they never even stop to think of the toll that takes on...} </i>(Halifax)


    "Yes, well..." Rebeckah figured that Halifax would be prickly, but this was a bit more than expected. "I was sent on Lady riel''s behalf. She wishes for your aid in saving this world along with another one from a great cmity." She continued. "This world... this world is doomed, Ms. Halifax." Rebeckah locked eyes with Halifax, whose eyes momentarily went wide at her words. "Lady riel has informed me that the magical disasters urring around this world are a result of a structural w within it, and that in a few centuries... this world will cease to exist."


    "O-Ok..." Halifax hadn''t expected <i>this</i>.


    <i>{Why can''t things ever be simple? Is it too much to ask for them to need a Dragon in or Princess saved? No its always world ending fucking disasters...} </i>(Halifax)


    "So she needs my help to fix this problem? I''m sorry but that''s-" Halifax was cut off by Rebeckah.


    "No, that is not why I''m here. Lady riel does not seek your aid in stopping this world''s impending doom. " She shook her head. "There is likely nothing that can be done at this point to stop the destruction of this world." Those words still made her own blood run cold.


    "T-Then why have youe here? What could you possibly need me for?!?" For the first time in a <i>long</i> time, Halifax was confused.


    "If things would end with the destruction of this world, then I believe that would be a fitting end for us. After what our people have done to the <i>Spirits</i> and how we''ve covered thend in their blood... I believe it would be only right for us to perish after such an unforgivable sin." Rebeckah gave a bitter smile. "However, things will not be so poetic I''m afraid. Most of the other gods... they are nning to flee this world rather than die with it."


    "F-Flee?!?" Halifax eximed in shock. "What?!?"


    <i>{How is that even possible? And where would they even go?!?} </i>


    "They intend to follow the Spirits to the world they fled to. The n is to drain this world of whatever magical and spiritual power it has to force a connection between the two worlds." Rebeckah didn''t fully understand it herself, but was trying her best to ry what the Goddess of Time told her. "Unlike mortals, Gods cannot freely or easily travel between worlds as they are <i>bound </i>to the world they were created in." This was basically a way to keep them from messing things up and then just going somewhere else. Ideally this would give them a vested interest in a world''s stability, but it seemed there were ways around this restriction.


    "So they n to abandon this world to its fate and jump ship?" Halifax grit her teeth in irritation.


    <i>{Why am I not fucking surprised?!?} </i>(Halifax)


    "They intend to sacrifice the people of this world via various means to collect their life force and magical power." Rebeckah''s face went dark as she exined. "Effectively, they want to conduct a blood magic ritual on an unprecedented scale. One that would allow them to force open a pathway, and then flee."


    "Those twisted bastards!" Halifax punched the end of the couch hard enough to break it slightly. "They''re more than happy to take these people''s faith and love! But the moment things start looking dicey they spit in their face to save their own assess!"


    <i>{This is why I HATE Gods!} </i>(Halifax)


    "Naturally, Lady riel and some of the other gods are <i>not </i>in favor of this." Rebeckah said with a wry smile, not wanting to anger her any more. "Which is why she sent me to find <i>you</i>."


    "I understand that part. My issues with that bitch aside, I know for a fact that she wouldn''t go along with something like this." Halifax sighed. "But I''m not sure what you want from me. I can''t fight gods, and we don''t exactly have people powerful enough to go and strike them down."


    <i>{Those heroes are equally worthless...} </i>(Halifax)


    "We don''t want you to fight them." Rebeckah shook her head. "I''vee to ask you not to save <i>this</i> world... But to save the <i>other</i> one." She looked at Halifax, her eyes showing both great sadness and determination.


    "Save... the... other... one?" Halifax repeated those lines back to her.


    "The other Gods intend to send the Heroes to that other world toy the foundation for a connection." Rebeckah exined. "Thus, Lady riel wishes to send you <i>ahead </i>of the heroes to warn that other world, and to find a way to <i>prevent </i>the gods from crossing over." If they could do that, then at least the Gods of Enoris would go down with the proverbial ship.


    "And how am I supposed to do <i>any</i> of that?" Halifax wasn''t really sure what she was supposed to do or how to even cross between worlds. ¡°I don''t have that kind of power.¡±


    "Lady riel and the other Gods who oppose this n will provide enough power to transfer you to that world. Once you''re there, you should seek out the <i>Spirits</i> along with the most powerful fighters you can find." Rebeckah said. "If you can do that, it might just be possible to defeat the Heroes and prevent the Gods from enacting their n."


    "But that would still mean <i>this</i> world dies..." Halifax didn''t really care for the people of this world anymore, but it was still her home. Seeing it destroyed was not exactly a pleasant thought, and it would mean the demise of millions of innocent people. "Why would the Heroes go along with this n anyway? I doubt they''d openly support mass ughter of this entire world just to save the Gods." She almost said the mass ughter of an entire people, but they''d already done that.


    "Because that''s not what they think they''ll be doing. Rather they will be told that the <i>Spirits</i> are still causing the magical disasters, even in their exile. On the surface, their mission will be to chase down the remaining <i>Spirits</i> and destroy them to save this world." Rebeckah exined.


    "Ok, but how are they going to connect the worlds?" Halifax asked, and Rebeckah''s face went dark again.


    "By using <i>more</i> blood magic." Rebeckah answered. "The heroes will be given several magic spells and items to use in the killing of the <i>Spirits</i>. These will collect their souls and use their power as part of a ritual. Once enough power has been gathered in that world, the Gods will begin something simr here." She continued. "They only need a rtively <i>small </i>ritual to take ce in that other world, since they can use their power here to do most of the heavy lifting."


    "And those heroes will be none the wiser..." Halifax shifted her jaw in thought. ¡°I can''t imagine they''re going to like the truth once they find out. But but hat point, it would already be far toote.¡±


    <i>{If the Gods manage to flee to that other world, who knows what kinds of horrors they mightmit on its poption. They already had a pretty bad track record with the treatment of people of this world, but if they were willing to kill so many people just to save themselves...} </i>It was a grim prospect, and one she didn''t want to think about. <i>{Either way, they can''t be allowed to seed. Not after everything they''ve done and especially now that they''re nning something so heinous. At the end of the day, this will ensure that riel gets payback for what she did to me. Though her death... The idea doesn''t fill me with joy as much as it does... sadness...} </i>(Halifax)


    "Exactly. So, please." Rebeckah bowed deeply. "I know that you''ve no love for this world, but please... please help us save an innocent world from destruction. This world is doomed, but we have no right to bring another down with us."


    "Well... If I recall correctly, I believe that I told you that you''d need to give me a damn good reason to get involved after all these years." Halifax stood up. "And if there''s a better reason than <i>this</i>..." She cracked a smile as she stuck out her hand. "Then I don''t wanna see it."


    Spoiler


    Halifax!


    Rebeckah!


    [copse]

 Chapter 206 – Letters.

    Chapter 206 ¨C Letters.


    "Mama, where are we going?" Alice asked as she and Akagi walked along a sidewalk in an outlying suburb of Nagoya. The <i>Demon </i>had told her nothing about the nature of their outing, other than that they were going to do something <em>important</em> together.


    "Somewhere I should have taken you a long time ago." Akagi smiled. "Now,e on, we''re almost there." She grabbed Alice''s hand, and the two walked up to a small entryway, behind which was arge number of visible gravestones. As was traditional Japanese custom, people were usually cremated, and their remains were interred in small family graves due to theck of space forrge cemeteries. The Ikebuki family was no different, and their plot was within this one. After a bit of digging, Akagi managed to find out where Alice''s parents were buried after their deaths, as Alice couldn''t remember much about that time. The girl remembered only bits and pieces of her life before her time in the orphanage, and her parents'' funeral was little more than a fuzzy memory by this point.


    "This ce... I feel like I''ve been here before." Alicemented as she and Akagi wandered between the stones, looking for the Ikebuki family. She would''ve been here at the time of her parents funeral, but that was so long ago and she was so young that it would be shocking if she remembered it at all.


    "I suspect that you have been... There it is." Akagi stopped in front of a stone monument that bore the Ikebuki family name. "Do you remember now?" She asked as Alice stared at the grave.


    "Y-Yes..." Alice said quietly. "I remember now... this ce... it''s where <em>they''re</em> buried..." It seemed that a few memories returned to her, and they weren''t happy ones.


    "I''m sorry it took so long for me to bring you here." Akagi said as she knelt down next to her. "But I''ve brought you here to rectify that mistake, and to put your parents'' souls at ease..." She''d been so busy with everything else, that taking Alice to her parents grave slipped her mind.


    <i>{Not like they''re actually here though...} </i>(Akagi)


    "I don''t even remember them..." Alice started to cry as she looked at the stone. "Their faces... their voices... I don''t remember any of it..." It had been a decade since their deaths, so this wasn''t surprising given what she''d gone through.


    "Your daughter has gone through a lot, Fumi, Yuji." Akagi started speaking to the gravestones as she put one arm around the crying Alice. "But where are my manners? I''m sure you already know who I am, but allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Akagi Dumetor, the Demon Lord, and I''ve taken in your daughter, Sara. She''s gone through much more pain and suffering than anyone should ever go through in one lifetime but... it''s over now." She gave a bitter smile. Most of those who put Alice through her torture had died at her hands, but there were still a few who Akagi nned on bringing to justice. "The two of you were taken away from her at such a young age..." She stopped. This conversation was hitting a bit close to home, and it took her a second topose herself. "The two of you were taken away from her <i>far </i>too soon. I know what it''s like to grow up without parents, and both she and I have endured a great deal of misery at the hands of others..." Akagi pulled Alice into a hug. "I know I''m not your first pick as someone to take over where you left off. Hell I''m probably not even on that list at all." She gave a self deprecatingugh. "Lord knows I''m not the greatest person, but I can promise you that I''ll do everything in my power to take care of her and to make sure that she <i>never </i>has to feel pain again.¡± She rubbed Alice''s head. "I''ve taken your daughter as my own, and I will forever treat her as my child, from now until the end of time." Akagi continued. "As long as I live, I will never allow her to be alone again, and <i>no one </i>shall ever bring her harm." Naturally, the graves gave no reply, but that was fine. Akagi felt a great weight lift off her shoulders as she let these feelings out for the first time. Alice hade to mean so much to her over these past few years, and ever since they escaped FWO, she''d taken her role as <i>Mama</i> even more seriously.


    <i>{I''m sorry that I can''t do anything to reunite you... Even if I were to spend countless eons searching reality for your souls... it would be all for not...} </i>Souls would be washed through the cycle of reincarnation and thus would lose their old memories and personalities. While it would <i>technically </i>be<i> </i>possible to locate the souls of Alice''s parents, they would have no connection to their past lives. Akagi had not informed Alice of this little tidbit, as she feared it would only worsen some of Alice''s issues, but resolved to one day tell her.


    <i>{The two of you are long gone by now... but if it was possible... if you were looking down from wherever you are right now... if you could give me your blessing... I would be grateful.} </i>Akagi was not praying per se, but figured it couldn''t hurt to have a bit of hope.


    "Mama, why are you crying?" Alice looked Akagi in the eyes. The <i>Demon </i>was crying, and it seemed that not even <i>she </i>noticed.


    "I-Its nothing, really." Akagi wiped her eyes as she chuckled.


    <i>{I suppose I could say it''s raining, but that would be in bad taste.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I''ll be fine." Akagi hugged her. "And I''m sorry, Alice. I''m so sorry for everything that you had to go through. I... I wish that I''d been able to do something for you sooner."


    "It''s ok, Mama." Alice hugged her back. "You''re here now, and that''s all that matters."


    "Thank you." Akagi smiled. "Just promise me one thing." She looked Alice in her eyes.


    "Promise?" Alice tilted her head, not understanding.


    "Promise me that you''ll <i>never</i> forget your parents again." Akagi''s eyes told just how serious she was. "That you''ll never forget their love, their affection, and how much you meant to them."


    <i>{You can''t... You just CAN''T...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Fumi and Yuji... they weren''t around for very long, but I know for a <em>fact</em> that they loved you very much." Akagi smiled. "So never forget that love, and know that even if they are gone..." She put her hand over Alice''s heart. "That they will <i>always </i>be with you in here, and so long as you never forget them, they will never truly be gone."


    "I promise..." Alice said quietly.


    "Good girl." Akagi pat her on the head again. "And I promise you that <i>I''ll</i> always be here for you." She continued. "I know I''m not your real mother, and I won''t dare to try and act like her or take her ce, but... would you do me the honor of being my child?" She''d never actually asked Alice something like this, and their rtionship had been born out of Alice''s insanity rather than a mutual agreement.


    "Of course!" Alice smiled. "Mama is my Mama. And I wouldn''t want it any other way." She hugged Akagi. "I love you, Mama."


    <i>{Love... a word which I understand... but... I still don''t feel it within...} </i>Akagi thought to herself as she hugged the girl. <i>{Is what I feel for Alice love? Is it affection? What is it? I have no idea, but everything I know is telling me that feeling love for others... is just not possible. I can''t even say it to Yumi and mean it, but... to deny this child those words...} </i>


    Seeing that Akagi was struggling Alice squeezed her harder. "It''s ok, Mama. You don''t have to say it back." Her words broke Akagi out of her stupor. "I know it''s hard for you to understand that word... and I know you struggle with the concept of love... but that''s fine." She giggled. "Even if you can''t <i>say </i>it, I know that you love me in your own way and that I''m important to you, and that''s fine."


    "I... I''m sorry, Alice..."Akagi squeezed her back. "I''m a terrible mother. I can''t even say that I love my own daughter." For probably the first time since she returned from FWO, she was annoyed with an aspect of her being.


    <i>{Do I even really love Kana? Or am I just saying that out of some kind of obligation? I keep saying that she is the one and only exception to my inability to feel love, but is that merely something I''ve tricked myself into believing?} </i>(Akagi)


    "That''s not right. You''re not a bad Mom." Alice shook her head. "Besides, you say you don''t feel <i>love</i>, but I don''t think that''s true." She continued. "I think you''ve just convinced yourself that what you''re feeling <i>isn''t </i>love because you''re afraid to feel it... I know how it feels to have those kinds of emotions torn apart by others, so it''s fine if you can''t understand things now." This surprisingly mature reasoning momentarily stunned Akagi. "What you call it doesn''t matter because I and everyone else at home knows you love us. So you don''t need to say it if it causes you pain." She figured the real problem wasn''t Akagi''s status as a Demon Lord, but rather the emotion trauma she''d endured all her life. Alice figured that it wasn''t that Akagi <i>couldn''t </i>feel love, rather she was <em>afraid</em> <em>to</em> because the two people who <i>should</i> have loved her unconditionally <em>didn''t</em>.


    "I don''t know how to feel being consoled by <i>you</i>." Akagiughed. "But thanks..."


    "Children can help their parents just as much as they help their children." Alice backed away. "So don''t forget that I''m always here for you too!" She smiled.


    "I won''t. I know that you and everyone else at home loves me dearly, and I''m truly grateful for it." Akagi stood up and wiped her tears away. "And now, I''ve got onest thing for you before we leave." She pulled the same box she got from the orphanage basement out of her inventory. "Here, take this."


    "I remember that!" Alice eximed as she took the box. "They told me it was junk and wouldn''t let me have it!" She huffed as she recalled her time at the orphanage.


    Alice''s words momentarily angered Akagi, but she quickly got herself under control. "Open it. I think you''ll like what''s inside."


    Alice slowly opened the box and looked inside. The first thing she noticed was the teddy bear, followed by a picture of her and her parents when they went on vacation when she was three, along with sealed pack of letters.


    "Mom... Dad..." Alice said as she looked over the photo. "I... I remember this... we had so much fun..." She ced the photo into her inventory, then moved to the letters.


    <i>{I wonder what this is?} </i>(Alice)


    Slowly and carefully, Alice opened the envelope. After taking a moment to look through the different letters within, she started crying, hard. "They... they went through all the trouble of..."


    Within the sealed envelope was a set of letters written by her parents. There were six of them, one for each birthday she''d had by that point, plus the one close by. Each detailed their year together as a family, and Akagi presumed that these, plus twelve more, would be given to her on her eighteenth birthday as it was something she''d heard about other parents doing for their children. Alongside the letters was a small certificate that served to identify the stuffed bear. Its name was Toki, and it was apparently a special one made specifically for Alice by a toypany. Her parents were nning on giving it to her on her sixth birthday, and the respective letter even makes mention of the bear.


    "It seems they wanted to give you this little guy for your birthday back them, though fate didn''t allow it." Akagi put her hand on Alice''s shoulder. "But, even though it''s a bit bted, happy birthday Alice." She smiled.


    "T-Thank you... thank you for finding him!" Alice hugged her. "Thank you for finding these letters... and thank you for helping me to remember them..."


    Akagi hugged her back but said nothing.


    <i>{I hope that wherever you are and whatever form you''ve taken, that this has brought some kind of peace to you if that''s even possible. I''m not one to believe in superstition or anything of the sort, but in this one instance, I''m going to hope that your daughter''s feelings find their way across Space and Time to find you both.} </i>(Akagi)


    The two stayed like that for a few minutes until they separated and returned back to the estate. Upon returning, Alice quickly put together a small ss case to ce Toki in, and cast a spell to preserve him, along with the picture of her parents. On that day, a small part of her heart healed, and she took an important step forward in her recovery, and Kana would note that she seemed marginally more coherent from that day onward.

 Chapter 207 – The Squishy Designations.

    Chapter 207 ¨C The Squishy Designations.


    "Mew! Mew! Mew! Mew! Mew! Mew!" A small Catkagi let out cute meows as she bounced an intable ball off her head while sitting on the living room table. Mika had asked her to do some tricks so she could record her, and the floofy <i>Demon</i> was not one to deny her friend a bit of fun.


    "And here she is everyone, the literal incarnation of darkness herself! Look how adorable she is bouncing that little ball! And don''t forget how those kitty ears and the tail that make her cuteness level fly off the charts!" Mikaughed as she recorded Akagi''s activity. "Join me in weing our new kitty-<i>Demon </i>overlord, and don''t forget to subscribe to the channel for more kitty content!" She''d made an entire channel dedicated to short videos and posts about Akagi, which had gotten an <i>absurd </i>amount of views.


    <i>{If this is anything like the video she posted of Onee-chan riding on the ceiling fan, she''s going to get MILLIONS of views...} </i>Kana had long since given up on trying to get her sister to act normal, and had reluctantlye to terms with Akagi''s antics. Though she tended to enjoy these things more than she''d ever admit to.


    "Why are you encouraging her?" Hishya sighed as her eyes followed the ball. She and some of the others were sitting around the living room table when Akagi decided to start acting silly and they were semi mesmerized by the rhythmic bouncing. "Is the money you get from ads <i>really </i>worth it?"


    "Come on, Hishya. You <i>can''t </i>tell me she''s not cute. I mean, just look at the cute little kitty and her silly ball bouncing! People love cat videos, so just imagine how much they''ll enjoy a kinda actually but not really catgirl that''s really a <em>Demon</em>." Mikaughed as she swiped away her recording software. "Now to upload it and see how many views it gets!"


    <i>{Mama needs a new AR device!} </i>(Mika)


    "I mean, she <i>is </i>cute, I''ll concede that point..." Hishya rolled her eyes. "But that''s not the most important thing here, Mika. You don''t see me doing silly things like that with my Dragon features, do you?" She figured people would be<em>very</em>interested in silly Dragon videos.


    "You''re acting all high and mighty for the person who was happily <i>ying</i> with said kitty when we got here." Naomi grinned.


    "SHE MADE ME DO IT!" Hishya eximed loudly in an attempt to cover her ass. She''d gotten a bit distracted as she messed around with Akagi, and didn''t notice the approaching girls. Kana took the opportunity to tease the heck out of her, and Mika got a video of Hishya ying tug of war with Akagi.


    <i>{That stupid cat KNEW they wereing and chose NOT to warn me...} </i>(Hishya)


    "A likely story." Kana huffed. "I see you''re the kind of girl to cheat on one sister with the other." She feigned being hurt.


    "You know that couldn''t be <i>further </i>from the truth." Hishya flicked her on the forehead. "Trust me, YOU are more than enough trouble, Kana. I don''t need whatever THAT is..." She pointed to Akagi, who was still bouncing the ball happily.


    "Akagi is <i>mine</i> anyway." Yumi gave a fierce smile that told everyone that she knew how to dispose of bodies. "I don''t share." She was fine with simple ying, but anything <em>more</em> was going to bring out the <i>scary </i>side of the Priestess.


    "Wait, why am I trouble?!?" Kana eximed while rubbing her forehead. "I never cause problems for anyone!" She couldn''t believe that Hishya of all people called <i>her </i>trouble!


    <i>{Thising from the Dragon who likes to sleep all day on her pillows yet always ends up in the middle of whatever chaos is going on!} </i>(Kana)


    "Shall I get out the list?" Hishya asked. "We can start with your incessant need to pick on others."


    "Yeah, Scary Kana is <i>big </i>trouble." Naomi smirked. "She''s given Mika and I such grief over these years." She decided to join in on the harassment.


    "Do I need to hit you with Himari <i>again</i>?" Kana red at her friend, ready to bonk her.


    "Please don''t use me to bludgeon people... I''m a sword, not a club..." Himariined about being used as an instrument of pain.


    "Anything heavy enough can be a club." Kana said confidently.


    <i>{I''m made for cutting, not bonking...} </i>(Himari)


    "Considering my sister is as foolish as she is, I''d say she should''ve been forged as a warhammer or some other kind of blunt weapon." Momo chuckled. "Lord knows she''s not very <i>sharp.</i>"


    "Pffff." (Mika x Naomi x Kana x Hishya x Yumi)


    "At least our creators got you right, Momo. After all, you are a <i>stick </i>in the mud." Himari hit back.


    "Ohhh scathing... What''s next? Are you going to call me a toothpick again?" Momo''s eye-rolling was audible.


    "Ok children, stop arguing." Akagi spoke up.


    "She started it." Himari tried pointing the me at her sister.


    ¡°Its not my fault that Himari is like this.¡± Momo huffed. The two tended to act like this a bit more than Akagi would like, and she''d gotten frustrated with their incessant bickering when they were together.


    "And I don''t care." Akagi sighed. "Can it."


    "It''s just a bit of sibling banter." Hishya shrugged. "Honestly, it''s nothing that you and Kana don''t do." She was surprised that Akagi voiced her displeasure over the banter.


    "Oi!" Kana cried out in protest but was ignored.


    "Yeah, but you see. Unlike these two, when <i>we </i>do it its mostly for fun andughs rather than slinging stupidments back and forth.¡± Akagi said.


    <i>{Not to mention those two tend to get like this EVERY time they''re together...} </i>(Akagi)


    "By <i>we,</i> I think you mean <em>you</em>." Kana red at her. "Since 99% of the time, it''s <i>your</i> fault for starting things!" She didn''t like the insinuation that she was just as guilty as Akagi, though everyone else knew it was true.


    Akagi started whistling rather than answer herint.


    <i>{I''m gonna throw you, you tiny cat!} </i>(Kana)


    "Hey! The views andments are finallying in!" Mika said excitedly as she looked at her page. "The topment says <i>I Can''t Believe the World Ending Horror is this Cute!</i> and it has... <em>10k</em> likes already!" Sheughed.


    <i>{We''ve already got half a million views! I''m beginning to think I should just do this for my career. Maybe Akagi would take me on as her PR person?} </i>Mikaughed internally at her silly joke.


    "Well, I <i>am </i>cute, so it''s natural they think so." Akagi said with a smug expression.


    "Yes you are!" Yumi picked her up off the table and ced the small Catkagi in herp. "You''re the cutest world-destroying <i>Demon</i> kitty! When you decide to take over the world, you can just sit in myp while you order your legions to march forward!" Akagi and Yumiughed, though how seriously either of them were was unknown.


    <i>{I can already see it now...} </i>(Hishya)


    "How did <i>this</i> be our lives?" Hishya groaned. "We''ve got the Demon Lord turning herself into a small catgirl doing tricks for people on the inte forughs..."


    <i>{Its honestly kind of funny if you think about it, and about right for Akagi.} </i>(Naomi)


    "Don''t forget the constant threat of annihtion!" Akagi said while being fluffed.


    "Ah yes, <i>sorry</i>." Hishya rolled her eyes. "How could I forget <i>that </i>important tidbit."


    "I think Hishya is just envious." Yumiughed. "I bet that she wishes that she could shrink down and be a tiny Dragon that Kana snuggles with."


    "No I don''t!" Hishya denied the Priestess''s, likely urate, assertion. "I am perfectly content with how I am, and I don''t need anyone coddling me!" Though she wouldn''t deny that having Kana snuggle like that might have been nice.


    "I''d almost be inclined to believe you <i>if</i> you didn''t make a fuss when I yed with your tail." Kana squinted in doubt.


    <i>{You enjoy pets just as much as Onee-chan does! So don''t sit here and act like you''re better, Ms. Lizard who likes being spoiled!} </i>(Kana)


    "Quiet you!" Hishya growled at her.


    "Oh?" Mika and Naomi perked up.


    "I will refrain from saying more. But just know that our resident Dragon here is <i>much</i> more interested in being spoiled than she lets on." Kana giggled.


    <i>{I swear to god, if you talk about this any further I''m showing everyone those pictures!} </i>(Hishya)


    "Maybe we should start petting Hishya then?" Mika gave a twisted smile. "Would the Dragon like to be scratched? I could even lotion up your scales for you!"


    "Mika, you <i>do </i>recall what happened the LAST time you messed with me, don''t you." Hishya pursed her lips and made a small me appear. She''d definitely burn her again if she tried anything funny.


    "Don''t worry, Mika!" Akagi jumped into Mika''sp and spread out her arms in a protective manner. "The Kitty shall save you from the evil Dragon!"


    "My hero!" Mika swooned as the great kitty hero came to her rescue.


    "Come evil Dragon! I Akagi the Hero shall defeat you and save this fair wench from your nasty ns!" Akagi smirked.


    <i>{What the hell is this role reversal?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    "Yeah, you tell-" Mika stopped as she soon as she realized what Akagi said. "Wait, what do you mean <i>wench?!?</i>" She grabbed Akagi and started to squeeze the life out of the small cat.


    "It''s a form of endearment, don''t worry about it." Akagi smiled.


    "NO IT FUCKING ISN''T!" Mika squeezed Akagi so tight that she exploded in a shower of ck particles that rained down across the room.


    <i>{YOU FUCKING EXPLODED AGAIN!} </i>(Mika)


    "Did Akagi just... <i>explode</i>?" Naomi was struggling to speak as she wasughing too hard, and doubled over on the couch.


    "She does that asionally..." Kana was also simrly red fromughing.


    <i>{I hate that she can say that withplete seriousness...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Exploding is fun." Akagi reformed on Yumi''sp with a shit eating grin on her face.


    "I give you pets, treats, and even y with you, and <i>this</i> is how you repay me?!?" Mika cried in protest.


    "And all those things <em>are</em> appreciated." Akagi nodded. "But that doesn''t make you immune from my teasing, Mika. I think I''ve told you that before." She continued. "Besides, you make <em>lots</em> of money having me do silly things in those videos, so I think a bit of a <i>tax </i>is warranted." The <i>Demon</i> kitty snickered.


    "Damn you, kitty..." Mika red at her, knowing she was right.


    "At least she called you a <i>fair</i> wench." Naomi said while wiping tears from her eyes.


    "Suuure, because <em>that</em> makes things soooo much better." Mika sighed.


    "Hey,pared to the courtesans I hit up in FWO, Mika''s a 10/10." Akagi winked, which caused Yumi tough.


    "Oh god, don''t remind me of <i>that</i>..." Hishya shook her head. "You fucking <i>loved</i> going into the red light district..." She felt Kana''s gaze pierce into her soul. "A PLACE I NEVER <i><u><b>EVER</b></u></i><i><b> </b></i>WENT TO!"


    <i>{I can never tell Kana what I did in those ces...} </i>(Hishya)


    "I''m d to see Akagi spreads her torment among everyone equally." Yumi smiled.


    "Yeah, it''s nice to watch her mess with someone else for a change." Kana smiled in agreement, since she was usually the most targeted of the group.


    "Yup." Hishya nodded.


    "Mika gets off light on that front, in my opinion anyway." Naomi agreed.


    "She literally <i>never </i>picks on you." Mika frowned. Most of the time Akagi never did anything to harass Naomi, and she thought it was unfair favoritism.


    "Naomi gets enough crap from me by listening to my issues." Akagi said. "Thus I keep additional tormenting to a minimum aspensation." She figured that was only fair.


    "You bastard!" (Kana x Mika)


    "Why does <i>she</i> get special treatment?!?" Kana was genuinely annoyed. "I''m your sister, and I get no reprieve!"


    <i>{You treat your friend better than your own sister?!?} </i>(Kana)


    "Yeah, and you even called me your Official Backup Squishy!" Mika thought this was a silly title but liked it. "Where are my benefits?!?" She figured the title came with some kind of better treatment and rewards.


    "Backup squishy?" Hishya didn''t understand that term. "What does that mean? I don''t like the sound of it..." She figured it was something stupid.


    "It just means that Mika is my go-to in case Yumi is unavable for pets and other snuggles." Akagi smiled.


    <i>{I shall not allow it! Akagi will be floofed by me as much as possible!} </i>(Yumi)


    "Ahh, so Mika''s one of your <i>capture targets</i>." Hishyaughed as she used a term from Otome games.


    "Yup, but rather than sex, my harem provides snuggles, cuddles, and pets." Akagiughed as Yumi yed with her ears.


    "Oh god, she''s right..." Kana put her head in her hands as she realized the truth.


    <i>{Onee-chan has her own fucking snuggle harem...} </i>(Kana)


    "Is that all we are to you? People who provide for your needs?" Mika asked in fake outrage.


    "Yep! You exist for one purpose, and that is to spoil me!" Akagi chuckled. ¡°Be happy, for you have been given a great honor by being a designated floofer!¡±


    "When people ask what the meaning of life is, we can just tell them that your only purpose is to pet the <i>Demon </i>kitty." Naomiughed.


    "Of the many answers to that question, this has to be the one that<em>nobody</em>had on their bingo card." Kana sighed.


    <em>{Speaking of bingo card, I need to check mine again. I''ve been crossing so many things off it over thisst year that its been crazy.}</em>(Akagi)


    "My condolences, Yumi." Hishya was stillughing. ¡°I can''t imagine how demanding of you the <i>kitty </i>is.¡±


    <i>{The poor girl must be tired from all the sleepless nights.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Akagi is a harsh mistress, but I shall do all in my power to meet her snuggle needs!" Yumi startedughing as she picked up the small Catkagi and began to woosh her around like a toy airne.


    "Out of curiosity, what titles would the rest of us have?" Naomi asked about their squishy designations.


    "Kana would be Initially Reluctant Squishy. Hishya would be Angry Squishy and Naomi, you would be Emergency Squishy!" Akagi answered.


    "I hate how my title is so urate..." Kana hung her head in defeat.


    <i>{I''ve basically sumbed to her craziness and now y with her on the regr. What has be of me?} </i>(Kana)


    "Why am I the angry one?" Hishya asked, pretending not to know the answer.


    "Because you yell a lot." Akagi smiled. "And because you''re a Dragon."


    "How did we get here again?" Mika asked the question everyone else wanted to.


    "I keep telling you, Onee-chan can lower our IQ with her powers..." Kana sighed. "And she uses said power to derail everything and make us talk about stupid things."


    "Hey, at least we''re having fun!" Akagi gave a toothy smile. "Just sit back, rx, and enjoy the floofy cat. I can promise you that touching me is quite refreshing! I''ve spent countless hours making this body as squish and soft as possible!"


    "Indeed! The power of floofpels you!" Yumi giggled as she held Akagi out in front of her. "All hail the mighty <i>Demon </i>kitty of floof and destruction! May her reign be eternal and filled with nothing but cuteness!"


    "I for one wee our new fluffy overlord." Mikaughed.

 Chapter 208 – The Hero and the Demon Lord.

    Chapter 208 ¨C The Hero and the Demon Lord.


    The night before the official ceremony to mark the creation of Dumetor, Hishya was wandering around the Estate, unable to sleep. Tomorrow would mark the one-year anniversary of their escape from FWO, and so much had happened in that brief time. Hishya had been granted new life, watched the person she feared the most turn into an even more powerful monster, battled people who were once teammates, found love, and even moved to a new home. It had been a busy year, and her mind was racing as everything zipped through her head.


    "It''s crazy... it really is." Hishya sighed as she walked into the garden, water bottle in hand. "I''ve... so much has happened... it''s honestly overwhelming..." As she entered, she noticed Akagi sitting on a nket, drinking Sake, and eating some snacks.


    "I''m surprised to see you up." Hishya called out to her. "I figured you be snuggled up to Yumi in cat mode." She chuckled as she walked over.


    "I was, but I''ve got some things to do, and even more to think about." Akagi picked up her Kiseru and lit it as she answered. "Not to mention, the night... it''s nice." As she said this a small breeze went past her, causing her hair to flutter in the wind. "The darkness is calming, if that makes any sense. There''s no noise, no light, nothing..."


    "I imagine a shadow <i>Demon</i> would enjoy the darkness." Hishya said as she sat across from her. "Plus, your whole motif revolves around the night and such, so it''s no surprise you''vee to enjoy it."


    Akagiughed. "Even before FWO, I was always a night owl." She offered Hishya a cup of Sake, which the Dragon epted. "The night is peaceful, and it''s nice knowing that with everyone else sleeping, I can act freely without being interrupted."


    "You were just happy not to have to tiptoe around your parents..." Hishya gave a wry smile which caused Akagi to re at her. It seemed she hit the nail on the head.


    "Considering they were a pain in my ass for 99% of my waking life, yeah that''s probably right." Akagi said as she sipped her drink. She was always afraid of what Shima or Taichi would do, and whenever they were either asleep or on some kind of trip she felt much calmer.


    <i>{Aint it fucked up that I was happyist when my parents weren''t around?} </i>(Akagi)


    "I can''t imagine going through life with parents like that." Hishya took a sip. "Mine were always so caring, even after I got sick." She paused for a moment. "I''m not trying to brag, mind you..."


    "I know." Akagi gave a bitter smile. "Though I won''t deny that I''m jealous. I do wish I could''ve had halfway decent parents."


    <i>{Though there''s no point pining for it now, as that time has long since passed.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Damn, the Demon Lord is jealous of <i>me</i>." Hishya gave a smallugh. "Though I suppose I''vee to understand what Naomi was talking about back then..."


    "???" Akagi tilted her head, as she didn''t know what the Dragon was talking about. "What do you mean?"


    "That..." Hishya sighed. "First of all, this is something that I should have done sooner." She bowed deeply. "I''m sorry for being an asshole."


    "Generally or...?" Akagi was confused, a rarity for the <i>Demon</i>.


    "Kana and I were... let''s just say we were saying and thinking <i>not-so-nice </i>things about you and your actions behind your back." Hishya gave a wry smile as she lifted her head. "We... we might have been overly critical of your <i>whimsical</i> attitude and... and we said some things in private that I regret looking back." Hishya and Kana hadn''t really talked about this issue to Akagi, and made sure not to speak about this topic in earshot of the <i>Demon</i>. But both the dragon and Kana had said things that might have upset Akagi if she knew.


    <i>{I hope Kana has talked to her about this too, its only right that she also apologizes, even if Akagi has no idea what we said about her.} (Hishya)</i>


    "I mean, people talk bad about me all the time." Akagi shrugged. "I''m not shocked that you two had some issues with me and discussed it in private. I don''t mind." She would''ve been more surprised if they <i>didn''t </i>have anything negative to say about her.


    <i>{I''m anything but a perfect sister, so Kana having her own issues with me is understandable. Especially after this past year''s events.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I know that, but still. Looking back, she and I couldn''t really appreciate what you''ve been through and what you struggle with." Hishya bit her lip. "Your habit of acting as goofy as you do... I think it rubbed us both the wrong way, which that led us to act inappropriately, and it took Naomi lecturing us to get us to snap us out of our stupidity."


    "So <i>that''s </i>why the two of you opened up to my antics a bit more." Akagiughed as she took a hit from her pipe. "I did find it strange that both you and Kana did a 180 on the whole <i>cat</i> thing." Though she was happy that both of them yed with her more now.


    "We realized that we were being overly judgmental, and that we had no right to act as bratty as we did." Hishya shook her head as she took a sip of Sake. "Naomi was right, even if we might not entirely agree with your... let''s just say <i>less than mature actions</i>. We really don''t have any right to act like we did. Not to mention, you honestly don''t do anything particrly annoying to either of us when you get like that." Thinking about it, Akagi didn''t really bother her or the girls with her games, and at most she just wanted attention. Something that Hishya now appreciated as an aspect of her effective abandonment by her parents.


    <i>{She''s just doing that stuff because of an internal need for attention. She never got it from her parents, and now that she found something other people are interested in, she''s clung to it. I... I really feel like an asshole now...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Well yeah, I''m not stupid enough to suppose you two are thrilled with my antics. So I try to keep it reasonable." Akagiughed. "Why do you think that I don''t do things like y on Kana''s clown issues or wrap around her? Because I know she genuinely dislikes it, and I don''t want to make people ufortable just forughs." She wouldn''t like it done to her and so tried not to do it to others.


    "<i>That''s</i> why I''m apologizing, and I''ll remind Kana to do the same if she hasn''t already." Hishya sighed. "She of all people shouldn''t be acting like that toward you. After all, Demon Lord or not, you''ve been nothing but kind to that girl for her entire life, and I know you love her to pieces."


    "What gave it away?" Akagi chuckled. "She''s the only ''family'' I have, at least in the ''blood'' distinction. Not to mention that girl was a beacon of light during my darkest moments at the house. Hell at this point, I''m pretty sure that <i>she </i>is the reason I never went off the deep end for all those years."


    <i>{Whether or not my use of the term love is real or not, Kana means so much to me.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Considering she saw an alternate reality without her in which you went full Demon Lord crazy, that''s an <i>understatement</i>." Hishya gave a nervousugh.


    <i>{I remember when she told me about it. She saw Mika die, the world burn, and her own mother dead in the street. And from what she told me about Akagi in that alternate world... I think I''ll take the fluffy cat that wants pets...} </i>(Hishya)


    "I just feel bad that I''ve put her through so much grief over thisst year..." Akagi took another hit of her pipe. "Her family life was torn apart, school has be painful, she''s had bodily changes, and... and she even had to find out the truth about me..." She looked slightly sad.


    "I know Kana doesn''t see it that way, and I know you know that." Hishya replied. Kana had told Hishya over and over again that she felt that things were for the best, and that she wasn''t angry with Akagi for how things turned out.


    "Yeah... still doesn''t make <i>me </i>feel better about it." Akagi sighed.


    "Listen, as many objections she has to your actions as an assassin and Demon Lord, that girl is just happy to finally see you break out of your shell." Hishya looked up at the moon as she drank. "She''s told me a bit about things, and one of her biggest worries was that you would just... <i>vanish</i>." She continued. "Kana knew you weren''t in the best position in that house, and she was well aware that you were... let''s just say <i>checked out</i>. She told me once that her biggest fear... was getting notified one day that you''d ended your own life out of misery."


    <i>{Considering you did that in a dream already, I''d say that was a quite a reasonable fear.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Which exins why she was so angry with me when I told her that''s what I did in that nightmare." Akagi gave a wry smile.


    "Ohhhh trust me, she was <i>angry</i>." Hishya gave a wry smile. "She called me after school that evening and hooooo boy..." She recalled <i>that </i>conversation. "Akagi, just... please understand how much you mean to her... like <i>really</i> mean to her."


    "I do." Akagi nodded.


    "No, I don''t think you do." Hishya shook her head. "That girl... she''s probably as fanatical as any of the former NPCs. Hell, I''d say that if it wasn''t for <i>certain </i>things, she''d have joined that cult that worships you..."


    "..." Akagi didn''t know what to say to that statement, something that had been happening to much in this conversation.


    "You are the most important person in her world, even more than <i>me, </i>her girlfriend!" Hishya dered. "Trust me, it''s vexing knowing that my <i>girlfriend</i> would side with YOU over ME in a dispute, but I''vee to ept that''s just who she is." She figured it best not to let that bother her if she wanted to be happy.


    "I mean, she <i>did </i>say I could eat her soul if I really wanted to." Akagi scratched her cheat in embarrassment.


    "I''m not even gonna ask why <i>that </i>became a conversation topic." Hishya put out her cup for a refill, which Akagi obliged. "But it''s not really surprising. That girl would probably go against the world for you..."


    <i>{I know family should be close, but Kana is on a whole other level of devotion. It''s no wonder Mika and Naomi call her a sis-con...} </i>(Hishya)


    "I still don''t know why she''s like that." Akagi shrugged. "I never did anything that important for her."


    "I''m not going to pretend to understand thebyrinth that is Kana Tomogawa, but I think it has to do with a level of guilt coupled with well... this is gonna sound cliche but I''m pretty sure that she views you as this awesome reliable older sister... Even back when you were kids, I get the sense that she had this idealized version of who you are in her mind, and that might have shaped how she views you. Not to mention what kind of person you came out of FWO as." Hishya exined.


    "I still don''t understand the guilt thing." Akagi groaned. "But then again, I know damn well that emotions don''t have to be logical..."


    "Honestly, if you want my opinion, Kana will likely <i>always</i> see herself as having stolen your happy family out from under you." Hishya shifted to a morefortable position. "Even if it really makes no sense, in her mind she caused all that pain you were put through as a kid, and even if she knows that <i>logically </i>that''s not true. I think her own trauma from being adjacent to your abuse has left her scarred in her own way."


    "I never really thought about it like that." Akagi thought for a moment. "Secondhand trauma from seeing me get put through all that hell... I guess that would make sense."


    "Apparently she''s been talking all this out with the therapist she''s seeing regarding the whole Hito incident." Hishya shrugged. "But I don''t know the details."


    "I''m just d that whole thing didn''t cause her more mental damage." Akagi said. "Taking the life of that thrall was not easy, even if it was just a husk."


    "Considering you and I have no qualms about killing, I think it''s better that she <i>did </i>feel bad about it." Hishyaughed.


    "In that instance, I''d say I agree with you." Akagi nodded. ¡°Kana needs to remain as human as possible.¡± She smiled. If Kana started bing more like her, Akagi didn''t know what she''d do.


    "God how long has it been since we did this." Hishyay down on her back, looking up at the stars. "You and I used to stay in VR chat rooms till the crack of dawn back in the day, talking like this..."


    "Yeah, that was always fun." Akagi smiled. "I still remember the stupid conversations we got into."


    "Yeah, like discussing what we''d do if we got Isekai''d!" Hishyaughed. "I wonder what past us would say if we told ''em what was in store for us for real?"


    "We''d think it was fucking awesome!" Akagi snickered.


    "Yup!" Hishyaughed in agreement.


    The two were quiet for a few minutes until Hishya spoke again.


    "Hey..."


    "Yeah?" Akagi said while smoking.


    "W-When... when... Do you remember that day in FWO, not long after we got trapped?" Hishya was still looking at the stars. "We were supposed to meet up and y together, but in all the chaos we never got a chance..." She''d wanted to talk abut this for a long time, but never built up the courage, until now.


    "Yeah, that was fucking hell with everyone freaking out." Akagi nodded as she recalled the insanity of those early days.


    "We didn''t see each other for a few months due to all the chaos." Hishya continued. "And then... when we finally did, the first thing we did was-"


    "We went monster hunting!" Akagi finished for her. "I''ll never forget that day, it was great. Just me and you wandering in the wilderness killing all kinds of beasties!"


    Hishya giggled. "Yeah... that... that was so much fun. For that little while, it was almost like we weren''t in some death game."


    "Yeah, it was just you and me on a Saturday morning having fun." Akagi smiled. She always enjoyed those simple times with Hishya.


    "Yup... and not long after that..." Hishya looked over at her. "I abandoned you..."


    "You had important things to do." Akagi shook her head. "The Assault Team needed you, and rather than run around with me, you were needed where it counted."


    "I... know that... but I... looking back... I just kind of... <i>ditched</i> you that day..." Hishya said. "You were my only friend in the game... and when you told me that you didn''t want to help... not only did I yell at you, but I said some pretty nasty things." She''d regretted her vitriol for years now, and was certain that she might''ve pushed Akagi down the dark path she went.


    "I think my favorite insult was <i>future murderer</i>." Akagi chuckled. "See, you were spot on!"


    "Based on the way you talked at the time... I was worried that you''d be nothing more than some crazy Pker..." Hishya sighed. "And I was right, in a way..." She rolled onto her side, facing Akagi. "Part of me... part of me still thinks that if I''d stuck around you a bit more, that maybe, just maybe you wouldn''t have gone down that path..."


    "Who knows." Akagi shrugged. "Perhaps your presence would have kept me from bing a hired killer. Though I''d still be the Demon Lord either way."


    <i>{Though funny enough, I''ve been acting less and less like an assassin since I got out of FWO. Though I suppose that''s understandable, as I have other things to do now.} </i>(Akagi)


    "But I wouldn''t dwell on what might have been." Akagi smiled. "We''ve both got a future ahead of us, one that we can shape together into something great."


    "I just hope said future doesn''t involve more world-ending cmities." Hishya sighed. "I think your attitude of <i>leave me alone</i> is rubbing off on me, because I <i>really</i> don''t want more drama or excitement. Lord knows FWO provided enough of that for a lifetime."


    <i>{Not to mention that like her, I''m not exactly going anywhere. And after finding out what awaits us after death, I''m not keen to have me or Kana move to the next life...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Well, it''s not quite drama, but how about a bit of fun?" Akagi smiled. "If you''re up for it?"


    "What are you plotting?" Hishya asked.


    "Nothing, but your mention of that fun few days we had hunting monsters has given me an idea." Akagi continued. "We''ve got a whole world with monsters and unexplorednd in it, what do you say that you and I spend a couple of days on our own messing about and doing a bit of good old fashion exploration? We could check out Omara outside the barrier, and see what kind of cool creatures and ces exist out there. It will be like old times."


    "You know what." Hishya smiled. "That sounds like fun. I could use a nice little breather like that, especially after everything that''s happened. Some nice non-stressful exploration like we used to do in the other open-world games we ced sounds great!" She''d been itching for something like that, and this was perfect.


    "Then we''ll do that once everything is dealt with regarding the Kingdom''s formation tomorrow." Akagi nodded. "Once that''s out of the way, we can go mess around for a few days. I think that will be fun."

 Chapter 209 – The Birth of The Demon Kingdom.

    Chapter 209 ¨C The Birth of The Demon Kingdom.


    The next morning, Akagi was ready for her departure to Tokyo. She, together with Yumi, would take part in a ceremony at the Japanese Diet where the formal creation of her nation would take ce. Technically, as of midnightst night, the Kingdom of Dumetor already existed, but the signing of documents and other pomp was a necessary part of any such event.


    Due to the <i>divisive</i> nature of the transfer ofnd and the creation of a new nation on the Japanese home inds, things would be kept to a more modest level than one would expect. There were already rumblings of mass protest throughout Japan, and there were expectations of arge crowd of protesters in front of the Diet building.


    Emperor Naruhito was not to be involved with this ceremony, and Akagi insisted that the elderly man not be bothered. For some strange reason, she did not wish to disrespect him and his family by making them part of, what was really a shameful disy, and thus rejected any notion of him or any member of the Imperial family attending. Though, despite this, the Emperor did go on record asking for calm and peace, a rare urrence that surprised Japanese media as he was not known for public statements.


    "It''s time to make our dramatic entrance." Akagi snickered as she, Yumi, and Kukurihime floated above Tokyo. They''d arrived slightly ahead of schedule, and Akagi was intending to make her entrance entertaining, at least to her, by flying in from above.


    "I still don''t want to be here..." Kukurihime sighed. She''d been dragged along by Akagi, mostly because her status as the only Kami in Japan might make things easier. Though the <i>Demon </i>also figured it would be fun to show Japanese people one of their ''gods.''


    "Come on! It will be fun!" Akagi smiled. "We get to show you off to the world, and I guarantee many more people wille to your shine as a result!" She figured that might pique her interest.


    <i>{Don''t you want some of your power back?} </i>(Akagi)


    "At this point, I don''t really <i>want </i>more people toe..." The Oni was only here because she didn''t really have a choice, and Akagi''s vanity required that the only proper Kami in Japan oversaw this whole event. However, she neglected to tell the Japanese government about the resident guardian deity up until now, so she was looking forward to their reaction.


    "There''s a crazy big crowd down there." Yumi''s eyes scanned across a sea of people that had gathered around the Diet Building. There was a lot of people, even more than she''d expected.


    "I just hope this stays peaceful. Luckily Japanese people don''t tend to be that aggressive, at least not nowadays anyway..." Kukurhime was worried that some crazy people might attack the event.


    "I think it will be fine." Akagi replied. "But let''s head down now, we''ve got lots of fun to look forward to." She waved her hand, and the three of them floated down towards the Diet building''s main entrance.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Kirika POV>


    "Are we ready to go live?" Kirika looked at the cameraman who was with her. "Things are supposed to get started soon, and I don''t want to miss anything." She and her cameraman stood within a press area separated from the massive crowds. It was hard to hear each other, even this close together, as the crowd was noisy and there was a constant cacophony of horns and other noisemakers.


    "Yes, we can start recording whenever you''re ready." The cameraman nodded.


    Ordinarily, Kirika wouldn''te to Tokyo to cover news like this. Kyoto and Kansai was her main area of operation, and she was content as a local reporter, rather than one that covered national events. However, as the Kingdom of Dumetor being created <i>within </i>the Kansai region and right next to one of Japan''s major cities, it was unthinkable for her to miss such an event.


    "Good, then let''s-" Just as she was about to suggest speaking to members of the public, she heard several screams and other cries as people pointed into the air.


    Turning her head, Kirika caught sight of Akagi and Co descending into the fenced-off perimeter of the Diet building and people started shouting and making all kinds of noise.


    "Quick! Start broadcasting now!" Kirika yelled out to her cameraman, who hurriedly obliged.


    "Hello everyone at home, I apologize for the slight dy in the start of our program, but let''s get straight to things." She pointed behind her. "As you can see, Demon Lord Akagi has just arrived with two other people in tow." The three figures descended from the sky andnded on the front driveway, where several figures started speaking with them.


    "There is a massive crowd out here, and with the sudden arrival of the Demon Lord, the intensity has only increased." Kirika allowed the cheers, boos, and general roar of the crowd to sound off for a moment before continuing. "Demon Lord Akagi Dumetor will be speaking with Prime Minister Nodoka shortly, and security has informed us that we along with other members of the press will be escorted within the Diet building to cover the ceremony. Many are decrying this as a failure of Japanese domestic policy, and some are questioning the Prime Minster''s decision, but regardless of one''s thoughts on giving away territory on Honshu, it cannot be understated just how pivotal this moment is." She bit her lip. "This world is changing... and for the first time in our history, man is no longer on top of the food chain." She continued to address her audience, one that broke all her previous records as Akagi and the girls entered the Diet building.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Akagi POV>


    "That is one heck of a racket outside." Akagiughed as security escorted them.


    "Considering everything that''s happened... I''d say it''s both warranted and understandable." Kukurihime gave a wry smile and a nervousugh.


    <i>{And don''t act like you''re not enjoying it.} </i>(Kukurihime)


    "Lady Akagi, you are slightly early, and preparations are not yetplete, so if you don''t mind, we will take you to a dedicated waiting room. The Prime Minister will greet you shortly." One of the Prime Minster''s aides, a man named Nagura, informed them of the dy.


    "That''s fine." Akagi nodded. "I''m the one at fault for being here before the scheduled time, so tell him not to rush." With that, the three girls were escorted to a rathervish room within the Diet Building where they waited for around thirty minutes until the Prime Minster appeared with several other members of the Japanese Diet including the speaker.


    "Lady Akagi, it is good to meet you in person." Prime Minister Nodoka greeted her with a smile and an outstretched hand. The <i>Demon </i>could tell that the man was stressed and was likely at his limits from all the pressure on him. She imagined that he''d been through hell these past months and didn''t envy him one bit.


    "It''s good to meet you too, Mr. Prime Minster." Akagi shook his hand, returning a smile of her own. "You''ve met Yumi before, but please allow me to introduce you to a second guest I''ve brought." She pointed towards Kukurihime. "This is Kukurihime. I''m sure if you''ve been to Kyoto you might have heard of her before." The name caused Speaker to react for a moment as she was a native to the region.


    "I apologize, but I do not recognize the name." Nodoka replied. "But it is nice to meet you as well." He nodded.


    "That''s understandable. I haven''t spoken with many outsiders over thest few centuries." Kukurhime''s words caused confusion amongst everyone else in the room as Nodoka looked to Akagi for rification.


    "Kukurhime here is the Guardian Deity enshrined in the Hitsubane family shrine in Kyoto." Akagi smiled as everyone''s eyes went wide. "She''s a genuine, Kami. I figured it might be interesting to bring her along and introduce you."


    "I apologize, Lady Kukurhime." The Prime Minister and the other government officials all bowed. "Forgive me for not recognizing you." Meeting an actually guardian deity wasn''t something any of them ever expected, and most people just assumed they were little more than legend by this point.


    Startled by this sudden disy, the Oni fumbled over her words. "Y-You there is no reason for such a disy!" She frantically waved her arms, she was not really used to being treated in such a manner anymore and it caught her off guard. "I am not really that important! I am merely a humble Kami that you could find anywhere, and I truly have no real power to speak of. So please raise your head!"


    <i>{This was about the reaction I expected.} </i>Akagiughed internally. <i>{Most Japanese people would suddenly get all meek if you plop an honest-to-goodness Kami in front of them, even the Prime Minister.} </i>


    "If you say so, Lady Kukurhime." The Prime Minster along with the others raised their heads. "But I suppose that you <i>purposefully </i>did not share this information until today." He turned to Akagi with a look of exhaustion on his face.


    "I figured it would be funny." Akagiughed. "Not to mention, having a Kami here will hopefully help things proceed a bit more smoothly." She shrugged. "I think if she <i>endorses</i> the matter, that might take some heat off you."


    The Prime Minister thought for a moment before answering. "That would probably quell <i>some </i>of the anger throughout the country, and if Lady Kukurihime would be so kind to aide us in such a manner, I would be honored."


    <i>{I wasn''t really given a choice...} </i>(Kukurihime)


    "I would be delighted to help calm the situation." The Oni put on a fake smile as she told the Prime Minister what he wanted to hear, and after a bit of discussion, it was decided that the Prime Minster would take a bit of time to exin who Kukurihime was and her role as a ''mediator'' in the process. He hoped this would assuage some fears within Japan, and even give some legitimacy to the whole situation.


    Once things were hashed out, Akagi followed the Prime Minister into the central Diet Chamber, where the rest of the Japanese Government was waiting. Most members of the Legiture showed up to show their respect and/or support. Though, there were some who''d refused to attend in protest, including the representatives from the nearby districts being given away.


    Yumi and Kukurihime were taken separately into the gallery above, while the <i>Demon </i>sat next to the Prime Minster at the center of the room at a small table which had a set of binders on it. After a brief introduction, and statement from Akagi. The Prime Minster gave his prepared speech where he emphasized the need for unity in these trying times, and he stressed that <i>calm</i> was necessary. Akagi rated his speech positively overall, though she noted that his words were likely to ring hollow to most of the hardened opposition members. Many were against working with her, and even more, resented her taking of sacred Japanesend. The level of anger and distrust of returnees and FWO survivors had only increased as ofte, despite Japanese and American attempts at calming the popce.


    Once he was finished, Akagi was given the floor for a brief statement in which she repeated many of her prior derations at the UN. She stressed that her primary desire was peace and that she had no interest ining to blows with Japan. The <i>Demon</i> even noted that she had originally been born here andrgely identified with Japanese culture, even if she wasn''t actually human.


    After a standing ovation, she and the Prime Minster signed several documents for the waiting cameras, which formally created the Kingdom of Dumetor. To celebrate this historic moment, Akagi unveiled the nation''s official g. Contrary to expectations it was a rather simple and sensible design. The g in question was two colors, ck and white, each ran horizontally with ck being on top, and the center point where they met was filled with jagged lines. An outsider would note that the two were in perfect bnce and that darkness and light were constantly fighting an equal struggle. However, this equality was merely an illusion.


    While it is true that the light could drive away the darkness for a time, realistically it can never win in the eternal struggle. For light requires fuel and energy to continue to keep the darkness at bay, while darkness is the natural state of things. As Akagi said before, one day thest star will burn out, and all that will be left is aplete... and utter... <i><b>DARKNESS</b></i>.


    Hence her family motto:


    ''The Darkness Swallows the Light.''


    Spoiler


    Dumetor g!


    [copse]

 Chapter 210 – The Tickle Monster.

    Chapter 210 ¨C The Tickle Monster.


    Once the formal ceremonies and such werepleted, Akagi and the Prime Minster moved to have a short joint press conference. The <i>Demon</i> navigated about as well as possible, trying to assuage people''s fears andy out her ns for her new nation. The Prime Minster himself was hammered with questions, and Akagi could tell that he was at the end of his rope. Thus she moved to cut the press conference short with a small twin announcement.


    "Before we finish up here today, I would like to make two announcements." Akagi''s words caused the muttering among the reporters to stop. "First, I am formally inviting all those who survived our time in Free World Online to apply for Citizenship in the Kingdom of Dumetor. The illogical persecution and anger towards these innocent people have been something that I''ve kept an eye on over thest year, and unfortunately, it seems that rather than re-integrate into society many have been cast out." Tsuchimi had been the first person to formally seek refuge in Dumetor, and Akagi knew that many others were in simr positions. "Any and all survivors, even those who did not retain their abilities, are wee in my new home." Akagi smiled. "A member of my government will follow up with details regarding the admission process and suchter, so keep an eye out for that."


    <i>{Now we wait and see just how many answer the call.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Does this mean you wish to monopolize the returnees?" Reporter Kirika asked unprompted, which earned her arge number of angry stares.


    "No, I do not need more power." Akagiughed. "I simply... I don''t..." She paused for a moment before continuing. "Something about those who went through so much hardship and pain being given nothing but further suffering is just not sitting right with me is all." Even she didn''t understand her own feelings on the matter, but just chose not to question it.


    "So you just want to... help them?" Kirika asked, unsure of her own question.


    "Yes." Akagi nodded. "I don''t intend to conscript them or even force them to use their abilities for my own needs." She continued. "If they wanted to be left alone in peace, then that''s what I''d do."


    "I see..." Kirika nodded. "And please excuse my rudeness." She apologized as she sat back down.


    <i>{Thatdy is something else. Who the hell else would blurt out a question to any high-ranking official out of turn? Especially in a situation like this} </i>Akagi appreciated Kirika''s fire.


    "I take no issue with it, so it''s fine." Akagi smiled. "And as for my second announcement." She snapped her fingers and went into Demon Lord Mode. <i><b>"I am pleased to announce that tomemorate the founding of my Kingdom. Dumetor will be hosting a tournament." </b></i>She continued. <i><b>"In one month, we shall host a contest of strength between this world and Omara''s best. Anyone is allowed to enter, not just returnees and Spirits. Details will be forting, so keep your ear to the ground. And of course, the victor will be granted a worthwhile reward." </b></i>She grinned. <i><b>"The winner will receive... a wish." </b></i>Her words caused a stir. <i><b>"My power is great, and I can do MANY things. So I figured what better incentive for a goodpetition than to grant the victor whatever they wanted, within reason of course." </b></i>Akagiughed. <i><b>"I won''t do something that interferes with my own designs of course, and I do have my limits so don''t go asking the impossible. So keep those things in mind while you theory craft, and I hope to see as manypetitors as possible." </b></i>She cackled as she vanished in front of the audience.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Kana POV>


    "Did she <i>really </i>have to make that kind of an exit..." Kana sighed as she and her ss watched the news in ss. ¡°Couldn''t she just walk out all smiles for the camera?¡±


    "I mean, this <i>is </i>Akagi..." Naomi was trying hard not tough as she whispered to her. ¡°It would be out of character if she did this whole thing by the book.¡±


    "I was hoping she''d do the entire thing in cat mode." Mika whispered as she giggled. The thought of the Japanese Prime Minister doing this entire event with a catgirl was simply too much for her and she startedughing.


    <i>{That would have been simultaneously embarrassing and... and also very funny...} </i>Kana couldn''t admit to her friends that she would have liked to see such a sight. If nothing else, the hrity of watching the Prime Minster go through all this formality for a catgirl would have probably counteracted her dying on the inside from seeing her sister do something so stupid.


    "I wonder if Lady Akagi would take me in?" Misha asked herself quietly, though the girls still overheard her.


    <i>{Why did Onee-chan have to break Misha... She was such a good girl before, and now she''s...} </i>Kana sighed. Misha''s brush with death and subsequent ''awakening'' had caused her to change immensely, at least on this one issue. Beyond her whole obsession with the Demon Lord, she was otherwise normal, at least Kana hoped that was the case. <i>{I know Onee-chan didn''t do this on purpose, but I still feel bad...} </i>


    "The cult will soon have its newest Priestess!" Mika whispered whileughing.


    "It''s not funny, Mika!" Kana scolded her. "Misha is messed up because of what happened, so don''t beughing!"


    "At this point, there isn''t anything we can do about it, so just leave Misha alone." Naomi interjected. "She seems happy, so I think it''s fine."


    <i>{Yeah... sure... happy...} </i>Kana nced over at the girl who had a big smile on her face as she imagined working for her Lady in Dumetor.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    "So, how does it feel to leave Japan for the first time?" Akagi asked Mika as Yumi pet her on the head. She''de home directly after the events at the Diet, leaving Kukurihime to handle her part alone.


    "Honestly, I''m not impressed." Mika answered as she took a seat on the couch across from her. They''d gotten out of school just a bit ago, and came to the estate to meet the newest ''monarch'' in all the world.


    "Yeah." Naomi agreed. "I was expecting the <i>Demon Kingdom</i> to have a bit more in the way of evil castles, moats ofva, and maybe some screams of the dammed. Its too quaint and cutesy here for my taste."


    "Smart assess..." Akagi sighed as Yumi scratched her ears. "I guess I <em>could</em> ask Silfana for decoration advice. She did have some pretty horror-esque design within hernd."


    <i>{Maybe I needva sharks withser eyes to keep out the intruders?} </i>(Akagi)


    "What, no cat theme?" Kana asked as she came from the kitchen spinning a water bottle in her hand. "You might as well show the world your true self." She pointed to her sister being scratched as a Catkagi.


    "You have <i>no idea</i> how tempted I was to go to this whole thing looking like this." Akagi smirked.


    "I KNEW IT!" Kana eximed. "I knew that was on your mind!"


    <i>{I hate that I wish you would''ve done it too!} </i>(Kana)


    "You should have." Mikaughed. "That would have been amazing!"


    "It would have been an <i>interesting</i> event if she did." Naomi was also giggling. "Everyone would be acting super serious and respectful as they spoke to the Demon Kitty about her new nation of evil."


    "When nyi nyexterminyate humyanity, nyi''ll myake sure I''m nyas kanyaii nyas possible meow~!"


    [When I exterminate humanity, I''ll make sure I''m as cute as possible!] Akagi spoke in nyanspeak, which made everyone but Yumi cringe.


    "Please don''t do that again..." (Mika x Naomi x Kana)


    "You have no idea how much hearing that kind of speech... <i>hurts</i>..." Kana sighed. She could barely understand Ara when she spoke like that. Former NPCs and yers had no problem understanding cat speak, but people from Earth or Omara were left bewildered by the catgirl''s words.


    "I know, but it was funny." Akagiughed.


    "And it was cute." Yumi giggled. "You should do that more often."


    "NOOOO!" (Kana x Mika x Naomi)


    "Yumi, don''t you dare encourage her!" Kana scolded her. "If you get her to start doing it with you, it will <i>spread,</i> and we don''t want that." She couldn''t imagine living with a Catkagi doing that 24/7.


    "But the kitty girl speaking all funny is so cute!" Yumi hugged onto Akagi. ¡°Do it again, kitty!¡±


    ¡°MEW!¡± Akagi gave a meow, rather than speak in cat.


    "This is the <i>one</i> thing I won''t relent on!" Kana was putting her foot down. "No cat speak! Please! Otherwise I <i>will </i>kick your ass!"


    "Don''t worry." Akagi smiled. "I won''t do it. I don''t really like it myself, to be honest."


    "Thank god..." Mika sighed. "I want kitty, but I don''t want kitty to start speaking like <i>that</i>." While she did find it cute, it was also very annoying.


    "Yeah, please just stick to meowing like you already do." Naomi agreed. ¡°I like kitty meows best.¡±


    "MEW! MEW!" Akagi meowed as Yumi started to rub her. "Oh yeah, before I forget. Kana, I''m borrowing your girlfriend for a few days."


    "What are you doing to poor Hishya?" Kana sighed, figuring that Hishya was doomed.


    "<i>This time</i>, it''s going to be fun, so don''t worry." Akagi smiled. "We''re gonna go exploring in Omara for a few days, kinda like we used to do back in the day."


    "Oh... good." Kana was relieved to hear her girlfriend wouldn''t be returning as boots. "I was worried it would be some kind of crazy thing where you like... I don''t know, throw her intos for kicks."


    <em>{Wait, this time?}</em>(Kana)


    "So mean!" Akagi cried out in fake outrage. "What kind of person do you think I am?"


    "Think? More like <i>know</i>." Kana rolled her eyes. "You do all sorts of things to people because you find it <i>fun</i>, so don''t try acting all innocent. My skepticism of you ispletely warranted, and you know it." She''d seen what happens to those who Akagi ''yed with.''


    "Do you see this?" Akagi looked to Mika and Naomi for help. "My little sister is being so mean to me! She thinks her big sister is some kind of evil monster that takes pleasure in tormenting people! Isn''t that awful of her?!?"


    "No." (Mika x Naomi x Yumi)


    "Why did <i>you</i> say no?!?" Akagi red at the Priestess.


    "Because it was funny." Yumi giggled. "And also because Kana is dead on when ites to you and your antics. Even you can''t deny her words ring true."


    "See! Even <i>Yumi</i> knows you''re trouble!" Kana said with a smug look.


    <i>{Evil kitty is evil, and even your partner in crime won''t try and deny it!} </i>(Kana)


    "Such meanies!" Akagi huffed. "Perhaps I should unleash the <i><b>tickling</b></i>!" She threatened the girls with her most powerful weapon.


    "I think your tickles are banned under internationalw as a war crime." Mika shivered as she moved away from the danger, recalling the time she let Akagi tickle her, which was something that she''d immediately regretted.


    "Fear the tickles!" Akagi wiggled her fingers toward Mika as she cackled manically.


    "No tickles!" Yumi chopped her on the head. "Bad Kitty!"


    "Owchi! Yumi hasmitted kitty abuse! Is no one going to stick up for me?!?" Akagi looked to her friends for support, but was ignored.


    "Is it really that bad?" Naomi was the only one who never experienced Akagi''s tickling before, and had no idea how bad it was.


    "YES!" (Mika x Kana x Himari x Yumi)

 Chapter 211 – A Lesson Learned.

    Chapter 211 ¨C A Lesson Learned.


    Great Friend


    <ul>


    <li>


    So... how is everyone''s day going? I hope not as fucking awful as mine...


    </li>


    </ul>


    Tsuchimi


    <ul>


    <li>


    Pretty good actually! I just went on lunch with my coworkers, and we''re having buffalo chicken wraps at this cute little bistro!


    </li>


    </ul>


    Great Friend


    <ul>


    <li>


    Ok, let me ask this again...How is everyone''s day going, who <i>isn''t </i>living it up in Dumetor...


    </li>


    </ul>


    BlueDog


    <ul>


    <li>


    Not exactly great... but I guess not bad, at leastpared to some people I know.


    </li>


    </ul>


    ck Box


    <ul>


    <li>


    I had somedy throw a shoe at me at work, so I''ve had better. Fucking thing left a nice red mark on my leg...


    </li>


    </ul>


    Sagara


    <ul>


    <li>


    I just got fired today because I''m a <i>safety hazard. </i>So I''m about five seconds from making Libra look like a fucking joke.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Great Friend


    <ul>


    <li>


    Oh damn... was it because of your powers?


    </li>


    </ul>


    Sagara


    <ul>


    <li>


    No, it was because of my pretty smile... (sarcasm)


    </li>


    </ul>


    ck Box


    <ul>


    <li>


    I''m impressed they had the guts to fire you. I''d be terrified of pissing off the six-foot-tall woman whose hands are registered as lethal weapons. (Please don''t kill me...)


    </li>


    </ul>


    Sagara


    <ul>


    <li>


    I was two seconds from nuking the building with a single punch, but I decided to be better than that... Seriously I went through all that hell to get my CPA, and now I''ve got nothing... Also, you''re already dead.


    </li>


    </ul>


    ckBox


    <ul>


    <li>


    WHAT?!?


    </li>


    </ul>


    Akagi


    <ul>


    <li>


    Did someone say Libra 2 Electric boogaloo?


    </li>


    </ul>


    Blue Dog


    <ul>


    <li>


    Ah yes, trouble <i>herself </i>has arrived...


    </li>


    </ul>


    Akagi


    <ul>


    <li>


    I''m just happy to be here :)


    </li>


    </ul>


    Hishya


    <ul>


    <li>


    Akagi, don''t aggravate them...


    </li>


    </ul>


    Akagi


    <ul>


    <li>


    But it''s fun! I like riling them up and getting them all excited!


    </li>


    </ul>


    Sagara


    <ul>


    <li>


    Fun for everyone who hasn''t had their lives turned upside down...


    </li>


    </ul>


    Akagi


    <ul>


    <li>


    I mean, you can juste here and hang out at my ce. At least people won''t cause you problems anymore, not to mention we have free cookies! ;)


    </li>


    </ul>


    Blue Dog


    <ul>


    <li>


    I don''t really want to be one of your minions.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Purple Rose


    <ul>


    <li>


    Yeah, you''ve already <i>tamed </i>the dragon. So do you really need more of us?


    </li>


    </ul>


    Hishya


    <ul>


    <li>


    I swear to god, Mina...


    </li>


    </ul>


    Akagi


    <ul>


    <li>


    Now, now. Don''t go making the <i>pet </i>angry. She tends to mess the carpet when she gets excited.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Hishya


    - ¡­


    Eris


    <ul>


    <li>


    Poor Hishya, it must be so hard being leashed by the Demon Lord. Though the scales we farm from her hide are nice.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Ayame


    <ul>


    <li>


    Yeah, I even heard she lives in a dog house and drinks from a water bowl!


    </li>


    </ul>


    Blue Dog


    <ul>


    <li>


    Dang, I never knew Hishya was into <i>that </i>kind of y.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Hishya


    <ul>


    <li>


    Keep it up, but remember @Blue Dog. <i>I know where you live.</i>


    </li>


    </ul>


    Blue Dog


    <ul>


    <li>


    NO <i>PLEASE</i>! SPARE ME, OH MIGHTY DRAGON LORD! I KNOW NOT WHAT I HAVE SAID!


    </li>


    </ul>


    Kaori


    <ul>


    <li>


    Mighty Dragon lord, and also cuddly lizard. At least ording to Kana...


    </li>


    </ul>


    Hishya


    <ul>


    <li>


    Give me a moment. I need to go <i>kill </i>two idiots.


    </li>


    </ul>


    <i>Hishya has logged out.</i>


    Akagi


    <ul>


    <li>


    Well, RIP Kana and Kaori.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Purple Rose.


    <ul>


    <li>


    Shouldn''t you stop her?


    </li>


    </ul>


    Akagi


    <ul>


    <li>


    Why would I do that? This is far more entertaining.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Purple Rose.


    <ul>


    <li>


    Oh wait, forgive me. I forgot that this was <i>you </i>we were talking about. My mistake, for a moment I thought you were a kind and caring person.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Akagi


    <ul>


    <li>


    An understandable mistake, you are forgiven.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Sagara


    <ul>


    <li>


    Fuck it, @Akagi. You got any need for a certified ountant? Because I''m kinda out of options, and I just want to go somewhere and cry...


    </li>


    </ul>


    Superbia


    <ul>


    <li>


    Why note work with us?


    </li>


    </ul>


    Sagara


    <ul>


    <li>


    Because I don''t want to fight anymore, and I''m just so <i>done </i>with people being pricks to me. Some fucking kid called me a murderer yesterday when I was out at dinner with my parents...


    </li>


    </ul>


    ck Box


    <ul>


    <li>


    That''s fucking rough. But I can rte. Some old man told me to go live with the other monsters, and I''m like <i>I DON''T HAVE POWERS!!!</i>


    </li>


    </ul>


    Akagi


    <ul>


    <li>


    Actually yeah, I don''t know crap about ounting and financial stuff like that. I''ll have my people get in contact with you. I suspect you''ll be doing lots of work as we get the city established.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Sagara


    <ul>


    <li>


    I''m gonna work for the Demon Lord... Oh well... just make sure people don''t bother me anymore...


    </li>


    </ul>


    Akagi


    <ul>


    <li>


    I''m sure Tsuchimi will be happy to have someone working alongside her in Omara. She could use a buddy.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Blue Dog


    <ul>


    <li>


    Do you really want people who didn''t keep their powers too?


    </li>


    </ul>


    Akagi


    <ul>


    <li>


    Yeah. I need people, and preferably people who have at least <i>some </i>prior experience working with magic would be for the best.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Blue Dog


    <ul>


    <li>


    Hmmmm. I''ma think about it...


    </li>


    </ul>


    ck Box


    <ul>


    <li>


    Hmmmm indeed.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Great Friend


    <ul>


    <li>


    I''m kinda interested in that torny though...


    </li>


    </ul>


    Superbia


    <ul>


    <li>


    I think <i>everyone </i>is.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Akagi


    <ul>


    <li>


    Are you gonnae?


    </li>


    </ul>


    Superbia


    <ul>


    <li>


    There is no way I <i>wouldn''t</i>.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Purple Rose.


    <ul>


    <li>


    Isn''t Hishya just gonna win this?


    </li>


    </ul>


    Akagi


    <ul>


    <li>


    Not necessarily. I''m inviting the Spirits toe, and I''m banning Dragon mode. On top of that TKOs are a thing, so winning with strategy is also possible.


    </li>


    </ul>


    <i>Hishya has logged in</i>.


    Hishya


    <ul>


    <li>


    Alright, I''m back!


    </li>


    </ul>


    Eris


    <ul>


    <li>


    Did you kill your girlfriend and that poor girl?


    </li>


    </ul>


    Hishya


    <ul>


    <li>


    I tied them to a tree in the front yard.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Akagi


    <ul>


    <li>


    PFFFF! I guess Sakura will have a buddy!


    </li>


    </ul>


    Ayame


    <ul>


    <li>


    That poor girl has been tied up somewhere every time we''vee over...


    </li>


    </ul>


    Akagi


    <ul>


    <li>


    That''s usually Chloe''s doing, and the Ninja enjoy ying pranks like that on each other. Poor Sakura is just their favorite target.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Hishya


    <ul>


    <li>


    At this point, perhaps she could just quit being a ninja and be a full-time babysitter. What with both Miji and Alice being around her all the time.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Akagi


    <ul>


    <li>


    I honestly think she wouldn''t mind. But I don''t have the luxury of giving up anyone at the moment.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Hishya


    <ul>


    <li>


    Well, you just had the first marriage between two of your people yesterday, so I imagine you''ll be <i>gaining</i> one soon!


    </li>


    </ul>


    Purple Rose


    <ul>


    <li>


    <i>PLEASE</i> tell me that<i> </i>Akagi officiated the wedding with an evil speech of darkness.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Akagi


    <ul>


    <li>


    I signed a paper, and that was that. They didn''t want a ceremony. Besides, Shora and Ijin were basically already married since before FWO''s timeline. So it wasn''t really unexpected. Though they <i>did </i>request that I bless their marriage.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Hishya


    <ul>


    <li>


    Yumi told me those two were unbelievably excited about that. I think they''re doing some kind of party this week to celebrate.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Superbia


    <ul>


    <li>


    Ah yes, the evil religion of the Demon Lord does potlucks and feasts.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Sagara


    <ul>


    <li>


    Food sounds nice right about now, I wonder what I should make for dinner?


    </li>


    </ul>


    Hishya


    <ul>


    <li>


    Not gonna lie. The cooking they do at the house is crazy good! How they got so amazing is beyond me! *drools thinking about thesagna Yumi made two nights ago...*


    </li>


    </ul>


    Akagi


    <ul>


    <li>


    That was really good.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Eris


    <ul>


    <li>


    Ema''s cooking is also really good. Maybe it''s an NPC thing?


    </li>


    </ul>


    Akagi


    <ul>


    <li>


    Nope. Chloe and Marshal couldn''t cook to save their lives. In fact, I think their cooking would count as poison in FWO.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Hishya


    <ul>


    <li>


    Oh god... Please never put Chloe on kitchen duty again! When she was on punishment, I remember when she made us lunch that one day and it was <i>horrible</i>.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Akagi


    <ul>


    <li>


    Good thing I don''t need to eat, so I just tossed it onto the other side of the.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Mixu


    <ul>


    <li>


    I''m just now imagining some poor person getting whacked with a te of wet food out of nowhere.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Akagi


    <ul>


    <li>


    Hey vampy, catch!


    </li>


    </ul>


    Blue Dog


    <ul>


    <li>


    She''s not really gonna throw something and hit Mixu all the way from Kyoto... <i>right</i>?


    </li>


    </ul>


    Mixu


    <ul>


    <li>


    Oh, she fucking just did...


    </li>


    </ul>


    Sagara


    <ul>


    <li>


    What was it?


    </li>


    </ul>


    Mixu


    <ul>


    <li>


    I don''t wanna say...


    </li>


    </ul>


    Akagi


    <ul>


    <li>


    I threw a dog treat at her.


    </li>


    </ul>


    Hishya


    <ul>


    <li>


    LMFAO!


    </li>


    </ul>


    Mixu


    <ul>


    <li>


    I hate you...


    </li>


    </ul>


    Purple Rose


    <ul>


    <li>


    That''s some aim.


    </li>


    </ul>


    After a bit more teasing and discussion, Akagi logged off the group forum and decided to check out what Hishya did to her sister and Kaori.


    "Well, well, well. Look what the Dragon dragged in." Akagiughed as she looked at the hrious picture of Kana and Kaori tied to the trunk of one of the trees at the estate. Each girl was bound with a very strong rope, and around their necks hang a small sign with a bit of writing. Kana''s said <i>I Spread Lies</i>, while Kaori''s said <i>I Repeat Lies.</i> Clearly, the Dragon did not appreciate her embarrassing habits being spread to the wider world.


    "Please untie us..." Kana said with a defeated voice.


    "I don''t know..." Akagi cackled. "I might just leave you there for a few more hours."


    "I need to go to the bathroom..." Kaori squeaked and her face contorted in pain.


    "Just break out. I''m sure you could if you tried." Akagi was stillughing at her sister.


    "That was the <i>first </i>thing I did, and it didn''t work." Kana sighed. "This isn''t normal rope. Hishya said they were made of some monster''s hair."


    "Oh yeah, Nayral rope! it''s tougher than tungsten." Akagi chuckled as she walked over and ripped the rope apart.


    "BATHROOM!" Kaori ran at full speed into the closest building, kicking up a dust cloud behind her a she ran.


    "She was probably about five minutes from exploding." Kana sighed. "She just had lunch right before Hishya tied us up, and a very big helping of water."


    <i>{I need to give that girl such a verbalshing for spilling the beans! Don''t go dragging me down with you, Kaori!} </i>(Kana)


    "You really need to learn your lesson, Kana." Akagi smirked. "That Dragon is more than capable of paying you back for your actions."


    "She goes overboard. I only told Kaori a <i>little</i>." Kana grinned, she thought it might have been worth it to see Hishya embarrassed.


    "You see, ordinarily, I would condemn spreading embarrassing information about people just to see them squirm." Akagi started cackling. "But since it''s Hishya, I will hold my tongue."


    "Listen, if I told you <i>half </i>the embarrassing things that lizard does, she''d probably bury herself in a hole and nevere out." Kana cackled as well.


    <i>{Onee-chan isn''t the only one who likes pets!} </i>(Kana)


    "I wouldn''t doubt it. For all her high and mighty attitude, the little Dragon is quite the cute little thing." Akagi continued. "In FWO, she frequented a special little cafe that had all kinds of fluffy monsters and creatures you could y with. Not to mention she liked the giant fluffy beds you could jump on."


    "I''d believe it!" Kana nodded along. "Her pillow hoard is probably her favorite thing, but she <i>loves</i> anything cute, fluffy, and adorable."


    "Which is why she has struggled to keep herself from petting me." Akagiughed.


    "I know, right!" Kana agreed. "She thinks she''s slick, but everyone can tell that she''s dying on the inside when you go cat mode around her." She continued tough. "When we caught her ying with you the other day, I thought she was going to die of embarrassment!"


    <i>{The fact that she was ying tug of war with Onee-chan with that sock was fucking hysterical.} </i>(Kana)


    "Do I have to drop you on a mountain to keep you quiet?!?" Hishya said as she approached the two sisters.


    "EEEP!" Kana hid behind her sister. "The scary Dragon is here to eat me!"


    "No domestic violence allowed in the house, Hishya." Akagi stuck out her tongue.


    "Not even if I let you watch?" Hishya smirked.


    "Hmmmm." Akagi thought about it for a moment.


    "Onee-chan?!?" Kana couldn''t believe that her sister was thinking about allowing this.


    <i>{Traitor!} </i>(Kana)


    "I''ll have to decline, but you''ve my permission to bust out some clown stuff if she gets too bad." Akagi grinned.


    "NOOOO!" Kana shrank behind her sister.


    "That might be necessary." Hishya nodded. ¡°She''s been getting pretty uppitytely. Perhaps I need to get a crew together and chase her around dressed as clowns.¡±


    "I <i>will </i>end you, lizard!" Kana growled.


    "We can put on a lovely circus and force Kana to watch! All with a front-row seat and everything." Hishya cackled.


    "I already have our star performer." Akagi winked.


    "Oh yeah, that''s right! You and Alice made Bonko!" Hishyaughed, she''d gone to see the bear for herself and found it hrious.


    "Bonko?!?" Kana''s entire body tensed. "Why do I not like the sound of that name?!?"


    <i>{That sounds like a clown from hell!} </i>(Kana)


    "He''s cute." Akagi smiled. "I think you and he will get along swimmingly."


    "Yeah, I think Kana would love the <i>circus</i>." Hishya stuck out her tongue.


    "Show me a clown, and I will end <i>both</i> of you!" Kana hissed.


    "Should I turn into one?" As Akagi mused over the decision, Kana smacked her on the back of the head.


    ¡°Do it and this world will be Demon Lord free!¡± Kana dered through grit teeth.


    ¡°Oh, the <i>Princess </i>is angry.¡± Hishyaughed.


    ¡°Its not bing of a <i>Princess</i> to act in such a manner, Kana.¡± Akagi turned around with a massive smirk.


    ¡°Evil Princess!¡± Himariughed.


    ¡°Himari, you''re on <i>doorstop </i>duty for the day!¡± Kana growled.


    ¡°Nooooo.¡± Himari cried.


    ¡°The Evil Princess abuses her friends!¡± Hishya said with fake shock. ¡°We must defeat her and liberate the people from her tyranny!¡±


    ¡°Indeed!¡± Akagi nodded.


    ¡°WHY MUST YOU TWO PICK ON ME?!?¡± Kana cried out in dispair as Akagi pat her on the head.


    ¡°Because its fun!¡± (Akagi x Hishya)

 Chapter 212 – Let the Exploration Begin!

    Chapter 212 ¨C Let the Exploration Begin!


    "And now, we adventure!" Akagi cheered as she and Hishya walked down one of the roads outside of Omara. "It''s been too long since I''ve gotten to do something like this!"The two of them used to just wonder around in open world games together all the time before FWO, and each missed it.


    "While I understand and share your enthusiasm, don''t you have important work to do back home?" Hishya asked. "Your country was just formed and I''m sure that means you''ve got plenty of things to do." She figured the <i>Demon </i>was just shirking off her duties.


    "Don''t worry about it." Akagiughed. "While we''re out, I ced somepetent people in charge of things. So I think it will be fine."


    <i>{So basically you just told Yumi, Silfana, and the others to run things...}</i> (Hishya)


    "What a great leader you are, ditching your duties to y adventurer." Hishya sighed.


    "Isn''t that how all the best leaders do things?" Akagi grinned. "Besides, there isn''t <i>that </i>much to do, and I handled lots of things before today. The perks of time dtion." She winked. That had be a very useful tool to ensure things got done in a reasonable time.


    "That''s so unfair..." Hishya rolled her eyes. "Do you know how much I''d sleep if I could pause time like that?"


    <i>{Getting out of the pillow hoard is so hard...} </i>(Hishya)


    "A. Does the widdle dwagon want some sweepees?" Akagi mocked her. "You can snuggle with me if you want. I don''t mind one bit, and with that elevated body temperature, you''d make a great warming rock!" Sheughed.


    "I already got embarrassed when the girls caught me ying with you the other day. I don''t need <i>more </i>of Kana''sments..." Hishya sighed. "Also, fuck you for not saying anything about the girlsing home. You just wanted me to get flustered..."


    <i>{I know you sensed theming and deliberately didn''t mention anything.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Yep!" Akagi smiled. ¡°I figured it would be nice to show that you''re not immune to the kitty charm!¡±


    "Anyway..." Hishya wanted to move the conversation along. "Where are we headed, anyway? Do you have any specific direction or location in mind?" The only thing she was told was that they were going to go out exploring, and she had no clue what was out past the barrier.


    "Not really, no." Akagi shrugged. "There hasn''t been much mapping done outside the barrier, so I don''t even have any idea about what''s out there. The explorer team I talked to said that they''d seen some pretty strong monsters in this direction and a few neat locations."


    "I guess that <i>is </i>what makes this interesting." Hishya nodded. "If things were already explored, that would be kinda boring." The Dragon always enjoyed this kind of exploration in games, and being the first person to find something was always a joyous asion. "But why did you tell me toe in my gear? With you around I doubt we''ll have any issues, and it''s unlikely anything could be that strong."


    "It''s just good practice." Akagi nced back at her. "Besides, you''re <i>assuming</i> that nothing is that dangerous. We don''t know if that''s actually true." She pointed out that they were walking into unknown territory, and anything could happen. "There won''t be something out there that can kill me, and honestly I doubt anything can harm you either, but it''s still best to take this seriously. If nothing else, it gets us closer to our adventures back in the day where we just walked around ready forbat." She pointed to her hip where her sword sat in its sheathe.


    <i>{Is that really World Breaker? Am I going crazy? It looks right, but something seems off about it. It''s probably nothing.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Fair." Hishya shrugged. "Just do me a favor and give <i>me </i>a chance to destroy some monsters. It''s been a while since I''ve gotten a chance to cut loose on a few beasties!" She hadn''t fought anything like that since herst grinding session in FWO, as she hadn''t gone to the dungeon yet.


    ¡°I''ll let the Dragon stretch its wings, don''t worry.¡± Akagiughed as the two continued to walk down the road. Once they reached the barrier, they exited its protective field and began their mini adventure into thendscape surrounding Omara. The moment they crossed, they noticed the air get denser with mana, and the temperature and humidity shot up noticeably. Akagi figured this was a result of the barrier working to regte things within it, and the outside world was actually a bit more inhospitable.


    "You know, this ce reminds me a bit of Forealen on the East side of the Continent. You remember that ce, right?" Hishyamented as they pushed through bushes and other greenery. "It has that same overgrown feeling, and the heavy amount of magic in the air reminds me of those monster spawn areas." The yers used to call them Spawning pits and they were basically surface level dungeons with how many creatures appeared.


    "I can the simrities." Akagi agreed. "But it also reminds me of-" Before she could finish both she and Hishya stopped dead in their tracks, and quieted up. In the distance, they could hear the sound ofbat, and decided to check it out. As the two crept towards the battle in the distance, they could hear grunts, roars, and the sound of trees snapping. After a short walk, they came to a clearing in the forest where a familiar trio of explorers were fighting a four-armed gori the size of a small house.


    <i>{That looks suspiciously simr to a Barlgura.} </i>Hishya had fought simr types of monsters in FWO, and while they weren''t exceedingly powerful, they were dangerous nheless. They were known to be fast attackers, and their extra arms made it so you had to pay attention, lest you get grabbed.


    "Should we help?" Hishya asked, her hand resting on Sun Strike.


    "I think they got this." Akagi replied.


    "Don''t you mean <i>predict</i>?" Hishya decided to be a smartass.


    "Do you want a ceiling fan dropped on you?" Akagi side-eyed her. ¡°Because I have plenty.¡±


    "It would be worth it." Hishya stuck out her tongue.


    The two girls stood and watched as the group of adventurers slowly and methodically defeated the gori monster. They each took a few hits, but eventually, the ape had enough and fell down, dead.


    "Hoooo!" Ferrix let out a noise as she pulled his de out from the monster. "I didn''t expect to find another Ger out here. But damn was that a good fight."


    "I think this one was tougher than thest one." Shisa said wiping blood off her cheek. "The other one didn''t have fists that erupted into me." She didn''t like having a ming fist thrown at her.


    "This forest is basically endless, who knows what kind of crazy monsters exist out here." Mami sighed as she cleaned her sword off, flicking the blood onto the ground.


    "Well, I don''t know what kind of monsters lurk out here, but I do know that we''re under the boot of one." Ferrix scoffed.


    "Did someone call for me?" Akagiughed as she and Hishya walked up, surprising the three of them. "And also, I wear sandals, not boots."


    "Are you cursed or something?" Mami red at Ferrix.


    <i>{Thanks for drawing her here!} </i>(Mami)


    "Uhhhhh." Ferrix looked ready to run for the hills.


    "Calm the hell down." Akagi rolled her eyes. "I''m not here to kill you, and I don''t give a damn if you talk smack about me in private."


    <i>{If I wanted you dead, you''d already be so.} </i>(Akagi)


    "S-So ummm. Lady Akagi, for what do we owe the pleasure of yourpany?" Mami was simrly nervous after everything that happened.


    <i>{We attacked her people and Lady Mizumi. Even though we were controlled by the Council, we remember all of it...} </i>(Mami)


    "Please don''t start calling me that. You can just act normal." Akagi sighed.


    "Oh? Don''t like being referred to as <i>Lady</i>?" Hishya giggled. "I''ve never heard you tell the n not to call you it." She was enjoying herself, as it was rare she got to hit Akagi with this manyments back to back.


    "That''s because it''s hopeless." Akagi shrugged. "They won''t change their minds no matter how much I ask, so I gave up."


    "Damn, there are people out there who can out stubborn <i>you</i>?" Hishya smirked. "I guess you aren''t as all-powerful as you im." As she said these words, a ceiling fan dropped on her head, cracking in two as it fell to her sides. "HA! I didn''t even feel that!"


    <i>{Note to self, get a heavier fan to drop on the lizard. Preferably one that explodes on impact.} </i>(Akagi)


    <i>{What the hell am I watching?} </i>(Mami)


    "Anyway, as for why we''re out here. The lizard and I wanted to check out the surrounding geography." Akagi exined what they''d set out to do.


    "Ah, that makes sense." Shisa nodded. "We''ve been mapping out the area for a while, and I can make a copy if you want." Any help would be appreciated as they tried to find natural resources and areas with dangerous beasts. The exploration team was basically the only group who could survey thisnd, and they figured Akagi would be great at this job.


    "No, that''s fine." Akagi shook her head. "The fun part of this whole thing is finding stuff ourselves, but I''ll make sure to give your leader a copy of our findings when we get back forparison."


    "Yeah, we used to do this stuff back in the day, and that''s the part we both enjoyed." Hishya smiled.


    <i>{Back in the day? Aren''t you both younger than us?} </i>(Shisa)


    "Sounds good, just be careful out there. We''ve got no idea what kinds of crazy things lurk deeper in the forest." Shisa didn''t think they''d be harmed but warned them just in case.


    "We''re always careful." Akagi motioned for Hishya to follow her, which she did. "I''ll see youter, and be careful yourselves!" She yelled out as they walked off.


    Once they''d disappeared into the treeline, Mami let out a sigh of relief.


    "Well, at least you didn''t do anything stupid, Ferrix." Mami red at him.


    "Yeah, yeah." Ferrix rolled his eyes.


    <i>{I''m not that stupid...} </i>(Ferrix)


    "Should we clean that thing up?" Shisa pointed to the broken ceiling fan on the ground. "I don''t even know what it is-" As she spoke, it vanished in a burst of ck fire. "Nevermind."


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    Later that day.


    "Yah!" Hishya cried out as she split a giant lizard monster in two.


    "Oh no!" Akagi cried out in fake horror. "You killed your cousin! How could you kill little Liddy?!? He loved you so much!"


    "What can I say, he was always a brat." Hishyaughed as she flicked the blood off her de. "But damn, that guy went down easy. It was like cutting through butter with a hot knife."


    "Considering you''re the fucking Dragon Empress, if something <i>doesn''t </i>just die to you in one hit that''s <i>more</i> of a surprise." Akagi shrugged. "When you get to this kind of power, there''s little that can actually challenge you anymore. So I hope your ready to just insta kill most things out here."


    "That''s actually kinda depressing." Hishya sighed as she sheathed her de. She always enjoyed a good challenge, and learning that might be impossible filled her with sorrow.


    "Eh." Akagi shrugged. "It just means you have to find other ways to have fun in a fight. Besides, I''d rather be so powerful that nothing can challenge me. That way, no one can ever take things from me. If losing out on good fights is the cost, then so be it." She didn''t need to fight to stave off boredom anyway. She had video games and pets to handle that problem.


    "I suppose that''s one way to look at things." Hishya shrugged. "Where to now? We''re almost out of daylight, do you want to camp?" She asked. They''d only seen a few monsters throughout the day, and both girls were pretty disappointed so far.


    "Yeah, let''s look around for a cave or something." Akagi started looking around for a ce to sleep, and after a bit of searching, the two girls came across a shallow cave, which they decided to use as camp for the night.


    "Alright, what''s for dinner?" Hishya asked as her stomach growled.


    "Dinner?" Akagi tilted her head. "I thought you brought it?"


    "WHAT?!?" Hishya eximed. "You didn''t bring anything to eat?!?"


    <i>{YOU BROUGHT NO FOOD?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    "I don''t need to eat, so I figured <i>you</i> had that covered for yourself." Akagiughed.


    "Nooooo." Hishya despaired, as she had no food either.


    "Just kidding." Akagi winked. "I figured you''d forget. So I packed a bunch of stuff in my inventory."


    "You bastard! I thought you were serious!" Hishya growled again, loudly. "Don''t torment me about food!"


    <i>{DRAGONS NEED LOTS OF MEAT! DON''T TEASE ME ABOUT DINNER!} </i>(Hishya)


    "Ok, <i>Mika</i>." Akagi rolled her eyes as shepared her to the <i>other </i>bottomless pit that pretended to be a teenage girl. "You''re cooking though."


    "Fine, just give me stuff for ramen, and I''ll make us something really good!" Hishya''s eyes burned with a desire for food.


    "Sure, here you go." Akagi took out a pot, pans, and a bunch of ingredients for her to cook with.


    <i>{What? No kitchen sink?} </i>(Hishya)


    "Now to make a fire." Hishya gathered some sticks together in a pile before surrounding them with rocks. "WOOOOOOOO." She let out a small breath of fire which created a nice warm fire. "Time to cook!" Hishya enjoyed cooking and had gotten much better at it over thest year, and she dove right into creating her meal.


    ¡°I like how rather than use an item from your inventory, or even fire from the palm of your hand, you decided to create our campfire with your <i>breath</i>.¡± Akagiughed.


    ¡°After we learned that the vor text from FWO was a bit more than just descriptive, I''m a bit <i>cautious</i> about using certain things.¡± Hishya sighed. It turned out that the vor text from FWO was affecting more than just <i>her </i>Dragon power, and was giving weapons and other items strange effects as well.


    ¡°Yeah that''s true. The Assault Team had some crazy powerful weapons, and some of them had lore that they were cursed or took part of your soul. Didn''t Superbia''s sister have something like that?¡± Akagi asked.


    ¡°I have no idea.¡± Hishya shrugged as she cooked. ¡°You''d have to ask her, though I think the weapon in question no longer exists.¡± She didn''t really want to ask the Oni about her sister, knowing her feelings on the matter.


    After around an hour, she created a very nice vegetable and beef ramen with some fluffy noodles, and Akagi provided a bit of bread to go along with it. The <i>Demon</i> might not need to eat, but she enjoyed good food.


    "Not bad, Hishya." Akagi said as she ate some of the soup. "Your a hell of a lot better than Kana.¡± Her younger sister was not great at cooking, and was probably only marginally better than Chloe.


    Hishya shivered. "Yeah... she''s <i>not</i> the best at cooking..." She remembered the cookies Kana baked for her birthday, they werepletely burned, yet the Dragon ate every single one.


    "Not as good as Yumi, though." Akagiughed. To which Hishya just rolled her eyes.


    "Do you want to have us do watch?" Hishya wasn''t sure how they should handle sleeping.


    "I''m still aware of what''s happening while dormant, so you can just sleep through the night." Akagi replied. "No reason topletely LARP."


    "Is this really LARPing, though?" Hishya didn''t like theparison. "I mean, I''m actually a Dragon, and you''re literally a <i>Demon</i>."


    "You''re right. We''re more like a bunch of chunnis who got too much power." Akagiughed.


    "I hate how you''re right..." Hishya sighed.


    <i>{This is basically like some wish fulfillment story...} </i>(Hishya)


    The two talkedte into the evening and long into the night until her wearinesspelled Hishya to go to sleep. She pulled out a futon and one of her favorite pillows before sliding in and quickly falling asleep. Thest thing she saw before she closed her eyes was the sight of Catkagi snuggled closely to the fire for warmth.


    <i>{Fluffy...} </i>(Hishya)

 Chapter 213 – An Obvious Question.

    Chapter 213 ¨CAn Obvious Question.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    I made a twitter ount, so please follow me there if you /Panthers426


    While Hishya and Akagi roamed about in Omara, Kana sat down with Yumi, Alice, Himari, and Miji for dinner. It was rare to not have either troublemaker with them, so they were enjoying the moment, though it was not without its issues.


    "Oh, Miji..." Yumi sighed as she wiped sauce off her sister''s face, something the girl resisted vigorously. "Come on, let me get it off! Goodness, why do you have to make such a mess? It''s just pasta!" She''de to understand what her parents meant when they said Miji could be a handful.


    <i>{HOW DO YOU MAKE SUCH A MESS?!?} </i>(Yumi)


    "I think it''s just in a kid''s nature to make a mess with spaghetti and sauce." Kana nced over at Himari. The spirit had not gotten herself covered in sauce, but Kana was waiting for it.


    "Oi!" Himari cried out. "Why are you looking at me like that?!?"


    <i>{Do you think I''m some kind of messy kid?!?} </i>(Himari)


    "No reason." Kana smiled as she went back to eating.


    "You think I''m a child, don''t you?!?" Himari pouted. "You''re just like Momo! I''m not <i>that </i>irresponsible!" Though that meant she was admitting at least <i>some </i>irresponsibility in her behavior.


    "Says the girl who somehow managed to tie herself up in the hose while watering the nts..." Alicemented with a smirk. She enjoyed watching Himari wiggle around like a worm as she tried to get out, before reminding the sword to just vanish and reappear next to Kana.


    "That thing is evil! I swear it moved of its own free will!" Himari growled as she recalled her epic battle with the hose. ¡°It was truly a <i>Demon</i>!¡±


    <i>{Next time, I shall be the victorious one, Mr. Hose!} </i>(Himari)


    "Maybe Akagi turned into the hose and attacked her!" Yumiughed, knowing full well that Akagi could, would and <i>had</i> done exactly that.


    "I could see it." Kana nodded. "She''s already gone cat, so at this point, anything goes." She shivered internally at the thought of Akagi transforming into a rope and tying her up.


    "Yeah, but at least Mama is cute. Himari... not so much." Alice had a devilish smile as she casually dissed the sword girl.


    "Why are you so mean to me?!?" Himari cried out in protest.


    <i>{The Evil Child is so mean to me! Its like I have another Momo to deal with!} </i>(Himari)


    "Well, she <i>is</i> Akagi''s daughter." Yumi was trying to hold in furtherughter. "She''s taught her well in the art of teasing and bullying."


    "But why must it always be <i>me?!?</i>" Himari hung her head in defeat.


    "It''s not <i>just</i> you. Alice picks on Sakura all the time." Miji said as she casually got more pasta on her face, much to Yumi''s chagrin. "She even caused a bucket to fall on her head when she entered the ssroom the other day." She and Alice had been getting tutoring via Sakura at Akagi''s suggestion.


    "That was funny. She even tripped over a chair and fell out the window." Alice giggled as she recalled the funny scream the fox made. "Though she paid me backter with those sticky traps..."


    <i>{She really is just a small version of Onee-chan. I think the world should be happy she can''t have any actual children of her own, otherwise reality might be doomed...} </i>(Kana)


    "Please don''t take after Akagi or Alice, Miji..." Yumi sighed as she wiped her sister''s face, <i>again</i>.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll be a good girl." Miji smiled, but something told the Priestess that it was already toote.


    <i>{I guess Akagi corrupted me, and Alice/Akagi corrupted Miji...} </i>(Yumi)


    "Onee-chan really is a bad influence, isn''t she?" Kana said while eating some garlic bread.


    <i>{She corrupts everyone around her, including me and Hishya.} </i>(Kana)


    "In more ways than one." Yumi gave a wry smile. "I never imagined that I''d look forward to petting the cat version of the woman I loved, and now I can''t imagine a life without it..."


    <i>{I''ve been tainted by the kitty...} </i>(Yumi)


    "Catkagi is cute! I love her little fluffy ears!" Miji had quickly be one of Akagi''s favorite pet givers, as the young girl seemed to really enjoy ying with her. The other day, Kana and Yumi caught the amusing sight of the two wrestling in the yroom, and Akagi was even tackled and wrapped in arge futon nket.


    <i>{Onee-chan has added another one to her collection...} </i>(Kana)


    "I wonder what she and Hishya are doing right now?" Yumimented. She knew they were going to mess around in the wild, but nothing more than that.


    "Probably killing monsters, or just goofing around." Kana shrugged. "Those two yed lots of games with each other back in the day, so I''d imagine they''re acting about the same as they did back then." She only knew a bit about their pre-FWO friendship, as neither talked about it much.


    "I''m surprised you let them go alone like that." Himari said while chewing, and herment confused both Kana and Yumi.


    "Why''s that?" Kana asked. "I don''t think they''ll cause <i>much</i> trouble together."


    <i>{Well they might, but as long as I don''t think about it, it can''t cause stress!} </i>(Kana)


    "Less trouble and more that I figured you''d both be worried they''d run away together or something." Himari continued. "Those two have be quite good friends recently, and with Hishya opening up to Akagi more, I figured you''d both get jealous, or at least worried they might start acting as <em>more</em> than friends." She was voicing concerns that Akagi and Hishya might be romantically involved.


    "Hmmm." Yumi thought for a moment. "I never even thought about that, to be honest."


    <i>{Though I will smite the Dragon if it tries anything!} </i>(Yumi)


    "Me either." Kana shook her head. ¡°Even after you brought it up, my brain just can''t seem to imagine any scenario where that happens.¡±


    <i>{I sincerely doubt that Hishya could ever feel something like love toward Onee-chan, and Onee-chan is pretty dead set on the Yumi route, so I don''t see an issue.} </i>(Kana)


    "Akagi already gets all kinds of pets and affection from other people, so I''m really surprised <i>you</i> of all people haven''t gotten worried, Yumi." Himari''sment made sense from an outsider''s point of view. Though that was merely because Himari wasn''t really aware of everything regarding the <i>Demon</i>.


    <i>{Like, don''t people dislike when their partner spends time with someone else? I thought that guys didn''t like their girlfriends having male friends, so wouldn''t this be the same thing since they all like women?} </i>(Himari)


    "I don''t really think there''s anything to be concerned about. Onee-chan isn''t that kind of person, and despite my priorments about Chloe getting ear scratches, I don''t see her kitty actions as anything more than harmless ying." Kana shrugged. "I''ve never once gotten jealous of her and Hishya, probably because I <i>know </i>that no deeper meaning exists." She really couldn''t see it happening, and it probably helped that she knew her sister wouldn''t do something like that for a variety of reasons.


    "I''d say that''s my mentality as well." Yumi nodded. ¡°Akagi and I belong to each other and nobody else. Her antics are just ying around and nobody reads anything deeper into it.¡± The <i>Demon </i>had already been fluffed by most members of the n who, male or female, were just happy to pet their Lord. Heck, most saw it as an <em>honor</em>.


    "I guess I''m just surprised. In the past, people would have never allowed their partners to act like that." Himari shrugged. She''d never had an actually romantic rtionship before, so was just going off what she heard, saw, or was told by others.


    "Onee-chan''s yful attitude with people, especially the kitty thing, is in-part because she seeks attention and affection. She never got those things growing up, so I understand <i>why</i> she craves it now." Kana replied. "Yumi over there gives her an <i>ungodly</i> amount of love, and as for everyone else, that''s just her being greedy and wanting as much as people will give her." She recalled the day when Mika and Naomi were having fun with Catkagi and using toys to y with her.


    "Sister pets the kitty so much! It''s kind of crazy." Miji giggled. "Those two are always together when I see them, and Akagi is usually in fluffy form for most of it." Her hesitation to trust Akagi had, by this point, disappeared and was now reced with affection for her. The fact that she got a fluffy friend to squeeze and pet probably helped that along greatly.


    "I just can''t help myself." Yumi scratched her cheek in embarrassment. "Something about her just makes me want to spoil her senseless. Back when we were in the other world, she never acted this open or carefree, even with me, and she was a stern person most days. While she did have her moments, it was rare to see her rx like she does now, and I think that''s for the best." She smiled. Seeing Akagi act as happy as she was today was something that brought her great joy.


    <i>{Better her in floof form letting me spoil her than seeing her be mopey and sad like she could be. So I''ll take my kitty if that makes her happy!} </i>(Yumi)


    "I guess." Himari shrugged.


    "Let''s just leave it at this. <em>I</em> know how much I mean to her, and I can tell via our connection that she would never do anything to hurt me. Thisst time she went against my word sent her spiraling into depression, even though it really wasn''t a big deal." Yumi continued. "It might be hard for you to understand things, but just know that I mean a lot to her, much more than I think <i>any</i> of us can or will understand. <i>That''s</i> why I''ve never been truly jealous of her interactions with other people, because I know that she simply doesn''t have it in her to act the way you''re implying, Himari."


    "I guess I can get Akagi, she <i>is</i> a crazy <i>Demon</i> creature. So perhaps my understanding is a bitcking on that front." Himari nced over at Kana. "But what about Hishya? Are you <i>sure</i> she would never develop desires for Akagi?" She figured the Dragon was the weaker link.


    "I suppose it''s <i>possible.</i>"<i> </i>Kana knew better than to im such an event was impossible, since human nature says otherwise. "But, I''d say that''s also simrly unlikely."


    "And why''s that?" Himari asked.


    "Because she''s a Dragon." Kana''s answer confused Himari, so she exined. "Dragons get obsessed and possessive of what''s theirs, and since I''ve be her partner, she''s be <i>very</i> obsessed with me. I won''t go into detail for <i>obvious </i>reasons, but I would find it hard to believe that Hishya could ovee her own nature and break up with me. Barring extraordinary circumstances like cheating on my part, of course." She continued. "On top of that, Hishya... I honestly don''t think she could <i>ever</i> see Onee-chan in that way. After the battle with Serval, I got the sense that she sees Onee-chan as a good friend and someone she can rely on. I''m not entirely sure <i>what </i>Onee-chan said to change Hishya''s attitude as drastically as she did, but I think her feelings towards my sister are anything <i>but </i>romantic."


    <i>{I''d say its more that she has more respect for her than anything, and the two have grown closerrgely because of that mutual respect. Onee-chan sees Hishya as a good friend, and Hishya now understands that Onee-chan really does enjoy spending time with her. Not to mention, I trust her, and also I KNOW Onee-chan would NEVER do something like that to me. That stupid sister of mine cares about me wayyyy too much to ever think about stealing my girlfriend. Heck the ones that should be worried are Yuzu and Suzu, since Mika would be the one more apt to switch to team Akagi. Thankfully Mika isn''t that kind of person though. That and the fact that we''d kill her if she did something that horrible to those girls.} </i>(Kana)


    "I''d say that hits the nail on the head." Alice spoke up. "I''ve known both Mama and Hishya for a while, and they act more like close siblings than anything else. For a while, I think Hishya forgot how close they were in the past, and from what Hishya told me, I think she assumed that Mama had given up on her when the opposite was true."


    <i>{She always used to say that Mama had walked away from her just like she walked away from Mama. But that was never true, and Mama never stopped seeing Hishya as anything BUT a friend, even after everything at Hassan...} </i>(Alice)


    *DING*


    As they were talking, Kana got a notification from Mika. After reading it, she couldn''t help butugh. "Well, Mika is excited." Kana said. "Apparently, Imp finished the magical girl transformation item for her, so she''s giddy right now." She showed them a picture of Mika out on a date with Yuzu and Suzu with a big smile on their faces.


    "Oh? I must admit that I''m interested in seeing her get dressed up like that, if for nothing else than morbid curiosity." Yumi didn''t really understand the whole Magical Girl thing, but figured that since it was Mika they were talking about, it would be fun.


    "Magical Girl? What''s that?!? It sounds cool!" Miji had no idea what it meant, but the little girl was interested.


    <i>{It seems that even kids from other worlds are enthralled by them...} </i>(Kana)


    "Think Alice but cuter." Kana chuckled.


    "Oi! I''m plenty cute already!" Alice cried in protest. "I doubt Mika will topple me off the top of the cutenessdder!" She puffed her cheeks.


    "I don''t think you were <i>ever</i> at the top." Kana grinned. "Catkagi is probably number one around here." She had no polling data to back that im up, but Yumi agreed with her assessment.


    Alice clicked her tongue in frustration. "That''s not a fairparison. Mama cheats..."


    <i>{I can''tpete with her! She can be anything and that means being super cute and fluffy is easy for her!} </i>(Alice)


    "Yeah, when you can turn into <i>anything, </i>you won''t really win against in a cutepetition." Yumi giggled.


    "Am I cute?" Miji turned and asked her sister.


    "Nope." Yumi shook her head, much to the girl''s dismay. You''re <i>adorable</i>!" She grabbed her sister and started to hug and squish her. "You''re the second most adorable person I know."


    "Yeah!" Miji giggled.


    "Am I cute?" Himari tilted her head.


    "Hmmmm." Kana thought for a moment. "About as cute as a stray cat that you find in a box at the side of the road." She smirked.


    "Why did I ever expect anything else?" Himari sighed. She knew that Kana would never give her a break.


    <i>{Why am I friends with this girl? Does this mean I LIKE getting picked on?} </i>(Himari)


    "I think you''re cute." Alice smiled as she praised Himari''s cuteness.


    "Aww, thanks!" Himari appreciated the young girl''s kindness.


    "Uh-Oh..." Miji knew Alice''s words meant trouble. "Alice enjoys making cute things miserable and picking on them, just ask Ms. Sakura."


    <em>{Though to be fair, Ms. Sakura picks on other people too...} </em>(Miji)


    "You wouldn''t!" Himari looked at the little girl, who returned an obviously fake smile.


    "Do I look like the kind of person who picks on others?" Alice asked with a tone of voice that caused everyone to shiver slightly.


    <i>{Considering you killed a ton of people, picking on them isn''t that out there...} </i>(Kana)


    "Yes!" Himari eximed. "You''re just as bad as that mother of yours! You both enjoy picking on people! Heck, Momo is just as bad!" She had no clue why her sister acted like that, but med their creator.


    "It just means they care about you. Think of it as how Onee-chan and Alice show affection." Kanaughed.


    "I don''t want <em>that</em> kind of affection!" Himari groaned.


    <i>{Do you think we want it either?} </i>(Kana x Yumi x Alice.)

 Chapter 214 – The Beach Episode?

    Chapter 214 ¨C The Beach Episode?


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Small announcement for those who are not in the discord. I finally got a job at aw firm! This has been a long timeing and I''ll be working to help ordinarily people rebuild their lives. I''m looking forward to starting and will be moving sometime toward the end of the month or early November. This does mean that my writing time will decrease once things start moving, but for now release scheduling will be the same.


    My n is for everything to stay the same, as of the time of writing this I''m over sixty chapters ahead in backlog, but there is a decent chance that I will nix the Wednesday chapters in theing months.


    This Arc/book will set up the final conflict that I have nned for this story and I''m currently nning out the final arc for this story, so keep sticking around to find out where it all goes and what happens next.


    Thank you all for reading and I look forward to seeing your thoughts as chapterse out!


    "Hrrrngh..." Hishya let out a big yawn as she finally woke up the next morning. She wasn''t exactly tired from all their wondering around in the forest, but she was happy to get some nice rest. "What time is it?" She checked her AR system, which could really only disy time since this world had no wireless, only to find out that it was nearly noon. "I really need to be careful, I have the feeling that I''d sleep all day if nothing woke me up." The Dragon had taken to the stereotypical behavior of her kind, and hade to enjoy sleeping.


    <i>{What is this stupid pressure I feel on my chest?} </i>After taking a moment to orient herself, the Dragon noticed that something wasying on top of her. <i>{Did an animale inside the cave?} </i>Pulling the cover of the futon out of the way revealed one Catkagi happily sleeping on top of the nkets. She was curled up and looked like she was quite happy with her chosen sleeping spot, though said spot was on top of Hishya, and the Dragon did not approve.


    "I swear, with each passing day, she''s bing more and more catlike." Hishya sighed as she flicked the nket and sent Akagi flying, which caused the cat <i>Demon</i> to yelp in surprise as she crashed into the ground with a thud.


    "What the hell was that for?!?" Akagi hissed at her as she reoriented herself.


    "Its your fault for sleeping on top of me." Hishya shrugged as she stood up. "Why did you do that anyway? There was a million other ces to sleep, andst I saw you were curled up by the fire."


    "The fire went out, and I was toozy to relight it. So when I was searching for another warm ce to sleep, you were the only other choice." Akagi smiled as she picked herself up. "A fire Dragon makes a good heat rock and it wasfy sleeping on top of the nkets."


    "Good to know that I have such an important quality." Hishya rolled her eyes.


    "Hey, be thankful I didn''t get <i>inside </i>the futon." Akagi gave a cheeky grin. "The thought did cross my mind. Perhaps I should''ve snuggled more directly?" She k new Hishya would''ve flipped shit if she did that.


    "If you''d''ve done that, I''d''ve given you the most intense bath of your life." Hishya put away the futon and got set making breakfast, or well technically <i>lunch</i> at this hour.


    <i>{I don''t want to snuggle with you. Its already bad enough that I y with you and give you pets, so don''t try and make things even weirder...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Whatcha makin''?" Akagi hopped over to her side as the Dragon got to work. She was sitting on the floor and staring at Hishya as if she was waiting for her share of the food.


    <i>{Fooood...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Eggs and some bratwurst that you gave mest night." Hishya cracked some eggs and began frying them on a pan over a newly lit fire. ¡°We didn''t use them for dinner, so I saved them in my inventory.¡± The sizzling of the pan made Akagi start drooling.


    "Neat!" Akagi smiled as her tail wagged, and Hishya could tell she was eyeing up the food expectantly, so she chose to have a bit of <i>fun </i>with the kitty.


    "I hope you don''t think you''re getting any." Hishya grinned. "This is a kitty-free meal, so you''re on your own."


    ¡°Nyooooooooo!¡± Her words devastated the small Catkagi, who fell over in shock. "I gave you all my fooood! So how can I eat?!? Do you want me to waste away into nothing?!?¡± She scratched Hishya''s leg. ¡°FEED ME! Pweety pweese!¡±


    "Dramatic much? Don''t you not require food anyway?" Hishya rolled her eyes as she kept cooking, and tried to ignore the pining cat at her feed.


    "But I like foooood!" Akagi pined and started pulling at Hishya''s pajama bottoms.


    "Well, sorry. No food for kitties. I guess you should get out and hunt for your dinner. There might be some mice in the cave." Hishya smirked.


    <i>{Time for ME to pick on YOU! Revenge is a bitch!} </i>Hishya cackled internally, believing that she had the upper hand.


    "MEW!" Akagi meowed loudly.


    "No!" Hishya denied the meow.


    "<i>MEW</i>!" Akagi meowed again, this time with more force and a deeper tone.


    "Nope!" Hishya turned her head away.


    "<i><b>MEW!" </b></i>Akagi gave a demonic meow.


    "Don''t do that again, please." Hishya flinched.


    "MEW! MEW! MEW! MEW! MEW! MEW! MEW! MEW! MEW! MEW! MEW! MEW! MEW! MEW! MEW! MEW! MEW! MEW! AWOO! MEW!" Akagi continued to meow as she rocketed around the cave at high speed for nearly a minute until Hishya caved.


    "OK, FINE! JUST PLEASE SHUT UP!" Hishya gave in. "I was gonna cook for you anyway, but I wanted to have some fun messing with you. My mistake for thinking I could out annoying <i>you</i>."


    <i>{No wonder why some people hate cats, and was that a fucking AWOO in there?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    Giving no verbal reply, the Catkagi merely gave one final happy meow before wagging her tail and nuzzling up to Hishya, which required her to suppress the urge to throw Akagi out the cave.


    <i>{Ask not for whom the mew, mews. For it mews, for thee.} </i>(Akagi)


    After being <i>mewed</i> into submission, Hishya cooked lunch for both her and the <i>Demon</i> kitty. It was nothing special, but they both enjoyed it. Once they were finished and cleaned up, they suited up and set off for another day on their camping trip sans adventure.


    "So, where does your lizard sense tell us to go next?" Akagi asked.


    "My ''lizard sense'' is telling me to shove my foot up your ass, but I <i>think</i> we should continue going north." Hishya blew a raspberry.¡± I''m pretty sure I smell water a ways away, most likely a waterfall." Her nose was much more sensitive than a human''s, and Akagi wasn''t exactly using an upgraded sniffer at the moment.


    "Ok, Pochi! Onwards!" Akagi cheered as she marched northward.


    <i>{Don''t you fucking call me Pochi! Do it again, and I WILL put my boot up your ass, TAMA!} </i>Hishya thumbed her nose at Akagi before following.


    Wondering around the forest, Akagi and Hishya came across several monsters and dozens of smaller creatures, all of which were easily and quickly dispatched or to terrified to approach. The <i>Demon</i> wasn''t surprised by the ease of dispatch, but was disappointed with theck of monster quality. She''d been hoping that something would provide at least minor entertainment, but nothing was very interesting to fight. When Hishya mentioned her own simr disappointment, Akagi proffered a reason why things were sockluster.


    "I bet it''s because this world is so new." Akagi said taking her de out of a giant bear monster''s skull. She and Hishya had just battled arge number of monsters at once, all of which had been easily dispatched. The small clearing they stood in was littered with dozens of monster corpses, all sliced into peaces or reduced to nothing more than goop.


    "Like there isn''t enough magic? Or there hasn''t been enough time to make a better monster?" Hishya asked as she kicked a bear creature over to inspect its stomach. She''d heard something like that in a story she once read, a world generated monsters via high magic concentration, so if this world didn''t have enough that would make sense.


    "Thetter." Akagi answered. "This world is <i>full</i> of magic, and while I don''t know much about monster creation mechanics, I <i>do</i> know that you need both lots of magic and time to create good ones." Her work on the dungeon was basically a truncated version of natural monster creation.


    "So I suppose that means we''re not going to get anything decent to fight." Hishya sighed in disappointment. "I guess that''s fine, not like it really matters anyway. Unless we get something on par with a World Boss, I doubt it can fight me." She figured little wouldpared to her romp with Serval.


    "Maybe I should get Silfana to spar with you." Akagi smirked. ¡°At least that way you can get a pretty good workout in!¡± She figured suping the Vampire up with some new gear would make things fun.


    "I''ll drive my de into that Vampire''s heart if I get the opportunity." Hishya red at her. "I still don''t like you keeping her around, but at least she''s on a leash." She still wanted her dead, though didn''t do so since that would likely piss of the monster''s monster boss.


    "More like <i>in a dog suit.</i>" Akagi corrected her.


    "Pffff." Hishya let out a smallugh. "I made that picture the wallpaper on my AR home screen, that was probably the bestugh I''ve had in a hot minute."


    "The poor vampy didn''t share my sense of fashion." Akagi shook her head. "Apparently, being <i>cute</i> wasn''t good enough." Sheughed.


    "You should make that her mandatory uniform." Hishya giggled. "I''d love to see it!"


    <i>{If she has to wear that everyday, then its going to be worth keeping her around.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Nah, I''ll save it for punishment." Akagi smirked. "If the vampy acts up, into the onesie she goes."


    <i>{Though I''m 100% putting that on her for Halloween this year.} </i>(Akagi)


    "That''s still good." Hishya smiled.


    "I should get you one too. Maybe a Dragon onesie?" Akagi thought about how that would look.


    "If it''s just pajamas and not a magic restricting suit like Silfana''s, then I''d probably be down for it." Hishya thought it might be kinda cute. "It might actually be cute, and I''m sure we could get something for Kana that would go together."


    <i>{It could have a tail of its own, and then I''d have TWO tails!} </i>(Hishya)


    "I might have to get to making it then." Akagi nodded. "But that''s forter, onwards!" With this wave of enemies defeated, the two girls continued northwards towards the watery smell Hishya was picking up. After several hours of hiking, the two of them came to a cliffside, and the sight left both momentarily speechless.


    "T-That''s... it''s beautiful!" Hishya finally managed to speak as she took in the awesome scene before her.


    "Yeah, damn. I think this is even better than Galicen Falls." Akagi whistled in admiration. Before the two adventurers stood a massive waterfall that dropped well over a thousand feet into a massiveke. Around theke were lush trees of a variety of colors, and from where they stood it looked like a sandy beach sat at a few parts around the shoreline.


    <i>{Well fuck. This is really cool.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I wonder if any of the explorers have been here before?" Hishya asked as she and Akagi leapt off the cliff and slowly descended toward the beach area below.


    "Probably not, the monsters we encountered along the way were nothing to us, but for a normal person, I''d say they might be a bit hard to handle in those numbers." Akagi shook her head. "Plus, I''ve heard nothing of a ce like this, and I''m damn sure news of it would''ve spread in Omara." The two continued to descend through the sky until they reached the beach area, and, as expected, the sand was fine, warm, and soft.


    "This is like some luxury resort level amazing!" Hishya put away her armor and flopped into the sand in some casual clothing. "We should bring Kana and the girls here, I think they''d love it!"


    <i>{Oh god, not a beach episode!} </i>Akagi put her hand in her hands as she realized what wasing.


    "And now that I think about it, seeing you in a swimsuit would be fun." Hishyaughed as she imagined how that would look.


    "Yeah, I could juste in swim trunks." Akagi mused about what she would wear. She never really went to the beach, and had only been to swimming pools for the most part.


    "Uhhhh, I think going topless, even with just us, is a bit much." Hishyaughed nervously.


    <i>{I don''t want to see you run around half naked!} </i>(Hishya)


    "Why?" Akagi asked, not seeing the issue.


    Hishya didn''t know how to respond and just stared at her for a moment before her brain started working again. "What do you mean why?!? Do you want to show the <i>goods</i> off to everyone?!?"


    <i>{Are you some kind of exhibitionist?!?} </i>(Hishya


    "Hishya." Akagi looked her dead in the eyes. "This bodycks <i>those</i>." She pushed in on her chest area with one of her fingers.


    "Oh... right..." Hishya just now recalled that Akagi''s normal form was actually androgynous beyond the face.


    <i>{Even still, I don''t know if I want to see the strangeness of a sexless Akagi running around on the beach...} </i>(Hishya)


    "You''re an idiot..." Akagi sighed. "And also, what makes you think I''de to some beach event? Have you met me? Do I look like the kinda girl who goes to the beach?" She was a shut in, couch potato that enjoyed the virtual world. Going to the beach with friends was basically an alien world to her.


    <i>{The beach and I are like oil and water, and in the past, I used to burn easily in the sun. Sunburn sucked so bad, luckily going into VR removed all those issues.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I still think you shoulde, and you could even freak the girls out with your nonexistent chest." Hishya figured their reactions would be funny.


    "I guess we <i>could</i> set up a beach house or something here if you wanted." Akagi shrugged.


    "Wait!" Hishya sat up really fast. "I''ve got a <i>better </i>idea!"


    "Oh?" Akagi was interested.


    "Give <i>me</i> thend around here!" Hishya dered.


    "Why?" Akagi asked. She had no idea what the Dragon was nning, but was curious.


    "Because I want to make this ce my <i>home</i>." Hishya smiled.


    "What?!?" Akagi was taken aback, this was not expected.


    <i>{Shouldn''t a Dragon want a fucking cave, or some kind of mountaintop where nobody can bother them?} </i>(Akagi)


    "It''s warm, beautiful, and most importantly my draconic blood is <i>calling</i> me here. It''s like this ce was destined to be mine!" Hishya''s eyes burned with passion. "So give it over!"


    "Will you actually live here?" Akagi asked. "It''s gonna take lots of work to get something going here, and it''s not like we can easily rig up most modern amenities here yet." Akagi was still working on a stable and permanent portal between Omara and Earth, so anything else was a ways away.


    "I don''t have to move in right now, but I can make a nice little building for us to stay at, and once we get things figured out I can move here properly." Hishya exined. "Until then, I''ll just keep living like I''ve been."


    <i>{I can safely take out the entire hoard here!} </i>(Hishya)


    "Well if you''re that enthusiastic, I can''t exactly say no. Especially when I have no reason not to, so sure. You can have this little Oasis and the surroundingnd as your personal property within the Dominion." Akagi shrugged, she saw no issue.


    <i>{I kinda want to see what kind of home our little Dragon makes. It will probably have its own pillow hoard room, and we can call this ce Hishya''s nest.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Yippie! I am now Hishya, property owner!" Hishya giggled as she flopped around in the sand.


    "I''ll tell Mizumi about this when we get back, and I suspect that she probably won''t really care." Akagi rolled her eyes a she watched Hishya roll around. "I''m guessing you''ll want to explore this ce a bit more today?"


    Hishya nodded. "Let''s enjoy our little mini beach fun!" She stood up and dove into theke before she started swimming about. The two girls enjoyed a bit of fun in the sun and on the beach with Akagi making Hishya howl inughter by putting on a male bathing suit which looked very strange on her body. The Dragon even took a picture to show Kana, to which the girl wouldter remark that seeing said image caused her to need to bleach her eyes.

 Chapter 215 – The Special Support Section.

    Chapter 215 ¨C The Special Support Section.


    "It''s good to finally meet you, and please, have a seat." President Rosewood shook Birdy''s hand as she greeted her. This meeting was a long timeing, and Rosewood was grateful that negotiations over the use of one of Akagi''s returnees had gone well. Birdy would be a major asset to the United States, and it was expected that her presence would propel scientific research in multiple different fields.


    After the Council''s ns were thwarted, and the Kingdom Dumetor was officially established, Birdy began her trip to the United States to fulfill her mission. At present, she was meeting with the American President in the Oval Office, alongside Agent Nariyuki who was acting as a minder.


    "It''s nice to be here Madam President. I never imagined I''d be back in the States, let alone in the White House." Birdy''s family was partially from the United States, and she''d been here many times throughout her childhood, which was why she spoke perfect English. Akagi hadn''t sent her along with Hikari''s team since she was needed in the infiltration of Libra, though things worked out for the best as a result.


    <i>{I haven''t been in the States for nearly a decade, and its kinda strange to be back, not gonna lie.} </i>(Birdy)


    "Before we discuss anything, could you tell me how would you like us to address you?" President Rosewood wanted rification on this issue as she knew it was contentious, with many returnees preferring to go by their names from FWO. "Your legal name is still Mayori Ijin, but I''ve only heard you addressed as Birdy."She thought it a strange name, but was not about to question it.


    "Please don''t call me by that other name, Birdy is good." Birdy shook her head as she sighed. "I''m not even really part of that family anymore, so I don''t see a reason to use that name." She hadn''t gotten along well with her family, and hadn''t spoken to most of them for at least a decade.


    <i>{Not like they even wanted me to use it anyway. Well, at least, until they saw what I became after FWO... Fucking scumbag bastards!} </i>(Birdy)


    "Part of it or not, your parents have been putting heavy pressure on my administration." President Rosewood sighed. "It seems they''re not fond of the idea of their daughter working for the American government, and they want us to ship you back to Japan." She''d gotten numerous messages from thepany and the Ijin family who all demanded that Birdy be sent home. They never outright said the reason <i>why,</i> and tried to hid behind excuses, such as Birdy not being a good fit for the role she was being given.


    <i>{I get the feeling they''re trying to bring her under their control and don''t like one of their family members splitting off like this. Their excuses basically break down to them trying to reign in someone who went off the farm.} </i>Rosewood understood a bit of the Ijin family dynamic and even had her intelligence services investigate Birdy and the Conglomerate that her family ran. What she found was a sad story of a parent dying early, a remarriage, and an unpleasant home environment. Though she was wary of pressing the issue directly, since that might offend the woman in question.


    "Hah! Those bastards only want to use my power. Before FWO, I was nothing more than an inconvenience, and that <i>whore</i> who ims to be my ''mother'' has the gall to run my father''spany and act like she owns the ce." Birdy bit her lip in anger. She''d had a massive falling out with her mother after her father''s death, and the two were not on speaking terms.


    <i>{That bitch didn''t even wait for my father to be cold in the ground before she remarried. I''d bet good money she was seeing that prick behind Dad''s back, and if you told me that SHE killed him to take hispany, I wouldn''t be shocked. I hope that bitch rots in hell for all she did!} </i>(Birdy)


    <i>{I suppose that confirms some of the ims in our investigation. It seems the family dynamic is quite toxic, and I suspect things are a bit more vtile than even the C.I.A. can detect.} </i>(Rosewood)


    "Regardless of your rtionship to the other members of your family, know that I''ve no intention of listening to their demands. No matter how much pressure they ce upon this office, my cooperation with you and your <i>employer</i> are far more valuable to me than whatever they can offer." Rosewood''s look got sharp. She had little tolerance forpanies threatening American interests or policy, and had tried to make that perfectly clear in her phone call with Ijin. "They might have quite a substantial amount of corporate power and influence in both Japan''s and the United State''s economy, but I will not allow them topromise our national security."


    <i>{The whole reason we brought this girl here was to aid us in research and development. It''s likely that other nations are actively recruiting returnees, and we can''t afford to sit idly by while our enemies gain the upper hand. Some Senators and Reps might get annoyed if Ijin starts pulling out business, but that''s just going to be the price we pay for such a boon.} </i>(Rosewood)


    "Whatever." Birdy sighed. "I''m here to do a job, and that''s what I''m gonna do. I don''t really care for all that politics stuff, since Akagi handles that." She turned to Nariyuki. "I''m sure you can understand what it''s like having a pain in the ass as a boss." She smirked.


    <i>{Akagi can be quite the ve driver, though she''s fun to work for.} </i>(Birdy)


    "Yep, this one here doesn''t pay me enough to deal with her crap." Nariyuki nodded.


    "Nice. You just casually insulted the President of the United States to her face." Rosewood rolled her eyes.


    <i>{How many other people would act like that? Though it is refreshing, since most people are way too uptight around me.} </i>(Rosewood)


    "Note, you did not deny anything I said as being false." Nariyukimented or herck of a defense.


    "I swear to god, Nariyuki, you''ve always been a troublemaker, but ever since you met Akagi, I get this feeling your attitude has only gotten <i>worse</i>." Rosewood sighed. Since Akagi''s visit Nariyuki had gotten a bit morex with her attitude.


    "You''re just imagining things." Nariyuki assured her that it was not true. ¡°I''m the same as I always was.¡±


    <i>{I don''t doubt it...} </i>(Rosewood)


    "Akagi has a certain <i>quality</i> about her that makes people... let''s just say open up a bit more." Birdyughed. "It''s part of why I like her so much, and not to mention she''s funny."


    <i>{I mean,e on. Who wouldn''t like someone who casually turns into a rabbit during important meetings? Some might find it stupid, but I find it funny as hell!} </i>(Birdy)


    "If you don''t mind me asking, why did you end up serving her?" President Rosewood couldn''t find <i>anything</i> about this question, and her intelligence agents were simrly clueless. She figured it must have happened in game, though from what she could tell none of the other returnees knew the reason either.


    "She helped me with something personal, and because of that..." Birdy thought for a moment. "Because of that, I was able to pull at least <i>one </i>good thing out of my time in FWO. So, I serve her because I want to repay that favor, and because I''vee to understand its the best ce for me."


    <i>{Removing that idiot was the most cathartic thing I''ve ever experienced in my life. I just wish I could have been there to see my mother and step-father''s faces when they found out their ''perfect heir'' died.} </i>(Birdy)


    "If you don''t want to go into detail, then I won''t pry." Rosewood nodded, understanding that further digging would be counterproductive. "Then getting back to why you''re here, shall I exin what will be happening from today on? I know you were already briefed before arrival, but I''d like to make sure we''re on the same page."


    "Shoot." Birdy waved her on, and Rosewood began her exnation of Birdy''s new role. She''d be heading directly to the Pentagon from here where a joint team of military specialists and civil agents would be working with her. Her first duty would be to facilitate military testing, as the U.S. military wanted to gauge its capabilities against returnees. After that she''d be part of an intensive research program that covered all facets of her power and abilities, from the biological makeup of her body to the metaphysical aspect of her powers.


    Once this was exined, and Rosewood thanked her again, Birdy was directed to an awaiting vehicle and began the short trip over to the Pentagon. Nariyuki would be apanying her during her time in the United States, as President Rosewood wanted to ensure that no <i>issues</i> urred. There was little worry that the bird girl herself would cause trouble, rather Rosewood was anxious that other government officials might cause a problem, and she <i>really </i>wanted to avoid that.


    "You know, I think this is the second time I''ve been here before." Birdy says as she stepped out of the SUV. They were in an underground garage at the Pentagon and were getting ready to head inside.


    "When and why were <i>you</i> at the Pentagon? Even I''ve only been here a couple of times before today, so why would a civiliane here?" Nariyuki asked as she came up behind her.


    "A tour." Birdy answered with a very obvious reason. "They give them out and I came here once with my father. If I recall correctly, he was working on a contract with the U.S. military for cyber security at the time."


    <i>{That was about a year before he died. He was so excited about the chance to work directly with the American Military on that project.} </i>(Birdy)


    "That''s right, Ijin handles quite a bit ofworking, so it''s not surprising that they''d be in that business." Nariyuki and Birdy continued to speak as they were escorted into the Pentagon. After some initial security checks, the two women were taken down an elevator to a restricted area below the building After the events of Yokosuka, the U.S. Military set up a dedicated task force to handle returnees and events involving them. Even after Libra''s defeat, this operation continued and was actually expanding as there was fear that nations like Russia or China could get hold of some and cause chaos. Birdy was to meet with those who ran it, and they would dictate what she''d be doing and where she would be going.


    "Oh yeah, word of warning." Nariyuki nced at her. "Harold is <i>beyond </i>excited to have you here, so just a heads up the man is... <i>excitable</i>..." She sighed.


    <i>{Joy...} </i>(Birdy)


    Once they were cleared for entry, the two women entered a room that looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. There were countless monitors with dozens of different things being show, with one in particr, showing Elna in her cell, rocking back and forth.


    <i>{So they''re spying on returnees. Not exactly surprising, and from what I see, they''ve got active surveince on quite a few of us.} </i>Birdy scanned the monitors until one caught her attention.


    "So you wanna exin why that screen has a live feed of the estate on it?" Birdy red at Nariyuki. She could see an image of the Dumetor Estate from a distance. It seemed that the States were keeping a close eye on Akagi, and her people.


    <i>{I''ll have to tell her about that, not that she''ll care anyway.} </i>(Birdy)


    "Don''t look at me, I''ve got no part to y in this." Nariyuki shook her head. "But I''d imagine that your boss probably knows about this and is simply ignoring it."


    <i>{Probably...} </i>(Nariyuki)


    As they stood around and discussed the different monitors, a man''s voice rang out. "Is that her?!?" A dark-haired man called out from the other side of the room. He was wearing a golf shirt and brown cks, and at his side were two other people, an older man and a woman around his age.


    "I don''t think anyone else has <i>literal</i> rainbow hair..." The woman sighed. ¡°So yeah, that''s probably her.¡±


    "Fair point..." The man gave a nervousugh as the three of them walked over.


    <i>{I assume that''s Harold...} </i>(Birdy)


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you." The older man greeted her, offering his hand. "My Name is Cliff Landington, and I am the Director of the Special Support Section. This young woman is my Deputy Director, Sarah Hood, and this <i>individual</i> is my head of research and Development, Harold McMillin." He''s eyes rolled slightly when he introduced Harold.


    <i>{Ah, so he''s one of THOSE kind of people.} </i>(Birdy)


    "Nice to meet you." Birdy shook the man''s hand and gave a smile.


    "So she does speak English." Harold noted something down on his AR.


    "That was in her file, you idiot." Sarah sighed. "Please forgive him, he''s just excited to meet an actual returnee." She shook Bird''s hand. "If he does anything strange, feel free to give him a good wack. Though we need him alive, sadly." She shook her head.


    "Will do." Birdy chuckled.


    "I think her <i>wacks</i> might be enough to kill me, Sarah." Haroldughed nervously.


    "Keeping to the matter at hand, Ms. Birdy I assume you''ve already been briefed on your role?" Cliff asked.


    "Yes, you basically just want me to help figure out how your military tech handles a returnee''s power, do all sorts of tests on me, and then you''ll be sending me around the country on some PR missions to aid in quieting down the public." Birdy said.


    "That''s a much less nice but ultimately more poignant way of putting it, yes." Cliff nodded. "We''ve already taken care of your living arrangements, and Ms. Nariyuki can escort you thereter, but for now, I''d like to begin with some preliminary physical tests. I''ve got several members of the Joint Chiefs waiting on standby, and they''ll be watching."


    "And then after that, we''d like to do some physical analysis. The chance to examine an actual returnee is invaluable." Harold''s eyes lit up as he talked about examining Birdy''s body.


    "Too bad for you that <i>I</i> will be the one doing all that." Sarah sighed again. "I''m not letting you start poking her with all kinds of instruments, lest she <i>really</i> send you flying."


    "If you want to run medical tests, that''s fine." Birdy shrugged. "Just be warned that you might not be able to use devices that are meant for Humans. I know that normal needles can''t break my skin." Birdy had previously aided Akagi in some minor experiments, and this was one of the first issues they encountered.


    "We''ll figure it out." Harold assured her that things would be fine. "But anything we can get will be valuable, and I can''t wait to see all the differences between you and a Human." He stopped for a moment, the look on his face showing regret over his choice of words. "I mean, well... your body isn''t Human but you... um..." He stumbled over his words, and Sarah groaned as he only made things more awkward. Birdy was no longer physically Human, and while many returnees no longer considered themselves human, some did, and he was worried he might have just stepped on andmine.


    "It''s fine, calm down." Birdy put her hand up to get him to stop. "I''m not Human, in both body <i>and </i>mind." She continued. "I''m a Dark Phonexian, not a human, and that doesn''t bother me."


    <i>{If anything, I''d rather be like this. Why on Earth would I want to retain my humanity? There''s nothing wrong with Humans, but my current species is literally just BETTER.} </i>(Birdy)


    ¡°Yeah, but still... sorry...¡± Harold apologize and Sara scolded him for being stupid.


    After a bit more discussion, Birdy was taken into a second of the Pentagon which deeper underground and covered in reinforced walls. They''d created a special open area for live weapons testing, and they''d have her perform her demonstrations here.


    "I guess that''s the brass." Birdy whispered to Nariyuki. Overlooking therge open testing area was a ss window, behind which stood several older men and women in uniform.


    "Yup, General Andrithson, Admiral Smith, and the Chairmen of the Joint Chief''s Abigal Goldwater." Nariyuki replied.


    <i>{That''s one hell of a lineup, all three of this nation''s top military brass are in one location. Not to mention all the other officers alongside them.} </i>{Nariyuki)


    "Ms. Birdy, we''re ready for the first test." Cliff''s voice came over the PA system, and Nariyuki was ushered into a secure room to avoid any danger to her person during the tests.


    "Sounds good." Birdy began walking towards the tank which was ced in the center of the room.


    <i>{How much of a pain in the ass was it to get that thing down here?} </i>Birdy thought absentmindedly as she approached it.


    "We''d like to see how the modified armor of this Abrams handles one of your magical attacks, so please use one. Though we request you refrain from anything toorge scale, as we are not convinced that this facility could handle your full power." Cliff said, his voice containing a hint of nervousness.


    "Is it ok if my attack destroys this thing?" Birdy asked as she cracked her knuckles and neck. ¡°Just want to be sure before I go turning it into g.¡±


    It took a moment for a response as Cliff needed to confir with his technicians. "That would be fine, yes." Cliff''s voice was now showing more nervousness.


    "Great!" Birdy''s lips curved into a wicked smile as she unleashed her Dark Phoenix power, and her transformation momentarily startled everyone. "Don''t get mad at me when there''s not even a single scrap left!" Birdy roared as she chucked a negative energy st at the Abrams which impacted it, causing a minor explosion that vaporized the tank and left a small crater in the floor.


    Thoroughly pleased with herself, Birdy looked up at the window where the military brass stood, shocked at how easily she destroyed the vehicle. "So, how''s that for a first test?" She smirked.

 Chapter 216 – Lawyers are Scary.

    Chapter 216 ¨C Lawyers are Scary.


    After romping around in the woods for a couple more days, and enjoying the warmke waters, Hishya and Akagi decided to head home before the girls started missing them too much. The trip back to Omara was rtively boring, with few interesting creatures appearing but was otherwise uneventful. As they returned under the protective barrier that encased Omara, the two decided to stop in and see how things were in the city.


    "Well, I''d say that was a nice outing." Hishya smiled as they walked towards Omara. She''d enjoyed herself greatly and was happy to have spent this time with Akagi.


    <i>{See, you can be normal and nice. So why aren''t you like this all the time?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    "Yeah, it was good." Akagi nodded. "We should try to do more things like that in the future, but unfortunately, I don''t foresee the girls wanting to rough it with us." Sheughed. Kana had never liked camping as a kid, and alwaysined about it being too hot and filled with bugs.


    "Yeah, Kana is a fucking Princess, and there''s no way in hell her spoiled ass would do camping in anything less than an RV!" Hishya giggled. She recalled the time she tried to get Kana to go out hiking with her for the day, and the re she received in return.


    "She always hated going with Shima and Taichi as a kid, but they''d always drag her around regardless." Akagi chuckled. ¡°She''de home andin that it wasn''t fair that I always got out of going with.¡±


    "That girl really is a bookworm and a couch potato through and through. The outdoors is an anathema to her, and its honestly surprising how much work she''s put into her training." Hishya replied.


    <i>{I kinda figured she''d just half ass it, but she''s actually been pretty serious. I guess she finds it enjoyable.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Mika might be ok with going on a little outdoor adventure." Akagi thought for a moment. "Though I suspect she''d take far too many pictures and post on social media the entire time, so that''s one downside to bringing her."


    <i>{She always wants to see me do silly thing, and even got me to dress up for her that one time. Though its kinda fun.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Yes!" Hishya eximed. "She loves posting pictures! Her timeline is crazy full, and I''m constantly seeing new pictures from her! I swear she takes way too many!" She was partially impressed with the quality of the pictures, and was floored by how many she could take.


    "I''ll give her credit where it''s due, she''s good at marketing and is a fantastic photographer." Akagi smiled. ¡°Perhaps she''s got a future in photography.¡±


    "You''re just saying that because she has an entire channel dedicated to <i>you</i> and your cat antics!" Hishya rolled her eyes. "I still can''t believe you got <i>inside</i> the washing machine while it was on and road around like you were on an amusement park ride."


    <i>{That was funny as hell though...} </i>(Hishya)


    "In my defense, it was fun." Akagiughed. "And also, don''t act like you wouldn''t do stuff like that if you could too. I know you would, Hishya."


    "Noment." Hishya looked away, knowing darn well she would.


    <i>{The way Mika encourages and participates in your shenanigans</i> <i>makes me think she''s your second younger sister. At this point she might as well just call you Onee-chan like Kana does and solidify things!} </i>(Hishya)


    After a bit more walking and talking, the two girls reached one of the entrances of Omara, where the guards on duty stopped them.


    "Apologize mam, but Lady Mizumi wishes to speak with you. She instructed us to inform you upon your return from beyond the barrier." The guard looked a bit tense. Akagi''s takeover had gone mostly without issue, but there was still a feeling of fear and unease within Omara.


    "I wonder what that''s about?" Hishya thought out loud.


    "Probably something to do with the former Council members." Akagi shrugged. "Thanks for informing me." She looked back at Hishya. "I can send you back right now if you want, or do you want toe with me for a bit?"


    "I''ll head back. Kana is probably going through Dragon withdrawal after being separated for this many days." Hishyaughed.


    <i>{I wonder if that was a joke or not? I can''t tell.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Alright." Akagi snapped her fingers and opened a portal back to the estate. "I''ll see youter, and do me a favor and tell Yumi and the others that I''ll be back once I deal with Mizumi."


    "Will do." Hishya gave a two-finger salute before stepping through the portal and disappearing.


    Once Hishya was away, and the portal was closed, Akagi took her time walking towards the Council building. Ever since the coup, Mizumi and Shinlua had been hard at work implementing Akagi''s proposed reforms as well as dealing with unrest and other events within Omara. This caused a massive workload to be dropped on them, but so far things had been proceeding roughly as nned.


    Once the <i>Demon</i> arrived at the former Council Hall, she went up to Mizumi''s office where the water Spirit was hard at work going over documents at her desk.


    "There you are." Mizumi looked up from the papers, and the bags under her eyes gave Akagi the idea that she hadn''t slept in days. "I was wondering when you''d be back from your little adventure, but I didn''t expect you to be gone for nearly five days!" She sighed.


    <i>{Jesus, Mizumi. Maybe you should go take a nap? Either that or I can get some bitter tea for you so you stay awake.} </i>(Akagi)


    "We took our time and enjoyed ourselves. I didn''t really have any ns for how long we''d be gone." Akagi walked over to her, taking a sk out of her inventory. "Drink this, it''s an herbal tea made by Kaori to help with exhaustion." She put it on the desk, and Mizumi happily drank it.


    "It''s actually not that bad, and its certainly <i>leagues</i> better than that healing drink she gave me." Mizumi shivered as she recalled its bitter taste. "Thank you for the drink."


    "So what did you need anyway?" Akagi asked. She wasn''t sure what the Spirit called for her, but figured it was important.


    "A few things actually." Mizumi stood up and walked around the desk, handing Akagi a folder with documents in it. "Here are the final drafts of all the proposed industrial, financial, agricultural, and infrastructural policy changes as per your request." She exined as took another drink of the tea. "We''re ready to start implementing some of these changes, mostly the policy ones, and just need your go-ahead for some of the more intricate projects."


    "That was fast." Akagi said as she looked through the pages. "I assume that''s because you and your staff killed yourselves getting all this done?" She sighed.


    <i>{You really didn''t need to move this fast, you know? I bet you''ve run everyone into the ground getting this done that quickly.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Yeah..." Mizumi gave a dryugh. "I''ve never seen so much paperwork in my life..." She hung her body, defeated. "Please don''t ever give me that much work to do at once again... Otherwise, I really might just die..."


    "You do realize that I never needed this all done as quickly as you did it, right?" Akagi put the folder in her inventory. "Why the hell did you burn both ends like that? I expected such a revamp of this level to take <i>months</i>." She had no reason to rush things, and wasn''t about to tell people to overwork themselves for no reason.


    <i>{What is this, some kind of ckpany? I guess I am the fucking Demon Lord, but I don''t think I''ll take on THAT aspect of rule.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I did it because these were <em>desperately</em> needed changes." Mizumi sighed. "You read over all the documents I provided. This city was a mess, and I never imagined just how much money and resources were being wasted by the Council and their factions..." Mizumi and Shinlua had conducted raids and made arrests of many of the highly influential factions and their members. It turned out that the Council was also siphoning off funds that they used to provide kickbacks to their factions and supporters. This had been going on for a very long time, both in Omara and in the other world, but with much more limited resources here, it was an even more grievous misuse of power.


    <i>{Damn fools. How could they take what little we had and squander it when our people were suffering?!? If it wasn''t for Akagi''s aid, so many of us would be destitute!} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Also... Dear dark god of doom, what kind of man did the Americans send to help us with the legal proceedings against the Council?!?" Mizumi looked up at her, her eyes looking like a dead fish.


    "What do you mean? Has he been causing any problems?" Akagi hadn''t heard any issues about him.


    "NO!" Mizumi shook her head vigorously. "It''s just the opposite. Thatwyer is mega SCARY! I''ve never seen someone maneuver through legal proceedings as fluidly as he does, and at this point, it''s looking like the Council members and their faction members are going to get SLAMMED." She pulled a massive document off her desk. "This is the indictment and all the paperwork he drafted to back it up! IT''S TWO HUNDRED FUCKING PAGES!" She handed it to Akagi. "He somehow <i>read</i> our legal code, understood it, then mixed in your world''s internationalw in such a way that he drafted THIS behemoth of a document." She put her head in her hands. "When he handed this thing to Judge Musharna, he nearly fell out of his chair in surprise!"


    Akagi looked through the massive document for a moment. She didn''t understand the legal jargon but could tell it was an incredibly well-made piece of legal text.


    <i>{Jesus Rosewood, who the hell did you send? He did all this in like a month! Was this man an actual fucking Demon?} </i>Akagi noted thatwyers were scary.


    "Well, good to hear things are going well on that front." Akagi handed it back to her. "So then, what''s going to happen to them?" She knew this was going to be the most contentious point of all, since the Spirits might not want any heads to roll.


    "To be honest, we''ve got them dead to rights with <i>that</i> crazy document." Mizumi put it back on her desk with a thud. "We could <i>easily </i>get the death penalty for the three Council members and as for the rest, we could put them away for life."


    <i>{However...} </i>(Mizumi)


    "But you don''t want to see them executed, do you?" Akagi figured that she didn''t want them dead.


    "I have no love for those idiots, but killing them... <i>that</i> will cause issues. But at the same time, NOT killing them will also leave loose ends, ones that mighte back to bite uster." Mizumi bit her thumb in irritation. "<i>That</i> was the reason I asked you here. I need your advice, Akagi. Should we request the death penalty for the three of them? Or should we put them away for life? Just for context, that will be centuries due to how long our kind live."


    <i>{She could probably just seal them away somewhere so that it would be unlikely for them to cause trouble. But still...} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Do you actually have somewhere to hold them for that long?" Akagi asked.


    "We do, but it''s not them escaping I''m worried about." Mizumi replied, and Akagi could figure out the rest on her own.


    "They still have supporters and influence. That''s what''s got you worried." Akagi figured that this would be an issue. "So someone might spring them, or at least start causing issues on their behalf.¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡± Mizumi nodded. ¡°That''s the real crux of our problem.¡± She couldn''t arrest or <i>remove </i>all their supporters, since that was fraught with issues of its own.


    "Hmmmm." Akagi thought for a moment before answering. "What do the citizens think? Have you asked around?" She figured it might be best to determine public support before making a decision.


    "Yes, I''ve had a few members of my staff do some snooping around the city." Mizumi leaned back and sat on the edge of the desk. "It seems that most people want them punished. Though the number who wish to see them <i>executed</i> is rather small."


    <i>{Most people weren''tfortable with that path. Not that I me them.} </i>(Mizumi)


    "I suppose that''s not surprising given the former Councilor''s reputations and how your people''s hierarchical structure work." Akagi nodded.


    "Not to mention, we as a people generally <i>don''t </i>like to take lives." Mizumi sighed. "We''re not pacifists or anything. But generally, Spirits respect life and ending one is usually considered ast resort. It''s part of why I was so adamant that we brought them in <em>alive</em> for trial, rather than just killing them on the spot."


    "So then I suppose that the next question is what do <i>you </i>think?" Akagi asked her. "You are my Governor, the one who represents me in this matter, but you''re also the de facto leader of Omara. What do <i>you </i>want to do in this situation?"


    <i>{You essentially hold all the power here, and I''m not going to start sticking my nose in and second guessing your decisions. The whole point of making you my Governor in the first ce was to leave running Omara to someone else.} </i>(Akagi)


    "To be honest.... I want them dead." Mizumi bit her lip. "Those idiots... On more than one asion they''ve put our entire people in danger." She continued. "Back on Enoris, before those stupid heroes were summoned and we had a chance to broker peace, the Council was split 3:1 with those three against <i>any</i> kind of settlement with the other races." She sighed. "They wanted to get revenge upon the other races, and Daruma was hell-bent on bloodshed after his family was killed." Mizumi shook her head. "We might have been able to end the conflict right then if we''d sent peace envoys, but the Council got greedy, eyeing up the surroundingnds."


    <i>{I nearly strangled Sizix after I heard about that whole debacle. What fools would risk everything for a few measly pieces of material wealth?!?} </i>(Mizumi)


    "What about that other Council member? I assume the one you are referring to was the one <i>before</i> Shinlua was appointed?" Akagi asked.


    "He... Councilor Hymone was a good man, and he was basically my adoptive grandfather." Mizumi gave a warm smile as she spoke about him. "He tried to reform the Council during his time in office, but unfortunately factional politics and corruption didn''t allow for him to make much headway." She continued. "When my status as a High Spirit was discovered, and I was taken from my parents for training, he was the man who taught me everything. From how to cast magic to how to be a leader."


    "He sounds like a good man." Akagi continued listening.


    "He was... He was a very good man." Mizumi started to tear up a bit. "I never understood why he taught me everything he did, and he once told me that I''de to understand what my role would be... but... I wonder if <i>this </i>was what he meant." She wiped her tears with a small cloth. "When he finally passed, it was devastating. We lost one of our best and brightest in the middle of our darkest hour, and I lost someone so important to me." Mizumi looked up at Akagi, eyes filled with sorrow. "On his deathbed, it was he who told me to protect our people, and looking back, I think Hymone was the reason <i>I </i>was chosen to live while the other High Spirits gave themselves to the ritual. I think he used his influence with them to save me..."


    "And <i>that''s</i> why protecting your people is so important to you, because you want to make sure the faith he ced in you wasn''t misced." Akagi nodded.


    "Indeed. I do genuinely love my people, but this was a task given to me by him, and I will <i>never</i> let anyone get in my way of fulfilling it." Mizumi''s eyes turned fierce. "So, to answer your question..." She took a deep breath. "I want them gone. I believe their crimes are of such a degree that the only eptable punishment is death."


    ¡°Then I think you have your answer.¡± Akagi said.


    ¡°Yeah... I suppose I do...¡± Mizumi turned away from Akagi as she looked out the window behind her desk.


    <i>{Hymone. I don''t know if this is the future you would have wanted for our people, but is the one we have, and I''ll do everything I can to make sure we survive and prosper. So please forgive me for taking such extreme measures...} </i>(Mizumi)

 Interlude 13 – The Samurai Hero and The Last Hope.

    Interlude 13 ¨C The Samurai Hero and The Last Hope.


    "Here Ie, Lady Amakusa!" An older man in knight''s armor called out as he swiftly moved towards a young woman, de at the ready. ¡°Prepare yourself, and don''t think it will be as easy for you this time!¡±


    "Very well. Let''s see just how much you''ve improved, Albert." The young woman smiled as she drew her de and readied herself for battle. She seemed to be young, not even twenty years old, and her red flower-patterned Kimomo, ck hair, and nted eyes made her stand out from the people that were that were watching the duel. In her hands was a silver katana, and from her stance, it was clear she was far more skilled than her youthful appearance would lead one to believe.


    *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG*


    The two warriors shed in the middle of the training area, exchanging blows evenly as they danced back and forth across the dirt. It was a rtively even match at first, but it quickly became apparent that Amakusa had the upper hand in every conceivable way.


    "You''re as resilient as always, Albert." Amakusaughed as she deftly avoided one of his strikes. ¡°I can tell that you''ve improved since thest time we shed des.¡± She grinned as she locked des with him.


    "Though no matter how much stronger I get, you''re always still one step ahead of me, Lady Amakusa!" Albert smiled as the two continued their duel.


    The pair continued their sparring match for a while, until Albert was finally forced to admit defeat. In one swift motion, Amakusa easily got within his guard and ced the tip of her de at his throat, forcing the older man to surrender.


    <i>{Not bad, not bad at all. But you''ve still got a ways to go if you want to force me to get serious, old man.} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Excellent work, Albert. It''s amazing that a man who''s nearly eighty years old can move like that." Amakusaughed as she sheathed her de. ¡°You are always a worthy and fun sparring partner.¡± She''d dueled with him many times over the years since she''d arrived in this world, and it was always enjoyable.


    "I simply look after my body is all!" He rapped on his chest te and gave a heartyugh. "I''ve got a duty to Princess Feline as her head knight, and I can''t allow myself to slow down when I''m so young!


    <i>{I don''t think pushing eighty is ''young'', but I guess in this world, it is. I suppose that''s what magic does to a person. Hell I don''t look any older than I did ten years ago...} </i>(Amakusa)


    *CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP*


    As they were discussing their techniques and how Albert managed to improve since theirst match, they were interrupted by someone approaching them and pping. "That was an excellent match, both of you." Both fighters turned and noticed that a woman with strawberry blonde hair wearing a beautiful blue dress was approaching them from the walkway.


    "I''m d you thought so, Your Highness." Albert gave a polite bow. ¡°Though Lady Amakusa has managed to best me once again. Please forgive me for being such a failure.¡±


    ¡°I''d never think of you as a failure, Albert.¡± Princess Feline chuckled as she walked over.


    "He''s getting old, but he puts up a good fight. He reminds me of my Dad in that respect." Amakusa smiled. Her father was her mentor and trainer and helped mold her into the warrior she was today. "But I didn''t think you''de to watch us, Feline.¡± She would do so from time to time, but it had been a while since she''de to watch Amakusa fight.


    "I was passing by the training area on my way back from a meeting with some members of the Church when I saw people gathered around here, so I thought I''d pop in and see what was going on." Feline smiled. "But this works out perfectly, as I needed to speak with you." She turned to Amakusa who could tell that it was something important, as the two only rarely spoke anymore. "Could you pleasee with me to my office? I would like to speak with you in <em>private</em>. If you don''t mind."


    From the look in her eyes, Amakusa could tell that whatever was going on was trouble, and while she didn''t really want to get involved, it was for the best that she heard Feline out.


    ¡°I don''t mind, sure.¡± Amakusa nodded, and after seeing off Albert, the two women walked across the Royal Pce grounds toward the Princess''s office. Despite not being the heir to the throne, Princess Feline was regarded quite highly in the Kingdom of Amdamell. As the Holy Princess who summoned her Kingdom''s hero, she held quite a bit more authority than one would expect, and there were even those who wished her to take the throne.


    The two traveled together in silence, not speaking to one another the entire trip. As they passed ce staff or other guests they greeted them appropriately, but Amakusa intentionally avoided speaking directly to Feline the entire time. Once they entered her office, Princess Feline offered Amakusa some tea, and it was only <i>then </i>that the two spoke to each other.


    "Let me get this out of the way first. I''m sorry in advance for breaking our promise, and I know that I swore to you that once the Spirits were defeated I''d never ask you for anything ever again." Feline''s face showed sorrow and a bit of irritation. The rtionship between her Kingdom and Amakusa was not a happy one, and she feared it waspletely tainted by past events. "But please hear me out. I wouldn''t approach you like this for no reason."


    Amakusa red at her while she sipped her tea. She got along well enough with Feline well enough, but the events of the war,bined with a betrayal by the upper echelons of the Kingdom had left a bitter taste in her mouth. As a result, she''d begun to have doubts about the Church and the gods who brought her to this world, not to mention she''d almost entirely lost the ability to trust anyone within the Pce, including her once best friend Feline.


    ¡°Out of consideration for our former friendship, I''ll listen to you. But I hope whatever you''ve got going on is enough to go breaking that promise. You know better than anyone else just how thin the ice you''re walking on is.¡± Amakusa spoke frankly and made her displeasure known. In the past she and Feline had been good friends, and while she did not hate the Princess, she still found herself unable to fully trust her after the events that had transpired.


    "I just finished speaking with High Priest Lauralmen and he informed me that the gods have another mission for you..." Feline exined the situation, her words falling off as she reached the end. She hated the fact that her once close friend no longer trusted her, and was angry at the Church and her Father for allowing things to deteriorate to this level.


    <i>{To think that we would treat one of the Heroes that saved this world so poorly, and to go behind her back in the manner that we did... It angers me to no end that her rtionship with me was damaged because of what other foolish people did. Its a miracle that she''s even stayed within the Kingdom for as long as she did, and I''m honestly surprised nobody had turned up dead.} </i>(Feline)


    "And what do they want of me?" Amakusa had little interest in helping the gods more, but she knew it would be best to at least hear her out.


    <i>{I really don''t want to get involved in this nonsense anymore. After everything that happened, why can''t they just be content with leaving me alone?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Well, its not really a new request per se. It''s more of a continuation of your previous mission... <i>technically</i>." Feline said as she set down her tea. "I presume that you are aware that the Spirits have not been entirely defeated, correct?" She asked.


    "Of course, I was at their Capital when they all disappeared, and I recall the Gods saying that the survivors had fled." Amakusa had thought it was a hollow and iplete victory at the time, though the memories of the destruction wrought upon those people still haunted her.


    <i>{I still remember how the streets flowed with their blood. How the bodies were stacked in piles... Where we really the Heroes in this story? Heroes shouldn''t preside over death and destruction, no matter how much fun it was...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Well then that makes this easier. It seems the Gods have tracked them down to where they''ve fled to, and they wish to send the four Heroes to defeat them so that they can no longer threaten this world''s existence." Feline''s look turned sharp, as she knew this wouldn''t be an easy request.


    "I thought they couldn''t send us between worlds like that?" Amakusa clicked her tongue in irritation. She''d originally asked about going home once the Spirits were defeated, but was told that the Gods were unable to do that because of aundry list of technical jargon that she figured was half nonsense.


    "Normally, they could not. However, it seems that due to the magic used by the Spirits, a connection was formed between this world and the one they fled to making going back and forth is possible, at least somewhat." Feline gave a wry smile. She figured Amakusa wouldn''t take any of this very well, and was grateful that the somewhat quick tempered Samurai hadn''t stormed out of the room as of yet. "ording to High Priest Lauralmen, they''ve determined that the Spirits are <em>still</em> using their ritual magic to destabilize this world, and that unless they arepletely defeated, our world will always be in great danger." The other day a magical disaster caused a flood that wiped out several viges, so both women knew just how real the danger was.


    <em>{I''ve seen all kinds of crazy magical disasters since we got here, from magical abominationsdestroying cities to massive natural disasters. Hell, some of these ces look like warzones straight out of old military documentaries.}</em>(Amakua)


    "And if I refuse?" Amakusa queried her about what would happen if she chose to ignore the Gods'' request.


    "I don''t think anything will happen if you refuse.¡± Feline shook her head, understanding what Amakusa was getting at. ¡°It''s just that if the Spirits are not defeated, this world will likely perish as a result of their plot." She gave a nervousugh.


    "So I don''t really have a choice..." Amakusa sighed. This was basically an ultimatum. Sure she <i>could </i>say no, but if they didn''t handle this problem, they would all <em>die</em>, which was not something that Amakusa could get behind. "Fine, but once this is over, I''m leaving this Kingdom." Her words caused Feline''s eyes to go wide, and her blood to run cold. "I have no interest in remaining here, and I''ve..."


    <i>{I''ve grown wary of those around me. This ce, these people... All of it is just exhausting to stay around, and I need to start looking for her... That way... That way maybe then I can try and find a way home for us... together...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "T-That''s fine." Feline gulped. ¡°I wish you well no matter where you go. Just please know that you will always be wee here.¡± A Hero abandoning the nation they were summoned to would be a <em>significant</em> political disaster, but Feline could do nothing to hold her here. Attempts to physically restrain her would be both politically and physically infeasible, and seduction attempts had been less than sessful. "The other nations have been informed of this information by their respective Church authorities, and in theing weeks, the Gods will wish to have a summit to discuss things further. I imagine that your presence will be requested along with the other Heroes.¡±


    "I''d rather not meet with Kanato again... But I guess it''s not really possible to keep him away." Amakusa sighed. The Empire''s hero was not necessarily a bad guy, it''s just that he <i>loved</i> women. So much so that he''d created his own harem that contained the daughters of Nobles, women of other races, and even ves. Amakusa couldn''t really call him out for this behavior, since those women, even the ves, were all willing and seemed to genuinely love him. He did make a pass at her, though once she shot him down, he never bothered her again.


    <i>{I remember all the nights that party of his would get really into their activities. I''ve never been so annoyed and frustrated at the same time with all that going on next door!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "I know you don''t really get along with the other heroes very much, but please, for the sake of the world, please try and make things work." Feline gave a wry smile. She knew that might be a lot to ask on its own, and adding in the other Heroes was going to make things even more difficult. "Lord Hiyuki is not a bad person per se, though I will admit he can be a bit <i>energetic... </i>yeah lets call it that, and his sense of justice tends to be a bit <i>overbearing</i>." He was, unfortunately, one of those hero of justice types, and his attitude caused many issues.


    <i>{I heard that his third child was born recently. I think this time it was Princess Neiline of the Beast Kingdom who gave birth, and I can only imagine that more will being soon. Its a wonder that Princess Rebeckah was not forced to wed him. Though I imagine that mostly came down to Imperial politics.} </i>(Feline)


    "Any chance the Gods will try and call upon that one girl we talked about before?" Amakusa asked about someone that Feline had mentioned in the past. There were only four Heroes summoned by the Gods, but this world <i>did </i>have someone who was apparently on their level. Apparently they''d been approached about aiding the war effort, but their help never materialized. Amakusa had always asked for more information about this person, but was only ever told she had a poor rtionship with the Gods, and was unlikely to help.


    "I highly doubt that Ms. Hally would answer this call if she ignored thest." Feline shook her head. "Not only is her rtionship with the Gods <i>strained</i>, but we''ve had no sightings of her in around a month. She typically wanders the continent as an adventurer, but it seems that neither our agents nor the Church can find her." It was actually starting to raise some concern that <i>nobody </i>had seen her in so long. While Halifax was generally difficult to find, they could usually track her down with enough time and effort, so that fact that she''d <i>vanished </i>was raising rm.


    <i>{And even then, based on reports I''ve seen about her, she''d never help with something like this. She apparently exploded on the Gods when they dered the annihtion of the Spirits, so there''s no way she''d help finish them off.} </i>(Feline)


    "That''s too bad. I''ve always wanted to test my de against this Hally woman." Amakusa smirked. "The stories written about her have always piqued my interest, and I''m hoping to separate fact from fiction." She had no idea why information about this woman was so sparse, and she thought it was a bit suspect that nobody would answer detailed questions about her. Though Amakusa just chalked it up as somethings stupid that she didn''t really need to worry about.


    <i>{I''d bet that I can beat that woman. After all, I''m a Hero and she''s just a person from this world. No matter how old or powerful she is, there''s just no way she can defeat me, a Hero. With all the power the Gods gave me and my own crazy power that I''ve had all my life, I''d bet that nobody is stronger than me! Heck that Elven woman that lead the Spirit''s army was no match for me, and she wasuded as a fighting genius and one of this world''s best fighters!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "The nned conference will bring together all the nations of the anti-Spirit coalition and I suspect that you will be sent to defeat them soon after." Feline exined a bit more about what the Church had discussed with her.


    "So I''ve got a bit more time to train then." Amakusa figured it best to be as prepared as possible if they were going to a different world to fight to Spirits.


    "Yes. You will have a bit of time to prepare, and I have faith that the four of you together can defeat the Spirits and save this world. When you return, please allow me to properly thank you for everything before you leave." Feline bowed her head.


    <i>{It''s the least I can do, especially after everything that happened. I would never be allowed to give a formal apology, so this is the least I can do.} </i>(Feline)


    "That''s fine." Amakusa stood up, intending to leave. "Just let me know when the date has been decided. Until then, you know where to find me." She turned to walk out of the room, but was stopped by Feline''s voice as she grabbed the handle.


    "Please remember that I will <i>always</i> be your friend, Shiroe." Feline used her first name, something that she hadn''t done since Amakusa told her their friendship was over. "Even if you don''t see me that way anymore, and even if you stop being this Kingdom''s Hero... Know that I''ll always be here for you..." Her words wereced with all sorts of emotions, as if she was holding in a torrent of thoughts.


    <i>{I''m so sorry for what they did... I''ll... I''ll find a way to make this right, if its thest thing I do...} </i>(Feline)


    "I know, Feline. Thank you... for everything..." Amakusa smiled as she walked out of the office, leaving Feline alone with her thoughts.


    "Pffffff." Feline let out a deep breath as she slunk back into her chair. This encounter took more out of her than she expected, and she could feel a headacheing on. "I don''t have much time. I need to find that girl soon, or I fear that Shiroe will never trust any of us ever again..."


    <i>{The only problem is... I think the ce they sent her... Might only make things worse if Shiroe finds out...} </i>(Feline)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Halifax POV>


    *WOOSH*


    A quick burst of magical energy appeared on a hilltop overlooking Kyoto, it was intense but swift, and was gone in only a matter of moments and leaving behind a few toppled over trees.


    "Ugh..." Halifax stumbled forward before falling onto the ground, dizzy. "I think I''m gonna hurl..." After taking a moment to catch her breath, and letting her stomach calm down, she stood up and looked around the forest.


    "Well, I guess that means it worked." Halifaxmented as she stood up.


    <i>{Odd, I feel no magical energy in the surrounding environment. Did I transport into a dead zone?} </i>She flexed her arm before snapping her fingers and casting a small me spell in her hand. <i>{I can still cast magic, but it seems to be drawn solely from my innate reserves rather from the surrounding environment. It is still recovering, albeit much slower than normal. Strange...} </i>


    "Before I get side tracked, I need to figure out where I am and if there is anyone around." Halifax set off into the woods, hoping to get her bearings. She had no idea where she was, but figured she''d find a road or <i>something</i> eventually.


    <i>{I should conceal my presence before I go any further. The people of this world might be hostile, and I don''t want to be caught off guard if someone detected my appearance.} </i>Halifax repressed her magical aura making her harder to detect. There was still a bit of a signal, but it was weak enough that most couldn''t pick it up.


    As she trudged through the forest, she was greeted by several different kinds of wildlife, ranging from deer, to birds and even a bear. All of which quickly fled as soon as they caught sight of her, likely sensing that she was dangerous. After walking for what felt like hours, Halifax eventually came across a windy mountain road, and figured it wouldn''t be long until she found other people.


    "Finally." She slowly descended through the tree line, toward the road. "I''ve never seen a road that looked this nice, but I guess that means there are people around here." As Halifax got down to the bottom and put her foot on the asphalt road, she was startled as a car flew by, and she jumped backward in a panic.


    <i>{What the hell was that?!?} </i>Halifax was stunned by its speed and size.


    "Was that a carriage? It had no horse, and it looked kinda funny." Halifax looked up and down the road, but no other cars came. "I guess that means I''m close to a-" Her eyes went wide and her words stopped as her gaze finally turned to Kyoto itself, which was visible from this particr spot on the mountainside.


    "Wha-What?!?" Halifax rushed across the road to get a better look, leaning on the guard rail. "That''s a massive city! Even the Imperial Capital isn''t this huge!" She was shocked. In all her years, Halifax''d never seen a city thisrge.


    <i>{Just what kind of world is this if they have cities that massive?!? And how am I supposed to find someone to help in a ce like that!?} </i>(Halifax)


    Spoiler


    Shiroe Amakusa!


    Feline Amdamell!


    Unrted but I wanted to share!


    [copse]

 Chapter 217 – A Magical Girl Is Born!

    Chapter 217 ¨C A Magical Girl Is Born!


    "MEW~" Akagi happily purred as Chloe scratched her ears. The two were sitting on the couch in the living room, and the red-haired cat was giving her <i>Demon </i>kitty master some,<em> absolutely necessary,</em>attention.


    "Myaster has taken to being a catkin very well, nya!" Chloe smiled. "You''vee to understand the joys of ear scratches and the wonderful feeling of being pet, nya!" Sheughed as she scratched Akagi''s ears. The cat was one of the most vocal proponents of Catkagi, and enjoyed her new floofy master.


    "MEW!" Akagi nodded in agreement. Chloe''s hands worked their magic and Akagi''s ears were subject to <i>all </i>the floofing.


    As they were busy having fun in the living room, the girls came home from their little outing. "I see Akagi has added <i>another</i> girl to her harem." Mika giggled as she, Kana, and Naomi entered the living room, hands filled with shopping bags. ¡°Though <em>this</em> member isn''t really a shocker.¡±


    "I am a proud member of myaster''s petting harem!" Chloe smiled. "I will provide her with floofing on demand, and as many snuggles and treats as she could ever desire!" She currently had a small pack of cookies that she was feeding Akagi, and there were crumbs on the <i>Demon''s</i> mouth indicating that she''d already eaten quite the high number of cookies<i>.</i>


    <em>{Lucky you that eating all those sweets has no negative consequences...}</em>(Kana)


    "I''d bet that even after she got married, Chloe would <em>still</em> prioritize petting her master." Naomi chuckled. ¡°I can only imagine how that would go.¡±


    "Yeah, her poor husband would probably be forced to sleep on the couch if Akagi ever wanted to snuggle." Kana chuckled.


    "Marriage?" Chloe tilted her head. "I won''t get married. I already have myaster, nya!" She smiled as she squeezed Akagi tight, causing Akagi to meow.


    "Oh no, the harem has be <em>real</em>." Mika was stillughing. ¡°I guess we should''ve expected Akagi to take on more wives as time went on.¡±


    "I knew there was more to your rtionship than just ear scratches!" Kana pointed at her sister usingly.


    <i>{YOU FIEND!} </i>(Kana)


    "Mew..." Akagi red at her sister and gave an grumbly meow.


    "Myaster is my myaster, so I belong to her." Chloe gave a tooth smile. "I need no one else, as I already have her!"


    "I thought Chloe wasn''t actually a... um... <i>intern.</i>" Kana coughed not wanting to say the word ve.


    "She is not a ve, Kana." Akagi sighed, saying the word Kana was unwilling to. "It''s just that she is quite attached to me, as you can see." She next turned to Mika. "And no, while I am well aware Chloe would be down to be my wife or the equivalent it''s not happening. I''ve got Yumi, and I don''t need anyone else. What do you think I am, some kind of anime harem protagonist who has like a dozen wives?" She stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry.


    <i>{I don''t need nor want that. Besides, I enjoy putting all my affection into ONE person, and Yumi is and will always be that singr ONE. Chloe is just a nice friend that pets me and gives me snuggles, and there''s nothing wrong with that. I have plenty of friends that fluff me tonically!} </i>(Akagi)


    "If anything, Mika is actually closer in <em>that</em> department." Naomi continuedughing. "You <i>do </i>have two girlfriends, while Akagi only has Yumi. So I guess we should direct our shaming at you instead,<i> Ms. Harem protagonist.</i>"


    Mika didn''t respond and instead flipped her off.


    <i>{Eat it!} </i>(Mika)


    "How vulgar." Kana rolled her eyes. ¡°Though, Naomi is correct. I''ve seen you all squished between those two girls, and you looked like you were enjoying yourself quite a bit.¡± She smirked.


    ¡°As if <i>you''d </i>be any different!¡± Mika cried out in protest. ¡°How about we talk about you and Hishya! I imagine two of <em>her</em> would be quite tempting to you!¡± She knew how much Kana liked her Dragon girlfriend, so two could y at that game.


    ¡°At least it would only be one person.¡± Kana blew a raspberry of her own.


    <i>{Am I d that I''m happily single.} </i>(Naomi)


    As Kana and Mika discussed whether two Hishya would be considered a harem, Chloe picked up the pack of cookies and began to feed them to Akagi, something the <i>Demon</i> kitty happily went along with.


    ¡°Mew!¡± Akagi happily bit into the chocte cookie and scarfed it down.


    "So cute." Chloe smiled as she continued to pet Akagi. ¡°Good <i>Demon </i>kitty, nya. Cute is justice, nya!¡±


    "If I didn''t know any better, I''d still think the two of you are a bit more than master and servant." Kana sighed as she proceeded to <i>also</i> feed Akagi a cookie, which Mika took a picture of.


    "Chloe has <i>always</i> been like this." Akagi said while wiping away cookie crumbs. "Ever since she became my student, she''s been attached to me like a ma."


    "Myaster saved me and everyone else from doom, and she even taught me so much, nya! It''s only natural to treat her like this, nya" Chloe smiled as she started ying with Akagi''s ears.


    "Do all beastkin treat their teachers like this?" Naomi asked, as she was genuinely curious as to their customs.


    "Not all of us, but it isn''t exactly abnormal, nya." Chloe answered as she moved Akagi into herp. "My father was quite close with his myaster, and it''s customary to provide service like this to one''s teacher, nya. Not to mention that Myaster is just so cute like this! So how could I not want to spoil her!" She and Akagi nodded in certainty that she was adorable and that <em>failure</em> to spoil the Catkagi was a crime against cuteness.


    "Why does that sound familiar?" Mika thought out loud. "Is that like how martial artists will do all sorts of errands and other things at their master''s dojo?" She figured it was like those old movies.


    "A bit, but the bond between myaster and student is a bit different for beastkin, especially in the Ondai n, nya." Chloe began flipping Akagi''s ears in a different direction. "We tend to see our myasters as parent-like figures, and the bond we develop with them is one of our n''s most important traditions."


    <i>{Though calling Myaster Mom is no good for several reasons. Especially since she''d probably send me flying to the moon!} </i>(Chloe)


    "So Onee-chan has <i>another</i> daughter." Kana smirked as she locked eyes with her sister. "You''re having children at an rming rate, Onee-chan. I guess you don''t need to be physically capable of making them since you seem so good at acquiring them." She started giggling


    Rather than replying, Akagi just squinted at her.


    "Kana is just jealous, nya." Chloeughed. ¡°She just wishes that she had people to give her pets and snuggles all day, nya.¡±


    "MEW!" Akagi meowed in agreement.


    "Hishya might need to up the number of pets she gives out at this rate." Mika said. "Otherwise, the <i>Princess</i> might die of loneliness."


    <i>{Kana was definitely lonely when Hishya was gone with Akagi for those couple days.} </i>(Mika)


    "I''ll have you know that I get quite a bit of those already, thank you very much." Kana huffed. ¡°Hishya lets me touch her tail and give it all kinds of TLC.¡±


    "Hishya really is the family pet, isn''t she?" Naomi shook her head as she chuckled. "I think Akagi''s pet talk,bined with the kitty stuff has slowly morphed her into one."


    "Maybe, but she still won''t let me put a leash on her and take her walkies." Kanaughed. ¡°I tried throwing the frisbee to her at the park the other day, and she threw it back at me so hard that it impaled into a tree.¡±


    <i>{I was surprised honestly. I thought a piece of stic flying that fast would just shatter into a million pieces, not get stuck IN the tree.} </i>(Kana)


    "She has simplye to understand the joy of being loved." Akagi smiled as Chloe started messing with her tail. "Mika, you should try it sometime. I''m sure Yuzu and Suzu would pet you if you asked." She figured those two would do far more than just <i>pet </i>Mika if they got the chance.¡±


    <i>{Mika is never gonna end up in a dry spell, that''s for sure.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I''m good." Mika gave a wry smile. "Maybe if I had kitty ears, but it would be kinda awkward for a human to get pet, and the idea of them feeding me sounds cute, but..."


    "So what you''re telling me is that I just need to make a potion to give you cat ears and a tail?" Akagi smirked. "I think Imp can handle that."


    "No, giving us animal parts, please!" Kana sighed. "I don''t need to be the Demon <i>Kitty </i>Princess..."


    <i>{Hishya would probably like it...} </i>Kana was imagining how crazy Hishya would go, and figured lots of petting and snuggling would be in her future. The Dragon might have tried to hide it, but she enjoyed petting Akagi, and having Kana be her very own cat girlfriend would be too much for her to handle.


    "It would be worth it. Being a catkin is amazing. nya! You get to take naps where ever you want, and everyone thinks you''re cute." Chloeughed. She''d seen the inte, and knew just how much people on Earth <em>liked</em> catgirls.


    "Yes, you must join us in floof!" Akagi eximed. ¡°One of us! One of us!¡±


    "You just want to see us as catgirls! Don''t try and y this as anything other than your weird tastes, Onee-chan." Kana red at her, knowing full well that Akagi just wanted to get some eye candy out of Mika and Naomi.


    <i>{I know you too well!} </i>(Kana)


    "Listen, if you''re cute and adorable, then what does it matter if <i>I </i>enjoy myself to the glorious sight?" Akagi smiled.


    <i>{Mika and Naomi with ears and a tail... Damn that would be good...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Oh god, if we turned into catgirls for real, Akagi would <i>definitely </i>put us in her harem." Mikamented.


    "Toote for that. You''re in whether you''re cat or not." Akagiughed. "You give me pets on demand, so your fate is sealed already!"


    "Pffff. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha." Simultaneously all of the girls broke out inughter whichsted several minutes until calming down. They always had fun poking at each other, and the absurdity of the situation only helped things along.


    "Ok, we''ve gotten sidetracked enough." Naomi said once everyone calmed down. "Let''s get to the <i>real</i> reason we''re here before we forgetpletely." She was speaking from experience, since that had happened before.


    "YES!" Mika eximed loudly. "Today is the day I be a Magical Girl and strike back against the tyranny of the Demon Princess!" She turned over and pointed at Kana, before cackling quite evilly for someone who was to be a Magical Girl.


    "Don''t drag me into your delusions..." Kana sighed. "I''m not role-ying as a Magical Girl viin, no matter how many times you ask."


    <i>{That would be a level of embarrassing I''d never recover from, so no...} </i>(Kana)


    "Bute on!" Mika begged. "It will be fun, and you can wear all kinds of costumes!¡±


    "You have a <i>literal </i>viin sitting on the couch you can ask! Don''t try making me do something so embarrassing!" Kana pointed to the extremely innocent cat who was happily being pet and didn''t look evil at all.


    "I''d be down to help you out, and I''ve even got an idea. But Kana needs to approve first." Akagi said.


    "Sure, do whatever you want. As long as <i>I </i>don''t have to take part, I don''t care what you do with her." Kana shook her head, not realizing what kind of idea she just agreed to.


    <i>{You''re going to regret not hearing what I wanted to do before you consented.} </i>Akagiughed internally.


    "So where is this <i>Magical Girl Transformation Device?"</i> You could see Kana cringe internally as she said those words.


    <i>{Why... Just... Why...} </i>(Kana)


    "Yeah! I want it now!" Mika''s eyes sparkled in anticipation. ¡°I wanna be cuter than normal!¡±


    "It''s right here." Akagi reached into her inventory and took out something that looked like a blue and white makeuppact.


    "Well, at least it looks normal." Kana was expecting some crazy contraption or insanely convoluted device.


    "So let me exin how this works because Imp isn''t here to do it herself." Akagi hopped out of Chloe''sp and walked over to Mika. "Take this." She handed it to the girl, who was trembling in anticipation.


    "Imp programmed it to only respond to your magic, so nobody else can use it. All you need to do is channel enough magical power into thepact and the transformation will begin automatically." Akagi exined. Mika had been practicing a bit at home, and while nowhere on the level of Kana, her magical control was rudimentary enough to do this.


    <i>{So it doesn''t run on the power of friendship?} </i>Kana retorted in her mind, and regretted not saying it aloud.


    "How much magic?" Mika asked as she examined thepact.


    "You''ll figure it out quickly. Imp said she made it resist magical energy below a certain threshold so you don''t identally trigger it." Akagi continued. "Channel energy into it until you ovee its resistance, and once that happens prepare to transform!" She smiled.


    "And before we do <i>that</i>, please tell us how she turns <i>back</i>?" Kana asked. "Let''s not have her transform and then not be able to figure it out. I know how this works." She''d seen too many anime with that stupid joke thrown in, so she was going to save Mika that trouble and potentially undercut her sister''s joke.


    "Once activated, it will slowly drain magical power from your body to fuel it. Once you reach less than ten percent within your body, it will automatically shut off for safety. If you wish to deactivate it before that, you need to simply pull all your magical power out of the device." Akagi exined. "It''s not that hard to do either. Imp is a lot of things, but <ipetent</i> is at the top of that list." Sheughed.


    "Let''s try it out right now!" Mika was excited and wanted to transform immediately.


    "Outside!" Kana eximed, stopping Mika from doing it in the house. "I don''t need you blowing up the house or something!"


    <i>{Mika would 100% do something like that.} </i>(Naomi)


    "I can just repair anything that breaks through." Akagimented that it didn''t matter how much stuff broke, since she could easily fix it.


    "Still!" Kana huffed, not wanting to see her friend break things.


    And so after Akagi went and grabbed Yuzu and Suzu, the girls went into the garden to watch Mika transform.


    "I''m so d that I''ve been brainstorming ideas for weeks!" Mika giggled manically as she stared at thepact. "Can I do it now?!?" She looked at Akagi, who gave a thumbs up.


    "Alright, here goes!" Mika took a deep breath before shouting. "Star Power Activate!"


    <i>{She made a battle cry...} </i>(Naomi x Kana)


    Mika channeled her power into the magicalpact as she let out her cry, and immediately her body was covered in a blue light as her transformation began. She floated a few inches into the air as her clothing swapped to a blue-white dress with a big blue bow on it. Her hair lengthened a bit before tying up in twin tails that were held up by white bows, white leggings reced her jeans, and two ck dress shoes took the ce of her tennis shoes, which had open tops with arge golden buckle on them. White gloves adorned both her hands, and in her right was a small golden magical wand that had an azure crystal hovering above it.


    Once the light show was over, Mika floated back down to the ground, and she slowly opened her eyes before turning to a stupefied Kana and Naomi with a massive smile on her face.


    "Magical Girl Star Guardian has arrived!" She took a cute pose and announced her new magical name to the world, and while Akagi had a big smile on her face, none of the other girls could muster a response at that moment.


    On that day, a hero was born.


    Spoiler


    Magical Mika is Here!


    [copse]

 Chapter 218 – Magical Girl Star Guardian!

    Chapter 218 ¨CMagical Girl Star Guardian!


    "Owch!" Kana cried out in pain as she pinched herself on the cheek. "Oh darn, it''s not actually a dream. I was hoping this was all just some horrible nightmare, I''d wake up in my bed, and Mika wouldn''t be <i>this</i>."


    "Yeah, I was about to pinch myself too. This is... I guess I should''ve expected this, and perhaps on a subconscious level I did, but seeing it in person..." Naomi was wide-eyed as she looked at Mika.


    <i>{Why is she so CUTE?!?} </i>(Naomi)


    "What''s the matter, are you stunned by my Star Power and adorableness?" Mika smiled as she started giggling, but then quickly stopped in confusion. "Huh? What''s up with my voice? Why do I sound funny?" She noticed that she had a bit of a higher-pitched voice, and that she didn''t sound like normal


    "It''s not just your voice that changed, Mika." Kana sighed as she walked over to her friend.


    <i>{I have the urge to hit Onee-chan so hard for this...} </i>(Kana)


    "When did you get so tall?" Mika was about the same height as Kana normally, but now she barely went up to her chest. ¡°Even Naomi seems taller than me now...¡±


    "<i>I</i> didn''t get tall. <i>You </i>got short, Mika." Kana wiped out a small hand mirror and gave it to Mika, who looked at her new form with surprise and awe.


    "I''M SO CUTE!" Mika eximed as she stared at her reflection. "And I''m a <i>loli?!?</i> That''s amazing! Look at me! I''m so small and cute!" She said while spinning around in ce.


    "Why did you make her look like a middleschooler?!?" Kana red at her sister in disapproval.


    <i>{Do you have OTHER tastes that we need to discuss?!?} </i>(Kana)


    "Because Magical Girl''s are always like this." Akagi smiled.


    <i>{That''s not an answer!} </i>(Kana)


    "This is so cool! I look like some kinda cute kid version of me!" Mika smiled. It seemed she enjoyed her new appearance, and was giggling uncontrobly.


    "She''s so cute..." Yuzu gulped as she stared at her newly adorable girlfriend.


    "Y-Yeah." Suzu agreed. The two sisters were practically drooling.


    "No lewding the loli." Akagi looked over at them and gave them a stern warning.


    <i>{I don''t need you idiots doing something stupid just because Mika is cute.} </i>(Akagi)


    "We wouldn''t do that!" (Yuzu x Suzu)


    "Suuuuuure you wouldn''t." Akagi didn''t believe them for a second, noting that their eyes SCREAMED lewd.


    <i>{You''d take her into the bedroom and do unspeakable things to her. Though knowing Mika, she''d probably be into it...} </i>(Akagi)


    "I can''t believe that''s really Mika." Naomi went over and poked her short friend in the cheek to confirm it was real. Mika''s face was very squishy, and Naomi couldn''t believe her hands when she touched Mika''s face. "You''re like the same size Hishya used to be, though maybe a bit shorter" She continued to poke Mika, who giggled.


    <i>{Ok... This is unfair... Mika is way to cute... and her skin is too perfect and soft...} </i>(Naomi)


    "Thank you, Akagi! This is amazing! I''m finally a Magical Girl like I always wanted!" Mika squeed in happiness.


    <i>{Ever since I was a little girl, I''d dreamed of being a Magical Girl and saving people, and now I can do it!} </i>(Mika)


    "Don''t mention it." Akagi chuckled. "Just make sure to use your newfound power for good, and don''t go around causing trouble!" She figured unleashing Mika on Kyoto would be hrious, and she was eagerly awaiting whatever chaos woulde from this event.


    "Oh god that''s right. She''s gonna run around Kyoto like this, isn''t she?" Kana groaned as she imagined Mika ying hero. "Please don''t go causing chaos..."


    "I don''t cause chaos!" Mika protested. "I am a Magical Girl! I protect the innocent and defend peace and harmony! And besides, would a face <i>this</i> cute cause trouble?¡± She pulled out puppy eyes, which didn''t work on Kana.


    <i>{And yes, it would. I know a certain equally cute cat that ALSO causes trouble.} </i>(Kana)


    "I''ll believe it when I see it." Kana shook her head.


    ¡°Meanie!¡± Mika puffed her cheeks, which caused Yuzu and Suzu to start giggling.


    "What can Mika actually do like that anyway?" Naomi asked about Mika''s abilities. "I assume it''s more than just a transformation. So can she like fly and use more powerful magic?"


    "I can sense arge amount of magical power flowing within her body." Momomented about Mika''s power. "It seems that item is amplifying her power a great deal, and at present, she likely has more magical power than Kana." Momo''s revtion stunned the other girls.


    "What?!?" Kana eximed. "Why would you give Mika that much power?!?"


    <i>{WHY?!?} </i>(Kana)


    "Because what good is a Magical Girl who can''t save people and fight the forces of evil?" Akagi replied as if she hadn''t just given Mika the power to level city blocks.


    <i>{Besides, Mika won''t to anything too bad with that power... I hope...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Oh man, my vision is kinda weird." Mikamented as Kana argued that Mika had too much power. "It''s like everything is in ULTRA HD, and everything is so sharp." She looked around the garden and started down at the grass. "I can literally count every single de of grass. That''s so crazy, I can even see the bugs."


    <i>{It kinda makes me woozy...} </i>(Mika)


    "With that much magical power, your senses have likely been upgraded a great deal." Momo exined. "I''d imagine you can do much more than just see better, though it may take some time for your body to get used to it. So be careful in the mean time."


    "So now that you''ve sessfully transformed, do you want to test that power out a bit, Mika?" Akagi asked with a massive smirk on her face.


    "YES!" Mika replied with no hesitation.


    "Good. I''ve got just the thing to help us out then." Akagi''s shadow appeared behind her and dropped a massive boulder in the garden. "Give this thing a punch with all the power you can muster. That will set a nice baseline and show us just what you''ve got!" She figured this would beical.


    "Is that a good idea?" Kana asked her sister, skeptical of this whole thing.


    <i>{Its gonna explode, isn''t it?} </i>(Kana)


    "Don''t worry. This is <i>me </i>we''re talking about. Since we do I have my friends do unsafe things?" Akagi waved off her concern.


    <i>{Shall I get out the list?} </i>(Kana)


    "Alright, let''s do it!" Mika walked over to the boulder and pulled back her fist before shouting. "Fist of the North Star!"


    <i>{She already made a name for the attack?!?} </i>(Kana x Naomi)


    Her fist crashed into the boulder letting out a minor shock wave. At first, it seemed that nothing happened as the bolder only moved slightly, but a momentter, cracks appeared across the giant rock, and it crumbled into a pile of broken rocks and dust.


    "I SMASHED IT!" Mika cried out in victory. ¡°IT TURNED TO DUST!¡±


    "What kind of crazy did Onee-chan unleash..." Kana groaned.


    <i>{¡­} </i>(Kana)


    "Did you guys see that?!?!" Mika started hopping around with a massive smile on her face. She was so proud of herself and absolutely giddy "I smashed that big boulder into nothing! With just one punch too!"


    <i>{So does that mean we should we call her One Punch Mika?} </i>(Kana)


    "Yes, we saw." Naomi shook her head in exasperation. "That was very impressive, Mika."


    <i>{I''m honestly not sure how to react to all this.} </i>(Naomi)


    "Now to smite the evil Demon Princess!" Mika pointed her wand at Kana at started cackling in a manner a bit too evil for a Magical Girl. "You evil rein of terror ends today, Demon Princess Kana!"


    "I''ve done nothing evil!" Kana protested beingbeled as evil.


    <i>{That smirk on your face makes YOU seem like the evil one Mika!} </i>(Kana)


    "Scary Kana must be exorcised for the good of all mankind!" Mika eximed. ¡°I shall defeat you once and for all, and protect the world from your tyranny!¡±


    <i>{I guess since Scary Kana is kinda ''Demonic'' Mika isn''t exactly wrong per se. Though I''ll keep that to myself, since Kana might hit me again...} </i>(Naomi)


    "I hate this..." Kana hung her head in defeat. "I''m having an <i>actual</i> Magical Girl threaten to destroy me and save the world from my darkness..." She''d basically given up at this point.


    <i>{I should have never let Onee-chan go through with this.} </i>(Kana)


    "It''s so cute seeing her like that." Chloe smiled. "It reminds me of myaster when she does funny things. Maybe Mika can start being cute too!" She was tempted to pet Mika on the head, but knew Yuzu and Suzu would freeze her in ice if she tried.


    "Wait!" Mika cried out, after apparently thinking of a good idea. "This means that Akagi and I can be cute <i>together</i> now!" She rushed over and hugged the Catkagi. "It''s even better when I''m this small! You''re so fluffy and soft!" She squeezed her tightly.


    <i>{FLOOF!} </i>(Mika)


    "MEW!" Akagi meowed in happiness as she was hugged. "I''m d you like it, and I can confirm what Naomi said, as you are indeed very soft too." She''d made sure Mika was a perfect a Magical Girl as possible, and part of that was making her skin soft and supple.


    "Oh great. So does this mean Mika is gonna stay like this from now on?" Kana sighed as she imagined the craziness of Magical Mika and Catkagi being permanent fixtures in the house.


    <i>{At this point, Mika is going to be just as bad as Onee-chan...} </i>(Kana)


    "Well, it will onlyst for a few hours with the amount of magic she''s got." Akagiughed as her ears were pet by Mika.


    "And I wouldn''t do that anyway." Mika objected to Kana''sment. "Staying in Magical Girl Mode all the time would cheapen it, so I''ll use it sparingly." She figured doing it too much would ruin the fun.


    <i>{I''ve got my doubts...} </i>(Kana)


    "I wouldn''t mind spending some time with her while she''s like this." Yuzu pulled Mika away from Akagi and hugged Mika from one side.


    "Indeed, she''s too precious. I could see us enjoying some <i>alone time </i>together like this" Suzu hugged the Magical Mika from the other, pinning the girl between the two of them in a very procovative and suspect manner.


    <i>{Ohhh boy... Mika is really living the harem life here...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Eh-heh~" Mika''s face contorted into a perverted smile as she began to giggle. She might not have gone that far in her rtionship with the two Yuuki Onna, but <i>this </i>was always going to be enjoyed.


    "That''s not a face that a Magical Girl should be making, Mika." Naomi rolled her eyes. ¡°At least not ones from <i>regr </i>Magical Girl stories...¡±


    <i>{At this point, its just a matter of time before Mika is the second one of us to be ''impure.''} </i>(Naomi)


    "Yeah. Perhaps she should be called a Magical <i>pervert </i>instead of a Magical girl?" Kana grinned.


    "Just let her have her fun you two, and stop being killjoys." Akagi rolled her eyes at them. "Anyway, Magical Mika, let''s go test out some of your powers." The <i>Demon''s </i>words snapped Mika out of her stupor, much to the disappointment of Yuzu and Suzu.


    <i>{You two can have your fun with your Magical Girlfriendter.} </i>(Mika)


    "Sounds good!" Mika smiled, and before departing she gave her girlfriends a kiss on their cheeks, which caused both women to go bright red, before bouncing to a nearby clearing. "Alright, what are we doing?"


    <i>{I swear I can see smokeing out of their ears...} (</i>Akagi)


    "We need to test your ability to control all that power." Akagi walked over and stood across from her a few dozen feet away. "We made it so the magical power channeled via thepact works with imagination and thought, so if you can envision your magic taking form or effect it should work." She exined how the Magical Girl magic worked. "So try imagining an attack, then throw it at me. I need to see just how good you can control it."


    "Alright, here I go!" Mika concentrated for a moment before a bright light appeared above her wand. It formed into the shape of a five-pointed star, and once it was ready she hurled it toward Akagi. "Star Breaker!" Mika let out another attack name as it crashed into Akagi, creating a minor explosion.


    <i>{I like how she didn''t even hesitate to st Onee-chan. I know that nothing can really harm her, but still... Damn Mika, that''s some absolute ruthlessness. Even I can hesitate during training.} </i>(Kana)


    "Not bad." Akagi smiled as she pushed away the dust kicked up by the attack with some pressurized air. "Now try and do that in rapid session. I want to see just how fast you can channel your power, and for how long."


    It took a few tries, but in no time at all Mika was able to rapidly channel magic and form her ''Star Breaker'' attack. She seemed to be quite good at manipting magic, and Akagi figured this had everything to do with the girl''s excellent imagination and creative mind.


    <i>{She''s probably a born genius when ites to using her mind for imaginative purposes, which isn''t surprising knowing Mika.} </i>(Akagi)


    "If you told me even just a few months ago that I''d be watching Mika transform into a Magical Girl and hurl magical star attacks at your sister, I''d have rmended you get mental help." Naomi facepalmed as she watched this whole series of events. ¡°Is this our life now?¡±


    ¡°It was the moment you two came with me to the hospitalst year.¡± Kana shrugged, having gave up on sanity for now.


    "Hey, I think it''s cool!" Himarimented. "Mika looks amazing in that outfit, and her attacks are stylish! Not to mention she''s so cute I just want to pinch her cheeks!" It seemed that the very immature Himari was a fan of Magical Girls.


    "Of course, <i>you</i> would find her cool..." Kana sighed. "You''re basically a Magical Girl already, aren''t you?"


    "..." Himari went quiet for a moment. "I GUESS I AM!" She eximed. "And I''m even better because I''m <i>literally </i>made of magic, and so is Momo! We''re Magical Girl Sister!" She dered proudly.


    "I am <i>not</i> a Magical Girl, and neither are you!" Momo protested.


    "You are a girl made of magic, thus Magical Girl." Himari''s smirk was audible.


    "Pfff." Kana tried to hold in augh. "That''s actually kinda funny."


    ¡°Yeah, she has you there, Momo.¡± Naomi was simrlyughing.


    ¡°You both are just terrible...¡± Momo sighed.


    As the two discussed whether Momo and Himari were Magical Girls, they were interrupted by Mika''s shout. "LOOK!" Mika cried out. "I''m flying!" While the girls were talking amongst themselves, Akagi had instructed Mika on flying with her magic. "WEEEEEE!" She began flying in circles above the garden. "THIS IS AMAZING!" She did all kinds of flips and tricks as she soared in the air. ¡°I''M ZOOMING!¡±


    <i>{She flies now...} </i>(Kana)


    "Just be careful not to run out of magic while flying, unless you want to find out what skydiving without a parachute is like." Akagiughed.


    "That sounds <i>not</i> fun." Mika said nervously while hovering in the air. "How do I know how much magic I have left anyway?" She asked. ¡°Is there like a gauge on thepact or something?¡± She looked at her wand, but that showed nothing of the sort.


    "No there''s no mechanism to tell you directly. Rather you''ll get a feel for it, but I can tell you you''re fine for now." Akagi said. "Let''s continue working out all the kinks and get you used to that power, and then we can have our <i>fun</i>." She cackled.


    <i>{Why do I have a bad feeling about this?} </i>(Kana)


    "Mika, are you actually going to act like a Magical Girl and be a hero?" Kana looked up at her friend who was flying.


    <i>{Thankfully that outfit doesn''t allow people to get up skirt views. Otherwise she really would be the Magical Pervert of Kyoto.} </i>(Kana)


    "Of course I am!" Mika nodded. "What else would I do with this power and cute face? I n on flying around Kyoto and saving people like any other Magical Girl! I shall defeat the forces of evil, and bring peace to Kyoto!"


    "And your parents are ok with this?" Naomi asked a very important question.


    "They said it was fine as long as I don''t break curfew." Mikaughed, as she had already cleared that hurdle in advance.


    "Of course they did..." (Naomi x Kana)


    "I can''t wait to make my debut!" Mika squealed. "Social media is gonna go nuts over the appearance of a mysterious Magical Girl! I can''t wait to see how they react to me! I bet everyone will call me cute!" She was very excited about thatst part.


    "Are you actually gonna do the whole secret identity thing?" Kana asked.


    "Yeah! That''s a big part of the fun!" Mika smiled. "I can hide my secret from the masses while my trusted friends and allies know the truth! Why <i>wouldn''t </i>I take that opportunity?!?" She figured it was a once and a lifetime chance to live secret double life, and that she''d be a fool for not taking it.


    "So you''re just being chunni..." Kana shook her head in disapproval.


    "It''s not chunni since it''s real." Akagi pointed out the difference.


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Mika nodded. ¡°I <i>am</i> a Magical Girl, Kana! So its not some delusion that you have because your immature and used the inte too much!¡± She seemed to be speaking from experience, but nobody had the desire to ask about her ck history.


    "That doesn''t make it much better..." Kana groaned. "Just don''t go causing me trouble.¡±


    <i>{This is Mika. So she''s going to cause us trouble, andugh while she does it, Kana.} </i>(Naomi)


    "I can''t wait to save Kana from some kind of danger, and she has to pretend not to know me." Mikaughed as she zipped around in the air.


    "I think Kana can save <i>herself</i>." Naomi pointed out that she was already quite powerful on her own, and Kana wasn''t hiding her magical powers.


    "True, but it would still be funny." Mika continued tough as she zipped around.


    "Well<i> I</i> can''t wait for the phone calls from the RRT toe in." Akagi chuckled. "They''re gonna be like: <i>Where the fuck did a real Magical Girle from?!?" </i>She mimicked Aoi''s voice as she imagined her giving an angry phone call.


    "I''ll have you know that I was born from love and the power of friendship!" Mika giggled.

 Chapter 219 – Kitty Upgrades and Debut.

    Chapter 219 ¨C Kitty Upgrades and Debut.


    Once Mika was finished experimenting with her new powers, she reverted back to normal, much to the sadness of Yuzu and Suzu who were hoping for more time with their cute girlfriend. Mika was initially worried that she''d have no clothing on when she reverted, but that fear was unfounded as apparently her body would magically revert to normal when she transformed back.


    "Well, at least she''s not stuck like that." Kana shook her head.


    <i>{Though Mika might actually be ok with that oue...} </i>(Kana)


    "I told you already that Imp and I made it, and we <i>ensured </i>that it was safe before giving it over. I''d never give Mika something dangerous, and if I had any reservations I wouldn''t risk it." Akagi sighed. "But all the same, just be careful with that thing, Mika. And whatever you do, <i>don''t </i>let anyone else get hold of it. It might be tied to your magic, but I''d rather people not start reverse engineering ways to make Magical Girls." She figured the world''s governments might want something like this.


    "The mass militarization and deployment of Magical Girls reminds me of a light novel I read once." Mika thought for a moment. "But don''t worry, I''ll keep it safe."


    <i>{She''s gonna lose it in theundry, isn''t she...} </i>(Naomi)


    "Are you girls still heading into Kyoto to hang out after this?" Akagi asked. They''d mentioned wanting to get Mika''s Magical Girl <i>thing</i> done before they went to karaoke.


    "Yup." Naomi nodded. "Now that Mika got her <i>toy</i>, we can head off for some real fun!" She was looking forward to hanging out with her friends now that school was over for the summer.


    "It''s not a toy! It''s a transformation device!" Mika puffed her cheeks as she pouted at Naomi''s words.


    <i>{You''re just envious that you don''t have one!} </i>(Mika)<i> </i>


    "As I said, a <i>toy.</i>" Naomi grinned.


    "Do you want toe with, Onee-chan?" Kana asked. "You''re more than wee to." She''d never actually taken Akagi to karaoke and wanted to see her sing.


    "Thanks, but I''ll pass." Akagi shook her head. "I''ve got some stuff I need to do, but you girls go have fun." She also figured that the Demon<i> </i>Lord walking about in downtown Kyoto might cause some issues, not to mention that she would get a bit too into karaoke, since she liked to sing.


    ¡°Come with us and sing in cat mode!¡± Mika wanted to see the Catkagi sing. ¡°It would be so cute, and we can make an adorable little music video!¡± She was hoping something like that would get her millions of views.


    <i>{Cute kitty sings death metal! I must see it!} </i>(Mika)


    ¡°While I would ordinarily love to kick your assess at karaoke, I genuinely have things to do.¡± Akagi shrugged. ¡°So I can''t. But you lot should go have some fun. If I''m free next time, then I''ll go. How about that?¡±


    ¡°Sounds good. But we need to go do some things together this summer! We didn''t really do much togetherst year, and I''ve got some ideas for fun.¡± Kana wanted to spend some quality time with her, and hoped that things would stay calm and allow for it.


    Once the girls were ready to go, Akagi had them transported down to Kyoto by one of the ninjas, which left her and Chloe alone, and the <i>Demon</i> figured it was time to get some work done lest she be brandedzy and useless again.


    "Come on, Chloe." Akagi motioned for the cat to follow her. "You can keep mepany while I do some work." She said as she walked toward the house nonchntly.


    "Please don''t make me do paperwork..." Chloe''s ears drooped. She wasn''t a fan of desk work, and was terrible at anything that required writing.


    <em>{Paperwork bad... Fighting good...}</em>(Chloe)


    "How about this? If you pet me while I work and feed me snacks, then you can get out of pencil pushing." Akagiughed. She knew how much Chloe <em>hated</em> doing anything other than field work, so figured this was a good way to secure some attention.


    "Sounds good, nya!" Chloe followed along behind her master as the two of them went into Akagi''s office. Akagi sat on Chloe''sp as she went over a mountain of paperwork, and the two discussed a number of different issues that came across her desk. Contrary to what the <i>Demon</i> said, Chloe wasn''t <i>just</i> here for fun and games, and she actually wanted the catkin''s input on a few issues.


    "Next up is..." Akagi looked over another document. "Something submitted by <i>you</i>, actually." She read through it quickly before discussing it with Chloe. "I see. You want permission and material to construct a proper n base. I guess that''s not exactly surprising." They''d basically been operating out of ad hoc facilities at the estate, andcked anything like a formal base. Now that Akagi had her own nation, she figured it best to start thinking in the long term and give them somewhere to really put down roots.


    "Yeppers!" Chloe nodded. "We''ve been making do with the limited arrangements here, but now that we''ve been properly established I think it''s time to give the n a proper home, nya. We need a ce to train neers, after all." There weren''t any on the way yet, but Akagi figured it was just a matter of time.


    "Reading through this, you still want it to be close to the estate, and you wish to construct a facility simr to what you guys had on Mount Anadara." Akagimented as she read it over again. "Man, that takes me back..."


    <i>{It''s been a long time since we destroyed that ce, so it makes sense she''d want to rebuild it. I recall her mentioning something about reconstructing the n''s base at some point, and I guess now''s the time.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I want to make sure we''re always close by for you, myaster." Chloe pet her on the head and yed with her ears. "We are your faithful servants, now and forever, nya."


    "You are my <i>family</i>, Chloe, all of you." Akagi corrected her.


    "Of course." Chloe giggled as she flipped one of Akagi''s ears inside out and poked the interior.


    "I still can''t believe how long it''s been." Akagi sighed as she sat the small document on the desk. "It''s been nearly four years since we met, and so many things have happened during that time."


    <i>{I got new friends. Found a family, and really changed my outlook on things. But most of all, I''m happy, and that''s the most important thing about all of this.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Back then, I was an arrogant kid who never imagined anyone could beat me." Chloeughed as she remembered the beat down Akagi gave her, and the massive blow to her ego that came with it. "When I was sent after you, I never imagined that when I returned to the vige next it would be to take it over!" Chloe''s n didn''t really appreciate her switching sides, and it was a bloody and fierce battle to get them to submit. Once she''d defeated the n''s elders, there was a short and violent civil war that devastated their ranks. The members of the n that still existed were those who sided with Chloe after she proimed her ascension to Grand Master as per their traditions, and they were grateful to have been spared a more gruesome fate, since their people had angered someone so powerful and lost.


    "I still don''t get how you all don''t hate me for that whole series of events." Akagi''s face went dark. "I killed so many of your fellow ninjas, and basically uprooted your entire society..." She didn''t regret her actions, but that didn''t mean she failed to understand what she did.


    "It is simply how we are, nya." Chloe pet her even more to reassure her that she and the other ninja were not angry. "We attacked someone, and not only did we <em>fail</em>, but that person defeated and subjugated our n. Ordinarily, we should have been exterminated, but you decided to give us a second chance and even weed us into your family. For what reason could we have to be upset, nya?"


    <i>{That you used me as a proxy to cement your control over our people is irrelevant, since everyone understands that I only seeded because of you. I know things were hard at the time, and having to kill people I''d known since childhood was... was hard, but our people came out stronger because of it, and now we have a worthy myaster to serve.} </i>(Chloe)


    "Yeah, and what did I get out of it? A dopey cat that follows me around no matter where I go." Akagiughed as the poked Chloe on the nose.


    "You say that, but I''ve never once seen you tell this <i>dopey cat </i>to go away, nya." Chloe giggled as she squeezed Akagi a bit.


    "That''s because if I sent you off into the world, who knows what kind of crazy you''ll do." Akagi replied. "It''s the same reason why I need to keep an eye on Mika, lest she start doing god knows what out there." She chuckled.


    "Mika seemed so happy earlier." Chloe said. "I don''t think I''ve <i>ever </i>seen that big of a smile on her face, nya." She could tell the blue-haired girl was thrilled with her new powers, and was happy to see her happy.


    <i>{It really must have been a dreame true, and I know myaster worked hard to make it happen. She tries to pretend that she doesn''t care as much as she does, but I know that''s all a lie. Our myaster is a kind and caring person, at least those to who she wants to be.} </i>(Chloe)


    "I''m just d that she''s happy with it." Akagi smiled. "Giving her that little something makes me happy as well."


    <i>{I want to repay her for being such a good friend, and for putting up with all my bullshit. Out of all the people I''ve met, Mika has to be up there as one of the cookyist, and also one of my favorite. That girl is capable of taking everything in stride, and she just appreciates me for who I am, crazy and all.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I suppose I''ll have to train even more. Lest she and Kana overtake me in skill and power." Chloe smiled. She was curious as to the girls level of strength, but so far refrained from sparring with either since she was afraid to hurt them.


    "Well, yeah. I can''t have my best agent being beaten by some superpowered teens now, can I?" Akagi agreed. "On that front, I''ve actually got something for you." She reached into her inventory and pulled out two items before cing them on her desk.


    "Ohh!" Chloe eyed them with great interest, and could feel the magic emanating from the two of them.


    "The first one here is an upgraded version of your wires." Akagi held up something that looked like arge spool of blueish silver threat. "I worked with Imperial and Imp to make something even stronger and more flexible than your current kit, so try these out and tell me what you think." They were made from some very powerful and flexible metal that was created using magic.


    "I''ve been wanting something with a bit more kick to them, nya." Chloe picked up and looked at the spool, her eyes showing a serious glint as she inspected her new weapon. "I''ve been concerned that my current weapons wouldn''t be much of a match for yers, so this will be good to make sure I don''t get caught off guard, nya." She smiled as she imagined kicking some butt with them.


    "And the second thing..." Akagi cackled as she picked up the second item. "Is a secret project that I''ve been working on ever since I got hold of Imperial''s item production." She showed Chloe two red and ck gloves. "Put these on, please." She handed them to the cat.


    Chloe put the two gloves over her hands, and was instantly amazed. They were form-fitting and were perfectly sized for the catkin, but more than that... "Wow!" Chloe eximed in shock. "When I put them on, I felt a rush of energy flow into my body!" Her entire body felt a surge of power the moment they were equipped and she felt as if she could tussle with a front line fighter.


    "Bingo!" Akagi continued cackling as she exined. "I worked with Imperial to enchant those gloves with a modified version of Greater Ability Boost!" She''d been messing with game abilities and the ability to alter or transfer them, with some sess.


    "Really?!?" Chloe was in awe at the power within these gloves. "I thought you could only activate that ability temporarily?!?" She''d managed to learn a few non rogue ss abilities, but Ability Boost proved to be impossible, and the test items she''d used only powered her up for a few minutes.


    "It was, until now. You see, what you''ve got <i>there</i> is weaker than the actual ability, but it''s constantly on while you have those gloves equipped." Akagi smirked. "And... that''s not all."


    "I can tell." Chloe''s lips curved into a wicked smiled as she noticed the <i>other </i>aspect of these gloves. "Myaster is truly terrifying, nya."


    "I sure am." Akagi smiled. "If Eris thought getting ess to Ability Boost via her gauntlets was nice, then she''d be floored by what we put into <i>those</i>."


    "Hey, myaster." Chloe''s eyes glinted as she looked down at the <i>Demon </i>in herp. "Are you thinking what I''m thinking?"


    "Shall we perform a <i>test</i> of the new gear?" Akagi turned to look the cat in the face, her eyes showing a zing fire.


    "Muhhahah." Chloe began to cackle evilly, followed by Akagi and soon the entire room was filled with evilughing from the two troublemakers.


    <i>{What are those two idiots doing? I''m only gone for a few hours, and Ie back to find that Mika is a Magical Girl, and Akagi is most likely making an evil scheme with Chloe... } </i>Yumi watched the two girls from the doorway as they cackled like maniacal idiots. She''d seen this before, and it almost always meant trouble.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Halifax POV>


    "This ce is incredible!" Halifax marveled at the tall buildings and alien environment of Kyoto that surrounded her. "I''ve never seen a ce like this. I guess this really is an entirely different world, huh." She was currently walking down one of the main roads in Kyoto in an attempt to get her bearings, and was trying to figure out where she was and what she should do next. All she was told by Rebeckah was that the location she was being sent too was a ce with high magical power, but nothing more than that.


    <i>{Good thing my trantion magic worked. At least this way, I canmunicate with the natives.} </i>(Halifax)


    "First and foremost, I need to figure out where their adventurers or whatever they call them in this world meet." Halifax looked around but had no idea what might indicate such an organization, as the signs indicated various restaurants and shops, but nothing that sounded like a ce for warriors to meet. "A city this grand <i>must</i> be the seat of government, so I need to figure out where the Royal family lives. I''ll probably need to exin things to them, and hopefully, they can tell me some information about the Spirits." She was a bit overwhelmed, something that hadn''t happened in a long time.


    <i>{I detect a few magical signatures nearby. I should make my way to them as soon as possible. This world seems devoid of magic, so I''d imagine those people must be important in some way since only they are giving off a magical signature.} </i>Just as Halifax was contemting her next move...


    *SCREECH* *HONK* *BANG* *CRASH*


    A truck swerved into the wrongne, causing a collision with a small car.


    "What the heck was that?!?" Halifax looked at the scene of the ident and saw that the people within the car were injured but alive, while the man driving the truck was in severe distress.


    <i>{Should I help? No, if I do that I might draw attention, and I don''t know how people of this world might react to me.} </i>Halifax didn''t like the idea of standing by and watching such a scene, but before she could make a decision, <em>someone else</em> jumped in to save the day.


    "Magical Girl Star Guardian is here to help!" A young girl with light blue hair wearing a simrly colored dress flew onto the scene, and swiftly moved to rescue those who were injured.


    <i>{That girl is using magic!} </i>Halifax watched as the girl swiftly removed the injured people from their respective vehicles and cast healing magic on them. <i>{She must be someone important! With the quality of those clothes, that high magical power, and that skill, she must be the daughter of a Noble and a powerful adventurer! I need to speak with her! She might just be the kind of person who can help me save this world!} </i>

 Chapter 220 – Saving the Day.

    Chapter 220 ¨C Saving the Day.


    "That was fun!" Mika smiled as the girls walked out of the karaoke studio. They''d spent a around two hours singing together, and they ended up having a pretty fun time together. "Naomi always gets into it, and nice to see our stick in the mude out of her shell from time to time." She giggled, and Naomi pinched her nose, causing her to squeel.


    "Stick in the mud. Sure <i>Ms. Magical Girl..." </i>Naomi red at her before pulling her forward by her nose and letting go.


    "Well, I thought your voice was lovely." Momomented. ¡°I didn''t know you could sing that well, and it was a treat to listen to you.¡±


    "Yeah, you can really sing, Naomi!" Himari''s smile came through her words. "We should do that more often! It was nice to see Momo act normal and not stuck up like she usually is." They''d gotten the two Spirit girls to sing with them, and it turned out that neither was very good at it, though they seemed to have fun regardless.


    "What do you mean, <i>normal?!? </i>I''m always normal!" Momo huffed, not appreciating thement.


    <i>{I noticed you didn''tment about the stuck-up part, Momo.} </i>(Kana)


    "Momo is to Himari what Naomi is to me." Mikaughed. ¡°And by that I mean, a massive <i>kill joy</i>.¡± She smirked as sheughed at her friend, who red back at her.


    "Naomi, please hit her for me..." Momo asked, and Naomi obliged with her fist.


    *BONK*


    "Owchi!" Mika rubbed the top her of head. "Why must you abuse me?!?"


    <i>{Why must my friends be so violent towards me?!? I''m too cute to get hit!} </i>(Mika)


    "Because you deserve it!" (Naomi x Momo)


    "Mika, you have a habit of putting your foot in your mouth. So don''t sit here and y the victim. You know darn well that you instigate your own abuse with yourments and actions." Kana stared at he friend who just started whistling in denial.


    <i>{You know full well what you''re doing! You Magical Idiot!} </i>(Kana)


    As they were discussing what to do next, Mika''s stomach growled loudly.


    *GROWL* *GARGLE*


    "Ah-heh-heh." Mika gave a nervousugh. "It looks like all that singing made me hungry."


    <i>{Well either that or using my magic.} </i>(Mika)


    "I swear, Mika. You''re even <i>more </i>of a bottomless pit than you were before." Kana sighed. "But yeah, let''s go get something to eat. I''m starting to get hungry too, and the light snacks we had aren''t gonna be enough for us." They''d each started eating more than normal, and Kana thought it strange that she could eat so much food and not gain a single pound.


    <i>{Darn you increased metabolism... But also, hurrah for calorie burning!} </i>(Kana)


    After agreeing on where to go, the girls began walking down the sidewalk toward a nice caf¨¦ they''de to enjoy, it was along the main road in Kyoto, and only a few minutes away from where they were now. The girls chatted about various things as they moved toward their destination, and as they came to one of the intersections and waited for the light to change, the girls were shocked as they witnessed a nearly head-on collision between a truck and a small car.


    "Oh my god!" Naomi cried out in horror.


    <i>{Is it bad that I immediately thought that someone got Isekai''d?} </i>(Mika)


    "Someone, no wait. <i>I''ll</i> call an ambnce!" Kana scrambled to dial for help on her AR device. "That looked really bad! Mika can you-" She turned to where Mika was standing a moment ago, but noticed her friend had mysteriously disappeared. "Where did she- NO!" Kana called out for Mika, but it was already toote to stop what she knew wasing, as a momentter her friend reappeared, this time as Magical Girl Star Guardian.


    <i>{Noooooooo...} </i>(Kana)


    "Magical Girl Star Guardian is here to help!" Mika leaped overhead, jumping into the scene of the ident. "Don''t worry, I''ll get you out of there." Shended next to the small car, which had been partially crushed by therger vehicle.


    <i>{They seem to be alive, but they''ve got serious injuries!}</i> Rather than carefully opening the wrecked vehicle,<i> </i>Mika decided to tear the car apart with her bare hands, ripping the doors off and pulling out the three people inside in quick session.


    "W-Who are you?" The older woman that she pulled out of the wreck was woozy, and going in and out of consciousness. Her head was partially bloody, and it was clear that she had suffered from a concussion.


    "I''m a Magical Girl, and I''vee to help!" Mika smiled as she sat the woman on the ground. "Now, let''s get those injuries healed up!" She put her hand on the woman''s head. "Pain Pain Go Away!" She gave a small, and <i>very unnecessary,</i> chant as she channeled power just like Akagi showed her earlier that day.


    <i>{I hope I can do this right! Akagi said I just needed to imagine my power healing wounds, so I hope this works!} </i>(Mika)


    As she concentrated, a bright blue light flowed around the woman''s head, originating in the palm of Mika''s hand, and a momentter all her cuts, bruises, and other visible injuries faded. She seemed to still be confused and disoriented, but it was clear that her had condition improved drastically. "All done! Now let me get the other two, and then I''ll help the man in the truck!" Mika quickly zipped to the little girl and the older man who she pulled out of the car, performing the same magic on both of them.


    "A real Magical Girl!" The little girl squeaked in joy as she looked at Mika.


    <i>{Now that''s the reaction I wanted!} </i>(Mika)


    "Yupper! That''s what I am!" Mika smiled as she pat the girl on the head. "Now, just wait here like a good girl. I need to go save the-" She stopped mid sentence as her eyes spotted a small fuel leak from the tank the truck was carrying. It was leaking what looked like diesel, and it was getting dangerously close to a small me that wasing from what looked like exposed wiring. "I need to hurry!" Mika moved at high speed picking up the family and dropping them off next to Naomi and Kana. "It might explode! Keep back!" She yelled at Kana who was on the phone with emergency services to get away before it went boom.


    Kana wanted to say something, but didn''t have the chance, as before she could say anything, Mika had zipped over to the truck''s cab. The man inside was conscious, but clutching his chest tightly, and he was in visible pain


    <i>{Did he have a heart attack?!?} </i>Out of the corner of Mika''s eye, she caught the sight of a me shooting up the trail of fuel, and she knew she had to act fast. In a sh, she tore the door off the truck''s cab, threw it aside, and pulled the injured man out before dropping him next to Kana. "I''ll try and make a shield with my power, but everyone GET BACK!" She screamed at the onlookers who all started running as they could see the danger.


    Time seemed to slow down for the Magical Girl as she looked at the approaching me. Her heart pounded so loud that she figured others could hear it, and her entire body was starting to sweat. After pulling herself together, Mika channeled power into her wand, creating a starry barrier around the truck and car, and a momentter, the fire reached therge tanker...


    *BOOM!*


    A massive explosion went off inside the barrier, but thanks to Mika''s quick actions, it was unable to cause any further damage. The Magical Girl was visibly tired from holding the barrier together but was otherwise unharmed.


    <i>{U-Unbelievable! Since when could Mika act like that?!?} </i>Kana figured that Mika wouldn''t have the mindset to <i>actually</i> act like a Magical Girl from an anime, so her quick decision-making genuinely surprised her.


    "Heh-Heh." Mika took a few deep breaths. She wasn''t actually very tired physically, but the mental exhaustion finally hit her. "I think it''s safe. We''re good..." She let the barrier down before healing the man she plucked from the truck. She wasn''t sure this would work for a heart attack, but it probably couldn''t hurt.


    "Did you call an ambnce?" Mika turned to the girls. "I healed everyone, but I still think they should get checked out by a real doctor." She knew healing magic caused exhaustion and wasn''t perfect, so caution was needed.


    "Y-Yeah, I did. That was... That was actually pretty cool..." Kana was slightly embarrassed that she doubted her friend.


    <i>{I guess Mika CAN actually do something other than just act goofy.. Now I feel like an ass for thinking she was just going to y around...} </i>(Kana)


    "It''s all in a day''s work for a Magical Girl!" Mika smiled as she twirled backward into the road. "Everyone the people from the crash will be fine, and an ambnce is on the way!" She dered proudly and with a massive smile as she took a very Magical Girl pose.


    The onlookers stared at her for a moment before one older man started pping, after which everyone else started pping and cheering.


    <i>{I suppose this is Mika''s debut, and what a debut it was.} </i>Naomi smiled. She was simrly impressed by her friend, and like Kana, felt bad for doubting her.


    Once EMS arrived, Mika exined what happened and told everyone that she was Kyoto''s very own homegrown Magical Girl. People seemed to have all kinds of questions for her, and the family that she saved thanked her profusely. Some wanted to talk to her more, but she decided to leave before any media could arrive, and after a few minutes, she flew into the air and took off, ostensibly because she needed to be elsewhere, but the girls knew it was because she wanted to stoke mystery about her on the inte.


    A few minutester, Mika reappeared behind Kana and Naomi in her usual appearance, giving them a wink and a nod as she blended back into the crowd. Which caused both girls to giggle a bit.


    With no reason to stick around, the girls slunk off down the road before anyone got an ideas about questioning them, and as they were still hungry, they went to their original destination. Kana told Mika she''d pay for her food, and congratted her on a sessful debut, which caused Mika to blush a bit out of embarrassment. She''d just acted on instinct and still couldn''t believe that she managed to do all that.


    Inside the caf¨¦, everyone was talking about the appearance of a <em>real</em> Magical Girl in Kyoto, which only caused Mika to blush <i>more</i> now that the adrenaline of the moment wore off. Some people in the caf¨¦ were specting that she was a returnee, while others thought that perhaps Magical Girls had always been real and that this was just the first confirmed sighting.


    <i>{You know, if this world DID have them, it wouldn''t be that surprising. We had real Onmyoji and Yokai, so why not fucking Magical Girls from the Kingdom of Sugar, Sparkles and Kindness...} </i>(Kana)


    Social media was on fire, with an absurd number of people specting who this mysterious Magical Girl was, while others were praising her for saving that family. Overall impressions about Mika seemed positive, with mostmenting that she was a wee change from the ''trouble making'' returnees.


    Besides the asional eavesdropping on other diners, the girls'' meal wentrgely without issue, and Kana and Naomi took this opportunity to both praise for saving those people as well as to poke fun at Mika for her very Magical Girl entrance and naming conventions. Once they were finished, they decided to head back to the estate for the night. However, before they could even get a block away from the caf¨¦, they were stopped by an unknown orange-haired woman who carried a de at her side.


    <i>{I know Onee-chan has a metaphorical bingo card that lists of all the crazy things she think might happen, and I really hope this doesn''t tic one off...} </i>(Kana)


    "Excuse me." Halifax stopped them after they exited the caf¨¦. She''d been drawn to the girls as a result of their magical signature, particrly Mika, and was waiting for them to finish eating before talking to them. "Do you have a moment to speak with me? I promise you that this is important."


    Kana felt that something was off and told Himari to be ready in case a fight broke out. "Do we know you?" Kana asked, cing herself between Halifax and her two friends.


    "No, and please forgive me for failing to introduce myself first." Halifax smiled as she realized that it was bad form for her not to exin who she was first. "My name is Halifax, but most call me Hally. I was sent to find people who could help me on an important mission, and based on the fact that you three have magic while others in this ce don''t, I figured that you might be my best bet." She decided to be upfront and honest with the girls, since she needed help.


    <i>{Halifax? This girl looks like a returnee, but that name was not on the list of them. I wonder who she is? Its clear she''s not normal, and walking around with a de like that in the middle of Kyoto isn''t something people do normally.} </i>(Kana)


    "There''s a small park up the road. Can we talk there?" Kana pointed up the sidewalk.


    <i>{Better to fight her out of the way, and not drag people in. I just hope it doesn''te to that.} </i>(Kana)


    "Sure. Can you lead the way?" Halifax nodded, and the four of them began walking up the street.


    Kana silently told her two friends to get ready to run at a moment''s notice as they entered the park, and they nodded nervously.


    "So what do you want with us?" Kana asked as she turned to face Halifax. ¡°You mentioned something about a mission and needing help.¡±


    "Yes, well. First off." Halifax turned to Mika. "That was an excellent job, your control over magic could use some work, but you did well in saving those people''s lives."


    "W-What are you talking about?" Mika''s eyes darted back and forth, as she tried to deny being the Magical Girl in question. "The Magical Girl saved those people, not me." She gave a nervousugh.


    <i>{BUSTED ALREADY?!?} </i>(Mika)


    "Oh, are you trying to hide your power?" Halifax kicked herself internally. "My bad. I could tell it was you since your magic power was the same. Sorry..."


    <i>{I hope that I didn''t just cause a massive problem...} </i>(Halifax)


    "It''s fine, just don''t tell anyone else, please." Mika pleaded with her. "I really want to keep this a secret from as many people as I can."


    Halifax nodded.


    <i>{I assume she needs to keep her power secret from her family or others who might harm her.} </i>Halifax came to the wrong conclusion, but that wasn''t really important.


    "I assume magic isn''t well-liked in this world then?" Halifax asked, figuring that theck of magic may have given rise to fear of magic users.


    <i>{This world? I don''t like the use of that phrasing here...} </i>(Kana)


    "It only recently appeared, so people are uneasy about it, but it''s not taboo or anything." Kana flicked her finger and made a small me. "Naomi and I can use it as well, though you probably knew that already."


    <i>{I wonder if the Spirits had anything to do with that? They are quite gifted in magic, so it would line up.} </i>(Halifax)


    "So again, <i>what</i> do you want with us?" Kana asked her again, this time with a bit more force in her words.


    Halifax gulped. Something inside her told her that angering this girl was <em>not</em> a good idea, and the fact that Kana''s magical energy was intermixed with Demonic/Dark power made Halifax hesitate momentarily. "I''m not sure if you''ll believe me, but I''m actually from another world." She figured this would be very hard to exin, and likely not something anyone would believe


    "I believe you." Kana nodded.


    <i>{I kinda figured that from some of the words she used, and it would exin why I''ve never heard of her before.} </i>(Kana)


    "Yeah, I figured you wouldn''t-" Halifax paused, only <em>now</em> realizing that Kana hadn''t rebuked her im. "Wait! You actually believe me?!?"


    <i>{SERIOUSLY?!? Who just believes it when someone says they''re from another world?!?} </i>(Halifax)


    "Well yeah. You aren''t the first otherworldly person I''ve met." Kana shrugged. "Plus, you said <i>this world</i>, so I kinda figured it out from the start." She was a bit too sharp to miss that.


    "Well...Then that makes things so much easier..." Halifax let out a sigh of relief. "Getting straight to the point, could you please tell me where to find the most powerful people in this world? I need to speak with them immediately, it''s an emergency."


    <i>{Of course it is...} </i>(Mika x Naomi x Kana)


    "Do you mean power as in <i>political</i> power, or actual <em>physical</em> strength?" Kana wanted rification, since there were many meanings to that term.


    "<i>Both </i>actually, but mostly things like magical power." Halifax answered. "This world is in danger, and I need to speak with those who could defend it from the impending threat."


    <i>{Why am I not surprised...} </i>(Kana)


    "If that''s the case, then you''re looking for my sister." Kana sighed as she answered. "She''s both the most powerful person in this world, and also the leader of her own nation."


    <i>{And also. Why does this kind of thing keep happening?!? Can''t we go five minutes without a world ending threat?!? We just had TWO in the span of a year!} </i>(Kana)


    "R-Really?!?" Halifax was surprised by her words. "Y-You''re serious?!?"


    <i>{That sounds way too good to be true! What are the odds I find the sister of the most powerful person on this world?!?} </i>(Halifax)


    "She''s not lying. Akagi <i>is</i> the most powerful person in this world." Mika smiled, though she was still a bit nervous. "And she just got her own countryst month. There was a whole party and everything." She enjoyed the pasta made by Marshal the most out of everything.


    <i>{Last month?!?} </i>Halifax shook off her shock, and decided that questioning things would only cause further headaches. "Then could you please arrange a meeting for me? If this person is truly as powerful as you say, then they are likely who I need to speak to."


    "Well, we <em>were</em> already on our way back to her now, so let me call Yumi and see what she thinks." Kana pulled up her AR and called Yumi to get her opinion.


    <em>{Why me, and why do I have a bad feeling about this...}</em>(Kana)


    "Hey, Yumi. Yeah its me." Kana spoke to her over the call. "We''ve got a umm... <i>situation</i>..." She proceeded to exin what happened, and while Yumi was apprehensive about bringing an unknown person to the estate, she ultimately agreed.


    <em>{Communication magic? But I don''t detect anything...}</em>(Halifax)


    A few minutester, Yumi appeared next to the girls in a sh of light. "I assume this is the one you told me about." She said as she red at Halifax.


    <i>{Teleportation magic?!? They were able to summon someone like that so easily?!? What kind of person just has that type of magic on standby?} </i>(Halifax)


    "Yeah, this is Halifax." Kana introduced the orange haired girl. "She wants to talk to Onee-chan about something <i>important</i>, and I''ve got a bad feeling about it..." She sighed, knowing that there was likely more <i>fun </i>in the near future.


    "If she really is from another world, then I''ve got an idea what this is about already." Yumi sighed, since Akagi had already exined her concerns about future threats from the world the Spirits fled from she figured that and this girl were connected. "I''ve already informed Akagi that someone has requested an audience, and she is waiting at the estate."


    "I appreciate this." Halifax gave a wry smile. "I know this is probably a strange situation, so I''m grateful for your cooperation."


    "Just know this." Yumi turned to Halifax, her eyes growing sharp. "If you dare to harm <i>anyone</i> in our home, you will not be granted the chance to regret your decision." Her warning sent a chill down Halifax''s spine.


    <em>{This girl is scary even though her magic isn''t that powerful. I''d best not anger her.}</em>(Halifax)


    "I have no quarrel with your leader, and I swear that my intentions are peaceful." Halifax smiled.


    "If that''s the case, then you''ve nothing to fear." Yumi summoned her staff and tapped it against the ground transporting all of them to the front of the estate in a sh.


    After they arrived, Halifax took in the sights and sounds of the Dumetor Estate and was pleasantly surprised by how nice it looked.


    <i>{This ce... I assume this is the... Pce? It''s different than I would have expected, and it reminds me of the Spirit''s architecture. Perhaps this Akagi woman is a Spirit? But I''ve never heard that name before, and the energy this ce exudes... Why does it feel familiar?} </i>(Halifax)


    "Girls, please wait in the living room, and Ms. Halifax follow me if you would." Yumi began walking toward the house, and Halifax followed closely behind.


    "How much you want to bet something bad is going to happen?" Mika side-eyed Kana.


    "I''ll give you a thousand yen if nothing of notees of this." Kana sighed.


    Once inside, Yumi escorted Halifax through the hallways until they reached a set of sliding wooden doors.


    "Lady Akagi is within here. Please be respectful, and I''d advise <i>against </i>putting your hand on that de at your side." Yumi slid open the doors, and Halifax walked inside where Akagi was sitting on a raised tatami mat while smoking her Kiseru. She''d transformed out of cat mode and was in her usual outfit when Halifax approached her.


    "So you are the one who wished to speak with me?" Akagi stared at the woman, who was currently frozen in ce, her face contorted in rage and disgust as she finally understood<em>why</em>she recognized the dark energy that surrounded the estate.


    "Y-You! YOU''RE A DEMON LORD!" Halifax drew her de and pointed it at Akagi.


    <i>{Well, that escted quickly...} </i>(Akagi)

 Chapter 221 – A Tense Moment.

    Chapter 221 ¨C A Tense Moment.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Hello. Now that ive moved my timezone changed which means the releases will pushed back one hour from your perspectives.


    thanks


    "Y-YOU''RE A DEMON LORD!" Halifax''s eyes showed a deep disgust, and as she tightly gripped her de, it seemed conflict was inevitable.


    Akagi shifted her jaw for a moment, and thought about her response, before allowing her lips to curve into a wicked grin.


    <i><b>"Indeed, I am." </b></i>Akagiughed. <i><b>"Is that a problem?"</b></i>


    <i>{If she knows what a Demon Lord is, then this should be interesting.} </i>(Akagi)


    "A problem?!? Of course, it is!" Halifax eximed. "Your kind are nothing but genocidal monsters!"


    <i>{Are you mocking me, monster?!?} </i>(Halifax)


    <i><b>"So you''ve heard of our kind before?" </b></i>Akagi asked.


    "Not only have I heard of your kind, I''ve <i>killed</i> one of you, monster!" Halifax red at her. "And it seems like I''ve to kill another one right now!" She was ready to do battle with Akagi, though was unsure if she could win.


    <i>{It took all our powerbined to bring Vikes down... Can... can I do this alone?} </i>(Halifax)


    "I have no quarrel with you." Akagi allowed her voice to return to normal. "Unlike the Demon Lord you met, I''m not particrly interested in wanton destruction." She let out a puff from her pipe. ¡°There''s no need for us toe to blows.¡±


    <i>{Though I''d like to see this girl fight. From what I can see, she would be very interesting</i>.<i>} </i>(Akagi)


    "As if I''d believe that!" Halifax tightened her hold on her de. "Vikes made it perfectly clear what his kind were all about!"


    <i>{Vikes? I suppose that means she''s from Mizumi''s world.} </i>Akagi connected to Yumi. <i>{Please drag Mizumi here immediately, it seems that things have escted.} </i>


    <i>{I do not want to leave you alone with her! Please allow us to subdue her before anything else! If she really killed a Demon Lord before, that puts you at risk!} </i>Yumi was waiting on the other side of the door and could hear everything going on.


    <i>{Don''t worry about any of that. This woman is of no threat to me.} </i>Akagi reassured her. <i>{Now run along, please.} </i>


    <i>{Fine...} </i>Yumi reluctantly went off to get Mizumi.


    "I don''t know what you''re scheming, monster, but I have no interest in finding out!" Halifax yelled. "I was tasked with saving this world, and that''s what I''m going to do!" Just as Halifax moved forward intending to strike down Akagi, a figure burst through the door behind her.


    "What''s going on?!?" Mizumi was out of breath, and nearly stumbled onto the floor. "I was told someone from Enoris... was... here..." The water Spirit''s eyes met that of Halifax and both women were shocked to see one another.


    "Halifax!" Mizumi called out in shock.


    "Mizumi!" Halifax was simrly surprised to see the Water Spirit.


    "What are <i>you</i> doing here?!?" Mizumi''s eyes went to the de in Halifax''s hand. "And what the hell are you doing drawing your weapon on Akagi?!? Are you fucking crazy?!?" She stormed over to Halifax, and pped her across the face.


    "I... umm... what..." Halifax had no idea what was going on. "Are... are you really Mizumi?" She''d seen her small form before, but she hadn''t expected to see her here.


    <i>{She survived? What the fuck is going on?!?} </i>(Halifax)


    "Of course it''s me! What other Spirit have you met is this cute?!?" Mizumi sighed before looking past her and locking eyes with Akagi. "Please forgive this idiot." She bowed. "She means no harm, so I ask for your leniency."


    Halifax was shocked to see Mizumi of all people bow to a Demon Lord, and this disy only confused her further.


    <i>{AGAIN, WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!?} </i>Halifax screamed in her head.


    "It''s fine, don''t worry about it." Akagiughed as she could practically hear Halifax''s confusion. "From what I can gather, she''s met Vikes. So it''s understandable that she''d have a poor impression of me."


    <i>{Demon Lords tend not to be the nicest of people, so I imagine her interaction with Vikes wasn''t a very fun one.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Ok, Mizumi." Halifax''s voice showed both confusion and irritation. "Do you mind telling me what the HELL is going on?!? Because I''m lost. Why are you siding with a Demon Lord? And where are the rest of the Spirits?!?" Her re sent chills up the Water Spirit''s spine.


    "Well... that''s a <i>long</i> story." Mizumi gave a nervousugh. "And it goes something like this..." So Mizumi exined the entire series of events that lead to today, from the creation of a pocket dimension to Akagi''s awakening as a Demon Lord. As the story went on, Halifax''s face turned from irritated to exasperated, as while she believed the Water Spirit''s story, that didn''t make it easier to swallow.


    <i>{What the absolute fuck?} </i>(Halifax)


    "So you''re telling me that <i>this </i>Demon Lord is both just as evil as Vikes, and also simultaneously <i>not</i> as evil as Vikes?" Halifax squinted in doubt.


    "Basically, yeah..." Mizumi sighed. "She''s very... <i>strange</i>..."


    <i>{And I''m also no better, since I also pet the Demon Cat...} </i>(Mizumi)


    Halifax looked over at Akagi, who was sitting on Yumi''sp in Catkagi mode being pet. "Mew!"


    <i>{Mew indeed, little kitty.... Mew indeed...} </i>(Halifax)


    "I can see that..." Halifax shook her head. "So you fled to this world, and now work for a Demon Lord? What a turn of events." She figured it was probably one of the craziest turn of events that she''d ever seen.


    "Trust me. This was <i>not </i>how I imagined things going when we cast that ritual." Mizumi gave a dryugh. They weren''t really sure <i>what </i>would happen, but being the Demon Lord''s subjects wasn''t very high on the list of possibilities. "These past few months have been nothing but trouble, in no small part thanks to our resident Dark Lord over there."


    Akagi was ignoring the two''s discussion because Yumi was busy petting and floofing her.


    <i>{¡­} </i>(Halifax)


    "But why has she not been destroyed?" Halifax asked. "I know you were weakened by the war on Enoris, but surely with your magic and the people of this world joining forces, she could''ve easily been defeated." She was surprised that Mizumi even let things get to this point.


    "Because we cannot." Mizumi shook her head. "Even if we wished to destroy her, that is no longer possible at this stage."


    "But Vikes was defeated, and with me here..." Halifax froze as Mizumi''s eyes pierced into her.


    "She is <i>nothing</i> like Vikes." Mizumi warned her not to do anything stupid. "Akagi is <i>vastly</i> more powerful than the Demon Lord you fought, and even with your help there is still no chance of winning."


    <i>{I''ve seen for myself that its hopeless, so don''t go getting ideas!} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Y-You can''t be serious." Halifax gulped. "Sure, Vikes took all our effort and the intervention of the gods to defeat. But surely this Demon Lord can''t be-" She froze again, this time because Akagi allowed her power to crash down onto her.


    <i>{I-I can''t move! What kind of power is this?!? I''s suffocating and it feels... it feels like I''m going to be swallowed into an ocean!} </i>(Halifax)


    <i><b>"Vikes was merely an infant, an undeveloped Demon Lord.</b></i><b>" </b>Akagi said as she was floofed, and Mizumi face palmed, wondering why she used that voice andbined it with Catkagi. <i><b>"But I am a fully-fledged and mature member of my kind, and you have no chance of defeating me. So I''d rmend dropping the subject, lest you find yourself as another body on the pile."</b></i> She rxed her power, causing Halifax to fall onto the floor, coughing and gagging.


    <i>{Demon kitty!} </i>Yumi giggled as she hugged onto Akagi.


    "I told you that it wasn''t possible." Mizumi sighed. "Akagi is the rules around here, and I''d advise <i>against</i> trying to change them."


    <i>{Anyone that''s tried has generally not found themselves in a good position.} </i>(Mizumi)


    "So then she''s not much different than those damn gods!" Halifax coughed. "But I get it. No use ying hero against something like <i>that</i>." She slowly stood up.


    <i>{It felt like my entire being would be swallowed up in that darkness. It was... not fun to feel THAT.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Good to hear it!" Akagi smiled. "Now that the pecking order has been established, shall we continue from where we left off?"


    "Yeah, that would be for the best. Why are you here, Halifax? And more importantly, HOW? Mizumi was really confused about how and why the orange-haired girl was here. "It shouldn''t be possible for you to have crossed over, and I know you don''t have the power to do something like the ritual."


    "As for the why, I was sent here to find help." Halifax said as she shook off the lingering feeling of Akagi''s power.


    "Help?" Mizumi tilted her head. "For what?"


    "Princess Rebeckah and riel came to me for aide." Akagi could tell by Halifax''s tone, that she did not like whoever this riel woman was. "It seems that not only did the other gods <i>know</i> full well that the magical disasters wouldn''t be solved via the Spirit''s destruction, but now they intend to jump ship and flee to <i>this world</i> to save their assess, dooming Enoris."


    <i>{Fucking disgusting cowards.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Wait, what?!?" Mizumi eximed. "I always figured the gods knew better, but what do you mean they intend toe here?!?"


    <i>{Is that even possible?!?} </i>(Mizumi)


    "ording to riel, they intend to send those four idiot Heroes to this world, where they will finish their genocide of the Spirits under the guise of stopping your evil magic that is causing the disasters." Halifax exined the ''n''. "I was sent here to deliver a warning, and to find a way to stop them."


    "Oh?" Akagi got interested in the story and stopped Yumi''s petting, much to the Priestess''s displeasure "So these Gods not only wish to intrude upon <i>my </i>world, but they seek to kill <i>my</i> people?" She didn''t like <i>either </i>of those things.


    "From what I was told, they''re going to sacrifice the Spirits and use their energy to create a connection between the worlds. This would allow them to properly cross over and be the gods of <i>this </i>world. Meanwhile, they''d sacrifice arge portion of Enoris''s poption to aid in said ritual." Halifax shook her head. "It''s an utterly insane n, though not out of character for those bastards. So yeah, that''s why I''m here. I''d hoped to find powerful adventurers or the like to aid me in the defeat of the Heroes and the Gods, but I never imagined I''d find <i>another</i> fucking Demon Lord." She clicked her tongue.


    "That''s is insane!" Mizumi cried out, her face flush with anger. "They weren''t content to kill <i>most</i> of us in their genocidal rampage, and now they want <i>all </i>of us?!?" She started fuming. "We''ve never done <i>anything </i>to them or the people of that world, and now you tell me that even after we fled, those bastards STILL want to kill us!" She got so angry that her power briefly leaked out.


    <i>{You''ve got to be fucking kidding me!} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Basically." Halifax nodded. "The Heroes will be sent to this world and will try and hunt your people down, so we need to prepare for that." She looked at Akagi. "If those Gods are allowed to take root here, I don''t even imagine what kind of chaos they''d cause. Trust me, they are <i>not </i>nice people, and I find them only marginally better than <i>your</i> kind."


    "Oof." Akagimented. "I know Gods can be assholes, but these ones must be particrly bad to warrant such aparison."


    "Considering they orchestrated the <i>genocide</i> of an entire people and intend to kill most of our world''s inhabitants, yeah... it''s an aptparison." Halifax sighed. "So what will you do? I hate to ask a Demon Lord for aid, but it seems I''ve little choice." She didn''t know what Akagi would do, or if she''d help.


    "Well naturally I''ll help." Akagi replied. "They wish to invade <i>my </i>world and kill <i>my </i>people, so it involves me directly. There''s no way in hell I''d just ignore this mess." She stood up and put away kitty mode. "Let''s go over everything you know. I want to be as informed as possible regarding those Heroes and their powers."

 Chapter 221.5 – A Magical Girl, A Body Bag and Hiding the Evidence.

    Chapter 221.5 ¨C A Magical Girl, A Body Bag and Hiding the Evidence.


    Bluedog:


    ALRIGHT, EVERYONE, I''LL SEE YOU IN KYOTO! #bouttoimmymagicalwaifu


    Minazawa:


    Wee-woo Wee-woo Wee-woo


    ckbox:


    That''s him, officer.


    Bluedog:


    I swear it''s not what she looks like! She''s like 200 years old! Probably...


    Superbia:


    FBI! OPEN UP!


    Bluedog:


    NOOOOOOOO! I JUST WANTED MY WAIFU!


    Minazawa:


    Don''t you already have a girlfriend?


    Bluedog:


    Not if I can get me a magical one. ; )


    <em>Mera please don''t kill me</em>


    Superbia:


    Mina, his house, five minutes. I''ll bring the body bag.


    Minazawa:


    I know just the ce to dump him!


    Bluedog:


    HELP POLICE!


    Minazawa:


    We are the police, and we''re going to send you to the ce where lolicons like you deserve to go


    Eris:


    Why the fuck am I seeing footage of a Magical Girl in Kyoto? Did @Hishya decide to cosy?


    Hishya:


    I have no idea what''s going on, and right now, I''m too busy to care...


    Minazawa:


    Is this Akagi''s doing?


    Superbia:


    If anyone can make a Magical Girl, it''s her...


    ckbox:


    Maybe it <i>is </i>Akagi! She strikes me as a Magical Girl enjoyer ;)


    Hishya:


    Nah it has no cat parts, so it''s not our resident floof.


    Bluedog:


    OH GOD, CAT MAGICAL GIRL! I NEEDS IT! #catgirlsarejustice


    Superbia:


    @Minazawa, so about that dumping location.


    Bluedog:


    I WANT TO LIVE!


    Minazawa:


    Well, if it''s not Akagi or Hishya, then who the fuck is it?


    Mixu:


    Maybe it''s a real Magical Girl?


    Superbia:


    Don''t be ridiculous! Magical Girls don''t exist.


    Minazawa:


    Said the Oni to the Vampire


    Superbia:


    ...


    Tsuchimi:


    GUYS DID YOU SEE THE MAGICAL GIRL?!? SHE''S SO CUTE!


    Mixu:


    Did you even read the other messages?


    Tsuchimi:


    No...


    Sagara:


    She was so excited that she just posted without taking a few seconds to check...


    Eris:


    Yeah, that''s Tsuchi for ya.


    Tsuchimi:


    What''s that name? Don''t call me that!


    Superbia:


    Tsuchi, are you mad?


    Minazawa:


    Yeah, Tsuchi. Don''t you like it? It''s cute?


    Sagara:


    Tsuchi is currently beat red as she sits next to me yelling about how you are all mean.


    Tsuchimi:


    MEAN!


    Sagara:


    And she just hit me! XD


    Eris:


    Maybe Tsuchi is the Magical Girl?


    Superbia:


    Nah, she couldn''t pull off that dress.


    Minazawa:


    If it really is one of us, I''d like to know what the hell they''re thinking...


    Eris:


    They probably just wanted to mess about, and if they aren''t hurting anyone then just let them have fun. God knows some of us have gotten a raw end of this whole deal.


    Bluedog:


    I wonder if she''d let me be her sidekick?


    ckbox:


    Maybe you could be her pet?


    Bluedog:


    I''d be down for that ;)


    Kaori:


    @Bluedog, you <i>do </i>remember thatst time you tried this stuff in FWO right? Even the NPCs beat you up...


    Bluedog:


    I regret nothing!


    Kaori


    @Minazawa @Superbia, let me know when the two of you want to <i>eliminate </i>this massive perv. I''ll help you do the dirty deed.


    Bluedog:


    NO! I THOUGHT YOU WERE NICE! WHY IS SWEET BLOSSUM GOING SOUR?!?


    Kaori:


    *Stares at you with disgust*


    Bluedog:


    OH YES! MORE PLEASE! GIVE IT TO ME!!!!!!!


    Hishya:


    Do I need to put you in horny jail, @Bluedog?


    Bluedog:


    HAHAHA! I WAS BORN IN HORNY JAIL! YOU HAVE NO POWER OVER ME!


    Minazawa:


    Hey, @Hishya. Bluedog''s address is [redacted] meet us there, and we''ll show that idiot some <i>real </i>pain.


    Bluedog:


    HEY! Don''t dox me!


    Hishya:


    Criminals get no protection


    Excelsior:


    If you guys wind up killing him, just please do me a favor and make it as painful as possible. I rmend putting him in the woodchipper feet first.


    Minazawa:


    We could get @Akagi to put him in with Armalthy.


    Superbia:


    Oh great, you summoned it...


    Akagi:


    Whom''st has summoned the almighty one?!?


    Hishya:


    Aren''t you in a meeting?!?


    Akagi:


    Doesn''t mean I can''t text XD


    Bluedog:


    @Akagi If I pledge my eternal loyalty to you, do you think I could get me a cat waifu? I know you''ve got a few up there


    Akagi:


    Sure, but you might end up being torn to shreds <i>by </i>said kitty. Ondai women are notoriously <em>feisty</em> ;)


    Bluedog:


    EEP! I''d like to keep my manhood, thanks...


    Minazawa:


    Oh yeah, that reminds me, isn''t one of your nsmen dating Shimari?


    Akagi:


    I think Nemino is, yeah.


    Hishya:


    Wait! When did this happen?!?


    Akagi:


    Likest week. He asked her out. I guess he found the puppy cute.


    Minazawa:


    I guess Akagi is using her people to ''conquer'' the rest of the returnees.


    Akagi:


    It''s like that one Sim I yed back in the day. What you can''t win through military force, you get via marriage XD.


    Hishya:


    Akagi told me once how she just had her character go around and produce all kinds of children just to take people''s thrones in that game.


    Akagi:


    I also ruthlessly used Eugenics to make Gorgeous Genius Children! SELECTIVE BREEDING FTW!


    Superbia:


    That sounds like an <i>interesting</i> game...


    Excelsior:


    @Akagi Do you mean Crusaders IV? That game was amazing!


    Akagi:


    YEP! It''s an oldey, but damn is it good! I actually yed some the other day! I installed an Anti-Pope via <i>totally legitimate elections.</i>


    Excelsior:


    I always liked ying as a Viking and just raiding all of Europe to the ground. I even sacrificed the Pope to Odin one game


    Hishya:


    AREN''T YOU A CATHOLIC?!?


    Excelsior:


    In game, I was a devotee of Odin and he called for blood. I had no choice, they were trying to convert my people to heathenism!


    Minazawa:


    I wonder what would happen if I told the Father of his Church what he ys.


    Excelsior:


    Father Kobayashi yed that game back in the day himself. He found it funny and told me about the secret path where you create the Anti-Christ.


    Akagi:


    Always nice to kill people and send their souls to Satan. *Sips Grog as I sit on my skull throne*


    Hishya:


    Why do I have a feeling that Akagi might do just that IRL?


    Superbia:


    She might have already done so. Akagi <i>does </i>have a Demon Cult under her.


    Minazawa:


    Who knows, the Magical Girl might be Akagi''s fucking Apostle


    Bluedog:


    If she is, then I will be joining the Church of Akagi.


    Akagi:


    I''m sure Misha will enjoy teaching you all the joys of being one of my worshipers. Just make sure you bring me good snacks for the potluck or I''ll eat your soul.


    Bluedog:


    I don''t mean to brag, but I can make toast without burning it. ;)


    Akagi:


    Guess I''ll be eating good soon.


    Bluedog:


    You mean my toast right?


    Akagi:


    ;)


    Bluedog:


    Right...


    Bluedog:


    <em>Guys, I don''t think she likes my toast...</em>


    Hishya:


    You''re already dead.


    Bluedog:


    WHAT?!?


    Akagi:


    MEW!


    Kaori:


    @Akagi Can I get some kitty snugglester?


    Hishya:


    Kaori too...


    Akagi:


    MEW! Kitty snuggles are avable from 7 pm-8 pm local time. Please be aware that we have a high demand for our snuggles, so there may be a wait.


    Superbia:


    I like how she just asked that out of the blue


    Kaori:


    I put in hard work today! Besides, Yumi, Miji, and Kana always hog her and I rarely get my turn *puffs cheeks*


    Mixu:


    @Hishya, how much do <i>you </i>pet the kitty on average?


    Hishya:


    I''m not answering that question.


    Minazawa:


    So, lots!


    Superbia:


    I wonder if Hishya pops out her tail and lets Akagi y with it?


    Hishya:


    Tail is for Kana only! NO CATS!


    Akagi:


    *Cries* Hishya doesn''t like me guys... She rejects me snuggles... Mew~


    Eris:


    Hishya, pet the kitty! It needs love or it will die!


    Hishya:


    Then it can perish. *turns up nose*


    Ayame:


    Damn, Hishya be out here doing animal abuse. Foreshame.


    Eris:


    I bet she''s a better <i>pet </i>than an owner anyway. XD


    Hishya:


    I know where you live Red-Head and I wille hit you!


    Eris:


    Save it for the tourney. I''ll force-feed you dirt once we''re in the arena.


    Akagi:


    It would be so funny if Hishya goes out round one.


    Minazawa:


    Yeah, it would be like that one manga I read where the strongest guys lose via ring-out.


    Hishya:


    At this point, I feel like I need to join just to beat you all to within an inch of your lives.


    Akagi:


    Whatever gets you in the ring. *Shrugs*


    Mixu:


    Too bad this kind of thing is the antithesis of my fighting style, so I''ll sadly have to pass. Otherwise, it would be nice to take down my second dragon.


    Daikael:


    Guys did you hear the rumor that Alveron is actually the Magical Girl?!?


    Hishya:


    The fucking Rat?!? No way.


    Minazawa:


    My current money is on Ara. She''s definitely crazy enough to do something like that


    Superbia:


    Nah, she was streaming at the time in question. I think she was doing some kind of puzzle game.


    Akagi:


    Yeah, and besides Ara only does Nyanspeak now. I doubt she could hold it together long enough for a Magical Girl cosy.


    Mixu:


    @Daikael. Did you just make that up for content?


    Daikael:


    No...


    Superbia:


    She did...


    Akagi:


    It <em>would</em> be funny to see her have to do a Magical Girl thing while doing Nyanspeak.


    Hishya:


    Hearing her call you <i>Nyankagi </i>the other day sent me fucking reeling. So I''d love to see some Magical Girl transformation done with cat sound effects.


    Akagi:


    MEW!

 Chapter 222 – The Hero Breakdown.

    Chapter 222 ¨C The Hero Breakdown.


    After a several hours-long discussion in the main conference room, Halifax managed to convey everything she wanted to regarding the situation in the other world. Akagi and Mizumi listened attentively, and the Water Spirit grew more and more worried with each detail. Enoris was slowly falling apart at the seams, and it was likely that in a few hundred years the entire world would copse. Akagi wasn''t entirely surprised by this revtion, as her Demon Lord knowledge gave her a bit of insight into universal structural stability and how it would eventually turn out if there was a critical w.


    "Well, my bingo card <i>did </i>have invasion from another world. But openly genocidal gods was sadly <i>not</i> one of my picks." Akagi chuckled.


    <i>{And I suppose its another win for my paranoia! Then again, is it really paranoia if I''m always right to be prepared for these disasters?} </i>(Akagi)


    "I thought such transit between the worlds would be impossible, but I guess if the Gods could bring heroes to Enoris, they could send them to different worlds as well." Mizumi pinched her nose in frustration.


    <i>{Why do people always want to kill us? And why is Akagi seemingly always right about these things? I argued with her that there was no way the gods or anyone coulde from Enoris, and here I am being forced to eat crow.} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Well that''s everything I''ve got." Halifax sipped on her drink. She''de to enjoy coffee quite a bit and had drunk an exorbitant amount during the meeting. Apparently nothing like it existed on Enoris, and she was simrly floored by the quality of the meal they''d eaten partway through the meeting. "Now the only question is whates next?" She nced at Akagi. "I assume since you''ve <i>imed </i>this world, you''re going to try and keep the gods out?"


    <i>{I''m still not entirely sure how good it is for a world to be owned by a Demon Lord, but I''m not really in any position or mood to challenge it.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Naturally. As I said before this is <i>my</i> world and the Spirits are now <i>my</i> people. I won''t let anyone harm them." Akagi nodded.


    <i>{Just as they swore themselves to me, I swore myself to them. To ignore that oath and allow them to be killed would destroy any trust in me or my word, and my word is my most valuable resource.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Based on your power, I suppose you <i>might</i> be able to negotiate as an equal with the gods." Halifax put forth an idea. She figured that Akagi could force them to the negotiating table after driving the Heroes away. "They can''t manifest their full power in this world, so if you kick out their heroes, I think we can force them into a discussion." Though she wasn''t entirely sure how easy that would be, since most of the gods were pig headed.


    "Pffff!" Akagi beganughing hysterically at her idea., which caught Halifax off guard.


    "Did I say something funny?" Halifax asked Mizumi, who simply shook her head and sighed.


    <i>{I''ll let her deal with this...} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Yeah, you did!" Akagi was stillughing. "Do you really believe that <i>I </i>would ever <i>negotiate </i>with some petty gods? HA! That''s a good one, Hally! A real knee pper!"


    "I mean, you''re obviously powerful enough to pose a threat to them, so yeah. I think you could easily do it." Halifax wasn''t understanding why Akagi wasughing.


    <i>{Is she saying she''s not strong enough?} </i>(Halifax)


    "Sure, I <i>could</i> sit down and negotiate with them..." Akagi''sughter stopped, and her eyes turned sharp. <i><b>"But why would I negotiate with someone weaker than me?" </b></i>She allowed her voice to distort for a moment as her lips curved into a nasty smirk.


    <i>{This one has much to learn.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Weaker?" Halifax was taken aback by her use of that word. "You might be a Demon Lord, and even more power than Vikes, but these are <i>gods </i>we''re talking about! There''s no way you can defeat all of them!" She figured Akagi was vastly overestimating herself and her power.


    <i>{Are you as insane as you are evil?!? Oh wait, you''re a Demon Lord, so you probably are...} </i>(Halifax)


    "Wanna bet?" Akagiughed. "Because that''s exactly what my n was." She gave a chillingugh before mming her fist onto the table. "They <i>dared</i> to im my world, and they <i>dared</i> to mark <i>my</i> people for death. This is a deration of WAR, Halifax, and I have no intention of responding in such an impotent manner so as to invite questions about my status and authority!¡± Akagi rose her voice, which caused Mizumi to flinch. The <i>Demon </i>was angry, and it showed. ¡°I am a Demon Lord, dammit! Gods are nothing more than ythings to my kind, and I''ll show you firsthand that there is <i>no one</i> above me!"


    <i>{I was content to leave things alone, and I was even going to ignore the possibility that some Spirits were left behind in very on Enoris. But if those gods think they cane into MY world and harm MY people, then I see no reason to restrain myself.} </i>(Akagi)


    <i>{Oh boy... She''s really mad about this... I don''t know whether to feel happy that she would get so angry for my people, or afraid of what she might do as a result of her anger.} </i>(Mizumi)


    "I don''t care that they had no idea I was here, and I don''t care that they are unaware of the Spirit''s status as my subjects." Akagi clicked her tongue in disgust. "If they wish to go through with their n, then I''ll make sure they don''t live long enough to regret it!" Her eyes burned with anger. Akagi was generally not one easily angered, but the idea that someone would dare harm that which belonged to her was a surefire way to piss her off. The Spirits might be recently acquired subjects, but the timeline mattered little to the <i>Demon</i>, and as far as she was concerned, they were under her protection.


    <i>{S-She''s serious! She actually thinks she can fight a pantheon of gods ande out on top! I don''t know whether that''s confidence or foolishness, but something tells me she''s not just blustering like a fool.} </i>(Halifax)


    "S-So then, what''s the n? I already told you that I''ve got no way home. Just bringing me here was hard enough, and I haven''t the foggiest clue how interdimensional transport works." Halifax said.


    "First, we wait." Akagi tapped on the table. "I wish to see if these ''Heroes'' actually show up. If they do, then I''d like to speak with them. From what you''ve told me, they seem to have been misled by the gods, and if possible I''d like to get them to stand down." She was simply interested in studying them and if possible recruiting them. If they didn''t want to fight, then she had no quarrel with them. Though she imagined that Mizumi would want their heads for their part in the massacre of her people, and while she might find them <i>foolish</i> for blindly listening to the gods, she understood why the average mortal would take a Divine being''s words at face value.


    <i>{If a godes before the average person and tells them that the sky is purple, then that''s generally going to be the end of it. You''re going to find very few people willing to challenge a real god, since most would be too fearful or provoking their wrath.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I still say we should kill them." Mizumi scoffed at the notion of letting them get away. "Those bastards killed so many of our people, and Muichiro in particr was a sadistic monster."


    <i>{I saw what he did, who he killed, and how he did it. I''ve hated precious few people in my life, but that man... He needs to die, and die horribly for what he did.} </i>(Mizumi)


    "I heard about him." Halifax shivered as she recalled <i>that </i>'' Hero''. "The stories about him gave me the willies."


    "Yeah well, unfortunately they''re all true." Mizumi bit her lip. "He saw no value in our people''s lives, and since we were marked for death by the gods, he enjoyed torturing and tormenting those he captured."


    <i>{I heard he even captured several women and used them as his ythings...} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Oh great, he''s one of <i>those </i>kinds..." Akagi groaned. She really hated that kind of person, and generally killed them as a matter of principle.


    "He is by far the <i>worst</i> among the heroes, and I''d strongly rmend a KILL ON SIGHT policy for him." Mizumi gave a smile that the other two how much she wanted to rip the man apart.


    "What about the others?" Akagi asked. ¡°What are they like?¡± She needed all the information on the Heroes as she could get, and Halifax was her only source.


    "Kanato Hiyuki is... well I don''t think he''s a <i>bad </i>person at least..." Halifax sighed. "But he''s a womanizer through and through, and from what I was told, the man has at least ten wives and three children. Despite that, he is <i>apparently</i> a decent man and tries to live up to his ideals of justice and righteousness. You probably know the type if this world has any tales of knights and chivalry."


    <i>{I really don''t like that type of person. Sure, it''s nice that they wish to make the world better, but they''re usually blind to reality, and that causes them and everyone around them trouble.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Ah, so he''s our resident harem protagonist!" Akagiughed. "I can''t exactly me the guy for going that route!" She thought it was funny that something like that had happened for real. "Though the whole <i>hero of justice </i>schtick might be the problem because well... I''m the fucking Demon Lord." She figured that he wouldn''t be willing to just ignore her, and her hold over this world.


    <i>{Poor guy got Isekai''d, made a harem, ''saved'' the world, only to die by my hands. A sad story, but one that may juste to pass.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Who knows, he might try to add <i>you</i> to his harem!" Mizumi''sment made Halifax''s eyes go wide. She couldn''t believe that the Water Spirit just said that.


    "First of all, eww. Second of all, I like <i>women</i> so that''s not happening, and third of all, I''ve got Yumi, and that''s all I need." Akagi flipped her off. "Also, he looks at Yumi the wrong way, and it''s into the fucking happy farm for him. I don''t tolerate even <i>attempted </i>poaching. He can have most other women, but there are some, like her, that are off limits."


    <i>{No one but me may think lewd thoughts about her, nor may anyone else gaze upon her with lewd eyes! That''s my privilege and mine alone!} </i>(Akagi)


    "After our <i>Pervert of Justice</i> is Hitomi Masayuki, and from what I''ve been told, the girl has taken to her status as a Hero quite well, and has begun using it to live a pampered life as your stereotypical rich princess." Halifax sighed. "She''s got quite the following within the Church, and she lives as basically a Saint within the Holy City. Some even think she''s going to take over as the Head Priest and run the entire organization."


    <i>{Which from what I''ve been told, is very possible.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Let me guess, she''s not pious at all and is actually more than happy to abuse that power and authority to do all kinds of normally forbidden things?" Akagi deadpanned.


    "Hey, how''d ya know?" Halifax responded in sarcastically. "Besides somethings about her power being rted to divine light, the only other thing that I know about her, is that she has one single lover, a beast girl she took in, and let me tell you the things I''ve heard about <i>that </i>rtionship are enough to make your face burn up. Not to mention she runs lots of illegal gambling and drug organizations under the church''s nose."


    <i>{I still can''t believe the details Rebeckah told me of that girl''s depravity. She and her lover are seriously fucked in the head, and I don''t even want to repeat some of the things I''ve been told...} </i>(Halifax)


    "Yeah, that''s kinda expected." Akagi shrugged. "You give the average person all that power and fame, and it''s likely to corrupt them."


    <i>{Yeah, look at you.} </i>Mizumi wanted to retort out loud, but feared being bonked on the head.


    "Those Heroes were all just teens or young adults when they arrived and in no time at all, they grew into such strange people." Mizumi sighed. Though she also figured they may have been messed up to begin with.


    "What about thest one?" Akagi wanted to finish this up since she had other things to do, and it was gettingte.


    "Shiroe Amakusa is probably the one we''d have the easiest time dealing with." Halifax exined more about her. "She was apparently a student at a sword school on her home world, and has taken well tobat and fighting with a de." She continued. "Details about her show that she values honor inbat, fairness in a duel, and is <i>obsessed</i> with being the most powerful swordsman in the world." Thatst part was the biggest part of Amakusa''s personality, and it was well known that the woman loved a good fight.


    "I assume she''s a battle junkie?" Akagiughed, figuring out just what kind of woman this Hero was.


    "Basically." Halifax rolled her eyes. "The girl was more than happy to fight several powerful Spirits on her own, and she enjoyed showing people how weak they really were."


    <i>{She may have the power, but her personality is rotten. I get wanting to get stronger and prove yourself, but one shouldn''t allow themselves to be conceited. As they always say, prideeth before the fall.} </i>(Halifax)


    "She defeated Shinlua, which was shocking to say the least, and it proved that we couldn''t defeat the Heroes with the power we had." Mizumi clicked her tongue as she recalled that day.


    <i>{It wasn''t a totally one sided romp, but Shinlua wasn''t able to do more than just slow that girl down.} </i>(Mizumi)


    "I didn''t know she used a sword." Akagi had no idea that the Elf was also a swordsmen.


    "She is <i>very </i>skilled atbat with a de, but she only uses it if truly needed." Mizumi shrugged. ¡°Ask her for more information about her Order.¡±


    "Additionally, Amakusa has had a <i>conflict </i>with both the church and the other Heroes during the war." Halifax continued her exnation. "Apparently, she did not approve of some of the more<i> barbaric</i> acts perpetrated on the Spirits, and she shed with Muichiro on more than one asion. This whole thing was exasperated by a very <i>public</i> dispute over the treatment of Spirit ves and Rebeckah also mentioned something about her and the Nobles of the Amdamell Kingdom fighting over some personal issue, but I don''t know much about it.¡±


    <i>{She was pretty vague and said that it was mostly rumor and spection anyway.} </i>(Halifax)

 Chapter 223 – More than a Tool.

    Chapter 223 ¨C More than a Tool.


    Once their discussion was finished and things wrapped up for the night, Halifax decided to rx in the garden with some coffee and a snack. It was alreadyte into the night and, while she wasn''t tired, the day''s events exhausted her mentally.


    <i>{So, this is another world?} </i>Halifax thought to herself as she looked at the moon. She''d found herself enjoying the chocte-covered snack she was provided and thought it went great with her coffee.


    "Kinda strange, only seeing one moon." Halifax thought out loud. ¡°And for it to be white rather than green and blue...¡±


    <i>{It''s strange. Looking up at Enoris''s twin moons did little tofort me knowing who they represented, but this one... it brings me a bit of peace.} </i>(Halifax)


    Halifax sat in the garden for a while, sipping her drink as she stared at the moon. She''d done this countless times during her travels, but something in the air brought her calm and removed just a bit of the stress from her body.


    "It''s a beautiful night." Akagi said as she walked up beside her, Kiseru in hand. ¡°Not to hot, even for thiste into Summer, and its quite dry.¡± She''d just gotten finished one of her meetings with the heads of the n, and figured she''d see what her guest was doing.


    "Indeed. Its a perfect night to spend your time outside and looking up at the stars." Halifax didn''t look at her. "I''m used to sleeping outdoors, and over the years, I''ve seen the moons of Enoris countless times, so it''s strange to think I''ll sleep without them in my sight tonight." It wasn''t everyday that one got to travel to an entirely different world, and Halifax didn''t know if she''d ever return to Enoris.


    Akagi lit her Kiseru and took a puff. "Would you like some?" She asked, offering her another pipe.


    "No thanks." Halifax shook her head. "I never really enjoyed smoking, nor what it did to those who partook." She didn''t really like the smell either, and thought people were crazy for smoking indoors.


    "Well, I wouldn''t rmend it for <i>humans</i>." Akagiughed. "This stuff has some nasty effects on the body, but you and I don''t need to worry about that." She smiled.


    "Why am I not surprised that you knew..." Halifax sighed. She didn''t really like when people found out her secret, though she figured a Demon Lord could tell that she wasn''t what she appeared to be.


    "There is little that can get past me. Not to mention, I''ve already met two others like you before." Akagi let out a puff.


    "You mean those two Spirits within your sister and her friend?" Halifax asked about Hikari and Momo. "I thought they seemed simr to me, but I wasn''t entirely sure <i>what</i> they were." She figured they might have been some kind of spiritual entity from this world, rather than living weapons like her.


    "Compared to you, those two might as well be kitchenware!" Akagiughed. "Heck, you might honestly be the most powerful being I''ve ever met, and that''s saying something considering one of my best friends is the Dragon Empress." She chuckled. The level of power that Akagi could detect within Halifax was substantial, and enough that she figured a battle between her and Hishya would be close.


    <i>{I would really like to see what Halifax is capable of. If what Mizumi told me about her is urate, then I''d love to see what she can do in a real fight.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Please keep this information to yourself." Halifax looked into her eyes. "Mizumi is aware of my true identity, but I''d like to limit who knows the truth... It''s... its something that I don''t wish to speak of." She looked down at the ground.


    <i>{Being forged by that bitch, used as a tool, and then discarded... I do not hate what I am, but I''d rather others see me as little more than a powerful adventurer. I''m tired of people seeing me as little more than a tool forged by the gods...} </i>(Halifax)


    "If you wish for this to be kept secret, then I shall not say anything." Akagi nodded. "And I will inform Momo and Himari to keep quiet about this too, since I imagine they also know what you are." She nced down at the Azure de resting beside Halifax. "But if you would, please allow me to say one thing." There was something important that the <i>Demon </i>wanted toment on.


    "Go ahead." Halifax repliedzily.


    "You''re beautiful." Akagi''sment caused Halifax to be momentarily stunned. "As one who follows the path of the de and takes pride in her weapons, you are truly a work of art and a masterpiece of craftsmanship."


    <i>{The only de thates close to her is World Breaker, and even after its upgrades, it still might not measure up.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Is that a confession of your love?" Halifax shook her head as sheughed.


    "No." Akagi giggled. "Just merely an observation. My heart belongs to Yumi and no one else, but I couldn''t help but admire your form. I apologize if that came across strangely." She knew it would be awkward, but said it anyway.


    "I take no offense, and its not a problem." Halifax chuckled. "To be honest, I''ve rarely had anyonement on my appearance like that." She rubbed the de next to her in a gentle and loving manner. "Most people only care about my power, few even notice the rest..."


    <i>{Hell, most of my past wielders wouldn''t even speak to me...} </i>(Halifax)


    "Then that is aplete and utter shame.¡± Akagi sighed. ¡°A de is much more than a tool used to kill. It is a work of art, and ought to be treated with the utmost respect." She smiled. "My own partner is being reforged and upgraded as we speak, and I cannot wait to see him again." She took a hit of her pipe.


    "You speak of your de like it''s a person." Halifaxmented.


    "While he may not speak or have a human form like you, World Breaker is very much <i>alive</i> in his own way." Akagi smiled. "He''s been at my side for nearly four years, and he''s be my indispensable partner. If I didn''t know any better, I''d say that he was as excited to be upgraded as I was to upgrade him." She could feel something akin to excitement emanating from the de when she picked up Rivenshaft''s de after their fight, and something told her that World Breaker wanted to be made even stronger.


    "That is an... <i>interesting </i>mindset." Halifax smiled. She was happy to hear that Akagi saw her de as more than just a mindless tool. "I''ve only met a few people in my life that treated their weapon with such respect, and it''s strange to hear a Demon Lord speak that way."


    <i>{If anything, a Demon Lord should be the one being that has no respect for its weapon.} </i>(Halifax)


    Akagiughed. "I might be a Demon Lord, but at the end of the day, I am much more than a destructive existence." She continued, snapping her finger and transforming into Rishia, wearing a school uniform.


    "I take it that was your human form before you became the Demon Lord?" Halifax had gotten most of the story earlier during their discussions.


    <i>{You do look pretty normal like that. Though your eyes... They seem far to sharp, and filled with anger for a human.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Indeed." Akagi nodded. "I detest this form, but I wanted to make a point." She continued as she took another hit from her pipe. "Contrary to what most people believe, Demon Lords do not exist within a vacuum. We are born into a world as one of its people, and it is only after sumbing to the darkness imnted within us that we be the monster you''ve encountered." Demon Lords were external beings of a sort, but they always sprung up from a world''s inhabitants, and never appeared from the outside.


    "So Vikes was also some carefree kid before he went mad?" Halifax asked. Wondering if that held true for the Demon Lord she''d killed.


    <i>{When I met him, he seemed to be little more than a blood-crazed monster. I doubt there was any of his humanity left at that point} </i>(Halifax)


    "I cannot say for certain, but based on my experience and what I know about my own kind, that is probably correct." Akagi nodded. "He was likely born to human parents, grew up with human siblings and friends, and lived as any other human from your world would. That is, until the day came that he could no longer resist what was in his heart, and he broke free of the restraints ced upon him." She''d had to confront that very day herself, and she knew just how irresistible that darkness was.


    "So tell me." Halifax''s eyes went sharp. "You said that you''ve put those dark feelings to rest, and that you are no longer <ipelled </i>to destroy this world. But just how deep down under that facade is the <i>real</i> Demon Lord?" She wanted to know how close to the surface the <i>Demon </i>within was.


    <i>{I can tell that no matter how amicable and human you look and act on the outside, a truly horrific evil lurks within you... just beneath the surface.} </i>(Halifax)


    Akagi let out a Demonicugh before answering. <i><b>"Closer to the surface than most would expect, but deep enough not to be an issue.} </b></i>She snapped her fingers and returned to her usual appearance.


    "As long as people leave me in peace, I have little reason to allow my <i>true </i>nature to surface." Akagi winked. "I just want to be left alone with my family, and enjoy peace and happiness with those I''vee to care for. If I''m granted that, then most have nothing to fear.¡± The <i>Demon </i>would pick snuggling with Yumi and being pet, over destruction any day of the week.


    Halifax shook her head in disbelief. "I still can''t believe a Demon Lord wants nothing more than an idyllic life. I sure as hell can''t imagine Vikes happily farming eternity away." She let out a smallugh.


    Akagi thought for a moment before speaking. "The call to destruction, and our inbuilt nature for catastrophe... It is an <i>alluring,</i> almost seductive call that exists within the back of our minds." She continued. "It nips at each thought, sneaks its way into every action we take, and eventually it begins to leak into how we interact with the world around us, long before we''re released." She understood now why she had so many behavioral and mental issues growing up. They werergely brought upon by her true nature leaking out, and influencing her human mind. "This inevitably causes friction and alienation amongst our peers, and without counterbncing forces to push back those dark thoughts, they slowly take over our mind until well... you saw how Vikes was."


    <i>{I imagine that he was nothing more than a homicidal maniac. A being of darkness pushed forward by anger, rage, and sadism. Its truly a pity that he was forced to go down that route, but such is the fate of our kind. We exist to destroy, so that is what we must do.} </i>(Akagi)


    "He could speak, but his thought process was so alien... It was as if he hated the very world around him..." Halifax thought back to her encounters with the Demon Lord. "I don''t know what his life was like before he started attacking, so I can''t really verify your ims. But perhaps you''re right."


    "Speaking from my personal experience, it is likely that by the time he went, berserk Vikes was alone in the world, with nothing more than the darkness to keep himpany." Akagi gave a bitter smile. "I know how it feels to have that little voice in your head telling you to just kill them all and be done with it. I''ll tell you right now that it''s not easy to ignore it, and I nearly samb to it a few times."


    <i>{That same darkness nearly made me kill my sister, likely as a method of forcing me out of my seal. If Kana had died that night, I would have had nothing keeping me human, and thest bit of light in my life would have been snuffed out.} </i>(Akagi)


    "The only reason I did not go down the same path as Vikes was because, unlike him, I had enough reasons not to give in and let my nature take control." Akagi smiled. "I have a younger sister who loves me, and an entire family that I''ve made here. Not to mention I''ve bonded with someone who makes me happier than I ever imagined possible.¡± She continued. ¡°It was the bonds I forged in FWO that made it possible to banish those dark thoughts from my mind once and for all, freeing me to ept who and what I am." She figured that while FWO was a traumatic experience for most, it was probably the best possible thing that could have happened to her, and by extension this world.


    "So, was it possible for Vikes to be like you?" Halifax asked. ¡°Could he have just lived a normal life if given the chance?¡±


    "Perhaps." Akagi shrugged. "But the knowledge I was given tells me that no other Demon Lord has ever managed to pull this off, so while possible I say it was improbable."


    <i>{What happened with me was basically a series of coincidences alling together to make the perfect ending. If anything had changed along the way, its likely this world would be nothing more than a dead and barren world by now.} </i>(Akagi)


    "But that still means that it was possible!" Halifax bit her lip in anger. "If... if people had done more to help him... if only they''d tried harder to work with him and help calm the darkness in his mind... then all those innocent people wouldn''t have died." She put her head in her hands as she despaired.


    "While you are correct, I''d say you''re asking for a lot, Halifax." Akagi chuckled. "People are not always the best at handling a crisis, and knowing a bad-tempered child from a Demon Lord is asking for the impossible."


    <i>{How could anyone possibly know that their child is a Demon Lord? I guess Shima and Taichi knew that something was wrong with me, but they didn''t exactly expect THIS, now did they?} </i>(Akagi)


    "But that he was driven to believe that the world had forsaken him to the point that he would sumb to that inner darkness... it just... it just makes me wonder if people are even worth the effort of saving..." Halifax sighed.


    <i>{I''ve dedicated the better part of four thousand years to helping people, and trying to make the world a better ce. But has it really done any good? Has it been worth all that effort? Just to save people who end up damming themselves?} </i>(Halifax)


    "Far be it from me to defend humanity, but I''d say you''re throwing the baby out with the bathwater on this one." Akagi took another hit of her pipe. "Sure, mortals make mistakes, and they even cause misery and suffering to each other. But that does not mean that we should exterminate them, nor should you forsake them simply because of their ws." The irony of a Demon Lord saying this was not lost on either of them, but they ignored that for the moment.


    "But they keep making <i>the same</i> mistakes..." Halifax looked up at her. ¡°That''s my biggest issue...¡±


    "<i>That</i> is simply a part of life my friend." Akagi let out a puff. "And I think you are looking at things a bit too cynically anyway." She pulled out a nket and sat down on it. "Because mortals live and die, it''s only natural that subsequent generations will make the same mistakes as their forebearers." She continued. "However, just as <i>mistakes</i> can be repeated, they can also be <i>learned from.</i>" The <i>Demon</i> smirked. "Take this world, for example. In thest century, mankind engaged in the two most brutal conflicts in its history, and between the two World Wars, nearly a hundred million people died.¡±


    "Not really making a good case there..." Halifax squinted in doubt.


    Akagi put up a finger. "BUT. It was <i>because </i>of those two wars that this has had an unprecedentedly long period of peace, which was something unthinkable just a few hundred years ago." Akagi smiled. "It took such massive bloodshed and death to finally get the message across to humanity that it needed to start working on itself and finding better ways to handle things. Sure it hasn''t been perfect, and conflict <i>can </i>break out, but overall the world and people''s lives <i>have </i>improved dramatically since the end of the Second World War."


    "But it still took so much death and destruction to get to this point." Halifaxmented. ¡°Is that really a good trade?¡±


    "True." Akagi nodded. "But here''s the thing, in the end, humanity DID learn, Halifax." She said seriously. "This has happened over and over again throughout this world''s history. Humanity spends centuries or millennia doing horrible things to one another, and you think that things will never change, then BANG, something clicks within people, and they start to change course." She continued. "A good example of this is very. For basically <i>all </i>of human history, every culture had or engaged in very of some form. However, over time, humanity came to understand the barbarity of such a practice, and by the end of the 1800s, it was ouwed in most of the world. OUTLAWED! Akagi eximed, which startled Halifax a bit. "A practice that was <i>literally </i>as old as humanity itself and something that was always seen as <i>normal </i>was banned pretty much worldwide, and seen as something disgusting!" She continued her exnation further, and it seemed that Halifax was actually quite interested. "Things weren''t exactly roses for those newly freed ves, but imagine this. In around a <i>century </i>from 1865 to 1965, you went from enving an entire race of people, to giving them equal legal rights. Humanity, in such a short span of time, changed its attitude to the point that it not only <i>banned </i>enving a people it once saw as inferior, but then acknowledged them as legal equals and worked to ensure their fair treatment under thew!¡± Akagi smiled.


    ¡°Humanity, as a short-lived species, tends to be slow when ites to social changes, so for that kind of rapid change is unprecedented and shows that not only can humanity learn from its mistakes, it can be better <i>because </i>of that learning experience." She thought that showed the best part of humanity, since it could and did learn from the past.


    "I guess... I guess I never thought of it like that..." Halifax thought for a moment. "I suppose it''s simr to the idea that you need to suffer in order to understand happiness. In this case, you need to make mistakes, sometimes over and over again before you finally move forward and seed."


    <i>{Though its still not pleasant.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Indeed. This is merely one example of humanity learning from the past, and I''m sure that some people might disagree with me. But I see such events as <i>proof</i> that humanity is not a lost cause and that, while it might stumble, it will eventually find the right path and improve." Akagi smiled.


    "I can''t believe that I''m being talked into having faith in humanity by a Demon Lord..." Halifaxughed, and so did Akagi.


    After moving onto another topic, the two women sat in the garden until dawn broke, discussing their pasts and getting to know each other a bit better. Perhaps it was a bit early to tell, but Akagi believed she could be good friends with Halifax. She might have been a Divine de forged to kill the Demon Lord, but right now Akagi saw her as nothing more than a lonely girl in need of someone to talk to.

 Chapter 224 – Magical Girl is Approached.

    Chapter 224 ¨C Magical Girl is Approached.


    "And we''re back in Kyoto... <i>again</i>." Superbia sighed as she and Mixu walked along the sidewalk together. They''de here after sightings of a mysterious ''Magical Girl'' started popping up online, and Aoi was tasked with figuring out who they were and where they came from. "Why is it when things go wrong or something strange happens, it''s always in the vicinity of Akagi?"


    <i>{Libra, Serval and Rivenshaft, her own country, Silfana, and now a fucking Magical Girl... Is Akagi just a trouble ma, or the one creating the trouble?} </i>(Superbia)


    "Would you expect otherwise?" Mixu raised her eyebrow as she looked at the Oni. "Akagi <i>always</i> causes trouble, or at the very least it umtes around her." She''d known the <i>Demon </i>long enough to understand that wherever she went, there was almost always chaos.


    "The fact that Akagi contacted Aoi and told her <i>not</i> to publish the identity of this Magical Girl once we discover who it is already has me suspicious." Superbia groaned. Akagi had contacted them shortly after the first appearance and essentially threatened them into keeping their mouths shut. "I swear to god, if it''s actually Akagi <i>herself</i> acting as a Magical Girl, I''m gonna scream."


    <i>{I could see it too...} </i>(Superbia)


    "While I wouldn''t put it past that idiot to do something like this, like Hishya said, I don''t think it''s her." Mixu shook her head. "She wouldn''t care if people found out her real identity, so it must be someone close to her." She figured it was a member of the <em>Demon''s </em>family, since it wasn''t as if they knew <i>everyone </i>that worked for Akagi.


    "Who knows, maybe she finally went over the edge and transformed her sister into a Magical Girl?" Superbiaughed. "Poor Kana. Having to deal with the trauma of being turned into such a thing."


    <i>{For some reason, I could see it.} </i>Mixuughed internally at the thought of Kana being forced to act as a Magical Girl for her sister''s amusement.


    As the two of them continued their investigation throughout Kyoto, they obtained witness statements, listened to stories from city residents, and talked with the locals about their feelings on the Magical Girl. Many were not thrilled to speak with the two of them, but most cooperated once they were informed the two women were actuallyw enforcement.


    "Argh!" Superbia ruffled her hair as she took a seat on a park bench. "We''ve been running in circles all day! I''m beginning to think the people here are sending us on a wild goose chase!" They''d hopped across Kyoto during their investigation, and heard conflicting stories about sightings and other patterns rted to the Magical Girl, but never found said Girl.


    "They''re probably protecting whoever she is from us." Mixu said as she ate some ice cream from a dish. "From what I got, it seems her heroic antics have actually left people with a good impression. Meaning that they''re probably less inclined to work with us on finding her, fearing that we might hurt her or something." She knew trust in returnees was very low in Japan, so it was understandable that people wouldn''t want to out what they saw was a ''real'' hero to the RRT.


    "But <i>we </i>save people, and all we get is snark and stares!" Superbia red at her. ¡°Why is this girl different?!?¡±


    <i>{Why are you acting all nonchnt about this anyway? And where did you get that ice cream?!? We''re on the job, Mixu!} </i>(Superbia)


    "Yeah, but unlike <i>us</i> this girl is a Magical Girl, or at least she <i>looks </i>and <i>acts </i>like one." Mixu said as she continued eating. "Most people know what a Magical Girl is, so one showing up and iming to be a homegrown hero has a much different impact than us."


    <i>{Not to mention Magical Girls are pretty well understood and liked, so one popping up would only make people feel safe since its a ''known quantity.''} </i>(Mixu)


    "So you''re telling me that in order to get people to stop hating us, that we should dress in frilly clothing and do cringe things like call out attack names and make statements about the power of friendship?" Superbia deadpanned.


    <i>{I mean, you call out attack names all the time, but I''ll refrain from pointing that out.} </i>(Mixu)


    "It''s more that people see her as something a bit different than us. We''re basically monsters or monster adjacent to most people." Mixu said as she dropped the stic spoon and cup in a nearby trash can. "But this girl is ''human'' and is acting a bit more in line with what people associate with heroes. Not to mention she''s cute, energetic, and childlike. It''s going to be hard for most people, especially here in <i>Japan</i>, to hate her." Mixu could understand the eptance of a Magical Girl since most people, even adults, watch or have watched such shows during their life. They were crazy popr, and their following was one of thergest in Japanese fiction.


    "I know, it''s just annoying to think that-" Superbia''s face got sharp as she stopped mid-sentence. Something caught her attention, and she could feel a strange magical power appear in the distance. "You feel that?" She turned to Mixu.


    "Yep. That''s an interesting magical signature, and it''s zipping around North Kyoto right now." Mixu motioned for Superbia to follow and the two of them took off at high speed, racing towards the unknown magic. There weren''t many people who could use magic in this world, and they were already aware that Mika, Kana, and Naomi could use magic and what their signatures felt like. This one felt simr to Mika, but was much stronger and a bit different than the silly girl''s power.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Mika POV>


    Mika stood on top of one of the many highrises in Kyoto with a big smile on her face as she looked out across the city. "I wonder what''s going to happen today?" Mika thought out loud. She was excited to get to work, and was looking forward to another day of being Kyoto''s Magical Hero. "Yesterday, I helped the police catch that robber, so maybe today I''ll get to save the day again!" She''de here after her chores were finished at her home and transformed, ready to act as a Magical Girl and fight some crime, though she imagined that there wouldn''t be that much in Kyoto, since it was rtively safe.


    "I wonder if Akagi would let me fight in that uing tournament?" Mika moved to sit down on the ledge of the building. "I''d like a chance to kick Kana''s butt!" She giggled. "That way, I can defeat <i>Scary Kana </i>once and for all!" She cackled as she imagined the defeat of the the evil <i>Scary Kana</i>, and saving of the world from her tyranny.


    "I don''t know about that. Akagi is pretty protective of her sister, so she probably wouldn''t want you smacking her around too much." Superbia said from behind her.


    "Nah, it''ll be fine. Akagi likes it when-" Mika stopped, jumping up and spinning aroundically to face Superbia and Mixu. "EEP!"


    <i>{What are they doing here?!?} </i>(Mika)


    "So there really <i>is</i> a Magical Girl running around Kyoto." Superbia sighed. "Well, we''ve finally found you, so I guess that''s nice. But you sure gave us some trouble. Do you have any idea how hard it was to track you down?"


    <i>{We spent most of the day looking for this silly girl when I had much better things to waste my time on!} </i>(Superbia)


    "I mean, that was kinda the point." Mika gave a wry smile. "But why are you two here? There''s nothing happening in Kyoto right now." She didn''t know why there were here, since nothing big was going down at the moment.


    <i>{Are they here to see Akagi?} </i>(Mika)


    "We''re just on an excursion to hunt down a Magical Girl, nothing special." Mixu shrugged.


    "Oh..." Mika wasn''t expecting people toe looking for her, and didn''t realize the RRT might be sent to find her. "So, what do you want? Do you need something from me?"


    "We <i>want</i> you toe with us." Superbia replied. "Your appearance has caused lots of headaches for the higher-ups and they want us to bring you in." She''d been told to bring the Magical Girl back to Tokyo for questioning, but the <i>how </i>was never really borated on.


    "EEH?!? I''m getting arrested?!?" Mika cried out in protest.


    <i>{I can''t get arrested! I''m too cute for prison!} </i>(Mika)


    "No, no, no." Superbia shook her head. "We''re not going to arrest you and put you in jail or anything. All we want is to talk to you is all. At this point, we don''t really have the desire to go hunting down and jailing vigntes. We just want find out who you are and where those powers came from. That''s all." She tried to calm her down and reassure her that she wasn''t in trouble.


    "<i>And</i> we want you to join the RRT." Mixu added in an important caveat. "Having a superpowered hero running around on her own is not desirable for the government. Lest we get more Libra-like problems."


    <i>{Having people like us run around unchecked will only lead to future problems, so I get why they''re so nervous about this girl. Especially when she''s definitely not one of the 100 returnees.} </i>(Mixu)


    "Ummm. Can I refuse?" Mika asked meekly.


    "I mean, I really don''t want to have to <i>force </i>you to do anything, but we were kinda told to bring you back..." Superbia sighed. "So if you''d juste with us nice and peacefully, then we won''t have any issues. I promise you that nothing bad will happen to you if youe quietly, and if people give you trouble, I will <i>personally </i>kick Aoi''s ass." She was basically told to bring the Magical Girl back by force if needed, though she''d rather not harm anyone if possible.


    <i>{I know why they chose me for this operation, but its really annoying being forced into this position...} </i>(Superbia)


    <i>{I really don''t want to get dragged into this. I just want to be a Magical Girl here in Kyoto, not be involved in the RRT and their stuff.} </i>Mika looked over her shoulder towards the ledge of the building. She could jump away, but wasn''t sure she could outrun the two of them.


    "I wouldn''t try that if I were you." Mixu warned her not to run. "Superbia will get you in a sh if you move, and I''m more than able to snipe you." Her threat to shoot caused Mika to gulp.


    "You will <i>not</i> shoot her, Mixu." Superbia scolded her. They were told to bring her in, not kill or seriously injure her."


    <i>"</i>I''m just saying is all." The vampire shrugged. ¡°She should be warned that fleeing won''t work.¡±


    <i>{This isn''t good. They''re definitely stronger than me, and if they take me Akagi might get angry. And if Akagi gets angry...} </i>(Mika)


    "Um. I think you might be making a mistake here." Mika was going to try and talk her way out of this situation. ¡°It wouldn''t go well if you tried taking me away by force.¡±


    "Why? You aren''t stronger than us, and I know that for a fact. So don''t try and bluff your way of of this one." Superbia stared at her, not backing down.


    <i>{I really don''t want my identity out in public. That would ruin part of the fun. But I might not have a choice if they don''t back down.} </i>(Mika)


    "B-Because Akagi might get angry if you mess with me." Mika gave a nervousugh. She figured name dropping the big scary would be her best bet. "She''s a good friend of mine and will probably not like you hurting me. Even if it is just a misunderstanding, she''ll probably get angry."


    "I knew Akagi was involved." Mixu sighed as she shook her head. "She told us not to out you once we got your identity, so don''t worry about that part. I understand wanting to remain anonymous and everything, but please understand why the <i>Government</i> is a bit wary of a Magical Girl who we don''t have any info on suddenly appearing in one of Japan''srgest cities." Mixu didn''t want to antagonize Akagi, but wasn''t entirely sure the <i>Demon </i>would be angry with them over this. The <i>Demon</i> only said not to out her identity, not to leave the Magical Girl alone entirely.


    "It''s more than <i>that</i>. I''m only interested in protecting Kyoto as its Magical Girl. I don''t want to be involved with you." Mika was getting increasingly nervous. She knew better than most how Akagi would react if her friends were harmed, and it had urred to her that <em>she</em>meant quite a bit to the <em>Demon</em>, thus her being hurt even a little by Superbia and Mixu would probably cause Akagi to go ballistic.


    <em>{Thest thing we need is for Akagi to blow a fuse. Hishya already told us that it was best for her to be the happy kitty who wants pets...}</em>(Mika)


    "And I''m sorry to tell you this, but <i>that''s</i> not going to happen." Superbia said as she slowly drew her de. "I <i>really</i> hate to do this, but since we''ve got no clue who you are or what your intentions are, we can''t take any chances." She pointed it at Mika. "Please don''t hold this against me. I just don''t want to risk you causing trouble. We''ve already had enough chaos over thisst year, so pleasee with me peacefully."


    <i>{I hate pointing my de at a kid, or at least someone that looks like one, but with her so close to Osaka, I''m not risking her turning that power on innocent people. At least if she''s under our thumb we can make sure she stays the good Magical Girl she wants to be.} </i>{Superbia)


    "I... um... Actually, my name is-" Just as Mika was about to reveal herself, a figure jumped in between her and Superbia, causing the Oni to jump back.


    "Not so fast, nya!" Chloe appeared out of nowhere, a small tsuchinoko riding on her head, as she leapt onto the building and took abat stance.


    "Speak of the Devil and I guess one of its minions wille." Mixu chuckled.


    "Chloe?" Superbia said as she kept her eyes on the cat. "What are you doing here? This doesn''t involve Akagi."


    <i>{I can''t tell of things just got better or worse...} </i>(Mika)


    "That''s where you''re wrong, nya." Chloe cracked her knuckles and flexed her body a bit. "You see, this girl is a friend of myaster, so I''m not going to sit by while you threaten her." Between the tips of her fingers, light glistened off of her strings. She didn''t want to fight Mixu or Superbia, but was prepared to if needed.


    "Why are you here?" Mika asked the cat, hoping to cut through the building tension.


    "I was on patrol and saw you talking with these two. When Superbia drew her de on you, I decided to hop in." Chloe answered without looking at her. "So what will it be, Oni? Will you walk away from this, or do I need to send you back to Tokyo in a box?" She smirked.


    "Do you really think you can beat me, cat?" Superbia didn''t like Chloe''s smarm, and her threats only angered the Oni more. "Last I checked the power gap between us was in<em>my</em>favor, not yours!"


    <i>{I know Akagi said that you''ve gotten stronger, but I''m no weakling! Don''t you dare look down on me, cat!} </i>(Superbia)


    <i>{Fucking hell Superbia, don''t escte the situation...} </i>Mixu sighed internally. She knew the Oni had a short fuse and could go off at the slightest provocation sometimes.


    "Please." Chloe''s smirk faded into a scowl. "Don''t you dare insult myaster by assuming that you could ever defeat me! I was trained by the greatest assassin to ever live, and a fool like you couldn''t eveny a single scratch on me." She didn''t like when people looked down on her, since that was by extension looking down on Akagi.


    "Akagi might be powerful, but your no match for me even with your buffs." Superbia grinned.


    As the two stood apart from one another, their eyes locked on each other as sparks began to fly between them, and it seemed that a battle on the rooftops was inevitable.

 Chapter 225 – Mr. Noodle.

    Chapter 225 ¨C Mr. Noodle.


    "Woah! Woah! Woah!" Mixu tried to deste the situation. "Time out! Hold up!" She turned to Superbia. "Think with your head not with your sword, Superbia! You hurt the cat and we''re going to have a lot bigger of a problem than an unknown Magical Girl."


    <i>{I do not want to find out what happens if we start punching the cat! Akagi might throw US into whatever hell she created for Armalthy!} </i>(Mixu)


    Superbia clicked her tongue. She wanted to fight Chloe, but understood that it might not be worth the risk.


    "Oh, don''t worry about that." Chloe let out a smallugh. "I''ll make sure this stays between us. Myaster won''t mind if I tell her it was my idea, so lets get to it!" She beckoned Superbia to move, and mocked her with a bit of taunting. "Unless you''re scared? I thought you were an Oni, not a chicken?" She knew just how to rile the Oni up, and was enjoying getting under Superbia''s skin.


    "Ohhhh you son of a bitch. If that''s the case, then don''t be angry when I send you back to your master, bloody and beaten." Superbia''s body began to flicker with pink fire.


    <i>{I guess we''re going to add a new way to skin a cat!} </i>(Superbia)


    "Seriously?!?" Mixu cried out. "Superbia, are we really doing this right now?!? Are you crazy?!?" She was not thrilled about this development, since it wasn''t apparent that they could win a confrontation against Chloe.


    "Are you saying I can''t win?" Superbia nced at her, irritated with her insinuation.


    "I have no fucking clue at this point! But Chloe <i>did</i> beat Merkyul and Sabia in a 2v1, so at this point it''s possible that she''d kick your ass!" Mixu really didn''t want a fight to break out, and was sure that it wouldn''t be easy, even if Superbia was stronger than the cat.


    <i>{No. No. No. No. No.} </i>(Mika)


    Just as things were about to kick off, and an epic duel was about tomence, Mika spoke up.


    "It''s me, Mika!" She ran in between the cat and the Oni, putting her arms out to separate the two women. ¡°Please don''t go fighting!¡±


    "M-Mika?" Superbia was stunned by this revtion. "S-Seriously? <i>You''re </i>the Magical Girl?!?"


    <i>{Why am I not surprised?} </i>(Superbia)


    "I didn''t want to tell you about it, but I really don''t want you and Chloe to fight for no reason." She hung her head in defeat. "Just please don''t tell anyone. I want to remain anonymous..." She was distraught that she''d already been outed only a few weeks into her time as a Magical Girl.


    "I...uh... HOW?" Mixu was equally surprised by Mika''s sudden reveal.


    "Akagi and Imp..." Mika said quietly.


    "FUCKING IMP!" (Mixu x Superbia)


    "Akagi is understandable, but why<i> </i>the hell was Imp involved?!?" Superbia growled as she put her de back into its sheath.


    <i>{I''m going to skin that stupid Imp alive when we get back!} </i>(Superbia)


    "I can''t believe she wasn''t the first person we interrogated..." Mixu pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration, since she figured that should''ve been the first person they spoke to. "That idiot..."


    <i>{She''s getting drank tonight!} </i>(Mixu)


    "At least we know what''s going on, but now I''m not sure how to proceed." Mixu sighed. "What the hell are you doing running around like that anyway?" She figured Akagi put her up to it.


    "I always wanted to be a Magical Girl, so I asked Imp and Akagi to make me one!" Mika smiled. "I get to be a hero and save the day, and I like it! It so much fun to run around like this, and people seem really happy when I help them." She''d been enjoying herself over thest week, and had fullymitted to the Magical Girl routine. It wasn''t perfect, and she had much to learn, but she was confident she could be the Magical Girl she always dreamed of.


    "You do know how dangerous this is, right?" Superbia shook her head. "You could get hurt or-" She was cut off by Mika.


    "I know <i>very well</i> what kind of danger I''m putting myself in, but that''s fine." Mika said withplete seriousness. "People need help, and I want to be the one to give it. If it''s a bit dangerous, then I''ll just have to put up with that. All I need to do is make sure I''m strong enough so that it doesn''t matter."


    <i>{Besides, it not like there''s some evil organization that I need to fight. Most things are just petty theft or saving people who are in danger. The actual threat to me is actually pretty low, when you consider this is the real world and not one from a Magical Girl anime.} </i>(Mika)


    "Well if it''s Mika running around as a Magical Girl, then we really can''t do anything, Superbia." Mixu looked over at her. "Akagi would <i>flip </i>if we messed with her like we nned, so let''s just report back and tell Aoi to leave her be." She figured Akagi would not take too kindly to them basically kidnapping Mika.


    "Aww. But I wanted to fight the Oni." Chloe gave a yfulugh. ¡°I guess its understandable that she wants to run away though.¡± She smirked.


    "I''m still game if you are, cat!" Superbia red at Chloe.


    <i>{NOT AGAIN!} </i>(Mixu)


    "Wait!" Mika interjected with an idea. "How about this? Rather than slugging it out in Kyoto and causing a mess, you both enter the tournament that Akagi is having. If you do that, I''m sure Akagi can make it so you two fight. That way it will be a fair match and won''t end in someone dying!" She didn''t want to see these two go to blows in the middle of Kyoto, since that was liable to get messy.


    <i>{I have no idea if Superbia would even stand a chance agaisnt Chloe, but I don''t want them to start flying around and breaking buildings!} </i>(Mika)


    "Is Chloe even allowed in that torney?" Mixu asked. "I thought it was just Spirits and Returnees?" Akagi had indicated that her n members would likely <i>not </i>be allowed to participate, since that might make things unbnced and unfair.


    "I''m sure if I asked alongside Chloe, Akagi''d allow it." Mika replied. ¡°Besides, she never said that they weren''t allowed, only that it was <i>unlikely</i>.¡±


    "Well, I <i>was </i>thinking of joining." Superbia''s lips curved into a wicked smile. "But if the <i>cat</i> is going to be there, then I''ve got no choice <i>but </i>to join." She was already salivating at the chance to knock Chloe''s teeth down her throat.


    <i>{I''m gonna make sure you regret making fun of me, cat!} </i>(Superbia)


    "Ohh." Chloe''s eyes lit up. "I can''t wait to knock that smug look off your face."


    "Funny, I was just thinking the same thing." Superbiaughed.


    <i>{Oh great... Now I need to babysit the Oni...} </i>(Mixu)


    "Mika, I''m gonna hold you responsible for this." Mixu groaned.


    "I''m sorry?" Mika didn''t know what she apologized for, but did it anyway.


    <i>{Did I goof?} </i>(Mika)


    "Anyway." Mixu tried to move things along. "Come on, Superbia." She grabbed the scruff of her kimono and started pulling the Oni away before things started <i>now</i>. "Let''s get you back to Tokyo before you get yourself killed."


    "Hey, wait! I wasn''t finished yet, Mixu!" Superbia cried out in protest as she was dragged away. "Remember this cat! I''m going to kick your ass! So don''t get knocked out in the first round, and don''t go crying to your master when I make you eat dirt!" She yelled as the vampire leapt away with her.


    "She''s funny." Chloe smiled. "I can''t wait to make her squeal."


    "Despite everything, thanks for showing up Chloe. Though they still found out my identity in the end." Mika sighed. "What''s that on your head anyway. I didn''t notice it until now." Atop Chloe''s head sat the small tsuchinoko that she''d made her pet.


    "Ain''t he cute, nya!" Chloe squeed as she picked him up and held him out to show Mika. "He''s a tsuchinoko! I <i>acquired </i>him from the Tomogawa estate! His name is Mr. Noodle! Just look at his little eyes and tiny feet,nya!" She gave a big toothy grin, and the tsuchinoko gave what Mika assumed was a smile.


    <i>{I''m not a reptile person, minus dragons, but I guess he''s kinda cute.} </i>Mika was unimpressed, but yed along.


    ¡°He is very neat.¡± Mika gave a wry smile.


    "He evenes with me on missions and is a very good boy, nya!" Chloe put him back on her head where he snuggled in behind her ears.


    "Out of curiosity, could you beat those two in a fight?" Mika asked something she was curious about. "You seemed confident in your ability to win, but they''re yers. Aren''t they on a whole other level to you?" She knew a bit bout the NPCs getting stronger, but not the specifics of their strength.


    "I could probably take ''em." Chloe nodded. "Superbia would be the primary issue, since I could kill Mixu almost instantly. The vampy is slow and weak, nya. While the Oni is speedy and dangerous." It would be an interesting contest, though it would likely end up in a defeat for the two yers.


    "Is that so? I''ve heard Superbia is the strongest member of the RRT, and she''s evenparable to Hishya." Mikamented.


    "Maybe <i>old </i>Hishya. But as she is now, Superbia won''t stand a chance against the Dragon, nya." Chloe crossed her arms in an X. "The lizard has grown far too powerful, and I''m not entirely sure <i>I </i>could win against her, nya."


    <i>{I think the lizard would fry me before I could even get close if she went all out.} </i>(Chloe)


    "I wonder if she''ll ever get stronger than Akagi." Mika asked. "Don''t dragons get stronger as they age?" She''d read about that in fiction, but wasn''t sure how urate it was in reality.


    "True Dragons do get a bit stronger over time, but not enough to actually eclipse myaster. Besides if that was possible, myaster would''ve killed her already, nya." Chloe''s words surprised Mika, who didn''t expect to hear that Akagi would kill her longtime friend.


    "R-Really?" She didn''t know if this was just Chloe being Chloe or real.


    "She never told me it herself, but knowing how myaster operates, if someone who has the potential to defeat her appeared, she would kill them, nya." Chloe nodded. "No one is permitted to rival her, and myaster doesn''t want to live in a world where she takes orders from someone else, nya."


    <i>{Akagi really can be ruthless sometimes, can''t she?} </i>Mika gave a nervousugh inside.


    "Are you going on patrol, nya?" Chloe asked. ¡°Or are you going to head home after this, nya?¡±


    "Yeah, that was the n. All this did is dy me a bit." Mika smiled. "Magical Girl Star Guardian is needed in Kyoto!"


    "Then have fun!" Chloe smiled as she turned away. "And be careful, myaster would be sad if you got hurt. She likes the pets you give too much to lose you, nyahahah!" Sheughed as she jumped away, disappearing across the rooftops.


    "Well, at least Akagi likes me." Mika giggled. "Wait! I shoulda asked her to let me scratch her ears! I''m sure she''d let me do it now..." She pouted at the missed opportunity. "Oh well, it''s time to save the town from the evil that infests it!" Sheughed as she flew into the air. Not much <i>evil </i>happened in Kyoto that day, though Mika did have fun ying with children in the park. They really enjoyed getting to fly and her ability to make a colorful light show with her magic.


    Once she was finished, Mika headed home, transforming at a secluded location up the street before entering her apartment.


    "I''m back!" Mika called out to her parents as she entered.


    "There''s my superhero." Her mother''s voice could be heard giggling from the living room.


    "Is Dad home yet?" Mika popped around the corner. Her mother was sitting and watching T.V. while drinking tea.


    "No, he got stuck at work." Her mother sighed. "Apparently, his boss got ill unexpectedly, and he was forced to take up the project management until a supervisor could be called in tomorrow." This had happened a few times, so it wasn''t surprising.


    "Owch." Mika sat next to her. "Whatcha watching?"


    "Just news coverage of the <i>Magical Girl</i> saving Kyoto." Her mother poked Mika in her side. "I can''t believe you''re actually flying around like that." Her mother had spent most of the day hugging her when she revealed her Magical Girl form, and apparently she''d been a big fan of them as a kid herself.


    "Didn''t I always tell you when I was a kid that I wanted to be a Magical Girl." Mika gave a wily smile.


    "I think <i>every</i> girl says that." Her mother shook her head. "I did, and some of my friends certainly did. It''s just that it''s not supposed to be <i>real</i>."


    "But tell me, are you upset that I ended up making the dream into reality?" Mika smirked.


    "How could I be? My daughter is going around saving people like a superhero. Not to mention your grades have gotten much better over thisst year." Her motherughed. "The only thing left toin about is how much food you eat, but I think that''s a trade I''ll make if it means your life is getting better."


    "Thest year has been a wild ride, that''s for sure." Mika rolled her eyes. "First I meet the mysterious sister of Kana who was trapped in FWO, then we find out she''s a Demon Lord, I get to watch her do all kinds of crazy things, and now she made me into a Magical Girl." It was truly one crazy thing after another.


    "Not to mention you got those two girls all over you." Her mother poked fun at her. "I bet they <i>love </i>the cute appearance you can take."


    Mika went red. "I... Noment."


    <i>{I have a sneaking suspicions that I won''t remain ''pure'' for much longer.} </i>(Mika)


    "Should I be expecting magical grandkids soon?" Her mother burst outughing as Mika bopped her on the head.


    "I swear, you just love teasing me about that!" Mika was flush from her mother''sment.


    "It''s what mothers do." She continued tough. "But in all seriousness, don''t make me a grandma yet. I''m too young for that." She was only in her mid forties.


    "I think the fact that <i>I </i>am too young is much more important!" Mika growled.


    ¡°Yeah, being a teen mom wouldn''t be a very good idea, even if <i>you </i>aren''t the one the babyes out of!¡± Mika''s Mom roared inughter, as Mika turned bright red again.

 Chapter 226 – Is It A Princess Thing?

    Chapter 226 ¨C Is It A Princess Thing?


    *MUNCH* *CRUNCH*


    Akagi sat on Naomi''sp in the living room as they watched some Anime together. The Catkagi was being fed popcorn that she''d share from time to time, and they were enjoying a bit of hangout time while the rest of the girls were in Tokyo for a manga convention.


    "I never actually sat down and watched this one before." Naomimented as she put some popcorn up to Akagi''s mouth, which was swiftly devoured by the<i> </i>hungry kitty.


    "It''s a ssic." Akagimented as she chewed. "Think it came out in 2015, and it was a sleeper hit back then. It ended up going dormant for a few years, until it adapted the rest of the materialter, and its always been one of my favorites!" She smiled.


    "Well I can definitely see why <i>you </i>like this one." Naomiughed. They were currently watching a skeleton man dominate a group of knights with his overwhelming magic. They were in total shock as he obliterated what was apparently the highest tiered Angel summon they could bring to bear against him with a single spell, which Naomi thought reminded her of a certain kitty''s antics. "I wonder if you copied a bit from him? I can definitely see a bit of his swagger in how you act." She poked Akagi in the cheek.


    "If anything, his <em>Demon</em> buddy is who I copied." Akagi snickered. ¡°That crazy bastard is probably my favorite character in the entire show.¡±


    "Is he worse than the Skeleton guy?" Naomi asked. They were only a few episodes in, so she didn''t know the truth yet.


    "<i>He</i> is where I got the term<i> Happy Farm </i>from." Akagi smiled as she was pet. "That bastard is what every evil viin should aspire to be, and his level of sadism is off the charts!"


    "Well, I look forward to seeing your <i>idol </i>in action." Naomi chuckled. ¡°I just hope its not <i>too</i> extreme.¡±


    <em>{Note to self, maybe don''t rifywhat the term Bipedal Sheep means...}</em>(Akagi)


    "Just think, if you''d gone with the girls, you''d be in a hot sweaty room filled with crazy people. But instead, your here with me watching such wholesome things as a litch exploding a man''s heart with his bare hands." Akagi wrapped her tail around Naomi''s arm. "Not to mention, you get to fluff me to your heart''s content!" She thought it was the superior choice.


    "I think thatst part is a <i>you </i>benefit primarily." Naomi rolled her eyes as she continued to fluff Akagi''s ears. "But yes. I can''t handle that crazy ce. Thest time Mika took me to that massive convention center, I nearly fainted. Sensory overload sucks..." Mika was both a consumer of Doujin and a writer herself. At present, she was attending arge convention in Tokyo that meets every summer. Last year she dragged Kana and Naomi with her, and that almost resulted in Naomi going to the hospital. She had no idea just how chaotic it would be, and she''d never experienced such sights and sounds before, and that plus the heat made her sick. This time, instead of going with them, Yumi, Hishya, Yuzu, and Suzu apanied her and Kana, something they were more than happy to do.


    "How much do you wanna bet that Hishya and Kanae back with bags of smutty books?" Akagiughed as she knew her sister''s and Hishya''s <i>tastes</i>.


    <i>{I found your books, Kana! You can''t hide those things from me!} </i>(Akagi)


    "There is no need to bet on this one.<i> </i>Knowing those two, it will be two bags EACH." Naomi sighed. She already knew just how bad the two girls were, even if they tried to hide it. "That Kana... Honestly, I can''t say who''s worse, her or Hishya, and hell Mika might actually have gotten even worse with her <i>tastes</i>."


    <i>{I remember that one book she sent me, and that thing was incredibly... Mika really got into that kind of stuff after she got two girlfriends...} </i>(Naomi)


    "The girl has owned her tiny harem, so it''s to be expected." Akagiughed.


    <i>{And its only a matter of time before the harem moves beyond just touching and cuddling.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Yeah, the <i>loli </i>has a harem..." Naomi shook her head. "I still can''t believe you let her have that kind of power."


    "I just wanted to make her happy is all, and besides, I know she won''t do anything bad with it." Akagi said as Naomi scratched her chin. "She''s already doing lots of good with it, and she just got itst week."


    "I will say, its kind of funny that you''re so powerful that you can just gift away superpowers to teenagers." Naomi let out a smallugh. It reminded her of a few stories that she''d read. Though said all powerful being tended to actually be some kind of viin in the end.


    "I am a benevolent god. I simply require pets and affection. Give me that, and all your dreams maye true!" Akagi smiled proudly.


    "And snacks." Naomi added. "Don''t forget those." She said as she fed Akagi more popcorn.


    "Ah yes, how could I forget." Akagi nodded. ¡°Snacks are very important.¡±


    The two sat and watched through the entire first season of the Anime, and towards the end, Naomi understood what Akagi was talking about, andmented that she better not start emting the show for kicks.


    "Toote." Akagi smiled at her innocently. ¡°I''m already the viin of this story.¡±


    "Bad kitty." Naomi bopped her on the head, lightly. "No being evil!"


    "But it''s fuuuuunnnnnn." Akagi cried in protest. "Come onnnn. I''ll give you your own personal army of ves. They''ll treat you like a Queen and do whatever you want. I can even include hot guys for you!" She smiled, and a second bop on the head was provided.


    "I don''t need any of that!" Naomi sighed.


    "Ok, hot girls then." Akagi rubbed her head. "I guess the lilies have converted you to our wicked ways."


    "I don''t need <i>that</i> either!" Naomi gave her a noogie. "Why must you lot try and convert me to the dark side?"


    "Because this side of the fence is superior!" Ayame poked her head into the living room andmented.


    "Oh, look they''re back." Akagi hopped off Naomi''sp and moved onto the couch next to her. "Did you have fun on your little excursion?"


    "Hell yeah!" Eris yelled as she walked into the room. "And the new girl is fucking crazy! She took down Bonko quickly, and made short work of the next floor''s boss!" They''d beening to the dungeon for regr training, and were getting stronger day by day.


    <em>{Though I really didn''t appreciate the puzzle that dumped glitter on you when you guess the wrong answer...}</em>(Eris)


    "I still question why the next thing we fought after the clown bear was a magic-casting goat man who got extremely buff once he ran out of magic." Halifaxmented as she entered behind Eris. "You made one hell of a dungeon, Akagi. It would definitely be an S ss one on Enoris, and it might as well be a death trap to most people." She gave a small smile.


    <i>{But seriously. Why did the goatman start talking about doing things ''back in his day'' as he clubbed us with his staff?} </i>(Halifax)


    "Oh? So it wasn''t to your liking?" Akagi smirked.


    "I might have had a <i>bit </i>of fun." Halifax winked. "It''s definitely been a while since one of those ces actually made me take a fight seriously."


    <i>{Not to mention, these ''returnees'' are easily Mythril-rank adventurers or higher. It''s crazy how strong Eris and Ayame are, and I suspect actually killing either of them would be next to impossible for most people back home. If they''re this powerful, then just how oundishly strong is that Hishya girl if they said they couldn''t win against her?} </i>(Halifax)


    "I guess I''ll need to up the danger level a bit." Akagi gave a toothy smile. "Gotta keep you on your toes."


    "Please do!" Ayame said excitedly. "I haven''t gotten this kinda workout in so long, and it''s nice seeing my body get so toned." She flexed slightly.


    "She says that." Eris walked up next to her wife and pinched a part of her exposed thigh. "But you''ve still got some of that <i>squish</i> to you." Sheughed.


    "Are you saying you don''t like it?" Ayame swiped at her hand.


    "I never said that now, did I?" Eris smiled as she tantly flirted.


    "Do I need to set aside a room for the two of you to <i>relieve</i> yourselves?" Akagiughed.


    "Tempting, but not today." Eris chuckled. "By the way, where''s Ema? We didn''t see her in the garden."


    "I think she''s making cookies." Naomi answered. "She was watching some Anime with us earlier, and then part way through, she told us that she wanted to make a treat for when you returned."


    "Cookies!" Ayame eximed. "I could go for some chocte chip after that workout."


    "You''ll have to wait a bit longer!" Ema called out from the kitchen. "They''re almost done, so just give them a bit more time!"


    "Aint our daughter nice?" Eris smiled.


    "Yeah." Ayame agreed.


    "Now, you just need to convert Naomi and Halifax to the dark side." Akagi snickered.


    "Not me. I already y for that team." Halifaxughed as she moved to take a seat across from Akagi. "I''ve enjoyed myself to the fullest over thest three centuries, so I know well just how nice femalepany is." She''d tried out both sexes, but ended up having a preference for women, since their bodies were just far nicer to touch.


    "A woman of culture!" Akagiughed.


    "So just Naomi it is." Eris looked at the dark-haired girl. ¡°Looks like we''ve got to show you the light!¡±


    "I''m good, thanks." Naomi sighed.


    "Did you have someone back home?" Ayame asked Halifax. They were aware that she was from Enoris, though hadn''t been fully clued into what was going on.


    "No, thest person I was in a ''rtionship'' with has been dead for around a century." Halifax said as she sat down. "That stupid Princess just wouldn''t leave me alone until I relented. We weren''t married or anything, but we were essentially lovers."


    <i>{Hell, she was actually married and even had kids. I was basically having an affair with a married woman, though her husband never really seemed to mind it. I guess since I wasn''t another man, he didn''t really see the problem. Though I suspect he might have, if he was aware that Sherry would''ve preferred to marry me instead of him...} </i>(Halifax)<i> </i>


    "Damn, you scored a Princess!" Erisughed as she and Ayame took a seat across from her.


    "I wonder if she was all prim and proper?" Ayame chuckled.


    "On the outside, yes." Halifax nodded. "But on the inside..." She sighed. "Sherry was anything <i>but </i>a Princess."


    <i>{That girl was thirsty... Not that I minded. I suppose she picked up some of her other habits and quirks from her time as an adventurer, and I know plenty of Imperial Nobles had their gripes with the ''Gruff Princess.''} </i>(Halifax)


    "That sounds suspiciously like someone I know." Akagi thought out loud.


    "I wonder if it''s a Princess thing?" Naomi asked with augh.


    "Did you have any children?" Eris asked. "If you''ve been around that long, it would be surprising if you didn''t." She figured a child or two was likely after living that long.


    "Um..." Halifax thought about how to answer since they didn''t know she was actually a sword. "I actually <em>cannot</em> have children. Let''s just say it has something to do with my body."


    <i>{I might have a magical body to walk around with, but that doesn''t mean that feature works. It would be kinda strange to make a half sword half human. Though I suspect that Sherry would''ve had my children in a heartbeat if it was possible...} </i>(Halifax)


    "Ah, I''m sorry." Eris apologized for her question.


    "Don''t be." Halifax shrugged. "It''s not like I care anyway." She never really had any interest in having children of her own anyway, so the inability to do so never bothered her much.


    "We never thought we''d have one either, but then we got Ema!" Ayame smiled. "Though that girl is a big pain, so I''m not sure if it was worth it- OWCHI!" She cried out in pain as Ema whacked her on the head with a spat.


    "Cookies are done!" Ema smiled.


    "COOKIES!" Akagi cheered.


    "And I made one special for you, my little kitty!" Ema smiled as she unwrapped a cookie that was wrapped in a bit of paper towel. It was a sugar cookie with a kitty pattern drawn on it, and it looked adorable. "Here you go. Eat up!"


    "That''s cute." Naomiughed as Akagi quickly acquired and devoured said cookie.


    <i>{COOKIE!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Can I borrow her?" Akagi asked as she polished off the cookie. "I need a dedicated baker, and she''s much better than most of my staff."


    "Nope." Eris squeezed her daughter tightly. "No one may take her! She''s our cook!"


    "Yeah!" Ayame nodded. "And without her, who''s gonna clean the house and do ourundry?!?"


    <i>{Shouldn''t that be you two?} </i>(Naomi x Halifax x Akagi)


    "Why must my parents be such irresponsible adults..." Ema sighed.


    "And yet you love us!" (Eris x Ayame)

 Interlude 14 – The Participants Assemble.

    Interlude 14 ¨C The Participants Assemble.


    "Lady Amakusa... Lady Amakusa... Really? Come on, Shiroe. Get up, sleepy head." Feline poked and prodded at the Samurai hero to wake her from her slumber. The two of them were riding in a carriage together, and were nearing their destination.


    "Ugh..." Amakusa slowly opened her eyes. She was still quite tired and she had a bit of a headache. As she sat up, she noticed that her head had been resting on the carriage window, which gave her a bit of bedhead. "What''s up?" She asked while yawning. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    "No. I just wanted to wake you since we''ll be at the Holy City soon." Feline giggled as she looked at Amakusa''s wild hair. "You looked like you were pretty tired, so I let you sleep as long as I could." She could''ve woken her a bitter, but there was always the chance that the sleeping girl would''ve ignored her pleas. Amakusa had a nasty habit of oversleeping, so it wouldn''t be the first time they''d had to struggle to get her out of bed.


    "Yeah... Thanks for that" Amakusa yawned again. "I don''t do well with carriage rides, and cars weren''t much better. Sadly, sleep doesn''t bypass the problems, since I already have a bit of a headache."


    <i>{These kinds of trips always wear me out. Why did bing a Hero not fix this problem?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "It''s still funny how you can have all that power and the ability to perform such extraordinary feats of strength, yet something as simple as motion sickness gets you." Feline chuckled.


    "It''s not funny, it''s bullshit." Amakusa sighed.


    <em>{Apparently being born with crazy strength and then having it augmented by Gods doesn''t do anything to stop stupid things like this...}</em>(Amakusa)


    "Well, you <em>could</em> have Hitomi take a look at you when we arrive in the Holy City." Feline smirked, and Amakusa''s entire body shuddered at the thought of her fellow ''Hero''s'' hands running over her body.


    "I''d like to stay out of <i>that</i> spider''s web." Amakusa said as she violently shook her head. "She''s already got one degenerate pet, and I have no intention of bing her second!"


    <i>{At this point, I''m expecting reports that either she or that Shapeshifter girl is pregnant. I''ve heard stories about what she has that girl do with her transformation ability, and I don''t want to know if even HALF of them are true.} </i>(Amakusa)


    "I''ll admit that she is a bit... <i>entric</i>..." Feline gave a dryugh, as she knew all to well what kind of <i>things</i> the ''Holy Hero'' got up to in her private life. "But she''s beloved by so many that we just all look the other way."


    <i>{Not to mention, Nobles and Royalty are not much better in their depravity. Power and money tend to make people do... well...} </i>(Feline)


    "Just don''t you go and turn into someone like her, Feline." Amakusaughed. "You might put on the air of a pure Princess, but I''ve heard tale of you taking some of the maids into your private<i> </i>chambers for some <i>fun</i>." She''d actually caught Feline in the act, but was keeping that quiet so as to not embarrass the hell out of her.


    "I only do that someti- I mean I have no idea what you''re talking about." Feline caught herself and shifted into denial. "As a self-respecting member of the Royal family, I would never do such debaucherous things, and I certainly wouldn''t take advantage of my station to have fun with the pce servants."


    <em>{Nor would I use intimacy to obtain information that I otherwise shouldn''t have, and I most certainlywouldn''t do things like make the supporting staff loyal to me by having a bit of fun with them.}</em>(Feline)


    "Suuuure." Amakusa shrugged not really wanting to debate the topic. "Just keep your hands off <i>me, </i>and we won''t have a problem." She had little interest in such endeavors, and was quantifiably <i>not </i>interested in Feline romantically or physically.


    "But how else will we tie you to our family?" Feline decided to y along and tease her. "You rebuffed my brother''s advances, so I suppose I''ll just have to seduce you myself! How about it? Do you want a Princess for a wife?" She joked, but Amakusa knew that such a thing wasn''t legally possible in the Kingdom, even if such rtionships were <em>tolerated</em> throughout most Enoris.


    "I''m good." Amakusa rolled her eyes. "Besides, I couldn''t give a damn about romance. I don''t care if you''re a man or a woman, it''s not happening." She''d more or less sworn off it once herst rtionship copsed, and she''d not given it another thought since.


    "You always <em>did</em> say that you were married to your de." Feline giggled as she recalled a prior converstation. ¡°So I suppose that makes sense.¡±


    "I am." Amakusa nodded. "The sword is my one true love, and nothing will evere close to it." She''d been a student of the de since she was a child, and had always been adept with swordbat.


    <em>{I defeated my father at such a young age, and I never really ran into anyone who could challengeme. Even aftering to this world I''ve struggled to find somebody who could give me a good fight, and maybe I never will.}</em>(Amakusa)


    "I''ll be sure to make a nice wedding for the two of you. Should I prepare a suit or dress for the sword?" Felineughed.


    "A dress, of course. Inori is my favorite girl in the whole world, so she has to look pretty!" Amakusaughed as she looked over at the sword sitting next to her. It was a gift from her father, and one of the few items that she''d brought with her upon being summoned. "She''s a good girl and the only person who would <i>never</i> betray me." She nced at Feline, who ignored thement.


    Not wanting to dwell on Amakusa''s slight, Feline switched topics. "Are you going to be alright at this summit?" She asked how she would handle meeting the other Heroes. "I know you don''t get along with the others, but I hope you can put that aside for thisst duty." There was always friction between the Heroes, and Amakusa didn''t really get along with any of them.


    "I''ll try my best." Amakusa shrugged. "Muichiro is going to be the most problematic, though. I don''t really <em>dislike</em> Hitomi or Hiyuki. It''s just that I have a few <em>disagreements</em> with their life choices or philosophy. However, <i>he </i>is probably going to be the reason any arguments break out."


    <i>{Hiyuki is just a bit annoying with his whole Hero of Justice schtick, but I guess that''s not the worst thing in the world, and Hitomi, for all her indecency, isn''t really a bad person. I just can''t agree that selling drugs or running brothels to fund programs for the poor is a good idea. But Muichiro, that son of a bitch is no Hero. I don''t care whatmands the Gods gave us, that doesn''t suddenly make it ok to torture people and... rape women...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Who is in all ising anyway?" Amakusa asked about the guest list. "I know it''s the Heroes and their nation''s leadership, but from what I overheard, other nations areing too." She figured it best to know who wasing so she could prepare herself.


    Feline thought for a moment before answering. "Besides the obvious participants, the Holy City will be hosting a representative from the Merchant Confederation of Northwind, I''m being sent on behalf of the the United City State Alliance, the Empire''s Crown Princess Rebeckah will be attending in ce of her father, the Demon Kings have elected to send Princess-Regent Ariel Ravenwood, and the Dwarven Prime Minister is attending, as well as <em>two</em> of the Gods."


    "Wait! <em>Two</em> Gods?!?" Amakusa didn''t expect to hear that they''d being themselves since they rarely appeared for anything. "I figured they''d just give orders to the Church, but they''reing in person?!?"


    <i>{I thought they couldn''t really do that?!?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Well, they''re using avatars, but yes." Feline nodded. "I don''t know which two, but I suspect that Lord Gale will be one of them." He was the head of the pantheon, and basically their leader/spokesperson.


    <i>{So the head of their little group ising in person. How interesting. But I guess it makes sense if things are as bad as I''ve been told.} </i>(Amakusa)


    "This will be the first time that most of us have actually spoken to one of the Gods in person, so there''s a bit of excitement among the attendees." Feline smiled. As a devout worshipper, the chance to meet a God ''in the flesh'' was exhilirating. "Tell me, you met most of the Gods when they brought you here. What were they like?" She''d never really asked Amakusa about the Gods before, and was curious as to her thoughts about them.


    <i>{I think telling her that I figure most of them for pricks is a bad idea, so let''s bend the truth a bit.} </i>(Amakusa)


    "They were as you expect." Amakusa shrugged, trying to keep things vague and yet still truthful. "They''re beings far above us and they think in act in such <i>different </i>ways to us mortals. They seemed amicable enough when we spoke, but I can''t really tell you much more about them. We didn''t stay in their divine realm for more than a few minutes and I''ve only spoken to them on a few asions, and never about anything beyond our mission."


    <i>{Though I get the idea that they don''t really care that much about the people of this world. They''re just more concerned about saving their own power and position, which the world dying wouldplicate.} </i>(Amakusa)


    "That''s about what I expected." Feline replied. "I''ve always wanted to meet one of them myself, but they have little reason to want to speak to someone like me. Though I''ve heard that when the Divine Sword Halifax rested in the Imperial Pce, Lady riel would send messengers to speak with her creation."


    <i>{Though that rtionship soured quite some time ago.} </i>(Feline)


    "I read in the Library that it disappeared like three hundred years ago." Amakusa was interested in such a legendary weapon, but no one seemed to know where it went, and she was explicitly told that no Divine Weapon would be provided to her, even though there was more than one sword.


    <i>{I would love to tell her the truth about things, but we''ve sworn to keep Lady Halifax''s identity a secret, and I''d rather not break a promise with a God.} </i>(Feline)


    "I can''t tell you much that you don''t already know. The de vanished from the Imperial Vault where it rested around three hundred years ago." Feline exined a bit. "There are stories that Princess Sherry took the weapon and hid it somewhere, but since she died over a hundred years ago, there''s no way to know." She knew that the truth was that Halifax was wondering the world as an adventurer, but she and all others who knew were bound by an Oath of silence.


    "I''d love to get my hands on such an amazing de!" Amakusa giggled, her eyes showing greed and excitement. "A Hero wielding a Divine Sword! Just how cool would <i>that </i>be." She imagined wielding it would be amazing, and the idea of having such a de worthy of her status made her giddle.


    "It would be lovely a lovely sight that would truly give the people hope." Feline lied.


    <i>{Knowing what I know. I need to be careful to keep Shiroe AWAY from Lady Halifax at all costs. Otherwise, this world might lose a Hero, since thest time someone tried to wield her, the entire continent nearly erupted into chaos.} </i>(Feline)


    The two women then continued their chat until the Holy City came into view. As the center of most of the world''s faith, it was an extravagant metropolis, and one of thergest cities in the world. It sat at the center of a massiveke, one regarded as sacred by the faith, and was nked by massive mountains on both sides. While at its center was a massive marble-white Spire that seemed to pierce into the heavens themselves.


    "Jeez." Amakusa stuck her head out of the carriage to get a better look at the approaching city. "Talk about a terrible ce to build a city. How can they even do something like this?" Even on her homeworld, such a feat would be difficult.


    "Magic." Feline answered. "They have an entire corp of mages dedicated to earth magic, and they reinforce the city''s foundation and expand it when needed. It''s taken a few centuries for the city to get to this point, and if I''m not mistaken, it was little more than a small settlement on thekeside until around three hundred years ago."


    <i>{Many also specte the Gods themselves lent their aid in its development, but that''s always been little more than rumor.} </i>(Feline)


    "I suppose there are <i>worse </i>ces to have the entire continent''s leadership gather for a discussion on saving the world." Amakusa slipped out the window and onto the top of the carrier, causing Feline no small amount of panic.


    "Wait! That''s not safe!" Feline called out from inside the carrier.


    "I can survive being flung into a mountain, so I doubt a fall from a carriage at such slow speed would even tickle." Amakusaughed as she stood on the roof, the wind causing her hair to flutter.


    <i>{I swear she acts like a child sometimes, and she''s not that much younger than me!} </i>(Feline)


    ¡°Just don''t get hurt please.¡± Feline sighed as Amakusa retreated into deep thought.


    <i>{Just you wait, Alm. Once I''m done with this job, it will be time to find you. I know those bastards lied to me all those years ago when they said you ran away, and I''m sorry it''s taken me this long to start looking. But I swear, once I find you, I''ll make those idiots PAY for what they did.} </i>Amkusa took a death breath, and her eyes turned fierce before letting out a few words under her breath.


    "Even if that means turning the entire world into my enemy." Amakusa''s words were almost silent, but they were ice cold. Though she could not know it at the time, her search for the ve girl would be the least of her worries.

 Chapter 227 – The Shoe.

    Chapter 227 ¨C The Shoe.


    *CLICK* *CLICK* *CLICK* *SQUEAK* *SQUEAL*


    From Akagi''s office, one could hear the busy sounds of the <i>Demon</i> drawing ns on arge whiteboard. There were over a dozen boards scattered throughout the room, each filled to the absolute brim with diagrams, descriptions, and other technical jargon. Now that the <i>Demon</i> officially had her own country, she''d moved into the development stage, and was actively nning the next steps for her nation''s future. As of now, she''d already had some discussions with Chinese, American, Russian, and South Korean firms, but still hadn''t decided on a final n for her new city.


    "Well, we might as well n things out for the future. So I think that''s a good start." Akagi said as she stepped back from the board. "The first hundred years will be easy, but after that is when things get difficult. We''ll need to ensure a stream of supplies, since this ce sure as hell can''t support arge poption by itself." She''d been drawing up city ns and doing all sorts of calctions regarding how things should be managed since she needed that information before making any concrete decisions.


    <i>{I really should get my team in on this properly, but it''s so damn fun putting this all together myself!} </i>Akagi smiled as she continued jotting down designs, notes, and other things on the whiteboards in her office until, a few hourster, Kana and the girls showed up.


    "Hello." Kana said, popping her head around the door frame and giving a greeting. "Yumi said you were busy. Are you good to talk, or should wee backter?" She didn''t want to bug her if she was in the middle of something important.


    "No, I''m good now. I was just wrapping things up." Akagi said while looking over the boards. "You cane in." She waved for the girls to enter.


    "Oh wow." Naomi was a bit surprised as she looked at the half-dozen whiteboards filled with scribbles and ns. The entire room was filled with paperwork stacked high, and Akagi was sitting on a chair in the middle of it while smoking her Kiseru. "You''ve been <i>busy</i>."


    <i>{How much ink did you go through with those markers?!?} </i>(Naomi)


    "It''s a bit of a surprise to see Akagi actually doing something that resembles real work! Normally she''s busyzing around in cat form when wee over. What, did everyone get sick of you doing nothing productive?" Mika mocked her.


    "Those idiots would actually <i>rather</i> I do nothing and act as some spoiled God." Akagi sighed. "It''s a fight sometimes to get them <i>not </i>to do everything themselves." She''d had to basically chase many of them away when they insisted on doing this themselves.


    "Ah yes, that''s right. Misha <i>did</i> say that herst sermon was about sacrificing yourself to Lady Akagi, who works so hard on our behalf." Mika chuckled.


    <i>{That was so fucking crazy, but also funny as hell!} </i>(Mika)


    "That girl..." Akagi groaned as she recalled Yumi''s summary of that prayer. "Why did everyone have to take a liking to her... Now I can''t just kick her out..." The family members hade to like the strange girl and her very <i>religious</i> views of Akagi. Most saw her as an example of what this world''s people should be, and they encouraged her dedication to their Lord.


    "<i>Lady Akagi is our everything and works tirelessly to bring us salvation. She is the darkness that surrounds us and gives us strength! So ask not what she can do for you, but what YOU can do for her!</i>" Naomi gave a dramatized version of one of the girl''s speeches. "Or at least that''s what I remember her saying." She giggled, knowing that Akagi did not want to hear those words.


    "I don''t get embarrassed easily, but that girl... do you have any idea how hard it is to hear her say those things with such SERIOUSNESS?!? And then the fucking idiots go and cheer her on!" Akagi held her head in her hands. "I swear they do it just to embarrass me..."


    <i>{I know fucking Yumi definitely does!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Honestly, it wouldn''t shock me if that was the case." Kana was enjoying seeing her sister squirm for once. "You are their <i>Dear Leader</i> and the <i>Lady of Darkness.</i>" Sheughed as she listed off some names she''d heard them call her sister. "So its only natural that they''de to revere you in such a manner."


    "Is it toote to just kill everyone and go insane?" Akagi asked as she put her head in her hands again. "At this point, I might just take Yumi and force her to pet me in a corner of reality for all eternity. That might be the best thing I can do..."


    <i>{Eternal pets...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Jokes on you. Yumi would like that!" Kanaughed.


    "Ohhh, trust me... I <i>know </i>what Yumi likes..." Akagi sighed. "I me you, Kana. You corrupted her with your evil ways!" She''d been responsible for showing Yumi this world''s <i>advancements</i>. \


    "What?!? Why me specifically?!? It was Mika and Hishya that got her hooked on the inte!" Kana protested all the me being dumped on her.


    <em>{Mika, SPECIFICALLY, is to me here!} </em>(Kana)


    "I me you because those two are <i>your </i>responsibility." Akagi replied. "Mika needs to be on a tight leash, and that lizard is nothing but trouble."


    "Oi!" Mika cried out in protest.


    "Is she wrong?" (Kana x Naomi)


    "I-" Mika tried to answer but quickly fell silent, realizing that there was no good answer. "Noment."


    "I thought so." (Naomi x Kana)


    "So why are you here anyway?" Akagi asked, lifting her head up to look at them. "I assume you needed something."


    "Why are you saying it like I''m some bad child that onlyes to her parents when she needs money?!?" Kana pouted.


    <i>{Am I the bad child that does nothing but waste her parents money and live a crazy life that makes them ashamed of me?!?} </i>(Kana)


    "Kana doesn''t visit me anymore since she got that lizard in her life." Akagi fake cried. "Where did my sweet Kana go? I miss the days when she''d follow me around and call me Onee-chan. She rarely ys with me anymore!"


    "We live in the same house, and I y with you practically every day!" Kana knew her sister was just trying to get a rise out of her, but she feltpelled to retort. ¡°Your kitty mode gets an inordinate amout of pets out of me, so don''t try and pull that BS!¡±


    <i>{Why do you have to do this to me?!?} </i>(Kana)


    "Kana, it''s not good to ignore your family." Naomi put her hand on Kana''s shoulder. ¡°You know it hurts Akagi when you''re so mean to her.¡± She smirked.


    "Yeah, don''t forget about Akagi just because you''ve got some <i>tail</i> to chase." Mika giggled.


    <i>{Both literally and figuratively!} </i>(Mika)


    "WE <i>LITERALLY </i>FED HER TREATS LAST NIGHT WHILE PETTING HER FOR LIKE THREE HOURS DURING THE MOVIE!" Kana yelled as she swiped at her friends. "What more do you want of me?!?"


    "I bet you pet Hishya for four." Akagi''s lips curled into a smirk.


    "I just... I can''t. Do either of you want an older sister? She''s for sale." Kana gave up. "Just take her, please. She''s too much of a pain in the ass for me."


    <i>{I''ll give her away for free...} </i>(Kana)


    "Is this like when people put kittens or puppies in a box outside with a FREEbel on them?" Naomi was struggling to hold backughter. "Because I could totally see Akagi sitting in a box in kitty form like that."


    "Yeah. Free Kitty to a Good Home!" Mika was simrlyughing. "Don''t worry. I''ll take you in!" She dered. ¡°You shall not want for love from me!¡±


    "Mika! My one true sister!" Akagi sat up and hugged Mika. "You won''t abuse me like the meandy does, right?" She gave a shit eating grin while looking at Kana, who blew a raspberry back at her.


    "Nope! You''ll get all the kitty treats and pets you can ever want from me. Unlike that stingy Demon Princess who sprays you with water and puts you in the bath." Mika was in tears fromughing so hard.


    "I hate you both..." Kana sighed. "Anyway, can we get back to the <i>real</i> reason we came here? Or is today pick on Kana day?"


    <i>{No silly, that''s on the 15<sup>th</sup>!} </i>(Mika)


    "You mean you <em>didn''t</em>e to get picked on and abused?" Akagi said as she pulled away from Mika.


    <i>{NO. Don''t respond to her, she just wants a REACTION, Kana. Let it go, there''s no winning this game...} </i>(Kana)


    "I came here to let you know that we''re going to the beach tomorrow for a small vacation, and I wanted to ask you if you wanted toe with. But with that whole disy I''m beginning to think we shouldn''t..." Kana shook her head.


    <i>{She''d definitely do something bad...} </i>(Kana)


    "A beach vacation? What are you nuts? Why the hell would I go to <i>that?" </i>Akagi was confused by her invitation since Kana knew that Akagis and beaches didn''t get along. "Unless you <i>want </i>to see more of that cursed image from before." She was referring to her use of a male body with her usual head,boed with male swimwear.


    "That looked funny as hell!" Mikaughed. "Maybe if youe with us, you can be a guy! That way it looks a bit more appropriate!"


    "But if I do that, then I''ll have all thedies after me." Akagi winked. "I''ll have to beat them off with a stick!"


    "I''ve seen guy you, and while you''re not bad, you''re definitely not a 10/10." Kana rolled her eyes at the stupid conversation.


    <i>{Well fuck you too...} </i>(Akagi)


    "If we get Male Akagi, then maybe you can pretend to be Naomi''s boyfriend. I''m sure that would make a lot of guys sad." Mika''s words earned her a wack on the back of the head by Naomi.


    "Owchi!" Mika cried in pain.


    "You had that oneing." Kana shook her head. "And I don''t need Onee-chan dating one of my friends. Especially in some gender bent form."


    "Nor do I want to!" Naomi was visibly irritated.


    "But think about it. If you went through with it then you could call Akagi <i>daddy</i> instead of <i>mom</i> like you usually do." Mika''s words caused Kana''s eyes to go wide and Akagi to nearly double overughing.


    <i>{Oh my fucking god, Mika. You''re both awful and hrious. I can''t believe you just said that. Naomi''s going to kill you!} </i>(Kana)


    "You have five seconds, Mika." Naomi''s eyes turned scary.


    "Thanks, I''ll need them. You''re very fast." Mika took off running as Naomi chased behind her.


    "GET BACK HERE, YOU MAGICAL LOLI!" Naomi screamed as she chased Mika down the hallway.


    "You''re only angry because what I said is true!" Mikaughed and then, a momentter, screamed in pain as Naomi whacked her with a shoe.


    *SMACK*


    "Those two are such good friends." Akagimented as the screams of Mika, and the sound of the shoe, could be heard echoing throughout the house.


    "Should we stop her?" Kana asked, not sure if they should save their friend from her self inflicted pain.


    "Mika will be fine. So just let Naomi have her revenge." Akagiughed. "But damn, that was fucking great. 10/10 great line, Mika."


    <i>{That idiotes up with greatest one liners, I swear.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Naomi has aplex about calling you Mom those couple of times, so Mika''sment was just..." Kana shook her head. "Though I''ll admit it was funny as hell."


    "To answer this whole mess about the beach, though. I''m both disinterested in such an outing and unable to go with you. I''ve got stuff to do in the lead-up to the Tournament, and nning is eating up lots of my time. Once things quiet down, we can do a vacation. How about Europe?" Akagi asked.


    "Sounds like fun." Kana nodded. "We can see all the sights."


    <i>{I like how we can just casually got to Europe. I guess that''s perks of your sister being the Demon Lord.} </i>(Kana)


    A few minutester, one exhausted Naomi returned with a smiling Mika who had a shoe mark on her left cheek.


    "Was it worth it?" Kana asked.


    "Oh, hell yeah." Mika giggled.


    "DO YOU WANT MORE SHOE?!?" Naomi hissed as she held up her shoe in a threatening manner.


    "No thanks. I''m not interested in taking part in your stepping-on people fetish." Mikaughed, and the chase/beating began anew.


    <i>{I swear, that girl just knows how to push people''s buttons.} </i>(Akagi)

 Chapter 228 – High Speed Discussion.

    Chapter 228 ¨C High Speed Discussion.


    "I swear to god, Mika." Naomiy on the floor, exhausted. "One more crack like that, and I''ll be the <i>viin </i>in your Magical Girl Story." She''d just spent the better part of twenty minutes chasing Mika around the house and showing her what the sole of her shoe looked like in full detail.


    <i>{What a good way to embarrass me in front of Akagi with THAT fucking line! I''ll pay you back, Mika!} </i>(Naomi)


    "I think that Naomi would make a great dark Magical Girl." Akagimented. "Now, all we need to do is get her a costume and a name. Do you want animal ears, or will bing a Loli suffice? I think we can manage to make you equally as cute as our resident idiot over there."


    "No, she needs to be a voluptuous Onee-sama type." Mikaughed, ignoring Akagi''sment. ¡°Naomi is definitely some kind of femme fatal.¡±


    <i>{Oh god, I could see it! Naomi would lead men around by the nose and then kill them for justice!} </i>(Kana)


    "Fuck all of you. Fuck right off to hell." Naomi red at both of them.


    <i>{I''m not sure which would be more embarrassing. Being a loli, or some kind of very sexy Magical Girl...} </i>(Naomi)


    "I''m sure Imp would lolify you all." Akagiughed. "We could have our own Kyoto Magical Girl team!"


    "I think that Kana would be cute if she got small like that!" Himarimented. ¡°She could run around Kyoto and hopefully the friendship energy would purify the <i>evil </i>within her heart!¡±


    "Fine, but <i>you </i>have to be my wand. I expect that you''ll look all nice and cute with some ribbons on you." Kana smirked.


    "Nevermind..." Himari retracted herments, fearing being turned into something far to embarrassing.


    <i>{Swords are cool... Magical Girl wands... not so much...}</i>(Himari)


    ¡°Too bad, I think it would be an upgrade for my foolish sister.¡± Momo giggled.


    "Getting back to the reason we came, are you sure you don''t want toe with us?" Kana asked her sister. "I know you don''t like the beach, but you really shoulde. We''re nning on doing a lot more than just spending time at the water." She really wanted her sister toe.


    "My appearance will just cause trouble, and as I said, I''ve got things to do. The Tournament ising up soon, and I need to finish the arena, among other things." Akagi shook her head. "We''ve got the foundation finished, and I''ve got guys from South Koreaing soon to help do all theworking."


    "Why are you bringing in people like that?" Mika asked.


    "We''re going to do things a bit differently." Akagi exined her n. "I don''t want a real audience here, so instead I''ve contacted apany to set up a VR/AR system that people can use from home. That way people can take a virtual seat in the stands rather than actuallying all the way here."


    "I''ve heard of that!" Naomi sat up quickly. "That stuff is really cool but <i>ungodly </i>expensive. I''ve went to a concert that used one, and it was almost like we were actually sitting in the stands."


    <i>{Venues that use it charge CRAZY prices since the infrastructure is basically bleeding edge.} </i>(Naomi)


    ¡°How can you even afford something like that?!? Even governments don''t like paying the prices asked for such a thing!¡± Naomi figured it would be more than what Akagi could reasonably muster.


    "Eh." Akagi shrugged, not really being bothered. "The South Korean government owes me anyway, and it''s not like I couldn''t pay for it myself. I got quite a lot of gold and jewels during my time in FWO, Naomi. So money will likely never be an issue to me."


    <i>{Also I can just TAKE whatever I want, so there''s that.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Why do the Koreans owe you one?" Kana red at her.


    "You''ll find outter." Akagi stuck out her tongue yfully, and refused to borate.


    <i>{Oh god... She''s going to do something crazy, isn''t she? Are we going to see her copse North Korea?} </i>(Kana)


    "There''s also another reason that I can''t go with you." Akagi sighed. "If/when those heroes show up, we need to be ready. So I''ve got other nning to do." Her eyes went dark for a moment. "That''s going to take up lots of time, and boy oh boy is that going to be <i>fun</i>." She snapped to a very fake smile.


    <i>{SCARY!} </i>(Kana x Mika x Naomi)


    "I can''t believe we''re going to be attacked by <i>literal </i>heroes." Kana sighed as she recalled what her sister told her about them. "You said that you believed them to be from Earth, so maybe we can reason with them?"


    "Maybe, but based on what Halifax and Mizumi told me..." Akagi shook her head. "We''ve got one hello of a collection, Kana. One is a harem protagonist and hero of justice, another is a psychopath, the third is <i>degenerate,</i> and the fourth... she''s sword crazy." She figured <i>none </i>of the Heroes were going to just happily stand aside.


    "Please don''t tell me you''re just going to exterminate that entire world." Kana locked eyes with her sister. ¡°I don''t want to see you start going crazy all of a sudden.¡± She didn''t trust Akagi not to do anything drastic.


    "I mean, I don''t <i>n </i>on doing something out of character." Akagi shrugged. "But if pushes to shove, I <i>might</i> have to finish Vike''s job." She winked, which caused Kana''s re to intensify.


    <i>{This world is the only one I care about anyway. The others... not so much.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Maybe the moment Akagi steps over the threshold, the True Demon Lord will be unleashed!" Mikaughed. ¡°It will be like a switch gets thrown and the kitty goes total evil on the world!¡± She imagined Catkagi marching legions of doom to burn the world, and found that thought it sounded funny.


    "That''s <i>not</i> funny, Mika." Naomi groaned. "If Akagi goes cuckoo, we''re all doomed."


    <i>{Please don''t jinx things...} </i>(Naomi)


    "I''m sure Hishya''s gonna have the same question when the timees." Akagi sighed. "<i>When you cross into that other world, are you going to suddenly revert to being a crazed monster?" </i>Akagi mimicked the Dragon''s voice. "That''s along the lines of what I expect her to say."


    "I figured it would be more like. <i>I won''t allow you to hurt innocent people!</i>" Mika tried to mimic Hishya''s voice. "She is the hero, after all. Defending the innocent is kind of her thing."


    "Yeah, that''s also possible." Akagi shrugged.


    <i>{Though if she does, I might need to remind the pet who''s boss.} </i>(Akagi)


    "You won''t <i>actually </i>go crazy, will you?" Kana asked, wanting a serious answer. ¡°Please tell me no...¡±


    "Why would I?" Akagi raised her eyebrow. "It''s just another location. I''m not ''sane'' because I''m within this world. It''s my own internal stuff that controls that, so going somewhere else won''t change anything."


    "Yeah, but I was just worried you might say. <i>Hey, this isn''t Earth, so I can just do whatever evil horrible things here, and no one will know or care." </i>Kana mimicked Akagi''s voice. Today seemed to be the popr day for that activity.


    "I''m not turning off my rules just because I''m in a different world, Kana." Akagi flicked her on the forehead. "Besides, if I do something like that, then there is no going back." She shook her head. "I''ll never be able to return to who I am, and things will be a lot less <i>nice</i> afterward. So no, I am not doing something like that. Any death or destruction must fall within my rules."


    <i>{Though as I''ve recently figured out, my rules have loopholes and are quite flexible as to what falls WITHIN them. The Gods sure do, and I''m pretty sure the people of that world will once they stand against me.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Well, I just hope that''s true." Kana rubbed her forehead. "I don''t want to see you cackling as your torch cities."


    "Will you send Hishya to stop me?" Akagi cracked a smile.


    "I will <i>sacrifice</i> the lizard to slow you down at the very least." Kana smiled, and the two sisters shared a hardyugh.


    "But if you''re going to the beach, could you do me a favor and take Alice?" Akagi asked. "I want to get her out of the house for a bit, and I think she''ll enjoy it." She hadn''t had Alice on many outings, and wanted her to see more than just the Estate.


    "I don''t mind, are you two good with that?" Kana turned to her friends for confirmation.


    "Fine by me." Mika smiled.


    "I''ve rented out the entire ce, so it doesn''t matter if we bring a few more people." Naomi nodded.


    <i>{Oh yeah, that''s right. I sometimes forget with how rich Onee-chan is, but Naomi is wealthy. I guess being the leader of your own NATION kinda makes Naomi''s personal fortune seem tiny...} </i>(Kana)


    "In fact, why don''t we invite Yumi and Miji?" Naomi continued. "We can bring them too. I''m sure they''d like a break."


    <i>{Its too bad Hishya is busy with her parents, otherwise we could have the whole gang together.} </i>(Naomi)


    "That sounds fine. I''ll just move her duties to someone else." Akagi smiled, and one of her poor n members got a chill as they realized<i> work</i> was going to be dumped on them.


    "We''re going to be gone for a few days, so please don''t fall into another spiral because Yumi''s not here." Kana was worried they''d have a repeat of before.


    "Don''t worry! I''ve got a new friend to pet me!" Akagi smiled. "Halifax has taken well to the kitty, not to mention I''ve got lots to do that will keep me preupied. So its all good!" She didn''t think there would be much of an issue as long as she got pets.


    <i>{And now the person from the other world has joined the petting harem... Great...} </i>(Kana)


    "I assume that you mean all that nning on those whiteboards." Kana walked over to them and examined a few of the notes. "Not bad, but I think your designs could use a little work." She pointed to a few spots on the drawings. "Not to mention, thisyout over here is entirely unrealistic based on the topography and geographical makeup of the soil."


    "Yeah, I know." Akagi moved to her side. "But you see, I was thinking of moving this here." The two sisters began discussing the city nning that Akagi put together. At first, it was a normal discussion. However, as things progressed, Naomi and Mika noticed the two sisters began speaking faster and faster until their words were little more than an unintelligible mess.


    "I... um..." Naomi turned to Mika. "Can you understand <i>any</i> of that?"


    <i>{It sounds like the audio on an old video tape when you fast-forward!} </i>(Naomi)


    "N-No..." Mika gave a dryugh. "Look at them go..."


    <i>{They''re speaking so fast that I can''t even understand a single word...} </i>(Mika)


    The two continued their high-speed discussion for several minutes until they began <i>moving</i> at high speed and redrawing sections on the whiteboard. The strange sight was bothical and fascinating to watch, and Mika even began to record it to show otherster.


    "I think that fixes most of the issues that I saw." Kana said at normal speed as she put down the marker.


    "Yeah. Damn, that really was off, wasn''t it?" Akagi clicked her tongue. "When did you get so good at city nning anyway?" She didn''t know Kana even understood most of this stuff, especially since Akagi''s knowledge was only half baked.


    "I just figured out some mathematical inefficiency in your ns andbined that with my knowledge about structural engineering." Kana shrugged. "It wasn''t <i>that</i>plicated."


    <i>{I FUCKING DOUBT THAT!} </i>(Mika x Naomi)


    "As expected of Kana!" Akagi got a smug look on her face as she pat her younger sister on the head. "You always were the smart one. I have the best little sister ever!"


    "Well, one of us has to be." Kana sighed as she was pat. "My older sister is an insane and entric catgirl <i>Demon</i>. I have to be the normal one here."


    <i>{YOU ARE NOT NORMAL, KANA!} </i>(Mika x Naomi)


    "Akagi!" Miji popped her head through the door. "ss is over, so it''s time to y!" The little girl ran over to Akagi. She''d cast aside her earlier fear of the <i>Demon</i> and the two yed together quite frequently, much to Yumi''s delight.


    "It <i>is</i> that time now, isn''t it?" Akagi smiled as she transformed into a small Catkagi and jumped into Miji''s arms.


    "Yeah! Kitty!" Miji squeaked in joy as she began hugging Akagi. "Let''s go feed you some snacks, and then we can take a nap together on the futon!" She gave a big smile.


    "MEW!" Akagi meowed happily as she was taken out of the room, smirking and waving at the girls as she vanished into the hallway.


    "S-She really has the fucking life, doesn''t she..." Kana groaned.


    "Akagi has countless numbers of people who dote on her, a dedicated ''Wife'' in Yumi who always wants to give her attention, and enough power and money to do <i>anything</i>... So yeah, she''s got it made." Naomi shook her head.


    "Do I detect a smidgen of envying from the two of you?" Mika giggled.


    "MAYBE A LITTLE, OK!" (Naomi x Kana)

 Chapter 229 – Small Dreams.

    Chapter 229 ¨C Small Dreams.


    "You''re <i>really</i> going all out with this whole tournament thing, aren''t you?" Halifax and Akagi were sitting on afy nket as they watched the ongoing construction of the arena. Most of the foundation and the walls had beenpleted, primarily with magic, so the remainder of the work being done was on the interior and surrounding buildings.


    "You say that like <i>you</i> aren''t excited to take part in said tournament." Akagi was sitting in Halifax''sp in cat mode, enjoying ear scratches as she was fed snacks.


    In spite of her initial encounter with the <i>Demon, </i>Halifax had taken to her new friend quite well. So much so that when she saw a small Catkagi being yed with, she was insistent that she get a turn.


    Naturally, this brought eye-rolling and chuckling from the girls, but Akagi just chalked it up to her being too adorable to ignore, and it wasn''t like the <i>Demon </i>was ever going to turn down <i>more </i>attention.


    "Yeah, I never imagined that I''d be participating in a Demon Lord''s fucking tournament." Halifax rolled her eyes. "But I couldn''t help myself. These returnees are <i>crazy</i> strong, and I want to fight that Hishya girl." She''d gotten a small glimpse at the Dragon''s power during some sparring between her and Akagi, and Halifax had been itching to fight her since then.


    <i>{Its always fun to test myself against someone strong, and from what I can see that Dragon girl is the perfect opponent.} </i>(Halifax)


    "I can''t wait to see the two of you go at it too!" Akagi smiled as she was given head pats. "Hishya''s gotten a bit full of herself after beating Serval, and it''ll be nice to see you smack her down." She cackled.


    <i>{That dumb lizard has always been arrogant, but her Dragon blood and newfound power have only made that worse. It will be good to remind her that she''s not top dog around here. Not to mention that seeing her get thrown around will just be in funny.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I''ve fought Dragons before, but that girl is <i>definitely</i> stronger than the ones from Enoris." Halifax said while she sipped some tea from a thermos. "Elder Dragons are powerful forces of nature, but even <i>they </i>wouldn''t be able to deal with her. It''s crazy how magic was able to artificially create such powerful beings." She''d been clued in on the whole FWO situation, and thought it was crazy.


    <i>{They were basically ying pretend and then woke up with all that ridiculous power. I wonder if it could be replicated, though it really shouldn''t be... Power like that shouldn''t be given out freely or easily, and this world has already seen the consequences of giving immature fools such immense power.} </i>(Halifax)


    "The good news is that any and all methods of replicating that ritual, at least via the Spirit''s methods have been... <i>dealt with</i>." Akagi coughed.


    "You destroyed the records, didn''t you?" Halifax said as she began flipping the kitty''s ears inside out. ¡°Kitty wanted to destroy, didn''t she?¡± Sheughed.


    "MEW!¡± Akagi meowed in agreement. ¡°I dove through everything they had, took any information on the ritual from their archives, and then told Mizumi that she''d best <i>forget</i> everythingthat she knew about it herself, or I could do it for her." The <i>Demon''s</i> threat was very real, as she could easily mind wipe Mizumi, or anyone else for that matter. Her soul experiments taught her much about the fundamental building blocks of life, and ck Company was just the tip of the iceberg.


    "Are you worried someone might make an Anti-Demon Lord hero of justice?" Halifaxughed as she continued to give ear scratches.


    "Yes." Akagi nodded. "I won''t permit it! Anyone who tries to position themselves above me will be <i>eliminated</i>." She wouldn''t tolerate anyone telling her what to do, and people who could rise to such a status wouldn''t be given the chance to do so.


    "Ruthless little kitty, aren''t you?" Halifaxughed as she continued ying with Akagi''s ears. ¡°Why must such a cuddly little creature be so evil?¡± She have a quick squeeze.


    "MEW! Nyall I wamt is ta be da supweme oberwoard of all weeawity." Akagi looked up at Halifax with the cutest look that she could muster while using a cat ent. "Nyuu woodent deny mees such a smol dweams wooods nyuu? MEW!"


    <i>{Laying it on reeeeal thick there, aren''t we?} </i>(Halifax)


    "Ah yes, such <i>small</i> dreams." Halifax rolled her eyes. "What''s next? Will you make all mortals worship you? Should I expect demands for blood sacrifices to give you power?" She''d seen <i>Demons</i> do exactly that kind of thing before.


    <i>{Though since this is YOU, I suspect that you''d probably force us all to feed you treats and snuggle with you rather than eat our souls.} </i>Halifaxughed at her absurd joke.


    "Nah, that kinda stuff is for thosemeo gods." Akagi only tolerated the n''s religion because she felt too bad to shut it down, and she herself didn''t actually <i>want to</i>or <i>like </i>being worshiped. "Being feared and respected is much better than being worshiped. Having the mortals quake in fear is such a fun feeling! MEW!"


    <i>{Adding MEW to the end of that sentence doesn''t suddenly make the PREVIOUS statement cute and happy...} </i>(Halifax)


    "Well, regardless of your intentions, I can tell you that whether you call it worship or not, the Gods of Enoris are <i>not </i>going to likepeting with you for influence." Halifax sighed. She''d dealt with them enough times to know how they could act towards a perceived threat to their power. They hatedpetition and wouldn''t hesitate to crack down on anything that threatened their monopoly on faith, and had ruthlessly disposed of others in the past


    "Don''t worry your pretty little head." Akagi giggled. "They won''t be <ipeting</i> with me, as that would imply they have a chance."


    "So what? You''re just going to kill them?" Halifax asked for rification. "Can you even do something like that?" She figured that killing Gods wasn''t an easy feat, even for a Demon Lord, since Vikes didn''t seem to be able to do it without great effort and a bit of luck.


    "Not only <i>can </i>I kill them, but it would be <i>easy</i>." Akagi smiled as she was pet. "But that''s not what I n on doing anyway." She hopped off Halifax''sp and turned to face her, much to the Divine de''s dismay. "I''m going to something a bit more <i>fun </i>in store for them<i>.</i>" Her smile gave Halifax chills.


    "A-And <i>that</i> would be?" Halifax gulped. She had no idea what manner of hell Akagi would inflict upon the Gods, but she braced for the worst.


    "I''m going to take away what they''ve built." Akagi exined her n, her eyes glinting with excitement. "I''m going to make it so that they''ve no choice but to watch in horror as their entire world turns against them. They''ve spent the better part of forever secure in their own position, feeding off the worship of others like pigs at a trough." She cackled. "Imagine how much fun it would be to watch them despair as it all dwindled away! As the worshipers who once looked upon them with reverence instead scorned them and their very existence!" She''d been thinking about the perfect revenge n for a while, and this was the one she settled on.


    "T-That''s an <i>interesting </i>n..." Halifax didn''t really know what to say in response to Akagi''s deration. She knew some people who wanted to <i>be </i>Gods, but she''d never met someone who wanted to do something like this. "Are you nning on moving that worship to yourself?"


    <i>{You''re a godlike existence, so it wouldn''t be strange for you to desire worship. Heck Demons tend to form cults and create their own quasi-religions, so it wouldn''t be weird for a Demon Lord to do the same. Lord knows some crazy people worship Vikes even to this day...} </i>(Halifax)


    "Hah!" Akagiughed loudly. "No. I have no interest in beingpared to something as <i>petty </i>as a God. I suspect some people might worship me in that way, and I''m not exactly going to y whack-a-mole with such people, but my primary goal is to undermine those foolish God''s position; not to take their ce in people''s hearts and minds." She was more interested in rxing in her own little world, and had no interest or intention of lording over vast poptions if she could help it.


    <i>{Though my n DOES involve me being a savior of sorts. So, I''m not going to be surprised if cing myself in something like a godlike role bes necessary. Though I think I''ll y up the whole angry and bloodthirsty Demon thing a bit more, just for funzies. Maybe I''ll even have a bit of fun with it?!? I''ve got eternity to mess about, so perhaps I should go full tyrant on them for a few centuries before fading away in the background. Then, they''ll think stories of me are little more than just that as the years go by, then BAM! I return from the shadows to reap their souls and remind them just how real I am! Just kidding!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Just know that I''m not going to be much help against the Gods." Halifax cautioned her. "I was created by one, and thus they have a level of control over me. In the past..." She stopped for a moment, as she recalled what Akagi assumed was a painful memory. "I was forced to let that <i>bitch</i> use me against my will... I... I can''t fight against them..." That incident was the straw that broke the camel''s back, and it was the reason why she lost all trust in riel. She only agreed to help in this case was because the price of ignoring the God''s request would''ve been too great.


    "Hmmm." Akagi examined Halifax. "I wonder if I can do anything about that?"


    <i>{Perhaps I can severe that control? At the very least I should be able to disrupt it a bit.</i><i>} </i>(Akagi)


    "Short of reforging me, you''d need to eliminate <i>all</i> of Enoris''s Gods." Halifax shook her head, knowing that the others would probably have a way to bind her even if riel was destroyed. "I''ve no interest in being changed into a Demonic sword, so that option is out too. Besides, my distaste for the Gods does not mean that I dislike <i>who</i> or <i>what</i> I am, and I''d say that I''m... <i>proud</i> of my status if that makes sense." She gave a wry smile.


    "I get it." Akagi nodded. "It''s a pride thing, so you don''t need to exin it. Not to mention there would be side effects from using my power to override the divinity within you." She figured that it might cause unintended side effects, like with Misha.


    "If you were to do something that extreme, then I suspect that I wouldn''t even be the same person anymore, and I <i>really</i> don''t want that." Halifax flopped backward onto the nket. "I like being the Divine de Halifax. It''s just that I just don''t want to deal with all the bullshit from my creator." She sighed.


    "Do you want her dead?" Akagi asked as she moved over and sat next to her. "Killing riel would be easy enough. I don''t mind doing it if you want." Akagi didn''t exactly understand <i>why </i>she felt this level of kinship with Halifax, but the <i>Demon </i>didn''t care.


    "I don''t... I don''t want her dead..." Halifax looked over at her. "After everything that happened between us, I know that she felt bad about what happened. We haven''t spoken in nearly a thousand years, but I know that she <i>does</i> regret using me like she did. It''s just that I can''t..." She paused.


    "Trust her." Akagi finished for her. "That makes sense. She has the power to control you, and she used it to make you do something that you didn''t want to do. That kind of vition of trust may not be fixable." She shook her head. This situation reminded her a bit too much of her own issues with Shima and Taichi.


    <i>{I wonder if part of the problem is that she saw riel as a kind of mother figure. She did create her, and I suspect that Halifax put a lot of trust in her as a result. So when she was forced to do something that she didn''t want to by the one person who she thought would never betray her, it was probably a traumatic experience. That kind of situation... it hits a bit too close to home for me. I... I did trust Shima and Taichi when I was younger, and it wasn''t until that day... The day they told me they never loved me... that I finally understood the truth. That I was foolish to harbor any emotional attachment to those people.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I... I don''t know. All I know is that I felt... <i>vited</i>." Halifax bit her lip. "It was scary, and after that... I <i>broke</i> for a while." She seemed to recall a sad memory but Akagi didnt pry. "Once I regained my sanity I never went back to see her again, even though we''d always spent so much time together in the past."


    <i>{Part of me misses those days, but I just can''t go back. Not after...} </i>Halifax shook off those depressing thoughts as Akagi spoke.


    "<i>That''s </i>why I don''t do things like that to my friends or family. If I can''t get them to do it freely, I''d never force them. I care too much about them to risk hurting them like that. I might have all the power in the world, but it means nothing if I have to be alone again." That was Akagi''s biggest fear, and part of why she used a lighter touch around the girls. They knew just how bad Akagi''s actions could be, but she always made sure to keep them out of sight if she needed to be a bit <i>excessive.</i>


    <i>{I might joke around and mess with them, but using my power to override their free will is NOT something that I''m ok with. They''d never look at me the same way, and I don''t want ''friends'' who think they have to do what I want out of fear of reprisal or something.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Its strange that a Demon Lord has a <i>more</i> understanding of right and wrong than a <i>God</i>." Halifax giggled. "But then again, you''re breaking all kinds of norms. So I guess that''s not the strangest thing in the world."


    "Perhaps not right and wrong, since I''d do some awful stuff to my enemies." Akagiughed. "I''m not above trampling over those who''ve wronged me and those I care about." She''d never had any mercy for those who made themselves her enemy.


    "I''m not much different in that regard." Halifax gave a sad smile. "I don''t really like to take lives, but if someone is going to threaten me or those I care about, I won''t hesitate."


    <i>{Though its still not something that sits well with me.} </i>(Halifax)


    "This world is far too cruel to allow weak-hearted people peace." Akagimented. "I''ve seen far too many people try to bring idealistic views into the real world, only to have them <i>crushed</i> beneath the weight of reality."


    "It doesn''t help that the road to hell is oft paved with the best intentions." Halifax knew that all too well, and she''d seen it firsthand during her long lifetime. So many people started as heroes, only to eventually turn into the thing they swore to defeat. "Those stupid ''Heroes'' that the Gods summoned are just another example of such foolishess." She flipped on her side and started to pet Akagi''s ears causing the <i>Demon </i>to coo.


    "You know." Halifax yawned. "It''s criminal how fluffy you are. I''ve met plenty of beastkin in my day, but none...e... close..." She slowly fell asleep as Akagi put her hand back on the nket.


    "I do take pride in being fun to y with. It''s not right if only <i>I </i>get enjoyment from the fluffing." Akagi giggled as she curled up on the nket next to Halifax for a nap of her own. For whatever reason, she''d grown close to the Sword Girl over these past weeks. They hadn''t known each other for long, but they both felt as if they''d been friends for a long time. Perhaps it was the fact that they were both so simr, as each had developed a mistrust for others and spent so much time in istion. Or perhaps, it was that each needed someone to talk to. Someone who could understand their struggles and could rte to what they''d been through.

 Chapter 230 – The Real Beach Episode!

    Chapter 230 ¨C The Real Beach Episode!


    "Look, Miji. It''s the ocean!" Yumi pointed out to the water.


    "WOW!" Miji''s eyes went wide as she gazed upon the sea for the first time in her life. "That''s so much water!" She''d never seen anythingrger than a pond, so the seemingly endless blue water of the Ocean was quite the sight. "How far does it go?" She asked.


    "All the way around the world." Naomi answered her. She was wearing a white Bikini with a swim skirt. Her outfit was a bit bolder than Yumi''s, who was <i>reluctant</i> to ''show off'' like the girls, and instead, the Priestess opted for a Swimming dress, though one that showed off a bit more of her legs than she liked.


    <i>{How can she just walk around like that?!? How can ANY of these girls just show off like that?!?} </i>Yumi screamed in her mind that they were wearing far to little clothing. Mika had joked about Miji wearing something simr to Naomi, but Yumi dered that hell would freeze over before she allowed her sister to wear something like that. Thus Miji was in a one-piece swimsuit that Kana modified to meet Yumi''s requirement for modesty.


    "Really?!?" Miji was surprised. "Is there really that much water out there?!?" She was struck with awe and wonder over the amount of water.


    <i>{There must be so many fish!} </i>(Miji)


    "Yup. The ocean covers most of the world." Naomi giggled at the girl''s sense of wonder. "It''s so big that if you could walk on it, it would take years to hitnd again." She enjoyed the young girl''s surprise.


    "I would ask why you''re<i> </i>not all surprised by the ocean, Yumi, but you''ve been to Tokyo." Kana appeared behind Yumi, and like Naomi, she was wearing normal swimwear.


    <i>{I can''t believe Akagi is just ok with her sister wearing something like that!} </i>(Yumi)


    "Tokyo wasn''t the first time I saw the ocean." Yumi corrected her, while trying not toment on her swimwear. "When Akagi and I traveled around my world, we were constantly on the Coast. Antekellion was a major port city, and we traveled by boat to some inds on a few asions, so I''ve seen the ocean plenty of times." They''d gone on their side adventures when Akagi wasn''t busy with jobs or fighting bounty hunters. Though sometimes, they''d fight bounty hunters while on a trip, and Akagi was usually <i>extra</i> nasty in those moments.


    <i>{Getting on a boat isn''t fun, since I easily get seasick...} </i>(Yumi)


    "Hey! Don''t run off ahead of me!" Mika said as she came running over from the changing area. She was also wearing a bikini, but unlike the other girls, she was wearing a T-shirt as well.


    "Why are you wearing that?" Naomi asked. "Don''t tell me you''re a prude like Yumi." She knew that wasn''t true, but decided to be a smartass anyway.


    "I sunburn easily, and you know that." Mika shook her head. "I''ll take it off when we go in the water, but I''d rather not turn into a peeling mess." She''d been to the beach many times, and her skin never liked this much direct sunlight.


    <i>{Being tanned is good, being burned... not so much...} </i>(Mika)


    "Will that even happen?" Kana asked. "We have magic, so aren''t we a bit more durable?" She figured they didn''t even need sunscreen, and Akagi never said anything to them before they left the house.


    "I don''t think it works like that." Momomented. "Himari and I don''t get sunburn since our bodies are just magical energy, but I have never heard of magic working to block sunlight''s effects on the body."


    "Are you guys <i>sure</i> you don''t want toe out?" Naomi asked. They''d remained within their respective hosts and had refused to appear in the ''flesh.''


    "It''s too hot out!" Himari cried. "I have no clue how you can handle this heat! It''s like a bajillion degrees outside! I''ll stay nice andfy in here with my T.V. and pool table You girls have fun burning in the heat and sweating bucket." She wasn''t really an <i>outdoors </i>person anyway.


    "When did you get a-" Kana stopped. She figured thement about the pool table and T.V. was a prank by the sword girl. "I almost fell for that."


    *CLACK*


    The sound of pool balls hitting each other was audible to everyone around Kana. "Fell for what?" Himari asked, not understanding Kana''sment.


    <i>{¡­} </i>(Kana)


    "While inside our hosts, we have our own little imaginary home that we can customize. Think of it like Akagi''s shadow, but less spooky." Momo answered the question she could tell was on everyone''s mind.


    "I''m just gonna ignore all that..." Kana shook her head. She figured Himari''s looked like some kind of crazy kiddy paradise with rainbows, gumdrops, and lots of candy.


    "Hey!" Himari cried out in protest. "I might not be reading your mind, Kana, but I can tell what you''re thinking! My house in here is nice, and it doesn''t have anything like you''re imagining!"


    "Oh, so what <i>does </i>it look like?" Kana asked, not believing the sword girl.


    "It''s a traditional Japanese home with an arcade in the basement!" Himari eximed.


    "<i>And</i> it has a ranch with horses out back..." Momo said. "Don''t try to lie about it. I''ve been to it myself." She chuckled.


    "Wait! You can go<i> inside</i>?!?" Naomi was shocked. "How does that even work?" She had no idea about any of this.


    "We''re both Weapon Spirits, so it''s not strange that we can enter each other''s sanctuary." Momo gave an audible shrug. "I don''t know <i>how </i>it works, only that we <i>can</i>."


    "Maybe I should get Akagi to kick in the ''door'' and pull Himari out into the sunlight." Yumi giggled. "I''m sure some exercise could do you good. We don''t need Kana''s sword getting to heavy for her to swing."


    "NO!" Himari cried. "Don''t send her in here! I don''t know if that''s even possible, but this is what we''re talking about, so I wouldn''t be shocked if she could! And also fuck you for the fatment! We can''t even gain weight!" She pouted


    "Anyway." Kana wanted to move on from this topic. "Where''s Alice?"


    "She was right behind me a moment ago?" Mika turned around, but there was no Alice.


    "I hope she doesn''t get into trouble." Kana sighed. She wasn''t too worried about Alice, since she could easily handle herself. "Wait! Where''s Miji?!?" She looked around, but found the spot where the little girl was a moment ago was empty.


    "EH!" Yumi looked around as well, panicking that she couldn''t find her. "Miji! Where did you go?!?"


    "I...I think I found them." Naomi facepalmed as she pointed out to the ocean.


    ¡°That looks kinda fun...¡± Mika was clearly envious of the girl''s fun.


    "WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE" Miji screamed in joy as she rode on the back of what looked like an animatronic dolphin. "This is so much fun! FASTER MR. BLUBBER, FASTER!" Waves kicked up behind her as she rode on its back, while in the distance, Alice sat on a small raft under an umbre and was being served juice by her two bears as sheid back on a beach chair.


    "Just be careful you two!" Alice said as she slipped on some sunsses and pulled out a sun tan mirror. "Miji can''t swim, so don''t you <i>dare </i>let her fall off." She warned Mr. Blubber and the other aquatic puppets that were nearby.


    "Like mother like daughter..." Mika was barely holding inughter. "She really is taking after Akagi, huh?"


    <i>{Alice looks like some kind of richdy like Naomi with that outfit. She''s got a white beach dress and servants for god''s sake!} </i>(Mika)


    "That''s not a good thing..." Kana shook her head. "But I guess they''ll be fine. Good thing this section of the beach isn''t too busy..." She looked around, and most people seemed to be ignoring the craziness happening further out in the water.


    <i>{I''m sorry, everyone!} </i>(Kana)


    "Just ignore them, and let''s have some fun..." Yumi took a deep breath. She was used to the craziness that came with being around Akagi, so this wasn''t <i>too </i>out of the ordinary.


    "No exploding things!" Kana instantly turned to Mika, who started whistling. "NO. EXPLODING. THINGS!" She whipped her head to Naomi. "And that goes for <i>you </i>too!"


    "Why me?!?" Naomi eximed.


    <i>{What did I do?!?} </i>(Naomi)


    "Because you''re no better than Mika!" Kana pointed at her. "Recall that time you obliterated the hoop during your basketball match!" That had only happened a few weeks before the end of the semester.


    "That was an ident!" Naomi denied intentionally doing it.


    "And that time you made a crater during volleyball? Was that an ident too?" Kana squinted at her in disbelief.


    "Yes!" Naomi tried to defend herself.


    "Even though Mari was talking trash? If I remember correctly, you aimed right for her." Kana grinned.


    <i>{You totally tried to crush that girl''s face!} </i>(Kana)


    "..." Naomi turned away. "I have no reason to answer the false usations levied against me."


    "I thought so." Kana rolled her eyes. "You''ve be our <i>second</i> Mika. Should I start calling you Mika 2? You''re getting to be almost as bad as her."


    *PBBT*


    Naomi blew a raspberry rather than responding.


    Once Kana had sufficiently warned her friends not to do anything stupid, they got to having fun. Yumi didn''t know how to swim, and so opted to stay in the shallow end or sunbathe. While Mika, Naomi, and Kana dove straight into the sea to have some fun. They yed around with intable rafts, beach balls, and all sorts of other toys and games they brought to have fun.


    While the girls were having fun in the water, Miji and Alice got to building a <i>massive </i>sandcastle that was basically a fortress. A lifeguard <i>did </i>ask them nicely not to block the way down the beach, but Alice''s re sent him running. Once it was finished, she moved to the upper floor where she continued to have her puppets act as servants. They prepared her and the girls drinks and by the end of it, Alice had really gotten into the whole rich girl persona as she and Miji enjoyed the good life.


    "Miji''s going to be so spoiled after today..." Yumi groaned as she imagined her sister acting obstinate after today''s events.


    "Says the Priestess who can <i>literally </i>have anything she wants and is <i>also </i>spoiled rotten." Mikaughed as she bounced a beach ball back toward Naomi. They''d gone onto the roof of the sand fortress and set up a volleyball and were ying around.


    "I''m not spoiled!" Yumi protested.


    "You''re as spoiled rotten as month-old bananas!" Naomi agreed with Mika as she sent the ball back.


    "How?!? Akagi doesn''t do things like feed or dress me!" Yumi wasn''t going to easily admit that she was equally as spoiled as the <i>Demon.</i>


    <i>{I''d never let her do that! I do things like that for HER, but the other way around would see me strung up by the rest of the n!} </i>(Yumi)


    "Yumi, you''re basically the Wife of the single most powerful thing in the world. She can and would do <i>anything</i> for you, and I''ve seen the two of you rxing and snuggling too many times to <i>not </i>consider you spoiled." Mika said as she caught the ball.


    <i>{Not to mention the fact that YOU also get lots of happy pet time from Akagi. Don''t act like she''s the only one who gets doted on!} </i>(Mika)


    "So?!? Skinship is not spoiling!" Yumi huffed.


    <i>{I''m not spoiled!} </i>(Yumi)


    "I don''t know." Mika put her finger to her lips. "From what <i>I''ve </i>seen you get quite a lot of <i>skinship </i>from her." She smirked. "And from what I''ve <i>heard,</i> you get even more in private." She winked.


    <i>{AKAGI! WHAT DID YOU TELL THEM?!?} </i>Yumi tried to ignore Mika''s words, but was unable to. "We have a healthy rtionship. I don''t see the problem with our activities."


    "Alright, you guys." Kana walked over with drinks in her hands. "Stop picking on Yumi. She can''t help if Onee-chan likes to touch her all the time." She giggled.


    "Thank you, Kana." Yumi appreciated the backup.


    "It''s not her fault that Onee-chan''s kitty form made her want one too." Kana smirked, and Yumi''s face got red.


    "Wait! Akagi actually made Yumi into a catgirl?!?" Mika burst outughing. ¡°I need to see it!¡±


    <i>{MORE FLOOF!} </i>(Mika)


    "Our <i>totally not spoiled </i>Priestess here asked her to try it while in Onee-chan''s shadow, and she gave her cat ears and a tail that looked and acted real." Kana turned to the bright red Yumi and snickered. "I heard you <i>loved </i>being spoiled as a kitty." She''d been told that Yumi got into the role quite well, and now understood why Akagi loved it so much.


    "WHY DID AKAGI TELL YOU?!?" Yumi yelled, demanding to know the full story.


    <i>{That should have been a secret!} </i>(Yumi)


    "Think of it as payback for threatening to restrict the number of pets you give her." Kana answered, and Yumi recalled their small conversation in the garden right before Akagi and Kana trained the other day.


    "THAT WAS A JOKE!" Yumi eximed.


    <i>{Though I might do it for real after this!} </i>Yumi thought that, but knew that she couldn''t and wouldn''t actually go through with it.


    "Onee-chan isn''t one to take those well. You should know that better than most." Kanaughed. "But don''t worry, we won''t tell anyone else. Ok? You''re kitty secret is safe with us." She winked.


    Yumi didn''t reply, and just red at her.


    "MEW!" Kana gave a small meow which caused Yumi to jump up form her chair and begin chasing her around the fortress.


    "What''s wrong, mew?" Kana said while being chased. "Does kitty need ear scratches, mew?" Sheughed.


    "Get back here and take your lumps, Kana!" Yumi screamed as she chased her through the fortress.


    All and all, it was a fun and rxing day at the beach and a nice way to start their vacation.


    Spoiler


    Mr. Blubber!


    [copse]

 Interlude 15 – The Heroes Meet Again.

    Interlude 15 ¨C The Heroes Meet Again.


    "Oh, ho ho! There''s our always fashionablyte Samurai!" A muscr ck-haired manughed as she sat on a couch with two Elven women clung to either side of him tightly. On each was a visible choker that signified that they were his ves, and he was busy groping both of them under their thin white clothing. "We were beginning to think you weren''t going toe, Shiroe."


    "Its not like I wanted to, but considering the alternative was <i>death</i>, I had no choice. Though I wish <i>you</i> hadn''te, Muichiro." Amakusa red at him as she entered the small side room, within which the other three Heroes that were summoned alongside her were waiting.


    <i>{I see he''s the same as always. Just being in the same room as a man like him puts my hackles up, but I just need to put that out of my mind and work with him if we''re to win.} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Owch! You''re always such a thorny woman, Shiroe!" Muichiroughed loudly. "You need to rx and unwind sometimes. Tell you what, how about we go into town and get you a nice ve to make you feel better tonight? I think you could use a bit of bedroom action." He winked. This was something he''d said to her many times in the past, and by this part it was basically a running joke. Though, unbeknownst to him or the other Heroes, Shiroe <i>had </i>done exactly that kind of thing in the past as a form of stress relief.


    <i>{I''d offer to do it myself, but I''d like to keep my lower parts...} </i>(Muichiro)


    "Come on, Muichiro, stop harassing her." A blond-haired woman wearing nun-like clothing chastised him as she sipped her tea. "Don''t go trying to bring Shiroe down to your level. Girls like her and I need to remain pure maidens." She giggled.


    "Ohhhh! You''re a fucking riot, Hitomi!" Muichiro chuckled. "As if <i>you </i>of all people have any right to criticize my fun or act like some kind of pure maiden."


    <i>{I know what you''re all about! And I like it!} </i>(Muichiro)


    "What could you possibly mean? I am the Holy Maiden summoned by Lord Gale, and am the epitome of purity." Hitmoi puffed up her cheeks slightly.


    "Ok. Ok. You keep telling people that, but I hate to tell you that we <i>all</i> know what you do with that girl during the night." Muichiro winked. "And I gotta say, I''m fucking proud of you! You are truly a woman of culture, Hitomi! I''d tip my hat at you if I wore one." He snickered.


    <i>{I''ve had my share of adventure in the bedroom, and keeping it spiced up is always fun. Heck, I''ve heard that Hitomi took a potion that made her into a man for a while just to have a some fun with her little pet. I should give that a try, just once.} </i>(Muichiro)


    "It''s good to see that everyone is still such good friends." A young man with brown hair and a baby face said as he walked over to Amakusa. He seemed quite youngpared to the others, and he and Shiroe usually tied for the amount of people who thought they were still teenagers. "And it''s good to see you again, Shiroe. I''ve heard you''ve kept up your training even after we defeated the Spirits, and I can tell that you''ve improved a lot." He smiled brightly. Shiroe had never stopped her sword practice, and he could tell that she was likely the most powerful of the four of them now.


    <i>{Damn this man. I can''t be annoyed with him when he acts so nice...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "You never know what lies around the next corner, Kanato. I figured it was only a matter of time until I need to use my power again, and well... Here we are." Amakusa replied with an overly dramatic sigh. "Unlike <i>some </i>people who shall not be named. <i>I</i> understand that this is a dangerous world and that it''s foolish to just rest on myurels." She nced between the other three Heroes who, while still strong, had either teaued or gotten slightly weaker.


    "H-Hey. I''ve not just sat around doing nothing!" Kanato protested weakly. "I''ve kept up my training <i>in between </i>the other things I''ve been doing." He rubbed the back of his head as heughed.


    <i>{Having a family and kids takes a lot of time!} </i>(Kanato)


    "By <i>doing </i>do you mean your <i>wives</i>?" Amakusa smirked. "I heard you just had your <i>third </i>child already. Isn''t that a bit soon? It''s only been just over a year since we managed to push back the Spirits."


    <i>{Not to mention that you''re barely younger than me! Aren''t you like twenty-five? How are you just okay with making babies that young?!?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "W-Well... in this world, it''s normal to have children at this age, and I couldn''t <i>really </i>say no when they all asked me so nicely..." Kanato gave a dryugh. "Everyone is really happy anyway, so I think it''s fine." He only had three wives, and contrary to many of the rumors about him, Kanato wasn''t a womanizer that tried to seduce anything that moved.


    <i>{Not to mention, it''s not exactly easy to refuse so many beautiful women when they''re actively ASKING to have my kids.} </i>(Kanato)


    "At this rate, you''ll have dozens of children since I bet each of your wives is going to want multiple <i>each</i>." Amakusa rolled her eyes "I still have no clue how so many women could fall head over heels for an idiot like you."


    <i>{Well, actually, I do understand how it happened. He''s the dopey kind of idiot that makes it hard to hate him, he''s a Hero summoned by the Gods, and he''s a rtively energetic and warm guy. In a world like this, that''s basically like drugs for many of these women who were going to be shipped off to loveless marriages of convenience. Though I''m still wary about that Angel girl. There''s no way that she''s anything other than nt to keep an eye on him and put him under the Gods'' thumb.} </i>(Amakusa)


    "W-We''ll figure all that out when the timees." Kanato''s expression told Amakusa that she wasn''t that far off in her assessment. "B-But getting back to my earlier point, I''m d to have you back." He stuck out his hand, and Amakusa shook it. "We need to give our everything if we''re going to save the people of this world." His eyes burned with passion and determination, much like they had when they arrived ten years prior.


    "Yeah, we need to save the world quickly so I can get back to my <i>fun</i>." Muichiro cheered. "I have so many lovelydies waiting for me back at my pad, and it''d be a crime to keep them waiting any longer than I need to!" The two Elven women that clung to him nodded in agreement.


    <i>{Waiting... Yeah, more like hoping you die a fiery death.} </i>(Amakusa)


    "And it would be a shame to keep Raffey waiting for me. That girl always gets so <i>lonely </i>when I''m not around." Hitomi''s face showed a smile, but the other Heroes could tell that it was hiding something <i>else</i>.


    <i>{Ohh.. boy...} </i>(Kanato)


    <i>{Hitomi... Why did you turn out to be such a perverse girl...} </i>(Amakusa)


    <i>{God Hitomi is great! I wish she''d let me take her even just once! Sticking it in crazy is always such fun!} </i>(Muichiro)


    "I have things to do as well, so I agree that this needs to be done quickly." Amakusa nodded.


    "Are you going to look for that girl?" Kanato asked with sadness in his eyes. "They said she ran away, but..." He figured that wasn''t true.


    "Eh, she''s just one Spirit. Don''t get all worked up over it." Muichiro shrugged. "You can easily get another. I can talk to the dealers if you want."


    "Just one Spirit?!? Don''t act like you don''t know <i>damn </i>well why I''m so upset!" Amakusa yelled at him.


    <i>{Shut your fucking mouth!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Right, right. That little Oni looked like that sister of yours. What was her name? Kaomi?" Muichiro couldn''t remember and frankly didn''t care.


    "Her name was Fumiko! I''ve told you that before!" Amakusa growled. "She was killed in a car ident when we were little, and that girl... she looks almost exactly like she did all those years ago..." She went silent.


    <i>{Just take off the horns... and she''s... she''s her...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Alright, alright. Sorry." Muichiro sighed, not wanting drama. "If I hear anything about such a girl popping up, I''ll let you know. Not like there''s <i>that </i>many Oni Spirits on the market anyway." He shrugged.


    "I hope you know that trying to find that girl isn''t going to be easy. She could be anywhere in the world by now." Hitomimented, trying her best to keep a t face.


    <i>{Well... She''s actually in a ce where Shiroe will never find her, and besides its only a matter of time till..} </i>(Hitomi)


    "Not to mention, current orders are to kill or capture all Spirits." Kanato continued. "We''ve seen a few being taken away, though most either perished in in battle or fled."


    <i>{The likelihood of this one specific girl being alive is, while not zero, small... And I''d bet she''s already gone...} </i>(Kanato)


    "I''ve got a really cute one back at my ce. She''s such a nice little Kitsune, and when she grows up she''s gonna make a wonderful baby maker." Muichiroughed, and the other three Heroes just stared at him with a variety of expressions.


    <i>{At least this man, for all the evil that he is, won''t touch young girls... I guess I should be d that he''s not THAT kind of man, but he''s still awful.} </i>(Amakusa)


    <i>{Muichiro...} </i>(Kanato)


    <i>{Raffey was so cute that one time she turned into a Kitsune. I should get her to do that again so we can have fun.} </i>(Hitomi)


    "Do I even want to know how many children <em>you''ve</em> made, Muichiro?" Amakusa sighed, figuring that number made Kanato''s three look small.


    "I have no clue." Muichiro shrugged. "The Church takes them, and I don''t really care about what happens afterward. The only two women with whom I want to keep the children are these two lovely sisters right here, anyway." He took his hand out of their shirts and grabbed their butts, which caused them to blush. "Elves have always been a favorite of mine, and getting such a sweet deal as to make two sisters my ve wives was a dreame true." Heughed.


    <i>{Having them go at it with each other is also equally great! Maybe I should get that potion and have one be the brother for a bit too!} </i>(Muichiro)


    "We would be honored, master." (Elf ves)


    "When you say it like that, I might just have to give them to you sooner than I nned." Muichiro snickered. "My iron will has held out so far, despite the two of you being such temptresses in bed."


    <i>{I don''t tend to agree with Muichiro on many things, but yeah he''s right about this one. Having women asking for your kids is something that few men can resist...} </i>(Kanato)


    "All this talk of children is lovely and all, but how about we get back to the reason we''re here in the first ce." Amakusa sighed, wanting to get away from this topic. "We need to put together a proper n so that we can fight these Spirits <i>together</i>."


    <i>{From what I''ve been told, we don''t have much time.} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Bah!" Muichiro scoffed. "We kicked their ass the first time, and we''ll do it again. All they did was hop worlds, it''s not like they suddenly got powerful or something."


    "Perhaps the people of that world have aligned with them?" Hitomi brought up a good point. "If they joined forced with the people of that world, it may prove problematic." Though she doubted that there would be a problem, since there were likely few people as strong as Heroes empowered by Gods.


    "If that''s the case, then we''ll just have to show them how evil the Spirits really are." Kanatomented. "They need to understand how dangerous they are and what kind of risk they pose to their world as well as ours. I just hope we can do things with minimal violence. We''re Heroes summoned by the Gods, not homicidal maniacs, and we should act like it."


    <i>{Perhaps your little statement would ring true if not for the fact that we DO have a maniac like that on our team. Muichiro is no stranger to torturing people, forcing himself on women, and much worse. The man is a monster and one that I suspect we''ll need to put down one of these days.} </i>(Amakusa)


    Spoiler


    Kanato!


    Muichiro!


    Hitomi!


    [copse]

 Chapter 231 – Glitter Bombs.

    Chapter 231 ¨C Glitter Bombs.


    While the girls were busy enjoying themselves at the beach, Akagi stood atop the RRT headquarters in Tokyo. Elna''s condition after her ''battle'' with Akagi, left the Elf in a delirious and broken state. With one single blow, the<i> Demon</i> had shattered a portion of her mind and induced a state of being that was truly unpleasant. Superbia and Excelsior had tried numerous times to help Elna recover, but each time they were met with little more than mad ramblings and yelling, with only brief shes of anything else.


    "Alright, I suppose nearly eight months of psychotic hell is ample enough, so lets let the Elfy out of her mental prison." Akagi chuckled as she looked down upon the city. It was mid day and the overcast sky and light rain seemed to be an ominous foretelling of her arrival "I have a feeling that <i>nobody</i> in the RRT or the Japanese or American governments is going to like this, but oh well." She smirked, knowing that they couldn''t and wouldn''t do anything. "Their opinions don''t really matter anyway." Sheughed as she hopped down to the sidewalk in front of the RRT headquarters and using her shadow powers, Akagi made herselfpletely invisible to everyone around her and walked inside.


    "Now, if I''m not mistaken, I need to go allllllll the way down to the subfloor lockup to find my little Elfy." Akagi stretched as she walked past multiple members of the staff, none of which noticed her. "Elna and the other ex-Libra members should be down there in one of Imp''s nice little cells, but first..." Akagi cackled. "I''ll have a little bit of <i>fun</i>. After all, what''s a <i>Demon </i>if she doesn''t cause a bit of mischief?" She cackled as she ascended an elevator to the RRT''s main breakroom, ready to cause a bit of chaos.


    At this time of day, most of the members weren''t around, but Imp, Mixu, and Shimari were currently rxing and chatting while eating lunch as Akagi stepped out of the elevator.


    "Do you really think Superbia can beat the cat?" Mixu asked Imp as she sipped on some tea. "Akagi''s give her a powerup, and she already beat Sabia and Merkyul in a 2v1. I know that they weren''t the most powerful of us, but I''d like to think that Chloe is just a bit out of our league at this point."


    <i>{Plus, that cat has far more training and experience in killing people than we do.} </i>(Mixu)


    "Didn''t Akagi say that we couldn''t beat her anyway?" Shimari recalled ament that was made during the Silfana investigation. ¡°I know I wouldn''t want to fight her.¡±


    <i>{Chloe scares the heck out of me! Her eyes are like a predator and I''m her prey!} </i>(Shimari)


    "Kitty-floof strong, but not unbeatable-invincible." Imp shook her head. "She is powerful-strong, yes, but so is Superbia. I gave Oni gauntlets-gloves that boost power-strength, and she has ess to Greater Ability Boost now." She''d worked closely with Imperial and could now easily replicate and improve upon his work.


    "Yeah, but I mean, Chloe <i>has</i> to have something like that too." Mixu said as she put her cup down. "Anything you can give Superbia can also go to Chloe, which means that nothing changed." She figured it was still a lost cause.


    "Superbia powerful-strong, but also hot-headed-angy. If Oni keeps cool, Oni can win." Imp nodded with total confidence in her assessment. "Akagi''s power gives boost to base stats-power, which on NPC are much lower-smaller. Chloe is strong, but Superbia gets better benefits from each multiplier-boost." She''d been doing calctions and dug deeper into Akagi''s ability to strengthen her followers, and determined that while it was a <i>massive</i> powerup, it had diminishing returns with how much power could flow through it.


    <i>{Looks like Superbia and Imp have been getting very interested in the Tournament. I suppose the fight between Chloe and Superbia will be one to watch with great interest.} </i>Akagiughed internally before walking over and moving Mixu''s cup slightly further away from her, which Shimari saw slide and freaked out a bit.


    <i>{What was that?!? Why did that cup move?!? IS THIS GHOSTS?!?} </i>(Shimari)


    "If you say so." Mixu reached for her tea but missed it since it had moved slightly. "Hmm?" She looked down confused for a moment, but quickly got back on track and grabbed the tea. "Though since Hishya is going to be in this, the winner is already decided." She shrugged, but as she tried to take a sip, Akagi poked her in the side, scaring the heck out of her and causing her to spill the tea.


    "The fuck was that?!?" Mixu jumped up, tea covering the front of her coat as it sshed around. "Did someone just poke me?!?" She looked around, but nobody was there. "Imp... Did you just just do something?" She red at the troublemaker, who shook her head.


    "Did nothing! False-usations-lies, not appreciated." Imp crossed her arms in an X. "Maybe just mind ying tricks-games?" She didn''t see anything going on and figured the vampire was just jumpy.


    "I swear to God <i>something</i> poked me in the side." Mixu sighed. "And now my outfit is covered in tea." She shook her head as she threw her coat into storage and pulled out another one. "Maybe I just felt the chair rub against me or something, I have no fucking clue." As she went to sit down, Akagi pulled the chair out from under her which caused her to fall to the floor, something that caused Imp tough hysterically as Shimari screamed.


    "ITS A GHOST!" Shimari yelled at the top of her lungs. "I saw it move the teacup, and now it moved the chair!"


    <i>{SAVE ME!} </i>(Shimari)


    "HA! Vampire fall-went bang!" Imp snickered, which earned her a wack on the head from Mixu.


    "It''s not funny, you glorified juice box!" Mixu growled.


    "Not juice box! Am Imp!" Imp pouted as she corrected the not so incorrect statement.


    "Well, I drink you like one, so that''s what I''m calling you." Mixu smirked. "But what the fuck was that?" She looked around the room and saw nothing. "I swear to Christ, if <i>you''re</i> fucking with me, Imp you''re getting drank <i>again</i> tonight." She red at the innocent woman, who just shook her head.


    "Not me. Would never prank anyone." Imp imed innocence.


    <i>{Am good Imp!} </i>(Imp)


    "For some reason, I don''t believe you." Mixu continued to re at her, and while she did, Akagi slipped behind Shimari, went up to her ear, and said one word.


    <i><b>"Boo." </b></i>Akagi''s whisper caused Shimari to leap from her chair and draw her de.


    "THERE''S A FUCKING GHOST IN HERE!" Shimari swung her sword around in circles, which caused everyone to duck out of the way. "SHOW YOURSELF EVIL SPIRIT!" She''d never been good with horror movies and couldn''t tolerate haunted houses or anything to do with the supernatural.


    <i>{HELP!} </i>(Shimari)


    "Stop swinging that thing around!" Mixu yelled, which caused the dog-girl to freeze. "You''re gonna hurt someone, you idiot!" She sighed. "What the fuck was that all about?!?"


    "Something whispered in my ear!" Shimari started shaking. "It said BOO!"


    <i>{IT SAID BOO! IT WANTS MY SOUL!!!!} </i>(Shimari)


    "Boo? <i>Really</i>? Come on. Even <i>Akagi </i>isn''tme enough to do something like that." Mixu shook her head. "You probably just heard the wind or something."


    "I don''t think wind says <i>boo</i>." Impmented as she nervously looked around.


    "Somebody or something <i>must </i>be here!" Shimari looked around in a panic but again saw nothing.


    <i>{WHERE ARE YOU, GHOST?!?} </i>(Shimari)


    "There are plenty of returnees that have illusion powers, chief among them is a certain Demon Lord." Mixu sighed. "I swear to god, if she''s ying poltergeist on us..."


    <i>{I will fucking chew her out!} </i>(Mixu)


    "Akagi too busy to be here." Imp shook her head. "Making Tournament building-arena and other set up. Being here is unlikely-doubtful." She figured there was no way Akagi would take time out of her busy schedule to perform silly pranks on the three of them.


    <i>{Thanks for covering for me, Imp! You''re a great coborator, even if unintentionally! Though I really should wrap things up. I do have important things to do after all.} </i>Akagi snickered as she pulled out her final trick, water balloons filled with glitter powder.


    "Alright, then who else could it-" Mixu''s words were stopped as she was smacked in the face at high speed by a water balloon that exploded, soaking her and covering her with glitter. "WHAT THE FUCKING HELL?!?" She wiped away the glitter in her eyes. "GLITTER?!? What is this? A high school prank?!?" She growled as she took three more water balloons head-on. "I WILL FUCKING END WHOEVER YOU ARE!"


    <i>{I''ve always wanted to do this!} </i>(Akagi)


    "ITS THE GHOST OF A CLOWN!" Shimari screamed. "IT HAS COME TO DROWN US IN GLITTER AND TAKE US TO THE GREAT CIRCUS IN HELL!" She screamed as a barrage of balloons converged on her. "NO, I DON''T WANNA DO TRICKS FOR THE CROWD!" She started swinging her de around, and identally split the table in half.


    "You idiot, stop!" Mixu tried to stop her, but the water balloon barrage wouldn''t stop, and she fell to the floor after slipping.


    "NO-NO!" Imp cried out in horror as she was pelted with dozens of balloons. "GLITTER EVIL-HORRIBLE! GETS EVERYWHERE! IT''S SHINY STICKY, AND IT GETS EVERYWHERE!" After a few minutes, Akagi stopped throwing the balloons and nearly doubled over inughter as she looked upon the hell she''d created. The entire break-room was covered in glitter and water, and all three girls wereying on the floor in either abject terror or irritation.


    "I have glitter in ces that glitter should never be." Mixu said as she looked up at the glitter-covered ceiling. "I''m going to be cleaning that off me for weeks..."


    "Please evil clown spirit, I''ll be a good little doggie. Just don''t make me do tricks..." Shimari was curled in the corner of the room with her de pointed outward.


    <i>{I''LL EVEN FETCH THE BALL!} </i>(Shimari)


    "Glitter... Evil..." Imp sat on her chair,pletely soaked and covered in the shiny substance. "Will need to invent glitter cleaning machine..."

 Chapter 232 – The Elf Returns.

    Chapter 232 ¨CThe Elf Returns.


    With the glitter chaospleted, Akagi rode the elevator down to the lowest level of the RRT Headquarters. There were plenty of security guards along the hallway and around the door leading up to the holding cells, but she simply walked straight past them with no problem.


    <i>{I''m so tempted to use up these other glitter bombs, but I''ll restrain myself in this instance.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Wow, we''ve got all kinds of familiar faces in here." Akagi said as she walked past the holding cells. "Smandra''s here, Ketoki too, and even Remiru. I haven''t seen them for a long time. Maybe I should pop in for a visit sometime?" There had been minimal issue from the ex-Libra prisoners and most had resigned themselves to their fate, with only a few putting up sparse resistance. ¡°Alright, so where''s the Elf? I''d imagine that she wants out of this little nightmare ASAP.¡± Sheughed as she continued down the hallway to where Elna was housed.


    "D-Dark... Bad... N-No..." Elna was sitting on her bed rocking back and forth, something that was normal by this point. "The eyes... the darkness... the light..." As Akagi phased through her cell and appeared in front of her, the Elf was muttering like a madwoman


    "Hello there." Akagi smiled as Elna looked up at her.


    The moment that sheid eyes upon the <i>Demon</i> Elna went to scream but found that, no matter how hard she tried, no noise came out. Akagi was preventing any sound from escaping her throat so that <i>nobody </i>could hear her scream.


    "Not that anyone would hear you, but I really don''t need you doing that to me." Akagi shook her head. She was using illusion magic to make it seem as if nothing was amiss within the cell, and from the outside Elna, was continuing her usual routine of madness.


    "So, first of all." Akagi reached out and put her hand on Elna''s head, which the weak and afraid Elf tried and failed to avoid. "Let''s get rid of <i>some</i> of that madness. You''ve been a good test subject so far, so your reward will be a return to ''sanity.''" During her destruction and consumption of Libra at their base, Akagi imnted a bit of dark energy within Elna''s mind with her single punch. The <i>Demon </i>was curious about what would happen to mortals whose soul was exposed to the substance that made up her very being, and she''d been keeping a close eye on Elna to see the results.


    After a few seconds of having Akagi root around within her body, Elna began to writhe and turn as a ck substance oozed out from her mouth and eyes before flowing into Akagi''s hand. It was an inky ck, nearly liquid substance that seemed to absorb all light that touched it and Akagi figured others would describe it as nightmare fuel.


    "There we go." Akagi smiled as she took her hand off Elna, who slumped onto her bed. "How''s that? Any better?" Sheughed as she poked the Elf in the cheek.


    "I... What... Where..." Elna slowly sat up on the bed, confused and disoriented. "Ow, my head..." She held onto the side of her head as she teetered back and forth. It was pounding and it was as if she had the worst migraine imaginable. "Where am I?" She seemed to barely understand what was going on and her mind was fuzzy.


    "Aww, don''t tell me you don''t remember thest few months of <i>fun.</i>" Akagi snickered. "That would be quite unfortunate."


    <i>{Though not surprising.} </i>(Akagi)


    "You... I..." Elna slowly looked up at Akagi. "A-Akagi..." Her eyes went wide and her body started trembling as she recalled what had happened to her. "You... You were..." She backed away from Akagi. "You were in my... my..."


    "Your mind." Akagi finished for her. "For ack of a better term, yes." She nodded. "Do you remember everything?"


    "B-Bits and pieces, yes." Elna answered while shivering. "T-The screams... the darkness... the fear..."


    <i>{It was hell... I was... I was both dead and alive... I felt as if I was both everywhere and no where... and there... there was nothing...} </i>(Elna)


    "Ah, good." Akagi nodded. "Then things worked out in the end. It would''ve defeated the point of everything if you ended up purging it from your memory."


    "W-What did you do to me?" Elna asked. "It was... everywhere... the darkness... There was nothing... no one..." She seemed to be on the verge of tears.


    "The simple answer my dear, is that <i>you </i>got a very rare glimpse at something <i>neat</i>." Akagiughed as she leaned in closer to Elna''s face. "You got to see <i><b>me</b></i>."


    <i>{A rare treat I assure you, and one that most better hope they never end up getting.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Y-You?" Elna squeaked out her question.


    <i>{That hell... It was you?} (</i>Elna)


    "Indeed.¡±Akagi nodded. ¡°Putting it simply I ced a part of my being within you. I was curious to see the effects on the mortal mind." She smiled. "And as it turns out, you guys can''t handle seeing what my true nature is, and your mind ends up breaking as a result. Quite neat, huh?"


    <i>{Armalthy is getting a simr glimpse, though I''m not giving him the reprieve of madness.} </i>(Akagi)


    "N-Nothing about that was <i>neat</i>." Elna retorted. "It was... <i>horrifying</i>."


    "Oh, I bet it was. I''m a being made of pure darkness, the kind of darkness which doesn''t really exist within normal reality. Thus a mortal''s mind is probably not going to take well to being touched by even a <i>fraction</i> of it." Akagi shrugged. "I''m actually surprised you didn''t just <i>die </i>from it, since it could''ve easily just fried your very soul. So good on you for keeping alive!" She gave a thumbs up.


    "I-I think I''d''ve rather died than stay like that." Elna replied. ¡°That was a fate worse than death.¡±


    "Fair." Akagiughed. "It was probably quite unpleasant to be thrown into the closest thing to hell that exists in this world." Elna would''ve seen not just darkness but felt an unimaginably crushing force on her very soul. It wasn''t easy to describe said feeling, and it was something that the mind couldn''t really understand, thus it <i>broke</i>.


    "Why are you h-here anyway?" Elna asked as she looked around the room. "Are you here to k-kill me?" She couldn''t imagine that Akagi released her from that hell from the kindness of her heart.


    "My experiment was over, so I figured it was time to undo some of the damage to your mind." Akagi shrugged. "Surprisingly, I''m not actually here to kill you. I don''t really need to do that, and there are plenty of others who are ahead of me in <i>that </i>line." She figured the Japanese and American governments would love the fact that Elna was now sane enough for trial.


    "A-All you''ve done is condemn me to d-death anyway." Elnamented. "T-They want me d-dead and will just k-kill me now that I''m b-better." She could remember a few of the conversations with American and Japanese militarywyers with a few bits from her ''discussions'' with Superbia that told her what they wanted her fate to be.


    "True, true." Akagi nodded. "However, that''s where the <i>second </i>reason I came herees into y." She smirked. "How would you like a new lease on life, my little Elf friend?" Her words seemed seductive as they came across her lips, and Elna could already hear the little voice in the back of her head telling her to disregard the <i>Demon''s </i>words.


    "N-New lease?" Elna asked. "W-What do you mean?¡±


    "Well, you see, while your use an experimental guinea pig, has for this first test, ended I have something <i>else </i>that I require a test subject for." Akagi continued. "If you agree to swear eternal fealty to me, and allow me to bind your soul to my will, then I''ll get you out of here and help you start fresh. Though of course, that will include a few modifications to your soul and body since I want to see what happens if I do more than just surface-level experiments."


    <i>{Not to mention, I''ll need to hide her for at least a century so that people eventually forget about who she is.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Y-You want to enve me?" Elna asked.


    "You will effectively be my ve, yes." Akagi nodded. "Though most of my ves tend to live quite normal and free lives, so there are significantly worse fates one can have." Sheughed. At this point the nsmen who were technically her ves weren''t really treated as such anymore and were just another part of the family. "You could be <i>Armalthy</i>. He gets to enjoy the rest of eternity witnessing what you did, only HE doesn''t get to go insane." Herment caused Elna to shiver violently. ¡°So yeah... You could have it worse, I assure you that.¡±


    "W-Why me?" Elna asked while shivering. "C-Couldn''t you just g-get someone e-else? W-Won''t taking me c-cause p-problems?" She figured Akagi was doing things the hard way by offering to save her.


    "Problems? I suppose. Though at the end of the day, the opinions of the rest of the world mean little to me." Akagi shrugged. "If the Americans pitch a fit over this, then that sounds like a <i>them</i> problem." Sheughed as she poked Elna on the nose. "Besides, I''ll give you a disguise for the near future, and in a few hundred years, nobody will even know who you are anymore, so who cares?" There would be records of the attack and who was responsible, but humanity would have collectively pushed the Yokosuka incident out of its mind by that point.


    "D-Do I even have a choice?" Elna asked. She figured it was basically an ultimatum at this point since it was either this or certain death.


    "You <i>always </i>have a choice my little Elf." Akagi nodded. "However, sometimes the choices before you delineate a clear right answer."


    <i>{Think of this as an ultimatum. Either you surrender yourself to me, or you end up dead by a military tribunal. Being my pawn isn''t what most people want, but very few people crave death.} </i>(Akagi)


    Elna thought about Akagi''s offer for a moment. She knew that declining would see her paraded in front of cameras and executed, which was something she <i>really </i>didn''t want. Akagi''s offer basically meant she was selling her soul to the proverbial devil, but if it kept her alive, then she figured it was worth it.


    "I-I C-Can we agree... no more darkness?" Elna wanted to add a condition. "I-I don''t want to see that again." She was hoping for a small concession.


    <i>{Please... No more...} </i>(Elna)


    "Fine." Akagi shrugged, not really caring about such a condition. "I don''t really need you for that anyway, so I''ll agree never to subject you to such things again. Though that doesn''t mean I won''t take you <i>within </i>my shadow for testing or other purposes." Her word was binding, and unless given a damn good reason she wouldn''t go back on it, so Elna knew she could trust Akagi on this.


    "F-Fine." Elna nodded. "T-Then I agree."


    "I agree?" Akagi rolled her hand indicating that she wanted her to say something else.


    "I-I agree... Master." Elna cringed inside as she called Akagi her master, and the <i>Demon </iughed as she wrapped the Elf in her shadow, the two of them vanishing without a trace.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Imp POV>


    "WHAT DO YOU MEAN ELNA VANISHED?!?" Aoi screamed at Imp, Mixu, and Shimari. They''de to her office after being contacted by security, still covered in glitter. "HOW COULD SHE JUST VANISH LIKE THAT?!?"


    <i>{AND WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING IN THE BREAKROOM THAT ITS COVERED IN GLITTER AND WATER?!?} </i>(Aoi)


    "Please calm down, Aoi. Screaming won''t do anything to get her back." Mixu sighed. "We have no idea what happened to her, and the camera footage just shows that Elna was there one minute and gone the next." She was in no mood for this nonsense and was desperate to get a shower to remove the glitter.


    "No magic-spells used. Nothing on scanners-detectors." Imp had looked over the footage and used her tools to check for any kind of interference or other ways that the Elf could''ve disappeared. "No idea how Elf-thing vanished-disappeared." She shrugged.


    <i>{Though, I have idea-guess...} </i>(Imp)


    "There aren''t many people who could do something like this." Mixu sighed. "Andbining <i>this </i>with our glitter bomb incident, I''d bet that Akagi was the one who sprung her."


    <i>{But why?!? Wait, I know why... Just to fuck with us...} </i>(Mixu)


    "Eh? But why?!?" Shimari was surprised. "She fought Libra and took them down. Why would she want to take Elna?" She thought it would be strange for Akagi to take Elna after all that.


    "Who knows, Akagi does all kinds of strange things." Mixu''s eyes slowly moved to Imp. "Now, <i>you</i> wouldn''t happen to know what''s going on, do you?" She was suspicious of Imp since she spent time with Akagi and involved herself in the <i>Demon''s </i>crazy ns.


    <i>{At this point, you''re more Dumetorian than Japanese, you crazy little juice box.} </i>(Mixu)


    "Not this time." Imp crossed her arms in an X. "Akagi not mention-tell jailbreak of Elf-thing. I is innocent-not guilty in this instance."


    <i>{Still find it funny-amusing though.} </i>(Imp)


    "Why me?" Aoi groaned as she mmed her head on her desk. "I''m going to get a massive ass chewing... Elna was our number one prisoner, and she got out on <i>my </i>watch."


    <i>{I need a vacation...} </i>(Aoi)


    "If it was Akagi, then you''re not really at fault." Mixu shrugged. "Stopping her isn''t really possible." She figured it best to just wash their hands of Elna, and move on.


    <i>{Though Superbia and Excel are gonna be pissed if she really did take her...} </i>(Mixu)


    Over the next few days, Aoi was bombarded with messages from both the Japanese and American governments, demanding to know what happened to Elna. She couldn''t tell them anything other than the fact that the Elf just vanished, and when queried about the whole ordeal, Akagi told both nations that she had nothing to do with any vanishing Elf and that <i>another </i>yer might have sprung her. With no proof of her involvement, and an unwillingness to upset the Demon Lord with usations, the Americans and Japanese quietly shuffled the disappearance under the rug and pretended that nothing ever happened. While at the same time, and by total coincidence, ck Company got a fifth member, who proved to be exceptionally skilled in martial arts.

 Chapter 233 – Delivering the News.

    Chapter 233 ¨C Delivering the News.


    While the girls were busy having fun at the beach, and Akagi was breaking out the single most wanted criminal in Japan, Mizumi, Kukurihime, and Shinlua descended the Council Hall''s main staircase to speak with the jailed former Council members who were being held below. The three Spirits were being held in specialized cells and bound with magical restraints that rendered them unable to use their magic, and Mizumi wanted to deliver them a <i>very</i> important message.


    "I...I still don''t know if this is a good idea, Lady Mizumi." Shinlua said as the two of them moved past a guard. "The people <i>are </i>angry with them, but... Such extreme measures will probably not go over well."


    <i>{I know that ending their lives may be the best way to stop future problems, but I fear it also may CREATE problems for us as well...} </i>(Shinlua)


    "They might be angry about this decision, but I hope that in time they''lle to understand my reasoning." Mizumi replied as they reached the bottom of the staircase and veered off into an area that was far less grandiose than the rest of the Council Hall. "Our people''s tendency to hold life sacred is admirable, but sometimes it''s necessary to make exceptions." She''d steeled herself for this, but it still left her slightly ufortable inside.


    <i>{I used to advocate for the protection of all life, and here I am, about to cast three people into...} </i>(Mizumi)


    "There are times when it bes necessary to put aside one''s lofty ideals and face reality." Kukurihimemented, noticing that Mizumi was currently experiencing a torrent of emotions. "In the past, our kind used to fight each other relentlessly, and while I''m d to see that our descendants have elevated themselves above our past, in my personal opinion, these three are getting what they deserve." She was none too happy to learn that the Council was nning on murdering/enving all mankind, and as a result, put their entire people at risk.


    <i>{How could they turn their back on their own people like they did? Dokorimon wanted peace between our people and humanity. Even if such horrors happened in that other world, I have no doubt that he''d NEVER agree with taking revenge, especially on a people who had nothing to do with it.} </i>(Kukurihime)


    As they entered the holding area, they were greeted by the sight of the three fallen Council members shackled to the walls of their cells inrge long chains while massive iron barn kept them separate from each other. The floors and walls were covered in magical formations, and each had a different look on their face, ranging from anger to despair.


    "Well, Well, Well, I see the <i>Demons </i>PETS came to visit us." Daruma scoffed as he red at the three women. He was utterly embarrassed by Akagi''s quick and easy defeat of him. Mizumi was hoping that he''d be injected with a bit of humility, but sadly that had no happened. "Come to gloat? To lord yourself before us? Well, if you''vee to enjoy your victory, then I hate to disappoint you, but I''ll never grovel before you!" He huffed.


    <i>{I''d sooner die than prostrate myself before them, or beg for clemency from a monster or its pets!} </i>(Daruma)


    "Still as arrogant and hot-headed as always, aren''t you." Mizumi sighed as she shook her head. "I''m not here to gloat, anyway. I just wanted to speak to the three of you."


    <i>{At least one good thing about all of this is that Daruma will soon stop being a problem. Now if only we could get Muichiro in here. I have a feeling that an nice angry mob tearing him to pieces would be a wee sight in the Central Square.} </i>(Mizumi)


    "What could you possibly wish to discuss with us?" Onmiyame asked, his face contorted into a deep scowl. "You''ve sold our people to a <i>Demon</i>. I hope you''ve note to ask us to join your servitude, or perhaps have youe to seek advice on a rebellion?" He smirked.


    <i>{Mizumi has a leash wrapped around her neck like the good little pup that she is. I highly doubt she''d ever betray her master. I wonder what she was promised by that creature? Dominion over our people? Power? Some fun at night?} </i>(Daruma)


    "I''m not suicidal, thank you very much." Mizumi rolled her eyes. She figured that Daruma and the other two were still stupid when it came to Akagi, and hisments proved her right. "Akagi has already granted us a kindness by allowing us to live under her rule. I''m not about to take chances with our entire people, so there will be no talk of rebellion." She knew it would be both stupid and pointless to plot something like that. Not to mention, Akagi''s people kept tabs on Omara and would instantly know if something subversive was going on.


    <i>{I suppose even after understanding that Akagi is a true Demon Lord, they still act like arrogant fools. I guess that''s not surprising, considering everything we know about them. The amount of money they and their co-conspirators stole, the resources they squandered... and... the lives they...} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Then we''ve nothing to speak about." Onmiyame replied. "I have no wish to speak to a traitor to our people. You are nothing more than a coborator, and mark my words you <i>will</i> be remembered as such in the future when our people are free." He was still sure that Akagi would be felled one day in the future.


    <i>{It may not be tomorrow, but one day our people will be free of that Demon and you, and you''d best be prepared for whates then.} </i>(Onmiyame)


    "If you still think that taking down Akagi is either possible or in our people''s best interest, then you are truly even more foolish than I believed." Kukurihime sighed.


    "And who are you to speak of foolishness?" Onmiyame quipped. "You who stayed behind in that world and abandoned our people for humans have no right to judge me." He gave a derisiveugh. "I see for all your years and wisdom, you''ve be soft. No doubt because you need those wretched creatures to survive." He knew that Kukurihime was different than the other Spirits, and he felt that she was little better than Mizumi, especially since, from his point of view, she abandoned her fellow Yokai to be with humans.


    <i>{You have no idea what our people went through. You''re just an old God Kukurihime, a relic of the past! Our kind have no need for human emotions, prayers or power to survive, so you should keep your mouth shut!} </i>(Onmiyame)


    "I no longer need them to live, Akagi saw to that." Kukurhime shook her head. Akagi had created a magical device with Imp''s help that transformed magical energy into the power she needed to survive so Kukurihime would never need to worry about humans forgetting about her again. "But if you''ll recall what I said during our first meeting, not all of our kind needed human prayer to exist in the firstce, and many had fruitful rtionships with them over the millennia." She herself had even bore children with a human, and it wasn''t something unheard of among her kind to do so. ¡°Humans are not our enemy. We warred with them in the pasts, and had points of conflict... But at the end of the day, <i>we </i>were the ones at fault for refusing to respect them.¡±


    <i>{We always saw humans as some kind of lessor. Even I was guilty of that in the past, and it was only after I met my husband that I realized just how simr we really were. Sadly it was toote to reconcile by the time most of our kind woke up to that reality an the only viable choice was to flee from our ancestral home.} </i>(Kukurihime)


    "You only say that because the humans never took anything from you!" Daruma yelled. "You''ve not seen the darkness within their hearts! So what right do you have to criticize our actions? We fought those bastards to save our people from destruction! Why shouldn''t we seek to avenge the fallen?" He growled. ¡°Don''t the dead deserve to be avenged?!?¡±


    "Two wrongs don''t make a right." Kukurihime shook her head. She understood his anger, but knew that the path they wanted to go down was a dead end. "Killing and enving humans, even the ones directly responsible for all those deaths wouldn''t bring our people back. Not to mention that vengeance is often a hollow thing, and it does nothing but drag people into ruin.¡± She''d seen plenty of her fellow Yokai as well as humans who destroyed themselves in the pursuit of vengeance. ¡°Listen, I''m not saying that you don''t have a right to feel angry, and I sympathize with <i>all</i> of our kin who feel the way you do, but even you must understand deep down that your path was nothing more than a way to drag all our people into darkness." She looked at him with a mix of pity and remorse.


    <i>{I know there was nothing that I could''ve done to prevent this... But for some reason I still feel like I failed... Dokorimon I''m sorry that our people had to flee from another home... Wherever your might be looking down from, I want you to know that I''ll do everything in my power to ensure that our people never experience something like this again.} </i>(Kukurihime)


    "My people have a proverb, Elsna eteruna abskelon tu dekamon. Which means that Before You Embark On A Journey Of Revenge, Dig Two Graves." Shinlua exined. "You would''ve doomed our people to be that which you hated, Daruma, and as a result, the cycle of hate would continue. The humans would''ve one day risen up against us as you im that we would do to Akagi, and in the end, our people would not survive.¡± She knew that no matter how powerful the Spirits or Yokai were, that humanity would one day drive them out again if they tried to oppress them. ¡°We might''ve been able to temporarily subjugate them, but as we''ve seen, humanity cannot be contained for long." She shook her head.


    <i>{It was the same on Enoris. There are just too many humans. Dwarves, Elves and even Beastkin cannotpete with their numbers and what theyck in strength they more than make up for in their resourcefulness. In such a scenario it would be only a matter of time until they win.} </i>(Shinlua)


    "YOU have especially no right to talk, Elf!" Daruma hissed at her. "Your people helped to destroy ours! That you gained the favor of some of the rabble does not absolve you of the sins your kindmitted!" He never epted her as a ''Spirit'' and only acquiesced to her cement on the Council due to her skill and public pressure.


    "Shinlua fought to <i>save </i>us, Daruma!" Mizumi interjected. "She fought Shiroe Amakusa head-on, risking her life to buy us time! So don''t you <i>dare </i>impune her character just because other members of her race were assholes!" She didn''t take too kind to anyone talking down the Shinlua just because she wasn''t a Spirit. ¡°She''s a far better person than you three and has <i>always </i>had our people''s best interest at heart!¡±


    <i>{You''re lucky that I don''t strangle the life out of you right now! Had it not been for Shinlua nearly dying TWICE we might not have had enough time to escape Enoris! She was prepared to die in ast stand against Shiroe and the other Heroes!} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Hah! Figures <i>you </i>would side with her." Daruma scoffed as he looked away. "You''ve got quite the track record, Mizumi. Siding with those who aren''t our kind."


    "I side with those who have our best interest in mind!" Mizumi yelled at him. "Whether they''re Spirit or not is irrelevant! What our people need its to be safe and secure! If I have to get the help of somebody outside then so be it!"


    "And you truly believe that a Demon Lord has our people''s best interest at heart?" Onmiyame could never believe something like that was true. "Do you <i>truly</i> think that such a being, one born to DESTROY sees all of us as more than just toys? That she wouldn''t cast you and everyone else into darkness for entertainment?"


    <i>{You''re naive Mizuimi. Our ancestors fought against Vikes all those millennia ago and I can assure you that there''s nothing redeemable about a monster like that.} </i>(Onmiyame)


    Mizumi was about to go ballistic, but Before she could say anything, Kukurihime answered.


    "Far be it from me to defend a <i>Demon</i>. But at the very least, I can tell you that Akagi has no <i>malice </i>toward our people." Kukurihime said with a stern voice. "I''ve met many evil beings over the years, <i>truly </i>evil beings, Onmiyame. And while I''ll admit that Akagi has a great darkness within her, that is not <i>all</i> that she is." She shook her head. "In the short time I''ve known her, I''vee to understand that for all the great power she has and all the bluster that she spews regarding her status, what she wants more than anything is to be left in peace."


    <i>{Not to mention that for all the bluster about throwing away her humanity and embracing her status as a Demon Lord, she still bears the scars of her past and they haunt her to his very day. Akagi may not be a human, but her mind can never be rid of its humanity entirely, and THAT''S why I think she can be a good friend and ally to our people. We may be a curiosity to her, but at the same time I no longer doubt her intentions toward us or our people. Time can do a lot to beings like her and I, but I do not think it can erase the kindness that I know exists within her heart.} </i>(Kukurihime)


    "So you say, but for how long?" Onmiyame asked. "How long until such a being tires of peace and desires violence and destruction?" He figured that Akagi would one day bore of them and start treating them like ythings.


    "I don''t know." Kukurihime shrugged, and Onmiyame twitched at the unexpectedment. "I have no idea if she''ll one day bore of our people and start acting out. However, I see no reason to judge her on what she <i>could </i>do versus what she <i>has </i>done." Sheughed. "And when I look at her actions up till today, I see someone that can be kind and caring, but also firm and forceful. Akagi had every chance to destroy our people but chose to give Mizumi the opportunity to prove that we deserved to live. She could''ve enved humanity but instead chose to co-exist with them, albeit with the understanding that she was above theirws. Thus, from my perspective, she''s better than some of <i>our </i>kind that I knew in the past, and there were plenty of our people that used their power to lord over humans in the very way <i>you lot </i>intended to."


    <i>{There''s a reason the Tokugawa n created a special Yokai hunting family from their blood. Humans needed protection from those Yokai who went beyond what humanity could tolerate, and our eventual exile was the result of all those mistakes.} </i>(Kukurihime)


    "Whatever." Daruma huffed. "I''m done with this conversation. Just leave me to rot in this cell and go fuck yourself." He turned away.


    "Fine. I have no real interest in talking to you idiots anymore either." Mizumi replied. "Though don''t expect to ''rot'' for very long." Her lips curved into a smirk.


    "Oh? Why not?" Daruma asked with one eye turned toward her.


    "Because I''ve asked Judge Musharna to order your executions as part of your punishment." Mizumi''s words caused all three former Council members to stare at her in shock.


    "WHAT?!?" Sizix finally spoke up.


    <i>{I DON''T WANT TO DIE!} </i>(Sizix)


    "Y-You''d seriously..." Onmiyame was in shock. Capital punishment was essentially banned by their people, even in the most extreme instances.


    "Hah! You really have be that <i>Demon''s </i>puppet!" Darumaughed. "I guess it makes sense since she sees nothing as sacred. Congrattions Mizumi! You''ve really let that <i>Demon </i>take you for a ride!¡±


    "Contrary to what you expect. Akagi was <i>not </i>the one who made this call. <i>I </i>was." Mizumi red at the three of them. "I merely asked for her advice on the matter, and she told me to follow my gut." She looked between the three former Council members. "You lot have not only ced our people in great danger, but you schemed tomit an atrocity that would make what happened to our people look tame inparison!" Her anger exploded as years of emotions came spilling out. "You three make me ashamed to call myself a Spirit! Not to mention the fact that despite all your ims about keeping our people safe, you and your cronies were stealing our people''s resources for your backers! You three were living it up while many of our people had NOTHING!" She bit her lip in frustration. "<i>None</i> of you have any right to call yourself the protectors of our people when, from the very beginning, you''ve thought of NOTHING but yourselves! If not for your foolishness we could''ve avoided this whole series of events! Hymone secured a peace deal with the other races, and yet YOU THREE rejected it, thinking that it was stupid to ept <i>something</i> when you were CERTAIN we could secure a more favorable oue. WELL, GUESS WHAT! YOU WERE WRONG! YOU WERE WRONG, AND NOW HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF OUR PEOPLE ARE DEAD! DEAD BECAUSE YOU THREE COULDN''T PUT ASIDE YOUR GREED FOR FIVE MINUTES AND PUT OUR PEOPLE''S SAFETY AS YOUR FIRST PRIORITY!" She let out a deep breath. Mizumi had wanted to yell at them like this for a while but never did due to decorum but with that no longer required she was letting loose. "And the best part? If it wasn''t for Akagi, the rest of us would be doomed. Because those fucking Gods weren''t content with driving us from our home. No, now because Enoris is a sinking ship, those <i>rats</i> are trying to find a way to flee, and guess what their idea was?" She gave a terrifying smile that gave everyone chills. "They''re sending those Heroes <i>here</i> with the express goal of wiping us out and bing the new gods of <i>this </i>world."


    "W-What?!?" Onmiyame barely squeaked out one word.


    <i>{They''re...} </i>(Onmiyame)


    ¡°They''reing <em>here</em>?!?¡± Sizix paled.


    ¡°You can''t be serious?!?¡± Daruma tried to pull away from his chains but was unable to move much.


    "You heard me!" Mizumi growled. "Akagi is now the <i>only</i> thing that stands between our people and <i>annihtion</i>. So <i>sorry</i> that I''m trying to cultivate a good rtionship with the ONE person who seems to genuinely want to help us!" She turned to leave. "Now, use whatever time you have left to contemte the stupidity of your lives, and the next time I see you, it will be when they remove your heads from your bodies!" She walked away, tearsing down her eyes.


    <i>{This is what I have to do. I''m sorry, Hymone. I know you would''ve never wanted things to end like this, but please understand that I''m doing what I need to do for our people. If they all condemn me for this action, then so be it. Even if they don''t want me, I''ll always protect them. It was the job you gave me and the duty that has fallen to me, and I''m going to see it through to the end.} </i>(Mizumi)

 Chapter 234 – You’ve Got to be Kitten Me!

    Chapter 234 ¨C You¡¯ve Got to be Kitten Me!


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    *taps mic* MEW!


    "Alright, Miji, we''re going to head up to the beach house for the day! So it''s time to get out of the water!" Yumi yelled to her sister, who was swimming around with Mr. Blubber. The day had been a fun one and everyone was thoroughly tan/burned even with extrayers of protective lotion. Yumi had never really spent time at the beach before and the girls enjoyed showing her and Miji what some fun in the Sun was like.


    "But Sister! I don''t wanna go!" Miji pouted. She''d been enjoying herself all day, and took to the ocean quite well, despite her inability to swim.


    <i>{The water is fun and Mr. Blubber is fast!} </i>(Miji)


    "The Sun is going down, Miji. You can''t stay in the water when it gets dark." Yumi giggled. Seeing her sister enjoy herself so much was nice, but she couldn''t allow her to remain in the water any longer today. "Besides, I heard a story that naughty girls who get in the water after dark turn into horrible fishmen!" She decided to mess with her sister a bit and tell her an embellished story that Akagi had once mentioned to her in the past.


    <i>{Bad girls sleep with the fishys!} </i>(Yumi)


    "EEP!" Miji squeaked as she told Mr. Blubber to head back to shore, where she was dropped off. "I don''t wanna be a smelly fish man!" She turned to Mr. Blubber. "You''d best be careful, Mr. Blubber! You''re too cute and nice to be all smelly!" She pet the dolphin on the head which elicited a happy sound as it sshed away.


    "Mr. Blubber will be nice and safe in my storage, so don''t worry about him." Alice returned from her ocean tform, walking across the water. "So don''t worry. I''ll make him all nice and clean for you! That way you can y againter." She chuckled as she sucked up her various puppets back into her inventory.


    After drying Miji off, Yumi wrapped a nket around the shivering girl. "Did you have fun today?" She asked her sister as the three girls walked back toward the nkets that Kana was putting away.


    "Yeah! It was amazing! The ocean is fun!" Miji gave a toothy smile that practically melted her sister''s heart.


    "Good! I''m d to hear it." Yumi pat her on the head. "Now let''s get you dried off and changed. We''re going to have some seafood for dinner at a nice ce that Naomi picked out, so make sure to remember your manners." She was worried that Miji might repeat her pasta mess.


    <i>{I''m so d that Akagi and I will never have children. Doing this for my sister is bad enough...} </i>(Yumi)


    "I''ll be good, I promise." Miji said as she took off running towards Kana and the girls, where she began telling them all about the different fish and sea life she saw while riding Mr. Blubber.


    "There was a huuuuge turtle in the water! It was so big that I think I could''ve ridden on it!" Miji smiled.


    <i>{Mr. Blubber wouldn''t let me ride it though...} </i>(Miji)


    "That''s really neat." Mika said with a beaming smile as she stroked Miji''s head. "Maybe it was a Kappa!" Sheughed.


    "Don''t go jinxing anything!" Kana scolded her for making a carelessment like that. "Yokai are <i>actually </i>real, and there''s no telling if Kukurihime was the only one of them to stick around." She sighed.


    <i>{I SWEAR TO GOD IF A KAPPA ATTACKS US I''M FEEDING YOU TO IT, MIKA!} </i>(Kana)


    "I''m pretty sure any real Yokai around here would be far too afraid to do anything." Naomimented as she fixed her hair with a pony holder.


    "Well, let''s <i>not </i>go tempting fate, thank you very much." Kana huffed as she finished putting all the beach equipment away in a big bag. "The <ist</i> thing I need to do is call Onee-chan and tell her that somebody drowned because a Kappa or some other sea creature attacked them."


    <i>{She''d probably find it funny honestly...} </i>(Mika)


    "I''m pretty sure we could take them!" Himari said proudly as she performed imaginary air punches. "One shot, and we''d split any nasty old Kappa in half! Woosh-Woosh!"


    "That being said, I <i>don''t</i> actually think we need to worry about running into said creature." Momo noted that Kappa lived in rivers, not in the ocean, and that most water-loving Yokai wouldn''t go anywhere near such a crowded beach.


    "None of my puppets saw anything strange either, so let''s not worry about it." Alice shrugged. "Besides, if anyone, human or Yokai tries anything, I can easily handle them." She could easily fight most things from this world, even without the use of her puppets.


    <i>{I won''t let anyone hurt Miji! Any nasty old Kappa will get punched straight to the moon by Fluffy and Floofy!} </i>(Alice)


    "Oh yeah, that''s right." Kanaughed. "I kinda forget sometimes that you''re a yer and can actually do some pretty crazy things." Alice, normally, seemed so non-threatening that the girls often forgot just how powerful she waspared to them.


    <i>{Lets just keep thinking of her as my happy little niece... God... I have a niece at seventeen... ugh...} </i>(Kana)


    "Alice is what we in the business call a <i>danger loli</i>." Mika giggled. "She is cute and cuddly, but with one finger she can rip off your head!"


    <i>{What fucking business?!? The kind that gets Interpol on you?!? Is the Magical Girl teaming up with Avahn to do evil?!?} </i>(Kana)


    "If she''s the ''danger loli'' as you put it, then I''d say that makes you the <i>magical loli.</i>" Naomi rolled her eyes.


    "Being small and cute is great!" Alicemented. "You all are just jealous of Mika and I." Her lips curved into an evil grin. "But I suppose that''s because you olddies are just jealous of younger, cute, and more energetic girls like us. Ku, Ku. Ku." She gave a slightly evilugh, one that Akagi had specifically taught her.


    <i>{Why must the cute little girl give the most clich¨¦ evilugh...} </i>(Kana)


    "Alice, you might be powerful, but Onee-chan taught me your weakness." Kana wiggled her fingers at her, menacingly. "So perhaps be a bit nicer to us, lest I pull out the secret weapon!"


    <i>{Scary Kana plus tickles is the stuff of nightmares.} </i>(Naomi)


    "No tickles!" Alice shrieked in terror. "Tickles are evil! Mama always does them to me, and it makes me so tired..." She hid behind Yumi.


    <i>{Evil tickles!} </i>(Alice)


    "Trust me, kid. I know how you feel." Mika gave a wry smile. She''d been on the receiving end of Akagi''s tickles once before, though in her case, it waspletely willingly and something that she''d done out of curiosity. Though she''d instantly regretted it.


    <i>{The tickles were fun, until they weren''t...} </i>(Mika)


    "Akagi''s ticking is a bit extreme, especially when she decides to go all out." Yumi''d been on the receiving end of <i>that </i>more than once.


    <i>{She can get a bit overzealous with the tickling, and I think I even passed out one time when she used her shadow tendrils to tickle practically everywhere at once.} </i>(Yumi)


    Once everything was packed up, and the girls got changed, they went back to their beach house to shower and put on different clothing before they went to dinner. Osaka had numerous different seafood restaurants, and Naomi liked one in particr that she''d been to in the past. It sat on the boardwalk overlooking the ocean, and it had quite a wide selection of food including all kinds of local catches and recipes.


    The beach house they were staying in was, as expected, high-end and was farrger and more extravagant than either Mika or Kana expected. Once everyone washed off the salt from their bodies, they threw on fresh clothing and got ready for a nice rxing night after an exhaustingly fun day at the beach. The Sun hadpletely gone down by this point, and while it was still Summer, the night air was starting to get cool, thus everyone threw on long-sleeved shirts to stave off chills.


    "Now, keep hold of my hand." Yumi said to her sister as the group left the beach house. "The city is a dangerous ce, so you can''t get separated from me." She was worried that Miji would get lost, since children tended to run around aimlessly.


    "Ok!" Miji said as she grabbed onto Yumi''s hand with a smile.


    "Does one of us need to hold <i>Alice''s</i> hand too?" Mika smirked as she looked over at the girl in question. "She might get lost out here, and we can''t risk such a poor defenseless little girl like her getting snatched up by some bad people!" Sheughed, herment eliciting an eye roll and small electrical shock from Alice.


    ¡°OWCHI!¡± Mika jumped as she was tazed.


    <i>{DANGER LOLI IS DANGEROUS!} </i>(Mika)


    "I''m pretty sure if somebody <i>did </i>kidnap Alice, they''d quicklye to regret all their life choices as she was ending their very existence." Naomi sighed as she ignored the feint smell of singed Mika.


    "Either that or Mama woulde and eat their soul." Alice shrugged as she deftly avoided a swipe from Mika. "Regardless of <i>who </i>deals with them, its certain that they wouldn''t be around for very long." The harmless-looking Alice was anything but, and as the girls had seen in Nagoya, she was able and <i>willing </i>to kill people. "Though I still think that <i>Mika</i> is the one we need to be watchful of. This girl is even more irresponsible than me, and I''m fifteen." She snickered.


    <i>{Sad part is, she''s not wrong...} </i>(Naomi)


    "Oi!" Mika protested. "How am I less responsible than you! I''m older and more mature than you, missy!"


    "<i>Older </i>sure, but definitely not wiser or mature." Alice retorted as she giggled.


    "Yeah, when Mika was being made, I think they ran out of smarts and just dumped in extra stupid topensate!" Kana howled as Mika tried to bop her on the head.


    "Now, Now. Mika isn''t <i>stupid</i>. Her head is just filled with sparkles, gumdrops, and wonders!" Naomimented whileughing.


    "Nice to see that my so-called friends are the first ones to start talking smack about me." Mika rolled her eyes. "And by the way, you forgot kitties and marshmallows. Those are in there too!" Sheughed.


    "Is the kitty in question Onee-chan?" Kana smirked.


    "Hey, I don''t discriminate. Fluff is fluff." Mika nodded confidently. "Akagi just so happens to be the floofiest thing around."


    "Fluff is justice!" Mijimented. "At least that was what Sister said the other night."


    <i>{¡­ Well... Am I wrong?} </i>(Yumi)


    "Poor Yumi has been corruptedpletely by the kitty." Naomi chuckled. "I suppose there''s no saving you from her <i>paws </i>now."


    "As if she''d <i>want </i>to be saved." Mikaughed. "Yumi loves her little kitty and would be devastated if she left her. You could say that she and Akagi are a <i>purr-fect </i>match!" The girls'' awful puns caused Yumi to sigh.


    "A, don''t worry, Yumi. We''re just <i>kitten</i> around." Kana continued with the pun train, and Yumi only continued to sigh.


    "Yeah, don''t take things so <i>purr-sonal</i>." Alice joined in, and Yumi continued to sigh over the bad cat puns.


    "Sister looks sad, so maybe we should all give her a couple of MEWs to make her feel better." Miji turned to her sister and took a stance that looked like a cat pawing. "MEW!"


    <i>{Why did Akagi show her that?!? Because goddammit its cute!} </i>(Yumi)


    "Are we done picking on me?" Yumi asked.


    "For now!" (Kana x Alice x Miji x Naomi x Mika)


    Once the teasing had subsided the group started their walk from their beach house to the boardwalk where the seafood restaurant was. After around fifteen minutes, the group came to the location in question, a small ce that overlooked the ocean named the Sea Cucumber. Once they''d arranged for a table on the external eating area, they moved through the dining area and outside, only to see an unexpected face.


    "Oh? What a strange coincidence seeing you all here." Superbia was sitting at one of the outdoor tables with an older man and woman. The girls almost didn''t recognize her at first because her hair was down and she was wearing normal street clothes.


    Spoiler


    Superbia in Street Clothes!


    [copse]

 Chapter 235 – A Missing Piece.

    Chapter 235 ¨C A Missing Piece.


    "Oh hey, Superbia." Kana waved at her. "I wasn''t expecting to see you here." She''d never really seen the Oni in street clothing and almost didn''t recognize her at first, even though the horns should''ve been a dead giveaway.


    <i>{She looks so different with her hair down like that. Also, I guess not wearing samurai clothes helps with that too...} </i>(Kana)


    "I mean, I <i>am </i>from Osaka." Superbiamented as the girls took a seat at an adjacent table. "I came to see my parents during my time off and I''m in and out periodically." She pointed to the two people sitting across from her. One was an older woman with short ck hair and wearing a white and ck sweater with jeans. While the other was an equally old man who wore a dress shirt along with a sweater vest over it along with dress pants. "This is my mother Aya, and my father, Mitsurugi." Her father was the head of her family and the owner of the Yoshida transportationpany.


    "Nice to meet you." Aya smiled as she waved at the girls.


    "Likewise." Mitsurugi''s face was rather expressionless, and Kana got the sense that he was a stoic businessman.


    <i>{He''s kinda like Dad if he was a bit grumpier.} </i>(Kana)


    "I see that neither trouble makers is with you at the moment." Superbia noted that absence of Akagi and Hishya as she sipped her drink. ¡°Its unusual for both to be missing with so many of you around.¡±


    "Onee-chan is busy back at the house, though I did invite her toe along. While Hishya is staying with her parents, and they''re doing some stuff together in Tokyo." Kana had originally been invited but once she was told that Hishya was going to some kind of knitting event she politely declined.


    <i>{I swear to god if shees home with homemade pillows...} </i>(Kana)


    "I suppose that''s for the best since either of them would undoubtedly cause all kinds of chaos in a ce like this." Superbiaughed. "And when they get together, the crazy only ramps up significantly." She wasn''t aware of Akagi''s breakout of Elna at this point since she was on leave, otherwise she might''ve started interrogating Kana about Akagi''s whereabouts more thoroughly.


    "Yeah, that sounds about right." Mikaughed. "Akagi is pretty much chaos incarnate. Especially in kitty mode."


    "As if <i>you''re</i> any better." Naomi poked her in the side.


    "I never imed to be." Mika smirked.


    <i>{Its fine when I do it since I''m cute!} </i>(Mika)


    "You don''t normally stay in Osaka much, so it was a pretty big coincidence that we''re all here at the same time." Yumi said as the waitress brought everyone menus. "You normally stay in Tokyo most days, but I know youe back here from time to time."


    "I''m going to ignore the part about you <i>spying </i>on me." Superbia shook her head, figuring it wasn''t worth it. "I came here to take my parents out to dinner. My father only gets so much free time, and I like to make a habit of seeing these two when I get the chance. Otherwise, they might get lonely without me around." Sheughed.


    "She says that, but Akari here always enjoys spending time with us." Aya teased her.


    "Akari?" Mika didn''t know Superbia''s real name, as she''d only ever heard her go by her FWO name.


    "That would be my real name. Though I don''t really use it much more at this point." Superbia shrugged. "Most people just call me Superbia, and that''s what''s stuck."


    <i>{Plus... It was given to me by...} </i>(Superbia)


    "Ah, so <i>that''s </i>why your sister was named Munechika." Yumimented. In Japanese Akari could mean light, while Munechika, while not actually meaning darkness, was simr to moon when using romanji.


    The use of her sister''s name caused her to stop for a moment as she nced over at Miji. Superbia had been informed by Akagi of the events that transpired within the Council Hall, and the <i>Demon </i>herself bluntly told her that she had the chance to reunite her with her sister, but chose to resurrect Miji instead. Naturally, this caused a great deal of anger to swell within the Oni, but she quickly realized that it would do nothing to harbor such feelings toward Akagi. The <i>Demon</i> was the one given the choice, and she had no obligation or reason to choose Munechika over the sister of her Bonded Soul.


    "Moonie''s name had nothing to do with the moon actually. I just called her that as a nickname." Superbia replied. "My mother''s name is actually where the naming conventiones from since her name means moon." Superbia''s lips seemed to quiver slightly as she spoke of her sister and both of her parents were clearly worried about her. Her sister''s death had urred many years ago at this point, but it was clear to the girls that the pain of that loss had not abated for one moment.


    "If I''m not mistaken, it was that Hishya girl that killed those men that took my daughter from us." Superbia''s father spoke as he looked over at Kana.


    "Yes, she was. It was during the battle of Nagoya, and she stopped them from killing Superbia as well." Kana''d heard the entire story from Hishya in the days after the battle, and knew just how much Hishya kicked herself for not killing those two sooner.


    <i>{She still regrets it to this day... Just another thing that she can''t forgive herself for.} </i>(Kana)


    "I''ve only rarely seen Hishya as angry as she was that day." Superbia shook her head. "I suppose she mes herself for Moonie''s death since she stopped us from hunting them down like we wanted to." Hishya was concerned that arge portion of the team leaving to hunt Gim and Grim would weaken the Assault team, and she was wary of what might happen once more blood was spilled.


    "I still wish it was me." Superbia said quietly. <i>She</i> wanted to be the one to kill them, and while she was happy that they''d died one way or the other, she still felt as if she was robbed of her vengeance. Though Yumi thought herment could''ve easily meant something else entirely.


    <i>{I heard from Akagi that Superbia attempted suicide in the game once after her sister died... I''m worried that she still...} </i>(Yumi)


    "Yes. Well, the next time you see her..." Mitsurugi stood up and bowed. "Please give her my thanks, both for saving Akari and for avenging the death of Munechika." His formal bow shocked Superbia, who only ever saw her father act this way during work.


    "I-I will let her know." Kana was taken aback slightly, as she pegged the man as a hardass. "Though I doubt she wants any such gratitude, seeing as she feels responsible for everything."


    "From what I was told, her actions were taken to save as many lives as possible, and she was fearful that further bloodshed would only weaken the resolve of those under hermand." Mitsurugi sat back down. "As a father, I wish she''d killed those men <i>before </i>my daughter was taken, but from an objective viewpoint, I understand her reluctance. Taking a life isn''t easy, and I understand her hesitancy."


    <i>{Dad...} </i>(Superbia)


    "And to be honest, I don''t think Munechika would''ve wanted Akari to cover her hands with blood." Aya chimed in. "She was never that kind of girl. Munechika was sweet, caring, and generally kind. I don''t think she would like to hear that her older sister did something like that, even for her." She reached out and grabbed Superbia''s hand over the table.


    "I know." Superbia sighed. "But those two still had to pay, even if Moonie wouldn''t have liked it." She clicked her tongue. "I still wish it was me who killed them, at least that way..."


    <i>{At least that way it would''ve given me some closure...} </i>(Superbia)


    "Superbia... I''m... I''m sorry." Yumi said weakly. She still felt bad that it was <i>her </i>sister that returned instead of Superbia''s.


    "Stop." Superbia shook her head. "There''s no reason to feel bad. Just... Just do me one thing, please." She stared into Yumi''s eyes. "Make sure you take good care of your sister, Yumi. You were given a chance, one that many others would <i>kill</i> for, so don''t waste it. OK? Otherwise, I <i>will </i>be angry." She figured that if Munechika''s return was denied, Yumi should at least make sure she cherishes the one brought back in her ce.


    <i>{Its the least you can do...} </i>(Superbia)


    "It''s a deal." Yumi smiled as she pat Miji on the head. "I''ll make sure that Miji is given far more love than she could handle!"


    "What are you two talking about, Sister?" Miji asked, not knowing the context of the petting, but being happy to receive it nheless.


    "Nothing. Don''t worry about it." Yumi smiled. ¡°Just know that I love you very much.¡± She hugged her tightly for a moment.


    "???" Miji tilted her head, still confused.


    "It just means that you and your sister need to take good care of each other." Superbiamented. "And that you always need to love each other very much."


    "Well, I love Sister lots already, so it''s all good!" Miji gave a toothy smile as Yumi continued to pat her on the head.


    "More than the kitty?" Mika smirked as she asked a question that made Kana roll her eyes.


    <i>{I swear to god if she says yes...} </i>(Kana)


    "Kitty is nice..." Miji thought for a moment. "But Sister is still better!" She hugged Yumi.


    <i>{That she had to think for a moment says a lot.} </i>(Naomi)


    <i>{Mama is fluffy! Its understandable for her to hesitate!} </i>(Alice)


    The two groups continued their discussion over dinner, and it turned out that the food at this restaurant was as excellent as Naomi imed. The girls ordered a wide variety of dishes ranging from scallops to swordfish, and everyone was quite happy with their meals. Once everyone had eaten, the girls gave their goodbye to Superbia and her family before heading back to their beach house for some well earned rest.


    "Those girls seemed nice." Superbia''s mother chuckled as they walked towards their car. "I''m d to see you have such good friends."


    "<i>Friends </i>might be a bit too strong of a word. I just mostly know them because of a certain trouble making <i>Demon</i>." Superbia sighed.


    <i>{Though... They are all nice people...} </i>(Superbia)


    "Regardless, it''s nice to see you acting a bit less mopey. You''re always serious like your father, and it''s rare to see youugh like you did tonight." Her mother smiled, and Superbia looked away from her in embarrassment.


    <i>{I hope that one day you can be as happy as you were when your sister was still with us, Akari.} </i>(Aya)


    "It''s just... I..." Superbia didn''t really know what to say. "Losing Moonie really took it out of me. She was always the one to bring me out of my shell and get me tough, and ever since she..."


    <i>{Ever since she died, part of me hasn''t been the same, and I feel like half a person...) </i>(Superbia)


    "Akari." Her father cut in. "Your Sister''s death... It affected <i>all</i> of us. She was a beacon of light in our house, and I miss her every day." He gave a bitter smile as he recalled the past. "No matter how bad of a day at work I had or how depressed your mother got over her job, Munechika was always there to bring us back up." He put his hand on Superbia''s shoulder. "I''ve struggled with the loss of that light, but... but I''ve told myself that she wouldn''t want us to be miserable just because she''s gone." He shook his head. "That girl... She wouldn''t want to see you in the state you''re in, she''d be sad to see you in such pain, and I know that wherever she is, Munechika''s probably screaming at you to smile. I know it will be hard Akari, but think of it this way..." He continued. "Your smile, yourughs, all of it... <i>They </i>are how your Sister continues to live on. So smile,ugh. If for no other reason, than because that''s what she would''ve wanted." He pat her on the shoulder and pulled her into a hug. "Your mother and I love you, Akari. Never forget that. I don''t care what you look like now or what kind of power you have, you will always be our daughter. Nothing can change the fact that you''re one of my beloved children and I will always be here for you, now and forever."


    "Your father is right." Her mother hugged her as well. "So, please... I know it will be hard, but try and smile, for your Sister."


    "I... I''ll try." Superbia was slightly flushed in the face. "I''ll try..." She was teary eyed as she backed away from the two of them.


    "Are you going to visit her?" Her mother asked if she was going to visit the grave.


    "Yeah... I feel like I need to..." Superbia turned to leave but stopped just as she was about to leap away. "Mom, Dad... I know I probably don''t say it enough but... I love you both too." She said as she jumped into the air and took off atop the rooftops of Kyoto.


    "She really does take after you." Superbia''s mother giggled as she got in the car. "Akari can''t even say the word love while looking at us."


    "Yeah, but she also takes after you in her devotion to her family." Her fatherughed as he got in the car and started the engine. "I just hope that she can smile like she used to... At dinner tonight... <i>That</i> was the Akari that I remember... How she was all those years ago."


    "I know... I know..." Superbia''s mother put her hands on her husband''s as they hugged in the car, each shedding a few tears as a picture of their family dangled on the rear view mirror. In it were two young ck-haired girls that looked like twins, and the smile on their faces seemed to brighten the very air around them.

 Chapter 236 – Despair and Joy.

    Chapter 236 ¨C Despair and Joy.


    Superbia leaped across Osaka''s rooftops on the way to her sister''s grave site. Like Alice''s family, Munechika was cremated and buried at a family plot, and Superbia frequented it to ''talk'' to her deceased sister. It was something that was intended to bring her sce and closure, but every time she went, all Superbia could feel was a tightness in her chest and a sadness in her heart. Munechika''s death struck the entire family hard, but Superbia, even more than he parents was devastated by the loss of her sister.


    The two were close, far closer than most siblings their age, and they were rarely apart. The death of what Superbia considered her other half was devastating for the Oni and threw her into a cycle of depression and unbridled rage that came and went almost at random. In the nearly three years since her sister''s death at the hands of Gim and Grim, Superbia had only sunk deeper and deeper into mncholy, and there were days when she considered ending it all just to join Munechika on the other side. Though shecked the willpower to actually go through with it, it was nheless a tempting thought.


    As she touched down at the cemetery, it was quiet and empty with little in the way of illumination to pierce through the darkness. Thiste at night, there weren''t supposed to be any visitors, and security <i>should''ve</i> seen her off. However, as one poor man on watch discovered a few months ago, actually <i>removing </i>the angry Oni here to see her sister''s grave was simultaneously <i>impossible </i>and the highest tier of folly.


    "I''m back again, Moonie." Superbia said as she stood before her sister''s grave. It wasn''t anything special, though it did have a photo of her before FWO taped to it. "I''m sorry that it''s been a few weeks since I wasst here. Things got a little hectictely with the whole needing to kill Serval again." She slowly reached out her hand andid it upon the top of the headstone. "Your birthday ising up soon. I can''t believe you''ll already be twenty-two. Time flies, huh?" She gave a bitter smile as her face went dark.


    "Mom and Dad... They said I need to start smiling again... That I need to do it for you... but... I... I don''t know if I can..." She paused for a moment, her voice starting to tremble. "You were... You were the reason I was able to smile... You made meugh, You warmed my heart and... and I just couldn''t help but be in a good mood whenever you were around, you know?¡± Superbia gave a bitter smile. ¡°But... Now that you''re gone... I just... My heart just won''t let me be happy, no matter how much I try to be... You''re gone... You''ll nevere back, and I''ll never see you again... So how <i>can </i>I be happy?!?" She yelled, her voice echoing in the darkness. "My sister is gone! The <i>one</i> person that truly understood me is gone!" Tears slowly trailed down her cheeks as she desperately tried to stay on her feet.


    "You were the only person who didn''t think my pride was foolish. Hell, you were the one that gave me the name Superbia! Everyone always said that I was too prideful, that I was arrogant, and egotistical... But you..." Superbia fell to her knees as her crying intensified. "You always told me that my pride was an important part of who I was... That it was something that made me special, and that... that there was nothing wrong with me..." She punched the ground, putting a small crack in the pavement. "I''m the first daughter of the Yoshida n. I was supposed to take over once Dad stepped down. I was groomed to lead and take charge... and I was <i>good </i>at it!" Superbia continued her rant. "Why <i>shouldn''t</i> I take pride in my skill? Why <i>shouldn''t</i> I be proud of who I am and what I can do?!? But everyone... they all said I was overconfident... cocky, and that my pride would be my downfall..." She looked up at the headstone. "Moonie... Why did it have to be you?" Superbia said with tears streaming down her face. "Why did you have to die while I lived?!? Why couldn''t it have been me?!? I can''t... I can''t do it without you! You were more than just my sister, you were my best friend! And I... I... I miss you... Every day... Every moment... it''s <i>painful, </i>and it hurts to know that you''re gone..." Superbia, like Akagi, was fearful of being alone in a world of people that didn''t understand her. The only difference is while Akagi found people who epted her, Superbia lost the only person that did.


    <i>{If Moonie had been the one who lived... If she''d survived and I died... Then I know that things would''ve been better...} </i>(Superbia)


    "Maybe I really should just-" Superbia paused before saying something that she knew she shouldn''t, as a purple glowing butterfly flew down from above and hovered in front of her face. It gave off quite a bit of magical energy, and for a moment the Oni thought she was hallucinating. "W-What?" She reached out to touch it, but it dodged her hand and flew into the air. "Wait!" She sat up and chased the fleeing butterfly which took off towards the local forest. "Come back!" She had no idea <i>why </i>but something inside her told Superbia that she needed to follow the mysterious butterfly.


    Taking off at high speed, Superbia chased it through the woods and across Osaka. She was surprised by the speed at which it flew, and no matter how fast she went, it always seemed to be just a bit faster than her.


    <i>{Where is it going?!? And why do I care?!?} </i>(Superbia)


    After what felt like an eternity, the butterfly reached Minoh Park just north of Osaka. It was dark thiste at night but the butterfly''s purple glow made finding it easy. After heading inside, the butterfly moved to one of the tforms that overlooked the falls.


    "Finally!" Superbia caught up to the butterfly. "Now, what the hell is going on?!?" She growled as she stood before the flying insect. "Who are you, and what do you want with me?" She yelled at the butterfly, who just floated silently.


    <i>{I swear if this is Akagi messing with me...} (Superbia)</i>


    As she stood within the park, she was suddenly reminded of a trip that she and her sister took to this ce when they were kids. The falls here were quite the popr attraction, and Superbia recalled how mesmerized her sister was with them.


    <i>{This ce was always one of her favorites...} </i>(Superbia)


    After approaching the railing and looking down at the rushing falls, her mind was flooded with so many memories of her time with her sister.


    "Is this what you wanted to show me?" Superbia looked at the butterfly. "Moonie always loved this ce, and we were actually nning to go here after graduation." Sheughed. "I... I was really looking forward to that..." She stood in silence as she looked out over the darkened park, and as she did the butterfly grew closer.


    "I''m not sure who sent you, but I guess I should thank them... I was in a pretty dark ce there for a moment..." Superbia sighed. "So tha-" She stopped mid-word as the butterfly flew in front of her and plunged straight into her chest, disappearing. "WHAT THE HELL?!?" She swatted at her chest and shirt, but the butterfly was gone. "WHAT THE FUCKING HELL?!?" She panicked, not knowing what just happened. "Where did it-" She stopped again. This time because she could feel something strange within her body.


    "Magic? No, it feels like something''s <i>buzzing</i>." Superbia said as she tried to calm down. "But... Where is it?" She thought for a moment before the answer to her question shed across her mind. "My inventory!" She opened a small dark portal and stuck her hand in, rifling through the countless objects she''d stored. "I can feel it! Something strange, it''s like a kind of energy." As she pushed deeper and deeper into her storage, she eventually grabbed hold of the object giving off a strange sensation. "Now, what is making this-" The Oni paused as she pulled arge Nodachi out of her inventory. It was long, taller than her, and it was sheathed in a deep purple and gold covering. It was an item she knew quite well from her time in FWO since it was one that belonged to her sister.


    "I... I forgot that I had this..." Superbia stared at the de in disbelief and awe. "Moonie... She gave this to me so that I could have it repaired... But... I... I never got to give it back..." Upon death, the rest of her sister''s items would''ve been destroyed, and thus this was all that remained of her sister''s gear. "But... why is her de..." Before she could inspect it any further, the sword leaped out of her hand and floated behind her, hovering a few feet in the air. "What?!?" She yelled as fog began to roll in and surrounded her. Superbia was paralyzed with confusion, fear, and all sorts of emotions, until in the back of her mind, she swore that <i>someone</i> told her to draw her sister''s de.


    "Y-You want me to draw you?" Superbia asked the sword but got no response. "Is that why you called me here?" Again, she got no reply, but decided that she had nothing to lose by trusting her gut feeling, and slowly approached the de, her hands trembling sightly.


    "Oh hell... This is how really bad things happen in horror movies and old legends, but fuck it!" She took a deep breath as she grabbed the hilt of the de with one hand and the sheath with the other before slowly drawing the de. It was just as beautiful as she remembered it, the de was made of a metal called Admesium, which gave it a golden color that was almost the same as her sister''s eyes in the game.


    The moment she fully unsheathed the de, Superbia heard a giggle behind her, causing her to spin around. "Whose-" She froze, as behind her, leaning on the railing, was an all too familiar purple-haired Oni. "N-No..." She stared at the woman standing before her, who merely smiled and waved at her. The new Oni gave off a warmth that Superbia knew could onlye from one person, but she didn''t want to believe it was possible.


    "M-Moonie..." Superbia said her sister''s nickname quietly, which caused the woman to give an even bigger smile. "MOONIE!" Superbia rushed forward and pulled her sister into a hug. "MOOOONIE!!!" Superbia balled her eyes out as her sister smiled and patted her on the back. "Y-You''re really back! You''re really here!" She continued to cry as Munechika pushed her back a bit and looked her in the eyes. "You''re really Moonie?" Superbia asked weakly, and her sister nodded. "You''re really her? You''re <i>really</i> <i>really</i> her." Her question was answered with a pat on the head.


    <i>{IT IS!} </i>(Superbia)


    "H-How?!? You died! And Akagi said she didn''t save you!" Superbia demanded to know what was going on. "I-I can touch you, but I can tell that something about you is different! Please tell me what happened!"


    To her question, Munechika responded by pointing to the Nodachi that Superbia was holding.


    "K-Kogitsunemaru?" Superbia looked down at the golden de. "What do you mean?" She asked, and her sister merely tapped the side of the head.


    "Think? About what?" Superbia was puzzled.


    <i>{Kogitsunemaru was a sword crafted by some kind of Demi-God. In the vor text within FWO, it said that its wielder bonded to it by cing-} </i>Superbia''s eyes went wide as she realized what happened.


    "Y-You... you''re the part of Moonie''s..." Superbia fell to her knees, and her sister bent down and hugged her. "You''re the part of her that she... that she put in the de..." As was increasingly being found out, the vor text within FWO was not purely cosmetic. In Hishya''s example, her draconic power wasrgely described within the vor text about her race, and some other items were found toport with properties described within the game lore about them. In this case, Kogitsunemaru was a de that required a user to attune to in order to use it, and a yer was limited by how many items they could attune to at one time. Thus, being as FWO was <i>not </i>just a game, it stands to reason that when an item''s vor text stated that attunement required imparting part of one''s soul into the item, it meant it.


    However, the exact reason <i>why </i>her sister was here<i> </i>was not important to Superbia, as the only thing that she cared about was that she had, at least <i>part </i>of her sister back.


    "So... you''re <i>within</i> the sword?" Superbia asked her sister, who giggled in response.


    "Why won''t you talk?" She asked, looking at Munechika who simply shook her head. "You can''t?" Munechika nodded, which saddened Superbia.


    "That''s fine." Superbia said as she stood up. "You''re here, and that''s all that matters."


    Munechika smiled as she pointed to the sword.


    "What about it?" Superbia looked down at the de in her hand before looking back at her sister, who was making a swinging motion. "You want me to use it?"


    Munechika nodded.


    "You want me to attune to it?" Superbia asked and her sister nodded again. "But won''t that destroy you?!?" She yelled. "I won''t do that! I''m not losing you again!"


    <i>{I won''t lose you! Not again!} </i>(Superbia)


    Munechika shook her head before pressing her hands together slowly.


    "It won''t hurt you?" Superbia asked cautiously. "Then what will happen?"


    Munechika pointed to herself and Superbia before mashing her hands together.


    "We''ll fuse?" Superbia deadpanned. "I don''t know how I feel about that..." She liked her sister, but not like <i>that</i>.


    <i>{I''m a sis-con, but I''m not THAT far gone...} </i>(Superbia)


    Munechika sighed. Clearly Superbia was misinterpreting her meaning.


    "Well, sorry that my mind immediately went there." Superbia rolled her eyes. "You not speaking is really making this h-" She stopped. "Wait hold on, we''re idiots." She pulled out her phone and opened a text document. "Here, type." Superbia held the phone up to her sister, who facepalmed.


    "Looks like we both forgot about writing." Superbiaughed as her sister typed out a message on her phone, and when she read it, everything made sense.


    "Let''s do it!" Superbia cheered, and her sister giggled. "This way... This way, we''ll never be apart again, Moonie." She smirked.


    <i>{I can''t wait to show that stupid cat what the two of us can do together!} </i>(Superbia)


    Spoiler


    Munechika!


    [copse]

 Chapter 236.5 – Akagi’s Training.

    Chapter 236.5 ¨C Akagi¡¯s Training.


    *CLANG* *CLANK* *SLASH* *BANG* *CLINK*


    Deep within Akagi''s shadow, the <i>Demon </i>and her most trusted military adviser engaged in a fierce showdown. Marshal, while much younger than some of the <i>Demon''s</i> more long-lived n members, had a level ofbat experience that was second to none. Trained as a knight since the age of four, Adal Nelson had dreamed of one day leading the Imperial Army as a mighty General and being born from a knight family that was <i>exactly </i>what his parents wanted of him. His rise to fame was so meteoric that he attained the coveted title of Imperial Grand Marshal at the young age of twenty five, and it was the reason why even to this day most just referred to him as Marshal.


    *BANG*


    The two warriors shed des, locking together in their struggle. Akagi had far more raw power than Marshal could ever hope to match, but her actual skill with a sword was a different issue entirely.


    "Excellent work, My Lady." Marshal and Akagi disengaged from each other, lowering their weapons to reposition. "I''ve known this since the day we first met, but you truly are a fighting genius." Heughed as he reached into his pocket and took out a cigarette, lighting it with a metal liter.


    "Swordy is a kind of game, Marshal." Akagi smiled. "And there''s no game that I can''t master." She''d been training on and off with Marshal ever since she''d released her power as a Demon Lord and was determined to have a proper education in the way of the de. Akagi was already an excellent duelist, but even she understood thatcking a solid foundation was a weakness that could be exploited. Even though she''d made her own sword school, the <i>Demon </i>was well aware that she was, at least partially, using her game skills as a crutch, and that wasn''t going to fly any longer.


    <i>{I never had the proper training with a de outside of a VR game, and I don''t think such limited swings and forms would count for much if I didn''t have far more power and reflexes than the average person. I''ve yet to fight anyone that can even beginning to close the gap with me, but it would be foolish to rest on myurels. I have far to much to lose now, and I refuse to take anything lesser thanplete and total victory!} </i>(Akagi)


    "While it''s true that you had to rely on a tool to assist you, that does not mean that you should discount your skill with a de. To have gone from an ostensibly normal girl who never even wielded a sword to what you are today is nothing short of remarkable." Marshalughed with pride.


    <i>{Lady Akagi works harder than anyone I''ve ever met, and she does it all because she understands a fundamental truth about this world. One that I wish I''d learned long ago.} </i>(Marshal)


    "It''s not all on me, Marshal." Akagi shook her head. "Your training has helped considerably, and I can tell that my stances and forms have improved now that I''ve got a grasp on the fundamentals." She''d requested him to train her as if she''d never used a sword in her life to get an understanding from the ground up. Not to mention that other members of the n were more than happy to teach her when she asked.


    "All I did was give you the basic foundation that you requested." Marshal said as he took a puff. "You''re already far beyond the basics, and if you don''t mind my personal opinion, I don''t think you truly needed to learn things the old-fashioned way." He continued. "You were already beyond anything I could teach you even before your nature as the Demon Lord was revealed, and frankly I don''t feel like I''ve taught you anything that you didn''t already know." He thought their training was unnecessary, though he understood that this was simply part of his Lord''s desire to be prepared.


    "You''re wrong." Akagi tly denied his words. "In fact, <i>not </i>training with you would''ve been a huge <i>mistake</i>." She''d already noted and corrected several ws in her techniques as a result of Marshal''s training and was keen on finding more. "Just like the other yers, <i>my</i> knowledge ofbates from a very wed ce." She continued. "For all Hishya''s power, shecks a true grasp of the sword, and we both know that a gap in technique can and <i>will </i>be exploited by apetent opponent." Akagi figured that it was best that she correct that w <i>now </i>rather than run into it in a real battle.


    <i>{If I evere up against another Demon Lord or a sufficiently powerful being one day, there''s a chance that they''ll have far morebat experience than me. Even with all my power, there''s no guarantee that I''ll always win in such a situation, and I''d rather not have the issue of only having a hammer to solve all my problems.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I suppose I can understand that." Marshal nodded. "And I guess knowing is better than not. Lord knows how many recruits I trained that got a big head just because they had a bit of magical power to back up their sword arm." Heughed, recalling some of his troublesome recruits.


    "Plus, it''s not like this costs me anything." Akagi snapped her fingers and took out her Kiseru, which she lit. "We can spend as long in here as we want, and no time will pass on the outside, nor will either of us tire." She''d set things up so that essentially no time would pass for her and Marshal while they were within her shadow, figuring that if she could abuse time dtion to gain <i>years </i>of practice in days, that it was for the best.


    <i>{Frankly, the fact that I was given this shadow power due to FWO merging me with that Demon is insane. Normally one of those Lords wouldn''t be able to do a fraction of what I can do in here, and they definitely weren''t dting time like this. Its funny, Mizumi identally made me far more dangerous by merging my dormant soul with that Demon, and it might be fair to assume that no other Demon Lord could do something simr.} </i>(Akagi)<i> </i>


    "In total, we''ve spent a few years going over your training from the start." Marshal dropped his cigarette on the shadowy floor before stomping it out. "If thatst sh was anything to go by, then you''d be at the end of our Advanced Training Regimen, which concludes after five years with a test." He was surprised that such a long time within her shadow didn''t bother him, though he figured that was probably because of how focused he was.


    <i>{To spend over five years alone with My Lady... It felt like moments... I suppose I can understand how Elves viewed the world a bit better...} </i>(Marshal)


    "A test?" Akagi asked with augh as she took a puff. "Then, did I pass?"


    "With flying colors!" Marshalughed. "In all my years of teaching, you are without a doubt the best student I''ve ever had!"


    "And you''re probably the best teacher I''ve had!" Akagi retorted. "I''m just d that this test wasn''t a written one. My grades in school were always mediocre, and I don''t want to even imagine doing another grammar test..." She never liked much of it and was almost always bored or uninterested.


    "That kind of formal schooling was never my cup of tea either." Marshal gave a wry smile as he recalled his own time in the Academy. "My peers at the time thought me as little more than a muscle-bound warrior, though I took that as apliment!" Heughed.


    "I''ve never seen a proper Noble School, but I can imagine what it''s like based on some of the things I''ve read." Akagi was referring to Manga and Anime.


    <i>{Though in fairness the Imperial Academy in FWO was also based on those tropes so...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Your sources are a <i>bit </i>embellished, but I wouldn''t say they were entirely inurate." Marshal said as he lit up another cigarette. "As Nobles of the Empire, our duty was to be educated andpetent members of the Aristocracy. That way, we could contribute to the Empire''s continued prosperity." He let out a puff. "My wife understood running territory better than I ever could, and I was d that she could handle all the politics." He gave a quietugh as he recalled his time with her.


    "I wish I could''ve saved her." Akagi said with a somber expression. "That''s just another instance of me not being quick enough, I''m sorry." She''d always regretted her inability to save Marshal''s wife and children. At the time she was so busy with other things going on, namely the massive chaos in the Empire due to Silfana''s invasion, that she was unable to reach them before their execution.


    "I''ve told you this before, and I''ll tell you a million more times until you get it through your head. You have nothing to apologize for, Akagi." Marshal shook his head. "Things moved too fast for even <i>you </i>to keep up. Not to mention that neither of us expected my family to be executed when they thought I was dead." The story was that Marshal had perished in battle, but even still the Imperial Court condemned his failure to protect Hassan, and a faction within the Imperial Military that disliked him for his high standing among the troops moved to paint him as an ipetent and traitor. His family was swiftly arrested, tried, and executed, prompting him to ept Akagi''s deal and join her ranks. "At the very least, you saw to it that the men behind my family''s murder were dealt with, not to mention that you gave me a reason to live on." He took the cigarette out of his mouth, holding it between his fingers.


    "Tell me, are you upset that I didn''t even think about reviving Rosa?" Akagi looked him dead in the eyes. "It would''ve been possible." She could''ve chosen her rather than Miji, but for obvious reasons, never even considered it.


    "I won''t deny that I was briefly perturbed, but I quickly pushed those thoughts out of my mind." Marshal nodded slowly as he exined. "It was your choice to make, and I know damn well that if you could''ve brought back everyone... That you would''ve..." He paused. "But at the end of the day, you chose to revive the one single person that would bring the woman you love happiness..." He gave a warm smile. "So how could I ever be angry at you for doing something like that? And I know that if Rosa could speak to us right now that she''d agree."


    <i>{She would''ve been angry with me for even thinking of making that kind of selfish request.} </i>(Marshal)


    His words echoed through the darkness, and there was a long period of silence before Akagi finally spoke.


    "And what about Silfana?" Akagi asked about the Vampire. "I can''t imagine that you happy knowing that she escaped death, and you can''t just be okay working with the woman who indirectly got your wife killed."


    <i>{After all, had Silfana not attacked, then Marshal wouldn''t have been disgraced.} </i>(Akagi)


    "The Lord of Vampires..." Marshal mused as he took another puff from his cigarette. "I''d heard the stories about her for most of my life. About how she sought to destroy the Empire and how she wanted to enve humanity." He shifted his jaw in thought. "When I fought her briefly, I could tell there was conviction behind each of her blows... But... at the time I could feel something else..." His words drifted off.


    "Sadness." Akagi finished for him, understanding what he was getting at.


    "Yes." Marshal nodded. "Silfana was angry at having her birthright stolen from her, and I honestly can''t me her for feeling betrayed. She only ever wanted to help her people, but she was driven out by those she trusted..." He was made aware of the true story behind who and what Silfana was after she was brought to the estate. He''d heard <i>rumors </i>about her origins as some kind of disaffected Royal, and due to the harsh censorship ced on <i>any </i>such information, he''d assumed there to be a kernel of truth within such rumors. However, upon hearing the <i>full </i>story, Marshal could only feel sympathy for the Vampire. "I won''t make excuses for the lives she took, and I can''t imagine that Silfana would either, but to be entirely honest with you, I don''t harbor any negative feelings toward her." To him, she was just another victim of Imperial politics, and he couldn''t bring himself to me her for his family''s death.


    "She''s a character, that''s for sure." Akagiughed. "Though the same could easily be said about me."


    "That does beg one question though." Marshal said as he put out his cigarette. "What do you intend to do with her?" He asked about Akagi''s future ns for the former Imperial Princess. "I can''t imagine someone like you being content to keep her as a simple advisor, and we both know that for all her personality issues, Silfana''s value far exceeds such a position."


    <i>{She''s the rightful Empress and was groomed to lead the Empire to glory. It might have been a nation of monsters, but she led a single nation for centuries, and had it not been for Hishya and the other yers, she would''ve reimed her birthright by force. I know My Lady well enough to understand that she always has a scheme going on in the background, and I''m wise enough to know that she intends to use Silfana as a valuable pawn.} </i>(Marshal)<i> </i>


    "What to do with the vampy? What to do indeed." Akagi chuckled. "Well, we have a former Royal who is more than capable of ruling an entire nation. So, you tell me what I want her to do?" Her lips curved into a wicked smile. "I''m sure a man like yourself is smart enough to figure it out."

 Chapter 237 – Fear the Cheese!

    Chapter 237 ¨C Fear the Cheese!


    After spending a good few days enjoying a luxurious beach vacation in Osaka, the girls returned home refreshed and rxed. They were all slightly tanned, though Yumi and Miji a bit more pink than the others due to their bodies not being used to such intense sunlight.


    "Onee-chan, we''re home!" Kana yelled into the house, flicking her hat onto a rack.


    "And I''ve got something for you!" Mika snickered as they walked into the living room. ¡°Here kitty, kitty, kitty. Psss Pss Pss!¡±


    <i>{I really hope she does what she has in mind. But I doubt even Mika is that stupid.} </i>(Naomi)


    "Oh? She''s not here?" Naomi said as she and the others looked around the house but saw no Akagi.


    "Strange, I thought I heard a noiseing from in here." Kana could hear the faint sound of music in the distance along with what sounded like singing. ¡°Is somebody singing?¡±


    "Maybe she''s in the shower!" Mikaughed. ¡°I do that sometimes too.¡±


    "I... does Onee-chan even shower?" Kana thought about it for a moment. She''d never seen her sister bathe outside of the hot spring now that she thought of it.


    <i>{Onee-chan do I need to start making sure you take baths?} </i>(Kana)


    "I don''t think she does?" Yumi couldn''t recall such an event. "I mean guess she doesn''t <i>need </i>to, since well her body can just be <i>refreshed</i>." She shrugged, not caring much about it. "But what''s that noise anyway?" She could also hear music resounding through the house, and it sounded like it wasing from the back.


    "I think it''sing from the interior garden." Naomi started walking towards the main house''s entrance to its enclosed garden, followed by the other girls. As they got closer to the music, they could make out words, though they couldn''t understand them.


    "That''s English." Kanamented. She could perfectly understand it and could tell that it was her sister singing. "What the heck is she doing singing in English?"


    <i>{Onee-chan can''t speak English. Thest time I heard her try, it was horrible.} </i>(Kana)


    ¡°Maybe the kitty is just singing along and not understanding what the words are.¡± Mika chuckled.


    ¡°You mean like you with those British bands?¡± Naomimented.


    ¡°I understand <i>a few </i>words!¡± Mika retorted.


    ¡°Knowing how to say swear words doesn''t count as knowing anguage, Mika.¡± Kana sighed.


    As they approached the interior garden they saw Akagi in cat mode sitting on one of the decorative rocks. She was singing while a small speaker yed music, and at her side were several empty chocte pudding cups.


    <i>{Kitty likes chocte pudding? I see how it is.} </i>(Mika)


    "Oh hey." Akagi tapped the top of the speaker which stopped the music. "There you are. I thought I sensed your energy. Wee back." She smiled. "Was your vacation good?"


    "It was great!" Miji smiled. "I got to swim around in the ocean! Did you know how big it is?!?" She ran up to Akagi with a toothy smile.


    "Yes, I did. It''s very big, isn''t it?" Akagiughed as she pat the girl on the head. "And I''m d to hear you had fun." She looked at Alice. "Did you enjoy yourself too?"


    "Yup!" Alice nodded. "It was great! Thanks for asking them to take me, Mama."


    "Good, I''m d to hear it." Akagi smiled. "Thanks for taking her. I know she''s a bit of a hassle, and having her and Mika to deal with must have been rough." She smirked.


    "Oi!" Mika protested.


    <i>{WHY AM I ALWAYS ASSUMED TO BE THE IRRESPONSIBLE ONE?!?} </i>(Mika)


    "Yeah, Mika was probably the worst of the bunch, given that she got lost a few times in Osaka." Kana snickered.


    "I only got lost because you idiots left without me!" Mika cried.


    "<i>You </i>wouldn''t get up." Naomi added important context. "You kept saying five more minutes, and we got sick of waiting."


    *PBBT*


    Mika blew a raspberry.


    "d to hear that Mika once again takes the mantle of most pain in the ass friend!" Akagiughed, as did everyone else.


    <i>{Oh yeah. Well, kitty, I''ve got something for you!} </i>(Mika)


    "Oh, that''s right!" Mika''s eyes glinted as the dastardly n she had in mind took form. "I have something for you, kitty." She slowly approached the innocent Catkagi, who had no idea of her impending fate. "Do you want a treat?"


    <i>{IS SHE GONNA ACTUALLY DO IT?!?} </i>(Kana)


    "Treat?" Akagi tilted her head like the innocent Catkagi she was, never expecting Mika to do something mean to her. "What kind?"


    "This kind!" Mika whipped out a small t square of cheese from behind her back and threw it at Akagi, smacking her straight in the face.


    <i>{SHE DID!} </i>(Kana)


    Takenpletely off guard, Akagi stumbled backward until she fell off the rock, cheese still nted firmly on her face. It was truly a horrible crime against cuteness to do something so evil to something so adorable and innocent.


    "Hah! Mikaughed triumphantly as Akagi iled on the ground. "That''s what you get! He-He!"


    "The kitty got hit with the cheese!" Miji startedughing hysterically. "It''s like that one video Sister showed me!" She started giggling uncontrobly, while Alice red at Mika.


    "I hope that was worth it." Alice noted that Mika was going to reap the whirlwind. "Mama is going to make your life a living hell, you know that, right?"


    <i>{Is she really that stupid? Nobody pranks Mama and gets away with it.} </i>(Alice)


    "I shall take the punishment!" Mika smirked. "No matter what, I see this as an absolute win!" She snickered.


    "Oh really?" Akagi slowly rose from the ground, hopping back on top of the rock cheese still stuck to her face and covering her eyes. "I hope you know that <i>this </i>means war." She peeled the cheese off her face and quickly ate it.


    "Hit me with your best shot, kitty!" Mikaughed as Akagi''s shadow rose up behind her.


    "Hey, so you do recall that people taken <i>into </i>my shadow can be reformed as I desire, right?" Akagi gave a scary smile.


    "Y-Yeah." Mika suddenly got a very bad feeling.


    "I''ve never tested it out on a living person before, so I wonder what happens if I make a few changes and instead of making you a Mika again, I change you<i> </i>into a piece of <i>cheese</i>? Alveron''s got some rat buddies that would <i>love </i>to take a bite of such an item." Akagi cackled as her shadow crept toward Mika.


    <i>{DANGER!} </i>(Mika)


    "I-It was just a joke! Come on! You canugh about it! It was funny! Hah-Hah-Hah!" Mika backed away slowly, and everyone else just shook their heads, knowing Mika was doomed.


    <i>{Rest in Cheese, Mika.} </i>(Naomi)


    "I''ll make sure to tell your parents that you were eaten by rats." Kana said. "I hope they''ll understand that this was something you brought on yourself."


    "Mika will get what she deserves for being so mean to the kitty." Yumi huffed. "She was so innocent looking and you took advantage of the fact that she trusted you. So perish." She red coldly at her.


    <i>{EVEN YOU?!?} </i>(Mika)


    "Come here, Mika." Akagi cackled as her shadow got closer and closer. "What kind of cheese do you want to be? I can do Gouda or maybe even Swiss!" She snickered.


    <i>{Spray cheese is possible, but then you have lewd uses for such a thing and I''m not about to give Mika something akin to a reward.} </i>(Akagi)


    "NONE!" Mika screamed as she closed her eyes and braced herself for her cheesy fate. ¡°I DO NOT WISH TO BECOME THE CHEESE!¡±


    ¡°Well, here ites!¡± Akagiughed and Mika flinched.


    *SPLAT*


    But rather than bing a cheese spread on Akagi''s cracker, Mika was hit with a water balloon.


    "What?" Mika slowly opened her eyes, only to see a torrent of water balloonsing toward her. "What the fuck?!?"


    *SPLAT**SPLAT**SPLAT**SPLAT**SPLAT**SPLAT**SPLAT**SPLAT**SPLAT**SPLAT**SPLAT**SPLAT**SPLAT**SPLAT**SPLAT**SPLAT**SPLAT**SPLAT*


    "WHY ARE THEY FILLED WITH GLITTER?!?" Mika screamed as she fell over from the high volume of balloons hitting her. "OH GOD, IT''S EVERYWHERE!"


    <i>{ITS IN EVERYWHERE TOO!} </i>(Mika)


    "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Akagiughed as an unrelenting number of balloons poured from her shadow. "THAT''S RIGHT! YOU HIT ME WITH CHEESE, SO I HIT YOU WITH FUCKING GLITTER BALLOONS! FEAR THE GLITTER!" She continued cackling as the girls looked on.


    <i>{I... Why am I not surprised...} </i>(Kana)


    <i>{I''ve been glitter bombed before and its not fun... Good thing its Mika and not me!} </i>(Naomi)


    "Look at the shiny glitter!" Miji''s eyes lit up. "Can I go get some?" She looked up at her sister, but before Yumi could answer, Akagi gave stretched out a shadow tendril, gave her a few and told her to pelt Mika with them, which she happily did.


    "NOOOOO!" Mika cried out as she was pelted by the balloons, and Miji giggled uncontrobly as she helped to cover Mika in the shiny substance.


    "She had thising, right?" Kana looked over at Naomi.


    "Yeah, yeah she did." Naomi sighed. Mika had a habit of bringing punishment on herself, and this was just thetest example.


    After a few minutes, Mika was soaked to the bone, and covered from head to toe in glitter. While Miji was triumphantlyughing as she looked upon the blue-haired girl''s drenched form.


    "It''s in ces, that glitter should <i>never </i>be." Mika whimpered as shey on the wet ground, her bodypletely covered in the shiny substance. ¡°And my hair... Do you have any idea how long it will take to fix all this...¡±


    <i>{I''ll be seeing glitter in my bathtub for WEEKS!} </i>(Mika)


    "Was it worth it, Mika?" Akagi asked as she tossed a balloon back and forth between her hands.


    ''Yes!" Mika dered from the ground. "I got to hit you with the cheese, and you acted like one of those cats from the online videos! So it was worth the glitter!"


    <i>{What a pain in the ass... But then again, that''s what we love about her.} </i>(Kana)


    "Onee-chan, please turn her <i>into </i>cheese." Kana shook her head. "Maybe that way we''ll get some peace and quiet."


    "I could go for some of that spray cheese." Naomi snickered.


    <i>{I could makements about that, but I won''t.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I''ll get some wine!" Yumiughed.


    ¡°I''ll eat some cheese!¡± Miji smiled.


    "You idiots told me to do it!" Mikained that only <i>she </i>was being punished.


    "Oh, did they?" Akagi pulled back her arm, ready to throw more balloons.


    "Yeah! Sister gave her the idea and everything!" Miji casually ratted out Yumi, and the look in Akagi''s eye sent a chill down the Priestess''s spine.


    "I guess that means I''ll have to cover <i>all </i>of you in glitter." Akagiughed.


    "WAIT! We didn''t actually <i>do </i>anything!" Kana protested their impending glitter filled doom. "We just thought it would be funny! We didn''t think she''d really do it!"


    <i>{DAMN YOU MIJI!} </i>(Kana)


    "But you were hoping that she did, <i>right? </i>" Akagi smirked. She knew her sister far too well.


    "Yes..." Kana nodded. "Just please make it quick..." She''d resigned herself to her glittery fate but was instead struck in the face with a yellow square of cheese, as were Naomi and Yumi.


    "EW!" Naomi shrieked as she peeled it off and threw it on the ground. "WHY IS IT SLIMY?!?"


    "OH GOD, ITS STICKY!" Kana freaked out as it oozed down her face.


    "It''s so nasty!" Yumi screamed. "What kind of cheese is this?!?"


    <i>{IS THIS ROTTEN CHEESE?!? WHY DO YOU HAVE THIS?!?} </i>(Yumi)


    "FEAR THE CHEESE!" Akagi cackled as the girls freaked out over the disgusting attack. "FOR IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT AND <i>DEADLY</i> PART OF THE DAIRY FOOD GROUP!"

 Chapter 238 – Why You Don’t Soak Cats in Water.

    Chapter 238 ¨C Why You Don¡¯t Soak Cats in Water.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Just a heads up. We''re approaching the tournament itself soon, and to make sure it didn''t drag on <em>forever</em> I ended up making most chapters much longer so that fights took one chapter. So I hope you''ll enjoy it!


    "Are you happy with yourself?" Kana red at Mika as the girls used a hose and buckets to clean off in the garden. "You got to do your stupid cheese thing, and as a result, <i>we </i>got caught in the crossfire." She sighed as she rubbed her face with a towel.


    <i>{It was funny to be sure, but I''m not sure it was worth it...} </i>(Kana)


    "Hey! You guys egged me on!" Mika protested as she doused herself with water to remove the glitter. "And anyway <i>Naomi</i> was the one who made thement about the cheese when she showed me that video with the cat, and you and Yumi wouldn''t stop makingments about how funny it would be to do that to the kitty at home!"


    <i>{She said that it would be funny if somebody did it to Akagi! How was that not a hint to do it for real?!?} </i>(Mika)


    "Mika always has to drag us down with her, doesn''t she?" Yumi shook her head as she tossed her towel into a basket.


    "She who wasughing hysterically as said cheese smacked Akagi in the face!" Mika pouted. "Ya''ll are mean! I did something funny for you, and all you do is sass me!" She stuck out her tongue.


    "Don''t worry, Mika. <i>I </i>had fun." Akagi smiled as she sat on the rock. "It was great pelting you with those balloons. I had too many left over after myst barrage and no idea what to do with them." She''d made far too many for her prank against the RRT and was worried they''d just go to waste. "So thanks!"


    ¡°d I could be of help...¡± Mika rolled her eyes.


    "So, something that begs answering. Onee-chan, why did you just <i>let </i>her hit you with that cheese?!?" Kana scowled. "I know you could''ve easily dodged it, and yet you just sat there and got smacked in the face by it! Did you just want an excuse to mess with us?!?" She wouldn''t be surprised if that was true.


    <i>{Onee-chan can move faster than the human eye can see, so she 100% let that happen for kicks!} </i>(Kana)


    "What do you mean?" Akagi tilted her head and flicked her tail cutely. "I was taken <ipletely </i>off guard. How could I dodge something that came at me so fast like that?" She smirked.


    <i>{It was simply impossible for even me to avoid, I swear!} </i>(Akagi)


    "If a Demon Lord couldn''t dodge a piece of <i>cheese </i>thrown by a high school girl, then I don''t think they''d be much of a threat." Naomi sighed as she flicked her hair to dry it off. "Just admit that you allowed Mika to do that just to cause us misery."


    "How could you use such a cute face of lying like that?" Akagi gave kitty eyes and took a cute pose. "MEW! I would never do something so heartless and evil! MEW! Am good kitty MEW!"


    "I''d be more inclined to believe you if I <i>didn''t</i> know what kind of evil you got up to on a daily basis." Kana rolled her eyes.


    <i>{You''re little kitty facade isn''t fooling anyone, least of all us.} </i>(Kana)


    "I mean, she is the <i>Demon </i>kitty after all." Yumi giggled. "Evil is her <i>default </i>mode."


    "Such mean people!" Akagi protested her treatment. "I defend myself against an unprovoked and unstoppable assault, and I''m treated like the viin!" She fake cried.


    "Again, this is <i>you </i>we''re talking about here." Kana shook her head. ¡°Viin is your middle name.¡±


    "Yeah, you''re anything <i>but </i>innocent." Mikaughed. "Cute as all hell, but definitely <i>not</i> innocent."


    "Yumi?" Akagi looked to the Priestess for support.


    "Nope." Yumi shook her head. "Evil kitty." She gave a thumbs down.


    "Yeah, and evil kitties should be sprayed with the hose!" Miji grabbed the hose off the ground and shot water at Akagi, getting her all wet.


    <i>{EVIL KITTIES MUST BE WASHED!} </i>(Miji)


    "Wait, no!" Yumi panicked and grabbed the hose out of her hands and turned it off. "Don''t do that kind of stuff, Miji!" She scolded her.


    <i>{It might''ve been funny but that''s not very nice!} </i>(Yumi_


    "Oh, no." Alice stepped back slowly. "The kitty got wet... We''re all doomed."


    <i>{Say goodbye to the neighborhood...} </i>(Alice)


    "Why? It''s just water, and she can just dry off instantly." Mika didn''t see the problem since Akagi wasn''t really the kind of person to dislike getting dirty or wet.


    "Cats don''t like water." Alice replied. "And Mama is currently in cat mode..."


    "Yeah, but she''s not actually a..." Mika''s words trailed off as she saw the sorry sight of the drenched Akagi sitting on the rock. She looked sad and was crying. "WHY?!?"


    <i>{Great... NOW I''M FILLED WITH UNYIELDING RAGE TO SMITE THE ONE WHO MADE THE KITTY SAD!} </i>(Mika)


    "Eh?!? Is she actually upset?!?" Kana eximed. "Why are you sad about getting wet?!?"


    <i>{WHY?!?} </i>(Kana)


    "Miji! Go apologize right now!" Yumi yelled at her sister. "You don''t just squirt people with a hose!"


    "I-I''m sorry, Akagi..." Miji apologized.


    <i>{But it was funny...} </i>(Miji)


    "Mew..." Akagi let out a quiet and sad meow, which broke everyone''s hearts.


    <i>{WHY DO I FEEL SO SAD?!?} </i>(Naomi x Kana)


    "Good job, Mika!" Naomi poked her in the side.


    "Eh?!? Why me?!?" Mika swatted at her. "I didn''t use the hose on her!"


    "<i>You</i> started this whole series of events. Thus you caused this." Kana nodded confidently. "Go apologize to her too." She pointed between Akagi and Mika.


    ¡°I''m not apologizing for something I didn''t do!¡± Mika refused and as they argued with each other, Yumi spoke to Akagi telepathically.


    <i>{Did you really have to go this far with the drama routine? The girls and Miji feel really bad now...} </i>(Yumi)


    <i>{It was very necessary, yes. Now watch this.} </i>(Akagi)


    While they weren''t paying attention, Akagi hopped off the rock, walked over to the girls, and stood between them before shaking the water off her body and drenching the girls.


    *SWISH* *SWISH* *SWISH* *SWISH* *SWISH* *SWISH*


    "WHAT?!? NO! STOP!" Kana tried blocking the water with her hands, to no avail.


    <i>{I JUST GOT DRY!} </i>(Kana)


    "YOU''RE A CAT, NOT A DOG! WHY ARE YOU SHAKING OFF LIKE ONE?!?" Mika yelped as she was covered in water.


    "NOT AGAIN!" Naomi cried out as she was drenched.


    "HAH! That''s what you get!" Akagi snickered. "So next time you idiots have some grand n about pranking me, remember that my guns are bigger than yours!" She cackled as she tackled Mika to the ground and started rubbing her wet hair against her.


    <i>{BAD KITTY SNUGGLES! I DO NOT CONSENT TO THIS!} </i>(Mika)


    "Stop! I''m going to smell like wet cat!" Mika protested but Akagi was simply too powerful, and after throughly <i>snuggling</i>Mika, she hopped between the girls, covering them in hair and making them smell like an animal that was left out in the rain.


    "MEW!" Akagi meowed in triumph as the girls sat on the ground, very annoyed.


    "Really?" Kana red at her. "Was that <i>really </i>necessary?" She sighed.


    <i>{DON''T MEW IN TRIUMPH YOU STUPID CAT!} </i>(Kana)


    "Did you and Miji n this with her?!?" Mika red at Yumi, using her of being a co-conspirator.


    <i>{Traitor!} </i>(Mika)


    "No. Miji doing that waspletely unexpected." Yumi shook her head.


    <i>{Though I won''t deny that this ended up being very worth it!} </i>(Yumi)


    "I just thought it would be funny..." Miji shrugged. "And I guess it was!" She giggled.


    <i>{But now I want kitty snuggles...} </i>(Miji)


    "It <i>was</i> very funny, Miji." Akagi snickered. "Good job! You''re my number one aplice!"


    "Yeah! I''m an aplice!" Miji cheered, not knowing what that word meant.


    "Hurrah..." Naomi sighed. "I guess that means I''ll need a bath now..."


    <i>{I''m not looking forward to washing my hair again...} </i>(Naomi)


    "Oh, stop being a bunch of drama queens." Akagi snapped her fingers and cleaned the girls offpletely. "There. Happy?" She rolled her eyes.


    "At least I don''t smell like cat anymore." Mika sighed, d that she didn''t need to wash that smell out of her clothing.


    "So what did we all learn?" Akagi asked with a big smile.


    "Never try and bully Akagi." (Kana x Mika x Naomi)


    "Good girls!" Akagi nodded as she shrank, turned, and leaped into Yumi''s arms. "For your part in this, Yumi. I think I''m owed some snuggle time." She nuzzled in happily.


    "Oh great. Now <i>I''m </i>going to smell like cat." Yumi chuckled.


    "So you <i>don''t </i>like my snuggles?" Akagi snickered as she was held.


    "I never said that now did I?" Yumi sighed. "You''re just such a handful sometimes, I swear."


    "But that''s my most redeeming quality!" Akagi dered proudly that she was a pain in the neck. "Who else do you know turns into something this cute after a hard day''s work? I mean,e on! You guys get exclusive ess to the world''s most fluffy creature! Isn''t that worth all my bullshit?!?" She thought it was an amazing deal.


    "Hmmmmm." Kana thought for a moment. "I''d be down to get rid of the fluff if it means less headaches." She said as she stood up.


    "Yeah. Me too." Naomi agreed. "Tis a hard choice, but one that must be made for the greater good."


    "Fluff is nice, but not when it does things like <i>this</i>." Mika giggled.


    "What about you, Yumi?" Akagi looked up at her for an answer. "Do you want me to be <i>normal</i>?"


    <i>{I don''t think that''s possible...} </i>(Yumi)


    "No." Yumi shook her head. "I suppose I''ll take the kitty." The Priestess said as she pet Akagi on the head and rubbed her ears. "I have a bad feeling that if you didn''t have <i>this</i>, then you''d find something even <i>worse </i>to do with your time. So kitty will do."


    "Well, I <i>have </i>always wanted to build a throne made of skulls." Akagi said as she was pet. "Maybe I could get started on that with all the extra free time from no cat?" She thought for a moment. "Either that or I just transform into people and record them doing funny things for the inte. I think Kana would <i>love </i>it if I wore that dog onesie like Silfana and posted it for the world to see!"


    "Don''t you dare!" Kana hissed. "I take it back! Kitty should stay!" She sighed. "Onee-chan, why must you hold even <i>me </i>hostage with your antics?"


    "Because it''s fun?" Akagi tilted her head. "Not to mention I like seeing you idiots squirm! It tickles something deep inside me."


    <i>{That... I know what THAT means...} </i>(Kana)


    "I have a bad feeling that if she didn''t just <i>mess </i>with us like this, she''d probably do something <i>really</i> bad just to see our reactions." Naomi gave a wry smile. "So kitty it is!"


    "Yeah. I don''t want to be turned into cheese and made to run from the rats." Mika shook her head vigorously. "Kitty is best! Don''t leave us!"


    "MEW!" Akagi meowed triumphantly once again as she managed to turn the tables on everyone and force them to dere their desire for Catkagi to stay. The fact that this was basically done at gunpoint did not affect their eventual decision, or at least, Akagi didn''t think so.

 Chapter 239 – Summon the Legions!

    Chapter 239 ¨C Summon the Legions!


    "Ok, so, can we alle to an agreement that when we tease Onee-chan, we <i>don''t </i>drag each other down?" Kana sighed as she slowly look between her co-conspirators. She''d only egged Mika on with the cheese idea a bit, and while she thought it sounded funny on paper, Kana never expected the blue-haired girl to actually do it.


    <i>{Serves me right for expecting Mika to be anything BUT herself.} </i>(Kana)


    "I second that notion." Naomi nodded.


    "Me three." Mika giggled.


    "NOO!" Akagi squeaked from Yumi''s arms. "You have to allow me to pick on you all equally! Otherwise, I''ll suffer from withdrawal!"


    <i>{HOW CAN I SURVIVE WITHOUT GROUP BULLYING?!? I NEED TO PICK ON YOU! THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT I ASSURE YOU!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Just pick on Yumi." Kana smirked. "She deserves it, and is readily avable."


    <i>{...} </i>(Yumi)


    "I already do that enough, and Yumi stopped giving good reactions..." Akagi puffed up her cheeks. "I need fresh meat! I demand sacrifices!"


    "Poor kitty doesn''t have enough people to torment." Yumi pat her on the head. "But such is life. Not everything can go the way you want it to." Sheughed.


    "Then I must take <i>drastic </i>measures." Akagi cackled. "Yumi, assemble my legions! We must take over the world so that I can torment more people!"


    <i>{We shall march on Tokyo tonight!} </i>(Akagi)


    "I would if you actually <i>had </i>any..." Yumi sighed. "Right now, all I can offer is a couple of hungover ninjas since the rest are on vacation or busy with our <i>special project</i>."


    "Then I shall reluctantly <i>dy </i>my ns." Akagi nodded. "In the meantime, you must provide me with plenty of fluffing. Lest I go crazy." She snickered as her ears were flipped inside out.


    "Aren''t you already crazy?" Yumi looked down at the fluffy Demon Lord in her arms.


    <i>{And also, how much more fluffing do you need?!? There''s only so many hours in the day for fluffing and I''m one person!} </i>(Yumi)


    "I wonder if Onee-chan would eventually get so crazy that she wrapped back around to being sane?" Kana thought something like integer overflow was possible.


    "Wouldn''t ''sane''<i> </i>Akagi be even <i>more</i> terrifying?" Naomi figured that an Akagi in her right mind would be even <i>worse</i>.


    "Yeah, she''d probably start talking sense and actually doing work around here. If that happened, the world is doomed!" Mika chuckled.


    "Hey, I do work!" Akagi protested as she was fluffed. "You lot are the freeloaders here!"


    "Says the kitty being held..." Naomi pointed at her.


    "I did my work for the day and am now enjoying some R&R!" Akagi pouted and hissed.


    "Seems like you have ''R&R'' whenever we see you." Mika snickered. ¡°In order to earn rest, you must first work, kitty.¡±


    "You juste at the wrong time." Akagi huffed. "You saw me working before you went to Osaka! Wasn''t that proof enough?!?"


    <i>{What is it with people and thinking I''m sozy good for nothing?!?} </i>(Akagi)


    "Eh, that was a one-off." Kana shrugged. "Your onezy kitty, Onee-chan." She grinned. Kana was fully aware that her sister <i>did</i> actually do a bunch of work every day but was enjoying harassing her.


    *HISS*


    Akagi hissed at her. "Yumi, tell them that I do lots of work around here!" She was looking for support from the one she trusted most to back her up.


    "Hmmmm." Yumi thought for a moment. "I''d say you do fine work as our <i>mascot</i>." She giggled. "Seeing your cute face keeps us all nice and energized!" The Priestess smiled as she scratched Akagi''s ears.


    "Yes! Akagi is definitely Dumetor''s mascot!" Mikaughed. "That''s the perfect role for her!"


    "Well, she <i>does </i>do tricks." Kana chuckled. "So I can see it."


    "Mama would be a great mascot! She would easily be the fluffiest in the world!" Alice decided to join in.


    "Kitty is super cute! She''s the fluffiest pillow I ever had, so I vote her best mascot!" Miji giggled.


    <i>{Don''t tell Hishya that. Otherwise, she might want to find out for herself...} </i>(Kana)


    "Ya''ll are bitches." Akagi clicked her tongue. "But enough discussing my fluff. Do you want to see the arena? It''s pretty much done."


    "You built that thing pretty quickly." Naomimented on the speed of construction for such a massive structure. "Did you really manage the make the whole thing in less than a month?"


    <i>{It should''ve taken months or even years to make something like that, even if you cheaped out and went with molds and prefabricated structures.} </i>(Naomi)


    "The tech guys are finishing up all theworking, but the rest is indeed done." Akagi nodded. "So we''ll have no trouble having it all ready to go for the big day next week!" She was looking forward to the tournament and had even given Chloe approval to join since she wanted to fight Superbia so badly.


    "Can I join?!?" Mika raised her hand. "I really want to! Please!" She practically begged to be let in.


    "What?!?" (Yumi x Kana x Akagi x Naomi x Alice)


    "Why would you want to join, Mika?!?" Kana was surprised. "This isn''t a game! You could get seriously hurt!"


    <i>{She should know full well that all the other contestants would tten her in a second!} </i>(Kana)


    "I know, but I still want to give it a try!" Mika smiled before turning to Akagi. "You <i>did</i> say that it was open to all who wanted to join. Does that not include me? Or rather Magical Girl Star Guardian!" She chuckled.


    "I suppose it <i>does</i>." Akagi sighed. "Fine, just don''t me me if you get hurt or die."


    "I don''t know about the second part, but I''m fine with getting hurt." Mika gave a wry smile.


    <i>{Though I don''t want any more of that nasty drink Kaori gave us before either...} </i>(Mika)


    "Knowing Mika''s luck, she''ll get Hishya round one and get knocked out by a single hit." Naomi said.


    "If she''s lucky, you mean." Kana sighed. "Hishya might have a bit of fun with her. Lord knows that lizard can be a bit of a pain." She figured Hishya might pick on her a bit and toy with her for fun.


    "Just tell her not to do that and we''re good." Mika said.


    "Oh no, I''m going to tell her to fuck with you if she gets the chance." Kana''s lips curved into a nasty smile as <i>Scary Kana </i>came out. "You''ve got thising to you after all the stunts you pull. So I''d say you reap what you sow, Mika!" She cackled.


    "Scary Kana!" (Mika x Naomi)


    "Like Demon Lord, like Demon Princess I suppose." Yumi rolled her eyes. "You sisters are nothing but trouble, you know that."


    "I, for one, like<i> Scary Kana</i>." Akagi smiled. "She is like the perfect little sister I never had, and I support her descent into evil!"


    <i>{More like you''ve molded her INTO said sister, but I digress.} </i>(Yumi)


    After putting <i>Scary Kana </i>back into the proverbial box, Akagi and the girls went down to therge tournament area that was in the same clearing where Hishya and the other yers fought Serval. Miji was uninterested in seeing the building, so Alice decided to go watch a movie with the girl. Apparently, a story that Miji''s parents had read her once had something about a singing Mermaid, so Alice knew the perfect movie for her.


    "Holy hell! This ce is <i>huge</i>!" Mika yelled as they entered the structure, her voice echoing loudly. From the outside, it looked like a football stadium and was close in size to one. While the inside was filled with hallways, doors and an overall intricateyout. "Why do you need something this big?!?"


    <i>{Is it even going to get any use after this one tournament?!?} </i>(Mika)


    "It needs to be big for the fights." Akagi exined as she leaped into Mika''s arms. "Don''t you recall the devastation that Hishya and I wrought during that fight at the school? And that was us holding back." She figured a proper all-out fight would need a huge area. Otherwise, it would be too cramped and would be less interesting.


    <i>{Did you just jump into my arms to get pets? Wait, this is Akagi, of course she did...} </i>(Mika)


    "Are we even going to be able to keep up with these fights?" Kana asked. "You guys are way too fast for even <i>me </i>to see, so I highly doubt that we''re going to see anything more than just blurs zooming back and forth." She was imagining something like a video she saw in the past that was titled: <i>Anime Fight Scenes in Real Time,</i> and it was basically a still shot of nothing since they moved too fast for humans to see.


    "For people watching digitally, I''ve taken the liberty of having the techs adapt the stream to slow things down so that people can see it." Akagi exined. "I showed them an approximate speed using my own form as a base, and they were able to calcte some kind of program to make things work for the audience." She didn''t really understand it nor did she care to as long as it worked. "For those watching in the flesh, and who are <i>not </i>able to keep up naturally, I''ll just channel some power into you so that it''s not an issue." She figured a bit of Demonic power/Magic would solve the issue, and had already tested it a few times to make sure.


    "Well, at least you thought this through." Kana shook her head. "I figured you''d''ve forgotten just how speedy you all are, and that nobody would be able to keep up."


    "I''m not stupid, Kana." Akagi blew a raspberry as Mika pat her on the head. "I''m well aware of just how weak and frail mortal bodies are, so I took that into ount when doing all this. You really don''t give me enough credit for how much thought I put into things, Kana."


    <i>{Such a wonderful sister I have here. If I didn''t know any better you''d think I''m so kind of NEET with the way she talks about me.} </i>(Akagi)


    Kana shrugged, seeing no fault in her logic since she <i>knew</i>how her sister could be at times.


    "You do realize that I have <i>dozens </i>of parallel minds going at any same moment, right?" Akagi said. "I''m currently thinking about tons of different things while having this conversation, so an oversight like <i>that </i>isn''t going to happen."


    "I bet like ten of those are about the best snuggling positions." Mika giggled as she scratched Akagi''s ears.


    "Nine, but that''s not the point." Akagi sighed. "I''m quitepetent in areas like this, so give me a bit more credit."


    "If only she''d put all that effort into something more useful than a tournament. Perhaps the world would be a utopia." Kana chuckled.


    "Utopias are boring." Akagi said. "It''s no fun when everything is perfect. I enjoy a bit of chaos every now and then."


    <i>{I could solve world hunger and make global peace, but then I''d have to deal with all the paperwork and that would seriously cut into my Yumi time, so we''re not doing that.} </i>(Akagi)


    "You say that, but I think thest <i>year </i>has been about 90% chaos." Naomi sighed. "You''ve definitely been up to a lot since you woke up, that''s for sure. So maybe we can have some proper peace and quiet this time? I''d like to just do things without the whole background threats."


    "Don''t worry. After I deal with those Gods, I have a feeling that things will quiet down." Akagi smiled. "I''d most certainly like to not have anything to worry about either, since it keeps me from snuggling!" She hugged Mika.


    <i>{Kitty hugs! All is forgiven.} </i>(Mika)


    "Though you''d probably enjoy being pet while fighting off whatever enemy it is." Yumi shook her head as she imagined Akagi giving one loud MEW to destroy an enemy army.


    "Onee-chan would probably meet some big bad leader while sitting on Yumi''sp being fluffed." Kanamented. "Either that or pretend to be just some kind of pet while making them think Yumi is the actual Demon Lord."


    "Both of those ideas are good, and I''m stealing them." Akagiughed. "But anyway let''s go check this ce out! I want to show you all the really cool features!"

 Chapter 240 – The Elephant in the Room.

    Chapter 240 ¨C The Elephant in the Room.


    "That''s one heck of a view." Naomi stood in awe as she looked down at the stadium. Akagi had brought the girls up to the mentator''s booth'' that sat around halfway through the seating so that they could get a better look at the size and scope of the arena. It was arge ss enclosure and they could tell that Akagi had spent an inordinate amount of time and resources making it as modern and stylish as she could "You really did make a whole stadium..."


    <i>{Onee-chan, why do I get the feeling that this booth took far more funding than it should have...} </i>(Kana)


    From where they were standing they could see everything via the countless monitors and screens, and in the distance, a few men wereying downworking cables and other devices.


    "You <i>really </i>built this all with magic?" Mika was simrly shocked. She''d thought the arena seemed grand from the inside, but as Akagi had teleported them here rather than had them walk, the true scope of the arena was lost on her.


    "Yupper!" Akagi chuckled as she sat happily in Kana''s arms. "This ce was done with the help of a certain Shiru and Alveron. The Rat Lord was quite interested in testing his spacial capabilities in conjunction with some of the Earth Mages I have on my team, and Shiru wanted to see if some of her nt-based magic could be used for construction and other such things." The Dyrad had actually been quite a big help during the procedure, and the arena was partially made using hardened nt matter to give it support. "So far things are looking good, and word on the street is that Shiru was contacted by a few third-world nations to help with housing construction andnd remation efforts!"


    "Why am I holding you?" Kana decided to ask something that had been on her mind since Akagi jumped into her arms from Mika.


    "Because I''m cute, and you love me!" Akagi said confidently.


    "Yeah, you''re right! You are <i>cute</i>." Kana snickered.


    "You don''t love me?!?" Akagi gasped in fake shock.


    "Can I get back to you on that?" Kana retorted.


    "Meanie!" Akagi puffed up her cheeks as she pretended to bite Kana''s arm.


    "Considering Kana is holding you against her and is <i>visibly </i>happy to squish you, I''d say she loves you very much." Yumi chuckled as she observed Kana happily petting the Catkagi.


    "Hey, if she doesn''t want the kitty, then I''ll take her back!" Mika volunteered to hold Catkagi if Kana didn''t want to.


    <i>{I will never turn down good floof!} </i>(Mika)


    "I never said I didn''t want to hold her, now did I?" Kana rolled her eyes as she turned slightly, indicating that she didn''t want to give up the fluffy kitty. "I was just wondering why she''s been jumping around between us is all." She genuinely thought her sister was acting strange with all the open affecting she was giving at the moment.


    "Because I missed you three." Akagi''s blunt answer took the girls off guard. "It was sad not having you around, and it was too quiet without you..."


    <i>{I missed my friends...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Huh..." Naomi hadn''t expected such frankness from the <i>Demon </i>since Akagi usually saved such openness for Yumi.


    "Who are you, and what have you done with Akagi?!?" Mika eximed. She''d almost never seen Akagi say such things and thought it was strange.


    "Yeah, Onee-chan never says those kinds of things." Kana poked her sister in the cheek. "Did someone rece the kitty who messed with us with some kind of nicer one? Because I''m down for it."


    <i>{Wait, does that imply she didn''t miss me since she only said three?!?} </i>(Yumi)


    "You three are my friends. Is it that strange that I''d miss being around you?" Akagi was a bit embarrassed by her ownment and buried her face into Kana.


    "I guess not. It''s just that I never expected <i>you</i> of all people to be so blunt about it." Mika gave a wry smile. "Normally, you''d just dance around it or try and frame it differently. So it''s strange to hear you just <i>openly </i>say you missed us like that, but I''m kinda happy to hear it." She chuckled.


    "I guess we <i>were </i>gone for like a week, and normally we see her almost every day." Naomiughed. "Sorry for making you miss us." She pat Akagi on the head. "You shoulde with us next time we go somewhere. The beach was really fun, and it was a good break from all the chaos around here."


    "Onee-chan can be such a dork sometimes." Kanaughed as she scratched Akagi''s ears. "I sometimes forget about that with the whole Demon Lord thing."


    <i>{Though it does kind of make me happy to hear her say that kind of sappy stuff...} </i>(Kana)


    "Anyway." Akagi hopped out of Kana''s arms and onto the ground before returning to her usual appearance. "This ce took a hell of a lot of nning to get it right, though I may have cheated a bit by copying the ns for a simr arena in the United States." She winked.


    "Cheating?!? How could you do that?" Zephiria said with fake shock as she floated down from above. "Foreshame, Akagi! Foreshame!"


    "Didn''t <i>you </i>cheat by getting power from me?" Akagi raised an eyebrow as the warlock touched down in front of them after teleporting past the ss.


    "Nah, it''s not cheating." Zephiria shook her head. "I call that finding an <i>alternative source </i>for my power." She snickered.


    "Is that what the kids call it these days?" Akagi rolled her eyes. "What are you doing here anyway? You''re generally not one to stick around these parts. I figured you be messing about in Antarctica again." The Warlock had made it her home ever since she''d awoken from FWO and was using it as a testing ground for magic since it was far away from any inhabited ces.


    <i>{Antarctica?!?} </i>(Kana)


    "I mean, I was, but I couldn''t <i>not </ie check out this tournament." Zephiria shrugged. "It will make a great ce for collecting data, and I''m quite interested in seeing how those items of yours work inbat." She''d worked with Imperial on developing a few items for herself to various degrees of sess.


    "Are you going to be taking part in the tournament?" Mika asked. She figured the Warlock would make quite the interesting contestant.


    "But of course!" Zephiria smiled as she did an overly dramatic bow. "How could I pass up the chance to put my research and testing into practice? I doubt I''ll win, but it will be an invaluable experience, and I''d like to see how far my magic can go against so many martials." She''d never been that good in duels, but her magical prowess was second to none, and her knowledge of the magical arts rivaled the best Spirit Mage.


    "Just be careful using the power you''ve been granted by our contract." Akagi warned her against relying on it too heavily. "It''s still rough on your body, and worst case scenario either you or your opponent could <i>die</i> since my own energy is far more potent than normal magic." She''d cautioned the Warlock about using it before and was d to see that she''d taken it seriously.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll mostly just stick to using that power to buff my spells and other techniques rather than using it to directly attack people." Zephiria replied with azy handwave. "Funny enough, I''ve been doing tons of testing back home, and I''ve found out a few interesting things about your power."


    "Oh?" Akagi was intrigued by potentially new information about herself. "What did you find?"


    "Well, for starters, your power is <i>very </ipatible with regr magic." Zephiria exined some of her testing and findings. "When properly mixed together, it boosts the effectiveness of ordinary magic by an order of magnitude and basically acts like an elerant. I''ve noted an increase in power in the hundreds of percent, and that''s likely just the beginning."She figured that as she gained more confidence in using Akagi''s power she could easily bump that up to an over one thousand percent increase.


    "Hmmm. Interesting." Akagi nodded. "I don''t really use normal magic anymore, so I''ve never noticed, but that''s good to know."


    "Additionally, I''ve found that your power is actually far less corrupting than first imagined." Zephiria continued. "My testing is still in its early stages on this mind you, but I think your ''Demon power'' is actually quite stable. Though I don''t think it and souls get along very well." She gave a wry smile as she recalled what happened to the people she used as <i>test subjects.</i>


    <i>{The test subjects have not enjoyed having it start getting near their souls, and some even broke. Oh well, I was taking death row inmates for a reason, so it doesn''t matter either way.} </i>(Zephiria)


    "Not surprising." Akagiughed. "I eat souls, and I''m basically the equivalent of an apex predator. Elna''s soul didn''t like the small amount of fun I pumped into it, so I can imagine what happens if you start <i>really </i>fucking with people."


    <i>{I heard from Mixu that our little Elf ''disappeared'' and that Akagi was likely behind it, which is true, but I''ll keep that to myself since it''s best that information not spread.} </i>(Zephiria)


    "Those who I''ve run tests on tend to break down fundamentally after a bit of exposure, and so far, it seems that your power is basically an anti-soul force.<i>" </i>Zephiria noted the rapid destruction of souls when introduced to enough of Akagi''s power.


    <i>{Do I even want to know what kind of ''test subjects'' she''s talking about?} </i>(Kana)


    "Well, keep doing those tests. I''m curious what you find, and if you need anything go ahead and ask." Akagi shrugged. She figured it best if she understood more about her power than just the base information it gave her upon awakening. "Between you, Imperial, Daikael, and Imp, we''ve got one heck of an R&D team." Sheughed.


    "Yeah, though unlike Daikael, <i>I''m</i> not looking to clone myself just to make the perfect waifu." Zephiria sighed. "That nutty fox is going to figure it out one day, and then the world is doomed."


    "Wait, what?!?" Mika eximed. "She''s going to <i>what</i>?!?"


    "Daikael wants to clone herself and then marry said clone." Akagi answered. "It was apparently an idea that was given to her in FWO, and she wants to make it possible."


    "That''s...." Mika didn''t really know what to say.


    "Weird." Zephiria finished for her. "She''d basically be dating a twin of herself, and thates with all sorts of issues since I have a feeling they''re going to want to multiply the old-fashioned way."


    <i>{Eh?} </i>(Mika)


    "Do I even want to <i>know </i>how that would work?" Kana gave a wry smile.


    "Yeah actually, since it might be helpful to you and your little lizard one day." Akagiughed, and Kana''s face went red as she understood what her sister meant.


    <i>{NOW I CAN''T STOP THINKING ABOUT HISHYA WITH A... A... A...} </i>Kana''s face got redder, and steam starteding out of her ears as she fell to the floor, a delirious and embarrassed mess.


    "I think we broke her." Akagiughed.


    <i>{No, I think YOU broke her...} </i>(Naomi)


    "Hey, it''s something she needed to think about eventually." Zephiria shrugged. ¡°Might as well get started on that now.¡±


    <i>{WHICH ONE OF US WOULD HAVE IT?!?} </i>(Kana)

 Chapter 241 – If Weapons Could Talk. Oh Wait, They Can.

    Chapter 241 ¨C If Weapons Could Talk. Oh Wait, They Can.


    While Akagi and the girls were busy checking out the Arena, the Spirit Weapons were having a small tea party of their own in the greenhouse. They hadn''t gotten much of a chance to talk to each other, and the simrities between them forged a kind of kinship among the weapons.


    "I must admit that I''m still surprised that a world as magically inert as this one could create you two." Halifax said as she sipped on some coffee. The three of them were chatting about their past, as well as a bit more about themselves. "You''re definitely far more advanced andplex than I would''ve expected, no offense." She figured that her words might sound demeaning and kicked herself for the poor word choice.


    "None taken." Momo smiled as she took a bite of a cookie. "The humans of this world were always looking for ways to boost the meager Spiritual power that they did have, and from what I know about our creation, it wasn''t a very easy feat." She didn''t know much about how she and her sister were created, only that it was the culmination of centuries of hard work and determination.


    <i>{My earliest memories are hazy at best and I can only remember bits and pieces of those early days. I recall a bit about our creator, but nothing more than his name and face. Himari has said something simr in the past and I can''t imagine that she knows more than me.} </i>(Momo)


    "Too bad they couldn''t make Momo more fun." Himari snickered as she snuck a cookie off the te. "She''s a bit of a stick in the mud at times."


    "I think it better to be that than the child you turned out to be." Momo rolled her eyes.


    "Hey, at least I''m having fun." Himariughed as the two started to bicker amongst themselves.


    <i>{I can see what Akagi was talking about...} </i>(Halifax)


    "Are there any more like you?" Halifax asked. "In my world, sentient weapons like us weren''t exactlymon, but I''ve run into a few during my lifetime." She was part of a set forged by the Gods long in the past, and she technically had a few brothers and sisters of her own.


    "Hmmm." Momo thought for a moment. "We were never told of any others like us, and in the centuries after our creation, most of our time was spent sealed away." She had only rarely spoken to her creator or members of the Tokugawa or Tomogawa family. ¡°I can''t recall any mention of other simr weapons by our creators either, beyond the usual myths and legends of course.¡±


    "It doesn''t help that they really weren''t interested in talking to us about things anyway." Himari shrugged. "I think they only talked to us about our mission and that was really it."


    <i>{I guess they really did see us as nothing but tools... Though I guess Momo and I saw ourselves as no different until recently.} </i>(Himari)


    "They were <i>not </i>particrly interested in getting our perspective on things either." Momo sighed. "But then again, we were just tools made by them to do a job, so it makes sense." The use of that term caused Halifax''s eye to twitch.


    "It sounds like your creators were... <i>unpleasant folks.</i>" Halifax didn''t like anyone treating sentient weapons or objects as anything other than people, so hearing that these two were treated as such annoyed her.


    "I can''t speak to their personality, but I do know that they were never particrly enthusiastic about that fact that we had minds of our own." Momo gave a wry smile. ¡°I''m pretty sure us talking back only annoyed them, hence why we were told to keep it to a minimum.¡±


    <i>{Though Himari had a hard time doing that.} </i>(Momo)


    "Were they not <i>aiming </i>to make a weapon that could think for itself? That''s part of the point, isn''t it?" Halifax tilted her head in confusion. "Giving one''s weapon a mind aids greatly in its use inbat. Master craftsmen spend their whole lives trying to create something as intricate as us, so why <i>wouldn''t </i>this have been the desired result?" She''d been explicitly granted a soul by the gods to make her more powerful and to help her wielder to be more effective inbat. ¡°Even if it was an ident, you''d think it would''ve been something to celebrate, but from what you''ve said, it was as if your mind was nothing but an inconvenience to them.¡±


    "From what I know, that would be about right." Momo sighed


    "We were created to defeat <i>Demons</i> and evil Yokai. That we can speak and take human form as we do wasn''t part of our creator''s design." Himari answered as she polished off a cookie. ¡°They just needed weapons strong enough to fight Ayakashi and other monsters. Having chatty weapons wasn''t desired for this purpose.¡±


    "If they didn''t want you to have such abilities, then why do you?" Halifax asked. She figured it must have been some kind of divine intervention or something simr.


    "We have no idea." Himari answered with a shrug as she grabbed another cookie. "There were always theories that the Shinto Gods may have intervened, but nothing concrete could ever be proven."


    <i>{Not to mention that based on what Akagi told us, there may not even BE any Shinto Gods or the equivalent to have done something like that.} </i>(Himari)


    "We even asked Lady Kukurihime about this after we were unsealed, and she couldn''t give us anything more concrete than the fact that our Spiritual Power was mixed with divine energy." Momo was hoping that Japan''sst remaining Kami might have more answers for her and her sister, but sadly she did not.


    "Strange, if even one of this world''s Gods don''t know..." Halifax could tell that the two Spirit weapons in front of her were more than mere creations of man, though she was acutely aware that their mortal craftsmen must have been a genius.


    <i>{Their construction seems to rival even the best on Enoris, and it wouldn''t be strange if some kind of being took interest in their creation. I do sense divine energy within them, but I can''t tell where such power came from, and it doesn''t seem to be of the same kind of power that riel and the others are made from.} </i>(Halifax)


    "You were forged directly by your world''s Gods, were you not?" Momo asked a bit about Halifax''s creation.


    "I was, yes." Halifax nodded. "Though less <i>forged </i>and more <i>willed into existence </i>by the Goddess of Time, riel." She had little knowledge or memory of that time, and only had the information providedter by riel.


    "Does that mean you have all kinds of time powers?" Himari asked about her abilities. "Our abilities are tied to our creation in some way, shape, or form. So I''d imagine you have some kind of power tied to your creator." Himari''s power went beyond bing the perfect de for her wielder and she could use fire magic as well, while Momo was an expert in wind magic.


    "Sadly, turning back time or manipting its flow is <i>not </i>possible for me." Halifaxughed. "In fact, even riel herself can''t do such things, at least not to any meaningful degree."


    <i>{If she could, then so many events would never have happened.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Though you are correct that I was given <i>some</i> power rted to her." Halifax winked. "Though as to what those are specifically, I''m afraid you''ll have to wait until the Tournament kicks off. I''d like to keep things a surprise." She giggled.


    "Stingy!" Himariined. "At least tell us! We won''t spoil anyone, I promise!"


    "For once, I agree with my sister." Momo sighed. "I''m quite curious as to what you can do, and its only fair that you give a little back after we told you about ourselves."


    "Hmmm." Halifax thought for a moment. "Tell you what. While I won''t tell you about the power rted to riel that I was granted, I''ll tell you a bit about something <i>else </i>that I''m known for." She smiled.


    "Woo!" Himari cheered.


    "I am known as the Divine de Halifax back on Enoris, and naturally..." Halifax pulled her sword body from beside her and ced it on the table, its blue form almost seeming to glow. "I''m a sword."


    "Sword buddies!" Himariughed as she put her own sword body on the table. "Though you are a bitrger than me." She pouted.


    "That is because you are a shortsword, while Halifax is a longsword," Momo exined the difference. "It''s only natural that she is a bitrger."


    <i>{Also, you can just change form and be bigger. I''ve seen you as a Nodachi before.} </i>(Momo)


    "My body is based on a Kelgashi longsword, which are considered to be the finest des ever created." Halifax went on to exin a bit about the strange Dwarves that lived extremely deep underground. "They are an ancient people and were a breakaway faction of the Dwarves that live on the surface. They wanted to practice ''forbidden'' arts, and their rune crafting saw them exiled from the rest of their kin''s holds." She continued. "The Kelgashi are a bit distrustful of outsiders, but you will find none more fun to be around. They still exist as far as I''m aware, but they haven''t been seen on the surface in nearly a millennium." She shrugged. "But getting back on topic, one of the other names I''ve been given is the Sword of One-Thousand des." She smirked.


    "Unless you can split apart, I only see one." Himariughed at her own poor joke.


    "No duplication here." Halifax shook her head. "At least not in the way you''re implying. The namees from the fact that I was granted knowledge of an incredible amount of techniques, most of which have been lost to time." She continued as she picked up her de and stood up, putting a bit of distance between herself and the table. "These forms and techniques can range from simple defensive maneuvers..." She took a defensive stance which saw her body angled and her sword brought up to block from the front. "To things that are <i>far </i>moreplex."


    "Can I see one?!?" Himari cried out. She was curious to see just what kind of neat forms and techniques another sword like her could use.


    "Well, if you insist." Halifaxughed. It was clear that she enjoyed Himari''s enthusiasm as it reminded her of one of her younger ''siblings''. "Fiftieth Form of the Divine de: Ast¨¦ri!" In a sh Halifax''s orange hair changed to red, and her entire body was coated in a light veil of mes, none too dissimr to Hishya when she powered up.


    "Wow!" Himari squeaked.


    <i>{Incredible! The amount of power flowing through you is extraordinary, and your control is so perfect that I can''t detect any waste or leakage!} </i>(Momo)


    "As you can imagine, this form relies primarily on me and fire." Halifaxughed as she spun her de around in her hand. "Though it''s meant as a purification stance that aids in the destruction of darkness and things of that nature."


    "Maybe you should try it out on Akagi!" Himari snickered.


    "I don''t think it''s going to do anything." Halifax sighed as she canceled her power and returned to normal. "She is far too much darkness to be cast aside by such a meager light."


    "And you have a thousand other such forms?" Momo asked.


    "Well, technically, I have <i>over </i>one thousand," Halifax said as she took a seat. "But it''s far easier and, frankly, <i>cooler</i> to call me the Sword of One-Thousand des, so we use that." She winked.


    "Can you teach me any of them?" Himari really wanted to learn from her, and Momo was surprised to see her sister take such initiative.


    "Perhaps." Halifax didn''t know if a man-made de like Himari could use many of her forms and techniques. "I''m up to try if you''d like."


    "YES!" Himari stood up and pounded on the table. "TEACH ME!"

 Chapter 242 – The Pudding.

    Chapter 242 ¨C The Pudding.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Merry Christmas!


    Tournament will begin soon!


    "And as we end today''s sermon, let us pray for Our Dark Lady''s grace." Misha stood before a small group of Akagi''s n, dressed in what appeared to be something akin to a darker version of a Shine Maiden''s clothing. As there was no proper temple to worship the <i>Demon </i>quite yet, they were using a hastily constructed wooden building that looked simr to a Guardian Deity shrine with an underground prayer area.


    "Let us pray." (Congregation members)


    There were less than a dozen people in the small dimly lit room including Misha, and as they stood up from the small benches they were sitting on, they offered a prayer in Akagi''s name.


    ¡°The Dark Lady protects us, guides us, and gives us warmth.¡± Misha started a small prayer, which the congregation repeated. ¡°All who seek salvation must give themselves to the Dark Lady entirely, and in return she will fill your heart with her love and protect you from the unrighteous.¡± She sped her hands together in prayer.


    Meanwhile, the ''Dark Lady'' in question was happily sitting on arge fluffy pillow at the center altar of the room, which was surrounded by flowers and lit candles. Akagi <i>begrudgingly </i>came to this night''s sermon, mostly because there would be a small bit to celebrate the marriage between two of Akagi''s n members, the Elf Shora and the Wolfkin Ijin.


    Naturally, she <i>did not </i>want to actually <i>listen </i>to said sermon and so disabled her hearing once things started. Akagi figured that if she couldn''t hear the cringe, that the cringe could not harm her. However as Kana wouldter say, there was no escaping the cringe no matter how hard you tried.


    Once things were finished Yumi figured it was time to awaken the almighty Dark Lady from her sleep. "Alright, kitty, it''s time to get up." She walked over to the sleeping Catkagi and tried to rouse her. "Come on..." She started poking Akagi incessantly in an attempt tomunicate the fact that she needed to awaken her.


    *POKE* *POKE* *POKE* *POKE* *POKE* *POKE* *POKE* *POKE* *POKE* *POKE* *POKE* *POKE* *POKE* *POKE* *POKE* *POKE* *POKE* *POKE* *POKE* *POKE*


    After she was poked an inordinate number of times, one of Akagi''s drooped ears perked up, indicating that she was paying attention.


    <i>{Cute!} </i>(Yumi)


    "Time to get up, kitty." Yumi continued poking her in the ears to ensure she stayed awake. "You need to say a few words for our newly married couple.¡± She got no initial response and so decided to y hardball. ¡°If you don''t then I''ll be withholding the payment for your presence tonight." She smirked. Akagi had been coaxed into attending inrge part because Misha was going to give her something tasty as a reward.


    "Don''t you dare!" Akagi sat up quickly and hissed at her, swiping at Yumi. "I''ll fucking bite you if you deny my pudding!" Misha''s family ran a confectionery, and one of the things they sold was a homemade chocte pudding that Akagi hade to enjoy a great deal.


    <i>{DO NOT FUCK WITH MY PUDDING!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Hmmm." Yumi thought for a moment as she pat Akagi on the head. "Perhaps bad kitties shouldn''t get pudding?" She snickered.


    <i><b>"I guess I''ll just need to drop you into my shadow for a bit. I did get a brand new tickle room all kitted out, and I need a test subject." </b></i>Akagi threatened her with <i>doom</i>.


    "Bad kitty!" Yumi lightly bopped her on the head. "Nomitting war crimes!" Akagi''s tickles could be so bad that she thought they should be included in the Geneva Convention banned weapons list.


    "But war crimes are fuuuuuun!" Akagi cackled as she imagined unveiling the tickle monster mark two. "Now prepare to be tickled, Yumi!" She wiggled her fingers in an attempt to scare Yumi, who just rolled her eyes.


    "Lady Akagi, we''re ready for your officiation." Misha interrupted Akagi and Yumi''s silly time, much to Akagi''s disappointment since she barely got to torment her Priestess.


    "You''re lucky, Yumi, but next time..." Akagi wiggled her fingers menacingly before hopping off the pillow and reverting to her usual appearance.


    <i>{I''ll give you petster, and you''ll forget all about this...} </i>(Yumi)


    After getting herself presentable, Akagi gave a small congrattory statement to the newlyweds, and while she refrained from making any overtly religious statements regarding their new union, the <i>Demon </i>could tell that those who listened to her saw the new couple as being blessed by her.


    *Sad Catkagi whimper noises*


    Once things were finished and everyone cleared out for the night, Akagi Yumi and Misha headed outside and into the exterior garden, where the <i>Demon</i> whined in Yumi''s arms.


    "Now, now. It''s not so bad, so stop whining." Yumi giggled while petting Akagi on the head. "We all love you very much, so how about you just take it rather thanin about our love." She was enjoying seeing Akagi''s reaction and thought it was nice to see her on the backfoot with torment for once.


    "You''re not the one who has to listen to people talk about how wonderful and amazing you are." Akagi hung between Yumi''s arms, her ears drooping. "Do you have any idea how embarrassing you idiots are?!?"


    "It''s not embarrassing to us, so it''s all good!" Yumi smiled.


    "You''re enjoying yourself, aren''t you?" Akagi looked up at her. "I bet you like seeing me get like this."


    "Never." Yumi denied her statement. "Though I <i>might </i>have a bit of a chuckle when you get embarrassed, but that''s all."


    <i>{Where did my nice Yumi go?!?} </i>(Akagi)


    "What have I done to deserve this?" Akagi sighed.


    "You have merely given us all hope and love." Mishamented. She''d changed out of her Priestess outfit and was now in normal clothing. "So I think it only right that we return that gift to you!"


    "Yeah, she''s right." Yumi smirked as Akagi hopped out of her arms and onto the ground. "Or are you denying our love?" She gave a very dramatic hand to the head, feigning shock and despair.


    "Whatever." Akagi rolled her eyes before turning to Misha. "Now, where is my pudding? I require the promised reward!" She wasn''t about to let this go since it was the whole reason she showed up tonight.


    <i>{It is kind of funny that the being who does not need to eat has be obsessed with food as ofte.} </i>(Yumi)


    "It''s in the fridge in the kitchen." Misha smiled as she pat Akagi on the head, eliciting a brief re from Yumi.


    "Then we shall go there!" Akagi began walking toward the kitchen followed closely behind by Yumi and Misha.


    "Pudding! Pudding! Pudding! Pudding! Pudding! Pudding!" Akagi began banging on the table as Yumi brought said pudding out from the fridge. It was in a small bowl and Akagi eyed it up as it was brought over. "PUDDING!"


    <i>{MUST CONSUME PUDDING!} </i>(Akagi)


    "No need to shout." Yumi sighed as she put the bowl and a spoon in front of Akagi. "It''s not going to disappear or anything."


    "You don''t know that." Akagi snickered. "It might run away in fear of being eaten!"


    "If it did that, then I''d just make you some more." Mishaughed. "I''m d to see you like my Mom''s baking, and she told me to thank you for all the extra business at the shop!" Ever since Akagi had gotten a taste of some of her family''s treats, they''d been nearly overwhelmed with orders from her and the rest of the n. Apparently, the little hole in the wall that they ran was quite an amazing little find, and Akagi was keen on securing as many sweets as possible.


    "Your parents make all kinds of goodies." Akagi smiled as she looked down at the pudding before her. "And this stuff is the cream of the crop!" She''d always liked pudding, but this stuff was on a whole nother level.


    "You''re looking at it like it''s some sacred dish." Yumi chuckled. "Is this perhaps your new favorite food?"


    "Nah." Akagi shook her head. "That''s still souls. Ain''t no way your beating <i>that</i>." She recalled the taste of Rivenshaft''s soul and drooled a bit. "Maybe we should acquire more? I am in the mood for some."


    <i>{Snacks...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Please don''t start eating people''s souls like snacks." Yumi sighed. She could tell what Akagi was thinking by the look on her face and didn''t want to risk going down that path. "Be content with the sweets you get. Otherwise, you might consume this entire if you got the craving bad enough."


    <i>{Kitty eating snacks is cute. But kitty consuming all mankind''s souls AS snacks, not so much... Well... Its still cute but my point stands!} </i>(Yumi)


    "It''s fine. If I do get hungry for souls, then I''ll just nibble on <i>you </i>a bit. After all, you''re my <i>snack.</i>" Akagi winked as she picked up Yumi''s arm and gave a y bite. It took a minute for Yumi to catch her actual meaning which then resulted in her turning away in embarrassment.


    <i>{I both love and hate that she''s gotten into that stuff more...}</i> (Yumi)


    "Just eat your pudding." Yumi sighed as she slid a spoon closer to the Catkagi, which caused Akagi to look between said spoon and Yumi several times.


    "What?" Yumi asked, and Akagi continued looking between Yumi and the spoon. "Do you want me to feed you?" The Priestess asked with a sigh.


    "BEEP!" Akagi beeped, which Yumi figured meant yes.


    "I hate that I don''t want to say no..." Yumi slid closer and picked up the spoon, and began feeding Akagi.


    <i>{This is far too cute... Damn me for loving this stupid cat... and damn me for enjoying this...} </i>(Yumi)


    <i>{I NEED PICTURES!} </i>Misha quick started snapping pictures with her AR device which she forwarded to Mika.


    "Aww, that''s adorable. Can I try?" Misha asked if she could also feed the <i>Demon </i>kitty but was quickly silenced by a death re from Yumi.


    <i>{SHE WANTED ME TO FEED HER, AND THAT IS WHAT SHALL HAPPEN! BACK OFF YOU THIEVING CAT!} </i>(Yumi)


    <i>{Yumi is so cute when she gets jealous.} </i>(Akagi)


    Yumi slowly fed Akagi the entire bowl of pudding while Misha watched with visible sadness on her face. The girl really wanted to feed her Dark Lady and Akagiughed internally at how funny this situation was. Once the pudding was consumed, and Misha was delivered back home, Akagi and Yumi moved into the living room to rx, with the kitty curled up on the Priestess''sp.


    "Did you enjoy yourself?" Yumi asked as she pet Akagi''s ears. "You made me feed you in front of Misha, and I''m pretty sure you know that killed the poor girl on the inside." Though Yumi was more than happy to see the girl tormented by being denied ess to the floof.


    <i>{I am the most devoted! I shall not let anyone surpass me!} </i>(Yumi)


    "Why, in fact, I <i>did </i>enjoy myself." Akagi snickered. "And I did not <i>make </i>you do anything. I simply asked, and you obliged. If you didn''t want to do it then you could''ve said no." She knew that there was no way in hell Yumi was going to pass up the chance.


    "If I would''ve said no, then you would''ve gotten all pouty." Yumi sighed as she watched something on the news.


    "Let''s be real here. <i>You </i>were enjoying yourself as much as I was, Yumi." Akagiughed. "Don''t forget that I can read your biometrics quite easily, and you were quite happy." That was part of why lying to her was quite hard, as the body''s own natural reactions to stress gave one''s real feelings and intentions away.


    "I have noment." Yumi declined to answer. "Though I will not deny that you have me in the palm of your hand. Look at me now, sitting on the couch with you curled in myp petting you to your heart''s content." She giggled.


    "As it should be." Akagi smiled. "As it should be."

 Chapter 243 – Magical Girl Versus Demon Princess!

    Chapter 243 ¨C Magical Girl Versus Demon Princess!


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Thanks for 700k!


    In a ce that looked a lot like Kyoto a woman who looked <i>suspiciously </i>like an evil version of Kana stood atop the roof of a tall building, cackling. "Muhahahahah! It''s toote, Magical Girl Star Guardian. My n is nearlyplete, and soon, all the fun and happiness in the world will be gone <i>forever</i>!" This evil-looking Kana continued tough maniacally while her overly designed dark dress fluttered in the breeze.


    "You fiend!" Mika eximed, her eyes showing great anger as she stood on a building opposite her, transformed into her Magical Girl appearance. "Demon Princess, no matter how many times you try to destroy our world, I will always defeat you!"


    <i>{Your evil ways end today!} </i>(Mika)


    "You may have thwarted me in the past, but this time, things are <i>different</i>!" Demon Princess cackled. "You see, this time I''ve taken the liberty of securing the very being which brings joy and happiness to this world, and I think you''ll recognize her." She snapped her fingers, revealing a translucent energy cage next to her, within was a girl who looked <i>suspiciously</i> like Catkagi wearing a pink shirt with a heart on it. The <i>totally not </i>Catkagi sat happily in her energy prison, cupping her cheek while smiling as she ate chocte pudding.


    "Mew~" (Suspiciously Catkagi looking catgirl)


    "NOOOO!" Mika cried out in horror as she realized who it was. "How could you imprison Snugglekins like this?!? Give her back!" She knew that the imprisoned catgirl was key to maintaining happiness and all that was good in the world and that without her the world would be a cruel and deste ce.


    <i>{Without Snugglekins how will people smile?!?} </i>(Mika)


    "YES! Once I''ve exterminated the world''s most loveable and harmless creature, then my goal of world conquest will be one step closer. Oh-ho-ho-ho!" Demon Princess gave a stereotypical viinugh as she taunted Mika.


    "I won''t let you get away with this! I''ll defeat you and save the world from your evil schemes, you monster!" Mika charged up her magic, ready for a fight. "Prepare to taste defeat once again, Demon Princess!" She fired off several star-shaped sts toward Demon Princess, but she let out a bored yawn as she waved her hand, causing them to disappear.


    "How?!?" Mika was stunned. "You can''t nullify my power like that!" In her countless battles against the viin, she''d never seen her do something like this.


    "Before today, I couldn''t." Demon Princess smirked. "But thanks to my henchman, I''ve managed to tap into the very magical power of friendship that gives <i>you</i> your power." She showed off a bracelet on her right wrist. "Now that I''ve captured Snugglekins, I can tap directly into that disgusting power and use it against you! Muhahahaha!" She cackled. "How ironic, the being of pure goodness will be used to aid me in the destruction of one of her chosen Magical girls!"


    <i>{She''s using the power of friendship against me?!?} </i>Mika was stunned. <i>{If that''s true, then how can I win?}</i>


    Meanwhile, while the battle for Snugglekins was unfolding, three girls stood on another rooftop, watching this entire situation unfold.


    "I''m going to kill Onee-chan." Kana ground her teeth.


    <i>{TAKE A PICK! DROWNED IN THE BATHTUB OR DEATH BY HOLY SWORD TO THE CHEST!} </i>(Kana)


    ¡°Please don''t, this is <i>amazing</i>!¡± Naomi was red in the face fromughing so hard.


    ¡°I''ll kill you too!¡± Kana red at her.


    "In all fairness, you <i>did </i>give your consent for your sister to do whatever she wanted with Mika as long as it didn''t ''involve'' you." Hishya wasughing hysterically as the two of them watched Mika desperately fight her opponent. ¡°And well, this doesn''t technically involve you now, does it?¡±


    "But why did she feel the need to transform into someone that looks like me and y her as the viin?!?" Kana cried out in protest. "I mean, she looks like me and is called <i>Demon</i> <i>Princess</i> for fuck''s sake!" She groaned as magical explosions rang out in the distance. "Everyone is gonna figure out who that''s supposed to be..." This was being recorded, and Mika was nning on editing their fight and posting it to social media.


    <i>{I''m going to have to somehow open up Mika''s head and rip out her imnt before she posts this on social media...} </i>(Kana)


    "I mean, this <i>is </i>Akagi we''re talking about." Hishya was stillughing as a massive explosion went off in front of them. ¡°What else do you expect from her?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, if she <i>didn''t </i>do something like this, then it wouldn''t really be her now, would it?¡± Naomi said whileughing.


    <i>{Nice to see my friends and girlfriend are enjoying my torment...} </i>(Kana)


    "I see. Your friendship power has grown greatly since thest time we fought, Magical Girl." Demon Princess smirked as she deflected a magical st from Mika.


    "That''s what makes a Magical Girl so powerful, Demon Princess." Mikaunched another barrage of attacks. "You might be tapping into a <i>portion</i> of our power, but you''ll never have it all! Your heart is too dark and twisted to understand what it means to experience true friendship!"


    <i>{You''re an evil woman who j-walks, litters and kicks puppies! There''s no way you could use my own power against me sessfully!} </i>(Mika)


    "What do I need friends for?" Demon Princess scoffed as she returned an attack of her own. "When I''m the ruler of the world, what use would such people be?" She never had any friends, even as a child, believing that people should only live to serve her and nothing else.


    "I think I''m going to die of embarrassment, Hishya." Kana covered her bright red face. "This entire thing is so cringe! Onee-chan even got that aspect of Magical Girl shows right!"


    <i>{Seriously, the fucking POWER OF FRIENDSHIP is what fuels Mika''s magic?!? How cliche and stupid can you get... Also, Onee-chan... I HAVE FRIENDS! AND I DON''T HAVE ANY PLANS FOR WORLD DOMINATION!} </i>(Kana)


    "I mean, that''s kinda a staple in the genre, Kana." Hishya pat her girlfriend on the shoulder. "You have the pure and good Magical Girl, the cartoonishly evil viins, and the magical pets." She''d seen all of this before when she watched one of the many Magical Girl anime that aired.


    <i>{But still, Snugglekins? And what''s this BS about you being the source of all that''s good in the world, Akagi? I know for a fact you''re saying these lines DELIBERATELY.} </i>(Hishya)


    "That doesn''t make it any less cringe-worthy..." Kana sighed.


    ¡°And it also doesn''t make it any less <i>funny </i>either.¡± Naomi snickered as Kana swiped at her.


    "I think it''s one of those things where everyone knows it''s stupid, but that''s just the charm." Hishyaughed as she watched Mika continue her assault.


    "Impossible!" Demon Princess cried out as she was slowly overwhelmed by Mika''s star-shaped sts. "How could you possibly be this strong?!? How can my powerbined with Snugglekin''s friendship generation be overwhelmed by one Magical Girl?!?"


    <i>{How is my power and that of Snugglekins not enough to defeat you?!?} </i>(Demon Princess)


    "That''s because you''re not fighting just a single Magical Girl, Demon Princess." Mika said as she continued her assault. "You see, what makes the power of friendship so strong is the bonds it creates between us. My friends and I have ovee so many great hardships, and I''ve met so many amazing people, and <i>each </i>of those bonds gives me far more strength than you could ever imagine!" She yelled as she put even more power into her attacks. "When you fight me, you''re fighting everyone I care about, everyone who supports me, and everyone who''s stood by my side. THAT is the true meaning of the power of friendship, and it''s why you will NEVER win, Demon Princess!" Mika delved deep within and unleashed a new level of power that she''d never used before.


    "Inconceivable! How could I lose to such a foolish thing?!?" Demon Princess cried out as Mika''s sts overwhelmed her defenses and caused a massive explosion, sending her flying to the other side of the building.


    *HACK* *COUGH*


    As she struggled to get to her feet, she found Mika standing over her, pointing her wand at her head. "You''ve been defeated <i>again</i>, Demon Princess. And this time, I''ll make sure you don''t escape your prison cell and cause people any more harm."


    "Don''t go thinking you''ve captured me yet!" Demon Princess took an item out of her outfit and smashed it against the ground, causing a smoke screen to engulf the rooftop.


    "Darn, it!" Mika cursed.


    "You might have won this time, Magical Girl, but I''ll have my revenge and I WILL take over the world one day, mark my words. Oh-ho-ho-ho." Demon Princessughed evilly as her voice faded away. A few momentster, Mika blew away the smokescreen with her magic, but it was toote, and Demon Princess had escaped.


    "And my friends and I will beat you every time." Mika smiled as she looked up at the clear blue sky. "Wait, Snugglekins!" She''d nearly forgotten about the trapped kitty and quickly ran over to the magical cage that Snugglekins was trapped in. The kitty looked sad as it had run out of pudding and seemed to be on the verge of tears. "Don''t cry!" Mika used her power to smash open the cage with her wand, freeing Snugglekins who deftly dropped to the rooftop. "Oh, you sweet, defenseless creature." She squeezed Snugglekins against her, petting and consoling the poor creature who had just experienced far more abuse than it ever deserved. "How could Demon Princess do such horrible things to you? I can''t believe that she only gave you <i>one </i>pudding cup?!? That shows just how evil she truly is."


    <i>{At a minimum you should''ve given her two! That fiend knew Snugglekins would finish the first one quickly and be sad when she found that there was no more! Truly Demon Princess is the lowest of the low!} </i>(Mika)


    "And cut!" Akagi''s voice came from the sky. "That was an excellent performance, Mika! I''ve stopped the recording."


    "THAT WAS SO MUCH FUN!" Mika spun around in ce with ''Snugglekins'' in her arms. "I FELT LIKE I WAS A MAGICAL GIRL IN AN AMIME! EVERYTHING WENT PERFECTLY!" She was incredibly happy and was absolutely giddy.


    "It took a few drafts to get that script down, but I''m happy with it in the end." Akagi appeared next to her, and ''Snugglekins'' vanished from Mika''s arms. "Let''s go see the girls, I already know Kana is dying from embarrassment right now."


    <i>{And am I d that I''ve got multiple backup copies of this in case Mika gets some non-consensual brain surgeryter today.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Oh, phooey on her!" Mika puffed out her cheeks. "That was amazing, and if she has an issue with it, then she''s just a stick in the mud!" She had fun with it and thought Kana was just being a stick in the mud.


    After the two of them hopped over to Kana and Hishya, they were treated to a hysterical Hishya and Naomi rolling on the rooftop,ughing.


    "Y-you actually did it! That stupid cliched ending! HA!" Hishya''s sides were hurting fromughing so much. "Y-you even got that stupidugh perfectly...." She started wheezing fromughing so hard.


    ¡°I''m so d I came here today!¡± Naomi was simrly hysterical.


    "Well, I''m d to see that you two<i> </i>having fun." Kana''s face was bright red and buried in her hands. "Onee-chan, why did you have to do that to me? What did I ever do to you to deserve this?"


    "Becausee on, was there anyone else I could put in the evil viin role?" Akagi smirked.


    "YOU! YOU IDIOT!" Kana looked up at her and yelled. "You''re a Demon Lord! You''re a much better candidate for evil viin than me!"


    <i>{YOU JUST WANTED TO DO THIS TO ME TO GET ¡°BACK FOR THE CHEESE, DIDN''T YOU?!? OR WAS IT FOR THE OTHER TIMES I''VE PICKED ON YOU?!?} </i>(Kana)


    "True, I could''ve used myself. But you see, I''m a muchrger-scale evil." Akagiughed as she pat Kana on the head. "I can''t y some Magical Girl cartoon viin, as that''s beneath me." She nodded. and Mika agreed.


    "Yeah! We needed her to be a cheesy, snooty, snarky, and pretentious girl. So we figured using you for the base would be perfect!" Mika grinned.


    "I''m going to p you, Mika." Kana gave her a death re. "I''m a lot of things, but I''m not pretentious!"


    "As I said, we took some ''creative liberties'' and made some adjustments." Mika smiled innocently.


    <i>{Note that she did not say anything about the ACTUAL traits of hers we used.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Don''t worry, I made sure that <i>Demon Princess </i>looked different enough to you that no one would ever suspect who we were using as a base." Akagi smiled, knowing full well that anyone with two working brain cells would see the simrities.


    "Yeah..." Kana rolled her eyes. "I guess this is my fault. I told you to have at it and didn''t check to see what you were going to do. So yeah, this one''s on me." She sighed.


    "At least Akagi decided to do this <i>inside </i>her shadow body rather than in actual downtown Kyoto." Hishya said betweenughs. "Because by god, if the RRT was having an aneurysm over Mika now, hooo boy would it have just gotten worse!"


    ¡°Part of me wishes that she had!¡± Naomi said while stillughing.


    "Yeah, they''d think that some kind of crazy viin was running around trying to take over the world." Akagiughed. ¡°Maybe we can do the second episode down town for real?¡±


    "It''s fine! No matter how many times the Demon Princess appears, Magical Girl Star Guardian will defeat her!" Mika smiled.


    "Just remember, Mika." Scary Kana came out for a moment. "The next time youe to me for tutoring, I''ll remember what you did here today, and I''ll make sure you get nice and <i>prepared</i> for that test." She gave an evil smile that gave Mika a sense of danger.


    "Eeep!" Mika squeaked in horror, knowing that hell awaited her.


    <i>{I can never tell Kana this, but I''m so d Akagi and Mika ended up going through with the whole Magical Girl thing!</i><i>It was probably the bestugh I''ve ever had, and it''s nice seeing Kana on the receiving end of some torment every now and again.} </i>(Hishya)


    Spoiler


    Demon Princess!


    [copse]

 Interlude 16 – A Clash is Imminent.

    Interlude 16 ¨C A sh is Imminent.


    "Ah! It''s good to see all of you again!" A very short and well-dressed man smiled as the four Heroes entered a conference room. He was small, smaller than a Dwarf, and had a stylish handlebar mustache that worked well with his top hat and monocle. "I trust the four of you have been well, and Sir Kanato, congrattions on the birth of your second daughter! I hear she takes after her mother." He smiled as he shook Kanato''s hand vigorously.


    "It''s good to see you again, Jacabey!" Kanato smiled as he returned a firm handshake. "And yeah, Delia is the spitting image of Neiline. I couldn''t be a happier man." He was looking forward to spending time with his family once everything was said and done.


    "Well, I do hope you''ll take the time to bring you and your family up North when you get the chance. I''ll get you into an amazing sweet at my finest inn, and you can all enjoy a nice rxing vacation. There are all sorts of good ces that even such young children would enjoy!" Jacabeyughed. He was the official representative of the Merchant Confederation of Northwind and was one of its wealthiest merchants.


    "I''ll be taking you up on that offer, so don''t go trying to back outter." Kanato smiled, though he figured that getting his first wife to join would be difficult due to her othermitments.


    Jacabey had been a good friend and ally to all four of the Heroes and even went as far as to finance their training and weapon creation out of his own pocket. Ordinarily, he was a frugal and cutthroat man, but he figured that if the world was to perish if the Heroes failed then he should do everything in his power to aid them.


    "Good to see you''re still kicking, old man." Muichiro fist-bumped the Halfling whoughed hardily.


    "I''ve still got a few good years in me yet." Jacabey smiled. "And I hope you''ve been enjoying your <i>goods</i>?" He was referring to the two Elves that he''d sold off to Muichiro.


    "Oh, hell yeah!" Muichiro smirked. "I can''t believe you actually managed to find <i>exactly </i>what I was looking for!"


    "Well, I am a <i>merchant</i>. Getting what my customers want is the most important part of the trade!" Jacabeyughed.


    "Are we early?" Amakusa looked around and saw nobody else besides them. The conference room sat within the massive Central Cathedral of the Holy City and was even morevishly decorated than simr ces in the Imperial Pce. "I thought the meeting was for noon?" It wasn''t quite time for the meeting but it was close enough that at least <i>some </i>of the attendees should''ve arrived by now.


    "They should being soon. Lady Ravenwood was having a discussion with Chancellor Nargul and Lady riel. I think it had something to do with the Demon Lord Cult." Jacabey frowned as he exined that the Cult had been up to something in Northwind and that the Demons were working with their forces to root out the problem.


    ¡°The Cult...¡± Kanato hummed as he thought about them.


    The Demon Lord cult was a small but fanatical group of people. Most of its members belong either to the Demon or Beastkin races and worshiped the long-vanquished Demon Lord Vikes and sought to revive him.


    "I''ve heard they''ve increased some of their attacks during thest few months." Hitomimented. As someone involved deeply with the Church and its politics she''d heard all kinds of reports about their activities. "I''d seen a few reportse in that stated they''ve attacked viges and sacrificed the people within them." She looked genuinely sad as she recalled some of the information that came across her desk.


    <i>{Such a tragedy...} </i>(Hitomi)


    "Why would they want to return such a vile creature to this world?" Kanato bit his lip in frustration. "Things are already bad enough as is. Thest thing we need is something like a Demon Lord showing up and causing further chaos."


    <i>{Why is there always a group of people who actively want to make things WORSE?!?} </i>(Kanato)


    "I wouldn''t worry too much about those cultists." A woman''s voice came from behind them, and when the four Heroes turned around, they were greeted by a stunningly beautiful woman with long red hair and orange eyes. Her extreme beauty contrasted greatly with her clothing, which was a simple white flowing garment that was simr in many respects to a toga. "The deaths they cause arementable, but in the grand scheme of things they can do little more than cause localized misery."


    "Lady riel, it''s good to see you." Kanato smiled, and the four Heroes gave a slight bow out of respect.


    "It''s good to see the four of you as well." riel smiled as she greeted them. "And please allow me to apologize for asking for yet further aid from you. I thought things would be concluded with the Spirits banishment from this world, but s things are never so simple." She gave an apology that was a mixture of real and fake.


    "Ah, don''t worry about it." Muichiro waved her concern away. "We were brought here to do a job, and that''s what we''re going to do. Plus, I don''t mind busting a few more Spirit heads!" Heughed.


    "But what''s this about the Demon Lord cult?" Amakusa interjected. "Are they causing enough trouble to warrant your concern?" She''d heard of them before and knew a bit about Vikes but was always told that his cult was nothing more than an irritant.


    "It''s nothing you four need to worry about." riel shook her head. "Vike''s cult has <i>always</i> been an issue, and they''re just getting a bit more uppity with all the recent chaos. But we''ve got everything under control." She turned to the dark-skinned woman next to her. "Right, Ariel?"


    "Indeed. You four need only focus on taking down the Spirits. Leave those foolish Heretics to us." Ariel nodded. She stood taller than anyone else in the room, and while her frame was slender, her horns, dark red eyes, and ck hair made her an imposing presence. "It''s my duty as Regent to handle those ursed fools while my father is incapacitated, and I promise you that they will cause no trouble while you are away." Ariel Ravenwood was the only child of Lockheed Ravenwood, the current High Demon King. He''d been bedridden for over a decade due to a powerful curse that was slowly killing him, and Ariel had taken up his duties while he was ill. However, unlike in a normal Monarchy, there was no guarantee that she would ascend to the throne once her father passed, as the title of High King was an elected position chosen by the Elector Kings rather than passed within a dynasty.


    "I''d just rather that we <i>don''t</i> get back and be we need to fight some revived Demon Lord." Amakusa sighed. She''d seen enough anime to know how these things tended to work out and was secretly betting that something stupid was going to happen in the near future.


    "That isn''t going to happen." riel dismissed her concerns outright. "Vike''s soul was <i>destroyed</i> four thousand years ago. Even we Gods couldn''t do something like reviving him even if we wanted to." She''d ensured that he''d vanished all those years ago, and Halifax was created specifically to <i>destroy </i>such a creature.


    "Not to mention that they won''t exist much longer anyway." Ariel smirked. "Shortly after this conference is finished, I will be leading a group of my finest troops to destroy their headquarters once and for all. This way the shame they bring upon my people can finally be erased." She, as well as most Demons, resented the Cult since its members werergely from their own race and gave the false impression that their kind were tainted by the long dead monster.


    "Are you sure you couldn''t save a few for me?" Muichiroughed. "I''m always down to send people to the afterlife."


    "While I would be honored for you to join me, your mission is simply too important to be dyed, Sir Hero." Ariel declined. "But perhaps we can enjoy a hunt or two once you return."


    "Now <i>that </i>sounds like fun." Muichiro smirked. "I think I''ll take you up on that one." He''d been aiming for Ariel for a while but could never seem to get closer to her and figured this was his chance.


    <i>{Kanato got that Angel girl, so I just need to score a Demon!} </i>(Muichiro)


    The group continued to discuss various things until the rest of the conference members arrived, with the final missing attendee arriving in a rather <i>over-the-top </i>manner.


    "My apologies for beingte, everyone, but I was busy with God business, so I hope you understand." A rather handsome-looking man with blue hair and wearing simr clothing to riel arrived in the room after stepping out of a glowing portal.


    "Well, at least you were only half an hourte, Gale." riel sighed. "I feared you might be off by years like you were that one time." She''d always taken issue with his habit of beingte, but couldn''t bring herself to chastise him much more.


    "Come on, cut me some ck. You''re the Goddess of Time, but not all of us can be as punctual as you." Heughed as he took a seat next to her at therge round conference table. "But I''d never miss something this important by such arge margin. At best, I''d''ve been off by a few days." riel rolled her eyes, knowing that he wasn''t actually joking.


    <i>{Gale, the Chief of Enori''s Gods. I''ve only met him briefly once before, but he seems like an absolute prick on the inside...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Anyway, we should get started." riel sighed before turning to the attendees. "Thank you all foring..." She then proceeded to give a small speech that went over the events thus far, recapping the Spirit''s responsibility for the magical disasters as well the Heros'' sacred mission. After she was finished Gale took over and spoke about the exact details of the n and answered questions.


    "So the four of you have already been made aware of this, but I will repeat it for the other participants of this meeting." Gale looked between the different representatives. The ones here were either those whose nation summoned a Hero or are directly needed for the Gods'' ns, and each of you is important in some way. The Spirits have fled to another world, and from there they are continuing to use their foul magic to distort our own in an attempt to destroy us all." He continued, using his oratory skills to great effect. "But, luckily for us, their transportation method left behind a <i>trail</i>." Gale snapped his fingers and projected two floating green orbs tied together by a thin white line. "Their magic has caused our world to be linked with this other world, and using our power we''ve managed to create a stable portal between the two realms." He looked between the four Heroes. "You four will be sent through with this..." He pulled a small object out of his sleeve. It looked simr to an hourss, except that rather than sand, one side was filled with a red liquid that didn''t seem to drip down to the other side even when flipped.


    "And that thing is?" Muichiro motioned for him to get on with it.


    "This is a divine instrument crafted by <i>me</i>." Gale exined as he put it down on the table. "It will assist you in bringing the Spirits ns to an end." He continued. "As you defeat the Spirits, the other side of this ss will fill up. This signifies the weakening of their power, and once the opposite end is full, the Spirits will no longer have the power to harm our world." Naturally, he was lying, since once the ss filledpletely that would mean that the amount of power collected within it would be enough to initiate a transfer of the Gods to Earth.


    "So it''s something like a measuring device?" Kanato surmised.


    "Essentially, yes. However, I will warn you that in order to affect change, you will either need to y the Spirits or force them to willingly sacrifice their magic into the device. Please forgive me for asking you to cover your hands in more blood." Gale bowed.


    "There''s no need for that, Lord Gale!" Hitomi tried to stop him from doing something so degrading. "We are humble servants of the Gods, so please don''t bow your head like that!" As the most ''pious'' among the Heros seeing <i>any </i>God lower themselves like that didn''t sit well with her.


    <i>{I mean, it is kinda nice to have a head God bow his head to us though.} </i>(Muichiro)


    "So it''s possible that we could do this without more death or bloodshed?" Kanato asked, hoping to prevent more violence.


    "Theoretically yes, but sadly, due to their nature Spirits will wither and die if they give up their magic." Gale shook his head as he exined. "Thus, they will perish no matter what option they choose. It''s not pleasant, but we cannot afford to allow them to remain a threat. As we''ve seen, even in another world they still try to destroy us all."


    <i>{That''s...} </i>(Kanato)


    "Oh well." Muichiro shrugged. "They started this whole thing, and now they''ll pay for what they did. Fuck ''em."


    <i>{Fuck around and find out and all that.} </i>(Muichiro


    "I don''t exactly agree with your word choice, but yes." Amakusa nodded. "They have sown the wind, and thus they shall reap the whirlwind." She was ying along, not entirely sure that the Spirits were the problem they were being made to believe, though if they were the ones causing all this destruction Amakusa wasn''t going to hold back.


    "We should endeavor to ensure that their end is as swift and painless as possible." Hitomi didn''t want to see them suffer further either. "Even evildoers such as the Spirits shouldn''t be made to needlessly suffer for their sins."


    <i>{They will be sacrificed to the Gods as penance for their sins, just like the people I''ve taken into custody.} </i>(Hitomi)


    "I just wish we could end things without having to kill more people. I think enough have died as is." Kanato shook his head. With his newfound doubts he could no longer wield his de against the Spirits with the same enthusiasm that he once had.


    "I agree, but this is just how things are." riel sighed, knowing the truth. "This is not easy to ask of you four, but please. This is our world''s only hope." She and Gale bowed again.


    "I just hope we can get this over with quickly and put everything behind us." Kanato took a deep breath before looking Gale and riel in the eyes. "But I want you two to do something for me first."


    "And what might that be? I will aid in any way I can." Gale smiled.


    "I want you to both <i>swear </i>to me that what we are doing is the right thing. I want you to swear on your status as Gods that by killing the Spirits, that this world will be saved and that... and that it was... it was, maybe not the not the <i>right </i>thing to do but if nothing else the least bad option..." Kanato was never a fan of any of this death but went along with things as he saw no other option.


    <i>{I just wanted to be a Hero...} </i>(Kanato)


    "I swear on my name as Gale, Chief of Enoris'' Gods, that your cause is just, righteous, and good, Kanato." Gale nodded, his words being little more than lies.


    "And I riel, Goddess of Time, decree that you shall bear no shame or sin for your actions." riel''s wording was different, but nobody paid attention to it.


    "I... Thank you." Kanato let out a deep sigh, their words making him feel a bit better. "I needed that... I think we all did..."


    <i>{Not me. I don''t give a fuck.} </i>(Muichiro)


    "Then, if there are no other questions, I would like to move to the specifics of our n." Gale snapped his fingers and dismissed the two floating orbs. "We will be inserting you into that world in theing week, and the ce we''ve chosen to drop you is close by to what we''ve identified as a veryrge source of dark power." He continued. "We assume it to be the spot from which the Spirits are conducting the ritual that is causing the damage to our world. So once you arrive, you should be prepared for a fight, as I suspect the Spirits will have taken ample precautions to prevent you from defeating them like you didst time."


    <i>{Well, at least I might finally get a good fight! That Elf was kinda boring. So if those Spirits really do have some help or something, I hope they at least give me a few minutes of entertainment before I cut them down.} </i>(Amakusa)


    Spoiler


    riel!


    Gale!


    Ariel Ravenwood!


    Jacabey!


    [copse]

 Chapter 244 – The Dumetor Interworld Tournament.

    Chapter 244 ¨C TheDumetor Interworld Tournament.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Happy New Year!


    "H-Holy hell..." Kirika marveled at the enormous arena before her. She''d only just arrived at Akagi''s estate, but she was already lost for words by the sheer size and scale of the stage that the <i>Demon </i>had made for her show.


    <i>{T-This thing is huge! How the hell did she build it all in like a month?!?} </i>(Kirika)


    Due to the windey mountain roads, you couldn''t really see the arena on the approach, and it was only after cresting onest hill that she managed to get a good look at it. The massive tan structure looked like some kind of ancient Roman Hippodromebined with an Olympic stadium.


    "I guess the Demon Lord ain''t no joke when ites to construction either..." She gave a defeatedugh as she sat behind the wheel of her car. Kirika wasn''t expecting to even attend this event, but when offered there was no way she was going to turn down such an opportunity.


    The official opening of the Dumetor Interworld Tournament would be tomorrow, but the contestants as well as members of the media were arriving today. Akagi wasn''t too keen on having that many outsiders actually on the ground within her nation, so the number of outlets was limited, and she made sure to pull them from across the world to give more reach.


    <i>{Focus Kirikia! This is a big-time event! One that makes the Olympics look like a joke, and it''s right here in my backyard! You were invited by the fucking Demon Lord to cover this Tournament for Japan, and you damn well better do a great job!} </i>(Kirika)


    She had no idea <i>why </i>Akagi chose her, though she thought that it had something to do with her being (A) from Kyoto and (B) because Akagi remembered her from the Tokyo press meeting. Though whatever the <i>Demon''s </i>reasoning was didn''t really matter to the reporter since she was being given exclusive ess to what was turning into the hottest topic of discussion on the.


    <i>{This could easily be the highlight of my entire career! So get it together and make sure you don''t fuck this up, Kirika!} </i>(Kirika)


    "We''ve seen these kids fight before, but getting this many together for an all-out event to dedicate the formation of a new country..." Kirika shook her head as she imagined just how chaotic things were about to get. "Thisst year with these returnees has been crazy, and this might honestly take the cake." She gave a deadugh as she slumped over her wheel.


    <i>{At least the upside is that I''ve had quite a lot of fun covering them and their antics, though I do wish they''d stop doing such crazy things, at least for a little while. Fighting a giant Dragon right next to Kyoto was a bit excessive...} </i>(Kirika)


    After taking a moment to psych herself up, Kirka got out of her car. From the parking lot, she could see a dozen or so other news organizations had sent reporters, with most clearly being from overseas. Akagi had invited to a few news outlets from around the world, and offered to put them up during the event. She didn''t really <i>want </i>reporters on the ground but figured it best to just let a few in to cate the flood of requests she was getting. The only catch was that they would have to send people who spoke fluent Japanese since she wasn''t about to have her people y trantor.


    "Jeez, she got people from the States, the UAE, China, how many dozens of European countries, I think that man is a Brazilian reporter that I''ve seen before, and there are some that I don''t recognize." Kirka said as she pulled her pack out of the car. Lucikily she was used to working alone and with her own small bag she could easily deliver footage live to all of Japan.


    <i>{Now, what am I supposed to do from here? She said that somebody woulde and greet us all when we arrived, but that won''t be until 8 am.} </i>Kirika had arrived a bitter than most of the other reporters, as those who flew in had arrived in the previous days. Right now, it seemed that the other news agencies had taken up positions around their respective vehicles and were broadcasting.


    "I guess I can try to go inside and-" Kirika''s external thoughts were interrupted by a voice off to her side.


    "Oh hey, you actually came." Hishya said as she walked over. She wasn''t in any armor and was wearing a long-sleeved shirt and pants because it was a bit chilly in the early morning. "Good to see you again." She smiled.


    "Hishya?" Kirika hadn''t expected to meet the Dragon girl just yet and was a bit stunned by her sudden appearance. "I mean, it''s good to see you too. But what are you doing out here? It''s still rather <i>early</i>, isn''t it?" She figured the second most well-known returnee wouldn''t be just walking around the parking lot.


    <i>{I saw the pictures, but she really does look so much different now!} </i>(Kirika)


    "I just got up a bit ago and decided to head down." Hishya said as she yawned. "Not to mention a few news outlets wanted brief interviews before the lottery, and I need to bang those out." She said while stretching. Hishya was <i>not </i>a morning person, and bing a Dragon had only made her desire to sleep even stronger.


    <i>{Kana is still nice and warm in the hoard. Lucky bastard gets to sleep in!} </i>(Hishya)


    "I guess that makes sense. Besides Akagi herself, you''re kind of the star of this little show." Kirka giggled.


    "Yeah, but unlike <i>me, </i>Akagi has no interest in being interviewed." Hishyaughed. "I bet she told you to take a hike when you asked, right?" She''d heard Akagi <i>diplomatically </i>tell some of the other reporters that she wouldn''t interview in the prior days.


    <i>{That poor guy from Iran just wouldn''t take no for an answer, and it didn''t help that his assistant made a very big mistake by assuming that none of Akagi''s n spoke Farsi. That idiot was lucky she didn''t end his life for those stupidments of his.} </i>(Hishya)


    "You really do take well to the spotlight, you know that?" Kirikamented. "But I guess leading so many people for all those years gave you a bit of experience talking to so many people."


    "Eh. I just roll with it." Hishya shrugged as she looked at the heavy bag that Kirika had on her back. "Let me take you to where Akagi''s n is doing check-in for those staying in the arena. I think you''re a bit early, but I think Tsuchimi is there already."


    "Thank you." Kirika nodded, and the two started toward one of therge main entrances. "I got told to be here for noter than eight, but nothing more than that. I was honestly starting to get worried."


    "Yeah, most of the others were too." Hishyaughed. "But somebody would''vee and gotten you eventually since they''re watching everyone." She pointed into a tree off in the distance, where Sakura''s ears could be barely seen poking through the leaves.


    "I guess it makes sense that ninjas are hiding around!" Kirika burst outughing.


    "It''s not like they even need to anyway." Hishya shrugged. "None of you can actually harm anyone, and it''s not like this ce isn''t currently the most defended point on the fucking." She gave a wry smile. There were over two dozen yers in and around Akagi''s estate at the moment. If anyone tried anything, they were going to run head-first into the most powerful force one could imagine.


    "True, and I doubt anyone would try anything anyway. We''re all <i>painfully </i>aware that fighting any of you is not only a bad idea but one that would incur the wrath of a certain Demon Lord." Kirika gave a nervous smile.


    "Hey, people have been trying to mess with Akagi even <i>after </i>I warned them. At this point, I don''t put anything past people." Hishya sighed. "But hopefully with a full third of the former yers in irons and the vast majority of the rest either on Akagi''s side or at least neutral, things should be fine. There are a few yers that are unounted for, but from what I recall, none of them are all that powerful."


    <i>{Wing is probably the most dangerous of that bunch, but even he couldn''t do much damage before somebody stepped in to stop him if he tried anything.} </i>(Hishya)


    The two talked a bit more before Hishya showed Kirika to the front desk area where Sagara and Tsuchimi were waiting. Both had started working for Akagi in Omara but had been brought here to act as administrative staff, and while Tsuchimi''s in look meant she flew under the radar, Sagara was anything <i>but </i>ordinary.


    "I''ve brought your newest victim, Saga." Hishya snickered as they walked up to the counter. "Make sure you don''t crush Kirika here into a paste-like you did thatst guy."


    <i>{PASTE?!? And why is this woman HUGE?!? She''s like a eight-foot-tall amazon! I feel like she could fold me likeundry with her bare hands!} </i>(Kirika)


    Sagara was, despite herrge and imposing stature, a monk like Elna. Though, unlike the Elf, she was a type of monk that focused solely on channeling Ki through her body to augment her unarmed attacks rather than mixing in elemental damage types. Though the fact that she was a massive dark-skinned beauty with long ck hair and green eyes usually overshadowed anything else.


    "Please ignore the <i>lizard." </i>Sagara sighed. "Her <i>owner </i>is currently asleep, so the <i>pet </i>is running wild." She smirked.


    <i>{Pet?!?} </i>(Kirika)


    Hishya rolled her eyes. "Don''t be jealous that I''ve got a girlfriend, and you ain''t got anybody."


    "Listen, it''s gonna take one hell of a man to want to date <i>this</i>." Sagara pointed to herself. "So I''m not expecting anything anytime soon." She''d tried dating since she got back, and found that very few men had the stomach to even <i>talk </i>to her, let alone go on a date.


    "Though there is that one guy in the Admin Office that keeps looking at you." Tsuchimi poked her in the side. "Maybe you should give him a chance!"


    "No way in hell." Sagara sighed. "I hate snakes, and that''s not gonna work. He''s too lizard-like for me, so that''s a hard pass."


    "Ah, so <i>that''s </i>why you always sass me." Hishya giggled.


    "No, I sass you because you''re an idiot, and it''s fun." Sagara had done this in the past and was <i>always</i> one to harass Hishya. "But before we get too far off track, who is this?"


    "My name is Kirika Okonori, and I''m a reporter at Channel 5." Kirika gave over her badge and a copy of the letter Akagi had sent her as proof of invitation.


    "Ah! I know you!" Tsuchimi eximed. "If I recall correctly, weren''t you the reporter who broke that whole corruption scandal open in the Kyoto Mayor''s office years back?" She recalled the massive amount of drama around that whole event.


    "Y-Yeah." Kirika was a bit taken aback by Tsuchimi''s warm smile. "That was a lot of work, but I''m still proud of it." She''d broken open a massive corruption ring that was central to theundering of millions of dors into politicians'' pockets.


    "Alright then." Sagara gave her back her I.D., not caring about who Kirika was. "Tsuchi here can take you to your room so that you know where it is. We''ll be having a meeting in around half an hour to go over everything regarding the tournament. In the meantime, there''s coffee and light snacks on the other side of the room.¡± She pointed to a table that the hungry Hishya was eyeballing.


    <i>{SCONES!} </i>(Hishya)


    ¡°And also, just try to stay out of trouble, and please for the love of all that is holy don''t harass anyone. I don''t want to have to throw a <i>second </i>idiot out of this ce in twenty-four hours." Sagara sighed.


    <i>{IS THAT THE PASTE THING?!?} </i>(Kirika)


    ¡°D-Don''t worry about that. I won''t cause any trouble.¡± Kirika gave a nervousugh.


    ¡°Good.¡± Sagara nodded as she started looking at a tablet screen.


    "You can follow me. Rooms for guests are upstairs, so lets get you settled in." Tsuchimi got up and led Kirika up a small flight of steps. Akagi had constructed this ce with a rtivelyrge amount of rooms to amodate participants and other guests, and each was quite luxurious. She''d even taken some inspiration from the Great Imperial Colosseum from FWO, and some of its interior design.


    "All information forworking and such was forwarded to your email, and if you have any questions shoot a quick message to either myself or Sagara." Tsuchimi said as they approached one of the rooms. "You''ll be in here, Room 45, and here is the key." She handed over a small key card that would be swiped on a reader next to the door. ¡°Enjoy your time, and make sure you don''t miss the meeting at eight." She smiled before bowing and heading back downstairs.


    "Well, I guess I should check out the room a bit. I can''t imagine it will be <i>that </i>interesting in here." Kirika swiped the card and slowly opened the door, only to be floored by the room''s interior. "Wha-"


    The inside of the room wasrge, easily the size of a luxury hotel room at a five-star hotel in Tokyo, and was immactely decorated. The floor was made of real hardwood, and the interior walls were filled with decorative carvings and other motifs that made the room pop. On top of that, the furniture looked like something right out of a medieval castle, and Kirika could tell that everything in here was of the highest of quality.


    As she walked into the room and put her hand on the bed, she was blown away by how soft the sheets were, and it didn''t take her long to realize that <i>real </i>silk had been used to craft the bedding and drapes.


    "What the fuck..." Kirika waspletely stunned by this room. In all her years, she''d never seen something this luxurious and fine, and that it was just a simple room created for guests at a <i>tournament </i>left her head spinning.


    Spoiler


    Sagara!


    [copse]

 Chapter 245 – The Bracket is Seeded.

    Chapter 245 ¨C The Bracket is Seeded.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Make sure to stick around, we''ve got a bonus chap tonight! All hail the kitty!


    "Thank you for your time!" Hishya smiled as she turned away from one of the Spanishnguage news reporters. She''d just wrapped up a flurry of interviews with nearly half a dozen different news outlets, and she was quite pleased with all the attention she was getting. Most wanted to know her thoughts on her new home as well as what she intended to ask of Akagi if she won. Naturally, the Dragon had given it quite a bit of thought, but she''d declined to answer, telling everyone to wait until she won to find out.


    <i>{Ah, it''s so much fun having all those cameras pointed at me! I could get used to this!} </i>(Hishya)


    Not long after Kirika got settled in, Akagi''s n members called the contestants and other observers into arge audience hall where they exined the rules and regtions for the tournament. There would be sixteen contestants, each pitted against each other in 1v1 matches which would be decided at random via the drawing of numbers. Matches would ur over three days with the first two covering the opening fights, the quarter-finals, and the semi-finals. The third day was reserved for the grand finale after which another match would be done to decide third and fourth ce. After that prizes for first through fourth ce would be awarded in an borate celebration, and as exined previously, first ce would get one wish from Akagi, though it would still need to be something within her power and not contradict her interests. While second through fourth would be granted a variety of magical items and other interesting prizes.


    "Somebody''s in a cheery mood. Did you enjoy having all those people fawn over you?" Erismented as she saw Hishya walking down the main stairway with a massive smile on her face. She was leaning against the wall while chewing on a scone and sipping coffee.


    "Maybe a <i>bit</i>." Hishya snickered. "But I''m surprised that you''re here. I figured yourst ass whooping would''ve made you turn tail and hide between Ayame''s legs." She decided to tease her a bit.


    "While Ayame''s legs are nice, I won''t be hiding between them right now." Eris rolled her eyes. She was used to such jokes by this point and didn''t let them get under her skin. "Beating you won''t be easy, but know I''ve got a few tricks up my sleeve, and you not being able to go kaju on me during a fight helps out a bunch." She still had her magical items in her back pocket and was nning on busting them out during the tourney. Not to mention that she''de up with a special n to deal with Hishya.


    <i>{I hope you enjoy our n, little Dragon.} </i>(Eris)


    "Well, I look forward to sending you to the ER again!" Hishyaughed as Eris mocked her. "Has everyone else shown up yet? The drawing is going to be soon."


    "Yeah, we''ve got everyone, and they''re all waiting in the hall from before." Eris moved away from the wall and motioned for Hishya to follow, tossing the scone into her mouth. "Though we''ve got a small <i>problem</i> that you might want to see."


    <i>{Problem? I don''t like the sound of that...) (Hishya)</i>


    Following along, Hishya and Eris moved into therge hall where the other yers and members of the media were gathered. Akagi had invited some of the yers who weren''t participating to watch in person, so there were far more people in here than one would expect.


    <i>{I see that Shinlua and those Spirits that got brainwashed are here. It should be interesting to see what they can do.} </i>(Hishya)


    "So what''s the big ''problem''?" Hishya asked Eris as the two funneled in to the back of the room. "I don''t see a problem. Unless you mean the Magical Girl over there." She figured Eris was nervous about hurting Mika.


    "Nope, it''s not <i>her </i>I''m worried about." Eris sighed, though she did see Mika as an issue, it wasn''t what she was worried about. "Look over at Superbia." She nced over at the Oni who was leaning against the wall and was seemingly talking to herself andughing.


    "Is she on the phone with someone?" Hishya tilted her head in confusion. Seeing people speak to ''themselves'' was normal nowadays withpletely hands free devices.


    "Superbia has no AR device, Hishya." Eris shook her head. "And ever since she showed up, she''s been nothing but smiles and rainbows."


    "Isn''t that good?" Hishya didn''t see the problem since that was an improvement over how brooding the Oni could be.


    <i>{I know that Superbia has always been a bit brooding, and even before Munechika''s death she wasn''t exactly the most bubbly person, but I don''t see the issue.} </i>(Hishya)


    "From what Excel told me, she''s been unusually cheery ever sincest week, and apparently they''ve heard her talking to herself during training or when she was alone." Eris continued. "We''re starting to get worried about her. She''s been mentally unstable ever since Munechika passed, and it''s possible she''s finally lost it." She was worried that a mood change like this signaled something <i>bad</i>.


    "Have you guys asked her about what''s going on?" Hishya figured being straightforward was the best option here.


    "Apparently Mixu did just that and she got told that all questions would be answered in the tournament." Eris sighed. "Naturally that raised red gs and were all keeping an eye on her. I really hope she''s not going to do something crazy."


    "I see..." Hishya didn''t really know what to say. "Do you want me to say something? Or maybe we should get Akagi. Lord knows she''s got the most insight into broken minds."


    <i>{Though there''s always the chance that Akagi is in on whatever is going on...} </i>(Hishya)


    "For now, just let things alone. Hopefully whatever she''s going to do isn''t a problem, but keep your eyes peeled." Eris said while ncing over at the Oni. "Akagi is, as far as I''m aware, not in the loop, so let''s keep it that way. I don''t need her doing anything rash." She didn''t want Akagi sticking her nose in and making things worse, especially since the <i>Demon </i>might do a bit more than offer kind words.


    "Keeping secrets from her isn''t easy, but fine." Hishya shrugged as she looked around the room. At the far back wall was a arge board that had an empty bracket and off to the side was a group of sixteen pictures pinned to a board with a small box underneath it, and as Hishya looked at the group of pictures, one caught her eye.


    "Who the hell is that?" Hishya pointed out the image of a hooded figure who''s face couldn''t be seen. "I don''t recognize them, and the name just says Anle for their name." It was definitely not one of the returnees'' avatar''s names, and Hishya knew them all by heart at this point.


    "That''s..." Eris sighed. "I''ve got a feeling that I know who that is, but I''ll hold my tongue."


    <i>{Akagi really went out and took Elna for her own devices, didn''t she? But what the fuck is she thinking putting her in this fight? Whatever, all I know is she''s gonna get a fucking beating...} </i>(Eris)


    "Can''t you just tell me?" Hishya asked.


    "Figure it out on your own, you''re smart enough." Eris smirked. "Or is the Dragon not good with her brain?" She tapped the side of Hishya''s head.


    "You''re such a pain in the ass, you know that right?" Hishya sighed as she brushed her away. "Oh well, I''ll just beat her down if Ie across her and rip that mask off."


    <i>{And you know what, I wouldn''t mind that at all.} </i>(Eris)


    With the discussion of Superbia and the mysterious ''Anle'' over the two moved onto a few other topics while they waited, and around thirty minutester Akagi appeared and called everyone to attention.


    "Alright! All contestants please line up starting where Tsuchimi is!¡± Akagi made her voice louder and pped to get everyone''s attention. ¡°We''re going to draw your numbers for the lineup. Once you reach in and grab it, take it and pin your number to the cork-board underneath your picture." She pointed to the board in question. "Remember, this is supposed to be <i>random</i>, so nobody better try and cheese the lineup with magic. Trust me, I''ll know and I <i>will </i>eject your ass if you try it." She smiled.


    <i>{Though I doubt that would stop HER from tilting her seeding to her pleasure.} </i>(Hishya)


    After lining up, the yers began going one by one to the small box where Sagara recorded their numbers, which were as follows.


    Hishya: 1


    Ferrix: 2


    Zephiria: 3


    Mika (Under the name Magical Girl Star Guardian): 4


    Superbia: 5


    Aymae: 6


    Avahn: 7


    Alice: 8


    Eris: 9


    Shisa: 10


    Shinlua: 11


    Mami: 12


    Chloe: 13


    Anle: 14


    Halifax: 15


    Tiball: 16


    "Now that we''ve got the numbers I will randomize the seeding." Akagi said as she pulled a small box out of her sleeve. "I have the numbers you guys picked on small slips in here, and when I call them out. I want you to step forward so we can visually assign pairs. Tsuchimi and Sagara, you should write the names down below so everyone can see things."


    "Sounds good." Sagara said as she threw a marker to Tsuchimi who nearly fumbled it. "You take the right and I''ll take the left."


    ¡°Alright.¡± Tsuchimi said as she moved over to the other side., and once they were in position, Akagi pulled the first pairing out of the box.


    "One and Sixteen." Akagi looked between Hishya and Tiball.


    "Well fuck." Tiballughed at his bad luck. "Guess I''m out in the first round.¡± Though his face didn''t match his words prompting Akagi to think he had some kind of n for the Dragon.


    "Better you than me!" Zephiriaughed at his misfortune.


    "Don''t be hard on yourself, Tiball. It will still be a fun fight even if you lose." Hishya snickered.


    "Next is nine and eight." Akagi nced between Alice and Eris.


    "Oh hell. I get to fight the world''s most dangerous little girl." Eris sighed. She was hoping <i>not </i>to be the one who has to fight Alice, mostly because she was worried about harming Akagi''s daughter. "Just please don''t get mad if I hurt her, Akagi."


    "All''s fair game here." Akagi shrugged. She wasn''t about to y helicopter parent in this case. "So don''t go crying to me if Eris beats your ass, Alice." Sheughed.


    "I''ll destroy her, Mama!" Alice smiled.


    "Smite her!" Ayama yelled out. "Kick her ass, Alice! No mercy!"


    "What is with you and wishing defeat on me?!?" Eris growled at her wife.


    "Hey, you''d do the same to me." Ayame stuck her tongue out yfully.


    <i>{That''s not the point!} </i>(Eris)


    "Next is five and twelve." Akagi said as her eyes moved between Superbia and Mami.


    "I was hoping for the cat, but I guess that just means I need to wait a bit longer." Superbiaughed.


    "Of course I get one of the most <i>dangerous</i> to start with." Mami sighed. She and the explorer team joined mostly out of curiosity but were painfully aware that they were little more than speed bumps to the yers.


    "Don''t worry, Mami. I''ll make sure toe to your funeral." Ferrixughed as he pat her on the back. "What kind of flowers do you want?"


    "If I die, stay away from my funeral." Mami red at him. ¡°And Shisa, make sure he doesn''t piss on my grave.¡±


    ¡°I''ll try.¡± Shisa shrugged.


    "Up next we have... thirteen and four." Akagi may or may have not engaged in a bit of tomfoolery to guarantee a match between Chloe and Superbia in the second round. Though that sadly meant that Mika was thrown under the proverbial bus.


    "Chloe, please don''t slice me into pieces..." Mika knew she was doomed against the cat.


    "I shall make ham out of you and serve you to myaster as a sandwich, nya!" Chloeughed and Mika gulped.


    <i>{I hope Akagi can revive me if I''ve been turned into cold cuts!} </i>(Mika)


    "Then we have three and fourteen." Akagi read off the next grouping.


    "Cool, I get to kick the mysterious woman''s ass!" Zephira cheered.


    "I think it will be <i>you </i>who will be going down Zef. I know damn well you suck at this kind of thing." Anleughed, her voice heavily distorted by her mask. Most of the other yers had already pegged her as Elna, and the fact that she was wearing a ck Company uniform only increased suspicion.


    "Up next we have eleven and six." Akagi said as she pulled two more slips out.


    "Oh? I get to fight the Spirit? I did hear you were a skilled swordsman, so I''m honestly looking forward to this." Ayame grinned.


    "My oath discourages the drawing of my de, but I believe that I can make an exception for a friendly match like this." Shinlua smiled. She''d joinedst minute and surprised both Akagi and Mizumi with her request to participate.


    "Then we have seven and ten." Akagi read off the second tost pairing.


    <i>{Poor Shisa is about to get obliterated by Avahn. That crazy Demon cat has no fucking chill.} </i>(Hishya)


    "She''s not going to kill me, right?" Shisa started sweating as Avahn red at her.


    "I won''t <i>try </i>to kill you, but you''re so weak I might do it identally." Avahn gave a toothy and sadistic smile.


    ¡°Let her have nyit, nyavahn meow~!¡± Ara cheered from the back.


    "I guess that means I''m against Ferrix." Halifaxmented. "I suppose that should be interesting."


    "Well, this should be good." Ferrixughed.


    <i>{Yeah no.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Alright. The pairings areplete, and matches will start tomorrow at eight in the morning. Remember not to bete, and until then you''re free to roam around and do as you please." Akagi continued. "If you have any questions direct them to either Sagara or Tsuchimi, since that''s what I''m paying them for."


    "I mean my job was to do admin work and ounting, not this..." Sagara sighed.


    "Too bad, I sign your paycheck and I''m telling you to do this." Akagiughed, and so did Tsuchimi.


    With the pairing decided and the bracket seeded, there was only one more day until the Interworld Tournament. The contestants were eager to fight and excitement filled the air as everyone prepared for theing battles. There had once been a tournament in FWO like this, and while Hishya had won that contest, there was no telling who woulde out on top this time.


    Spoiler


    The Bracket!


    [copse]

 Chapter 245.5 – Do You Have A Moment to Talk About our Lord and Savior Kitty?

    Chapter 245.5 ¨C Do You Have A Moment to Talk About our Lord and Savior Kitty?


    "Good morning everyone!" Kirika smiled as she began her live broadcast. "This is Kirika here live from the Kingdom of Dumetor with an extra special program for you all today! So sit back and enjoy!" She was sitting in a small private sitting room that she''d been given ess to for her news work. Though to Kirika it was far too fancy to be considered a <i>sitting room</i>. "The official bracket for the Interworld Tournament was drawn up just a few minutes ago, and I was lucky enough to get two of the contestants to speak with me about the uing event, so without further ado, please give a warm wee to Ms. Zephiria and Ms. Yumi!" Kirika smiled as the two women, who sat opposite her, waved to the small floating camera.


    ¡°Hello.¡± Yumi smiled as she waved.


    ¡°Wassup!¡± Zephiria chuckled.


    "Alright now, Ms. Yumi, I know that I used the term contestants, but you''re obviously not participating in this event directly." Kirika said. "So what should I call you? None of the others that I''ve spoken with have called you Queen or Empress, so I apologize if I''ve been rude with my introduction." Yumi was effectively seen as Akagi''s Wife by the outside world and it was well understood that messing with her would evoke the wrath of Hell itself.


    "I... Please don''t call me either of those things..." Yumi sighed."It''s not good for my heart, but also, Akagi would never stop teasing me about it."


    <i>{I''ve already seen what Kana goes through with being the Demon Princess, and I''d rather not have that happen to me...} </i>(Yumi)


    "Queen Yumi would be quite fitting, though!" Zephiria snickered. "Come on. You can''t tell me that it doesn''t sound appealing." She nudged her in the arm.


    "I was born to poor farmers in a remote vige, so being called <i>Queen </i>is too much for me." Yumi groaned. She knew that Akagi would tell her that she was more than worthy of any title, but the Priestess still didn''t want it.


    <i>{I''d rather just be Yumi the happy kitty fluffer...} </i>(Yumi)


    "And yet your lover is the Demon Lord!" Zephiriaughed. "That puts you as number two of an entire country, so we''ve got to get you a nice title to go with your new station!"


    "I am merely a humble head of intelligence and certified Squishy! Everything else is beyond my purview." Yumi huffed and turned her head away.


    <i>{Squishy?} </i>(Kirika)


    "Yeah... Well, getting past that, is there something that I <i>should </i>call you? Perhaps Lady Yumi?" Kirika gave a wry smile.


    "I am going to politely request that you <i>don''t </i>call me that either." Yumi''s calm expression gave way to something fierce for a moment before returning to normal. "I was called that every day for nearly a decade by both the vigers and the other Church members, and I''vee to <i>despise </i>being referred to in such a way."


    <i>{Being called that by the other members of the n is bad enough, but I have no intention of allowing others to use that same formality when speaking to me. I always hated being trapped by that duty...} </i>(Yumi)


    "I... My apologies. I had no idea that it was so offensive to you." Kirika''s entire body tensed, fearful of what would happen to her if Yumi got angry. "Then is Ms. Yumi fine?"


    "Just Yumi is good enough." Yumi sighed. She knew that getting Kirika to speak to herpeltely informally was unlikely, but she held out hope anyway. "But Ms. Yumi will work as well since I know how much your culture enjoys formalities..." She''d learned long ago that the Japanese tendency to ce certain titles of signifiers on peoples'' names had bled into her world and was the reason <i>why </i>her people did simr things.


    "You can just call me Zef!" Zephiria smiled. "I don''t need any fancy titles or anything!"


    "Alright..." Kirika took a breath. "Then I''d like to talk to the two of you a bit. People have been <i>curious</i> about the events of thest year, and with the recent creation of an entire n<i>ation </i>on what has historically been the Japanese Home Inds, there are a lot of questions floating around." There were many that were angry and upset, and the Government was still facing mass protests and calls for the nation''s leadership to step down only grew louder each day.


    "I can imagine!" Zephiriaughed. "The idea of some foreign nation setting foot in Japan has always been a strange concept, let alone part of Kansai being given away like that! I''d bet Nobunaga is spinning in his grave as we speak!"


    <i>{Oh there''s probably enough of our ancestors spinning around down there to power the entire''s energy needs if we stick a turbine to them...} </i>(Kirika)


    "But that leads me to one of my first questions, mostly for you Ms. Zephiria, but how do you feel about this turn of events?" Kirika asked. "You are/were Japanese, so I''d like to hear what you think about something like this happening to your former home."


    "I mean, I don''t really care." Zephiria shrugged. "I was never really too interested in politics or anything like that. I was always content to live a quiet life tinkering withputers and other gadgets, so it matters not to me if Akagi''s the one running the show or if it''s somebody else."


    <i>{Though nowadays its mostly ying with magic which is far more fun!} </i>(Zephiria)


    "Quite an interesting statement for one of Akagi''s <i>servants</i>." Yumi rolled her eyes. "Shouldn''t you be a bit more loyal to your master?"


    "Akagi is well aware of how I work, not to mention that she''s got me leashed quite good." Zephiria replied. "Plus, our arrangement wasrgely done out of curiosity anyway, so she doesn''t expect too deep of amitment from me on most days." Most the the time Zephiria wasn''t even in Japan let alone Dumetor and her days were mostly spend on experiments in her Antarcticir.


    "Servant?" Kirika titled her head. "You''ve chosen to work for Ms. Akagi?"


    <i>{I suppose I get the appeal.} </i>(Kirika)


    "If by ''work for'' you mean <i>sell my soul to her</i>, then yeah, I ''work for'' Akagi." Zephiria chuckled.


    "She''s an awful employee, and I think that we need to start instilling some discipline in her." Yumi chuckled.


    "Hey! I''m far more productive than most of the good-for-nothings around here!" Zephiria pouted. "At least <i>I''ve</i><i><b> </b></i>been conducting quality research, and Akagi''s been quite pleased with the results!"


    <i>{My thesis on Demon Lord power and how it interacts with Magic got me lots of praise from her! She even gave me a headpat despite how much I didn''t want it!} </i>(Zephiria)


    "S-Sold your <i>soul?!?</i>" Kirika squeaked, covering her mouth immediately afterward. "Ah..."


    <i>{WHAT?!?} </i>(Kirika)


    "Eh. Its not that big of a deal." Zephiria shrugged. "It was sitting around collecting dust anyway, so better that I put it to work." She winked. "I''ve gotten lots of perks out of signing my soul away to here, and there''s probably no other <i>Demon </i>out there that would give me such a sweet deal!"


    <i>{I get unlimited test subjects and boatloads of research funds to boot!} </i>(Zephiria)


    "Indeed, Akagi is far nicer than <i>Demons </i>that I read about in the different scriptures." Yumiughed. "Though one needs to read the fine print on her contracts since she has a nasty habit of putting things in with the hope that you just sign without checking."


    <i>{At some point I''m expecting someone to sign a deal and be forced to speak like Ara or something.} </i>(Yumi)


    "Why do you think that I had Akagi go over <i>everything </i>in that book of a document before I signed." Zephiria rolled her eyes. "I didn''t need some crazy requirement like giving pets six days a week."


    "And yet you give her plenty anyway!" Yumi giggled.


    <i>{Besides, giving pets is a privilege!} </i>(Yumi)


    "Well, Catkagi <i>is</i> cute..." Zephiria coughed as she turned back to a slightly confused Kirika. "Ah, yeah... I forgot normal people don''t have conversations about selling their souls to <i>Demons, </i>do they?"


    "Probably not." Yumi gave a nervous smile. "I suppose we''ve had ourmon sense warped by Akagi''s actions..."


    "You say that, but if I''m not mistaken, <i>YOU </i>were the one who made the Cult of the Demon Lord a reality." Zephiria grinned.


    <i>{Cult of the WHAT NOW?!?} </i>(Kirika)


    "I simply wished to ensure that Akagi was respected properly." Yumi huffed.


    "More like you just wanted a ce to gush about the kitty." Zephira snickered. ¡°I know what you''re all about, Yumi.¡±


    "Why are you talking like <i>you </i>don''t asionally show up to our services?!?" Yumi poked her in the cheek. "At thest one you brought that, absolutely amazing, French Onion Soup!"


    <i>{I need to get that recipe! It made my own seem nd byparison!} </i>(Yumi)


    "I enjoy a good potluck and games, what can I say." Zephiria shrugged.


    "Surrrrrre. But I don''t really think <i>either </i>of those things requires you to have our prayer book memorized." Yumi''s lips curved into a smirk.


    "Ah!" Zephira tensed up. "I mean... You gave it to me..." She started sweating.


    "<i>And</i> you also had a lot of fun during kitty pet timest Friday." Yumi continued to poke her in the cheek. ¡°You were very happy to have her all to yourself for a bit of snuggling.¡±


    "Anyone would enjoy the fluff!" Zephiria shouted, her face starting to flush from embarrassment. "I can''t help wanting to pet the kitty!"


    <i>{SHE''S TOO FLUFFY! ITS NOT SCIENTIFICALLY POSSIBLE TO DECLINE WHEN SHE ASKS FOR PETS!} </i>(Zephiria)


    "I don''t know..." Yumi put her finger to her lip. "You were awfully interested in Misha''s little sermon that morning when she talked about feeling Akagi''s warmth wrapped around her soul." She smirked, and Zephiria''s face turned bright red.


    "What..." Kirika waspletely confused and no longer had any idea what they were talking about.


    ¡°Ack!¡± Zephiria squeaked, embarrassed that her secret was out.


    "Admit it!" Yumi pointed directly at Zephiria. "When you became her Warlock, you became like Misha!" She snickered.


    "I..." Zephiria turned away, but Yumi wouldn''t relent and kept up her attack.


    "Go on, say it. Say how much you love the <i>Demon </i>kitty''s warmth." Yumi continued. ¡°<span style="color:#474747">?<span style="color:#999999">Y<span style="color:#999999">ou know you want to!<span style="color:#474747">? ¡±


    *POOF*


    Under Yumi''s mounting pressure, Zephiria teleported away.


    "Ah, she ran away." Yumiughed. "I suppose my teasing was a bit too much for her to bear." She turned to Kirika. "I''m sorry, it looks like I chased away one of your guests, please forgive me."


    "No... It''s alright..." Kirika could do little more than nod. "But um... What is the Cult of the Demon Lord?" Her words caused Yumi''s eyes to glint, and Kirika got the feeling that she''d made a massive mistake by asking that question.


    "Where do I even start?" Yumi smiled.

 Chapter 246 – A Small Audience of a Billion People.

    Chapter 246 ¨C A Small Audience of a Billion People.


    "Herees the fishy!" Miji giggled as she slowly fed Akagi some red gummy fish treats. "Say mew, kitty! Mew!" The two were sitting on the couch in the living room and having a bit of fun.


    "MEW!" Akagi meowed as she happily chomped down on the sweet treat.


    ¡°Kittty loves the fishes!¡± Miji smiled as Akagi ate another one from her hand.


    "I''m <i>dying</i> from sugar overload." Kana rolled her eyes. Once the bracket had been seeded, and everyone had eased into their temporary residences, Akagi returned to the estate just in time to greet the freshly woken-up Kana, followed closely behind by the energetic Miji. The Tournament would begin tomorrow morning, and with Akagi''s n and other <i>employees</i> handling all the ground-level stuff, there was little the <i>Demon </i>needed to do, so she decided to rx a bit.


    "Do you really have time to be ying with Miji? Don''t you have to do things for tomorrow?" Kana figured her sister was just goofing off and pushing work onto other people.


    "I already did everything I needed to for the day." Akagi smiled as Miji hugged her. "All that remains now is to wait, so why shouldn''t I enjoy a nice rxing day?" She giggled. "I''m sure Miji is happy that I''m here. Isn''t that right?"


    "Yeah!" Mijiughed. "The kitty is fun to y with, and it''s nice having her all to myself! Sister is always taking her away for ytime and pets!"


    "I hope Yumi isn''t getting jealous of her own sister..." Kanamented.


    "Maybe a little!" Akagiughed. "Miji here enjoys snuggling with me, and Yumi can''t bring herself to tear her away most of the time." She recalled an instance where Yumi wanted to cuddle with Akagi, but the <i>Demon </i>kitty was already snuggled up to a sleeping Miji, so Yumi was forced to choose between her needs and taking away her sister''s joy. Naturally, Yumi couldn''t bring herself to make Miji sad, and so she left things alone, though Akagi made sure to give her extra attentionter topensate.


    "At least you get along with Miji now." Kana gave a wry smile.


    <i>{Considering your first encounter was her running away crying while calling you a monster, it''s crazy to see her do a total one-eighty! The girl practically adores you, though I''m pretty sure that''s 95% because of cat mode...} </i>(Kana)


    "Miji is like the little sister I never had." Akagi smirked. "She loves me unconditionally and actually listens to me. Unlike a certain <i>somebody</i>." She snickered.


    "As if I was a pain in your ass." Kana rolled her eyes again. "I think I was pretty good to you, all things considered." She figured thatpared to some of the sibling pairs that she knew from school, she and Akagi got along quite well.


    "Yeah, but you still back sass me." Akagi blew a raspberry. "Where did the cute Kana that used to follow me around all day go?"


    "She was left under aundry basket and died." Kanaughed.


    "Hey, that was on <i>you </i>for trying to force me into that dress!" Akagi eximed. "I warned you that your actions would have consequences!" She never liked the kind of frilly dress that Kana wanted to put her in and always resisted.


    "I <i>do</i> find it quite funny that you never really liked girl clothes growing up, but now that you''re older, I see you wearing them more often." Kanamented. "Kinda strange when you keep saying you''re not even female anymore."


    "Eh, Kimonos are whatever." Akagi shrugged as Miji fed her another gummy. "I still hate dresses and skirts."


    "Even though you''d look good in them." Kana still wanted to see Akagi dress a bit differently. "Though you seem to have no reservation to such things when you put on <i>my </i>face and battled Mika as the <i>Demon Princess</i>."


    "That was roleying and dressing up, so it''s all good." Akagi smiled as Miji fed her another fish. "You gotta get into the role! Besides, when was thest time you saw Hishya in some frilly thing? I''m pretty sure the lizard isn''t interested in that stuff."


    "Really? We just went on a datest weekend, and she wore a blouse." Kana tilted her head. "I don''t think I''ve seen her wear a full-on <i>dress</i>, but Hishya has tons of different outfits in her closet."


    <i>{Heck, she might have as many clothes as she does pillows!} </i>(Kana)


    "Huh?" Akagi was confused. "Wait. I thought Hishya didn''t wear that kind of stuff. I never see her in anything but t-shirts, shorts, or sweatshirts." She''d only seen the Dragon in armor or casual clothing.


    "She wears that stuff at home, yeah, but she is more than willing to dress up a bit if we go out." Kana chuckled. "Unlike <i>you, </i>Hishya is still a girl on the inside, and she likes looking good."


    <i>{Though she hates makeup and most essories, which I can''t say I me her for.} </i>(Kana)


    "If that''s the case then I imagine that she gets all kinds of attention when you two walk around." Akagi said as she ate another fish. "Hishya is quite attractive now that she got her new body, so she probably turns heads."


    "Thinking about stealing my girlfriend?" Kana joked.


    "Nah. Hishya ain''t my type anyway." Akagi shook her head. "She yells too much for me, and her petting skill is C-tier at best." She snickered.


    "What''s mine?" Miji asked as she gave more happy hugs.


    "A+! Only behind Mika and your sister." Akagi answered.


    "Yeah! I''m third-best petter!" Miji giggled as she pet Akagi''s ears. "I must advance my ability and defeat Mika!"


    <i>{That''s gonna be tough. That girl is amazing at what she does, though Yumi''s technique can''t be beat.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Ah, yes, because <i>that </i>is an important part of what makes a good partner." Kana rolled her eyes for a third time. "But getting back to your prior point, Hishya <i>does</i> get looks, but since most people know who she is we''ve never had a problem."


    <i>{Most guys are far to afraid of bing lunch to even try, which I''m happy for. I suppose out of everything that came from Onee-chan''s stunts over thisst year not having to worry about creeps is a silver lining.} </i>(Kana)


    "What, no group of guys telling you toe with them for a good time?" Akagiughed as she recalled that trope in anime.


    "A guy would have to be living under a fucking <i>rock </i>to even try that." Kana shook her head. "Not only is Hishya well known, but so am <i>I</i>." She continued. "I''m pretty sure people know that fucking with either of us like that is going to bring wrath upon them the kinds of which has never been seen before."


    <i>{And I''m pretty sure Onee-chan wouldn''t even necessarily be the one to bring said wrath. Hishya is just as overprotective of me and would definitely kill somebody if they ever tried to hurt me.} </i>(Kana)


    *KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK*


    As the two sisters continued to discuss things, a knock came on the doorway between the living room and the main hall.


    "Am I bothering you?" Halifax asked as she stood in the doorway.


    "Nah, we''re just rxing." Akagi said as Miji poked her ears. "What''s up?"


    "Nothing. I just wanted toe here to avoid being swamped by all those reporters." Halifax gave a dryugh. "They were <i>really </i>interested in talking to me once they found out I''m from Enoris."


    "Yeah, I can imagine that they were all moring to speak with the Spirits as well." Kana gave a wry smile.


    <i>{I mean, when do you get to speak to people from a literal parallel world? I''d be more surprised if people ignored them to be honest.} </i>(Kana)


    "That explorer team was more than happy to talk with them, and it seems that Ferrix guy was eating up all the attention he was getting." Halifax said as she sat on one of the chairs. "Though Shinlua was far less interested in talking and excused herself."


    "The media is like rabid dogs, and they won''t stop until you either cave or go insane." Akagiughed, knowing how bad it could get.


    "Good thing you''re already nuts! This way they can''t drive you there!" Kanaughed at her own stupid joke.


    "Now that the other yers have gathered, how do you feel about your odds?" Akagi asked Halifax if she was still confident about winning.


    "Hmmm." Halifax thought for a moment before answering. "Not to sound arrogant, but against most of them, I think I can win." She continued. "Now, mind you, this is based on magical power and other surface-level observations so its entirely possible that I''m wrong."


    "Does that mean you think that you could even win against Hishya?" Kana wasn''t really surprised by her im since Akagi had briefly told her that Halifax''s power was probably in Hishya''s ball park or higher.


    "<i>She</i> is a bit of an issue." Halifax replied, scratching her cheek. "I can tell that she''s powerful, but exactly <i>how </i>powerful<i> </i>is not easily discernable as she is quite good at hiding her exact power level. Not to mention that, as a Dragon, she''s <i>definitely </i>going to be a problem."


    <i>{They''re always powerful, even at a young age, so if Hishya really is a full adult and some kind of special Dragon Empress, then it wouldn''t be shocking if she can give me a hard time.} </i>(Halifax)


    "So besides her, is there anyone else you think will be problematic?" Akagi asked out of curiosity. She still didn''t know the true depths of Halifax''s power, but estimated that she and Hishya were rtively close in power.


    "Out of all of the participants, I think the one called Avahn might be a problem, but Superbia may also be tricky." Halifax went over thepetitors in her head. "Also, your little Warlock <i>might</i> be an issue, at least depending on just how much of your power that she has and can use." She had no real idea of just how potent Zephiria''s magic was, but understood that adding a Demon Lord''s power into the mix instantly spiked her threat level.


    "I warned her not to go too deep into it since her body still can''t handle it." Akagi exined that Zephiria wasn''t able to use her power to its fullest quite yet. "So I don''t think she''ll be that big of an issue. Though you''d still need to be careful of her other magic." Zephiria was basically a wild card, and even Akagi couldn''t tell how far she would go.


    "If you end up against Mika somehow, then please make sure to give her a good few lumps!" Kana snickered, wanting to see the blue-haired girl beaten up a bit.


    ¡°She''s strong, but is it really a good idea for her to be participating?¡± Halifax asked. She''d been told that Mika was a total amateur and that she''d only had her powers for a few weeks.


    "I mean, you''re not entirely wrong to be worried about her." Akagiughed. "And if Mika gets past round one, then I think something''s seriously fucked."


    <i>{The only way that happens is if somebody does something very stupid and basically throws.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Who knows? Maybe Chloe will choke, and then Mika will go on to win the whole thing!" Kanaughed at her own absentment.


    "If Chloe loses to our resident Magical Girl, then the cat is going to be getting a serious <i>retraining</i> by yours truly." Akagi smirked.


    <i>{I set things up to give her and Superbia their match. If she fucks that up and somehow lets Mika win, then I''m going to make her wish that she was put on maid duty again.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Regardless of that, I must admit that I''m excited for tomorrow." Halifax gave a fierce smile. "It''s been a long time since I''ve been challenged by an opponent, so it will be nice to get to put my abilities to the test." She''d taken part in many great battles in the past and she always loved putting her skill to the test against worthy opponents.¡±


    "Just make sure to give our audience a good show." Akagi smiled back.


    "How many people are going to watch anyway?" Kana asked about the audience size.


    "If I''m not mistaken the VR audience has around one million ''seats'', all of which have been filled." Akagi answered.


    "A MILLION?!?" Kana was shocked by therge number. "How the hell did you even set up the tech for that?!?"


    <i>{THAT''S AN INSANELY LARGE AUDIENCE!} </i>(Kana)


    "Those South Korean guys were very good at their job. What can I say?" Akagiughed. "And on top of that, we''re estimating that at least one billion people will be watching things via one of the streams or the various news broadcasts."


    "A fucking <i>billion</i>..." Kana was stunned into near silence. "Holy hell..."


    <i>{I have stage fright just THINKING about that number and I''m not even going to be in this thing...} </i>(Kana)


    "It''s a fucking tournament of superpowered magic people fighting each other for entertainment. Why would you expect otherwise?" Akagi rolled her eyes.


    <i>{Hishya... You''re going to get your wish... The entire world''s eyes will be on you...} </i>(Kana)

 Chapter 247 – The Tournament Begins!

    Chapter 247 ¨C The Tournament Begins!


    Atst, the day of fate arrived, and it was time for the opening of the Dumetor Interworld Tournament. As Akagi predicted, the audience numbers were <i>massive, </i>and beyond the million or so people who snatched up ''seats'' to the event via the VR viewing system, over a billion people were watching via various methods at home. While many were wary of the returnees, the spectacle of their battles was more than enough to draw people in, and there were few who didn''t have some level of interest in watching super powered fighters go head to head. With the time to start quickly approaching, and the audience practically chomping at the bit, Akagi moved into the middle of the arena and gave her introductory speech to get things started.


    "Good morning everyone!" Akagi yelled out to, what was from her perspective, a nearly empty audience. As she could not interface with AR devices, she was using a small floating screen that disyed images of a packed crowd in their ''seats'', though this was little more than aputer-generated image rather than a reflection of how this whole system really worked.


    "It''s amazing to see so many faces from all over the world, and it makes me smile just knowing how many people have their eyes on this little patch ofnd." Akagiughed. "And don''t worry, we''ve got an incredible little event here for you..." She snapped her fingers, and arge screen on the upper level of the stadium disyed an image of the bracket along with images of eachpetitor next to their ce in the lineup. "Over the next three days sixteenpetitors will be battling it out for the ultimate prize, a wish from the most powerful being in this world." She paused for a moment as the crowd cheered. "And we''ve got a variety of contestants for your viewing pleasure, some of whom hail from an entirely different world!" As she said this, the audience cheered again as the disy highlighted the exploration team, Halifax and Shinlua. "Not to mention that Kyoto''s own homegrown Magical Girl is taking part, so we''ve truly got all kinds of representation!" Another cheer came out as Mika''s image was highlighted.


    "We all know just what kinds of damage the returnees can do, but will they be strong enough to beat fighters who have centuries of realbat experience?" Akagi smirked. "Well, that''s what we''re here to find out!" She winked and the audience exploded once again. "Who will win? Earth''s most powerful fighter? Enoris'' mysterious swordswoman? Or will it be one of our many other fine contestants? Though no matter who wins, I know we''re in for a great show! So before I go wasting any more time, and lord knows I can do that, let''s go over the rules for this event onest time before starting!" She snapped her fingers again and the disy changed to disy the rules.


    "The first and most important rule is that killing is <i>prohibited</i>. This is, sadly,<i>not </i>a fight to the death." Akagiughed. She''d considered allowing death at one point but figured that people wouldn''t want to risk bing like Misha. "While I <i>can</i> pull people back from death if I''m close enough at hand, I''d rather not have to do that." Her revival of the girl had spread around like wildfire and it caused quite a stir around the world with some taking it as a <i>religious </i>sign<i>.</i> "Contestants are free to use any kind of attack they please, but if you kill your opponent, even identally, you will be <i>disqualified</i>." She put her hands in an X pattern. ¡°No tee-hee pero is going to get you out of that one.¡± Sheughed as she did the motion in question.


    "Second, while knocking your opponent out is the <i>preferable</i> way to win, I meane on I know what we''re all here for, you can also im victory via knocking an opponent out of bounds or by making them concede defeat." Akagi continued. "Additionally, I may call a match if it''s obvious that somebody can''t continue and refuses to quit, but that is merely a safety precaution, so hopefully it doesn''t happen." She had a few people in mind who might not quit even if forced into a hopeless situation.


    <i>{Cough, Avahn, Cough.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Third, flight magic or something simr is <i>banned </i>outside of the confines of the arena<i> </i>as it would invalidate the concept of a ring out." Akagi wanted to ensure that ring out was <i>always </i>going to be a very real threat to thepetitors. ¡°Note that it is still permissable to use flight magic within the arena, so be careful not to identally DQ yourself by using it in a prohibited manner.¡±


    Akagi then moved to the final rule. "And finally, this rule really only applies to Hishya but I''ll state it anyway. Transformation into arge creature or otherwise is <i>prohibited</i>. We want this to be an interesting battle between people, not a Kaiju fight!" Akagiughed as the crowd cheered.


    <i>{Though seeing Hishya take people on as a Dragon would be fun, it would probably result in anyone save like two of the contestants dying horribly.} </i>(Akagi)


    "That wraps up the rules, so let''s move ourselves up to the booth and get things started!" Akagi snapped her fingers again, moving to the booth area that overlooked the arena where two other people were waiting in their respective seats.


    "Ladies and Gentlemen let me introduce you to my co-caster, Silfana the Vampire Lord and the world''s only living World Boss!" Akagi said as she took a seat next to the Vampire, and the crowd cheered. "Coming all the way from the Empire, this Ex-Princess will be providingmentary during and after the matches, so make sure you all give her a warm wee! And be careful, unlike Mixu, this Vampire <i>does </i>bite." She snickered.


    "Hello everyone." Silfana gave a wry smile as she waved to the camera. She was used to having lots of eyes on her, but <i>this</i> was a new experience and she was admittedly a little nervous. "It''s an amazing honor to be here, and I''m looking forward to seeing some incredible fights among our fantastic lineup." <i>She</i> actually asked Akagi if she could be here since the Vampire had tons ofbat experience and figured that she could give some interesting insight into the contestants and matches. "I hope you all are looking forward to this as much as I am, and I can''t wait to get started."


    <i>{Too bad I couldn''t join in, but then again that would''ve invalidated many of the contestants. Even without some of my ''World Boss'' abilities as they called them, I''m still more powerful than most of the yers. I suppose that, for now, I''ll need to be content watching from the sidelines and learning a bit more about each of them.} </i>(Silfana)


    "And to round things off, I decided to bring in a rotating member of our little discussion group, so give it up for our first co-host, Shinlua!" Akagi pped as she introduced the Elf, which caused the crowd to go even crazier. "Coming all the way from Enoris, Shinlua here is one of the Sprits'' best fighters and somebody who knows her people and their abilities better than probably anyone else, so I think she''ll have some interesting insight to give." She wanted to make sure that the rotating member gave different perspectives on things, and was keen on including the otherworlders when she could.


    "Good morning, everyone!" Shinlua gave a nervous smile as she waved to the camera. Like Akagi and she did not have an AR device, though that was more because she didn''t trust/understand it. "I''m happy to be here, and I hope you forgive any mistakes on my part, but I''ll try my best." She''d never been before seen this insane amount of people before, and it was causing her to sweat a bit.


    <i>{And WHY did the Council think we could fight humanity when THIS many showed up to watch a fight?!?} </i>(Shinlua)


    "It''s ok! We''ll only throw you in the dungeon if you flub." Akagiughed.


    "I guess I''m doomed then." Shinlua gave a dryugh.


    "I think you''ll be fine. Just rx and don''t worry too much about it." Silfana shrugged. ¡°I''m a bit nervous too, but it will be fine.¡± She''d actually gotten the imnt, seeing it as an amazing piece of technology, and was able to see the crowd in much more detail.


    "Yeah, vampy is right, just rx.¡± Akagi pat Shinlua on the back before continuing. ¡°Now, with introductions out of the way, let''s get to the first match!" Akagi clicked a button that set off a loud rm that signaled for the twopetitors to make their way to the arena, in the middle of which, Kira had taken up position as referee.


    "And for our first match we''re starting things off with a bang here folks, as we''ve got the one, the thankfully only, Hishya! She''ll fighting against one of FWO''s finest Pdin''s, Tiball! So everyone please give them a nice round of apuse and a warm wee!¡±" Her words caused the audience to cheer as both fighters emerged from a side area and started walking toward the middle of the arena.


    "So, what do you two think of our first match up?" Akagi looked at her two comentators. Silfana had fought both in FWO and knew how powerful each was while Shinlua could give her thoughts as a seasoned veteran.


    "It''s one-sided." Silfana said without a hint of hesitation in her voice. "Hishaya is powerful enough to defeat me one-on-one, so I doubt Tiball will be able to win.¡± She didn''t think that Tiball had even the smallest sliver of a chance, even with the restrictions ced on Hishya.


    <i>{Don''t you dare lose this, Hishya! If anyone beats you then that will make me look bad! You need to stay undefeated until Ie for your head, Dragon!} </i>(Silfana)


    "Oof, harsh." Akagiughed, though she didn''t disagree with her assessment. "You don''t think he has any chance? Tiball <i>is</i> quite thepetent fighter and his use of dual des to maximize his damage output has proven its value in battle before." He was one of Eris''s inner circle and helped her to handle many powerful bosses.


    "I''ve dealt with him and that Guild before. They''re quite tough, but knowing what I do about Hishya, I still think he has no chance." Silfana didn''t budge. "Even without her Dragon form, Hishya is still far too powerful for him to handle alone."


    "I see, and Shinlua, what do you think?" Akagi asked the Elf for her opinion. "You''ve seen a bit of what Hishya can do, so are you in agreement with Silfana on this one? Is Tiball a lost cause?" She was curious how someone with that much experience would rank the two of them.


    "Hishya is a powerful fighter, and as a Dragon, there is little she needs to fear inbat, but I think it would be foolish to call this match before it even began." Shinlua shook her head, herment causing Silfana to raise an eyebrow. "Tiball is an excellent defensive duelist, and what hecks in raw strength, he makes up for in technique." She turned to Silfana. "Additionally, do not forget that your assumptions are based on their power from <i>within</i> FWO. Since their return, I''ve noted that many have far exceeded what was possible in the game, and that''s not including the items that they''ve been gathering and creating with Imp''s help." She was referring to Akagi''s Dungeon and the rewards that could be found within. "So I think Hishya will have to work a bit harder than you might think to win this." She smiled.


    <i>{Though, if I had to bet on a winner, it would still be Hishya. Tiball might have a slim chance, but that''s not enough of one to make me put money on him.} </i>(Shinlua)


    "Perhaps...¡± Silfana mulled over the Elf''sments. She''d initially wanted to dismiss them outright, but understood that it came from someone with as much life and battle experience as her. ¡°But I still think that trinkets and technique can only go so far in closing the raw power gap that we have here." As she said this her scarlet eyes locked onto Hishya who was nearly in the middle of the arena. "I''ve fought her <i>twice</i>, and I know well what she is capable of. For someone so young, she has remarkable battle sense, and she <i>definitely </i>has far morebat experience than Tiball."


    <i>{However, since she never had any formal sword training, her form iscking. Her realbat experience and the knowledge and aid of her skills DID result in her bing a ratherpetent fighter in such a short time, but she still has much room to grow.} </i>(Silfana)


    "True. Hishya had the most monster kills in FWO, and by the end of things was actually the highest level out of all of us." Akagi nodded. "I''ve crossed des with her many times, so I agree that she''s highly skilled and knows her own limits well." She''de to the same conclusion as Silfana regarding most yers having only very basic weapon knowledge and it was why the <i>Demon </i>had spent as much time as possible in her shadow to acquire <i>real </i>sword training.


    "Then who do <i>you</i> think is going to win?" Silfana asked Akagi for her thoughts.


    "Who knows?" Akagi shrugged as she cracked a wily smile. "We just have to wait and see." She looked down at the arena, her nonexistent heart pounding as she waited for the match to start. While she figured Hishya would win this, her calctions told her that it wasn''t guaranteed and that Tiball could pull out a win if he yed his cards right and used the special item he had to its maximum effect.


    <i>{Oh fuck man. I forgot just how much I loved tournaments!} </i>(Akagi)

 Chapter 248 – Hishya v. Tiball

    Chapter 248 ¨C Hishya v. Tiball


    "It''s been quite a while since we fought, hasn''t it, Tiball?" Hishya said as she and Tiball approached the center of the Arena. Both could hear a massive cheer from the crowd, though they were more focused on each other than the audience.


    "If memory serves me, thest time we crossed des was during a sparring session in Ultima Woods." Tiball replied. "That was just before you lot went into Calmira." Heughed, recalling the nightmare that said dungeon was.


    "Ugh...Don''t remind me of <i>that </i>hell." Hishya sighed as she was reminded of something that she''d tried to forget. "That we had to ask <i>Akagi</i> for help in that endeavor showed just how fucked things were." Calmira was the single hardest dungeon in the entire game and was a prerequisite for fighting Rivenshaft. It consisted of seventy-five floors that got harder as they descended, and at the end was a portal that led to <i>another </i>dungeon in Rivenshaft''s underworld realm that had to be cleared before fighting the World Boss in question.


    <i>{Logic puzzles, instant death traps and every fucking nasty monster you could ever want... If I never see that ce again, it would be too soon...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Are the contestants ready?" Kira looked between the two of them, waiting to start the match.


    "Sure, I''m ready to kick his ass." Hishyaughed.


    "Hey, don''t count me out yet!" Tiball said as he drew both his des. "I still need to pay you back for what you did to Eris, and I think I''ll take this opportunity to humiliate you on global television." He smirked.


    "Oh?" Hishya''sughter stopped as she red at him. "I''d love to see you try, Tiball.¡± Her face and eyes grew sharp and her tone a bit more serious than before. ¡°But don''t worry, I''ll be sure to make your defeat both quick and painless." Her eyes bore into the Pdin, something he''d dealt with before during theirst battle.


    <i>{Man Hishya, you really don''t let up do you? Not that I''mining.} </i>(Tiball)


    "Ah, there she is, the Hishya I''ve always known." Tiballughed as he felt his entire body get jittery with excitement. He wasn''t as much of a battle junkie as some of the yers, but he always enjoyed a good fight against a strong opponent. "I was afraid that you''d gone soft over thest year, but I guess there was no need to be worried." He flourished his des a bit. "So I guess this means you won''t be able to use someme-ass excuse when I beat you."


    "Contestants, take your mark!" Kira eximed as she raised her hand, and in response, Hishya drew Sun Strike and took a fighting stance.


    <i>{Soft? No, if anything I''m far stronger than I''ve ever been before, Tiball.} </i>(Hishya)


    "BEGIN!" Kira signaled the start of the battle with a quick wave of her arm, and a momentter, the two fighters rocketed toward each other at high speed, shing in front of where the Half-Dragon had stood only moments before.


    *BANG*


    The collision shook the ground beneath them as they locked des, and as they looked into each other''s eyes, they grinned.


    <i>{This is going to be good!} </i>(Hishya x Tiball)


    "Brave of you to fight me head-on, Tiball," Hishya said as the two exchanged blows, their forms seeming to blur as they danced back and forth. "I know you like getting right into the action, but I think there is quite a difference in strength here!" She roared as she put more power into her strikes, which Tiball either avoided or deflected with his dual-des.


    *CLING* *CLANK*


    As a Pdin, Tiball was quite an adept frontline fighter. However, hisck of heavy armor made him a rather fragilebatant, and it wouldn''t take many attacks from Hishya to bring him down. Though, what he lost in survivability he more than gained in maneuverability.


    "Oh, don''t you worry about me!" Tiballughed as he continued to deflect Hishya''s des. "I''ve got everything all worked out so that I can defeat you right here!" As he said this, a rune started to glow on the back of his right hand as both his des were covered in a deep red fire. "Greater Ability Boost! Maximize Magic, Superior Smite!" With a scream Tiball poured magic into his des and activated two powerful abilities. Hishya figured that she''d be facing opponents that had ess to some of Imperial/Imp''s special gear, but she had no idea what Superior Smite did.


    <i>{Interesting.} </i>(Hishya)


    The sudden increase in power allowed Tiball to momentarily push Hishya back a bit, and he took this opportunity to bring his right de down at the Dragon diagonally.


    <i>{Let me guess, he wants me to get stuck so that he can use that other de of his for a big attack?} </i>(Hishya)


    Reading his move, Hishya allowed herself to be pinned by the de, but just as Tiball moved to strike her with his offhand, she met his attack with an extended palm and cast a magic attack of her own.


    "Nova ze!" Hishya used a medium-tier fire attack and sted Tiball with it at point nk, expecting him to back off or be repelled. However, it quickly became apparent that her attack had less of an effect than she''d hoped and Tiball, while burned, still managed to strike her with his other de and mmed the burning red sword into her side.


    "ACK!" Hishya took the de''s hit directly and was momentarily stunned as the damage she took was far greater than her expectations.


    <i>{What the fuck was that?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    Panicked, the Dragon mustered more strength and pushed Tiball away before jumping backward and putting some distance between the two of them.


    "Didn''t like <i>that</i> hit, did you?" Tiball snickered as he twirled his des in his hands. "I assume it stung a bit more than you''re used to, huh?" He looked down at the spot where he''d struck her, taking note of a small amount of red blood that was flowing out of a small hole in her armor. "Do you need a band-aid?" Heughed.


    "What the fuck was that?!?" Hishya put her hand down and attempted to heal the injury with magic, but found that it wasn''t working very well. "And what the hell did you do?!?" She''d only rarely seen healing magic fail like this, and usually, it was due to poison or other status affliction.


    <i>{Something''s wrong! His weapon shouldn''t be able to create such a major wound so easily!} </i>(Hishya)


    "Did you really think I''de into this fight with no<i> </i>preparation?" Tiballughed as he held the de he''d struck her in front of his face. "Take a close look with those Dragon eyes, and I think you''ll see something quite nice about these des."


    "What are you talking about?" Hishya narrowed her eyes as he looked at his sword, noting a thin white sheen that seemed to ze over the de. "Is that poison?!?"


    <i>{Are you trying to fucking kill me?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    "I''ll admit that its effects and applications aren''t exactly much different from a poison, but it''s fundamentally different." Tiball shook his head. "I''m sure you recall that certain gear coulde with special bonuses that did extra damage or effects to a specific race or monster type, right?"


    "Of course." Hishya said as she finished healing her wound. "And what''s your point?"


    "Well, you''re a <i>Dragon</i>, so I just had Impy and Imperial do a bit of tweaking to my des to make them deal a bunch more damage to anything they hit that met that criteria." Tiball smirked. "There <i>was </i>a chance that it wouldn''t actually work while you were in Human form, but it looks like the gamble paid off." Heughed.


    <i>{Looks like Eris'' hunch was right. Human form or not, Hishya''s a Dragon 24/7 and is effected by anything that targets her race specifically.} </i>(Tiball)


    "You fuck!" Hishya growled as her eyes widened for a moment. "You actually went out of your way to get <i>counters </i>for me?!?" She wasn''t mad at him per se, but still felt it was a cheap tactic.


    <i>{I hate you! But damn is that a good idea!} </i>(Hishya)


    "Hey, this ispetitive, and I cleared it with ol''spooky up there." Tiball pointed to Akagi, who seemed to beughing.


    <i>{You bitch! And to think I gave you pets and made those damn cookies for you and Miji!} </i>(Hishya)


    "Fine! Have your <i>anti-Dragon </i>des, but I hope you don''t think that such a little trick is going to be enough to beat me!" Hishya red at him, the fire in her eyes burning even brighter.


    <i>{Ahh... I might''ve angered her a bit with this. Oh well.} </i>(Tiball)


    "Alone, maybe not, but it''s a hell of a lot better than <i>not </i>having it!" Tiball shrugged. "But if Ibo it with some of the other gear I got, then if that hit there was anything to go off of, I think I might be able to pull something out of my hat." He winked.


    <i>"You got one good hit on me, Tiball." </i>Hishya''s more authoritative Dragon voice slipped out. <i>"Don''t think I''ll allow it again!" </i>As soon as she was finished speaking, Hishya rocketed forward even faster thanst time. Tiball was only barely able to react, but the sheer force of Hishya''s blow still caused strain on his arms, and he could feel her strike resonate throughout his body.


    <i>{Yeah... She''s pissed...} </i>(Tiball)


    <i>"I hope you''re ready to get torn apart, Tiball!" </i>Hishya roared as the two began to zip around the arena at extraordinary speed. Due to his item granting him ess to Greater Ability Boost, Tiball was able to keep up with the angry Dragon reasonably well, but he knew that a war of attrition wouldn''t work in his favor since there was still a time limit on such an effect.


    <i>{Ending this in one blow would be nice, but I think that''s asking a bit too much...} </i>(Tiball)


    *CLANK* *CLANK* *CLANK* *CLANK* *CLANK* *CLANK* *CLANK* *CLANK* *CLANK* *CLANK* *CLANK* *CLANK* *CLANK* *CLANK* *CLANK* *CLANK* *CLANK*


    The two continued to exchange blows, with both Sun Strike and Tiball''s des engulfed in fire as they shed. Each hit sent plumes of me into the air, and it wasn''t long until sections of the arena were set aze due to the scattering of the magical fire.


    <i>"Better watch out, Tiball. Unlike me, YOU aren''t immune to fire damage!" </i>Hishya yelled as the two warriors locked des again, causing a huge shockwave to erupt from the point of contact resulting inrge sections of the ground cracking beneath them.


    <i>{Yeah...} </i>(Tiball)


    "Well, lucky for <i>me </i>that my divine fire doesn''t count as such for purposes of your damage immunity, so I can still burn your lizard ass with it!" Tiball channeled more Divine power into his des, causing the deep red fire that covered them to growrger and hotter. Like Hitamaguchi, Tiball could channel divine power to augment his weapon attacks, and though their Subsses were different the idea was the same.


    *WOOSH*


    Some of Tiball''s me flicked off his des, burning Hishya''s cheek, causing her to wince in pain.


    While ordinarily, Hishya would <i>not </i>take damage from mes or me-based attacks, a Pdin''s Smite counted as either Radiant or Light-based damage and thus would bypass her protection. Tiball''s Smite was specifically unique due to the Pdin ss he chose which, in FWO, allowed him to mix different kinds of elemental attacks into his strikes. However, due to some of Imperial''s modifications he could now actually deal <i>increased </i>damage to creatures that would otherwise resist the type of damage he was dealing. <i>This </i>was what Superior Smite was, and since it was not an FWO ability, Hishya couldn''t prepare for or counter it easily. The Dragon had caught on to the fact that she was taking this extra damage quite quickly, as her armor being prated so easily set off red gs in her mind. It was designed to take hits far in excess of what Tiball should''ve otherwise delivered, and the additional hits she took during their shes around the arena only solidified her theory that she was actually taking several times the damage she otherwise should''ve been.


    "HASTE!" Tiball called out the name of another spell, one that would double his speed in exchange for leaving him vulnerable once the effect wore off. He calcted that it wouldn''t matter since his Greater Ability Boost would wear off around the same time, and thus things would be decided by that point anyway.


    <i>{Oh shit!} </i>Hishya knew exactly what was about to happen, but due to the doubling of his speed, she was caught off guard as he deftly escaped their sh and appeared behind her.


    "Maximize Magic! Guided Blow! SMITE OF THE HEAVENS!" Tiball called out two different abilities in quick session. Guided blow increased his uracy, which meant that a target would be guaranteed to be struck by his next attack, though such an ability drained a considerable amount of stamina. While the Smite he used was one of his most powerful, and as he struck Hishya''s back with his de, his entire body was covered in a deep red aura, simr to what covered his des.


    "TAKE IT ALL!" Tiball screamed as a massive red explosion went off, engulfing both him and Hishya. The audience screamed at the awesome sight, and Kana panicked slightly as she watched from the luxury private viewing area that she, Naomi, Yumi, Kaori, Misha, and Miji were sitting in.


    "HISHYA!" Kana stood up and ran to the ss that covered the front of the booth. "Is she ok?!? That-That looked bad!"


    <i>{SHE EXPLODED! WHY DOES SHE HAVE A HABIT OF DOING THINGS LIKE THIS?!?} </i>(Kana)


    "Holy..." Yumi went wide-eyed as she watched the Dragon explode. "I''ve heard stories of Pdins stacking things like that to deliver one big nova, but I never saw it before today."


    <i>{Akagi did warn me that a Pdin could ''Nova'' as she called it, but I never even considered what that meant.} </i>(Yumi)


    "KABOOM!" Miji squealed as she enjoyed the show. "Hishya went boom!"


    "She''ll be ok... <i>probably...</i>" Mika didn''t look too certain about Hishya''s survival and was now regretting her choice to join the tournament.


    <i>{I hope Chloe doesn''t drop the fucking sun on me.} </i>(Mika)


    "D-Don''t worry. Akagi isn''t moving around, so I doubt Hishya is <i>dead</i>." Naomi tried tofort her worried friend. "Hishya''s pretty tough, so I doubt that would finish her off, so just rx."


    <i>{Though Akagi may just let Hishya die forughs...} </i>(Naomi)


    "Y-Yeah, Y-you''re right." Kana took a deep breath as she moved back to her seat.


    <i>{Please be ok... Oh why did I fall in love with somebody who does this kind of thing?!? Its not good for my heart!} </i>(Kana)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    "Ugh..." Tiball slowly stood up, rubble and debris falling off him. The explosion wasrge enough to knock him far away from Hishya, his entire body was singed and his mouth was covered in blood. His massive nova strike had<i> </i>done a ton of damage to the Dragon, but he also took arge amount of damage himself. At that moment, a massive dust cloud obscured his view, so he could only see a few dozen feet in front of him.


    "Well, that worked better than expected." Tiballughed as he slowly stood up. "I just hope that didn''t kill the Dragon. Otherwise, I''ma have an angry Kana on my back and thus an angry Akagi!" He didn''t think she was actually dead, though there was always the chance.


    "I presume you can still fight?" Kira appeared from the darkness to check on him.


    "Yeah, for now anyway." Tiballughed as he winced in pain due to his injuries. "I assume I''m not disqualified for killing the lizard?"


    <i>"No, but you''re going to wish you WERE!" </i>Hishya''s voice echoed around him. He couldn''t see where she was, but he could tell that she was beyond angry with him.


    "Aww. Did that little st hurt?" Tiballughed as he scanned the slowly disappearing dust cloud for the Dragon. "How about youe over here and we get you a bit of healing magic?"


    <i>{She''s gotta be feeling that one. It was basically a single target pin-point hit with multiple times the damage all focused on a vulnerable spot. Even with all her Dragon Empress BS, she must be quite injured from all that power.} (Tiball)</i>


    <i>"Oh, it hurt all right. I''m gonna be feeling that one in the morning, that''s for sure.</i>" Hishya''s words gave the sense that she was smiling. <i>"I''ll admit I underestimated you. I thought that we''d just zip around a bit, have a show, and then I''d stomp you. Maybe you''d get a few good hits in, but I never imagined you''d actually make me have to take this fight seriously.</i>" As she said this, the dust cloud was pushed away with a bit of wind magic revealing a very burned and bloodied Hishya.


    "Well, it''s nice to see that I pulled this much effort out of you!" Tiballughed. "I''ll take this as a win already!" She was bloody and bruised and Tiball could tell that she''d taken considerable damage from his attack.


    <i>{I ended up shredding quite a bit of your armor too. Good thing Imp and Imperial can fix it. But damn... She''s still standing?!?} </i>(Tiball)


    Hishya had activated her full power and looked just like she did on the day she defeated Serval. Her hair was now a purple me, and her irises had be little more than an ever-raging fire of the same color, though only one was visible as the amount of blood leaking from her head made keeping it open hard.


    <i>{I suppose this is my fault. I let my old bad habits start to get the better of me again.} </i>Hishya''s grip tightened on Sun Strike. <i>{Dragons get arrogant because we believe ourselves to be above everyone else, and it looks like that part of me was only made worse after defeating Serval and taking his ce.} </i>She nced up at Akagi, who was smiling at her. <i>{Unlike her, I actually allowed my arrogance to ce me in apromising position...} </i>


    "I won''t let that happen again." Hishya took in a deep breath before exhaling. <i>"Thank you, Tiball." </i>


    "For what?" Tiball asked. "Don''t tell me you enjoyed all that damage."


    <i>"For showing me just how much of an idiot I am." </i>Hishya took one step forward and rocketed off at maximum speed, and the two began to sh again. <i>"I nearly allowed myself to slip back into one of my worst habits, so as thanks for forestalling my stupidity, I''ll make this as painless as possible!</i>"


    With her full power unleashed, Hishya began to easily outpace the injured Tiball, even with his Haste and Greater Ability Boosts activated.


    <i>{Not good!} </i>Tiball began to rack up quite a bit of damage as Hishya''s de shed into his body. The Dragon''s resolve had only been tempered and focused due to his damage, and he could tell that he was no match for her in his current state. <i>{I guess that means I have to try my n Z!} </i>


    Leaping away and putting some distance between himself and Hishya, Tiball put one of his des in his storage and wielded the other with both hands. "Alright, let''s fucking do this!" As he yelled, divine power began to erupt from his body yet again, but not wanting to take any chances, Hishya rapidly approached him, hoping to stop him before he got the chance to do whatever he was nning.


    <i>{There!} </i>(Tiball)


    As soon as Hishya got within range of his de, Tiball unleashed his one single trump card, something that he''d hoped he''d never have to use.


    "LIMITER RELEASE!" Tiball screamed out the name of an ability that every yer watching knew all too well. It was the same technique that Ishigami had tried to use on Akagi during the attack on the base and would increase all its users'' stats by an order of magnitude for a brief moment in exchange for leaving them vulnerable afterward.


    With no choice but to meet him head-on, Hishya stopped short and quickly moved to stop the iing de.


    *BOOM*


    Hishya managed to withstand the impact of Tiball''s attack but could tell that the sh had fractured her left arm due to the sheer power being unleashed.


    <i>{This hurts like hell!} </i>(Hishya)


    Hishya struggled against the iing attack, and due to all the other buffs applied to Tiball, she was being hit with an extraordinary amount of damage, likely even higher than what <i>Serval </i>could dish out at once.


    <i>{Come on! BREAK!} </i>(Tiball)


    The ground beneath the two began to quake, crack, and shatter, and the very air around them seemed to ignite from the pressure being exerted.


    Hishya had taken a great deal of damage from Tiball''s nova from earlier, and she was honestly beginning to fear that she might not have it in her to defend herself from this attack as a result. However, as the moments passed, Hishya could tell that her stance wasn''t faltering and that not only was she sessfully absorbing Tiball''s blow, albeit with some damage, but that he was <i>weakening</i>.


    <i>{Your timer has run out, Tiball!} </i>(Hishya)


    With Limiter Release only providing a short window for attack, Hishya knew that all she needed to do was wait him out, which is exactly what she did. After nearly thirty seconds of holding off Tiball''s attack, the Pdin froze in ce as the negative effect of his ability kicked in, and Hishya took the opportunity to punt him out of the arena and onto the y floor below.


    "WINNER, HISHYA!" Kira dered Hishya the winner, and the crowd exploded in a massive cheer as she fell backward onto the arena floor.


    "Well, hey, I guess that wasn''t too bad. Easy fight, yeah..." Hishyaughed as sheid broken on the floor until Mimi and her daughters came and carried her and Tiball away for medical attention.

 Chapter 249 – Alice v. Eris.

    Chapter 249 ¨C Alice v. Eris.


    "What an opening match!" Akagi eximed alongside the roaring crowd. "Give it up for Hishya and Tiball for delivering an explosive opening to the Tournament! We could feel their power from all the way up here, and it was an absolutely amazing show of skill and power!" As she said this, the crowd went nuts, and it let out a deafening roar as people screamed and yelled.


    <i>{Well if there was any worry about our little show here being boring, then I think its safe to say it went out the window.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I''ll admit I never expected Tiball to unleash such an extreme amount of power." Silfanamented on his nova attack. "That burst from his Pdin Smite was incredible, and even I wouldn''t want to take that head-on. So I suppose I should congratte Hishya for taking that blow and winning."


    <i>{That stupid Dragon''s scales must be as thick as her head if she took that on and survived!} </i>(Silfana)


    "That strike was impressive, but their final sh after he unleashed his limit removal was even more intense.¡± Shinlua was aware of just how powerful and dehiblitating that skill was. ¡°The amount of energy radiating from him was unbelievable." She continued. "That he was able to back Hishya into such an unfavorable position even if he ultimately lost was unexpected, to say the least." Shinlua knew just how powerful the Dragon was, so seeing her so injured hade as a surprise, as she figured that only Halifax could match Hishya in power.


    <i>{I guess that means the other returnees really aren''t something we should discount. Just because Hishya is Hishya, that doesn''t mean the others are any less impressive.} </i>(Shinlua)


    "A big part of why that all worked was because Hishya held back at the start." Akagi sighed. "I knew she''d gotten arrogant after defeating Serval and unlocking all of her power, but I suppose she was even <i>worse</i> than expected. But at least she seems that this match beat that out of her." Sheughed.


    <i>{That damn fool could''ve lost right then and there if she wasn''t careful. I knew just how much power Tiball could stack in his blows, but the end result was still a bit surprising. While I would have no problem taking even his final blow head-on, Hishya might struggle even if she waspletely fresh.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Are they going to be ok?" Shinlua asked about their injuries. "They were both quite injured. Can your team handle something like that quickly?"


    "Ah, don''t worry about it." Akagi waved off her concern. "We''ll pump ''em full of magic and potions, and they''ll be right as rain." She''d gotten Mimi and Kaori to create a few full elixirs for this event, so there was little chance that even severely injured contestants would be out for long.


    "Even though that''s bad for you?" Shinlua knew that relying on magic and potions to heal wasn''t good or the body.


    "Don''t worry about the small stuff." Akagi ignored her concern. "Butdies and gentlemen please give us a few moments. We need to repair the arena and get everything in ce, and then we''ll get to the next battle!"


    While the Arena was being repaired by a group of Akagi''s n members, she and the other two women discussed the fight in a bit more detail, going over some of the interesting moments, diagnosing what went right and wrong, and some general spection about future matchups.


    "Alright Shinlua, thank you for joining us up here and I can''t wait to see you in action." Akagi shook her hand as the Elf went down into the arena below. There would be a cycling of the guestmentator after each match, and the next one up was someone quite close to Eris.


    "Hey, everybody!" Ayame smiled as she took a seat. "How''s it going? I bet you all can''t wait to see my wife get her ass kicked since I know I can''t!" She snickered.


    "Wee aboard, Ayame. It''s nice to have you up here with us for this fight." Akagi introduced her. "Although, as the spouse of one of the next contestants, shouldn''t you be cheering her on?"


    "Nah, it''s much more fun to tear her down and pick on her like this." Ayame gave a cheeky grin.


    <i>{See, I''m not the only person who likes picking on their family!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Ah, that''s right, you did the same thing when we were taking bets on Hishya and Eris''s little spar earlier." Akagi nodded.


    "I imagine you act like this because you''re actually quite confident in her ability." Silfana said.


    "Maybe." Ayame shrugged. "Though it is nice to see her get tossed around a bit." She winked.


    "Ah yes, the joys of marriage." Silfana sighed. "I''ve seen it many times over the centuries. How often one''s own partner can be their biggest cheerleader or the one who seeks their downfall the most."


    "Though I think in your case, that second part usually doesn''te from some cute and endearing part of the rtionship." Akagi said. "But before we get sidetracked talking about Silfana''s abysmal and empty love life, let''s introduce the next contestants!" Her words caused a cheer as Alice and Eris entered the arena. "Our first fighter is none other than the cutest little girl in the entire world, Alice! And no, I''m not biased because she''s my daughter, it''s just facts people!" Akagiughed as everyone cheered. "As a summoner, she relies more on the use of her creatures and creations to fight more than her own innate power. In FWO they were generally seen as quite weak and it was proven over and over again that they fared poorly in singlebat, so how will she do against one of the best melee yers?"


    <i>{Likely not well given what I know about the two of them.} </i>(Silfana)


    "And our second fighter is Eris! As the former head of Shining de, she was widely regarded as one of the best yers in FWO, and many ced her quite high on our internal rankings. Her specialty is abusing polearm reach properties and as a Barbarian, she can easily take a lot of hits without stopping!" Akagi introduced Eris, to much fanfare.


    "So then, the question will be if your little girl can summon enough fodder to tire her out." Silfana figured that was the best way for Alice to win. "I know little of Alice''sbat ability, but from what you told me before she is quite adept at controlling her summons."


    <i>{She never took part in the battle against me and I only ever saw reports about her. Apparently she can control arge number of summons at once and she even has a few powerful ones.} </i>(Silfana)


    "Alice can get pretty scary when goes all out and from what I recall in game, she''s got quite arge arsenal of puppets and other creations." Ayame had only seen her fight a few times but knew the stories. "Eris is good at taking down tons of low-level enemies, so I don''t think Alice would try and wear her down that way." She shook her head. "I''ve only seen Alice fight a few times before she left the Assault Team, so my knowledge about her isn''t great, but I think this battle will be a bit more interesting than many would believe."


    <i>{At the very least, I doubt Eris can just waltz through this one easily.} </i>(Ayame)


    "Oh? You don''t think Eris is just going to take her down no problem?" Akagi asked.


    "You know better than <i>all </i>of us that Alice isn''t one to go down easily." Ayame replied without looking at her. "Especially with <i>you </i>watching her."


    "KICK HER ASS, ALICE!" Akagi yelled down to her. "DO IT FOR MAMA!"


    "I see you are a non-biasedmentator." Silfana rolled her eyes.


    "Now, when did I ever im to be?" Akagiughed.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    "Fighting a kid, even one like you really doesn''t sit right with me." Eris sighed as she mmed the butt of her ive into the ground. "Any chance you could call it quits? I''ll give you a snack." Sheughed.


    "No chance. Mama is watching, and I don''t want to disappoint her." Alice shook her head. "But more than that, I want to show everyone how much stronger I''ve gotten sincest time!" She hadn''t fought with other yers since her time in FWO, and she always felt like she had something to prove to those who were older than her.


    "I thought so." Eris shrugged. "But at least this way I can''t get yelled at for smacking you around a bit. Just do me a favor and tap out if things start getting bad. I don''t need you sticking things out just for pride."


    "I could say the same to you." Alice giggled. "You''re acting like this will be easy, but I can assure you that it will be anything <i>but.</i>"


    "I never assume <i>any </i>fight will be easy." Eris replied. "I just know that summoners, even <i>you</i>, don''t take well to these kinds of engagements."


    <i>{Though you are Akagi''s daughter. Adopted or not, there''s no way in hell that Demon didn''t supercharge you over thest three years.} </i>(Eris)


    "Are the contestants ready?" Kira looked between them.


    "Ready!" (Eris x Alice)


    "Then... BEGIN!" Kira signaled the start of the match and instantly Eris leaped forward, activating her rage. She knew that Alice would be weakest at the start of the match, and Eris knew better than to let a summoner start pulling out its arsenal of creatures.


    "Sorry Alice, but I''m not waiting around!" Eris roared as she closed in, but just before she managed to bring her weapon down upon the small girl she was stopped dead in her tracks.


    *CLANG*


    "What the fuck?!?" Eris yelled in confusion as her ive was stopped by a small thin ck cane.


    "My apologies madam, but I cannot allow you to bring harm to Lady Alice." A butler-like man with a frog''s head was behind the unexpected block, and his formal and businesslike tone caught Eris off guard.


    <i>{AGAIN, WHAT THE FUCK?!?} </i>(Eris)


    "Thanks for the save, Sir Froggington." Alice giggled as she started to back away slowly.


    "It is no trouble at all, and please do forgive me for being 0.64 secondste with my arrival, My Lady." Sir Froggington apologized for his inexcusable tardiness.


    <i>{I must be getting slow in my old age. To be even thatte is a stain on my record as a butler.} </i>(Sir Froggington)


    "Get the hell out of my way, Toad!" Eris put more power into her strike but was surprised by the resilience of the frog man.


    <i>{What is this guy?!?} </i>(Eris)


    "I am a frog, not a toad, and you''d do well to remember that." Sir Froggington scolded her. "Now, if you''d kindly stop your attack and allow My Lady to swiftly defeat you, that would be most smashing."


    <i>{HE HAS AN ENGLISH ACCENT! I HATE HATE HIM EVEN MORE NOW! FUCK YOU AKAGI! I KNOW YOU MADE THIS THING, DIDN''T YOU?!?} </i>(Eris)


    "I''m going to run right through you and turn you into roadkill!" Eris roared as she allowed her rage-induced fury to boil over and her body erupted with white hot mes.


    For his part, Sir Froggington saw that he was at a power disadvantage, and instead focused on buying time for Alice to prepare herself.


    <i>{Defenders may be strong, but they''re not immovable!} </i>(Eris)


    One of the mostmon types of summons, defenders did exactly what one would expect, they defended their master. While they were entirely incapable of doing any offensive action sans tripping or shoving, they more than made up for this weakness by being <i>extremely </i>resistant to damage. Sir Froggington was by no means capable of resisting Eris forever, but for a few moments, he could bring the raging Barbarian to a halt.


    "Thanks Sir Froggington!" Alice said as she spun around in circles. "Now, let''s get to work, Goosey!" She scattered blue dust onto the ground around her, which began to glow, and a momentter, a giant portal opened in the air above her, out from which arge Goose appeared.


    *HONK!*


    Therge Canadian Goose swooped down toward Alice, who leaped onto its back and flew into the air.


    <i>{Dammnit! Her getting airborne is going to be annoying!} </i>(Eris)


    "Now that Goosey is here let''s bring out his friends! Sharky, Bitey, Screechy, Hairy, get out here!" Alice called out to her next set of summons, and around Eris, a number of swirling purple portals appeared.


    *WOOF!* *CLICK-CLACK* *OOK!* *RAWR!*


    <i>{Oh shit!} </i>Eris instantly found herself surrounded by a group of summoned monsters consisting of arge monkey, a flying shark, a huge wolf and a massive spider.


    "I hope you don''t think such weak creatures can beat me!" Eris roared as she pushed Sir Foggington off bnce and disengaged from him to attack the new summons. "I HATE FUCKING SPIDERS!" She screamed as she smashed the head of the eight-legged creature with her ive. "DIE!"


    *HISS!* Hairy the spider hissed as he was struck, and he swung his pedipalps and other appendages at Eris in an attempt to push her away.


    "Not today, bitch!" Eris said as she deflected one of its legs and smashed another one, drawing blood. ¡°Spiders can burn in hell!¡±


    "Screechy, use Boomst!" Alice issued orders to the monkey who unhinged its jaw and unleashed a high-pitched scream at Eris.


    *EEEEEE!*


    "AH!" Eris felt no pain as she was assaulted with the noise due to her rage, but the sudden increase in volume threw her off bnce and caused her to flinch just as Bitey the wolf pounced at her.


    "AWOOO!" Bitey chomped onto her right arm and tackled her to the floor. Due to her armor and resistance, he did no damage, but it was still annoying.


    "Get the fuck off me, dog!" Eris maneuvered her foot into its abdomen and kicked with all her might, sending the pup flying into the air.


    ¡°AWOOOOOOOOOO!¡± Bitey screeched as he wasunched into the air.


    "Hairy, catch him!" Alice told the spider to use its web to grab the wolf and bring it down safely, which it did swiftly. "Sharkey, its time! Use your cannon!" She then looked at therge flying shark and ordered it to begin shooting itssers.


    "RAWR!" Sharkey obliged and opened its mouth, charging up arge amount of energy within before unleashing a red st toward Eris.


    <i>{ITS SHOOTS FUCKING LASERS?!?} </i>Eris rolled out of the way just in time, avoiding theser st that cut into and melted the arena.


    "Darn, she got out of the way." Alice clicked her tongue. "Sharkey, try again. This time don''t miss! I want her nice and melted! Ku, Ku, Ku!¡± Her evil cackle gave Eris the idea that Alice was really taking after her adoptive mother.


    <i>{ARE YOU TRYING TO FUCKING KILL ME?!?} </i>(Eris)


    As Sharkey and the other summons unleashed their devastating and annoyingbo attack, Eris''s irritation finally reached a breaking point.


    "ENOUGH!" Eris screamed as her entire body erupted in mes. "I''m dealing with these idiots, and then <i>you </i>are going down, Alice!" She shed forward faster than Alice had expected, and with one swing of her gave she smashed both Hairy and Bitey with her ive, causing both creatures to take massive damage and disappear as purple particles. "Now that just leaves the fucking shark and the monkey!" She turned toward the screeching monkey who was continually sting her with its voice.


    "Shut the fuck up!" Eris hurled her ive at Screechy, who failed to dodge the high-speed projectile and took it head-on, dying instantly. "Thank god!" She huffed as she summoned her ive back to her hand. "Now that just leaves you!"


    Eris turned toward the flying shark and locked eyes with it before summoning a new weapon in her left hand. It was a javelin, one that glowed blue and was surrounded by crackling lightning. "I''ve never had fried shark before, but I guess there''s a first time for everything!" As soon as she''d lined things up, Eris used all of her strength and threw the javelin at the shark. As it hurled in the air, the sound of lightning striking could be heard and the weapon transformed into a bolt of lightning that reminded many onlookers of Zeus''s signature weapon from myth.


    *RAWR?*


    Sharkey was unable to get out of the way in time and was stuck by the flying javelin which exploded on impact and let loose another st of thunder as it made contact, destroying the final summon instantly.


    "How''d you like <i>that!</i>" Erisughed as the javelin returned to her side. ¡°No more fuckingsers!¡±


    <i>{When did she get a Javelin of Returning Lightning?!?} </i>Alice had never seen this weapon in Eris''s inventory before. <i>{Was this something from the dungeon? Mama really should''ve warned me... Though I suspect she didn''t just to see how well I''d do.}</i>


    "I guess that means I can''t just fly up here and camp you out." Alice sighed.


    "NOPE!" Eris yelled as she hurled the javelin at the flying goose who desperately tried to get out of the way.


    *HONK!*


    "Goosey, get out of the way!" Alicemanded her summon to move, but as each time Eris missed the weapon simply returned to her, it was only matter of time until Goosey was hit head-on. "Goosey!"


    Alice cried out as her summon was struck and her entire body was electrified from the st. A momentter she and Goosey began to plummet toward the arena, right into Eris'' reach.


    <i>{I need to do something!} </i>Alice used the brief moment she had before impact to channel more magic power into her right hand and just before she hit the ground, her entire body was encased in a thick ck slime protecting her from the fall.


    "I''ve got you now!" Seeing that Alice was nowpletely vulnerable, Eris zipped forward intending to strike her down and finish the match, but she once again found herself stopped by Sir Froggington.


    "Do try and remember that I am still here." The frog butler stopped her with his cane. "You may have defeated Sir Goosey and hispanions, but you have yet to best <i>me</i>." He wasn''t going to be easy to be rid of and she knew that.


    "Get the hell out of my way! Greater Ability Boost!" Eris activated the special ability of her gauntlets, deciding to go all out to secure the win.


    <i>{Oh, she has that too...} </i>(Alice)


    Activating her multiplier, Eris swiftly overpowered Sir Froggington and knocked him out of the way. "Now you''re mine!" With the defender out of the way, there was nothing between Alice and Eris, but the young girl had prepared for this beforehand.


    "Now!" Alice yelled out, and just as Eris was about to bring her weapon down on her, the ck slime that stuck to her body leaped forward and onto Eris.


    <i>{What?!?} </i>(Eris)


    "Hold her down!" Alice ordered the slime to restrain the Barbarian, and that''s what it did. As it grappled her, it expanded to cover most of her body, and its writhing mass made it almost impossible to move.


    <i>{This thing better not try anything funny!} </i>(Eris)


    "Get the hell off me!" Eris tried as hard as she could to remove the slime, and while her raging mes seemed to be having an effect, she wasn''t quick enough to stop Alice from bringing out her next group of summons.


    "Time for the band to y! Start singing, Sir Froggington!" Alice gave her orders as she chucked a bunch of paper drawings on the floor around her.


    "And sing I shall!" Sir Froggington teleported next to her and began to sing and dance as the different strips of paper began to grow into a variety of different creatures. In total, there were ten members of the band, each with different instruments and weapons, and they looked something akin to wooden toy soldiers.


    "Now the frog sings?!?" Eris growled as she let out a st of me scattering the slime in all directions. "Well, the only music I want to hear is the one they''ll y at your funeral, toad!"


    "And I again remind you that I am a Frog, not a toad." Sir Froggington said as he continued to sing. As a defender, he wasn''t able to attack much, but nothing was stopping Alice from strapping him with buffing abilities and turning him into something akin to a Bard.


    ¡°I''ll just have to shove that instrument where the sun doesn''t shine then!¡± Eris hissed as she moved toward the band.


    "You can try, Eris, but it''s toote!" Alice cackled. "The Band has arrived, and the fatdy has already warmed up her vocal cords! Hit it, boys!" She snapped her fingers, and the different toy soldiers all began ying a very well-known American song.


    "How is a little music going to- Ack!" Eris cried out in pain, which surprised her. "What?!? How did I just feel that?!?" As she spoke, Eris noticed that blood wasing out of her mouth.


    <i>{HOW?!? I should be resistant to all damage, and rage shouldn''t allow me to feel pain!} </i>(Eris)


    "A raging Barbarian of your ss is resistant to all damage <i>except</i> that which is direct at the mind." Aliceughed as she tapped the side of her head. "And my friends here are ying music that does exactly that!" Bards were only a partially implemented ss in FWO and were due to be added fully inter patch. There <i>was </i>a few different kinds of bardic abilities, but most were quite weak or simply for vor. However, there were summons that could tap into bardic abilities that yers didn''t have ess to and Alice had gotten a hold of a few during the games runtime.


    <i>{We''ve been preparing for this type of performance for a while since it was always possible to get paired against an opponent who resists physical damage. Now keep up the beat and melt her brains!} </i>(Alice)


    <i>{FUCK! I forgot about that part since psychic or mental attacks were so rare in FWO!} </i>Eris struggled to stay on her feet as the music and Sir Froggington''s singing voice grew louder. As the frog started moon walking and using its cane as a microphone to sing, Eris started to get woozy. Without her resistance, her resilience was significantly reduced, and it wouldn''t be long until she went down.


    <i>{It''s attacking the mind, so I doubt that poking out my eardrums would stop it. I need to think fast. Otherwise, I''m going to wind up losing in the first round!} </i>(Eris)


    "God dammit!" Eris decided that she had little choice than to use her other hidden ability, one that she''d been hoping to save forter in the tournament. However, she figured that with defeat imminent she had no choice but to use it now, lest she lose without ever getting the chance to use it. "Skywalker Boots, Grant me flight!" She clicked the heels of her shoes together which caused them to sprout tiny translucent wings on them, and a momentter she kicked off the ground and leaped toward the band, hoping that they weren''t very tough.


    <i>{What?!?} </i>Alice hadn''t expected this turn of events. Her puppets'' performance should''ve drastically weakened Eris by this point, and there should''ve been no way for her to move quickly enough to reach the performers before they could back away.


    "Move!" Alice tried to order her puppets to disengage, but it was once again toote to issue hermands. The Skywalker boots were another item the Barbarian had gotten in Akagi''s dungeon, and their primary feature was to grant an extraordinarily fast flight speed. Since Alice hadn''t ounted for items providing a form of movement this meant that Eris, while disorientated and hurt, could move much faster than expected.


    "TURN THAT FUCKING MUSIC OFF!" Eris screamed as she brought her ive down on one of the puppets, which weakened the performance enough for her to start bouncing between the different musicians.


    *SMASH* *SMASH* *SMASH* *SMASH* *SMASH* *SMASH* *SMASH* *SMASH* *SMASH* *SMASH* *SMASH* *SMASH* *SMASH* *SMASH*


    After a few moments, the Barbarian''s rampage subsides and the ten puppets and their instruments were smashed into pieces.


    "Oh, thank god." Eris let out a deep breath. She may have destroyed the puppets, but that didn''t mean things were smooth sailing. ¡°Peace and quiet...¡±


    *HACK!* *COUGH*


    However, things were not all well for her, as she spat up blood and still felt like crap. Her body had taken huge damage during the musical attack and her mouth and ears were bleeding profusely.


    <i>{I have to give it to the girl. This was far harder and more fun than expected. I honestly don''t know if I can win this with these injuries, but I need to try. All I need to do is get one good shot in and she''s done, if I could only get that stupid toad out of the way.} </i>(Eris)


    "Now, then." Eris lifted her ive and pointed it at Sir Froggington who stood between her and Alice. "You''re next!" She zipped forward and shed with the defender again.


    "I''m impressed that you managed to escape mydy''s carefully prepared trap." Sir Froggington smiled. "I must admit that you have been an interesting challenge, and you''ve earned my respect. However..." He pushed her back slightly. "I cannot allow you to harm my master, so prepare to lose."


    <i>{I''ve got one chance here. If I can just knock him out of the way, that will give me a clear shot to Alice. I can see from the sweat on her brow and somebored breathing that she''s down on MP from all those summons, so I doubt she''s got the energy for much more.} </i>Eris looked around the field and saw noting but smashed puppets and ck goo from the exploded slime. The only thing standing between her and victory was Sir Froggington, and she calcted that she had just enough reserve energy to get past him.


    After taking a moment to psych herself up, Eris bounced on the balls of her feet as she activated another one of her abilities. "Second Wind!" As she yelled some of her visual injuries disappeared and she regained a bit of color in her face. Second Wind was exactly what one would expect and it gave a minor healing to martial sses which could be used duringbat. "Now, get ready to lose Alice!" With her newly regained vigor, Eris leaped toward Sir Froggington again, but this time rather than attack him the moment she got close enough she mmed the butt of her ive into the ground and vaulted over top of the frog as if she were in a pole vaultingpetition.


    <i>{YES!} </i>Eris cheered internally as she cleared the frog defender twirled her ive in her hand and redirected it downward toward Alice. At the angle she was heading in, the Barbarian would make a direct collision with the young girl, and it was so fast that neither Alice or Sir Froggington could react in time to stop her. <i>{Sorry kid. This is gonna hurt like hell, but I''m sure Akagi will fix you up good!}</i>


    As the ive careened toward Alice, Sir Froggington let out a desperate cry. His teleport ability relied on Alice''s magic and with how little she had left he couldn''t use it. Standing helplessly, he could only watch in horror as his master was about to be crushed by the mighty weapon. While Alice looked upwards in horror as she realized that there was nothing that she could do to save herself, so as if via reflex she cried out to the one person who could save her.


    "KITTY HELP!" Alice cried out for the <i>kitty, </i>and a momentter a ck form appeared in front of her taking the shape of Catkagi.


    <i>{WHAT?!?} </i>(Eris)


    Seeing what looked like <i>Akagi</i> in front of her caused Eris to momentarily flinch and slow her attack as she turned her head slightly to look up at the viewing booth where the <i>Demon </i>should''ve been. Akagi had already agreed that she wouldn''t interfere with matches unless it was needed to preserve life or otherwise end things if a participant wouldn''t surrender, but Eris didn''t know how true to her word the <i>Demon </i>would be regarding her daughter.


    As the Barbarian looked up at the booth, she was shocked to see Akagi still in her seat andughing hysterically, and only at <i>that</i> moment did she realize the whole thing had been a ruse. The moment Eris returned her full attention to Alice, the Catkagi''s form melted away revealing its true identity as the ck slime from before.


    <i>{Didn''t I destroy that earlier?!?} </i>Eris''s attack had indeed scattered the creature, but contrary to her expectations it wasn''t destroyed. Alice had carefully prepared a backup n in case she was caught off guard and the slime was ordered to remain dormant in its scattered state until the perfect moment.


    "NOW!" Alice yelled, and the slime''s different scattered parts jutted from the arena floor toward Eris and impaled her across the body just as she was about to bring her ive down on Alice.


    "Ack!" Eris''s momentum was halted as the myriad of spikes prated her body, though they all avoided vital organs. "You tricked me!" She said as she spat out blood while suspended in the air. "You used the threat of Akagi to..."


    <i>{To get me to freak...} </i>(Eris)


    "Well, I <i>am </i>the daughter of the Demon Lord, one of the most cunning and deceitful beings to ever exist." Alice smirked. "It shouldn''t be a surprise that some of those tendencies rubbed off on me." She giggled.


    "Fair... point..." Erisughed painfully. "Aw hell... I give up. You win." With those words, the Barbarian cked out, and the crowd went wild as the second match of the tournament concluded in an upset that few predicted.


    Spoiler


    Sir Froggington


    [copse]

 Chapter 250 – Mami v. Superbia.

    Chapter 250 ¨C Mami v. Superbia.


    "And there you have it!" Akagi cheered as Alice''s victory was dered. "We have apletely unexpected upset as Alice takes down Eris! Even <i>I</i> didn''t see this oneing!" She had a big smile on her face.


    <i>{Well, I kinda did, but I''m still so proud of you!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Is Eris going to be okay?" Ayame looked a bit worried due to the amount of damage she''d received. ¡°That was a lot of little spikes...¡±


    "She''ll be fine. Mimi and her team can handle all those wounds no problem." Akagi answered before turning back to the viewing screen that was floating in front of her. "Folks, that was an amazing battle, and, yes as her Mama, it''s absolutely great to see my little one kick some ass!" Sheughed. Akagi''d been practicing with Alice over these past months and was doing what she could to help her be stronger where possible, but wasn''t really sure if she could win against some of the more seasoned yers. "But let''s not forget to give Eris her due. She nearly pulled things off despite such an intense disadvantage due to Alice''s trap. So everyone, let''s hear it for our raging Barbarian!" She called out to the audience to cheer, which is exactly what they did.


    "Alice used a very nasty trick by faking your sudden intervention." Silfana pursed her lips.


    <i>{One that a certain lizard used on me too...} </i>(Silfana)


    "Yeah, but I can''t be mad since Eris should''ve known better than to fall for it." Ayame sighed. "I guess it''s understandable to think that Akagi would''ve jumped in like that, so suppose it''s also not something I can reprimand her for."


    <i>{It was dirty as hell though...} </i>(Ayame)


    "I told you all that I''d let things fall where they fell, and I have no intention of jumping in to save Alice." Akagi shrugged. "Eris'' blow would''ve harmed her greatly, but we can patch those injuries up with magic." She was a bit worried that Eris or somebody else would end up causing significant damage, and there was a part of her that didn''t want Alice to experience any pain, but she''d managed to quiet that down.


    <i>{Though I would jump in to stop one if it would''ve been lethal. I''m not permitting anyone, especially Alice, to die during this thing.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I''m impressed with how well Alice did, though." Ayamemented. "She''s a summoner, and we''ve never seen them handle duels well. There were a few in Shining de, and most were used for scouting or providing buffs/debuffs.¡± She''d seen a few yers try it over the years and almost all swapped to something else quickly.


    "That she canmand so many summons in such rapid session and with such a high degree of control and coordination is deserving of praise." Silfana nodded. "Though she found out quickly that verbalmands are <i>not </i>the most reliable form ofmunication with one''s summons." She had a few summoners in her employ, but most were used for scouting or sending messages.


    <i>{Using one''s mind is infinitely quicker and has less chance of being distorted or blocked. I wonder why she didn''t use that method?} </i>(Silfana)


    "We''re working on that issue." Akagimented that it was a work in progress.. "yers could do somemands via the in-game interface, but the majority were verbal, and trying to use summons via telepathy is currently in the early stages of development." She''d been trying to adapt Yumi''s telepathy to be used in other ways, but Imp and Imperial''s research had been slow so far due tock of knowledge.


    "That''s right." Silfana had a look of realization wash over her. "I forgot that your abilities were a bit more limited than my own." She was part of the system so what she could interface with was far more advanced than a yer.


    "By the way, what the hell was up with that song and also the frog?" Ayame turned to Akagi, wanting to know about the choice of music.


    "Alice''s gonna Alice." Akagi shrugged andughed. "She likes to make things silly, and that''s what she did!" She turned and looked at the massive chat stream that was on the left side of the floating screen.


    "Did Alice get permission to use that song? It''s quite a popr one." Akagi read off a question that she saw fly by. "Pay? What are they gonna do, take her to court? I''d love to see them try!" Sheughed. "Go ahead and try, but that might result in a few burned courthouses and deadwyers." She snickered.


    <i>{At least that''s one thing we can agree on. Might makes right, and those with the power can do whatever they want with those who don''t.} </i>(Silfana)


    "Getting back to Eris though, I''m d to see her boots came in handy." Akagi moved the screen away. "She got a few neat items in the dungeon and I figured a way of hitting ranged targets would be appreciated." Barbarians typically struggled hard against anything they couldn''t wack directly, and their ranged options were very limited, especially since most of their ss abilities didn''t work with them.


    "Yeah, that was always her biggest issue in-game." Ayame nodded. "She <i>does</i> have some fire attacks that work at range, but they don''tbo well with her other features, so being able to chuck javelins that return like that and flight <i>really </i>helped her out." She didn''t have much in the way of ranged attacks, but made up for it with her high speed and swift attacks.


    "I presume that <i>you </i>also got some interesting toys during your delves?" Silfana asked about what she''d gotten. Silfana <i>had</i> tried out the dungeon once or twice but found it boring.


    "Who knows?" Ayame put her finger on her lips as she giggled. "You''ll just have to wait and see!"


    <i>{I think people will enjoy what she pulled.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Well, we won''t have to wait much longer!" Akagi eximed as Kira''s team finished repairing the ring, and Ayame departed with a small thank you. "Alright, the next contenders may make their way to the arena!" She called out, and the audience broke into another roar. "This fight will include our first contestant from Omara, so everyone make sure to give a warm wee to Mami the Moon Elf!" Akagi continued her introductions. "And the opponent she''ll be facing is none other than the star of the RRT, Superbia!" As the two walked toward the center of the arena the crowd cheered again, and this match''s special guest came up from behind her.


    "For this match, I decided to tap into one of Mami''s teammates on the Exploration team, so allow me to introduce Shisa!" Akagi smiled as she introduced the blue Oni.


    "H-Hello!" Shisa was visibly nervous as she took her seat. "I-I''m d to b-be here!"


    <i>{THERE''S SO MANY FUCKING PEOPLE WATCHING!} </i>(Shisa)


    "No need to be nervous little Oni, the audience will not bite you." Silfanaughed.


    "They might not, but Silfana on the other hand!" Akagiughed.


    "Oni blood is too bitter for my taste." Silfana shook her head. "I much prefer the blood of Elves, specifically Dark Elves, if I can find them, as they have a much more smooth and rich taste."


    "I totally get where you''reing from." Akagi nodded in agreement. "Souls taste different, and I prefer ones packed with lots of fear!" Sheughed.


    "It adds a nice spice." Silfana smiled in agreement.


    <i>{...} </i>(Shisa)


    "But getting back on topic, our third match will be between one of the members of Omara''s exploration team and Superbia. Shisa as one of Mami''spatriots, what do you make of things? Do you think your friend will win?" Akagi asked a question that she already knew the answer to.


    "No." Shisa shook her head rapidly. "We can''t handle <i>any </i>of you! I''m pretty sure Mami will be taken down in five seconds!"


    <i>{Why are you even asking?!? It''s clear that you lot are far more powerful than us! The most we can hope to do is survive long enough to surrender! The only reason we''re here is because Ferrix wanted to test things out! That damn fool!} </i>(Shisa)


    "Silfana?" Akagi looked to the Vampire for her take.


    "Do you even need to ask?" Silfana rolled her eyes.


    "It''s kind of my job, so yeah." Akagi snickered.


    "Well then, if you want my prediction, I''ll say that if the Elf isn''t a red stain on the arena floor by the end of this that things went well for her." Silfanaughed.


    "I think she''llst <i>a bit </i>longer than either of you expect, but yeah, if Superbia doesn''t throw the match she isn''t going to lose." Akagi figured that this would be a short match. "But I guess a quick match is just part of this whole experience, so, to the folks at home, I''m sorry if this one might be a bit disappointing."


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    As Mami and Superbia met in the center of the arena, the Elf could tell <i>immediately </i>that she was far outmatched by her opponent.


    <i>{Holy hell, the aura radiating off this woman is fucking CRAZY! I want to go home!} </i>(Mami)


    "I''d advise surrendering, Mami." Superbia said with a smile. "I''m not entirely sure how much I can hold back, and there''s a chance that one strike might be enough to kill you." With her recent power boost she''d already noticed that her ''holding back'' was still far too powerful.


    "I <i>want </i>to surrender, but I''m afraid that not only would everyone back home shame the hell out of me for just giving up without a fight, and Lady Mizumi would chew me out for embarrassing Omara like that." Mami sighed. "So please try and go easy on me..."


    "I guarantee nothing." Superbiaughed. "I''ve recently got a bit more power to y with, so I''m not entirely sure how ''weak'' my ''weakest'' strike would be."


    <i>{I''m fucking dead, aren''t I?} </i>Mami gulped as she drew her sword and took a fighting stance.


    "Are thepetitors ready?" Kira looked between them and asked.


    "Yes." Superbia nodded.


    "Y-Yeah." Mami answered.


    <i>{NO!} </i>(Mami)


    "Then, begin!" Kira swung her arm down to begin the match, and as soon as she did Superbia''s form disappeared in front of Mami.


    <i>{She''s gone?!?} </i>Mami looked around the arena, trying to find her, but couldn''t.


    "Did she go invisible?!?" Mami said as she panicked. She was no amateur inbat, but Superbia had herpletely outmatched and she knew it.


    "Not invisible..." Superbia''s words echoed in her left ear. "I''m just too fast for your eyes to see!" A split secondter, Mami screamed in pain as her entire body was shed and blood began to pour out of the myriad of cuts that covered her body.


    "AH!" Mami''s screamed as she copsed to the floor in a puddle of her own blood.


    "Good, it looks like I was able to restrain myself." Superbia smiled as she appeared in front of the downed Mami, and just as the Elf was about to lose consciousness she swore that Superbia started talking to someone else.


    <i>{Well... I didn''t die... That''s nice...} </i>(Mami)


    "Winner, Superbia!" Kira called the match a few moments after it began, as it was obvious that Mami was not getting back up.


    "That wasn''t even really a <i>match</i>." Superbiamented as she put her de away. "The real one is yet toe." She smirked as she looked into the arena entrance where Chloe was standing next to a visibly shaking Mika.


    <i>{Cat, I hope you''re ready to lose!} </i>(Superbia)

 Chapter 251 – Mika v. Chloe.

    Chapter 251 ¨C Mika v. Chloe.


    "Well, that escted quickly." Akagiughed as the match between Mami and Superbia was called in a matter of moments. "I guess my estimation that it wouldst longer than a few moments was quite a ways off the mark!"


    <i>{Oh well...} </i>(Akagi)


    "S-She''s gonna be alright, <i>right</i>?" Shisa asked nervously.


    "Yeah, Mami will be fine. Superbia just went for damage, and Mami wasn''t really too badly harmed by her strikes, so don''t worry about it." Akagi answered.


    <i>{CAN I FUCKING BACK OUT, PLEASE?!?} </i>(Shisa)


    "Makes you want to tuck your tail and run, doesn''t it?" Silfana smirked. She could tell what the blue Oni was thinking.


    "I... um..." Shisa didn''t really want to answer.


    <i>{Nail on the head.} </i>(Silfana)


    "Hey, if you want to back out, then go right ahead." Akagi shrugged. She didn''t care if somebody ran for the hills, though she would <i>prefer</i> they stay for the entertainment factor. "You''ll probably disappoint Avahn since that crazy girl wants to tear you apart." She winked.


    <i>{EEP!} </i>(Shisa)


    "But we''ll save that forter because now we move on to the next match!" Akagi cheered as Mika and Chloe made their way onto the stage. "Our next match is between one of my one and only pupil and Kyoto''s own Magical Girl Star Guardian! So everyone give them both a rousing wee!" At her words, the crowd roared, and Shisa departed the booth, visibly shaken by what she just watched.


    "For this match, there will be no guestmentators as between Silfana and I there isn''t really anyone who knows either of thesepetitors better than we do." Akagi said. Chloe was her own student and Mika was Mika so the <i>Demon </i>was the only person who could really give any insightfulments about them.


    "Yes, your cat is quite annoying, and in our sparring matches she''s proved quite an irritating opponent." Silfana sighed. While she''d won against Chloe, it was never easy and there were a few times where the matches were a close call.


    <i>{I suppose that''s what happens when you take an Ondai n prodigy and put her underneath something with as much power and skill as Akagi.} </i>(Silfana)


    "She''s my student! So it''s only natural that she puts up a good fight." Akagiughed. "Of course, the threat of <i>punishment </i>if she fails is an amazing motivator." She cackled.


    <i>{Yeah, though, in this case, punishment means being forced to dress in silly outfits rather than physical abuse... I can''t say which is worse given what kind of things you dream up in that messed up mind of yours though.} </i>(Silfana)<i> </i>


    "So, how do you think it''s going to go?" Akagi asked the Vampire for her prediction.


    "Knowing what I know about that ''Magical Girl'' and Chloe, this can only end with the cat cutting that poor girl to ribbons." Silfanaughed. "I hope you''ll be ready to revive her once the kitty is finished ying with its food."


    "I agree that Chloe will probably win, but I <i>do </i>think you''re underestimating our little Magical Girl." Akagi replied. She figured that Mika was <i>probably </i>doomed, but also had a feeling that the Magical Girl could easily pull out some unexpected bullshit and win. "I know her well enough to say she''s a fighter, and I doubt she''s gonna go out without a fight."


    "Isn''t that what you said about Mami, only for her to be taken down in the blink of an eye?" Silfana quipped with a smirk on her lips.


    "Fair point. I guess we shall just wait and see what happens." Akagi shrugged.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    Mika walked slowly and nervously to the center of the arena. After watching Mami be taken down in a quick and <i>very painful </i>manner by Superbia, the blue-haired Magical Girl was nowing to regret her decision to enter the tournament.


    <i>{I WANNA GO HOME!} </i>(Mika)


    "Chloe, please don''t do something like that to me..." Mika whimpered to the cat, only to be given a wily grin in return.


    "If you don''t want to be sliced up, then you can give up right now, nya!" Chloeughed. ¡°Otherwise prepare to be part of my next sandwich! I''ve already got some nice bread and cheese picked out!¡±


    "Y-You <i>do </i>recall that killing isn''t allowed, right?!?" Mika said as she started sweating profusely.


    "Killing is banned, yes, but as long as you''re still alive when the match is called that means I''m in the clear, nya!" Chloe snickered.


    <i>{That makes me think she''ll ensure I die the moment the match is called...} </i>(Mika)


    "A-Akagi will be angry if you cause my d-death..." Mika said nervously. Hoping that the threat of Akagi''s anger would keep her from going overboard.


    "It will be fine, nya." Chloe shrugged. "Myaster will get over it, not to mention if you die, then you get toe back with cool eyes and as a devotee of myaster!"


    <i>{I DON''T WANT TO WORSHIP THE KITTY LIKE MISHA!} </i>(Mika)


    Naturally, Chloe was just messing with Mika. The cat knew well that causing Mika''s death, even if it was done in a way that didn''t result in disqualification, would result in a <i>very </i>angry Akagi.


    <i>{Mika is just too fun to pick on, nya!} </i>(Chloe)


    "So what will it be, nya?" Chloe asked. "Will you run away like the little <i>chicken</i> you are? Or will the birdy stay and fight, nya?"


    "I... um..." Mika couldn''t give an immediate answer.


    *BOCK!* *BOCK!* *BOCK!*


    Chloe stared to cluck like a chicken as she tucked her arms for added effect.


    "Come on, little chicken, show everyone just how scared you are and run away." Chloe continued to cluck. "Go home to your coop. I''m sure your two <i>hens </i>willfort you." Sheughed as she referenced Suzu and Yuzu. "Then again, those two Yuki-Onna have quite poor taste in partners, so it''s only natural they''d be okay with a big <i>chicken</i> like you!" She snickered. "I guess when you''re so desperate for love, you''ll take any old thing thates your way! I just feel bad that they settled for you, but then again a <i>chicken</i> like you is probably about all their worth!"


    "YOU BITCH!" Mika eximed in absolute fury. "Don''t you <i>dare </i>start making fun of them!" She didn''t appreciate Chloe bringing the Yuki-Onna into things.


    <i>{I WILL FUCKING CUT YOU!} </i>(Mika)


    "Oh? Did I touch a nerve?" Chloe smirked. "Well, what are you going to do about it, <i>chicken</i>?" The catughed as she clucked again.


    "I''m going to shut you up! That''s what I''m going to do!" Mika growled as she pointed her wand at Chloe.


    <i>{Good. I knew I had to distract her with something else. This way, I might have some fun, nya!} </i>Chloe was intentionally trying to get Mika angry so that she would actually fight rather than instantly giving up.


    "Are the contestants ready?" Kira looked between them.


    "You''re damn right I am!" Mika eximed, ready to knock Chloe''s head off.


    "Yupper!" Chloe said yfully.


    "Then, begin!" Kira started the match, and instantly Mika took the initiative by casting a bright sh of light from her wand.


    "Star Burst!" Mika''s wand glowed with a bright light that was even more intense than the Sun, which caused everyone, sans Akagi, to avert their eyes.


    Chloe''s quick reaction time meant that she saw the attacking, and looked away to prevent herself from bing blinded, but when she looked back Mika had taken to the sky and flew back quite some distance.


    <i>{I see, nya. She figures that fighting me close up won''t work, so putting a bit of distance between us is for the best, nya. A smart and logical choice, but one that fails to realize that I''m just as deadly at range, nya!} (Chloe)</i>


    "I see the <i>chicken</i> is good at running, but if that''s all you can do, then this is already over, nya!" Chloe snickered as she did a few more clucks.


    "I''ll show you that I can do far more than run, Chloe!" Mika spun her wand in her hand and let loose her next attack. "Ice Storm!" Her wand became coated in an icy sheen, and the air temperature around her dropped profusely before a massive torrent of icy shards formed around her and shot toward Chloe at high speed.


    However, Chloe was no fool and was far too dexterous for such a slow attack to cause her any harm. "Nyahaha! This is too easy!" The catughed as she dodged the iing shards. "Is that the best you can do?" She cackled as she turned and wagged her tail at Mika.


    <i>{She is such a pain in the ass, just like her master...} </i>(Mika)


    "Now it''s my turn, nya!" Chloe''s hands filled with Kunai, and she began to hurl them toward Mika at high speed. ¡°NYA!¡±


    <i>{EEP!} </i>Mika dodged the majority of them, though one managed to scrape her shoulder. "OW!" It didn''t do much damage but was immensely painful.


    "You''re lucky that my poisons are too strong for this and would kill you. Otherwise, that little scrape would be the end of things, nya!" Chloe snickered as she continued to throw a seemingly unending volley of Kunai and other knives.


    <i>{Damn that stings... Though it''s not as bad as when we got exploded before...} </i>(Mika)


    "I''ll pay you back for that one, cat!" Mika hissed at Chloe as she chucked a volley of fireballs toward Chloe, who again deftly avoided them.


    "Nyahahah! You can''t catch me!" Chloeughed and taunted Mika as she bounced around the arena, easily avoiding the Magical Girl''s attacks. It didn''t matter what type of energy Mika fired off or how numerous the sts were, Chloe would dodge them all with ease.


    <i>{This is aplete waste of magic.} </i>Mika figured that continuing with this route of attack was pointless. <i>{Getting close to her is also bad since she''d just carve me up with either her knife or entangle me with those strings of hers. Speaking of which, why hasn''t she used them yet?} </i>She knew they were the cat''s weapon of choice but was confused as to why Chloe hadn''t bothered to use them as of yet. <i>{Surely it can''t be that she can''t reach me up here, right?} </i>


    "Giving up?" Chloe asked, noticing that Mika''s attacks had stopped. "I hope you''ve realized that your stupid little magic sts are pointless. Myaster has fired off more at higher power than that as part of my training, so don''t expect me to be hit by something that pathetic, nya!" Sheughed.


    <i>{Stupid flying is stupid. Just a bit more, and my n will kick in. I just need to keep her distracted for a bit longer.} </i>From Chloe''s right hand, a small glint could be seen as the light hit it correctly, and a close inspection revealed a group of strings that jutted downward into the arena itself.


    As the twobatants stared at each other from their respective conditions, it quickly became clear to Mika that she was out of ideas already.


    <i>{I''m not a super gamer, nor am I some crazy magical genius... I have no idea how to actually fight, and I figured that sending sts of magic would do something to her... WHAT THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO DO NOW?!?} </i>Mika hadn''t really nned much beforeing to the tournament, and now realized that things wouldn''t be so easy, especially after seeing what the otherpetitors were capable of. <i>{I really got myself in over my head with this one, huh? I guess there''s not much left to do besides try that one thing I practiced with...} </i>


    Mika decided to try what was likely her most powerful option, twirling her wand and summoning a small bright white ball of magic that floated in front of her.


    "Alright, now I just need to-" However, before she could get any further, Chloe''s n activated and dozens of strings shot up from the ground below her and quickly tied her up. "What?!? When did they get there?!?" She tried to break free but found the bonds around her to be unbreakable. She was far too weak to resist Chloe''s strings and was slowly pulled to the ground where aughing cat was waiting.


    "Nyahahah! I got you now, little <i>chicken</i>!" Chloe pulled out a Kunai in her other hand and pointed it toward Mika, who was less than a foot away. "So will you surrender, or do I need to stab you with this? I really don''t want to, so maybe call it quits.¡±


    <i>{And that''s that, nya!} </i>(Chloe)


    <i>{Well, I guess that answers the question of how I''m going to get close to her without being stabbed repeatedly.} </i>Mika sighed internally, relieved.


    "I won''t surrender, not just yet." Mikaughed as she was squeezed by the strings.


    ¡°Do you <i>want</i> me to stab you?" Chloe was puzzled by her refusal.


    <i>{What is wrong with this girl? Does she not understand that it''s over?} </i>(Chloe)


    "No, not really." Mika smirked. "I just need to see the look on your face after this! SOLAR FLARE!" She called out the name of her final attack, and the little glowing ball moved in between Chloe and Mika. The cat was initially confused by it, but quickly realized that something bad was about to happen as it shimmered before it grew even brighter than the attack from the start of the battle.


    "NYA!" Chloe cried out as she attempted to move, but by the time she realized that she was going to be attacked, it was toote and the white ball exploded in a burst the energy that flowed directly at Chloe in the form of a massive cone. The cat was engulfed by the st and sent flying, the intensity of the st blinding nearly everyone who was watching.


    After a few moments, the light disappeared and what remained in its ce was a massive crater in the arena that stretched from one end to the other. Mika was still entangled by Chloe''s threads but had slumped over onto the arena floor, while Chloe was burned and singed from the attack and there was quite a bit of burns on her body.


    "Ack!" Chloe coughed up some blood as she stood up, disoriented. "Bright light go boom, nya...." She stumbled for a moment before ring at the fallen-down Mika.


    <i>{That girl... She unleashed WAY too much magic there...} </i>Chloe slowly walked over to Mika, holding her burned arm the entire time.


    "That was a nice attack." Chloe smiled as Mika looked back up at her.


    "Yeah... Better than what you expected, huh?" Mikaughed as shey on the floor, exhausted. "But that''s about all I''ve got, and it seems that it didn''t really phase you that much, huh?"


    <i>{I was hoping that she would''ve been ejected from the arena... Oh well...} </i>(Mika)


    "It hurt me quite a bit, so don''t discount yourself." Chloe leaned down and ced her Kunai to Mika''s throat, which caused Kira to call the match. "Good job, Mika. Sorry for being mean to you. I just wanted to see how well you could fight."


    "You are an absolute pain in the ass..." Mika said as she fainted and Akagi put a ck barrier around her to prevent anyone from seeing her transform back to normal.


    "And you were a very fun opponent, nya!" Chloe as she carried Mika to medical.

 Chapter 252 – A Break in the Action.

    Chapter 252 ¨C A Break in the Action.


    "And now we see the reason that Mika shouldn''t have superpowers..." Kana sighed as she looked at the devastated arena. Mika''s st had destroyed arge portion of it, and things were paused while Shiru and the repair crew got to work. "I worry that one day she may do something <i>stupid </i>like this in a more popted area."


    <i>{She could''ve wiped out a huge chunk of Kyoto if she unleashed that in downtown... Why did Onee-chan give her power like this...} </i>(Kana)


    "She definitely made a <i>bang</i>, that''s for sure." Naomi chuckled. "And she did better than I expected, so maybe we should be a bit nicer to her. At least congratte her <i>before </i>scolding her, Kana." She figured that a bit of praise was in order.


    "Why are you assuming that I''m going to scold her?" Kana rolled her eyes. "I''m just going to tell her to be careful in the future, <i>that''s all</i>."


    <i>{What am I, the nagging Mom of the group?!?} </i>(Kana)


    "So you''re going to scold her." Naomiughed and received an arm pinch in return. "OWCH!"


    "That''s what you get for sassing me." Kana smirked as Naomi missed a return pinch.


    "Momo, get her!" Naomi called for backup while rubbing her arm.


    "I''m not suicidal, so I''ll have to decline." Momo sighed, not wanting to be involved in the stupidity.


    "Aren''t you supposed to protect me?!?" Naomi pouted.


    "Against foes that I can defeat, sure. Against <i>that, </i>no..." Momo replied.


    "Why do I get the feeling that <i>I''m</i> being insulted in some way by thatment?" Kana asked.


    "Don''t worry about it too much." Himari giggled. "It''s a form of endearment, I assure you!"


    "And you saying that only makes me <i>more </i>sure that Momo''s words are anything <i>but</i>." Kana sighed.


    <i>{Why must even Himari...} </i>(Kana)


    "I suppose being <i>feared </ies with the territory of being the Demon Princess." Hishya snickered as she entered the booth with a drink in hand.


    "There you are." Kana said as Hishya rested her elbows on her head. "Are you sure it''s a good idea for you to be walking around? You seemed to be in pretty bad shape." Hishya still had a few bandages on her face and arms, but seemed to be fine.


    "Eh, I''ll be fine." Hishya shrugged, not thinking her injuries were that bad. "I drank a couple of potions and had some healing magic cast on me. I''m not at 100%, but I should be good for the next fight." Akagi was more confident that returnees and those from Enoris could handle potions and magical healing without major issues, though she was still advising caution.


    "I guess you''ll be fighting Alice next, right?" Kana asked as she looked up at her. "I have a feeling that''s going to be an <i>interesting </i>match."


    <i>{Is it bad that I kinda want to see Alice toss my girlfriend around a bit?} </i>(Kana)


    "Considering Alice already gave me a nice <i>re </i>when she visited me in the infirmary, yeah." Hishya gave a wry smile. She could tell that Alice wasn''t going to hold back and that the girl wasing for her. "She wants to pay me back for FWO and for some of the crap I pulled back then. So I can guarantee she''ll be gunning for me, and this is the perfect opportunity for her to get back at me."


    <i>{And I bet she has some nasty surprises for me like Tiball did...} </i>(Hishya)


    "I still can''t believe that she beat Eris." Naomimented. "I knew Alice was powerful, but defeating an opponent who should''ve countered her sopletely was surprising." She figured that Alice wouldn''tst very long in such a fight.


    "Alice is much more resilient and skilled than you think." Yumimented, looking away from a data pad that had all kind of information on it. "Before she left the Assault Team, Alice was always involved with clearing dungeon floors and was generally well-regarded for her skills. Not to mention that having the ability to use so many summons simultaneously sets her apart from any of the other summoners."


    "Yeah, Wexel was basically just used for scouting, and we know how well it went when she was forced into direct conflict with other yers." Hishya sighed.


    <i>{The poor girl never had a chance. I''d at least like to know what Elna and the others did to her body so that she can beid to rest.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Question." Naomi looked over at Hishya.


    "Answer." Hishya responded with a giggle.


    "How did the arena get so blown up by Mika when you and Tiball used way more power?" Naomi was genuinely curious about that since it seemed strange, and Hishya thought for a moment before answering.


    "Honestly, it''s because Mika has poor control over her power." She said as she swung around to the opposite side of the chair and took a seat. "Mika just pumped <i>everything </i>she had into that st and didn''t really try and limit its effects on the surrounding environment."


    <i>{Which, as we just saw, is a bad idea.} </i>(Hishya)


    "But, is it really possible for you to have that kind of control in the middle of a fight?" Naomi thought such control and worry would only limit your power.


    "Well, yeah. Of course we can." Hishya nodded. "It''s just a side effect of having experience with our powers. We know damn well what kind of coteral damage we can cause with our abilities, so we''re generally pretty careful. It''s not like we can <ipletely </i>negate damage to the area around us, as you''ve seen, but we try our best not to just <i>explode </i>everything." She''d made sure not to destroy too much of Nagoya when she fought Gim and Grim for this exact reason.


    "So even when Tiball did that big Nova you two were being careful enough not to detonate the entire arena?" Kana chimed in.


    "Yes. Thest thing either of us want is to harm anyone nearby or actually <i>kill </i>each other, Kana." Hishya replied. "Trust me, if a fight was <i>truly </i>to the death, then I imagine that the surrounding area would look like a war zone." She''d seen such things before and wasn''t keen on seeing it again. "Akagi is the same. Though unlike us, <i>she </i>seems like she can control the level of destructionpletely."


    "Yeah, I don''t think I''ve really seen Onee-chan destroy anything that she wasn''t intending to." Kana thought back and didn''t recall her sister''s attacks doing much damage to her surroundings.


    "Well, Akagi also doesn''t really fight with big explosions." Yumimented, looking up from her datapad again. "She tends to get up close and personal with her de, and even then, it''s usually done in such a way that the target has no time to react." Akagi''s fighting style changed a bit after unlocking her power as the Demon Lord, but her main method of fighting remained roughly the same.


    "Akagi in <i>serious</i> <i>mode </i>is fucking scary." Hishya gave a nervousugh. "During one of our ''hunts'' where we tried to track her down, she took down one of our scouts before any of us knew what happened."


    <i>{From our perspective, he just died for no reason. That was the scariest night of my life since we were all too afraid to sleep.} </i>(Hishya)


    "I''m now wondering what ''serious mode'' means for her, considering she seemed pretty serious when she wiped out Libra." Naomimented.


    "That but far scarier." Hishya shrugged. "The only thing worse is when she gets truly <i>angry</i>." She''d seen it before and prayed that she never saw it again.


    "Onee-chan can get pretty bad, but I don''t think it''s <i>that </i>bad." Kana didn''t understand Hishya''s true meaning.


    "That''s because you haven''t <i>seen </i>it." Hishya shook her head vigorously. "Your sister hasn''t gotten proper pissed since we got back, and trust me you <i>don''t </i>want to see <i>that </i>side of her."


    <i>{God have mercy on us all if ites to that now that she''s a Demon Lord.} </i>(Hishya)


    "How bad could it possibly be?" Kana asked with a minorugh.


    "Far worse than you can even imagine." Yumi answered as she put the pad to her side. "I''ve only seen it <i>once, </i>and that was when some idiots decided to take Chloe hostage." She gave a nervousugh. "Let''s just say those fools never got a moment to regret their life choices."


    <i>{They threatened to do unspeakable things to the cat and Akagi... Well she came KNOCKING...} </i>(Yumi)


    "What, does she crack even stupider one-liners?" Kanaughed. ¡°Or does she start monologuing and singing like some kind of viin?¡± She figured both were right up her sister''s ally.


    "Rather, she doesn''t speak <i>at all</i>." Hishya''s re turned sharp. "I got to see that side of her in the same event that Yumi mentioned, and I''d rather go the rest of time without ever seeing it again." She''d exined this once before, but in less detail.


    <i>{Those fucking eyes man... It was as if they were entirely devoid of EVERYTHING...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Huh. I know that she can get really angry, but I just can''t picture what you''re talking about." Kana couldn''t imagine her sister being anything but entric during a fight since that was how she was during her takedown of Libra."


    "It''s not exactly easy for me to describe. Just know that if your sister ever stops talking during a fight, that something is truly <i>wrong</i>." Hishya shivered as she recalled Akagi on that day. "My fear of her was born from <i>both </i>our encounter at Hassan and what I saw the day she wiped out Jeraldo and his team." She shook her head. "That was <i>before </i>she became a Demon Lord, and I can scarcely imagine what she''d be like now." Hishya took a deep breath. "But enough about that. I don''t want to lose sleep tonight and have nightmares.¡± She pushed that memory out of her mind. ¡°I caught part of Mika''s fight with Chloe and I was pleasantly surprised that she managed to even put up somewhat of a fight against that cat."


    "That crazy idiot didn''t go down without a fight, that''s for sure." Kana sighed. "I still think it was a stupid idea for her to enter this. I know that killing isn''t allowed, but she could''ve been seriously hurt."


    "Chloe isn''t stupid enough to actually harm Mika in any serious way." Yumi pointed out that Chloe only struck her once with a Kunai. "If she took this fight seriously, then Mika would''ve been done for in the first few seconds. I suspect our resident ninja cat wanted to y with Mika for a bit and see what she could do."


    <i>{Not to mention that if she''d actually harmed Mika, Akagi would''ve made her regret it.} </i>(Yumi)


    "I''m <i>really </i>looking forward to seeing her fight Superbia. That''s going to be a good fight." Hishya snickered.


    "Who do you think is going to win?" Naomi asked.


    "I want to say Superbia since I know how strong she is, but Chloe is a bit of a special case among the former NPCs." Hishya pursed her lips as she thought. "That cat has gotten plenty stronger since I fought her in-game. She beat Sabia and Merkyul in a 2v1, and I suspect she''s gotten some good magical items courtesy of her <i>Demon </i>master."


    "Maybe she''ll end up beating you!" Kanaughed. "The Dragon shall be felled by the cat! I''d love to see it!"


    "Nice. My girlfriend is rooting for my defeat." Hishya lightly bopped her on the head.


    "Well, if you don''t want me to enjoy someughter at your expense, then all you need to do is win the whole thing!" Kana snickered.


    "Oh, don''t you worry, I will." Hishya said.


    <i>{I need to. That way, I can hopefully keep our resident Demon Lord in check if it everes down to it.} </i>(Hishya)

 Chapter 253 – Zephiria v. Elna.

    Chapter 253 ¨C Zephiria v. Elna.


    "Alright, everyone, we''re back!" Akagi reactivated her stream and let the audience know that the arena was repaired. "Our local Magical Girl did a number on the arena, but luckily, my team of expert construction workers managed to get things back up in running in such a short time!" At her words, the crowd cheered.


    "I''m still surprised that she managed to make such a mess of things. I suppose that girl is a bit more interesting than I assumed." Silfana shrugged.


    <i>{Then again, that power was given to her by Akagi, so I guess I shouldn''t be surprised.} </i>(Silfana)


    "Magical Girls always have some interesting abilities, that''s for sure." Akagi snickered, knowing that she was more than a bit responsible for Mika''s current power. "But moving on to our next match, I''ve brought on a familiar face! Everyone give it up for everyone''s favorite Samurai Oni, Superbia!" She smiled as the Oni waved to the camera.


    "Hey, everyone, it''s good to be here." Superbia gave a bright smile as she took her seat.


    "Congrats on winning thatst match, though I''d say it was more of a stomp than a match." Akagiughed.


    "That girl was simply out of her league is all." Superbia shrugged. "The one I''m <i>really </i>looking forward to beating is that cat!" She smirked.


    <i>{I''m going to send that cat back home in a box! And not the kind kitties love to y in!} </i>(Superbia)


    "Well, you''ll have to wait until tomorrow for <i>that</i>." Akagi replied. "And for now, I''d like you to turn your attention to the next match." She pointed to Zephiria and Anle, who were making their way into the arena.


    "Ah yes, your little <i>pet</i> is going to face off against the mysteriouspetitor who nobody knows who she is." Superbia rolled her eyes.


    <i>{I''m not surprised that you broke Elna out and took her, but I''d at least like to know why you did it. Not to mention, I''d like to talk to her at least once. Excel... he has a lot to say to her...} </i>(Superbia)


    "Hiding identities is perfectly fine here. I allowed it for the Magical Girl, and I''ll allow it for Anle." Akagi snickered.


    "I must admit that I''m quite interested in seeing how your little Warlock fights." Silfana broke into the conversation. "I''ve seen plenty of people sign their souls away to Devils and <i>Demons </i>for power, but this one in particr seems quite interesting."


    <i>{From what I''ve seen, Akagi''s contract with that mage gave her a tiny amount of Akagi''s power. Even in such small quantities, such Demonic power ought to ce her in a league of her own. That is, if she can use it properly of course.} </i>(Silfana)


    "Zephiria is an <i>interesting </i>character, that''s for sure." Superbia sighed. "More than anything else, she cares about magic and magical knowledge. That girl has gone to hell and back to get even <i>scraps</i> of information and has stopped at nothing to discover new and unique ways of manipting magical energy." She recalled an instance where she caused a boss monster to dance to death via the use of a magical spell she crafted.


    "I believe it is amon theme among mages for them to eternally seek out power and knowledge, even where it is clear they shouldn''t." Silfana rolled her eyes as she recalled a few people that she''d met over her life. "Many havee to me for knowledge of ancient magics and artifacts, only to be ripped to shreds by the power they sought." Her lips showed a nasty smile for a moment before returning to normal.


    "Well, Zef here is probably one of the most <i>extreme </i>examples." Superbiamented as she pulled a pack of cookies out of her inventory and began snacking. "Not only did she sign away her soul to Ol'' Spookey over here, but she''s been running her own crazy assboratory at the South Pole where I''ve heard unconfirmed rumors about the <i>very ethical </i>experiments she runs."


    <i>{At this point I''m waiting for her to announce her invasion of the world where we have to defeat her like some kind of cheesy movie viin...} </i>(Superbia)


    "Zef just likes to have fun." Akagi snickered. ¡°Don''t sweat the small stuff.¡±


    ¡°I don''t think our definitions of ''small stuff'' are matching up...¡± Superbia sighed.


    "Is this fight even going to be fair?" Superbia asked as she nced over at Akagi. "She has <i>your </i>power fueling her, so isn''t that kind of cheating?" She figured the <i>Demon''s </i>power would tip the scales too far in Zephiria''s favor.


    "<i>If </i>she was able to use what I gave her all the time, then no it wouldn''t be fair." Akagi nodded. "However, that power is currently far too much for her to handle, and she can only use a small portion of it for a limited time before she starts dying." She''d been working alongside Zephiria to better understand her own power, and part of that required testing its effects on the Warlock. So far she could only use small amounts of it a time, but Akagi was sure that she''d get the hang of it eventually.


    "Warlocks typically need a great deal of time and training to use their patron''s abilities to their fullest, so it makes sense." Silfana nodded. "From what I know about her, she''s been able to make <i>some</i> use of the power your contract gives her, and if shebines that with her own innate magical ability, she should be reasonablypetent in battle."


    "But Zef was always a support caster." Superbia recalled that the crazy Wizard never fought directly in the front lines or in duels. "She mostly just buffed us or sat in the back and lobbed shots, so I''m not sure that she can handle something like this."


    "I think she''s got a n." Akagi shrugged, not knowing what Zephiria was going to do. "If Zef is anything, it''s prepared."


    <i>{And crazy...} </i>(Superbia)


    "And then we have her opponent." Silfana looked down at Anle. "From what her information said, she''s a Monk and uses elemental Ki to augment her attacks. I''ve seen their kind over the years, and while they can be strong enough, they''re usually overshadowed by their peers when ites to damage dealing and survivability."


    <i>{The Lacque Temple Monks didn''t stand a chance when we burned their Monastery to the ground, and I''ve never ran into a martial artist that couldpete with a weapon master.} </i>(Silfana)


    "Monks were an underpowered ss in FWO." Akagi nodded, agreeing that they were among the weakest of the martial choices. "They required a <i>very</i> specific build to work properly and even then the only melee ss that did <i>worse </i>than them in average damage was the rogue."


    "She says that, but Akagi was able to one-shot people with her ''underpowered'' rogue abilities." Superbia sighed. ¡°So I don''t really know if Rogue were <i>actually</i> weak in practice.¡±


    "This is me we''re talking about, so that skews things quite a bit. I just optimized the hell out of my kit until I got the results I wanted, not to mention my build was pretty specific. If you look at the pure average, Rogues were actually the worst performing damage dealing ss in the game." Akagimented as she sipped on her coffee. "That''s not to say that Monks have <i>no </i>redeeming qualities, and the Elemental Monk was actually quite good due to its special abilities nullifying some of the shorings of the ss as a whole. So I think Anle will be quite an interesting contestant." She knew that Elna was actually quite apetent fighter, its just that her hot-hotheadedness tended to drag her down.


    "Even still I''m still betting on the caster." Silfana guessed that Zephiria would win. "No matter how powerful a warrior is, magic will always be stronger." Her opinion wasn''t born from arrogance, since she herself was a martial-caster hybrid, but rather from experience and cold hard facts. Martials in FWO were generally weaker than casters and magic was incredibly unbnced.


    "Oh? But didn''t you lose to a martial <i>twice</i>?" Superbia smirked.


    "I lost to a fucking <i>Dragon </i>that uses magic to augment itself duringbat. That''s still <i>magic </i>being used, Superbia." Silfana red at her, not appreciating the sass. "<i>You </i>are not a purely martial fighter either, as your Oni magic and forms all rely on magic to fuel them. Hence why I don''t think a pure martial fighter will defeat a caster, especially one like her."


    "I know, I''m just being a smart ass!" Superbia snickered. "And I would have to agree with your assessment. Martials tend to struggle <i>heavily </i>against casters. Just look at Eris v. Alice to show you what kind of disparity can exist." She''d actually put money on Alice winning and was enjoying the ''I told you so'' that she''d earned as a result.


    "Well then, I guess we''ll just have to see what happens!" Akagi cheered as the match began.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    "I didn''t expect to see you walking around again." Zephiria chuckled as she and Elna approached the center of the arena. "But I guess our shared master has taken some kind of an interest in you." She, as well as <i>most </i>other yers, had quickly figured out that Anle was Elna and decided that spreading said information to the public was not in their best interest.


    "It''s not like I had a choice." Elna sighed beneath her mask. "It was either stay in custody and get killed or be the pawn of Akagi, and well... Death kinda sucks..."


    <i>{Both choices were bad, but I don''t want to die, yet.}</i> (Elna)


    "Yeah, I heard she messed you up <i>real </i>good too." Zephiria chuckled. She''d been told by Akagi what was being done to Elna and she was facinated by the data collected. "I got some of the data on how her power messed with your soul, and I must say I''m impressed."


    "Impressed?" Elna didn''t understand her meaning.


    "You didn''t break!" Zephiria replied with zeal. "Almost <i>all</i> of my test subjects shattered after exposure to such power for even a few days, yet you stuck it out for all those months! Congrats!"


    <i>{Oh, right, Zef is just as crazy as Akagi...} </i>(Elna)


    "I wish I <i>hadn''t, </i>to be honest." Elna said. "I don''t remember all of it clearly, but the parts I <i>do </i>remember..." She shuddered.


    <i>{It was as if my entire being was being torn apart and put back together over and over again. Akagi said she was intentionally keeping me around for testing, so I can only imagine how much WORSE it would be if she went all in</i>... <i>I guess that''s what Armalthy is getting as we speak...}</i> (Elna)


    "Look at it this way. You get to serve the Demon Lord and have a bit of fun rather than bing her little <i>pet</i>. It''s not the worst oue, all things considered. Especially after what you lot did." Zephiria shrugged. She figured that Elna was actually quite lucky since Akagi was originally going to <i>eat </i>her like she''d done to the others.


    "Yeah. Our biggest mistake was letting that idiot go off and poke the bear. I suppose we couldn''t have known what she''d be, but even still, it was stupid to provoke her like that." Elna didn''t regret her actions during her time with Libra and was still bitter about her Mother''s treatment of her, but she <i>did </i>think they acted like idiots in how they went about things.


    <i>{Herlex was right, attacking the Americans like I did was stupid and all it did was give Akagi the chance she needed to get involved and take home her prize.} </i>(Elna)


    "Yeah, attacking Yumi is the quickest way to find yourself in eternal damnation." Zephiriaughed nervously. "I got to see a bit of what''s happening to Armalthy, and man is it fucking <i>bad</i>." She snickered. "The poor man is being forced to endure all kinds of torment while beingpletely conscious and sane! I really need to up my game if I''m going to replicate something like that!"


    <i>{Yup, she''s fucked in the head...} </i>(Elna)


    "Anyway, enough about that!" Zephiria decided to move on to the fight. "We shouldn''t keep our audience waiting too long. Otherwise, they''ll get annoyed, and I''m also itching to toss you around a bit." She winked.


    "I''m surprised you even wanted to do something like this." Elna said as she moved into a stance. "You were never much of a fighter, and you always stuck to the back. I hope you know that the moment I close in on you, it''s over." She knew that, while powerful, a caster like Zephiria who didn''t wear heavy armor would be in for a world of pain the moment she got her hands on her.


    "Hah!" Zephiria giggled at herments. "You can think that if you want, but I don''t anticipate that being the case.¡± Her eyes snapped into a sharp re. ¡°You have no idea what I''m capable of, Elna." For a moment, it was as if Elna saw Akagi''s shadowy form sh behind Zephiria before vanishing just as quickly as it came.


    "I saw the recordings of you from the Serval fight. You didn''t really do much other than sling spells at a distance and cast buffs like you always did." Elna tightened her fist. "Not to mention, I fought alongside you on plenty of asions. I''m fully aware of what you can and can''t do in a battle, and one-on-one duels like this won''t end well for you."


    <i>{You have magical defenses but your body is frail. One good punch from me and its lights out.} </i>(Elna)


    "My performance during the Serval fight was quite poor, though that has less to do with my actual ability and more that I was ordered <i>not </i>to do that much to help." Zephiria smirked. "However, <i>this </i>fight has no such restrictions, and I can use my magic as freely as I desire."


    <i>{Akagi made her hold back during the Serval fight? Why?!? Did she just want to fuck with everyone that bad, or is Zeph just ying mind games with me?} </i>(Elna)


    "So what? Are you going to tell me that you can take down Serval all on your own or something?" Elna scoffed at her ims.


    "I suppose you''ll just have to see my power for yourself." Zephiria giggled as she readied herself for battle.


    While she couldn''t take down the Dragon Emperor alone with her power, she was far more capable than even Hishya knew. Akagi made her hold back during her previous fight since she was interested in seeing how the other yers acted during such arge scale engagement, and she wanted Hishya to ''earn'' her eventual victory. Not to mention, the <i>Demon</i> was simply having fun at everyone else''s expense.


    "Are the contestants ready to battle?" Kira interrupted their back and forth, wanting to move things along.


    "As I''ll ever be." Elna sighed.


    "Yup." Zephiria grinned.


    "Then, begin!" Kira signaled the start of the battle, and Zephiria decided to begin things with a bang.


    "Twin Maximize Magic, Reality sh!" Zephiria channeled power into both of her index fingers before swiping them at opposite angles and sending a set of nearly invisible shes toward Elna at high speed.


    <i>{Really?!?} </i>Elna knew that taking such powerful magic head-on was tantamount to suicide, and with the brief moment that she had to react she leaped into the air and contorted her body so that she went into the gap between the strikes.


    As shended, Elna could hear the sound of Zephiria''s attack carving into the arena behind her, and she could only imagine how deep of gashes they each made.


    "Are you trying to fucking kill me?!?" Elna screamed at Zephiria.


    <i>{Oh wait, this is Zef, so PROBABLY!} </i>(Elna)


    "Oh, don''t be so dramatic." Zephiriazily waved her off as she teleported backward some distance with the snap of her fingers. "That was only a weak sixth-level spell. I''m sure you would''ve been fine taking that head on."


    <i>{Yeah, she''s definitely nuts. That kind of attack would end me in one strike! Reality sh is far too much for something like this!} </i>(Elna)


    "Herees the next one!" Zephiria flicked her hand and sent a torrent of fire towards Elna, who countered with a st of me of her own.


    *WOOSH* *SWOOSH* *BOOM*


    The mes collided together and exploded outward. Zephiria''s magical ability was incredibly high, but Elna''s Ki was more than a match in a sh like this.


    As the two poured more power into their attacks, Elna decided to try and get closer to her target.


    "Wind Step!" She activated one of her speed-boosting abilities, which caused her legs to be wrapped in high-speed winds. "Air st!" Once she was ready, Elna changed from fire to wind as she unleashed a massive st of air that temporarily halted Zephiria''s fire, which gave her a chance to maneuver to the side of the arena.


    "Oh no you don''t!" Zephira began to flick a barrage of fire sts toward Elna, who jumped and dodged out of the way as she rapidly approached the caster.


    <i>{I won''t let you keep me at a distance!} </i>(Elna)


    "Let''s see how you like taking my fist to your face!" Elna screamed as she punched toward Zephira, only to have her first stop a few feet shy of its target.


    <i>{Dammit!} </i>Elna swore in her head as she recognized the barrier she''d mmed into.


    "Nice try, but mages <i>do </i>have the ability to cast magical shields." Zephiria winked as she put her hands in a cone and channeled arge formless st which struck Elna dead center mass and sent her flying away.


    "ACK!" Elna cried out in pain as she was thrown to the ground, but she quickly righted herself and attempted to charge back in.


    "Really? A head-on charge, <i>again</i>." Zephiria sighed as she stuck out her hand and created a torrent of water, which she sted toward Elna. However, rather than stopping her, Elna channeled her Ki to take control of the water and send it right back to its creator.


    "Oh shit! I forgot she can do that!" Zephiria panicked momentarily as she quickly waved her hand to dissipate the water, but this misstep gave Elna the perfect chance to get close once again, and she began pounding on the Shield that was protecting the caster.


    *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM*


    "Come on, open up!" Elna howled as she unleashed a massive flurry of blows. "I promise that I''ll make it quick!"


    <i>{I never thought I''d actually need to use this spell, but I guess now''s the time!} </i>Zephiria reached out her hand and grabbed onto Elna''s wrist as she allowed it to pass through the magical barrier. The Monk was confused for a moment until she felt a surge of energy rush into her body.


    *ZAP!*


    "FUCK!" Elna screamed as she was electrocuted, and while it didn''t do that much damage, as the spell was a low-level cantrip, it was <i>very</i> painful and surprising. "I''ll bash your fucking skull in!"


    "You can most certainly try!" Zephiriaughed as she teleported away moments before Elna''s fist met her face. "But that will be a bit more difficult now." She snapped her fingers and her form blurred as three other copies of her stood in a square formation.


    <i>{Oh great, Mirror...} </i>Elna sighed. Mirror was an annoying spell used by castors to create illusory duplicates of themselves. They couldn''t actually do any damage, but it would make it harder to figure out where the real castor was. Though they couldn''t move very far from the original, Elna would now need to fight RNG in order tond blows on her opponents.


    "Cheeky bastard!" Elna growled at the four images of Zephiria that wereughing at her. "How about you knock off the tricks and fight me properly!"


    "I''m a mage, ''cheeky tricks'' is our entire method of fighting." Zephiriaughed as she began channeling magic for her next spell. "And if you think this is bad, then you''ve got quite the rude awakening!" She spread her hands apart and channeled lightning into her palms before sending an arc straight toward Elna who jumped out of the way.


    "Hah, you missed!" Elna smirked, but her smug attitude quickly ended as she was smacked from the back with the same bolt of lightning that she dodged. "AHH!" She cried out in pain as Zephiria continued unleashing more and more bolts at her, some of which managed to hit her.


    "Homing boltbined with Twinning is quite neat, isn''t it?" Zephirira giggled as she hopped backward and continued to shoot more lightning toward the Elf.


    "AH!!" Elna screamed as she was struck by countless bolts of lightning. Even as a Monk who could control the Elements, being struck by such power was not pleasant.


    "Maybe you should just give up?" Zephiriaughed as she hurled more bolts at her. "If this small amount of magic is enough to stop you, then it''s already over." She snickered.


    "I''m not done yet!" Elna mmed her right foot into the arena floor and created an earthen shield that surrounded and protected her from the lighting.


    "Well, you stopped the lightning, but you''re now trapped in a box." Zephiria stopped her attacks since the grounded structure made them pointless. "Is the n to try and wait me out? Because I can explode that little box with-" Her words were cut off as Elna manipted the earthen shield, formed it into a suit of armor, and began charging at Zephiria. "Huh, neat." Zephira was unimpressed andzily flicked more fire toward the charging Elna, but her attacks did nothing. "Well, no matter, I''ve got plenty of spells that are far more powerful than-" Again, herments were cut off as she was struck unexpectedly from behind andunched across the arena, smacking her head against the floor and causing her illusions to dissipate.


    "Hah!" Elnaughed.


    "W-What the hell?!?" Zephiria wobbled as she tried to stand up. "How did you get behind me?!?


    <i>{She charged me, didn''t she?!?} </i>Zephiria was thoroughly confused, but when she caught sight of Elna standing next to the earthen mass that she''d been attacking, it clicked.


    "That was a fake." Zephiria clicked her tongue in irritation.


    <i>{Son of a...} </i>(Zephiria)


    "Yep." Elnaughed, and the smirk on her lips was audible through her mask. "Don''t forget that my ability to manipte earth goes beyond attacks." She tapped her right foot against the ground.


    "I see. So you went under and sent that fake at me, and I fell for it hook, line, and sinker." Zephiria cursed her own mistake. It was something that she should''ve seening, but she''d gotten far toofortable for her own good. "Though you failed to capitalize on your opportunity." She spit blood onto the arena floor. "I''m still standing, and it will take more than that one punch to take me down!"


    "Don''t worry. That will be <i>far </i>from thest bit of damage you take from me." Elna took a fighting stance again as she readied herself for the next bout.


    <i>{Well, this is annoying. I suppose I have nobody to me but myself for that blow, so I guess I should start taking things a bit more seriously, lest I find myself unceremoniously defeated in the first round. At least Elna isn''t the ss of Monk that can send undetectable vibrations into their opponent''s body with one strike. Otherwise, I''d be doomed.} </i>(Zephiria)


    The look of irritation was clear as day on Zephiria''s face, and Elna decided to chide her a bit more.


    "Did that little love tap rattle you that bad?" Elnaughed at her. "What a baby! But then again, you casters are just a bunch of wusses that cry the moment they take any damage!" She''d always disliked casters since they mostly sat away from danger during fights.


    <i>{Oh great, she''s going to start her usual bullshit...} </i>(Zephiria)


    "Come on, Zephiria!¡± Elna waved her hand at her, beckoning her to attack. ¡°Everyone always called you the most powerful mage in FWO, but so far, all you''ve done is send some cheap sts at me! Any half-wit with magic can do the crap you''ve done!" Sheughed. "Some mage you are if all you can do is fling a few low-level spells! At this point, I''m starting to think that <em>Spellhauser</em> was right about you being pathetic!" Elna''s words caused Zephiria''s eyebrow to twitch. "Hell, I''d bet the only reason Akagi even took you on as her Warlock was because she pitied you!"


    <i>{You absolute fucking...} </i>(Zephiria)


    The Elf''s attempt at getting under Zephiria''s skin had worked, and the mage bit her lower lip in frustration. "Alright, <i>fine</i>." Her face darkened over, and her usually cheeriness and entricity dropped out of her voice. "If it''s magic you want, then it''s <i><b>magic</b></i> you''ll get." Zephiria snapped her fingers and vanished before Elna''s eyes. "Just don''t me me if you get <i>hurt</i>."


    Zephiria prided herself on her magical ability, and her status as the best mage in FWO was something that she took seriously. She''d dedicated years in-game researching magic, and once she returned to the real world her work only intensified. Elna''sments <i>had </i>gotten under her skin, but not in the way that the Elf expected.


    "Force Barrier." Zephiria''s voice rang out, and a wall of force surrounded Elna in the shape of iron bars.


    "Really?" Elna sighed. "If you want to try and contain me me while you do all your buffs, then you''re out of luck!" She pounded on the cage but found herself unable to escape. "Then I''ll just go down!" Elna attempted to dig her way out of the cage using the same method that she used to attack Zephiria, but found that the cage went below ground after a few inches as well.


    <i>{Well damn.} </i>(Elna)


    "Too afraid to fight me?" Elna called out to Zephiria. "Are you gonna just stick me in a box until I die of thirst or something?" She was starting to sweat a bit as she got a bad feeling. Casters allowed time to prep were <i>very </i>dangerous, and she knew that Zephiria was likely preparing something big.


    <i>{I guess I''ll have to teleport out with my Ki.} </i>Elna channeled her inner power in an attempt to invoke her short-range teleportation ability but found that the moment she tried to go beyond the edge of the cage her ability failed, and she smacked into the bars with a loud bang.


    "What the fuck?!?" Elna cried out in confusion. ¡°What kind of cage blocks teleportation?!?¡±


    "Isn''t it great?" Zephiria''s voice seemed toe from all around Elna. "Force Barrier is a seventh-level spell, and it''s utterly broken in terms of what it can do."


    "What the hell kind of spell is this?!?" Elna growled as she continued to pound on the cage. "Why can''t I get out?!?"


    "If you''d read up on magic at all, then you''d know that not only is Force Barrier <i>indestructible</i>, but it also prevents teleportation in or out." Zephiria answered her.


    "So you really <i>are </i>just nning to stick me in the box!" Elna tried pounding on the cage again.


    "I wasn''t, at first, but then <em>you</em> decided to be an asshole." Zephiria''s words wereced with irritation and a hint of anger. "This was supposed to be a fun match where we''d both show off a bit of power and have fun..." As she spoke a small orange ball began to float toward Elna''s cage. "But then you had to run your fucking mouth, Elna." Her words only grew more irritated. "So I''m <i>done</i>. I didn''t want to end things too quickly, but I don''t care anymore, and now all I want to do is shut you the fuck up." Zephiria''s words made the hair on the back of Elna''s neck stand up. "I see having your mind nearly broken did nothing to right that toxic personality of yours. So perhaps a trip to the afterlife and back might make a difference?¡±


    "W-Wait!" Elna started to panic as the orange ball of energy entered the cage. "Zef, it was all just a joke to get under your skin don''t take it seriously!"


    "Sure, a joke. Hah-hah!" Zephiria gave a fakeugh. "Look, I''mughing because it was just so <i>funny</i>." She was in no mood to entertain Elna''s bullshit. Trying to get under her skin during a fight was one thing, but <i>insulting </i>her skill as a mage and bringing up Spellhauser, somebody Zephiria <i>hated, </i>was a very poor life choice. "Anyst words before I atomize you?"


    <i>{Holy shit, she''s serious!} </i>(Elna)


    "No? Then I guess I should detonate this-" Zephiria''s words were cut off by Elna.


    "I SURRENDER!" Elna screamed. She may not have been a magic caster, but she knew exactly what the spell that Zephiria was threatening her with was.


    <i>{Is she fucking crazy?!? Nova is a tenth-level spell, and she''s supercharged the fuck out of it! If she lets that go off, not only will I be vaporized, but that entire arena might go too!} </i>(Elna)


    "Elna has surrendered, so contestant Zephiria, please withdraw your attack!" Kira appeared next to the cage, and there was a tense moment where it looked like Zephiria might choose to blow them both up.


    "Fine." Zephira snapped her fingers, and both the cage and the orange ball vanished before she reappeared next to Kira. "And Elna, the next time you decide to run your mouth, how about you just <i>don''t</i>, okay?" Zephiria turned and began walking to the exit.


    <i>{I guess that was a bit petty of me, but that idiot just had to bring up Spellhauser, didn''t she? Whatever, Akagi ate that bitch, so it doesn''t matter anymore.} </i>(Zephiria)

 Chapter 254 – Shinlua v. Ayame.

    Chapter 254 ¨C Shinlua v. Ayame.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Special surprise in the images below ;)


    "And we have our winner!" Akagi yelled out as the crowd roared. "Zephiria takes down Anle via forcing a surrender, which marks the first time during this event that somebody has bowed out!" She wasn''t surprised how things ended, though she didn''t expect Elna to make such a potentially lethal mistake like bringing up Spellhauser.


    "What the hell happened at the end there?" Superbia asked about why things felt tense right before Elna surrendered. "Zef just disappeared and then sent Nova at Anle." She knew just how powerful that spell was and was confused as to why Zephiria busted it out.


    <i>{Something like that isplete overkill, especially against Elna. Had she let that thing fly, it would''ve killed that idiot for sure.} </i>(Superbia)


    "That amount of magic would''ve killed that woman along with destroying most of the arena." Silfana smirked, she was impressed with Zephirira''s ruthlessness. "Part of me wishes that she would''ve managed to get it off, just to see how things would''ve gone."


    "Let''s just say that Anle said something she shouldn''t have and that pissed Zef off." Akagi sighed. She was certain that Zephiria was about to nuke the arena, and was moments from intervening to stop it when Elna surrendered.


    <i>{How stupid do you have to be to bring Spellhauser up like that? Did you WANT to fucking die you stupid Elf?!?} </i>(Akagi)


    "What could she have possibly said that would anger Zef that bad?" Superbia asked. She and Silfana couldn''t hear what the contestants were saying from this far away, though Akagi could no problem.


    "She brought up Spellhauser." Akagi shook her head, and Superbia instantly understood the problem.


    "Ah... That would do it..." Superbia knew that something like that would quickly raise Zephiria''s blood pressure.


    <i>{What a fucking idiot...} </i>(Superbia)


    "What does that Elf have to do with this?" Silfana didn''t understand the problem.


    "It''s a long story, but the long and short of it is that Zephiria and Spellhauser had a <i>history</i>. One that went back <i>before </i>FWO." Akagi sighed as she muted their audio so as to not spread this information to the world. "I don''t know everything, but from what Zephiria told me, Spellhauser enjoyed making her miserable and constantly told her that she was worthless."


    <i>{She was basically her dedicated bully, and from what she told me it was relentless.} </i>(Akagi)


    "The two grew up together, and Spellhauser liked to use Zeph''s ''family issues'' to berate her, among other things, and it was all around not pleasant." Superbia rolled her eyes as she continued for Akagi. "I won''t go any deeper since that''s Zef''s personal stuff, but I''m not surprised that she nearly went off the deep end if Anle brought that idiot up."


    <i>{Elna, of all people, should''ve known better!} </i>(Superbia)


    "That Elf is <i>gone </i>now, isn''t she?" Silfana recognized the name as one of the Libra members that Akagi consumed.


    "Yeah, I ate her." Akagi nodded. "But that left Zef''s issues unanswered since it was an abrupt end to the person she always wanted to inflict payback on."


    <i>{I was in such a bad mood that day that I didn''t even consider taking her prisoner so that Zef could have her way with her. Oh well.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Hmmm." Silfana mused. "I''ve heard nothing of this before today." She was only tangentially aware of the different yers and even then she mostly knew about the most powerful and influential and their abilities, not their personal history.


    "That''s because we don''t like to talk about it." Superbia shook her head as she stood up to leave.


    <i>{I always wondered why she never showed up to fight Libra since that would''ve given her the perfect shot at putting Spellhauser down once and for all. Akagi only ever said that she was busy at that time, but I''m starting to think there''s more to it than that.} </i>(Superbia)


    "Thank you for your time, Superbia, and please allow me to introduce our next guest, everyone''s favorite loli Spirit, Mizumi!" Akagiughed as the Water Spirit came into the booth.


    "Was <i>loli </i>really needed?" Mizumi sighed as she took her seat. She was in her adult form, so she was definitely <i>not</i> a loli at this moment.


    "Hey, you''re the one who likes running around being cute." Akagi snickered.


    "Says the <i>Demon </i>who enjoys flopping about as a <i>cat</i>." Mizumi rolled her eyes. "Anyway, it''s good to be here, and hello everyone." She smiled for the cameras.


    "I know you''re plenty busy with all the changes in Omara, but I''m d you were able to make time for us." Akagi smiled.


    "As if I was going to miss <i>this</i>." Mizumi replied.


    <i>{What kind of fool would I be to NOT show up?!? This is basically a unity event where Omara and Earthe together!} </i>(Mizumi)


    "I''m surprised that you yourself aren''t part of this event." Silfana quipped as she sipped on some tea. "I''ve heard you are quite powerful, and I can''t imagine you being weaker than those explorers." She was interested in seeing what Mizumi could do since she''d never actually seen her fight.


    "I''m not a fighter." Mizumi shook her head. "I <i>have </i>been trained in magical arts, and while I''m no slouch inbat, it''s not really my thing.¡± She was more adept at using magic to help people than to fight, and she generally tried to avoidbat where possible.


    "It still would''ve been nice to see you in action." Silfana said. "But that''s too bad. I hope the Elf of yours will provide a bit more entertainment than thest Spirit from Omara." She was disappointed though not surprised with the speed of Mami''s defeat.


    "I don''t think you have to worry. Shinlua is probably the most powerful of us all, though she is not actually a Spirit." Mizumi exined that she was a seasoned warrior and ex-adventurer who had centuries ofbat experience.


    "If I recall correctly, she went toe-to-toe with one of the summoned Heroes that attacked you all." Akagi said as she took a swig from her coffee mug.


    "Yes, though she lost." Mizumi sighed.


    "Then what hope does she have against these yers?" Silfana raised an eyebrow. "If she failed to beat a human summoned to your world, then I dare say that she has no chance against humans given far more power." She was starting to think that Shinlua would be little more than a speed bump for Ayame


    "I can''t say for sure how the Heroes stack up against the returnees since we never saw their full power, so I don''t know what''s going to happen." Mizumi shrugged. "All I know is that it is foolish to discount Shinlua. She has centuries ofbat experience, and as a member of the Dawn Order, underestimating her is a fast way to die."


    "Dawn Order?" Silfana didn''t recognize that name, and neither did Akagi.


    "It was a small and secretive militant order of Knights on Enoris. Shinlua was part of them, and their primary goal was to defeat the worst evils that existed within our world''s shadows." Mizumi exined its purpose. "Each member is an army in their own right, and they only epted the absolute best into their ranks. Shinlua holds the title of Dawnbringer, which is the Order''s second-highest rank, save for the Dawnmaster, which is reserved for the leader of the Order."


    <i>{Interesting. That reminds me of a secret order that did something simr in a novel I once read.} </i>(Akagi)


    "And they didn''t help defend the Spirits?" Akagi asked as Shinlua and Ayame made their way into the arena.


    "They did, but they weren''t enough to turn the tide once the Heroes arrived, and as far as I''m aware, they''ve been forced deep underground since they were branded traitors." Mizumi shook her head. "Shinlua feels responsible for what happened to our people and believes that the Dawn Order''s failure to stop the death of so many of our people is the single greatest failing of their Order in its history."


    <i>{And I can''t say that she''s wrong either... But what where they suppose to do against Gods and their chosen Heroes?} </i>(Mizumi)


    "I see." Silfana hummed in thought. "Then I suppose I''ll reserve my judgment, though I''m still not convinced that she can defeat Ayame."


    "And <i>I''m</i> confident that she <i>will</i>." Mizumi disagreed. "Shinlua may be weaker in raw strength, but she''s smart, and her unique fighting style will likely throw Ayame off guard."


    "Now that I think of it, I''ve never seen Shinlua draw that de of hers." Akagimented as the two contestants faced each other in the center of the arena. "Why is that?"


    "Because their Order''s tenants have a strict code for when a Dawnde may be drawn from its sheath." Mizumi responded without looking at Akagi. "She''s going to make a major exception for this tournament, but ordinarily she won''t draw it unless she means to <i>kill </i>whoever she''s fighting."


    <i>{I suppose she figures that since the Order is basically destroyed and that she''s in another world, there can be a bit of flexibility in her rules. She nearly pulled that de on Onmiyame, and that would''ve been a huge deal.} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Well then, let''s see what she can do." Akagi''s lips curved into a smile as the battle began.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    "So my first opponent will be you." Ayame said as she took both of her swords out of their sheaths. "To be entirely honest, I don''t know that much about you other than the fact that you were from that other world. So it looks like I''m going into this fightpletely blind." Sheughed.


    <i>{Though that''s a unique kind of fun in its own right.} </i>(Ayame)


    "And I don''t know much about you, so I''d say we''re even." Shinlua smiled. She was wearing a different outfit than her normal dress, and it reminded Ayame of the armor that the Imperial Royal Guard would wear during official ceremonies. The metal was cleanly polished and painted bright white, while the entire set was iid with gold trimming that made it seem far too fancy for something like this.


    "I hope that armor is more than just for show." Ayame smirked. "Just so you know, I won''t be going easy on you just because you''re from Omara."


    "I assure you..." Shinlua smiled as she drew the longsword from its sheath on her back. "<i>Nothing </i>of mine is just for show." The de seemed to glow as bright as the sun as she drew it, and for a moment, Ayame found herself blinded by its radiant light.


    <i>{Is that de made from gold?!?} </i>Ayame was stunned by the appearance of Shinlua''s sword. Once it stopped glowing, she could see an intricate weaving of runes that ran the length of the golden de. <i>{No, it feels like it''s made from pure Radiant energy! What the hell is that thing?!?} </i>


    "May the Dawn Lord guide me during this duel." Shinlua drove the head of the de into the arena floor and said a small prayer in Elvish before resting both of her hands atop the hilt of the de. "Now,e!"


    "Well, since you insist." Ayame grinned as she moved into position, in the back of her mind she knew this was going to be an intense battle.


    "Are bothpetitors ready?" Kira looked between them.


    "Do you even need to ask?" (Shinlua x Ayame)


    "Then, begin!" Kira signaled the start of the battle, but unlike the other fights both warriors didn''t move a muscle.


    "What, not going to charge in straight at me?" Ayameughed as she eyed up her opponent.


    "I''m not foolish enough to approach you recklessly when I have no idea what you''re capable of." Shinlua responded tly.


    <i>{If I recall correctly, she is a Barbarian like Eris. Their kind resists physical damage and have extraordinary amounts of strength, and in exchange, they are unable to utilize much magic. Taking her on directly and trading blows with her will likely be a poor idea, which means that I must rely on my techniques to defeat her.} </i>(Shinlua)


    "Well, you''ve at least got a good head on your shoulders." Ayameughed before ring at Shinlua. "Too bad it won''t matter!" As she spoke, her irises turned red, and her entire body became engulfed in a dark red aura as she screamed loudly. "AHHAHAHAHA! I''m going to enjoy myself! So this is yourst chance to surrender! Otherwise, I might get a bit carried away!" Ayame activated her rage, which drove her into a slight high due to the sudden rush of power. Where Eris was an elemental-themed Barbarian, Ayame was onepletely focused on power and destruction. The Berserker subss was devoid of any special magical benefits, but in exchange, it boasted the highest damage output of <i>any </i>Barbarian.


    <i>{TIME TO SMASH!} </i>(Ayame)


    "I''ll decline, but thank you for your concern." Shinlua smirked as she pulled her de from the ground and held it with both hands. "Now, let''s see what you''ve got!"


    "Then it''s your funeral!" Ayame screamed as she charged toward Shinlua, both des at the ready. "Let''s see how well that fancy sword and armor can protect you!"


    <i>{Not as well as I''d like...} </i>Shinlua figured that taking such power head-on was foolish, so rather than meet the Frenzied Barbarian head-on, she sidestepped, which caused one of Ayame''s des to m into the arena floor and create a crater.


    *BOOM*


    "Don''t go thinking that I''m slow!" Ayame spun around her left side and swung her off-hand de toward Shinlua, who parried it before backing away.


    <i>{Ohhh yeah, she''s got A LOT of power behind each of those hits. It makes the blows that Shiroe Amakusanded on me look like the punches of a small child...} </i>(Shinlua)


    "Running away won''t help you!" Ayame kicked off the ground, causing it to crack beneath her feet as she lunged toward Shinlua. The Elf tried to sidestep once again, figuring that her best bet was to use her maneuverability to keep away from the huge powering toward her, but unfortunately for her, Ayame wasn''t foolish enough to try the same thing twice.


    "Got ya!" Ayame stopped short rather than continuing, which surprised Shinlua who''d already begun moving off the the side. Seeing where the Elf was trying to move to, Ayame nted her right foot, twisting it ever so slightly and kicking off the ground and zipping directly toward the vulnerable Shinlua, who barely managed to raise her de to block the Barbarian''s main hand strike.


    *BOOM*


    The two fighter''s swords collided creating a loud shock wave. Shinlua was barely holding back Ayame''s strike and was forced to use both hands to hold up her de.


    <i>{It feels like a mountain is trying to hit me!} </i>Shinlua struggled to hold Ayame back, and things only got worse as the Barbarian brought her second weapon to bear, aiming straight for Shinlua''s midsection.


    "Let''s see how well that armor holds up!" Ayame moved in for what could''ve been a finishing blow, but Shinlua had a trick up her sleeve.


    "Warp!" Shinlua called out the name of a spell, and her eyes glowed for a brief movement before she disappeared in a sh, causing Ayame to miss, her de cutting into nothing.


    "Wha?!?" Ayame was taken off guard by the sudden use of magical teleportation but didn''t have much time to ask questions as she felt Shinlua''s de slice down her back.


    "SHIT!" Ayame screamed as the radiant energy tore through her back. "Fuck off!" She spun around, barely missing Shinlua, who leaped away.


    <i>{That did more damage than I expected. I thought her kind resisted all physical damage?} </i>Shinlua''s confusion was understandable. The vast majority of Barbarians sped into the feature, which made them resist all damage but mental. However, Ayame was one of the few who chose a different path. She still resisted damage done <i>solely </i>by physical blows, but as Shinlua''s de did something akin to Radiant damage, her resistance was bypassed.


    "Fucking teleportation." Ayame growled as she red at Shinlua. "I always hate those damn magic types that zip around like that." She stomped on the floor, creating a minor tremor. "I hope you don''t just intend to y cat and mouse with me while you whittle away my strength because that won''t work!"


    <i>{That was the idea, yes...} </i>(Shinlua)


    "Forgive me, but you have far too much strength for me to hope to best you in properbat. So what choice do I have <i>but </i>to y these kinds of games?" Shinlua said while raising and pointing her de at Ayame. "A good warrior knows when they are outmatched, and only a fool fights a battle they cannot hope to win." She then started swiping the air in front and around her position in a rhythm, and to Ayame it looked like she was mocking her with y strikes.


    "I''m going to squash you!" Ayame charged toward Shinlua again, but this time before she got close enough, she pulled a javelin out of her inventory and hurled it at Shinlua. It was quickly and easily deflected but left the Elf unable to avoid Ayame''s subsequent attacks.


    "Now I''ve got you!" Ayame raised both of her des, hoping to sh her target with everything she had, but again Shinlua teleported away.


    <i>{This bitch!} </i>Ayame cursed the Elf in her head, and as shended where Shinlua was moments prior, she turned and hurled another javelin at the spot where Shinlua reappeared.


    With no time to react due to her short-range teleportation leaving her vulnerable, Shinlua was struck with the projectile which knocked her to the ground, but just as Ayame was about to capitalize on her opponent''s vulnerable position, she felt the sh of a de all over her body and blood began to pour from area''s of exposed skin.


    "WHAT THE FUCK?!?" Ayame roared. In an instant, she''d taken a huge amount of damage from no discernible attack and it only made her <i>more </i>angry.


    <i>{Did she leave some kind of trap?} </i>Ayame looked around the spot where she was standing but found nothing.


    "Then, what the fuck-" Ayame paused as she put it together.


    <i>{Those shes! That bitch did something to imnt them in the air around me!} </i>She recalled the seemingly useless flourishes from a moment ago and recalled a skill in FWO that could do something simr.


    "Well, son of a bitch." Ayame''s lips curled into a nasty smile. "I didn''t expect her to have something like <i>that</i>, and man, does that fire me up!" She startedughing as she charged back toward the now-standing Shinlua.


    <i>{Well, I guess that answers the question of whether such attacks will work on her. Though, now that she''s aware of that technique, I doubt it will be as easy to use it again.} </i>Shinlua nced around the arena and came up with an idea of how to use her ability to her advantage, though she''d need to get both herself and Ayame in the perfect position to pull it off. <i>{I suppose I can try. It''s not like I have any hope of winning this thing straight up.}</i>


    As she contemted the best way to win, Ayame approached, and the two began a high-speed chase/sh as they rocketed around the arena, during which Shinlua stealthfullyid down a few dyed shes, some of which Ayame walked right into.


    *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG*


    It was too dangerous for Shinlua to fight Ayame head-on, and she figured that over reliance on her magical teleportation would see her swiftly lose. Ayame had already figured out the limitations of such an ability and knew that it was both short-range and left the user vulnerable upon reaching their destination. She was waiting for the Elf to try it again and was prepared to take her down in one swift strike if she attempted to run away.


    *WOOSH*


    Ayame whiffed a strike which allowed Shinlua to back away and beginunching a barrage of magical sts that were a mixture of fire and ice toward the Barbarian.


    "Hah!" Ayameughed as she easily deflected/swatted the attacks. "You''re going to have to try better than that!" From there, she charged forward, shing aside the iing magical attacks with ease.


    <i>{THERE!} </i>As soon as she saw Ayameing toward her, Shinlua backed up, cing herself rtively close to the arena''s edge, aimed her hand downward, and froze part of the arena in a thinyer of ice.


    <i>{Trying to make me slip off the edge, are you?} </i>Ayame smirked as she continued, undaunted, but Shinlua wasn''t just hoping for Ayame to simply slide off and continue with the second part of her n throwing out her hand to cast a second spell. "DAZE!" A sh of magic flowed from Shinlua''s hand and streaked straight toward Ayame. Daze was a type of confusion spell and was meant to leave those struck by it disoriented.


    "More magic?!?" Ayame braced herself as she was struck by the attack, and Shinlua expected that in a staggered state, the Barbarian would simply slide off the edge and be disqualified. However, that was <i>not </i>what happened, as Ayame was unaffected by the spell and continued forward, much to Shinlua''s surprise.


    "What?!?" Shinlua hadn''t expected Ayame to ignore her spell, and due to the ice around her, she couldn''t easily move.


    <i>{What happened?!?} </i>(Shinlua)


    As Ayame got in close, she mmed one of her des into the ground, anchoring herself, while her main hand mmed into Shinlua''s hastily risen de, which sent the Elf flying, blood leaking from her mouth from the shock of the hit.


    "Ack!" Shinlua tumbled onto the ground, Ayame''s attack having done far more damage than she would''ve liked.


    "Hah!" Ayame smirked as she steadied herself on the ice by using her de to keep upright. "Were you expecting that magic to do something? Because while I''m raging, mental attacks don''t work!" Sheughed. "It''s why I took Berserker since messing with a Barbarian''s mind is the best way to handle us!" Indeed, most Barbarians werepletely helpless versus mental attacks, and this immunity was <i>the </i>reason to choose this path over the one that gave nket resistance to nearly all types of damage or ess to elemental damage types. "Now, let''s finish this!"


    "No, it''s already over." Shinlua cocked a smile as she struggled to look up at Ayame.


    "What?" Ayame didn''t understand what she was talking about, but a momentter, it all became clear as a bright sh momentarily blinded her, followed by an entire section of the stage falling out from under her. She tried to leap up the falling debris to save herself from a ring out, but due to all the ice and the additional well-ced dyed shes, she found herself t on her back on the y floor that surrounded the arena, stunned.


    "Winner, Shinlua!" Kira called the match in Shinlua''s favor, and the injured Elf staggered over to the edge of the arena, looking down at her bewildered opponent.


    "Y-You tricked me?!?" Ayame growled as she stood up. "Dammit! I should''ve known better than to get near that ice."


    <i>{FUCK!} </i>(Ayame)


    "It wasn''t easy to pull off." Shinlua smiled. "Setting up that manyyers of traps took a lot of effort, and there was no guarantee you should fall for any of it. That you were immune to my mental attacks took me by surprise and nearly lost me the match." She hopped down onto the ground and offered Ayame her hand. "That was a good match, and you are truly an amazing fighter."


    "Yeah, that was a good fight." Ayame took her hand with a smile. "But I am still salty for losing." She sighed as the crowd cheered in the distance.


    Spoiler


    Shinlua in Armor!


    Catkagi IRL?!?


    [copse]

 Chapter 255 – Avahn is Disappointed.

    Chapter 255 ¨C Avahn is Disappointed.


    "What an upset!" Akagi roared alongside the crowd. "Shinlua manages to pull off the first victory for a non-returnee in this tournament and does so by using her wits and tactical skill to bridge the gap between her and Ayame''s raw power!" Sheughed in genuine excitement. "That was a truly brilliant use of the TKO rules to pull off a victory where it may have otherwise been impossible! So lets give it up to Shinlua everyone!" Her call for a cheer only made the crowd go even more crazy.


    "I can''t believe she actually won." Silfana said quietly.


    <i>{I suppose I underestimated her. Not bad, Elf. Not bad at all.} </i>(Silfana)


    "I told you that Shinlua was a bit tougher than you expected." Mizumi said with a proud and smug smile on her face.


    "Ayame is no slouch inbat, and in raw power there aren''t many above her, so defeating her head-on was never going to work." Akagi beganmenting on the match. "I''m d to see that myment about power not being the be all end all has shown its truth." She was actually worried that raw power <i>would </i>be the only thing this tournament was based around, and was d to see her concerns were for nothing.


    "If power isn''t the most important thing, then does that mean we can find a way to defeat <i>you</i> using our brains?" Mizumi asked with a giggle.


    "Sadly for you, I have more calction ability than you could ever hope to match, so defeating me in a tactical sense will never work." Akagi rolled her eyes. "I will have thought of every n you could conceive up and developed counter to it before it even flickered in your mind as a thought."


    "No need to flex so hard, Akagi." Mizumi stuck out her tongue.


    "But it''s fun!" Akagi snickered. "Not to mention, why would you want to defeat little ol'' me?!? I''m the nicest, cutest, cuddliest widdle kitty in all the multiverse! Why would you harm me? MEW!" She gave cute kitty eyes as she pawed at Mizumi who swatted her away.


    "Oh, you''re <i>something</i> all right." Silfana sighed. "But getting back on track, those dyed attacks that Shinlua used, I feel like I''ve seen something simr before." She went through her memories but couldn''t quite pin down where she''d seen something like it.


    <i>{Why do I feel like I''ve fought somebody who could do that same thing?} </i>(Slifana)


    "It wasn''t an FWO yer skill, I know that much." Akagi shook her head as she rifled through her memories. "Ah! That''s right, the Imperial Commander of the Northern Bastion that bordered Galicen! I don''t recall his name, but from what I remember he could make it so that his attacks would have a dy simr to what Shinlua did!" She''d never fought him, but had heard some of the stories.


    "Oh yes, Rynuldo." Silfana groaned as she finally remembered that technique. "He came down from his post to handle my forces a few times and was always such a pain in the ass."


    <i>{He caused me no small amount of headaches...} </i>(Silfana)


    "Too much for even <i>you</i> to handle?" Akagi asked with a wily smile.


    "More like I was far too busy to deal with him." Silfana replied before turning to Mizumi. "Was that kind of abilitymon in your world?"


    "I don''t think so." Mizumi shrugged. "I don''t really know much about the distribution of powers and abilities throughout Enoris, but Shinlua isn''t the only person I''ve known to have that ability." She could think of at least three Spirits that she''d seen during her lifetime with a simr power.


    "Does it have anything to do with that Dawn Order you mentioned?" Akagi asked.


    "No. Apparently, she learned how to do that from her Master. I don''t know much more than that, I''m afraid." Mizumi didn''t know much about Shinlua''s personal life beyond a few basics.


    "I see. Then if possible, I would like for her to teach it to me." Silfana''s request came as a surprise to both Akagi and Mizumi.


    "I... uh... I mean, I can ask, but..." Mizumi never imagined the Vampire Lord herself would want to learn from an Elf.


    <i>{You of all people are willing to train UNDER somebody?!?} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Why the surprise? I simply wish to attain more power." Silfana replied.


    "Yeah, but for <i>you </i>of all people to want to learn from a non-vampire, I have to admit that''s surprising." Akagi was simrly surprised. Silfana was always portrayed as haughty, arrogant and extremely domineering. That she would learn from <i>anyone, </i>especially a non-vampire was unexpected.<i> </i>


    "Only a fool refuses to learn. The source of knowledge is irrelevant as long it is good information and is beneficial to my goals." Silfana huffed. "I was heir to the Imperial throne, and part of that training was understanding that you will <i>always </i>have something to learn." She''d trained under many masters during her life, some of which weren''t vampires.


    "Hurrah for pragmatism!" Akagiughed.


    "Aren''t you interested in learning it yourself?" Silfana asked.


    "Funny that you think I can''t do it already." Akagi snickered.


    "Ah, right. Sorry, I forgot who I was dealing with." Silfana rolled her eyes.


    <i>{Note to self. Add dyed shing training to list.} </i>(Akagi)


    The threementators continued bickering back and forth as well as discussing the match and a few other topics while the arena was fixed. The damage inflicted by Shinlua was nowhere near as bad as what Mika had done, so it was repaired in short order.


    "Alright, thank you for waiting, and we''re ready to begin the next match!" Akagi''s words caused a cheer from the crowd. "And for this one, our next and final, guestmentator for the day will be the lizard herself, Hishya!" She pped as Hishya took a seat next to Silfana, something that was <i>not </i>appreciated by either woman.


    "Lizard." Silfana greeted her with a sharp tongue.


    "Leech." Hishya stuck her nose up at the vampire.


    "Look! They''re bust buddies!" Akagiughed.


    "We''re not friends!" (Silfana x Hishya)


    "Look how in sync they are." Akagi continued tough. "At this rate, Kana might have to move over."


    "I''d end my own life before I-" Silfana stopped herself, realizing that Akagi was just being her usual annoying self and trying to get a rise out of her. "I''m not going to give you want you want, <i>nope</i>." She growled.


    <i>{I will not feed you the reaction that you crave, and I will not reward your bad behavior!} </i>(Silfana)


    "You''re fucking awful, Akagi..." Hishya sighed.


    <i>{Are we sure that picking on people isn''t the REAL reason that Akagi was created rather than to destroy the world?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    "We''re all such good friends, aren''t we?" Akagi snickered. "But getting past the need for these two to get a room, we''ve got our next fighting up between the deranged cat Avahn and the second member of the exploration team, Shisa, who we had on earlier today."


    "Yeah, there won''t be a ''match'' here." Hishya figured that things would be over instantly. "Just have your revival power on standby. Knowing Avahn, that girl might just tear the Oni to pieces."


    <i>{It wouldn''t be the first time...} </i>(Hishya)


    "I think it will be fine." Akagi shrugged. "Avahn knows better than to go <ipletely </i>crazy during this fight."


    <i>{Probably...} </i>(Akagi)


    "I assume we''re all in agreement that there is no way in hell that Oni willst any reasonable length of time in the ring?" Silfana chuckled.


    "Yeah... Avahn''s regeneration power <i>alone </i>makes her a tough opponent, and my money is on her making it to the finals." Hishya had never fought the Demon cat before but knew more than enough about her abilities to be wary of her. "Not to mention the fact that Shisa''s power is far too limtedpared to hers, so this will be over quickly."


    ¡°Kitty is about to go woosh.¡± Akagiughed.


    "Somebody told me that the cat is immortal, is that true?" Silfana looked over at Akagi for rification.


    "Immortal, no. Nothing is impossible to kill. It''s just that Avahn is <i>very </i>hard to permanently put down." Akagi shook her head. "Not only does she have <i>extremely</i> fast regeneration to the point that cutting her to ribbons isn''t guaranteed to end her, but her main gimmick is that she feels no pain and is <i>very </i>resistant to magic."


    "She basically she just zombie modes you." Hishya sighed. "If she can''t defeat her opponent with sheer power, then she''ll juste at you over and over again until you tire out."


    <i>{Which is a a pain...} </i>(Hishya)


    "That sounds <i>very </i>annoying." Silfanamented that such an ability made her incredibly dangerous.


    "It is, but it''s not as if she can continue doing so indefinitely." Akagi exined some of the cat''s weaknesses. "She still requires magical power for regeneration, and while she has a lot, it''s not infinite, and it doesn''t regenerate so quickly as to allow for perpetual regeneration."


    <i>{Not even I have that kind of power. In theory if you had enough strength you could whittle me down, and since Avahn isn''t a Demon Lord that means her ''zombie mode'' is even more limited than my own.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Yeah, but good luck ousting her in a contest of stamina." Hishya said. "I''d wager that most people give out long before the crazy cat runs out of regeneration. Let''s not forget that she''s quite powerful in her own right, and I''d wager that she''d easily give Superbia a run for her money."


    "I guess we''ll just have to wait and see." Akagi watched as a very nervous Shisa and Avahn entered the arena, ready to fight.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <i>{Why am I even here...} </i>Shisa was regretting all of her life choices after seeing what happened to Mami. The explorers knew that they''d be in way over their heads during this tournament, but to see one of her friends so utterly defeated put things into context. <i>{This one looks fucking psycho too! Her eyes tell me she wants to enjoy cutting off my limbs like some kind of serial killer! I bet she''s thinking all sorts of deranged thoughts!}</i>


    <i>{I wonder if Ara would like that big fluffy bean bag chair that I saw at the mall yesterday? It was shaped like a giant pink bunny, and I''d bet we could snuggle on it together.} </i>(Avahn)


    As the two positioned themselves in the center of the arena, Shisa could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and Avahn''s words only served to <i>increase</i> her stress level.


    "Hey, you." Avahn called out to her as she swung her Oda over her shoulder.


    "Y-Yeah!" Shisa responded with a yelp.


    "How do you want me to do it?" Avahn didn''t want to hurt the Oni that much, and wanted to see if she wished to be knocked out of the arena or just surrender. "I can do it fast and painless, or we can do things a bit slower. I don''t mind either way." She figured that the Oni might want to go out with some grace and was willing to work with her on that.


    <i>{IS SHE ASKING ME HOW I WANT TO DIE?!?} </i>Shisa paled and found herself unable to answer due to fear.


    <i>{Why is she so freaked out?} </i>(Avahn)


    "Are both contestants ready to go?" Kira looked between the two of them, understanding that Shisa was <i>not </i>happy to be here.


    "Yup." Avahn said with a yawn.


    "S-Sure..." Shisa reluctantly agreed.


    "Alright, then... Begin!" Kira signaled the start of the match, but before Avahn could even move, Shisa gave up.


    "I SURRENDER!" Shisa screamed at the top of her lungs.


    "Oh..." Avahn looked at the Oni disappointed. "I was hoping to have a bit of <i>fun </i>before you gave up..."


    "EEE!" Shisa took off running and fled from the arena, leaving both Kira and Avahn looking at each other in confusion.


    "What did you do to her?" Kira asked in sheer exasperation.


    "I... I don''t know?" Avahn titled her head, unsure about what just happened.

 Chapter 256 – The Spectator.

    Chapter 256 ¨C The Spectator.


    "Huh..." Akagi wasn''t exactly surprised that things went this way, but that didn''t mean she was ready for it. "Well, sorry folks, but it looks like that match ended before it even began." She could tell the audience was none too happy with the immediate surrender by Shisa. They''d enjoyed Mami''s defeat, but that was because it was brutal, and the people watching were here to see blood.


    <i>{Good to see humanity still has that primal need to watch people kill each other...} </i>(Hishya)


    "At least this means that Avahn didn''t end up killing the poor girl." Hishya tried to find the silver lining. "I''d rather you didn''t have to scrape Shisa off the pavement and put her back together."


    "I mean, <i>I</i> would''ve liked to see that." Silfana snickered. "Blood sports are truly the highest form of entertainment." She''d held numerous events of that type in her own realm to allow the different races to bash each other''s heads in, and they were always a popr spectacle.


    "While I enjoy watching two people gut each other as much as the next Demon Lord, I prefer that it <i>not </i>be a one-sided romp." Akagi enjoyed a good old fashioned slugging match.


    "You say that, but you very much enjoy bullying the weak." Hishyamented.


    "And are you saying that <i>you </i>are any better, lizard?" Akagi nced at her.


    "No." Hishyaughed. "I''m just pointing that out, is all. Can''t have you trying to paint yourself as some high-minded <i>Demon </i>now, can I?"


    "Oh no, Akagi is a hypocrite. The whole world is shocked to find out that she doth not practice what she preaches!" Akagi feigned despair over her ''secret'' being discovered.


    "The Demon Lord is evil and hypocritical?!?" Silfana joined in on the fake shock. "I never would''ve expected it." She chuckled.


    "It maye as a shock, but I ask you to be understanding." Akagiughed, and as she looked at the live chat, she saw it was filled with either a thumbs-down emoji or a custom one that she made which was a silly picture of a cat staring at the screen.


    "See, even <i>chat </i>is disappointed in you." Hishya continuedughing.


    "And yet, <i>they </i>came to see you idiots knock each other''s brains out. So tell me, who is the <i>real </i>hypocrite here?" Akagi sighed before turning back to the main event. "Anyway, with Shisa running off like a chicken, that leaves us with one more fight for the day." She pointed to the arena where Halifax and Ferrix were already walking toward the middle.


    "Ah yes, Halifax." Hishya''s eyes locked on to the orange-haired girl. "I''ve wanted to spar with her ever since she arrived, but she told me to wait until the tournament." She let out a slightly evilugh. "I''d better see you in the finals, Halifax."


    "Looking forward to fighting her?" Akagi asked with augh.


    "You hyped her up, and from what Mizumi told me, this girl may actually give me a good challenge." Hishya''s eyes showed a hunger for battle, and it was as if her very soul was zing with anticipation.


    <i>{Damn, that''s one thirsty Dragon. Poor Kana is gonna get the brunt of that frustration tonight, I''d bet.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I know that she is apparently a very powerful warrior from that other world, Enoris, but beyond that, I have no information about her." Silfana said.


    "I can tell you that she''d tten you even easier than Hishya did when you fought her the other month, Silfana." Akagi said in apletely serious tone of voice.


    "Really?" Silfana didn''t like that assertion, but knew that if Akagi was saying it, it was probably true.


    <i>{Interesting.} </i>(Silfana)


    "I don''t know that much about her power, but what I <i>do </i>know tells me that she is probably roughly equal to Hishya here in power." Akagi continued. "There is a bit of information that I cannot disclose about her out of respect for her privacy, but be aware that Halifax is <i>not </i>like the rest of our otherworldly guests, and taking her lightly will only see you swiftly defeated."


    "Then I suppose her matches will be interesting, at least once she removes the <i>trash</i> that is." Silfana smirked.


    "Yeah, Ferrix is doomed." Akagiughed. "Though I don''t feel bad for him."


    "Oh yeah, wasn''t he racist against Kana?" Hishya scowled. "Perhaps I should visit him in the infirmary and ensure he understands his <i>mistakes</i>." She started cackling.


    "Now, now. There''s no reason to go grim reaper on his ass. He apologized and promised never to do that again, so let it go." Akagi figured that Hishya might actually kill the man if she didn''t stop her. "People make mistakes, and while it doesn''t make his actions right, I understand why he has such a dislike for humans considering what they did in his world."


    <i>{I''d be more surprised if the Spirits didn''t resent them after what happened.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Fine, but if he acts up again." Hishya ran her thump across her throat in a slitting motion.


    "And you call <i>me </i>ruthless." Akagi rolled her eyes as the two fighters readied themselves for battle.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    "To think I''d get to fight against the legendary Halifax, or should I call you Hally?" Ferrix asked as he drew his great sword from his back.


    "I see that you know who I am." Halifax smiled. "Though I guess that shouldn''t be a big surprise. My reputation proceeds me where the guild is involved." She was quite well known within the adventurermunity, and most would have at least a vague idea of who she was, though few knew her true identity.


    "Mami, Shisa, and I were in a Silver-ranked party called Four des before the war..." Ferrix paused for a moment. "Once things hit the fan... Everyone, even some of our oldest friends, turned on us..." Many fellow adventurers either distanced themselves from them or even attacked them, and their guild status was revoked after the deration of annihtion. "We lost a lot of friends. Hell, Mami even lost the man she loved." Heughed in a way that told Halifax that he knew and respected the man in question. "I never got along with Ryon, but he''ll always have my respect for putting himself in harm''s way to ensure we got out of Elnsburg."<i> </i>


    <i>{That a human saved our lives... I suppose painting them all as evil was truly stupid of me. I''m sorry, Ryon.} </i>(Ferrix)


    "What the people of Enoris did to you..." Halifax shook her head. "It makes me ashamed to be from that world. I''m sorry." She''d always hated what was going on, but there was nothing she could do to stop it.


    "Can I ask you something that I''ve been curious about ever since things kicked off?" Ferrix had a question that had been on his mind for years.


    "Go ahead." Halifax nodded, feeling that she owed him this much.


    "You were a legend among us. Hell, I''d go so far as to say that every adventurer wanted to <i>be</i> you. You were the best of us..." Ferrix took a deep breath before continuing. "So why didn''t you help us? Why did you stand by and do <i>nothing </i>while we were killed?!?" He raised his voice slightly as he spoke, his anger seeping through. "With your power... More could''ve made it. So why? Why did someone like you sit back and do nothing when you could''ve helped?"


    <i>{Why did you abandon us?!?} </i>(Ferrix)


    "I..." Halifax paused for a moment. "It''s not that I didn''t want to help, Ferrix." She shook her head. "It''s that I<i> couldn''t</i>."


    "Why not? You''re definitely strong enough! And your word <i>alone </i>may have swayed so many people''s minds!" Ferrix scoffed at her im.


    "Because I cannot defy the Gods, Ferrix." Halifax answered. "My past is... <iplicated</i>, and I do not wish to get into detail, but know that when the Gods came to me seeking my help in exterminating your kind, I declined." She continued, his eyes widening in surprise. "I am bound by them and their will, and if they''d wanted... They could''ve forced me to join their crusade against you, <i>against</i> <i>my</i> <i>will</i>." Her body shuddered slightly. "They''ve done it before, and I was afraid that if I rose my de against them in defense of the Spirits, they''d do it again...¡± She felt her throat go dry for a moment as she recalled what riel had forced her to do. ¡°So I chose to do nothing, hoping that by keeping away from the conflict, the chance they''d use me against you all would be reduced."


    <i>{I''m still surprised they never forced me to help, though that might have to do with a past incident rather than some kind of remorse.} </i>(Halifax)


    "What control do they have over you that would force you to act against your own will?" Ferrix asked, not expecting to hear this.


    "I don''t want to answer that." Halifax shook her head. "Just know that they can control me physically if they wish, and there''s nothing I can do to stop them."


    <i>{I can still hear the screams of all those innocent people they made me kill... The feeling of my de tearing through their flesh and bones... It still haunts me...} </i>(Halifax)


    "So I''m sorry, Ferrix. I couldn''t help you all, despite how much I wanted to." Halifax''s eyes teared up slightly. "I had to stand by and watch how so many people I came to know were killed, and there wasn''t a damn thing I could do about it!" She eximed. ¡°I was forced to watch... To be nothing more than a spectator as innocent people were killed... I''m sorry...¡± She wiped away her tears with her sleeve. ¡°But that''s why I''m here <i>now</i>. I couldn''t do anything to help your people before, but bying here... I can at least try and do <i>something...</i>¡±


    "I... I see." Ferrix nodded slowly. "I''m sorry for making you talk about something so painful. I just need to know... To know that you really were the person we all thought you were. I''m sorry for doubting you, Halifax." He smiled. "So let''s give our audience a nice show. I think we''ve dyed long enough."


    "Yeah, let''s." Halifax smiled as she wiped her eyes.


    "Are both of you ready?" Kira looked between the two of them. She''d wanted to stop their discussion since it was taking too long, but Akagi told her not to get involved via telepathy.


    "Ready!" (Halifax x Ferrix)


    "Then, begin!" Kira started the final match of the day, and immediately things kicked off with Ferrix moving in for a first strike.


    "Hugha!" Ferrix swung his great sword down at Halifax, who simply smiled and moved out of the way. "Oh yeah? Then, let''s try this!" He swung again but was dodged in much the same way.


    "Oh,e on, it can''t be that hard to hit me, can it?" Halifax giggled. "I mean, that''s such a <i>big</i> de!"


    "I''ll wipe that smile off your face!" Ferrix roared as he continued his futile attempts at hitting Halifax.


    *SWING* *SWING* *SWING* *SWING* *SWING* *SWING* *SWING* *SWING* *SWING* *SWING* *SWING* *SWING* *SWING* *SWING* *SWING* *SWING*


    Again and again, he attempted to hit Halifax with his de, and again and again he was always easily dodged by her quick footwork. From an outside perspective, it was as if she was toying with him, and it seemed more like she was engaged in an intricate dance as she stepped around his de with ease.


    <i>{Not too bad, but I can understand why they only got to Silver if that''s the extent of his power.} </i>(Halifax)


    Silver wasn''t a low rank in Enoris'' guild, but it was leagues below Mythril which was the highest rank possible under normal circumstances.


    "Are you ever going to at least <i>try </i>to hit me?" Ferrix growled in frustration as he was evaded again.


    <i>{She''s just toying with me!} </i>(Ferrix)


    "Hmmmm, ok!" Halifaxughed as she sidestepped one of his strikes and proceeded to knee him in the stomach.


    "Ugh!" Ferrix recoiled from the blow, and it nearly knocked him off bnce.


    "Was that too much?" Halifaxughed. "I held back quite considerably, but it seems that even that weak kick was a bit overkill."


    <i>{I heard that she has a tendency to do things like this to her opponents, but I never believed them. I suppose that''s just what happens when you get to that level.} </i>Ferrix righted himself and took a deep breath to focus.


    "I was hoping that I''d get to sh des with you." He sighed.


    "Trust me, you <i>don''t </i>want me to draw this de." Halifax said with a cold smile. "If I do that, then I might just go a little bit <i>overboard</i> with my fun."


    "I think I can handle whatever you can dish out, so go ahead." Ferrix readied himself for Halifax''s next attack.


    "Fine, but don''t go getting mad at me." Halifax sighed as she slowly drew her de. It had no sheath and so quickly found its ce in her left hand, whereafter she twirled it around at high speed before putting it away. "There, it''s done."


    "What?" Ferrix was confused. "You didn''t even do anything!"


    "Give it a moment." Halifax grinned.


    "Wha-" As Ferrix was about to ask his question, he felt a strange sensation warp around his body, and a momentter, all of his armor peeled away as it fell to the arena floor in a dozen pieces leaving him with only his tunic and shorts.


    "Hey, look, it worked!" Halifaxughed. "And I didn''t even get a single slice on your body! Nice!"


    <i>{I was worried that I would take his underwear off, so I''m d he didn''t have to suffer from that embarrassment.} </i>(Halifax)


    "What did you just do?!?" Ferrix was stunned by the removal of his armor.


    "They make that move look so easy in the stories, and you wouldn''t believe how long it took until I got that down. Sadly, too many mannequins were destroyed in the perfection of that move, but it was worth it!" Halifax smiled.


    "You destroyed my armor..." Ferrix sighed. "Yeah, that one''s on me... I asked for that... But... I can still fight!" He raised his sword toward her.


    "Nah, we''re done here." Halifax snapped her fingers, and arge st of energy erupted from around her body like a shock wave and carried Ferrix off the stage and onto the y floor below.


    "What?!?" Ferrix was again confused as he hit the floor.


    "Sorry to everyone who''s watching, but I promise you that future matches will be much more interesting." Halifax snickered as Kira called the final match of the day.


    <i>{Avahn will be my next opponent, and then after that Hishya. I can''t wait to see what you''re made of, Dragon.} (</i>Halifax)

 Chapter 257 – Lunch Break.

    Chapter 257 ¨C Lunch Break.


    "And there you have it! We started off today''s events with a massive bang but concluded it with a rtively tame whimper." Akagiughed as thements from chat poured in. "But with the weakest of the group culled, I have a feeling the quarter-finals are going to be a whole lot more action-packed!"


    "Well, that fight went as expected." Hishya shrugged. "I suppose that means we won''t get a good grasp on what Halifax can do until she fights Avahn tomorrow." She was hoping for some good intel to prep with today since she wanted to start nning how to beat her in advance.


    <i>{Though she definitely seems capable, that''s for sure.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Though if you want to fight her, then you''ll first have to get past a whole list of potential foes if you want the chance to fight her in the finals." Akagi wagged her finger so as to imply that it wouldn''t be so easy. "And that means beating both Alice and Superbia/Chloe."


    "Not to mention that Halifax may not even get to the end. Your little Warlock has intrigued me with her power, and I''m quite interested in seeing just how far she goes." Silfana smirked.


    "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Akagi." Hishya rolled her eyes.


    "What kind of Mom would I be if I didn''t root for my own child?" Akagi snickered.


    "The kind that lets a fifteen-year-old fight in something like this." Hishya gave a smartass reply.


    "So, the best kind!" Akagiughed, and chat seemed to agree. "Alright, everyone, that''s about all we have today. Tune in tomorrow morning for the quarter and semi-finals, and I hope you have a wonderful evening!" She clicked a button on the table which shut down the broadcast. "Woo! That was awesome!" Akagi had a massive smile on her face. "I fucking love events like these, they always get the blood pumping!" She was fired up and ecstatic. She''d done this event on a whim and was thanking past her for putting it together.


    "I assume metaphorical blood in your case." Hishya poked her in the shoulder.


    "Who knows? Maybe the vampy here needs to be fed." Akagi snickered as she stood up. ¡°I <i>can</i> make real blood.¡±


    "There is no way in hell I''m drinking blood spawned from <i>you</i>." Silfana sighed. "I imagine it would taste <i>awful.</i> Something like used bathwaterbined with sewage."


    "Well, Akagi is <i>rotten</i> to the core, so it makes sense that her very flesh and blood taste like filth." Hishya snickered.


    "I wonder what Dragon tastes like?" Akagi thought aloud. "I assume it must take something like chicken. Perhaps we could grill up part of your tail for lunch?"


    "No eating me!" Hishya huffed. "Only <i>Kana</i> is allowed to bite me." Sheughed as Silfana rolled her eyes.


    "I''ll pass on the Dragon meat, thank you very much. I''d rather gag myself than taste a drop of your blood." Silfana said as she stood up to leave.


    <i>{Well I wouldn''t want to eat you either! You''re probably far too salty for my delicate pte!} </i>(Hishya)<i> </i>


    "Well, speaking of food, let''s go have lunch. We went over my estimated time due to certain people who shall not be named blowing up my arena." Akagi nced at Hishya before turning to leave. "Come on, let''s head to the cafeteria. I''d imagine people are chowing down as we speak."


    "I hope you prepared a fuck load of food. Because I''m starving, and my human body doesn''t stop me from having a Dragon''s appetite." Hishya was practically starving after her match with Tiball and was currently running off the snack stash that she bummed off her girlfriend.


    <i>{FOOD!} </i>(Hishya)


    "Trust me, there''s plenty." Akagi rolled her eyes. "If by chance we somehow ran out, then I''d just get more anyway." She was starting to worry that her reserves wouldn''t be enough for the Dragon and Vampire''s bottomless stomachs.


    "I shall take that as a challenge!" Hishyaughed as the three of them moved down into the hallway before eventually arriving at the cafeteria where most of the other participants were eating.


    "Mama!" Alice was sitting next to Miji, and as soon as she saw Akagi, she stood up and ran over to her, to which Akagi responded by pulling her into a hug. "Did you see me?!? I won!" She had the brightest smile on her face, which made even the grumpy losers of the day smile.


    "Of course I did!" I watched you kick butt and take names!" Akagi pat her on the head. "I''m so proud of you, Alice. You did an amazing job, and now all you need to do is beat Hishya tomorrow!" Her smile told everyone just how proud she was.


    Once she had been sufficiently praised and pet, Alice turned and red at Hishya. "I shall defeat you, evil Dragon!"


    "I''m practically shaking in my boots." Hishya stuck up her arms in fake surrender. ¡°Please don''t <i>sing </i>me to death.¡±


    "Come on, let''s sit down with the others." Akagi picked Alice up and went over to the table where Yumi was sitting with her sister. Hishya and Silfana <i>immediately </i>got to work devouring an ungodly amount of food, and Akagi was thanking her past self for keeping an extra stockpile of ingredients in the storeroom for just such an asion.


    "This fried chicken is amazing!" Hishya said as she bit into the leg, devouring all of it, including the bone.


    <i>{I guess even in human form Dragons can just eat anything, huh?} </i>(Akagi)


    "Did you guys enjoy the show?" Akagi asked Yumi as she took a bite out of a piece of ham. "You had the best seats in the house up there, so I''d imagine it was a good view." They''d sat in a special VIP booth that was far better than what most others would have.


    "It was great." Yumi smiled. "I''d heard of some of the events that would take ce in the Imperial Arena, but I never got to see it myself." She wasn''t necessarily blown away by the spectacle, as she''d seen crazier thingse from Akagi, but it was still an enjoyable experience.


    "All the Kaboom was amazing!" Miji said while eating a biscuit. "Alice was all like WOOSH and ZAP and ZOOM! And Hishya was all like BOOM, BAM!" Her use of sound effects made both Akagi and Yumi giggle.


    "Well, I''m d you enjoyed yourself." Akagi continued, passing Yumi a wipe for the messy girl''s face. "But where is Kana and the girls? They were with you in the booth, weren''t they?" She figured they would''ve came down together.


    "Kana and Naomi will be joining us shortly. A news agency wanted to interview them, but Mika..." Yumi leaned in and whispered something into Akagi''s ear.


    "Ah. Well, that makes sense." Akagi gave a hardyugh. "It was only a matter of time until <i>that </i>happened."


    <i>{Have fun, Mika.} </i>(Akagi)


    As the group chowed down and chatted amongst themselves, Kana and Naomi finally arrived after concluding their interviews.


    "Nice to see that you waited for us..." Kana sighed as she looked at Hishya. who was eating what looked like a cartoon ham.


    <i>{I''m just imagining the cartoon grinding noise as she chews through that thing...} </i>(Kana)


    "I required FOOD!" Hishya said between bites. "No waiting!"


    "Where the hell does all that even go anyway?" Naomi knew that Hishya had a big appetite but never imagined that it was this bad.


    "Into the void between worlds." Akagi said with a chuckle. "Dragons tend to need wayyyy more food than humans, and Hishya here used up lots of energy during that fight earlier."


    <i>{Hishya is basically Mika on steroid now that I think about it. Her appetite seems unending.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Well, I hope she saved some for the rest of us." Kana sighed as she took a seat next to the hungry Dragon. "You did, <i>right</i>?" She was starting to get worried that Hishya and Silfana had eaten all the food.


    "Hmmmmm." Hishya paused her eating before shrugging and continuing.


    "That''s not encouraging." Naomi chuckled.


    "Don''t worry, I nned for this. If Hishya somehow managed to eat me out of house and home, then she''s got a bigger stomach than even <i>I </i>expected." Akagiughed. "So go get something at the counter, and thene back and eat. I''m assuming Mika will be <i>busy </i>for a while, so we won''t wait for her."


    "Oh god..." Kana shook her head. "I have no clue how long <i>that </i>is going to take, but it ain''t going to be quick."She decided to put it out of her head and leave the blue-haired girl to her fun.


    "Yeah, those three were looking forward to this." Naomi giggled.


    "Just please tell me it was willing, though." Akagi sighed. She''d warned the two Yuki-Onna about forcing things and would beat them silly if they pushed Mika to do something she didn''t want to.


    "Oh no, it was 100% willing. Trust me, Mika was <i>very </i>into what they wanted." Kana rolled her eyes as she stood back up and pat Hishya on the head, which elicited a grunt from the food beast called Hishya.


    "Good." Akagi gave a sigh of relief. "Though I''ll make sure to give them a talking toter anyway."


    "What are you, her mother?" Kana said, mocking her sister.


    "Listen, I have a responsibility here as those two''s keeper. Mimi already gave me permission to smack them around if they tried anything, and thest thing I need is <i>either </i>of them messing with Mika."


    <i>{No making the Official Backup Squishy sad!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Aww, look at you. You''re so protective of your Squishy buddy." Hishya stopped eating for a moment to make fun of the <i>Demon</i>.


    "Yeah, well, somebody has to be the responsible adult in this group, and it sure as hell can''t be <i>you</i>." Akagi blew a raspberry at Hishya.


    "How the fuck are <i>you </i>the responsible adult?!?" Hishya put down the bone she was holding. "If anyone fills that role, it''s Kana or Naomi, not you!"


    <i>{YOU ARE ANYTHING BUT RESPONSIBLE!} </i>(Hishya)


    "Kana, what do you think?" Akagi asked.


    "You are very responsible and mature, Onee-chan." Kana gave a smile that told everyone she was lying.


    "Thanks..." Akagi sighed. "Well, whatever. Regardless of what you idiots say, I still <i>feel </i>the need to be the responsible one among us, so fuck off."


    "Considering you aren''t even much older than us, it''s kind of hard to take you seriously as some adult figure, Akagi." Hishya snickered.


    <i>{That''s not entirely urate anymore. I''ve spent so much time in my own shadow that with the time </i><i>dtion</i> in there, <i>I''m probably about twenty to thirty years older than they think. However, let''s keep that a secret since it would freak Kana out.} </i>(Akagi)

 Chapter 258 – Tube Sock Shenanigans.

    Chapter 258 ¨C Tube Sock Shenanigans.


    *GROWL* *SNARL* *TUG*


    "Come on, kitty! Give it over!" Miji pulled as hard as she could but was unable to get the sock away from Akagi. ¡°Return... The... Sock!¡±


    "Grrrrrrr!" Akagi growled and hissed as she chomped down on the white tube sock. She and Miji were ying tug of war on the couch, and things had devolved into a stalemate with neither wanting to hand the sock over to the other.


    "What the hell am I watching?" Kana sighed as she watched her kitty sister y tug of war with a child over a sock.


    "Something very cute." Yumi smiled as she watched the two go back and forth. ¡°They''ve been at this for a minute, and its still funny.¡±


    "Don''t tell me that <i>you </i>want to y tug of war with her over a stupid sock." Kana red at Yumi, who simply shrugged.


    <i>{YOU FUCKING DO, DON''T YOU?!?} </i>(Kana)


    "I enjoy ying with her, that''s all." Yumi''s smile told Kana all that she needed to know.


    <i>{This idiot enables Onee-chan and enjoys herself while doing it! I guess they really are made for each other.} </i>(Kana)


    "Come on, kitty!" Miji pulled as hard as she could, but Akagi violently shook her head, tearing the sock away from the girl''s weak grip. "No! Give it back, kitty!" She attempted to grab onto it, but Akagi shook her head around and started whacking the sock against the couch. ¡°NO! MR. SOCK! Bad kitty!¡± She tried to take it back, but Akagi wiggled around too much to stop. "I''ll save you mister sock!!"


    "Aren''t you supposed to be a cat?" Kana rolled her eyes as she watched the two wrestle over a sock. "<i>Dogs </i>do things like that, not cats."


    *HISS!*


    Akagi hissed at her as she threw the sock back to Miji. "I can do whatever I want!" Sheughed. "If I say it''s cat behavior, then it is!"


    <i>{I think its fine.} </i>(Yumi)


    "Kitty is kitty!" Miji giggled as she hugged Akagi. "Even if she acts like a doggy, she will always be my kitty!"


    <i>{I see Miji has fully sumb to the kitty... I suppose we''re all just dancing in her paws at this point...} </i>(Kana)


    "MEW!" Akagi meowed happily as Miji hugged her.


    "You better watch out, Miji. Yumi here might get jealous of all the time you spend with the <i>kitty</i>." Kana snickered, which caused Yumi to poke her cheek.


    "I would never get jealous of Miji. There''s enough Akagi to share between us, and I encourage their bonding." Yumi sighed.


    <i>{Though I do wish that Miji wouldn''t hog her as much as she does...} </i>(Yumi)


    "And yet I seem to recall you mentioning to me once that you were a bit jealous when Miji got to snuggle with Akagi during that big thunderstorm." Kanaughed as she poked Yumi in the side.


    "T-That!" Yumi said, slightly embarrassed.


    <i>{Why did you feel the need to mention that...} </i>(Yumi)


    "A. Does Yumi need some kitty love?" Akagi chuckled as she hopped across the table and onto herp. "Here." She rubbed her face and ears against the Priestess'' chest. "Is that better, mew?"


    "Yes, it is." Yumi brought her into a tight hug. ¡°I needed to replenish my stock of kitty energy!¡±


    "Sister stole the kitty!" Miji pouted. ¡°No fair...¡±


    "You already got to y with her the whole afternoon! It''s my turn to pet her!" Yumi blew her sister a raspberry.


    <i>{Yeah, Yumi''s totally not jealous of your own sister...} </i>(Kana)


    "I guess I should be happy that Onee-chan has people that are so attached to her." Kana gave a small smile as she yed with her sister''s ears. ¡°Better that then her being a useless NEET like before.¡±


    "I needed to make up for what I was missing out on for all those years." Akagi smiled and purred as she was hugged and petted. ¡°Also, I wasn''t useless NEET! I was in school!¡± She hissed and swiped at Kana, who dodged.


    "Beyond going to ss you were basically a NEET in every sense of the word.¡± Kana grinned. ¡°But also, even if you had normal parents, I don''t think <i>petting </i>is part of what they''d do." She rolled her eyes.


    <i>{At least, I hope it WOULDN''T be something they would do, since that would be strange.} </i>(Kana)


    "Perhaps not, but I enjoy it nheless." Akagi snickered before asking her sister a question. "Speaking of worthless idiots, what are dumbfuck one and two doing?"


    "Dumbfuck..." Kana sighed as she understood who she was referring to. "I can''t exactly say that moniker is <i>wrong</i>, but I still don''t like hearing it. Mom and Dad are likely going to split, as Dad still won''t repent and refuses to see their actions for what they were." She''d briefly spoken to Shima the other day and got the gist of the situation.


    "Damn, I never thought that would happen." Akagi hopped into Kana''sp, which elicited a re from Yumi. "Those two always got along so well with each other despite the nature of their marriage." They rarely fought and seemed to love each other, at least Akagi thought so.


    "Neither did I, but with everything the way it is, Mom gave him an ultimatum. Either he repents, or she''d divorce him, and while she <i>is </i>trying to get through to him, it has yet to work." Kana sighed. "And before you say sorry, don''t. This isn''t your fault."


    "Well, I mean, it <i>is </i>on a technical level." Akagi said as she changed position in her sister''sp to allow Yumi to pet her tail, making the Priestess happy.


    "I mean that you shouldn''t get all sad on my behalf." Kana flicked her sister''s ear, which twitched in response. "I already aired my grievances with both of them and while Dad seemed to take <i>my </i>words at least somewhat seriously, my rtionship with both of them is still poor. I''ve put both of them on strictly limited contact, and while I have hope that one day Mom and I can go back to the way things were, Dad is a <i>different</i> story." Her petting stopped as she hugged Akagi. "He refuses to ept either my or Mom''s exnation saying that there is no way that he or her were being controlled."


    <i>{He thinks its all nonsense.} </i>(Kana)


    "Then how does he exin Shima''s change of heart?" Akagi asked as she hugged her back.


    "He writes it off as Mom basically caving to me." Kana answered with a wry smile. "He thinks that the only reason she''s changed is because she doesn''t want to lose me enough to start treating you better."


    "So doesn''t that mean he doesn''t care about you enough to do the same?" Akagi asked a question without thinking and immediately regretted it.


    "I...I suppose that it does, doesn''t it?" Kana said sadly.


    <i>{Why did I have to open my big mouth and say that?!? Stupid nonexistent brain!} </i>(Akagi)


    "But... I still think there''s more to this." Kana shook her head. "If Mom was being controlled or brainwashed, then surely we can save Dad too, right?" She was hopeful that something could be done to save him.


    "Pardon my intrusion into the family discussion, but I have something to add." Himari spoke up unexpectedly.


    "I don''t mind. You''re basically family anyway." Akagi replied.


    "Yeah. You were made by our ancestors, so I consider you as such too." Kana smiled and a momentter Himari appeared on the couch next to Miji.


    "Sworddy!" Miji smiled.


    "Now, Miji, call her by her name." Yumi chastised her sister.


    "It''s fine." Himari pat Miji on the head.


    "So, what did you want to add?" Akagi asked.


    "Regarding ''mind control'' in question, I wanted to inform you that both the Tomogawa and Tokugawa ns had the ability to manipte a person''s memories and personality via spiritual magic. So it''s possible that something was done to both of your parents at some point in the past." Himari exined that it was a technique usually only done to protect the n''s most important secrets rather than to turn people into ves or make them act abnormally.


    "I did see something about that in the documents we pulled from thepound, but there were no records of it being used on any living member of the family." Akagi shook her head. She''d turned that ce over and scoured every document avable with nothing to show for it.


    "I <i>highly</i> doubt they would''ve recorded that information on paper or digitally." Himari gave a wry smile. "If they really did tamper with either of your parent''s minds, then that would''ve been done without a paper trail since that kind of stuff is taboo."


    <i>{I saw it used once before in the past. The man who created Momo and I had his entire mind wiped by the n to prevent him from spreading their secrets, and to ensure that no other weapons like us were ever made by him again.} </i>(Himari)


    "Maybe Naomi''s family had something on it?" Kana pointed out that the Tokugawa were the Tomogawa''s boss basically. "We now know that we''re rted and that our family <i>did </i>have contact with each other over the years. So perhaps the Tokugawa family records would have something?"


    "As far as I''m aware, Naomi''s father''s study and library is still as he left it the day he died. So we could ask her for permission to dig through the documents." Akagi nodded.


    "That''s probably your best bet at finding information.¡± Himari agreed. ¡°The Tokugawa''s would have far more information than your family, and I suspect the most important things would be kept in the most secure of locations." Himari didn''t know much about Tokugawa''s history during the period she was sealed, but figured that they still kept records as they had in the past.


    "I don''t think Naomi''s house has some kind of massive vault." Kana said as she pulled up her AR and started messaging her friend. ¡°I''ve been there enough and I''ve never seen one nor has she ever mentioned something like that.


    "They would''ve likely sealed it behind Spiritual Wards and Barriers, much like how Momo and I were when you found us." Himari shook her head. "Your best bet would''ve been to seek out the Tokugawa n''s familiars, but I imagine they left along with the other Yokai and are no longer alive."


    <i>{Momo hasn''t mentioned any kind of magical or Spiritual energy at the estate, so the storage location for family secrets may be elsewhere as well.} </i>(Himari)


    *DINK*


    Kana''s AR messager showed a reply from Naomi.


    "Naomi said we''re more than wee to look through her family records but that she doubts there''s anything in there that can help." Kana read out the message as she typed a reply.


    "Then I suppose we have an activity for after the tournament." Akagi nodded. "I still don''t detect any kind of magic or mind control over Taichi, but perhaps it''s something non-magical." She looked to Himari, who shrugged.


    "I can''t tell you the nature of the power, only that it works. It''s entirely possible that it leaves no Spiritual signature and merely messes with their heads in a way we can''t detect." Himari replied.


    <i>{Though if she can''t detect something that begs the question of what kind of power we''re dealing with and if it really is Spiritual energy being used. I suppose that it is possible that their parents were exposed to hypnosis or some other kind of subliminal messaging. That kind of technique wouldn''t set off any magical detection since there''s nothing actively messing with their minds.} </i>(Himari)


    "For being helpful, Himari gets a reward!" Akagi leaped across the room and into Himari''sp. "You are granted to honor of petting the kitty, be in awe of such grace." She smiled.


    "Isn''t that more of a reward for <i>you?" </i>Himari sighed.


    "Don''t sweat the small stuff." Akagi grabbed Himari''s hand and put it on her head.


    "Yeah, you''re right." Himari smiled as she pet Akagi''s ears, causing both Yumi and Miji to pout in jealously.

 Chapter 259 – Doubts.

    Chapter 259 ¨C Doubts.


    "So, did the two of you have <i>fun</i>?" Akagi had summoned Yuzu and Suzu to her audience hall to have a <i>chat</i> with them about their recent activities. It wasn''t a particrly formal event given that she was in cat mode sitting on the floor across from the two of them, though both were afraid nheless.


    "Y-Yes..." (Yuzu x Suzu)


    "Good, good, good!" Akagi''s smile was anything <i>but </i>happy from their perspective. "And Mika had fun, too?"


    "I think so?" Suzu started turning red. "She seemed happy..."


    "Yeah..." Yuzu was also simrly embarrassed.


    "Excellent!" Akagi smiled again. "That''s all that matters! Just be warned that if Mika ever <i>stops </i>having<i> fun</i>, you will have to deal with <i><b>me</b></i>."


    <i>{Why is she acting like Mika''s Mom?!?} </i>(Yuzu x Suzu)


    <i>_____________________________________________________________________________ </i>


    <Amakusa POV>


    "Hmmm. Hmmm. Hmmm." After a hardy dinner and a nice hot bath, Shiroe decided to give her Katana a much-needed cleaning and was sitting at the edge of her bed while rubbing the de down with some oil and humming a tune.


    <i>{Who''s a good girl? You are!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "How is that? Are you feeling better, Inori?" She smiled as a knock came at her door.


    "Shiroe? It''s me, Kanato." Kanato''s voice came through the door.


    <i>{What does he want thiste at night?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "If you''re here to try and add me to your harem, you can go away." Amakusa sighed as she flicked her rag to get some grime off her sword.


    "I''m not... I''m here to talk. Do you have a minute?" Kanato''s frown was audible through the door.


    <i>{He''s too easy to tease.} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Fine. The door is open, soe in. But if you try anything funny, I''ll give you the big <i>snip</i>." Amakusa snickered.


    "The sad part is that I know you would." Kanato sighed as he entered the room. He was wearing his sleeping ware, and his face told Shiroe that he''d been having trouble sleeping. As he closed the door, Amakusa made a scissor motion with her fingers while continuing to snicker.


    "You wouldn''t be losing out on much." Amakusaughed.


    "Listen, if you actually did something like that, then I can guarantee that you''d get a few angry women breathing down your neck." Kanato shook his head as he took a seat on a desk chair.


    "So, what do you want to talk about?" Amakusa said as she put her sword on a nket and set it on the floor. "Is it about our uing mission?"


    <i>{Is he feeling nervous?} </i>(Amakusa)


    Kanato didn''t immediately answer her and it took a minute for him to finally speak his mind. "Tell me... Did we do the right thing?" His question caught her off guard.


    "What do you mean?" Amakusa wanted rification, though she already had an idea of what this was about.


    "During the war... I..." Kanato looked conflicted as to whether he should continue speaking, but ultimately decided to continue. "Do you remember the time we took the vige of Toyama?"


    "Yeah, that was one of the firstbat operations we did after training." Amakusa nodded as she fixed her hair. "What about it?"


    "Do you remember the looks those vigers gave us?" Kanato said, biting his lip. ¡°Do you remember their faces, and how they...¡±


    <i>{How their eyes looked...} </i>(Kanato)


    "Of course I do. They hated us." Amakusa replied. "It makes sense that they would. After all, we burned their home and killed so many of their people in the fighting."


    <i>{If they didn''t hate our guts that would be even stranger.} </i>(Amakusa


    "Yeah... Every time we went to a new battle, there were always so many who looked at us like that." Kanato continued, this topic clearly being painful for the young man. "We were supposed to be the Heroes who saved this world, and even though the Spirits were the ones destroying the world..." He paused for a moment before looking into Amakusa''s eyes. "They looked at us as if <i>we </i>were the viins."


    <i>{It was as if... As if WE were the ones destroying the world...} </i>(Kanato)


    "What''s your point?" Amakusa asked as she pulled out a nail file and started working on her fingernails. "Isn''t it only natural for them to hate us if we were thwarting their ns?" She was trying to see just how deep his doubts went before she opened up regarding her own opinions.


    "Their ns... Yeah... The Gods told us they wanted to destroy this world with their magic and that the only way to stop it was to destroy them all..." Kanato shook his head, almost as if he no longer believed what he''d been told.


    "I remember how much you argued with riel when she told us that was our mission." Amakusaughed. "You kept saying that it wasn''t right to destroy them all if only their leaders were causing the chaos."


    "Yeah, but in the end... I caved..." Kanato''s right fist clenched tightly.


    "It couldn''t be helped." Amakusa shrugged. "The Gods told us that too much damage had been done to the world and that if the Spirits were allowed to roam freely one of them might finish the job in the future." Most Spirits were killed by the Coalition armies, but many were taken as ves as well, especially where Kanato was involved. "Your pleas spared many from extermination, so it''s not like you mindlessly ughter them."


    <i>{It seems that I''m not the only one with doubts about our ''mission'', but lets poke him a bit more.} </i>(Amakusa)


    "They were made into ves, Shiroe." Kanato scoffed at her insinuation that they''d been spared. "They may be alive, but we both know they aren''t exactly having a fun time." He knew what happened to ves in this world, and it was a practice he''d been pressuring governments to end, to little sess. "Even Neiline and the others... They don''t seem to understand why bing ves isn''t exactly a mercy..."


    <i>{I love my wives to death, but on this one issue they refuse to listen to me and it drives me nuts.} </i>(Kanato)


    "You won''t be able to easily change people''s stance on very, Kanato." Amakusa figured that it was a lost cause and had long given up hope of changing things. "This world sees it as a normal thing. It was like that on Earth in the past too, so don''t get too bent out of shape over it."


    "I know, I know." Kanato sighed as he ran his hands over his face. "Can I tell you something? Something that stays between us?" His gaze turned sharp. Something that Amakusa had only rarely seen during their time together.


    "Go ahead." Amakusa put down the file and turned to look him dead in the eyes.


    "I think... I think we might have made a <i>mistake</i>, Shiroe" Kanato''s words wereced with anxiety.


    "What do you mean?" Amakusa tried to feign ignorance but only half heartedlymitted to it, which Kanato easily saw through.


    "I do not doubt that this world was and is in danger." Kanato wanted to rify that important point before continuing. "I''ve spoken to a few fairies during my time in the Whistlewoods, and they <i>confirmed</i> that Enoris is experiencing instability and that it could copse." He was skeptical and decided to go to an ''unbiased'' source of information, and since fairy were a simple and politically detached group he figured they were his best bet.


    "But?" Amakusa figured there was more and wanted him to continue.


    "But... I have my doubts as to whether the Spirits were truly the ones behind it." Amakusa could feel the air get colder as he spoke those words.


    "That''s some dangerous stuff you''re saying right there." Amakusa noted that such doubts could easily see one jailed or even killed. "It means you doubt the word of the Gods, and as we''ve seen that''s not a good idea for your long term health and well being." A few people they ran into during their travels had said simr things and most had ''disappeared.''


    <i>{Good thing that he put up a barrier to prevent eavesdropping before we started, otherwise things could get difficult.} </i>(Amakusa)


    "I... I don''t <i>want </i>to doubt them, Shiroe." Kanato shook his head. "But... It''s just that ever since the Spirits disappeared that day, I''ve had a knot in my chest... A feeling that I''ve done something <i>horrible</i>... and it won''t go away no matter how much I try and ignore it." He gave a defeatedugh. "When we came to this world... I was so excited. I''d always wanted something more than the boring school life that I had, and being given a chance to be a hero like the stories I''d read... Maybe that made me easy to manipte..." He ruffled his hair. Kanato was only barely fifteen years old when he was transported, and as the youngest of the group he was incredibly impressionable and naive, something that had gotten him into trouble over thest decade. "Looking back at the exnations the gods gave us and the ''proof'' that was provided when I asked for it... Something tells me that I allowed myself to look past obvious lies just because I was so excited to be here."


    <i>{I heard the words, Isekai, Hero, Gods, and Magic and my stupid kid brain just went along with it because it was cool! Dammit!} </i>(Kanato)


    "So then you think the Gods <i>lied</i> to us all about the Spirits?" Amakusa asked how far up he thoughts things went.


    "That''s the problem." Kanato shook his head, unable to affirm or deny whether that was how he felt. "On the one hand, I do. But on the other, I just can''t understand <i>why </i>the Gods would need to lie about this." He figured it made no sense for them to lie about this.


    "Maybe they just hated the Spirits and wanted them gone?" Amakusa gave a possible answer.


    "Maybe, but I couldn''t find <i>any</i> evidence to support that im. The Spirits were outsiders in a sense and had issues with other races and shed with them at times. But <i>nothing</i> in their history gives me any reason to believe they had a hostile rtionship with either the other races <i>or </i>the Gods." Kanato thought some simple disagreements or racial tension couldn''t be the reason for the Spirit''s extermination. "Hell, they even fought alongside the other races and the Gods when the time came to defeat Demon Lord Vikes. So you can''t tell me they werepletely at odds with the rest of this world''s people."


    <i>{That battle nearly destroyed this world, so why would the Spirits help then only to copse this world now?}</i> (Kanato)


    "Well, they must have a reason, right?" Amakusa figured that the Gods wouldn''t do something like this on a whim. "They wouldn''t just condemn an entire race to death for no reason. That makes no sense and since this world was genuinely in danger of being destroyed, why would they waste time and resources on the wrong target?"


    <i>{The Gods need this world to keep existing, so saving it and its people is in their best interest. Thus, I can''t imagine any scenario where they deliberately lie when THEIR OWN ass is on the line.} </i>(Amakusa)


    "<i>That''s </i>what keeps me from saying that I''m positive the Gods are lying to us." Kanato put his head in his hands and groaned. "I just can''t understand the logic if that was the case."


    "So what do you propose we do?" Amakusa asked. "I can assure you that asking them to their face will get you nowhere, and you might even annoy them."


    "Yeah, and I don''t want to anger beings that could make me vanish without a trace." Kanato gave a nervousugh. "I have a family to protect. Thest thing I need is to anger the Gods just because I have these doubts." He figured that they could and would remove him if he became a liability.


    "Then how about we ask a different source?" Amakusa smirked.


    "Funny, I have a feeling we''re thinking about the same one." Kanato smirked back.


    <i>{That other world is outside of the Gods'' jurisdiction, and who better to ask about the Spirits'' role in all this than the Spirits themselves? Though if the Gods truly have lied to us...} </i>(Amakusa)

 Chapter 260 – Alice v Hishya.

    Chapter 260 ¨C Alice v Hishya.


    After letting everyone rx and recover, the second day of the Dumetor Interworld Tournament began, to much fanfare. The first day''s ratings were off the charts, and due to word of mouth spreading the craziness and the intensity of the battles, as well as a few expertly advertised recordings courtesy of Mika''s editing skills, even <i>more </i>people tuned in to day two.


    Following a small recap of the prior day''s events, Akagi kicked things off with Silfana as her co-host again. Though, unlike the previous day, there would no longer be a guestmentator as, by this point, everyone understood the contestants and their powers, and Akagi wanted to keep booth discussion to a minimum with an allotted time <i>after </i>the semi-finals for a more in-depth discussion.


    "Alright, everyone, today we have six matches to get through, and the opener is a <em>doozy</em>!" Akagi opened up the day with a whole bunch of energy. <i>She </i>was already fired up and that energy seemed to spread like wildfire as the chat also exploded with hype. "Hishya will be taking on Alice in what''s shaping up to be the grudge match of the decade! The two have quite a history with each other, and while they get along well today, Alice told mest night that she wants to pay Hishya back for something she did in FWO, and knowing her, she''ll make the Lizard work hard if she wants to win." She snickered.


    "I hope your little girl has some more powerful summons than what she pulled out yesterday." Silfana figured that it would take much more than that to defeat Hishya. "Otherwise, Hishya will just run right through them. I highly doubt she''ll make the same mistakes as before and hold back."


    <i>{And again, don''t you DARE lose to anyone but me, lizard!} </i>(Silfana)


    "Oh, don''t worry. Alice has <i>plenty </i>of interesting tricks up her sleeve." Akagi smiled.


    <i>{This will be a test of sorts. I highly doubt Alice can actually win this, and all the data I have says a loss is all but guaranteed. But winning isn''t everything, and what I want to see is just how far she pushes the little lizard.} </i>(Akagi)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    "So I''m going to assume that an offer to back out before you get hurt is going to be ignored?" Hishya said as she stretched, her lips curved into a wily smile.


    "Of course. Why would I quit when I''m going to win?" Alice huffed. "Not to mention that I have quite the bone to pick with you, Hishya!" She stuck out her arm and pointed directly at the Dragon.


    <i>{Yeah, I figured as much...} </i>(Hishya)


    "I may have forgiven you for what you did to me and Mama in the past, but that doesn''t mean that I''ve <em>forgotten</em>!" Alice red at her, the little girl''s eyes boring into the Dragon. "This fight will be more than just a match! I want to humble you and pay you back for all the bad things you did!"


    <em>{VENGENCE!}</em>(Alice)


    "Listen, Alice." Hishya sighed as she finished her stretching. "I truly am sorry for hitting you that day... Everything that happened to you since my stupid choice to head to Hassan alone is my fault." She gave a small bow in apology.


    "Don''t waste your time bowing." Alice waved her off. "I already told you that I forgave you. I just want to smack you around a bit to make myself feel better, that''s all." Her lips curved into a nasty smirk.


    <i>{She really has taken after Akagi, hasn''t she? And is it just me, or is she speaking in moreplex terms now? I guess Akagi was right, she is getting better.} </i>(Hishya)<i> </i>


    "Fine." Hishyaughed. "<i>But that''s going to require that you win, Alice. And as you no doubt know..." </i>She pointed the tip of her de toward Alice, allowing her voice to be more authoritative. <i>"I hate losing."</i>


    "Are the contestants ready?" Kira looked between the two fighters.


    "Yes!" (Hishya x Alice)


    "Then... Begin!" Kira signaled the start of the day''s first match, one that Hishya intended to end quickly. She was significantly faster than Alice and she nned to take her out <i>before </i>the Summoner could conjure up any of her beasties. However, as she stepped forward, ready to strike, Alice raised her hands and cast a spell.


    "FLARE!" From Alice''s palms, a bright light shed momentarily, which blinded and disoriented Hishya. As a Dragon, she could easily fight without needing to see her opponent, but having such a bright light project at her sent her head spinning and temporarily set her off bnce.


    <i>{MY FUCKING EYES! IT BURNS! WHY DOES IT HURT SO BAD?!?} </i>Hishya screamed internally as she put her hands to her face in pain. Alice had used a small trick to add a minor mental attack to the light, which caused it to be far more effective than one would think.


    Taking advantage of the momentarily stunned Hishya, Alice backed up quickly, moved to the far end of the arena, and started summoning several different creatures to help her.


    "Mr. Smiles, Sir Froggington, I need your help!" Alice threw small pieces of paper onto the arena floor which created purple summoning circles that spawned the familiar frog butler and a <i>very</i> <i>evil-looking ten-foot-tall</i> smiling clown that wielded a giant scythe.


    "It''s always a pleasure to serve you, My Lady." Sir Froggington gave a polite nod as he twirled his cane.


    "Hehehehehh!" Mr. Smiles beganughing psychotically. "What do you need me to do, master?" He squeaked his nose as he mmed the butt of his scythe into the ground. "Does it have anything to do with slicing and dicing that girl over there?" He was one of Alice''s more <i>unusual </i>summons and was captured during a very rare event in FWO. ¡°Oh please tell me I can drink her blood!¡±


    "I need you two to buy me some time to wake Puppers up from his nap." Alice threw another set of paper talismans onto the ground, two of which formed into Fluffy and Floofy, who gave a salute. ¡°And you two are on backup duty.¡±


    ¡°Do not worry, my Lady. We shall protect you and buy you as much time as you could ever need.¡± Sir Froggington tipped his hat.


    "I shall tear the very skin from her bones! Hehehehehh!" Mr. Smilesughed again as he and Sir Froggington moved toward the recovered Hishya.


    "Just please don''t kill her." Alice sighed as she turned to focus on waking up her summon.


    "Ah! That fucking light! Why the hell was that so blinding?!?" Hishya growled as she finally recovered. "I hope you don''t think that little stunt will stop- IS THAT A FUCKING <i>CLOWN</i>?!?"


    "Nyahhahhaha!" Mr. Smiles cackled as he ran toward her, scythe at the ready.


    <i>{Oh boy, I can practically hear Kana screaming at me to kill it with fire...} </i>(Hishya)


    "I''m gonna skin off your bones and turn you into a meat bicycle! Nyahahha!" Mr. Smiles gave off a disturbingugh, which revealed his razor-sharp teeth.


    "And suddenly, I understand why Kana hates clowns." Hishya sighed as she shed Sun Strike forward, sending a st of fire that Mr. Smiles cut through with his scythe.


    <i>{Why the hell does Alice have something like this, and where did she get it?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    "I hope you''ve got a bit more heat than that, lizard!" Mr. Smiles got in close and swung his scythe horizontally, which was easily avoided by Hishya.


    "Oh, don''t worry, I''ve got much more than that!" Hishya brought down her de in an attempt to destroy the evil clown, only to find it deflected off his of the scythe, and the moment the two des met she heard a voice in her mind.


    <i>{Did you hear the story of the scarecrow that lost a fight? He got the stuffing kicked out of him!} </i>(???)


    "What?!?" Hishya was very confused by this sudden intrusion into her mind. "What the fuck was that?!?" She wasn''t particrly resistant to mental attacks, but figured her resistance would keep out unwanted telepathy at a bare minimum


    "I find that some people have a hard time understanding my sense of humor, so I''ve found ways to get the jokes straight into their minds! Nyahahhah!" Mr. Smilesughed as he continued swinging his scythe at her.


    "Well, you''re jokes aren''t funny!" Hishya eximed as she continued deflecting and dodging him. Mr. Smiles was surprisingly strong and fast, and his barrage of attacks and bad jokes was putting more pressure on Hishya than she expected.<i> </i>As the two danced back and forth in their little game, something happened that took Hishya off guard.


    <i>{What did the fish say when he swam into the wall? Dam!} </i>(Mr. Smiles)


    "Pfff!" Hishya let out a quick burst ofughter at the joke but quicklyposed herself. "Wait, that wasn''t even funny!"


    <i>{These jokes suck!} </i>(Hishya)


    "Well, youughed at it, so it must have been pretty good!" Mr. Smilesughed more as he kept up his assault, and Hishya found herselfughing more and more with each joke.


    <i>{What do you call a can opener that doesn''t work? A Can''t opener!}</i>


    <i>{There are three types of people in the world, those who can count and those who can''t!}</i>


    <i>{Did you hear about the Italian chef who died? He pasta-way.}</i>


    <i>{Two windmills are standing on a wind farm. One asks, "What''s your favorite type of music?" The other says, "I''m a big metal fan.</i>}


    ¡°One one of those wasn''t even a joke!¡± Hishya yelled between fits ofughter.


    ¡°A few puns and such are allowed!¡± Mr. Smiles retorted.


    "Hahahah! Hahahahah!" As more and more jokes filled her mind, Hishya began tough uncontrobly at the bad jokes and this gave Mr. Smiles the opening he''d been waiting for.


    "Time to die, lizard!" Mr. Smiles shed Hishya across the chest with his scythe, drawing blood as she continued tough. "I''m d to see you have a sense of humor!" He smacked her across the face with the pole, which caused a bit of blood to spill from her forehead. "But I believe that it''s time for me to give you your curtain call!" Mr. Smiles raised his scythe once again and brought it down in a way that might actually have killed Hishya if she took it head-on, but just as it was about to make contact with her chest, it was blocked by Sun Strike.


    "Y-You k-know." Hishya was still trying to hold backughter. "I-I can t-totally u-understand why K-Kana hates c-clowns now." Sun Strike began to glow as Hishya poured more power into the de. "S-So please f-forgive me for k-killing you!" Her de erupted with a huge plume of fire and using all her strength she pushed Mr. Smiles away which caused him to momentarily lose his bnce.


    "Burn in hell, clown!" Hishya roared as she drove Sun Strike into Mr. Smiles'' chest.


    "Ack!" Mr. Smiles coughed up some blood. "Well, that''s not very funny."


    "Don''t worry, for your funeral I''m sure that all your clown friends will carpool." Hishya let fly a bad joke of her own as she sliced vertically through Mr. Smile''s chest, bisecting him.


    "Nyahahahah! That was a good one! You might just have a career in showbiz yet!" Mr. Smilesughed before his body burned away in Sun Strikes fire, leaving Hishya face to face with Sir Froggington who shook his head and sighed.


    "I suppose this was to be expected. Mr. Smiles tends to get a bit overzealous during battle, and I''ll admit that his jokes tend to fall a bit... <i>t</i> most times." Sir Froggington seemed to have creative differences with his clownpatriot.


    <i>{Though Lady Alice finds them funny...} </i>(Sir Froggington)


    "Oh, thank fuck, it''s gone." Hishya took a deep breath as she rposed herself. The forcedughter had passed, though it''d left her sides and cheeks hurting. "God that guy was <i>awful</i>. What kind of enemy uses forcedughter to win?!?"


    <i>{And why does that sound like something Akagi would do?} </i>(Hishya)


    "I''m surprised that you don''t go helping him." Hishya said as she healed her injuries with magic. "I know that you could''ve moved him out of the way with your relocation ability."


    "Whatever do you mean?" Sir Froggington said with a fake smile. "You were simply too fast for this old man. Sir Smiles was truly doomed."


    <i>{Ah, so he didn''t really like him and was totally fine with letting him die.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Well, it doesn''t matter." Hishya swung her de and turned toward him. "Now, please do us both a favor and get out of my way." She smirked. "We both know that you can''t stop me from getting to Alice." Compared to Eris, Hishya was far more powerful and Sir Froggington was aware that halting her wasn''t possible for more than a few seconds.


    "Perhaps I cannot." Sir Froggington said as his cane clicked against the arena floor. "But maybe <i>they </i>can.¡±


    "Who is <i>they</i>?" As Hishya asked this, the ground started shaking and she finally noticed the two <i>massive </i>teddy bears that were lumbering toward her.


    <i>{Ah, yeah, that''s right... They can grow... How did I forget about that...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Please do try and keep Sirs Fluffy and Floofy entertained. They''ve been looking forward to showing you a jolly good time for quite a while, Ms. Hishya." Sir Froggington hopped backward to where Alice was still trying to wake up Puppers with a magic circle, just as Fluffy and Floofy got into range and brought their paws down upon Hishya.


    <i>{This is reminding me of a certain stupid anime...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Oh well. Giant teddy bears are much better than psychotic clowns." Hishya sighed as she jumped out of the way of one of the bears'' attacks, which left a massive crater in the arena. "How the hell do stuffed bears hit that hard? What the fuck did Akagi make them out of?!?" The two bears were made of stuffing and thread, but were also embedded with powerful magic that made them more than the average bear.


    "RWAR!" Fluffy and Floofy began abo attack, swinging their massive paws down at Hishya. The Dragon was quite fast, but the rapid barrage of house-sized fistsing toward her was a bit difficult to dodge, and she was even hit a few times with ncing blows.


    *SLAM* *SLAM* *SLAM* *SLAM* *SLAM* *SLAM* *SLAM* *SLAM* *SLAM* *SLAM* *SLAM* *SLAM* *SLAM* *SLAM* *SLAM* *SLAM* *SLAM* *SLAM*


    "This is really fucking annoying!" Hishya growled as she shed at one of the bears'' arms, only barely managing to scratch it. "And why are you too so fucking tough?!?"


    <i>{You did this, didn''t you, Akagi!} </i>(Hishya)


    As Hishya zipped around the arena, dodging the giant bear paws, Alice was finishing her preparations, though things were running into a few snags.


    "We''re almost done! Come on Puppers, get your ass out of bed!" Alice groaned as her most powerful summon was being veryzy. "I''ll give you an extra special treat! Mama got a really good deal on imported meats!"


    At her words, a low growl echoed through the entire arena just as Hishya was being pinned underneath Floofy''s arm, barely stopping it from crushing her.


    "Get off me, you fucking bear!" Hishya raged, allowing more of her power to surge forth, and shoved Floofy backward a bit. "I don''t have time for either of you!" She leaped into the air beforending on the stumbling bear''s arm and digging her de into it. "Time to open you idiots up and see what''s inside!" Hishya screamed as she rocketed forward, tearing Floofy''s arm open as she zigzagged and spun up his arm. By the time she''d reached his arm, white cotton fluff was flying all over the ce from his disintegrating arm. "Don''t worry, I''m sure Alice can stitch you back together!" She pulled Sun Strike from the shoulder it had embedded itself in before spinning around and slicing Floofy''s head off in one strike.


    "GAWR!" Floofy fell to the arena, defeated but not dead, and as Hishya looked at the other bear, she was hit with a knot in her chest.


    "What the hell''s going on?!?" Hishya''s heart felt like it was about to leap out of her chest, and her entire body seemed to be in an adrenaline rush. As she looked around to find out the cause of her anxiety, her eyes stopped as she saw a massive, and familiar, beast crawling its way out of the summoning portal that Alice had made. "WHEN THE HELL DID YOU GET ONE OF THOSE?!?"


    *ROAR!*


    A deafening roar sounded throughout the arena as a massive Frost Wyvern stared Hishya down.


    "Hurrah! Puppers is here!" Alice smiled as she sat on the massive beast''s head. "Now you''re finished, Hishya! Ku, Ku, Ku!" She cackled evilly as the Wyvern reared up, ready to fight.


    "A FUCKING FROST WYVERN?!? WHERE THE HELL DID YOU GET ONE OF THOSE?!?" Hishya had seen a few during her time in FWO, but they were always high-end bosses and usually required entire teams to take down. While not as powerful as true Dragons, Wyverns, especially <i>Frost </i>Wyverns were notoriously difficult to beat, and their toxins were <i>lethal</i>.


    "Mama found an egg when she raided some noble''s mansion, and she gave it to me as a present!" Alice snickered as she pat the Wyvern on the head. "He was such a good boy when he was young, but now all he wants to do is sleep." Her words made the Wyvern roll its eyes. "Where did my cute Puppers go? I miss my happy boy!"


    *Wyvern Grumble Noises*


    <i>{Oh boy. This might get annoying.} </i>Hishya figured that defeating such arge, mobile, and powerful creature would be difficult, even with Fluffy and Floofy being withdrawn from the battle. The Dragon was likely far more powerful than this Wyvern, but that didn''t mean she could defeat such a beast without any effort. <i>{If that thing hits me with its ws, there''s no guarantee I''ll survive. That toxin is nothing to sneeze at, Dragon or otherwise... I''ll need to find a way to stop it from running around, and I think I have just the trick.}</i>


    "Too bad you''re not allowed to get scaly yourself." Alice continued her evilugh. "I think Puppers would''ve liked a good fight against a Dragon."


    "RAWR!" Puppers howled in agreement. Wyverns typically disliked Dragons, and he could tell that the ''human'' girl that stood before him was anything <i>but</i>.


    Standing before the massive beast, Hishya took a deep breath before exhaling slowly, her eyes turning sharp. "<i>You''re assuming that I need to transform to defeat that discount Dragon.</i>"<i> </i>She smirked, her tone bing more authoritative. "<i>Even without ess to my full power, I assure you that I''m more than capable of defeating that little pet of yours." </i>Hishya allowed her power to erupt, covering her entire body in a purple me. <i>"Are you ready to finish things, Alice?"</i>


    "Lets!" Alice yelled, and Puppers let fly its powerful ice breath toward Hishya, the entire arena bing much colder as a result of the bone chilling attack.


    <i>"Cold, but not cold enough." </i>Hishyaughed as she poured more power into Sun Strike, causing its me to burn brighter and more violently. "<i>It''s gonna take more than that to cool me down, Alice!" </i>She brought the ming de down, parting the Icy breath that assaulted her and causing it to bend around her.


    The scene before the audience looked like a lone torch barely holding on through a blizzard, but Hishya wasn''t even fazed by the cold. Ice crystals didn''t have time to stick to the Dragon as her internal body temperature rose enough to melt and then evaporate the condensation that collected on her, causing a small vapor trail to float above and behind her.


    "<i>Is that all you''ve got?!?</i>" Hishyaughed as she pushed forward through the blizzard, her de cutting the frost apart like a hot knife through butter.


    "Puppers, more power!" Alice cried out for her summon to give it everything he had, and the Wyvern obliged. Wyverns had an extraordinary amount of power, and their breath attacks were no less dangerous than that of a True Dragon.


    "RAWR!" Puppers increased its output, causing the ground of the arena itself to frost over as the temperature plummeted further and further, all the while the lone me of Sun Stike continued to get closer and closer.


    <i>{I thought she''d have been beaten already! How is she handling Puppers'' max power?!? I even fed him potions and gave him armor that made him stronger against Dragons!} </i>Alice thought that in her human form, Hishya would''ve been much easier to handle, and thus she''d nned to defeat the Dragon by overwhelming her with Puppers'' most powerful attack. But as she watched Hishya''s me slowly march toward her, she began to panic.


    "Sir Froggington, can you do anything to slow her down?!?" Alice called out to her loyal defender, who simply shook his head.


    "If I enter Sir Puppers'' attack, it will aplish nothing more than killing me." Sir Froggington apologized for hisck of ability.


    <i>{And Fluffy can''t do anything either.} </i>Alice bit her thumb in frustration. Even in perfect condition, she knew that neither bear would fair well within the massive ice storm.


    "<i>Don''t tell me that this little bit of cold air is all you''ve got?</i>" Hishya mocked the Wyvern as she continued to get closer. <i>"I''ve dealt with colder refrigerators, so I''m not impressed. I guess that''s why your kind are and always will be below us.</i>¡± Herment only served to enrage Puppers, who channeled even more power into his attack.


    "RAWR!" Puppers flew into an enraged state and dumped all his remaining power into attacking Hishya with his breath.


    "No Puppers, don''t fall for her tricks!" Alice tried to get her summon to listen, but she was ignored. "We need to fly into the sky and use that to our advantage! Staying on the ground will only let her beat us!" She pulled on his horns but was again ignored. Hishya''s words had angered the Wyvern greatly, and there was no way it was going to do anything <i>but </i>fight her head-on at this point.


    <i>{Stupid Puppers!} </i>(Alice)


    "My Lady, it would perhaps be wise to leave Sir Puppers to his own devices at this point." Sir Froggington picked her up and leaped away from the angry Wyvern as Hishya continued to approach.


    "Dammit Puppers! You better win, or you''re getting such a scolding!" Alice yelled at her summon as she was whisked away from the battle. ¡°And you can forget about the meat too if you lose!¡±


    ¡°RARGH!¡± Puppers didn''t like the idea of his meat being denied and so poured even more power than Alice thought he had into his attack, causing the entire arena to nearly freeze solid, the spectators shivering from the chill and prompting Akagi to break out some hot cocoa for her and Silfana.


    <i>"Ah, good, Alice has been taken to safety." </i>Hishyaughed as she stopped moving through the blizzard. At this point it was almost impossible to see her, and Sun Strike''s me was little more than a twinkle among the sea of white. <i>"Now, I don''t need to worry about catching her in the crossfire.</i>" She pursed her lips and began drawing power into her mouth. ¡°<i>So how about I show you a REAL breath attack!" </i>The small flicker of light within the blizzard grewrger andrger until eventually, it began to shine as bright as a star. "<i>Let''s see how a Frost Wyvern handles a bit of heat!</i>" Hishya roared as she fired off <i>her</i> breath attack, which quickly grew to block and then <i>overwhelm</i> Puppers'' own attack.


    "RAWR?!?" Puppers'' quickly found himself on the losing side of a beam struggle, and Hishya''s breath engulfed the Frost Wyvern, burning him badly.


    "Puppers, no!" Alice cried out as she felt the anguish of the burning Wyvern, and a few momentster, Hishya finished her attack, revealing the burned, charred, yet still alive form of Puppers.


    "Rawr..." Puppers let off a low growl as hey on the newly thawed ground.


    <i>"Had enough yet?" </i>Hishya smirked as she closed in on Puppers. ¡°<i>If not, then I think I''ll be sending you back to your little hidey hole by force." </i>She giggled as she raised her de to eliminate the Wyvern.


    "Just a moment." Sir Froggington zipped in between her and Puppers. "I will not permit you to harm Sir Puppers anymore." The frog butler was ready to make a final stand, despite knowing it to be futile. "If you wish to harm him, then you must go through me." He tapped his cane against the floor as he readied himself for a sh with Hishya.


    <i>"You couldn''t even hold Eris off for that long." </i>Hishya pointed her de at the frog. <i>"So what makes you think that you can do anything to stop me?"</i>


    "I will simply do my duty and protect My Lady from harm. Whether or not I am capable of stopping you is irrelevant." Sir Froggington said with gusto and pride. "A good butler does his best to fulfill his duties even in the face of impossible odds."


    <i>"I see..." </i>Hishya cracked a smile. <i>"Then I''ll make this quick</i>." She shed forward, Sun Strike colliding with Sir Froggington''s cane. <i>"Don''t worry, I''ll make sure I don''t hurt Alice." </i>She poured more power into her attack, causing the cane to snap and her de to cut the frog diagonally in two, before vanishing in a purple light. <i>"Well, as long as she gives up that is." </i>Sheughed as she turned to look at an exhausted Alice.


    Summoning Puppers had taken most of her strength, and she was currently unable to move from her position on the arena floor. <i>"I think that brings us to the end, Alice.</i>" Hishya said as she walked over to the seemingly defenseless girl. <i>"So, do you surrender?" </i>She asked while standing a few feet in front of her.


    "Only if you can defeat this!" Alice smirked as her shadow leaped from behind her, putting itself between her and Hishya.


    <i>{That''s the same slime creature that beat Eris. What is she nning?} </i>(Hishya)


    "If you can beat myst protector, then I give up. But I don''t think you have it in you!" Alice smiled as the blob transformed into a humanoid shape before taking on the form of Kana.


    "You''d never hurt me, right Hishya?" The shape changed slime spoke in Kana''s voice. "Even if I''m just a look-alike, you''d never-" The fake Kana was cut off as Hishya quickly spit it in two.


    <i>"Nice try, but that''s not going to work on me." </i>Hishyaughed. <i>"I''m not so weak hearted that I couldn''t kill a copy of Kana. So, I''ll ask again.</i>" Hishya put the tip of her de to Alice''s throat. <i>"Are we done?" </i>


    "Yeah..." Alice replied quietly, concluding the match in Hishya''s favor.


    Spoiler


    Mr. Smiles!


    [copse]

 Chapter 261 – Chloe v Superbia.

    Chapter 261 ¨C Chloe v Superbia.


    "And there we have it! Hishyamits child abuse by putting a de to my daughter''s throat! Isn''t she just awful?" Akagi asked the audience, who seemed to reply with a collective shrug.


    <i>{Well fuck you all too!} </i>(Hishya)


    "I think allowing a fifteen-year-old child to fight in something like this might be considered bad parenting, but what do I know?" Silfana shrugged.


    "In your world, kids took up arms as soon as they could hold a sword." Akagi deadpanned. "Besides, Alice can wipe out cities, so it''s fine." Herment reminded many watching that Alice had done exactly that not long ago.


    "That she was able to control a Frost Wyvern was most unexpected. Those beasts tend to be quite aggressive, and even my army only had a few at our disposal." Silfanamented that such a powerful creature was nearly impossible to tame and that for Alice to have done so was impressive.


    <i>{Hishya may have acted all tough and in control, but even a Dragon would be affected by that thing''s toxin. If she hadn''t used its aggression and attitude issues to keep it locked into that breath attack, it could''ve easily flown around and potentiallynded a hit. Wyvern toxin is something that even I wouldn''t want to mess with and my kind are very resistant to poisons and other simr effects.} </i>(Silfana)


    "It hatched from an egg, so it imprinted on her from birth.¡± Akagi exined that Alice had basically raised it. ¡°Though as you can see, it can be a bit <i>unruly</i> and is notoriously hard to wake from its slumber." She sighed. "Normally, it won''t get out of bed without quite a bit of coaxing, though it does love to fight strong opponents."


    <i>{Though in the end, it didn''t matter. Hishya is a True Dragon and one that likely eclipses most others of her already powerful race. Sending a being that is essentially a demi-Dragon to fight her was never going to work, especially when Hishya is far too good at fighting for a mere beast''s tricks to work against her.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Well overall, that was a good battle, but if I''m being entirely honest, the match I''m most looking forward to at the moment is our next one." Silfana said as she took a sip of her water bottle. ¡°The Oni in particr interests me the most.¡± She''d seen Superbia fight before and was curious to see just how strong she as now, especially against an opponent like Chloe.


    "Chloe and Superbia are both excellent fighters, and each excels at their particr niches." Akagi said as she pulled out and lit her Kiseru. ¡°This will be a contest of speed as well as power, and while Superbia is definitely stronger than Chloe, the Oni might find our little kitty''s reflexes and fighting style to be a bit much for her.¡± Since she was taught by Akagi, and raised as a ninja, Chloe was adept at hit and run tactics as well as using her techniques to bridge a gap between her and foes that were more powerful.


    "Superbia was part of the team that fought me at Hassan, but my primary opponent was Hishya, so I''m interested in seeing what she can do. I''ve heard that she routinely ranked high on internal listings." Silfanamented as she took a sip of water. ¡°Her kind were always powerful, and I can tell at a nce that she''s probably in the top percent of her species.¡± Oni were very rare in FWO, and they and their cousins the Kijin were almost never seen outside of their mountain viges.


    "If you''re referring to one-on-one duels, then Superbia was always ranked in the top five, and there were times when she nipped at the heels of Hishya at number three." Akagi exined the rankings. "At the end of FWO, thest listing went me, Hishya, Superbia, Herlex, and Eris, though to be fair thosest three switched around a lot. Herlex performed well where he could keep his distance and use his power in bursts while Eris did best in long drawn-out fights." yer fights were rare, and by the end of FWO it was umon for any duels between yers to take ce.


    <i>{Avahn is probably above Eris though, but she was never calcted in official listings since she wasn''t part of any major teams.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Strange how an assassin managed to out-duel dedicated sword fighters." Silfana side-eyed the <i>Demon. </i>"Shouldn''t you have been weak outside of times when you got the jump on people?" She never did understand why a rogue-like Akagi managed to excel so much in singlebat.


    "Tell me, what happens to an assassin if they miss their kill shot?" Akagi asked as she let out a puff.


    "I believe there is a saying in this world about not missing if you go for the king." Silfana answered sarcastically.


    "I <i>do </i>prefer to make my strikes quick and clean, and the vast majority of my kills were just that, <i>but</i> there were plenty of times where it was either impossible to take out my target in one shot or it getting into a position to do so was untenable." Akagi continued. "Thus, I modified my kit to allow me to dominate anyone in a situation where we fought alone. Though I could fightrger groups of lower-level opponents if it came down to it."


    "I suppose that makes sense." Silfana nodded. "You are the kind of paranoid person who likes her backup ns, so having that kind of skill to fall back on is par for the course."


    "Indeed, and while I passed that skill and knowledge on to Chloe, that cat is still more suited for a traditional assassin role than directbat." Akagi said as Chloe and Superbia entered the arena. "She''ll need to break out every trick she has up her sleeve if she wants to defeat Superbia. That Oni is no joke when she gets serious, and Chloe had best not allow herself to get toofortable lest she find herself with a de in her chest." Her eyes scanned both fighters, and inside she was excited to see the two go at it.


    "Does the teacher not have unwavering faith in her student?" Silfana chuckled. "I figured you''d try and hype her up a bit more."


    "Such fluffing is not only <i>pointless</i> but also counterproductive." Akagi said with a serious expression as she continued to analyze both contestants. "At the end of the day, Chloe''s sess or failure depends on her skill and how well she trained. Out of all those who work under me, she is by far my most capable assassin and the worst thing that could happen is that she gets overconfident in her abilities as <i>that </i>is the moment she dies.¡± She''d seen more than a few people go out that way in FWO, some of which had been her own targets. ¡°The number one lesson that I taught her is to <i>always </i>assume that you are fighting someone who is faster, smarter, and more powerful than you. That way you never fall into the trap ofziness and ensures that you keep your guard up and wits about you."


    <i>{She also inherited my habit of running my mouth and toying with her opponent when she knows she has them outmatched. However, unlike me, she cannot truly know if she overpowers someone to the point that she can afford such luxuries.} </i>(Akagi)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    "Cat." Superbia red at Chloe.


    "Oni." Chloe snickered at Superbia.


    "I''m d to see you got through your opening match, though, to be fair, smacking Mika around isn''t exactly much of a challenge." Superbia gave her some mocking praise for her easy victory over the Magical Girl.


    "As if your opponent was a real challenge either. At least Mika got off some attacks, unlike Mami, who dropped like a sack of potatoes." Chloe retorted.


    "I suppose that''s true." Superbia said with a shrug. "But before we begin, tell me what''s up with the getup?" She asked about Chloe''s outfit. The cat was wearing what looked like proper ninja attire, though there was a noticeable set of studded leather armor over top of the cloth and thick gloves covering both arms. "The hood and mask are cute, and the ears on top make it look like pajamas." She snickered.


    "This is a modified set of gear that Imperial finished making for me a few weeks ago. I had him outfit this stuff to help me with my job, and so far it''s proven quite useful." Chloe said as she flicked and flexed her right hand, showing off the strings between her fingers.


    "I hope you don''t think that a bit of dental floss will stop me from tearing into you." Superbia said as she slowly drew her de from its sheathe. "My de can cut through Dragon hide, so your armor and little strings won''t stop my attacks." She figured that Chloe would go down with a few hits due to her role as an assassin.


    "Perhaps, but that also assumes that you can hit me with." Chloe grinned as she took both shortswords off her back and spun them around in each hand before grabbing each and holding them in a reverse grip.


    "You''d best hope those des are made out of something better than steel. Otherwise, I''ll just carve through them too." Superbia smirked as she stanced up and held her de horizontally in front of her.


    "I suppose you''ll find out what they''re made of when I soak them in your blood." Chloe replied, showing off one of her fangs.


    "Are both contestants ready?" Kira looked between them, sighing as she knew that both were taking this far too seriously.


    <i>{Just please don''t necessitate my involvement in your little ''spat'' please...} </i>(Kira)


    "Yes!" (Chloe x Superbia)


    "Then... Begin!" Kira signaled the start of the match, and the first one to move was Chloe, who pped her hands together, creating an inky ck darkness from the point of impact that quickly spread out to cover most of the arena.


    <i>{Ninja liking darkness, how predictable.} </i>Superbia closed her eyes and reached out with her senses, peering into thepletely ck surroundings and quickly understanding that this was a far more advanced kind of darkness than a simple smokescreen.


    "Since when can Rogues ess the Darkness spell?" Superbiaughed dryly. Magical Darkness was a bit different from regr smoke or other simr effects in that ordinary methods of seeing in low light conditions wouldn''t work.


    <i>{I didn''t detect the use of a magic item either, which means that she used her own power to make this stuff.} </i>(Superbia)


    "You would do well to dispel your preconceived notions about what I can do." Chloe''s voice seemed toe from all around her as she let out a smallugh that echoed into the darkness. "Don''t forget..." A de swung through the darkness in a quick sh, which Superbia managed to easily deflect. "I am a student of the Demon Lord. There is more to me than what you assume, Oni."


    <i>{Considering that her attack just now was far faster than I expected and that she seems to be able to see clearly within this Darkness spell, I''d say that she''s probably right.} </i>(Superbia)


    <i>{Do you want my help?} </i>(???)


    <i>{No, I need to beat this cat on my own. If you help this fight will lose its meaning.} </i>(Superbia)


    <i>{You always were a silly girl, but fine. I''ll be here if you change your mind though.} </i>(???)


    "Don''t worry, Moonie. We''ll get a chance to fight together very soon." Superbia said quietly as her magical detection finally pinned Chloe down, and she leaped forward, her de shing with Chloe''s two shortswords.


    "So, you found me?" Chloeughed as she disengaged, and the two ran around the darkened arena at high speed, their des creating brief flickers of light within the Darkness.


    *CLINK* *CLANG* *CLINK* *CLANG* *CLINK* *CLANG* *CLINK* *CLANG*


    "Perhaps you forgot that I don''t need to be able to see you to find you, cat." Superbiaughed as she tried to trip Chloe, who deftly jumped away.


    "Fair, but just because you can find me within the Darkness doesn''t mean you''ve nullified my advantages." Chloe''s smirk was audible, and Superbia knew that she was right.


    <i>{Even if I can detect her there are still limits on what I can do in here. My ''sight'' is limited to rtively close range, and there''s no telling what other tricks she can pull in this ce.} </i>(Superbia)


    "We''ll see who has the advantage in here!" Superbiaughed as she deflected a few more rapid blows.


    "That would beeee, me!" As she said this, Chloe seemingly vanished from Superbia''s detection, which caught the Oni off guard.


    <i>{Did she move further away?} </i>Superbia continued to scan the Darkened arena, and it was only seconds before one of Chloe''s des came for her throat that she managed to pick up on the cat''s presence and move out of the way.


    "I see." Superbia clicked her tongue as blood trickled from a small cut on her cheek. She''d managed to evade a finishing blow, but Chloe''s sudden appearance was still quick enough to slice her open slightly.


    "You''ve got Dark Step.¡± Superbia clicked her tongue in irritation as she wiped the blood off her cheek. ¡°That''s going to be a massive pain in the ass." Dark Step was an exclusive ability to the Darkness Monk and it allowed instant teleportation between shadows, and in this kind of environment, it effectively meant that Chloe could appear anywhere that Superbia wasn''t.


    <i>{I knew there was more to this Darkness than just using it to obscure my vision. This stupid cat has basically turned the arena into her own little yground.} </i>(Superbia)


    "Good thing for you that Poison isn''t allowed. Normally, my des are coated in some pretty nasty neurotoxin." Chloe snickered from the shadows.


    "I''ve already almost died <i>once </i>to poison, so let''s not have that happen again." Superbia sighed recalling her near death at the hands of Gim and Grim. "But still, if you think that simply teleporting around is going to give you the win, then you''ll be sorely mistaken."


    <i>{I say that, but it''s going to be a big problem if she keeps popping in and out of fucking reality all the time. I might need to burn this Darkness away sooner rather thanter if she''s going to keep teleporting around, but there''s always the risk that she''s preparing a trap for just such a reaction.} </i>(Superbia)


    "It doesn''t hurt to try now, does it?" Chloe winked as she began using her shadow movement to make quick strikes at Superbia before ducking back into the shadows.


    *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG*


    Superbia eventually managed to adapt her detection ability to discern the moment when Chloe emerged from the shadows, but that only gave her just enough time to block. Retaliation was going to be difficult, and with the incredible speed that Chloe could strike and then return to the Darkness the Oni quickly found herself in a disadvantageous position.


    "Are you too afraid to fight me directly, cat?" Superbia tried goading her, knowing that Chloe was just as hot-headed as she was at times. "Is being a coward the only thing Akagi taught you? I suppose that makes sense considering she''s nothing but a snake who slithers in the darkness herself." She figured that insulting Akagi would be a good way to get a rise out of Chloe, and she was right.


    "I''m going to make it so that you have to eat out of a tube for those words!" Chloe got angry with Superbia''sment and dove in recklessly, assuming that the same exchange would continue.


    <i>{Now I''ve got you!} </i>Superbia was hoping that Chloe would take the bait, and the moment she detected the cat moving into the shadows, she plunged her de into the arena floor and called forth an eruption of Pink me that engulfed both the sword and her body. "Oni Fire! Sea of mes!" As soon as the mes appeared, the Darkness surrounding her was burned away, revealing a confused and startled Chloe who was caught mid-jump as she was ejected from her movement ability.


    <i>{NYA?!?} </i>(Chloe)


    "What was that about a tube, cat?" Superbia let go of her sword, leaped into the air above Chloe, and performed a spin kick, which mmed the ninja into the ground with a loud and painful thud, cracking the arena floor.


    "Ack!" Chloe coughed up a bit of blood as she collided with the arena. She knew that Oni fire could burn away portions of Darkness, but hadn''t expected Superbia to basically give up her weapon to attack her like this.


    <i>{Dammit! She baited me!} </i>Chloe wasn''t one to stay stunned, however, and she quickly rolled over just in time to catch one of Superbia''s ming punches inches above her face.


    "Not so tough without a ce to hide now, are we?" Superbia smirked as she brought down a second ming fist, which Chloe caught with her other hand.


    In a contest of raw strength, Chloe knew that Superbia had her outssed, and being pinned to the floor like this was <i>not </i>ideal for someone who relied on high mobility to win her fights.


    <i>{NOT GOOD!} </i>(Chloe)


    "Don''t worry, I''m sure Akagi can fix the burns I''m about to inflict on that dopey little face of yours." Superbia grinned as she put more power into her fists, which grew ever closer to Chloe''s face, the mes burning away a few strands of the cat''s hair as it got in the way.


    <i>{HOT! HOT! HOT!} </i>Chloe quickly tried to find a way out of her predicament. Without her hands, she could only use her legs, and after a bit of wiggling, she managed to bring her right leg underneath Superbia''s torso and kicked the Oni into the air, burning herself slightly in the process.


    "Ow..." With the chance she was given, Chloe stood up quickly, but rather than slink into the Darkness, she kicked off the arena floor and rocketed toward Superbia. Without her weapon, Chloe figured that the Oni was especially vulnerable and that <i>this </i>would be a good opportunity for some heavy damage.


    As Superbia started descending back toward the ground she saw Chloe approaching her at high speed, twin des at the ready. However, rather than panic, she cracked a smile. "If you think I''m defenseless up here..." Superbia snapped her fingers, causing a brief flicker of pink me in her right hand which revealed her de. "Then you truly have no idea what I''m capable of!" With a loud roar and a surge of fire, Superbia kicked off the air and met Chloe''s attack head-on. The cat waspletely overwhelmed by the amount of power that Superbia was putting out, and the force of their impact sent her flying back into the ground that she''d only escaped moments prior. However, this time, when her back met the arena floor, a plume of pink me erupted from the contact point between their des, burning away all the Darkness that covered the stadium.


    "AH!!!" Chloe screamed in pain as her body was burned by the Oni fire, and the look on Superbia''s face told her that she wasn''t about to let up until she surrendered.


    "Give up! Before I turn you to cinders, cat!" Superbia yelled as she pinned Chloe to the floor, making sure to trap her legs in a position where they couldn''t be used to try the same trick again.


    <i>{I''m far too strong for you to weasel your way out of this one, and there''s no Darkness for you to teleport to! It''s over!} </i>Superbia was sure of her victory and continued pressing downward, hoping to elicit an admission of defeat from her opponent.


    <i>{Dammit, Dammit, Dammit!} </i>Chloe swore in her mind as she took more and more damage from the fire. Things didn''t look good, and she knew at the rate things were going Akagi would be forced to step in if she refused to yield.


    "I... I... I..." Chloe struggled to speak as the mes and Superbia''s de pushed closer.


    "You what? You surrender?!?" Superbia said.


    "I... I''M NOT DONE YET! SUPREME ABILITY BOOST!" Chloe roared as she activated the special feature of the gauntlets that Akagi had given her. "GET THE HELL OFF ME, ONI!" She screamed as power surged within her body. and with one explosive push, she sent Superbia''s sword off to the side with one of her des as she flicked her offhand weapon, slicing deeply into Superbia''s stomach.


    "AHHH!" Superbia screamed in pain as she backed off moments before that same de attempted to dive straight into her stomach.


    <i>{What the fuck was that?!?} </i>Superbia had only moments to recover as Chloe quickly got up and continued her pursuit. The cat''s entire body was covered in an inky ck aura, and her eyes had turned the same orange color as Akagi''s own.


    "I''m going to tear you apart!" Chloe screamed as Superbia barely managed to block her des with her own, and the two began a high-speed duel that many in the audience watched with awe. It was well known that Superbia was one of the faster yers, and no one expected Chloe to be able to keep up with her in directbat.


    As the two fighters'' des shed Superbia''s wound only got worse, and a steady trail of blood appeared on the arena. Unlike Hishya, the Oni''s ability to heal inbat was limited, and her overall vitality was far below that of most other frontline fighters due to her role as DPS.


    "Oni Form 32, Fire Shield!" Superbia pushed Chloe back for a moment and managed to cast one of her few defensive options. It ced a rtively tough barrier of pink fire around her, and anyone who touched it would be severely burned, though it didn''tst very long.


    Chloe knew about this ability, but rather than press an attack she backed off and disengaged her gauntlet''s ability which caused the aura to vanish and for her eyes to return to normal. Exhaustion showed on her face, and it was clear that the burns and other wounds that Superbia had inflicted on her during their shes were taking their toll.


    <i>{Dammit! I needed that burst to work. I can''t use myaster''s power for very long. I''ll need to try something else. I just hope that wound from earlier is enough to slow her down.} </i>(Chloe)


    "Is she not able to use that for extended periods of time?" Superbia sighed in relief as she activated her healing ability, which stopped the bleeding on her stomach wound. "Thank god. Otherwise, this might''ve been a real problem."


    <i>{But what was that? She called it Supreme Ability Boost, but it looked and felt like Akagi''s power. Did that damn Demon do something to her skills?} </i>(Superbia)


    <i>{Are you sure you don''t want me to help? This looks like it might be a bit much for you.} </i>(Munechika)


    "No, I''ve got this." Superbia shook her head as the fire shield vanished. "She''s the one in a worse position. I might not be able to take damage as good as other fighters, but <i>she </i>is even worse in that department. The wounds we''ve inflicted on each other are bad, butpared to me, Chloe is in far worse shape from that exchange." Superbia figured that Chloe was still a ss cannon no matter what strange skills she had, and that as a former NPC the cat''s stats were much lower than her own.


    "Are you done strategizing?" Chloe said through a weakugh, exhaustion and sweat clear on her face. "Because I''m ready for the next round, Oni." She beckoned at her.


    "If you don''t have that boost, then you and I both know you don''t stand a chance against me in a contest of strength." Superbia replied,readying herself to continue.


    "If that''s true, then juste over here and finish me off." Chloe blew a raspberry.


    <i>{She really is Akagi''s student, isn''t she?} </i>(Munechika)


    <i>{Yeah...} </i>(Superbia)


    "Fine, I will!" Superbia ran toward the cat, only for Chloe to reach into a small pouch that she had on her waist and throw a bomb toward her. "What?!?" Superbia hadn''t expected explosives and stopped moving just before it detonated. The damage was negligible, but the small smokescreen the explosion provided was just enough to allow Chloe the time she needed for her next n.


    "Tah-Dah!" Chloeughed as Superbia swatted away the smoke with her de, only for the Oni to be greeted by all sorts of traps and explosives on the ground around her. "How do you like these tricks?"


    "Really?" Superbia sighed. "I hope you don''t think that something asme as a bear trap is going to do anything against me?" She noted that most seemed mundane and uninspired.


    <i>{These low-level traps won''t do anything to me, so what''s she ying at?} </i>(Superbia)


    "Then why do you look so worried if they aren''t able to harm you?" Chloe snickered as she chucked daggers at Superbia, which were easily deflected. "Juste on over here and beat me. That is if you''re brave enough!"


    <i>{This sneaky fucker... I know what she wants. If I try and charge through that stuff, it''s likely to have something in there that will screw me over. Knowing her, one of those small boxes is a teleportation pod. One wrong move and I''ll find myself out of bounds, and if I choose to destroy them with arge-scale attack, she''ll use the small amount of time that I''m vulnerable to close in and do some damage.} </i>Superbia<i> </i>had run into something simr within FWO as a very annoying monkey boss did something identical.


    <i>{I''ve never seen her fight before, but that definitely sounds like something a ninja trained by Akagi would do when backed into a corner.} </i>(Munechika)


    <i>{Come on, Oni. I''ve got you right where I want to. Just take one step forward, and then I''m going to drive my de right into your sr plexus. I just hope this works. I''m only going to get one shot to win this thing, and I don''t have much energy left. Damn, those mes fucking hurt... Myaster is going to give me such a tongueshing for messing up that bad.} </i>(Chloe)<i> </i>


    "Get ready, cat." Superbia started walking forward slowly, careful to avoid stepping on any of the traps. "This is where our little game <i>ends</i>." Her eyes pierced through Chloe, and the cat felt a chill run down her spine.


    As Superbia walked through the proverbial minefield that Chloe hadid out for her, Chloe clicked a small hidden button on her gauntlet, which caused most of the traps to detonate in a massive explosion.


    "Alright, here we go! SUPREME ABILITY BOOST!" Chloe activated her limited skill once again, and blood began flowing from her mouth and ears as she pushed her body to the limit as she shed forward, closing the distance in mere milliseconds. Her Dark Step ability allowed her to jump into shadows or darkened areas, and the smoke from the sts was justrge enough to get her right on top of Superbia. The Cat was banking on Superbia being even momentarily thrown off by her attack and using that single opening to deliver a finishing blow. However, such a victory was not to be as just as Chloe reappeared within the smoke cloud, a bright pink sh went off, and momentster, as the smoke cleared, there was only the sight of Superbia standing over a clearly unconscious Chloe with the only indication of what happened being a massive cut across the Cat''s chest.


    "Winner, Superbia!" Kira called the match, and the crowd erupted in cheers.


    <i>{Well, you did it. Congrats. I knew you could do it.} </i>(Munechika)


    "Yeah... I did it." Superbia smiled as the medical team rushed to heal her and the downed cat. "That was a good fight, Chloe." She put a hand to her chest, where a barely visible incision in her kimono sat just below her breastbone.


    <i>{Had I been any slower in using my technique, the cat might''ve actually won. I just hope this is enough to handle Hishya. At this rate, I''m not sure that even Moonie and I working together will be enough to beat that crazy Dragon.} </i>(Superbia)

 Chapter 262 – Shinlua v. Zephiria.

    Chapter 262 ¨C Shinlua v. Zephiria.


    "Well darn." Kana slid one thousand yen out of her purse and put it in Mika''s hand, the blue-haired girl having a smug face as she epted the money. "I really thought Chloe had this one." She clicked her tongue.


    <i>{Stupid cat cost me money!} </i>(Kana)


    "Fu, Fu, Fu! Do not doubt my prediction ability!" Mikaughed as she was hugged by Yuzu and Suzu. "Superbia winning was obvious from the get-go!" The two had made a small bet about who would win, and Mika ended uping out on top since she picked Superbia.


    "What are you, Akagi 2.0?" Hishya rolled her eyes as she consoled her girlfriend.


    "It was just a feeling." Mika winked.


    "More like you tossed a coin." Yuzu giggled.


    "Yeah, she had no clue who would win this, so don''t let her fool you." Suzuughed, revealing Mika''s true method for making her choice.


    "Oi! Shush!" Mika bopped them both on the head lightly. "Don''t tell them my secret methods!"


    <i>{Don''t spoil my fun!} </i>(Mika)


    "Mika, domestic violence isn''t good." Naomi snorted. "Don''t go abusing them like that."


    "She who hit me with a shoe around a dozen times." Mika blew a raspberry as she mocked Naomi for her prior violence.


    "<i>That </i>kind of domestic is both eptable and encouraged!" Kanaughed as she watched Akagi give hermentary via a video screen. "Why is Onee-chan so annoyed? Chloe did really good against Superbia." She could tell that her sister was both proud of Chloe and upset with her at the same time as she spoke about the fight.


    "Because if this was anything but a tournament, Chloe would be dead." Hishya answered while watching the screen.


    "I mean, yeah but..." Kana figured that it was fine since this <i>was </i>just a friendly battle.


    "Chloe is Akagi''s one and only student." Hishya continued without turning her head. "Don''t forget that our resident Demon Lord is quite protective of her people, <i>especially </i>those that she brought from FWO." This wasn''t the first time she''d seen Akagi get irritated when Chloe was put into a life-threatening position, and she knew that the <i>Demon </i>wouldn''t take well to it happening again. "I won''t take the fact that Chloe nearly defeated Superbia in a direct fight away from the cat as that''s quite the feat, but..." Hishya paused for a moment. "That kind of fighting was <i>not </i>what Chloe should''ve been doing, and yet she did."


    <i>{I''m sure that ending had Akagi anxious. To see Chloe get so easily goaded and then lose probably had a knot in her stomach as she imagined something like this happening for real.} </i>(Hishya)


    "I mean she did zip around in that Darkness." Kanamented as she pulled out some gum from her bag and popped it in her mouth. "That was pretty ninja-like."


    <i>{Not to mention that I''ve trained with Chloe enough and she''s definitely no slouch in hand to handbat.} </i>(KAna)


    "Yes, but the rest of it wasn''t." Hishya shook her head as she continued listening to Akagi and Silfana give their thoughts. "Even with that amped-up Ability Boost, Chloe shouldn''t have tried to fight Superbia on even ground. She''s an assassin and should <i>not </i>try to do something like that if avoidable. Even Akagi tried to keep away from such open fights in FWO, and as she said earlier, her build was primarily focused on taking people out with surprise and <i>only </i>fighting head-on if it came down to it." She knew just how dangerous a hidden foe could be, and Akagi''s lethality was augmented by her ability to surprise her foe.


    "But what was she even supposed to do then?" Naomi asked. "She tried fighting in that Darkness and Superbia could still see her. I''m pretty sure in a tournament system like this her only real viable option was to face her head-on." She couldn''t see another option.


    "And that would be where you are wrong." Hishya shook her head before turning and looking at her. "You are <i>correct</i> that in such a scenario like this Rogues are generally at a disadvantage, but not to the point that her decisions here were the only course of action."She''de up with a few alternatives after giving it a bit of thought and knew Chloe could''ve easily figured out something even faster than her.


    "So what should she have done then?" Kana asked as she shared her gum with Mika.


    "Easy. She should''ve kept that Darkness going and used that Supreme Ability Boost once she got an opportunity to hit Superbia for a knockout blow." Hishya answered as she sat down. "Chloe wasn''t going to be able to sh with Superbia head-on, and so should''ve used her ability to remain unseen to her advantage and taken Superbia out with one swift strike. Her best option was to take Superbia out in such a way that the Oni never even knew what hit her since drawing things out like she did doomed her."


    <i>{That power-up from her gauntlets would definitely have given her the extra push to down Superbia in one hit if she''d gotten past her guard. Superbia might be fast, but even with Princess of Blood active, if she wasn''t expecting that sudden boost, it probably would''ve worked.} </i>(Hishya)


    "But any discussion of what she should''ve done in hindsight is pointless." Hishya shrugged as Zephiria and Shinlua began walking to the center of the arena. "I''m sure Chloe is in for quite the tongueshing from Akagi once she sees herter, and there will probably be some harsh retraining in her near future."


    <i>{But still. That a former NPC could get so close to victory against a yer like Superbia... It just goes to show how much work that cat puts in and how much effort Akagi expended into molding Chloe into the warrior she''s be. At this point, it''s only a matter of time before most of the returnees are outssed by her people. After all, Chloe took down both Merkyul and Sabia at the same time, something that wouldn''t''ve be easy for even me at that time.} </i>(Hishya)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    As Zephiria and Shinlua took their respective positions at the center of the arena, most of the onlookers had already assumed that this would be a short match, and there were even some betting that the Elf would be paste in a matter of minutes.


    As likely the single most powerful spell caster out of the returnees, Zephiria''s power eclipsed the Elf warrior''s power by a significant margin. However, that didn''t mean that she''d dropped her guard and wasn''t taking this battle seriously.


    "I must admit that I''ve been having more fun in this even than I''d expected." Shinlua smiled as the two stood across from one another. "Getting to test my ability against such amazing fighters brings me back to my days as an adventurer, so it''s been fun." She''d traveled Enoris from North to South in the past and had fought all kinds of monsters and people during her journeys.


    "I was never one for fights like this." Zephiria shrugged. "But I would be lying if this wasn''t <i>a bit </i>fun." She winked. Her interest was more on the academic side of magic and magical power, though that didn''t mean she had zero interest in seeing how it worked inbat.


    <i>{Though it would''ve been more fun had Elna not run her fucking mouth. Damn woman is lucky Akagi wouldn''t let me have a bit of fun with herst night. It would''ve been so funny to ''y'' with her.} </i>(Zephiria)


    "Just be warned that I''m pretty bad at holding back, and my magic is quite potent." Zephiria snapped her fingers and summoned a grimoire to her hand. "So if you want to back out now, then I''d understand."


    "You wouldn''t be the first magic caster that I''ve gone against." Shinlua drew her de and spun it in her hand. "I''ve got a few tricks up my sleeve. So I won''t be running for the hills just yet." Sheughed.


    "Then I look forward to our match!" Zephiriaughed as Kira took position between them.


    "Are the contestants ready?" The half-dragon looked between them.


    "You know it!" Zephiria winked.


    "Indeed I am." Shinlua nodded.


    "Then, begin!" Kira started the next match of the quarter-finals, and instantly Shinlua took the initiative, rocketing toward Zephiria at high speed. The Elf figured that her best option was to put pressure on her in a simr vein to how Elna did due to casters typically being poor martialbatants.


    "Trying to pin me down?" Zephiria chuckled as she vanished the moment Shinlua''s de reached her. "Not a bad trick, but a predictable one nheless." She reappeared a few dozen feet away from the Elf, directly behind her and sent a few me sts at Shinlua, which were easily deflected.


    "Your kind tends to do poorly when I get close, so it''s my best option." Shinlua said as she adjusted her stance. She could cast spells herself but was nowhere near as adept or versatile as a proper mage, nor could she do anything as advanced orplex as Hishya, despite being a Magical Swordsmen. "And I''ve always managed to pin down slippery foes in the past, so don''t count on your tricks keeping you at a safe distance forever!" As she said this, her form flickered, and in an instant, she appeared directly in front of Zephiria, surprising the mage but ultimately failing to hit her as she once again vanished with her teleportation spell.


    "Ah-Hah! Now I get it!" Zephiria said from her new position behind the Elf. "I was struggling to figure out what ss you fit in, but I can see it now." She nodded to herself, sure in her assessment.


    <i>{This is Elf isn''t a Pdin. I''d thought it strange that she wasn''t augmenting her de with magic, and here I thought she was some kind of Holy Warrior based on her ties to that Sun Order thingy.} </i>(Zephiria)


    "It matters not if you understand what my abilities are." Shinlua shed forward with her short-range teleportation ability again, only for the same exchange to happen. "I know well that casters can''t use magic forever, so your ability to flee will eventually run out!"


    "Do you really think I have so little magic that a basic teleport spell would put a strain on my reserves?" Zephiriaughed as she was chased around the arena. Each time Shinlua got close, she''d vanish and reappear nearby, and it was almost as if she was taunting the Elf since she wasn''t unleashing much in the way of attack magic beyond basic fire spells to harass her.


    After a few minutes of futilely chasing her opponent, Shinlua stepped back, seeing that her tactic was getting her nowhere, and decided to try something <i>different</i>. Sheathing her sword, the Elf reached into the sky and summoned a <i>new</i> weapon, one she was sure would give her the edge she needed to win.


    "Come! Holy Bow, Day Break!" Shinlua reached out into the air above her, materializing a golden glowing longbow into her hand. It was nearly asrge as she was, and it looked <i>very </i>heavy and powerful. As soon as she saw it Zephiria quickly got to analyzing it with her arcane eyes, and even <i>she </i>was impressed by the weapon''s power.


    "Neat bow." Zephiriamented as Shinlua drew back the drawstring, an arrow materializing within as she did.


    "Its a very <i>neat </i>bow indeed. So just try and dodge this one!" Shinlua smirked as she aimed and let loose the arrow, aiming for Zephiria''s heart.


    "A bow is nice and all." Zephiria snapped her fingers and teleported, the arrow flying harmlessly through where she just was. "But you''re going to run into the same problem as your sword." She smirked, confident that she couldn''t be hit.


    "Oh, am I?" Shinlua smiled as the arrow curved around and headed back toward Zephiria in a small arc.


    "Aw shit..." Zephiria had seen something like this before and quickly moved to block the arrow with a shield spell. Her magical power was more than enough to stop the Elf''s attack from prating her shield and damaging her, though the upon impact with the magical barrier, the arrow unleashed a massive explosion.


    *BOOM!*


    The explosion from the arrow momentarily blinded the crowd as light as bright as the Sun briefly shed throughout the arena before dissipating and revealing an unharmed Zephiria, as well as a massive crater in the ground around where she stood.


    "Well damn, that was a bit more powerful than I expected." Zephiria had a bit of sweat on her forehead as she imagined what kind of damage such an attack could''ve inflicted on her without the shield. "But I guess I should''ve known that a <i>Ranger</i> would have some pretty special arrows in their kit." Sheughed briefly as she revealed Shinlua''s ''ss.'' Rangers were a martial ss in FWO that was simr to a Pdin in that they mixed magic and weapons, but <i>unlike</i> Pdins, Rangers focused more on Nature magic and archery than divine power and big swords.


    "Day Break is quite a unique item.¡± Shinlua exined a bit about her bow. ¡°It was granted to me by Dawn Master Emphara not long before his passing." The Elf said as she readied another shot. "This bow is said to have the power to harness the full concentrated power of the Sun itself in the right hands." She smirked. "And well..." She let fly an arrow that split into a dozen different arrows. "I <i>might</i> be those right hands." She was chosen by thete Dawn Master specifically <i>because </i>she could bring out the Bow''s full power, something that few had been able to do in the history of their order.


    "That''s a lot of arrows..." Zephiria began teleporting around in an attempt to avoid the barrage being sent toward her and even shot down a few with a few well ced me attacks, but in the end, she was forced to take most of the arrows head-on with her shield.


    *BOOM!**BOOM!**BOOM!**BOOM!**BOOM!**BOOM!**BOOM!**BOOM!*


    Dozens of arrows started raining down on Zephiria, and it was quickly bing apparent that the torrent wouldn''t be stopping anytime soon.


    <i>{Good, I''ve got her pinned.} </i>(Shinlua)


    "This is getting <i>really </i>annoying!" Zephiria growled as her shield was constantly pummeled by a never-ending number of arrows. Her magical power was enormous, but these attacks were nothing to scoff at, and given enough time she''d get in serious trouble. "Alright, fine! If you want to y this game, then I''ll return the favor!" She held her hand over her grimoire and began chanting for a few moments before unleashing a spell. "Maximized Magical Burst, Sun Burst!"


    Shinlua stopped her firing as she looked around the arena, waiting for whatever attack Zephiria had unleashed. At first, she saw nothing and briefly thought it was a bluff, but a momentter she saw a bright light in the sky above her and when she looked up the Elf was engulfed by a massive beam of light that burned her with both fire and radiant energy.


    "Ahh!" Shinlua screamed in pain as Zephiria watched her spell do its work, a slightly sadistic smile forming on her lips.


    "What was that about the full concentrated power of the sun?" Zephiria snickered as the beam stopped, revealing a singed, but still standing, Shinlua.


    <i>{Huh? She took damage but is in pretty good shape for eating an eighth-level spell. I suppose this will take a bit more effort that I originally thought, how annoying.} </i>(Zephiria)


    "A potent use of such power." Shinlua spit onto the ground beside her, a small amount of blood visible in her saliva. "But unfortunately for <i>you</i>, the Sun''s power does not affect me." She grinned. "The Dawn Order is one dedicated to such a force, so it''s only natural that it would not affect us."


    <i>{Though the fire portion of that spell hurt like hell...} </i>(Shinlua)


    "You know, now that you''ve said it, it seems kinda obvious in hindsight." Zephiria gave an embarrassedugh, knowing that Shinlua''s immunity should''ve been obvious.


    "Then, shall we continue?" Shinlua drew back her bow once again. "I''ve got plenty more arrows to throw at you, so just tell me when you give up so that I can stop!" She opened fire once again, and the same annoying stalemate continued. Zephiria <i>did </i>have more powerful magic that she could unleash that would damage Shinlua and end things quickly, but she was afraid that such power would kill the Elf.


    <i>{The pains of being way too fucking powerful for your own good...} </i>(Zephiria)


    After taking more attacks, Zephiria began to get irritated. "Dammit, how many shots can that stupid thing do?!?" The Warlock grumbled as she was continually pummeled by an unending barrage of arrows. She briefly debated teleporting right on top of Shinlua in an effort to end the stalemate, only to ditch that idea once she realized that the Elf would be the one in the better position if that happened. "Stupid Sun Bow, why does she have such a powerful..." Suddenly Zephiria had a realization. "That Bow... It <i>literally </i>relies on the power of the Sun, doesn''t it?" Zephiria said quietly to her self before focusing her attention on Shinlua''s weapon, noticing that it was ever so slowly drawing in energy from the very Sunlight itself. "You son of a..." She clicked her tongue in frustration. Her failure to notice something so obvious from the onset made her angry with herself. "Well lucky for me, I''ve got a way to deal with <i>that</i>." Zephiria sighed as she flipped through her grimoire and began chanting again.


    <i>{Another attack?} </i>Shinlua kept her eyes open for an iing spell but saw nothing and grew wary about what the Warlock was going to do next.


    "I''d better finish this quickly. That way she doesn''t get the necessary time to finish her preperations." Shinlua pulled the string back even further for the next arrow, which grew to around five times the size of the normal ones. "Sun Spike!" She released the arrow, but just as she did, Zephiria finished her spell and unleashed her attack.


    "ckhole!" Zephiria''s attack seemed to do nothing at first, but just as the arrow flew toward her, the entire stadium seemed to get darker, and the arrow veered off course and was sucked into a massive ck ball that formed in the air above the arena.


    "What?!?" Shinlua was bbergasted. Sun Spike was the most powerful attack that Day Break could perform, so to see it disappear so easily was shocking. "What is <i>that</i>?!?" She could still see, but it was as if the entire world was covered in a reddish-ck filter, and she assumed this to be the work of Zephiria''s spell.


    <i>{It as if the very Sun has gone out...} </i>(Shinlua)


    "<i>That </i>would be the end of your little radiant attacks." Zephiriaughed as she lowered her shield. Seeing the opportunity, Shinlua attempted to fire more arrows but found that no matter how much she tried <i>none</i> would form. "Your bow is quite impressive and hell, I''d even go so far as to say that it rivals some of the crazy crap that Imp and Imperial have made during thest few years." She said as she slowly walked toward the Elf. "But the biggest downside that <i>I </i>see is that it requires an external power source, and while the Sun is quite a good one, it can easily be <i>disrupted</i>." As she got closer she pointed into the sky, indicating that the Sun was little more than a distorted red ball high above.


    "That spell!" Shinlua could tell that all of the Sun''s energy was being sucked into the massive, and slowly growing, ball of darkness that hovered overhead. "I never imagined that a single spell could do something like that." She clicked her tongue in irritation, not having anticipated being cut off from what was essentially her power source.


    "Fun fact!" Zephiria stopped and smiled. "It doesn''t <i>just </i>block out sr energy!" She waved her hand forward, and the ball of darkness slowly made its way toward Shinlua. "Don''t worry, unlike what its name implies it''s not actually a proper ck hole. So you won''t be torn to shreds from touching it." She put her finger to her chin and tilted her head. "Though I''ll admit that it''s going to hurt like hell though." She smiled sadistically.


    "As if I''d let it touch me." Shinlua figured that such a slow-moving attack would be easy to dodge with her speed, but when she tried to move Zephiria cast another spell with her grimoire.


    "Bindings of the Abyss." Zephiria''s spell caused several ghostly blue chains to erupt from the ground around Shinlua, quickly grabbing her and stopping the Elf from moving. "This one is a personal favorite, only second to Geoffrey''s Dance of Death. But I figured that making you dance like an idiot as you took mental damage would be a bit <i>too </i>embarrassing." She''d used that spell on a few people in the past and, while humorous, it was a truly horrific way to go.


    <i>{Being forced to dance to some very cringe music while dying isn''t the way I''d want to go out.} </i>(Zephiria)


    "Ngh!" Shinlua struggled against the ghostly chains, which only wailed as she tried to get free. ¡°Let me go!¡± No matter how hard she pulled the chains only seemed to get tighter, and eventually, she was forced to her knees.


    "And before you get any ideas about teleporting. Prohibition." Zephiria snapped her book shut as she created an area around Shinlua which blocked all forms of teleportation.


    <i>{How can she keep this many powerful spells going at the same time?!? Did my attacks not have any effect on her mana pool?!?} </i>(Shinlua)


    "If you had such powerful magic, why did you not use it sooner?" Shinlua asked, still trying to break free from the chains that bound her.


    "As a mage, one of the mostmon mistakes people make is blowing their proverbial load all at once." Zephiria stopped and sighed as she exined her reasoning. "<i>I</i> find it best to sit back, wait, and figure out what my opponent can and can''t do<i>then</i> picking out a spell that debilitates them in one swift stroke." She pointed to the ck ball, which was now hovering above Shinlua. "That one countered your Sun attacks, the chains keep you in ce, and Prohibition blocks one type of magic that I choose. On their own, each isn''t going to win me the fight, but once I figured out your fighting style and the general extent of your power, I put together abination of spells that allowed me to end things." She had considered using Bindings of the Abyss earlier, but the problem was that it required an area devoid of sunlight to work properly. ckhole''s removal of Sr energy provided exactly what she needed, <i>but </i>it was slow and mana-intensive, which meant that it wasn''t something she was going to cast willy-nilly, especially since there was always that chance that Shinlua could neutralize it in some unknown way.


    <i>{It was risky to use ckhole in this situation. It''s an incredibly powerful spell, but there was always a risk that her Bow would still function under its effects or that it wouldn''t actually do what I wanted it to. Luckily for me, things worked out, but that could''ve easily gone sideways if I wasn''t careful.} </i>(Zephiria)


    "So, do I need to drop this thing on you, or will you quit?" Zephiria asked. "I don''t mind either way, but I can tell you from experience that it''s <i>not</i> very fun to get hit with this thing." She likened it to having her entire body stretched andpressed in rapid session.


    "Considering I cannot move, nor can I fight back, I think I''ll choose to surrender rather than allow you the pleasure of tormenting me." Shinlua sighed. The chains ced upon her were inflicting quite a bit of cold damage, and Zephiria could see the Elf start shaking vigorously as a result.


    "Winner, Zephiria!" Kira called the match as Zephiria canceled her magic to prevent any undue harm.


    "That was a good match." Zephiria helped Shinlua get up before casting a warming spell on her. "You were quite a bit more formidable than I expected, and I was actually starting to get worried there for a minute." She figured that Shinlua might''ve been able to win had the Elf yed her cards right.


    "I''ve experienced darkness that could blot out the Sun, but your spell..." Shinlua paused for a moment as she recalled the ckhole. "There was <i>more</i> to that, wasn''t there?" She detected something much more than mere magic powering that spell.


    Zephiria snickered. "Well, I <i>might</i> have channeled a bit of Akagi''s power into that one just to make sure things worked." She winked.


    <i>{If just a tiny fraction of Akagi''s power can give me such a bone-chilling feeling, I shudder to think what she could do with all of it.} </i>(Shinlua)

 Chapter 263 – Halifax v. Avahn.

    Chapter 263 ¨C Halifax v. Avahn.


    "Well, I guess that''s not really surprising." Eris said as she took a sip of soda. She and a group of yers were rxing in an air conditioned booth and watching the fights from a nice vantage point opposite Akagi''smentator booth. "But Jesus, I look away for two seconds, and Zef''s got something akin to ultimate fucking power." She sighed. "Why the hell didn''t she use that during the fight with Serval? We really could''ve used this back then."


    <i>{Was that idiot just ying around?!?} </i>(Eris)


    "Probably because she got a kick out of watching us mere mortals struggle." Ayame giggled. "That idiot probably enjoyed seeing us fight against such a beast."


    "Knowing her, that might be urate." Eris rolled her eyes. She knew Zephiria well enough that she couldn''t count out such a possibility.


    "I know that she got power from Akagi, but did that really make her this powerful?" Elna asked. She was still covering her face, but by this point, every one of the yers knew who she really was, which caused a small fight the previous night.


    "How about you bring up Spellhauser to her again and find out for yourself." Superbia smirked as she listened to Akagi speak on screen.


    "Yeah, that was definitely a room-temperature IQ moment, Elna." Eris said as she turned and looked at the Elf. "You know how much she hated her, so why the <i>fuck </i>would you bring her up like that?" The two''s disputes were well-known in the game and was the primary reason <i>why </i>Zephiria rarely worked alongside the Assault Team.


    "I knew they didn''t get along, but I always thought it was one of those things where they just needed to get a room." Elna shrugged, figuring that it was some kind of romantic tension that made them fight.


    "Ohhhh..." Superbia startedughing at Elna''sment. "Don''t <i>ever</i> let Zef hear you say that. Otherwise, you''re gonna wish you got eaten by Akagi."


    <i>{Boy, how fucking dense do you need to be to say something as stupid as that, Elna.} </i>(Superbia)


    "Yeah... If that''s what you thought was going on, then you <i>really</i> misread things..." Ayame put her head in her hands as she sighed and exined the truth. "Zef knew Spellhauser from back <i>before </i>FWO, Elna. The two grew up in the same town, and due to certain... <i>family issues</i>, Zef did not have it easy growing up. Spellhauser decided to use that in her bullying and essentially made it her mission to make Zef miserable for years." She recalled some of the stories that the blonde-haired girl told her over the years.


    <i>{I never understood why people would target a child for how fucked up their parents are...} </i>(Ayame)


    "I mean, bullying sucks but it''s not exactly umon." Elna didn''t really see the big deal.


    "Considering everything you''ve done and your toxic personality, I''m not surprised you don''t give a fuck." Eris growled, reaching the limit of what she was going to tolerate from the Elf. "I was hoping that you''d changed for the better during your time in captivity, but I see you''re just as bad as you ever were."


    <i>{Why did we ever hope that Elna of all people would somehow do a 180?} </i>(Eris)


    "I''m quite literally <i>restrained</i> by Akagi and I''ve had the fear of fucking god put into me, so that''s somewhat of a change." Elna quipped that she wasn''t in any position to cause problems anymore.


    "Being cowed into submission by Akagi isn''t growth or improvement, you idiot¡± Ayame jumped into prevent her wife from going off. ¡°It just means that if it wasn''t for the Demon Lord from hell holding your leash, that you''d go right back to doing the same stupid shit you did earlier this year!" Ayame raised her voice slightly. She''d known a few people that died during the Libra attacks and wanted to see <i>all </i>of<i></i>the remaining members done away with as punishment. "I still have no fucking idea why Akagi broke you out of jail and leashed you. As far as I''m concerned she should''ve just ended your stupid ass in February and been done with it!"


    <i>{Was it just for entertainment? Would Akagi really take this idiot under her wing for nothing else but her own personal fun?} </i>(Ayame)


    "Nah, she should''ve been thrown in with Armalthy." Superbiamented that death was too lenient of a punishment.


    "Hey! That''s some fucked up shit your wishin'' on me, Superbia!" Elna protested. "You and I both know what she''s doing to him!" She''d heard the sounds of Armathy''s screams, and Akagi had given her <i>graphic details </i>of his eternal torment.


    <i>{I DON''T WANT TO HAVE MY INSIDES MADE INTO MY OUTSIDES!} </i>(Elna)


    "Yes, <i>and</i>?" Superbia shrugged. "Need I remind you that <i>you</i> went fucking postal, killed a fuckton of innocent people, and were part of a major crisis that made a hell of a lot of people <i>hate </i>the<i> </i>other returnees! So why the fuck should I care what Akagi does to you?!? ¡° Superbia snapped at her, having had enough. ¡°If anything, Akagi should''ve thrown you and all the rest of Libra into that same ce!" She''d already talked to Elna privately with Excelsior, and although they tried to sort out some of their issues as former ''friends'', Elna was just as bad as she always was.


    <i>{Dammit! Why did I ever think of this girl as my friend?!?} </i>(Superbia)


    "And just when I see you''ve gotten happy again, you go and say shit like that." Elna grumbled that Superbia was as gruff and irritable as always.


    "Listen, either you shape the fuck up, Elna, or one of these days somebody is gonna stick a de in your back." Superbia''s re grew sharp.


    "What and kill one Akagi''s toys?" Elna scoffed at the thought, figuring that nobody was dumb enough to try something so brazen.


    "Akagi isn''t going to protect you from your own stupidity." Superbia replied curtly. "If you go mouthing off to the wrong person, there''s no guarantee that she''s going to do anything butugh at you as they hack you to pieces." She shed from her seat, sticking her de to Elna''s neck. "So either knock your shit off, take a step back, and look in the mirror..." She pushed her de forward slightly, drawing a bit of blood from Elna''s neck. "Or <i>I </i>will end you, <i>permanently</i>."


    "You wouldn''t..." Elna couldn''t believe that her former friend was threatening to kill her, a drop of sweat dripping down her hidden face as the cold metal touched her.


    <i>{Would she?} </i>(Elna)


    "Fucking <i>try me</i>." Superbia put her de away and sat back down.


    <i>{Now, Now. There''s no need to get all worked up.} </i>(Munechika)


    <i>{I know, I know... I''m just angry... Angry that somebody we used to be friends with... became somebody like this... Perhaps she was always like this, and we just didn''t see it?} </i>(Superbia)


    <i>{I think there''s still good in her, so don''t give up on Elna just yet, OK?} </i>(Munechika)


    <i>{Only because you asked, Moonie.}</i> (Superbia)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    "I hope you won''t go running away screaming like thatst girl." Avahn smirked as she drew her Oda from her back, the massive de''s tip smacking into the arena floor, creating a minor shockwave. "I''d like a <i>real</i> fight to warm me up before Hishya."


    "Oh? And what makes you so confident that you''ll get the chance to fight her?" Halifax smiled, clearly not happy with being underestimated.


    "Experience and I know just what I''m capable of." Avahn replied as she spun her Oda around in her hand, easily. "Fair warning, I tend to get a bit <i>overzealous </i>during my battles, so don''t me me if I rip that pretty face apart." Her abilities had a tendency to get away from her, and her own personality was... <i>twisted</i>.


    <i>{I can sense a dangerous aura about this girl, not to mention that de of hers... It''s possessed by some kind of vengeful Spirit.} </i>Halifax caught a brief glimpse of the Spirit that inhabited Avahn''s Oda, which looked like a disfigured old warrior in Samurai armor.


    "You don''t need to worry about me." Halifax giggled. "I''ve dealt with many opponents over my life, so I think I can handle whatever you''ve got."


    "Are the contestants ready?" Kira looked between the two of them, eerily aware of the tension brewing.


    "As always." Halifax nodded.


    "Let''s go already!" Avahn stomped on the ground, eager to fight.


    "Then.... Begin!" Kira signaled the start of the match, and as per her usual style, Avahn shed forward at high speed, activating her Demonic powers, and moving in for a quick and lethal strike.


    "AHAHAHAHA!" Avahn cackled, her eyes showing the madness associated with her abilites. "I''d advise dodging this one if I were you!" She swung her de down at Halifax, who hadn''t even drawn her sword, and just as she was about to make contact with her opponent''s head, Halifax smirked as she easily sidestepped Avahn''s attack, which mmed into the ground, causing arge crater.


    "Dodged!" Halifax giggled as she sidestepped another and then another of Avahn''s strikes.


    *SWISH* *WOOSH* *SWOOSH*


    "STOP DODGING!" Avahn growled as her de continued to miss her target, sometimes by mere inches. Halifax''s speed was too much for her, and it was no surprise that the Sword hadplete mastery of her own bodily movements.


    "First, you tell me to dodge, then you tell me not to." Halifaxughed as he continued dancing around Avahn''s de. "Which is it?"


    "DIE!" Avahn roared as she channeled more power into her next blow.


    *CLANG*


    ¡°Eh?!?¡± Avahn was briefly stunned as Halifax''s de blocked her own, bringing her to aplete stop.


    "Sorry, but <i>that </i>isn''t something I can do." Halifax smiled as she looked the angry cat in the eyes.


    <i>{Her power is highly vtile, and I swear that I''ve seen something like it before, but I can''t seem to remember where. Argh... It''s on the tip of my tongue, but I just can''t quite remember it.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Think your hot shit just because you stopped my attack?!?" Avahn grinned as she leaped backward.


    "Maybe a little?" Halifax giggled as she ced her de back in its holster. "That look on your face when I stopped you cold <i>was </i>funny though." She wasn''t entirely ying around, but it was clear to outsiders that she wasn''t taking things seriously either.


    "You son of a bitch! Don''t you fucking mock me!" Avahn''s power roared to life, a ck and red aura erupting around her, making it seem like she was engulfed in living anger. "NOW YOU''VE MADE ME MAD!" In an instant, she found herself in front of Halifax, who blocked the cat''s de with her own, and the two began a high-speed duel that epassed the entire arena.


    *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM*


    The two rocketed around at blistering speed and were moving so fast that even some members of the audience were struggling to see them, even with technological or magical support.


    Each sh devastated the ground beneath the two fighters, and a few areas of the arena even started to melt due to the intense heat and pressure unleashed with each sh. As things continued Avahn began delving deeper into her dark power, and as her level of anger increased, so did her power. However, despite her slow increase in strength, Halifax seemed to have no trouble blocking each and every one of the raging cat''s strikes. Her de always seemed to be positioned perfectly to stop each iing strike, and the few times Avahn tried to kick or punch her, Halifax easily avoided or deflected such blows.


    <i>{WHY CAN''T I HIT HER?!?} </i>Avahn screamed in her mind, angry that Halifax was embarrassing her by making her attacks ineffective.


    <i>{Perhaps you should try using other types of attacks? This woman is obviously a master duelist, and it looks like she specializes in defensive fighting styles.} </i>Furui, the Spirit with her de, spoke to her via telepathy.


    "Fine..." Avahn growled as she disengaged from Halifax. "But if this doesn''t work, we''re going all out." She red at the de in her hand.


    <i>{If that is what you think is needed, then I won''t try and dissuade you. It''s not like I care about how deep into the power you go since I get to enjoy the show either way.} </i>Avahn could feel just the slightest bit of worry from her de, knowing that he was a tsundere at heart.


    "We''ve done it enough times over the years, so don''t worry." Avahn gave a scary smile as she turned back toward Halifax. "Besides, it just means you''ll get to feed."


    <i>{Don''t go threatening me with a good time now.} </i>(Furui)


    "Given up yet?" Halifax said as she spun her de in her hand and rested it on her shoulder. "That''s too bad. I was hoping to get a decent warm-up in before the <i>real </i>fighters showed up." She grinned, knowing that herments would only serve to enrage the cat.


    "Oh, you mother..." Avahn bit back the urge to scream all the profanity in her mind. "No, I''m not giving up." She clicked her tongue as she pulled off her left glove and sliced open her palm with her Oda. "I just needed a moment for something, that''s all." She smirked as the de erupted with even more dark energy.


    "That''s good." Halifax smiled. "Show me what you''ve got, kitty."


    "Demonic Art, Hell sh!" Avahn swung her de, causing an eruption of fire and lighting to scream toward Halifax at high speed. Each bolt was faster than lightning, and the noise they made upon appearing reminded many of depictions of screaming souls from horror movies.


    Hell sh was a technique that mixed Avahn''s own lighting and fire abilities with the dark powers of <i>Demons</i>, transforming her one strike into hundreds of more powerful attacks that would all strike an opponent simultaneously. She normally only used it on hordes of enemies as it wasn''t great against single-target boss monsters, but she figured that Halifax wouldn''t be able to so easily dodge and block so many high-powered attacks.


    ¡°Take this!¡± Avahn roared as her attacks zipped forward.


    "Not bad." Halifax smiled as hundreds of attacks came straight for her. "So, as a reward for all your hard work, allow me to show you one of <i>my</i> techniques." She spun her de in her hand before stopping it an angle perpendicr to her body, gripping it with one hand. "One Hundred and Twenty-Second form of the Divine de..." Halifax''s hair turned blue, and lightning began to spark around her body. "Kataig¨ªda!"


    For a moment, it seemed as if time itself stopped in the arena. The air got heavy, and there was a collective feeling of anxiety amongst practically everyone who watched. Most people described this moment as something to akin to the feeling in one''s stomach when they think they''re about to fall from a high ce, but just as fast as this feeling came on, it stopped.


    "W-What..." Avahn stoodpletely lost for words as every single one of her shes disappeared. One of her most powerful moves waspletely nullified in an instant, and she didn''t even know what happened. "What did you do?!?" All of Hell sh''s attacks had vanished without a trace, and all that remained was the distant sound of thunder and a very electrified Halifax, who caught her falling sword with her left hand.


    <i>{I... Even I couldn''t see what just happened...} </i>Furui was simrly stunned by this unexpected turn of events. He''d seen many powerful opponents during his life, but never one that could destroy so many powerful attacks with what seemed like little effort.


    "That was an excellent attack, Avahn." Halifax flicked her de as she reverted to her usual appearance. "Imend you for having such precise control over that much power. Kataig¨ªda is something I haven''t had to bring out in a <i>very </i>long time, so you should feel great pride in making me use it." She smiled, genuinely praising Avahn for her efforts.


    <i>{Having to destroy so many attacks at once was a challenge, but in the end, I was able to handle it. This girl truly has extraordinary power, and I can only imagine it will grow stronger in time.} </i>(Halifax)


    "She..." Avahn''s face turned dark as more anger swelled within. Halifax''s praise may have been genuine, but she felt <i>humiliated </i>by the Sword.


    "However, I think it''s time to end things." Halifax began walking toward her slowly. "You''re a great fighter, and I can see you bing even stronger in the future, so make sure you keep up your training." With a swift kick off the arena floor, Halifax found herself in front of Avahn, her de bearing down on the angry cat''s shoulder. "Please bear with the pain. I promise you won''t feel it for very long." She smiled as her de moved toward Avahn''s shoulder, but rather than make contact it was stopped a few inches above, blocked by what seemed like a force field.


    <i>{WHAT?!?} </i>Halifax was surprised. Her de couldn''t move down any further and it was as if it was being blocked by an incredibly powerful force.


    <i>{Furui.} </i>Avahn thought one word, and her partner didn''t even speak a word in response as he already knew what to do next.


    As Halifax tried to break past the protective barrier, anger, power, and rage began to swell within Avahn, causing an eruption of power that shot into the sky, sting away the clouds. Seeing that something bad was going to happen Halifax quickly backed off, surprised and confused.


    "What''s going on? Her power just spiked like crazy!" Halifax looked on as Avahn''s power went higher and higher.


    <i>{And why am I getting such a feeling of De ja vu?!?} </i>(Halifax)


    "I''m not going to make it quick." Avahn''s angry voice echoed throughout the stadium, and as she stepped out of the raging inferno of energy, Halfiax was smacked with a feeling of dread. "You will <i>suffer </i>for the humiliation you caused me." In an instant, the kitty was gone, appearing in front of Halifax, her de being only barely blocked by a quick lifting of Halifax''s sword.


    *BOOM!*


    The single collision of the fighter''s des caused a massive shock wave that tore the entire arena apart, chunks started flying off in different directions, and parts copsed onto the y floor below.


    "W-What''s going on?!? Where did all this powere from?!?" Halifax groaned as she held off Avahn''s attack.


    <i>{How could she get this powerful?!? I couldn''t detect any hidden reserves of power, especially not ones THIS big!} </i>(Halifax)


    "This?" Avahn gave a chuckle that could make a man''s skin crawl. "This is <i>all </i>of <i>it.</i>"


    "All of what?" Halifax asked as she pushed Avahn away. "What is that power?!?"


    "<i>Hatred</i>." Avahn''s single word sent chills down Halifax''s spine.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Akagi POV>


    "Well damn. She actually had to resort to using it." Akagi whistled in surprise as she watched the two duke it out. "Halifax really pushed her buttons enough to bring it <i>all</i> out. Have fun!" Sheughed.


    "What the fucking hell is that?!?" Silfana scrambled to understand what was going on. "Since when did that weird cat have this kind of power?!?" At this point, she was certian that even <i>she </i>wouldn''t be able to win against Avahn with how much power was flowing out of the Demon cat.


    <i>"That</i>." Akagi pointed to Avahn who was now engaged in another set of high-speed shes with Halifax. "Is what happens when you stack an ungodly number of multipliers on top of an already incredibly broken skill." She chuckled. "Avahn is already the Avatar of Rage courtesy of some <i>interesting </i>choices and events during FWO, so its only natural that she has such power."


    "Wait, what?!?" Silfana was again, confused. "What the fuck is an Avatar of Rage?!?"


    <i>{???} </i>(Slifana)


    "Put simply, she became the embodiment of that emotion via some events, and her power is directly tied to it." Akagi exined what was going on. "Avahn is quite literally a being that runs on anger, and thus the more pissed off she gets the more powerful she bes. Combine that with her little sword friend who <i>also </i>has abilities that multiply Avahn''s power based on that inherent rage alongside her other gear, and..." Akagi made an exploding noise and small effect in front of her.


    "Why did she never use this power <i>before</i> then?!?" Silfana was screaming the same question that most other yers were. "She could''ve helped crush Serval much quicker!"


    "Because said power has the <i>slight </i>downside of making her slowly go mad the longer she uses it." Akagi did a tee-hee pero. "It''s not exactly great to funnel <i>all </i>the anger into one''s mind and body for very long since there''s always a chance she''ll be consumed by it." She figured that no matter how strong Avahn was mentally that she was simply incapable of handling such raw emotion for long periods of time without issue.


    "What the fuck..." Silfana watched inplete awe as Avahn and Halifax raced around the area at speeds that defied her expectations.


    <i>{Just what kind of monster is Avahn, and what kind of existence is Halifax if she''s keeping up with that insanity?!?} </i>(Slifana)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    "RWAWR!" Avahn screamed as she chased Halifax around the arena. She still had yet tond a proper blow on her opponent, but it was clear that Halifax couldn''t easily dodge her anymore. "I''M GOING TO DRINK YOUR FUCKING BLOOD FROM A SILLY STRAW!"


    <i>{I don''t have any blood, but that''s beside the point...} </i>Halifax wasn''t afraid of Avahn, if anything, this sudden increase in power only excited her.


    "It looks like Hishya isn''t the only one I needed to watch out for." Halifax giggled as she sidestepped one of Avahn''s attacks and swept her feet out from under the angry cat, causing her to stumble forward. "Four Hundred and Sixty-Third form of the Divine de, Irida!" Halifax''s hair changed into a rainbow of different colors, and wings with simrly diverse feathers sprouted from her back. "Let''s put you down quickly." She switched her de around in her hand, holding it in a reverse grip as she drove it straight through Avahn''s back and causing it to erupt from the other side. "Sk¨¢zo." Halifax uttered one word, and a massive rainbow explosion erupted inside Avahn, with light of all colors pouring from her eyes, shooting into the air.


    "There." Halifax withdrew her de from Avahn, who copsed onto the ground like a puppet who''s strings had been cut. "I''d advise surrendering before your wounds-" Her request was cut short as Avahn quickly got back up and went right back to fighting as if nothing had happened.


    "What?!?" Halifax hadn''t expected this. "How are you unharmed?!?" She looked down at Avahn''s stomach, and that while she saw the hole in her gear where her de had run the cat through, there was no visible wound.


    "AHAHAAHH!" Avahn cackled manically as the two shed around the arena at ludicrous speed. "You think you can <i>kill </i>me? HOW CUTE!" She brought her de down, pinning her rainbow-winged opponent down. "I CANNOT DIE! I AM DEATH ITSELF! I AM ANGER AND HATRED GAVE FORM! I CANNOT DIE! THERE IS NO WOUND YOU CAN INFLICT UPON ME THAT WILL LAST!" She continued tough as she mmed her de into Halifax''s again and again.


    "How is that even possible?" Halifax said to herself as she continued to deflect Avahn''s blows.


    <i>{If that''s true then... What can I do?} </i>Halifax wracked her brain for a solution, but for the first time in a while, she had no answer. <i>{An enemy that regenerates too fast to kill. How can I possibly-} </i>


    "AH-HA!" Halifax smirked as something in her mind fell into ce. "I <i>finally</i> remember what your power reminds me of!" She put extra power into her next strike, sending Avahn flying away for a moment.


    <i>{She has the same kind of power as Kirios! That fucking spear was an absolute pain in the ass, but if she''s anything like him...} </i>Halifax discharged her wings and reverted to normal. "Then perhaps that means that she shares the same weakness."


    "IT MATTERS NOT IF YOU''VE SEEN MY POWER BEFORE!" Avahn sped back over to her. "I AM UNKILLABLE! YOU CAN NEVER HOPE TO DEFEAT ME! SO JUST GIVE UP, AND PERHAPS YOU WILL LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO REGRET MOCKING ME!"


    <i>{Man she''s really gotten lost in the sauce, huh?} </i>(Halifax)


    "Well, here goes nothing." Halifax sighed. Deep within, she was nervous. There was no guarantee that her n would work, and she was going off the assumption that Avahn''s power worked like her fellow Divine Weapon''s ability. If she was right, then she would win, but if she was wrong...


    "I suppose I just need to try." Halifax took a deep breath, dropped her stance, and looked straight at the very angry kitty that wasing at her in a psychotic rage. "Nine Hundred and Ny Ninth form of the Divine de..." Avahn reached her the next moment, baring down on her with every ounce of power that the angry Cat had. "Anathema." With a single word, Halifax''s appearance changed yet again. Her hair turned stark white, her eyes changed from their usual blue to a vibrant gold, and her entire body became wrapped in a thinyer of white fire.


    *SWISH!*


    With a single stroke of her de, she sliced through Avahn, who continued past her before crashing into the ground. Slowly turning around, Halifax saw Avahn try and get up, but the cat was only able to flip onto her back.


    "What did you do to me?!?" Avahn attempted to stand up but found that her body would no longer listen to her. ¡°Why can''t I move?!?¡±


    "Simple." Halifax answered as she walked over to her. "I disrupted your soul''s connection to your body."


    "But I can''t take damage!" Avahn struggled again but got nowhere. ¡°You shouldn''t be able to harm me! And even if you do, then I''d just regenerate!¡± She didn''t understand why her body wasn''t repairing itself from whatever damage she''d taken.


    "One of my siblings had the power to grant a power simr to yours to others." Halifax said. "It is truly an awesome power, and it turns those who receive such an ability into a nearly unstoppable war machine." She gave a wry smile as she recalled a few past events that tended to end with massive craters and high body counts. "But..." She continued. "Such strengthening of the <i>flesh</i> does nothing to protect one''s <i>spirit</i>." Halifax shook her head.


    ¡°What?!?¡± Avahn found herself able to move even less, and still didn''t really understand what was going on.


    "Anathema is a <i>very</i> unique piece of my arsenal." She moved her de so that Avahn could see it clearly. It was transformed like her, being as white as her hair was, and from what Avahn could tell, it seemed to be flickering and semi-translucent. "It''s the only form of my de that allows attacking such a nearly unassable part of one''s existence."


    <i>{The soul is almost impossible to interact with, and this very form was how I managed to take Vikes down so long ago. How long has it been since I used this de? A thousand years or more?} </i>(Halifax)


    "Well, you''re gonna have to do more than just make me immobile to win!" Avahn wouldn''t concede even if she couldn''t move. "I''m still alive, and you can''t kill me! So I guess nobody wins!"


    "Oh, I don''t know about that." Halifax flipped her de around in her hand and jammed it into Avah''s stomach, knocking her unconscious and ending her rage-fueled rampage. "Don''t worry, you''ll wake upter. Though you''ll probably be groggy and a bit wobbly on your feet." She giggled as Kira called the match.


    "That was an amazing fight, Avahn." Halifax smiled as she withdrew her de. "I''d like to fight you again if you don''t mind. Though perhaps you shouldn''t gopletely crazy during the next one." She then turned and looked up at Hishya, who was staring back at her from the VIP booth.


    <i>{But before all that I have a Dragon to y.} </i>(Halifax)

 Chapter 264 – Hishya v The Oni Sisters?

    Chapter 264 ¨C Hishya v The Oni Sisters?


    "And the arena is destroyed, <i>yet</i> <i>again</i>..." Akagi sighed, her hand covering the small smile that showed just how much she reveled in the destruction going on. "But it was a good fight, and from thements in chat and the roar of our audience, it seems to be the most popr so far." People were going nuts on social media and chat was moving so fast that it was nearly impossible to read anything. The watching audience was on fire, and the absolutely <i>insane </i>amount of hype being generated meant that the very air within the arena itself felt electrified. Avahn and Halifax''s level of speed, power, and destruction eclipsed anything else seen so far, and there were many anticipating theing fights would only get <i>more </i>insane.


    <i>{And you, my little sword, you seem to have a very naughty ability in your arsenal.} </i>Akagi chuckled to herself as she watched Halifax slowly leave the arena. <i>{I suppose I should go harass Hishya after today''s events are over. After all, she is the one who jinxed things with her earlierment. Though I''m not entirely surprised a de forged by the Goddess of Time can peer into the future.} </i>


    <i>That</i> was part of the reason that Avahn never managed tond a solid hit on her. Halifax''s power allowed her to see a few seconds into the future itself, and such foresight enabled her to easily deflect, dodge, or block iing attacks. Though once Avahn unleashed her full power, Halifax quickly figured out that her opponent was moving too fast for her to do anything fancier than block with her own de.


    "I think we''ll need to cut to break for a bit while Shiru gets her team out there." Silfana could already see the Dryadining that she needed to rebuild the arena for the umpteenth time.


    "I mean we <i>could</i> have the Oni and lizard fight it out in the utterly destroyedndscape!" Akagiughed. "But then whoever lost would get butt hurt and say that it wasn''t a fair fight, and I''m not about that drama." She figured it wasn''t worth it.


    "Then a break it is.¡± Silfana nodded and they decided to end things here for now. ¡°There are only two more fights today, so they can wait for a bit." Silfana smirked. "And they''re probably the most interesting ones to boot." She was particrly interested in Hishya''s fight with Superbia, and was anticipating it to be an incredibly dramatic battle.


    "Let''s just start lunch a bit early then." Akagi shrugged. "Sorry folks, but think of it this way, our contestants won''t be hangry when they fight!" She snickered as she cut the feed while a ton of people were screaming <i>NOOOO</i> in the chatments.


    "Thank god!" Silfana stretched back in her chair. "I could go for some lunch. I''m already hungry." Her stomach growled loudly, causing her to get embarrassed.


    "Why are you such a bottomless pit?" Akagi sighed. This had be the usual and Akagi swore that Silfana had no such setting in her vor text or in game lore. "Hishya I get, but you''re a <i>Vampire</i>. Why are you so hungry all the time?"


    "I simply have a fast metabolism, that''s all." Silfana turned away, embarrassed.


    <i>{I suppose some people just have big appetites.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Well, whatever. Just don''t go biting people to satisfy your hunger." Akagi snickered as the two moved out of thementator booth and went down the stairs toward the cafeteria.


    "I''d much prefer beef or curry to blood." Silfana huffed. "Its has far better texture and vor, and that Tika Mas you made the other night was fantastic!"


    <i>{I''ll never go back to blood again!} </i>(Silfana)


    "What would people do if they found out the mighty Vampire Lord has abandoned blood?" Akagiughed.


    "They''d probably cheer." Silfana sighed as the two descended into the cafeteria where a few others were chowing down.


    Repair of the arena didn''t take that long, and after a short and ''light'' lunch, things were back on schedule. Superbia and Hishya were both given potions to get them back to full strength, and each were itching for battle. Superbia''sments during lunch indicated that she was fully confident that she''de out on top, much to the confusion of many of the other yers. Her confidence seemed to have received a significant boost, and Akagi could tell that <i>something </i>was off about the Oni but was unable to discern more than the fact that she''d somehow gotten more power. Though the extra strength she could detect was nowhere near enough to allow such boastful ims.


    "Thanks for waiting everyone! I hope you had a nice little break while we fixed the arena and I''m happy to announce that we''re getting right back into things with our most anticipated match yet, so let''s get right into the semi-finals!" Akagi said after she restarted the broadcast, which elicited arge degree of excitement from those in the virtual waiting room. "First up is a match between two of our biggest show stoppers, Hishya and Superbia!" She pped as the two walked onto the field, each side-eyeing the other with a fake smile on their faces as they waved to the cameras.


    "So far, each has given us fantastic disys of strength and ability, with some of the most memorable moments of this eventing from these two women." Akagi continued as they the two of them took positions in the middle of the arena. "Whoever wins this one will head to the Grand Finals that will take ce tomorrow morning, so I suspect that each of them will be pulling out all the stops to ensure that <i>they </i>will be part of our main event!" She figured that Hishya would go all out from the start, as would Superbia.


    "I''m honestly not too sure what''s about to happen here." Silfana mused. "Hishya is quite honestly a total <i>monster</i> when ites tobat, but Superbia... That Oni has shown far more power than I expected. Perhaps she might actually be able to win against the Dragon." She could sense that something was off about the Oni, but couldn''t pin down what the cause was.


    <i>{Why do I feel like I''m forgetting something... The air about her... It reminds me of...} </i>(Silfana)


    "Well she seemed confident during lunch, talking about how she was going to make Hishya eat dirt." Akagiughed, cutting off Silfana''s train of thought. "Though all boasting aside, Superbia is quite thebatant, and everything I know about her tells me that this won''t be an easy fight for Hishya, even after her power increases." She figured that while Hishya would win that Superbia wouldn''t make it easy for her.


    "I must admit that it <i>would</i> be quite funny if the Dragon was knocked out here." Silfana chuckled. "It would certainly be an upset, if nothing else."


    <i>{YOU''D BETTER NOT LOSE, DRAGON!} </i>(Silfana)


    "If Hishya loses here, she''s going tounch into a rant on the inte about how things were rigged or make the excuse that she was holding back!" Akagi howled inughter as Silfana chuckled as well. "Hell, maybe she''ll make a video essay where she exins how she could''ve easily won!"


    <i>{I wouldn''t put it past her. Hishya, like me, is a sore loser.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I''d <i>pay</i> to see that." Silfanaughed. "That little Dragon should be put face down in the dirt for a little nap. It''s only right that she gets smacked around a bit every now and again to keep her off that high horse of hers." She smirked.


    "I see somebody is still salty." Akagi snickered, pointing out that Silfana just wanted to see Hishya get beaten up.


    "It''s just in my blood." Silfana shrugged. "Royalty isn''t supposed to lose, and thus tend to get <i>irritated </i>when it happens." She was never one to tolerate loss, and being defeated in battle was something that cut deep into her own pride.


    "I guess I can rte. That one-time Hishya cheesed out a win against me in Defense Force, I nearly smashed my VR headset and set off to the hospital to put the cripple out of her misery!" Akagi gave a scaryugh as she recalled that event.


    <i>{That bitch exploited an hitherto unknown bug to get the jump on me and my forces! And the judge said it was fair fucking game! Note to self, hunt that girl down and make her despair for screwing me out of that prize money!} </i>(Akagi)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    "Too bad that it''s not the cat here to fight me, but I suppose you''ll have to do." Hishya smirked as she drew Sun Strike and flourished it in a poor attempt to style on Superbia, who wasn''t impressed. "Just do me a favor and try to make things interesting before I end things. The audience would be disappointed if I turned you into a stain on the floor too quickly." She smiled.


    "A. Are those words because you genuinely think you''ll win, or is it just bluster because you''re afraid of me?" Superbiaughed as she pulled arge Nodachi from her back, one that Hishya recognized.


    "I didn''t think Kogitsunemaru even existed anymore." Hishya figured that Munechika had that weapon on her person when she died and that it was destroyed forever when FWO ended. "Did you bring that as a way of channeling your sister''s strength? Or do you intend to use a weapon you aren''t trained with to defeat me?" She asked, figuring that Superbia was crazy to use a weapon like that when she exclusively used shorter des to fight.


    "Oh, it will channel my sister''s strength all right." Superbia smirked as she threw therge de into the air, and Hishya watched as it fell back toward the arena where it was caught by a familiar purple-haired Oni who materialized seemingly out of nowhere.


    "W-What?!?" Hishya screamed in surprise, and even Kira was caught off guard by Munechika''s sudden appearance. "What the fuck is going on, Superbia?!?"


    <i>{WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    "It''s as I said." Superbia smiled as she drew her own de and stood next to her sister. "I''ll be channeling my sister''s strength for this battle. I hope you don''t mind." The two sisters giggled.


    "I-Is that... No, it can''t be..." Hishya pped herself across the face, assuming it was an illusion.. "But Munechika... She..."


    "Died." Munechika finished for her. "Sadly, yes, I did." She giggled. ¡°But now I''m back!¡± She flexed a bit to show that she was truly standing before Hishya.


    "No fucking way..." Hishya stood, gobsmacked by the sight of what she figured was some kind of ghost. "Superbia, you need to exin, <i>now</i>." She turned to Kira. "Pause things for a moment, and get Akagi the <i>fuck</i> down here! I need a ruling or rification or SOMETHING!" Kira didn''t really know what to do, and a momentter a very confused Akagi appeared next to her.


    "Alright Oni, exin to me how your dead sister is here right now!" Akagi had no idea what was going on and demanded an exnation. "Because <i>that </i>is no illusion. It has a fucking soul, so its very much alive!"


    <i>{Well, at least, it has a small one.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Don''t call Moonie an <i>it</i>!" Superbia hissed, not taking kindly to such a term.


    "Now, now." Munechika pat her sister on the head in an attempt to calm her down. "This is what you get for wanting a dramatic reveal and refusing to tell people about things beforehand." She chuckled, recalling that it was Superbia''s idea to keep things under wraps for dramatic effect.


    "Are you really Munechika?" Akagi asked her in a serious tone.


    "<i>Part </i>of her, yes." Munechika nodded. "I don''t fully understand it myself, but it seems that the lore about Kogitsunemaru taking part of its wielder''s soul into itself upon attunement became <i>real</i> when FWO ended and the de was brought into the real world." Simrly to how Hishya''s racial vor text became real once in the real world part of Munechika''s soul still existed inside Kogitsunemaru even though that shouldn''t have been possible.


    "WHAT?!?" Hishya screamed. ¡°HOW?!?¡±


    <i>{THAT MAKES NO FUCKING SENSE!} </i>(Hishya)


    Akagi instantly understood what happened and nodded. "Ok, so I get that part..." She sighed before looking at Superbia. "But do you wanna exin <i>why </i>you <i>didn''t</i> share this teenie-tiny detail with the fucking ss?!?" She was annoyed that such crucial information had been hidden from her and that she''d been caught entirely off guard.


    "Because I thought this kind of reaction would be funny." Superbia did a tee-hee-pero, which was the exact answer that Akagi expected.


    "Yeah..." Akagi groaned.


    <i>{Now I know what it feels like to be on the other end of my bullshit.} </i>(Akagi)


    "My older sister can be such a child sometimes, so please excuse her actions here." Munechika gave a wry smile.


    "Oi! Don''t try acting all innocent! You thought it would be funny too!" Superbia pouted, and Munechika started whistling.


    "Regardless..." Akagi racked her brain for a moment as she tried to figure out the next steps. "The problem here is that this is to be a match between Superbia and Hishya. Munechika can''t be part of it since that would be an unfair interference of a third party." It would basically turn things into a 2v1, which wasn''t how this tournament was set up.


    "Ah, but it <i>is </i>fine." Superbia smiled. She''d alreadye up with a way to get this through the rules. "You see, Munechika is not actually a separate entity from me." Herment made Hishya look to Akagi, who motioned for Superbia to continue. "After I found out that she was within Kogitsunemaru, I bonded with the weapon, and as a result, our souls were partially merged together. Thus, while we are separate people, she is technically part of me!"


    <i>{WHAT KIND OF BULLSHIT IS THAT?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    "I see..." Akagi''s eyes scanned over both Munechika and Superbia, and she could tell that the Oni''s words were <i>mostly</i> true. "Your souls have been linked... It''s different from mine and Yumi''s in that the fusion is much deeper and closer, and from what I can tell, Munechika cannot exist independently of you, is that right?" She figured that Munechika was being sustained by her sister''s power and that if the two were separated she would vanish.


    "Yup. Moonie is tied to me and is only able to manifest due to being bonded to me." Superbia nodded.


    "Then it''s fine." Akagi nodded.


    "HOLD THE <i>FUCK</i> UP!" Hishya roared. "What do you mean, <i>FINE</i>?!?"


    <i>{ARE YOU JUST TRYING TO MAKE ME LOSE?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    "I mean that I see no reason that Munechika can''t fight." Akagi shrugged before exining her reasoning. "She is technically part of Superbia, and I will ssify her as something simr to Alice''s summons. Thus, she can be brought in to fight you." Technically she was a bit different, and there was genuine grounds for Hishya to object, but Akagi wasn''t a fair and impartial judge and thought this would make things more interesting, so she allowed it.


    "YOU''RE FUCKING KIDDING ME!" Hishya hissed. "How is that fair?!?"


    "It''s not." Akagi snickered. "It just means that you have to fight twice as hard to win, so good luck." Sheughed as she snapped her fingers and returned to thementator booth.


    "You son of a..." Hishya stopped herself, figuring that getting irritated over Akagi''s decision was both pointless and counterproductive. "It''s fine... It''s fine..." She turned to Superbia, giving the Oni a death re. "<i>I guess I''ll just have to p the both of you around enough to get out my frustration!¡±</i>


    "Hah! I''d like to see you try, lizard!" Superbia smiled as she and Munechika took up positions next to each other. "With Moonie at my side, there''s no way you can win!"


    "Are the contestants ready?" Kira looked between the three(?) fighters.


    "Yes!" (Superbia x Munechika)


    <i>"You''re damn right I am!" </i>(Hishya)<i> </i>

 Chapter 265 – The Dragon Empress v the Oni Princesses.

    Chapter 265 ¨C The Dragon Empress v the Oni Princesses.


    A silence came over the arena, and it seemed that the very air itself grew still as Superbia and Hishya stared each other down. The two had fought many times in the past, but each could tell that <i>this </i>battle would be something far more than just a sparring match.


    Superbia, newly reunited with her sister, had something to prove and wanted to show to everyone, that she was a force to be reckoned with. Her reunion with Munechika was more than just a morale boost, as she was more powerful due to their ''fusion.'' While at the same time, Hishya''s Draconic blood craved battle and demanded that she prove her superiority over the Oni, something the Dragon was all too happy to go along with.


    As the two red at each other, Munechika giggled quietly to herself. She knew just how hot-headed the two could get, and internally, she thought that perhaps Superbia had gotten a <i>bit</i> in over her head due to her desire to show off.


    <i>{You always did want to look good in front of me, Akari.) </i>{Munechika)


    "BEGIN!" Kira signaled the start of the match, and instantly, Superbia and Hishya shed, rocketing from their starting positions at speeds so blisteringly fast that the audience was already having trouble keeping up once again.


    *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG*


    As the two zipped around the arena, there were brief shes of pink fire that erupted from Superbia every time she and Hishya''s des met. It wasn''t much, and many in the audience just assumed that it was part of the attacks the Oni was making, but Hishya quickly figured out that there was much more at y than just simple fireworks.


    <i>{I see, so that''s what happened to Chloe.} </i>Hishya thought as she deflected Superbia''s de and spun around to kick Munechika away, punting the purple Oni to the other side of the arena with a well ced boot to to her stomach.


    "<i>You''re using Princess of Blood in bursts.</i>" Hishya smirked as she continued to deflect, dodge, and block with her de. <i>"How quaint.</i>" Superbia''s ultimate technique came with the debilitating downside of imposing significant strain on her body if used for long durations. During the Serval fight, she hadn''t even used it for more than a minute before bing exhausted and sore, so the Oni endeavored to find a <i>better </i>way to use the ability.


    "Good catch!" Superbiaughed as she ducked out of the way of one of Hishya''s blows and allowed Munechika to take her ce before shing at Hishya''s legs. "So just try and keep up!" She pushed herself further, and together with Munechika unleashed a series of attacks that took everything Hishya had to keep them at bay.


    <i>{Damn...} </i>(Hishya)


    Hishya clicked her tongue in irritation as she hopped over one of Superbia''s attacks, kicked off the air, and propelled herself backward beforending on the arena floor a few dozen feet away andunching a series of lighting fast me attacks from Sun Strike in an attempt to keep the Oni sisters at a distance while she thought about her next move.


    <i>{This is going to be a problem...} </i>Hishya wracked her brain for answers as the two Oni moved to her sides and came in to attack her at opposite angles. <i>{Superbia and Munechika were already amazingbo fighters back in the day, but if they''re tied together as I suspect, then their teamwork will have only improved.} </i>


    Hishya had fought many battles where she was outnumbered, sometimes by a significant margin, but <i>this </i>was a situation where she was a bit out of her depth. Fighting one opponent in a duel was already something that she wasn''t entirelyfortable with, but <i>two </i>was something that she''d only experienced a few times over the years. Her power gave her the edge, but as Akagi had noted during the Libra Crisis Hishya was still not experienced enough in PVP to guarantee victory against more than one opponent. Especially when their coordination more than makes up for the power gap.


    ¡°Don''t think you can keep us away with something that weak!¡± Superbia yelled as the two Oni converged on Hishya''s position. With little choice but to defend, the Dragon swung her de around, blocking and deflecting the sister''s strikes with seeming ease, but to the trained eye, it was clear that Hishya was only just <i>barely </i>able to keep the two Oni Princesses in check.


    *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG*


    The two sisters continued their attacks, not letting up for even a moment as they tried their very best to get past Hishya''s guard. The Dragon was an expert fighter, though,pared to Akagi, her experience in yerbat wascking and herck of <i>real </ibat training was starting to show. The constant constant barrage of attacks by the two Oni was pushing her speed and ability to focus to its absolute limit, until eventually she slipped up a few times, allowing Munechika and Superbia to get minor strikes on her arms, shoulders, and cheeks, drawing blood.


    "<i>Grrr</i>." Hishya growled, before channeling magical power and creating a st that repelled the two sisters away, giving her time to breathe. <i>"Pests. Can you do something other than buzz around me like flies?" </i>She didn''t dare move from her spot, knowing that the initiative stilly squarely with the two Sisters.


    <i>{I need to deal with one of them, or at least separate and take down Munechika so that it''s just me and Superbia. I''m confident that I can handle her alone, but with that damn purple Princess running around focusing all my attention and power on one target isn''t going to be possible.} </i>Hishya grumbled. She figured out quickly that Munechika was nowhere near as powerful or fast as her sister, but even so just having her around was distracting and irritating regardless of her actual fighting ability. The Purple Oni was always known as an excellent fighter, and she shared many of the same powers and abilities as her older sister and was thus <i>not </i>something that Hishya could ignore, as the cut on her right cheek showed.


    "Looks like we''ve officially got her attention." Supebia grinned, and after taking a moment to orient themselves, Superbia and Munechika smiled at each other before their forms blurred.


    Taking off at high speed, they began to circle Hishya, their speed increasing steadily until it seemed as if dozens of Oni were running around the Dragon.


    <i>{Oh great...} </i>(Hishya)


    Once they reached the desired speed, the two sisters slowly closed the loop around Hishya until, just before they reached her, what looked like blurred images of Munechika and Superbia detached from the forms that were circling and darted straight for Hishya, ready to attack.


    <i>{Afterimages?} </i>Hishya had seen something like this before, and while she kept an eye on the still circling Oni forms that were zipping around her she swiftly cut down the two attackers that came for her, their forms dissipating the moment the Dragon''s de made contact.


    <i>{Yeah, I thought so...} </i>Hishya sighed internally as she cut down dozens of fake forms that continued to assail her.


    For a while, Hishya couldn''t figure out what the two sisters were doing as each time one of them approached her, it was always a fake that was easily dealt with. Two-by-two they came, and two-by-two they were cut down, and it was getting to the point that Hishya was considering using her breath attacking to force the two Oni to do something different. However, just as she was nning what to do next, around two dozen copies of Superbia and Munechika detached from the swirling forms and came straight for her.


    <i>{What''s this?} </i>Hishya couldn''t tell if any of them were real and quickly got to work shing her way through the copies, but just as she was gettingfortable destroying fakes...


    *BANG*


    Her de made contact with the <i>real </i>de of Munechika, who had a smile on her face as she put increased power into her strike, holding the Dragon in ce as three Superbia converged on her from behind.


    <i>{FUCK!} </i>Not knowing which one was real and afraid that she was about to take <i>massive</i> damage, the Dragon swung one of her feet around, lifting it slightly in the air and kicking a small fireball onto the ground below her, hoping to figure out which of the three was real.


    To her amazement, all three Superbias disappeared as a result of the st, but just as she was about to getfortable and deal with Munechika, the purple-haired Oni giggled as she allowed herself to fall backward slightly. Hishya had no idea what she was doing at first, but it quickly became apparent that this was a diversion, and just as Hishya pushed forward slightly in an attempt to send Munechika away, Superbia shed underneath her sister''s left arm, taking Hishya byplete surprise and getting a nasty slice across the Dragon''s chest that sent blood flying across the arena as her torso was sliced open.


    "AHHH!" Hishya screamed in pain as she was cut open. The entire event had been nothing but a trick, and the real purpose of all those decoys was to get the Dragon to solely focus on them to the point that she''d never consider that the <i>real </i>attack woulde from anywhere else.


    <i>{NICE!} </i>(Superbia x Munechika)


    However, the two sisters failed to ount for one important thing as they celebrated internally. Such an attack would likely disable and/or incapacitate most fighters, but Hishya was far too tough to be taken down with such an injury, and just as Superbia started celebrating her strike on the Dragon, she quickly found her forearm grasped by Hishya''s right hand, which mped down hard before swinging her and mming the Oni Princess into her sister, sending the two tumbling across the arena.


    "Ow..." Superbia winced as she tried to get up. Hishya''s grip had broken some of the bones in her left hand, and while she could still fight it would be an annoying injury. Her limited healing ability helped a bit, but the injury would persist during this battle, impeding her ability to fight.


    "Well, at least we did more damage to her-" Superbia''sments to her sister were cut off by a massive st of fire that came screaming down at her. Angry with how much damage she''d taken Hishya decided to unleash one of Sun Strike''s innate abilities and mmed the de into the ground tip first, unleashing a zing hot cone of Sr Energy that vaporized the parts of the arena that it touched.


    "Shit!" Superbia and Munechika activated some of their Oni forms with Superbia also channeling more of her Princess of Blood power, and together they managed to create a small safe area around them by cutting through the attack with their des. Even in this protected area, the two were subject to minor burns and the level of heat and light surrounding them was almost overwhelming. Once it was over, the arena was a mess with massive chunks either on fire, vaporized, or crumbling with the small bit of ground beneath the two sisters being the only untouched area on that half of the battlefield.


    "J-Jesus." Superbia looked around, the hair on the back of her neck standing up in fear as she imagined what would''ve happened if they''d taken that st head-on.


    <i>{We would''ve been turned to ash!} </i>(Superbia)


    "I think we made Hishya mad." Munechika giggled as she pointed to the absolutely <i>livid </i>Hishya, her body covered in purple me that seemed to boil the very air around her.


    "Maybe that means she''ll start taking this whole thing a bit more seriously." Superbia gave a dryugh as she steadied herself for whatever came next.


    "<i>I hope you two know that there''s plenty more where that came from!" </i>Hishya roared across the devastated battlefield. "<i>Juste on over here and try something like that again, I fucking dare you! Because I promise you it will be your neck that I snap the next time I get my hands on you!" </i> She stomped her right foot, causing a minor earthquake as well as purple mes to erupt from cracks in the ground.<i> </i>


    <i>{Yeah... She''s really not happy with us...} </i>Superbia gave a wry smile


    "I hope she remembers that killing isn''t allowed for this." Superbiamented as she cracked her neck to stretch.


    "You know Hishya. She was never one to take losing very well and tended to fly off the deep end if she was backed into a corner." Munechika pointed out that the st that Hishya had used was something that required Sun Strike to charge and that it wouldn''t likely be usable again during this fight so they should be safe.


    "Well, despite all her bluster, she wasn''t able toy a finger on us while we moved together, so let''s just use our advantages and teamwork to beat her." Superbia tried to swallow but found that her mouth waspletely dry.


    "Are you alright?" Munechika noticed that Superbia''s body seemed to be shaking slightly and that her breathing had be slightly erratic. "You''ve been using Princess of Blood quite a bit, and your body is probably none too happy with it..." She was worried that her sister was pushing herself too hard.


    "It''s not that..." Superbia answered without looking at her. "I-I... Were Hishya''s eyes... Were they always like <i>that</i>?" She pointed to the Dragon, and Munechika focused on Hishya''s clearly angry face, noticing that the Dragon''s eyes had changed and now looked something akin to her proper Draconic eyes when she was in her true body. She''d learned from her past mistakes and had taken this fight seriously from the start, but was holding plenty of power in reserve to use when the time came. A fact that Superbia only just <i>now</i> realized.


    <i>{Am... Am I afraid?} </i>Superbia tried to push the notion away, thinking that it was impossible for her to feel such things. <i>{We''re winning! Hishya can''t touch us, and we''ve done considerable damage to her without taking much in return... So why do I have this absolute feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach... Why do those eyes... Why do I feel like I''m staring down death itself?} </i>


    "<i>If you two are going to just stand there and gawk, then I''ll happily move things along!</i>" Hishya kicked off from her position, reaching the two sisters in an instant.


    <i>{SHE GOT FASTER?!?} </i>(Superbia)


    Readying themselves just in time, Munechika and Superbia began their next sh with Hishya. However, this time, it was <i>they </i>who were on the defensive as Hishya unleashed an unrelenting series of strikes targeting both sisters.


    *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM*


    The speeds the three fighters moved at went far beyond anything else seen before, and at this point, Akagi was the only person watching who could keep up with what was going on. Even Silfana and the other yers could catch little more than small glimpses of thebat unfolding and Kana and the girls werepletely lost, only seeing blurs zip around at high speed.


    Easily moving faster than sound, Hishya and Superbia''s fight unleashed deafening sonic booms that shattered ss, shook the earth, and started to actually damage the structural integrity of the tournament grounds themselves. There were even a few times when the digital feed cut out due to the sheer intensity of the battle, and a few onlookers noted that some of the areas where the shing fighters touched seemed to <i>melt </i>from the sheer heat being given off each time they came to blows.


    *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM*


    Things continued like this for some time, with both fighters scoring hits on each other, until, with one massive st, the three warriors stopped, and everyone could see their bloodied forms.


    "Urgh!" Superbia groaned as she and Munechika''s des struggled to keep Hishya back. All three women were covered in cuts and bruises, and the amount of blood sttered on their faces and clothing was to the degree that Akagi issued a parental advisory, however pointless it may have been.


    <i>"Grrr.</i>" Hishya let out a low growl that made even many in the audience flinch for a moment. If one looked closely, one could see that her front canine teeth had grown out, and there were a few areas where scales could be seen in patches on her visible skin. It was clear that she was using the absolute maximum amount of power that she could channel while remaining in her human form, and Akagi figured there was a not-insignificant chance the Dragon might identally transformpletely if things didn''t end soon.


    *BANG* *BANG* *BANG*


    Hishya began trying to pound her way through the sister''s joint defense, and with each hit Superbia and Munechika were slowly pushed back, their strength seeming to wane in the face of a True Dragon''s overwhelming pressure.


    <i>{DOES HISHYA EVER RUN OUT OF STRENGTH?!?} </i>Superbia was confident that she and her sister were approaching their limits, and she could feel every muscle in her body screaming out from all the damage she''d taken from both Hishya''s attacks and her own ability''s feedback.


    Running out of time, and knowing that Hishya was on the verge of overwhelming them, Superbia decided to use everyst bit of power that she had left, and after a quick bit of telepathic nning with her sister, they opted to go for one finalbination attack that they hoped would end things in their favor.


    "PRINCESS OF BLOOD! GREATER ABILITY BOOST!" Superbia unleashed both of her trump cards at once, her body bing wrapped in a deep pink fire. With her newfound strength, she pushed Hishya back slightly, which gave Munechika the chance to slip around the Dragon''s side and activate a hidden ability of her own.


    "Princess of the Moon!" Munechika''s ability was simr to her sister''s, though much weaker and it could only be activated for a very short period of time. In an instant, her body erupted in purple fire and she quickly moved to strike Hishya down from the Dragon''s unprotected left side while she was busy with Superbia.


    "<i>Hmpf</i>." However, rather than be surprised by all this, Hishya simply smirked. <i>"It''s over." </i>She''d been waiting for a moment like this, and just as Munechika''s de came down toward her shoulder, she stepped back slightly, allowing Superbia to push her before leaning backward. The sudden change in position threw both sisters for a loop and caused Superbia to overextend herself as her body was now stretched out ever so slightly. This gave Hishya exactly the opportunity she was waiting for and the Dragon quickly took advantage of Superbia''s vulnerability, kicking the Oni''s right leg out from under her while allowing Munechika''s blow to strike her shoulder, which did significant damage, but also locked the Oni in ce as her de was held in ce by her armor and her very flesh.


    <i>{WHAT?!?} </i>Superbia was caughtpletely by surprise and after finding herself falling toward the ground she quickly found herself ascending skyward as Hishya''s other foot nted itself in the middle of her stomach and sent her flying high into the air.


    "Ack!" Superbia coughed up blood as she shot upwards, helpless.


    With Superbia temporarily removed, Hishya got to work on Munechika, bringing Sun Strike down and under the Purple Oni''s extended arms before rapidly swinging it upwards, cutting off both and sending them and her de flying high into the air.


    As she was made of energy rather than flesh and blood, Munechika did not bleed, though the Oni did scream in pain. However, Hishya didn''t let this bother her, instead taking the chance to grab Munechika''s sword as it fell to earth, before spinning both it and Sun Strike around in her hands and thrusting both through the Oni center mass in a backward strike where she faced away from Munechika, both des piercing through her and sticking out the other side.


    "Ack!" Munechika stopped moving as both des went through her before falling to the ground as Hishya kicked her away.


    "YOU BASTARD!" Superbia screamed as she kicked off the air and rocketed back down toward Hishya. She knew that Munechika would be fine, but that didn''t stop her from being absolutely furious in the moment, which was exactly what Hishya wanted.


    As Superbia rapidly approached Hishya threw Munechika''s sword at her, which Superbia barely dodged during her descent. However, that momentary distraction proved to be fatal as it took away precious moments that Superbia couldn''t afford to lose, and the next time she looked down at Hishya, the Dragon''s lips were already burning with Amethyst me, which shot at her the next moment.


    *WOOSH!*


    Hishya unleashed a massive breath attack that stretched into the air so high that it went beyond the upper levels of the stadium and seemed to nip at the clouds above.


    ¡°AHHHHH!¡± Superbia screamed as she was burned alive, being ejected upwards and out by the incredibly hot st, beforending beyond the bounds of the stadium unconscious and severely wounded.


    "Winner, Hishya!" Kira called the match moments before Hishya copsed to the ground herself.


    "Hah. See, you can try and pull cheaty bullshit on me, and I still win..." It turned out that the Dragon was also at her limits and was mere moments from cking out due to all the damage she''d sustained during their high-speed shes. As the medical team rushed onto the field everyone was leftpletely awestruck by what they''d just witnessed, while Akagi had the biggest smile on her face as the, still conscious, Hishya was forcibly healed before passing out.


    <i>{To bring Hishya to such a point... Superbia, Munechika, I''m thoroughly impressed by the two of you, and Hishya, to havee out on top despite the odds stacked against you... I''m quite proud of you, my friend. That was a fantastic match, good work. Now go get some rest, because I think your NEXT opponent is going to give you an even better run for your money.} </i>(Akagi)

 Chapter 266 – Cat Family.

    Chapter 266 ¨C Cat Family.


    "But Sister, I want to pet the kitty!" Miji cried out quietly as she sat on a chair next to her sister. "You''ve had her for too long!" She puffed up her cheeks in protest. ¡°Give me the kitty!¡±


    "You can pet herter." Yumi sighed. This had increasingly be the norm, and Miji was practically attached at the hip to Akagi, who was currently sitting in the Priestess''p being pet by her. "Besides, you were just petting her earlier! Give me a turn!"


    <i>{Don''t try and hog her all to yourself! I need my kitty love too!} </i>(Yumi)


    "But Sister hogs her all day!" Miji continued pouting, wanting to cuddle the fluffy cat.


    <i>{Stingy!} </i>(Miji)


    After Superbia and Hishya''s destructive battle, things were put on hold yet again to allow for extensive repairs to the arena. Akagi figured it would take a while due to the significant amount of damage so she went into the infirmary to check on Hishya and Superbia who were covered in bandages whileying in hospital beds.


    "You really know how to overwork me." Mimi grumbled at Akagi as she sat at a small desk filling out paperwork. "These two really did a number on each other! You''re lucky we had all those potions!" She''d been in charge of healing everyone who got beaten up, and she was bing exasperated by just how bad the injuries were.


    "But it''s all good. At least you can''t say you were bored, right?" Akagi snickered as Yumi yed with her ears.


    "I''d rather that I <i>didn''t</i> have to be treating countless people who had one foot in the grave." Mimi sighed as she put a paper down and spun around in her chair to face the <i>Demon</i>. "Why do these idiots keep beating each other''s brains out like this? Where is the self restraint?" She figured that it was stupid to basically treat this like a series of death matches, even if there was good enough medical care to stop <i>actual </i>death.


    "Because most of them are stubborn." Munechika''s form appeared next to her sleeping sister as she answered. "Akari here is probably the worst of the bunch." She giggled. ¡°Its in her DNA to be stubborn and hot headed, and I''ve known Hishya long enough to say she''s not much better.¡±


    "I was wondering when you''d pop back up." Akagi hopped onto the end of Superbia''s bed, much to Yumi and Miji''s disappointment. "You took quite a beating, and I was worried for a minute that Hishya actually killed you off." She wasn''t sure what would happen to Munechika after her body vanished since Hishya had done significant damage with her des.


    Munechika giggled. "She simply forced me to go to sleep for a bit, but I''m fine now." She brushed away a bit of hair on Superbia''s face. "I''m really proud of her, you know. She got so much stronger while I was gone." She gave a bitter smile, knowing the hardship that the Oni had gone through in her absence. "I knew that I meant so much to her, but to think my death..." She paused for a moment. "To think she would nearly go so far as to consider..." She couldn''t bring herself to finish.


    "I can rte, I suppose." Akagi sighed. "Without Yumi, I''d go crazy and kill everyone, so Superbia being driven into depression without you is understandable. At least to me anyway." Out of everyone here the <i>Demon </i>was the one that understood what it mean to fear loss and how losing your happiness could result in a plunge into despair.


    "I don''t want that though." Munechika sat down on the bed beside Akagi and pat her on the head, the <i>Demon </i>kitty replying with a mew. "Akari shouldn''t have gone through such pain because of me... I... It''s my fault she became that way." She med herself for everything that happened to Superbia, and thought that her own foolishness had caused her own sister such pain.


    "No, it isn''t. None of what happened is on you, Munechika." Akagi shook her head as she was scratched. "You tried to do what was right, and you went out of your way to help Gim and Grim. That they decided to kill you isn''t your fault, nor should you shoulder the burden of Superbia''s feelings."


    "But still, she felt such grief because of my actions." Munechika still thought she was at fault, especially because she <i>declined </i>Superbia''s request to go with her when she confronted the two Goblins. "I can''t help but feel like a terrible sister for causing her such despair, intentional or not."


    <i>{How could I do that to her? She''s the one person that I should never hurt...} </i>(Munechika)


    "Well, you''re here now, aren''t you?" Akagimented. "You might be a bit different than you were before, being just a fragment of therger soul, but I think that''s good enough." She turned to the still-sleeping Superbia. "We were all wondering what caused our usual angry sourpuss to get all bright and happy, and it turns out it was because she got you back. So don''t get all worried about what happened before. If you truly feel guilty, then make up for it by being at her side from now on." She figured that the best thing she can do is be by her sister''s side.


    "But can I?" Munechika asked, unsure if that was the right thing to do. "I''m... I''m not entirely sure that I''m really even Munechika..."


    "You are a fragment of her soul, so why wouldn''t you be?" Akagi asked, understanding the underlying fear.


    "Because... Because...Am I not just <i>something</i> that shares her memories though?" Munechika said in a somber tone, fearing that she was a mere copy of the original. "I have no recollection of events after I gave my sword to Akari for maintenance, which I suppose makes sense since I was apart from the ''main'' me... So doesn''t that just make me a copy of her sister rather than the real person? Is... Is it even right for me to go ahead and act like Munechika?"


    <i>{Can I even call myself Munechika? Am I nothing more than something that shares her memories?} </i>(Munechika)


    The topic at hand hit quite close to home since the Miji who was bickering with Yumi was technically the same thing.


    <i>{I suppose that kind of question is hard to answer, at least for the average person...} </i>(Akagi)


    "I suppose I could go into all the technical details and exin why you''re wrong and that you are just as much Munechika as the one who died at the hands of Gim and Grim." Akagi sighed, figuring that while <i>she </i>knew that to be the case that most mortal beings couldn''t be so sure. "But I''d say the best answer is that it doesn''t matter what <i>you </i>think that you are or what <i>you </i>think is ok." Akagi nced at Superbia. "Superbia is content to have you here with her, and I''d say that''s all that matters. Thinking about it any deeper is not only pointless but counterproductive." She was basically just saying to be whatever the pink Oni wanted her to be, even if she herself was unconvinced.


    "I know but... I just don''t want to hurt her again..." Munechika grabbed onto Superbia''s hand, squeezing it softly. "I''m afraid that one day she''lle to see me as a liar and hate me..." Thest thing she wanted was for Superbia to wake up one day and call her a fake.


    "I... could... never... hate... you..." Superbia said as she slowly opened her eyes, surprising Munechika. "You''re Moonie... I don''t... care... about the... details." She slowly reached her other hand over and put it on top of her sisters. "I... have... you back... that''s all... that... matters." She smiled.


    "Are you sure?" Munechika seemed to be on the verge of tears. "Even if I don''t even really understand what I am?"


    "Didn''t you hear what Akagi said?" Superbiaughed painfully. "You <i>are</i> Moonie and her word... Is good enough for me... So don''t worry about it..." She figured that if Akagi said everything was good then that''s all she needed.


    "Aww. She likes me." Akagi snickered as she hopped next to Superbia. "But that doesn''t mean I''ll give you special petting privileges! You''ll have to get snuggle time like everyone else!¡±


    "Stupid... cat..." Superbia grumbled before slowly falling back to sleep, still exhausted from the day''s battle.


    "I''m surprised she stayed awake for that long." Mimi sighed as she came over to check on the sleeping Oni. "Superbia is one tough girl..." She shook her head. ¡°But even still, she shouldn''t''ve used her power that much.¡±


    "She''s my older sister! This is nothing for her!" Munechika giggled as she wiped away the tears in her eyes as everyone started tough.


    "Hey...Could you idiots keep it down..." Hishya grumbled from her bed, awoken by the lively atmosphere. "Some people are trying to <i>sleep</i>."


    "Oops..." Munechika gave a wry smile. "Sorry."


    "How are you feeling?" Akagi hopped over to Hishya''s bed. "You were cut up nice and good after that one." She figured that even a tough Dragon like Hishya would need some good R&R after that battle.


    "I feel like a kid who got hit by the Isekai truck, but then went to the hospital instead of another world." Hishya sighed as she looked down the bed at Akagi. "But I suppose I''ll survive..."


    "I had Mimi force-feed you both a bunch of potions and use magic to heal you, so you''ll be fine." Akagi said as she hopped on top of Hishya''s stomach.


    "Get off me..." Hishya tried to put more energy into her words but was too tired.


    "At least I''m not putting any weight on you." Akagi chuckled. She''d made her form weightless so that she wouldn''t crush Hishya.


    "I still don''t want you on top of me." Hishya sighed. ¡°So scram...¡±


    "But you''re so warm!" Akagi smiled as she nuzzled against Hishya, knowing full well that her fluff was unwanted.


    "I swear to god, if you try and snuggle with me while I''m weak, I''m going to get out of this bed and end you, cat." Hishya hissed, not wanting the <i>Demon </i>to try and take advantage of the situation.


    ¡°Meanie!¡± Akagi pouted as she stopped her yful antics.


    "Come on, Hishya. I think you should embrace the floof! After all they do say that having something cuddly nearby helps with recovery speed." Yumi snickered.


    "Why does Hishya get to cuddle the kitty?!?" Miji pouted again. "It''s not fair!"


    <i>{I want to snuggle with her! She''s so warm and fluffy!} </i>(Miji)


    "Yumi, I will smack you silly if she actually does it." Hishya red at the Priestess before looking over at Miji. "And you can have her. If anyone is gonna snuggle with me, then it should be Kana."


    <i>{I could go for a nap with her arms wrapped around me right now... That would be nice...} </i>(Hishya)


    "I could-" Akagi was cut off as Hishya knew exactly what she was going to say.


    "Turn into Kana and try it, and I swear to god I will find a way to end your ass." Hishya red at her.


    "Angry lizard." Akagi hopped off her and into Miji''s arms.


    "Kitty!" Miji squeezed her happily.


    "Where is Kana, anyway?" Hishya asked about her missing girlfriend. "I figured she''d be down here to check on me."


    "She came earlier but left figuring that you''d be fine." Akagi answered as Miji squeezed her. "At this point, you''ve exploded so much that this is kinda normal." Kana wasn''t all to worried and was currently hanging out with the girls.


    "Well, darn, I was hoping I could get her to feed me dinner!" Hishyaughed, wincing in pain as she did. "I was nning on hamming it up real good for her! Maybe tug on those heartstrings!" She''d even thought about faking being unable to walk so that Kana would have to carry her around.


    "Good thing I have Yumi here who will always spoil me as much as I want." Akagi snickered as she looked at the Priestess.


    "At this point, Miji might need to take over." Yumi huffed, feigning heartbreak. "You seem to like her more than me at this point."


    "You say that, but remind me, <i>who </i>was itst night who wanted kitty parts so we could y around on the big futon?" Akagi smirked. "You enjoyed flopping around together, and my ear scratches had you very <i>happy</i>."


    "DON''T TALK ABOUT THAT!" Yumi ripped Akagi out of Miji''s arms and began to strangle her. "YOU IDIOT!"


    <i>{DO NOT REVEAL THAT WHICH SHOULD BE A SECRET YOU STUPID IDIOT!} </i>(Yumi)


    "But you were so cute! I should really show everyone the picturester." Akagi said as she was shaken back and forth.


    "Can you make me into a kitty too?!?" Miji''s eyes sparkled as she imagined having her very own cat ears.


    "If you''re a good girl, sure!" Akagiughed, and her words only made Miji even more excited.


    "Don''t go changing Miji into a cat-girl! I will not allow it!" Yumi continued to shake the small Catkagi violently.


    <i>{THAT SHOULD BE AN US ONLY THING!} </i>(Yumi)


    "We can all be kitties together, Sister!" Miji continued to imagine the fun they would have together. "Please!" Her gaze and pleas caused Yumi to stop strangling and shaking Akagi before finally sighing.


    "M-Maybe..." Yumi couldn''t say no to both her sister and Akagi on this issue since they were just too cute to deny. "But only for a little bit!"


    "Yeah!" Miji cheered as she took Akagi back and started petting her again. "I get to be kitty too!"


    "What the hell did I wake up to?" Hishya looked to Munechika and Mimi, who both shrugged.


    <i>{Great, now my brain wants to see Kana get changed into a cat-girl too...} </i>(Hishya)

 Chapter 267 – Zephiria v Halifax.

    Chapter 267 ¨C Zephiria v Halifax.


    "Yes, Yes, Yes, Alight, Alright. I''ll schedule a meetingter today, so don''t worry about it until then. Just have everything ready for the assigned time. We have a strict schedule and our clients are already getting anxious with the deadline approaching." Yumi said as she stood in the special VIP booth overlooking the newly rebuilt arena while speaking to somebody on the phone. "Once things are in motion, you know our Lord will tolerate no failure, nor will I. There''s far too much at risk here, so make sure that <i>all </i>of the targets are dealt with <i>before</i> the allotted time. Chloe will be joining you shortly, so please follow her directions once she gets to Seoul. Good luck." She hung up and moved back to her seat, her face showed that an inordinate amount of information was flickering through her mind as she sat back down.


    "Do I even want to know why the cat will be in South Korea?" Kana had a bad feeling about Yumi''s call.


    <i>{I doubt she''s going on vacation or to get some authentic Korean Barbecue.} </i>(Kana)


    "No, and I can''t tell you." Yumi gave a wry smile. "This operation is <i>highly </i>ssified, so I can''t discuss it with you, even if you are a <i>Princess of Dumetor</i>." She snickered. Kana never liked being called by that title.


    "..." Kana red at Yumi, unable or unwilling to retort. She was actually considered as such due to Akagi creatingws on such things, though it was little more than an honorary title at this point in time.


    <i>{Princess...} </i>(Kana)


    "I swear, Kana''s never going to get over that!" Mikaughed. "I think she''s trying her hardest to purge that notion from her mind!" She enjoyed picking at her over her <i>Princess </i>status, much to Kana''s displeasure.


    "I don''t know about that." Naomi mused. "She already has the Royal attitude via <i>Scary</i> <i>Kana</i>, so I think she''s getting into her role."


    "Keep it up, and <i>Scary Kana </i>will be my full-time." Kana grumbled.


    "Yesss. Yesss! Embrace your dark side! Allow the hate to flow through you!" Alice snickered. "Join me as the Evil Princess you were always meant to be! Together we can rule the world as Aunt and Niece!"


    <i>{I have many things I couldment about you being an Evil Princess, but they would probably have Onee-chan breathing down my neck, so let''s not... Also... DON''T CALL ME YOUR AUNT! IT MAKES ME FEEL OLD!} </i>(Kana)


    "Can''t I at least be the nice Princess that everyone loves?" Kana gave a defeated sigh.


    "Impossible." (Mika x Naomi x Alice)


    "I think you''ll have to settle for being the Princess who acts nice on the outside but secretly has a torture dungeon in her basement." Mikaughed.


    "I don''t torture people!" Kana protested her ims.


    "Oh? But I seem to recall you telling us a story about stabbing a kid with lead pencils in kindergarten." Naomi smirked as she gave a retelling of the incident in question.


    "That''s because he kept stealing my bocks! And I was like five!" Kana pouted.


    <i>{And I only stabbed him a few times! He was a big crybaby! It was only a little blood!} </i>(Kana)


    "At this rate, Kana might turn Hishya into her little pet that she ''punishes'' for her own enjoyment." Yumi giggled, herment causing Mika and Naomi to explode inughter.


    "Oh my god! I could totally see it! Hishya would be trained to carry a leash in her mouth when she wants to go outside, and Kana would have all kinds of <i>instruments</i> to inflict pain on her!" Mika was nearly doubled over inughter as she imagined what kind of crazy things Kana would force the Dragon to do for her.


    "What kind of perverted mind do you people have to think of these things?!?" Kana eximed.


    <i>{Hishya bit me when I even joked about a leash! She''d never let me take her out with a cor, let alone do anything like that! Besides, that stupid lizard is definitely more of a Sadist than I am!} </i>(Kana)


    "Why do you even know about that stuff anyway, Mika?" Kana asked about why the high school girl was aware of <i>that </i>stuff. "Don''t tell me your girlfriends are into that stuff?!?"


    <i>{Or god forbid, SHE is!} </i>(Kana)


    "The inte is a fun ce." Mika smiled, allowing Kana''s imagination to fill in the gaps.


    "Yes, Yes it is." Yumi nodded, knowing that she and Mika were kindred spirits in that department.


    "Why are all of my friends perverts?" Kana groaned.


    "Wait, are you including me?!?" Naomi protested being included with the two idiots.


    "Yes. You are a pervert by <i>proxy</i>." Kana answered, rolling her eyes.


    "That''s not fair! My head isn''t in the gutter like these two!" Naomi thought it was unfair that she was being lumped in.


    "And yet you understood everything we were talking about." Mika said smugly.


    "I..." Naomi looked away, embarrassed. "Fuck you all..."


    "I rest my case." Kana rolled her eyes again. "But anyway, it looks like thest match is starting, so let''s end <i>this</i> topic." She had no interest in talking about things like that with her friends in public or private.


    <i>{It''s funny how hard Kana here tries to remain pure. Did she forget that I was with her during the trip to Tokyo where she bought all kinds of fun books?} </i>(Mika)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    As Halifax and Zephiria took their positions at the center of the arena, they could feel the expectations and energy from the incredible amount of digital watchers. Hishya and Superbia''s duel had captivated the world, and the number of views on the official Dumetor Channel had quickly climbed to one of the most viewed videos in human history.


    With so much hype for the final battle before the Grand Finals tomorrow, both women were a bit nervous to have so much expectations ced upon them as they prepared for their bout. Though at the same time, knowing just how many people were watching them caused a swell of excitement within both.


    "So, we have topete with such a crazy headliner." Zephiriaughed quietly as she stood opposite her opponent. "I suppose we''ll have to give the people a good show lest they start booing us in disappointment."


    "Hishya and Superbia really did a crazy thing, didn''t they?" Halifax sighed. "They should''ve restrained themselves a bit more. I''ve seen my fair share of battles that shook the very ground, but those tended to be of the <i>world-ending </i>kind, not in this kind of setting." Her own fights were typically of thetter variety.


    <i>{Those two really are idiots, aren''t they? Though I must admit that it makes me even more excited to fight that Dragon. I wonder if she can handle it if I go all out? Perhaps I can even convince Akagi to let her transform for the big battle.} </i>(Halifax)


    "I''d rmend that you focus on me rather than let your mind slip to Hishya." Zephiria warned as she made a grimoire appear in her hand. "Focusing too much on the future when the present is uncertain is something that far too many Divination Mages fall prey to, and it would be unwise for you to make the same mistake." She chuckled.


    "Was I that easy to read?" Halifax gave a dryugh. "My apologies, such thoughts are disrespectful to you. Though I <i>will </i>be defeating you regardless."


    "Well, I hope your assertions are based on more than just your ability to see the immediate future." Zephiria smirked. She''d independently figured out what Halifax was doing via her own analysis and was intrigued by the limits of true precognition. "As my Master once told me, seeing the future and being able to do anything about it are fundamentally two different things." Her n was to make such information useless and box Halifax into lose-lose senarios.


    "Oh, trust me, I don''t need to see the future in order to defeat you." Halifax smiled.


    <i>{I suppose this will be an even more interesting battle than expected.} </i>(Halifax)


    "This will be the final match of the day and will conclude the Semi-Finals." Kira started speaking to the audience. "The winner of this match will face Hishya tomorrow morning in the Grand Finals for the right to request one wish from Lady Akagi." She looked between the two women, knowing that this match was to be as equally destructive as thest. "Are the contestants ready?"


    "Let''s do it!" (Halifax x Zephiria)


    "Good, then let us bring the Semi-Finals to a close! Contestants, begin!" Kira started the match, and instantly, Zephira began with a <i>bang</i>.


    "Quickened Spell, Maximized Magic, Twinned Spell... Annihtion!" Zephiria spread her arms apart, each crackling with green energy that ran up her forearms, ending at the tips of her fingers before she thrust both forward, unleashing a green st of energy that went straight toward Halifax.


    The attack was fast but not so much as to render Halifax''s ability moot. The Divine de''s eyes glowed for a moment, and from her perspective, she saw all of Zephiria''sing actions as a faint afterimage that moved a few seconds before she did anything. With this advanced knowledge and her own speed, Halifax easily dodged the iing st which proceeded to scream across the arena and vaporize a massive chuck of the spectator seating before disappearing.


    <i>{We just fixed that wall...} </i>(Kira)


    "Weren''t you worried that might kill me?" Halifax gave a nervous chuckle as she nced at the damage.


    <i>{I see we''re starting off strong. Good.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Lets just call it a reflex check." Zephiria smiled before letting go of her grimoire and allowing it to float in front of her. "The real onught is yet toe." She pped her hands which caused dozens of tomes to appear at her side, each floating in the air around her, several feet apart. "Now, let''s see just how far we can push that annoying little ability of yours." She grinned as the books began opening to different pages, each crackling with copious amounts of magical energy. "Magical Vault, release your first seal!" At these words each of the books began flittering through their pages beforending on a desired spell. "Now, let''s see how you handle a <i>real</i> mage." Zephiria snapped her fingers, unleashing countless different spells toward Halifax. Some of them ripped up the arena underneath her, causing nts and other difficult terrain to appear, while othersunched a variety of attacks ranging from fiery explosions to massive gusts of wind that made typhoons look tame.


    As the ground erupted underneath her, Halifax was forced to leap into the air and onto the massive of vines and other nt growth, with each step being fraught with danger as the very ground she walked on attacked her with thorns, vines, and other simr features while also dodging the numerous sts of air and fire.


    "Quite a nice repertoire of spells you have there!" Halifaxughed as she bounced between vines and thorns, avoiding the many explosions and shock waves that came at her. "But you''ll need to do better if you want to have a chance of stopping me!" She wagged her finger.


    Afternding on a rtively t piece of root, Halifax quickly disposed of the attacking vines and iing needles with a quick sh of her de before kicking off the ground and heading straight for the caster herself. "I hope you don''t think a simple magical shield will stop me!" She rushed forward but unexpectedly mmed into an invisible wall, causing her to bounce backward in the air just in time for a barrage of nt growth theunch spikes at her.


    <i>{A barrier?!?} </i>(Halifax)


    "Did you honestly think I wouldn''t take more precautions?" Zephiriaughed as Halifax swatted away the iing attack and carved through more vines that attacked her. "I have several dozen spell books active, each with a collection of spells that would make even the highest Court Mages in your world green with envy." She snapped her fingers again, causing one of the books to flitter its pages. "Now then, let''s make things a bit more <i>interesting</i> in there. Maximize Magic! Ice Prison!" An icey st erupted from one of the books, streaking toward the mess of vines and the numerous explosions that assailed Halifax.


    If it wasn''t already hard to maneuver for the Divine de, then the added temperature drop and the subsequent appearance of both slippery surfaces and randomly appearing walls of ice didn''t make things any easier. Each time she tried to maneuver towards the edge of the nt-covered area, she was quickly blocked by a wall of ice that was as hard as tungsten, and with the limited time Halifax had to move before the onught of nt attacks, she didn''t have the chance to destroy the obstacles in her path.


    "Good, she''s slowed down, but with those techniques of hers, I imagine she''ll pull something out of her hat sooner rather thanter." Zephiria sighed as she had one of the spell books change its pages again. "So, let''s try some Dyed Detonation!" She called out another spell, but nothing seemed to happen.


    "MORE FUCKING SPELLS?!?" Halifaxined as she continued her attempt to break free of the prison of nts and ice that wouldn''t relent. "What does this one-" However, before she could finish her question, Halifax set foot on one of the manyrge roots, and could feel a build-up of magic energy under her foot. "Shit!" She cursed, knowing what was about to happen, and momentster, a massive explosion went off underneath her, engulfing her in me.


    "There we go!" Zephiria smiled. "We finally got in some damage!"


    The explosion kicked up a small dust cloud which was pierced by Halifax, who leaped away, continuing to dodge or destroy the vines that chased her. She wasn''t visibly damaged, but it was clear that the attack had at least caused the Sword to be mildly shaken.


    <i>{How much magic does this girl have if she can keep all this up at the same time?!? Even some of the best casters I''ve known who had thousands of years of experience couldn''t do something this intensive for this long!}</i> <i>(</i>Halifax)


    "Still want more?" Zephiriaughed as Halifax continued to run into her hidden explosions, and it was bing evident that she couldn''t keep up her dodging while also looking out for hiddennd mines.


    "Owch!" Halifax winced in pain as a vine scraped her shoulder. Her ability to see in the future <i>was </i>incredibly powerful, but it did nothing to tell her where the hidden bombs were and there were simply too many things going on for her to react to it all effectively. "Dammit. There''s far too much going on at once." She clicked her tongue. "I suppose it''s time I stopped messing about and got serious." Saying this, Halifaxnded on one of the roots, and just as arge amount of vines were about to converge on her position she unleashed one of her techniques. "Fiftieth Form of the Divine de: Ast¨¦ri!" In an instant, Halifax''s entire body was covered in me, and her hair and eyes turned into the same deep red color as Eris''. "Now, let''s burn it all away..." She took a deep breath, cing her de vertically in the air above her head. "<i>Supernova</i>." With one quiet word, a massive amount of air rushed toward her, causing the nts and ice toe loose from their moorings as they were sucked in.


    <i>{What?!?} </i>(Zephiria)


    Covered in all manners of nt life and pieces of the arena, it seemed as if Halifax was crushed by her own technique, but that was far from the truth as momentster her technique''s namesake urred as all the energy that copsed inward rebounded in a massive explosion that not only knocked out all electronicmunication in the nearby area but even caused an aurora borealis in the sky above.


    Akagi''s power managed to shield both the arena and its onlookers from harm, but the electromaic storm caused by such a violent explosion meant that the rest of this fight would not be broadcast to the wider world.


    "Fhew! I haven''t had to use that one since the Undead Hordes of the Under came pouring into the surface world." Halifax slowly floated down to the wrecked arena, her burning red hair reverting back to normal. "But it seems that its effectiveness hasn''t lessened with disuse." Sheughed, looking around at the absolute destruction that she''d unleashed.


    Most of the arena, including the spectator seating had been either damaged orpletely destroyed with pockets being unharmed due to Akagi protecting those within and/or their stuff. From hermentator seat, Akagi wasughing her ass off, not having expected such a powerful attack, while Silfana waspletely stunned.


    "Drop a nuke why don''t you?" Zephiria was encased in a thick magical shield, though her countless spellbooks had vanished due to the massive st. ¡°Do you have any idea how long it''s going to take for me to rewrite all those spell books? "She clicked her tongue in irritation.


    <i>{That''s at least a weeks worth of effort!} </i>(Halifx)


    "Hey." Halifaxughed as she spun her de around yfully. "You brought your toys to this fight, so don''t get mad when I <i>break</i> them." She smirked before zipping forward at high speed, getting right on top of Zephiria. "Now, let''s see how much it takes to pop that little bubble!" She mmed her de down on Zephiria''s thick shield, making a very scary noise.


    *CRACK*


    <i>{It shouldn''t do that after one blow...} </i>Zephiria started to panic, as with each strike by Halifax, her protective shield slowly began to crack and crumble.


    "Come on out, little mage!" Halifaxughed as she continued to pound on the shield. "I promise I''ll make it quick and painless!" Her eyes told the mage that she''d only do <i>one </i>of those two things, and she figured that it wasn''t the second.


    "I''d rather not, thank you very much." Zephiria snapped her fingers, teleporting to a point that she thought was far enough away, only to have Halifax appear right next to her and continue her attacks.


    "Remember, I can see into the future, and with my speed, you can''t escape me with teleportation magic!" Halifax roared as she mmed down on the shield, causing it to shatter into a mist of magical energy.


    <i>{Oh fuck...} </i>(Zephiria)


    "Now, let''s end things!" Halifax struck at Zephiria, intending to do just enough damage to knock her out, but to her absolute shock, when her de collided with Zephiria''s chest, it bounced straight off.


    *CLANG*


    <i>{WHAT?!?} </i>Halifax was surprised, and Zephiria''s face showed both relief and joy.


    <i>{Thank god for Invulnerability! Too bad I can''t cast that again for a while, but hey, protection from one move, no matter the damage is pretty good!} </i>Zephiria had ced this on herself while Halifax was busy in her cage, and taking advantage of Halifax''s surprise, she extended her hands out before forming them into a cone just below Halifax''s breastbone. "Maximize Magic! Prismatic Vista!" Zephiria cast one of her most powerful spells, sting a rainbow of color that engulfed Halifax. Prismatic Vista was of the highest level of spells that a Mage could cast and was essentially a wall of energy with each different band of light giving a different effect ranging from damage the target to restraining and blinding those who touch it.


    As the rainbow of doom sted into the air, Zephiria took the opportunity to disengage and put some distance between herself and where she suspected Halifax would pop out.


    <i>{That spell would be enough to vaporize anyone else, but I have a feeling that this girl will probably get out alive.} </i>(Zephiria)


    "How''s that?" Zephiria said through deep breaths. "I''d imagine even <i>you</i> don''t like to taste the fucking rainbow!" Sheughed but was struggling to breathe or stay standing. Using this many high-powered spells over and over again had dramatically drained her reserves, and despite her high amount of magic power, this battle was requiring her to use a lot more of it than she''d expected.


    <i>{I better take this chance and recover, even just a bit.} </i>Zephira focused on her internal magical energy and added some of Akagi''s power to it. It acted like a small booster and helped her recover at least a portion of her maximum amount of magic.


    "Ugh..." Zephiria became dizzy and nauseous as some of her magical power returned. "Yeah... That still makes me sick." She nearly puked but managed to hold it in. Akagi''s power was incredibly potent, but using it to essentially generate mana was not very kind to her body. Not to mention that she''d used some of it to amp up Prismatic Vista, which was also taking its toll on her.


    "I have only myself to me there. Your little attack got me good. I saw iting, but it really was too quick for me to get out of the way." Halifax stepped out of the dust cloud that had kicked out after the rainbow disappeared. "And I''d imagine it was mostly because Akagi''s power was involved."


    "Oh shit..." Zephiria''s eyes went wide as she looked at Halifax. "Are... Are you ok?" Halifax was missing her right arm as well as part of her shoulder and upper torso. Her hair was singed on that same side, and a good part of her face was burnt as well. "We... We really should get Akagi or something." Zephiria started panicking thinking that she''d fucked up big time, and even Kira thought that she was about to watch the Divine de perish.


    <i>{I THOUGHT SHE COULD HANDLE IT, I SWEAR!}</i> (Zephiria)


    As she watched Zephiria panic, Halifaxughed. "Ah, this?" She pointed to her missing arm. "Don''t worry, I''ve seen worse." She shrugged with her other shoulder, and after taking a moment to readjust the flow of magic in her body, Halifax quickly regenerated and repaired all the damage she''d taken. However, this was not at zero cost, as repair of her magical body required a great deal of energy after that attack.


    "Much better, but I think I''ll miss the old arm." Halifax rotated her shoulder and flexed her newly formed fingers. "I suppose it will take a moment to break it in, but I''ve got you to help with that." She giggled.


    "WHAT THE FUCK?!?" Zephiria screamed profanity at the top of her lungs, Kira doing the same. "HOW THE HELL CAN YOU REGENERATE FROM THAT?!? ARE YOU AKAGI?!?"


    <i>{THE FUCK?!? EVEN I COULDN''T GET REGEN THAT GOOD! WHY WON''T YOU STAY DOWN?!?} </i>(Zephiria)


    "As a funny picture that Akagi showed me once said." Halifax smiled. "I''m just built different."


    <i>{Akagi, you showed the otherworldlydy memes, and she used one on me... I feel like I just lost...} </i>(Zephiria)


    "Ok, well." Zephiria smacked her cheeks to refocus. "If you can regenerate from <i>that</i>, then I guess I don''t need to worry about killing you anymore." She figured that she should stop holding back at this point.


    ¡°I mean, you''re more than wee to try." Halifax brushed her hair out of the way, and winked.


    <i>{Yeaaaaah. If Vista didn''t KO her, and she just shrugged it off with regen, then there''s really only one option left for me...} </i>Zephiria took a deep breath and readied herself for Halifax''s next move, but that would prove to be a fatal mistake.


    "First Form of the Divine de: Fos. "Halifax began spinning her de in a circle until it was moving so fast that Zephiria could hardly see it. Her eyes and hair turned stark white, and a momentter, she was gone, shing forward at a speed so fast that only Akagi could see her move.


    "H-Holy fuck..." Zephiria''s entire body trembled. Halifax was frozen in mid-air, her de just inches from plowing throw her chest. "I... I <i>really</i> didn''t think it would work..." She gulped, but found her mouth dry from fear. "But it looks like it worked... Now to just get the fuck <i>away </i>from the scary faster-than-lightdy and start work on my big attack." Zephiria scuttled away from the still-frozen Halifax, nning to take advantage of her opportunity and secure the win.


    <i>{This shit creeps me the fuck out no matter how many times I see it.} </i>Zephiria looked around the arena, seeing the few spectators that were still visible simrly frozen. In fact, the only person who <i>wasn''t </i>on pause was Akagi, who had a massive smirk on her face.


    "Yeah, fucking Demon Lord and being immune to time-pausing magic." Zephiria grumbled about Akagi''s ability to ignore such an effect. In FWO, there was a spell called Stop that was basically magic that paused time, at least ording to its vor text. Since that wasn''t possible for obvious technical limitations, the in-game spell reduced the speed of nearby enemies to near zero and effectively made them sitting ducks. The only downside was that not only was Stop an <i>extremely </i>magic-intensive spell, but it would also drop if you attacked/harmed <i>anyone </i>while it was up. This was done to prevent you from exploiting it <i>too </i>hard, but Zephiria could use this opportunity to set up different spells and buffs.


    "Alright." Zephiria moved far enough away to feelfortable. "Now to just cast every fucking buff in the book and-" She paused, blood dripping from her mouth as Halifax''s de was rammed through her stomach.


    "Good try, but that kind of stuff doesn''t really work on me." Halifax smiled, her snow-white hair getting slightly stained with blood.


    "H-How?!?" Zephiria copsed forward, time returning to normal as she fell to the arena floor with a thud. "I...I stopped time!" She said, coughing up blood.


    "And that would''ve worked too, if not for the fact that I''m a <i>bit</i> acquainted with that type of power." Halifax stuck out her tongue as her appearance reverted to normal.


    "W-What are you?" Zephiria asked, barely conscious.


    "Me? I''m just a simple adventurer, that''s all." Halifax smiled, not wanting to give her the real answer.


    "Y-Yeah right..." Zephiria passed out, and the match was called, with Akagi quickly moving Zephiria to get medical attention.


    "Winner... Halifax!" A confused Kira called the match. From her perspective Halifax charged Zephiria only to take her down at a different part of the arena, so she had no idea what happened. "I suppose there''s no need to do any more discussion. That st of yours took away our audience.¡± The live feed was still down so it was pointless to do anything more in the meantime.


    "Heh-Heh. Sorry about that." Halifax said as she nervously rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment. "I may have gotten a bit carried away."


    <i>{A bit?!?} </i>(Kira)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <riel POV>


    "That was a massive release of power." riel stood alone in an all-white space with a massive red magic circle floating in front of her. She was performing the finishing touches on the portal that would take Enoris'' Heroes to Earth and it was nearly time for them to go about their new mission. The other Gods had left this portion up to her, and the moment Halifax''s Supernova went off, she knew that her ''daughter'' was in some kind of intense battle.


    "No, I just need to focus. It''s nearly time for the Heroes to cross..." riel shook her head. ¡°She''ll be fine...¡±


    <i>{Halifax, what is going on in that other world that would warrant the use of such power? Were you unable to find allies? Did the Spirits attack you?} </i>riel feared that her n was doomed and that Halifax had failed. <i>{Please, be safe...}</i>

 Chapter 268 – A Bitter Taste.

    Chapter 268 ¨C A Bitter Taste.


    "One, two, three! Cheers!" Akagi coordinated a toast among the various yers who were celebrating at arge table she''d ced in the center of the newly reconstructed arena. She''d originally invited <i>all</i> who attended the event to the after party, but many, like the exploration team, wanted to head home and get some ''rest.''


    "CHEERS!" Everyone''s sses clinked as they each took big sips of various drinks.


    Once the arena had been fixed up, and Superbia and Hishya were ok''d to move around, Akagi figured that the best way to finish off the day would be to have an outdoor party to celebrate the tournament''s sess. Tomorrow would be the Grand Finals, a match between Hishya and Halifax, and one that <i>everyone</i> was excited for. There would also be a fight between Superbia and Zephiria to determine third and fourth ce, but that would take ce afterwards.


    "Akagi, I hope you brought enough booze for everyone because, with this many of us, you might need a couple of swimming pools to quench our thirst!" Erisughed as she brought a cold pitcher up to her mouth and took a massive gulp. ¡°Ah, hell yeah! That''s the good stuff!¡±


    "Don''t worry, I got plenty." Akagiughed as she took a sip of her own drink, which was some of her personal stash of Ayakashi Sake. "And Mika, I see you over there trying to sneak a cup." She didn''t even need to look at the blue-haired girl, whose girlfriend was trying to give her some alcohol. ¡°You''re not allowed to drink, remember?¡±


    "But why?!?" Mika protested as she put down the empty ss. "We''re not in Japan, so the legal drinking age doesn''t matter!" She figured that it was fine if she jumped in on the fun, and Yuzu and Suzu seemed to agree.


    "There is no legal drinking age in Dumetor, but <i>I</i> said no." Akagiughed. "It''s not good to drink at such a young age. You''re only eighteen, and it will have negative effects on your body, even with magic helping to digest it." She said, taking a sip.


    <i>{Not to mention I don''t need you liquored up only for idiot one and idiot two to take advantage of you, though you might be ok with that...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Yeah, what would your parents say if we brought you home drunk?" Kana sighed as she drank her juice.


    "They''d probably be ok with it." Mika shrugged, figuring that neither would care. "They both used to go to illegal parties when they were younger, so it''d be pretty hypocritical to yell at me." She snickered, knowing that both had done far more illegal things than simply underage drink.


    "Oh,e on Akagi, let the kid live a little." Ayameughed as she mmed a ss of mead down on the table. "Give her a ss and let her try it. 10:1 says she spits it out anyway." Herment made everyone chuckle.


    "Pleeeese!" Mika tried out some puppy eyes. "Aren''t I your Backup Squishy? Shouldn''t I be rewarded?" She fluttered hershes in an attempt to guilt the <i>Demon</i>.


    ¡°Yeah meow~! let nye gurl live nya little meow~!¡± Ara agreed as she drank some hard lemonade.


    "Fine... But <i>one</i> ss and that''s it." Akagi caved, not having it in her to deny the practically begging girl. "Just don''t me me if that knocks you on your ass though." She rolled her eyes.


    <i>{Mika probably gets drunk just off the smell like in an anime anyway.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Yippe!" Mika smiled as Yuzu poured her a small ss of ale. "I bet this tastes amazing!" She took a sip, and her face contorted as if she''d just eaten a lemon. "WHY IS IT SO BITTER?!?" Mike screamed as she threw the cup far away. "YOU ALL LIED TO ME! IT TASTES AWFUL!" She spit on the ground. ¡°WHERE IS THE GOOD IN THAT?!?¡± She grabbed a ss of water and downed it to remove the taste.


    "Hah! I knew it!" Ayameughed. ¡°Kids don''t like the good stuff!¡±


    "Was it really that bad?" Kana asked, thinking that Mika probably overreacted.


    "It tasted like the most sour thing you ever had!" Mika was still trying to get the taste out of her mouth.


    <i>{It was like I bit straight into a fresh pickle!} </i>(Mika)


    "Do you want to try?" Akagi looked at her sister with a smirk.


    "I''m good. I know better than to tempt fate." Kana declined. She was well aware of what alcohol tasted like since Akagi had given her some on her birthday, and she had a simr reaction to Mika.


    "You kids just need to acquire the taste." Eris said as she smugly swirled her mug. "This stuff is the refined drink of us mature adults." She tried to act all mature and haughty, but everyone justughed.


    "If you idiots are mature adults, then I shudder to think what that means for the rest of the world." Mixu said, side-eyeing Eris.


    "Considering our overlord is a <i>Demon </i>that flops around on a futon and does tricks for ear scratches, I think this world is already doomed anyway." Superbia snickered as she and Munechika drank together.


    "Better than the overlords of my world. At least this troublemaker has some redeeming qualities!" Halifaxughed as she set down her empty mug.


    "Hey! I don''t make trouble. I <i>end </i>it." Akagi corrected theirpletely uratements.


    "No, you <i>definitely</i> make trouble." Yumi said while sipping on some Sake. "If I didn''t know better, I''d say that trouble was your middle name."


    "Name one time where I caused trouble!" Akagi demanded proof.


    "Do you mean inside or outside of FWO? Because I have a list, and it''s segmented by location and world." Hishya chuckled. ¡°We can start with the letter A, and just getting to B might take till dawn."


    "Fabrications, lies and nder!" Akagi blew a raspberry. "I''m a <i>Saint!</i> I cause no issues for anyone!" As she said this, her lips curved into a wicked smile since she knew their ims were 100% true.


    "Ah yes... A <i>Saint</i>." Mimi rolled her eyes. "My Lord is <i>definitely </i>such a thing."


    "Lady Akagi is a paragon of virtue and generosity." Kiraughed, deciding to join in on the fun.


    "I see you two have learned to back-sass me. Did Yumi''s bad habits spread to the rest of the family?" Akagi sighed.


    "You''re just imagining things." Mimi waved her off.


    "Indeed. We are your loyal servants and family. We would never do anything as vile as talking about you in a negative light." Kira snickered.


    "Looks like you don''t have as iron a grip on them as you thought, Onee-chan." Kanaughed.


    "Yeah..." Akagi scratched her cheek, embarrassed. "But that''s ok. I like that about them." She smiled.


    "Aww, look, she''s embarrassed." Mizumi giggled. "That''s so cute."


    ¡°I guess even Akagi can act like that.¡± Shiru chuckled.


    "If you would''ve told me a few months ago that a Demon Lord could get embarrassed, I would''ve called you a nutcase." Halifax smiled as she took a sip, polishing off another ss. "But I think it''s nice."


    "Better kitty than world exploding." Hishya nodded inplete certainty that floof was better than doom.


    "Yeah..." (Everyone else)


    "Fuck you all..." Akagi looked away, still embarrassed. "And people wondered why I liked VR so much. Having real-life friends is an absolute pain in the ass." Though she wouldn''t deny that she was having a lot of fun with her ''pains in the ass.''


    "But that''s the fun part!" Zephiria smiled as she took a big glup. "We get to torment you, and you can''t just run away!"


    "Maybe <i>that''s </i>how we defeat the Demon Lord?" Shinlua chuckled. "We must kill her with kindness." Herment caused the whole table tough, and for Akagi to roll her eyes.


    "Onee-chan never did do well withpliments or anything of the sort, so maybe <i>that </i>really is her weakness." Kanaughed as she poked her sister in the cheek, knowing just how bad she was with this kind of stuff.


    <i>{Onee-chan and social activity get along about as well as potassium and water.} </i>(Kana)


    "I put on a whole event for you all, and I get sass and lip in return." Akagi sighed but couldn''t hide a small smile.


    "Oh yeah!" Zephiria stood up quickly. "That reminds me..." She smiled before looking at all the other attendees, who each stood up. "One, two, three!"


    "Thanks for hosting such an awesome tournament, Akagi!" (Everyone)


    "I... uh..." Akagi was genuinely surprised by the show of gratitude. "You don''t need to thank me... I just did it because I thought it would be fun." She didn''t know what to say or how to react since this had never happened before.


    "Oh, it definitely was." Superbia smiled as she hugged onto her sister. "I haven''t gotten to really go all out since we got back, and it was nice to cut loose like that!"


    "Oh yeah!" Eris nodded. "It was like we were back in FWO and giving it everything we got!"


    "I''d be down to do it again. Maybe you could do something interesting with the next one?" Ayamemented.


    "I think team battles could be fun." Mixu added her two cents. "And maybe you could make some dynamic stages."


    "Hell, she could probably just do it within her shadow and make an entire city for us to fight-" Hishya paused, her eyes shing with excitement. "Yeah, you <i>need</i> to do that." She looked over at Akagi. "That sounds amazing, and we can blow stuff up with no issue and we can''t die in there either!"


    <i>{I NEED IT!} </i>(Hishya)


    "Such demanding people you all are." Akagi rolled her eyes as she chuckled. "But I''ll consider it." She winked.


    The group partied into the night with booze flowing like a river. Akagi had procured quite a lot of drink, and it ended up being just enough to keep everyone happy. As things winded down, everyone stumbled back to their rooms, some drunk, others exhausted from a night of lively discussion, dancing, and other merriment. Though there were still a few things that needed attending to.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    "Just be sure that she actually gets some sleep you two." Akagi warned the two Yuki-Onna sisters not to try anything on the sleepy Mika.


    "We won''t..." Yuzu and Suzu sighed as they helped the barely awake Mika back to her room.


    <i>{Ok, Mom...} </i>(Yuzu x Suzu)


    "You two should get some sleep too. It''s quitete as it is." Akagi turned to Naomi and Kana. "I''ll take you back to the house."


    "What, will you tuck us in too?" Kana chuckled.


    "Maybe she''ll read us a bedtime story?" Naomiughed.


    "I can if you want, but that will be far more embarrassing and awkward for you than me." Akagi replied.


    "I think we''ll pass." Kana yawned. "I''d prefer going straight to bed. I''m tired." It was already long past the time she preferred to be in bed by and with School starting again soon she didn''t want to get into bad habits.


    "Maybe getting Akagi to give you a kitty body pillow would help you out." Naomi giggled.


    "It''s toote at night for this stuff..." Kana sighed. "Can we just go home?"


    "Sure." Akagi snapped her fingers transporting the three of them back to the estate.


    "What are you going to do now?" Kana asked.


    "Not too much. Yumi is checking on Miji right now, so once she gets back I think we''ll get to sleep as well." Akagi answered.


    "Ok, well, good night, Onee-chan." Kana said, hugging her sister before heading off.


    "Nite Akagi." Naomi turned and followed Kana toward the guest bedrooms upstairs.


    Once the two disappeared into the hallway, Akagi hopped on the couch and checked the news with her phone. There was a bit of disappointment that the tournament broadcast was cut short due to the EMP from Halifax''s attack, but Akagi made sure to upload a full version online once things were fixed.


    "I guess some things never change." Akagiughed as she put her phone down. "People act more civilized, but bloodsport is always popr."


    Closing her eyes, Akagi sat on the couch for a few minutes until Yumi returned.


    "Is something the matter?" Yumi asked, taking a seat next to Akagi. "I can tell your mind is racing by that look on your face."


    "I''m just waiting, that''s all." Akagi answered with a smile.


    "For the Heroes?" Yumi knew that this issue was eating at her and that she was getting antsy being able to do little more than wait until they attacked.


    "It won''t be long now, I can tell." Akagi''s lips curved into a smile.


    <i>{And then, it will be time for me to have some unrestricted fun.} </i>(Akagi)

 Chapter 269 – An Explanation and the Arrival.

    Chapter 269 ¨C An Exnation and the Arrival.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    And here marks the end of book 4! Thank you all for reading and I look forward to having you look at theing books! I''ll be skipping this weekend''s chapters to make a bit of suspense so I''ll see you next Wednesday!


    <span style="font-weight:400">"What a hell of a day." Halifax smiled as she looked out her bedroom window into the night sky, stretching slightly as a light breeze washed over her face. The days events had gotten her proverbial blood pumping, and she was excited to see just what kind of battle her sh with Hishya would be. As she stood at the window she changed into a nightgown and was preparing for bed when an unexpected knock came at her door.


    <span style="font-weight:400">"Come in." Halifax took a seat on a nearby chair as herte-night guest entered.


    <span style="font-weight:400">"I hope I''m not bothering you thiste. I cane back in the morning if you''re tired." Hishya said as she entered the room wearing some fluffy pink pajamas.


    <i><span style="font-weight:400">{I heard she has some kind of animal themed nightwear, too bad she didn''t wear that since it would''ve been cute.} </i><span style="font-weight:400">(Halifax)


    <span style="font-weight:400">"No, I''m good." Halifax shook her head. "Sleep is basically a luxury for me anyway." She didn''t need to sleep but, like Akagi, enjoyed it. Not to mention that even if her physical body didn''t tire like a human''s world, mental fatigue was a thing, even as a sword. "So what do you need? It''s unusual for you to approach me, especially sote at night." Hishya hadn''t spent much time with Akagi''s otherworldly guest, so a visit like this was unexpected.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Without answering, Hishya quietly walked over to Halifax, her eyes showing a mixture of apprehension and anxiety. "I''ll be blunt. Who the hell are you?" Her words were sharp and to the point. "Akagi said that you were an adventurer from Enoris who came to warn us about the Gods'' ns, but..." She bit her lip, pausing for a moment. "I don''t buy that you''re just some adventurer."


    <i><span style="font-weight:400">{Akagi won''t answer any of my questions, so I have no choice but to go to the source.} </i><span style="font-weight:400">(Hishya)


    <span style="font-weight:400">"What makes you so sure that I''m not just that?" Halifax asked with a smile. She''d been around long enough that she wouldn''t allow herself to slip up when asked such questions out of the blue.


    <span style="font-weight:400">"For starters no ''adventurer'' from Enoris could do what you just did in yourst two fights." Hishya shook her head.


    <span style="font-weight:400">"My world has strong people, so what?" Halifax shrugged. "There are many in my world who have extraordinary strength just as this world has you and the others." While that was technically true, few from Enoris could be considered anywhere near as powerful as her, and even then those individuals tended to be rted to the Gods in some way.


    <span style="font-weight:400">"Getting past the part where <i><span style="font-weight:400">we </i><span style="font-weight:400">are outliers, <i><span style="font-weight:400">you </i><span style="font-weight:400">were able to defeat both Zephiria and Avahn, two people who I''d say have far more power than those of your world." Hishya continued with her questioning.


    <span style="font-weight:400">"And what makes you so sure that the people of my world aren''t of simr levels of power?" Halifax asked, figuring that she could just have Hishya run in circles rather than answer her.


    <span style="font-weight:400">"Simple, because Mizumi <i><span style="font-weight:400">herself </i><span style="font-weight:400">confirmed it." Hishya smirked, recalling how the Water Spirit had reacted to both her and Akagi when she first appeared. "Listen, you can try and give me the run around all you want, but I know for a <i><span style="font-weight:400">fact</i><span style="font-weight:400"> that Enoris didn''t have people anywhere close to us in strength. Mizumi was <i><span style="font-weight:400">floored </i><span style="font-weight:400">by what Akagi and I could do, and while the other yers aren''t at that level, that little Water Spirit was no less surprised by their power." She crept slightly closer. "So if it was <i><span style="font-weight:400"mon </i><span style="font-weight:400">in your world for people like <i><span style="font-weight:400">you </i><span style="font-weight:400">to be running around, then why would Mizumi be so shocked at <i><span style="font-weight:400">our </i><span style="font-weight:400">power?" She figured this was her best evidence and Halifax sighed internally, knowing that her logic was sound.


    <i><span style="font-weight:400">{Dammit Mizumi...} </i><span style="font-weight:400">(Halifax)


    <span style="font-weight:400">"I''ll concede that those of my power aren''tmon." Halifax noted that perhaps she was stronger than the average person, and that others like her tended to hide themselves from the world. "Maybe I''m just one of a smaller group of powerful adventurers?¡±


    <span style="font-weight:400">"I <i><span style="font-weight:400">might </i><span style="font-weight:400">be able to buy that, but..." Hishya raised one finger. "If what you im is true, then tell me..." She pointed at Halifax. "Why are Mizumi''s people still <i>alive</i>, and why did the Gods need to summon Heroes to deal with them? If they had even a <i><span style="font-weight:400">few</i><span style="font-weight:400"> people in that world that were on or even <i><span style="font-weight:400">near</i><span style="font-weight:400"> your level, then not only wouldn''t they need to summon potentially unreliable outsiders when they could''ve easily finished Mizumi''s people off before they fled."


    <i><span style="font-weight:400">{I''ve thought about this long and hard, Halifax. You''re not going to weasle your way out of answering! I''ve yed too many mystery games that required you to logically pick out all the clues!} </i><span style="font-weight:400">(Hishya)


    <span style="font-weight:400">Seeing that Hishya had her cornered, Halifax startedughing. "Boy, you really did your homework, didn''t you?"


    <i><span style="font-weight:400">{I see she''s got a good head on her shoulders in addition to being powerful. A wee change from the rest of her kind, who tend to be idiots. Though she there is one rebutall to thatment that she couldnt possibly have anticipate, but lets allow that to slide for now.} </i><span style="font-weight:400">(Halifax)


    <span style="font-weight:400">"I just like to know who I''m dealing with is all. Call it a holdover from my days leading an army of idiots that came from all walks of life." Hishya gave a dryugh. "Akagi seems to trust you, uncharacteristically so if I might add, but that doesn''t mean that <i><span style="font-weight:400">I</i><span style="font-weight:400"> do. So I''ll ask again, who are you?" She wasn''t going to back down, especially after she essentially confirmed that Halifax had something to hide.


    <span style="font-weight:400">"And why should I tell you?" Halifax asked, still not giving in. "I came to this world to warn you of an impending danger and to help avert a crisis, which I''ve done. So I don''t think that I owe <span style="font-weight:400">you<i> any</i><span style="font-weight:400"> exnation of who or what I am." She smiled, subtly telling Hishya to back off.


    <span style="font-weight:400">"I suppose you''re right." Hishya nodded. "You don''t owe me anything. But I think it would be unfair for so many of us to stick our neck out for your world, only for you to keep hiding secrets from us."


    <span style="font-weight:400">"Us?" Halifax titled her head in confusion. "What do you mean?"


    <span style="font-weight:400">"I mean that not only <i><span style="font-weight:400">me </i><span style="font-weight:400">but a lot of the yers want to help you and your world, Halifax." Hishya replied with a deep sigh. "Believe it or not, <i><span style="font-weight:400">we </i><span style="font-weight:400">have beef with those Gods too. Their actions are what started this whole series of events, and we all lost plenty of good friends in FWO. When Akagi exined to us the full series of events, a desire for vengeance took hold in most of the surviving yers." She shook her head as she recalled how heated that discussion turned on the message board. "I''ve been watching you over these past few weeks, and I get the sense that you are a good person... I don''t know <i><span style="font-weight:400">why </i><span style="font-weight:400">you''re so hesitant to tell me or anyone else anything about you, but I can assure you that, at least here, you''re among friends. We won''t be angry with you, nor would we seek to <i><span style="font-weight:400">use</i><span style="font-weight:400"> you." Her use of the word ''use'' caused Halifax to flinch unintentionally.


    <span style="font-weight:400">"Ah... That''s the problem, isn''t it." Hishya caught her involuntary movement.


    <span style="font-weight:400">"I... I just... When people find out... All they ever want... They just want my power..." Halifax said quietly.


    <i><span style="font-weight:400">{Few have wanted me for... me...} </i><span style="font-weight:400">(Halifax)


    <span style="font-weight:400">"Listen..." Hishya pulled Sun Strike out and held it in front of her. "I swear on my title as the Amethyst Dragon Empress that <i><span style="font-weight:400">no one </i><span style="font-weight:400">of this world will ever try to use you for your power." She smirked. "<i><span style="font-weight:400">And any that dare try will know my full wrath."</i>


    <i><span style="font-weight:400">{There, an Oath like thatpels me to act.} </i><span style="font-weight:400">(Hishya)


    <span style="font-weight:400">"Why... Why would you go so far for somebody you hardly even know?" Halifax didn''t understand why Hishya would make such a vow, nor why she cared so much.


    <i><span style="font-weight:400">{And how could I even trust your words when...} </i><span style="font-weight:400">(Halifax)


    <span style="font-weight:400">"Because I''d like to be your friend." Hishya smiled as she put her de away, her words bringing Halifax out of her internal thoughts.


    <span style="font-weight:400">"What?" Halifax hadn''t expected that reply and half-blurted out her own words. "What kind of answer is that?!?"


    <span style="font-weight:400">"An honest one." Hishya snickered. "And I can safely say it''s the same for the rest of us. You might not be from this world, Halifax but as far we''re concerned, you''re one of us."


    <i><span style="font-weight:400">{Honestly its almost as if you''ve been around forever at this point, even though we''ve known you for only a few weeks.} </i><span style="font-weight:400">(Hishya)


    <span style="font-weight:400">"You really are a silly girl, aren''t you." Halifax gave a defeated sigh.


    <span style="font-weight:400">"I''ve been called worse." Hishyaughed. "But yeah, I''ve been known to be a bit cookey at times. I think it''s just part of who I am after the events of thest few years." At this point Hishya figured that rolling with things was for the best, and that it was more fun this way.


    <span style="font-weight:400">"Just like Akagi..." Halifax sighed.


    <span style="font-weight:400">"Hey, that idiot is far stranger than me!" Hishya quipped. "Do you see me running around getting pets in cat form?"


    <span style="font-weight:400">"No, but I don''t dislike the kitty." Halifax said before taking a deep breath, and answering the Dragon''s original question. "I... I am a Divine de created by riel, the Goddess of Time over four thousand years ago to destroy Demon Lord Vikes." The words flowed out of her mouth like a river, surprising her and Hishya.


    <span style="font-weight:400">"Over my long lifetime, I''ve had <i><span style="font-weight:400">many</i><span style="font-weight:400"> wielders, some good but most... <i><span style="font-weight:400">bad</i><span style="font-weight:400">." Halifax shook her head. "Things were good, for while many of my mortal wielders were... less than ideal, my rtionship with riel, a woman I once referred to as my mother, was great." She smiled as she recalled better times. "riel treated me as her own. We spent so much time together, and I felt her loving embrace. I... I was happy... That was... That was until..." Memories of burning viges and Dark Elves shed through her mind. "Until she used her power and... andpelled me tomit an act of ughter so heinous that I do not wish to speak of it in detail."


    <i><span style="font-weight:400">{I can still see it... I can still feel it all... And that woman... That crazy woman that they gave me to...} </i><span style="font-weight:400">(Halifax)


    <span style="font-weight:400">"Your own... mother..." Hishya repeated quietly.


    <span style="font-weight:400">"After that day, I... I kinda snapped for a while. Once I regained my mind it had already been so long since I''d seen riel that I just... I decided to stay away and find myself. I have been told that she regrets what she did to me, and that she waspelled by the other Gods... but..." Halifax started to cry. "But none of that makes it any better. I can''t undo all the death that I caused, and that it was done against my will makes it no better!" She nearly screamed. "I was forced to let somebody use me to kill innocent people." Halifax looked Hishya in the eyes. "I... I caused an entire race to be enved..." Her tears dripped onto the floor. "After that... After it was all over... I... I never returned to my home... I spent decades and centuries moving around between different Royal and Imperial Pces as what basically amounted to a museum piece as I tried to figure out what I wanted in life. Until, one day... I decided that <i><span style="font-weight:400">NO ONE </i><span style="font-weight:400">would ever wield me again." She continued. "So I left... And here I am today. Three hundred yearster..."


    <i><span style="font-weight:400">{I know that Akagi said that people can learn... That people can get better... But I don''t know... I don''t know anymore... Is there really any hope for a people that would the kinds of things that I''ve witnessed?} </i><span style="font-weight:400">(Halifax)


    <span style="font-weight:400">"I... I''m so sorry." Hishya put her hand on Halifax''s shoulder.


    <i><span style="font-weight:400">{What in the ABSOLUTE fuck?!?} </i><span style="font-weight:400">(Hishya)


    <span style="font-weight:400">"None of that is right... To force you to..." Hishya bit her lip. "Listen..." She knelt down in front of Halifax and looked into her eyes. "We''ll make them pay, Halifax. I swear on my <i><span style="font-weight:400">life </i><span style="font-weight:400">that we''ll make those Gods pay for what they did to not just me but you." Her anger had only increased after hearing this story, and she was this close to asking Akagi to let her go on a rampage on Enoris when the time came.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Halifaxughed. "Funny... Akagi said the same thing..." She gripped onto Hishya''s hand. ¡°She''s... She''s been probably my best friend since... Since Sherry passed.¡±


    <i><span style="font-weight:400">{I wonder if it has anything to do with Akagi having issues with her own mother? Shima never forced her to kill, but she was basically betrayed and abandoned by her...} </i><span style="font-weight:400">(Hishya)


    <span style="font-weight:400">"But there you have it." Halifax said, wiping away any remaining tears. "Now you know the truth... I''m somebody that most of the people from my world never saw as anything other than a tool to be used, and if I stepped out of line..." She didn''t need to finish for Hishya to understand.


    <span style="font-weight:400">"Well I can promise you that you will <i><span style="font-weight:400">never </i><span style="font-weight:400">have to worry about that again." Hishya''s words wereced with anger. "Akagi and I will see to that."


    <i><span style="font-weight:400">{We''re burning that fucking world to the god damn ground, and we''re going to drag those fucking Gods into hell, kicking and screaming!} </i><span style="font-weight:400">(Hishya)


    <span style="font-weight:400">"You know." Halifax giggled. "For some reason, I believe you."


    <span style="font-weight:400">The two then spent countless hours discussing all sorts of topics. Halifax had a lot that she needed to get off her chest, and Hishya was more than happy to hear her out. When the Sun came up the next morning, and it was nearly time for their grand match to begin, they exchanged handshakes and promised to give this match their all.


    <span style="font-weight:400">_____________________________________________________________________________


    <span style="font-weight:400">"So, are you ready to get stomped?" Hishya quipped as she and Halifax started walking to the center of the arena.


    <span style="font-weight:400">"I could ask you the same." Halifax smirked. "Don''t worry, when I kick your ass, I''ll be sure not to humiliate you <i><span style="font-weight:400">too</i><span style="font-weight:400"> bad."


    <span style="font-weight:400">"And when I win, I''ll be sure <i><span style="font-weight:400">not</i><span style="font-weight:400"> to drop you in a nice muddy puddle filled with all sorts of slime." Hishyaughed as the two took center stage, ready for the ''match of the century''.


    <span style="font-weight:400">"Just don''t forget your promise." Hishya said as she drew her de.


    <span style="font-weight:400">"I won''t." Halifax nodded. "When we''re done here, I''ll tell everyone what I told youst night."


    <i><span style="font-weight:400">{She''s right... I need to do this.} </i><span style="font-weight:400">(Halifax)


    <span style="font-weight:400">"Good, then..." Hishya took a defensive stance.


    <span style="font-weight:400">"Are the contestants ready to begin?" Kira looked between the two women, who were visibly eager to start.


    <span style="font-weight:400">"Yup!" (Halifax x Hishya)


    <span style="font-weight:400">"Then. The final match of the Dumetor Interworld Tournament will begi-" However, before Kira could start the final match, she was interrupted by a loud voice that called out overhead.


    <span style="font-weight:400">"Starting the party without us?" Muichiro said as he and the other three Heroesnded nearby. "That just won''t do! Besides if there''s going to be any butt-kicking around these parts, then it''s going to be by us!" He shed a toothy smile as the arena went silent.


    <span style="font-weight:400">End of Book 4

 Chapter 270 – The Heroes Enter the Fray!

    Chapter 270 ¨C The Heroes Enter the Fray!


    Rewinding a bit to just before the Heroes made their dramatic entrance.


    "Preparations areplete. Are you ready to embark on your most urgent mission?" Gale asked the four Heroes that stood before him.


    Once the portal and a stabilized pathway between Enoris and Earth wereplete, Gale and the other Gods brought the four of them into a part of the Heavenly Realm, where they would be transported to their destination. There was little to see in this small pocket of space, and unlike the other times the Heroes found themselves speaking with the Gods, there was nothing around them but swirling white clouds in every direction. Never before had they actually been brought into even <i>part </i>of the Divine Domain of the Gods, as doing so was apparently problematic. However, this time, rather than project their minds across the dimensional divide, their bodies were brought here so as to allow for their transportation to Earth.


    "I think we''re ready to knock some heads." Muichiro sniffed as he looked between hispatriots. ¡°At least I know that I am.¡± Heughed.


    "I''m ready to save the world, Lord Gale." Hitomi smiled.


    <i>{I wonder if this means that the other ns will be unnecessary? She did say that it was a contingency in case we were unable to defeat the Spirits in the world they fled do, so I suppose I''ll have to speak with Rafferty upon my return.} </i>(Hitomi)


    "And what about you two?" Gale noticed that neither Amakusa nor Kanato were saying anything, and he could tell that something was on their mind. "Is something wrong? Are you perhaps nervous? I can understand if you are worried as this a heavy burden that we''ve ced on you." He figured that a bit of cold feet was likely the cause of their worry, and internally he wanted to tell them to stop being a bunch of whiners but held his tongue.


    "I suppose worry is <i>part</i> of it..." Kanato sighed. "But I suppose I''ll just need to shake it off with action." He gripped the de at his waist.


    <i>{I just hope my fears turn out to be wrong...} </i>(Kanato)


    "Just a thought, but how do we get back?" Amakusa asked what she thought was a <i>very </i>important question. "I have things that need doing in <i>this</i> world, so I''d rather not be stuck somewhere else."


    <i>{I''ve been Isekai''d once and pulled away from everything I knew, and I''m not keen on having that happen again.} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Ah." Gale nodded, understanding her concern. "Don''t worry about being unable to return to Enoris, we''ve already nned for that." He snapped his fingers causing four clear crystal gems to float in front of him. "These are return gems that I designed specifically for this mission. "Keep them around your necks on this cord, and when you''ve finished your work, simply shatter them to return to Enoris. Though you''ll have to forgive the fact that they will ce you somewhere in the world at random as making any kind of specific return point proved to be both difficult and time consuming." He probably could''ve done it but couldn''t be bothered to put in the effort, especially since the returning Heroes would all die anyway.


    "I suppose that being returned to the portal would be asking too much?" Amakusa asked as she and the others took a crystal.


    <i>{What if we get dropped in the fucking ocean?!? I don''t want to wind up drowing!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Interdimensional travel is hard. Count yourself lucky that I could even make something that would allow you to return in the first ce." Gale replied with a bit of snark in his words.


    <i>{Luckily, we didn''t need to do any work to adjust the flow of time between the worlds due to the Spirits'' prior transit, so that saved riel and Reflia a great deal of time and power. I was worried that due to some kind of temporal dtion that there was a chance that this world would perish before these four idiots even got started on their mission, but I''m d to see that my worries were needless.} </i>(Gale)


    "It''s not a big deal anyway! Just think of it as its own little adventure!" Muichiroughed, not caring where in the world he was dropped. "Maybe I''ll stop around some ces and find more girls for my <i>collection</i>!"


    <i>{Yeah... I hope hends in a volcano...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Just don''t get too caught up chasing tail in whatever this world is, Muichiro." Amakusa sighed, not wanting to deal with his womanizing ways any longer than she needed to. "We''re gonna need all four of us working together for this one, so don''t go forgetting the reason that we''re here."


    "Indeed. It would be foolish to split our attention, especially after Lady riel mentioned that she detected some very strong people who might very well be our enemy." Hitomi cautioned him that things could easily get dangerous. "Our mission is far too important for you to be your usual self, so please keep your <i>needs </i>tucked away during this excursion." Her words grew stern and Amakusa could tell that she was serious.


    "Fiiiineeee. Spoilsport." Muichiro threw his hands up in defeat. "But in return, you need to give me the go-ahead to woo that one Priestess that I''ve had my eyes on." He smirked.


    "Do as you like." Hitomi sighed. "Just make sure you treat her well, or else I shall smite you."


    "Don''t worry, I''ll make sure that <i>she</i> enjoys herself." Muichiro winked.


    <i>{Gag me...} </i>(Amakusa)


    Gale chuckled. "I''m d to see that at least you two are in good spirits."


    "Those two are rarely bothered by anything. Though that''s probably a virtue, all thing considered." Kanato gave a wry smile, not knowing how to react to Muichiro''sments. "But getting back on topic, what kind of resistance should we expect upon arrival? riel said there were some strong people near thending area." He''d fought some powerful Spirits during the war and only rarely ran into anything that truly gave him trouble.


    "I can''t give you anything concrete, but from what we can sense, I expect at least enough powerful people are gathered around the ritual site to give you a tough fight." Gale''s words were mostly true, though like riel he had no idea what kind of monster he was about to provoke. "But be warned, I sense a great deal of dark energy swirling about in that world. It''s likely rted to the Spirits'' ritual. So, I would advise caution and patience. Enoris will not copse anytime soon, so<i> </i>rushing is not needed. If the situation calls for a retreat or for you to disengage and try again, then do it." He needed things to go as nned and was willing to wait if required, though he didn''t really want to.


    <i>{Once these fools kill the Spirits, none of this will matter anyway. We''ll get out of this doomed world, and these fools will be used as fuel for our escape.} </i>(Gale)


    "Then we should be prepared for a fight as soon as we drop." Kanato looked to the other Heroes, who nodded. They were used to fighting as a group and their ability to fight together was key in their defeat of the Spirits powerful magic. "Are you guys ready?" He felt his his chest tense up with anxiety as he spoke.


    "Yup." Amakusa repliedzily.


    "As ready as I''ll ever be!" Muichiro wasn''t worried about a the fight and was more excited than anyhting else.


    "I''m ready." Hitomi nodded warmly.


    "Good, then let''s begin the transfer." Gale snapped his fingers, which caused a swirling vortex of white, blue, and red to appear next to him. "Once you are ready, enter the portal." He stepped out of the way, and the four Heroes cautiously approached the gateway.


    "Should we uh... Like hold hands as we go through?" Kanato asked, nervously.


    "I don''t think that''s needed, but it would probably be a good precaution." Gale figured that it would at least prevent their separation if nothing else. "There is a chance that the transfer may split you apart. So it may be a good idea to keep in physical contact with each other."


    "Holding hands..." Muichiro groaned. "Fine." He held out his hands, which Kanato and Hitomi grabbed. "At least I get to touch a cute girl." He winked at Hitomi who pinched him with her other hand.


    "I''ll be grabbing Hitomi, thank you very much." Amakusa wasn''t interested in holding onto either of the guys.


    "We''re not going to give you cooties, Shiroe." Muichiroughed.


    "No, but you might give me some <i>other</i> strange disease." Amakusa rolled her eyes. "Let''s just get this over with..."


    "Alright. On three?" Kanato asked, and everyone nodded. "Ok." He took a deep breath. "One... Two..." He paused for a moment, his mouth running dry. "THREE!" The four leaped into the swirling portal and were instantly assaulted by the feeling of vertigo.


    "Good luck, young Heroes. Go forth and defend this world." Gale smirked as they disappeared into the portal. "I wish you all the very <i>best</i>."


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    Falling between the two worlds, the four of them caught brief glimpses of glowing orange orbs in their peripheral vision, but before they could make sense of any of the strange sights in front of them, they quickly found themselves high above the clouds, falling rapidly.


    "Hah! We made it!" Muichiro whooped it up.


    <i>{Though I feel like shit now...} </i>(Muichiro)


    "Yes, we did." Hitomi was visibly ill as they plunged through a thickyer of clouds. It seemed that none of them were <ipletely</i> fine after passing between worlds, but other than a bit of stomach issues there was no significant problems. "But where are we?" She could barely look around, only seeing quick glimpses of trees, farms, houses and the blue sky as it was hard to keep her eyes open for very long due to the high winds.


    "Is that Kyoto?!?" Amakusa screamed as she pointed to a city in the distance.


    "What?!?" Kanato looked off to his left, barely able to see. "Those do look like skyscrapers. Maybe this world is more advanced?" He figured that this may be a world more like Earth.


    <i>{No, that''s definitely Kyoto! I''ve been here far too many times to mistake that skyline!} </i>Amakusa''s mind swirled as they continued to fall toward the ground.


    "We''ll figure out where we areter. For now, let''s focus onnding safely." Kanato looked below them, noticing some kind ofrge structure. "There''s some kind of arena, and I can feel an immense amount of power nearby. That must be what the Gods were talking about!" He could tell that the level of power below them wasrger than anything they''d faced before.


    <i>{We really are going to have to go all out by the looks of things!} </i>(Kanato)


    "The Heroes leaping straight into the action!" Muichiro cheered as they continued their plunge. "God, I fucking love this job!"


    "Just shut your mouth and be prepared for a fight!" Amakusa snapped at him. The sight of Kyoto in the distance caused her stress levels to skyrocket as she began thinking that she''d returned home. "I''m pretty fucking sure this is Earth, and I''ll be dammed if I''m letting anyone cause problems here!"


    <i>{What the fuck is going on?!? I thought we could never go home?!?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "If it <i>is</i> Kyoto, then we''ve got an even bigger reason to stop this madness." Kanato agreed with her assessment. He had family on Earth, and his first thought was that they were in danger from whatever the power he could sense was. "Be ready for a fight! We''ll be hitting the ground in moments!"


    The four of them continued their rapid dive through the sky until they reached a point just above the arena walls, where Hitomi activated wind magic to slow their descent.


    "Is there some kind of fight going on?" Kanato asked as they slowly floated downward. They could see two people with weapons at the ready, standing in the middle of what what looked like an arena.


    "Why do I have the feeling that somebody is watching us?" Amakusa shivered. The moment they''d started slowing down, the hair on the back of her neck stood on end, and she got a chill that ran the length of her spine.


    <i>{Why do I have a really bad feeling all of a sudden?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "We''ll be hitting the ground in moments, so be ready!" Hitomi said as she continued to lower them slowly toward the ground.


    "I think we interrupted some kind of tournament." Muichiro smirked as theynded. "Starting the party without us?" He said as he and the other three Heroes touched down. "If there''s going to be any butt-kicking around these parts, it''s going to be by us." He shed a toothy smile as both Halifax and Hishya red at him.

 Chapter 271 – The Demon Lord’s Terrifying Visage.

    Chapter 271 ¨C The Demon Lord¡¯s Terrifying Visage.


    "Well, well, well." Hishya pointed Sun Strike at the four intruders, her words sounded cheery but her eyes were practically on fire. "I''m going to take a shot in the dark and say that you four are the so-called Heroes I was told about."


    <i>{We were expected?!? That''s not good...} </i>(Kanato)


    "Yeah, that''s right!" Muichiroughed as he allowed his massive de to m into the arena floor, causing a minor quake. "We''re the fucking Heroes, and we''re here to kick ass and take names!"


    <i>{Cute girl, but a bit to small for my taste.} </i>(Muichiro)


    "More likemit genocide!" Halifax screamed at the four of them, her eyes seeming to burn even brighter than Hishya''s with hatred. "You''re here to kill innocent people, you idiots!¡± She pointed her de at them. "And I won''t let you get away with your disgusting acts of ughter anymore!" She''d been wanting to kick these four around for some time, and her inability to act only further inmed her disgust with both the Hero group and the Gods.


    <i>{I suppose this lends credence to our concerns.} </i>Kanato side-eyed Amakusa, who nced back at him, nodding subtly.


    "Listen, we were told that-" Kanato wanted to start a dialogue but was cut off as his long dormant AR device dinged with a ton of backed up messages, as did the other Heroes''.


    "I knew it! This is Earth!" Amakusa yelled as she flicked through a metric ton of messages from her family. "We''re home!"


    <i>{WE FUCKING MADE IT HOME!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Wait, really?!?" Muichiro looked shocked. "Well fuck my life. I guess we are."


    ¡°This is... <i>Unexpected</i>...¡± Hitomi didn''t seem all to happy with returning to Earth.


    <i>{But if this is Earth, then why are there so many powerful people here? This doesn''t make any sense. Earth has no magic, but these two are clearly more than just humans. What the hell happened while we were gone?!?} </i>(Kanato)


    However, before any of the four Heroes could ask any questions, Akagi''s voice echoed throughout the arena, startling the four of them and causing Hishya to sigh.


    <i><b>"I see, so my conclusion that the four of you were from this world was correct." </b></i>Akagiughed, her voice seeminglying from the very air itself. <i><b>¡°I suppose that means I should update my bingo card.¡±</b></i>


    <i>{Oh great... She''s gonna take the chance to ham this the fuck up, isn''t she?} </i>(Hishya)


    "What was that?!?" Kanato looked around, sword at the ready. "That voice... It felt... It felt <i>wrong</i>." He''d never felt such a terrible feeling in his gut before, and something in the back of his mind told him to run.


    "My divine senses are detecting a powerful <i>Demon</i> nearby." Hitomimented, her face sweating slightly.


    <i>{It... Its power is...} </i>(Hitomi)


    "A <i>Demon?</i> Why would one of them be on Earth?" Muichiro asked as he looked around for the mysterious voice.


    "It doesn''t matter why its here, all we need to do is <i>kill</i> it!" Amakusa yelled. The thought of some kind of <i>Demonic </i>threat attacking Earth had raised her anxiety as her mind was currently flooded with worry about her Father. "It probably snuck through with the Spirits! Who knows what kind of chaos it could cause to the world!"


    <i><b>"Kill me? Don''t make meugh." </b></i>Akagi chuckled, amused by their cluelessness. <i><b>"Far better warriors than you have tried and failed to do that very thing." </b></i>A Demonicugh echoed around them.


    "Show yourself, monster!" Amakusa barked. "I''ll send you back to whatever hell you crawled out of!"


    <i>{I won''t let my homeworld be destroyed by something like you! So juste out and face the music!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Oh my fucking god..." Hishya sighed under her breath.


    <i>{Dammit, Akagi..} </i>(Hishya)


    "Should we do something?" Halifax asked, not really sure what to do in this situation.


    "If we try to interrupt her, she''ll kick our asses, so just stand back and let her have her fun." Hishya shook her head as she sheathed her de, figuring that sitting back and enjoying the show was the best option.


    <i><b>"Oh? You wish toy thine eyes upon me, mortals? You wish to gaze into the dark abyss that is my unholy form?" </b></i>Akagi gave an even more <i>Demonic</i> and insaneugh. <i><b>"Fine. Thou shalt have what thou desire, but know that I am no ordinary Demon.</b></i>.." With that a massive ck swirling vortex appeared high in the sky as the wind began to pick up and red lightning shed overhead.


    <i>{Really, Akagi? Using those archaic words? What are you, fucking Shakespeare?} </i>(Hishya)


    "Everyone, get ready!" Kanato and the other Heroes got in formation, ready to fight the terrible foe that wasing for them.


    <i>{I''ve got a bad feeling about this...} </i>(Kanato)


    <i><b>"Quake in fear mortal fools! For the one you shall face is a being of unparalleled power..." </b></i>The ground itself began to quake as a ck vortex stretched from the sky to the arena floor. <i><b>" And of a Darkness so deep that no light can ever hope to destroy it."</b></i>


    Kanato gulped but found his mouth dry from stress and fear.


    <i><b>"Know this, you so-called Heroes. My name is Akagi Dumetor, and I am a Demon Lord! Bow before my almighty power and quake at the sight of my most terrible form!" </b></i>Akagi slowly dissipated the vortex revealing herself to the Heroes.


    "REALLY?!?" Hishya did a spit-take when she saw the <i>Demon''s</i> terrible form.


    "Why am I not surprised?" Halifax sighed, figuring that this was the only natural oue.


    "What?" Kanato was shocked and confused by what he was witnessing, as were the rest of the Heroes.


    "A... <i>What</i>?" Amakusa stood with her jaw cked.


    <i>{I... What the hell...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "This has to be a joke, right?" Muichiro looked at his fellow Heroes in confusion. ¡°<i>Right?¡±</i>


    "I... I''m not sure..." Hitomi gave a wry smile. ¡°I''m not sure at all..¡±


    <i><b>"What''s wrong, mortals? Have you never seen such a terrifying visage before? Am I simply that unimaginably horrifying that you are lost for words?" </b></i>Akagiughed evilly as her kitty ears and tail twitched. She''d chosen to appear before the Heroes as Catkagi and was presently sitting on the arena floor, looking far too cute to be the evil the Heroes were expecting.


    "All hail the Demon Lord! All Hail Lady Akagi!" Merkyul and ck Company had appeared alongside her and took a knee as Ara yed some kind of dramatic theme music with a kazoo from afar.


    <i>{That girl has gotten far too invested in her role, but I approve!} </i>(Akagi)


    "May her fluff be eternal!" Sabia said while holding her hands in prayer.


    "May her cuteness triumph over all that is good!" Hitamaguchi prayed as well.


    "Woe be to all who oppose her." Roxlex joined in.


    "M-May her reign be eternal and her darknessplete!" Elna reluctantly said her scripted line.


    "What in the <i>absolute</i> fuck am I looking at?!?" Muichiro finally decided that enough was enough. "I was pumped for some badass fight against a fucking <i>Demon,</i> and instead I get some 5/10 catgirl?!?"


    <i>{Talk about a letdown...} </i>(Muichiro)


    "H-Hitomi, is that the same being that was talking to us?" Kanato asked, still unsure of what was going on with the kitty.


    "I... I think so?" Hitomi couldn''t be sure, but figured that something was wrong about this situation. "I can tell she''s some kind of <i>Demon</i>, but that''s all."


    <i>{But... Something is telling me... That this is bad...} </i>(Hitomi)


    "All that stress... for nothing..." Amakusa sighed, thankful that the feared <i>Demon</i> was harmless.


    <i><b>"MEW!"</b></i> Akagi gave a distorted meow. <i><b>"Discount me at your own risk, mortals.</b></i>" She smiled.


    "Yeah, whatever." Muichiro started slowly walking toward Akagi, waving off any concern and deciding not to take the kitty seriously. "Listen here. I''ll do you a favor and let you join my harem if you tell us where the Spirits are, little kitty." He gave a nasty smirk as he eyed up Akagi. "I''d say that''s pretty generous for an ugly little thing like you, so what do you say? You''d have the honor of being bed by m-" Muichiro didn''t even have a chance to finish his sentence as went flying across the arena, crashing into the stands which copsed on him.


    <i>{Welp, guess I should kick back, get some popcorn, and watch these four get the same treatment as Herlex and Co.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Muichiro!" Kanato screamed as he watched him getunched. "What the hell was that?!?"


    <i>{Did she do that?!?} </i>(Kanato)


    <i><b>"Such a disgusting little man." </b></i>Akagi''s words sent a chill down the Heroes'' spine, and Hishya could tell that she was <i>not </i>in a good mood. <i><b>"Had it not been for the fact that I promised to keep him alive for Mizumi to have fun with, I''d have killed him on the spot for his words. Oh well." </b></i>His disgusting attitude and clearly lecherous eyes had only incensed her, and it was taking everything she had not to destroy him with a snap of her fingers.


    "Lady Akagi, shall we handle these fools who would dare insult you?" Merkyul asked, ready to unleash hell upon those who would dare insult his Lord.


    <i><b>"No." </b></i>Akagi shook her head. <i><b>"These four are my prey." </b></i>She smirked.


    "Just what the hell are you?!?" Amakusa asked.


    <i>{How could she just fling Muichiro away like that?!? He''s an idiot, but it shouldn''t be possible to do fling him away so easily! I didn''t even see what she did to him either!} </i>(Amakusa)


    <i><b>"I told you already." </b></i>Akagi answered. <i><b>"I''m a Demon Lord." </b></i>Her words seemed to chill the very air around her, and the weight of her im pressed down upon the three of them with the weight of a mountain.


    "Demon Lord..." Kanato repeated those words. "No... That can''t be possible!" He shook his head in disbelief. ¡°There''s no way a Demon Lord could exist on Earth!¡±


    <i>{There''s no way that''s true!} </i>(Kanato)


    <i><b>"Oh, but it is." </b></i>Akagi smirked. <i><b>"You see, I am the Demon Lord of THIS world and I am the same type of being as the one that gued Enoris four millennia ago. If you want to be technical, then you could say that Vikes and I are essentially distant rtives."</b></i>


    "There''s no way..." Kanato replied inplete shock, his voice trembling with despair as he knew what this meant. "Then... Then that means..."


    <i><b>"That this world, is mine to destroy." </b></i>Akagi finished for him, her lips curved into a happy smile.


    "NO! I won''t let you destroy the Earth, you monster!" Amakusa zipped forward, pushing past ck Company in a sh. "DIE!" She swung her de down but found itzily blocked by Akagi''s pointer finger.


    <i>{What?!?} </i>(Amakusa)


    <i><b>"How disappointing. I was told that you were powerful, but that blow was weak." </b></i>Akagi flicked her hand forward, flinging Amakusa into Kanato, who caught her.


    "Dammit!" Amakusa fumed.


    <i>{How could she have blocked that?!? Nobody blocks my Swift Strike! NOBODY!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Calm down, Shiroe!" Kanato yelled at her as he set her down. "We need to focus and work together if we want to win this thing, but first..." He red at Akagi, an important question on his mind. "Is it safe to assume that you are the one backing the Spirits?" He wanted to fulfill one of his goals, and he figured that a Demon Lord might be his best bet for answers.


    <i><b>"They are my subjects, yes." </b></i>Akagi nodded. <i><b>"They''vee under my protection, and since you lot are here to kill them, I''ve no choice but to stop you."</b></i>


    "Then maybe we could talk this out." Kanato stepped in front of Amakusa, who was still livid.


    "What do you mean TALK IT OUT?!?" Amakusa screamed at the top of her lungs. "She''s a fucking Demon Lord who wants to destroy the world! We should just end her right now!"


    "Be quiet!" Kanato snapped at her before turning back to Akagi.


    <i><b>"You look like you have an interesting question, boy. I can see it in your eyes. You doubt Enoris'' Gods'' don''t you?" </b></i>Akagi''s words were practically seductive, and Kanato found himself unable to resist answering. <i><b>"You fear that what they''ve told you were nothing but lies and falsehoods."</b></i>


    After taking a moment to gather his thoughts, Kanato asked a question that had been on his mind for the better part of two years. "Are the Spirits truly trying to destroy Enoris?" His words seemed to flow out, and his heart nearly leaped into his throat as he awaited a response.


    Akagi chuckled. <i><b>"No my little Hero. They are not." </b></i>The <i>Demon''s</i> words made Kanato''s blood run cold, and even Hitomi and Amakusa were momentarily taken aback. <i><b>"In fact, they never were. Your little Gods lied to you, manipted you, and fed you sweet, sweet lies." </b></i>The <i>Demon''</i>s lips curved into a smile that made even Hishya uneasy. <i><b>"All those stories about the Spirits trying to destroy Enoris were little more than fabrications to get you four to do the Gods'' dirty work. And you bought their bullshit, hook, line, and sinker."</b></i>

 Chapter 272 – The Hero Party v The Demon Lord.

    Chapter 272 ¨C The Hero Party v The Demon Lord.


    Akagi''s words echoed in Kanato''s ears, confirming what he''d long suspected in the back of his mind. While he''d expected that the Gods were hiding something, and he''d even begun to suspect that the Spirits were some kind of scapegoat, hearing it <i>confirmed </i>to him was no less devastating to his psyche.


    "T-Then that means..." Kanato paled as his stomach swirled. The thought that he''d been part of the ughter and envement of innocent people was too much for him, and Hitomi could tell that he was moments from a total copse.


    <i>{We... We...} </i>(Kanato)


    "Don''t listen to her, Kanato!" Hitomi grabbed his shoulder, shaking him to snap him out of his internal spiral. "Remember what the Gods told us! That there would be those who seek to trick us, and <i>Demons </i>are notorious for ying mind games." Shepletely believed the Gods'' words,rgely because her entire livelihood and power base was built upon those same Gods.


    <i><b>"Believe what you want, fools." </b></i>Akagi shrugged as she stood up, dismissing ck Company who moved away, slowly. <i><b>"I honestly don''t care if you believe what I have to say, for that is not important." </b></i>She nced over the rubble around where Muichiro wasunched and watched as it slowly shook and shivered. <i><b>"It would seem like he finally woke up. What a shame. I would''ve been much happier had that idiot stayed down." </b></i>It was taking quite a bit of restraint on her part not to end <i>that </i>specific Hero outright, and the <i>Demon </i>figured that her ability to hold back wouldn''tst indefinately.


    "YOU BITCH!" Muichiro sted out from under the rubble,nding next to Amakusa, absolutely seething with rage. "I''M GOING TO MAKE YOU PAY FOR THAT!" His face had several deep cuts and bruises on it.


    <i>{HOW FUCKING DARE YOU!} </i>(Muichiro)


    <i><b>"Go ahead and try." </b></i>Akagiughed. <i><b>"You are little more than a paper tiger in front of a storm." </b></i>That he couldn''t understand that she''d held back only made the many onlookers believe that Muichiro was even more foolish than they''d initially believed.<i><b> </b></i>


    "We... What have we done..." Kanato was still reeling from Akagi''s revtion, and was barely able to concentrate on anything else.


    <i>{Did... Did we really kill innocent people? Were we really-} </i>(Kanato)


    "Snap the fuck out of it, Kanato!" Seeing that Kanato wasn''t going to be of any help if he kept thinking about what Akagi said, Amakusa smacked him across the face. "Focus! We can deal with the Spirit problem LATER. Right now, we''ve got a bigger issue at hand." She bit her lip as she red at Akagi. "I won''t let you take over this world! Not while I draw breath!"


    "<i><b>It''s far toote for that." </b></i>Akagi chuckled. <i><b>"This world is already mine, little girl."</b></i>


    "What?" Kanato gasped, the smack to his face finally knocking him out of his stupor. ¡°You''ve already destroyed everyone?!?¡± The thought that humanity had been exterminated weighed heavily on his mind.


    <i><b>"Not destroyed. Rather, I''ve already established dominance over mankind." </b></i>Akagi corrected his misunderstanding. <i><b>"While it would be entirely possible for me to exterminate them, I''ve yet do do so and at present I have no intention to change from envement to annihtion.¡± </b></i>Sheughed. <i><b>¡°Besides, its much more fun to terrify a poption than it is to exterminate it.¡±</b></i>


    <i>{Akagi...} </i>(Hishya)


    "You monster!" Hitomi growled. "You would kill innocent people for your own entertainment?!? You sicken me!" She began casting buffs on the other Heroes in preparation for an inevitable conflict.


    <i><b>"And why shouldn''t I enjoy myself?" </b></i>Akagi asked. <i><b>"After all, this world is my little sandbox, filled with all sorts of toys for me to break." </b></i>Her lips curved into a wicked smile. <i><b>"And I do so loooove breaking my toys." </b></i>Naturally, Akagi wouldn''t go as far as the Heroes were imagining Though, pretending to do so in order to rile up these four was more than fair game.


    <i>{She really is awful, isn''t she? Though I suppose it is funny to watch these four get all worked up when they''ve done far worse than her at this point.} </i>(Halifax)


    "You sick bastard!" Amakusa screamed, her eyes showing utter contempt. "Kanato, we need to work together and kill her! So get your head out of your ass and focus!" She noticed that he was <i>still </i>flustered and could tell that he was hesitating.


    <i>{WHAT ARE YOU DOING, YOU IDIOT?!? IF WE DON''T KILL THIS THING THEN EVERYONE IS GOING TO DIE!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "But we... What we did..." Kanato replied weakly.


    <i><b>"Don''t worry about any of that, boy." </b></i>Akagi called out to him. <i><b>"Now listen, since I''m such a kind Demon Lord I''ll give you all one chance to drop your weapons ande quietly. You''ll be taken before the very Spirits you sought to murder, where justice will be administered and you will be punished for your crimes against them." </b></i>She figured that there was no chance that they''d agree, but decided to offer nheless.


    "As if I''d do that!" Muichiro scoffed at her offer. "I don''t give a damn what you say, bitch, and even if the Gods were yanking our chain, who cares?" Heughed, seeing all the destruction as nothing more than a game that he''d had fun with. "I know I sure don''t. I just want to enjoy myself and do whatever I want, so I''m not about to tuck my tail and beg for some kind of forgiveness from a people that I couldn''t give a fuck about."


    "You speak of justice like you have the right to get it out, but you are nothing more than a monster." Hitomi didn''t agree with Muichiro''s words but had no intention of surrendering herself to Akagi. "I would never allow myself to be taken by something like you, nor will I ask forgiveness for my actions!"


    <i>{You might be able to deceive that idiot Kanato, but I know far to well what kind of lies your kind tell! I am a Hero and I will never be tricked by anyone, especially those with malice in their hearts!} </i>(Hitomi)


    <i><b>"Oh well. I suppose that this was to be expected, but at least now nobody can say I didn''t offer you a peaceful resolution to this conflict." </b></i>Akagi sighed, but was not exactly displeased that she now had carte nche to hand them their assess.. <i><b>"Fine, but don''t worry, I''ll be sure to tell the people of Enoris that YOU are the ones to me when I''m ughtering them all."</b></i>


    "What?!?" Kanato yelled in suprise. "You''re going to-"


    <i><b>"Did you really think that I''d be satisfied with just bringing you four in? That I''d just leave that other world alone?" </b></i>Akagi interrupted his prattle,m annoyed with his naivety. <i><b>"Listen kid, whether or not those idiot Gods knew it, by sending you four here, they''ve dered WAR on me." </b></i>She gave a low Demonicugh that sent chills down everyone''s spine. <i><b>"And if it''s a war they want</b></i>, <i><b>then it''s a war they''ll get!"</b></i>


    <i>{At the end of the day, that''s what matters the most. The lives of the Spirit and my obligation to them is one thing, but I will not stand for others disrespecting me! This world is mine, and I will allow NOBODY to dare stake im to it!} </i>(Akagi)


    Done with her theatrics and convinced that there was no talking with these four, Akagi slowly stood up, transforming into her Demon Lord Form, dark power washing over each of them and causing a tingling sensation on their skin.


    <i>{My head... Why do I feel woozy?} </i>(Hitomi)


    Each of the four Heroes was hit with a sudden and brief headache that each brushed off as merely a bodily reaction to such power, and once they''d recovered and saw Akagi''s new appearnce, the four Heroes were surprised by how radically different she looked from what they''d seen before.


    "I guess the cat form was just a facade." Amakusa said, sweat slowly running down the side of her face.


    "Still not better than a 6/10." Muichiro shrugged, thinking that it was no big deal.


    "The <i>Demon </i>has revealed her true form." Hitomi pointed her staff at Akagi. "Come! Together we shall banish her evil from this world and save both Earth and Enoris from her tyranny!"


    "Do... Do we really need to fight?" Kanato asked. "Is this really needed?"


    <i>{Is there no other way?} </i>(Kanato)


    <i><b>"Surrender yourselves to me and fighting will not be necessary. Though it matters little to me whether you give up or not." </b></i>Akagi shrugged. <i><b>"Enoris will pay for this invasion, and for what its Gods did to the others." </b></i>Hertter words were so quiet that only Hishya and Halifax heard her.


    <i>{Does she really resent the Gods that much for FWO? She came out on top thanks to that whole disaster, so why would she care? In fact, why DOES she care so much any of the other yers actually? Is sympathy enough of a reason for her to take in as many of us as possible? There''s no way its that simple. She killed other yers all the time, so why the hell has she always had a soft spot for other yers since things ended?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    "If... If we surrender, would you spare the people of Enoris?<i><b>" </b></i>Kanato asked, his question causing his fellow Heroes to scream in anger.


    <i><b>"No." </b></i>Akagi answered tly, dashing his hopes of finding a way out. "<i><b>The Spirits demand vengeance, not to mention that my own personal pride is on the line here. If I allow those who dared to invade my world to get away with no consequences, then I would be seen as a fool."</b></i>


    <i>{Not to mention that I''m genuinely annoyed with people constantly fucking with me and my world. I''d like this to be the final massive fucking problem that I need to deal with, at least for now.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Kanato, you''re a nice guy and all, but if you don''t shut your fucking mouth, I''ll knock your teeth out." Muichrio growled as he readied himself for battle. "Hey!<i>Demon </i>bitch or whatever your name is." He pointed his de at Akagi. "So let me tell you how this is <i>really</i> going to. First Ima kick your ass. Then I''m going to enjoy killing all those Spirits you protecting, and finally once I''ve handled that nuisance I''m going to break you like I''ve done to countless other women who ran their mouths." It was no idle threat as he''d actually done that to a few others in the past, usually Spirits that he''d captured.


    "While I don''t support thatst part, I agree with taking you down." Amakusamented, trying to avoid the nasty implications behind Muichiro''s words. "Don''t underestimate us! The four of us have never lost when fighting together, and I''m confident that you''ll go down like the rest!" Despite some of their internal disagreements the four Heroes had superb coordination and teamwork, and even against some of Enoris'' most vile <i>Demons </i>they''de out on top.


    "Kanato." Hitomi put her hand on his shoulder as she looked him in the eyes. "Listen, I know that you''re torn up on the inside right now, but we need you at full power for this. So... Just for now, put all your feelings and concerns about the Gods aside and focus <i>solely</i> on saving the Earth. Everything else cane after." She cast a small buff on him to calm his emotions, but at the same time infused it with a tiny amount suggestion magic that. Ordinarily that shouldn''t have worked due to the Gods'' Divine protection, but she''d managed to find a small loophole in those rules.


    "I... Yeah..." Kanato shook off his reluctance, in part because of her spell, but also because he knew that she was right. "But we <i>will </i>find out the truth about the Spirits once we''re done with her, okay?" He was adamant that they get to the bottom of things once Akagi was defeated and Earth was safe.


    "Fine." Muichiro clicked his tongue, not wanting to argue at the moment.


    "Then, let''s go! de Dance!" Deciding to start the battle before Akagi could make a move, Amakusa took off at high speed, activating one of her sword skills that buffed her speed and agility, with Muichiro following along right behind her.


    "Steel Heart!" Muichiro said as he activated a skill that buffed his offense and defense. "Time to die!" Both he and Amakusa reached Akagi in a sh, swinging their des down at both sides of the stationary <i>Demon</i>.


    "<i><b>I feel like I''ve seen this before." </b></i>Akagiughed as she effortlessly knocked their attacks away.


    *CLANG* *CLANG*


    "Bitch." Muichiro clicked his tongue. "Then how bout this? Heart of the Hill Giant!" His muscles bulged as power flowed into his body and Akagi could tell that his ability had caused a multiplication of his physical abilities several times over. "Can you stop this?!?" Muichiro yelled as he brought his massive de down again.


    <i><b>"Easily, but I don''t really need to." </b></i>Akagiughed as she sidestepped his de before knocking it out of his hand and sending it flying across the arena, barely missing Hishya.


    <i>{Oi!} </i>(Hishya)


    "What?!?" Muichrio didn''t have much time to process what happened as Akagi''s knee mmed into his stomach, sending him flying past an approaching Kanato.


    "Hero''s Heart!" Kanato activated his special magic as he approached. "I won''t let you hurt more innocent people!" He roared as he and Amakusa chased Akagi around the arena, never managing to get a clean hit in with their flurry of blows.


    *CLINK* *CLINK* *CLINK* *CLINK* *CLINK* *CLINK* *CLINK* *CLINK* *CLINK* *CLINK* *CLINK* *CLINK* *CLINK* *CLINK* *CLINK* *CLINK* *CLINK* *CLINK*


    "Dammit!" Amakusa cursed as Akagi easily deflected another one of her blows with her hand. "Why is she so fast?!?"


    <i>{I''ve never struggled to keep up with somebody, but this damn monster is just too fast! Its as if she''s toying with me!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "She can''t keep this up forever, Shiroe! If all she can do is dodge, then we''ve got the upper hand!" Kanato said moments before Akagi delivered a punch square to his gut, knocking the wind out of him.


    ¡°Puha!¡± Kanato gasped for air.


    ¡°Kanato!¡± Hitomi called out to him as she finished applying a group buff.


    <i><b>"Why did you think that evasion was all I could do?" </b></i>Akagi asked as she punched him in the face.


    "Ack!" Kanato keeled over slightly, looking up just in time to catch the sight of the <i>Demon''s</i> foot mming into his jaw and sending him flying into the air


    "Kanato! Don''t worry, I''ll heal you right away!" Hitomi used her magic to catch the flying Hero and gently ce him on the ground. His injuries were far worse than she''d initially expected, and Hitomi grew nervous as she realized that even her most powerful buffs weren''t reducing any iing damage.


    <i>{Muichiro is struggling to stand and Kanato''s jaw was shattered from just one blow! What kind of power does this monster have?!? I''ve used my most powerful Divine and magical enhancements and protections on everyone and its as if NONE of it matters to this thing!} </i>(Hitomi)


    "Dammit, Kanato! I guess this means that I''ll have to kill you myself!" Amakusa began a quick series of chanting and sutras that Akagi thought sounded like something out of a Shonen Anime she''d watched once. "Secret Technique of the Amakusa School! Dancing Petals of One Thousand Cherry Blossoms!" Once her incantations werepleted, time seemed to flow slower from Amakusa''s point of view. Dancing Petals was a technique that she''d never fully mastered before being sent to Enoris, and the only other time she''d used it in actual battle was to show Shinlua the difference between them. As she slowly approached Akagi, her steps felt as light as air and all of her senses had been heightened to an unbelievable degree, all while Akagi waspletely stationary.


    <i>{There''s no way that even this Demon can deal with Dancing Petals ! I''ll be on top of her before she''ll even process the fact that I''ve moved and each of my blows with hit with the force of a thousand des!} </i>{Amakusa)


    In less than a second Amakusa was on top of Akagi, swinging her de in what would be the first of countless attacks. However, just as her sword was about to reach the <i>Demon</i>, Akagi''s arm quickly moved, slicing Amakusa''s de in two, her fingers running through the sword like a hot knife through butter.


    "Eh?" Amakusa squeaked out a strange noise as the top half of her de flew into the air, clinking on the arena floor as itnded.


    <i>{Inori?} </i>(Amakusa)


    <i><b>"Not bad, kid, but far too slow to work against me." </b></i>Akagi, seeing the utter bewilderment on Amakusa''s face, reached out and grabbed the stunned girl by the throat, noticing a small crystal that hung around her neck. <i><b>"Oh? What''s this?" </b></i>She pulled on the ne that held the crystal, snapping it, so as to allow her to get a closer look.


    <i>{It has some kind of transport magic incorporated into it. How interesting. I wonder if this is how they intended to return to Enoris.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Shiroe!" Kanato said as he wobbled to his feet, barely able to speak with his broken jaw. "Let her go!" He couldn''t stand without Hitomi''s help, and she figured that Akagi''s kick had left him with a concussion.


    <i><b>"Ok." </b></i>Akagi gave a nasty smile as she allowed Amakusa to drop to the ground before kicking her in the face and cing her foot on her chest, crushing the female Hero beneath her foot.


    "AHH!" Amakusa screamed as she felt her ribs begin to snap under Akagi''s pressure.


    "You bastard!" Kanato tried to move forward but found his shoulder grabbed by Muichiro who''d stumbled over in the meantime.


    "Nope. We''re leaving." Muichiro''s face was badly bruised and there was blood leaking from his mouth as he willed his de to return to him.


    "What?!? We can''t just leave Shiroe!" Kanato tried to resist further but before he could do anything else, Hitomi whacked him on the back of his head with her staff, knocking him out.


    "My apologies, Kanato. But this battle cannot be won right now." Hitomi looked to Muichrio who nodded. His two times being tossed by Akagi told him that winning wasn''t possible, and Hitomi wasn''t foolish enough to try and fight a losing battle.


    <i><b>"Leaving your ally? I can''t say I don''t agree with saving your own asses, but what makes you think I''m going to let you flee?" </b></i>Akagi asked as she continued to crush Amakusa''s ribs.


    "Because you can''t do shit about it." Muichiroughed as he crushed the crystal around his and Kanato''s chest, followed by Hitomi doing the same with her own crystal. In a sh of light, the three of them vanished, and Akagi noted that she was unable to detect their energy anywhere on Earth.


    <i><b>"Well I wasn''t exactly expecting scenario 83729A to be the one that yed out, but I guess a few surprises are nice every once and a while." </b></i>The <i>Demon</i> chuckled as Amakusa squeaked out a few words between screams.


    "You... will... die!" Amakusa said right before Akagi kicked her across the face, knocking her out.


    "No, my child, I will not. But <i>you, </i>you will be a fine little <i>ything</i> for me." Akagi then proceeded to give the most spine-chillingugh that Hishya had ever heard as she plotted to do something absolutely horrific to this girl.


    <i>{What the fuck is she going to do to her, and why am I so interested in knowing?!?} </i>(Hishya)

 Chapter 273 – Top Men.

    Chapter 273 ¨C Top Men.


    "Ugh..." Kanato''s eyes flickered as he slowly woke up, the feeling of soft grass tickled his skin, and a light breeze washed over him. "Where..." He slowly sat up, and after looking around his eyes snapped open. "Shiroe! Hitomi! Muichiro!" Kanato looked around the small hill that he was on but saw no one else.


    "What the hell happened?!?" Kanato yelped in pain as he screamed. His jaw had mostly healed from its earlier injury due to the healing ability the Gods provided him, but his mind was fuzzy and it was hard to think straight. "We were fighting... <i>something</i>... and Muichiro and Shiroe got hurt but... Bah!" He threw his hands into the air in irritation. "Why can''t I remember who we fought?!?¡± Try as he might the only thing about his opponent was a dark swirling ckness and a cat. Everything else was made blurry and he couldn''t even recall Akagi''s name or that she was a Demon Lord.


    <i>{Were my memories tampered with? But how is that possible? We''re protected by the Gods from any illusions or charms so that shouldn''t be possible.} </i>(Kanato)


    "I guess I''m back in Enoris." Kanato said as he stood up and looked at the remains of the ss crystal that was still stuck to the ne around his neck, assuming that somebody broke it while he was unconscious. "But where am I?" He took a moment to look around, noticing what looked like a ruined city in the distance and instantly felt a wave of dread wash down his spine.


    "I... I know where <i>this</i> is..." Kanato gulped as he started walking down the hill.


    <i>{I haven''t been here since the final battle. The Spirit Capital, Zanathon, a ce where I might get some answers...} </i>(Kanato)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Akagi POV>


    "I suppose all well that ends well." Akagi said as she returned to her usual form, a bit disappointed that she hadn''t gotten to more thoroughly smack the Heroes around. "Though this little interruption will mean a postponing of the final match, so sorry about that." She turned to Halifax and Hishya who were walking over.


    "More importantly, I... you chased the four of them off... I honestly wasn''t expecting things to be so... <i>easy</i>." Halifax gave a wry smile.


    <i>{I guess that I shouldn''t be surprised... But still... To defeat those four with so little effort... Can... Can she really defeat the Gods?} </i>(Halifax)


    "Those four <i>were</i> strong, butpared to Akagi they never had a chance." Hishya shrugged, estimating them to be at least around the level she was after waking from FWO.


    "I must admit that I was hoping for more from a group of Heroes that were blessed by Gods." Akagi said as she unceremoniously kicked Amakusa into her shadow. "Oh well, I suppose they shouldn''t be a big deal."


    ¡°Why didn''t you stop them from getting away?¡± Hishya asked. ¡°You could''ve easily stopped them with your insane <i>Demon</i> bullshit.¡± She had no idea why Akagi just let them leave like that.


    ¡°I debated it, but I judged the risk to be far too great to try it.¡± Akagi crossed her arms in an X.


    ¡°What risk? This is <i>you </i>we''re talking about.¡± Hishya tilted her head, not understanding.


    ¡°The risk that when I go fucking with those crystals that I get sent to that other world <i>alone </i>or I cause some kind of massive dimensional fissure which damages this world irreparably. I had no idea about how they work, so its not a great idea to start acting without knowledge, especially on this issue.¡± Akagi exined that being transported away like that would be <i>very bad </i>for her and if this world was damaged like she assumed Enoris was then things would get very bad very quick.


    ¡°I guess...¡± Hishya replied, not fully understanding things.


    ¡°Besides, I got one of them, so its not a total loss.¡± Akagimented.


    "Do I even want to know what you''re going to do to that girl?" Hishya asked with a bit of fear in her voice. She figured that Akagi was going to do something bad, and while she felt a bit of pity in the back of her mind it was quickly quashed as she recalled that Amakusa was responsible for mass murder and the death of so many of her friends in FWO.


    "You''ll find out soon enough." Akagi winked. "What do you think all that testing and experimenting on ck Company was for?"


    <i>{Oh god...} </i>(Hishya)


    "But what do we do now?" Halifax asked about her ns for the next step. "Those three got away, and they''re sure to alert the Gods of your presence." She was worried that any element of surprise they had was now lost and that it was going to be even more difficult to stop the Gods as a result.


    "I wouldn''t worry too much about that." Akagiughed, waving away her concern.


    "Did you see thising?" Hishya rolled her eyes, figuring that Akagi probably had some kind of n.


    "Twas just one possible oue that I calcted." Akagi winked again. "When they first engaged me I used a bit of my power to ensure that if they left this world they wouldn''t remember what anything about me other than the fact that I''m some vague evil that''sing to get them.¡± Her initial wave of power that washed over them had ced a small block in their mind that would only trigger if they fled. Akagi figured that they <i>might </i>have some kind of way back but didn''t know how it would work and did this as a precaution.


    "I don''t really think that helps any." Halifax shook her head. "They''ll still just run to the Gods and inform them of their defeat, not to mention the fact that they got sent packing is going to set off rm bells." She figured that once the Gods were aware that their Heroes failed they''d panic and start taking things seriously.


    "Which is fine." Akagi didn''t really mind if they figured out what was going on. "I''m not too worried about those Gods, and them knowing that something <i>very </i>bad is on the way makes me smile inside as I imagine the fucking dread on their faces."


    <i>{Ah yes, there it is. The fucking sadistic Akagi, back at it again.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Well, that''s all well and good, but the problem is that we have no way of actually <i>getting </i>to Enoris." Halifax pointed out that their interdimensional transportation needs had not changed and that getting <i>to </i>Enoris was no easier than it had been yesterday. "riel <i>explicitly</i> told me that my trip would probably be one way. After all, my goal was to warn this world and drive off the Heroes/Gods. Returning wasn''t really in the cards, so unless you can pull something out of your hat, we''re not going anywhere."


    <i>{Though I suppose that with the Heroes being defeated I havepleted my mission, but it still doesn''t feel right to leave those Gods to their own devices, especially when they''re like to start taking out their wrath on Enoris'' poption.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Not out of a hat, but I can pull something out of my secretb." Akagiughed as she showed the crystal that she pulled from Amakusa''s neck. "This little thing seems to take have the power to send people between worlds, and that sounds like the perfect little item to get us where we''re going!"


    "Right, they broke them and then they vanished." Hishya nodded as she recalled what happened. "But wait, don''t tell me you''re going to crack it and head over alone! That would be a very bad idea!" She figured that a lone Akagi going on to a different world would cause all sorts of issues.


    "Hell no!" Akagi yelled as she put the crystal into a special box that kept it safe. "I''m not going on some one-way trip to another world! There''s no guarantee that I get back anytime soon! Not to mention that I''d be without <i>Yumi </i>for an extended period of time, and need I remind you that separating the two of us for too long is liable to cause me to go <i>slightly fucking crazy</i>." She sighed.


    <i>{Though I suppose that exporting the Demon Lord to be somebody else''s problem wouldn''t be the worst thing to happen...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Oh, trust me, I wouldn''t be ''somebody else''s problem'' for very long, lizard." Akagi red at Hishya, seeming to read her thoughts.


    "Did you read my mind?!?" Hishya protested such a vition of her privacy.


    "No, your thoughts were written on your face." Akagi had known Hishya long enough to tell what she was thinking, especially because she was <i>awful</i> at keeping a poker face. "If you think sending me off to some far-flung corner of reality would do anything other than <i>dy </i>your ass-kicking, then you''re sorely mistaken." She poked her in the chest, not appreciating the insinuation that the lizard wanted her gone.


    "Now, Now." Halifax tried to stop an argument from erupting. "Let''s focus on the important part. Do you actually have some kind of way to get back to Enoris using that crystal?" She figured that if Akagi wasn''t worried that meant that she''d already thought of a solution to the problem.


    "No right this moment, but I''ve had Imperial and Imp working on a portal to connect the two worlds." Akagi exined as she pulled out her phone and dialed the Madwoman in question. "They''ve made some progress, and I have a feeling that this crystal will be just what we need to finish things up." The main problem was not knowing where Enoris was as the spell that the Spirits used to get to Earth didn''t contain the necessary information.


    *RING-RING*


    "Yes-Yes!" Imp excitedly answered the phone.


    "Get down here, I''ve got a new <i>toy</i> for you to y with." Akagi said as she looked up at Silfana and motioned for her to cut the feed.


    "Toy?!?" Imp replied with a yell. "Wille-appear immediately-instantly!" She hung up the phone and ran as fast as she could from her seat and into the arena.


    "Give toy-thing!" Imp held out her hands greedily as Akagi gave her the box with the crystal.


    "Use this to generate a stable portal to Enoris, and whatever you do <i>don''t </i>break it. Not unless you want a one-way ticket to another world." Akagi said.


    "Hmmmm." Imp thought about it for a moment. "Maybeter." She shrugged.


    <i>{Definitelyter...} </i>(Imp)


    "How the hell do Imp and Imperial even know how to do what you''re asking?!?" Hishya figured that inter-dimensional transportation was <i>far </i>beyond reasonable even for those two.


    <i>{This has gone beyond reasonable! How can they understand any of this?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    "I don''t know, and I don''t ask questions." Akagi shrugged as Hishya red at Imp.


    "Trade secret." Imp winked as she cackled and ran away at high speed, her eyes showing unbelievable excitement.


    "Sometimes I think that <i>Imp </i>might be the most powerful out of all of us with the crazy bullshit that she makes." Hishya shook her head in disbelief. "But whatever, thinking about the stupid will not make it any <i>less</i> stupid."


    <i>{I suppose that''s one thing that never changes no matter where you go...} </i>(Halifax)


    "So then, assuming that your little magical maniac creates a portal, what then?" Halifax asked. "You said something about making the Gods and Enoris pay for what they did, and while I approve of punishing the Gods, I will not abide the mindless ughter of innocent people." She didn''t mind Akagi punishing those who deserved it, but returning genocide with genocide was never going to fly with her.


    "I will decide what to do with the poption at ater point in time. My n for now would be to set up a base and start getting a feel for the world itself." Akagi exined as the three of them walked off the arena and into the waiting area where many of the others were waiting. "The Spirits demand justice, and I promised Mizumi that her people would be granted vengeance."


    <i>{Though my main interest here is handling the Gods. Nobody and I mean NOBODY covets my world and gets away with it!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Please don''t go all Demon Lord on the poption of that world, Akagi." Hishya asked her to restrain her worst tendencies. "Not only would that make Kana sad, but I feel like it would be bad for <i>you</i> as well." She figured that once Akagi went down that road, that it would cause the <i>Demon </i>to be more like her nature in the future.


    ¡°I second that request.¡± Halifax knew that she couldn''t stop Akagi if she truly wanted to destroy everything, but that didn''t mean that she''d just sit back and allow it to happen.


    "Death will certainly be part of what happens next, Hishya." Akagi turned to her. "But my rules still apply, even on Enoris." She chopped Hishya on the head. "I have no interest in mindless ughter, even if the people of that world deserve it. Though that doesn''t mean that I will restrain myself <i>entirely</i>." She shook her head before continuing. "I''ve already decided that punishment <i>must </i>be meted out, it''s just the form which it shall take has not been decided."


    "Just... Just don''t forget that you have people here who would be upset if you really start going off the deep end." Hishya said as she swatted Akagi''s hand away. "Pain in the ass aside, I don''t want to see you throw away who you are. You''re my goofy idiot <i>Demon </i>cat friend, and I don''t want to see you be something else."


    "Neither do I, Hish. Neither do I." Akagi smiled.

 Chapter 274 – Can You Kill a God?

    Chapter 274 ¨C Can You Kill a God?


    After Akagi gave a quick announcement exining that she had been attacked by people from Enoris, she postponed the final match between Hishya and Halifax to ater date, much to the disappointment of the blood thirsty audience. With the arrival of the Heroes, Akagi could no longer afford to split her attention and forces, and once her joint operation with the United States was finished, she nned on returning <i>all </i>of her operatives to Dumetor for theing counter-invasion.


    "So, those bastards really did send people to Earth." Eris clicked her tongue in disgust. She, as well as a group of other yers, were standing around Akagi''s living room as the <i>Demon</i> exined the situation. "Too bad that you hogged all the fun. I would''ve liked to knock them around a bit before then ran away like cowards." She gave a very angry chuckle, and was disappointed that she hadn''t gotten the chance to inflict some <i>punishment</i> on the four of them. "Those <i>fucks</i> are responsible for..."


    "They acted without knowing what they were doing was wrong." Excelsior stepped in to try and calm her down, sensing what she was about to say. "While I cannot condone their actions... Is it really right to me them for everyone''s deaths?" He didn''t like the idea of punishing them for something they had no way of knowing, especially since it involved <i>Gods </i>lying to them.


    <i>{We can''t allow ourselves to be swept along by our emotions, no matter how justified it might be. Those four are just as much victims as anyone else.} </i>(Excelsior)


    "Hold up, don''t tell me you think they should get off scot-free?!?" Eris barked at him. "Not knowing what they were doing was wrong is no excuse for all the hell they''ve wrought! We lost a lot of good people because they forced the Spirits to run to our world! Not to mention they <i>ughtered </i>innocent people during their stupid war!" She was surprised that <em>he</em> of all people was trying to talk them out of punishing evil.


    "Calm down. Calm down." Ayame put her hand on her wife''s shoulder in an attempt to defuse the situation. "Getting worked up isn''t going to do anything but spike your blood pressure." She sighed. "But I <em>do</em> agree that those four need to be punished. They might not have known what they were doing would cause the deaths of innocent people, but a lot of us..."


    <i>{When people on the forum were told the full extent of what happened, there were a lot of survivors who wanted these ''Heroes'' heads for what they did. Everyone lost somebody and those four are the easiest to me for everything, even more so than the Gods, since, they''re human.} </i>(Ayame)


    "Never fear, at the end of the day, the ''Heroes'' will get their just desserts." Akagi said as she sat on the couch next to Yumi. "I''ve already nabbed one, and the other three will eventually be brought in. I fully intend to let the Spirits do with them as they please." She figured that was the best way to handle things, especially as she was more interested in the<em>Gods</em>than the Heroes.


    <i>{Mizumi has been practically banging down my door to talk to the Hero I caught, and I don''t think I''ve ever seen as much HATRED in the Water Spirit''s eyes then when I told her I took the new pet prisoner.} </i>(Akagi)


    "What did you even do with that girl anyway?" Minazawa asked about where Akagi had taken her. "I saw you shuffle her into your shadow, and I assume that you didn''t ce her in and of sunshine and rainbows."


    <i>{Knowing what that shadow is like part of me pities that girl, but only a bit.} </i>(Minazawa)


    "As of right now I''ve got her locked up. Eventually <i>she</i> will be handed over to Mizumi, and I fully intend to allow the Spirits to have their way with the four Heroes." Akagi answered, figuring that the Spirits wouldn''t let them off with anything less than gruesome and painful deaths.


    <em>{Though, before that, I intend to have a bit of fun with her.}</em>(Akagi)


    "Ah, so that means we''re going to see them bludgeoned to death in the center of Omara." Mixu rolled her eyes.


    <i>{Mob justice transcends species, it seems.} </i>(Mixu)


    "I''d be down to help!" Avahn gave a tooth smile, and was always down for a bit of violence. "I shall paint the town red,<em>literally!</em>"


    "Bad nyavahn meow~! nyo public nyexecutions meow~! we talked nyabout this meow~!"


    [Bad Avahn! No public executions! We talked about this!] Ara bonked her girlfriend on the head.


    "Just this once! Please!" Avahn pleaded but was denied.


    "Nyo!" Ara huffed.


    "What they end up doing with those four idiots isn''t really of any consequence anyway." Akagi waved away the issue figuring that it was the least of their problems. "The real issue is the Gods." She looked to Halifax, who took over the discussion.


    "Yes... <i>They</i> are the ones behind all this, and your world won''t be safe until we stop them." Halifax figured that the Gods would try something else toplete their goal of fleeing, and she had a few ideas about what they would do.


    <i>{If pushes to shove, Rehael is going to get involved, and that''s going to cause big problems. I''m sure that Akagi could handle her, but she''s easily as powerful as me and if shees here it could result in chaos.} </i>(Halifax)


    "I can''t imagine killing Gods will be easy." Superbia said as she flicked hair out of her face. "They''re usually the kind of beings that aren''t exactly supposed to die. Even the Shinto Gods are generally beyond the reach of death, at least mostly anyway." She figured that destroying such beings would also have negative effects on Enoris as well. ¡°Is killing them even possible anyway? I know you''re bullshit Akagi, but can you actually destroy beings like that?¡±


    "I think I can actually answer that." Halifaxmented. "In the distant past, long before I was created, there was a set of beings thatpeted with the Gods for dominion over the world." She started exining a bit off ancient history. "They were known as Primordials, and they were essentially Gods, but instead of divinity, their power came from the very elemental building blocks of Enoris itself."


    <i>{So like nature Spirits, or even something more akin to Land Deities?} </i>(Akagi)<i> </i>


    "We have such myths on Earth, and I''ve read plenty of books that had such a backstory." Hishya noted that most Earth religions had something simr regarding a conflict between the Gods and another group, such as the Greek Gods and the Titans. "So let me guess, the Gods and Primordials fought, and the Gods eventually killed them all?"


    "Not quite." Halifax shook her head. "You are <i>correct</i> to assume that the Gods came out victorious. However, it was anything but clean, as at least three Gods were permanently <em>in</em>. Denon, the God of Dusk and Dawn, Melonia, the Goddess of Blood and War, and Zeithal, the God of the Void." She continued. "After a long and bloody conflict that nearly destroyed the world, the Gods got the upper hand on the Primordials and banished the few survivors deep into the Under as part of a peace deal." She''d never met any of the banished Primordials as they were more or less dormant and undetectable.


    "Neat history lesson, but does this have any bearing on the current issue at hand?" Alveron asked, keenly interested in what kind of power such creatures might have had.


    "It means-" Halifax was cut off by Mizumi, who entered the room and interrupted her.


    "It means that you can <i>kill </i>those BASTARDS!" The Water Spirit''s eyes were filled with anger, and her words were practically soaked in venom.


    "There''s our resident Spirit, right on time." Akagi chuckled. "Though you are technically <emte</em>."


    <i>{And by the looks of things, what Shinlua and I spoke about the other day needs to happen ASAP.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Listen, I don''t really care what you do to the people of Enoris. You could wipe them out in a blood frenzy for all I care. But those Gods..." Mizumi''s eyes burned brightly with anger. "Well, let''s just say I''m really d to have Demon Lord as my boss." She gave a sadistic smirk that reminded everyone of Akagi.


    <i>{Akagi corrupted her...} </i>(Everyone else)


    "Oh, don''t worry." Akagi pat the angry Spirit on the head, which elicited some grumbling. "I''ll make sure they get what''sing to them." She smiled. "They dered war on me by sending theirckeys here, not to mention their actions..." She shook her head, not wanting to dwell on useless thoughts. "Anyway, all we can do now is wait for the dream team of Imp and Imperial to make a connection for me to use. Until then, there''s not really much to do."


    "You don''t think those three Heroes wille back, do you?" Eris asked what Akagi thought would happen next. "Who knows what kind of destruction they could create if they popped up elsewhere. You''re quick but imagine if they appeared in Tokyo or something. They''d probably rampage long before anyone could stop them."


    "Fortunately for us, that''s unlikely." Halifax answered in Akagi''s stead. "From what riel told me the amount of energy needed to send them here <i>once </i>was already high, so I doubt we need to worry about a second attack. At least for the foreseeable future."


    <i>{Though that''s assuming that they wanted to send four people. I don''t know how fast they can regather energy, but its entirely possible that they could send less people in a shorter time frame.}</i>(Halifax)


    "Not to mention that those Gods are probably gonna be spooked when only <i>three </i>Heroes return, and said three talk about some unspeakable evil that kicked their ass!" Akagiughed as she imagined the look on their faces.


    "Akagi." Eris''s eyes locked onto the <i>Demon</i>. "Drop all bullshit for a moment, and tell me. Can you really kill these Gods?" She figured the answer was yes, but wanted the <i>Demon''s </i>confirmation. "Can you actually stop them?"


    <i><b>"HAH!" </b></i>Akagiughed, her voice distorting slightly. "I am confident that when I''m done with things, Enoris''s Gods will be little more than a distant memory." She turned to Halifax. "I hope you don''t mind that your own ''mother'' will be included in my wrath. I don''t pull punches and she is just as much involved in this as all the rest, and her change of heartter affords her only limited mercy."


    "I..." Halifax stammered. She''d already exined things to the other yers, and just as Hishya said, they were all supportive. Though she was still unsure of how to treat riel going forward. "Can you at least promise me that you''ll give me a chance to speak with her before you..."


    "I''ll do you one <em>better</em>." Akagi said. "I''ll work things out so that <i>you</i> get to decide what''s to be done with the Time Goddess." She figured that letting Halifax be the one to work out her own problems was for the best.


    "Thank you..." Halifax''s face looked conflicted, though deep within, Akagi knew that she wanted <i>some </i>kind of revenge against her creator.


    "I still can''t believe that your own Mom would do such things to you." Ayame said as she hugged up on Ema. "I would never make my daughter do bad things! She''s too cute to hurt people. The only thing she needs from us is love and affection!"


    "Though that doesn''t stop you from having me clean the house..." Ema sighed.


    "You say that, but then you get all mad if we don''t leave you anything to do!" Eris poked her on the cheek, which caused Ema to blush.


    "You are both just terrible cleaners! It''s better if I do it so that the ce isn''t a mess!" Ema tried to hide her face as the room erupted inughter.


    "Superbia." Akagi called out to the stillughing Oni. "And Zephiria."


    "Yeah?" (Zephiria x Superbia)


    "I''ve got a job for the two of you if you don''t mind." Akagi said.


    "Depends on the job." Superbia sat up to listen.


    "I assume I can''t say no to this one..." Zephiria figured this was more of an order than a request.


    "Nope!" Akagi smiled. "When the portal to Enoris isplete I''m going to need some people to help guard it. There''s no telling what those Gods might try to do with an open connection between worlds, so I''d like you to help keep that crossing safe."


    "I''m surprised that you didn''t ask Hishya." Superbia figured that Akagi would want the most powerful being on the, other than herself, to do something like that.


    "I <em>do</em> want Hishya involved to an extent, but I''m talking about dedicated guard duty." Akagi rified. "The two of you would basically be keeping an eye on both ends of the connection. It will be boring as hell, but you two are the most powerful people I can put in that position. Naturally, my people will be helping, but I''m not taking the chance that something <i>really </i>strong gets through and starts wreaking havoc on the world while I''m away."


    "What the hell are you going to have me do?" Hishya sighed. She''d wanted to go with Akagi to Enoris but was told that having the two of them away from Earth was asking for trouble.


    "Primarily, I want you to act as an enforcer while I''m gone." Akagi answered. "I likely won''t be popping back and forth between worlds much, so I''d like <i>you </i>to take up the mantle of keeping the Earth safe while I''m away."


    "Oh, is that all?" Hishya rolled her eyes, though on the inside the idea of ying world Hero make her giddy.


    "After me, you are probably the most powerful person in this world, at least that I''m aware of." Akagi nced at Halifax. With their match dyed she still had no idea which of the two was more powerful, and that annoyed her. "Though our little sword here might have you beat. Too bad we didn''t get to see how that fight turned out."


    "We''ll just have to duke it outter." Hishya snickered. "Though I <i>will </ie out victorious."


    "Think what you will Dragon, but I''m no pushover." Halifax grinned. "Recall that <i>I''ve </i>killed a Demon Lord before and that <i>you </i>are one''s <i>pet</i>." Sheughed.


    "Oh? A wise guy, are we?¡± Hishya cracked her knuckles. ¡°Well then, I hope you don''t mind being a doorstop for a while! Cause that''s what I''m going to use you for once I''m done with you!" Hishya and Halifax started cackling as the others watched on helplessly.


    "Please don''t blow up the when you fight. Other people <i>do</i> live here..." Shiru sighed as Alveron floated onto her head.


    "Toote, they''re not listening." Alveronughed.


    "It will make for good entertainment at the very least!" Akagiughed.


    <i>{You just enjoy seeing chaos unfold!} </i>(Everyone else)

 Chapter 275 – The Imperial March.

    Chapter 275 ¨C The Imperial March.


    "Finally, we get to see this ''Secret Underground Base'' that Daikael wouldn''t shut up about." Hishya rolled her eyes as she, Akagi, Yumi, and Halifax entered the <i>Demon''s </i>office. "So, where''s the stairs?" She asked, jokingly.


    <i>{Knowing Akagi I''m half expecting her to point at some random part of the wall and just make a set appear out of thin air.} </i>(Hishya)


    "No stairs here, I''m afraid." Akagiughed as she went over to a massive painting of Napoleon riding on his horse. "That''s far too boring away, and you know me, I don''t <i>do </i>boring." The <i>Demon</i> said as she grabbed the side of the floor-to-ceiling painting and pulled it open like a door, revealing a hidden elevator.


    "I figured it would have scanners, traps, and all kinds of safety measures." Hishyamented on the rtively mundane method of hiding the door. "I''ll have to take points off for simplicity, Akagi." She smirked.


    "Oh?" Akagi smirked. "Here, just try and open the door." She closed the door, returning the painting to its normal ce. ¡°Go a head.¡± She dramatically motioned for her to try and open it.


    "I know you''re ying me here, but I need to see what happens." Hishya sighed as she walked over and gripped onto the edge of the painting.


    *ZAP!*


    "AWAWAWAWAWA!" Hishya was electrocuted like a fly touching a bug zapper andunched backward a few feet.


    "Owch." Halifax flinched as she watched Hishya get knocked on her back. ¡°That looked painful...¡±


    "I made the mistake of touching it <i>before</i> Akagi added me to the approved list, so I can attest that it hurts <i>a lot</i>." Yumi gave a wry smile as she recalled being hit with arge st of electricity.


    "Alright... You win... No minus points..." Hishya said as she limply put her hand in the air, still knocked on her back. "I think my tongue went numb..."


    "That was worth the investment." Akagiughed as she opened the door again. "Anyone not on the list gets a nice zap zap if they try and get in, and as you can see even the Great Dragon Emperor isn''t immune to a wee bit of electrocution."


    <i>{I don''t think that was a WEE bit...} </i>(Halifax)


    "It sucked, sure, but I could push past that." Hishya said as she got back up.


    "If somebody is stupid enough to ignore the <i>very </i>obvious warning and attempt to enter the facility, they''ll be greeted by much more than a small shock." Akagi noted that it would get worse the more you tried to force your way in.


    "I hope your little bug zapper doesn''t hit the maids." Halifax gave a wry smile.


    "It will only zap if you attempt to remove it from the wall." Akagi waved away the concern. "Not to mention that my office isrgely off-limits anyway, and I don''t have staff thate in here to clean." She motioned for the three of them to follow her into the elevator, which they did.


    "And now we descend deep into the Evil Lord''s fortress, never to be seen or heard again!" Halifaxughed.


    "Speaking from experience?" Hishya asked as she stretched.


    "I''ve fought one or two idiots who wanted to take over the world before." Halifax shrugged, recalling a certain evil duck. "Though usually, they don''t invite me into theirir. I guess the red carpet treatment isn''t so bad every now and again."


    "Should I have baked cookies too?" Akagi rolled her eyes.


    "I did actually make some earlier, funny enough." Yumiughed.


    "I had the one that was shaped like a puppy! It was so good!" Hishya said, very happy with Yumi''s amazing baking skills.


    "Not to self, keep small animals away from the lizard. She craves their flesh." Akagiughed as they descended deep below the Earth.


    *DING*


    The elevator slowly opened reveal arge undergroundplex made entirely of metal in the distance. It reminded Hishya of many of the depictions of sciencebs in fiction, though the roiling magma that surrounded it wasn''t something she expected.


    "There''s no active volcano here. So why is thereva down here?" Hishya asked as the four of them walked across a ss-domed sky bridge that connected the elevator to the facility, looking down at the magma below.


    "There are springs here, remember?" Akagi pointed out that underground springs were created via hot rock, which was in turn made by underground magma veins. "Also,va is when it''s on the surface. Since we''re underground, it''s <i>magma</i>." She snickered as she corrected her.


    "Well, I''m calling itva, and you can''t stop me." Hishya blew a raspberry at her.


    "I can''t believe you put all this below your home." Halifax sighed. "You really are a viin, aren''t you?"


    "Hey, sometimes the kitty likes a nice warm bath." Akagi replied. "And also, what kind of evil viin <i>doesn''t </i>have air? That''s like viin 101!"


    <i>{Great, now I want to see how ava bath feels...} </i>(Hishya)


    ¡°I think we should dedicate thisir to perfecting our kitty fluffing technique!" Yumiughed, which caused Hishya and Halifax to do the same.


    "I wouldn''t be shocked if she had an entire science team on that project!" Hishyaughed.


    "I''m just imagining a little robot arm being calibrated to give her optimal ear scratches." Halifax chuckled as she imagined a small Catkagi being pet by a dozen small arms.


    "Maybe one day, but for now I''ve got bigger things to work on." Akagi rolled her eyes as they made their way to the opposite side of the bridge where Yumi swiped a card that opened the facility door.


    "Well, I don''t hear the screams of the victims you capture and experiment on. So that''s a good sign I guess." Hishyamented as they walked down a set of metal stairs.


    "You''ll find those a few doors down." Akagi sighed. "But in all seriousness, this ce is used for <i>actual </i>research and development. Imp and Imperial basically run the ce, and I gave Daikael an entire floor to conduct her crazy experiments on."


    <i>{I imagine the nutty fox has exploded things more than once...} </i>(Hishya)


    "I also see a bunch of normal Humans down here." Halifax noticed that there were several groups of what she assumed were foreigners down here as well.


    "Some of them work under Imp, while others are here as part of joint projects between me and other nations. Right now, we''ve got both American and Chinese researchers here working on a number of different projects." They were mostly doing things with magic, but a few work analyzing some of the magical gear from FWO in an attempt to replicate it.


    "How the hell did you get <i>both </i>nations to agree to work in close proximity like this?!?" Hishya figured the Americans and Chinese would never agree to work together.


    "When it became apparent that magical knowledge and other developments could handle some of their most pressing internal issues, such as water and energy, they quickly dropped all hostility and agreed to work jointly." Akagi exined that Shiru was actually leading a team of Chinese scientists who were dedicated to reversing climate and ecological deterioration and desertification.


    As they walked toward Imperial''s mainb, Akagi greeted the different scientists, answered a few of their questions, and provided a bit of input where she could. Generally, a small team of Dumetor staff handled what went on down here alongside Imp and Imperial, so Akagi didn''t really need to monitor what was going on beyond ensuring resupply and the delivery of needed equipment.


    "Now that I think about it, I''ve never seen Imperial since we got back." Hishya said as they stood outside a doorbeled ''Imperial''s Workshop of Wonders!''


    "Who is this ''<i>Imperial</i>'' anyway?" Halifax asked about the Gnome that she''d heard about a few times.


    "He''s ex-Libra, and Birdy grabbed him when I hit their base. Part of our deal was that he would work for me, and for the most part, he keeps his head down. Hees up to the surface from time to time, but the Deep Gnome in him seems to enjoy living down here anyway." Akagi shrugged as she opened the set of double doors. "Yo! Shortstack! Where you at?"


    "I''m in here! You bloody'' ve driver!" Imperial''s deep husky voice came from an adjacent voice. "You better not have brought me more work to do! I''m already up to my pits with your bullshit!"


    "Aw, but you like more work, don''t you?" Akagiughed as the four of them entered arge room where a small dark-skinned Gnome man was welding the top of what looked like arge archway.


    "Considering you asked me to make a fookin interdimensional portal, I''d think you''ve already given me enough ta do!" Imperial flicked up his protective welding mask revealing his light gray beard and countless scars. "And I see you brought the weess." He looked at Hishya, giving her a warm smile.


    "Hi, Imperial." Hishya sighed, she hadn''t seen him in a while but was d that he seemed to be his usually grumpy grandpa self. ¡°And you''re still calling me that even though I''m now <i>taller </i>than you?"


    "You''ll always be a weess ta me,ssy." Imperialughed as he hopped to the ground. "Good ta see you again." He took off his glove and put his hand out for a handshake.


    "I suppose it''s good to see you too, old man." Hishya shook his hand. Imperial was part of the Assault Team, and alongside Imp, the two were responsible for most of their gear and other items. "Though I still don''t get why you worked with Libra. Akagi never did answer that when I asked her." She''d asked a few times but always pushed it off.


    "I just figured that it was best if the man himself answered that question." Akagi shrugged.


    "Ter ain''t much to tell ya,ss." Imperial sighed. "I felt useless when I got back from da game. I had a new body, but..." He shook his head. "There was nothing for this old man ta do in this world, so when Herlex came a knockin, I said ye."


    "You felt like you had no ce in this world." Halifax nodded in understanding, knowing that such feelings weremon amoung the Libra members.


    "I''m a man of action, and I''m not one to sit around idly, sleep in a rocking chair, and let the years go by." Imperial was a member of the British Military in the past and worked alongside Special Forces until he was forced into retirement due to hitting the mandatory retirement age. In hister years, he moved to Japan and got into VR games to pass the time, since his old and worn body couldn''t keep up with his still very active mind.


    "I know it twernt, a very good choice." Imperial said quietly. "A lot of people died because I gave those dumb kids the gear to kill with... But at the time... it felt <i>nice </i>to be needed..."


    <i>{Those kids were always just so happy ta get gear from me... And I was all to happy ta give it to dem...} </i>(Imperial)


    "I suppose at this point yelling at you would be pointless." Hishya sighed, realzing that it was long past the time to scold him. "You''ve already got your punishment by working for this one over here anway." She pointed to Akagi.


    "HAH! Yeah, Akagi here reminds me of some of my superiors in da Army! Though I suppose working on all manner of new projects is fun. Especially since this time, they''ll be used to save people, rather than ta kill." Hishya could tell that Imperial was genuinely happy that his work could do more than just take lives now. "Though I could do with a few more assistants down here." He tried to subtly hint to Akagi that he needed more help.


    "I''d be happy to give you more help, but you keep rejecting all the candidates thate forward!" Akagi groaned. She''d tried giving him puppets as well, but he''d rejected them dering them nothing more than useless junk.


    "I need real engineers! Not those wet behind da ears kids that ya keep sending me!" Imperial grumbled.


    <i>{Said ''wet behind the ears kids'' being highly skilled people with backgrounds in the most important Defense Industries on the...} </i>(Akagi)


    "I suppose that no matter the world, Gnomes tend to have unreasonably high standards for their work!" Halifaxughed.


    ¡°Yer got dang right!¡± Imperial smirked.


    Spoiler


    Imperial!


    [copse]

 Chapter 276 – The Black Sunrise.

    Chapter 276 ¨C The ck Sunrise.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Full disclosure, this de is actually a recurring character in many of my non-published works and is something very special to me. It and its sister have deep history and its something that I hope people find interesting.


    As the group continued their discussion, Imperial eyed up Halifax''s sword body with interest. "I see. You must be thess that I was told about."


    <i>{She''s definitely made of ta highest quality materials, and there''s something about her that''s familiar, but I can''t quite put my finger on it.} </i>(Imperial)


    "Um?" Halifax didn''t really know what to say, and was worried that the Gnome would want to <i>inspect </i>her.


    <i>{BAD TOUCH!} </i>(Halifax)


    "Word travels fast, and Imperial is connected to everyone else via the chat room." Akagi noted that <i>she </i>hadn''t spilled the beans on what Halifax was.


    "Yeah, he and Imp were posting like crazy when they found out what you were." Hishya snickered as she recalled the flood of messages.


    ¡°Well can ya me us?¡± Imperial huffed. ¡°Thess is something so interesting, and it taint ere'' day you get ta see something made by a bona-fide God!¡±


    <i>{No, but you get to work with something made by a being that is SUPERIOR to a God everyday...} </i>(Akagi)


    "For your own safety I would advise <i>against </i>trying to experiment on her. Lest you find yourself in the great retirement home in the sky." Akagiughed, having gave that same warning to Imp who imed to have no such desire while barely concealing the fact that she wanted to conduct unspeakable experiments on the living sword.


    "Bah!" Imperial scoffed a the im, though knew internally that Akagi wasn''t wrong to warn him. "I would never do something as crass as ya be thinking. Though Imp, the crazy woman that she is, <i>might</i>." He sighed.


    <i>{She''s... An pain in the arse...} </i>(Imperial)


    "Good thing I can slice that little Devil in half if she tries anything." Halifax gave a wry smile.


    "Imp might be a bit entric<i>, </i>but I highly doubt she''d do anything bad." Hishya figured that even Imp wasn''t that bad.


    <i>{Probably...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Where is she anyway?" Akagi figured that she''d be helping him with the portal, but was surprised that she didn''t see her.


    "I here!" Imp''s head popped out of the duct work above, her goggles dangling in the air, held on only by a chin strap. ¡°Hemlo.¡±


    "I see, and what were you doing up there, Impy?" Akagi asked.


    "Power supply-energy work!" Imp smiled before hopping down to the ground. ¡°Many such important things-items to doplete!¡±


    "You could''ve at least face-nted foredic effect." Akagimented and got a raspberry in return from Imp.


    "So how''s progress? I know you hit a bit of a snag with energy capacity and coordination. Did that crystal help at all?" Akagi had tasked the two with figuring out a way to Enoris for some time, though progress was slow due tock of subject matter knowledge.


    "Crystal good-amazing! Solved problems instantly-fast!" Imp nodded quickly.


    "From ya report and our appraisal magic, we was able to figure out how it worked." Imperial pulled a small blueprint from his inventory and showed it to Akagi. "That crystal twere basically a tether, and once crushed, it''d pull back a designated user to the anchor point.¡± He said as he tapped on the paper next to a small drawing that Imp had made of a stick figure getting teleported.


    "So it wouldn''t work on anyone who used it?" Akagi asked if it was onlypatible with a specific target.


    "No." Imperial shook his head. "If crushed by anyone, <i>only</i> the person paired with it would be transported back ta Enoris. However, they would need ta be within a certain distance for it ta work. Otherwise, nothin would happen."


    <i>{Luckily she managed ta get one of those, otherwise we might''ve had ta take drastic measures.} </i>(Imperial)


    "Found Divine power-energy within-inside." Imp interjected. "Crystal filled with God power-energy, very strong-powerful!" She started rambling about how interesting Divine power felt to the touch.


    "That''s not surprising. The Gods were the ones behind this whole cmity, not to mention that <i>they</i> would be the only beings on Enoris that would have the power to send people between worlds." Halifaxmented as Imp mentioned that Divine power made her body tingle when she touched it once.


    "I assume that travel between worlds isn''t easy?" Hishya asked. "Otherwise, it would happen a lot more.¡±


    <i>{Though if those kids really dide from Earth, then it means that travel isn''t THAT hard.} </i>(Hishya)


    "No, it''s not." Akagi shook her head. "<i>I </i>can freely travel between worlds, but the problem is that I wouldn''t know where to go once outside this bubble of reality. What you need is <i>coordinates</i>, and unfortunately those are not very easy toe by for a variety of reasons." She exined that it went beyond mere points on a three dimensonal map and you''d need to have what amounted to aplex mathematical equation that was beyond what even the best quantumputers on Earth''s ability to handle.


    "Coordinates was provided-given!" Imp said excitedly. "Crystal-thing had magic signature-data. We traced back to origin-start! Now have coordinates-location of Enoris!"


    "So that means we can go!" Halifax''s eyes lit up with hope.


    <i>{Finally! Some good news!} </i>(Halifax)


    "As she said, we know have the information that we need. We''ll need to create a stable portal first, but with enough time we should be able ta open up a connection to your home,ss." Imperial nodded.


    "You said it was going to take a ton of energy to open a portal. I assume that you are going to provide it?" Hishya looked their biggest source of power.


    "Yes." Akagi nodded. "It will be a simple matter to cut a hole in reality. Keeping it open though, <i>that</i> will be another matter entirely." She looked at therge archway, inspecting it. "How long?"


    "Week!" Imp''sment caught the others off guard.


    "Damn, that''s fast." Akagi was surprised by the quick turnaround, but wasn''t about to think about how Imp was going to make it possible. "To be honest, I was expecting you to tell me <i>months</i>."


    "Fu. Fu!" Imp puffed up her chest in pride. "Do not underestimate-discount my ability!"


    <i>{It was easy-simple once you got past the need to ignore allmonsense andws of reality!} </i>(Imp)


    "This old hag might be crazy, but she''s skilled, and with my help, we can do things quite rapidly. It helps that we''ve already created most of the technical stuff in preparation for this kind of thing." Imperial had been working on this kind of transportation for months, as Akagi had been trying to make a stable portal between Earth and Omara.


    "Not Old Hag! Stupid Rock Eater!" Imp bonked Imperial on the head for his derogatoryment.


    "You''re old! Don''t try and deny it! Underneath that pretty face is a wrinkly olddy, just like how I''m a grumpy old man!" Imperialughed as Imp continued to beat him with her fists.


    "You older than me!" Imp pouted.


    "Oh yeah, it''s been so long that Ipletely forgot that these two did this..." Hishya sighed. "I guess it''s nice to see though." A small smile crept onto her lips.


    "They''re cute." Halifax giggled.


    "Maybe they should just get together already. You know, Yumi here is <i>technically</i> an ordained minister." Akagi winked.


    "Well, I am a <i>Priestess</i> so..." Yumi coughed.


    "Akagi... Let me be real with yous for a second. I''d sooner wrap maself in aluminum foil and toss ma sorry ass into da microwave on high before I married this crone." Imperial declined to be chained to insanity. "I was already tied ta one crazy bat, and I don''t need another."


    "Denied-Declined!" Imp put her hands in an X.


    "Yeah, Imperial here can''t give her the ''juice box action'' that Mixu does." Hishyaughed, which caused Imp''s cheeks to get even redder.


    "STUPID VAMPIRE THING! WHY SHE TELL SECRET?!?" Imp yelled, vowing revenge for this embarasment.


    "Mixu has no filter. You should know that by now." Akagi chuckled.


    "Huh. I''ve heard of Vampire bites being <i>pleasurable</i>, but I always thought that was just an old wives tale." Halifax shrugged.


    <i>{Vampires tend to back away from me just due to my holy aura, and also theck of blood to drink.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Shush sword! Before I melt you into g!" Imp hissed.


    "Go ahead and try, but it will take a bit more than your heat to destroy me." Halifax snickered. "I was forged in Divine me, and even the heat of a volcano won''t do anything to me."


    "Speaking of well-crafted des." Imperial''s eyes snapped to Akagi. "We finished that ursed request of yours." He sighed, knowing that he''d done something that he shouldn''t''ve. "It''s been waiting for you to pick it up for a few days, and I think it''s getting lonely..."


    <i>{I swear it heard ta most unholy noises from that thing one night. Good thing it''s in a separate room to the main work area. I really don''t want to be near that evil thing.} </i>(Imperial)


    "Yeah, I haven''t gotten around to picking it up. I was hoping to do some big dramatic reveal against the Heroes, but they were just toome to justify it." Akagi sighed with disappointment.


    <i>{At least doing the cat reveal thing was fun...} </i>(Akagi)


    "What the hell did you get them to do now?" Hishya figured this meant trouble.


    "Just something that''s been on my mind ever since I sent Ol'' Rivenshaft packing." Akagi smiled. "Would you two like to see it?"


    Halifax and Hishya looked at each other before shrugging.


    "I mean, I''m far too curious to say no." Halifax figured that this would be interesting, if nothing else.


    "Yeah. Whatever you had these two psychopaths make won''t be boring, that''s for sure." Hishya agreed.


    "It''s in Imp''s sector, and I''d like to hear your opinions of our work." Imperial put his welding mask on a small desk. "That thing might be the most evil item I''ve ever created, but darn if it isn''t also ma finest work." He gave a small smile, proud of his creation but also afraid that he''d just given the Devil something with which to cause more horror.


    <i>{I suppose its to be expected... I create weapons...} </i>(Imperial)


    "Sword Great-Amazing! Make Kaboom!" Imp cackled as the group walked across the base into Imp''s area, which was markedly more chaotic.


    <i>{I guess the job requirement for Mad Scientist mandates that you keep a messy work area...} </i>(Hishya)


    "So where is my boy?" Akagi asked.


    "In there!" Imp bounced her way over to a locked vault door. "We kept safe-secure! Also, sword very dangerous-scary. Makes funny noises-sounds!" She noted that sometimes it sounded like a portal to hell had opened because of the sword.


    "That thing gives me da fucking willies just looking at it Akagi. Are you sure it was a good idea to bring something like that ta life?" Imperial knew only a <i>tiny </i>portion of the backstory behind what he''d made, and even that small amount gave him chills.


    <i><b>"Oh, it''s not a good idea at all." </b></i>Akagi allowed her voice to distort. <i><b>"But well, it''s not really a problem." </b></i>She slowly walked toward the vault door, which Imp happily unlocked. <i><b>"This one... I''ve been waiting to see it for a long time." </b></i>Her lips curved into an evil smile as the de''s energy washed over her body.


    "Why is Akagi getting all <i>Demony</i>?" Halifax looked to Hishya, who shrugged.


    "No idea. But now I''m <i>very </i>worried." Hishya felt a pit in her stomach, and as the vault door opened, a chill flooded the entire room causing everyone, save Akagi, to be covered in goosebumps.


    <i><b>"Oh hohohoh!" </b></i>Akagi started cackling as she felt its power. <i><b>"Imp, Imperial. You''ve made me a very happy girl today." </b></i>She slowly entered the pitch-ck room before disappearing into the darkness.


    <i><b>[My friend, it''s good to see you again. I''m sorry for keeping you waiting.] </b></i>Akagi spoke in the <i>Demon </i>tongue, which caused Halifax''s entire body to twitch and convulse.


    "Are you ok? Thatnguage is something else, so its no surprise that you''re having that kind of reaction." Hishya looked at the slightly hyperventting Halifax.


    "I... I''m fine..." Halifax put on a brave smile, but deep within something stirred. Memories of a time long past, of battle against Vikes, and of something <i>else</i>.


    <i>{Those words... Thatnguage...} </i>(Halifax)


    <i><b>[The foolish dreams of my childhood self havee true.] </b></i>Akagi''s demonicugh echoed throughout the building. <i><b>[It''s time. Let''s introduce you to the others.] </b></i>The <i>Demon''s </i>footsteps reverberated throughout the air, and as she returned from the inky ckness of the vault, Hishya and Halifax caught sight of the sword in question.


    "Ahhh..." Hishya found herself unable to speak, and it was as if the very air had been removed from the room.


    The de that Akagi held in her right hand was <i><b>ck</b></i>. So ck, in fact, that Hishya''s eyes started to freak out as she looked at it. No light seemed to escape the de, and it emitted a visible ck aura that followed it around. As Hishya and Halifax stared at the sword before them, both could tell that it was not only <i>dangerous </i>but of a level of power that exceeded anything they could''ve imagineding from a weapon.


    "A-Akagi..." Hishya finally regained the ability to speak. "What the hell is that thing?!?"


    <i><b>"Allow me to formally introduce you. </b></i>"Akagi smiled as she rose the de up and turned it so that its full glory was on disy. <i><b>"This de''s name is the ck Sunrise, and it''s a very old friend of mine. If it''s not too much trouble, I''d like for you to get along together."</b></i>


    Spoiler


    The ck Sunrise!


    [copse]

 Chapter 277 – Akagi’s Phobia.

    Chapter 277 ¨C Akagi¡¯s Phobia.


    As Halifax looked upon the de that Akagi called the ck Sunrise, she felt something deep within her stir. Her battle with Vikes had been millennia ago, but for someone like her, that was practically yesterday. The death and destruction that he''d wrought on thend was of a level that those alive today could scarcely understand, and her mental scars had never truly healed.


    <i>{That de... Why does... Why does looking at it... I feel...} </i>Halifax''s train of thought was interrupted by Hishya''s screech.


    "What the absolute hell is that, Akagi?!?" Hishya yelled. "That de... It feels positively <i>evil</i>!"


    <i>{WHY MUST YOU ALWAYS MAKE MORE CRAZY THINGS?!? ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME WITH STRESS?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    <i><b>"I told you. This is an old friend of mine." </b></i>Akagi smiled.


    "And that exins <i>nothing</i>!" Hishya shook her head vigorously before turning to Imp and Imperial, annoyed. "How could you go and make something like that?!? I don''t know how powerful it is, but just looking at is giving me a sinking feeling!¡±


    "Isn''t it great-amazing?!?" Imp smiled, proud of her creation. "Evil sword cool-neat! Me like! Yes-Yes!"


    "It''s the greatest weapon that I''ve ever had the <i>displeasure</i> of forging." Imperial sighed. He really didn''t have a choice since he was under Akagi''s thumb, but even still he was fully aware of what he''d made. "But you are right to call it evil. That de is literally darkness incarnate, and I shudder to think what kind of hell our resident Demon Lord could cause with it."


    "The ck Sunrise is a de that''s very near and dear to my heart." Akagi''s voice returned to normal as she slowly swung the de back and forth in front of her, ck aura spilling from the de only to dissipate before it hit the floor. "I never imagined that I''d get to see the real thing with my own two eyes." She smiled as she looked into the pitch ck de.


    <i>{You''re even more beautiful than I imagined.} </i>(Akagi)


    "That de... It''s as if it came from the very darkness of the world itself." Halifax said quietly, her mind still recovering from whatever just happened. "I''ve seen many Demonic weapons during my life, and even Demon Lord Vike''s Great Axe couldn''tpare to that thing." Her eyes flickered between Imp and Imperial, filled with both confusion and concern.


    <i>{How could mortals create something like that? It shouldn''t be possible!} </i>(Halifax)


    Seeing her bewilderment, Akagi let out a low chuckle. "Yourment is on point, Halifax." She said as she flipped and spun the de in her hand. "This de was forged from the very darkness of the world itself, at least, that''s <i>part</i> of how it was made." She snickered.


    "You... You made it from a part of <i>you</i>, didn''t you?" Halifax asked, recalling that she''d seen something simr in the past. "That''s the same way that Vikes made his own weapons."


    <i>{He pooled some of his power into whatever twisted form he wished. His Axe was an object of pure evil, and was formed from the darkness within his heart. riel mentioned that even after he lost his first weapon that he simply reced it with little issue, and that it made him no less powerful afterwards.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Indeed." Akagi nodded as she slid the de into a small loop on her belt. "Demon Lords are essentially darkness incarnate, thus I took a sliver of that darkness and merged it with both World Breaker <i>and</i> the shards of the Demigorgon that I recovered from Rivenshaft."


    "Demi..." Hishya racked her brain trying to recall that name. "Why does that name sound familiar?" She figured that it was something from FWO, and it was on the tip of her tongue.


    "Because it was the name of the so-called Demon Lord of FWO''s de." Akagi''s answer instantly jogged Hishya''s memory and her mind was flooded with all the lore she''d seen during her time in the game.


    "That de... Wasn''t it just a myth?!?" Hishya yelped.


    <i>{It was just FWO lore! Rivenshaft shouldn''t have had something like that!} </i>(Hishya)


    "A myth it may have been, but the shards that were part of Omega were <i>very </i>real." Akagi noted that like with many other parts of FWO vor text, the fact that Omega was said to have been made <i>from </i>shards of the Demigorgon became real when Rivenshaft entered the real world. "When I killed that idiot, I took his de and extracted those shards for use in making a new weapon. If you''d read more into the Great Demon''s lore, then you would''ve seen that it clearly described his de as being forged from <i>parts </i>of the legendary weapon wielded by the so-called Demon Lord of legend."


    <i>{And lucky for me I had just the maniac to help me recreate the weapon that I''d always wanted.} </i>(Akagi)


    "So, you basically reforged it?" Hishya asked.


    "No." Akagi shook her head. "Rather than remake the original de I had these two make something <i><b>better</b></i><b>."</b> She let out a slight <i>Demonic </iugh. "Tell me, Hishya. What do you remember of a small conversation we had many, many years ago?"


    "You''re asking a lot there." Hishya rolled her eyes, thinking that Akagi was intentionally being stupid with her question. "We talked about a lot, so you''re going to have to narrow it down."


    <i>{Sometimes I can barely remember what I had for breakfast the previous day, there''s no way in hell I''m going to remember a conversation from years ago!} </i>(Hishya)


    "The conversation in question urred on December 30th, 2052, at approximately 1:02 AM." Akagi gave her an exact time and date, which caused Hishya to sigh.


    "Do you really think that''s going to help? That was nearly nine years ago. With everything that happened since then, I''m not going to remember some random discussion, even if you''re that specific." Hishya said.


    <i>{Unlike you and your cheating photographic Demon memory, I still have a physical brain, albeit I am a bit sharper now that I''m a Dragon, but that doesn''t mean I just remember ever stupid thing I see.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Fair." Akagi nodded, pitying the Dragon for having such a tiny mortal brain. "So perhaps this will jog your memory." She cleared her throat for dramatic effect before reciting a small passage in a very formal and overly dramatic voice. "A White Dawn or a ck Sunrise? When Twin Emperors sh, one of these wille to pass." Her words seemed to jog a bit of Hishya''s memory, while everyone else had no clue what she was talking about. "The Emperor of White seeks to subjugate all life, while-"


    "While the Emperor of ck seeks to destroy it." Hishya''s brow furrowed, as she remembered where this was all from. "You and your damn self-published..." The Dragon clicked her tongue.


    <i>{I can''t believe that stupid story she wrote all those years ago ising into y now...}</i> (Hishya)


    "What is this about? That sounded like some kind of ominous prophecy." Halifax had heard her fair share of mythical stories to be wary of Akagi''s words.


    "Oh its fucking <i>ominous </i>alright<i>.</i>..¡± Hishya groaned. ¡°Before FWO, Akagi decided to try her hand a writing a short story." Hishya sighed as she exined the context behind the de in question. "The one that she had me look at was called ''the Twin Emperors'', and it was a story of two beings that were fated to sh over the fate of the world."


    <i>{I hate that it wasn''t a bad story either...} </i>(Hishya)


    "The story focused on the strange rtionship between two beings known as the Emperors of ck and White respectively.¡± Akagi took over the exnation. ¡°The Emperor of ck was a being that was born with the sole goal of <i>eradicating</i> the world they found themselves in." Akagi giggled. "A bit ironic there, huh?" She continued, while the others rolled their eyes at herment. "While the Emperor of White was tasked with the <i>subjugation</i> of that same world. The two would inevitably sh as their reasons for existing ran contrary to one another, with the only end being the death of one by the other hands."


    <i>{Though in my story the two were friends bound together by a strange twist of fate.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Ok, but what does that have to do with your sword?" Halifax asked. "This was all just a story you wrote for fun, wasn''t it?" She''d read many such things and figured it was little more than a work of fiction.


    "It was." Akagi nodded and smiled. "But to answer your original question. The ck Sunrise was the name of the de that the Emperor of ck was born to wield. It was a truly horrific creation, and its special ability was that it had the power to destroy <i>anything</i>." She cackled slightly.


    "I mean, that''s basically me." Halifaxmented that she was a very powerful de meant to destroy anything. "My de is enough that nothing can really survive it, so was this <i>ck Sunrise</i> really that special?"


    "No, No, No." Akagi shook her head vigorously and waived her hands. "When I say <i>anything </i>I mean <i><b>anything</b>. </i>The ck Sunrise from my story was a de of disaster, and it was said to only appear at the <i>end</i> of history. The relevant text stated that once it was drawn <i>that</i> would signal the end of the world."


    <i>{Or at least that was the lore I made up for it, though in fairness, that wasn''t entirely an exaggeration.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Hence the name, ck Sunrise." Hishya continued, not wanting Akagi to ham things up anymore. "In her story Akagi showed a scene where the Emperor of ck <i>literally </i>destroyed the Sun with one swipe of the de, and thus the world was plunged into eternal night.¡± She recalled the passage in question, noting that it was far more horrifying than she''d initially thought.


    <i>{Being of darkness plus de of doom... Great...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Hey, I thought it was a fitting name, and I like it." Akagi pouted. "Don''t shame me!"


    "So, you brought some kind of insane weapon like that into the real world?!?" Halifax squeaked.


    <i>{WHY?!?} </i>(Halifax)


    "Not quite." Akagi shook her head. "This de is <i>not</i>, and <i>cannot </i>be the weapon that I wrote about in my story. It''s simply not possible to make that kind of weapon in the real world, but..." She put her finger up. "It''s <i><b>damn close</b></i><b>. </b><i>This</i> version might not be able to wipe out all reality in one sh, but I could sure as hell do <i><b>a lot </b></i>of damage with one strike.<b>" </b>She gave an unnervingugh.


    "H-How much damage are we talking about?" Hishya asked, almost not wanting an answer.


    Akagi thought for a moment. "Hmmm. Weeeeeellllllll, I think erasing an entire <i>sr system</i> in one strike might be doable if I put my back into it." She smirked. ¡°But I don''t really know. I''ll have to give it a proper test at some point.¡± She winked.


    "S-She''s joking, right?" Halifax turned Hishya, hoping that this was a joke.


    <i>{RIGHT?!?} </i>(Halifax)


    "I... I hope so..." Hishya had given up by this point.


    "I suppose we''ll just have to wait and find out!" Akagi stuck her tongue out yfully.


    "PLEASE DON''T!" (Halifax x Hishya)


    "I don''t think you need to worry about her doing something that drastic." Yumi sighed.


    "And why not?" Akagi asked. "Are you saying I''m not capable of blowing up the world?"


    "I say that because <i>this</i>." Yumi pulled her phone out of her pocket and showed Akagi a live picture of Earth from a satellite stream. "Unless you magically got over your <i>fear</i>, you aren''t going anywhere in space."


    "..." Akagi squinted in displeasure before bapping Yumi on the head lightly.


    "Wait... You''re afraid of <i>space</i>?!?" Hishya said. "Seriously?!? <i>You </i>the fucking DEMON LORD afraid of SPACE?!?" She startedughing hysterically. "That''s rich!"


    <i>{HA!} </i>(Hishya)


    "I''m not afraid of space!" Akagi hissed.


    "Wooooo. I''m a scary space alien, here to haunt your dreams!" Hishya started wheezing, and even Halifax was struggling not tough.


    "Ok, smartass." Akagi grabbed Hishya''s shoulder and teleported both her and theughing Dragon far enough above the Earth to where you could see its curvature.


    "What the fuck?!?" Hishya freaked out. "What are you doing?!?"


    <i>{Holy fuck we''re in fucking space!} </i>(Hishya)


    "Take a look at it... and tell me <i>that''s </i>not fucking scary." Akagi turned Hishya around so that she could see the ckness of the void and then showed her the floating blue and green ball beneath them. "That''s not much better either now, is it?" Her smile was terrifying.


    "Please take me back..." Hishya weakly asked to go home.


    "Good." Akagi snapped her fingers returning them to where they were a moment prior. "Do you understand <i>now</i>?"


    <i>{No more smartments? Because I WILL drop your ass in the void and let you float around for a while!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Oh, holy fuck..." Hishya fell to the floor.


    <i>{SWEET GROUND!} </i>(Hishya)


    "So to rify, space <i>itself</i> does not scare me... It''s the void... and specifically the fucking sight of <i>celestial bodies</i> floating in it that freaks me out the most..." Akagi shivered as she recalled the previous sight. "Why do you think I couldn''t handle any of those VR space games? The few times I yed them the VR had to kick me out due to my body going into shock!" She''d experienced nearly crashing into a due to flying to close and that experience convinced her <i>never </i>to y such games again.


    <i>{Fucking hell, even that little trip has me freaked out! I''m going to need lots of snuggle time to make up for that...} </i>(Akagi)

 Chapter 278 – The New Pet.

    Chapter 278 ¨C The New Pet.


    "Hi-yah! Hi-yah! Hi-yah!" Shiroe Amakusa tended to spend a lot of time in her family''s dojo whenever she wasn''t otherwise upied. As the eldest child of the Amakusa family, she''d been trained from a young age to carry on their family traditions and to ensure that the Amakusa School would survive long into the future. It was something that she had mixed feelings about, but generally she enjoyed herself when she put sword to hand.


    "HI-YAH!" Amakusa brought her wooden sword down hard onto the training dummy, causing it to crack in half and splinter in her hand. "Ah..."


    <i>{Stupid sword! Why are you so weak?!?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Shiroe! How many times have I told you that controlling how much power you put into each strike is a key part of the Amakusa school?" Her father, an older man wearing a white training Gi, called out to her from the other side of the Dojo. His face showed exasperation since this was the umpteenth time he''d warned her about this problem. "You have to restrain yourself. If you don''t then things like this will keep happening."


    "If you''d just let me use a real sword, then I wouldn''t have this problem!" Amakusa tossed the destroyed sword into a nearby bin. She''d begged her father for years to let her use a real de, but he always refused.


    "You know that I can''t do that." Her father sighed. While he was certain that Amakusa <i>could </i>handle using a real de for training, he was worried that she wouldn''t have the self control needed to use it safely. "You''re still too young to wield a real de. Not to mention that until you can control your strength, it would be too dangerous for anyone to fight you while using one."


    <i>{This girl of mine... She was born with far too much strength... As her master, I should be proud to have such a fine student. But as her father...} </i>(Amakusa''s father.)


    "You say that yet you''ve never even given me the chance to use a real sword!" Amakusa retorted. "So how can you say that I shouldn''t use one?!?" She''d long grown bored of using training weapons and was craving <em>more</em>. By the age of twelve, she''d already surpassed most of the adults who trained alongside her, and her level of skill and power made her the most likely candidate to be the family head once her Grandfather stepped down. However, with all that power came a great deal of fear, anxiety, and loneliness. Amakusa had few people that she could count as true friends, and most of her family were wary of her due to events in the recent past.


    "Shiroe..." Her father sighed. "Please understand, this is for your own good." He didn''t want to see his daughter hurt anyone else or herself.


    "<i>My</i> own good, or <i>yours</i>?" Amakusa''s words surprised both her and her father.


    "I just want to help you, Shiroe." Her father replied, trying to hold back his emotions. "As your master, it''s my job to ensure that you can control the strength you''ve been gifted with."


    "And yet you deny me the ability to prove myself!" Amakusa yelled, her frustration boiling over.


    <i>{I am so much more than this! I WANT to prove myself!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "That''s because you-" He stopped mid sentence, locking eyes with his young daughter. "It''s because you..." Amakusa''s father couldn''t find the right words, and was worried about saying something he''d regret.


    "It''s because you''re afraid of me, isn''t it..." Amakusa said quietly.


    "No, I would never be-" Her father''s eyes went wide, but before he could refute her words he was cut off again.


    "You''re just like the others..." Amakusa turned away from her father. "Just like Sia, Minori, and Myuuna..."


    "Shiroe!" Her father yelled, not wanting her to start bringing up family issues.


    "You me me for all of it, don''t you?!?" Amakusa snapped back around and screamed at her father, startling him and making him flinch away, which Amakusa noticed. ¡°You me me for Mom being gone!¡±


    "I''ve never once med you for their deaths, Shiroe!" Amakusa''s father screamed at the top of his lungs. "It''s not your fault, Shiroe. <i>None</i> of what happened was." He took a deep breath and slowly approached her.


    "But Mom... and Fumiko... they..." Amakusa spoke quietly.


    "Shiroe." Her father hugged her tightly. "I have never once been angry that you survived, my child." He teared up slightly. "It''s the opposite. You have no idea how happy I am that you''re alive, and I''m sure your mother and Sister are happy that you''re alive too."


    <i>{The rest of the family was convinced that Shiroe was a cursed child, and for a brief moment I thought the same. To survive a head-on collision with a truck ande out with scrapes and bruises while both her mother and sister perished... It''s something you only see in movies...} </i>(Amakusa''s father)


    "But you''re afraid of me..." Amakusa said quietly as she started crying. "I can tell..."


    "I''m afraid of what you might do with that power, Shiroe." Her father continued, trying to console her. "You were born with far too much strength for one person, and I''ve always feared that one day... That one day you might do something youe to <em>regret</em> with it." He was worried that she might hurt somebody, or god forbid <i>kill </i>somebody.


    "Dad..." Amakusa opened her eyes only to see nothing but a ck void. "Dad? Dad?!? DAD?!?!" She called out to him again and again until her eyes snapped open once more, and she sat up quickly, covered in sweat. "DAD?!?"


    "Well, nice to see you finally woke up." Akagi said while leaning against the wall of the infirmary. "Looks like you were having quite the interesting little dream there." She smirked. It was child''s y for her to take a peak at someone''s dream, and the <em>Demon </em>decided to see what was causing Amakusa to have such a pained expression while she slept.


    <i>{Interesting, so she had an extra strong body even before she was summoned.} </i>(Akagi)


    "YOU!" Amakusa tried to get up but was quickly stopped by her sore body. "Owch..."


    "I gave you a good beating, so don''t try and move around too much." Akagi sighed. "Mimi handled your wounds, but it will be a bit until your body healspletely."


    <i>{But still, this girl already woke up? I shattered several ribs and caused a good amount of damage to her body both inside and out. Even with Mimi''s help, she should''ve been out cold for a bit longer. I suppose that''s what happens when you pump a superhuman with God power.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Kill me..." Amakusa red at Akagi, demanding that the <i>Demon </i>end her life.


    "I''ve heard way too many people say that over the years." Akagi rolled her eyes at the clich¨¦ment. "And why would I do that? I captured you for a reason, so killing you is out of the question."


    "I won''t give you any information. So go ahead and waste your time with torture." Amakusa scoffed.


    <i>{You''ll find me to be immune to your methods, monster.} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Well, torture won''t be necessary." Akagi grinned. "You''ll tell me what I want to knowpletely of your own free will."


    "Hah?" Amakusa was confused. "Why would I tell you anything?!?"


    <i>{Are you stupid?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Tell me your full name, age, and date of birth." Akagi asked a simple set of questions.


    "Of course master! My name is Shiroe Amakusa, I''m twenty-six years old, and I was born on November 23rd, 2042." Amakusa''s eyes changed to the same orange color as Akagi''s as she answered, reverting back once she was done. "What the fuck?!?" She smacked her hand over her mouth.


    <i>{Why did I?!?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Well, it seems my little n worked out!" Akagiughed, happy with Amakusa''s enthusiastic answers. "And based on the conflict between your birthday and stated age, we can assume that a bit of time dtion existed between Earth and Enoris.¡±


    <i>{About two times if I''m not mistaken.} </i>(Akagi)


    "What did you do to me?!?" Amakusa eximed. "My mind... I just... I told you everything you asked?!?" She trembled slightly recalling the jolt that went through her body before she began speaking,


    <i>{It felt like I was HAPPY to do it!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "I just had a bit of fun tampering with your soul, that''s all." Akagi smiled. "Now I''ve made you my cute widdle pet who will do whatever I want! Ain''t it great?¡±


    <i>{Now I just need the bowl, dog house and the leash!} </i>(Akagi)


    "But mind magic doesn''t work on Heroes! The Gods specifically warded our mind against such effects!" Amakusa started sweating as she realized the gravity of the situation.


    "Tut-Tut-Tut." Akagi wagged her finger. "I said <i>soul, </i>not <i>mind</i>." She continued. "I dove into your soul and did a bit of fuckery that made you subconsciously loyal to me. On the surface, you can still think and act like normal, but under the hood, you''re my loyal pet." It was a nasty bit of maniption and she was going to enjoy tormenting her new <i>pet </i>very much.


    "W-Wha..." Amakusa paled as she realized what kind of future likely awaited her. "You..." She leaned over the bed and puked on the floor.


    "Oh fucking hell..." Akagi groaned. "Kaori, we''ve got a cleanup on aisle 3."


    <i>{I''m not paid enough to clean up the contents of this girl''s stomach.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Clean up?" Kaori popped her head around the corner from her prep area. "What do you... Son of a..." She sighed as she went to get a bucket and mop.


    <i>{I JUST CLEANED THAT FLOOR!} </i>(Kaori)


    After cleaning up the mess that Amakusa had made, and giving the girl a stern warning <i>not </i>to do that on the floor again, Kaori went to make a potion to calm the very anxious Amakusa down.


    "Drink this. It will help you feel better." Kaori handed her a cup with blue liquid and ced a garbage can next to her.


    <i>{Next time you puke on my floor, I''m dumping it on your head!} </i>(Kaori)


    "I don''t want to drink that!" Amakusa pushed it away. "It smells like cleaning liquid!"


    "Drink it." Akagi ordered her, and Amakusa happily obliged.


    *GLUP*


    "Dammit!" Amakusa cursed as she put the cup down. "I''ll get you for this!"


    <i>{That tasted so bad!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Is that really what you want?" Akagi asked with a smirk.


    "Of course not, master! I''m happy to be your loyal pet!" Amakusa said with a big smile before she regained control and started yelling profanities. "I AM NOT A PET!"


    <i>{GET OUT OF MY HEAD! LEAVE MY BRAIN ALONE!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Whose'' a good pet?" Akagi walked over and pat Amakusa on the head.


    "Is it me?!?" Amakusa said happily, her imaginary dog ears and tail twitching.


    <i>{NOOOO!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Nah, you''re a <i>bad</i> pet." Akagi took her hand off of Amakusa''s head. "Youmitted unspeakable acts of horror against a people who did nothing wrong. So you''re definitely a bad pet."


    Once Akagi was finished ying with her new toy Amakusa''s eyes went back to normal. "I... Did we really... Fuck!" She put her head in her hands. "I knew it all seemed suspicious! Fuck! Kanato..."


    <i>{I... We... Dammit!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "So you had suspicions?" Akagi wanted to know more about the Hero''s thoughts about the Gods and their genocide.


    "Yeah." Amakusa sighed. She would only bepelled to act or answer if she resisted, so her eyes did not change this time. "During the war, I began to feel that the Gods were deceiving us about the nature of the Spirits. When they took... When they took Alm, it was at that point that I really started to lose faith." After the Oni girl vanished she began to think that something was wrong with the whole war, and as more and more Spirits died that suspicion only got worse. Amakusa''d managed to push most of those thoughts away, but they never fadedpletely.


    "And yet you continued killing our people?!?" Mizumi burst through the clinic door with Shinlua and Halifax in toe. The Water Spirit''s eyes glowed bright with rage, and Akagi could tell it was taking all her willpower to hold back from snapping Amakusa''s neck.


    <i>{Oh boy, it looks like the pet''s got some sining to do.} </i>(Akagi)


    Spoiler


    Toji Amakusa!


    [copse]

 Chapter 279 – Do it Again!

    Chapter 279 ¨C Do it Again!


    "You... I remember you." Amakusa locked eyes with Shinlua, recalling the not so epic battle that had taken ce just outside the Spirit''s Capital City.


    <i>{So, you''re still alive.} </i>(Amakusa)


    "I should hope so." Shinlua sighed. "You brought me quite close to death. The least you could do is remember my face." She was quite angry on the inside, but unlike Mizumi was able to hold it in much better.


    Amakusa clicked her tongue in irritation. "I suppose that''s the second time Dancing Pedals let me down." She''d so far failed to kill two important targets with what was suppose to be her most powerful attack, and that was two times to many for her.


    "Really? <i>That''s </i>what you have to say?" Mizumi growled, anger visible on her face. "Not <i>I''m sorry</i>? Whatever, its not like I''d forgive you either way, but I''d still like to hear it."


    <i>{How dare this bitch just act all free-spirited!} </i>(Mizumi)


    "What point would there be in asking for forgiveness?" Amakusa replied. "I''m well aware that I''ve participated in something horrific, and I''m not going to sit here and prostrate myself like a fool." She figured it was fatepli at this point and had no desire to get into it with the Water Spirits.


    <i>{Father was right. I did end up causing misery with my power... I should''ve listened to him when he told me to ensure that I used what I was born with responsibly.} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Well, you will if I tell you too, but that''s neither here nor there." Akagi snickered.


    "Punishment or whatever you n on doing with this one cer." Halifax interjected, wanting to stop the conversation from getting derailed. "Our primary goal should be to stop the Gods'' n before it''s toote. You can abuse Amakusa as much as you want afterward."


    <i>{I like how she just doesn''t give a fuck what I do to the pet. Such a good friend!} </i>(Akagi)


    "n?" Amakusa didn''t understand what she was talking about. "What n? You''ve already thwarted their n by beating us."


    <i>{What other n needs thwarting?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Oh you know, nothing special. Just tinsy-tiny thing called THE PLAN TO KILL EVERYONE ON ENORIS!" Mizumi answered sarcastically.


    ¡°Its not that important, I assure you.¡± Akagiughed.


    "What?!?" Amakusa nearly choked on her own spit. "Hold on! We were just going to kill the..." She paused, choosing <i>not </i>to finish her statement, seeing that Mizumi was about to smack her upside the head.


    "If that was true, then things would be done with Akagi sending you packing, but sadly, it''s not." Halifax shook her head. "riel tipped me off to their <i>real </i>ns, and it goes far beyond just finishing off Mizumi and her people."


    "Real ns? And wait! You <i>spoke</i> with riel?!?" Amakusa was surprised. Almost nobody could just <i>speak </i>to a Goddess, and even the Heroes, save Hitomi, couldn''t count on regr contact with them.


    <i>{Who the hell is this girl?!?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "I did. riel contacted me via an intermediary, and she exined..." Halifax told Amakusa everything that she''d learned, and by the end of it, Amakusa had be white as a sheet.


    "No... No... No..." Amakusa went into shock. "They... No..."


    <i>{NO!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "<i>Yes</i>!" Akagi nodded. "Those Gods only ever saw you lot as pawns to save their own skin. Once their n of killing the Spirits for their energy failed, they resorted to n <i>Save Our Assess."</i>


    <i>{Though the irony is that by trying so hard to save themselves they ended up unleashing something that would guarantee their destruction. What''s that called in writing? A self fulfilling prophecy or something?} </i>(Akagi)


    "And we... we just... we went along with... FUCK!" Amakusa gripped the bed sheets tightly between her fingers, her knuckles turning white. "We were used... We... We did such horrible things..." She looked to Mizumi. "We thought we were saving the world! We thought we''d be Heroes!"


    <i>{We were suppose to be helping people!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Well, ya weren''t." Mizumi practically spat at her. "Instead of being the big Heroes that saved the world, you instead killed hundreds of thousands of innocent people during your genocidal crusade!" She scoffed. ¡°Good fucking job, Hero! Ya really knocked that one out of the park!¡±


    <i>{I want to string this girl up right now!} </i>(Mizumi)


    "In all fairness, and as dark as this may sound, if the death of your people would''ve actually saved the world, then I can understand their decision from a utilitarian point of view." Akagi''sment drew a death re from the water Spirit. "Come on. You know I''m right, Mizumi."


    "Right or wrong, killing that many people..." Shinlua shook her head. "I don''t even want to think about it." She understood Akagi''s point, but it didn''t sit well with her.


    <i>{It''s not something the average person could stomach, but the cold logic is that if Enoris could''ve actually been saved with the death of a few hundred thousand people, that would''ve been the right decision.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I wish I could''ve done something to stop it." Halifax''s fist tightened in irritation. She''d been forced to watch from the sidelines and was deeply regretting not doing <i>something</i> to stop the madness. "I''m sorry, Mizumi..."


    "You couldn''t do anything about it, so please stop with the apologies." Mizumi sighed, not wanting Halifax to shoulder unwarranted me. "What matters now is how we bring those bastards to justice." She turned to Akagi. "So what''s the n? You''ve got one of the Heroes right here, and I wouldn''t mind doing some <i>expedited justice</i> on her myself."


    <i>{We might not like torture or other such things, but I''ve learned a bit about painful deaths by watching Akagi and there are a few things I''m EAGER to try out on this girl.} </i>(Mizumi)


    "For now, she''s mine." Akagi refused to hand Amakusa over. "She''s my new pet and will remain so until I''m done with her."


    "You can''t be serious." Mizumi deadpanned. "She needs to pay for what she''s done!"


    <i>{LET ME AT LEAST TORTURE HER A BIT!} </i>(Mizumi)


    "She''s get what''sing to her in due time, but until then, I want to <i>y</i> with her." Akagi smiled. "I think you''ll approve of me keeping her once you see what I''ve done."


    "No!" Amakusa protested, sensing danger from Akagi''s smile. "Please take me away!"


    <i>{I DON''T WANT TO BE THE DEMON LORD''S PET!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Akagi..." Halifax red at the <i>Demon</i>. "What did you do?"


    "I told you! I found a new <i>pet</i>!" Akagi went over and stuck her hand out to Amakusa. "Shake!"


    "Woof!" Amakusa woofed as she put her hand in Akagi''s palm. "No! I''m not a dog!" She tried to resist as Akagi forced her to do tricks on the bed, but it was futile.


    "That''s fucked..." Halifax shook her head in disapproval. "But... Considering what she''s done... I''ll consider it appropriate punishment."


    <i>{Forcing her to be a subconsciously loyal ve is horrifying... I really hope she doesn''t start doing that to more people... But darn if I don''t think this will be funny!} </i>(Halifax)


    "Whose'' a good pet?" Akagi asked as she pet Amakusa on the head.


    "Not me! I''m a very bad pet!" Amakusa cringed internally as she was forced to speak these words.


    "You know what, I''m ok with this!" Mizumi burst outughing as she watched Amakusa struggle to not say cringe things. "If you keep her like this for the rest of her life, then I''ll consider <i>this </i>to be fine!"


    <i>{SUCK IT, PET!} </i>(Mizumi)


    "PLEASE KILL ME!" Amakusa pleaded for death, but it wasn''t happening.


    <i>{I love it when they beg to die.} </i>(Akagi)


    "The pet is not allowed to die unless I say so, sorry." Akagi wagged her finger. ¡°And I probably won''t be signing off on that for some time, so too bad.¡±


    <i>{NOOOOOOOOOO!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Are you going to do this to the rest of them?" Halifax asked about the <i>Demon''s </i>intentions toward the other Heroes.


    "Hmmmm, nah." Akagi shook her head. "I only need one <i>pet</i>, and it would be boring to do the same thing to the rest of those idiots." She figured that Muichiro would likely be tossed in the same hell as Armalthy after what he did to the Spirits, but as for the other two she had no clue what the appropriate punishment should be. "That reminds me, what happened to the rest of the Heroes anyway? I assumed they returned to Enoris, but do you know where they went specifically?"


    "We were told that breaking the crystal would scatter us at random around Enoris, so I can''t tell you where they went." Amakusa shook her head. "But I <i>do</i> know that a quick return like this is going to spark concern from the Gods, and the moment they realize what happened they''ll begin preparations to deal with you." She figured that they would <i>already</i> be freaking out.


    "Let them try and stop the inevitable. I already used my power to put memory blockers on your little friends, so they won''t know anything about me." Akagi shrugged.


    ¡°When did you do that?!?¡± Halifax asked.


    ¡°When I first descended in all my kitty glory.¡± Akagi snickered.


    <i>{Had that idiot not run his mouth, I was going to attack with MEWS, but then I got angry and things just went sideways from there. Oh well, I''ll just do thatter.} </i>(Akagi)


    ¡°Ah... Yeah... Right...¡± Halifax rolled her eyes.


    "Are you really a Demon Lord?" Amakusa asked. "The stories about Vikes said that he was an insane creature that just killed and destroyed for fun, but you just seem like an ordinary psychopath."


    "Akagi is absolutely a Demon Lord." Halifax answered her question. "I found and <i>killed</i> Vikes all those years ago so I can guarantee that''s what she is, and any subconscious doubts about her identity vanished the moment I heard her use the same tongue as that monster."


    <i>{I''d never forget that evil voice, and how horrifying that tongue is.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Wait! You fought and <i>killed </i>Vikes?!?" Amakua looked between Akagi and Halifax. "Then why aren''t you DOING IT AGAIN?!?" She pointed rapidly at Akagi. "Demon Lord, right there! Vanquish it!"


    <i>{Take that sword and kill the evil!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Yeah, Halifax, why don''t you vanquish me?" Akagi nudged her in the arm. "I''m standing right here. Go on, you know you want to use that de to end my existence."


    <i>{You''re such a... I''m going to demand kitty timeter for all the stupidity that you put me through today!} </i>(Halifax)


    "To answer your question, I won''t do something like that because not only is that not possible for me, but it''s also <i>unneeded</i>." Halifax sighed, ignoring Akagi''sughter. "I think it should be obvious, but our resident pain in the ass isn''t the same as Vikes. For one, she doesn''t just murder indiscriminately, and my distaste for her kind aside, even if I could kill her, I wouldn''t." She shook her head. "To kill her just because she''s a Demon Lord and for no other reason would go against my morals."


    <i>{That would be no different than some of the asshats I''ve dealt with that hated one race just because what a few of them did. Though I suppose that most people would be forgiven for having a kill on sight policy for Demon Lords.} </i>(Halifax)


    "But it''s mostly because she can''t." Akagi snickered, dodging Halifax''s attempt to swipe at her.


    ¡°Quiet you!¡± Halifax hissed.


    "I''d rather Akagi not get destroyed anyway. We need this idiot to help rebuild our entire society." Mizumimented. "As loath as I am to admit it, having a Demon Lord to back our people up was probably the best thing we could''ve asked for."


    <i>{At least this way we''ve got the biggest bully in the school yard backing us up.} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Aww, she''s being tsundere." Akagiughed. "She''s so cute! I could just pinch her widdle cheeks!"


    ¡°You already do that...¡± Mizumi sighed.


    "Wait!" Amakusa started looking around the room rapidly. "Where is she?!?"


    "She?" Akagi didn''t know who she was referring to.


    "Inori!" Amakusa started to panic as she looked around for her trusty partner. "I remember attacking you with her and-" She paused, recalling what happened to the sword. "She broke..." Her hands started to tremble. "You... You broke Inori..."


    <i>{She''s gone... My... Inori... Dad...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "What''s so important about a sword?" Mizumi asked.


    "Ahem..." Halifax coughed.


    "Again, what''s so important about a sword?" Mizumi asked with a nasty smirk on her lips.


    *SMACK*


    At her secondment, Halifax cracked her on the back of the head.


    <i>{Asshole.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Owchi!" Mizumi cried out in pain.


    <i>{Worth it!} </i>(Mizumi)


    "You know well that a warrior''s weapon is everything to them." Halifax sighed, understanding why Amakusa was upset. "Losing one that you''ve bonded to is never pleasant, and from what I know about Amakusa she and her de were <i>close</i>."


    <i>{She''s apparently attached to it to such an extent that some thought her crazy. I heard that she even talks to it, though she''s far from the first to do so.} </i>(Halifax)


    "If it''s your de that you''re looking for..." Akagi reached into her inventory and pulled out the snapped sword, tossing the pieces on the bed in front of Amakusa. "I grabbed them after I knocked you out. I was going to inspect itter and see if it had any neat properties."


    "Inori..." Amakusa slowly picked up the pieces, clinging to them. "I''m so sorry... This is my fault..." Tears welled in her eyes.


    <i>{Well damn, now I feel bad... Well... Kinda but not really. More for the sword than her honestly...} </i>(Akagi)

 Chapter 280 – Finding the Survivors.

    Chapter 280 ¨C Finding the Survivors.


    "Akagi out here making young girls cry." Halifax shook her head in fake disapproval. "Foreshame, Akagi. Foreshame."


    "Bite me." Akagi stuck her tongue out. "She attacked me with the sword, and I broke it. Tis just the way the cookie crumbles. If she didn''t want it to get broken then she shouldn''t have used it to attack me."


    <i>{Also, Amakusa isn''t a young girl, despite how she looks.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Inori..." Amakusa continued to mourn the broken de while Akagi and Halifax bickered.


    "She really means that much to you, huh?" Halifax turned to Amakusa. She had no pity for the Hero girl, but seeing her so distraught over a broken ded pulled on her heart strings slightly.


    "Inori... She was a gift from my father..." Amakusa exined as she wiped tears from her eyes. "I named her after that stupid imaginary friend of my sister... and she''s been at my side ever since that day..."


    <i>{Fumiko used to run around and y tag with her invisible friend... Looking back... I always thought it was stupid... But now... I''d give anything just to see her y one more time.} </i>(Amakusa)


    ¡°Your father?¡± Halifax hummed.


    <i>{I don''t detect anything special about that de. Though there was some kind of magic ced on it to prevent wear and tear.} </i>(Halifax)


    "From what I dug up on you, your sister and mother were killed in a car crash when you were young, but <i>you</i> miraculously survived." Akagi had looked into the names of the Heroes and was quite certain that all four had been from Earth.


    "So you even know about that, huh?" Amakusa sighed. "Yeah... that''s what happened... I was born with a tougher body than the average person, so I ended up with little more than minor injuries as a result of the ident. My family didn''t see it as some miracle though, and many called me a <i>Demon child</i> or the like. Some even spected that I somehow sacrificed my mom and sister in order to survive..." She grew quiet, not wanting to talk about it any more.


    <i>{Demon child...} </i>(Akagi)


    "I hope that''s not your attempt at getting sympathy." Mizumi scoffed, not interested in whatever sob story Amakusa could cook up.


    "Now, Now." Halifax put her hand on Mizumi''s shoulder. "She''s already been defeated, there''s no need to keep dumping salt on the wound." She didn''t want the Water Spirit to start dragging the conversation down with malice, even if she had every right to.


    "I can think of plenty of reasons to do so, but fine." Mizumi shrugged as she turned to leave the room. "I''ll head back to Omara and update people on what''s going on. I can only imagine what they''re gonna do when they find out you''ve got one of the ''Heroes'' in custody." She figured there would be mass civil unrest and calls for blood even though Spirits were generally against such things.


    "Mizumi." Akagi called out to the water Spirit just as she and Shinlua were about to leave. "Meet me in my office in about an hour. I have something to discuss with you."


    "Okay?" Mizumi didn''t know what this was about but agreed before leaving with the Elf.


    Once she was gone Akagi let out a deep sigh. "That girl seriously needs a break and a vacation." She rubbed her hands down her face, knowing that the Water Spirit had pushed herself too far. "She''s been going at it nonstop since she took over, and the impending execution of the Council has only driven her even further up the wall."


    <i>{I can sense a great deal of anger, hatred and other negative emotions in her heart. On one hand I want to tell her to let those fuel her, but on the other I know that''s not good for her or the other Spirits.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I''d imagine that you can sense the darkness in her heart if I can, Akagi." Halifax bit her lip in frustration. "I never once imagined that Mizumi of all people woulde to harbor such intense emotions, especially not ones like this.¡± She''d never known the Water Spirit to be capable of such anger, though she understood that this wasrgely because of the current situation.


    "I think I''ll force her to take a vacation." Akagi said. "I''d rather her not start going crazy due to being overworked and angry, and thest thing we need is Mizumi to go all dark and evil on us."


    <i>{As a Demon, such emotions are my bread and butter. I can literally draw power, sustenance and even pleasure from the negative feelings of mortals. But while Mizumi''s are very interesting, it''s not a good thing to allow such emotions to take over. Being angry asionally is fine, but Mizumi has been almost constantly so for these past few weeks.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I''ll leave <i>that</i> to you." Halifax winked. "Mizumi is your responsibility, after all."


    <i>{Not to mention that I''ve got too much of my own baggage to even think about helping somebody else. Then again... Akagi probably a good amount too...} </i>(Halifax)


    "Maybe some kitty pets would be good for her?" Akagi thought about the best ways to calm her down,ing to the conclusion that naps, snuggles and pets were the best medicine for the heart.


    "They''d be good for <i>you </i>that''s for sure." Halifax rolled her eyes before looking to the still sad looking Amakusa. "Here, give me her." She snatched the broken pieces of Inori from Amakusa''s hands.


    "What are you doing?!?" Amakusa freaked out, but Akagi''s res shut her down.


    "Disimer, I''m not doing this for you." Halifax held the two broken parts of the de in her hands. "This de just deserves better than to be left in such a state." The tip of her fingers began to glow as she ran them down the length of the de, pressing the broken parts together where Akagi sundered them.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Amakusa watched as the de glowed for a moment as Halifax''s power coursed through it.


    "There." Halifax looked over the newly repaired de. "Issues aside, you seem to care for this de, so I''m giving it back to you. It may not be as <i>alive</i> as I am, but I can tell that it cares for you." She handed it back to Amakusa, who clung to it.


    "Inori..." Amakusa hugged the sword tightly.


    "Aww, do you want a hug too?" Akagi snickered as she opened her arms for a hug.


    ¡°No...¡± Halifax sighed.


    "Well, how about a good wash? I''ve got some nice de oil that you''d like." Akagi made a rubbing motion with her hands as she washed an invisible de.


    "Give me kitty time instead. I''d rather pet <i>you </i>then let <i>you</i> rub <i>me</i>." Halifax rolled her eyes. "Besides, you owe me for all the trouble you''ve caused. So a bit of kitty is more than adequatepensation."


    "Trouble? Me?!? I''d never do such a thing!." Akagi acted offended. "But fine. I don''t have anything to do for a while, so let''s rx in the living room." She turned to Amakusa. "You shall remain here until Mimi says you''ve healed. After that, I''ll figure out where you''ll be staying, and though I don''t intend to torture you, don''t expect to be treated well, <i>pet</i>." She turned to leave but was stopped by Amakusa.


    "Wait!" Amakusa stopped Akagi just as she was leaving. "You''re going to Enoris, right?" She figured that Akagi was nning on doing some kind of invasion, and had one thing that she needed to ask of the <i>Demon </i>if that was the case.


    "That''s the n." Akagi nodded. "Why? If you''re going to ask me not to then you''re-"


    "I want your help." Amakusa bowed as she pleaded with her "Please..."


    "And why should I help the bad <i>pet</i>?" Akagi raised an eyebrow.


    "Its... It''s not for me..." Amakusa slowly shook her head. "I... I want you to find someone for me... please..."


    "And who might this somebody be?" Akagi turned and asked. "I''m not about to go running around looking for some friend of yours."


    "She''s not a friend she''s... She''s a Spirit." Amakusa''s words got both Akagi and Halifax''s attention.


    "Exin." Akagi said curtly.


    "I... I came across a young Oni girl after one of our battles..." Amakusa exined the story of how she met somebody that hade to be very important to her. "Her name was Alm, and I took her in and protected her."


    "Why would one of the Heroes take in a Spirit?" Halifax frowned, thinking that something was off about the story. "You were tasked with their destruction, so why save one?¡±


    "I... I know that... but..." Amakusa took a deep breath before continuing. "I took her in... because she looked almost <i>exactly</i> like myte sister, Fumiko." She gave a self-deprecatingugh, knowing how bad that sounded. "I know it sounds stupid... but I just... I couldn''t leave her..."


    <i>{I know I was basically just using her to make myself feel better, and I won''t deny that on some level I saw he as a recement but...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Where is she now?" Akagi asked, her expression showing neitherpassion nor irritation.


    "I don''t know." Amakusa shook her head. "Around five years ago she disappeared. The <i>official</i> story is that she ran away, but I know for a fact that the Nobles of the Kingdom of Amdamell took her away." She never had any concrete proof, but some of the information she''d gathered told her that Alm didn''t leave of her own free will.


    "If that''s the case, then she''s probably dead." Halifax clicked her tongue in irritation. "Human Nobles wouldn''t think twice about killing some Spirit child."


    "Either that or they sold her into very." Akagi added.


    "Please! If she''s still alive, find her!" Amakusa pleaded with them to save the girl. "I don''t care what you do with me... Just please... save that girl! She... She deserves to be happy..." She''d spent a great deal of time with the young Oni and the two had be almost inseparable. When Alm disappeared, Amakusa flew into a rampage at the Royal Pce, only stopped by Feline''s peas.


    "My intention was to find all remaining Spirits and bring them under my protection." Akagi continued. "I am their Suzerain, and whether they are in Enoris or Omara, it is my <i>obligation </i>to help them." The fate of the Spirits left behind was something that she''d been thinking about for months. The <i>Demon </i>originally<i> </i>had no intention to go to bat to save them, but once it became clear that a war between Enoris and Earth wasing, Akagi put into motion ns to rescue whoever she could find.


    <i>{I''ve promised Mizumi that I would rescue them now that conflict between our two worlds has broken out and I intend to keep that promise. However, she might not like the fact that my battle with the Gods will take priority over bringing her people home in a timely manner.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I know of a few ces that we can look when we cross over, and there are a few old friends of mine that <i>might </i>have some leads." Halifax thought that she could help a bit, though still doubted that the Oni girl was alive. "However, most Spirits not outright killed in the war were enved, and many were subsequently killed by their new masters. I''ve seen a few ve auctions as I wandered around the continent, and it''s entirely likely that the one you seek is no more." She figured it highly unlikely that one single Oni child had survived, especially if she was taken by Humans.


    "Even still, if there''s even the smallest bit of hope, then I''m begging you. Please bring her home." Amakusa continued to bow. "I just want to know what happened to her, and to make sure she lives a happy life."


    <i>{This girl... She goes between yelling and carrying on to being all sad and depressed to begging me to save some kid''s life.} </i>Akagi had honestly no clue what the make of Amakusa. Halifax told her that she would probably be the most ''reasonable'' of the four Heroes, but Akagi was finding her to be a pain in the ass.


    "Well, you can find out what happened to her yourself." Akagi''s words caught both Halifax and Amakusa off guard.


    "You''re not seriously thinking of bringing her <i>back </i>to Enoris, are you?!?" Halifax thought that was crazy. "She could turn on us, Akagi!"


    "Well, she can''t. Remember, I made her my <i>pet</i>." Akagi pointed out that her power to manipte souls outranked the Gods'' own power and so no matter how much Amakusa might want to double cross them, she was physically incapable of such a thing. "Also, having here with was always my n. She''ll have a better sense of the politicalyout than either of us, and her name and face will be very useful for some of my schemes."


    <i>{Not to mention that I want to use her for my own entertainment. I wonder how people will react when they see one of their great Heroes happily wagging her tail for the Demon Lord?} </i>(Akagi)

 Chapter 281 – Anger Management.

    Chapter 281 ¨C Anger Management.


    "MEW!....MEW!....MEW!" A very small Catkagi meowed happily as she tried, and failed, to catch the cat teaser that Halifax was dangling overhead. The Sword wanted some kittypensation for all the headache that Akagi had caused earlier, and the <i>Demon </i>wasn''t going to say no to a bit of fun, especially when it involved a giggling Miji who was fully intend on spoiling her.


    "Come, kitty, jump!" Halifax smiled as she let the string dangle just low enough for Akagi to leap for it but pulled it away just before her little hands could grasp it. "So close! Try again!" She giggled.


    <i>{This is so stupid and I love it. Kitty for the win!} </i>(Halifax)


    "I believe in you, kitty! Get the birdy!" Miji was sitting next to the two of them,ughing and smiling as they yed around. ¡°You can do it!¡±


    "MEW!" Akagi leaped into the air in a desperate attempt to reach the toy but came up short, falling backward on the couch with a thud.


    "Ha-ha! Kitty went floop!" Miji giggled as Akaginded and started twitching and rolling about. "Poor kitty!"


    "Do you want to try?" Halifax handed Miji the teaser, which the young girl happily put to work.


    "Here kitty, kitty, kitty! Get the birdy!" Miji said as she held out the teaser. However, rather than jump at it Akagi tilted her head cutely and dove at Miji, tackling her to the couch, and rubbing her ears against her. "


    "MEW!" Akagi meowed as the tiny Catkagi pounced.


    "No, the birdy! Not me, kitty!" Miji giggled as she was tickled by the fluffy ears, unable to resist the Catkagi.


    ¡°MEW! MEW!¡± Akagi meowed, knowing that peace was never an option.


    <i>{This is such a cute little interaction. I needed this in m life.} </i>Halifax smiled as she watched Akagi nuzzle Miji for a bit until Hishya and Kana interrupted the <i>fun</i>.


    "I thought I heard somebody squealing happily in here." Kana said as she turned the corner and entered the living room from the main hallway. "I guess I shouldn''t be surprised to see Onee-chan tackling poor Miji to the couch and doing unspeakable things to her. This is practically an everyday thing at this point.¡±


    "Kitty!" Miji wrapped her arms around Akagi and gave her a big hug as she red at the approaching Kana.


    <i>{MINE! NO STEAL!} </i>(Miji)


    "MEW!" Akagi tried wiggling to get free, but Miji''s happy hug was too strong, and she couldn''t bring herself to shake it off.


    "I suppose you being back means that the shopping is done." Halifax said as she watched Miji and Akagi flop around on the couch and giggle.


    "Yeah, we got everything on the list." Hishya answered as she sat a few bags down on the floor.


    "As well as a few things that were <i>not </i>on the list." Kana side-eyed Hishya. "Cough, <em>pillows</em>, cough."


    "You!" Hishya punched her girlfriend''s shoulder lightly. "Don''t tell them about that!"


    <i>{WHY MUST YOU REVEAL MY SECRET SHAME?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    "More pillows!" Miji sat up, Akagi firmly squeezed in her arms. "Can I see them?!?"


    "I... um..." Hishya started to blush.


    "Pweeeze!" Miji put out her best puppy eyes, which were devastatingly cute.


    <i>{Onee-chan has corrupted you well! Use that cuteness to defeat the Dragon!} </i>(Kana)


    "Are you really going to deny her when she looks like <i>that</i>, Hishya?" Halifax chuckled as Miji continued to be indescribably cute.


    *KIRA* *KIRA*


    <i>{DID HER EYES JUST SPARKLE?!?} </i>(Hishya))


    "Yeah, if you did, then you''d be a <i>real </i>monster." Kana snickered.


    "Fine..." Hishya reached into her inventory and pulled out a pillow that had several Magical Girls embroidered on it from a show that she liked. "Laugh all you want..."


    "THAT''S SO COOL!" Miji put Akagi down and ran over to Hishya. "I love Sparkle Girls!" Her eyes shined as she looked at the pillow. "I need to ask Sister for one! Peach is my favorite!"


    <i>{I mean, Peach is cool, but Burst is my personal favorite...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Maybe if you ask really nicely, Hishya here will go watch some episodes with you." Kana said as she pat the girl on the head.


    "Really?!?" Miji got excited. "Please, can we?!?"


    Unable to say no to the little girl, and because Hishya actually wanted to watch some anime, Hishya agreed, and after the Dragon deposited the rest of the purchased items in Kana''s room, she and Miji went to watch some episodes upstairs.


    "That girl is so adorable." Halifax smiled. "Her energy is infectious, and she''s just the cutest little thing." She sat down next to Akagi and pulled the <i>Demon</i> into herp before petting her ears.


    "Mew~" Akagi cooed as she was fluffed.


    "I''m surprised that Yumi isn''t here joining in on the fun." Kanamented as she sat down across from them. "<i>She''s</i> usually the one who''s spoiling Onee-chan senseless."


    <i>{Though anymore, EVERYONE is spoiling her...} </i>(Kana)


    "Yumi is currently in Seoul." Akagi answered as she was fluffed. ¡°Thus she cannot provide the needed pets and so here we are.¡±


    "And she''s in South Korea, <i>why</i>?" Kana figured it wasn''t just for sightseeing.


    <i>{I''ve got a bad feeling about this...} </i>(Kana)


    "<i>Business</i>." Akagi''s one word answer told Kana all that she needed to know.


    <i>{Bad feeling confirmed...} </i>(Kana)


    "So, what? Are you gonna go copse North Korea or something." Kanaughed at her stupid joke.


    <i>{As if she''d do something like that!} </i>(Kana)


    "Mew..." Akagi looked away in embarrassment.


    "WAIT REALLY?!?" Kana yelped.


    <i>{I WAS JOKING! DON''T GO DOING CRAZY THINGS THAT I SAY JOKINGLY!} </i>(Kana)


    "I can neither confirm nor deny my involvement with the impending overthrow of the North Korean government." Akagi stuck her chin up as she looked away.


    <i>{Well, I guess that''s good? Right? They''re the bad guys, so...} </i>(Kana)


    "Do I even want to know why <i>that''s </i>happening?" Kana figured that there was something nefarious going on the the background.


    "No..." Akagi shook her head as she was scratched.


    "Yeah, you''re probably right." Kana pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Knowing will probably just give me stomach cramps."


    ¡°I wouldn''t worry about it too much. After all, the kitty would never do anything bad, <em>right</em>?¡± Halifax snickered as she continued her pets.


    ¡°<em>Never</em>.¡± Akagi rolled her eyes. "Kitty is good and nice and cute and totally not evil."


    <em>{Riiiiiiiiiight...} </em>(Kana)


    With the <i>awkward </i>discussion firmly ended by a deafening silence, Akagi sat and yed with Halifax and Kana for a bit longer until the time of her appointment with Mizumi arrived, whereafter the <i>Demon </i>and the Water Spirit moved into Akagi''s office.


    "So, what did you need to talk with me about?" Mizumi asked as she sat in a chair. "Is this about what to expect from Enoris? I''ve been preparing some documents for you to-"


    "Mizumi, starting today, you''re being put on temporary leave." Akagi''s words shocked the Water Spirit.


    "WHAT?!?" Mizumi stood up in a hurry, confused and frustrated by Akagi''s words. "What are you talking about?!? I have work to do!"


    <i>{Did I do something to piss her off?!?} </i>(Mizumi)


    "That <i>work </i>is precisely <em>why</em> I''m benching you, Mizumi." Akagi sighed as she motioned for her to calm down.


    "I know that there''s too much to do, but it''s important, and it needs to get done! If you''re worried about exhaustion, I''ll just take potions for that!" Mizumi figured that if she was taken away it would only make things <i>worse</i>.


    <i>{The stacks of paper work in my office is MASSIVE and I''m book solid with meetings! I can''t just drop all that!} </i>(Mizumi)


    "You know that''s not healthy." Akagi shot that idea down of chugging potions like they were energy drinks. "But that''s not the <i>only </i>reason I''m putting you on break." She continued. "Mizumi, frankly... you''re getting far too <i>emotional</i>, and that''s not something we need right now."


    <i>{Nor is this current path good for you or Omara.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Emotional?!?" Mizumi was astonished by her words. "Of course I am! My people''s future is on the life!"


    <i>{WHY WOULDN''T I BE UPSET?!?} </i>(Mizumi)


    "I understand that you are concerned for your people''s well-being, but that''s not what I''m talking about." Akagi shook her head as she stood up from her desk and moved around to the front. "I''m talking about your <i>anger</i>, Mizumi." She''d been watching her for a while and was beginning to get worried about the emotions swirling within the Water Spirits.


    <em>{All of this has been too much for her and I can see some of myself in her. If she lets this get out of hand, then she will destroy herself.}</em>(Akagi)


    "Anger?" Mizumi looked at Akagi like she had three heads.


    "Listen, you''ve had a lot dumped on you thesest few months, and while I can understand your frustration and disgust with the Spirit Council, the Gods, and the Heroes, you''re allowing it to consume you, Mizumi." She''d heard about her outbursts in the jail, subsequent arguments with staff, and other explosions.


    <i>{Losing one''s cool happens, even to me, but its not good to allow those emotions to start running your life and impacting the lives of others. That only causes self destruction and I''ve seen it happen to others before, its never pleasant.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Those three nearly brought our people to <i>ruin</i>! And the Gods sought and still seek to kill us all!" Mizumi''s face started to turn red as she yelled. "Of course, I''m fucking <em>angry</em>!"


    <i>{Does she want me to be happy or something?!? Shall I put on a smile and act like I''m okay?!? That I''m not ready to tear heads off?!?} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Mizumi!" Akagi yelled back at her, making the Spirit flinch. "Listen, you have every right to be angry with <i>all </i>of those people, but you should know better than most that to allowing anger to overtake you isn''t foolish!" She continued. "I know <i>damn </i>well what it means to <i>hate </i>people Mizumi, but I''m also acutely aware of what happens when that hatred starts to seep into everyday life." Akagi sighed as she put her hand on Mizumi''s shoulder. She''d fallen prey to allowing her darker thoughts to take hold from time to time, and it had nearly caused her to lose everything once. "Take it from me, those idiots aren''t worth the stress you''re putting on yourself by constantly being angry." She shook her head.


    <i>{I''m probably being a bit of a hypocrite since I can''t stop thinking about Taichi and Shima, but that''srgely because my hatred of them is part of my foundation as a Demon Lord...} </i>(Akagi)


    "So, what? I should forgive them? I should ignore what they did?" Mizumi scoffed at that notion.


    "No." Akagi shook her head. To her forgiveness was not something given freely, and Akagi of all people understood that some people were <i>never </i>deserving of it. "I''m saying that if you continue as you are now, that one day your feelings will swallow you up..." She paused for a moment, thinking back to her own issues. "And by allowing those <i>people</i> to live rent-free in your head, you''re letting them <em>win</em>, Mizumi."


    "So then, what should I do?" Mizumi asked. "I just can''t stop thinking about everything, and it drives me up the wall."


    <i>{How can I put the near destruction of my people out of my mind?!?} </i>(Mizumi)


    "You tell me. You''re the thousand-year-old Spirit. Shouldn''t you have better insight and wisdom?" Akagiughed.


    "If age guaranteed wisdom, my people wouldn''t have had to flee from our home <i>twice</i>." Mizumi sighed. "But you''re right." She sat back down, rubbing her temples in frustration. "I''ve known that my attitude and mental health has been declining over thesest few months, but I kept telling myself that once things were dealt with, I could just... go back to normal..." She''d gotten into arguments with Shinlua a few times about work needing to get done, and looking back, arge amount of those arguments were due to her own frustration with current events rather than anything the Elf did.


    <i>{Look at me, being pulled aside and lectured to by someone 1/10th my own age... I really am an idiot, aren''t I?} </i>(Mizumi)


    "Who will handle things while I''m away? We don''t have the people to run things as it is, and I do a lot of work each day." Mizumi figured that a vacation was a pipe dream.


    "Shinlua will temporarily take over your role while you take a breather. What doesn''t get done doesn''t get done. I''m not going to give you deadlines on anything, and the most pressing of things will get done first." Akagi had noted that Mizumi tended to overwork herself thinking that <i>everything </i>was an emergency when in reality she could easily take her time with some of the lower priority projects. "It was her that asked me to talk to you, you know? She''s been worried about you for a while."


    "That idiot..." Mizumiughed.


    <em>{She really has been looking out for me...}</em>(Mizumi)


    "I''m thinking a month or so off might be what you need. That way, you can rx, catch up on some sleep and rest." Akagi exined. "I''ve had a room prepared for you here at the estate, and I won''t be letting you go back to Omara unless there is some urgent need, understand?"


    "The only problem with this is that I''m supposed to be the one who oversees the execution of the former Council Members." Mizumi said. "My reputation is what will help keep things calm when it urs, and I need to be there." She was worried about unrest. It wasn''t fully public yet what their fates would be and she knew that many wouldn''t be on board with their pending deaths.


    "I''ll handle that, don''t worry." Akagi pat her on the head. "So do me a favor and go back to your apartment, pack up your things, and thene back to the estate. The first thing on the list is a nice hot bath in the springs!"


    "I''m already guessing that <i>animal therapy</i> will be involved in this ''vacation?''" Mizumi figured some floof wasing her way.


    "Maybe a bit." Akagi winked." Now, run along. I''ve got a few other things to-"


    *BUZZ* *BUZZ* *BUZZ*


    Akagi''s phone rang with a call from Kana, interrupting her discussion with the Water Spirit.


    "Take that. I''ll go." Mizumi turned to walk out of the office. "And Akagi... Thank you..." She turned away so as to not show the <i>Demon </i>her embarrassed face, and once she was gone Akagi answered her phone.


    "What''s up?" Akagi asked as she leaned on her desk, having a bad feeling about the phonecall.


    "Umm... We have a <i>situation</i>..." Kana''s words didn''t sound like an emergency, so Akagi didn''t freak out. "Can youe back to the living room?"

 Chapter 282 – A Family Connection.

    Chapter 282 ¨C A Family Connection.


    "I hate being caught off guard." Akagi grumbled as she walked back to the living room. "Now what stupid shit has happened?"


    <i>{I''ve already got Gods to kill and a whole other world to deal with, so I don''t have the desire to add MORE bullshit to my te!} </i>{Akagi)


    "Alright Kana, what <i>situation </i>do we have." Akagi looked at her sister, who had a worried look on her face. Halifax was standing nearby and shrugged as Akagi tried to garner what was going on from her.


    <i>{This kind of thing is out of my wheelhouse, and I''m not even going to try and get involved.} </i>(Halifax)


    "So... Do me a favor and <i>please</i> don''t fly off the handle... Alright?" Kana looked up at her sister with pleading eyes.


    <i>{Please...} </i>(Kana)


    "I promise nothing." Akagi couldn''t guarantee anything, and certainly couldn''t guarantee that she wouldn''t get angry.


    "Yeah... I thought so..." Kana sighed before continuing. "So... The <i>situation </i>is... Okay...I got a phone call from Mom. Well, technically multiple and a flurry of texts." Her phone had exploded with messages and calls not long after Akagi took Mizumi into her office, and she honestly found it annoying.


    "Oh great..." Akagi started rubbing her forehead, figuring that anything involving Shima wasn''t going to be fun. "I''ve got a headache just thinking about what you''re about to say. So, what did she want?"


    <i>{I swear if its her trying to ''fix'' our rtionship, then I''m going to scream.} </i>(Akagi)


    "If you don''t mind, let me put the three of us on a conference call. That way she can just tell you herself." Kana figured that her sister wouldn''t like that idea, but figured that it was the best way to exin things. ¡°Just please don''t get all mad at her immediately.¡±


    "Fine. I promise not to open my mouth so long as she keeps things topical." Akagi waved her off as she grabbed her phone out of her pocket. "Let''s just get this over with."


    <i>{If this is something stupid, I''m going to hit that woman again, and this time it won''t be a light p!.} </i>(Akagi)


    After Kana took a moment to get everything set up, Akagi''s phone rang and connected Kana, Shima, and her on a three way video call.


    "Hey Mom, I got Onee-chan to join in, but I wouldn''t count on her patience with yousting very long." Kana gave a wry smile. She could see her mother via the AR video call, and Akagi used her phone''s camera to allow video.


    "Just know that if you did this to waste my time, know that I''m in no mood for your shit today." Akagi practically growled at her mother, who seemed tired.


    "I don''t think this is a waste of time, and I''m sorry, but I needed to speak with you." Shima seemed a bit exhausted, but pressed on undeterred.


    "So, what did you want to tell me? Kana just said it was a <i>situation</i> and didn''t borate further." Akagi wanted to get through this quickly and motioned for her to speak.


    "I''ll get straight to the point. That girl, the one you captured with the red Kimono, I know her." Shima''s words gave Akagi pause.


    "How?" Akagi asked, her mind racing as she tried to find such a connection in her memories.


    <i>{What the fuck...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Shiroe Amakusa is the daughter of Leena Nakamura, a girl that I went to High School with." Shima continued. "Your father and I used to be good friends with her and her family, and I kept in contact with them even after she married Toji Amakusa and moved to Nagasaki." Her use of the term ''father'' to describe Taichi made the <i>Demon </i>curse internally, but she decided to let it go for now.


    "I don''t remember hearing those names, and used to? As in you don''t speak to them anymore?" Akagi couldn''t remember ever meeting with that family in the past.


    <i>{I know those names from my background check on Shiroe, but I have no personal memory of those people nor do I recall Shima or Taichi mentioning them.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Leena died in 2039 along with her youngest child in a car ident. You were only a toddler at that point, so it''s understandable that you don''t remember them." Shima sighed as she recalled the tragic and sudden death of her friend. "Leena visited the house only once between the time of your birth and her death, and after that, I lost contact with the family." She shook her head. "I haven''t spoken to Toji or any of her rtives since her death, and I honestly never thought I would."


    <i>{Toji was shaken by the death of his wife and child, and he basically just retreated into his Dojo to keep his mind off things. I still regret not reaching out to him more, but we had so much going on at that time and I wasn''t in the best mental state, especially with my hatred for Rishia clouding my judgment.} </i>(Shima)


    "So why are you telling me this?" Akagi didn''t know why Shima was bothering telling her since it was irrelevant. "If you intend to use some distant connection with that girl to sway me, then you''re running a fool''s errand."


    "I''m telling you this... I''m telling you this because her <i>father</i> reached out to me unexpectedly." Shima''s words peaked Akagi''s curiosity and the <i>Demon </i>motioned for her to continue. "I knew from social media that Shiroe had gone missing about five years ago and that she was presumed <i>dead</i>. The girl had apparently vanished from her father''s Dojo one after noon without a trace, and no matter how hard police looked they couldn''t find anything. It was as if she''d simply disappeared into thin air."


    <em>{Well, in all fairness, she kinda did.} </em>(Halifax)


    "And then she just magically showed up at my tournament ready to fight." Akagi nodded, following along. "I suppose that would cause her father to panic." She figured that some of the family of the missing Heroes would try and contact her, but never imagined that Amakusa of all people had a connection to her family, even if it was a long time ago.


    "Yes, and trust me, he''s freaking out right now." Shima had only just gotten off the phone with him a bit earlier and was exhausted from that conversation. "He was tipped off that a girl resembling his daughter appeared during your event, and once he watched a recording, he scrambled to find my contact information."


    "Well, considering his presumed dead child just showed up, I can understand why he would be in such a panic." Halifax gave a wry smile.


    "I''d like to say that <i>any </i>parent would be, but well..." Shima knew that she had no right to say such things.


    <i>{Yeah...} </i>(Akagi x Kana)


    "So I''m assuming that he wants her back, right?" Akagi motioned for her to get on with it.


    "He begged me to speak with you. Toji doesn''t really know what''s going on, but all he cares about is his daughter. He''s flying to Kyoto <i>tonight,</i> and I suspect that thick-headed idiot is going to drive straight to your home." Shima figured that wouldn''t go well.


    "Damn fool." Akagi clicked her tongue. "If he''d done that without my knowledge, there''s a halfway decent chance that he''d been killed on his way up the mountain by the Ninja."


    <i>{And I don''t need some idiot going and dying on my doorstep... Kaori alreadyined about having to clean up thest mess I made.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Onee-chan, please don''t go killing people just because theye close to the house..." Kana said, recalling the <ist </i>time somebody got too close to thepound without authorization.


    "Well, it is technically illegal for him to do so. But I guess cutting him to ribbons might be <i>a bit </i>unfair." Akagi winked before getting back to the conversation. "I hate to break it to him, but Shiroe isn''t going back with him. I won''t allow it. That girl has too much to answer for and her life is no longer something that belongs to her."


    "I must admit that I''m not entirely knowledgeable about what''s happening around you at the moment. Your statement to the media said something about another world dering war on you and that Shiroe was part of that war, but I still don''t understand." Shima wasn''t really one to understand interdimensional travel or video game terms.


    "Put bluntly, Shiroe is in the same camp as many of the war criminals of the 20th century." Akagi''s answer had no delicacy, and Kana facepalmed as she spoke.


    <i>{Really?!? That''s how you describe things?!?} </i>(Kana)


    "War... criminal..." Shima didn''t really know what to say and internally she understood that asking further questions wasn''t worth it.


    "It''s not important for you to understand anyway." Akagi shrugged. "But I suppose thanks for the heads up. I''ll figure out how to deal with her father in some-"


    "Onee-chan." Kana interrupted her. "I think you should talk to him."


    "You <i>do</i> realize that he''s not gonna just happily take the fact that I made his genocidal daughter into my <i>pet</i> well, right?" Akagi''s eyes moved over to her sister. ¡°Do you really think that old man is going to just happily ept such a thing?¡±


    <i>{Genocide? Pet?} </i>(Shima)


    "I''m aware of that, but I still think you should speak to him... No, even better, you need to let Shiroe talk to him." Kana continued, but paused as she readied herself for the next part. "And... You should let Mome here too."


    "WHAT?!?" (Shima x Akagi)


    "Why in the hell would I invite that bitch into my home?!?" Akagi growled.


    <i>{DO YOU WANT YOUR SISTER TO KILL ME?!?} </i>(Shima)


    "Because, like it or not, Mom is the only person who knows him from our family. Having her here will make things easier, and it will probably go a long way to keeping things civil with Shiroe''s father." Kana wasn''t backing down.


    "Yeah it <i>could </i>have such an effect... Well, either that or make me want to fucking blow up a few cities." Akagi scoffed at such a request. "Shima is also <i>very </i>wanted by the n. If shees here, there''s a nonzero chance that somebody kills her, Kana! Even if I tell them not to, you should know by now that the n can and WILL go against me if they get agitated enough." She figured that they''d just beg for forgiveness afterward.


    <i>{Yumi of all people wants Shima''s head the most! If I''m not careful that idiot Priestess will do to Shima what the Italians did to Mussolini!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Then that''s on <i>you</i> to keep them under control." Kana red at her, not flinching one bit. "You''re their master, so act like it and put your foot down!" She figured that Akagi could easily quash their nonsense if she used a bit of pressure.


    "I agree with Kana on this one." Halifax interjected, surprising both sisters. "You might not like your mother, but having her here might make things easier."


    <i>{Trust me, I know a lot about hating Moms, and its going to kill me inside to be in the same room with riel when we go to Enoris, but I''ll tolerate it if it benefits us.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Why do I need to speak with him anyway? I can just kick him out!" Akagi figured that she could dispose of him if needed as well.


    <i>{I can literally eat the man and/or atomize him! Why should I do something like this when I of all people don''t want to?!?} </i>(Akagi)


    "Because while you may have brought Shiroe under control by force, I think it would be best for her toply with your orders of her own free will." Halifax answered. "Not to mention that answering to her father for what she did would be a good punishment, no?"


    <i>{I guess I also want to see her reunite with her father, even after everything that she did...} </i>(Halifax)


    "Onee-chan, please. <i>For me?</i>" Kana asked nicely, breaking out the ultimate weapon that she had against the <i>Demon, </i>asking nicely and with puppy eyes. "It doesn''t have to be for long, but I''d like you to do this." Sheid it on thick, even copying Miji with sparkling eyes.


    <i>{DON''T TRY AND FUCKING KIRA KIRA SPARKLE ME!} </i>(Akagi)


    After an intense back and forth inside her mind, Akagi finally caved to her sister''s pleading. "God fucking dammit, Kana!" The <i>Demon</i> hissed at her sister. "Fine! Get a hold of that moron and bring him here tomorrow morning." She spoke directly to Shima. "But fair warning, if either you or he steps out of line, then I''m going to let my family do whatever the fuck it wants to you two!" She hung up her phone before walking away in a huff. "Also, don''t you dare bring fucking Taichi!" She yelled so that Shima could hear her even though she was far away, before leaving the room.


    "Um..." Shima was at a loss.


    <i>{Well... That went... Well?} </i>(Shima)


    "I got Onee-chan to agree to it, so you <i>will </ie, right?" Kana''s smile told her mother that <i>no </i>wasn''t an answer.


    <i>{Why must Kana take after her sister like that...} </i>(Shima)


    "Kana, why do I get the feeling that your sister would do some <i>very</i> <i>bad </i>things for you if you just asked nicely?" Shima was beginning to think that Kana could easily get Akagi to do as she pleased with just a smile and puppy eyes.


    "It''s just your imagination." Kana continued to smile as Halifax watched on.


    <i>{I swear, Akagi and her sister have each other wrapped around their respective fingers, and I think they both know that.} </i>(Halifax)

 Chapter 283 – Father Daughter Reunion.

    Chapter 283 ¨C Father Daughter Reunion.


    After a night of petting and other attempts at cheering the<em>Demon</em> up, the dreaded next morning arrived. Akagi had insisted on being cuddled by Kana during the night, much to Hishya''s and Miji''sbined envy, and the two were currently getting ready for the impending arrival of Shima and Shiroe''s father.


    "?MEW! MEW! MEW!?" Akagi meowed happily as Kana brushed her hair.


    "Those are some very happy mews, but why did you want me to do this?" Kana asked as the two sat on the edge of her bed. "You can just fix your hair at will, can''t you? So what''s up with wanting it brushed?" She figured it was a waste.


    "Because it feels nice." Akagi said with a smile. "Also, I did your hair, so it''s only fair that you reciprocate." She''d yed with and styled Kana''s a bit ago.


    "I suppose that second part is fair." Kana chuckled as she brushed and squished Akagi''s fluffy ears. "You always did enjoy styling my hair, even as kids it was something you always liked ying with."


    "You enjoyed mine too, even if you were <em>awful</em> at it." Akagi recalled the many knots that Kana had ripped out by force.


    <em>{I still remember that one time I thought she ripped a chunk out of the left side of my head.}</em>(Akagi)


    "It was basically the only sister/girl thing that we did together, and yeah I was horrible at it..." Kana said as she put down the brush. "You were never big on clothing or makeup back then. Though I suppose you''ve grown into that stuff more now due to Alice and Miji''s influnce." She''d seen them dress Akagi up for tea parties, which the <i>Demon </i>seemed to enjoy.


    "It''s just nice to see them happy." Akagi chuckled. "If letting them y with my hair and slipping me into cute clothing is what''s needed to make them smile, then I''m all for it." She liked seeing the two girls giggle and smile as they yed with her.


    "You just enjoy the attention you get." Kana said as she stood up to finish getting dressed. "Admit it!"


    "I can neither confirm nor deny that." Akagi replied as she turned away. "The hugs and snuggles from two adorable little ones is simply a bonus I assure you."


    "Suuuuuuure it is, but either way..." Kana said as she slid on some jeans. "I''m just d to see you happy. It definitely beats how you used to be."


    "Hey, I like it better this way too." Akagi hopped off the bed and reverted to her usual appearance.


    "I still think that''s unfair." Kana sighed as she quickly changed shirts. "Being able to change your appearance like that and make clothing just <i>appear </i>on you is cheating."


    <em>{Having that ability ispletely unfair... I know Mika alwaysins about how long it takes to get dressed and I don''t me her...}</em>(Kana)


    "If you''re envious, then I can make you into a shadow <i>Demon</i>." Akagi snickered. "Then you can turn into all kinds of shapes!" Whether she could actually do that was unknown, though Akagi figured it was possible somehow.


    "I''ll pass, thank you very much." Kana flicked her hair back and put it in a ponytail using a holder. "Unlike you, I prefer having a squishy human body and I have no need for <em>floof.</em>"


    "The flesh is weak!" Akagi dered. "Reject your humanity. Embrace the floof! Join me in cat-cuddles!"


    "I have a bad feeling that once I go cat, you won''t let me go back." Kana rolled her eyes as she finished up. "Are you ready?"


    "I''ll never be <i>ready </i>to deal with Shima." Akagi shrugged. "But I suppose this is as good as it will get. Have her and Amakusa''s Dad meet us in the audience chamber. I''ll pop down in a moment."


    "Then while you''re doing whatever, I''ll go wait at the front gate. They should be here soon and I''d rather they not get lost or <em>removed</em>." Kana moved to leave the room, but Akagi''s next words gave her pause.


    "You know that this isn''t going to end happily, right?" Akagi said.


    "I know that..." Kana took a deep breath. "That girl... She did some awful things." She tightly gripped the door handle. "She... Her actions could''ve even taken <em>you</em> away from me..." Kanaposed herself before leaving to meet her mother by the estate''s main entrance.


    <i>{I just hope she understands the full gravity of the situation.} </i>Akagi sighed internally. <i>{This goes far beyond anything else we''ve dealt with so far.} </i>Her fist tightened. <i>{That girl... Those Gods... They''re to me for everything that''s happened thesest five years.}</i>


    Akagi''s lips curled into a smile as she went to leave the room. "And to thank, I suppose."


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Kana POV>


    "There they are." Kana stood outside the main wooden gate that led into the estate, watching as her mother exited her vehicle along with an older man who was wearing a dojo Keikogi. His scraggly gray and ck beard reminded Kana of her grandfather, though his unkept hair was more like her uncle''s.


    <i>{I guess that must be Shiroe''s father.} </i>Kana noted that the man looked miserable and that while he was apparently not much older than her mother, his face showed extreme aging, likely from stress and depression.


    Greeting the two of them as they reached the top of the stairs, Kana could tell that the old man had lost his drive in life, and to her, he appeared to be little more than the shadow of a once happy man.


    "Tell me, is my daughter truly here?" Toji asked Kana, his voice almost a whisper.


    "Shiroe is inside, yes." Kana didn''t really know what to say, and her mother just shrugged. "Onee-chan will be bringing her, so let''s go inside." She motioned for both of them to follow which they did, slowly.


    "I feel like I''m being watched." Shima shivered as she walked toward the main house.


    <i>{It feels like somebody is going to stick a knife into my back at any moment! Though I probably deserve that...} </i>(Shima)


    "That''s because we <em>are</em>." Tojimented, much to Kana''s surprise. "There are many here who seek to kill you, Shima. I can sense a great deal of murderous intent and hatreding from our observers." He was correct, as while Akagi had told every single member of the family to stay away from Shima, there was nothing she could do to stop them from watching her from a distance and projecting this displeasure at her.


    "Mom... Isn''t really wee here as you can see. Things are... <emplicated...</em>" Kana gave a wry smile as they stepped onto the porch, moving around the side of the house toward the audience hall. "Here. Onee-chan is waiting inside." She slid open the sliding door slowly, revealing Akagi sitting on a small mat and smoking her Kiseru. The look she gave both Shima and Toji seemed disinterested, but Kana knew that was just a fa?ade to hide her irritation.


    <em>{So far so good I guess. Mom isn''t dead yet so that''s a good sign I suppose.}</em>(Kana)


    "Take your seats." Akagi let out a puff as Kana used her eyes to tell them to sit on the prepared cushions.


    "This is truly a lovely home." Toji said as he sat. He seemed quite used to such a setting, and given by his posture Akagi figured it was something he''d done something like this before. "It reminds me of my grandmother''s house."


    "I''ve always preferred a more traditional architecture and the like, so when I was offered the chance to obtain something like this for myself, well... I couldn''t say no." Akagi said as she sat her Kiseru down on a small piece of wood next to her.


    <i>{I''ve seen the pictures that Kana sent me before, but I could''ve never imagined how crazy this ce really is! It''s like Father''spound but evenrger and more antique!} </i>(Shima)


    "Toji Amakusa, father of Shiroe Amakusa." Akagi started speaking, her tone bing more formal. "You seek to be reunited with your lost child. One who disappeared five years ago, is that right?" She figured that cutting to the chance was for the best.


    "I''ve been searching for her for all these years. Finding her and bringing her home safely is all I''ve ever wanted, so please..." Toji bowed deeply. "If you truly have my child, then please allow me to see her. I would be in your debt and forever grateful for reuniting us."


    "I see." Akagi paused for a moment. "Alright, <em>pet</em>, get in here." She snapped her fingers opening a sliding door off to her side, revealing Shiroe''s shaking form standing just inside. "There is somebody who wants to see you, so why don''t you say high like a good little pup?"


    "D-Dad?" Amakusa barely managed to speak as she looked at her father. She hadn''t expected to ever see him again and was practically lost for words.


    "Shiroe!" Toji''s eyes lit up for the first time since he''d arrived.


    "Dad!" Amakusa ran over to him as he stood up, with the two embracing in a tight hug. "Is it really you?"


    "Yes... Yes, it''s me..." Toji''s eyes started to water. "I''ve found you, my child. After all these years, I''ve found you." He squeezed her tightly, not wanting to risk letting her slip away. "I''ve found you..."


    Kana looked over to her Mother, whose face did not show a happy smile, for she knew as well as Kana that Akagi wasn''t about to allow things to have such a nice ending. Though to her credit Akagi did allow for a the two to share a loving embrace <em>before</em> putting a proverbial crowbar between them a few minutester.


    "Alright, that''s enough." Akagi pped her hands. She''d allowed them their touching reunion, but that was more out of sentimentality than anything else and its time hade and gone. "<em>Pet</em>, take your seat. We''ve much to do and discuss" Her wordspelled Amakusa to break off from her father.


    "Of course, master!" Amakusa said as she happily sat to the side of Akagi before regaining control of herself and ring at the <i>Demon</i>.


    <em>{FUCK YOU!}</em>(Amakusa)


    "Shiroe..." Toji stood dumbfounded, not understanding what just happened. "What''s going on? What has happened to my daughter?!?"


    "Simple, your daughter belongs to <em>me</em>." Akagi said with a shrug. "Such is the <em>pet''s </em>punishment."


    "Belongs..." Toji looked between Shima and Akagi, with Shima just shaking her head.


    "There''s no use looking to me for help, Toji." Shima said. "She''ll never listen to me. I''m sorry, but your daughter''s fate is in her hands."


    <em>{And there''s probably no worse fate.}</em>(Shima)


    "Shiroe, what happened? Please tell me what''s going on!" Toji still had no idea where she''d been for thest five years or what she''d done and had a mountain of questions for her. "Where have you been all these years, and why... Why do you look the same as when you vanished that day?" He''d only just now realized that she looked like the same sixteen year old girl that she''d been ten years prior, something that should''ve been impossible.


    "You may answer, <em>pet</em>." Akagi said as she picked up her Kiseru.


    "I... Please don''t..." Amakusa was reluctant to inform her father of the whole truth, feeling great shame and remorse.


    "If you refuse, then I''ll just make you, and trust me, you <i>don''t </i>want me to do that." Akagi said as she took another hit. "So choose, the easy way, or the hard way?"


    Seeing no other option and not wanting to bepelled to speak, Amakusa took a deep breath before looking her father in the eyes and exining <em>everything</em>. "I''m sorry, Dad. You were right..." She bit her lip in frustration. "I... I messed up... I used my power... and now... And now so many people are <em>dead</em> because of me..."

 Interlude 17 – The Tokugawa Family’s Secrets.

    Interlude 17 ¨C The Tokugawa Family¡¯s Secrets.


    "Why do I gotta look through dusty old books..." Mikained as she, Momo, and Naomi walked down one of the massive and luxurious hallways of the Tokugawa estate. Mika was under the impression that they were going to do something fun today, but was quickly smacked with the reality that they were going to be doing ''spring cleaning.''


    "I treated you to lunch, so I think this is an appropriate payment." Naomi snickered. She''d invited Mika to lunch and fed her <em>before</em> asking her to help knowing that the blue-haired girl wouldn''t have the courage to say no after being given food.


    "You tricked me!" Mika hissed.


    <i>{But that hoagie was really good...} </i>(Mika)


    "Listen, Akagi and Kana were gonna do this with me, but the <i>literal </i>otherworldly invasion put a halt on those ns." Naomi continued as they went up arge flight of stairs. ¡°So don''t me me.¡±


    "I know, I know..." Mika sighed. "Kana wouldn''t stop texting me about how she''s terrified that Akagi''s gonna die to those Heroes ''cause she''s a Demon Lord and h, h, h.¡±


    <i>{I told her that it would be fine. I mean, Akagi kicked their ass already, didn''t she? Not to mention the fact that she''s never one to underestimate her opponent, almost to the level that her paranoid would be over the top... If it wasn''t warranted...} </i>(Mika)


    "I don''t me her for being worried though." Naomi gave a wry smile. "Akagi''s been fighting for nearly five years, and even after waking up from FWO, she''s never really had a truly peaceful time." The three approached her father''s office. "Kana just wants to spend time with her sister <i>without </i>the threat of world-ending doom looming over head, and do you me her for fearing that she''ll <i>never </i>get that chance?" She was also worried about Akagi but was hiding it a bit better than the others.


    "Yeah... I know." Mika shook her head as Naomi pulled out a very old key and opened her father''s office.


    "Take it from me, as much as Himari gets on my nerves, losing her is <i>not</i> a pleasant thought." Momomented as Naomi opened the door. "For someone as obsessed as Kana is with her sister, I can only imagine just how terrifying it must be... The thought of losing the person you hold most dear in the world."


    <i>{It... It must be awful...} </i>(Momo)


    "Alright, it''s open." Naomi said as she flicked the key into the air and caught it before putting it in her jacket pocket.


    <i>{That was kinda cool...} </i>(Mika)


    *HACK* *COUGH* *WHEEZE*


    Mika started coughing as they entered the study. Naomi hadn''t touched it since her parents were killed, and no one, not even the cleaning staff was permitted to enter. Things were left as they were the day her family was murdered and Naomi couldn''t bring herself to enter, until now.


    "Jesus this ce is stuffy. Can we open a window?" Mika continued to cough. "Or you know what, lets get a leaf blower! There''s way too much dust in here!"


    "I don''t think any of the windows actually open." Namoi shrugged. "Just deal with it. A little dust won''t hurt us anyway."


    <i>{It still sucks though...} </i>(Mika)


    "Interesting." Momo said as she looked around the room. "This ce reminds me of a simr study in the Tokugawa estate in Edo." The study was arge two-story room with stairs on each side that led to a second floor with a series of bookshelves that went all the way to the roof on either side of the room. On the right-hand side of the study sat what looked like a small meeting area with luxurious chairs and couches made of what Mika assumed were high end material. But the most striking feature was the <i>massive </i>floor-to-ceiling family portrait that dominated the back wall between two massive windows. It depicted the Tokugawa family as it was six years before the death of all its members sans Naomi, and Mika could easily pick out her friend.


    <i>{They looked so happy...} </i>(Mika)


    "Once my family fell from power, most of its assets in what became Tokyo were seized or were sold off." Naomi said as she looked at the massive shelves filled with books. "My father said that, in the past, we had suchvish homes that even visiting Europeans were impressed." She figured that there was a bit of embellishment of those stories, but from some of the old photos she didn''t doubt a few were truly impressive, with Akagi''s current home being chief among the examples of truly awe inspiring estates.


    "I mean, the Tokugawa were basically <i>Royalty </i>after all." Mika said as she poked at a Newton''s Cradle on the desk. "Your family controlled the country, so it kinda makes sense that you''d have tons of money and a bazillion homes."


    "The Tokugawa''s actions stabilized the country after the destruction of the Sengoku Jidai." Momomented as she looked through a book. "Not to mention that they were the first n to take the threat of <i>Demons </i>and Yokai seriously in a very long time. Some didn''t like how much control they had over the country or the Emperor, but I''ve always felt it was necessary." She shrugged. The two sisters were supporters of the Shogun, though they also held reverence for the Emperor but usually tried to avoid human politics.


    "Oh yeah, you were alive back then, huh?" Mika had partially forgotten that both Momo and Himari were old enough to remember a time <i>before</i> the Meiji Restoration.


    <i>{I should try calling Himari grandma and see what happens.} </i>(Mika)


    "My sister and I were forged not long after the Tokugawa solidified their control over the nation." Momo said while helping Naomi pull a stack of papers out of her father''s desk. "They wanted weapons to aid in the destruction of Yokai, and thus we were made." They''d been told of the chaos that had unfolded during the Civil War and how Japan''s Yokai had taken advantage of those turbulent times to cause chaos.


    While Momo continued to exin some history to a very uninterested Mika, Naomi began flicking through the different documents that she pulled from her father''s desk.


    "Nothing..." Naomi said, frustration clear in her voice. "Some of these papers <em>are</em> correspondence between my father and the Tomogawa n, but it''s just reports." She continued flicking through arge binder which contained a variety of documents. "Discussions on the state of the seal on the scared weapons, confirmation on theck of Yokai activity, and back and forth about the other Onmiyoji ns." She sighed. Naomi was hoping for more information about the brainwashing used by the Tomogawa, but was beginning to think that they weren''t going to find anything of use.


    "Maybe one of those other houses would know about things?" Mika asked as she sat on one of the chairs, kicking up a bunch of dust. ¡°I think I recall hearing something about there being more than just one Onmiyoji n in Japan still. So maybe they know? We could try asking them.¡±


    "It''s possible that they may have some useful information, but if it''s as Himari and I suspect, then whatever technique that was used on the Tomogawa parents was likely something developed by the n." Momo shook her head as she put down a set of documents. "Other ns would have no knowledge of such things as proprietary skills like that were a closely guarded secret."


    <i>{Not to mention that the Tomogawa was an offshoot of the Tokugawa meant to fight Yokai. Other ns wouldn''t dare stick their nose into their business without good reason, and based on what Akagi dug up about them and their activities they would''ve been too afraid to take any action that could''ve been seen as hostile.} </i>(Momo)


    "I <i>could</i> try and contact them." Naomi said as she read through a paper. "I can''t imagine they would ignore me, but..." Something told her that they wouldn''t find anything of use from the other ns. "Just keep looking for now. My father had all kinds of documents in here, and if he was really keeping tabs on our both families, then he''d <i>have </i>to have documents pertaining to their darker activities." She knew that her father was an organized man who had a high attention to detail. If he spoke with the Tomogawa about Akagi, then he <i>definitely </i>would''ve kept a copy of that correspondence.


    ¡°Right!¡± (Momo x Mika)


    Getting back to work, Naomi, Momo, and Mika practically tore the entire study apart, and after several hours they were starting to run out of patience and hope.


    "Dammit!" Naomi yelled as she threw a book down onto the desk. "There''s nothing! ARGH!" She ruffled her hair in frustration and was about to call it quits.


    <i>{Why is there nothing?!? I know that our family would''ve keep our records in here! Dad always told me this room contained a ton of old books and stuff!} </i>(Naomi)


    "Easy." Momo put her hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her mind. "There''s no need to get frustrated." She shook her head. "Let''s take a break. We''ve been at this for a while and you''re frustration will only impede our search."


    "I know... I just... I wanted to help Akagi." Naomi said quietly. "She''s done so much for me... I... I wanted to give her answers... and maybe even some hope..."


    <i>{If we could find out what exactly happened to her parents, then maybe... just maybe...} </i>(Naomi)


    As Momo and Naomi discussed what to do next, Mika stood in front of the massive family painting in the back of the room. Her eyes were transfixed on therge portrait, and as she scanned her eyes over it, something caught her eye.


    "Hey, Naomi." Mika called out to her friend.


    "Yeah? Did you find something?" Naomi turned around.


    "You said this was painted <i>in</i> the house, right?" Mika asked as the other two walked up alongside her.


    "Yeah. We had a paintere in, and he took a photo of us, then made this." Naomi said as she recalled her surprise when her father brought the massive painting into the house. "It was, I think, when I was like seven or eight. I don''t really remember all too well."


    "Then... This is the foyer, isn''t it?" Mika noted the massive chandelier and therge staircase behind the family.


    "Yeah, we had it taken right in the main entrance of the house, why?" Naomi didn''t see her point.


    "It''s just... If this was based on a picture of the foyer... Why is there a staircase that leads <i>down?</i>" Mika pointed out a small set of stairs in the upper left portion of the picture, to the right of the grand staircase. "That''s not actually there. At least I don''t remember it being there in the real thing."


    Naomi paused as she looked at the stairs in question. "No, you''re right..." She knew for a fact that no such thing existed. "Maybe the artist messed up... No." She shook her head. "Iwami is a master painter, and he would never make such a mistake."


    <i>{But then why...} </i>(Naomi)


    "Ok, I''ve got a <i>really </i>crazy idea." Mika looked over at her friend. "I''ve seen an anime where this worked, so please don''t get mad if I''m wrong." She slowly walked toward the painting, which confused Naomi.


    "Wait! What are you doing?" Naomi tried to stop her, but Mika continued forward until she walked straight into and <i>through</i> the painting, appearing within it.


    "I KNEW IT!" Mika cheered, happy that her idea was spot on.


    "WHAT?!?" (Momo x Naomi)


    "Mika, what''s going on?!?" Naomi rushed over to her friend who appeared to be <i>part </i>of the massive portrait.


    <i>{IS SHE OK?!?} </i>(Naomi)


    "In an anime that I saw once, there was a secret door hidden in a painting like this." Mika walked back out of the painting. "The hint was that something in the background didn''t match how it was in reality." She had a massive smile. "I''m so smart!" She made a V sign with her fingers.


    "An illusion." Momo''s eyes went wide. "It''s so intricate yet so simple. How did I not see it?!?" She kicked herself for not noticing it. "What did the inside look like?" She asked Mika for details.


    "Hmmm. When I went inside, nothing felt different, and when I turned back toward you guys, it was basically like looking at you through a doorway." Mika shrugged. It wasn''t like she actually became part of the painting like Naomi feared, it was more that she just walked through an invisible door.


    "Remarkable!" Momo started to get excited. "I''d heard stories that the Tokugawa''s master craftsmen could create portals and other simr things, but I never imagined that it was real!"


    <i>{THIS IS AMAZING! Himari and I need to study this! Just think of what could be done with such magic!} </i>(Momo)


    "But... <i>Why</i>?!?" Naomi didn''t understand what the purpose of this was. "And does this mean that Iwami was some kind of mage?!?"


    "If he was the one that made this, then he is likely affiliated with the n in some way." Momo said. "But right now, let''s focus on <em>this</em>." She approached the painting. "I have a feeling that what we''re looking for is down those stairs."


    "This is so cool! Its like we''re in one of those mystery shows!" Mika''s eyes sparkled as the three of them entered the painting.


    <em>{I am the Great Detective Mika!}</em>(Mika)


    "This is crazy..." Naomi looked around, stunned by the fact that they were inside the painting. "It''s like an exact replica of our home in here.¡± Looking outside showed nothing but an endless white expanse, which was to be expected. "I suppose if they could make an entire world, that would be even more impressive..."


    <i>{I suppose that really goes to show how powerful Akagi is if she can do something like that at will... I remember one time she had us on some kind of Ocean Liner and mentioned that a whole Edwardian Europe was moving along back on shore.} </i>(Naomi)


    "Here, the stairs are actually here!" Mika pointed at the small staircase that lead down. "Let''s go!"


    "Hold on!" Momo grabbed Mika shoulder to stop her. "This ce is probably trapped to prevent intruders." She reached out with her spiritual power, which told her that there was a substantial quantity of energy welling below. "Mika, you should transform, and Naomi I think it best that you wield me for now." She hopped into Naomi''s hand, reverting to her staff form.


    "Is there an enemy down there?" Mika asked after she transformed.


    "I'' not entirely sure. I do detect arge amount of magical power and it reminds me of Shikigami energy, so I suspect that some kind of security measure is in ce to deal with unauthorized attempts to enter this ce." Momo figured that it wouldn''t be easy or safe.


    "I am of Tokugawa blood, surely this ce wouldn''t harm me." Naomi figured that any enemies or traps would exclude her.


    "I would not bet on that." Momo denied that optimistic notion. "If anything, the traps would be calibrated to require some kind of passcode or signal since blood verification is subject to problems like betray from within."


    <i>{Or use of a dead body to enter. I''ve seen that before.} </i>(Momo)


    "Alright, but if it gets too dangerous we''ll back out and call Akagi. I''m sure she''d be interested in what we''ve found and there''s no reason to risk our safety for no reason." Naomi nodded and she and Mika headed downstairs being sure to take things slowly.


    The dark and creaky wooden staircase slowly illuminated as they descended, with torches on the walls activating as they approached. It felt as if they were descending in a spiral, and after a few minutes, they reached a wooden door that was locked.


    "I don''t suppose you have a key?" Mika asked knowing full well that Naomi didn''t.


    "I don''t think one is needed here." Momomented. "Mika, use your strength and knock the door down. I detect no magic on it, so it should be safe."


    <i>{Sometimes using force is the best way to move forward.} </i>(Momo)


    "You don''t have to tell me twice!" Mika winded up a punch before letting it go. ¡°Magical Star BREAKER!¡±


    "Wait!" Naomi tried to stop her, but it was toote.


    *BANG*


    The door was sent flying down a long hallway, alongside which were numerous paintings.


    "Never mind..." Naomi sighed as she entered the hallway. The paintings on the walls were of past family heads, and she recognized most of them, including her father and grandfather.


    "Kinda spooky." Mika said with a nervousugh. "I feel like all those paintings are gonna attack us, or something."


    <i>{Also, the self-activating torches are super fucking suspect...} </i>(Mika)


    "Please don''t say things like that..." Naomi sighed. "That''s how you-"


    "HALT INTRUDERS!" A voice rang out from around them.


    "I hate you, Mika." Naomi groaned as she red at her whistling friend.


    "YE WHO HAVE ENTERED THIS PLACE SHALL PERISH BY MY HAND!" The voice continued, speaking in an old dialect that Mika and Naomi thought sounded like something out of a period drama.


    "I am Naomi Tokugawa, Daughter of Haruki Tokugawa and Granddaughter of Kyojaro Tokugawa! By birthright I demand that you grant us safe passage!" Naomi hoped that her family connection would grant her ess.


    "IF YOU ARE WHO YOU CLAIM TO BE, THEN PRESENT THE KEY!" The voice demanded an item.


    "Key?" Naomi parroted. "I don''t know what that is..."


    "IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE KEY, THEN YOU ARE AN INTRUDER!" The voice thundered. "LEAVE THIS PLACE AND NEVER RETURN!"


    "I''m sorry, but we can''t just leave." Naomi shook her head. She was determined to find out what was hidden down here and wasn''t about to back down that easily. "My father and grandfather died before they could pass down our family secrets, and I <i>will </i>know what they hid from me!" She assumed a battle stance, but was slightly shaking as she''d had very littlebat training.


    "THEN YOU SHALL PERISH AS THEY DID!" A swirling vortex appeared in front of the girls, out from which a green shadowy Samurai warrior appeared. "I am oath-bound to defend this ce, and all who seek to trespass will be destroyed!" He drew his de, pointing it at the girls. "Now, die!" He zipped forward at an extremely fast speed, but to Mika, he seemed to move quite slowly.


    *TINK*


    Mika blocked his de with her hand before channeling power into her palm and sting the Samurai, vaporizing it in an instant with a small energy attack.


    "Eh?" Mika, Naomi, and Mika were surprised.


    "W-Was... Was that it?" Mika turned to Naomi, confused.


    <i>{Was Miracle Cannon really that strong?!?} </i>(Mika)


    "I... Umm..." Naomi had no answer.


    "I do not detect any more Spiritual power..." Momo paused as she reached out with her senses. "I think Mika was just too powerful for that Samurai spirit..."


    "What the hell..." Naomi let out a deep sigh.


    <i>{Mika, why are you so strong?} </i>(Naomi)


    "Well... <i>that happened</i>." Mika started nervouslyughing as she rubbed the back of her head.


    "Let''s just continue onward." Naomi shook her head as they continued to walk down the hallway, with Mika pointing out that the further they walked, the older the portraits got until, at the end, they were greeted with a small door that sat beneath the famous painting of Tokugawa Ieyasu that they''d seen in museums and history ss.


    "I hope whatever is down here was worth all this pomp and circumstances." Naomi sighed as she slowly opened the door.


    <em>{I swear if its just dusty old books again...}</em>(Naomi)


    "Wow!" Mika eximed in awe as they looked inside.


    "Oh my!" Momo was simrly surprised.


    "Dad... When were you ever going to tell me about this..." Naomi could only sigh again. The room behind the door was filled with cultural artifacts protected within ss cases, tapestries that Naomi figured were <i>older </i>than her n, swords hung on every wall, and there were safes around the room that Naomi had no doubt contained a treasure trove of valuable items.


    "I see!" Momo leaped out of Naomi''s hand and reformed in front of the two girls. "<i>This</i> must be the Tokugawa family treasure vault!" She was practically giddy as she looked around at the many different artifacts.


    <em>{It has too be! I never thought it was real though! This is a wonderous find!}</em>(Momo)


    "Vault?" Naomi noted the use of that specific term. "Did you know about this stuff?"


    "Yes! I only heard about it once before, but I was told that the family stored away so many valuable items within a magical vault that only the head of the n could ess!" Momo was visibly excited and on the verge of rambling. "I''d always wanted to see the wonders thaty within, but I never thought I''d actually get to see it!" She stared intensely at the many full suits of Samurai armor along with what looked like <i>dozens </i>of Spiritual tomes and other books that were ced within special ss cases.


    <i>{THIS IS AMAZING! I NEED TO READ THESE BOOKS!} </i>(Momo)


    "This is nice and all..." Naomi said as she looked around. "But would my father have put anything rted to what the Tomogawa did to Akagi''s parents in here?"


    "Perhaps!" Momo nodded. "There is a very high degree of likelihood that your family would''ve kept records of their branch family''s abilities in here for safekeeping in case the family was destroyed." She looked at the vast number of books and other scrolls that surrounded them. "Though I imagine that it will take a while to find such a thing in here." She gave a nervousugh.


    "Yeah..." Naomi figured there were <i>thousands </i>of books and scrolls in here, and she had no idea where to start. "For now, let''s do a cursory check. I''ll contact Akagi once we leave and get her to help go through this stuff. She''ll be able to do it far faster than we can."


    "Sounds great!" Momo smiled before she and Naomi split up from Mika as they searched around the vault. There were a host of documents, some of which Naomi <i>knew </i>were ancient due to the wear on the paper and the archaguage they used. However, out of everything she saw in the numerous ss cases one book stuck out the most.


    "Yokai Magic and Its Practical Applications?" Naomi carefully opened up one of the cases and inspected the very strange-looking book. "This is a Was¨­bon! I''ve seen these in museums." She carefully opened the fragile-looking book. "How old must this thing be?" There was no indication of the author, but after skimming through the strange book, Naomi got excited. "This book... It details how to use Yokai Magic to heal people!" It was her dream to merge magic and medicine, and this book seemed to have information on how to do that.


    <i>{Why is this down here?!?} </i>(Naomi)


    "Momo!" Naomi continued to read through it. "This book! It''s incredible! If I can figure out how to replicate what''s described within..."


    <i>{I could change medicine as we know it!} </i>(Naomi)


    As Naomi gushed to her friend about the possibilities, Momo cautioned her that Yokai magic was dangerous and that it shouldn''t be used without great care.


    "I know, I know, but still!" Naomi was undeterred. "Think of the good we could do! Ugh! Why did my family hide something like this?!?" While she grumbled about her family''s stupidity, Mika continued to look at the different documents and scrolls that sat on a desk on the other side of the room.


    "Boring. Boring. Boring. Boring." Mika opened and closed the scrolls one at a time until she came across one that was <i>very </i>new byparison. "Hm?" She slowly opened the scroll, her eyes going wide as she read what was inside.


    <i>{No... No. No. No. NO!} </i>(Mika)


    "Did you find anything over there, Mika?" Naomi called out to her, which caused Mika to jump.


    "Nopers! Nothing but boring old scrolls and dusty books over here!" Mika gave a nervousugh as she slid the scroll into a spot on her clothing that would keep it hidden.


    "Okay, let''s look around for a bit more. I want to let Akagi know what we found ASAP." Naomi turned back around, much to the relief of Mika, who was sweating profusely.


    After around an hour of poking about, Naomi, Momo, and Mika decided to head back and returned to her father''s study. Naomi quickly got to work contacting Akagi and informing her of what she found, while Mika decided to return home, telling Naomi that she had ns with her family.


    As she bounced across the Kyoto rooftops the Magical Girl stood atop a highrise building and looked out across the city as she pulled the scroll from her backpack, reading it one more time.


    [Dear Kenji.


    Regarding yourst message about the Demon Child that your Daughter has spawned, here are my instructions.


    In order to prevent the great tragedy that is prophesied, I hereby give you permission to act as you see fit regarding its treatment. My preference would be for you to immediately execute the child, but I shall leave that up to your discretion.


    There is no telling whether such a creature is the great darkness spoken of in our family history, and we have gone nearly two hundred years without incident. The timing of its arrival does line up with the family prophecy, but there are few notable differences, which is why I will leave this up to you.


    Additionally, I am granting authorization for you to use the Tomogawa family''s alteration ritual as needed to ensure that this incident is properly handled, and I trust that you will make the correct decision and use it responsibly. Altering one''s memories and personality permanently is not something that I authorize lightly, but we may have no choice if they will notply with your demands. The feelings of two fools must not override the good of all mankind, so use as much of the ritual as needed to ensurepliance.


    Long live His Majesty the Emperor!


    Signed February 12th 2038


    Haruki Tokugawa]


    "Dammit! How could he?!?" Mika bit her lip in anger. Naomi''s father had always been described as a good man, but reading this letter made Mika''s blood boil.


    <em>{He caused all this! He''s the one who... He made Akagi''s parents...}</em>(Mika)


    "I can''t let them see this..." Mika used her power to conjure a me, burning away the document and preventing anyone but her from knowing the truth. "It''s better this way... I know it is..." Mika said as she leaped off the building, confident that she''d made the right choice by hiding this document from the others.

 Chapter 284 – Akagi’s Mind Games.

    Chapter 284 ¨C Akagi¡¯s Mind Games.


    At Akagi''s <i>behest </i>Amakusa exined <i>everything </i>to her father. From how she was summoned to another world, hailed as Hero, to what was ultimately the task thrust before her. It was clearly ufortable for Amakusa to exin what she''d done during the years she''d been missing, and Akagi found it amusing to watch her squirm. Toji to his credit didn''t interrupt his daughter once during her exnation, merely nodding along as she told him her story, and once she was finished he shook his head. Not in anger, but sadness.


    "Shiroe... You went through so much... so far away from me..." Toji finally spoke, sorrow enveloping each of his words. "As your father, I''m overjoyed to find you alive and well. I want to smile, something I haven''t done in so many years... but..." Her story left him unable to be happy with her return.


    <i>{I''m... I failed you...} </i>(Toji)


    "I mean, even a <i>parent</i> is going to struggle to justify her actions." Akagi chuckled as she held her Kiseru between her lips. "The <i>pet</i> contributed to much ughter and destruction, and even if it was at the behest of Gods, that does not absolve her of guilt." The <i>Demon</i> was more <i>annoyed</i> with the Heroes than truly <i>angry</i>. She acknowledged that it would be hard for mortals to go against the will of the Gods. However, she also believed that <i>ignorance</i>, willful or otherwise was no defense to the atrocities theymitted.


    <i>{Using Earthw as the foundation, Amakusa basically took somebody else''s word that a group of people was nning mass murder and went along with a n to kill said group in some kind of preemptive strike. I''m nowyer, but I''m pretty sure that my little pet wouldn''t be able to just tee-hee-pero her way out of that situation by ming the Gods... Though... I wonder how many people would acquit her on the fact that Gods were the ones giving the order in question? Just another reason why haughty Gods like this irritate me...} </i>(Akagi)


    "You talk like you <i>aren''t</i> some kind of monster. By definition aren''t you even <i>worse</i> than me?" Amakusa red at the <i>Demon</i>, figuring that it was massive hypocritical for Akagi to say criticize her. "I''ve heard about what you''ve done over thesest few years. You became an assassin, killed people for money, and then proceeded to y with people''s lives as if they were nothing but toys since you returned from that game!" She figured that Akagi had no right to criticize her due to her past actions. ¡°So where do you get off casting judgment on me?!?¡±


    <i>{You are a psychopathic monster that exists to burn worlds to the ground! You have no right to call me out no matter how much I deserve it!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Worse than you?" Akagi hummed as she thought about her im. "Perhaps, but if nothing else, my actions have resulted in far fewer deaths than you." She shrugged. "My assassinations numbered in the hundreds or thousands depending on how you count each kill. As for deaths since I awoke from FWO? Those numbers are a great deal lower than one would expect for a being like me, and as Kana can attest to, I''ve generally refrained from killing." The highest body count came from her ughter of Camp Katsura, and even still she''d let most of the base''s personnel survive.


    "I mean, not as much as I would like, but <i>yeah</i>..." Kana sighed, not wanting to get into it. "Onee-chan has <i>mostly </i>killed people that did some pretty messed up things themselves."


    <i>{Though not always...} </i>(Kana)


    "Even if you directly killed fewer people, you still took innocent lives knowing full well that what you were doing was wrong!" Amakusa didn''t want to acknowledge that Akagi had any moral high ground. "My... My actions resulted in an order of magnitude more deaths... and I admit that I was foolishly swept up in the Gods'' ns due to my own stupid fucking ego... But at least <i>I </i>thought the blood spilled would be for the greater good!" She figure that her heart being in the right ce at least put her a step above Akagi.


    "Ah yes, the greater good." Akagi rolled her eyes at such a stupidly clich¨¦ idea. "Insertment about the road to hell being paved with good intentions and all that jazz, h, h, h." She mocked her with a hand gesture. "Listen, I''m not going to get into a pissing contest over which one of us is more evil and terrible because, frankly, I don''t fucking <i>care</i>. You are the <i>pet</i>, and I am the master. It doesn''t matter what I do or if I''m being hypocritical by calling you out, and do you know why?" She let out a slightly unnervingugh. "<i><b>Because I can do whatever I want.</b></i>" Akagi poked Amakusa in the cheek, which caused the girl to to flinch. <i><b>"As I told a certain religious man, I''ve already given enough kindness to this world by not enving its people or burning it to the fucking ground. So asking me to be some paragon of virtue is truly the height of arrogance." </b></i>


    <i>{Why can''t people understand something so simple?} </i>(Akagi)


    "So you think that just because you have all that power, that you can do whatever you want?" Amakusa swatted away Akagi''s hand, ring at her.


    <i><b>"Yes." </b></i>Akagiughed. "Laws and rules mean nothing if there is nobody to enforce them, and in my case, there exists no mechanism to bring me to justice or enforce external will upon me.¡± The only thing that could even try would be another Demon Lord, but Akagi figured that even then she could probably manage. ¡°Thus, I can do <i>whatever</i> I want, <i>however</i> I want, <i>whenever</i> I want. And all you can do is grumble about how it''s not fair, <i>pet</i>." She smiled as Kana pped her forehead. "Your problem was not necessarily in your actions. It was that you were not strong enough to prevent others from bringing you to heel for what you did." Akagi pat her on the head, eliciting a groan from the pet. "By attacking my world and intending to ughter that which belongs to me, you gave me reason to enforce my will upon you where I otherwise didn''t care to.¡± The <i>Demon </i>was nning on ignoring Enoris as long as it stayed in its ownne, but that ship had sailed. ¡°So, just think of me as the highest order ofw enforcement, and what I say goes around these parts!" Sheughed.


    <i>{Onee-chan...} </i>(Kana)


    "Hence why I insisted on taking you down." Amakusa huffed. "You''re too dangerous too be left alive."


    "Only if people give me a reason to be~" Akagi said with a slightly sing-songy tone of voice. "But that''s neither here nor there at the moment." Once she was done with Amakusa, Akagi turned to Toji. "Your daughter hasmitted heinous crimes against countless innocent people, and came to this world with the express goal of killing those who are under my protection. I hope you can understand that I will not simply pardon her for those crimes, even if the <i>Gods</i> and not <i>her</i> are the ones I''m really after."


    <i>{This is far to big to just sweep under the rug, and I don''t exactly want to either.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I understand. Then would you be willing to take my life in exchange for hers?" Toji bowed, his words shocking Amakusa, who freaked out. ¡°My daughter''s failures are my own, so please take my life in atonement for her sins.¡±


    <i>{Huh? Neat.} </i>(Akagi)


    "WHAT?!? Dad, no!" Amakusa panicked, fearing that she was about to lose thest member of the family that she cared for. "This is my responsibility, not yours!"


    <i>{NO!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "You would give your own life in exchange for your daughter''s safety?" Akagi looked at him without showing any change in expression.


    "As a parent, it is my duty to protect my children. I couldn''t do that when I lost Fumiko, but if I can do that now... Then yes." Toji continued to bow.


    "Hmmmmm. How <i>interesting</i>." Akagi gave a sidelong nce at Shima, who looked down in embarrassment.


    "Dad, please, no!" Amakusa continued to panic. "This is my responsibility! You don''t need to die because of what I did!"


    <i>{Am... Am I really going to...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Would you be willing to die by your own child''s hand as a requirement for such a pardon?" Akagi asked, cracking a small smile that unnerved Kana.


    <i>{Onee-chan... really?} (Kana) </i>


    "WHAT?!?" Amakusa screamed at the top of her lungs. "I WILL NOT KILL MY FATHER! NEVER!"


    "<i>Pet</i>, would you kill your father if I asked?" Akagi asked with a massive smirk on her lips.


    "Of course, master! Would you like it to be slow and painful, or quick and painless? I would dly end my father''s life if it was at your request!" Amakusa said happily as her eyes changed color. "NO!" She shook her head violently as she regained control over herself. "Stop controlling me! Get out of my head!"


    "<i>Pet</i>, draw your de." Akagi ordered Amakusa to put her de to the back of her father''s neck, which she did while screaming in protest.


    "PLEASE NO!" Amakusa tried to stop herself, but Akagi''s control was absolute and there was no resisting hermands. "TAKE MY LIFE INSTEAD! PLEASE! DON''T MAKE ME KILL DAD!"


    <i>{NO PLEASE!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "You who killed countless parents during your little crusade have no right to ask for mercy." Akagi said coldly. "Cut off his head."


    <i>{NO!} </i>Amakusa''s body moved of its own ord, and Amakusa watched in horror as she brought her de down, severing her father''s head from his neck.


    *SLICE*


    "NO!" Amakusa screamed in horror. "YOU BASTARD! I''LL KILL YOU! I''LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"


    "Shiroe, calm down!" Toji''s voice snapped her out of her near-total breakdown.


    "Dad?" Amakusa found herself sitting on the mat next to Akagi, her father looking up at her from the bowing position, confused. "What just? I... just... you..."


    <i>{But... I just...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Did you enjoy yourself, <i>pet</i>?" Akagi chuckled as she flicked Amakusa on the side of the head.


    "Onee-chan, what just happened?" Kana was confused. From her perspective, Akagi had asked Amakusa if she would kill her father, only to start freaking out after she waspelled to admit that she would. "Did you do something to her?"


    <i>{She definitely did...} </i>(Kana)


    "You... You made me... I killed Dad... I felt it... all of it..." Amakusa started to twitch. "The happiness from fulfilling your orders, the joy... I..." She clutched her sides as she freaked out further.


    <i>{I... Killing Dad... I... It felt... Good to obey...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "I just had my little <i>pet</i> here experience killing her father." Akagiughed. "Before we came in here, I imnted a suggestion in her mind that would activate upon being asked if she would kill her father.¡± She exined what happened. ¡°I made her imagine a scenario where I forced her to kill him, and it yed out in her mind in all its horrible glory."


    "That''s..." Kana was a bit unnerved by such a thing.


    <i>{I guess it is better than actually making her do it but...} </i>(Kana)


    "So getting past that, to answer your question, Toji, I''m afraid that your life will not be sufficient to satisfy the Spirits and their desire for blood." Akagi pat the still twitching Amakusa on the back, breaking the Samurai girl out of her mental copse with her power. "Not to mention that your daughter is a very fun <i>pet</i>, and I won''t be giving her up that easily."


    "I... I see..." Toji didn''t really know what to say after hearing about what Akagi just did. "You are truly a cruel person, aren''t you?" His words seemed to slip out subconsciously.


    "To those deserving of it, yes." Akagi smiled as she took a hit from her Kiseru. "I won''t deny that I might be taking a <i>bit </i>of my personal irritation out on your daughter." She shrugged. "Her actions indirectly caused the whole FWO incident, and I find myself caring for those who went through such an ordeal. Even I don''t really get why, considering I killed so many myself, but I guess feelings aren''t always logical." She gave a wry smile.


    <i>{Perhaps ites down to my love of games? FWO was suppose to be just a fun experience and in the end it was ruined by violence and death. I have no idea... But I just can''t shake this irritation... But it really doesn''t matter. Its how I feel, and thinking about the why won''t do me any good.} </i>(Akagi)


    "If you will not allow me to take my daughter''s ce, then I implore you to allow her to work to right her many wrongs." Toji bowed again. "Please..."


    "Dad..." Amakusa didn''t like seeing him effectively beg on her behalf.


    Akagiughed at his disy of humility. "You see, Shima. <i>This </i>is how a parent is <i>supposed</i> to act." She looked at the woman who was trying to appear small. "<i>He </i>was willing to give his life to protect his child, and the most important thing in his life was his family. I feel like you could learn a lot from him, but that''s just my opinion." Her words wereced with disdain and Shima could see the fires of anger burning in Akagi''s eyes as she nced at her.


    "I..." Shima found herself lost for words, and was also slightly afraid.


    "Save it." Akagi brushed her off. "I don''t want to hear you prattle on anyway."


    "As... As much as I <i>detest </i>you..." Amakusa clicked her tongue in irritation. "I <i>do</i> want to help make things right..." She couldn''t stand Akagi''s attitude, and what she''d just experienced only made her hate the <i>Demon </i>even further, but she truly did want to work toward fixing things.


    "Even if, in the end, the Spirits still wish to put you to death?" Akagi asked.


    "I don''t expect to be forgiven for what I did, so once this is all over, I''ll willingly submit myself to whatever punishment they have for me..." Amakusa said. "Just...


    "Good." Akagi interrupted her. "Then I''ll be putting you to good use, and don''t forget your promise." She had a lot nned for the <i>pet</i>.


    <i>{For I''ll be making sure to put you to good use. I may have gotten a bit carried away with my stunt just now, but that doesn''t mean that I don''t intend to inflict more punishment on you, pet.} </i>(Akagi)

 Chapter 285 – Kana’s Future.

    Chapter 285 ¨C Kana¡¯s Future.


    With the matter of Amakusa''s father dealt with, Akagi decided to head over to Seoul to aid in thepletion of preparations for an uing <i>project</i>. This left Kana alone with her mother while Amakusa and her father spent time together in the garden catching up, and the two had much to talk about.


    "All those pictures of this ce didn''t do it justice." Shimamented on the beauty that was Akagi''s estate as she sipped on some tea. She and Kana were sitting under one of the outdoor pavilions, enjoying a bit of time together. Akagi initially wanted to kick Shima out the moment things were finished, but Kana persuaded her to let her handle their mother for the time being. "It really does remind me of the familypound, though a bit <i>nicer</i>." She gave a wry smile.


    <i>{I never liked going out there and now I know why...} </i>(Shima)


    "I always knew that Onee-chan was into traditional clothing and stuff, but I never imagined that one day she''d live in a vi that used to be owned by the <i>actual </i>Shogun." Kana chuckled. "But I think it suits her. Plus, the hot springs are to die for." She''d been enjoying their warmth and seemingly magical ability to make her skin look better.


    "I <i>do</i> wish that the constant res would stop..." Shima had constantly felt like somebody was watching her ever since she arrived at the estate, and that didn''t change even after Akagi left.


    <i>{Its like somebody has a knife at my throat at all times...} </i>(Shima)


    "Considering you hurt what many here consider their <i>Goddess</i>, I''d say that you''re lucky they''ve restrained themselves from sending their hatred at you in such a mild way." Kana gave an awkward smile.


    "I... You''re joking, <i>right</i>?" Shima asked.


    <i>{What?!?} </i>(Shima)


    "Nope, many of the n see Onee-chan as a <i>God</i>. They even do ceremonies and prayers every week." Kana sighed as she recalled just how cringe the whole affair was. "Onee-chan hates it but couldn''t bring herself to say no, and well... Now Mishaes over for potlucks..."


    <i>{And I hate to admit it, but the food she brings is amazing...} </i>(Kana)


    "This whole situation just keeps bringing more surprises, doesn''t it?" Shima said as she looked into her tea, unsure of what to say.


    "Thest year has been a whirlwind of crazy, that''s for sure." Kana continued. "But in the end, Onee-chan is happier, so I''m d. At least now her future is no longer some nebulous thing, and I don''t have to worry about what might happen to her." She''d always worried about what her sister would do after high school and was worried that she had no ns.


    "That brings me to something I''ve been wanting to talk to you about..." Shima said as she took a sip of her tea. "What <i>are </i>your future ns, Kana? Your sister is one thing, but you''re going into thest year of high school. Knowing you, I''d imagine you''ve given this great thought, and you''ve probably already got a n in mind.¡± Her instincts as a mother never changed regarding Kana and even now she was still worried about her future.


    "The future, huh?" Kana leaned back in her chair a bit. "To be entirely honest I haven''t had as much time to think about it as I would''ve liked, but I''ve got most of it figured out." She continued, taking a bit of a cookie. "I already foresaw myself going into some kind of bureaucratic profession, likely something government-rted. I <i>thought </i>that would be in the Japanese Government, but with recent changes that will be in Dumetor instead." While she was still considered a Japanese citizen Kana had no idea if that wouldst for long. Dual Citizenship was <i>extremely </i>hard to get in Japan, and she had little interest or need for such a thing.


    <i>{Though Onee-chan has mentioned that she''d just tell them to allow it and that they would have no choice.} </i>(Kana)


    "Listen, Kana. I say this as your mother, but is there a future in staying here?" Shima knew that asking this question would be treading dangerous ground but couldn''t let it slide. "Your sister aside, and I know that she runs an <i>actual </i>country, but what can you even do here? There''s no real prospects, Kana." She figured that Kana would aplish nothing by staying here, doting sister or not.


    "I would agree with you <i>if </i>Onee-chan''s ns ended at this simple little estate." Kana nodded. "However, Onee-chan has already made ns for <i>much </i>more, and I''ll admit that I''m excited for what she''s got nned."


    ¡°When you say Rishia has a n... That makes me nervous...¡± Shima gave a wry smile, knowing full well that Akagi''s <i>ns </i>were rarely simple.


    "Well this one isn''t too bad.¡± Kanaughed. ¡°Onee-chan is going to turn the pocket world where the Spirits live into what amounts to an entire to rule over. I can''t go too deep into things as it''s a secret, but her current goal is for a mass expansion of Omara and the inclusion of <i>a lot </i>more people if she gets her way." She''d been told that Akagi was going to undermine the Gods on Enoris and use the friction generated to force many of the races to bow to her demands.


    "So what does that mean for you?" Shima still didn''t really understand what Kana''s role in all that was.


    "It means that I''m going to be <i>running</i> a country." Kana''s words took her mother aback. "Onee-chan joked about it once before, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it suited me." She cracked a wily smile. "Being some pencil pusher in a suit is <i>boring</i>. Why should I do something so mundane when I can use my intelligence to run an entire <i>world</i>?" Kana had no shortage of ambition the the idea of giving it her all to run something sorge andplex set her heart aze.


    <i>{If I''m going to be called the Demon Princess then I suppose I should take advantage of that!} </i>(Kana)


    Shima was lost for words, she''d expected her daughter to climb thedder of society quite high, but from what it sounded like Kana was going to be something equivalent to a <i>Queen</i>.


    <i>{Kana... What?!?} </i>(Shima)


    "Onee-chan already promised me that if I graduated from the University of Tokyo with my Masters in Public Policy she would appoint me as her Prime Minister." Kana''s lips curved into a nasty smile that reminded Shima of Akagi. "And I won''t lie, I <i>love </i>that idea." She cackled a bit as she imagined having such a role. "I''ll get to run an entire world, changing policy, makingws, and controlling an entire government."


    <i>{If that''s not a challenge, then I don''t know what is. And Onee-chan knows just how much I love a good challenge.} </i>(Kana)


    ¡°I... Um...¡± Shima was bbergasted, not expecting something like this.


    "It will be my job to guide an entire world into the future and to get a nation on its feet after starting from nothing." Kana smiled, her excitement bleeding through. "And I can''t wait to get started. I''ve already starteding up with ns, and Onee-chan has been more than happy to let me run with my ideas." She''d already been doing work in secret and both Mika and Naomi were already dreading being dragged into Kana''s schemes.


    "W-Well..." Shima finally regained herposure enough to speak. "At least you have some pretty lofty goals..." She let out a deep breath.


    <i>{They really are sisters, aren''t they?} </i>Shima looked at the happily smiling face of her daughter and had the feeling that Kana and Akagi were far more alike than she ever knew. <i>{I get the feeling that together nothing is impossible for those two... and if theybine their skills... that nothing could stop them...} </i>


    If one Tomogawa sister was the terrifyingly strong brawn of the operation, the other was the brains, and together they made an absolutely terrifyingbination. As Shima hade to recently understand that Kana was no less terrifying than her literal <i>Demon </i>sister. It was just that Kana''s method of tearing people down took the form of a friendly smile and a knife in the back rather than Akagi''s more <i>direct </i>method.


    <i>{Rishia, you gave an already terrifying girl extraordinary magical power. At this point, I wouldn''t be surprised if Kana ends up being the more dangerous of the two of you.} </i>(Shima)


    "Oh yeah! I was talking about this with Naomi the other day about this kind of stuff actually. She''s going to apply to the University of Tokyo as well! She wants to be a Doctor and Mimi is going to help her work out a way tobine magic and medicine!" Kana was happy that her friend had found something passionate about.


    <i>{Though Mika is probably a lost cause. That girl is not college material. Maybe she''ll just run around as a Magical Girl and do tricks for money? Wait, who am I kidding? She''s going to be Onee-chans dedicated squishy!} </i>(Kana)


    "Just... Make sure you know your limits, ok?" Shima asked with a nervous smile. "And don''t let your sister''s bad habits rub off on you..."


    <i>{Though its probably a bitte to say that...} </i>(Shima)


    "Hah!" Kanaughed. "Onee-chan has plenty of those, but don''t worry, unlike <i>her</i>, I won''t be a good-for-nothing thatzes around the house all day." She snickered. "I''ve got far more drive than she does!"


    <i>{Plus, Onee-chan is super inefficient when ites to working. Even with all those parallel minds working at once, she still leaves plenty of room for improvement. I hope Mizumi and the others are ready to work their fingers to the bone when I get in charge, for the new management won''t be as kind as the old!} </i>(Kana)


    <i>{Why do I get the feeling that Kana is going to run things like some kind of ckpany?} </i>(Shima)


    "Will... Umm... <i>Hishya </i>be working with you?" Shima decided to move on to a different topic, asking about her Dragon girlfriend. Shima was still not entirelyfortable with Kana dating Hishya for a variety of reasons and knew better than to say too much.


    "Hah! Work! Yeah righ! That good-for-nothing lizard will probably just sleep all day." Kana sighed. "Get this! Onee-chan gave her a whole private beach area in Omara, and she''s gonna put a house on it!<i> </i>It''s almost like that lizard <i>wants </i>to justze around all day!" She''d briefly seen the beach area before and understood why Hishya wanted it so badly.


    <i>{I mean, that sand was nice and warm, but still! I can''t let the pillow hoard take her!} </i>(Kana)<i> </i>


    "I''m surprised that you of all people would want to be with someone thatzy." Shima''sment earned her a re from Kana.


    "Hishya isn''tzy!" Kana huffed, defending her even though she''d just insulted he a moment prior. "She''s just a Dragon, and we need to work on keeping her instincts at bay. Most days Hishya is rtively active. She just needs some prodding is all!"


    <i>{Which is it?!? Is she azy good-for-nothing or not?!?} </i>(Shima)


    "I just figured that you''d want your partner to be... a bit more... um... <i>on your level</i>." Shima didn''t really want to say that Hishya was <i>stupid </i>since that wasn''t true, but was worried that Kana was ''settling'' on this issue. Though in all fairness finding somebody else as smart as Kana wasn''t going to be difficult as even the Demon Lords parallel minds couldn''t eclipse Kana''s natural intellect.


    "I don''t <i>need </i>somebody to be as smart as me." Kana squinted in disapproval, not appreciating Shima''s insinuation. "Hishya is plenty smart anyway. It''s just that her mind is better suited to things like fighting and pillow arrangement than doing paperwork." She enjoyed spending time with Hishya and the chemistry the two had more than bridged any differences. "Plus, Hishya makes me happy, and that''s all that matters." Her words had a tone that told her mother to drop the topic or else she''d get mad.


    <i>{How did BOTH my childrene out like this...} </i>(Shima)

 Chapter 285.5 – Mew Two Electric Mewgaloo.

    Chapter 285.5 ¨CMew Two Electric Mewgaloo.


    "Are you two done yet?" Yumi sighed as she stood outside the sun room which Akagi had turned into a y area for her and Miji. The two troublemakers had told her to wait outside and closed the door, telling the Priestess that they were going to show her something <i>fun </i>while giggling the entire time.


    <i>{I have a feeling that I know what''s about to happen...} </i>(Yumi)


    *RUSTLE* *RUSTLE* *GIGGLE* *FLOP* *MEW*


    "We''re nearly done!" Akagi called out as Miji giggled in the background. "Just one moment, we''re almost ready! You''re going to love this"


    "Yeah! Sister is gonna be so surprised!" Miji giggled as Akagi hushed her.


    <i>{Maybe... But probably not...} </i>(Yumi)


    After a few minutes, and a whole lot of giggling and noise, Akagi told the Priestess toe in and after opening the door Yumi was greeted with the sight of a white futon with two small lumps hiding underneath the white, fluffy sheets.


    "Oh nooooooooo, I wonder where they could''ve goooooone?" Yumi rolled her eyes as she walked over to the giggling futon. "Could they have possibly gone under <i>here</i>?" She sighed as she yanked the futon cover off, her eyes going wide as the Priestess saw what was underneath.


    "MYU!" Miji meowed as she leaped at her sister, tackling her to the floor with a big happy hug. "Look, sister! I''m a kitty too! MU! MU!" She giggled as she hugged Yumi and rubbed her fluffy ears against her sister''spletely stunned face.


    "Isn''t this amazing?!? Now you can have <i>two </i>kitties!" Akagiughed as she dove on top of them, causing Miji to giggle.


    Both girls were in kitty mode, and Yumi waspletely <i>frozen</i> as she looked at Miji. She was wearing a cute ck Yukata/dress, but the most eye-catching thing was her green cat ears and tail that blended in perfectly with her hair color.


    "MYU! Sister, look! I''m a good kitty! MU! Give me hugs!" Miji continued to giggle as she hugged Yumi more. "MU! MYU! MYU!"


    "S-S-S-" Yumi stuttered, unable to speak.


    "What''s the matter? <i>Cat</i> got your tongue?" Akagiughed as she moved alongside Yumi and hugged her, cing the Priestess firmly between two floofy cats that wished to give her love. That Miji was saying MEW wrong only added to her adorableness.


    "SO CUTE!" Yumi screamed as she pulled Miji into an incredibly tight hug. "MIJI! OH MY GOD! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" She squeaked as Miji was assaulted with hugs, pets, and fluffs.


    <i>{KITTY!} </i>(Yumi)


    "Hurray!" Miji giggled as she was given enough attention to satisfy even them most needy child. "Sister likes it! I knew she would!"


    <i>{Pets feel good! No wonder the kitty likes them!} </i>(Miji)


    "I told you that she''d like it. After all, Yumi <i>loves</i> kitties." Akagi snickered as she watched Yumi go to town on Miji.


    <i>{FLOOF! MIJI HAS FLOOF!} </i>(Yumi)


    "This is the best thing ever! Miji was already the cutest thing, but now she''s somehow even <i>more </i>cute!" Yumi said as she pet and floofed her sister. "And the ears! They feel so real!" She said as she rubbed them. ¡°Kitty Kitty Kitty Kitty Kitty!¡±


    ¡°MYU!¡± Miji meowed as she was rubbed.


    "I used some high-tier illusion powers of mine to make them as close as possible to being real, and Miji can even feel and move them a bit." Akagi said as she pointed to Miji''s wagging tail.


    "Who''s a good little kitty? Who''s a good widdle kitty?" Yumi said as she tackled Miji to the floor and floofed her good.


    "MU! I''m the good kitty!" Miji giggled as she was tickled.


    "Yes! You''re the bestest kitty ever!" Yumiughed. ¡°And good kitties get spoiled!¡±


    "What about me?" Akagi asked, pretending to be hurt by theck of attention being given to her and the im that she was no longer the <i>best </i>kitty.


    "You''ve been demoted to second-best kitty. Miji won out due to overwhelming adorability!" Yumi snickered. "Just look at how cute is! I just want to eat her up! NOM NOM NOM!" She pretended to bite onto her sister, whoughed.


    "NO! Kitties aren''t for eating! Save me, kitty!" Miji continued tough as Yumi tickled her more.


    ¡°Sorry, but this is the price you must pay for the snuggles.¡± Akagiughed.


    "Fool! There is no escape from me now that I''ve seen you like this! Now that you''ve became kitty I''m going to spoil you rotten!" Yumiughed as she hugged her sister, who hugged her back as they fell to the futon.


    <i>{Well, isn''t this just adorable?} </i>Akagi smiled as she sat on the floor and watched the two sisters roll about,ughing and enjoying themselves.


    "What in the hell is all the screaming abo-" Kana turned the corner and looked into the room, freezing as she saw a Cat-Miji being hugged and floofed by Yumi. "Onee-chan..." Her gaze shifted to the innocent Catkagi. "What did you do?" She asked.


    <i>{Do I have to break out the bat?} </i>(Kana)


    "I simply made a young girl''s wishe true." Akagi said with a smile as she turned around to look at her, being adorable as she did so.


    <i>{Don''t just sit there and pretend to be a pure-hearted kitty... } </i>(Kana)


    "Hey, what''s going on... in... here..." Hishya popped up behind Kana, having a simr reaction to the adorable Miji''s cuteness. "Well, she finally did it. Akagi went out and <i>made </i>her own catgirl."


    <i>{I guess I shouldn''t be shocked.} </i>(Hishya)


    "I think we''re well past that point, Hishya." The Catkagi said as her kitty ears and tail twitched and swished. "Not to mention why would I need to <i>make</i> a Catgirl when I can <i>be</i> one?"


    <i>{Not only can I be my own nkie, but I can be my own Catgirl too! These things lead to lots of fun options, some of which Yumi enjoys greatly.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Fair." Hishya rolled her eyes at the obvious response. "But please don''t tell me you went and actually did something irreversible to Miji..."


    <i>{We don''t need more Cats running around here, as adorable as this new one may be...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Don''t worry, it''s just a well-made illusion. One snap of my fingers, and Miji''s cat parts go away." Akagi replied with a finger snap. "Tough, if you''d like, I can give <i>you</i> or Kana some kitty parts to y with. Things could get nice and spicy with a good kitty." She winked.


    "Don''t you dare!" Kana hissed before turning to Hishya, understanding that the Dragon was <i>definitely </i>interested in seeing such a thing. "And don''t <i>you </i>go getting any ideas!"


    <i>{I don''t need another idiotic Otaku doing stupid things!} </i>(Kana)


    "I would <i>never</i>." Hishya feigned ignorance. "Seeing Cat-Kana is absolutely <i>not</i> on my list of things I really want to see, nope."


    "Well, it ain''t happening!" Kana grumbled.


    <i>{Don''t worry, it will.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Hishya, Kana!" Miji got away from Yumi, much to the dismay of the Priestess, and hopped over to the two of them. "Look! Look!" She wiggled her kitty ears and tail. "Am kitty! Just like the kitty! MYU!" She smiled as she spun in circles and chased her tail.


    <i>{That''s too fucking cute!} </i>(Kana x Hishya)


    "Yes, you are." Hishya smiled as she pat Miji on the head. "You''re absolutely adorable! Unlike a certain <i>other </i>kitty who''s name shall not be mentioned.."


    *PBBT!*


    Akagi blew a raspberry.


    "Yeah. Unlike Onee-chan, Miji here is a pure adorable bunch of fluff without a hint of evil in her heart." Kanaughed. ¡°She''s a good kitty who embodies the purity that all should be.¡±


    "Oi! The gap between my appearance and my actions as a kitty is part of the charm." Akagi grumbled. "That''s <i>literally </i>the appeal of gap moe."


    <i>{Why else do you think having young girlsmit war crimes in anime is funny?!?} </i>(Akagi)


    "I agree wholeheartedly!" Yumi protested, picking up Akagi and hugging her, eliciting a meow. "Seeing this adorable little creature burn everything to ash with her mighty MEW would be the best!" She giggled as she rubbed her face against Akagi''s ears. "World destroying evil kitty is best kitty!"


    "MEW!" Akagi meowed as she was pet and hugged.


    <i>{See, being evil has perks!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Hmmm. Does this mean that I should be like kitty and be evil?" Miji looked up and asked Hishya.


    "No!" (Kana x Hishya)


    "Don''t listen to her! You need to stay a good girl! Never, EVER be like <i>that</i>!" Hishya pointed at Akagi, who meowed again.


    <i>{DO NOT CORRUPT HER! I WILL STOP YOU, YOU FIEND!} </i>(Hishya)


    "But... But <i>kitty</i>!" Miji pouted, wanting to be the cutest kitty in thend.


    "Just stay the happy and cute little kitty that you are now." Kana said, trying to cheer her up. "Onee-chan is a bad kitty. Do you want to be a bad kitty?"


    "No..." Miji replied weakly.


    "Good!" Hishya pat her on the head. "Just don''t forget that and everything will be good!" She smiled.


    "Can I still y with the kitty and be a good girl?" Miji was worried that she would need to stop ying with Akagi, which was not going to happen.


    Naturally, both wanted to say <i>no </i>but they knew that saying that was not an option as it would evoke the wrath of Fluffy Satan herself.


    "Yes, just be careful not to let her <i>evil </i>ways rub off on you." Kana said with a wry smile.


    "Hurray!" Miji cheered as she ran over to Akagi. "Come on, kitty! Let''s y some more!" She took Akagi away from her sister, and the two yed a game of tag that took them all around the house. The two ran and ran and ran until Miji was exhausted, but that didn''t stop their fun as Akagi quickly changed things up and had them y hide and seek before settling down for more fun and games flopping about on the futon.


    "MEW! MEW!" Akagi meowed happily as she and Miji tackled each other while the girls watched on, jealously.


    <i>{Must be fucking nice...} </i>(Hishya)


    "MYU!" Miji returned a mew of her own, causing Yumi to nearly nosebleed due to the cuteness being let into the air.


    "I think I''m going to die from cute overload." Yumi said while pinching her nose to stop the blood from gushing out. "This is just too much for me."


    "Don''t <i>you </i>want to join?" Kana elbowed her with a smirk.


    <i>{I REALLY DO!} </i>(Yumi)


    "No, I''ll just let them have fun together." Yumi smiled as she pulled out a tissue and dabbed her nose.


    <i>{This girl is dying to go cat and flop around with them. Then again, I can''t me her...} </i>(Hishya)


    "MEW!" Akagi tackled Miji to the futon, and the young kitty let out a mighty yawn after getting back up. "Alright, I think that''s enough." Akagi said as she got up.


    "NOOOO!" Miji pouted before yawning again. "I''m still not done! I want to be kitty with you more!" She clung to Akagi, not wanting the fun to end.


    <i>{Stay with me, kitty!} </i>(Miji)


    "Now Miji. We''ve been ying for a while, but it''s nap time now." Akagi gave a wry smile. Miji was clearly tired, but the girl didn''t want to stop ying since she was having so much fun.


    "Then take a nap with me! And let me stay kitty too!" Miji pleaded for snuggles with her, and Akagi couldn''t say no to such a thing even if she wanted to.


    "How about I do you one better and we <i>all </i>take a nap together in the big bed?" Akagi looked over to Yumi, who was practically vibrating in anticipation.


    <i>{TWO KITTIES!} </i>(Yumi)


    "I-I w-wouldn''t be opposed." Yumi said while trying not to look <i>too </i>enthusiastic at the idea of nap time with the Catkagi and CatMiji.


    <i>{You''re not hiding your desires AT ALL Yumi...} </i>(Kana)


    "We''ll take a nap together?" Miji said as she clung to Akagi. "Me, you and sister?"


    "Yep!" Akagi smiled as Yumi was practically ready to bolt out the door with the two of them in her arms. "How about it, Yumi? Want to snuggle with the kitties?"


    <i>{MORE THAN YOU WILL EVER KNOW! LET''S GO ALREADY!} </i>(Yumi)


    "If you insist." Yumi said, again failing to hide her excitement.


    "MEW!" Miji and Akagi let out a mew together as they went upstairs and took a nap together. Miji was happily tucked between the two of them, embraced by those who loved her the most in this world.


    Spoiler


    Miji Has Floof!


    [copse]

 Chapter 286 – A Scandal in the White House.

    Chapter 286 ¨C A Scandal in the White House.


    "Alright, please let me know when the Israeli Ambassador arrives. I''ll be in the Oval." President Rosewood spoke to her secretary before closing the door behind her, entering the Oval Office and letting out a deep sigh. "I already have my hands full with the Far East, and now the Middle East might explode... <i>again." </i>It was alreadyte into the evening, and she was hoping to retire for the night, but as she knew all too well, there was no rest for the wicked.


    <i>{Why do things always need to be difficult?} </i>(Rosewood)


    "Sounds like you''re not having a very fun day." Akagi''s voice startled Rosewood, who couldn''t recognize it as she spoke in English rather than Japanese.


    "Who''s there?" Rosewood looked around the room, before watching the chair behind the resolute desk spin around slowly, revealing Yumi happily petting a fluffy Catkagi who was on herp.


    "Tis I! Lady Mew of the Mewpire!" Akagi snickered as her ears were floofed. "I havee to make the Earth a more fluffy ce, MEW!"


    "I give up..." Rosewood put her head in her hands in defeat. "And shouldn''t it be the other way around? Shouldn''t the evil viin be the one petting the cat?" She figured that Akagi had it backwards.


    <i>{And since when do you speak fluent English?} </i>(Rosewood)


    "Are you saying that Yumi isn''t evil?" Akagi puffed up her cheeks, disagreeing with her notion that Yumi wasn''t the perfect evil partner in crime. "I''ll have you know that Yumi is very evil! Like that one time where she didn''t put a new roll of toilet paper in the bathroom right before Kana went in. That was <i>very </i>evil!"


    <i>{THAT WAS ONE TIME AND YOU KNOW IT!} </i>(Yumi)


    "Ah yes, very evil indeed. Truly a war criminal that we need to lock in the Hague. Quick, somebody call the ICC and arrest this terrible woman." Rosewood rolled her eyes.


    <i>{I could go for a drink right about now...} </i>(Rosewood)


    "Aren''t you not part of that organization?" Akagiughed.


    "Please tell me that you didn''te all this way just to aggravate me..." Rosewood sighed, ignoring her question.


    "Would it be a problem if I did?" Akagi asked with a smile.


    "You do recall that I''m the President of the United States, right?" Rosewood shook her head. "Never mind... So what <i>did </i>youe here for? Does it have something to do with our <i>Special Operation?</i>" She''d heard reports that everything was on schedule and hoped that nost minute issues had popped up.


    "Nah." Akagi shook her head. "That''s already ready to go, and I''ve got nothing further to discuss about it." She''d just visited Seoul to make sure everything was ready, and the Operation would begin in the next few days.


    "Well, that''s good news I suppose." Rosewood walked over to the two of them. "But then that must mean that you''ve got some <i>other </i>issue that you needed to discuss with me."


    <i>{This one doesn''t do social calls really, so that means she''s here to cause me more trouble...} </i>(Rosewood)


    "Are you aware of what happened during my tournament?" Akagi asked about the incident the other day.


    "I was told that some group attacked you and something about that other world dering war on you." Rosewood nodded. "But that''s about all." There wasn''t much information to go off of beyond what Akagi had told the press and she couldn''t be bothered to dig further into Akagi''s matters.


    "That''s a decent summary, but let me give you the full details." Akagi proceeded to exin how the Gods were plotting a mass genocide of the Spirits and intended toe to Earth to save their own skin.


    "Yep... Great..." Rosewood groaned. "Just what I needed..."


    <i>{Literal Deities want to cause chaos on Earth... Fantastic... As if the arguments over the budget weren''t bad enough, now I have this...} </i>(Rosewood)


    "Well, I hope you haven''te for my help. I might have the world''s most powerful military at my disposal, but I don''t think <i>Gods</i> are going to care about cluster munitions." Rosewood shook her head.


    "Less asking for help and more <i>forewarning</i> you." Akagi continued. "There is a chance that I may end up fighting said Gods on Earth, so I''d like to at least tell people what''s going on." She figured letting people know to stay away from the massive explosions would be helpful.


    "Don''t tell me you want me to let the entire <i>world </i>know that you''re going to go toe-to-toe with literal <i>Gods</i>?" Rosewood asked with a raised eyebrow.


    "Meh." Akagi shrugged, not caring what she did with the information. "I just figured that it was best if somebody important knew what was going on when satellites start detecting explosions from orbit."


    <i>{You''re one of the few idiots I can trust not to fuck things up anyway.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Yeah... Thest time that happened you sent some of my analysts into a panic thinking somebody dropped a Nuke on your country." Rosewood had been informed that Halifax''s Supernova attack was so powerful that it registered on Earthquake monitors in California and was visible from space.


    "In her defense, it was a pretty sick kaboom." Akagi snickered.


    "Yes, and kitty likes kaboom!" Yumiughed as she pet Akagi on the head.


    "MEW!" Akagi meowed, and Rosewood just shook her head, not wanting toment on the fact that two people were flirting in the Oval Office.


    <i>{Though knowing what I know about past Administrations, people have done worse in here...} </i>(Rosewood)


    "Well, regardless, I''m thankful that you gave me a heads-up." Rosewood sighed. "But I''m not really sure what to do. I can''t exactly summon my Cab and tell them that <i>Gods </i>might descend on Earth and fight you."


    <i>{That would cause a number of problems...} </i>(Rosewood)


    "Just keep this info in the back of your head." Akagi hopped off Yumi''sp and walked around the desk, much to the Priestess''s displeasure.


    <i>{NO! I was away for so long! Give me more floof! Miji hogs you all the time!} </i>(Yumi)


    "If we''re lucky, then I handle things without issue, and the rest of the world won''t find out until my ns areplete." Akagi smiled. At this size, the <i>Demon </i>was barely taller than the desk next to her, and Rosewood couldn''t help but think that her cute appearance didn''t fit what she knew was within.


    <i>{Is the cute exterior suppose to make the subsequent evil deeds funny? Because I have a feeling that she''d do something stupid like meow in that form to wipe out an army...} </i>(Rosewood)


    "That a Catgirl is standing before the President of the United States in the Oval Office and telling me that she''s going to y Gods..." Rosewood shook her head. "No. No. No. I''m not going to think about it. I bet that''s what you want me to do and I won''t give you the satisfaction of making me more stressed."


    <i>{I''m on to you, cat.} </i>(Rosewood)


    "MEW!" Akagi meowed, neither confirming nor denying her im. "If you want, my ears are open for scratching." She lifted her head up closer to Rosewood. ¡°Come on, you know you want to.¡± She snickered as her ears flicked and twitched.


    "I''ll decline that offer." Rosewood said with a straight face. "I have a feeling that if I did that, then I''d be losing."


    "Don''t worry about that! Just pet the kitty!" Akagiughed.


    "I''m a dog person anyway." Rosewood shrugged. "Cats never really did it for me." She actually had a pet Border Collie named Muffin that was currently asleep in her room.


    "I can change into a dog-girl if that''s to your <i>taste</i>." Akagi snickered. "Yumi enjoys kitty mode, but I''ve been ying with a nice set of floppy ears from time to time.¡± She''d messed around with all sorts of appearances, though Catkagi was the clear winner among he friends.


    <i>{KITTY IS JUSTICE!} </i>(Yumi)


    "Please don''t..." Rosewood stuck out her hand to stop her before her self-restraint failed. "I think the world is better off without an American President giving ear scratches to another world leader."


    <i>{And if anyone found out...} </i>(Rosewood)


    "Alright, Alright." Akagi chuckled. "I won''t tempt you into <em>darkness</em>. But if you change your mind... MEW!" She snapped her fingers, and Yumi and her disappeared from the Oval Office.


    "Why do I get the feeling that I''ll be giving her exactly what she wants one day?" Rosewood sighed as she put her face into her hands. ¡°I need a fucking drink...¡±


    *KNOCK* KNOCK* *KNOCK*


    "Madam President, Ambassador Ashar has just arrived and will be here in a few minutes." Her Secretary knocked on one of the doors.


    <i>{Maybe Ashar will drink with me? Yeah right... He can''t hold his liquor worth a damn...} </i>(Rosewood)


    "Is he as angry as I expected?" Rosewood shook away Akagi''s antics and prepared to get to work.


    "If by angry you mean <i>livid</i>, then yes..." The Secretary sighed, noting that said Ambassador''s ears were described as being bright red.


    "Just what I needed..." Rosewood sighed, and a few minutester, a very angry Israeli Ambassador stormed into the Oval Office. There had been a series of terrorist attacks throughout his country throughout the night, and he demanded to know what the United States was going to do in response.


    With her usual calm demeanor, Rosewood talked Ambassador Ashar down from his fury and assured him that she and her administration would help in any way that she could but cautioned that American forces <i>would not </i>be deployed in or near Israel in response to these attacks. The two nations had once had very close diplomatic, military, and economic ties, but due to a series of diplomatic disputes and a general change in U.S. foreign policy over thest thirty years, that connection was starting to strain.


    In the end, Ambassador Ashar left the White House disappointed and irritated but was ultimately forced to ept that his nation couldn''t rely on American military power to solve this problem. Rosewood subtly tried to hint that she''d be willing to offer additional aid if his government restarted some stalled diplomatic talks but she got little more than vague promises.


    "Alright, I hope that I can finally get some rest tonight." Rosewood sat on the couch in her room, pouring herself a ss of whiskey, her dog Muffin curled up on his bed in the corner of the room.


    "You could''ve saved yourself a lot of trouble if you just kicked that idiot out of here." Birdy said, appearing behind her.


    "I thought I told you that sneaking into my..." Rosewood shook her head, not wanting to get into it again. "Never mind. You''re going to give either me, the Secret Service, or <i>both</i> a heart attack one of these days."


    <i>{I swear this girl just enjoys messing with me.} </i>(Rosewood)


    "At least I''m not sneaking into any of your more sensitive areas." Birdy hopped over the couch and poured a ss of her own. "Think of this aspensation for all the help I''ve been giving." She winked. Birdy had been all over the United States in her short time in the country. It had be quickly apparent that she wasn''t particrly affected by most weapons in the American arsenal, even some that it was assumed would work.


    "While I appreciate your help with lifting very heavy objects around, I''m not sure that entitles you to just appear in the President''s private room as you wish." Rosewood side-eyed her. "It''s starting to give people the wrong idea."


    "Bah!" Birdy waved her concern off. "If people have an issue with their President enjoying thepany of another person, then they can shove it!" She winked.


    "When you say it like that..." Rosewood groaned, hating this part of her personality. "Do you have any idea how many staffers are getting questions about whether the President is dating a girl over ten years younger than her?!?"


    <i>{A reporter brought it up during one of my press conferences! I saw somebody saying that I''m being honey-trapped when don''t even swing that way!} </i>(Rosewood)


    "Well, you''re not so..." Birdy snickered. "Though I might be willing to if you insisted." She winked, and Rosewood wasn''t entirely sure if the rainbow haired girl was joking or not.


    "You''re just as bad as your master." Rosewood groaned as she took a sip. ¡°All you do is cause people stress...¡±


    "Well, I might have picked up a <i>few</i> of her bad habits." Birdy chuckled as the two drank together.

 Chapter 287 – Onee-chan… Where’s North Korea?

    Chapter 287 ¨C Onee-chan¡­ Where¡¯s North Korea?


    *TAP* *TAP* *TAP* *TAP*


    "You''ve been staring at your phone for quite a while." Yumi said as she slowly hugged Akagi from behind. "Are you worried about the mission?"


    "No. To be honest, what''s about to happen here is of little concern to me." Akagi said as she continued looking over photos and other documents. ¡°Besides, I know that you and the others can handle things.¡±


    Yumi slid around so that she could see what Akagi was looking at on her phone, noting that it was a collection of documents that detailed what was within Naomi''s family collection. "That vault was quite something, and you were like a kid in a candy store as you zipped around it." She giggled.


    "It''s the singlergest collection of Earth''s magical relics and documents that we''vee across." Akagi slid her phone into her pocket as she threw an arm around Yumi. "I won''t deny that it was cool, but I was hoping that it would have something more..." She paused. Akagi and the others were hoping that the Tokugawa vault would have additional information on what happened to Shima and Taichi. However, after examining <i>everything </i>including documents that went into details about n activity and special techniques, they only answer they coulde up with brought little satisfaction. The<em>Demon</em>was able to figure out that they were most likely brainwashed via a special family technique, but there was nothing about the why or how to undo it.


    <i>{Does it even matter what happened or why? Even if both of them... Even if they were brainwashed by the family... That doesn''t mean I can forget everything... Kana still thinks reconciliation is possible... But... I can''t... My hatred for them runs deep... and at this point...} </i>(Akagi)


    "It''s just as much a part of me as being a Demon Lord is." Akagi''s words were practically a whisper, and even Yumi didn''t catch them.


    "Are you ok?" Yumi asked as she hugged her again. "You seem tense."


    "I just want to get things over with here so that we can move on to the <i>real</i> threat." Akagi moved Yumi away as she looked out of the massive window and down onto the glowing and busy streets of Seoul. "It''s truly a beautiful city." She said as the neon lights reflected in her eyes. "Perhaps we shoulde here for a little vacation? I''ve heard there are all kinds of nice ces to eat." She recalled some stories of good Korean food.


    "Chloe''s team sure seems to think so." Yumi giggled as she stood beside her. "Though I think Kimichi might be a bit too much for the beastkin''s noses." Many were turned off by it and a few even hissed at the pungent smell.


    "Yeah... The first time I hated it, I nearly heaved when I smelled it." Akagiughed. "The time is almost here... Just a bit longer..."


    "Who''d''ve thought a Demon Lord would be the one to solve a century-old conflict?" Yumi chuckled.


    "What can I say?" Akagi rubbed her on the head. "Rosewood knew just how to push my buttons." Her lips twisted into a wily smile. After tonight''s events, the world would be a little different, all thanks to one Demon Lord''s inability to turn down a challenge.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Kana POV>


    "Last night, at approximately 1 am Korean Time, thebined forces of South Korea, the United States, and the People''s Republic of China crossed into North Korea from the DMZ and along the Yalu River." The Reporter Kirika was on the ground in Seoul, courtesy of Akagi, and was reporting on the joint operation between a coalition of nations, which resulted in theplete copse of the North Korean regime. "Preliminary reports say that North Korean soldiers either surrendered in mass or were found sleeping at their posts. Some are specting that magic was involved, but so far, all three nations are denying the use of such methods." She continued. "An emergency session of the United Nations has been called, but shockingly the Russian Ambassador has apuded the joint operation and called for the South Korean government to swiftly take control over the rest of the Korean penins. Inside sources im that the Russian President held secret talks with the other allied powers, but as of yet, we cannot confirm what if any involvement the Russian Federation had. Though with its direct border with North Korea and close rtionship with China, it is unlikely that they were unaware of the impending invasion. South Korean President Lee Jong-Joon will be hosting a press conference momentarily, so hopefully we will get more answers. Back to you Narumon."


    The program then switched to another reporter who spoke with a small panel about events.


    "Onee-chan!" Kana called out for her sister, who appeared next to her.


    "You rang?" Akagi said.


    "What did you do to North Korea?" Kana squinted, ring at the sister that she knew just overthrew a government.


    "Whatever could you mean?" Akagi feigned ignorance, but Kana wasn''t going to buy her lies.


    "You know what you did." Kana pointed at her usingly. "I suppose this <i>is </i>for the better. But you took a serious risk by acting like this! What if they shot off Nukes?!?" The North Koreans had arge stockpile of nuclear weapons, and their constant tests in the Sea of Japan showed that they could and <i>would </i>use them if needed.


    "It''s not like they could''ve anyway." Akagi shrugged. "My people infiltrated the country, found all theunch sites, and then disabled everything and anything that could be used in such a manner. Heck, Chloe''s team was so efficient that she even managed to shut down their conventional forces as well. Though that was actually pretty easy due to most of them being little more than conscripted and starving peasants." She gave a tee-hee-pero.


    <i>{DON''T JUST TEE-HEE-PERO AWAY AN ENTIRE COUNTRY! EVEN IF IT''S CUTE AS HELL!} </i>(Kana)


    "I know those ninjas have all kinds of magic, but can they really disarm and paralyze an entire nation?!?" Kana knew they were versatile, but was surprised to learn they could do something sorge andplex.


    "You have our resident red-haired kitty to thank for that." Akagiughed as she flopped into a seat. "She and Hikari put together a n in conjunction with five eyes intel and used both Chinese and South Korean spies to take out the entire system in rapid session."


    "Eh?" Kana squeaked in surprised. "But! But Chloe! She''s..."


    "Not stupid, Kana." Akagi rolled her eyes as she kicked her feet onto the living room table. "As much of a goofy dope as she is, that cat has a knack for things like this." She pulled her Kiseru out of inventory and lit it. "Remember, Chloe <i>is </i>my student." She chuckled as she took a hit.


    "Did... Did she really do that all on her own?" Kana was still surprised.


    "She had her team, and Hikari is an excellent little ninja, but yeah. I had no real part in this, and Yumi was basically just around for advice and to keep things moving in a timely fashion." Akagi nodded, letting out a puff. "Think of this as the kitty''s first real test. I needed to see just how well she could handle something thisplex, and she went and <i>exceeded</i> my expectations." She smiled, proud of her student.


    <i>{Extra ear scratches are in order!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Huh..." Kana knew that Chloe was a skilled ninja but didn''t expect her to be able to do something soplex. "You did mention that she used to run things in FWO, but I just assumed that her limits were somewhere along the lines of ambushing soldiers."


    "If that''s all you think my n can do..." Akagi let out another puff. "Then you''ve much to learn, Kana." She smirked. "Thanks to Imp and Imperial, I''ve outfitted them with some very nice gear. Combine that with a few bits of modern technology, and you''ve got one hell of a powerful Special Forces team."


    "I guess that means that Chloe and the others are the Tip of the Spear." Kana lightly chuckled.


    "Chloe actually met some of those Delta Force guys during the nning, and it was quite funny to watch so many grown men get thrown around like rag dolls." Akagiughed.


    "Well, she has magic, so..." Kana figured that was an unfair fight.


    "Even without it, she still kicked their ass." Akagi corrected her. "Beastkin are naturally stronger than humans, but the Ondai n are absolute <i>masters</i> of CQC, and as a dedicated n of assassins they were trained to use their body as a weapon if it came down to it."


    "Yeah... Chloe still kicks my ass during training." Kana gave a wry smile. She was still practicing with the ninja, but, so far, she was nowhere near strong enough to give Chloe anything close to a challenge.


    "Part of the problem is that you''re holding back." Akagi said, holding her Kiseru off to the side.


    "I''m not?" Kana tilted her head, confused by her sister''s words. "I''ve always been giving it my all during our sparring matches."


    <i>{I don''t hold back, ever.} </i>(Kana)


    "I mean that you''re pulling a Hishya and allowing your own mind to keep you down." Akagi tapped the side of her head. "I can see it during our sparring matches. You''re subconsciously rejecting your power, the same way Hishya did."


    "Am I?" Kana thought for a moment. "I''m not really sure how to tell... I won''t lie that gaining magic power is a lot, especially with <i>how </i>I got it. But..." She wasn''t sure if she was having the same problem as Hishya.


    "You know how I can tell?" Akagi''s eyes locked with her sister''s. "Because you still have one blue eye during training."


    "I thought that was just an indicator!" Kana figured it meant little beyond just showing her use of magic.


    "Yeah, it <i>indicates</i> that you''re <i>using</i> your power." Akagi continued. "And the fact that <i>one </i>of your eyes is staying the same tells me that you''re not essing <i>all</i> of your power. Not to mention that I can detect just how much you have, Kana, and it''s a whole lot more than what you''ve been using." She estimated that her dormant power was substantial, though the exact amount was undetermined as of now.


    <i>{I... I have more power?} </i>(Kana)


    "I would advise breaking down those mental blocks and getting to grips with your full power." Akagi slowly stood up, not taking her eyes off her sister. "Better to do so now, rather than regret not having it when you need it most." She vanished in a ck puff, leaving Kana alone with her thoughts.


    "This power..." Kana pulled out a small hand mirror and held it up to her face. "Am I afraid of it? Of what it might do to me?" She allowed her power to flow through her body, her right eye changing color.


    <i>{Or am I afraid of throwing thatst bit of normalcy away... Unlike Onee-chan... I don''t want to stop being human...} </i>(Kana)

 Chapter 288 – The Great Snuggle Protest.

    Chapter 288 ¨C The Great Snuggle Protest.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    The Invasion Begins Next!


    "WHAT DO WE WANT?!?" A Catkagi that was standing on stacked boxes called out to a massive crowd of other rowdy Catkagi.


    "SNUGGLES!" (Catkagi crowd)


    "WHEN DO WE WANT THEM?!?" (Box Catkagi)


    "NYAOW!" The Catkagi crowd continued the chant as Hishya looked on inplete confusion.


    "What the <i>fuck</i> is going on?" Hishya sighed as she watched the stupid scene of one group of Catkagi protesting around the main house of the estate while <i>another </i>group of Catkagi held them back, dressed as riot police.


    <i>{Did I die and go to fucking craznd?!? Oh wait, Dumetor IS craznd...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Ok, Akagi." Hishya grabbed a nearby Catkagi by the shoulder and spun it around. "What the hell are you doing?"


    <i>{AND WHY DO I KNOW THIS IS ABOUT SOMETHING STUPID?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    "We are dismantling this oppressive establishment which refuses to respect our fundamental rights!" The Catkagi said with passion in her eyes. ¡°We shall tear it down board by board! Painting the streed red with the blood of the oppressors!¡±


    "Ok... And what might those ''rights'' be?" Hishya was holding back the urge to face-palm.


    "Those foolish oppressors dared to take away our snuggle time!" The Catkagi exined the injustices that they''d been subjected to. "The Evil Demon Princess conspired with the Magical Girl and the Shoguness to deny any future snuggles!" She pointed to the Catkagi protesters who were burning effigies of the girls. "We shall make them understand the error of their ways! We are the working Catkagi! And we demand our rightful snuggles!"


    <i>{Yeah... I understand what''s going on even less now...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Well, maybe I can go talk some sense into them?" Hishya figured that going to the girls in question would yeild more answers than speaking to the crazy cat.


    "You will likely not be able to enter the Pce. Those disgusting pigs beat any who attempt to enter!" The Catkagi told tales of innocent Catkagi protesters being beaten with clubs.


    <i>{Is this considered self-harm? Should Akagi get help? Wait, who am I kidding, there''s not a shrink alive qualified enough to handle that mess...} </i>(Hishya)


    "You know what, I''ll give it a try anyway." Hishya sighed as she made her way through the crowd, taking note of <i>several </i>burning police vans that the Catkagi had tipped over. "Where did she even get those? Never mind, never mind..." As she reached the front of the protest group she came face to face with a group of Catkagi wearing riot gear.


    "Get back!" A riot Catkagi smacked a Catkagi protester with its club. "Back I say! Don''t make me get out the taser!"


    "Nice to see thew enforcement in Dumetor is just as militarized as elsewhere." Hishya rolled her eyes as she attempted to move past the police line.


    "Hey! You can''t pass!" A riot Catkagi blocked her path, threatening her with an electrified club. "We were told to let no one but the negotiator enter, so back off!" She wiggled her baton at Hishya.


    "Ah yes, the <i>Negotiator</i>. We''ll that would be me." Hishya figured that this was exactly what Akagi wanted her to say and was correct as she was quickly allowed past the police line.


    <i>{Why is my friend so fucking dumb... And why do I actually find this funny?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    Once she was inside the house, she quickly found Kana sitting on the couch, her face red from embarrassment while Mika and Naomi were struggling to breathe fromughing.


    "S-She actually... Oh fucking god!" Mika was wheezing on the couch.


    "I-I can''t breathe!" Naomi fell to the floorughing.


    "ITS NOT FUNNY!" Kana yelled at herughing friends. "Onee-chan is embarrassing me!"


    "Well, to be fair, this <i>is</i> your fault." Yumi said. She was duck tapped to a chair while some kind of special forces Catkagi watched over her.


    "So this <i>was </i>your doing." Hishya sighed as she walked into the living room, past theughing idiots. "What did you do this time?"


    <i>{Why is it when Akagi is doing stupid things that 99% of the time its one of these four that cause it?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    "S-She thought it would be funny to dere an end to all petting for Akagi." Naomi said as she struggled to get to her feet.


    ¡°Y-Yeah! Kana decided to end all pets!¡± Mika said while barely holding it together.


    "I THOUGHT SHE WOULD JUST GO DO SOMETHING SILLY! NOT START A RIOT!" Kana yelled.


    <i>{WHY ME?!?} </i>(Kana)


    "Well, this <i>is </i>kind of silly if you think about it." Hishya shook her head. "You have Akagi split into police and protesters demanding an end to the oppressive evil of the Demon Princess. Why are you even surprised at this point? Akagi does stupider things on the regr, and since this is her we''re talking about why would you even try something like this?" She could hear minor explosions and cheers outside as police fired tear gas into the crowd.


    <i>{Did you learn nothing from the cheese?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    "I don''t even know why I bother sometimes..." Kana hung her head. "I wanted to have a bit of fun and tease Onee-chan... Why did I think this would end any other way?"


    <i>{Book smart,mon sense stupid...} </i>(Hishya)


    "By the way, why is Yumi tied up?" Hishya thought it was strange that the Priestess was restrained.


    "This instigator tried getting through the blockade in an attempt to harm the VIPs." The Special Forces Catkagi said. ¡°We couldn''t risk her harming anyone so we used the most powerful adhesive force known to Cat.¡±


    "Meaning that I tried to get the three of them to give in before things got out of hand." Yumi sighed.


    "You got swept up in Akagi''s stupidity, didn''t you?" Hishya figured that Yumi was sucked into Akagi''s antics and probably did some protesting of her own.


    <i>{I''m picturing her with some kind of picket sign and shooting off res...} </i>(Hishya)


    "She''s the one that burned that car out front." Mika said as she tried to stopughing. "She screamed that we would all suffer for our tyranny and that she''d see our heads roll."


    "I-I was only ying my part!" Yumi huffed. "Plus, it was funny."


    <i>{Nice to see that she and Akagi share the same fucking brain cell.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Alright, so, how about you three just end things by turning back on the pets." Hishya pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation. "Otherwise, Akagi might ramp things up if you keep holding out." She figured that thing would only get worse until Akagi got her way.


    "But then that rewards her basically throwing a temper tantrum!" Kana eximed. ¡°If we give in now then there''s not telling how much worse she''ll get!


    <i>{I think its already toote for that, Kana...} </i>(Mika)


    "If you think <i>this </i>is a temper tantrum, then you''d better hope you never see a real one." Hishya shook her head. "<i>This </i>is just your sister messing around forughs. Don''t forget that she''s simultaneously ying the fucking police and the rioters at the same time. If she really wanted to cause a stink, she''d bust in here and start tickling you all to death or something." She figured that Akagi was just y at this point, and that this was merely her memeing.


    "Please don''t wish that upon us..." Kana sighed. "Fine... Not like I was going to actually stop spoiling her anyway." She looked at the Special Forces Catkagi. "Are you happy now? You can call off all the nonsense."


    <i>{I swear I''m going to get you back for this! What was that food you always hated?!? Because I''m going to force feed it to you!} </i>(Kana)


    "Apologize mam, but the crowd might not be willing to return to the status quo." The Special Forces Catkagi shook its head. "They''ve gotten far too violent and angry to be disbursed with just your words. There''s a chance that they might-" She paused as a message came through its ear, and an explosion went off out front that shook the building.


    "What the hell was that?!?" Kana asked in a panic.


    "Looks like counter-protesters have arrived, and a street brawl has erupted." The Special Forces Catkagi moved to the window where Hishya could see dozens of picket signs that said phrases like: Down with Snuggles: Snuggles Keep the Working Catkagi Down and: Catkagi Against Snuggles.


    "Why is this getting so realistic?!?" Hishya groaned. "Akagi, just call it off... <i>please</i>..."


    "I''m so d that I came over today." Mika giggled.


    "Yeah, this was definitely better than doing summer homework." Naomiughed.


    "It''s not funny!" Kana eximed.


    "Yes, it is!" (Naomi x Mika)


    Outside hundreds of Catkagi engaged in hand-to-handbat, with dozens being killed and many more wounded. The police chose to watch on as the two sides bloodied each other, and Hishya greatly enjoyed watching the carnage from the window.


    "Yeah! Knock that bitches'' lights out!" Hishya cheered on the violence as she watched from the window. "OH SHIT! Did you see that?!? One did a German Suplex!" Her eyes sparkled as she watched the Catkagi bash their heads in.


    <i>{AND IN COMES CATKAGI WITH THE STEEL CHAIR!} </i>(Hishya)


    "Shouldn''t you be doing something about this?" Kana asked with a sigh.


    <i>{Aren''t you supposed to be the responsible one?} </i>(Kana)


    "Nah, this has gotten far too interesting now." Hishya snickered.


    <i>{Why must my girlfriend be just as bad as my sister...} </i>(Kana)


    "Onee-chan..." Kana walked over and put her hand on the Special Forces Catkagi''s shoulder. "What''s it going to take to stop all this?" She asked, defeated.


    "Hmmm." The Special Forces Catkagi thought for a moment before whispering something into Kana''s ear.


    "I-I hate you... fine... you win..." Kana groaned as she gave into Akagi''s demands.


    "A pleasure doing business with you." The Special Forces Catkagi melted away, and the normal form of Akagi took its ce as the different Catkagi outside disappeared.


    <i>{Darn, it was only a few more seconds until that one exploded...} </i>(Hishya)


    "It would seem that the siege of the Dumetor Pce has ended. There were many casualties in the fighting that took ce outside, and in theing days and months we will see just how many innocent Catkagi lives were lost as a result of the tyranny of the Demon Princess." Hishyaughed as she turned to Kana. ¡°How will she make amends for all the violence that she caused?¡±


    "I hate you..." Kana sighed as she took a seat on the couch.


    "What was the price for ending things?" Mika looked at Akagi, dying to know what Kana was going to have to do.


    "This." Akagi snapped her fingers, causing Kana to grow ck cat ears and a tail. They were an illusion, but just like what she''d done with Miji, these extra parts would look, act, and feel like the real thing.


    "ITS SO CUTE!" Hishya dove onto her, now kitty, girlfriend. "THIS IS AMAZING! AKAGI YOU''RE THE BEST!" She started petting and rubbing Kana''s ears while the poor girl tried to wiggle away helplessly. ¡°KANA HAS GONE FLOOFY!¡±


    <i>{EEEEEEEEE!} </i>(Hishya)


    "A fitting punishment." Naomi nodded in approval as she scratched Kana''s ears.


    "This one''s totally going on my socials." Mika took a picture.


    "DELETE THAT!" Kana hissed as she was forcefully pet and snuggled by Hishya. "AND HISHYA GET OFF ME!"


    <i>{Since when are you this interested in cat-girls?!?} </i>(Kana)


    "No!" Hishya declined. "I will take this opportunity! You''re far too cute to let this chance slip away!"


    <i>{CAT-KANA IS LOVE CAT-KANA IS LIFE!} </i>(Hishya)


    "And now for the finale!" Akagi leaped into the air,nding next to Kana in Catkagi mode. "MEW!" She let out a cute mew as she was pet by Mika. ¡°Now, say the line, Kana.¡± Akagi snickered.


    "M-Mew~." Kana gave a said meow as she was defeated.


    <i>{Why did I ever imagine that this would end well for me...} </i>(Kana)


    Spoiler


    [copse]

 Chapter 289 – Over There!

    Chapter 289 ¨C Over There!


    "All systems-devices, ready to go-go! Power cores-energy crystals nominal-okay!" Imp cackled as she started pulling a bunch of levels and pushed buttons on a control panel. She and Imperial worked double time to get the gate between Enoris and Earth working, and after a bit of testing with Omara, they were confident that everything was working as intended. "Just need power-kaboom!" Imp made an explosion sound effect.


    "So how the hell are you going to even give your power to this thing anyway?" Hishya asked. She and a small group of yers, which included Zephiria, Superbia, and Munechika, as well as Silfana and the girls, hade to see Akagi off.


    "Like this." Akagi took the ck Sunrise out of her inventory and made a quick sh in the empty space within the dormant gate. Her single sh left what looked like a tear in the <i>fabric of reality,</i> which Imp and Imperialtched onto with their technology and tore open into arge swirling blue portal. "Annnnnd it''s back." She snickered as she quickly recovered all the power she''d just expended.


    "I figured that connecting two worlds would take a lot more power than that!" Hishya retorted. "Shouldn''t you be exhausted or something?!?"


    <i>{And shouldn''t that have been a bit more drawn out and special?!? Like, where is the hype?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    "What? With <i>that</i> small expenditure." Akagiughed. ¡°All I did was empty a single cup worth of power?¡±


    "Ah yes, forgive me. I forgot for a moment that you''re a fucking <i>gag</i> <i>character</i> that has no limits..." Hishya pinched the bridge of her nose.


    <i>{Stupid cat...} </i>(Hishya)


    "At this rate, Onee-chan is going to start squishing and stretching like one of those American Cartoon characters." Kana sighed as Akagi pulled out a carrot and started chewing on it while saying the famous catchphrase of a certain cartoon rabbit.


    "Oh god... Don''t give her any ideas!" Hishya poked her girlfriend in the side. "She''s already trouble enough as it is, and I don''t need her getting <i>worse.</i>"


    <i>{I had to chase her around the house this morning because she took my sock and ran away with it, and Mika found it fucking HYSTERICAL!} </i>(Hishya)


    "Is everything looking stable, Imp?" Akagi turned to the mad scientist, who replied with a thumbs up.


    "Go-Go!" Imp cackled. ¡°WOOSH!¡±


    "Then we shouldn''t dally any longer." Akagi looked to Yumi, Halifax, and Amakusa. "You three will be with me. ording to Halifax, our first order of business should be to speak with Princess Rebeckah and contact riel." She could tell that Halifax had no desire to meet with the Goddess but knew that it was the best way to get a grasp on the current situation on Enoris.


    <i>{I suppose we''ll need to address her issues with mommy dearest ASAP. I just hope she''s ready for what''s going to happen, since riel is anything BUT exempt from my displeasure.} </i>(Akagi)


    "That would be the best idea. Rebeckah should be in the Imperial Pce, and once we arrive I''ll send her a message with a familiar." Halifax continued. "She''s not expecting my return, so I can imagine that she''ll want to meet with us urgently, and so will riel for that matter. Especially after a <i>certain somebody </i>sent those Heroes packing." She figured that the Gods were currently in panic mode due to the Heroes being defeated.


    <i>{Gale is far too calm and logical to let that setback get him flustered, but the others on the other hand...} </i>(Halifax)


    "Why are you even going to meet with this Goddess anyway?" Hishya asked. "I figured you''d just kick in the door to whatever ce these assholes call home and start the culling." She''d wanted to go with but Akagi told her that simply burning the world to a crisp was off the table, at least for now.


    "The thought did cross my mind, but if things on Enoris are as I suspect directly slicing a hole from the material ne into whatever ce the Gods reside may cause even further structural problems." Akagi crossed her arms in an X. "I''ll know more once we arrive, but if Enoris is truly copsing on a fundamental level, it would be a very bad idea for me to go around poking it. Otherwise, it might just pop like a balloon." She summoned an inted balloon and popped it with a small pin.


    <i>{And you opening a hole in reality like this DIDN''T cause that issue?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    "Can''t you just take her to the Gods then?" Amakusa asked Halifax, assuming that the literal Divine de had some kind of way to go home. "You''re a de forged by them and were in that realm many times. Don''t you have ess?"


    <i>{Or at least a macguffin we can go get?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "No, I don''t." Halifax shook her head. "I was always brought there by riel or another one of the Gods. I myself have no way to traverse between worlds. Whether that be the Heavenly Realm or into the Hells, I needed to either find an existing portal or find a being that could open up a connection to such ces." Such transportation <i>was </i>something that she''d requested many times in the past, but riel always refused, citing a list of reasons that Halfiax was sure were bunk.


    <i>{Would be REEAAAAL nice to have that portal crest I asked for...} </i>(Halifax)


    "Ah don''t worry about it.¡± Akagi waved away their concerns. ¡°We''ll figure it out once we get on the ground." She turned to Chloe and herrge contingent of ninjas. The <i>Demon</i> pulled <i>everyone </i>back from operations around the world in preparation for her counter-invasion of Enoris, and the red cat would be in charge of intel gathering. "Chloe, I presume that you understand your mission?"


    "Yes, myaster!" Chloe saluted, as did the rest of the ninja. "We''ll set up base near the gate and then start gathering information rted to any surviving Spirits." She was going to focus mostly on infiltration and Akagi was primarily hoping to use them to gauge the political situation on Enoris as well as find the missing Spirits.


    "Good." Akagi pat her on the head, causing the cat to coo. "Just use caution and don''t do anything too risky. At the end of the day, <i>your</i> lives matter more to me than that of any Spirits you might save. So get me as much information as possible, but remember that <i>all </i>of you areing home with me. Got it?" She was worried that the ninja might get in over their head, especially if Gods started getting involved.


    <i>{The ninja are far more powerful than they used to be... Butpared to literal Gods...} </i>(Akagi)


    "We won''t let you down, myaster!" Chloe said with a serious expression.


    ¡°Do not worry, My Lord.¡± Kira put her hand over her heart as she bowed. She was wearing a slightly different outfit than normal and Kana and the girls thought it was simr to ck Company''s though a bit thicker. ¡°If anything should happen then I''ll step in.¡± While it was debatable whether Chloe had eclipsed the Half-Dragon by this point, Kira was far and away one of Akagi''s most powerful subordinates if one didn''t count Silfana.


    "Excellent. I hope you don''t need to do much other than guard the gateway, but if anything happens I''ll leave things in your capable hands." Akagi nodded.


    ¡°I would never dream of failing you.¡± Kira saluted her. ¡°The Spirits will be brought home, safe and sound. You have my word.¡± She''d been waiting for the perfect chance to show off her power and to prove her value to Akagi, and Kira was going to give this operation her all.


    "Chloe, I''m authorizing you to takemand of my forces while I''m away. You may use any and all means necessary to secure the safety of any Spirits you maye across or to save the lives of our nsmen, and if anyone gets in your way... <i><b>Don''t hesitate to eliminate</b></i><b> </b><i><b>them</b></i>." Her voice distorted for a moment before returning to normal.


    <i>{I''ll burn a thousand worlds to cinders before I allow one of my people to die. If anyone dares to try and take them from me...} </i>(Akagi)


    "With pleasure!" Chloe''s lips curved into a nasty grin. One that told the other yers that the cat was going to enjoy herself.


    "Alright, then we have one more thing to deal with before we begin." Akagi grabbed Yumi''s hand which startled the Priestess and made her blush. "Once we step across that threshold, I want you glued to me."


    "Eh?" Yumi squeaked as she was pulled into a tight hug.


    <i>{UNEXEPECTED, BUT VERY WELCOME, HUGS?!?} </i>(Yumi)


    "I... How is that any different from normal?" Hishya said her thoughts aloud. "You and Yumi are basically attached at the hip, so this will change nothing."


    <i>{I bet you just want another excuse for pets!} </i>(Hishya)


    "She''s right. I''ll be right here beside you, just like always." Yumi was embarrassed by Akagi''s tight grip but felt it nice to be held so tightly, so she did not object.


    ¡°I mean that my little Squishy and I are will not be separating <i>AT ALL</i>." Akagi raised her voice slightly. "I''m not taking any chances here. We''re walking into a hostile area with Gods that can and will do anything to fuck with me." She looked down at Yumi. "Naturally, that extends to <i>you</i>, and lest you forget my little Squishy <i>YOU </i>are the primary reason I don''t go fucking crazy." She gave a wry smile.


    "Then leave her here!" Hishya practically yelled. "If you''re that worried about her, then why the hell are you taking her with you?!?" She thought it was stupid that Yumi was going in the first ce since there was more danger to her safety on Enoris than on Earth. "I''ll keep an eye on her, so don''t worry about somebody stupid acting up here on Earth."


    <i>{Thest thing we need is you going crazy because something happened to your little idiot!} </i>(Hishya)


    "You see, I <i>would</i> be inclined to do exactly that..." Akagi shook her head. "But... Tell me... What happens if while I''m on Enoris, the gate <i>fails</i>?" She posed an important question.


    "You''d be stuck there." Kana said with a tinge of fear in her voice. This was something that had worried her ever since Akagi exined that she''d be traveling to a different world. Kana was afraid that either the machine would fail or that a yer or some other actor would break the machinery to trap her sister. Imp and Imperial exined that it was made out of material that would survive a Nuke and that heavy security would be deployed on both ends to protect it, but that didn''t make her fears go away entirely.


    "Yeah, I would be." Akagi nodded. "Now, and follow me on this, what do you think will happen if I''m suddenly cut off from my Bonded Soul here? Potentially for a <i>very </i>long time."


    <i>{2+2 = ?} </i>(Akagi)


    "You''d... go... crazy..." A light bulb came on in Hishya''s mind as she realized how bad that would be.


    <i>{She''d revert to being feral and probably start killing everyone in a rampage. Hell, by the time she''d get back to Earth, there might not be much of Akagi left in there...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Bingo! You win the prize!" Akagi smiled. "I may have kicked away that instinctualpulsion for destruction, but at the end of the day, I''m still a mentally unstable Demon Lord. If you take away an important pir, like Yumi, then the most likely oue is I fall back on my instincts." She was still a Demon Lord on the inside, and as she told Halifax, that part of her was closer to the surface than most would think. "Hence, I''m not taking any chances. At the very least, if I''m stuck on Enoris with Yumi, then I''ll be able to calmly figure out a solution rather than freaking out and going insane." She figured it might take decades to get back, though that time would go down if she started being a bit more <i>forceful </i>with her searches.


    "But then that would mean that..." Kana slowly stopped speaking as she realized what her sister meant.


    "I have no intention of letting anything like that happen." Akagi tried to reassure her that everything would be ok. "Worst case scenario, I''ll carve my way <i>out </i>of Enoris and manually find my way back to Earth. Though that would be anything <i>but </i>quick."


    <i>{Even with a rough idea of its location, there''s no telling how many years such a journey could take. Things like that are why I''m leaving Superbia, Hishya, and Zephiria to handle security.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Oh yeah, and one final thing." Akagi swung around and looked directly at Amakusa. "<i>Pet</i>, I have <i>orders</i> for you." Her words caused the Samurai girl to tense.


    "I''ll do whatever you want, master!" Amakusa replied happily, which caused the rest of the audience tough nervously. What Akagi had done to the wayward Hero was well known among the small group of yers that spent time at the estate, with most finding it a fitting punishment, albeit still <i>horrifying</i>.


    "Your mission, which you have no choice but to ept, is that if there is ever a situation where I am not around or am otherwise unable to help. YOU are to do everything in your power to keep Yumi safe." Akagi gave her orders. "That includes giving your own life, do you understand?"


    "Of course! I''d do anything for you, master! If ending my life is needed to save Lady Yumi, then I won''t hesitate." Amakusa said before returning to normal. She knew that it was pointless toin to Akagi about such treatment, and figured that it was best to do what she could to ensure that it didn''te down to it.


    "Jeez..." Hishya sighed.


    <i>{That''s... Yeah that''s fair.} </i>(Hishya)


    "The <i>pet''s</i> life is mine to do with as I wish. Better that <i>she </i>die than Yumi." Akagi turned to the portal. "Are you three ready to start our wonderful and wacky adventure that involves the power of friendship and killing Gods?!?¡± Sheughed.


    <i>{I''m gonna imagine the power of friendship will be in the minority here... Probably more bloodletting and death than anything else.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Yeah." Amakusa said with a sigh., ignoring the <i>Demon''s</i> extraments.


    "I never thought I''d be going back... So let''s end this farce." Halifax nodded, also ignoring Akagi''s embellishments.


    <i>{Killjoys...} </i>(Akagi)


    "You know that I''d go anywhere with you." Yumi giggled. "But yeah, let''s end this."


    <i>{Those Gods... Their actions gave me this happiness... But they still need to pay for all the pain they caused.} </i>(Yumi)


    ¡°Then, lets go!¡± Akagi and the four of them moved toward the portal together, but just as they were about to enter, Hishya called out to Akagi.


    "Akagi! Go kick some ass!" Hishya continued. "But... But don''t go forgetting who you are, OK? You''re not a monster... So, please... Don''t go acting like one..."


    <i>{Just... Come back as the idiot cat that you are... please...} </i>(Hishya)


    "I will do what I must, Hishya..." Akagi said with a smile on her lips. "But... Just because you asked so nicely... I''ll try my best..." She gave a Demonicugh as the four of them walked into the gate together, disappearing from view.


    "There she goes..." Kana leaned on Hishya.


    "She''ll be ok." Mika put her hand on Kana''s shoulder. "This is Akagi we''re talking about. She''ll be back before you know it!" Akagi actually had ever intention of returning before things were settled so it wouldn''t be long until she came back anyway.


    "Yeah. It''s gonna be ok." Naomi smiled.


    "Knowing Akagi, she''ll be back and in cat mode in a few days!" Zephiriaughed.


    "Hey, the longer this whole mission takes the more we get paid." Superbiaughed as she leaned against the wall. "I don''t mind if she takes a bit to wrap things up. I could use a nice little vacation." She and her sister would be the primary defenders of the Earth end of the portal while Silfana, Kira, and Zephiria would enter Enoris to defend the other end. "But still, I''m surprised that she even trusted Silfana enough to leave her in charge of guarding anything though." Superbia was keeping an eye on the Vampire, not trusting her for a moment.


    "I''m not stupid enough to try and smash this thing." Silfana sighed. "Not only would that <i>not</i> actually kill her, but I''d then have to deal with you all being very angry with me." She had no interest in doing something like that, especially since she knew it would be self defeating. "Not to mention that when Akagi <i>did </i>return, I''d quickly find myself in a kind of hell that would <i>not </i>be worth whatever temporary catharsis I might get." She''d seen what Armarthy was being tormented with and knew that such a fate would await her if she tried anything.


    "Not to mention that you''d lose out on petting your favorite kitty." Zephiria smirked.


    <i>{Akagi did tell me to keep an eye on her, and though chances are Silfana won''t do anything I was given permission to kill her if needed.} </i>(Zephiria)


    "WHAT?!?" Silfana eximed. "I''VE NEVER DONE ANYTHING LIKE YOU''RE DESCRIBING!" She vigorously denied petting the kitty of her own free will.


    "Oh yeah, then what''s this?" Superbia held up her phone, which showed a video of Silfana, Akagi, Alice, and Miji at a tea party, with Silfana happily fluffing the cutely dressed Catkagi.


    <i>{CURSE THOSE MAGICAL RECORDING DEVICES!} </i>(Silfana)


    "Aww. The Vampire Lord has fallen to the kitty''s charm." Hishyaughed as she dodged a swipe from Silfana. "Did I touch a nerve?"


    "Keep it up, and I''ll end you, Dragon!" Silfana growled. "But enough about this..." She shook her head as she continued to grumble. "Zephiria, Kira, we''ll go in with the ninja in a few minutes. Make sure that you''re ready to go and that everything''s prepared."


    ¡°I''m ready to go now.¡± Kira didn''t like being ordered around by Silfana, but since this was Akagi''s will she would never voice her displeasure.


    "An actual magical world with all the secrets I want?" Zephiria chuckled. "Trust me, I was <i>born </i>ready for this."

 Chapter 290 – Operation Carrot and Stick.

    Chapter 290 ¨C Operation Carrot and Stick.


    Once Akagi and Co vanished through the portal, they were greeted not with the wondrous sights of another world but rather a long, thin, rainbow bridge that stretched out before them. It was almost surreal and the inky ckness that surrounded them was only broken up by small flickering orange balls of light, the number of which was far too much to count quickly. Halifax, Yumi, and Amakusa were surprised and even taken aback at this strange disy, but Akagi lookedpletely undeterred.


    "Come on, the exit should be just up ahead." Akagi beckoned the three to follow, Yumi still hugged around her arm.


    "W-Where <i>is</i> this ce?" Halifax cautiously followed along. "My journey to Earth looked nothing like this." From her perspective, it was basically just teleportation and seeing something like this was unexpected.


    "Yeah this is entirely different than what I expected. Our arrival was basically a free fall and had lots of white rather than this darkness." Amakusa nervously looked down alongside the bridge.


    <i>{Holy hell that''s horrifying! Its just ckness!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "It kinda looks like we''re in space." Yumimented as Akagi pat her head.


    "Well its no wonder you''re all confused.¡± Akagi replied. ¡°This isn''t exactly something that the average person would even conceive of, let alone actually ''see'' with their own ''eyes''.¡± She used air quotes. ¡°But to answer your questions, we''re in a ce between worlds." Akagi exined. "As I told Hishya, reality is basically a collection of bubbles where people live." She pointed to the glowing lights above and around them. "You see those? <i>Those</i> individual little orange orbs are actually entire <i>worlds</i>." They looked like stars, though some wererger, indicating that they were likely much closer.


    "T-There are so many..." Amakusa said quietly as she looked around. The number of different worlds was far too high to count, and it reminded her of those pictures that showed the night sky on Earth with no light pollution.


    <i>{I... Just how many worlds are there?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "The number of different worlds climbs into numbers that you could scarcely imagine." Akagi chuckled as the continued forward, seemingly reading the <i>pet''s </i>mind. "It''s why I said that finding one individual world isn''t easy. Inter-dimensional coordinates are hard to find, and even then gathering the needed energy for a trip like this is anything <em>but</em> easy." She figured that most worlds wouldn''t be able to generate the kind of power needed to make this trip easily, and that mortals would almost <i>never </i>be able to do something like this on their own.


    <i>{It just goes to show how much power that ritual had if they were able to make it from Enoris to Earth. I suppose that''s what happens when you use souls as fuel.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Morbid curiosity, but what happens if I jump from here?" Halifax asked nervously.


    "<i>Very</i> bad things." Akagi answered with augh. "I doubt you''d suffer much since your body and mind would evaporate in an instant. Extra-dimensional space isn''t very hospitable to living creatures, and plunking you into a ce that might just have thews of physics backwards isn''t a very good idea.¡± She mentioned that the area between worlds had no set rules for how things worked and it was entirely possible that even things like gravity wouldn''t exist. ¡°But don''t worry about all that. This bridge provides a safe path for you to traverse, so as long as you don''t give into those stupid little thoughts in the back of your mind, you''ll be safe.¡±"


    <i>{Though, in reality, there is no bridge. That''s just how their minds perceive things since, otherwise, it''s tooplex for mortals to understand what''s happening.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Fun..." Amakusa gulped, moving slightly closer to Akagi and away from the edge. "So where''s the <i>exit</i>?" She wanted out of here ASAP.


    "Just up ahead." Akagi pointed to a small glowing vortex along their path. It looked like the one they''d entered through, though it was purple instead.


    "Good. I just hope too much time hasn''t passed on Enoris since we left. Dad said I was gone from Earth for only five years, but on Enoris ten have passed." Amakusa was worried that a difference in time might cause problems.


    "That won''t be an issue for us, at least not anymore." Akagi shook her head. "The Spirit''s final journeybined with other travels between the two worlds synchronized their time, so one day on one is the same as on the other. Not to mention that even if that wasn''t the case, as long as this portal exists between them, time would pass the same anyway." She''d already done some preliminary checks to ensure that no time dtion existed, since that would mean she was away form home for longer than she wasfortable with.


    "How do you even know about something like that?" Halifax asked where Akagi''s information wasing from. "You''re world couldn''t have developed enough to understand all this and while you''re smart, I doubt you somehow figured out all this information in thest year."


    <i>{I doubt even the Gods could wrap their heads around this.} </i>(Halifax)


    "To give you the most unsatisfying of answers, Demon Lords are born with a great deal of knowledge baked into our souls." Akagi said as she and the others stopped in front of the exit portal. "Once I fully embraced what I was, I got ess to a bunch of information, and this, along with other things, was part of it." It was essentially as if she''d downloaded a massive file that gave her more information that she could ever need, and even now she found herself with answers to questions that she thought that she shouldn''t know.


    <i>{I can only imagine what would happen on Earth if I started answering all those questions that scientists haven''t been able to figure out. Hell, the real answer to the Dark Matter problem would probably blow people''s minds.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Convenient." Halifax rolled her eyes.


    "<i>Necessary</i>." Akagi corrected her. "But, enough standing around. Are you ready to get to work?" She looked between the three of them, who nodded before walking into the portal together.


    "Ugh... I feel sick." Amakusa''s head was spinning as she fell to the brown, grassy ground below.


    <i>{Its like my stomach wants to shoot everything back out...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "It''s not great, but going to Earth that first time was worse." Halifax was mostly fine, but her face was slightly pale.


    "Hmmm. Strange, I don''t feel anything wrong." Yumi and Akagi both seemed fine, which was to be expected.


    "So, where the hell are we anyway?" Akagi asked.


    Looking around, she could see little more than what looked like a vast and nearly endless Savannah that expanded in all directions, save for the lone tree every now and then. The heavy presence of magic in the air told the <i>Demon</i> that they were definitely not on Earth anymore, and there were a host of other sensations that she wasn''t familiar with.


    <i>{Strange, I expected to be watched from the moment we arrived, but I can''t detect any scrying or simr magic. Are the Gods just not paying attention, or are they watching me in such a was as to get around my detection?} </i>(Akagi)


    "Well, we''re definitely on Enoris." Halifax said as she shook off her queasiness. "The magic in the air is telling me that." She took a deep breath to fully right herself. "Ahhh, that''s so nice! Earth is pretty cool and all, but not having ambient magic made me feel like a fish out of water!"


    <i>{This feels so much better! Magic flowing throughout my body! I never thought I''d miss something so simple!} </i>(Halifax)


    "It definitely feels better, that''s for sure." Yumi smiled. She was used to the feeling of ambient magic from Omara, but this world seemed to have even <em>more</em> magic in the air. "The magic is extremely dense here. Is that because of the portal?" She figured therge swirling mass of power behind them was the culprit.


    "Nope. That extra magical power that you feel is <i>specifically</i> because this is the Demon Kingdom, and even more specifically<i> </i>because we''re close to a very magically rich part of the world." Halifax said as her eyes scanned the area around them. "I recognize this ce. If I''m not mistaken this is south of the Royal Capital, Targul. These are the Simoea ins, and they run south until they hit the Burning Wilds."


    <i>{Its been a while since I was here...} </i>(Halifax)


    "Oh yeah, you''re right." Amakusa said as she got to her feet. "I''ve been here before actually, during the..." She paused, not wanting to reference the war. "Anyway, the Burning Wilds was <i>not</i> a fun ce."


    "I remember Shinlua mentioning something like that during our briefing. It''s like a <i>Demonic</i> desert, right?" Akagi asked. She''d obtained as much information from the Spirits as possible, but beyond what Shinlua and Mizumi could tell her about the world, her knowledge was limited.


    <i>{Sadly most of the Spirits that survived weren''t the exploration type, and even those that did venture into the world weren''t able to give much better details than Shinlua. Luckily Mizumi could tell me most of the political situation and a bit of Enoris'' history, but they also sucked at telling me geography, and the map they made for me was awful...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Hmmmm. Think of it more like a wastnd than a desert, though calling it a ce corrupted by <i>Demons </i>would be correct. As you saw from Mizumi''s crudely drawn map, it epasses most of the center of the continent and basically splits it in two." Halifax answered. "At its center is actually a portal <i>into </i>the Hells themselves, and the area is so dangerous that we have only limited contact with those South of it."


    <i>{I''ve been down there before and its a very strange ce... I remember seeing snake people and there was even a whole Dragon Cult that took over a nation!} </i>(Halifax)


    "Sounds like a lovely ce to call home." Akagiughed. "I wonder what would happen if I showed up and said hi?"


    "Considering that Demon Lords are a force that sought to annihte the entire world, including the <i>Demons,</i> they wouldn''t take too well to you." Halifax said. "The Archdukes of the Hells actually teamed up with the Gods to help us beat Vikes, so they might do something simr once your presence is known."


    <i>{And if I know Arm, she and her brother are going to take advantage of theing chaos. I''d like to get them on our side, but who knows what those two Devils will do.} </i>(Halifax)


    "I guess that means I need to conquer hell too?" Akagi chuckled. "Funny enough I''ve done that before, actually."


    <i>{Great, so is the kitty going to sit on a skull throne like she did in that one game she showed me?} </i>(Halifax)


    "We were told never to go anywhere near that ursed ce." Amakusamented. "But we ended up having to parley with a <i>Demon </i>down there to help us shatter the barrier that protected Zanathon." She recalled the hellish journey South and the seemingly never-ending waves of <i>Demons </i>and other barbarian species that lived in such an environment.


    <i>{If the four of them went into the Hells to meet a Demon, it was probably Byaku that they dealt with. He''s probably the most skilled Barrier Master in this world, and out of all the Archdukes he''s the most diplomatic of the bunch.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Myaster! We have arrived!" Chloe popped out of the portal followed quickly by Zephiria, Kira and Silfana, as well as a number of other ninjas.


    "Were there any issues crossing over?" Akagi asked as she pat Chloe on the head.


    "Nopers!" Chloe smiled. "Everyone is a bit sick after the transit, but after a few minutes, I think we''ll be fine!"


    "Excellent. Then your first task will be setting up a base to protect the portal and project our power outward. Once you''ve done that, you may begin your infiltration of the various nations of Enoris and sending out diplomats." Akagi exined what her next steps should be.


    "Diplomats?" Amakusa asked as the ninja started bringing over various premade base equipment and boxes of supplies. "I figured you were just going to blow up cities, not negotiate." She was only partially joking since she figured that Akagi was the kind of person to shoot first and ask questionster.


    "I mean, leveling the world is <i>an </i>option, but one filled with all sorts of problems." Akagi shrugged. "Not to mention that one of my goals here is to find whatever Spirits are still alive and bring them back with me. If I start blowing up cities at random, I''ll likely kill any ves within."


    <i>{Though that doesn''t mean that mass destruction ispletely off the table.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I don''t know how many people you''re actually going to find..." Amakusa''s eyes darted back and forth. "The coalition forces were pretty um... <i>through</i> and the number of ves we took, while high, pales inparison to the total Spirit poption. Not to mention that getting them free won''t be easy." She figured that there weren''t even that many left at this stage of the game.


    "Don''t worry about that. Chloe and her team specialize in infiltration and dealing with situations just like these." Yumi quipped. "As long as they''re still alive, I don''t doubt for a moment that she''ll get them out, safe and sound."


    "Exactly." Akagi nodded. "I''ve also assigned Nima the task of being our official Ambassador, and she''ll start heading to the different nations to demand the release of their Spirit ves." Naturally, a refusal would have consequences<i> </i>but Akagi had decided to burn that bridge when she got to it.


    "You realize that there is no way in hell they''re going to say yes, right?" Halifax said as she watched the ninja bring over more material. "Not only are you an <i>enemy </i>of this world but those Spirits were enved on the Gods'' orders. Handing them over peacefully isn''t an option." She figured that the most likely oue was that the Ambassador would be killed, and then an army was raised to hunt Akagi down.


    <i>{And then everyone died, then end...} </i>(Halifax)


    "I do agree that it''s unlikely that most nations will just willingly hand over the Spirits in their possession, but I think after the first one is <i>punished</i> they''ll get the point." Yumi giggled.


    <i>{THAT''S NOT SOMETHING YOU GIGGLE ABOUT! PEOPLE ARE GOING TO DIE HORRIBLY, AND YOU''RE LAUGHING ABOUT IT!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Alright then! Without further ado, let''s begin Operation Carrot and Stick!" Akagi decided to name this first push into Enoris after a simr n that she''d seen in one of her favorite anime.


    <i>{I wonder how many sticks we''ll have to use before others start choosing the carrot?} </i>(Akagi)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <riel POV>


    The Heavenly Realm of riel, the Goddess of Time, contained a vast garden of all kinds of flowers. On most days, she would spend a lot of time tending to the different nts that called this ce home, and today was no different. However, the peaceful serenity was broken by the loud sound of ss shattering.


    *SMASH*


    "Ah!" riel yelped as she dropped her small ss watering can, which shattered upon hitting the ground. "What was that?!?" She felt a feeling of dread wash over her, causing her to momentarily panic. "That... Was that?" She looked around but saw nothing save for an empty Sword Pedestal and a group of Angels walking nearby.


    <i>{That energy... It felt like...} </i>riel shook her head, dispelling the unpleasant thoughts.


    "No, that couldn''t be right. I must be imagining things. That''s not possible." riel snapped her fingers and fixed the watering can before returning to what she was doing.


    Spoiler


    Map of Enoris!


    [copse]

 Chapter 291 – Demon Politics.

    Chapter 291 ¨C Demon Politics.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    I''ve ced a link to a better version of the map that is easier to read and zoomable in the discord. So please check it out.


    "Wee back, Your Highness." An older bearded Demon greeted Ariel as she appeared from the Pce''s transport gate, along with her entourage and guards. Travel across long distances on Enoris was generally quite difficult, and even the most powerful of mages and the wealthiest of Kings would have to travel via more mundane methods. However, for a few select people, such as the Demon King or the Elven Primarch, there were easier ways to move across the continent.


    Built in the ancient past by a civilization that rose to great magical prominence before copsing, therge circr gates enabled instantaneous transportation across vast distances. That was, of course, if you knew how to activate and control them, something that few could do and even fewer would willingly share.


    "I apologize for a slightlyte return, Redrud. Negotiations with the Empire ended up taking longer than expected, and there were <i>other </iplications." Ariel sighed as walked past him while her servants took her coat. Things were a bit colder in the Imperial Capital than down South, and Demons generally were not fond of the lower temperatures of the North.


    <i>{I swear that idiotic Emperor deliberatly chills that pce before our meetings just to irritate me!} </i>(Ariel)


    "Were things at least sessful?" Redrud asked, stroking his beard.


    "<i>Marginally</i>." Ariel rolled her eyes, noting that sess was a strong word when it came to dealing with the Lion Emperor. "Come, we''ll speak more in my office." She motioned for him to follow, and the two walked side by side, escorted by heavily armed guards until they entered avishly decorated office with a window that showed the the Demon Capital below.


    Targul was a massive city by Enoris standards, and the seemingly never-ending series of two and three-story brick and stone buildings that made up its skyline gave it a unique look whenpared to most human settlements. As Ariel moved to a small cab of liquor near the window, she could see the tightly packed streets with different kinds ofrge and strange pack animals transporting goods throughout the city. Her people were prosperous, at least whenpared to the humans, but she knew that things on the surface rarely reflected the truth below.


    <i>{If we don''t handle some of our crop shortages soon, then I fear this winter will not go well for some of the smaller viges. It''s already a strain to gather this much food for the Royal Army, and I hope we can make theing campaign against the Cult quick. Keeping tens of thousands of soldiers near the Capital like this is neither logistically easy or politically desirable.} </i>(Ariel)


    "If you''re going for drinks when it''s still daylight out, then I assume things <i>didn''t </i>go smoothly." Redrud shook his head as he took a seat in front of the desk. ¡°I suppose this is to be expected though.¡± He sighed.


    <i>{Emperor Hadrus... If I didn''t know for a fact that he was a brilliant man, I''d think him a fool.} </i>(Redrud)


    "The Empire is trying to push its ims to the former Spirit territory." Ariel said as she poured a small ss of ck liquor. "They''re iming that since they were hit the hardest during the disasters, that it should be given to them aspensation." She downed the small shot before refilling the ss.


    "That was about what we expected. The Union is also eyeing up thatnd for settlement, though with how thoroughly our forces scorched thend, I''m not sure how much value it has." Redrud had expected squabbling and politics to resume as normal once the Spirits were defeated, but fornd disputes to break out just over a year after the war was unanticipated.


    <i>{And for it to be over such a barren ce... I suppose we''re back to business as usual.} </i>(Redrud)


    "From the way Emperor Hadrus was speaking, I''m confident that the Empire sees thatnd less as something <i>economically </i>useful<i> </i>, and more as a way to secure a beachhead." Ariel clicked her tongue in irritation. "That man..." Her grip on her ss tightened. "I''m convinced that he wants a war. It''s just a question of when and where."


    <i>{Every Imperial Monarch has vowed to reconquer the continent and restore the Empire to its former ''glory.'' Even Sheraldine, for as much as she professed a desire for peace, was no stranger to making threats to benefit the Empire. Its just too bad that her Grandson inherited her more bellicose personality traits without getting the empathetic parts of her as well.} </i>(Ariel)<i> </i>


    "The Elves have kept us at rtive peace for centuries, and no Emperor would be foolish enough to attack us through the Whistlewoods." Redrud took a sip as he spoke. The Elves of the Whistlewoods inhabited a forest/swamp that sat at the center of the continent, blocking directnd ess between the Empire and the Demon Kingdom. The Empire had tried, and failed, to invade through the dense swampy forests on multiple asions, but it always proved disastrous. "It wouldn''t surprise me if they saw the current political upheaval as a prime opportunity ot assert themselves, but that stednd is no more of a threat to our territory than the current Imperial borders." The City State Alliance and several natural barriers sat in between, and it would likely be no easier to push through there than the Elves'' home.


    "Well, regardless of the feasibility of such an invasion, the Empire is pushing hard for pensation'' as it''s calling it, and with the backing of the Dwarves, that means this dispute won''t end quickly or easily." Ariel had spoke with the Dwarven Ambassador and walked away with the understanding that they would back the Empire if it made any moves.


    "No surprise there!" Redrudughed. "Those tunnel rats have basically been in the Empire''s pocket since they saw the amount of gold that humans would pay for their goods, and ever since Sheraldine forged that friendship treaty they''ve backed the Empire on practically everything."


    <i>{To this day I still don''t know what that crazy woman gave them that resulted in that deal being signed, and I have a feeling that I might not want to know.} </i>(Redrud)


    "Sadly, this is noughing matter." Ariel sat her ss down as she leaned on the desk. "I spoke with the Dwarven Prime Minister, and zer was not so subtly hinting that he would let the Imperial Army cross the Tindal Mountains via their tunnels." Such a thing would signal theing of a massive war, and would likely cause a cascade effect that would engulf the entire continent in mes.


    "Hrgh..." Redrud grumbled as he closed his eyes in thought. As the Demon Kingdom''s Prime Minister, he''d met zer Treasureseaker on more than one asion and knew that the old Dwarf would never threaten something like that on a whim. "That would vite centuries of treaties between our three nations."


    "Well, Hadrus isn''t the kind of man to allow ''precedent'' or ''treaties'' to stop him." Ariel shook her head. "Don''t forget that it was <i>his </i>warmongering and wars against the northern beastkin that forced Amdamell to finally join in with the City State Alliance." He''d reversed his Father''s policy of peaceful coexistence with the beastkin, whereby they paid tribute and acted as quasi-vassals in exchange for autonomy and conquered them all in a single year.


    <i>{That caused a massive fucking headache on our part too, since that basically ended any chance we had of crushing those rebellious traitors in the east.} </i>(Ariel)


    "I know, I know." Redrud sighed. "Your father was worried about the Empire, and it caused him countless nights of lost sleep. Though my biggest fear is the Empire invading-"


    "And Northwind joining in." Ariel finished for him. "Trust me. I''m doing everything in my power to ensure that we <i>don''t</i> end up in a two-front war against most of humanity."


    <i>{If that happened, there''s no guarantee our people would survive. Worst-case scenario would see us driven back into Simoea like our ancestors.} </i>(Ariel)


    "Speaking of father, how is he?" Ariel asked about his health.


    "I wish I could give you good news." Redrud continued. "His Majesty''s condition is still deteriorating. I spoke with him yesterday, and I could tell that his words were only getting slower... Ariel... I think it''s time that we." He paused as Ariel held up her hand, signaling him to stop.


    "I know... I know... But please... Not yet. Not until we''ve exhausted all options." Ariel didn''t want to discuss a mercy killing of her father, even if he was living in a quasi-lifeless state thanks to the curse ced upon him. "I would like to at least ask the Gods once again..."


    <i>{If anyone can break the curse those Demon Lord Cultists put on him, then it has to be them, but...} </i>(Ariel)


    "You should know by now that such a request... Won''t be fulfilled." Redrud said as he slowly stood up. "They won''t move for one mere mortal''s life, no matter how much you plead." Enoris''s Gods tended to have a light touch when it came to interacting with the world since, most of the time, when they tilted the scales, it caused disasters.


    <i>{I know that Tahena heals mortals for a price, but I know for a fact that she will not treat people of note or who have political importance. I suppose I can understand their unwillingness to tilt the scales in one nation''s direction or another, but it still doesn''t sit right with me.} </i>(Redrud)


    "If ites down to it, I''ll even ask the Church for help. The Hero Hitomi might be able to heal him, though I can imagine that a human saving the Demon King will not y well with most of the Electors." Ariel''s position as Regent was only a temporary position and would expire upon her father''s death or if the Elector-Kings that made up the Demon Kingdom voted the regency out of existence. Since the nation''s crown was not hereditary, she needed to make sure that a majority of them would back her in a bid to seed her father, but that was never going to be an easy task.


    "You have at least three guaranteed votes out of the five that you need, but Bathrumd is making ys for the rest of the Electors, and he''s most likely got an equal number in his camp." Redrud had been keeping an eye on the Demon Nobility''s factional movements and was growing increasingly worried about the hawkish Ogre Demon''s swelling support.


    "If that durd manages to take the throne, then war with the Empire is all but inevitable." Ariel pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation. "I''d hoped that the war with the Spirits would satiate some of our people''s desire for conquest and battle, but I suppose that was wishful thinking."


    <i>{I suppose that''s one thing we never manged to fully shake.} </i>(Ariel)


    "It probablyes down more to the fact that our armies sat on the sidelines while the humans did most of the work. As you no doubt know, that didn''t sit well with many in the military." Redrud gave a wry smile.


    "Why did the Gods not at least give <i>us </i>one Hero?" Ariel grumbled. "Every single one appeared in either a human nation or one that is allied to them." She clicked her tongue.


    <i>{Northwind might have a ton of other races, but it''s still human at its heart.} </i>(Ariel)


    "I have theories on that, but I shall hold my tongue." Redrud turned to leave but stopped prematurely. "Oh, but onest thing." He pulled a small envelope from his waistcoat and threw it on Ariel''s desk. "As per your request, I''ve had our agents dig into the Cult a bit more. You can read the findings there at your leisure. Now, please excuse me." He bowed before leaving the office.


    "Those disgusting bastards." Ariel walked over and opened the envelope, her eyes scanning over the different documents. "So they''re fighting the Blood Worshipers... I guess I should be happy that the two are busy killing each other." She turned through the different pages before closing things up.


    <i>{But thatst page... If Cult activity is down and they''ve been slowly relocating... Then what are they doing and where? It''s not like them to be this quiet and it gives me a bad feeling to hear that they''ve been in Northwind recently.} </i>(Ariel)

 Chapter 292 – Team Akagi is Blasting off Again!

    Chapter 292 ¨C Team Akagi is sting off Again!


    "Those ninja sure are efficient." Halifax marveled at the n''s effectiveness as Chloe and her people quickly got to work putting together a modr base with all sorts of modern amenities. "Though something like this <i>will </i>stick out like a sore thumb, and it''s gonna attract monsters like a ma." She pointed out that the Simoea ins were a breeding ground for monsters and more barbaric races like Orcs and Goblins.


    <i>{Though I suspect they''ll get treated like target practice...} </i>(Halifax)


    "Anything that tries to attack this location will be swiftly reduced to ash by me." Silfana said with a proud smirk. "Besides, if those creatures are anything like the ones I used to rule, they''ll quickly fall under my sway." Akagi had basically given her carte nche to do as she wanted with such races as long as they swore fealty to the Demon Lord.


    "Either that or perish in a massive explosion!" Akagiughed, imaging her n members setting up all kinds of nasty traps for fun. "Just try not to cause too much chaos while I''m away. Remeber that I need this world intact for my ns."


    "I promise only to try." Silfana snickered. "But before I start rebuilding my Dominion over the forces of darkness we need to secure our entry point." Akagi had worked out and built a set of modr buildings that could be transported and assembled quickly and with little effort. She figured one of the biggest advantages she could give the ninja was modern technology and so devised a way to bring it to Enoris.


    "I''d like to say that running cables through an interdimensional portal shouldn''t work, but who am I to question thews of reality." Halifax rolled her eyes.


    "Don''t question it. I''m not." Akagi shrugged. She had no clue how or why this worked and wasn''t about to start asking questions. "Just be thankful that we''ll be able to use electricity and connect to Earth''s inte from here."


    "And take nice showers!" Chloe called out from a distance, noting that such things were of major importance.


    "That too." Yumi giggled. "I couldn''t imagine going without a bath every day."


    <i>{I didn''t even have such a luxury as the vige Priestess, only taking a bath one a week... Gross...} </i>(Yumi)


    "Oh yeah..." Halifax was smacked with the realization that she''d be going back to living in a far less <i>advanced </i>society now that they were back on Enoris. "I''m going to miss good food and bathrooms that aren''t disgusting..."


    <i>{Thank the Gods that I don''t actually need to use them for their intended purpose!} </i>(Halifax)


    "Yet another reason I''m d to not have a physical body." Akagi chuckled as Yumi stuck out her tongue. "But don''t worry, I''ve got a solution so our two pampered Princesses don''t need to suffer." She winked.


    "What about me?" Amakusa asked, not wanting to go back to the poor living conditions of Enoris.


    "Weeeeeeelllllll. I suppose that the <i>pet</i> may partake, but only if she uses the doghouse." Akagiughed.


    <i>{Or maybe even the litter box!} </i>(Akagi)


    Amakusa grumbled, shaking her fist. "Fucking.... not pet... I''ll show you..."


    "Speaking of Shiroe. Bringing her into towns will no doubt give us away. She might be the Hero from Amdamell, but almost everyone will know who she is even if they haven''t seen her in person." Halifax noted that since she''d been front an center in the war and was a <i>highly </i>public figure that bringing her with was actually going to pose some problems if they wanted to keep a low profile.


    "Yeah, I suppose that she does stick out." Yumi gave a wry smile. "Though the same could be said for the three of us, no?" She figured the dangerous Akagi would be the most standout of the three, followed by Halifax.


    "As I''m a Mythril rank adventurer, I do have a <i>bit</i> of notoriety, though I don''t think it will cause any issues since the amount of people who know my true nature is quite small." Halifax waived off that concern. "As for Akagi, <i>Demons</i> are actuallymon enough here, so I actually don''t think anyone is going to do more than stare at her. Those eyes aren''tmon, but it can easily be waived away as just a rare trait, and most people will just think she''s some child of a <i>Demon </i>and a human, which happens more often than you''d think."


    <i>{Heck most of the Nobles and Royalty of the continent, not counting the Demon Kingdom itself, have at least some Demon blood in their lineage.} </i>(Halifax)


    "I''ve already decided to disguise the <i>pet</i>, so don''t worry." Akagi held her hand out toward Amakusa. "Time to take the form of what lies within!" Sheughed as Amakusa''s body warped and changed like a desert mirage. Her hair turned pink, and she grew ears and a tail, making her look like wolfkin.


    <i>{I should do this to Mika one day and see how long she goes before Awooing.} </i>(Akagi)


    "What did you do to me?!?" Amakusa eximed as she touched her new tail and ears.


    <i>{WHY AM I FLUFFY?!?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "I made the <i>pet</i> into the real thing!" Akagiughed as she pet Amakusa''s ears. "Nice, isn''t it?"


    "Absolutely, master! Pet me more!" Amakusa said before swiping away Akagi. "TURN ME BACK!"


    <i>{I''LL FUCKING BITE YOU!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Just bear with it, please." Halifax interjected to stop an all out war between Amakusa and Akagi. "It''s just illusion magic, and we can''t let people know who you are, so please just go along with it?" In her mind Halifax was already thinking of ways to ''spoil'' the new fluffy Amakusater.


    "Grrrr." Amakusa growled. "Fine... But don''t pet me!"


    "But you''re just so cute!" Yumi said as she ignored her pleas and pet Amakusa''s ears. "You''re a cute widdle wolf girl, and it makes me want to spoil you rotten!"


    <i>{FLOOF!} </i>(Yumi)


    *Sad whimper noises*


    "Yumi likes cute things, so get used to it." Akagiughed. "In the past, she used to give Chloe a lot of pets, so be prepared for it."


    <i>{I don''t wanna be pet...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "I still prefer my kitty though." Yumi giggled as she stopped her pets. "It probably helps that the kitty in question snuggles me back."


    "It also doesn''t hurt that you enjoy snuggling with the kitty <i>as </i>a kitty." Akagi snickered which caused Yumi to begin hitting her softly on the chest.


    "Don''t talk about that! It''s bad enough that Miji and the others know!" Yumi hissed.


    "But it''s so cute!" Akagi pulled her into a hug. "Yumi kitty is top tier!"


    <i>{Though Miji kitty might actually be better. That girl really enjoys giving me happy hugs!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Gag me..." Amakusa was never a fan of open flirting like this.


    "Oh? Are you jealous?" Halifax nudged her with her elbow.


    "No I''m not. I just don''t like such things. Rtionships can take a hike." Amakusa huffed.


    "They can be a pain, but a good one is worth it." Halifax smiled. "My time with Sherry was honestly what saved me from going down a very dark path." Her face showed a smile, but Amakusa could tell that it was just a facade.


    "Well I wouldn''t know what a ''good'' one is like since every rtionship that I''ve had always ended poorly." Amakusa sighed. "Either they cheated or... or they were afraid of my strength." She''d had three boyfriends before, and two left her after discovering her power. Even before she was sent to Enoris, Amakusa had far more strength and physical prowess than a normal person, and it made many men feel inadequate or nervous. "Thest guy I went out with broke up with me about a month before I was summoned, and he said that he couldn''t stay with me since he was afraid that I might one day hurt him if I ever got angry..."


    <i>{I... I can''t say that he was wrong about that either... One wrong move and I could''ve snapped his arm if I wasn''t careful...}</i>(Amakusa)


    "There''s nothing wrong with staying single." Akagi spoke up as she hugged on Yumi. "Until I figured out the whole Bonded Soul thing, I never nned on having anyone in my life. Hell, I can''t even feel love, but Yumi here is my Squishy and that makes me happy." She smiled, though Alice''s words echoed in her mind.


    <i>{I... I can''t feel love, right?} </i>(Akagi)


    "I suppose that''s just a consequence of being a world-ending machine." Halifax gave a wry smile.


    <i>{That''s honestly kind of sad... Not being able to feel such a connection... Even after... Even after what riel did to me... I''m still d I got to experience what it felt like to be loved...} </i>(Halifax)


    "But enough sappy talk." Akagi said as she let go of Yumi. "Let''s get going! It will take a bit to get to the Imperial Capital, and I''d like to move as quickly as possible. The faster we can figure out how to get me into a brawl with the Gods, the sooner we can end this mess and go home and give me pets!" Sheughed as she nced up at the sky, seeing what looked like multicolored cracks that zigzagged above. As a Demon Lord, <i>she </i>could see the structural ws in the world, but most other beings couldn''t. "Luckily, this world isn''t on a short timer, so we don''t need to worry about it falling apart around us."


    <i>{Though based on what I''m seeing and feeling, the Gods might have been a bit too generous in their assessment. My money is that in less than two centuries, this ce will starting apart at the seams and I''d bet that using my power to forcibly open up some kind of connection to whatever in the Gods live on might bring the whole house of cards crashing down. Which means we''re going to need to find an alternative...} </i>(Akagi)


    "We''re on the other side of the continent from the Capital. Even at my top speed that would still take a few days." Halifaxmented. "So as a group and having to drag along those who can''t fly, I''d expect it to be at least a week until we arrive."


    "<i>Fuck</i> that." Akagi waved that notion away with her hand. "We''re getting there <i>today</i>." She snapped her fingers and lifted the three of them into the air.


    "Eh?!?" Amakusa squeaked as she levitated into the air. "I''m flying?!?"


    ¡°I''m guessing this is going to be interesting...¡± Halifaxughed nervously.


    ¡°It will be fine! We''re only going to fly at like the speed of sound or something.¡± Yumi smiled.


    <i>{TOO FAST!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Now, hold on tight!" Akagi floated the four of them high up into the air before summing a small microphone. "This is your Captain speaking, please sit back and rx on our nonstop flight to the Imperial Capital. We expect minor turbulence during our journey, so mind the shaking."


    "Shaking?!?" Amakusa looked down and started panicking as they were already hundreds of feet into the air. "I DON''T LIKE THIS!"


    "It''s not too bad." Yumi giggled. "But I''d watch out for the bugs. Getting one in your mouth isn''t very fun." She''d experienced that before.


    "Well, I''ve never had a Demon Lord fly me ces, so I guess I''ll count this as a new experience!" Halifaxughed.


    "Three... Two..." Akagi started counting down.


    "WAIT! NO!" Amakusa pleaded for Akagi to stop but was ignored.


    "ONE!" Akagi powered up, and the four rocketed forward at speeds far exceeding the speed of sound, creating a sonic boom as they took off.


    "AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Amakusa screamed as they flew into the distance before vanishing into a small twinkle from the perspective of those below.


    "Bye-bye, myaster!" Chloe waved them away. "And make sure you give those evil gods what for!" She snickered before turning back to the other ninja. "Alright, everyone, myaster has gone on her mission, so now it''s our turn! Lets show her that her trust in our abilities isn''t misced!"


    "Right!" (Ninja)

 Interlude 18 – Joy Turns to Despair.

    Interlude 18 ¨C Joy Turns to Despair.


    "Dammit!" Muichiro punched a tree, causing it to snap in half and copse to the ground with a massive thud. "That fucking bitch! Argh!" He picked up the broken tree trunk and threw it into another tree. "She humiliated me! That bitch toyed with me, and I''m going to make her pay!" He''d been sent somewhere in the Merchant Confederation of Northwind after breaking his crystal and was wandering the wilderness for a few days before finding civilization. His temper had gotten the best of him, so he''d decided to avoid cities until he calmed down, lest he start taking out his frustration on random people.


    <i>{I just need more power, and then I''ll take that bitch and show her her ce! Fucking stupid cat bitch!} </i>(Muichiro)


    "Fuck, man." Muichiro put his head in his hands. "This sucks! I''m not supposed to fucking lose! I''m a goddamn <i>Hero</i>! Everything should go right, and I should get to do whatever I want! <i>Fuck</i>!"


    <i>{This is bullshit!} </i>(Muichiro)


    He''d only rarely lost until he met Akagi, and the ease with which he was defeated only served to drive salt in the wound.


    "I need a fucking drink in my hand and a woman in bed." Muichiro groaned before walking over and picking up his de which had fallen to the forest floor. There was a medium-sized city not too far down the hill, and he decided to make his way there for some ''stress relief.'' "Hopefully, they''ve got some good brothels here. Northwind has too many Halfings for my taste." He''d been with one before, and the entire experience made him feel like a criminal.


    After slowly walking toward the city, he quickly got to work finding the Red Light District, which was quite simple. As one of the Heroes, it was quite easy for him to get the best Courtesan that he wanted, and after debating on his choice of partner, he spent several hours enjoying himself, and indulged every desire that he had.


    "Come backter, Mr. Hero." Some of the Courtesans waved at him as he left the Brothel, giggling in the background.


    "I won''t forget about ya,dies!" Muichiro winked as he spun around and left, his face and neck filled with the proof of his fun. "Alright, I feel a hell of a lot better! Now to get some fucking booze and drink away this stupid night!"


    <i>{I wonder where the other idiots went? Bah! Who gives a fuck! Tonight I drink!} </i>(Muichiro)


    The City of Lovelin was quite small and heavily popted with Beastkin due to its location within the Merchant Confederation, and as he walked around Muichiro got the strange feeling that somebody was watching him.


    <i>{Two, no three. Are they assassins?} </i>Muichiro decided to duck down an alleyway in an attempt to throw off his pursuers, and as he bobbed and weaved his way through the back alleys, he eventually shook off his would-be pursuers.


    "Hah! Idiots." Muichiro said as he stepped back out onto the street. "It''s not the first that time some idiot came for my head, and those ones were quite possibly the worst assassins of all."


    <i>{I should be careful, though. They''re probably still around and I doubt that they''ll just give up. But who the hell are they? I doubt they were specifically looking for me since being in this town wasn''t really nned. Maybe they''re surviving Spirits looking for payback?} </i>(Muichiro)


    "Oh well, if they try and fight me head-on, then I''ll just crush them." Muichiroughed as he continued his search for a good drink before finding a busy bar where he sat down, chugged a great deal of alcohol, flirted with a cute beastkin waitress, and generally enjoyed himself.


    As the night moved on, he got slightly drunk, though due to his constitution and magical power, he wouldn''t be too affected by his slight inebriation. After downing enough liquid to drown a horse, Muichiro decided to call it quits and went to find a ce to rest.


    "Yeah... That was so nice..." Muichiro yawned as he headed out back to where the bathrooms were. "Now to piss and then to sleep. I''m beat." He went to open one of the stalls, but just as he was about to open one, a voice called out to him.


    "You''re about to be a bit <i>more </i>than sleepy, Hero." A man''s voice came from behind Muichiro and a momentter, half a dozen cloaked figures surrounded him. He couldn''t see their faces, but he could tell that they weren''t human due to the amount of magic in their bodies.


    <i>{Spirits? No, those are definitely beastkin. Interesting...} </i>(Muichiro)


    "There you are." Muichiro turned and looked at the hooded figure that spoke. "I''ve been wondering if you would show back up, and I see you went and got more friends." He wasn''t particrly worried about their power since even Spirits in this number would be no match for him. "If you want to die, then bring it." He drew his massive de and allowed its tip to m the ground in front of him.


    <i>{I guess a bit of exercise after my meal to work off the booze won''t be so bad.} </i>(Muichiro


    None of the hooded figures moved in response to his provocation so Muichiro decided to take the initiative and strike. "If you won''te to me, then I''lle to you!" Muichiro ran forward, ready to strike, but just as he was about to bring his de down on one of his would-be assassins, his entire body began to feel heavy, and he quickly fell to the ground, limp.


    "W-What?!?" Muichiro struggled to move but found his consciousness quickly fading. "What... did.... you... do?!?"


    "It seems to be working, good work, N. Your performance earlier was impable." One of the hooded figures spoke to another.


    "How? I... Poison doesn''t.... work.... on me!? Muichrio continued to struggle, but could tell that he''d ck out soon.


    "Well, that''s normally true. But I used a special kind made just for you." A female voice came from the hooded figure that stood in front of Muichiro. "Now, sleep, and when you next wake up, you''ll be helping us to finish our Lord''s work." As his consciousness faded, Muichiro caught a glimpse of the woman''s face. It was the same green-haired dogkin that he''d been buttering up all night. "Nitey nite, <i>Hero</i>."


    <i>{She... In my drink...} </i>Muichiro fell unconscious, and just as swiftly as these unknown figures had arrived, they disappeared, taking him with.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Hitomi POV>


    "Y-You were defeated?!?" riel nearly fell over as she spoke with Hitomi. The Holy Saint had found herself rtively close the Holy City upon her return to Enoris, and she quickly moved to contact the Gods via the Great Cathedral and inform them of what happened. "I... What happened? Please tell me in detail." She was the only God near the proverbial phone when Hitomi came calling, and she was barely holding back her joy. The two of them were alone within the Great Cathedral, but that didn''t mean she could let her guard down.


    <i>{SHE DID IT! HALIFAX DID IT! I KNEW SHE COULD!} </i>(riel)


    "I... That''s the <i>problem</i>." Hitomi gave a wry smile. "I remember being defeated, but... I can''t recall <i>who </i>defeated us." She''d tried using healing magic on herself to restore her memory, but to no avail.


    <i>{My mind was definitely messed with. Perhaps that enemy used the same method that I found?} </i>(Hitomi)


    "Eh?" riel let out a very ungodly squeak. Having the Heroes get defeated was one thing, but having Hitomi <i>not</i> be able to exin what happened was shocking. "Wait. Y-You don''t remember?"


    <i>{Did something happen to her mind? We protected the four of them against charming or any kind of mental maniption, so that shouldn''t be possible!} </i>(riel)


    "I can recall that <i>something </i>defeated us, and I can tell you that it was something <i>evil</i>, but other than that..." Hitomi shook her head. "Please forgive me... I''ve failed you, my Lady."


    "No, it''s fine." riel waved her arms to dispel Hitomi''s sadness. "Let me take a look. If something is impairing your memories, then I''ll see what I can do to remove it." She ced her hand on Hitomi''s head and used her Divine power to reach into the Hero''s mind.


    <i>{Now, let''s see what''s going on here. If somebody ced blocks on her memory, then I''ll just remove them, and-} </i>riel froze as she found the source of Hitomi''s memory issue. <i>{That power... No... It can''t be, it''s not possible!} </i>She quickly withdrew her hand from Hitomi''s head to hide the slight quiver in her palm.


    "My apologies, Hitomi, but I will need more time to deal with this. Removing magic this intricate requires special tools since I don''t want to identally harm you." riel kept up her calm facade, but underneath she was freaking out.


    "Okay?" Hitomi didn''t know what else to say, deciding to leave things in the Goddesses'' seemingly capable hands.


    "In the meantime, please take time to rest and recover from your ordeal. I''ll contact you with further information when I have it." riel continued. "And I''ll tell Harmes to start looking for Muichicro, Shiroe, and Kanato as well. They''re probably quite frustrated about being scattered around the continent like that, so I think it would be best to bring them home ASAP."


    <i>{I need to find out what happened. If I''m sensing Demon Lord power than that can mean only one of two things, and neither of those possibilities are good.} </i>(riel)


    "About that..." Hitomi gave a nervous smile as she exined that Amakusa was left behind, but again, couldn''t give much detail beyond that.


    "I see..." riel had already partially mentally checked out, and the fact that a Hero might be dead or worse basically just bounced off her. "Don''t worry, we''ll make sure that shees home safely, so just rx, okay?"


    <i>{Fuck...} </i>(riel)


    "I will. Raffey is probably worried about me, so I''ll go check on her." Hitomi bowed before turning and leaving, with riel falling to the floor as soon as she did.


    "That power... Its... Its not possible!¡± riel started shaking. ¡°There... There can''t be... Halifax... No...¡±


    <i>{Halifax, please... Please don''t tell me that you...} </i>(riel)

 Chapter 293 – The Imperial Capital.

    Chapter 293 ¨C The Imperial Capital.


    Team Akagi soared high overhead, moving at an absolutely ludicrous speed as they zipped toward the Imperial Capital. Halifax watched in awe as the ground below them flew by so quickly while Amakusa screamed in abject horror.


    "STOP THIS THING! I WANNA GET OFF AKAGI''S WILD RIDE!" Amakusa pleaded for Akagi to slow down but was again ignored.


    <i>{LET ME DOWN!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "There''s no stopping the fun train!" Akagi cackled as they continued flying toward their destination. "This attraction goes until I say otherwise!"


    <i>{WHAT PART OF THIS TRAIN IS FUN?!?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Judging by the mountains that we just passed, we should be near the Imperial capital soon. I''d rmendnding somewhere <i>outside </i>of it so we can walk in rather than cause a massive scene bynding within the walls." Halifax figured that flying straight inside would attract too much attention, and wouldplicate things.


    "Alright everyone, hang on to your butts! We''re gonna speed things up a notch to hasten our arrival time!" Akagi channeled more power, and speed up, moving to the absolute limit of what the girls could handle.


    "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Amakusa screamed as they rocketed forward yet again. "SOMEBODY SAVE MEEEEEEEEEEEE!"


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    "And we''re here!" Akagi cheered as they slowlynded outside the Imperial Capital. In the distance, they could see the massive white walls that surrounded the city, and Halifax pointed out the main entrance which sat beside the mighty Tibrus River that ran through the city.


    "SWEET GROUND! I''LL NEVER LEAVE YOU AGAIN!" Amakusa was practically kissing the ground after shended.


    <i>{GROUND!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Ohe on ya big baby. It wasn''t <i>that </i>bad." Halifax chuckled. "Though hitting that bird wasn''t very fun." It had practically exploded into a fireworks disy of blood, guts and feathers when she smacked into it.


    "I mean, seeing it explode into like that was kinda funny..." Yumi looked ashamed tough.


    "Yeah! Not to mention that we didn''t even go <i>that</i> fast! After all, we didn''t even have to go to <i>id</i>!" Akagiughed at an obscure reference that even Yumi didn''t get.


    <i>{Note to self. Have Yumi watch that movie when we get back.}</i> (Akagi)


    "But let''s give the <i>pet</i> a few moments to calm down. Halifax can you send a message to our awaiting Princess?" Akagi figured that Amakusa would need a minute to stop freaking out.


    "Yeah." Halifax held out her hand and made a small semi-translucent dove appear in her palm. "Now, take this to Rebeckah, and don''t let anyone see you, okay?" She pat it on the head before throwing it into the air. "And it''s off. I''m betting we''ll get a quick reply, so let''s start heading down toward the city now. The bird will give me her reply if and when she writes it." She started walking down the hill, and Akagi, Yumi, and Amakusa followed, though she was being dragged by Akagi.


    "Come on, <i>pet</i>. Let''s go." Akagi had her by the scruff of her Kimono and dragged Amakusa along.


    "Flying is scary... No more flying..." Amakusa whimpered as she was dragged across the grass.


    After slowly hiking down arge hill and hopping onto the main road, Akagi and Co eventually found themselves at the main gate of the Imperial Capital. The massive white walls that surrounded the massive City emanated with magic, and Halifax mentioned that it had a reputation as being nearly impossible to sessfully siege. Its walls were specially made by the Dwarves and enchanted with ancient Elven magic, which both reinforced them and passively repaired any damage they might take. In its history, the Imperial Capital had been besieged <i>many </i>times by both other humans and Demons, but it had never fallen.


    Getting inside was ordinarily quite difficult, as you would need a special permit to enter and the wait times could be lengthy. However, as a Mythril-ranked adventurer, Halifax simply shed her small guild te and made up a lie about her being here on a special mission, which quickly got them inside.


    <i>{The perks of being important!} </i>(Halifax)


    Once inside, the scale of the city hit them full on. Amakusa and Halifax had been here many times, but to Akagi and Yumi, it was impressive. The paved cobblestone streets were dotted with numerous nted trees as well as light posts, which Akagi figured ran on magic, and the buildings that sat along the different roads reminded Akagi of the 17th-century Padian Architecture of Italy with some Neo-ssical mixed in.


    ¡°Damn.¡±<i> </i>Akagi whistled. "This ce is gorgeous. It feels like I''ve stepped back in time, not just into another world." She was beginning to wonder if the humans of this world had any rtion to those of Earth with simrities like this.


    <i>{It wouldn''t be the strangest thing if there was some connection between them. After all, its not like humans are the default for life, so having two worlds with them is a bit strange.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I figured that you''d find it impressive. The Imperial Capital probably one of the nicest cities on the continent, though Targul certainly gives it a run for its money." Halifax smiled before her face turned into one of worry. "It just hit me, but will you two be alright?" She looked between Akagi and Yumi. "Shiroe has divine magic which lets her speak themon tongue, but you two don''t." She figured that Akagi and Yumi were going to have a hard time if nobody could understand them.


    <i>{I suppose I could trante, but that has its problems.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Don''t worry." Akagi then spoke in Enoris''mon tongue, much to Halifax''s surprise. "I <i>politely requested </i>that Mizumi teach it to us, so we''re fine." The two girls quickly figured out that Akagi''s request was anything <i>but</i>.


    "How did you learn it so fast?!?" Amakusa was shocked that she picked up anguage in such a short time. "There''s no way you could''ve mastered it in a few weeks!"


    "Well, I probably could with my mental abilities, but I actually took Yumi and Mizumi into my shadow and dted time to where we spent like a year in there as she taught it to us." Akagi answered. "We''re not perfect, but it will do."


    <i>{Time dtion?!?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Yeah, you''re pronunciation is a bit off, but most people won''t mind." Halifax nodded. "That''s good. I was worried about needing to trante for you, and I assume you did something simr with your ninjas?" She figured that Akagi had done the same thing.


    "Not all of them, no." Akagi shook her head. "A few like Chloe, Nina, and Hikari <i>were</i> taught, but for the rest, I had Imp make a trantion item that would do the job for them." Having everyone learn thenguage would''ve been a pain, and Mizumi could only stand teaching the same thing so many times.


    "Good, then that will-" Halifax was cut off as her dove familiar returned,nding on her head. "There''s a message attached to its leg." She pulled the small paper off and read through it, a scowl slowly forming on her lips. "Looks like I was right. Rebeckah wants to meet with us, ASAP. Her letter says toe at the eighteenth bell since she wants to contact riel and get her in on this."


    <i>{I knew that she''d being, but still...} </i>(Halifax)


    "And how long do we have until then?" Akagi asked about the time. She knew that Enoris ran off a different system than Earth but was unsure how the Empire tracked it.


    "Based on the clock tower..." Halifax pointed to one in the distance. "We''re at the thirteenth bell, so we have approximately five hours until our meeting." Enoris had a twenty-seven-hour day segmented into standard units of measurement, which approximated how time was kept on Earth.


    "So we''ve got time to wander around a bit, good." Akagi looked around. The Imperial Capital here reminded her of the one from FWO, and she could tell by the look on Yumi''s face that the Priestess thought the same. "You two know this ce, so show us around a bit. We''ve got nothing but time to kill at the moment."


    "I figured that you''d burst into the Pce or sneak in or something. Are you really just going to sightsee?" Amakusa doubted Akagi''s intentions.


    "It''s not the Princess that I care about anyway, so busting in right now would do nothing to advance my goals." Akagi shrugged.


    "In fairness, riel <i>is</i> the more important of the two, so yeah." Halifax nodded. "I don''t mind looking around a bit though. I haven''t been to the capital in a while, so it will be nice to see it again."


    <i>{There are some excellent shops here, and the food at Nisha''s ce is great.} </i>(Halifax)


    ¡°Then lead on, oh wise tour guide!¡± Akagi chuckled as Halifax led them around the expansive Imperial Capital. Halifax told Akagi about its history, how the Empire once covered most of the continent before losing all but a small portion to rebellions and invasions, and how sessive leaders had been pushing for a total reconquest.


    "I take it that beastkin are not treated well in the Empire?" Akagi said as they walked past an open-air ve market which was primarily filled with beastkin for sale.


    "They''re not <i>only </i>ves if that''s what you''re thinking." Halifax pointed out a few beastkin who were running shops and wandering the streets. "It just that with the invasion and reconquest of the Northern Beastkingdoms two decades ago, the number of beastkin ves has increased. Though it would be fair to say that within the Empire, beastkin aren''t treated great."


    <i>{I know plenty who''ve been turned into ythings.} </i>(Halifax)


    "And you just had to make me one..." Amakusa sighed.


    "If people think you''re just Akagi''s ve, that actually will make things even easier." Halifax gave a wry smile.


    "I mean... She <i>is</i>." Akagiughed. "I call her <i>pet</i>, but in reality, she''s my <i>ve</i>."


    <i>{Or should I say intern?} </i>(Akagi)


    "..." Amakusa red at her.


    "Am I wrong?" Akagi looked back at her. "You''re my <i>pet</i>, and must do whatever I say. Thus, you are a <i>ve</i>."


    "I..." Amakusa bit her lip.


    "Be grateful that I did not make your subconscious personality the entirety of your being." Akagi smirked. "Or would you rather be my happy <i>pet</i> all day?" She wiggled her fingers over her shoulder. ¡°I can easily rescind my kindness if you want.¡±


    <i>{Dark...} </i>(Halifax)


    "Ethical issues aside, Akagi is right, Shiroe." Halifax interceded. "For the most part, you still have your free will, and based on what I''ve seen from that ck Company of hers, you got off <i>easy</i>."


    <i>{Part of me is saying that I should be angry with Akagi for doing something so cruel, but then that part fucks off and says that Shiroe deserves exactly what she''s getting... Damn... I really don''t care anymore, do I?} </i>(Halifax)


    "They might not be the best example either." Yumi gave a wry smile. "Besides Elna, the rest had their personalities entirely <i>wiped</i> and a new one imnted. It is simr to what happened to Shiroe, but I''d say it''s far more <i>extreme</i>." She approved of the newly transformed ck Company and was always happy to have more converts to the Cult of the Demon Lord.


    "Either way, Shiroe is my happy <i>pet</i> and will dly do tricks and wag her tail if I want." Akagiughed. "So just remember your ce, and all will be well."


    Amakusa looked to Halifax for help but received a shrug.


    <i>{You''re barking up the wrong tree, little doggy.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Ignoring <i>that</i> whole issue, there''s one ce we should probably avoid." Halifax moved up next to Akagi.


    "If it''s the one with the <i>literal</i> God hanging about, then I understand." Akagiughed. She''d sensed the Divine Energy the moment she closed in on the Imperial Capital and as she got closer the ''signal'' only got stronger.


    "Ah, so you already detected her. I guess that''s not surprising all things considered." Halifax gave a wry smile. "There are temples dedicated to each of the Gods in the Capital, and Lady Tahena spends a lot of time in hers. If you''re sensing divine energy in the City, then that''s probably her."


    <i>{Out of all the Gods, she was the one who interacted with the mortal world the most, but... I''d say that her interactions and generosity weren''t entirely out of a sense of altruism.} </i>(Halifax)


    "If I''m correctly recalling the information that Mizumi and you gave us, Tahena is the Goddess of Health and Fertility, right?" Yumi recalled what she could about Enoris'' Gods.


    "Yes." Halifax nodded. "She''s pretty popr among average people for<i> </i>I''d say pretty obvious reasons."


    "Now the real question is, where does she stand on the <i>issue?</i>" Akagi asked about whether she was one of the Gods that supported riel''s ''rebellion.''


    "Sadly, she supports Gale''s n, but not out of a simple desire for self-preservation." Halifax answered. "From what Rebeckah told me, Tahena just wants to continue blessing people, even if it is in another world."


    "Her reasons are irrelevant." Akagi continued. "All Gods are going to get a punishment, but I n on being a bit nicer to those who are at least <i>trying</i> to stop Gale''s n."


    <i>{Though nicer doesn''t mean a free pass, and riel herself is going to get a very fitting punishment when things go my way.} </i>(Akagi)

 Chapter 294 – Meeting the Princess and the Goddess.

    Chapter 294 ¨C Meeting the Princess and the Goddess.


    The four girls continued their adventure around the Imperial Capital, stopping to get some lunch around the time that Amakusa''s stomach made noises that made Akagi think a member of her own kind was trying to speaking to her. The hard paved streets and interesting architecture caused Akagi to stop and admire it a few times, with hermenting that it gave her a feeling of nostalgia. During FWO, the <i>Demon</i> spent a great deal of time in the Imperial Capital, so to see something that vaguely resembled it again brought back plenty of memories.


    "That you can have such happy memories about killing people speaks to your character." Amakusa quipped. The two had gotten into another argument, this time circling back to Akagi''s career as an assassin.


    "I simply enjoy the art of Assassination." Akagi replied as they walked toward the Imperial Pce. It was almost time for the meeting, and they would enter via the main gate as per Rebeckah''s instructions. "The setup, the nning, <i>all</i> of it fills me with absolute joy. That somebody dies in the end is merely a product of the kind of profession I wound up in." She shrugged. "Though there is always a sense of satisfaction at a job well done, so there''s that too."


    "You talk as if you''re some kind of hunter." Amakusa scoffed. "You <i>do</i> realize that the people you killed had family, friends, feelings, and a future, right? Taking the lives of people who threaten you or those you care about is one thing, but doing it for nothing more than <i>payment</i> is abhorrent." She still thought that Akagi was a despicable creature, even if she had resigned herself to working with her.


    <i>{In any other timeline, she''d be the viin of this story and I''d be the Hero that ys her...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Demon Lords are hunters by nature." Akagiughed at the aptparison. "Souls are our preferred food, so perhaps <i>that</i> ys into why I enjoy assassination so much. As to your second point, I''ve had many people throw that same canned line at me over the years. They''d always ask me how could I kill people who did no wrong, or how could I take lives on a whim, and to that I say... <i>Too bad</i>." She continued. "I will not sit here and justify my actions, nor will I try and make myself out to be some gray anti-hero who does what needs to be done for the greater good. I do what I do because it brings me joy and for no other reason. If you don''t like it, <i><b>then try and stop me</b></i>." Her voice briefly distorted for a moment.


    "I still don''t like it..." Amakusa grumbled.


    <i>{Think you''re tough just because your voice... I''ll show you...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Just do what I do and put it out of your mind." Halifax said as they started the final approach toward the massive front gates of the Imperial Pce. "I don''t agree with Akagi''s actions, but I''vee to understand that trying to change her isn''t going to happen. Plus, knowing what I do about Demon Lords, it''s better that she satisfies whatever urges she has in this more <i>limited</i> fashion." She gave a wry smile.


    <i>{Vikes was an insatiable sadistic monster who reveled in the destruction he caused. No lives had meaning to that thing, and he didn''t hold back from killing anyone who crossed his path. Compared to him, I think I''ll take the happy kitty who tackles her sister-inw for pets.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Exactly! Just do what the girls do and focus on Akagi being a cute kitty and massive goofball!" Yumiughed. ¡°It helps a ton!¡±


    "..." Amakusa shook her head without speaking, not wanting to get into the <i>cat </i>issue.


    As they approached the massive stone gates of the Imperial Pce, Halifax informed the guards that she was expected, and after confirming her identity with her guild I.D. the four of them were let into the pce, and the sight within took both Akagi and Yumi by surprise.


    <i>{Well damn... This is awesome!} </i>(Akagi)


    Massive multicolored gardens covered the approach to the central building, which Akagi likened to the<b> </b>Hofburg Pce in Vienna. With high sweeping walls and gorgeously crafted ss, Akagi figured that such a building was more than worthy of being called an Imperial Pce, and she internally apuded the people who managed to make such a beautiful building possible.


    "This ce is always pretty cool. I remember how much Kanato wouldn''t shut up about how the inside looked like some Medieval European Pce." Amakusamented as they were led by a butler.


    ¡°In fairness, this does look<i>very</i> European. Judging by the architecture I''dpare it to...¡± Akagi then went on a rant about medieval and early modern castles and other things that none of the girls cared about.


    <i>{Hearing a Demon Lord rant about buildings...} </i>(Halifax)


    "Speaking of Kanato, I wonder if he''s here?" Halifax knew that Kanato would''ve been cast into the world randomly, but figured that there was a chance he''de home.


    "Lord Kanato is currently not in residence." The butler who was escorting them answered. "He was sent on an important mission by the Gods and has yet to return.¡±


    <i>{Good. That''s one less problem we need to run into. I''d rather not deal with him at the moment.} </i>(Halifax)


    After entering the Pce and walking down a massive hallway, Akagi and the girls stood at the bottom of a huge grand staircase, at the top of which was a gigantic portrait of a teal haired woman.


    ¡°That''s a beautiful painting.¡± Yumimented as they started up the stairs.


    ¡°Why thank you.¡± Halifax giggled. ¡°I painted it myself.¡±


    ¡°Wait, YOU made that?!?¡± Amakusa retorted. ¡°WHAT?!?¡± She''d been told that the portrait was created two centuries ago by a good friend of Empress Sheraldine.


    ¡°I gave it to Sherry as a gift for her one hundredth birthday.¡± Halifax smiled as she recalled just how happy her friend was. ¡°It took <i>forever </i>to make that thing, and bringing it here was a nightmare.¡±


    <i>{It was nearly destroyed on the journey here by one of those stupid boars...} </i>(Halifax)


    ¡°Wha- Huh?!?¡± Amakusa still didn''t understand, so Akagi whispered to her the truth of Halifax and Sherry''s rtionship, causing her to go red with embarrassment.


    <i>{ISN''T THAT REALLY BAD?!?} </i>(Amakusa)


    ¡°His Majesty is quite fond of the painting. He never met thete Empress, as she passed away not long after he was born, but I''ve heard him remark that this portrait makes him feel like he''s always known her.¡± The butlermented.


    ¡°Strange, if Humans can live so long, then how did the current Emperor not meet his Grandmother?¡± Akagi thought aloud.


    ¡°There were some <i>circumstances</i>. Sherry lived till the ripe old age of two hundred and twelve, an age that I never expected her to live to since she actually had quite a low amount of magical power.¡± Halifax exined. ¡°She had four children, but only three lived to adulthood and the one whoter became heir to the throne ended up not having children until <i>very </ite into his life. By the time Emperor Hadrus was born, Sherry was on her death bed and he never really got to meet her.¡± She recalled the day that Sherry passed and though her old friend was at peace with things, it was still painful. ¡°After that her son, Alfred, ruled until he passed around sixty years ago and then Hadrus took over.¡± She didn''t have a good opinion of the current Emperor and found him to be far to willing to use violence to solve problems.


    <i>{Though, it at least seems that Rebeckah takes after her Great-Grandmother a bit ...} </i>(Halifax)


    After following the butler up the massive set of stairs and through hallways that made Yumi''s head spin with just how expensive they must''ve been, Akagi and Co were directed to the Office of the Imperial Crown Princess.


    "Lady Rebeckah is waiting inside. Please mind your manners and show her the appropriate courtesy." The butler bowed slightly before leaving.


    "Don''t worry, we will." Akagi smiled.


    "I can sense riel''s energy... She''s... She''s inside..." Halifax hesitated to open the door, her hand hovering just above the handle.


    <i>{Its... Its been so long...} </i>(Halifax)


    "If you don''t want to meet her, then you can stay outside." Akagi put her hand on Halifax''s shoulder. ¡°I won''t ask you to do something that makes you ufortable.¡±


    "No..." Halifax shook her head. "This was <i>my</i> mission, and I need to report to her about what''s going on..." She grabbed the handle. "Besides, if I leave all the talking to you, then I know things will go <i>sideways</i>."


    "You know me so well!" Akagi snickered before turning to Amakusa. "Now be a good <i>pet</i> and keep quiet until it''s time to speak."


    "..." Amakusa tried to say something but found that her mouth wouldn''t move.


    "Good <i>pet</i>!" Akagi scratched her ears, dodging a hand swipe before turning back to Halifax. "Are you ready?"


    "It''s been a thousand years since I saw her with my own two eyes..." Halifax gulped. "But let''s do this." She slowly opened the door, revealing riel and Princess Rebeckah sitting opposite one another on luxurious furniture.


    "Ah, Ms. Halifax! We were wondering when you''d arrive." Rebeckah was wearing a fine white dress, and the air about her was far more mature than when she met Halifax before. "I never expected that we''d actually meet again." She stood and the two shook hands before the Princesses eyes moved to Akagi, Yumi, and Amakusa. "Your letter mentioned that there were some <i>developments, </i>and seeing as you''ve brought some friends, I can guess what those were."


    <i>{This girl is calcting. Her mind is trying to calmly figure out what''s going on, interesting.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Things... Things went a bit <i>differently</i> than expected." Halifax gave a wry smile as she turned to riel. Akagi was currently hiding her power so the Goddess had no idea she was standing mere feet from the Demon Lord that she''d briefly sensed earlier.


    "Halifax... It''s... Its good to see you." riel didn''t really know how to treat her ''daughter'' anymore. She wanted to hug her but knew that such an act would be a poor idea. "I''m d you''re safe..."


    <i>{She doesn''t seem to have changed, thank goodness!} </i>(riel)


    "riel." Halifax locked eyes with the Goddess. "Let''s put aside our past issues for a moment. We can sift through that once we speak about the issue at hand." She took a deep breath before continuing. "Things have taken a turn for the worse, and we need to be prepared for all hell to break loose in the near future." She side-eyed Akagi, which both women failed to notice.


    "I see... Then, please sit." Rebeckah motioned for her to sit on one of the couches. "That you''ve returned with others must mean that our n didn''t work out as intended." She turned and took a seat next to riel, with Akagi, Halifax, and Yumi sitting opposite her. Amakusa was told to stand behind the three of them rather than sit, which annoyed her.


    <i>{THERE''S CLEARLY ROOM FOR ME TO SIT IN THAT CHAIR!} </i>(Amakusa)


    <i>{I can tell from that look in Akagi''s eye that she''s about to enjoy scaring the fucking hell out of riel... Is it bad that I want to see the look on her face? That I... WANT her to feel fear?} </i>(Halifax)


    "I''ve had some tea prepared, so please help yourself." Rebeckah poured a cup herself, but only Akagi took one.


    "What no poison? I was hoping for a bit of <i>kick</i> to my drink." Akagiughed as she took another sip.


    "W-Why would I poison my own guest?" Rebeckah stammered, not expecting thatment.


    <i>{What kind of meetings has thisdy gone to where somebody poisons the very people they invite as allies?!?} </i>(Rebeckah)


    "Many reasons, but forget I said anything." Akagi waived off herment.


    <i>{I mean, I''ve seen Nobles do far worse to their ''allies.''} </i>(Akagi)


    "Halifax, please tell me what happened in that other world. Who are these three, and why were the Heroes defeated?" riel''s gaze turned sharp. She wanted, no<i>, NEEDED </i>answers, and Halifax was the only one who could give them.


    <i>{If Halifax is acting ''normal'' then that leaves only one answer to where the power that''s sealing Hitomi''s mind came from, and I''m not sure I like THAT any better.} </i>(riel)


    "That''s a long andplex story, but to summarize... The Gods fucked up,<i> big time</i>..." Halifax nced at Akagi. "I arrived on Earth as expected and started my search for people powerful enough to drive the Heroes away... and I found them... a whole group, in fact."


    "I suppose that means these three are of that group?" riel''s eyes scanned over Akagi. She got the sense that there was more to her was meets the eye, and something about the <i>Demon</i> was giving the Goddess a bad feeling.


    "Yes and no." Halifax shook her head. "To skip ahead quite a bit, the Heroes arrived and Akagi here quickly defeated the four of them, capturing Shiroe Amakusa and driving the other three back to Enoris."


    "S-She managed to defeat all four of them on her own?!?" Rebeckah raised her voice unexpectedly. "Ah, my apologies."


    "That is quite the im." riel didn''t react. "Those Heroes were granted an extraordinary amount of power. Individually they eclipse practically every other mortal on Enoris. To defeat all four at the same time... Just who or <i>what </i>are you to do something like that?"


    Her question caused Akagi''s lips to curve into a terrifying smile. <i><b>"Me? I''m a Demon Lord."</b></i>

 Chapter 295 – The Demon Lord and the Goddess.

    Chapter 295 ¨C The Demon Lord and the Goddess.


    Akagi''s words chilled the room, and riel''s face turned pale. "A D-Demon Lord?" Her mind raced as she tried to understand what was going on. She''d detected <em>something</em> that reminded her of a Demon Lord''s power when she tried to remove Hitomi''s mental block, but she never expected one to appear before her.


    <i><b>"Precisely." </b></i>Akagi let out a demonicugh. <i><b>"And if you don''t believe me..." </b></i>She allowed her power to briefly ir for a moment before retracting it. <i><b>¡°I think that should put any doubts to bed.¡± </b></i>She chuckled.


    <i>{Was it really necessary to do that...} </i>(Amakusa)


    Rebeckah was practically blue in the face as she momentarily forgot to breathe. Demon Lord Vikes'' destruction was something that she knew well from her time studying history, and the thought of <i>another </i>being like that showing up was the stuff of nightmares.


    <i>{I... That...} </i>(Rebeckah)


    "T-That power..." riel finally managed to speak, shaking off her momentary confusion. "You really are... But... We <i>destroyed</i> Vikes! I know it!" She thought that Akagi was a reincarnation or revival of Vikes, rather than a wholly knew Demon Lord.


    <i>{Did those Cultists manage to somehow revive him?!?} </i>(riel)


    "You did, but he was not the only member of my kind in existence." Akagi smiled, allowing her voice to return to normal. "I am the Demon Lord of Earth, Akagi Dumetor. The one you destroyed was the Demon Lord of Enoris, a separate individual.¡±


    "Halifax... Why have you brought such a being here?!? Do you wish for this world''s destruction?!? Do you hate us that much?!?" riel was almost hysterical as she began to panic internally. The battle against Vikes had killed several Gods and nearly destroyed the world with its intensity. If <em>another</em> creature like Vikes decided to act, there was no guarantee that they could win again, especially if Halifax <i>sided</i> with said being.


    <i>{We... I have to warn everyone... Halifax... Have you finally...} </i>(riel)


    "I didn''t really have a choice in the matter." Halifax shook her head. "It''s like I said, the Gods fucked up big time by sending the Heroes to Earth... You pissed off a Demon Lord, and now... Now she''s here to get even." Despite how kind that she knew Akagi could be, the Sword was well aware that the <i>Demon </i>was currently angry and out for blood.


    <i>{Not to mention... Not to mention that I''d like to see you all humbled after what you pulled. You... What you did, not just to me... But to so many others...} </i>(Halifax)


    "So you brought her to Enoris?!?" riel stood up, ring at her. "Why?!? I understand that you might hate me or the other Gods for what happened in the past, but the people of this world do not need to die for our sins! Especially not at the hands of a Demon Lord! You know firsthand what Vikes did to his victims, Halifax! He <i>ate </i>them, soul and all!" Such a fate meant that there was no saving them, and that they would vanish, never to reincarnate again.


    <i>{This thing will consume everyst person in the world! Do you truly wish to see our home burned to cinders and rendered into little more than a lifeless ball of rock and earth?!?} </i>(riel)


    "I did not bring her here to get vengeance on you or the people of this world!" Halifax shot up, her hand briefly moving toward her de before backing off. "You asked me to save that other world, and that''s what I did! Akagi drove the Heroes away... But.... But I cannot control what she does <i>next</i>." She practically growled. Being screamed at like that instantly put her on edge, and even if she didn''t intend to get into an argument she''d unconsciously reacted negatively to the Goddess'' usations. "Now lets make one thing clear, you lot attacked a world ruled by a Demon Lord! Akagi would be here regardless of whether or not I helped her out! She didn''t need my or anyone else''s help to defeat the Heroes or even to get here, riel! So cut the fucking attitude!"


    <i>{WHY WON''T YOU LISTEN TO ME?!? WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS LIKE THIS?!?} </i>(Halifax)


    "So then, why are you with her?!? Surely you must know what will happen to our world now that <i>another</i> one of her kind has appeared!" riel continued to yell, escting the screaming match further. "I epted that our world''s fate is sealed, but I will not allow the people of this world to be terrorized by another member her kind!" She summoned her golden staff, ready to do battle. "Now stand aside. That thing must be eliminated <i>before </i>it''s toote!" The summoning of the staff caused Yumi to tense, but Akagi quickly put her hand on top of Yumi''s to calm her down.


    "If you try and attack her, then you <i>guarantee </i>this world''s destruction, riel! Don''t do it!" Halifax was trying hard not to reach for her de, even though she knew that it would be impossible to use it on the Goddess.


    <i>{If you piss off Akagi, then my n of convincing her to help SAVE this world is going to go out the window, you idiot! So calm the fuck down and listen to what I''m trying to say for once in your fucking life!} </i>(Halifax)


    "If you will not stand aside, then should I take that as you siding with her?" riel asked, her eyes showing both anger and sadness. "Tell me, is <i>she</i> the one you wish to be wielded by?"


    <i>{I always feared this day mighte... That you might...} </i>(riel)


    "I WILL BE WIELDED BY NO ONE!" Halifax''s voice rattled the windows and caused Rebeckah to flinch. "NOT YOU! NOT AKAGI! NOBODY! NOBODY SHALL WIELD ME EVER AGAIN!" The insinuation that she''d rolled over for a new master caused her nonexistent blood to boil and she was seconds from trying to attack, as futile as it might be.


    "Alright, knock it the fuck off!" Akagi used her power to paralyze the two of them and stop them from doing anything further. "I knew this might happen. So how about you two calm the fuck down before I smack you both upside the head." She sighed as she held up her outstretched hand.


    <i>{I can only tolerate a screaming match for so long...} </i>(Akagi)


    "I... Can''t... Move..." riel tried to call upon her divine power but found herself at Akagi''s mercy.


    <i>{This shouldn''t be possible! Even Vikes couldn''t do something like this!} </i>(riel)


    "Try all you want but you won''t be escaping my restraints." Akagi smirked as she pulled out her Kiseru and lit it. "Now, Halifax, take a seat, and don''t let this idiot boil your blood and further. I can assure you that she''s <i>not </i>worth the stress." She released Halifax from her power, and the Sword sat back down on the couch. "Now, riel. Are you going to sit down and let me talk, or do I need to keep you restrained? I don''t mind either way, but I''d like to think that we''re both civilized people that don''t need to have proverbial <em>knives</em> at each other''s throats to have an adult conversation."


    <i>{Then again, I find that most people suck at that no matter how old they are, mortal or otherwise.} </i>(Akagi)


    "F-Fine..." riel knew that she had no choice. Her Avatar body wasn''t anywhere near powerful enough to fight Akagi, and whatever force the <i>Demon </i>was using was stopping her from fleeing.


    "Good." Akagi released the Goddess as she blew a puff of smoke. "So, to clear the air a bit, I am <i>not</i> exactly like Vikes. Yes, we''re both Demon Lords, but unlike him, <i>I </i>retained my sanity. I have no intention of turning this world into a smoking inferno, at least not as of yet." She chuckled.


    "So, what, are you trying to tell met that you''re some kind of <i>good </i>Demon Lord?" riel didn''t buy that for a second.


    "Good? No. I''m an distinctly evil being as one would expect." Akagi replied. "My kind exists to destroy. I''ve just decided to forestall such destruction indefinitely since I''m content to enjoy the world that I was born into rather than burn it to ash. However, that doesn''t make me some kind of paragon of virtue." She snapped her fingers, releasing Amakusa from her prohibition on speaking and temporarily removing her transformation.


    "Shiroe?!?" riel''s eyes went wide as she realized who the ''beastkin'' was.


    "Tell them, <i>pet</i>." Akagi took another hit. "Tell them all about me."


    "She''s fucking evil and should be destroyed!" Amakusa eximed. "Akagi enved me and basically treats her world as her personal toy box!"


    <i>{SHE MADE ME JUMP FOR TREATS YESTERDAY! IT WAS HUMILIATING!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "I mean, <em>it is</em>." Akagiughed. "Earth and its people are mine by birthright. I just gave them the mercy of not eating them all, so the least they can do is provide me entertainment."


    <i>{I mean,e on. If I kill them all, then how would I get more amazing games to y or anime to watch?!? And who would provide copious amounts of snuggles and pudding?!?} </i>(Akagi)


    "Y-You <i>enved</i> a Hero?" Rebeckah finally managed to speak, shaking off some of her fear.


    "I made her my <i>pet</i>." Akagi corrected her. "And tell them just how much you love your new position!"


    "Of course! Being master''s pet has been the greatest thing to ever happen to me! She''s so kind, and I''m such a bad girl for killing all those poor Spirits!" Amakusa''s sudden change baffled riel and Rebeckah.


    "And what do you think should be done about this naughty little world?" Akagi asked with augh.


    "Burn it to the ground!" Amakusa smiled while screaming internally. "These disgusting Gods should be tormented for daring to wage war upon you, master, and the people of Enoris should be subjected to horrors even greater than what they inflicted on their victims.¡± She finished, reverting to normal. ¡°FOR THE RECORD, I DON''T BELIEVE ANY OF THAT! SHE FORCED ME TO SAY IT!"


    <i>{REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Good <i>pet</i>! I''ll give you extra snackster, and maybe some ear scritches to go with them!" Akagiughed.


    <em>{I don''t want any of that...}</em>(Amakusa)


    "I see. So despite what you said you truly are a monster..." riel understood what Akagi had done to Shiroe. It was a technique that she''d seen before, only on a much deeper level than what she''d expected.


    "Hey, in all fairness I could''ve killed her or erased her real personality." Akagi shrugged. "Though I suppose being forced to happily be my <i>pet</i> is also pretty bad." She winked.


    "Akagi, you''re not helping my case here..." Halifax sighed. "But regardless of her <i>proclivities</i>, Akagi isn''t really our enemy. Well, she''s not this world''s enemy anyway. She''s more interested in getting out punishment on the Gods for attacking her, which is why she''s here."


    "I mean, it''s not as simple as <i>that, </i>but yeah." Akagi twirled her pipe in her hands. "Let me be blunt. By sending those four into my world with the express goal of killing <i>my </i>subjects and usurping my position, Enoris'' Gods have dered <i>war </i>on me." She shot riel a fiery look. "And I don''t intend to stop this war until I''ve got all of you hoisted up by your own petard!" She mmed the back of her foot down on the small coffee table between them.


    <i>{I''m not sure they''re going to understand that phrase...} </i>(Yumi)


    "Your subjects?" riel wanted rification. "By that, do you mean the Spirits?"


    "Who else could I mean?" Akagi rolled her eyes. "They swore fealty to me after a series of events that I don''t feel like going into, which means an attack on them is an attack on <i>me</i>. Not to mention that your whole n to take over Earth and be its Gods was also a <i>direct</i> challenge to my rule. Naturally, I didn''t take well to either of those things, and so here we are." The second part was Akagi''s main reason for being here, since while she did care about the Spirits their well-being was never going to be a higher priory than dealing with someone challenging her.


    <i>{A Demon Lord ruling a world? What?} </i>(riel)


    "I can''t disagree with... With Akagi going after the Gods, riel." Halifax spoke up. "Knowingly ordering the elimination of an entire race was bad enough, but to have done it knowing full well that it wouldn''t help and then trying to do the same thing to the entire <i>world </i>just to save yourselves... I''m sorry, but that''s not something I can just sit and watch idly." She shook her head, her face showing deep sadness. "The Gods picked a fight with somebody that can destroy them, and I have no intention of intervening to stop you all from getting your just desserts."


    <i>{I never thought that somebody could hold them ountable... And even now... It still feels strange...} </i>(Halifax)


    "You must know that we won''t stand aside and ept such a fate." riel said. "Even if I agree that the Gods went too far, I cannot trust that a Demon Lord won''t turn its wrath on the poption once she destroys us. Not to mention that our deaths would destabilize the world! With no one to administer Enoris there''s no telling what kind of chaos would result!"


    <em>{This are already on the brink, the loss of the entire Pantheon would doom the world all the sooner!}</em>(riel)


    "This world is doomed whether or not I destroy it, you know that right?" Akagimented as she leaned on Yumi.


    "Of course I am aware of that, but it doesn''t mean that I''m happy to allow <i>you </i>to speed that process up." riel scowled. "I was hoping to find a way for the people of this world to <i>flee</i>. Since even if we Gods must die, that doesn''t mean Enoris'' people should suffer the same fate! And to leave things in your hands would be no better than consigning them to the death that Gale and the others have nned for them!" She figured that Akagi would let out her true nature the moment she got the Gods out of the way.


    "Its funny. You sit here and try and protect the ''innocent'' people of Enoris when they are anything <em>but</em>." Akagi scoffed at herments. "They went along with such a heinous act of ughter, so if you ask me, they''re getting what they fucking deserve."


    <i>{Like seriously, you kill hundreds of thousands of people and then beg for your own lives. What kind of delusion are you under?!? I''d never grovel and beg for my life if somebody actually managed to hold me to ount, since I''d probably deserve everything they''ve got lined up for me.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Hah! I''m not surprised that a being born to <i>destroy</i> has no empathy for the plight of mortals." riel returned a scoff of her own. "I''d bet good money that you see them as nothing but pawns in your little game, Demon Lord."


    <i>{Don''t try and take some kind of moral high ground here! ''Good'' Demon Lords don''t exist and you''re just another power mad monster who thinks she can do anything that she wants!} </i>(riel)


    At her words, Akagi slowly sat upright and red at the Goddess. "You are correct to say that <i>most</i> people are of little concern to me, but you are wrong if you think that applies to <i>everyone</i>." She wrapped her arm around Yumi and pulled her into a hug. "Yumi here is what gives me life, and without her, I''d be lost, and the same can be said for the rest of my family." She continued. "Back home I''ve got a little sister that I love to pieces and some amazing friends that mean the world to me." Akagi put her hand on Halifax''s shoulder. "And that <em>includes</em> Halifax here. I might not have known her for very long, but I already consider her to be an important friend. So, to say that I care about <i>no one </i>is patently false. I''m just selective about who I open my heart to." She smirked. "Besides, how can you even say something like that with a straight face after what you did to your own <i><b>daughter</b></i>!" Her voice distorted briefly. "So don''t try act all holier than though, <i>Goddess.</i> Your kind don''t give a <i>fuck </i>about the lives of the people who live within the world you administer. I know enough about your kind to say that 99% of you see them as little more than tools for your ns or a power source that you rely on! If you truly cared for them, then you''d''ve done more to help them, but you didn''t, and you don''t!"


    <i>{This preachy shit is why I HATE Gods! Don''t go trying to act all better than me when that''s patently false! Demon Lords are beings meant to kill, and by inrge my kind have no choice in the matter, but YOU assholes are free to act as you wish and yet you STILL do horrible shit! So tell me, who''s worse?!? Me for being born to destroy and yet overing that desire, or you who were created as a nk te and yet still chose this path?} </i>(Akagi)


    "You''re not wrong to say that some of us care little for those who worship us, but that''s not true for all of us!" riel took exception to Akagi''sment. "We try and help the people of this world in whatever way we can! It''s just that direct involvement <i>always </i>runs the risk of problems so we have to pick and choose when and how we involve ourselves! Unlike you, <i>we </i>try to be careful about the coteral damage we cause!"


    "Tell me this.¡± Halifax interrupted, her facepletely expressionless. ¡°In the end, how many Gods actually objected to Gale''s sacrificing this world''s people to save themselves?" She asked. "How many of the so-called ''caring Gods'' were willing to go down with the proverbial ship?" A moment passed as silence enveloped the room. It was obvious that Halifax''s question was unwanted, and if looks could kill, Halifax would''ve been a dead woman.


    "Three." Rebeckah in riel''s stead, something that clearly annoyed the Goddess. ¡°Only three...¡±


    "Huh. Three out of thirty-six..." Akagi shifted her jaw in thought. "That''s a whopping 8% of Gods willing to die. Back home, that''s not only a <i>failing</i> grade, but one so bad that you would have to question if those remaining <i>eight </i>percentage points were only gained due to guessing." Sheughed.


    "So then, what?" riel tried to ignore what Akagi said. "You n to kill us all? To plunge this world into chaos?" She figured that it made no difference if Akagi killed only the Gods or everyone since the former case would <i>also </i>doom the world.


    "Not exactly." Akagi leaned in slightly. "My n is to show you lot just how powerless you really are. You''ve spent so long gathering up the adoration and worship of the people of this world, so the first step is to take that away. I''m curious to see what happens if I make the people of Enoris turn on you.¡± Her lips curved into a nasty smile. ¡°Wouldn''t it be fun to see all those formerly loving fans of yours scorn you in the same way that you''ve done to so many in the past?¡±


    <i>{I... That would be...} </i>(Halifax)


    "You won''t be able to do that!" riel t out denied the possibility of Akagi''s n seeding. "The people of Enoris, for better or worse, <i>trust</i> us. A Demon Lord will never be able to change that fact, and, if anything, your presence will only <i>harden</i> their faith."


    <i>{The story of Vikes is known by many, and such a vile being would NEVER be able to turn any sizable number of people away from us. Even if she told people Gale''s n or some of our past misdeeds, they''d never believe her, so why would she think that convincing them was even possible?} </i>(riel)


    At her words, Akagi broke into a psychotic fit ofughter, which nearlysted a minute before ending. <i><b>"Watch me." </b></i>

 Chapter 296 – Halifax’s Heart.

    Chapter 296 ¨C Halifax¡¯s Heart.


    With a tense air hanging between Akagi and riel, it seemed that the discussion was going nowhere. The Goddess could not bring herself to trust the Demon Lord, and Akagi had no interest in ying nice with somebody who''d harmed her friend. Yumi was fully prepared to watch Akagi tear the Goddess apart, and part of her was hoping that Akagi would drop the routine and start bringing down the proverbial hammer. While Halifax was irate enough with her ''mother'' that she might''ve been fine with Akagi killing her right here and now. However, before things could escte further, Rebeckah''s voice pierced through the heavy air in the room as she tried to bring things back under control.


    "Lad- Ms. Hailifax." Rebeckah corrected herself. "Let me ask you a question. Do you <i>trust </i>Lady Akagi?" Her words caught the attention of riel, who held herself back from making a prematurement. "When she says that her intentions are not to destroy this world, do you believe her?" As someone who''d been raised to one day take her father''s ce as Empress, she was quite good at reading people and making quick judgments of character. However, Akagi was an enigma. Try as she might, Rebeckah couldn''t get a read on the <i>Demon''s </i>true intention, so the Princess figured that asking somebody whom <i>she </i>trusted was her best option.


    <i>{This woman... The only thing I can gleam about her is that there''s far more to her than meets the eye, and that''s not exactly useful...} </i>(Rebeckah)


    "Do I trust Akagi?" Halifax thought for a moment before answering. "That''s a good question."


    <i>{Do I?} </i>(Halifax)


    "You even have to think?!?" Akagi''s feigned being hurt. "Aren''t we besties?!? I even let you run your hands all over my body! Did our time together mean nothing to you?!?"


    Herments made Yumiugh, which she failed topletely contain. "I... Guess... That''s one way...." She was practically choking on her ownughter while Amakusa rolled her eyes.


    <i>{Kitty likes pets!} </i>(Yumi)


    "Halifax... Please don''t tell me that you... With a Demon Lord..." riel hadpletely fallen for Akagi''s bait.


    <i>{How can Lady riel not see that Akagi was deliberately choosing her words to cause a misunderstanding? I suppose even Gods can be dense...} </i>(Rebeckah)


    "Withments like that, I''m starting to question our friendship." Halifax groaned as she bonked Akagi on the head. "But as for your question, surprisingly I <i>do </i>trust this idiot. Personality problems aside, in the short time I''ve known her, she''s given me no reason to believe that she''s lying. So when she says that her goal doesn''t involve destroying this world, I''m inclined to believe her." She and Akagi had be fasts friends and neither girl fully understood the reason for their quick connection, and at this point neither cared.


    "Well, to bepletely transparent, I might destroy <i>part </i>of this world." Akagi rubbed her head as she held up one finger. "I do intend to inflict some measure of punishment on the poption, but I n to do that in a less <i>End Timesey</i> way." Sheughed.


    "I see, then Lady riel. I think we should afford her some manner of trust as well." Rebeckah''s words surprised the Goddess who was visibly displeased with the Princess''s suggestion.


    "Rebeckah, you have no idea what horrors a Demon Lord is capable of." riel shook her head. "I fought Vikes. I watched that monster kill countless innocent people, and I know full well that trusting something like <i>that </i>is out of the question!" The memories of that time still haunted her. Most Gods had managed to put it out of their minds, but riel had been shaken to her very foundation by Vike''s rampage. "I''m sorry, but I cannot put my faith in this Demon Lord. There''s too much at stake for me to take her word at face value."


    "Then does that mean that you <i>don''t</i> trust <i>me</i>?" Halifax mockinglyughed. "Or have you given up on me entirely?"


    "You... Halifax..." riel looked like she wanted to say something but swallowed it. "It''s not that I''ve given up on you. It''s just that I think your judgment has been... <i>tainted</i>, by your association with her." Akagi could tell that things were about to explode due to the Goddess''s word choice.


    <i>{No, it''s more than that... She probably feels that being at a Demon Lord''s side is where she belongs... Even if it''s subconscious... She probably feels a sense of belonging...} </i>(riel)


    "Tainted?" Halifax bit her lip, and her eyes burned with intense anger. "Was I not tainted when you forced me to ughter the Dark Elves?!?" She growled. riel''s word choice was the straw that broke the camels back and even Akagi wasn''t going to step in to stop things this time. "Was I not ''tainted'' when you forced me to be wielded in their destruction?!? Was I not tainted by the disgusting hands of Korex''s murder crazed psycho! You know, the one that YOU gave me to!"


    <i>{HOW FUCKING DARE YOU?!?} </i>(Halifax)


    "Halifax... Just please... Listen..." "riel tried to calm her down, but it was far toote.


    <i>{Here we go again...} </i>(Akagi)


    "NO! I WILL NOT CALM DOWN!" Halifax reached for her de, drawing it and pointing it at riel, which shocked Rebeckah. "You have no right to criticize me, who I associate with, or what I do! NOT AFTER WHAT YOU''VE DONE!" Halifax swung her de, but it stopped just moments before striking riel''s head. "You disgusting bitch! You have no right to call yourself a God! YOU GAVE ME TO THAT MONSTER! YOU LET HER USE ME! AND YOU DARE TO FUCKING CALL ME TAINTED!" She put all her power into her strike, but her own innate restrictions wouldn''t allow her to harm the Goddess.


    <i>{DAMMIT! DAMMIT! DAMMIT! DAMMIT! DAMMIT!} </i>(Halifax)


    "It''s pointless." riel sighed. "You know full well that you can''t harm the one who made you. Please, stop this. We don''t need to fight."


    <i>{Halifax...} </i>(riel)


    "I know that I can''t hurt you, but I wish I could!" Halifax started to tear up as she continued to press her de toward riel. "I wish I could make you pay for what you made me do! I wish I could drive this de into your head and make you feel even a portion of the pain that I''ve felt!" Her anger exploded and nearly a millennium of hatred bubbled up to the surface.


    <i>{You deserve so much more for what you made me do! For what you did to the Spirits! For what you''ve done to so many other innocent people! You''re no God! You''re a damn monster!} </i>(Halifax)


    "Then let''s do just that." Akagi said as, in a sh, she took riel by the neck and held her off the ground.


    "Lady riel!" Rebeckah said in a panic.


    "Let... Go... Of... Me!" riel tried to channel some of her Divine power into her hand, but Akagi quickly grabbed it.


    *SNAP*


    "AH!" riel winced in pain as her wrist was snapped, which surprised her. "Pain? What?" Avatars were unable to feel pain unless the God using it allowed it, so feeling it when she otherwise shouldn''t was shocking.


    <i>{What''s with this power?!? Its as if...} </i>(riel)


    "Do you really not understand the situation you''re in?" Akagiughed as she tightened her hold on the Goddess''s neck. ¡°I''m not like Vikes, you dense idiot. I can easily end your miserable existence right now if I wanted!" She tossed riel across the room, her back smacking against the wall.


    *COUGH* *GAG* *WHEEZE*


    "How..." riel spoke between coughs. "That''s not possible. Vikes... Vikes wasn''t..."


    <i><b>"Vikes was a mere infant..." </b></i>Akagi allowed her voice to distort again, and this time, it seemed to have an irresistible authority to it. <i><b>"While I am a fully matured Demon Lord! If youpared the two of us, I would be an order of magnitude more powerful than he ever was." </b></i>She turned back to Halifax. "So you made a wish, and it''s one that I don''t mind granting for a friend." She chuckled darkly.


    "What?" Halifax was slightly taken aback by everything that just happened. "What are you talking about?!?"


    "While I''m still not <i>100%</i> of the way to breaking the Gods'' control over you, I''m certain that I can <i>suppress</i> that annoying restraint on you." Akagi''s lips curved into a wicked smile. "So, how about it? Killing this idiotic Goddess is off the table I''m afraid, but giving her a bit of <i>damage</i> should help you blow off some steam, if nothing else." She could tell that Halifax had been bottling up much of her anger and emotions rting to riel. The two hadn''t met in person for a millennia, during which the Sword had never once managed to properly vent her frustrations or get anything resembling closure. Being called <i>tainted </i>was the final domino to fall, and the floodgates on Halifax''s heart had opened, revealing just how much she''d been holding back.


    "You... You can free me?" Halifax''s entire body went numb as she thought what that would mean.


    <i>{I... I could be...} </i>(Halifax)


    "Not yet, but I''m working on it." Akagi turned back to the staggered riel, who was struggling to stand. The <i>Demon </i>had ced a seal on her power, which prevented her from doing much beyond staring angrily at Akagi.


    <i>{Not fun being made powerless is it? How does it feel to be at the mercy of someone else?!?} </i>(Akagi)


    "You... You''re trying to steal my daughter away..." riel said angrily. "I... I won''t let you take her, monster..."


    <i>{I won''t let you use her for your own twisted schemes!} </i>(riel)


    "Steal?" Akagi scoffed at her words. "How can I ''steal'' that which never belonged to you?¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°Moreover, how can I ''steal'' that which you threw away?" Akagi''s words hit the Goddess like cold water as she realized that the <i>Demon </i>was right. By forcing Halifax to do something so heinous against her will, riel had <i>permanently</i> destroyed the trust between them and irreparably burned away their prior connection. All this time, riel had known that what she did to Halifax was wrong, and she was hoping to take this opportunity to try and patch things up. Instead, she made things <i>worse</i>, and now, as riel looked Halifax in the eyes, she saw nothing but hatred reflected back at her. The eyes that once showed warmth, trust, love, and affection had turned cold, and riel had no one to me for this change but herself.


    <i>{I... No... I...} </i>(riel)


    Seeing her mistake, the Goddess tried to apologize, but it was too little toote. "Halifax, I''m-" riel''s words paused as Halifax plunged her azure de straight into her sternum.


    <i>{Eh?} </i>(riel)


    "I don''t want to hear it." Halifax faced away from riel as she dove her de further into the Goddess, pinning her to the wall as the de went straight through her. "This isn''t going to bring back all those people you made me kill, and it changes nothing..." She continued to put pressure on her de, driving it deeper. "But I need this." Her face was covered in tears. "I <i>need</i> this..."


    <i>{I...} </i>(Halifax)


    "Ack!" riel coughed up blood onto the floor. "It''s fine..." riel smiled. "I deserve this..." She slowly wrapped her arms around Halifax, bringing her into a hug as she was pinned to the wall. "I''m so sorry... I''m so sorry, Halifax." She began to cry as well. "I''m so sorry." The two stayed like that for some time, with riel repeating her apology over and over again as Halifax cried in her arms.


    <i>{I hope this will be a good first step for her recovery... I don''t think she can ever forgive riel, nor do I think that she should, but Halifax and that idiot Goddess needed to have this heart-to-heart. Though I doubt either expected it to happen like this.} </i>(Akagi)

 Recollection 1 – The Blood Won’t Wash Off.

    Recollection 1 ¨C The Blood Won¡¯t Wash Off.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Dark chapter ahead.


    *SPLASH* *SMACK* *SPLISH* *SPLOOSH*


    On a dark, dimly lit night, a lone girl desperately tried to clean her de off in the crystal clear water of a nearby stream. There were few stars out, and the moons above, while full, were mostly obscured by the dark clouds above. Whenever the two bright balls managed to peak out and reflect some of the Sun''s light down, one could see just how far gone the poor girl was. Madness shone in her eyes, and it was as if she''dpletely unraveled mentally as she repeated the same phrase over and over again.


    "It won''te off! It won''te off! It won''te off! It won''te off! It won''te off! It won''te off! It won''te off! It won''te off! It won''te off! It won''te off! It won''te off! It won''te off! It won''te off! It won''te off! It won''te off! It won''te off!" Halifax continuously sshed water on her shining blue de. However, despite what she repeated to herself, it waspletely clean of any blemish or dirt.


    <i>{The blood! Why won''t ite off?!?} </i>(Halifax)


    "Please... Go away..." Halifax paused as she stared down at the de which sat just below the water''s surface. The dirty rags she was wearing were soaked and judging by how rough her hands looked, she''d been here for a long time. "It''s not my fault... I... No... please... I''m sorry... They made me do it... I''m sorry... So pleasee off!"


    <i>{PLEASE!} </i>(Halifax)


    As she continued to scrub her de of nonexistent blood, riel and Gale stood off in the distance, observing the mentally unstable girl from the treeline.


    "She''s been at this for days..." riel''s face showed that she wanted to run to Halifax''s side, but she held off from doing so. "We may have truly..."


    "We did what needed to be done." Gale put his hand on her shoulder to reassure her. "Do not forget what she is, riel. A<i>tool</i>, nothing more." He never liked how close the two were and felt that riel was allowing her emotions to cloud her judgment.


    "But she''s my <i>daughter</i>!" riel spun around, ring at him. ¡°How could I do this to her...¡± Forcing Halifax to spill that much blood wasn''t an easy decision, but riel had no choice but to acquiesce to Gale''s demands.


    "<i>She. Is. A. Tool</i>." Gale repeated his previous words with a fake smile. "Besides, you know what she <i>really is</i>, so why are you calling such an existence your child?"


    <i>{Don''t tell me you''ve forgotten where she came from?} </i>(Gale)


    "But she trusted me!" riel eximed. "We should have found another way, Gale! This wasn''t... <i>This </i>wasn''t how we should''ve dealt with Dibora!"


    <i>{All we''ve done is tramatize the girl! I know that Dibora is dangerous, but I''m sure that we could''ve waited a few more weeks toe up with an alternative! Hell, I would''ve incarnated and done it myself if you''d let me!} </i>(riel)


    "What would you have had us do?" Gale asked. "Halifax is the only Divine weapon with the proven ability to strike down higher beings, and we didn''t have enough time toe up with a suitable countermeasure that didn''t involve us directly descending!" He wouldn''t allow such a thing, not with an alternative so easily essible. A Goding into the material world was ast resort, and Gale wasn''t keen on authorizing such a thing, even at the cost of creating <i>another </i>problem.


    <i>{All''s well that ends well anyway. Halifax will recover in due time and we''ve seen that being pushed even this hard didn''t cause her to revert, so I see this as a sessful operation.} </i>(Gale)


    "I know that... I know that, but did you really need to <i>force </i>her to..." riel stopped. She knew that the Dark Elves were close to reviving the Dark God Dibora and that they had precious little time to stop it.


    "You know well that had we <i>not </i>done what we did, Dibora would''ve revived and this world would''ve been plunged into chaos of a level not seen since Vikes nearly killed us all." Gale replied with a scowl. "I simply used a <i>tool </i>for the job it was made for. Nothing more and nothing less." As God of Order, Gale didn''t really have a direct sense of or understanding of morals. He only cared for two things, bnce and his own survival. The feelings of others only mattered insofar as they were useful to either of these things, and some of the other Gods even questioned his dedication to the <i>former</i> at times. "If its any constion, nobody outside the Elven Royal Family knows that Halifax was used in this operation, and Diva swore a divine oath that she would not reveal what she did. Halfiax''s reputation will be saved, and once she calms down I''m sure that things will go back to normal." He didn''t really care what happened to the de and was honestly hoping that these events would result in her destruction, since he saw her as a threat.


    <i>{ARE YOU INSANE?!?} </i>riel wanted to smack him but knew that it would do nothing.


    "You may stay and watch her, but I would advise <i>against </i>approaching her. She probably doesn''t want to see you, and it would only make things <i>worse</i>." Gale disappeared with the snap of his fingers, leaving riel alone to watch her broken daughter scrub nonexistent blood from her de.


    ¡°Halifax... I''m... I''ll...¡± riel couldn''t find the right words to say and instead watched her for hours, then days, then weeks, and then months. Halifax needed no food or water to survive, and the magical energy around her sustained whatever needs she did have so it was entirely possilbe that she''d stay like this permanently.


    "It won''te off... Mom..." Halifax stopped her usual pattern of scrubbing, her word causing riel to flinch. "Mom... Why did you do this to me..." She started to cry, and riel, who was still watching from the treeline, held back from rushing to her side. "Why did you make me dirty? Why did you force me to..." She stared at her reflection in theke water, her eyes long having zed over. "Am I nothing more than a tool? Was I made for no other reason than to kill people?" She''d been forced to nearly exterminate the Dark Elves, even those who had no connection to the ritual. Those who survived were enved, and the fate that awaited them was none none too pleasant. "Was I bad? Is that why... Is that why Mom made me do this?" She slowly stood up, sword in hand, and started walking into the forest. "Did I do something to make her hate me?" She sliced her way through the forest as she continued to ramble nonsense.


    Anything that got in her way, be it trees, rocks, or animals were swiftly split in two as she wandered through the woods. Halifax was only semi-lucid at this point, and riel was worried that she might enter a nearby settlement and attack innocent townspeople.


    "I... I need to do something..." riel figured that the best option would be to send Halifax somewhere that she couldn''t hurt innocent people. "The Burning Wilds... She can survive there... Even if she''s like this... Yeah..." She waved her hand, making Halifax disappear. "Please... My child... Come back to me..." On that day riel sent her daughter away, not realizing that by failing toe to her aide when she truly needed it that Enoris'' fate would be sealed.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    "Hm?" Halifax stopped, noticing that her surroundings had changed. "<i>Demons</i>?" She sniffed the air before turning and walking in a different direction. The Burning Wilds was little more than an arid, gray wastnd with little in the way of vegetation. All around Halifax came the cries of different Demonic monsters, and the few foolish enough to get close were swiftly turned into a bloody mist as Halifax shed them. "<span style="color:#202124"><i>?</i><i> Demons, Demons, Demons...</i><span style="color:#202124"><i>?</i><i> </i>Where are you?" She started giggling as she skipped along. Even in her impaired state, Halifax could sense the creatures energy signatures, and as she wandered through the Burning Wilds she came across all manner of monsters and other nightmarish creatures. Some were multistory tall goliaths, while others were vast swarms of centipede-like creatures. However, no matter how many came or how strong they were, Halifax quickly and easily chopped them into pieces.


    With so many creatures to kill, Halifax didn''tck for something to do. Just as before, days turned to months, which turned to years. Completely out of her mind, Halifax wondered about the Buring Wilds ughtering anything that came in her path.


    "<span style="color:#202124"><i>?</i><i> Demons </i>go squish! <i>Demons </i>go smash! I want to bash, bash, bash!<span style="color:#202124">? " Halifax giggled as she continued her travels throughout the hellishndscape. Nothing had managed to challenge her even slightly, and at this point, it was looking like she would continue her rampage eternally. "Where is the <i>Demons</i>?" She stopped, her blood-soaked sword scraping against the ground. "<span style="color:#202124"><i>?</i><i> Demons</i>! Come out! I want to y!<span style="color:#202124">? " She giggled, her words having a musicale twinge to them.


    "You!" A massive ck-winged <i>Demon </i>mmed down behind her, causing Halifax toically fly forward and crash through a tree. "Are you the one who killed so many of my kin?" His deep voice boomed across the drearyndscape. The <i>Demon</i> was several times taller than Halifax, and his build made the small Sword-girl look like little more than a child.


    "Oh! A big one!" Halifax giggled as she stood up. "Are you a birdy? Those are nice wings!" She shed forward, cutting the wings off the <i>Demon,</i> causing purple blood to shoot out everywhere. "Birdy lost its wings... So sad." She faced the <i>Demon </i>with a smile that sent chills down its spine.


    "What the hell are you?" His confident attitude had been shattered in an instant and pain surged throughout his body. "A human? No... You have too much power."


    <i>{Is she some kind of rogue Demon? But, no, she can''t be. I''ve never felt one with this kind of dark power.} </i>(Big Demon)


    "Me?" Halifax cutely pointed to herself before giggling. "<span style="color:#202124"><i>?</i>I''m just a tool! A blood-soaked dirty tool!<span style="color:#202124"><i>?</i>" Her lips curved into a psychotic smile. "Now, die!" With one swipe, she carved the Demon into countless tiny pieces, his blood, and entrails scattering across the dryndscape. "<span style="color:#202124"><i>?</i>A tool is all I am! A tool is all I am! A tool is all I am!<span style="color:#202124"><i>?</i>" She continued on her way, skipping as she sang to herself. For countless years, Halifax wondered the Burning Wilds, culling the Demon poption to a degree that the Northern Kingdoms started wondering if something had happened in the Hells.


    After enough time, certain groups in the North decided tounch an investigation into what was causing the massive drop in monster poption that migrated from the Wilds. Expeditions into the hellish area only returned information that <i>something </i>was massacring <i>Demons</i> and Monsters at an unprecedented rate. There were no signs of what said <i>something </i>was, but it was quickly concluded that it was better to leave <i>it </i>in the Wilds rather than risk it turning its attention northward.


    "<span style="color:#202124"><i>?</i><i>Demons, Demons, Demons, De</i>-<span style="color:#202124"><i>?</i>" After nearly sixty years of ughter, Halifax felt something that gave her pause. "<span style="color:#202124"><i>?</i><i>Demons</i>?<span style="color:#202124"><i>?</i>" She tilted her head, as she sensed a familiar pretense nearby. In the distance was the sight of a long-finished battle, and what looked like a destroyed caravan that belonged to one of the Demon Race''s Churches sat under a withered, dead tree. "Not <i>Demons</i>..." Halifax pouted as she walked over. Something in the old wreckage had reminded her of a past event, though she couldn''t quite recall it, and as she sifted through the destroyed and decayed wagons, she came across a single cloak within a half-destroyed box. It had clearly been here for decades, but the magic weaved within was still active, albeit faintly.


    Feeling something familiar about the magical power witin, Halifax held up the cloak and dragged it across her sword body. "Argh!" Halifax''s head started to spin as her mind was assaulted with memories of carnage, destruction, death, and grief, before the face of a single woman shed through her mind.


    "Diva!" Halifax hissed. "DIVA!" She screamed the name of the one who''d wielded her during the massacre of the Dark Elves, though at this point she couldn''t fully remember <i>why </i>she hated the woman. "DIVA! WHERE ARE YOU?!?" Her voice echoed throughout the Burning Wilds, with her fury causing an eruption of power that shot skyward, parting the dense clouds above and allowing the Sun to shine into a ce otherwise eternally overcast. "Find, Diva... I must... Find... DIVA!" While she still hadn''t returned from her insanity, Halifax had a new objective. Turning North she took off as fast as she could, and for the first time in sixty years, she left the Burning Wilds. A fact that riel nor any of the Gods paid any attention to.


    Running day and night across the continent, Halifax searched for the one who caused her so much pain. She had no idea <i>where</i> her former wielder lived or if she was even still alive, but that didn''t matter to the absolutely furious de. After countless years of running from town to town, searching for the one she believed was the source of her pain, she finally found who she was looking for.


    "DIVA!" Halifax screamed as she entered a small vige in the northern mountains.


    "Oh, what the fuck?!?" A young guard who was on duty was surprised to see the ragged, and nearly naked, girl wielding such an impressive sword. "Hey, what''s going on?!? Can I-" He didn''t even get a chance to speak further as Halifax removed his head cleanly in one strike. "DIVA! I KNOW YOU''RE HERE!" She sensed the magical power of her former wielder within this vige, and she was hell-bent on finding her and making her pay. ¡°GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE! DIVA!¡±


    As she slowly walked through the vige, people ran in all directions to get away from her, with most fleeing to the ''safety'' their houses. "WHERE ARE YOU?!?" Halifax screamed again. "DIVA!"


    Following the trail up a small hill, Halifax eventually arrived at a lone cabin where she was certain that her target resided. "DIVA!" As soon as Halifax got to the door, she sliced it open, revealing a withered old woman with gray hair and blue eyes sitting in a rocking chair next to a wooden stove. Two younger men stood off to the side inplete shock, not understanding what was going on or who the sudden intruder was.


    "What''s this?" The old woman said with a creeky voice. "Are you?" She squinted as she looked at the ragged and frankly <i>psychotic </i>form of Halifax that stood before her. "It <i>is</i> you!" Sheughed as she tried to stand up.


    "Grandmother, stay back!" One of the young men tried to put himself in between Diva and Halifax but found himself quickly carved into pieces by her de.


    "Ardin!" The other young man cried out for his, now dead, brother.


    "DIVA!" Halifax screamed. "I''ve finally found you!" She cackled psychotically. ¡°I''VE FINALLY FOUND YOU!¡±


    "Dern, get out of here! Use the back door, quickly!" Diva told her Grandson to flee, which he reluctantly did. "Now, why did you go killing Ardin like that?" She sighed. "He was an idiot, but he didn''t deserve that kind of death." She wheezed as she coughed. "Though speaking of death... You certainly look like it." She could tell that Halifax was out of her mind and knew exactly what she was here for.


    "Diva!" Halifax screamed again. "I''ll fucking kill you! I''ll fucking kill you for what you did!"


    "Ah yes..." Diva smiled as she recalled her adventure with Halifax. "It was so much fun ughtering all those fools. To think that I''d be blessed to carry a Divine de on a mission from the Gods!" She wheezed as she tried tough. "You were an excellent de, Halifax. The best I''ve ever used, and you sliced through flesh like a dream!"


    "You... You made me..." Halifax gripped the side of her head in pain as memories flooded back to her. "We... I killed... So many..."


    "Yes, you did!" Divaughed. "And I had fun doing it! It was the best time of my life!"


    "Fun..." Halifax said as she still held the side of her head, pointing her de at Diva with her other hand. "So many... The blood..."


    <i>{My... Head...) </i>Halifax''s head felt like it was about to burst as it was flooded with more and more memories.


    "A glorious sacrifice to Lord Korex!" Diva smiled. ¡°I couldn''t be happier to give him such an amazing gift!¡± She was one of the Blood Lord''s finest killers and was picked by Gale and the other Gods preciously <i>because </i>she had no problem with the kind of killing required. "Why, if these old bones could still manage it, I''d go into town, grab some nice young man, and-" Her words stopped as Halifax drove her de into Diva''s stomach.


    "You psychotic bastard!" Halifax growled as she pulled her de out of Diva, letting her fall to the floor. ¡°How dare you! How fucking DARE you!¡±


    "Ack!" Diva coughed up blood as she fell to the floor and started bleeding out. "Funny, and here I was worried that I''d die peacefully at home." She smiled, overjoyed that she would be murdered. "But here you came to deliver me to Lord Korex." Sheughed and wheezed. "I suppose, in the end, you really are nothing more than a tool of the Gods." She cackled as she slowly died.


    "A tool..." Halifax said as she stared at the now-dead woman. "Is that all I really am?" She looked around the half-destroyed cabin, her eyes locking on a wardrobe in the back.<i> </i>With her sanity restored for the first time in nearly seventy years, she felt the need to change out of her, by this point, nearly gone rags.


    "I wonder if she has anything that would fit me?" Halifax opened the wardrobe and sifted through the countless dresses and cloaks before stumbling on a ck bag that was sealed with preservation magic. Cracking it open was easy enough, and the article of clothing sealed within was a brown trench coat, one that she knew well.


    "So you kept it... After all this time..." Halifax set it aside before going through the rest of the house and pilfering whatever clothing she could find.


    <i>{I suppose it makes sense that that psychopath would never want to part with the clothing she wore during her greatest blood-letting...} </i>(Halifax)


    ¡°She really was fucking crazy...¡± Halifax sighed as she continued to rifle through the house, before eventually putting on an eclectic outfit with a tunic, woolen pants, and ragged shoes. She looked like a vagabond, and with her hair aplete mess, she figured that going anywhere would be tough.


    "I don''t even know how long I was out of it." Halifax said as she threw on the trench coat. "But I suppose that doesn''t really matter at the end of the day." She fixed the cor before grabbing her de and setting it at her side. There were no belt loops, so she used magic to make one, and as she stepped outside, there was arge gathering of vigers waiting for her.


    "Y-You!" Dern pointed at her, his entire body shaking. "W-Where''s Nana?!?"


    "Dead." Halifax said coldly, as she walked toward the crowd, who parted as she approached.


    "Dead?!? W-Where do you think you''re going?!?" Dern yelled at Halifax as she walked past. ¡°You... You killed Nana!¡±


    "Where am I going?" Halifax stopped, repeating the man''s question back to him as she thought of an answer. "I''m... I''m going to find the truth."


    "T-Truth?" Dern had no idea what she was talking about, and frankly, neither did Halifax.


    "The truth... The truth of what I am.¡± Halifax answered. ¡°Am I just a tool... Or something more?" She continued, walking away from the shouting crowd. "I never batted an eye when M-" She shook her head, no longer able to call someone like riel her mother. "When <i>riel </i>told me that I had a new wielder... But now... Now I want to see what it''s like to choose for myself."


    <i>{Are people even worthy to wield me? Should I even let them?} </i>Halifax continued thinking. <i>{And are the Gods... Are they even worth serving? Just... I need to see this world for myself... I need... I need to decide on my own what the future has in-store for me.}</i>


    Spoiler


    Diva!


    [copse]

 Chapter 297 – A Slight Change of Plans.

    Chapter 297 ¨C A Slight Change of ns.


    After who knows how long, Halifax and riel separated from their bloody embrace. The Goddess had been dealt a devastating blow, but her Avatar''s body was far more resilient than a normal person''s, meaning that she wasn''t in any real danger. Once Halifax withdrew her de, Akagi allowed the Goddess to use a bit of her power to heal before sealing it again, pleased with this turn of events.


    <i>{When I woke up today, witnessing the Divine de run Lady riel through at the behest of the Demon Lord was NOT on my list of things I expected to see...} </i>(Rebeckah)


    "There we go." Akagi pat the red-faced Halifax on the back. "Do you feel better?" She didn''t know whether Halifax would actually take her up on the offer, and was happy to see that she did.


    "Strangely..." Halifax chuckled. "Yeah..." She faced riel, who finished fixing her outfit. "I can never forgive what you did to me... But... I think it''s time I got past it..." She shook her head as she looked down at her de. "I''ve never been able to stop thinking about what happened... It haunted me for so long... and I..." She took a deep breath before pping both her cheeks. "Alright. Akagi, thank you. Thank you for letting me face my past."


    <i>{No more being bound by the past... I need to move forward. I''ve been in a rut for so long, and it''s time to crawl out!} </i>(Halifax)


    "Twas nothing." Akagi shrugged as she sat back down and leaned on Yumi.


    <i>{Lets just call this an investment in the future.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Look at you, helping people out." Yumi said as she hugged Akagi. "I suppose seeing the <i>nice</i> Demon Lord is good every now and again." She knew full well that Akagi had taken a liking to the Sword, but was fully aware that the <i>Demon </i>always had an angle.


    "Yeah, ''nice''..." Amakusa sighed. "Because tempting Halifax into skewering a Goddess is <i>so nice</i>." She wanted to say something during the whole blow-up, but Akagi''smands forced her to stay silent.


    <i>{Though... I never knew what it was that riel did to Halifax... Forcing her to... to kill all those people... I was right, the Gods of this world are all pricks.} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Regardless of the ethicacy of her methods, Akagi was right." riel''s words came as a surprise to both Halifax and Rebeckah. "I failed to properly address Halifax''s feelings for a thousand years. This was simply me getting what I deserved..."


    <i>{Frankly I deserve worse for what I did to her...} </i>(riel)


    "Lady riel, are you ok?" Rebeckah asked, worried that she was still injured.


    "I''m alright." riel gave a wry smile. "Halifax''s de is strong, but that wound wasn''t enough to destroy my Avatar''s body. I''ve already repaired the damage and it don''t think there should be any further problems." Taking such massive damage <i>did </i>hurt like hell, but riel wasn''t about toin.


    "Alright then, if that whole thing is out of the way, can we please get back on track?" Amakusa was sick of the back and forth and digressions and wanted to tackle the main reason that they came to Enoris. "We came here to figure out how to stop the Gods, so let''s do that... <i>please</i>..."


    <i>{We''re wasting fucking time!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "I see that the <i>pet</i> has no understanding of doing this correctly." Akagi blew a raspberry, which was returned in kind. "Besides, having Halifax deal with her inner issues was an equally important part of this whole meeting, so this was anything but a waste of time."


    "Really? You didn''t mention that part to me?" Yumi retorted.


    "I''m sure you just forgot." Akagiughed, which got her a bonk on the head.


    "Please don''t just do things without telling others about the ns." Yumi sighed. "Though, at this point, I think I''m crying over spilled milk..."


    "Getting back to the topic at hand, you said that you want to effectively usurp the Gods'' position. If that''s your goal then I can tell you that they''re not going to just sit around and let you do what you want, nor will the people of this world be particrly receptive to your influence." riel shook her head. "Only three of us are against Gale''s n, and there''s no way that we can stand against him and the others."


    "Don''t you worry your empty little head about that part." Akagi said while lying on Yumi''sp. "I just need to get into whatever heavenly realm that the other Gods use as their home. After that, it''s a simple matter of beating the tar out of them until they submit."


    *COUGH* *CHOKE*


    Rebeckah choked on her own spit as she heard Akagi''s words. "What?!?"


    "I thought you were crazy, but those words right there prove it." riel sighed. "Even a Demon Lord cannot defeat nearly forty Gods in a straight-up fight. I don''t care if you <i>are </i>more powerful than Vikes, that''s not going to work."


    <i>{Gale alone is a force to be reckoned with and with all their powersbined on our home turf, there''s now way anything could win against so many Gods.} </i>(riel)


    "I think I''ll be fine." Akagiughed. "If there anywhere near as weak as <i>you</i>, then I''ll probably be able to handle it with ease." She figured that it would be more a matter of doing it in the most entertaining way, rather than being difficult.


    "W-Weak..." Rebeckah never expected to hear the Goddess of Time called <i>weak</i>.


    "Gale is the strongest of us. He is the God of Order, and it''s his job to keep things running smoothly." riel exined the power levels of some of the Gods. "Admittedly due to my station as Goddess of Time, I''m quite powerful, and I''d say I''m probably only behind Teiera, Cheo, and Gale when ites tobat ability."


    <i>{Though its been a long time since any of us fought in earnest, so its likely that we aren''t able to bring out our full potential.} </i>(riel)


    "So you''re weaker than the God of War and the Goddess of Magic? I suppose that makes sense." Akagi hummed in thought as she sat up.


    "Yes, but luckily, they''re both on our side." rielmented.


    "Wait, so the fucking God of <i>War</i> is okay with just dying?" Akagi was surprised to hear that a being born of desire for battle would be okay with vanishing. Halifax hadn''t told her <i>who</i> the other Gods were that supported riel, and it seemed that even she was surprised by this revtion.


    "Teiera has a sense of honor that wouldn''t allow him to sacrifice others for his own survival." riel gave a wry smile.


    "Huh. I always pegged him for a hardass." Amakusamented. "He had that really annoying muddleheaded uncle attitude. I thought he just liked killing and destruction?"


    "Unlike Korex, Teiera actually <i>cares </i>about the reason why blood is flowing." riel sighed.


    <i>{That''s the God of Murder and Blood if I''m not mistaken. Chloe said something about investigating them if she had the time while hunting down some new recruits from Enoris'' underworld.} </i>(Akagi)


    "And what about Cheo?" Halifax asked as she took a seat. "Isn''t she solely interested in magic and research? Why would she be okay with dying? I figured that she''d want to live so that she can keep learning."


    "That''s because Lady Chelo has a personal vendetta against Lord Gale." Rebeckah exined. "She only agreed to the destruction of the Spirits because she believed that their sacrifice would save the world. She was basically a patron deity of theirs, and while they didn''t outright worship her, they had a good rtionship."


    <i>{I don''t even want to imagine what kind of a shock it was to hear that she''d turned her back on them...} </i>(Rebeckah)


    "Damn. Well no wonder the Spirits were so angry." Akagi rolled her eyes. "They had that massive fucking knife in their back, and I can imagine that it hurt like hell."


    "When she found out that Gale''s real n would only save the Gods, she was furious and started working to undermine his attempts at fleeing." riel continued. "The three of us are in a secret triumvirate, keeping up the appearance of supporting Gale while trying to stop him covertly."


    <i>{So far things have been going well, though we''ve not been able to do anything more than slow things down slightly.} </i>(riel)


    "Hence why you contacted me since my movements wouldn''t arouse suspicion." Halifax nodded along.


    "But, wouldn''t you being here give away that you''re nning something?" Amakusa figured that the Gods kept tabs on everything. "I mean, you''re meeting with the Imperial Princess and Halifax and <i>we</i> did nothing to conceal our arrival." She figured that their cover was already blown.


    "Mortals tend to overestimate just how omnipotent and all seeing we Gods can be.¡± riel gave a wry smile. ¡°Its not like we can see <i>everything </i>that''s happening in the material world, and most of us are simply too busy elsewhere to keep track of what goes on. Not to mention that Gale and the others are far too busy with ritual preparations to actually pay attention to any kind of meeting down here, even if it involves me." She shook her head. "As far as they know, I''m handling some errands, and for added safety, I''ve made it so our little conversation can''t be listened in on by erecting a barrier around this office."


    "Okay, then, let''s just end this thing now." Halifax turned and looked at Akagi. "You can beat the Gods in a head-on fight, right?"


    "I''m pretty sure that I can, yeah." Akagi yawned as she stretched.


    "Then lets just open a portal to the Heavenly Realm right here and let Akagi run wild!" Halifax turned to riel. "If you do that, then this will be over in short order! So lets not waste any time!"


    <i>{We can end things in one foul swoop!} </i>(Halifax)


    "Sadly, I cannot." riel''s words confused the Divine de.


    "What?!? Why not?!? You''ve taken me back and forth plenty of times!" Halifax didn''t understand why riel refused to take them.


    <i>{And you sent me to Earth! So how can''t you do something this simple?!?} </i>(Halifax)


    ¡°Because I am <i>unable </i>to do what you''re requesting.¡± riel answered, and it was obvious from Halifax''s face that she needed to borate. ¡°Technically it is not <i>my </i>power that I use to transport people into or out of the Heavenly realm, as I borrow Reflia the Goddess of Space''s power to do it.¡± riel corrected her misunderstanding. ¡°Not only would she <i>not </i>allow me to transport a clearly hostile entity into our home, but even if she cooperated, opening a new connection between the Heavens and the Material world isn''t feasible right now.¡± She gave a nervousugh.


    "It''s due to realm instability, isn''t it?" Akagi''s guess was spot on, causing riel to flinch.


    "Y-Yes." riel nodded. "As things have deteriorated over the decades we''ve noticed that the opening of connections between the different ins tends to <i>worsen</i> the instability of this world. Thest time we attempted to open a traditional connection between two ins of existence, the resulting magical explosion vaporized an entire <i>ind</i>.¡± She looked to Rebeckah. ¡°I''m sure you recall reading about <i>that </i>event in your records.¡±


    ¡°If... If you''re talking about the mysterious disappearance of the Ind of Dva, then yes.¡± Rebeckah gave a wry smile. ¡°I''ve read all about that...¡±


    ¡°Wait! That was <i>you?!?</i>¡± Halifax said in shock. ¡°That ind had nearly a million people living on it, and you mean to tell me that <i>you idiots </i>blew it to high hell?!?¡± Dva was a massive ind off the eastern coast of the main continent which was an independent nation until it ''mysteriously vanished in a massive explosion'' thirty years ago.


    ¡°We didn''t realize it at the time, but Enoris'' instability had gotten to the point that attempting to move <i>between </iyers resulted in catastrophic consequences. Reflia picked Dva specifically because it had arge uninhabited mountain range at its center. The idea was that even arge explosion like we''d seen during prior connections wouldn''t be a problem, and we never expected it to do <i>that</i>.¡± riel gave a defeatedugh.


    <i>{It was so powerful that it even killed our Avatars, and it was at that point that we knew something needed to be done to fix the world...} </i>(riel)


    ¡°But wait, didn''t you bring the Heroes into the Heavens to transport them to Earth?¡± Rebeckah asked. The Holy City hadn''t exploded so she thought there was some kind loophole that they could exploit.


    "Not exactly." riel shook her head. "In that instance, we <i>ovepped</i> the material in with the Heavens in a small area. This enabled us to send them through the portal we prepared <i>without</i> creating a crossing point. And before you ask, doing that here would be pointless since it wouldn''t allow you to reach the Gods." She also noted that the Spirits'' flight had made transportation between worlds much easier and that there was little risk of issues as a result of the connection.


    <i>{I suspect that doing what she described would merely ce you in an empty area with no way to get to the rest of the Gods or their individual realms if I had to bet.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Well, I had a feeling that things wouldn''t be that easy anyway." Akagi smirked. She figured that just waltzing into the God''s home and delivering a smack down would be unlikely, so she made backup ns.


    ¡°Wait, can''t <i>you </i>just open a path with all your crazy Demon Lord power?¡± Halifax figured that Akagi would be strong enough to rip open a hole in space to pass through. ¡°You did that to connect Earth and Enoris, so why not just do it here?¡±


    ¡°Oh I''m confident that I could easily do what you''re asking.¡± Akagi''s reply prompted a look on Halifax and Amakusa''s face which said something along the lines of: <i>Then why don''t you do that?!?</i>


    ¡°However, <i>unlike</i> when I opened a connection between Enoris and Earth, Ick the spacial coordinates necessary for the formation of a portal.¡± Akagi continued, question marks still over everyone''s heads. ¡°Now, even <i>without</i> said coordinates and dimensional data, I <i>could </i>still open a connection with brute force, but the problem with <i>that </i>method is that the amount of power required to do so would likely result in this reality <i>copsing</i> due to its structural deficiencies. If we could somehow acquire the information that I need then I could safely open a portal as I could use less power, and thus I could easily contain any resulting explosion.¡± She looked to riel, hoping that she might have that information.


    ¡°Sadly I don''t have that information. The only ones that would are Gale and Reflia, and neither are going to willingly give it up.¡± riel shot down any hope of acquiring that information easily. ¡°And the only reason I was even able to sent Halifax to your world was because I hijacked part of the Hero transportation ritual to send her. Doing that required me to subtly transfer away power and it only barely worked.¡± She was very worried that the others would catch on, but it seemed that her n had both worked and gone on undetected, despite the risk.


    "Oh well, I guess I just need to do this my <i>preferred</i> way instead." Akagiughed.


    ¡°Can''t you just contain the explosion, <i>and </i>open the portal without the coordinates?¡± Yumi figured that Akagi would have more than enough power to do both at the same time.


    ¡°Hmmmmm.¡± Akagi thought for a moment before answering. ¡°In that case, its not really the explosion that''s the problem. Its really more of a question about whether this <i>reality </i>would survive me pumping it full of the required power.¡± She shrugged. ¡°We can try it if you''d like, but my calctions project that doing so has a 90% chance to just destroy Enoris in the process.¡±


    <i>{And that''s being fucking generous...} </i>(Akagi)


    ¡°Lets not and say we did, please!¡± Halifax shook her head rapidly.


    ¡°So then we''re stuck...¡± Amakusa sighed.


    ¡°I wouldn''t start throwing in the towel as of yet, <i>pet</i>.¡± Akagi snickered. ¡°We can still handle things, and I''ve got a few ns that I formted just in case this happened.¡±


    "???" riel tilted her head in confusion. "I mean, n all you like, but if you can''t get into the Heavens, then you''ll never be able to properly defeat Gale or the other Gods. Most of them are hold up there doing preparations for Grand Ritual, and even if you destroy an Avatar, that will do nothing other than annoy whoever it is you attacked." Avatars were little more than constructs made of a God''s power, and while losing one was <i>annoying</i> it could quickly be reced.


    <i>{In order to kill one of us you''d need to destroy our real body which is basically an energy-like construct that we manipte and reform at will. It rarely, if ever, leaves the Heavnly realm, and the problems with incarnation is why we rely on Avatars when we need to do anything directly.} </i>(riel)


    "Ah, but that''s the neat part." Akagi sent a small tendril of her shadow toward riel. <i><b>"You''re wrong."</b></i> The moment that it contacted her Avatar''s body, riel felt a jolt run through her and could tell that her <i>real </i>body had also been touched by Akagi''s power.


    "What?!?" riel looked down at her arm, which showed no signs of harm "How did you? I felt that..."


    "Fun fact! A God is tied to their Avatar via invisible pathways of energy." Akagi snapped her fingers and allowed her normally hidden shadow body to appear behind her, startling Amakusa. "While it''s <i>exactly</i> not the same as what I do, the concept behind it is simr enough for my exnation." She turned and pointed to the small ck thread that connected her ''real'' body to the one she normally used. "You see, all one has to do is send power back up the other direction, and you can hit the real target." She winked before hiding her shadow again. ¡°Simple!¡±


    "That thing was scary..." Amakusa shuffled away from Akagi. "And you kept that thing near me the whole time without saying?!?"


    <i>{HOLY FUCK THAT THING WAS SCARY! I ALWAYS KNEW SHE WAS A FUCKING MONSTER!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "It''s cute, isn''t it?" Yumi giggled. ¡°Sometimes I feed her treats while she''s like that.¡±


    <i>{ARE YOU FUCKING CRAZY?!? IT HAD NIGHTMARE TEETH!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "So... You can kill a God..." Rebeckah slowly realized the implications of Akagi''s words.


    "By killing its Avatar." Akagiughed, and the entire room, bar Yumi, was stunned into silence.

 Chapter 298 – The New, New Maid.

    Chapter 298 ¨C The New, New Maid.


    "Even if you can kill their Avatars, don''t we still have the same problem?" Amakusamented from a safe distance away from where Akagi''s shadow was supposedly at. "Sure, you might bump a few off, but then the rest are just going to hide, and then we''re back at square one."


    <i>{Why would they keep staying down here if they started dying?!? They''re Gods, they can''t be that stupid, right?!?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "I suppose the pet <i>does </i>have a point." Akagiughed. "So then that means that we''re to have to figure out how we''re going to either get me <i>into </i>said Heaven or drag the Gods <i>out</i>."


    "I actually have an idea on how we can do that." Halifax snapped her fingers as she remembered something from the past. "Kalmya''s got a way into the God''s realm." Her use of that name caused a scowl to form on riel''s face.


    "Kal what now?" Akagi had no idea what that ce was.


    "Within the Holy City is an extremely dangerous Dungeon." riel''s mention of such a ce instantly got Akagi''s attention. "We created it in the distant past as a way to test the people of this world. There are one hundred floors, each more deadly than thest."


    <i>{Why does that sound familiar?} </i>(Akagi)


    "If you managed to reach the pinnacle you''d be faced with a fight against one of the Gods'' children. Who it is depends on a variety of factors, but if you win, you would be allowed to enter the Heavenly Realm and granted the reward of either a drop of Divine blood-" Rebeckah was cut off.


    "Or the chance to bond with a Divine Weapon." Halifax finished exining.


    "Seriously?!?" Amakusa eximed. "Why didn''t you mention something like that to <i>us</i>?!?" She figured that getting a power boost like that would''ve been helpful.


    <i>{We could''ve used that kind of help!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "You four already received an equivalent to the Divine blood we give out, so there was no need to have you take a challenge that would likely result in your deaths." riel exined that even they would''ve struggled with such a thing at the beginning. "Not to mention that it would''ve taken you out of the fight for countless months or even years, and we didn''t have that luxury."


    "I mean... I wouldn''t have minded some cool Divine Sword." Amakusa''sment elicited a cough from Halifax. "Besides you, of course." She started whistling.


    <i>{Lucky me that by the time said Dungeon got created I was well on my way to wondering the continent...} </i>(Halifax)


    "So then our destination will be the Holy City." Akagi stood up and stretched. "I''ll just fly up and beat the daylights out of whoever shows up, easy."


    <i>{And then it will be all happy snuggles and pets!} </i>(Akagi)


    "It won''t be <i>that </i>simple I''m afraid." riel sighed.


    "Please don''t tell me you actually expect me to do a hundred-floor death dungeon." Akagi groaned.


    <i>{I''ve already done that before...} </i>(Akagi)


    "It''s funny because that would be the <i>second </i>one of those you''ve done." Yumi gave a wry smile as she recalled the Dungeon in question from FWO.


    "Don''t remind me of fucking Calmira." Akagi''s face turned into a scowl. "That ce was a pain in the <i>ass</i>. It took Hishya and I fuck knows how long to actually clear some of those puzzles and those bosses downright <i>cheated </i>with their move set." She started grumbling about a giant spider having ming swords.


    "The inside could probably be skipped by you, it''s the final challenge that''s the issue." Halifax exined.


    "Isn''t it fighting a Demi-God?" Akagi asked. "That''s not too bad."


    <i>{I can just eat them, so problem solved.} </i>(Akagi)


    "It''s more than that." Rebeckah spoke up. "No matter which Demi-God you face, the only way the portal will open is if you manage to defeat yourself afterward."


    <i>{Reaaaaaaally giving me fucking deja vu to fucking Calmira...}</i> (Akagi)


    "It''s not a pleasant experience, and it requires that everyone conquer their own inner <i>Demons</i>." riel exined. "If you fail to win out over the darkness within your heart, then you''ll be swallowed by it and perish."


    "Well, I kinda already did that a few months ago. So I might be overqualified." Akagiughed.


    "Yeah, and now your inner Demon is a happy kitty that gets pets and eats treats from my hand." Yumi chuckled.


    "MEW!" Akagi meowed as she hopped in Yumi''sp, turning into Catkagi.


    "Ah..." riel looked between Akagi and Halifax.


    <i>{What?!?} </i>(riel)


    "Just go along with it." Halifax moved over and scratched Akagi''s ear. "It''s better if you don''t think about things too hard."


    "So... cute..." Rebeckah''s inner thoughts leaked out for a moment. "Excuse me..." She looked away and blushed.


    "Everyone likes the kitty!" Akagiughed as she was fluffed.


    "Not me." Amakusa scoffed.


    "Do you like the kitty, <i>pet</i>?" Akagi asked her.


    "Of course! Catkagi is the greatest thing in all existence! One could scour all realities from now until the end of time and never find anything as cute, adorable and downright amazing!" Amakusa was forced to speak, which caused her to grumble afterward. "It''s mid at best..."


    "Getting back to the topic at hand. I''m afraid that the Kalyma portal won''t be a possibility even if you can handle the final challenge.¡± riel shook her head.


    ¡°And why''s that?¡± Akagi rolled her eyes, annoyed that every solution seemed to be a deadend.


    ¡°Because the portal is not constantly active.¡± riel exined. ¡°The Goddess of Space, Reflia, has to open it when a challengerpletes the trials, and as I said before she is not going to allow a hostile entity, especially a Demon Lord to enter.¡±


    ¡°Then I suppose that means we need to pull back ande up with a n.¡± Akagi thought for a moment. ¡°For now, I''ll see what Chloe and the others can dig up with their investigations. I want to focus on undermining the Gods and sapping at their influence. If I poke them enough and cause some trouble, then they might juste to me.¡± She figured that flipping a nation or assassinating whatever Gods were actually <i>on </i>Enoris would be a great way to get their attention.


    <i>{There''s got to be a way into their littleir that doesn''t involve me ending this world, I just need to find it. My best bet is to track down those coordinates but its unlikely that anything in the mortal world would have them, and the only thing thates to mind would be some kind of tool that''s been used to travel there before. But chances are that such a thing doesn''t exist.} </i>(Akagi)


    ¡°You do realize that your n<i> </i>relies on the Gods being dumb enough to take your bait?¡± Amakusamented. ¡°I highly doubt that they''re that stupid. Not to mention that with their intelwork, they''ll quickly pick up on what you''re doing.¡±


    <i>{Why are you assuming that the Gods aren''t fucking morons, Shiroe?} </i>(Halifax)


    ¡°As of this moment none of the other Gods should be aware that you''ve arrived on Enoris.¡± riel said. ¡°I was the one who examined Hitomi after she contacted me, and in my report I merely stated that something sinister had pushed them back. Looking back it should''ve been obvious that a Demon Lord was involved, but I suppose I was just unwilling to admit that <i>another </i>one of you had appeared.¡±


    <i>{Not to mention that the other option wasn''t good either...} </i>(riel)


    ¡°I take it that you detected my memory alteration?¡± Akagi asked.


    ¡°Yes, and when I tried to remove it I was hit with a all too familiar feeling of dread. The power used to block Hitomi''s memory of you reminded me of Vike''s energy, but without the ability to confirm the source of said power I chose not to inform the others since that would cause a panic.¡± riel replied.


    <i>{And it really was for the best that they don''t know what''s going on.} </i>(riel)


    "Well, it doesn''t matter anyway, since I was going to make it known that a Demon Lord was going around." Akagi shrugged. ¡°Though them not knowing will make my opening move a bit more fun.¡±


    "W-Wait! You <i>want </i>them to know that a Demon Lord is out to get them?!?" Rebeckah was stunnded. "What purpose does that serve?" She figured staying in the shadows and keeping a low profile would be a better idea.


    <i>{Shouldn''t the goal to be to take them by surprise and plunge them into chaos?!?} </i>(Rebeckah)


    "Well, it serves many purposes, but in this case the primary one is my own vanity and ego." Akagi smiled.


    <i>{Sounds about right.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Kitty wants people to be afraid." Yumi giggled. "All shall fear the floof!"


    "I mean, I already told Halifax that I want the Gods to be afraid of what''sing, so why not start things off by assassinating a very popr Goddess in broad daylight?" Akagi was referring to Tahena who she wanted to take out first. "With her death, it will be known that Demon Lord Akagi ising for the Gods and that the people of this world best bow down!"


    <i>{And it will be fucking amazing to watch all the chaos!} </i>(Akagi)


    "I can <i>guarantee</i> you that such an act will set off rm bells!" riel put her head in her hands. ¡°If Tahena vanishes, that''s going to send the others into an absolute panic!¡±


    "True, but that panic will also serve to cause confusion, no?¡± Akagi smirked. ¡°I''ll make a big show of saying that said God was killed in the name of Demon Lord Akagi. The public will spread that news around like wild fire, and the Gods are going to start freaking out as they try and put the pieces together.¡±


    ¡°Not to mention that the rest of the Gods won''t be expecting a Demon Lord to act like that. They''re going to expect a Vikes like path of destruction, which will only further sow confusion.¡± Halifax continued for Akagi. ¡°Its actually not a bad n. If we can''t get to the Gods, then we just need to force them toe to us. If Akagi can start making people lose faith, then Gale and the others will have to take drastic action.¡± She figured that the Gods would be forced into a lose-lose situation. They could either hold up and allow Akagi to run wild, thus causing people to lose faith in them and believe them to be weak, or they could try and fight the Demon Lord head on, which would see them killed.


    <i>{Its basically a trap.} </i>(Halifax)


    ¡°If things start going south then I''m fully anticipating a mass incarnation.¡± riel sighed. ¡°If that happens then I don''t even want to imagine what kinds of damage will happen.¡± Godsing down to the material in in their full body was <i>not </i>something done lightly, mostly because it messed with the world''s bnce and strained the material in. "I suppose that while I can question the wisdom of your n, its the best we''ve got given the circumstances." The Goddess sighed.


    "Like I said, don''t question the kitty and just go along with its madness." Halifaxughed. "It makes things much easier."


    "Its probably for the best anyway." riel stood up to leave. "Do whatever you want. I''m not going to add more stress onto my te by worrying about your harebrained schemes." She snapped her fingers to summon her staff but found that it wouldn''t appear. "Huh?" She tried again but to no avail.


    "What''s going on?!?" riel found that she couldn''t use any of her Divine power.


    "What''s the hurry?" Akagiughed. "Stay a while, take a load off. There''s no need to rush on out of here when there''s a fun show to see tomorrow." She snickered.


    "Did you do this?!?" riel eximed.


    "No, it was the <i>other </i>Demon Lord. Last name Shitsherlock, first name No." Akagi''s reference was unappreciated by everyone else.


    "If you''re trying to be cute, then I''d rather you stop." riel red at her.


    "I''m not cute, right Yumi?" Akagi looked up at the Priestess.


    "Nope! You''re adorable!" Yumi squeezed her tight.


    "MEW!" Akagi meowed while riel continued her re.


    "Cease whatever game you are ying! I don''t understand <i>how </i>you''re blocking my power, but stop!" riel looked to Halifax and Amakusa who both shrugged.


    "Nah." Akagi smiled. "I think you''ll be staying powerless for a while."


    "WHAT?!?" riel yelled. "I am a Goddess! I have important things to do!"


    "Yeah, and guess what? Those ''important things'' will have to wait." Akagi snapped her fingers, revealing a small ck line that was printed on riel''s neck like a tattoo. "Until I say otherwise you get no God powers, no extra snacks after dinner, and no leaving that Avatar body."


    "You can''t be serious?!?" riel tried to detach from her Avatar but found that she was trapped. "Impossible!"


    <i>{I can''t leave?!?} </i>(riel)


    "I showed you earlier that I could <i>kill</i> a God through their Avatar, so why are you surprised by my ability to seal you?" Akagi rolled her eyes. "Listen, you hurt my friend, and you''re also a general bitch, so just think of this as part one of your multi-part punishment!"


    *CLAP* *CLAP* CLAP*


    Yumi gave a small p, which Akagi appreciated.


    "Release me this instant!" riel hissed. "I will not be made a fool of!"


    "Join the club..." Amakusa said with a defeated look on her face.


    <i>{OK, that''s TWO things I didn''t expect to see today. Now the Demon Lord has put a leash on a God and basically turned her into a ve...</i> <i>Is it too early to go to bed and call it a day?}</i> (Rebeckah)


    None too pleased with this turn of events, riel looked to Halifax for support but got none.


    "If you actually think I''m going to try and talk Akagi out of this, then you''re even stupider than I thought." Halifaxughed. "I more than approve of this, and I look forward to seeing you suffer."


    <i>{And knowing Akagi, this is going to be good!} </i>(Halifax)


    "Yumi, what should we do with this stupid God?" Akagi asked the one who was ying with her ears.


    "Hmm." Yumi thought for a minute. "Well, with Mizumi gone, we could always use a new maid!"


    <i>{MAID?!?} </i>(riel)


    "OH! I like your way of thinking!" Akagi gave Yumi a high five. "Ten points to Yumi!"


    <i>{There''s a score?!?} </i>(Halifax)


    "Alright, for now, the bitch Goddess will be my new maid! You''ll report to my base to serve as Silfana''s personal attendant once we handle things here in the Capital. There are no paid holidays, the work is grueling, and nobody thanks you. So have fun!"


    Halifax started snorting fromughing so hard. "I can''t wait to see it!"


    "I WILL NOT BE SOME DEMON LORD''S MAID!" riel screamed.


    <i>{Better that than PET!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Sure you will." Akagi snapped her fingers, changing riel into a maid outfit. "Look! You already have the uniform!"


    "Why can''t I remove it?!?" riel tried tearing at the maid''s outfit, only to find that it wouldn''te off.


    <i>{Is it bad that I would''ve found it funnier if she dressed her in one of those naked apron maid outfits?} </i>(Halifax)


    "Is that the same stuff that you used on Silfana?" Yumi asked.


    "A variation on it, but yes." Akagiughed.


    "You should''ve given her the onesie instead! The googley eyes would''ve been great!" Yumiughed as she continued to pet Akagi.


    "Maybe next time." Akagi shrugged.


    "I don''t care what outfit you put me in! I will not serve as some maid!" riel growled.


    "Well, the way I see it, this can go two ways." Akagi''s smile vanished. "You can do it willingly, or I canpel you, and as you can see with the <i>pet</i>, choice two isn''t very fun."


    <i>{And I can assure you that if I have to go through the process of messing with a Goddess'' essence I''m going to do a bit more than just make a separate personality that pokes out every once and a while.} </i>(Akagi)


    "It''s downright awful..." Amakusa chimed in.


    <i>{0/10, would not rmend...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Can you actually do that to her? I mean, she is a Goddess and Gods don''t have souls." Halifax asked.


    "She''s going to be a bit more resistant duecking a soul for me to mess with and the fact that she''s got much more willpower than the <i>pet </i>will be a point in her favor, but yeah. At the end of the day, I can brute force it." Akagi nodded.


    ¡°Neat.¡± Halifax smiled.


    "So what will it be? Do I need to start rewriting parts of your personality, or will youply?" Akagi wasn''t entirely sure if she could pull it off since Godscked a soul, but riel didn''t need to know that. However, she <i>could </i>force the Goddess''s hand by applying <i>negative reinforcement</i>, which was something that she''d had tons of experience with.


    "Should I get out the branding iron and the whip?" Yumi asked.


    "I was thinking we do some good old-fashioned waterboarding!" Akagiughed.


    "I personally favor ripping finger and toenails off." Halifax threw out her own ideas.


    <i>{Why is the Priestess of all things in on this kind of nonsense? And why do I get the feeling that Halifax has actually DONE that before?!?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "You are all horrible people." riel grumbled. "Fine..." She said reluctantly. "But I swear I <i>will </i>pay you back for this."


    "How many times is that now, Yumi?" Akagi turned around to face Yumi.


    "I think that line''s been said four hundred and thirty-six times now, give or take a dozen." Yumi snickered. Akagi had finally gotten around to recording how many times she heard certain lines, and Yumi joined in since it was fun.


    <i>{I take it back, you aren''t horrible people, you''re insane...} </i>(riel)

 Chapter 299 – The Stowaway.

    Chapter 299 ¨C The Stowaway.


    "It looks like your preparations are going well, little kitty." Silfana said as she sat at a small table sipping tea. "You''ve built up quite the base here, in a remarkably short time no less." With the modr buildings, a simple yet robust base was nearlyplete, though Silfana thought that its very angr and square appearance left a lot to be desired.


    <i>{This ce is far too boring. Hopefully we can capture something a bit nicer, say a Royal Pce or two.} </i>(Silfana)


    "Myaster wanted us to move into the intelligence gathering phase quickly, nah." Chloe was leaning against the wall while reading off some kind of tablet. "I''ve already got a team moving toward Targul, with another prepping for the Holy City, nya." Her eyes scanned over the information on her tablet as she used her finger to move the screen up and down. "This world is a lot like ours... Gods, Kings, Heroes... It''s strange, nya."


    <i>{Its kind of like being back home again.} </i>(Chloe)


    "Well, Mizumi <i>did </i>say that our world was made by blending together her own world and that of Earth''s humans'' imagination." Silfana said as she bit into a frosted cookie. "So it''s only natural that we''d see a few simrities. Though I must say that having a bit of familiarly for a change is a breath of fresh air." The Vampire was far more at home in this sort of world than on Earth.


    "Still..." Chloe put the tablet down on a table that was at her side. "It worries me. Gods... Gods can be dangerous."


    "Are you worried about Akagi?" Silfana asked. "She seemed confident that the Gods were of no threat to her, and I''m inclined to believe that assessment."


    <i>{If she wasn''t strong enough as it is, that de of hers only increased her threat level by an order of magnitude. I have no idea how serious her ims about its power were, but if It can even do half of that, then Akagi has truly broken beyond my wildest expectations.} </i>(Silfana)


    "Its not myaster that I''m worried about..." Chloe shook her head. "Myaster can''t be everywhere at once, and if we have to face the Gods <i>ourselves</i>... That might be a problem." She was well aware that no matter how powerful she was,pared to Gods, she was nothing.


    "True." Silfana nodded as she stood up and looked out a nearby window into the courtyard. "But you forget, Gods are not always the smartest bunch. Not to mention that they''re not the kinds to get their hands dirty unless things truly get desperate." She could only recall <i>one </i>instance from FWO''s history where Gods were said to have descended in their full glory, and that was within the old tales of the Demon Lord. "Our most likely opponents will be theckeys of one of those Gods, and I think we''ll be able to handle them." She said while watching the different Dumetor nsmen continued to expand the base and assemble yet more modr buildings.


    *KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK*


    "Come in, nya." Chloe powered down the tablet as the door opened to reveal a familiar face.


    ¡°There you are.¡± Nima said as she closed the door behind her.


    "Nima!" Chloe ran over to her friend. "You''rete, nya!" She scratched her fellow catgirl''s ears.


    <i>{They''re good, but not as good as myasters!} </i>(Chloe)


    "Well, somebody had to clean up after the mess you made." Nima pushed Chloe''s hand away. "You lot just had to take down the government while <i>I </i>needed to finish all the important discussions with the rest of the coalition." She sighed. "Being a field agent is such a simple life. I envy your need to have one working brain cell..."


    "That a member of the Ondai n could actually sit still long enough to have meaningful negotiations still baffles me." Silfanaughed, knowing well just how rambunctious their lot could be. "I figured that your kind was only good for ending lives, but I guess a few exceptions exist every now and again." She was initially surprised when Akagi told her that the Chief Diplomat of Dumetor was a former Ondai Assassin. Ordinarily, discussions and negotiations with that n were done on a limited basis, and even its leaders weren''t interested in lengthy discussions.


    "Nima is an egghead, nya." Chloe snickered. "She was always like this, and even when we were kids, she''d cry about having to do field work." Sheughed even as Nima held a hidden de to her neck. "A. Just like old times, nya."


    "I simply enjoy a different kind of take down than you idiots." Nima grinned as she withdrew her de. "Your methods are crude and barbaric, while mine are far more sophisticated." She was adept in using Ondai assassination techniques, but she preferred using her silver tongue to defeat people instead.


    "There is a time and ce for both." Silfanamented as she poured more tea. "Sometimes a slow and methodical method is best, and sometimes brute force is optimal." She sat back in her chair. "Right now, Akagi wants us to secure the enved Spirits, and while strike teams would be effective at getting<i> some </i>of them out safely,<i> </i>you have to know that there are likely far too many for your small team, kitty."


    ¡°I''m sure we''ll manage.¡± Chloe shrugged, not seeing the issue if some died.


    "The Ondai n are <i>assassins</i>, Chloe. But that doesn''t mean force is the only method we have to achieve our goals." Nima rolled her eyes. "If I can free up our people to do other things then there''s less risk of something going wrong due to you being spread out." She didn''t like the idea of the ninja being sent all across the continent like this, but it was a necessary risk.


    <i>{I just hope we don''t run into any unforeseen issues. This isn''t entirely new territory, but the risks are much high with Gods actively involved.} </i>(Nima)


    "I know that, nya." Chloe puffed out her cheeks. "I just don''t like to sit around. I''d rather be destroying the people that made myaster angry, nya."


    "Don''t worry, you''ll get what you want." Silfana said as she drank her tea. "I have no doubt that it will take a show of force to convince these fools that we''re not to be taken lightly. That''s how this always works." She had to do something simr during her ascent.


    "Speaking of our first target, how is the infiltration of the Demon Capital going?" Nima asked.


    "I sent a team of six led by Nemino to handle it, nya." Chloe exined how she''d split up their forces. "They''re going to get a feel for the situation and sus out whether it''s safe enough to send you in for a meeting with their leaders." Though she suspected that it would take quite a bit of ''bribery'' and a heaping helping of threats just to get their foot in the door.


    "Can you contact them? I''d like to see if they have anything to report yet, and I have a few things I need them to do." Nima asked, and Chloe walked over to a set of what looked like walkie-talkies that were ced on a small desk with I.D. numbers on each.


    "Here, nya." Chloe picked up one and clicked a button on the side. Unlike regr walkie-talkies that relied on radio waves, these could use magic for longer distances and could easily connect people from across the continent.


    "This is Big Kitty. Come in, nya." Chloe spoke into the receiver.


    "Big Kitty?!?" Silfana nearly spit out her tea as she heard that callsign.


    <i>{That''s fucking great!} </i>(Silfana)


    "Chloe has a very... <i>bad </i>naming sense." Nima sighed, recalling the horrible names that Chloe used to give to her pets in the past. "She even called that tsuchinoko Mr. Noodle..."


    "He is best boy! Don''t you dare insult Mr. Noodle''s proud name!" Chloe hissed as the radio crackled.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Nemino POV>


    On the lower streets of the Demon Capital of Targul, two hooded figures walked along the main street. It was only sparsely popted at the moment, and due to the light rain, most people had packed up and went indoors, giving off the feeling of a ghost town.


    "This is Big Kitty. Come in, nya." Chloe''s voice came through the radio, and after finding a more appropriate ce, he and his partner ducked into a nearby alleyway.


    "This is ck Rabbit, over." Nemino spoke quietly, hoping that nobody would notice them.


    "Oh goodie, you''re not dead, over." Chloeughed, which made Nemino roll his eyes.


    "Is she really your leader if she acts like this on a mission?" The woman that he was with spoke up, and as the sun pierced through a cloud it showed that it was <i>Shimari</i> rather than one of the Ondai ninja.


    "Chloe is a pain in the ass, but she''s good at what she does." Nemino whispered to her before speaking into the radio. "We''re currently on a mission, do you need something, over?"


    <i>{Please don''t just call to aggravate me...} </i>(Nemino)


    "We both know that you''re just spending lovey-dovey time with your new girlfriend." Nima''s voice came through. "I hope you got permission to bring her from master."


    "I... Uh..." Nemino hadn''t and knew that he''d probably get yelled atter, though in reality there was no way that Akagi didn''t know since she kept close tabs on all activity within the n. "You didn''t say over after you were done, please do that from now on."


    "I''m going to take your deflection as a <i>no</i>, over." Nima sighed. "Just know that if your little puppy messes things up that nobody ising to your rescue when masterys down thew, over."


    "We''ll be fine. You <i>do</i> remember that Shimari is more powerful than me, right? Over." Nemino sighed as Shimari grabbed onto his arm. "Don''t worry, she''s just worried about you is all. But you really didn''t need toe with. I would''ve been fine."


    "I wasn''t just going to let my boyfriend go off to war on his own!" Shimari nearly shouted.


    "We''ve only been dating for a few weeks." Nemino pat her on the head. ¡°So you don''t need to be-¡±


    "It doesn''t matter!" Shimari puffed out her cheeks.


    <i>{I''m not going to let somebody I love go off to a dangerous ce while I sit around and do nothing! Especially when I can protect him!} </i>(Shimari)


    "Well, just do me a favor and don''t forget <i>why </i>you''re out there. You can take Shimari to a love hotelter, but right now I''ve got a job for you, over." As Nima spoke, Nemino could faintly hear Silfanaughing in the background.


    "..." Shimari stood in silence, her cheeks flushed red.


    "What do you need, over?" Nemino asked what was going on, and Nima filled him in on the details of her ns, which caused the ninja''s lips to curl into a nasty smile. Something that made Shimari think her bunny boyfriend looked even cuter.


    Spoiler


    Nima!


    [copse]

 Chapter 300 – Kanato’s Journey.

    Chapter 300 ¨C Kanato¡¯s Journey.


    Once Akagi finished enjoying herself at riel''s expense, she moved to finish their meeting. Further discussions had drawn things out, and it was already getting dark by the time they left the Princess''s office.


    "Now, do consider what we discussed in private, Princess. I assure you that it''s the best option you''ve got if you want to save your people." Akagi whispered to Rebeckah as they left the office. The two had met together privately to discuss an offer that the <i>Demon </i>had made, and its contents made the Princess give it serious thought, though it woulde with a heavy price.


    "I will take your offer under consideration, so please give me time to think it over." Rebeckah whispered back while the other girls walked ahead of them.


    "That''s fine. If you wish to contact me, just break this." Akagi slid a transport crystal into Rebeckah''s hands covertly. "You can also use this if you get into a jam, so feel free to use it if needed." Rebeckah didn''t say anything but nodded.


    "Hey, what are you two doing back there?" Halifax called out to the two slowpokes. "I want to get good seats at Salmires! That ce gets packed after dark, so get moving!" She was looking forward to visiting one of her favorite restaurants in the capital.


    "It seems that my little party is dying to get something to eat, so I must go now, But thank you for meeting with me, Princess, and I hope to hear from you soon." Akagi smiled as she ran ahead to catch up to the other four, with Rebeckah turning down another hallway a few momentster.


    *DEEP EXHALE*


    Rebeckah fell to her knees as her entire body shook in fear. "S-So that... That was a Demon Lord..." The Imperial Princess was never one to show fear, but based on her pale white face you''d never know that she was a seasoned adventurer. She''d fought plenty of powerful foes during her many missions, but seeing Akagipletely dominate, not only one of the four Heroes, but a <i>Goddess</i>, made her feel helpless. As she inspected the strange crystal that Akagi had given her with her shaky hands, her blood ran cold as she realized that the fate of her people rested on her shoulders.


    <i>{I... Do... Do we even have a choice?} </i>(Rebeckah)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Kanato POV>


    "Nothing..." Kanato said as he started a campfire in the middle of the abandoned City. "I guess that I should''ve expected there would be nothing of importance left but..." Most of Zanathon had been put to the torch once the Spirits were driven out, and the vast majority of buildings were little more than ruins.


    <i>{I found the room that I think they did their ritual in. There was almost nothing left besides a few spots that showed broken magical circles and some blood stains. I heard that some Spirits were left behind, but I guess it was stupid to hope that I''d find some hiding here...} </i>(Kanato)


    "What the fuck am I doing anymore?" Kanato said aloud as he started putting various meats and mushrooms into a pot to that was starting to boil. "Here I am sitting in some abandoned city, one that <i>I </i>caused to be destroyed... Looking for something to prove that what we did was right..." He couldn''t remember anything about Akagi due to her seal on his memories but did recall that he was told by <i>someone</i> that the Spirits were innocent victims of the Gods'' n to flee the world.


    <i>{Whatever messed with my memory... Did it also lie? Were its words lies? Did the Spirits... Did the Gods really lie to us? Did they really... Use us?} </i>(Kanato)


    "Is everyone just liars..." Kanato said quietly as the fire crackled. "Am I really a Hero that Delia could be proud to call her father?" His face grew dark as he sat inplete silence until he detected a small magical signature nearby.


    "Who''s there?!?" Kanato sprung to his feet just in time to see a small fairy duck behind a half-broken pot on the ground nearby.


    <i>{A fairy? What is one of them doing so far from the Whistlewoods?} </i>(Kanato)


    "Hey, it''s alright." Kanato put his hands up to show that he wasn''t armed. "I''m not going to hurt you, so don''t be afraid." He could tell that there were two other small magical signatures nearby, most likely other fairies. "My name is Kanato Hiyuki, and I''m..." He hesitated, wanting to say Hero, but his heart couldn''t use that word, not when he was so unsure about things. "I''m making some soup. Do you want any? There''s gonna be way to much for just me."


    "Soup?" One small fairy poked her head over the pot, her short purple hair reminding Kanato of his third wife''s.


    "It''ll be done soon, so why don''t you join me? I think I have a few smaller dishes in my inventory for you guys to eat out of." Kanato smiled as he reached into a small pocket dimension that was simr to that of the returnees and pulled out three small y bowls.


    "Soup..." The fairy ducked down and began speaking to somebody else. "Soup! Eat?" The fairy spoke, and Kanato could hear mumbling in return.


    "But scary! Human scary!" A ck haired male fairy said back.


    "But food! Mushrooms tasty!" Another cked haired male fairymented spoke, and after a few minutes of bickering, the three fairies floated up and over to Kanato, cautiously.


    "Give soup?" The female fairy asked, tilting her head. She was small, maybe only as tall as a pencil. Her outfit consisted of loosely woven leaves and moss, though her most defining features were her shiny wings and purple hair. The other two had simr types of clothing and wings, though their body style was a bit different as they were male.


    "Yeah, you can have some. It''s just about done, so give me just a minute." Kanato took out a wooden spoon and poured some into a bowl. "I don''t have any fairy-sized cutlery, but if I can get a leaf or something.¡±


    "Is okay!" The female fairy said with a smile. "Give soup!" She held out her hands.


    Kanato could tell that the three hadn''t eaten in a while and the fairy''s eyes showed their hunger. "Alright, here you go. Dig in!" He slowly put the bowl on the ground.


    ¡°SOUP!" The two male fairies demanded their own bowls, which surprised Kanato.


    "Fine." Kanatoughed as each fairy was given its own soup bowl.


    "Just be careful, it''s hot and-" Kanato''s words were ignored as the three fairies dived into the soup.


    *SLORP* *SLURP* *MUNCH*


    "You should be careful..." Kanato said while shaking its head.


    <i>{I''ve only met a few fairies before, and they definitely didn''t go diving into a bowl of hot soup to eat it...} </i>(Kanato)


    "SOUP DONE!" The female fairy poked her head out of thepletely dry soup bowl. "SOUP GOOD!"


    "GOOD SOUP!" The male fairies gave thumbs up.


    "Well, I''m d you liked it." Kanatoughed as he sat down to eat his own soup. "It''s nothing special, but I learned to do a bit of ad-hoc cooking while traveling with my friends." He gave a bitter smile.


    "Adventurer?" The female fairy asked as she floated next to Kanato.


    "Travel?" One of the male fairies moved onto his shoulder.


    "Soup?" The other male fairy stared at him from within the soup bowl, a leaf falling on top of his head.


    "I''ve been all over the continent." Kanato looked around the destroyed city. "I was even here before..."


    "Spirits?" The female fairy looked him in the eyes. "Met Spirits?"


    "I... Yes... I did." Kanato put on a fake smile. "But now, they''re gone..."


    <i>{All because of me...} </i>(Kanato)


    "Gone?" The male fairy in the soup bowl put too much weight on the lip and tumbled forward, falling out of the bowl. "No more Spirits?"


    "Still Spirits." The female fairies'' words got Kanato''s attention.


    "I know they still exist..." Kanato sighed as he put down the soup bowl. "But they''ve been enved."


    "ved?" The male fairy on his shoulder sat down and started kicking his legs.


    "It means they have to do what they''re told, or <i>else</i>." Kanato didn''t really know how to exin the concept to them.


    "Know Spirit! ?Not ved!" The female fairy said with a smle. "Ref big-scary! No do what told!"


    "WHAT?!?" Kanato''s scream startled the three of them, who zipped to the other side of the fire. "Ah, sorry for yelling. You just surprised me is all."


    "Not mad?" One of the male fairies asked.


    "Angry?" The other male fairy said cautiously.


    "No, I''m not. Sorry for yelling." Kanato apologized. "But where is this Ref? I thought all Spirits were enved, but if one <i>isn''t</i>, then I''d like to talk to them."


    <i>{Maybe they can give me some useful information.} </i>(Kanato)


    "Hmmm, Human bad... but <i>soup</i>..." The female fairy thought for a moment, weighing the desire to repay the soup debt with that of keeping the Spirit safe.


    "Soup good! Human... not good..." One of the male fairies said.


    "Tell you what. I''ll give you the rest of the soup if you agree to take me." Kanato winked, and the three fairies quickly got to work devouring the rest of the soup in the pot.


    *SLORP* *SLURP* *MUNCH*


    "SOUP!" The three fairies cheered as they finished gorging themselves senseless on the soup.


    <i>{Where did it even go?!? They''re so small, yet they ate all that!} </i>(Kanato)


    "So, will you take me?" Kanato asked the bloated fairies.


    "Can''t move..." The female fairy groaned.


    "Too much soup..." the two male fairies huped.


    "I guess we can go in the morning." Kanato looked up, the Sun was going down anyway so traveling at this point would be dangerous.


    "Morning!" The three fairies seemed to like that idea.


    "Can you at least tell me where we''re going?" Kanato asked as he pulled a sleeping bag out of his inventory.


    "Big city!" The female fairy answered as she sat up. "Many Humans!"


    <i>{A city? But how would a Spirit hide among Humans? Even ones that could shape shift were detected.} </i>(Kanato)


    "Do you know the name of that city?" Kanato asked as he threw another log onto the fire.


    "Ummmm <i>City</i>?" The female fairy tilted her head, unsure.


    "Yeah, I guess fairies wouldn''t really know the name of a Human city." Kanatoughed.


    "City has Hero!" One of the male fairies spoke. "Priestess! Prettydy!"


    "Baddy has many Spirits locked away!" The other male fairy puffed out his cheeks. ¡°She bad!¡±


    <i>{WHAT?!? HITOMI?!?} </i>Kanato froze as he took in what the fairies said. If they were to be believed, then that would mean that not only was a Spirit <i>within</i> the Holy City but that Hitomi was keeping other Spirits in captivity for some unknown reason. <i>{Hitomi, what the hell have you been up to?!?} </i>

 Chapter 301 – The Goddess of Love?

    Chapter 301 ¨C The Goddess of Love?


    As the Sun started going down over the Imperial Capital, that didn''t mean that the streets got quiet. People moved back and forth between buildings, and a number of adventurers could be seen dipping in and out of taverns. ording to both Halifax and Amakusa, the Imperial Capital had a very active nightlife. Though a not insignificant part of that was due to the City having a very well-developed Red Light District that also doubled as a Gambling Area.


    "So where is this restaurant?" Akagi asked as she watched a number of children run up and down the street, figuring them for orphans trying to get in before the Sun went down.


    "We''reing up to it soon." Halifaxmented as they watched the group of children duck down an alley. "It''s a nice little ce, and it tends to get really busy in the evening, which is why I was adamant that we get a move on."


    <i>{I once missed the timing and was forced to skip out on that amazing Drothboar soup they had! Argh! I''m still mad about that twenty yearster!} </i>(Halifax)


    "Is this ce really that good?" Yumi asked. "I mean, I suppose it must be if it gets that crowded on the regr."


    "Honestly, the food is just okay, it''s the booze that makes it worth it." Amakusa chimed in. Akagi had returned her to being a beastkin, much to her chagrin. ¡°Though plenty of people swear by the cooking, so maybe its just me.¡± She shrugged.


    "I''d definitely fight you to get one of their Malt Pudding cups, so lets agree to disagree on the food quality.¡± Halifaxughed. ¡°But the fact that it''s also run by a Demi-God helps somewhat with sales." She nced over at riel, which Akagi noticed


    "One of your children, I presume?" Akagi said, looking back at the Goddess


    "Nisha is one of mine, yes." riel nodded. "From what I''ve been told, she''s quite a good hostess."


    "You haven''t been here before?" Yumi figured that riel would''ve visited her daughters eatery at least once or twice.


    "A Goddess just walking into a business tends to cause amotion, so no." riel sighed. In her current outfit nobody would think that she was actually the Goddess of Time, since such a powerful being acting as a maid was unthinkable. Though under normal circumstances there was actually a pretty high chance that she''d go by unnoticed as well since the average person had only seen the Gods from their depictions in artwork.


    "Well, that''s the canned line that you say to act all professional and curtious, but also you just don''t tend to visit your children very much anyway." Halifax said with a cough.


    <i>{Cough, left me alone in a crazy Demon infested hellhole, cough.} </i>(Halifax)


    "You say that like I''m some kind of deadbeat parent. I believe that I took good care of you for all those years." riel scowled at her.


    <i>{Don''t go acting like my number one problem child! She wouldn''t stop calling me a terrible Mom and a tyrant right up until the day she ran away to elope with someone! I''ll bet good money that dumb girl is probably living in some run down hut teaching her children about how evil I am!} </i>(riel)


    "Well, I wouldn''t go <i>that </i>far<i>. </i>but you do dump them on whatever poor sap you made them with." Halifax retorted, Akagi''s interested in things peaking. "I''ve met plenty of my ''siblings'' and most can count the number of times they''ve seen you on one hand."


    <i>{Hell, some were JEALOUS with how much time I, a non-blood rted child, got to spend with her.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Nice." Akagi rolled her eyes. "Just another reason to dislike you."


    <i>{Gonna have to start making a list.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Halifax''s wording makes things sound worse than they really are.¡± riel huffed. ¡°I make sure that my children are safe and well taken care of, and it''s not like I don''t check on them at all during their lives. Perhaps I could stand to see them more, and I''ll admit that being involved in their lives more than I am wouldn''t hurt, but I will reject any ims that I''m a bad mother." riel didn''t see the problem with her actions or method of child rearing. "Raising a half-mortal child would be difficult for me anyway, they''re better off remaining with other mortals since that lets them have a normal life."


    <i>{And yet you held me so close. I get that I''m not exactly a Demi-God, but how could you treat your own flesh and blood so distantly while holding me so dear? Its no wonder that Elmy ran away from you.} </i>(Halifax)


    "If you say so." Akagi shrugged as they continued up the street.


    "Here''s the ce!" Halifax pointed to a multi-floored restaurant that had tons ofrge ss windows. Inside, one could see countless people sitting at tables, and Akagi noted that it was simr to many fancy restaurants on Earth. "And it looks like we got here before the rush, sweet!"


    <i>{TIME FOR SOME DRAGON STEAK!} </i>(Halifax)


    After taking a moment to get inside, the five women were given a table and got to work looking through the menu.


    "Ok, what the hell." Akagi looked at the very Earth restaurant-looking menu with suspicion.


    "What''s wrong?" Halifax asked, her eyes almost glued to the <i>Ice Dragon Steak </i>menu item.


    "Well, I''ve already been thinking that this world has some simrities to Earth, and while I can waive away architectural coincidences, I can''t ignore the fact that <i>this</i> looks like aminated restaurant menu from Earth." Akagi pointed to the item in her hand.


    "Huh. Now that you mention it..." Amakusa scratched her head. She''d been here before and never really questioned it. "It <i>does</i>, doesn''t it."


    <i>{Coincidence? I think not...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Is this just another coincidence?" Yumi said what Amakusa was thinking. "Do other ces have things like this?"


    "Nope, this kind of stuff is unique to Salmires." Halifax hummed as she mulled things over. "Strange..."


    <i>{Now that I think about it... This is strange...} </i>(Halifax)


    "I don''t think it''s that strange at all. Nisha''s father was also from another world." riel''sment came out of nowhere and caused both Amakusa and Halifax''s eyes to go wide. "He must have taught her things like this before he died, which wouldn''t surprise me one bit."


    "Hold up, <i>what</i>?!?" Halifax had to stop herself from shouting too loud. "Her father was summoned?!?"


    <i>{The fuck?!?} </i>(Halifax)


    "Nope. He wasn''t summoned." riel shook her head. "I dont know exactly how it happened, but he just wound up here one day somehow."


    <i>{I think the term for that is transmigration, right? Or is that just a fancy way to say reincarnation?} </i>(Akagi)


    "Ok, well, that answers my question." Akagi shrugged, not caring about terminology. "People slipping between worlds is possible, so I can buy it."


    <i>{Though that then begs other questions.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Whatever caused him to suddenly appear here seem to do a number on him. He couldn''t really remember much of his past at the time, but perhaps something like this was just ingrained in his memory." riel shrugged.


    <i>{He did eventually regain some memories, and he did mention that he''d been some kind of chef in the past.} </i>(riel)


    "I''m surprised a Goddess would just casually have children with some random guy from another world like that." Amakusa thought that such a thing was reckless and problematic.


    "What''s so surprising about it? He was a unique specimen, and that alone made me more than interested in seeing what kind of child we would make." riel''sment, <i>again</i> surprised everyone, except for Halifax. "I ended up having five with him before departing. It was an interesting experience and I think our children turned out lovely." She smiled.


    <i>{Oh yeah, that''s right...} </i>(Halifax)


    "Just... Having children... because it''s <i>interesting</i>." Amakusa''s face turned slightly red.


    <i>{WHAT?!?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Hah! I suppose Gods'' doing that kind of thing is as much a part of reality as it is fiction." Akagiughed. The Greek Gods were known for simr things, and she could point to more than one who did exactly what riel did.


    "I simply enjoy seeing what happens when an interesting or unique mortal merges their genes with that of a God." riel continued while Amakusa''s face started getting even redder. "I''ve found the experience to be quite fun, and I''d say the mortal in question tends to be happy with the arrangement." She''d only run across a few mortals who refused toy with her, male or female, and they usually had some unique reason.


    "Yeaaaaaaaaah... It''s been so long since I''ve seen her that I forgot that riel is one of <i>those </i>kind of people." Halifax sighed, wishing this conversation would die in a hole. "I don''t even want to imagine how many children you''ve made over the years."


    "I''d have to think about it for a minute, but the number is easily in the thousands." riel answered without hesitation.


    "T-Thousands?!?" Amakusa squeaked.


    <i>{HAVING ONE IS BAD ENOUGH!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Jesus! That''s one hell of a family tree!" Akagiughed.


    "Yeah, and it doesn''t help that our ''free love'' Goddess here doesn''t believe in using contraception." Halifax rolled her eyes. ¡°You wouldn''t believe how many one night stands turn into lengthy engagements.¡± She''d dealt with such things many times when she traveled the material n at riel''s side.


    <i>{How many times did wee down here on some business only for you to end up taking a fancy to some pretty boy in a vige...} (Halifax)</i>


    "What?!?" Amakusa squeaked again.


    "Why should I?" riel huffed. "The creation of a child is a beautiful thing, and knowing that it''s possible only makes the experience much better." Akagi saw a glint in the Goddess''s eye as she said those words.


    <i>{Oh my fucking god! Does this Goddess have a kink for that?!?} </i>(Akagi)


    "It''s a good thing you''re not a man. Otherwise, this world would''ve been overrun with your progeny." Halifax groaned.


    <i>{Though technically, the Gods are neither an can assume any form they wish. Luckily for the mortal world''s gene pool, riel is uninterested in being on the other end of things...} </i>(Halifax)


    "You act like my actions are wrong." rielmented. "But I''ve not hurt anyone. In fact, many were grateful and even overjoyed to spend time with me. Being asked to make a child with a God tends to greatly please most people."


    "You think that you''ve hurt <i>no one?</i> Sure, I guess you don''t hurt anyone, well if you dont count the children you make." Yumi''sment came out of nowhere, and her words wereced with venom. "Having children means that you''re responsible for them, but from what you''ve said, you leave them without a mother!"


    <i>{How could you just abandon your children like that?!? As a mother its your job to take care of them and raise them, not dump them on the father and run once your interest fades!} </i>(Yumi)


    "I stay for a while, sometimes years after they''re born, it just that I have to attend too many things for any lengthy entanglements with mortals, and it''s not like I never check in on them." riel still saw no issue with her behavior. "I mean, Halifax was raised with no father, so I think it works out, and it''s not like I don''t love each of my children." She loved them in her own way, but both Halifax and Akagi knew that such a love was <i>not </i>the kind a mortal child needed.


    <i>{Yeah, she keeps adding on to my reasons to dislike her. She really is a prick isn''t she? God or not, to do something as reckless and irresponsible as bringing a child into the world only to leave them in a one parent home for most of their life is disgusting. Saying that you pop in every now and again is no different from the deadbeats on Earth who pay child support yet make no effort to connect with their children beyond that.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Just drop it, Yumi." Halifax could see that the Priestess had more to say, but didn''t want things to escte into a pointless argument. "<i>All </i>of the Gods are like this, it''s just that riel is a bit more <i>proactive</i> in the ''creation'' department than the others." She knew for a fact that the other Gods were no better, and that it was just the <i>amount</i> of bastard children that separated them.


    "It''s a wonder that there aren''t more Gods with how <i>active </i>you all apparently are." Akagi snickered.


    "Creation of new Gods is strictly regted to prevent issues." riel exined. "There hasn''t been a new one born in thousands of years, and I highly doubt that our numbers will drastically change, even if this world had infinite time."


    "Gross..." Amakusa''s face paled. "Aren''t the Gods... Like... <i>Siblings?" </i>She recalled her own time in history ss and how the Greek Gods were all brothers and sisters.


    <i>{¡­} </i>(Amakusa)


    "We are, yes, at least broadly speaking." riel nodded. "Though we don''t have quite the same rtionship to each other as mortals do so what you are thinking is inurate." She had enough sense to understand Amakusa''s squeamishness.


    "Don''t try putting Earth/Mortal logic on that one, Shiroe." Akagi leaned forward to speak to her, looking around Yumi. "Gods are a bit different when ites to morality and such, so I wouldn''t think about this particr issue that much. As you can see from this one here, there''s a big gap between what you and they think is normal."


    <i>{Again, this is why I dislike Gods. I don''t doubt that some can be nice and actually act like reasonable people, but their self inted egos and refusal to understand the mortals of their world gets on my nerves. For all my posturing, I''m not blind to how people think and I try to keep that in mind, despite my own admittedly alien mindset.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I guess I never really thought about it like that." Halifax thought about Akagi and Shiroe''sments, realizing that it <i>was</i> strange that the Gods did such things amongst themselves. "But now that I think about it, I guess it <i>is </i>strange that you and Aunt Reflia have <i>that </i>kind of rtionship." She started to turn slightly red as she recalled past events.


    <i>{Such a fun conversation we''re having... I just want to order my soup...} </i>(Yumi)


    "Reflia makes for a good lover." riel smiled. "It''s just too bad that said shut-in Goddess is absolutely <i>terrible</i> at taking the initiative."


    <i>{Though I suppose that''s what makes her cute.} </i>(riel)


    "Can I go home?" Amakusa raised her hand, begging to be sent somewhere else.


    <i>{Please... This conversation is killing me...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Oh no, you''re staying for this. The absolute look of cringe, horror, and disgust on your face is too good to let go!" Akagiughed.


    <i>{You bitch!} </i>(Amakusa)


    ¡°Getting past your desire to poke fun at me, this conversation <i>does</i> lead me to something else though." riel looked over at Akagi. "I would like you to leave my children alone, they have nothing to do with this fight. Take out your anger on the Gods all you like, but please don''t involve our children in theing war.¡± As irresponsible she was, thest thing she wanted was for her children to be pulled into the conflict due to her own mistake.


    <i>{Well I''ll be, I guess she CAN be a mother when she needs to be.} </i>(Halifax)


    "That''s fine." Akagi waived her off.


    "R-Really?" rield hadn''t expected Akagi to just leave it at that.


    "I don''t hold the rtives of people who mess with me to ount, so I have no quarrel with them as long as they don''t get involved." Akagi shrugged. ¡°Why would I harm unrted people?¡±


    <i>{Just because they had the unfortunate luck of rolling you as their mother doesn''t mean that I''d kill them.} </i>(Akagi)


    ¡°Thank you.¡± riel said quietly.


    "To add to that, when we find Reflia, give me a chance to talk her down before you go killing her. She''s not a bad person at heart, so I think that we can flip her to our side." Halifax interjected. "Having both the Goddess of Time and Space on our side will be a massive boon, and we might even be able to get you into the Heavenly realm with her power."


    "I''ll admit that together we could do a lot." riel nodded. "Though the problem is finding her. She almost neveres down to the Material world, andst I knew she was deeply involved with Gale''s preparations.¡±


    <i>{Most of the Gods are deep within Gale''s realm helping to create the ritual that will sacrifice the people of this world, and even though the Heroes were defeated, I''m confident that Gale will try something.} </i>(riel)


    "If we find her we find her, if we don''t we don''t." Akagi waived them both off. "For now let''s focus on dinner and then after that..." Her lips curved into a nasty smile. "Assassination."

 Chapter 302 – Prelude to War.

    Chapter 302 ¨C Prelude to War.


    After an excellent dinner, and a bit more discussion of riel''s <i>proclivities</i>, Akagi and Co. turned in for the night at a local inn. Compared to the estate even the most high-end rooms avable were <icking</i>, but it was good enough for the girls.


    "Finally... Bed..." Amakusa flopped onto her bed. The five of them would technically be sharing one three-bed room, but Akagi and Yumi would go into the <i>Demon''s </i>shadow where they could rx in a muchfier environment. "I''m so exhausted..."


    <i>{I never thought being a pet could be so exhausting...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "A. Is the poor puppy tired?" Akagiughed as Yumi poked Amakusa''s ears, causing them to twich. "Are you eepy?"


    <i>{Does puppy need snuggles?} </i>(Akagi)


    "You''re exhausting to be around, you know that?" Amakusa said, her face buried in a pillow.


    "Nonsense! I spread energy around, and I never cause problems for anyone!" Akagi smiled, while Yumi just looked away.


    "How are you friends with this girl?" riel asked Halifax as she changed into night clothes.


    "No idea, I just find her fun." Halifax shrugged. "Plus, kitty is nice." She snickered. ¡°So there''s that.¡±


    "All shall fall to the floof!" Akagi said proudly. "None can resist the urge to pet me!"


    "A Demon Lord turning into a cat so that others can pet her... I''ve been alive for millions of years, and yet here I am, dumbfounded by something so <i>absurd</i>." riel sighed as she sat on the bed.


    <i>{Absurd, but cute.} </i>(Halifax)


    "It''s like I said, just don''t think about what Akagi does. It makes things better if you just go with the flow and don''t allow the insanity to get to you." Halifax said as she changed and got under the covers.


    "Akagi is a bit goofy, but that''s probably her best quality." Yumi giggled.


    "I see how it is. Yumi only loves me because I''m cute!" Akagi feigned being hurt.


    "I mean, being cute <i>is</i> a solid forty percent, but the other sixty is because..." Yumi paused. "Let me get back to you on that." She snickered.


    "Mean!" Akagi pouted.


    "Ok well, I''m going to bed now. Wake me up aste as possible, please..." Amakusa nuzzled in, quickly falling asleep.


    "Damn, she went out instantly." Akagi chuckled. "I guess the pup really was tired."


    "I think I should head to bed too." Yumi yawned. "It''s been a long day, and I''ll be up early tomorrow." She had a few things to attend to, specifically coordinating with Chloe and the ninja team.


    "Sounds good." Akagi waved her hand, opening a shadow portal. "I''ll see youter, nighty nite."


    "Good night." Yumi hugged her before disappearing into the shadow portal.


    "I still can''t believe she just willingly walks into a ce like that." Halifaxmented. She''d seen the inside of Akagi''s shadow <i>once </i>and vowed never to return.


    <i>{That ce is fucking spooky.} </i>(Halifax)<i> </i>


    "Where did she even go anyway?" riel asked. "I can''t sense her anywhere."


    "Inside me." Akagi answered, and Halifax''s eyes told her to answer the question <ipletely</i>.


    "What? It''s technically true, and isn''t that all that matters?" Akagiughed. "But basically I can take people inside my shadow body. It''s its own little world in there, and I can control itpletely."


    "What?!?¡± riel was surprised that something like that was even possible. "That''s... How is that even possible?!? The creation of such a pocket dimension should be far beyond what any one being can create!"


    <i>{That''s basically just an entire world! How could even a Demon Lord have such power?!?} </i>(riel)


    "Well if you want to get technical, and well this is me so I do, technically, it''s <i>your</i> fault that I can do this." Akagi smirked. "Your little Spirit Pogrom resulted in the Spirits fleeing to Earth, and as a side effect of their ritual, I was merged with a being that had such an ability."


    <i>{Other Demon Lords can''t do something like this, and for good reason. Having this kind of power basically breaks any semnce of bnce that keeps our kind even SLIGHTLY in check. As long as I can drag somebody into my body I can never lose, since inside NOTHING happens without my approval. The only thing I''m not sure about is just who and what I can drag inside, since there''s a chance that certain more powerful beings might be able to resist it in some way.} (Akagi)</i>


    "???" riel looked to Halifax, who yawned.


    "I''ll tell you all about itter." Halifax said as she gotfy and turned out the light. "But for now, just go to sleep."


    "And no going off into the night hunting for your newest lover." Akagi winked, which caused riel to roll her eyes.


    "But anyway, I suppose that''s my cue to leave, though." Akagi stood up and began walking toward the door.


    "And where are you going at this hour?" riel figured that Akagi wasn''t just going out to enjoy some fresh air..


    "I''m going out for a <i>walk</i>." Akagi looked back at her over her shoulder. "<span style="color:#202124">?Don''t wait up for me!<span style="color:#202124">?" She waved goodbye as she left the room, closing the door behind her and leaving riel with a bad feeling.


    "Why me..." riel sighed as she went to bed, though her rest was not to be very good as her mind kept her up most of the night. She was worried about the fate of the world, Halifax, and how she would move forward from here. Her most beloved child hade to despise her,rgely of riel''s own doing, and with Akagi now freely roaming Enoris, there was no telling what the Demon Lord might do next.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    "Ahhh!" Akagi stretched as she walked down the street. "Oh man! It''s been a while since I did something like this!" She smiled and was downright giddy with the idea of going some good old-fashioned assassination again.


    <i>{It''s nice having the ninja to do things for me, but there''s a certain satisfaction I get from nning these things out myself!} </i>(Akagi)


    Moving between shadows, Akagi decided to have a bit of fun by scouting out several key locations within the Capital, with her primary focus being the ce where she intended to kill a God. She knew that Tahena primarily worked out of the Regenalus Church and that she performed blessings in the morning for the sick and injured.


    The building in question was quiterge and stuck out with its many flying buttresses and intricately designed windows. The <i>Demon </i>likened it to one of the manyrge Catholic Cathedrals of Italy or France and decided that her best option for spreading panic would be a broad daylight take down of the Goddess in question.


    <i>{This ce is huge.} </i>Akagi thought to herself as she wondered inside, one with the shadows. <i>{It really is like a Cathedral. You''ve even got the pews and the massive stained-ss windows. I can tell this ce is regrly visited by a God, as their energy is baked into this ce. Halifax did mention that Tahena is here quite frequently, so I guess that makes sense.} </i>


    Moving around the interior, Akagi checked out the different offices and storage rooms to get a general idea of theyout. There were a few interesting documents lying about, such as a list of those the Goddess had cured and their payments, though one piece of writing in particr caught her eye.


    "Collection of Spirits..." Akagi hummed as she read through a small document.


    <i>{I see. So the reason I don''t sense any Spirits in the Capital is because the Church already bought them up and sent them to the Holy City. It looks like they''ve been collecting them and buying them whenever possible. Do they have some kind of n? Spirits have higher than average magical power, so perhaps they want them for some kind of ritual?} </i>Akagi continued to read through the different records, confirming that Tahena was aware of the purchase and transfer of ves, though nothing detailed the reason behind it.


    "I suppose that it doesn''t really matter." Akagi slid the paper into her inventory. "I''ll find them soon enough." She walked over to the window, where she could see Enoris'' twin moons peaking out behind some clouds. The green and white orbs floated over head and Akagi couldn''t help butpare them to simr celestial bodies from an old fantasy setting that she knew far too much about.


    <i>{I suppose I''ll need to have a chat with some of the ve merchants tonight as well. Sorry Yumi, but you might not get your kitty body pillow tonight after all.} </i>Akagi snapped her fingers, vanishing in a ck mist.


    Taking off into the dimly lit city, Akagi <i>visited </i>the homes of many different ve merchants. Sometimes she merely broke in to find their records, while in other instances, she <i>interrogated </i>them quite thoroughly. Most couldn''t tell her anything about the location of other Spirits, while a few informed her that the Demon Kingdom had taken the lion''s share of the captives for forcedbor. Based on what Mizumi told her of the pre-war poption, the level of destruction inflicted upon their home, and the small number of people that managed to flee to Omara, Akagi concluded that less than ten thousand Spirits likely remained on Enoris, a number that she was sure would dwindle every day.


    "I suppose it''s good that I sent Sakura to the Demon Kingdom first." Akagi sat on the edge of one of the highest buildings in the Capital, the dead body of one of the merchantsying in an alley below after he''d chosen to mouth off rather than talk. "I''ll move her from intelligence gathering on continental politics and switch her to Spirit recovery. If she''s on the case then I imagine that we''ll recover quite a bit of them. After that..." She summoned ck Sunrise from her inventory, the de seeming to bend reality around wherever she slowly swung it. "What do you think? This world isn''t Earth, so I don''t need to be as nice. It''s only a few oveppingyers of reality, so I think we could wipe it out in short order if we wanted." She spoke to the de, but it said nothing in return. "Though I suppose we''ll save that as ast resort." She continued. "If I destroy the world, then who will popte my little sandbox?" Sheughed manically as her form vanished into ck mist, the sleeping citizens below not knowing that tomorrow morning would mark the return of the Demon Lord to Enoris.

 Bonus Chapter – Ms. Kitty!

    Bonus Chapter ¨C Ms. Kitty!


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    To celebrate hitting 1 million views, here is an extra little chap that''s a bit silly. Thank you all so much for everything! I can''t believe we actually got to a million views and here''s hoping to a million more before the story concludes!


    This takes ce sometime before Akagi left for Enoris.


    "Would Ms. Kitty like some more tea?" Alice asked the well-dressed and fluffy Catkagi.


    "Thank you, mew." Akagi said with a mew and a big smile as she was given another cup of tea. She was having a tea party with Miji and Alice, and as part of it, they''d gotten her to dress up a bit. The <i>Demon </i>was presently wearing a ck dress that looked like a cross between a stereotypical goth loli outfit and a circus ringmaster''s uniform. The two had pleaded for her to let them make her adorable, and she wasn''t going to say no to the two kids, especially when they pled with puppy eyes.


    "I didn''t think the kitty could get cuter, but somehow she did!" Miji was practically bursting at the seams with joy, and it was taking everything she had to not leap out of her chair and tackle the kitty to the floor and snuggle her.


    <i>{Heh-Heh. Sister is busy with work, so the kitty is all ours! Ours!} </i>(Miji)


    "I know! Mama''s cuteness levels never seem to hit a ceiling! We shall endeavor to make her so cute that all shall bow before her adorableness!" Alice giggled as she took a bite of a cookie. ¡°The kitty''s cuteness should be spread around the world!¡±


    <i>{By force if necessary!} </i>(Alice)


    "I just want to be pet and loved by all, mew. I think the world would be a better ce if everyone just floofed me and fed me treats, mew." Akagimented as Floofy brought a new te of sweets to the table. They''d elected to hold the tea party in the greenhouse,rgely because it was out of the way, and the two bears were acting as butlers of sorts.


    "All hail the floof!" Miji giggled as she reached over and pet Akagi''s ears. "Sister says that kind of thing all the time, and she''s right! Fluff is the best!"


    "Rightly so." Alice nodded as she picked up Floofy and squeezed the stuffed bear between her arms. "Fluff and cuteness is the most important thing in the world, isn''t that right Floofy?" The bear could not speak but seemed to agree with her words. "Now, if only we could get Hishya to agree."


    "The Lizard is a lost cause, mew. She will never admit that cute is justice, mew." Akagi said as she took a sip of tea. ¡°Hishya is anti-cute, mew!¡±


    "But I seen her y with the kitty before!" Miji said, beliving that Hishya was a liar. "She likes your ears! I seen her rub them, and she was smiling andughing!"


    <i>{She liked the kitty, I know it! She will try to steal you away!} </i>(Miji)


    "I''m pretty sure that Hishya will take the secret that she likes the kitty to her <i>grave</i>." Alice snickered. "It would probably kill her pride to admit that the one she fears the most is so adorable." She figured that Hishya would never openly admit to enjoying ying with Catkagi, nor would Kana ever let her live it down.


    "I''ve been trying so hard to show her that I''m not just spoopy, mew. But it may take time to break through to her, mew." Akagi said. ¡°Am good kitty, right?¡± She asked with a bit of shyness on her face.


    "Kitty is good kitty!" Miji dered that Akagi was the best kitty in the world and that nothing could possibly be bad about her. "Hishya should stop being mean to the kitty!" She puffed up her cheeks.


    <i>{If she won''t admit that the kitty is amazing, then she should give her to me instead of ying with her! That could be my kitty time! Sister already steals away too much, and so do Kana and Mika!} </i>(Miji)


    "Perhaps we should <i>reeducate </i>her? We could show her just how great the kitty is." Alice said with a massive smirk.


    "You could subject her to non-stop cat videos, mew!" Akagi agreed. "Mika has taken plenty of them, and there are clips of me doing all sorts of cute things, mew!" The blue-haired girl''s social media had exploded with Catkagi videos, and she was now among the most subscribed-to content creators in the world.


    <i>{Maybe I could even steal a few more socks? She seems to like that.} </i>(Akagi)


    "My favorite was the sock chase!" Miji squeaked, seemingly reading Akagi''s mind. "Kana was so angry, and she made a really funny face!"


    <i>{The kitty needs to steal mine!} </i>(Miji)


    "That one was good, and I loved the part where she ''corned'' you only to forget that you could just <i>phase through the wall </i>and get away." Aliceughed as she recalled Akagi hiss before vanishing through the wall like a ghost.


    "The look on her face was one of shock, dumbfounded, and wanting to smack herself silly, mew. Kana was always a bit dim witted about the stupidest of things some times." Akagi snickered as she was smacked on the back of the head by the sister in question.


    *CRACK*


    "MEW! Halp! Kitty aboose, mew!" Akagi cried in pain as she ran over and hid behind Alice. ¡°I have been struck with great force, mew!¡±


    "That''s what you get for talking about people behind their backs!" Hishya smirked. The two had entered the greenhouse moments prior and caught a bit of the prior discussion.


    <i>{And also, the fucking reeducation threat is scary since Akagi could actually fucking do it. I''m... I''m gonna wake up one day as a devotee of the kitty, aren''t I?} </i>(Hishya)


    "Why hit?!? Am kitty, mew!" Akagi pretended to cry. ¡°Why harm such an innocent creature, mew?¡±


    <i>{In what reality are you innocent?!?} </i>(Kana x Hishya)


    "No! Don''t hurt the kitty!" (Alice x Miji)


    "You people and your kitty..." Kana sighed as her eyes turned to Akagi. "And you, <i>Ms. Kitty</i>, don''t cower over there like a baby and hide behind your own daughter. What kind of mom does that?" She found it ridiculous, but also something that Akagi would do.


    "The kitty kind?" Akagi titled her head cutely.


    "Don''t worry, Mama. I''ll protect you!" Alice hopped out of her chair and summoned a bunch of floating ghost swords, pointing them at Hishya and Kana. ¡°They shall feel my wrath! All who harm the kitty will be <i>in</i>.¡±


    <i>{Why did Akagi teach her that move?} </i>(Hishya)


    "Get them, Alice! Make them apologize for hurting the kitty''s feelings!" Miji cheered on her friend, demanding retribution and justice for the kitty.


    <i>{No one hurts the kitty!} </i>(Miji)


    "I shall make you both repent!" Alice''s eyes burned brightly. ¡°Prepare to feel a pain greater than you ever imagined possible!¡±


    <i>{I can imagine a lot. In fact, I''ve felt a lot of pain so...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Are you just okay with her pointing those things at Kana?" Hishya asked as she stepped in between the Kana and Alice for safety. "They won''t hurt <i>me</i>, but Kana is a different story. She''s <i>squishy</i>."


    <i>{Really?} </i>(Kana)


    "Don''t worry, mew. If she dies, I can just revive her, mew." Akagi shrugged as she waived off the concern. ¡°Kana will be brought back no matter what, mew.¡±


    "As one of your <i>sycophants</i>, sure..." Hishya rolled her eyes. "What, do you want your sister to squeal about the kitty all day like the other wackos here do?"


    <i>{Though... She kinda already does that in her own way...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Maybe, mew..." Akagi looked away, embarrassed.


    "Oh no you don''t!" Kana eximed. "We need <i>me </i>around here to keep things in order! Lest the <i>Cult </i>start doing even more insane things."


    <i>{It''s potlucks and games right now, but that quickly turns to blood sacrifices to the Demon Lord really quick! I need to keep things at least somewhat sane around here, so no Cultist Kana!} </i>(Kana)


    "Repent for your evil deeds or be one with the kitty!" Alice dered. "Make your choice, Aunt Kana!"


    "Yeah!" Miji cheered as she threw some punches and kicks at the air. ¡°I''ll beat you up otherwise! Pow! Pow!¡±


    "A-Aunt..." Kana froze at the horrifying word sent toward her.


    "Pfff..." Hishya choked on her own spit fromughing. "Oh... My..."


    "Say one more word, and I <i>will </i>shove you in a doghouse and put a leash on you." Kana growled at her, stillughing, girlfriend.


    <i>{Onee-chan will be the least of your concerns when I''m done with you, Lizard.} </i>(Kana)


    "I thought Hishya was a Dragon, not a pup?" Miji tilted her head, not understanding some of the context. "So why would we put her in a doghouse?"


    "You''ll understand when you''re older." Alice said as she sighed.


    <i>{Why do you understand these things?!? Aren''t you like 16? Oh, wait...} </i>(Hishya)


    "???" Miji didn''t understand and just went with it. "Bad doggy! Meh!"


    "Yeah, Hishya. You''re a <i>bad dog</i>." Kana smirked. "Perhaps you need some <i>negative reinforcement?" </i>


    <i>{Oh no, now Scary Kana is here...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Alright, Alright. Cool the dominatrix schtick, Kana." Hishya pat her girlfriend on the head. "No need to let your <i>dark side</i> out around the kids." She said, wanting her to save that for special alone time anyway.


    <i>{That''s it, I''m breaking out the descaler.} </i>(Kana)


    "Yeah, Kana. Keep your <i>degeneracy</i> away from these two pure adorable creatures, mew!" Akagi protested her depraved ways. ¡°And me too, mew! Don''t corrupt me, mew!¡±


    <i>{You are the literally worst when ites to that stuff, you and Yumi both. ) </i>(Kana)


    "Oh, hush you! Says the kitty who-" Kana paused, not wanting to continue this in front of Miji. "You know what you do!" She pointed at Akagi. ¡°You <i>know!</i>¡±


    "Mew? Whatever could you mean, mew?" Akagi tilted her head while giving an innocent smile. "Kitty is always good and pure, mew. Kitty would never aid one in indulging in their <i>darkest </i>desires, mew."


    <i>{Do I even... No I don''t...} </i>(Hishya)


    "If <i>you </i>are ''good and pure'' I don''t even want to imagine what a truly evil creature is." Hishyamented. ¡°It would probably be something horrifying.¡±


    "I could show, mew?" Akagi said, ready to go <i>evil kitty </i>if that was what they wanted.


    "NO! Don''t take that as an invitation to do something crazy!" Hishya immediately regretted her word choice. "Stay the nice kitty, don''t break out the <i>Demon</i>."


    <i>{I don''t need a dose of trauma today, thank you very much!} </i>(Hishya)


    "But <i>Demon </i>is <i>fun</i>?" Akagi put her finger to her lips, smirking. "Maybe we bring out <i>Demon </i>Kitty, mew?"


    "Hurray for <i>Demon </i>kitty!" Miji cheered.


    <i>{Don''t cheer for it, Miji...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Mama should just take over the world as the kitty and sit atop a mighty skull throne." Alice nodded. "The blood of her many enemies will run like rivers below it."


    <i>{Should I be worried about Alice? Yeah, I probably should, but its far toote, isn''t it?} </i>(Kana)


    "MEW!" Akagi mewd in agreement. ¡°Mew for the mew throne!¡±


    "Good job, Hishya. You singlehandedly doomed the world, <i>thanks</i>..." Kana sighed. ¡°All my hard work is about to go down the drain because you ran your mouth.¡±


    "I take no responsibility for the stupidity of Akagi." Hishya threw her hands up and decided to be done with the situation. "If she wants to go be crazy, then I''m not even going to try and top her at this point."


    <i>{Fuck it, I don''t care anymore.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Kitty, can I have a big castle with lots of puppies and kitties when you take over?" Miji asked. "And also lots of sweets and a big bed for us to take naps in!"


    "Of course, mew!" Akagi nodded. "I''ll even some unicorns too, mew!"


    "Yeah!" Miji cheered as she giggled. "Me and the kitty will y happily with no one to stop us!"


    <i>{Yumi will 100% interrupt that alone time...} </i>(Kana)


    "Thanks to Hishya, the world will be a fluffier ce!" Alice smiled as she snapped her fingers and dismissed the floating swords. "You''ve done us a great favor by awakening Mama''s desire to be kitty overlord."


    "At... Why am I not even doubting that she would do something like this..." Hishya sighed. "But can we just please <i>not</i>?"


    "Hmmm..." Akagi thought about it. "Perhaps if you two give me enough <i>pets</i>, I may reconsider unleashing a worldwide fluffy crusade of love and huggies."


    "Why..." Hishya groaned. ¡°Why am I not surprised...¡±


    "Don''t worry, I''ll give enough for both of us." Kana said as she walked over and scratched Akagi''s ears. "You really do act like a spoiled child sometimes, you know that?"


    "Only because you enable me, mew." Akagi snickered.


    "Don''t remind me..." Kana rolled her eyes, knowing that she''d yed right into Akagi''s kitty hands.


    Spoiler


    MEW!


    [copse]

 Chapter 303 – Waffles!

    Chapter 303 ¨C Waffles!


    "Kitty, you didn''te homest night." Yumi stood over the Catkagi, who sat on a chair looking sad. From the outside one might think that the Priestess was getting ready to scold Akagi, but Halifax and Amakusa were well aware that there were few instances in which Yumi would <i>ever </i>be upset with Akagi.


    "Mew~" Akagi gave a sad meow, pretending to beg for forgiveness for her sins.


    "I missed out on my kitty snuggles! How was I supposed to sleep without my fluffy pillow?" Yumi said dramatically. "It was so cold sleeping alone! How could you do this to me?!?" She fake cried.


    "MEW!" Akagi meowed as she opened her arms up for a hug. ¡°Uppies?¡±


    "What? Do you think I''d be swayed by such a simple offering?" Yumi turned away in a huff, declining the uppies, barely.


    "MEW!" Seeing that uppies wasn''t working, Akagi instead dove at Yumi, tackling her to the floor and rubbing her face against her. "MEW! MEW!"


    "What am I watching?" riel was drying her hair as she sat on the edge of her bed. Catkagi was already an anomoly to her, but seeing a Demon Lord act like <i>this </i>caused her to reevaluate everything.


    <i>{If only Vikes was a kitty that just wanted pets... Or wait, was he?} </i>(rile)


    "Oh you know, the usual." Halifax said as she finished putting on her coat. ¡°Kitty acting like kitty is normal around here.¡±


    "Just ignore those two. They''re both crazy and you don''t want to involve yourself with their stupidity." Amakusa spoke from the bathroom. "And also. How the hell do beastkin wash their ears?!? This is so annoying! Turn me back so I can bathe properly!"


    <i>{I THOUGHT THIS WAS JUST AN ILLUSION, SO WHY DOES IT FEEL SO REAL?!?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "MEW!" Akagi gave a meow as she sat triumphantly on top of Yumi''s stomach, denying the <i>pet''s</i> request for less floof.


    "Cats..." Amakusa grumbled.


    "I don''t mind helping you wash up." Halifax snickered. "I''ve cleaned plenty of beastkin ears in my time, and I wouldn''t mind giving you some nice pets."


    "Come in here, and I''ll shove one sword body into the other!" Amakusa hissed, understanding her fate if Halifax was permitted to enter.


    "And here I thought that Shiroe would''ve been interested in you." rielmented as she straightened her hair. "Her eyes lit up the one time I spoke of a Divine de of legend, so to hear her deny a request to be touched by such an amazing de is quite strange." She chuckled.


    "That was until I found out that said de was crazy!" Amakusa yelled. "I don''t need more of that! And also, I''d rather TOUCH the de, not have it touch me!"


    "Now that I think of it, why <i>didn''t</i> you force Halifax into this whole fight?" Akagi said as she got off Yumi and hopped onto the empty bed. "I would''ve figured a Hero wielding a Divine de would''ve been a boost of morale." Her question caused Halifax to furrow her brow.


    <i>{I... Yeah... I''d never heard anything from them, and just tried to avoid their gaze but... But they could''ve easily made me...} </i>(Halifax)


    "As much as I hate to admit it, there <i>was</i> talk of it." riel started, but raised her hand to stop Halifax from interrupting. "However, there was a <i>concern</i> regarding the use of not just Halifax but <i>any </i>Divine weapon for such a task." She nced at the Sword in question.


    "Oh, goodie, so that means you would''ve forced me to take part in a <i>second </i>genocide." Halifax''s right hand clenched in frustration.


    <i>{AGAIN?!? YOU''D MAKE ME KILL FOR YOU AGAIN?!?} </i>(Halifax)


    "For the record I was <i>not</i> in favor of it, and many of the other Gods found the idea of forcing you to do something like that <i>again </i>to be unptable." riel gave a bitter smile, knowing that their morality wasn''t really the main deciding factor.


    "Oh yeah sure. The first forced genocide was totally okay, but a second one, nah we don''t approve of <i>that </i>one." Halifax rolled her eyes. "I see how it is."


    "I''m getting the feeling that the <i>concern</i> you were talking about had nothing to do with Halifax''spliance." Akagi noticed that riel was attempting to hide something based on her facial expression.


    "You''re correct. The issue stems from the fact that Divine Weapons are forged <i>from </i>the Gods themselves, hence why they are unable to harm us." riel exined that technically Halifax nor any of her ''siblings'' could be used to harm any of the Gods. At least, barring a Demon Lord suppressing such a restriction as Akagi had done prior. "Ordinarily they are <i>not</i> permitted to roam the material world freely because we consider them too close to our own existence, not to mention that they''re simply too powerful to be permitted free reign." riel shook her head. Divine Weapons were usually kept within the Heavenly Realm so as to not permit their unauthorized use. "When we were initially discussing how to handle the ''Spirit Issue'', the idea of using the Divine Weapons <i>was </i>broached. However, we quickly hit some <i>problems</i>."


    "Like?" Akagi asked as Yumi moved to the side of the room and answered a call on her radio.


    riel seemed like she didn''t want to answer, and it took Halifax jumping in for the conversation to restart.


    "It''s because of thal, isn''t it." Halifax''sment caused riel to look sad and guilty.


    <i>{Yeah, that''s it, isn''t it?} </i>(Halifax)


    "That was our biggest concern, yes." riel nodded. "Having a repeat of <i>that </i>was not desirable, and the risk of it happening again was deemed too great."


    "Who is this waffle person?" Akagi asked, intentionally getting the name wrong.


    "thal..." Halifax sighed, deciding not to continue correcting the cat. "He was another Divine weapon, a trident, and around three hundred years ago, the Demon Lord Cult captured him and transformed him into a Demonic weapon."


    <i>{All this talk of waffles makes me want some... I wonder if we can get some after the assassination?} </i>(Akagi)


    "It was a massive blunder on our part. We sent his wielder to investigate some of their activities, but he ended up being caught in a trap and corrupted." riel exined. "We didn''t realize what happened at first, but in short order, <i>other </i>Divine Weapons were captured and corrupted in the same way. Eventually, things go so dire that Gale granted permission for Cynth to incarnate in an attempt to crush the Cult and recover the weapons..." She trailed off.


    "But they ended up killing her." Halifax clicked her tongue. "It was the first time a God had died since Vikes'' rampage, and it sent shock waves through the Pantheon."


    <i>{Oh to have been a fly on that wall. I heard Esquire was hopping mad about that fuck up.} </i>(Halifax)


    "So let me guess, you were worried that the Spirits might be able to do the same things." Akagi surmised their reasoning.


    "That was the primary reason, yes." riel nodded. "It was always assumed that a Divine Weapon could kill a God, but until that day, there was no definitive <i>proof</i>." They''d made them unable to harm Gods for that specific reasoning and never dreamed that somebody could corrupt them so as to allow them to strike down a Divine being while also bypassing that protection.


    <i>{Now that I think about it, we never did figure out how exactly they managed to pull it off. Halifax''s report did mention something about them using Vikes'' weapon as part of the process, but we never found it.} </i>(riel)


    "Let me guess." Amakusa came from the bathroom in a robe while drying her hair. "Things ended up getting so dire that <i>you</i> got called into end things?" She figured that Halifax was the reason things didn''t get worse.


    "Nope!" Halifaxughed. "I actually only ended up fighting them because they took Sherry captive. I followed them for a while, and once I reached their hideout, I cleaned house. They did capture me for a bit, but their attempt at corrupting me failed for whatever reason." She didn''t really understand why but she seemed to be resistant to their corruption when they tried to use their magic circle.


    <i>{I think one of those cultists mentioned needing to bring Vikes'' weapon to deal with me, but I destroyed that ce before they even got the chance.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Thest thing we needed was for the Spirits to get their hands on even <i>one</i> Divine weapon, so we decided to call forth Heroes from another world." riel didn''t like having to rely on outsiders, but Gale shot down any attempts at using some of their other options. "We <i>did </i>briefly discuss sending our own children, as there are a few powerful Demi-Gods, but in the end, we estimated that without their partner weapon their power wouldn''t be enough to turn the tides." Demi-Gods, specifically ones that fought on the Gods'' behalf, were almost always given a Divine weapon. While such beings were powerful enough on their own, having such a powerful tool at this disposal is what truly set them apart from the rest of Enoris'' residents.


    <i>{Not to mention that a Demi-God dying in such a conflict would be a MASSIVE fucking PR disaster.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Huh... But if you said Divine weapons aren''t just allowed to run around freely, then why has Halifax been doing just that?" Amakusa asked as she removed the towel from her head and flicked her hair.


    <i>{Isn''t it dangerous to let her just wonder around like that?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "That''s because her freedom was guaranteed via a Divine Pact." riel answered. "I won''t go into detail, because that will take too long, but not long after she vanished from the Imperial Capital, a deal was struck, and in exchange for performing a critical mission, she was permitted to freely roam the world without interference."


    <i>{There''s more to it than that. riel is hiding something.} </i>(Akagi)


    "And you didn''t justpel her to return?" Akagi decided to poke a bit and see what information that she could get. "You''ve already shown that her will means nothing when ites down to it, so why strike a bargain in that instance?" She figured that Gods weren''t ones to treat their creations as equals under normal circumstances.


    "Because there was enough of us that regretted the past to agree to the deal." riel replied. "This was a way for us to make amends."


    <i>{Okay, that''s not a lie, but there''s definitely more.} </i>(Akagi)


    "You really pissed Gale off with that one." Halifax chuckled.


    "For all his power, even <i>he </i>cannot fragrantly vite a Divine Pact. All it takes is a majority of us to agree, and even those who vote no are bound by its terms." riel smiled.


    "I''m surprised he didn''t make Halifax kill herself then. The way you talk about him makes him seem like the world''srgest prick." Akagimented.


    "Only <i>I </i>maypel her to act." riel said. "The other Gods cannot unterally enforce their will upon her."


    "So why didn''t you say no when they asked you to force Halifax to do something so heinous?" Akagi asked. "You could''ve told them to fuck off."


    "Because that''s not how we work." riel shook her head. "Don''t get me wrong, we can and <i>do</i> disagree with one another, but when we meet and take a formal vote on a path forward, it''s winner take all. I could''ve dug my feet in and refused, but that would''ve risked the other Godsing after <i>me."</i>


    "I take it that that''s not a good thing." Akagi chuckled.


    "Gods killing or punishing other Gods has happened before." Halifax exined. "And one of the quickest ways for that to happen is to interfere with the course of action decided upon by the majority of the Pantheon. They might not force you to involve yourself in what they''re doing, but you better not get in their way, otherwise..." She ran her thumb across her neck. "That''s what happened to Dibora."


    <i>{And for all of Gale''s power, even he can''t go against the will of the others. Especially since he''s the God of Order.} </i>(Halifax)


    "He was also <i>insane</i>, so let''s not use him as an example." riel groaned. "But yes. They wouldn''t''ve killed me, probably, but being thrown into some kind of prison for tens of thousands of years would be <i>undesirable</i>."


    <i>{I''ve heard stories of what those kinds of ces are like...} </i>(riel)


    "So you sold out your own child to save yourself?" Amakusa''sment came out of nowhere. Akagi was going to say the same thing but was beaten to the punch.


    <i>{Damn! The pet''s spitting fire today!} </i>(Akagi)


    "I wouldn''t put it like <i>that</i>..." riel said with clenched teeth.


    "Then how <i>would</i> you put it?" Amakusa looked at her withplete disgust. "Because that''s what it sounds like to me."


    "..." riel didn''t know what to say. In her heart, she knew that Amakusa''s words were correct, but the Goddess''s mind didn''t want to admit it.


    "Just leave it, Shiroe." Halifax put up her hands. "It''s not worth digging up the past anymore and I don''t want to get into it again." She stood up, turning to Akagi. "So how about we kill a Goddess to get our minds off things!" She smiled as both she and Akagi started cackling like madwomen. However, while theyughed, and Shiroe grumbled, riel was frozen stiff as she sat on her bed. The Goddess''s mind raced as she tried to find something, <i>anything </i>that could justify her choice back then, but she couldn''t find anything to disprove Amakusa''s im.


    <i>{Its... No... That''s... I... Did I... Did I really... Did I really sacrifice my own child... To protect myself...} </i>(riel)

 Chapter 304 – A Declaration of War.

    Chapter 304 ¨C A Deration of War.


    "Alright, <i>pet</i>, your mission, which you will ept since you have no choice, will be to keep an eye on the maid." Akagi said as she sat on the edge of the bed in Catkagi form. "Ensure that she doesn''t try getting in my way, and watch out for her <i>seduction </i>tricks! I don''t need toe back to the room and see <i>that</i>." She snickered.


    "I don''t swing that way." Amakusa sighed.


    "In fairness, a<i> lot</i> of other girls said that to me, and they almost all gave in in the end." riel giggled.


    <i>{Though Shiroe isn''t my type. She is cute, don''t get me wrong, and the arrogance is adorable, but she''s a bit too shy where it counts for my taste.} </i>(riel)<i> </i>


    "Maybe we should sick her on Naomi then?" Yumiughed as she pet Akagi on the head.


    "Kana would fucking kill me." Akagiughed. "But getting on with things." She leaped off the bed and returned to normal. "Don''t let her leave this room. Without her power, riel will be easy to stop, so I doubt she can overpower you."


    "There''s no reason to put me under guard. It''s not like I can go anywhere with you holding my <i>leash</i>." riel said as she nced at Amakusa, which caused Halifax tough.


    <i>{This room seems to have TWO pets.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Maybe, but I don''t trust you not to have somest-minute change of heart when I go to kill one of the other Gods." Akagi figured that riel might try to warn her at thest minute out of a sense ofradery. "I have a specific n for how I want things to go, and I''m not about to risk an unknown factor like you throwing it off."


    "I agree with Akagi." Halifax nodded, not trusting riel. "I''ve known you long enough to know that trusting you is a poor decision. Better that you remain here where you can''t fuck things up for us than bringing you with."


    "Fine, do whatever you want." riel shrugged. "But once you''ve killed Tahena the Capital is going to explode. They''ll likely lock down everything and I''m going to bet that another God will show up to investigate."


    <i>{I don''t imagine that this is going to go well...} </i>(riel)


    "That''s fine. If another onees to say, then I''ll just delete them." Akagi replied. "As for the chaos? That''s part of the n." She winked before turning to leave, swallowing Yumi into her shadow as she approached the door.


    "Wait for me." Halifax followed her, leaving riel alone with Amakusa.


    "And there they go." Amakusa hopped onto the bed. ¡°Off to cause all kinds of fucking hell...¡±


    "I imagine this had been hard on you, Shiroe. Please forgive me for dragging you into this mess." riel apologized.


    "It was fun until I found out the truth." Amakusa flopped onto her side. "Being the Hero, saving the world... All that was fun... But to find out that I did something as fucked up as this..."


    <i>{¡­} </i>(Amakusa)


    "It really was irresponsible to drag outsiders in to help... You were all so young, and we took advantage of that..." riel looked out the window behind her. "And now... We''re paying the price..."


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    "Alright, it''s time." Akagi and Halifax stood in one of the alleyways near the Regenalus Church. The <i>Demon''s </i>n basically boiled down to a broad daylight assassination, since she wanted to make a show of things.


    "Tahena should be here by now." Halifaxmented as she watched the crowd start moving toward the iron gates. "Are you really going to do this in the open?" She figured that it was risky.


    <i>{I know you''re quite capable, but even still...} </i>(Halifax)


    "I need people to know that the Demon Lord has returned and that I''m at war with the Gods." Akagi said as she pulled out a ck cloak and threw it on. "The best way to do that is to bump thisdy off in the middle of her service."


    "Do you need me to do anything?" Halifax didn''t like being left out and wanted to do something to help.


    "Not this time, no." Akagi shook her head as she pulled her hood up, which obscured her face and distorted her voice due to a simple enchantment. "I don''t want you being publicly associated with the Demon Lord''s return, so just keep low." She pulled out of the alleyway, joining in with the crowd who was beginning to move inside.


    <i>{A Demon Lord who was once an assassin... The very thought is terrifying. I bet she could kill anyone without them even knowing if she wanted to, so I''ll just do as she says and watch.} </i>Halifax took up a spot not too far from the entrance, bought an apple from a nearby stand, and started munching as she found a bench.


    "Alright, ''Red Hand,'' let''s see how you do." Halifax smiled a bit as she bit into the apple.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    Slowly working her way through the crowd of worshipers, Akagi finally caught sight of her target. Tahena, Goddess of Health and Fertility, was a lesser God among Enoris'' Pantheon, but that did not mean that she wasn''t important. Most days, she spent time at one of her churches, giving blessings and healing those with grave illnesses. Among Enoris'' Gods, she was arguably the most well-known God and was generally considered to be the closest among their rank to the people. Her striking gold eyes and silver hair were something that her children always inherited, and those born of her blood were generally regarded as Saints.


    "Everyone, please be patient. Our morning service will start soon, but I must attend to those in need first." Tahena spoke to the crowd. Her voice was soft and warm, and Akagi detected no hint of deception in her words. It seemed that this Goddess genuinely wanted to help the sick and injured, but that mattered little to the <i>Demon</i>.


    <i>{''Good'' or not, she agreed with invading my world and killing my people. I don''t care how many sick and injured you heal, Goddess. That doesn''t mean you''re absolved of your sins, so I will take your head as rpense.} </i>Akagi made her way to the line that formed with the gravely sick and wounded, blending in by pretending to be unsteady on her feet.


    As the line shortened, Akagi could hear people cheering and crying as they were healed by Tahena. She always asked for something of value in return, though it was not always necessarily gold that she required. Some worshipers were forced to sacrifice part of their body for healing, while others were healed only in exchange for agreeing to a binding pact to give something up. Akagi thought this was actually a pretty reasonable system, as most of the time the terms of the pact required abstaining from things like smoking, while those who lost body functions were essentially taking on an inconvenience to save their lives.


    <i>{Interesting, some of those people were sterilized as part of the healing process. I guess I understand what this Goddess''s true goal is. She''s weeding out people with ''undesirable traits'' from the gene pool, and using a facade of treating the injured and sick to make people go along with it.} </i>Akagi noted that Tahena was employing some kind of eugenics by selectively requiring the sterilization of people who she determined had unwanted inheritable traits on top of sneaking it in to other treatments. <i>{I suppose this isn''t the worst way to go about it, and at least she is actually helping people. Though I suspect that many wouldn''t be too happy if they found this out.}</i>


    The line gradually grew shorter and shorter until Akagi was only a few ces back in the que. The <i>Demon</i> noted theplete absence of any guards, and that the only ''security'' around was two Priests that were assisting Tahena in her ''healing''.


    <i>{If this were anyone else, I''d be suspicious of an ambush, but I highly doubt that anyone would suspect an attack on a God. Killing an Avatar wouldn''t normally do anything, and the people of this world are generally not foolish enough to anger Gods who can and will hunt them down.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Next!" Tahena called out to Akagi, who slowly walked up to the Goddess. "My child, what ails you? Please tell me so that I may give you my Divine Blessing." She looked at Akagi, not batting an eye at the fact that she could barely make out parts of her face.


    <i>{Good to see that hiding my energy is so effective.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Death haunts me, My Lady." Akagi replied in a weak and raspy voice. "I have been beset with a terrible curse, and my body is slowly fading away." She showed her right hand, which had been changed into a dry and withered form to give it added effect.


    "Oh, you poor dear!" Tahena put her hand over her mouth in shock, which Akagi could tell was half real and half fake. "This is truly terrible! Tell me, who did this to you?"


    "I know not her name, only that she imed to be a Goddess." Akagi said, fake sadness in her voice. "But I know that couldn''t be possible! For a Goddess would never do such a horrible thing to innocent people."


    "A Goddess?" Tahena furrowed her brow but shook away confusion after a moment. "You''re right, my child. A Goddess would never harm the innocent, but that is a powerful curse. So tell me, what are you willing to give to be rid of such a blight?" She smiled.


    "What can I give?" Akagi asked with a weak voice, feigning desperation.


    "It needs to be of equal value for bnce to be maintained, so try and think of what that might be." Tahena continued to smile.


    <i>{Equal value, huh?} </i>(Akagi)


    "If... If it needs to be of equal value..." Akagi smirked. "Then I think your <i>blood</i> will do!" In an instant, Akagi summoned and plunged the ck Sunrise into Tahena''s chest, shocking everyone including the Goddess.


    "W-What?" Tahena waspletely caught off guard, and the massive amount of pain she could feel coursing through her body left her unable to do anything in retaliation.


    "Then again..." Akagi quickly pulled her de from the Goddess''s chest before spinning around dramatically and slicing Tahena''s head from her shoulders, killing her. "The blood of a Goddess isn''t <i>that</i> special." Sheughed as the head flew in the air before catching it by its hair and holding it up for the terrified and panicked crowd to see.


    "In the name of Demon Lord Akagi Dumetor, I have taken the life of the Goddess Tahena!" Akagi began tough psychotically as people started screaming. "And soon <i><b>all </b></i>the Gods will fall to the Demon Lord!"


    <i>{<b>All hail the Demon Lord.</b>} </i>(Akagi)


    Spoiler


    Tahena!


    [copse]

 Chapter 305 – The Power Within.

    Chapter 305 ¨C The Power Within.


    *SMACK* *BOP* *THUD*


    "Come on, you two! I know darn well you can do better than this, so get your butts off the ground and try and beat me!" Hishyaughed as both Kana and a transformed Mika struggled to get off the ground. Both girls had insisted that Hishya do a bit of sparring with them to help them get better control over their magic, and the Dragon wasn''t one to decline a fight, even one that basically amounted to ying around. "You were both so confident that you''d hit me, but here we are twenty minutester, and I''ve not a scratch on me." She smirked.


    <i>{Its nice to bully people for a change!} </i>(Hishya)


    "I never thought I''d say this, but Onee-chan may have been a nicer practice partner..." Kana sighed as she struggled to get to her feet.


    <i>{Well, your sister has a bit better control over her emotions than Hishya, and also she''s more inclined to hold back than the Dragon.} </i>(Himari)


    "I just know we''d already have won if Naomi helped us." Mika chuckled as she stood up. ¡°Her incredible power would smite the evil Dragon in mere moments!¡±


    "DON''T INVOLVE ME IN YOUR NONSENSE!" Naomi yelled from her seat. She and Momo had no interest in this sort of training and declined to take part.


    <i>{I''ll stick to learning magic with books and targets; thank you very much!} </i>(Naomi)


    "Perhaps you two should just give up?" Hishya spun around and turned her back to the two of them. She wasn''t even in her armor, nor had she brought out any weapons, and both Kana and Mika knew that the Dragon wasn''t taking either of them even the slightest bit seriously. "I''d like to get back to building my nice house here soon! The pillow room won''t finish itself!" Sheughed.


    <i>{Her and those darn pillows!} </i>(Kana)


    "Mika!" Kana looked over to Mika, who nodded.


    "Let''s take her down!" (Mika x Kana)


    The two zipped forward, Kana and Mika moving as fast as they could with their avable power. However, just as they got behind the seemingly vulnerable Hishya, the Dragon spun around, grabbing Mika by the face and tossing her away while also batting Himari away with her wrist before kicking Kana square in the stomach, tossing her across the dirt training grounds.


    "Ack!" Kana cried out in pain as she smacked against the ground, her eye reverting back to normal as she powered down.


    "Weak!" Hishyaughed as she began hopping in ce and throwing out a few joke punches. "I''ve seen FWO monsters move better than that!" She beckoned Kana to try again. "All you have to do isnd one proper hit on me, and you win, or is that too hard for you?" She snickered.


    <i>{If I had a couch to make her sleep on tonight...} </i>(Kana)


    "MAGICAL STAR BEAM!" Mika yelled out an attack name as she sat on the floor, unable to stand, and from her wand, a massive st of blue and yellow energy erupted forth and streamed toward Hishya.


    "Hmpf." Hishyaughed at the attack, which she kicked straight into the air harmlessly. "An improvement of yourst attempt, but still too weak to have any real effect." She zipped forward at high speed, cing herself in front of the downed Mika. "Alrighty then. I''m getting bored let''s end things." She held up her palm, charging up an energy st that was directed straight at Mika. "Now, I''m pretty sure you''ll be fine, but I''d advise tapping out just to be safe." She smiled fiendishly.


    <i>{DANGER!} </i>(Mika)


    "I... A Magical Girl never gives up!" Mika stood up and tried to punch Hishya in the face, but the Dragon caught her fist with her free hand.


    "And I just want you to know that I''m proud that remember that." Hishya smiled as she unleashed a quick pulse of energy that knocked Mika out, causing her to fall to the ground and revert to normal.


    "Mika!" Kana cried out to her unconscious friend. "Mika!"


    <i>{I... I couldn''t... I... She got hurt again because of...} </i>Kana''s mind began to twist and turn as she watched Hishyaugh as Mika was lowered to the ground, gently. This was just a training exercise, but it wasn''t the first time that Kana''d been defeated by an opponent much stronger than her. Ever since she''d first unleashed her magical power, Kana''s primary goal was to be strong enough so that others wouldn''t have to worry about her, but that had yet to happen.


    "I... I... I need to get stronger." Kana bit her lip in frustration, drawing blood unintentionally. "I... I can''t let Mika or anyone else get hurt because of me." She slowly got to her feet, Himari noting a sudden well of energy within Kana''s body. "I need to get stronger... I need... I NEED TO PROTECT EVERYONE!" Her voice turned into a scream.


    <i>{WHAT THE HELL?!? WHERE DID THIS POWER COME FROM?!?} </i>(Himari)


    For a brief moment, Kana''s entire body was covered in a faint outline of dark fire, simr to when Akagi would unleash her power, until a momentter Kana zipped forward at incredibly high speed. She moved faster than she''d ever done before, and Naomi and Momo were stunned as Kana appeared next to Hishya in an instant.


    "HISHYA!" Kana yelled out her girlfriend''s name, charging up a huge amount of power in her right fist.


    "Now, that takes care of the Magical Gi-" Hishya was about to turn and look at Kana, but before she could even get her bearings the Dragon felt Kana''s fist connect with her cheek, and she was sent flying through one of the outdoor pavilions, smashing it to pieces, before crashing into one of the ponds and kicking up a huge ssh as she flew in.


    ¡°What... What just...¡± Naomi said, dropping her ss of water, which shattered upon hitting the ground.


    "I..." Baffled by what just happened, Kana looked down and her hand in shock and confusion. Her knuckles had turned red as if they''d been rubbed raw, and Kana entire body was shaking. "What did I just..."


    <i>{OI! KANA!} </i>Himari''s words snapped Kana out of her stupor. <i>{WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!?}</i>


    "Hi... Himari..." Kana looked down at the sword in her other hand. "I... Just..." However, before she could say anything else, Kana fainted on the spot. Herst thoughts before cking out were a mixture of confusion, fear, and excitement.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    "Ugh..." Kana slowly blinked her eyes as she woke up, seeing an all too familiar ceiling.


    "Kana!" Hishya leaped at her, hugging her tight. "You''re okay! I''m so sorry for pushing you like that!" She started tearing up a bit.


    <i>{Is this what she feels like when bad things happen to me?!? This fucking sucks! No wonder she gets mad!} </i>(Hishya)


    "Crushing... Me... Can''t... Breath..." Kana was being squeezed hard that she feared exploding like a certain Catkagi liked to do.


    "AH!" Hishya quickly backed off. "Sorry..." She said embarrassed of her over the top reaction and squeezing.


    "I told you that she''d be fine..." Mimi sighed as she bopped the Dragon on the back of the head for being stupid.


    "I know, but..." Hishya looked away, her cheeks red. "From my perspective she sent me flying out of nowhere, and then when I came back up from under the water Kana was passed out on the ground with Himari and Naomi freaking out!" She had no idea what''d happened and was just as confused as the other girls.


    "What happened to me?" Kana asked as she slowly sat up in the bed. "Thest thing I remember was hitting Hishya and..." Her eyes snapped open. "ARE YOU OKAY?!?" She was worried that Hishya had been hurt by her attack.


    <i>{I mean, you deserved it but...} </i>(Kana)


    "Kana, I can take Akagi tossing me around, so I really <i>don''t</i> think you can hurt me that bad." Hishya deadpanned.


    "Though you <i>did </i>bite your cheek." Kaori snickered from the other side of the room. "She wasining for a good half hour about how much it hurt."


    "Listen, <i>you</i> try chomping down on your cheek with a bit like <i>mine, </i>and then we can talk!" Hishya hissed.


    "What even happened back there anyway?" Kana asked again. "I remember Mika being knocked out, and then I just kinda..." She recalled feeling a warm sensation flow throughout her body, but little else until she came back to her senses.


    "Simple, you used more of your power." Himari said as she leaped out of Kana''s body and reformed next to the bed.


    "M-More of my power?" Kana raised her fist and inspected it, flexing it a few time. She felt no different than before, though her mind <i>did </i>seem a bit clearer than usual. "Do you mean... More of the power that Onee-chan gave to me?"


    <i>{Where else would you have gotten power from, Kana?} </i>(Hishya)


    "We''d need to get Mizumi to confirm things, but based on the energy patterns within your body, I''m pretty sure you''ve awakened more of the power that Akagi imprinted on you." She wasn''t super knowledgeable about this subject, nor was Momo and could only offer conjecture.


    Hishya sighed. "Why am I not surprised? That idiot continues to cause a mess even when she''s in a <i>literal</i> other world."


    <i>{Stupid cat corrupting my girlfriend...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Onee-chan said that I had more..." Kana recalled the conversation they had in the living room the other day. "She... She said that I needed to stop holding back..." She looked up at Hishya. "She said that I needed to stop rejecting it like you did with your power."


    "Like me..." Hishya hummed. She''d unconsciously held back from using her full power due to fear of losing her humanity, and it was only after Akagi''s prodding during the fight with Serval that she truly gave in and epted what she became. The Dragon didn''t doubt that something simr could happen to Kana, but the question was would Kana <i>want </i>to go down such a path.


    <i>{Kana isn''t like me or her sister. She never craved power or status, so does she even want to ept this power?} </i>(Hishya)


    "Hey, Hishya..." Kana''s words snapped the Dragon out of her thoughts. "Am... Am I still Human?" Tears started flowing down her eyes, which caught Hishya off guard. "Am... Am I going to be like Onee-chan?"


    <i>{Will... Will I...} </i>(Kana)


    "I won''t let that happen!" Hishya pulled her into a tight hug, again threatening a Catkagi like explosion. "You won''t be like Akagi! Neither she nor I want that for you, and we won''t allow it!" She squeezed her tighter.


    <i>{I don''t want to lose you! I won''t let it happen!} </i>(Hishya)


    "Then... But then... But this power!" Kana hugged her back. "What am I supposed to do with it?!?" She continued to cry. "I don''t want to stop being human! I''m not like Onee-chan!" Kana had no desire to change as drastically as her sister and the thought of bing something simr to Akagi scared her. ¡°I can''t... I don''t want to be like her... That... That''s not me...¡±


    "Then what you need to do is <i>master</i> your power." Himari said. "If you don''t want to throw away what you are, then you''ll need to tame the power inside of you and make sure that <i>you </i>control <i>it</i>, and not the other way around." She figured that it was a simple matter.


    "C-Control it?" Kana said as she looked over Hishya''s shoulder.


    "It''s just like Akagi said." Himari continued. "The first step to controlling that power is to learn to ept it. It was what she did and Hishya here went through that same phase, and I don''t doubt that you can do the same thing."


    <i>{You''re not any less stubborn, if nothing else.} </i>(Himari)


    "But if I ept it then won''t I stop being me?!?" Kana yelled. In her head, she knew that her words were false, but that didn''t stop her from believing them.


    "Only if you <i>allow</i> yourself to be swallowed by that power." Himari shook her head. "Remember, Kana. That power is <i>yours, </i>and you can do whatever you want with it." She walked over and put her hand on Kana''s head, patting it slightly. "It might have originallye <i>from </i>Akagi, but it''s up to <i>you </i>to mold it into something else, something <i>yours</i>."


    "Can... Can I really stay me if I do all that?" Kana asked.


    "You can because I know you can do it!" Himari smiled warmly. "And why is that? Because you''re my best friend, and I''ve never seen you back down from anything!" She threw out a V sign as she gave a tooth grin.


    <i>{Himari, you really are a dork... But thanks...} </i>(Kana)

 Chapter 306 – The Emperor of Mankind.

    Chapter 306 ¨C The Emperor of Mankind.


    "AHHHHHHHHHHH! SOMEBODY DO SOMETHING!" The crowd screamed as Akagi held the bleeding head of the Goddess by its hair. The dead God''s eyes were frozen in ce, showing shock at her own demise. Witnessing such a violent disy, especially the death of a <i>Goddess,</i> wasn''t something that anyone expected, and it shook the nearby worshipers to their core. Such a brazen, daylight attack against a Divine waspletely unprecedented, especially in the Imperial Capital, and the absolute horror Akagi¡¯s actions caused quickly set in.


    "Muahahahaahahahha!" Akagiughed, enjoying their fear. The object here was to create chaos and turmoil, though perhaps the <i>Demon </i>was having a bit more fun than was strictly necessary for that goal.


    "Lady Tahena!" One of the Priests called out to the dead Goddess who''s body bled out on the ornate floor below.


    "Oh, do you want her?" Akagiughed as she winded back for a pitch. "THEN HERE YOU GO!" She cackled as she chucked the head at the Priest, who caught it and let out a very high-pitched and feminine screech.


    <i>{THIS IS FUCKING GREAT!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Alright, everyone, it''s been real, but I''ve got ces to be and Gods to y! So, au revoir!" With augh and smirk Akagi leaped over the panicking crowd and burst out of the main entrance of the Church just in time for a group of guards to get in her way at the gate.


    "Halt!" The heavily armed guards formed up to block the main gate, getting into a defensive position with their spears at the ready. "Stop right there, in the name of the Church and the Emperor!"


    "Well, when you put it that way... How about <i>no</i>!" Akagi said as she charged straight toward the guards, ignoring their demands and getting in and below one before delivering an uppercut straight to the jaw that sent the poor man flying so far into the sky that you couldn''t see him anymore. "Too bad this world doesn''t technically have space. Otherwise, I''d start putting people into parking orbit for fun!" The <i>Demon </iughed as she proceeded to send the rest of the men high into the atmosphere beforeughing and spinning dramatically as she exited the Cathedral''s premises. "Bye-bye, everyone! I hope you enjoyed today''s special edition of Demon Lord killing Gods, and don''t forget that you''re allpletely fucked!" She gave a two-finger salute as she took off down the street at high speed.


    <i>{MEEP! MEEP!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Well, that went about as crazy as I expected." Halifax said as she bit off thest part of her apple and threw the core in a nearby trashbin. "But did she really need to do that dramatic exit?"


    <i>{Who am I kidding, this is Akagi we''re talking about...} </i>(Halifax)


    "Find that woman! Stop her!" As Halifax sat on the bench the guards started filing down the street in a desperate attempt to chase Akagi. "And send for healers! Lady Tahena is gravely injured!"


    <i>{Gravely injured... That''s gotta be the understatement of the millenia.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Oh well..." Halifax stretched before standing up. "Rest in Pieces, Tahena."


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Akagi POV>


    With the attack on the Goddessplete, Akagi began the second phase of her n. She could easily vanish into thin air and there was no way she could be caught and restrained by mere guards, but she wanted to cause as much chaos as possible and so chose to have a ''chase'' throughout the Capital. The <i>Demon </i>decided to let her re for the dramatic take hold and ran down alleyways, knocked over cabbage carts and generally caused a mess as she zipped away from the Church, much to Halifax''s amusement.


    "Ah,e on! It''s boring when you idiots can''t even get close to me! Hurry the hell up before I get bored!" Akagiughed as she leaped between buildings, spinning dramatically to dodge the myriad of magical attacks that the pursuing guards were flinging at her in a desperate attempt to bring her down.


    *WOOSH* *WOOSH* *WOOSH* *WOOSH* *WOOSH*


    <i>{I haven''t had a nice chase across the rooftops in so long! Ah, this reminds me of the mad dash out of the Capital when I bumped off old Blonde and conceited himself!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Man, this takes me back! Killing the Imperial Crown Prince and dodging so many guards and even getting to dunk on Hishya and her goons was so much fun! I need to y with the Dragon a bit more when I go back home!" Akagiughed as she continued her ''daring escape'' across the city before leaping into arge, and almost empty, parade ground. "Alright, perhaps this was enough horsing around. I should really get moving, I have tons of things to-" She paused mid-sentence as a huge st of radiant energy was fired at her, which she easily deflected upward with the back of her hand.


    *KABOOM!*


    After being smacked into the air, the st exploded, causing the entire Capital to rock and shake. It was so powerful that it blew out windows and knocked people and carts overall throughout the Imperial Capital, only adding to the confusion. There weren''t many people who could perform such a feat, and the only person in the Capital even remotely capable of this level of destruction was somebody that the <i>Demon </i>had researched quite a bit beforeing to Enoris.


    "Emperor Hadrus." Akagi turned to face the golden-haired man as he was stepping out of his overly bejeweled carriage. "I was wondering if I''d run into you. Though I''m sorry to say that I''m not really in the mood to exchange pleasantries at the moment. Perhaps we can talk about your resignationter?" She smirked.


    "Ho? You deflected my st?" The Emperor stepped out of his carriage. He was wearing what Akagi assumed was some kind of formal attire that consisted of a blue and ck heavy coat, likely because he was heading to an important meeting. "How interesting." He hummed as he eyed her up.


    "I mean, it wasn''t hard at all." Akagi shrugged. "I''ve dealt with far stronger attacks on the regr, and in fact my best friend''s sneeze the other day probably had more force to it than your st." She snickered as she recalled Hishya''s face as a hill exploded.


    "Hold it right there!" The group of guards that were chasing Akagi finally caught up, albeit clearly exhausted and out of breath. "Your Majesty! Stay back, we''ll handle this assassin!" They ced themselves between the Emperor and Akagi, which was funny when one considered that Hadrus was so strong that they were never going to be more than minor speed bumps to any would be attacker.


    "Assassin? I see, has shee to kill me?" The Emperor asked, stroking his fine beared.


    "Nah." Akagi waved him off. "I wouldn''t waste my time with all this drama for just a measly <i>Emperor</i>." She chuckled. "No, you see, my target was Tahena."


    "You''d dare raise your de to a Goddess?" The Emperorughed, mostly because he thought it absurd that somebody would dare to attack a Divine being.


    <i>{Foolishness seems to have no ceiling, I suppose.} </i>(Hadrus)


    "Well, considering she''s now <i>dead</i>, I''d say I did a bit more than ''raise my de to her." Akagi retorted.


    "What?!?" The Emperor''s eyes widened in surprise as he looked at the guards for answers.


    "The Priests reported that she... <i>removed</i> Lady Tahena''s head from her body..." The guard''s words trailed off.


    "I see..." The Emperor pushed the guards out of the way, his massive frame making such a feat easy. "Then I shall deal with this sphemer personally." He allowed his cloak to fall to the floor and ripped off his shirt, revealing his chiseled body.


    <i>{Holy fuck! Keep Naomi away from this guy! Otherwise, she might fan girl!} </i>(Akagi)


    "<i>Assassin</i>." The Emperor spoke, his thunderous voice causing the ground to shake. "Before I kill you, tell me your name..." He flicked his right hand, causing a buckler to transform into what reminded Akagi of an arm de that she''d seen from a Cyber Punk game. "So that I may ensure that it''s forgotten." He growled, Akagi, noting that he had an incredible aura about him, almost as if he were on fire.


    <i>{No wonder they call this man the Lion Emperor. It''s almost like radiant energy flows through his veins.} </i>(Akagi)


    "My name isn''t really important." Akagi replied. "But you should know that I took the life of that Goddess in the name of the Demon Lord, Akagi Dumetor!" Sheughed demonically.


    "A Demon Lord, huh?" The Emperorughed at the use of such a title. "I don''t know whether you''re just blustering or not, but it doesn''t matter..." He shed forward in an instant, faster than most could''ve handled. "I''ll be ending your miserable existence right here!"


    *CLANG*


    "Wha?!?" The Emperor gasped as Akagi blocked his de with her index finger, seeming to do so without any effort.


    "Man, I''ve heard that far too many times over the years." Akagi sighed, tired of the cliche lines but also loving them at the same time because she was a massive nerd. "But I suppose that just means that I''ve been <i>busy</i>." She put a small amount of power into her other hand, mming the Emperor center mass and sending him flying into his carriage, which exploded in a mess of jewels and wood.


    "Your Majesty!" The guards moved to check on the Emperor, who erupted from within the debris, his face showing no emotion as he dusted himself off.


    "Do not worry about me." The Emperor charged up another energy st and hurled it at Akagi, who kicked it back at him like a ser ball.


    *BOOM*


    The explosion was far smaller than before, but while the Emperor was unharmed, the st had killed all the guards that were nearby.


    "Oops." Akagiughed. "I thought they''d survive, but oh well. I guess that''s why the JV team shouldn''t try topete with Varsity!"


    "You... Just who the hell are you?" The Emperor growled. He''d fought many tough opponents in his time, but the woman in front of him was something <i>different</i>. Akagi''s aura was simultaneously as calm as a stillke while also being as violent as a tropical storm, and these contradictory feelings only made the Emperor more cautious.


    <i>{The destruction of a Divine Avatar means that she''s extraordinarily powerful, if that''s truly what she did. I only know of three who can perform such a feat, which means that I don''t have the leeway to hold back.} </i>(Emperor Hadrus)


    "If nothing else I''m an assassin." Akagi chuckled. "A normal old assassin that you can find in any shady bar, though perhaps I have a <i>bit</i> more kick to me than most." She winked, which nobody could actually as her face was still concealed by shadow.


    "Yeah, right." The Emperor sighed, not believing that for a second. "If that''s all you were, then I''m certain that the myriad of people who want my head would already be celebrating my demise."


    "Hey, you asked and i answered." Akagi shrugged. "But while I''d <i>love </i>to continue ying around, I''ve got things to do, ces to be and waffles to eat." She turned to walk away, something that caused the Emperor''s blood to boil.


    <i>{This woman! How dare she!} </i>(Emperor Hadrus)


    "Do you really think that I''m just going to allow you to leave?" The Emperor charged up an incredible amount of power into his armde, far and away eclipsing what he''d used in his two prior attacks.


    "Allow?" Akagi stopped and looked over her shoulder, her orange eye showing through the darkness provided by her hood. <i><b>"Nobody ''allows'' me to do anything. I just do." </b></i>In that moment, Emperor Hadrus was hit with a feeling that he''d only experienced once before in life, a feeling of absolute dread and terror.


    <i>{Am... Am I afraid?} </i>Emperor Hadrus<i> </i>had only felt fear when he''d identally angered a certain Divine Sword during the one and only time they''d met, and it was not a feeling that he ever expected to feel again.


    "Hah! Hahahahhaha!" The Emperorughed as he continued to charge up his most powerful attack. "To think that I''d find <i>another</i> person who can get me so excited!" He''d never had difficulty fighting others, and as a born prodigy Hadrus had only experienced the bitter taste of defeat a handful of times when he was younger. "Fine! If you''re going to leave, then at least allow me to give you a going-away present!" He finished pouring his power into his de and shifted his arm, pointing his de straight at Akagi. "By the power of the Divine Sun, I banish the evil in my sight! SUN LANCE!" A massive explosion of energy erupted from the tip of his de, taking on the form of a stream of blinding light. Hadrus knew that there would be significant coteral damage from using this technique within the Capital, but calcted that it was his best hope at taking Akagi down.


    *WOOSH*


    "You know, this is like the third or fourth time I''ve been hit by the power of the Sun." Akagiughed as she was engulfed by the st, which streaked up and out over the city walls before vanishing into the distance with a sh of light.


    "Hah... Hah... Hah..." The Emperor heaved due to the exhaustion from his attack, and once the dust cleared all that remained was a massive burning streak in the ground that showed the path of his attack as well as a few burning buildings. "Did... Did... I destroy her?"


    <i>{No... No... There''s no way... Something in the pit of my stomach is telling me that she walked away without a scratch...} </i>The Emperor startedughing as other guards rushed to his position and began to put out fires.


    "Demon Lord, Akagi, huh?" The Emperor fell to one knee as his legs finally gave out. "Next time we meet. Next time we fight... I''d like to see what it''s like when you''re serious. Even if it''s just for a moment."


    Spoiler


    Emperor Hadrus!


    [copse]

 Chapter 307 – Waffle Picnic.

    Chapter 307 ¨C Waffle Pic.


    *DING*


    A small timer went off, letting everyone know that the tasty food that Akagi had prepared was finished cooking.


    "Alright, everyone, waffles are done! Its time to dig in!" Akagi excitedly opened the waffle irons, revealing the golden, fluffy, goodness within. "I put out a small topping bar over there, so help yourself! We''ve got choctes, fruits and vegetables and all sorts of awesome things that I <i>copied </i>from that nice Dutch ce Yumi and I went to the other week." She greedily pped one on a te as Yumi helped herself to some peanut butter syrup.


    ¡°That ce was amazing! But I''ll have to take off a few points from my approval of the Dutch for Hagelg though.¡± Yumi chuckled.


    <i>{I mean, sprinkles on bread? How is that a real food?} </i>(Yumi)


    "Ok, so would someone please tell me... WHY ARE WE HAVING A WAFFLE PICNIC WHILE THE IMPERIAL CAPITAL IS <i>LITERALLY </i>ON FIRE?!?" Amakusa yelled as she looked down the hill toward the city in chaos. There was all kinds of fires burning and mages were flying around using water magic to try and put them out.


    "Because I wanted waffles?" Akagi said as she sprinkled small choctes onto her waffles. ¡°And isn''t <i>that </i>the only reason that matters?¡±


    <i>{YOU DON''T EVEN NEED TO EAT!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Oh! Are those fresh strawberries?" Halifax said as she helped herself, ignoring the Amakusa''s venting. "I''m so d I only had that apple this morning!" She smiled.


    <i>{YOU DON''T NEED TO EAT EITHER!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Alright, I give up. Lady riel, please tell me that I''m <i>not </i>the fucking crazy one here, <i>please</i>." Amakusa pleaded to the Goddess who was sitting on the pic mat silently, not paying attention to her or anything else going on.


    "I... Um... I''m sorry, I haven''t really been paying attention to what''s been happening..." riel gave a wry smile as she snapped out of her stupor after being poked in the shoulder by the Hero. The Goddess felt the death of her sister, and despite knowing that it wasing, the riel was caught off guard by the sudden loss.


    <i>{Tahena... She''s gone...} </i>(riel)


    "Now now. Leave the Goddess alone, <i>pet</i>." Akagi said while chowing down on a fluffy waffle. "I can only imagine what''s going through her mind at the moment, so don''t go trouble her with your pestering. If you want pets and ear scratches I''ll be more than happy to provide."


    ¡°I don''t-¡± Amakusa was about to retort, but knew that would get her nowhere.


    <i>{As for what''s in that Goddess'' head, I''d wager that its probably a mixture of shock and horror.} </i>(Akagi)


    "But riel, I hope that you understand this will be far from thest time you have to deal with one of your little siblings biting the big one." Akagimented, waving a fork at the Goddess. "It''s too bad that I couldn''t eat her. Otherwise she would''ve probably made for a far more tasty treat than these waffles." Sheughed as she stared a piece on her fork before munching on it.


    <i>{Godscking souls to consume is a very annoying feature. I suppose I''ll just have to find a way to deal with thatter, though luckilycking a soul doesn''t mean killing them is any harder.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Hmmmm. I don''t know, these waffles <i>are</i> pretty good." Halifax said with a smile as she took a bite. "Yumi is just far too good of a cook! It''s not fair that you get to enjoy this kind of stuff all the time!"


    <i>{Says the sword that''s joined in on the Dragon and Vampire in eating me out of house and home...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Considering that I make food for such a fickle little kitty over here, I need to make sure it''s <i>especially </i>good." Yumi snickered.


    "It''s not <i>my </i>fault that I got hooked on fine dining." Akagi shrugged. "me the Imperial Nobility for showing me just how good the <i>good </i>food can be."


    "And by good food she means Sake." Yumimented. "This one here couldn''t get enough of that during our adventures, and always pitched a fit when we ran out."


    "Oi! I <i>need </i>my drink!" Akagiined. "Not to mention that I couldn''t get coffee in FWO! Plus, you know darn well that 99% of the food in Altus was nd as hell!"


    <i>{The only time I got halfway decent to good food was in those damn Noble parties that were scripted!} </i>(Akagi)


    "I mean, it was only nd to <i>yers</i>." Yumi retorted, noting that she''d always found the food of her home world great. "To us residents of that world, it tasted normal. So that sounds like a <i>you </i>problem." Sheughed as she turned one of Akagi''s favorite phrases back on her.


    "Lucky bastards!" Akagi gripped her fork, seemingly in pain at the thought of FWO food. "Do you have any idea how horrible it was to find such good-looking food as a reward only for it to taste like <i>stic</i>?!? BAH! It was infuriating!" She''d found so many amazing-looking food items, but most tasted terrible due to how the VR system worked.


    <i>{I''ll never forget that curry dish...} </i>(Akagi)


    "What was that even like anyway?" Halifax asked as she poured a cup of coffee from a small kettle. "I mean, being like... not exactly... How do I put this without sounding bad..."


    "Not real?" Yumi used the phrase that the Sword didn''t want to use, which caused the chatter to die down.


    <i>{Oh, right... Yumi''s a bona-fide NPCe to life...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "It''s fine. I''ve heard those words far too many times at this point to even care, so don''t think that you need to tiptoe around the issue." Yumi shook her head, understanding that this was an awkward conversation for everyone. "But to answer what I think is your question, from <i>our</i> perspective, life simply went on as normal. I have memories from my childhood, and with a few minor exceptions, things were about as they are now." She couldn''t really recall any instances where being an NPC within the game actually impacted her life negatively, nor could she point to anything being all that different since she''d been granted a soul and body.


    <i>{Though the revtion that our memories from BEFORE the start of the game''s service were fabricated is a bit...} </i>(Yumi)


    "I still can''t believe that magic had the power to make game characterse to life or that it made people take their abilities into the real world." Amakusa had seemingly given up on caring about the strangeness of the waffle pic and had grabbed some small marshmallows to ce on top of a golden waffle.


    "Fuck if I know how it works." Akagi shrugged as she chewed. "It makes no real sense to me, but then again I''m not as magically knowledgeable as Zephiria. She tried to give me the technical rundown of it once, but I zoned out about halfway through."


    "To think that our efforts resulted in not just the ughter of countless innocent people, but also created a far bigger monster in the long run." Amakusa sighed, seeing a bit of irony in things. "It almost seems like the Gods made things <i>worse</i> by summoning us."


    "Well, you''re both right and wrong there." Akagi said as she sat her te down and poured a cup of coffee. "On one hand the Gods fucked themselves royally. By trying to save their own assess from going down with the sinking ship that is this world, then ended up solidifying their doom by setting off a series of events that bring us to where we are now." She figured it was like a long chain of dominoes that slowly but surely fell until they reached the present moment.


    "Ah yes. They caused a chain reaction that lead to us having a waffle pic atop a hill while watching the Imperial Capital freak out over the death of a Goddess." Halifaxughed, seeing the same funny situation that Akagi did. "I''d say it''s going pretty good so far!"


    "<i>But</i> on the other hand, they might have actually created the best possible scenario if you think about it." Akagi continued as she took a sip from her mug. "FWO, in and of itself, was <i>never</i> going to satisfy my inner needs, and games, while super fun, were little more than a coping mechanism for my internal issues." She sighed, recalling her anxiety and depression from the past. "Gaming, Anime, Manga... None of those were going to actually address my real issues, let alone stop me from eventually losing myself to my power."


    <i>{It was going to be there one way or another, and without all the mental fortitude I''d gained over thest few years, there''s no way I''d''ve been able to resist the call to violence within my soul.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Now that I think about it, you said something about Vikes potentially suffering in the same way." Halifax''s words caused the barely lucid Goddess to snap to attention. "And how he may not have caused as much destruction as he did if he''d found a way to deal with his issues."


    <i>{Thinking about how he may have just been a child that lost himself... Its kind of...} </i>(Halifax)


    "W-We could''ve stopped Vikes?!?" riel yelped, startling Amakusa and nearly making her drop her waffle. "We could''ve done something to avert that catastrophe?!?" She still bore the mental scars of the Demon Lord''s destruction, and it was something that still haunted her even four millenniater.


    "I will stress that my assertion there was based solely on the assumption that I''m not just some kind of fluke." Akagi said as she sipped her coffee. "Recall that the only reason I <i>didn''t</i> go down that same path was because of a very <i>very </i>specific series of events that I can''t imagine happening again, at least not any time soon anyway." She nced at Yumi who giggled.


    <i>{As Kana saw in that one dream she had, all it took was one thing to be missing for Demon Lord Akagi to start burning the world. Without Kana, Yumi and the others all lining up perfectly...} </i>(Akagi)


    "I suppose that I''ll admit that what you are <i>now</i> is much better than what you could''ve been." Amakusa rolled her eyes. "Though I still don''t approve of your actions on Earth."


    <i>{You''re still just a tyrant who ys with people''s lives.} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Approve or disapprove if you will. I don''t care what you or most anyone else thinks, <i>pet</i>." Akagi shrugged. "I''ve said it before, and I''ll say it until I''m blue in the face. The fact that I''ve allowed things to mostly run as they have before is an incredible generosity on my part. I can retract said kindness if you''d like." She smirked. ¡°But then who would be the real viin here?¡±


    <i>{YOU! IT WOULD STILL BE YOU!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "I''ll say that Humanity ced in chains <i>would </i>make the construction of the statues in your honor far easier." Yumiughed, Amakusa not entirely convinced that the Priestess was joking.


    "Would they be of Catkagi or regr Akagi?" Halifax asked. ¡°Because I think we need more floof.¡±


    "Probably a mix of the two, though Catkagi might end up having slightly more." Yumi replied with a giggle.


    "And don''t forget the skull throne!" Akagi reminded them of something very important. "I need that so that I can sit on Yumi''sp and act all menacingly as they build the statues below."


    "Now I''m just imagining people pushing massive heavy blocks around while being whipped. Meanwhile, a recording of the kitty''s MEW ys over a loudspeaker on loop." Halifaxughed.


    "Hmmmm." Akagi thought about it for a moment.


    "Oh god, please don''t tell me she''s going to do that..." Amakusa sighed.


    "I think I''ll test it out on Armalthy first." Akagi nodded. "He could use a bit of spice to change up his torture a bit."


    "Do I even want to know what somebody did to warrant you taking a personal interest in their torture?" Amakusa had a bad feeling in her gut, since she figured Akagi wasn''t one to dirty her hands in such a way normally.


    "The long and short of it is that he tried to take Yumi away from me, and on the list of things <i>never </i>to do that one''s number one by a country mile." Akagi answered with a scary smile.


    "I know people go kinda crazy for the one they love but..." Amakusa''s words faded away as she retreated into thought.


    "Love..." Akagi mouthed the words. "Listen, the only thing that you need to know is that I''d sooner obliterate <i>everything else </i>than live without Yumi."


    <i>{And I love you too.} </i>(Yumi)


    "Such passion!" Halifax said with an over dramatic hand to the forehead. "I can only wish to one day have a woman love me so deeply! Oh the beauty in such pure affection!"


    "Well, to be fair, it <i>was </i>Akagi who stole my heart first." Yumi giggled. "Though it took far too long for her to evene around to the idea."


    "That''s because I was an absolute moron who had no clue how such things even worked." Akagi shrugged. "Hell, I still don''t..."


    <i>{I... I... Alice... Are you right? Do I... Can I really feel love? Is it really possible for someone like me to...} </i>(Akagi)


    "It''s okay." Yumi slid over and hugged Akagi. "As long as we can be together, I don''t care how bad you are at it." She smiled.


    <i>{Gag me...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "So..." Akagi''s eyes snapped to the suspiciously quiet Goddess, who looked like she wanted to say something. "Is there something you''d like to share with the ss?" She could tell that riel still wasn''t in a good ce mentally and that it was taking all her strength to keep it together.


    "I..." riel gulped, her next words said with a slightly shaky voice. "I think I might know someone who can help get you into the Heavenly realm."

 Chapter 308 – Twins.

    Chapter 308 ¨C Twins.


    "A way into the..." Halifax repeated the words that riel had just said, taking a moment to process things.


    "And you didn''t tell us this yesterday <i>because</i>?" Akagi rolled her eyes as she sighed.


    <i>{Not like it would''ve made any difference in my ns, but I don''t like this idiot Goddess holding out on me.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I didn''t say anything because, to be entirely honest, it slipped my mind." riel gave a nervousugh before coughing. "I suppose I was a bit distracted what with the Demon Lord breathing down my throat, so forgive me for forgetting about this avenue."


    "Well then spit it out!" Amakusa barked. "Let''s get this whole thing over with so we can stop the other Gods'' ns!"


    <i>{The longer we wait the more likely that something goes wrong, and I''d like to at least do SOMETHING to fix our fuck up!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Is it just me or is to funny to see one of the summoned Heroes yell at a <i>God</i>?" Halifax snickered as Amakusa shot her a re.


    "<i>Definitely</i> funny." Akagi nodded with a smile. "But in all seriousness, tell me what you know." Akagi said as she tossed the various different cooking items and food stuffs back into her storage now that they were done.


    "So correct me if I''m wrong but when we first discussed the problem with getting ess to the Heavenly Realm, you said that you need coordinates, right? That way you could force open a passage <i>without </i>destroying Enoris?" riel asked.


    "I mean, it should work out, yeah." Akagi nodded. "As long as I have dimensional information, then opening a connection shouldn''t be all too hard. The main issue is that I need specific information, such as particle frequency, details of rtive geo-dimensional location and a few other important bits " She''d done it many times when connecting to Omara and it was how she managed to create a stable path between Earth and Enoris.


    <i>{That''s a load-bearing SHOULD right there...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Then, in that case, the best way to get that information, sans torturing the information out of Gale or Reflia, would be to speak with <i>another</i> being that has the ability to enter our home." riel''s words caused Halifax''s eyes to briefly widen.


    "But who other than Gods could enter the Heavenly realm?" Amakusa had no idea what the Goddess was getting at. "Isn''t that specifically a ce that <i>only </i>the Gods can enter?" She knew that the different nes that surrounded the material world of Enoris were governed by different types of entities. Such creatures could freely pass between their home ns and the world below, but only the <i>Gods</i> could ess the Heavens freely as they held a different level of authority.


    "<i>Normally</i>, nobody else should be able to enter the Heavens without our invitation, but there is one group of beings that can easily do it." riel continued. "You may be familiar with them, but in the mortal tongue, they are generally called-" She was interrupted by Halifax.


    "Primordials." Halifax sighed, tapping her temple in frustration. "As beings on the same ''level'' as the Gods, they can freely ess any ne of existence, including the Heavens." Both groups werergely created at the start of Enoris'' existence itself and as beings born out of the very fabric of reality, that meant each had moretitude than anyone else when it came to moving between Enoris'' different realms.


    <i>{But finding one is going to be impossible.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Correct." riel nodded. "Primordials, or as we call them in our Divine tongue, Tic''koc are beings that are just as old, if not <i>older </i>than we Gods." riel exined that both groups were created almost simultaneously at the ''beginning of time'', and the oldest of both aren''t much younger than Enoris itself. "They can move between nes freely, and unlike Gods, <i>Primordials</i> don''t need to rely on one specific member of their group to do so. All of them are capable of interspacial movement at will, while we are limited to a select few Gods allowing us to borrow that power."


    "Ok, I suppose that makes sense." Akagi nodded as she took out her Kiseru and lit it. "But Halifax here told me that your counterparts were nearly destroyed in the ancient war for supremacy between you. So are we even going to be able to make any use of this information?" She had no interest in a wild goose chase, especially against beings with that much power.


    <i>{If they don''t want to be found, then I suspect even I will have a hard time finding them.} </i>(Akagi)


    "We fought a bloody battle that nearly destroyed the whole world, and they capitted rather than let things continue." riel was around during said war and remembered it well. ¡°Thus a few remain.¡±


    "What did you even fight about anyway?" Amakusa asked as Yumi offered her some tea. "Was it like how the Greek Gods fought the Titans?"


    "Titans?" riel tilted her head, not understanding the reference.


    "Gods and Primordials don''te from the same family so thatparison doesn''t really work here." Halifax answered as she sipped coffee. She''d read a bit about that mythological conflict due to Akagi bringing it up once and found it intriguing.


    "Okay... But to answer your question, we fought because we fundamentally disagreed about the future of Enoris." riel decided to just ignore the Titan thing and move on. "Primordials are born <i>of</i> the Material world and are a part of nature itself, while we Gods are born of fundamental forces or ideas, etc." She was the Goddess of Time which, while <i>part</i> of the fabric reality, was considered an external force rather than internal, unlike the basic elements. "There <i>were</i> Primordials of base elements like Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind, along with others such as Lava and Snow." She didn''t know exactly how they were created, since they just appeared like the Gods.


    "So what differences did you have?" Yumi asked. Since she was once a Priestess of her own world''s Gods, she had a bit more insight into things than the others. "I imagine that it has something to do with conflicting power structures."


    <i>{That''s 90% of conflicts between Gods. They don''t tend to like others stepping on their toes.} </i>(Yumi)


    "That was indeed part of it, and since some of us had ovepping domains that admittedly caused tension." riel gave a wry smile as she recalled a few of the disputes that popped up long before all out war. "But the <i>primary</i> issue was that the Primordials didn''t want to use their power to shape Enoris while we <i>did</i>."


    "Ah..." Akagi nodded in understanding. "Soes down to a philosophical disagreement. Primordials felt that they should represent natural forces and allow things to progress without interference, while the Gods thought that they should use their power to guide the world as they saw fit."


    <i>{Which makes sense when you think about how each like came into existence and what their overall purpose was. Gods are by andrge beings that seek to impose structure on worlds, and would not approve of just letting it go wild and untended to.} </i>(Akagi)


    "That''s... That''s actually pretty urate." riel nodded, surprised at how much Akagi had gleaned just from that small amount of discussion. "They opposed using our power to take direct action to change and developing the world, while we thought that, as higher beings, we should use our power to change things as we saw fit." She didn''t want to say <i>for the better</i> because she knew that wasn''t necessarily true.


    <i>{It was basically a war between Ego and Humility then. The Primordials didn''t think of themselves as having the right to change the world and that they should merely preserve it and allow nature to take its course. While the Gods believed that their power could and should be used to bend reality to their will. I can''t exactly fault the Gods for that logic since I''m not much different, but I can understand where the Primordials wereing from.} </i>(Akagi)


    "But isn''t this a moot point? Didn''t you kill them all?" Amakus asked.


    "No, we did not." riel shook their head. "We probably <i>could''ve</i> to be honest, but that would''ve prolonged the destruction, and we were sick of war by that point." She sighed. "Their leader, Sheoldra, offered terms for a truce, which we epted." riel exined that in return for the war ending, the Primordials would relinquish their im to Enoris and would go into exile deep beneath the Material ne.


    <i>{Kaleago did help us fight Vikes, but that''s more or less the only one of them to pop back up since they went underground.} </i>(riel)


    "So we just need to find one of these guys?" Akagi said as she let out a puff. "I can get digging, and it shouldn''t take too long to uncover them. Though that''s assuming that they''ve not gone dormant and are actively trying to avoid being discovered."


    "That''s... Unfortunately, your second part is likely to be the more urate of the two..." riel shook her head.


    <i>{Yeah... I figured..} </i>(Akagi)


    "They didn''t just dig a hole and bury themselves sadly. Otherwise, finding them would be easy." riel continued. "Primordials are entities that are <i>part</i> of the material n and thus can easily fade into its dimensional makeup. What I mean is that when they went into exile, they more or less faded <i>into </i>the fabric of reality and then went into a deep slumber. I haven''t seen one active in millions of years outside of one notable instance."


    "Can''t you just find them and rip them out?" Yumi asked Akagi, figuring that the <i>Demon </i>could make this easy.


    "Bullshit powers I may have, but this is one hell of a hay-in-a-needle stack kind of situation." Akagiughed, intentionally getting the idiom wrong. "I don''t want to imagine how long it would take to find them if they really are keen on hiding, and then we run into the problem of me needing to use my power to make them appear, which could easily result in this world popping like a balloon."


    "I figured as much." riel figured that it was a long shot. "But luckily for us, we don''t need to go hunting for Primordials or have you start chopping up reality to find some."


    "Wait, what?!?" Halifax eximed, nearly choking on her coffee. "You mean that you know where some are?!?"


    <i>{Why the hell was I not aware of this?!?} </i>(Halifax)


    "Not only do I <i>know</i> where they are, but it was yours truly that put them there." riel gave a smug smile.


    "And where the hell was I at during this whole Primordial hunt?!?" Halifax eximed.


    "I think you were sleeping." riel shrugged. "It happened around six hundredish years ago, so you weren''t really active at that point."


    "Even if I was dormant I think I''d recall hearing something about Primordials causing issues!" Halifax retorted.


    <i>{That kind of destruction wouldn''t just get swept under the rug!} </i>(Halifax)


    "I mean, they did cause a <i>bit</i> of chaos, but they were quickly subdued and sealed before they could do anything major." riel noted that they were only actively causing problems for a few days and that few were actually killed, hence why it wasn''t a big deal. "It''s not even an event remembered by most of the races, and even the Elves barely have records of it."


    "So where are they at?" Akagi asked as she stood up and stretched, getting ready to head out.


    "Beneath the Holy City." riel''s words caused both Amakusa and Halifax to scream.


    "WHAT?!?" (Halifax x Amakusa)


    "Why the hell are their Primordials beneath the most sacred city in the world?!?" Halifax couldn''t believe that beings like that were <i>within </i>a ce that she''d been to many times.


    "It wasn''t always the Holy City. We chose that spot to seal them, and then around three hundred some odd years ago we had the Church found their main administrative headquarters there precisely <i>because </i>they were sealed there." riel exined. "At first it was just to have them keep an eye on things, but over time it bloomed into a huge metropolis."


    "I... And I''ve been there so many times." Halifax sighed. "How did I miss that?!?"


    "Because Ro and Zo are sealed in such a manner that one couldn''t find them without being led directly to their sealing location." riel said. "If you could sense them then we''d have people following that energy and trying to find them, so we ced all manner of wards, seals and barriers to prevent anyone from detecting it externally."


    "Ro and Zo..." Halifax thought for a moment, trying to figure out who those two Primordials were. "Those names... They''re not the names of any surviving Primordial." She knew the names of the survivors well, and none were called by those titles.


    "Well, you don''t recognize them because they are the children of Kal''ispi born <i>after </i>the war." riel replied.


    "Eh?!? The Primordial of Storms had kids?!?" Halifax squeaked.


    "<i>Twins</i> to be exact. Ro is the Primordial of Thunder while Zo is the Primoridal of Lightning." riel exined the phenomena that each Primordial was rted to. "We had no clue they existed until they started attacking us around six hundred years ago, but they were no match for us." She shrugged. "So instead of killing them, we decided to seal them, hoping that a bit of a ''time-out'' would discipline the children."


    <i>{Not to mention that we didn''t want to start some kind of renewed conflict with the others.} </i>(riel)


    "Alright then." Akagi twirled her Kiseru around in her hand and pointed it at riel. "Then I suppose we''ll have to make a stop at the Holy City in the not-too-distant future. I''ll grab me some information then wrap things up with the Gods." She smirked.


    <i>{But first, we have other things to attend to. Killing the Gods is only part of my ns here, after all.} </i>(Akagi)

 Chapter 309 – The Prime Suspect.

    Chapter 309 ¨C The Prime Suspect.


    In the gray and boring halls of Gale''s inner sanctuary, an angry scream pierced the silence that normally filled the God of Order''s domain.


    "WHAT DO YOU MEAN TAHENA''S DEAD?!?" Gale screamed as he tossed a book toward the blue-haired Goddess of Space, Reflia. He''d just been informed of the origin of the strange ripple that permeated the world, and while he''d feared such an oue to be told was a different story.


    "I mean that she''s gone." Reflia replied, deflecting the book away with her power. "Surely you felt that twinge? Its not the first time one of us has perished." She was the Goddess of Space and God closest to riel. Her short blue hair barely reached her shoulder and her petite frame made her seem weak and unimposing, but she was anything but.


    "I did, yes, but..." Gale paused for a moment. He''d been busy reviewing his ns when he''d felt an all too familiar jolt run through his body. "But are you <i>certian</i> that she''s dead? We''ve run into this problem before and it was just an Avatar that was destroyed." He was barely holding onto hisposure, and Reflia was shocked to see him in such a state.


    <i>{The stress must be pretty bad if even Gale''s starting to crack. Though, it''s not like I me him...} </i>(Reflia)


    "Why don''t you juste with me for a moment." Reflia sighed as she snapped her fingers, and transported them from the drab office-looking building that was Gale''s home and moved them to the edge of a ck void. "Now, take a look at <i>this</i>." She pointed to the dark space that stood just in front of them.


    "That''s... Dammit." Gale clicked his tongue in frustration. "I suppose that''s conclusive, fuck." The area in front of them was once Tahena''s domain within the Heavenly realm, and with her gone, it had been torn asunder and reverted to a nk void that abutted up against the nearby domains.


    <i>{Its just like when Vikes killed some of us...} </i>(Gale)


    "Alright, so then the next question is, <i>how</i>?" Gale''s eyes snapped to her. As the Goddess of Space Reflia was de-facto the second inmand of the Gods, and he relied on her in the running of Enoris and its many realms. This was especially true at the moment as Gale was almost entirely focused on preparations for him and the other God to flee to Earth, and he was reliant on Reflia for anything taking ce in the material ne.


    "I''ve already sent some of my subordinates to collect information, and well..." Reflia''s words drifted off.


    "Speak. Whatever you''ve found, I must know." Gale''s harsh words and deep scowel caused Reflia to gulp.


    <i>{He''s really angry!} </i>(Reflia)


    "Based... Based on preliminary reports... It appears that Tahena was attacked this morning while giving her routine blessings in the Imperial Capital." Reflia said, her voice filled with anxiety and fear.


    "If her Avatar was the target of an assassination attempt, then we shouldn''t be seeing <i>this.</i>" Gale red into the dark void. "So there must be more to this." Avatars dying, while inconvenient, wasn''t the end of the world. Every God had gone through losing one or two and it was little more than an irritation.


    "Yes..." Reflia nodded. "Now, I don''t know how urate this next part is... But my agents on the ground informed me that a cloaked woman attacked Tahena with some kind of <i>Demonic </i>de while proiming herself to be an agent of one... Demon Lord Akagi." Her words barely got out of her mouth before Gale''s power exploded momentarily, ring up like a torrent of gray and ck energy.


    *WOOSH*


    "Forgive me, that was unsightly." Gale quickly got his power back under control.


    "Ah, no, it''s..." Reflia was thankful that she didn''t need to breathe, otherwise she might''ve passed out from holding her breath too long.


    "I''ve never heard of a Demon Lord Akagi." Gale thought aloud. "Perhaps this is some new kind of scare tactic created by Vikes'' cult?"


    <i>{But that wouldn''t exin how Tahena was so easily killed.} </i>(Gale)


    "It''s possible that they''re involved. However, I have no conclusive information at the moment. I was already nning on sending Dimack to investigate, and I just wanted your permission." Reflia''s oldest Son was a powerful Demi-God, and she didn''t want to send him and his Divine weapon anywhere near the Demon Lord Cult without Gale''s explicit approval.


    "No, I would actually rather you handle this investigation yourself." Gale''s words surprised the Goddess. "Thest thing we need is for another one of our weapons to be corrupted, and as we still don''t know how the Cult did it <ist</i> time, it would be too great of a risk to send him in now."


    <i>{I can''t aford to have any more missteps at this stage of the game. My leeway is already quite low and if worstes to worst...} </i>(Gale)


    "Understood, I''ll head down shortly." Reflia nodded. ¡°I suppose that it would be best for a God to handle things directly.¡±


    "Are all our Divine Weapons ounted for?" Gale asked about the location and status of the various weapons and their wielders. "If Tahena was killed then the only way I can imagine that happening is if the Cult used a corrupted tool. Nothing short of that would be able to do such a thing." That was the same thing that happenedst time and it wasn''t as if they''d ensured that the Cult had none left when theyst crushed them.


    <i>{Though I have a feeling that one in particr may be causing us an issue.} </i>(Gale)


    "Besides the weapons that we couldn''t recover from thest sh with the Cult, the only weapon that I''m unable to verify the location of is Halifax." Reflia said.


    "Have you spoken to riel about it? I know that fool has a tendency to get protective of her little pet." Gale sighed. ¡°But surely <i>she </i>is keeping an eye on that thing.¡±


    "Her servants turned me away from her garden, stating that she was currently on the ground using her Avatar." Reflia had insisted that she be allowed to enter, but the Angels that worked for the Goddess of Time <i>rarely </i>interrupted their master while she was busy.


    "Why am I not surprised that she''s away while a crisis is happening?" Gale rolled his eyes. "But no matter. When you go down there I want you to find and speak with her about Halifax''s location. It shouldn''t be possible for her to have attacked Tahena, but I wouldn''t be shocked if our work on her didn''t entirely iron out her <i>prior issues</i>."


    "Though..." Reflia started to speak but paused.


    "If you have something to say, then do." Gale motioned for her to continue.


    "How is it possible that Tahena died just from having her Avatar destroyed?" Reflia asked a very good question. "Even if we assume that Halifax <i>did </i>turn on us, she couldn''t do more than just destroy Tahena''s Avatar. Actually harming our real bodies through an Avatar like that is far beyond what even she could do, right?" She''d never heard of something like that and figured that even <i>Halifax </i>couldn''t manage such a feat.


    "At this point, I wouldn''t go making any assumptions about that one." Gale shook his head. "Halifax is no ordinary Divine de and was given the power to actually destroy souls. I wouldn''t be shocked if she could also harm us, at least to some degree."


    <i>{Though it shouldn''t be possible to harm one of our true bodies from the material world. Perhaps that''s some kind of leftover?} </i>(Gale)<i> </i>


    "Its... There''s no possibility that Vikes somehow returned, <i>right?</i>" Reflia asked, pensively. Such a thought would''ve been unthinkable, but with Tahena''s strange death she couldn''t help but be worried.


    "If that monster walked our world again, he''d never do something like this." Galeughed. "No. What we have here is most likely somebody using the title of Demon Lord as a scare tactic, and I wouldn''t put much stock in somebody calling themselves a Demon Lord''s minion." He continued. "Besides, we confirmed that Vikes'' soul was destroyed all those years ago. At best, Vikes'' Axe could''ve been used in this attack, though you said it was a sword if I recall correctly."


    <i>{Though I still would like to know where that thing is.} </i>(Gale)


    "Yes, and the fact that <i>only </i>Tahena was targeted makes me believe that whoever did this is acting in a deliberate manner." Reflia figured that if this was the work of the Cult, then there would''ve been far more bloodletting since they tended to kill civilians indiscriminately. "The only other casualties were a few guards, and the assant even shed with Emperor Hadrus before vanishing."


    <i>{Apparently that idiot Emperor sted a hole in the side of the Capital''s walls...} </i>(Reflia)


    "Then I''d like you to continue your investigation with Halifax as our primary suspect." Gale nodded. "If you can dig anything up on the Cult at the same time, then feel free to do so. Knowing how these things tend to go, Halifax is most certainly tied into that group if she really is behind this assassination."


    <i>{Though I wouldn''t put it past riel to have orchestrated this.} </i>(Gale)


    After a bit further discussion, Reflia departed to the material world to start her investigation, while Gale returned to his gray and boring office.


    "I suppose <i>this </i>will cause a few dys in our ns." Gale clicked his tongue as he exited his office and walked down a nd and boring hallway with no windows. "The loss of Tahena will damage our reputation among the mortals, though it shouldn''t stop our departure."


    <i>{Though it will slow things down considerably as she was providing quite a bit of the power needed for our ritual. I may even need to dip into my backup n if things get any worse.} </i>(Gale)


    "But still, to take a God''s head in the name of some Demon Lord." Gale scoffed. "I don''t know who you are or for what reason you''ve done this, but rest assured, ''Demon Lord'' when I find you, I''m going to make you pay for this humiliation."


    <i>{And if worstes to worst, I''ll show you what a REAL Demon Lord''s power looks like.} </i>(Gale)


    While Gale continued to postte his next move, a figure stood around the corner at the end of the hallway, peaking her head out and watching the God of Order.


    "A new ''Demon Lord'', huh?" The blonde-haired Angel smirked as she gripped onto the massive scythe that hung from her back. "Well, I at least hope that they''re more interesting than thest one Father had me deal with."


    Spoiler


    Reflia!


    [copse]

 Chapter 310 – A Crisis in the Making.

    Chapter 310 ¨C A Crisis in the Making.


    With their short-term goal set, Akagi decided that her next course of action would be to return to the Dumetor outpost in the Simoea ins. While the <i>Demon </i>could head straight to the Holy City and find the twin Primordials immediately, that would run counter to her overarching ns for Enoris. For Akagi, it was not enough to simply <i>destroy</i> the Gods. No, the <i>Demon </i>wanted the beings who dered war on her to realize the foolishness of their decision. A multi-stage operation would soonmence, one that would draw the entire world into all-out war and strip the Gods of their falsely earned status as the peoples'' saviors.


    "There we go!" Akagi smiled as she and the others touched down after their long flight. "The second time wasn''t as bad as the first, right, <i>pet?" </i>She turned around to see Amakusa lying on the ground, shaking.


    "Sky... Scary..." Amakusa''s eyes were spinning as shey on her back, still in wolfkin form. "No more... Fly..."


    <em>{She reminds me of a dog that hates water getting sshed.}</em>(Akagi)


    "Oh, it wasn''t that bad, you big baby." Halifax chuckled as she helped the girl get to her feet. " And you''d better get used to it soon, Shiroe, since I get the feeling that this will be far from thest time we take Air Akagi." She snickered.


    <i>{Noooooooooooo...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "We''d move around even faster if your squishy bodies wouldn''t implode from the frictional coefficient." Akagi shrugged. "If you''d just enter my shadow then things would be-"


    "NO WAY IN HELL!" (Amakusa x Halifax x riel)


    <em>{Also, you probably can make a barrier to protect us! You''re just doing this to torment me!}</em>(Amakusa)


    "Look at that, we''ve got three-way stereo now." Akagi rolled her eyes. She knew that people didn''t like to enter her body, but was surprised to see how vigorously they protested.


    <i>{But if you go in there it would all be over in a few seconds! Plus the in flight peanuts are the best!} </i>(Akagi)


    "You three are missing out. It feels nice in there!" Yumi smiled. ¡°Its like being a nice happy hug!¡±


    <i>{ONLY BECAUSE YOU''RE THE ONE PERSON THAT''S ACTUALLY COMFORTED BY THAT NIGHTMARE WORLD!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Well, in fairness, taking riel in probably won''t work anyway since I''d imagine that an Avatar entering would probably cause all sorts of problems." Akagi replied as they started walking toward the vastly more constructed base.


    <i>{It might even end up like dividing by zero or something.} </i>(Akagi)


    After entering the base, Akagi was greeted by Nima and Silfana before being taken into the centralmand room for a debriefing.


    "Oh man, this is some Sci-Fi stuff that you''ve got here." Amakusa looked around the room, noting the dozens of monitors that all seemed to have different data on them.


    <i>{It kind of feels like we''re on the bridge of a spaceship.} </i>(Amakusa)


    "You were only gone five years Earth time, but even that short amount of time allowed for rapid advancement in tech." Akagi exined as she was handed a small tablet by Nima. "To be entirely honest, it <i>looks </i>more high-tech than it really is, since most of this stuff is little more than fancyputers."


    <i>{We didn''t even bring any holoprojectors, which reminds me that we might need at least one.} </i>(Akagi)


    "My Lord, it''s good to see you." Nima bowed slightly. "I hope you are pleased with the work on our outpost? I do apologize for the state of things, due to the rush to get it ready for operations."


    "Don''t worry about it. It''s great." Akagi said as she pat her on the head, eliciting a slight blush from the catgirl. "Tell everyone that I''m happy with what they''ve made in such a short time, and that I''m grateful."


    <i>{HEAD PATS FROM MY LORD!} </i>(Nima)


    "Aww, look, the stoic little kitty melts the second that she gets praise from her master." Silfana chuckled as she watched Nima enjoy getting her ears scratched. ¡°How adorable.¡±


    *HISS*


    Nima hissed at the Vampire Lord.


    "Bad kitty." Silfana snickered.


    "Do you have to harass her?" Yumi sighed. She''d been told about these two''s back and forth on the radio and wasn''t looking forward to seeing it in person.


    "Yes!" Silfana nodded. "It''s only fair that I get to tease her a bit when she''s been nothing but a stick in the mud since she got here."


    "Now, Now." Akagi finished her head pats, much to Nima''s disappointment. "Don''t go making fun of my family. Nima here is just happy to see me, is all."


    <i>{Yeah, like when a dog freaks out when their owneres home...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Well, I think it''s cute." Halifaxughed. "It shows just how much you mean to them."


    <i>{Per my previous thought...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "But I''m imagining that you <i>didn''t</i> return just to y with your little kitty?" Silfanaughed as her eyes moved to riel. "And I see you''ve grabbed a new <em>toy</em>, interesting." She could feel Divine power flowing from the Goddess, though the Vampire Lord was not yet aware of who she was.


    <em>{Not a bad looking one either, but I''ve seen better.}</em>(Silfana)


    "<i>Toy </i>isn''t actually a bad term for her." Akagi chuckled. "Silfana meet irel, riel, Silfana." She pointed between the two of them. ¡°Please try and get along nicely.¡±


    "riel?!?" Silfana''s eyes went wide. "Wait, you mean the <i>Goddess</i>?!?"


    <i>{WHAT?!?} </i>(Silfana)


    "The one and only." Halifax said. ¡°<em>Thankfully</em>.¡±


    "Well, that was quicker than I expected." Silfana tossed Nima a gold coin.


    "Hah! I told you it would be within seventy-two hours." Nima snickered as she caught the coin and slipped it into her pocket. ¡°Betting against My Lord is a truly foolishness prospect.¡±


    "Yeah... Stupid cat..." Silfana grumbled at losing her bet. She figured that it would take far longer to hunt down and deal with even <i>one </i>of the Gods. "But damn, you already went and leashed one..."


    <i>{I suppose that I shouldn''t be surprised, but still, seeing a Goddess in the flesh... I don''t know whether to be fascinated by such a thing or disgusted.} </i>(Silfana)


    "Why do I have the feeling that this Vampire is quite an <i>unpleasant </i>individual?" riel sighed. She could sense quite a bit of dark energy from Silfana and her Divine insight let her know that the Vampire was anything <i>but </i>good.


    <i>{She reminds me of many of the beings we''ve had the displeasure of dealing with in the past. This one specifically reminds of that troublesome Duck.} </i>(riel)


    "Because its <em>Silfana</em>." Yumi answered, which caused Akagi tough. "I mean, what else would you call someone who doesn''t bathe or wash her hands? Sounds pretty evil to me."


    "I DO BOTH OF THOSE THINGS!" Silfana eximed, holding herself back from hitting Yumi on the head.


    <i>{WHY ARE YOU STILL SPREADING THOSE STUPID RUMORS?!? I MAY NOT SWEAT BUT I STILL BATH PROPERLY!} </i>(Silfana)


    "Eww..." Amakusa stepped away another few inches from the Vampire. "You really should bathe every once and a while." Her lips curved into a wicked smile. ¡°You truly are <em>evil</em>.¡±


    "Yeah, even I wash my hands despite being able to just reform them." Halifax yed along. "Foreshame, Silfana, Foreshame." Sheughed. ¡°Even the evil kitty herself wouldn''t do something so heinous.¡±


    <em>{Don''t cats hate water?}</em>(Amakusa)


    "If you had blood then I swear to God I''d drain you dry, sword!" Silfana growled.


    "Halifax, if you hold her down, then I''ll get the garlic, and we can <i>cleanse </i>her." Amakusa snickered.


    "One more word out of you, and I''ll drink YOU <i>pet</i>." Silfana''s eyes snapped to Amakusa, who stuck her tongue out yfully.


    <i>{WHY DO PEOPLE KEEP DOING THIS TO ME?!? I''M THE LORD OF VAMPIRES, NOT SOME FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT!} </i>(Silfana)


    "Yumi, you are absolutely awful, you know that?" Akagi smiled as she pulled her into a hug.


    "What can I say? A little kitty that I met corrupted me." Yumi giggled. "I am no longer pure because of her evil paws running all over me and contaminating me with her evil."


    "Don''t worry about it. I like corrupted Yumi better anyway." Akagiughed as she turned to Nima. "So what''ve you got for me? Yumi mentioned something this morning about some progress on infiltration into the Demon Kingdom?" She was nning on going after them first due to their proximity.


    "Ah yes, please excuse me, my Lord." Nima fixed her suit and coughed before returning to her more serious demeanor. "Our agents led by Nemino have begun their intelligence gathering in Targul, and although we are at an early stage, I believe that I have some information that would be of interest to you." She fixed her sses as she held a tablet up in front of her. "There appears to be an internal power struggle amongst the Nobility of the Kingdom due to the incapacity of the reigning Demon King, and we''ve even identified a target who would be <em>suitable </em>to use the new creature on."


    "Incapacitated?" Akagi said as she scrolled through the data.


    "Yes, Lockheed was cursed about a decade ago by Vikes'' Cult." riel interjected to exin what happened. "It''s a powerful piece of magic that slowly saps the life of its victim."


    <em>{Though its technically more Demon Lord power than magic if your spilling hairs.} </em>(riel)


    ¡°I''d heard that nobody has been able to break it.¡± Amakusamented. She''d heard about it a few times during the war and had even asked the Gods about breaking it since a revived Demon King would''ve been a<em>huge</em>asset.


    ¡°If it was put on him by a member of the Cult, then I suspect that it would probably require a God or another Demon Lord to break it.¡± Halifax agreed as she eyed up both the Demon Lord and Goddess before her.


    <em>{Messing with the power of another Demon Lord... I have a feeling it won''t be so easy to break. I may be able to do it, but I have doubts that the Gods could do it safely or without some kind of negative effect. There''s also another concern that I have if it works like I''m thinking it does.}</em>(Akagi)


    "Interesting." Nima scribbled that information onto her tablet. "We couldn''t discern the exact cause of his illness, and that will be of great help going forward."


    "If the Cult is the one behind that, then why haven''t you dispelled it anyway?" Halifax asked riel. ¡°I doubt its beyond your power to free him from that kind of curse. Hell, we have an entire <em>God </em>dedicated to curses. Surely Telm could break it with ease.¡±


    "Its less <em>can''t </em>and more <em>chose not to</em>. And the answer to your next question is ''because we don''t want to involve ourselves in mortal affairs to such an extent''... At least that was the line Gale <em>told</em> us to give..." riel sighed. "But the <em>real</em> reason was because Lockheed''s demise would suit our needs..." She looked off the to the side, embarrassed.


    "Nice..." Halifax rolled her eyes.


    "Eh, it''s understandable." Akagi shrugged. "Getting rid of a problem and having the perfect excuse not to help was probably a pun, definitely intended, <i>godsend</i>!"


    <em>{Problems that solve themselves are the best kind of problems after all.}</em>(Akagi)


    "Booo." Amakusa gave a thumbs down, decrying the <i>Demon''s</i> attempt at humor.


    <i>{NOBODY ASKED YOU, PET!} </i>(Akagi)


    "What was he even doing that was such a problem for you anyway?" Akagi asked. ¡°I don''t imagine that a single mortal would be able to cause you that much of a headache.¡±


    "Well... The issue was that Lockheed was <em>never</em> in favor of a war with the Spirits." riel continued. "He only half-heartedly involved himself in the war, and when the Spirits stalled things out, he was covertly trying to get together a coalition of leaders who wanted to push for peace."


    <i>{Ah.} </i>(Akagi)


    "And so when the main force for peace on the attacking side faltered, you were more than happy to let him fall." Halifax growled in understanding and disappointment. "I guess I shouldn''t be surprised, fucking Gods."


    "So let me guess, with the King in aa, the Regent is having a not-so-fun time keeping things together?" Akagi asked as she read over the reports, including Nima''s proposal for a nted agent.


    "It''s holding together for now, but with the King''s health deteriorating, a session crisis will likely unfold once he dies." Nima exined. "We''re predicting things to begin unfurling sooner rather thanter, hence why I rmend using the creature on the family I''ve included in my report. It would give us an easy way to carry out your long term ns."


    "I see..." Akagi''s lips curved into a nasty smile. "Then, shall we poke our noses into the Demon Kingdom''s politics?"


    Spoiler


    New Artwork for Silfana!


    [copse]

 Chapter 310.5 – Jailbreak.

    Chapter 310.5 ¨C Jailbreak.


    "Ya know, I thought my first trip to an Isekai world would epass some monster ying, sightseeing, and maybe a bit of adventuring, but here I am hunting down <i>vers</i>." Eris sighed. She''d crossed over along with Ayame and Mixu to help rescue the remaining Spirits from their envement at Akagi''s request. They''d been working alongside Sakura and Hikari, who''d been primarily responsible for tracking down the Spirits in question, and they were staking out arge mine where intel suggested at least half of the workforce were Spirits. Originally Akagi <i>hadn''t </i>wanted any of the former yers involved, but due to manpower shortages she had no choice but to ask, and was surprised by their enthusiasm.


    "Meh, it could be worse." Ayame chuckled as the two of them looked down at the mine with pairs of night vision binocrs. "At least this <i>Quest</i> involves us actually doing something good and helping people, plus the <i>reward </i>is nice." She smirked as she imagined using the new pair of des Akagi promised her.


    <i>{She even said they had features to store up damage to useter! I can''t wait to use those to hunt monsters after those Gods get their ass kicked.} </i>(Ayame)


    "Yeah, at least Akagi knows how to make things <i>interesting</i>." Eris agreed. They''d been promised unique items and other interesting items if they helped find Spirits, and the two jumped at some of the more <i>interesting </i>rewards Akagi offered.


    "Such wonderful people you two are." Mixu''s voice crackled over their earpieces. "You''re telling me that the ''Great Hero Eris'' doesn''t rescue innocent ves for free and requires a reward? Foreshame, Eris. Foreshame."Sheughed.


    "That remark <i>might</i> hit a bit closer to home <i>if </i>you hadn''t done this in exchange for that sniper you''re using." Ayame retorted.


    "Hey, this is a sniper that will <i>free</i> the oppressed masses. That it can be used for personal tasks ispletely incidental to its primary use." Mixu said with a chuckle.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Sakura POV>


    "Why did we have to bring those three with us?" Sakura sighed as she and Hikari leaped from tree to tree as they scouted out the mines. They''d been staking this ce out for days and were finally ready to break in and free the captive Spirits. "We can handle this ourselves."


    "They''re not so bad." Hikari said with a wry smile. "Just chatty, and their power isn''t anything to sneeze at." She figured having two raging barbarians would be useful, and Mixu was a powerful ranged ally.


    "I still don''t see why Lady Akagi assigned them to <i>us</i>." Sakura said as the twonded on arge tree branch and began surveying the mine''s outer walls with night vision goggles. There were plenty of guard patrols, and the entire site was crawling with Demon soldiers. Sakura had tracked this ce down after <i>interrogating </i>a few local merchants, and they''d uncovered that the Spirits were being forced to mine heavily toxic metals due to their resistance to poison.


    "I count, one, two, three, four... five heavily armored guards with what looks like magic-resistant armor and heavy clubs." Hikari said as she scanned over the mine. "I don''t see any Spirits though."


    "They must''ve been taken into the mine for the night." Sakuramented. They''d been watching this ce out a few times to get a feel for how many guards there were, as well as how many Spirits were being held prisoner, and they both figured this would be an easy and straightforward job since it didn''t look especially well defended. "One of the guys I beat info out ofst night said they keep them in cells below ground. So I''d hazard a guess that''s where they are."


    "Makes sense. Some have wings, and others arerge enough to be annoying to fight in an open space. The best thing would be keeping them below ground all day, but then they''d probably die from fumes andck of sunlight." Hikari agreed as the appearance of arger Demon wearing golden armor caught her eye. "Ooop. We got the <i>warden</i> on deck tonight." Sheughed. "That idiot probably thinks that armor makes him look cool, but all it does is paint a nice target on his back."


    <i>{shy armor is some!} </i>(Hikari)


    "Yeah, he reminds me of that idiot General we took out north of Pyongyang. The dumbass had so many medals on that uniform that he practically glowed in the moonlight." Sakuraughed. "But enough joking at our enemy''s'' expense, you ready?"


    "As always." Sakura replied as she put her goggles in her pack.


    "What about you two lovebirds?" Hikari asked over the radio.


    "We''re getting paid to smash up a bunch of guards and save people, so yeah we''re ready." Eris said.


    "Just tell me which ones you want to die without knowing they were even hit." Mixumented. She was sitting on a perch several miles away and had a clear view of the entire mine. There was a bit of worry that the former yers would hesitate to kill actual people, even if they were Demons rather than Humans, but surprisingly when the time came none had any qualms with putting someone down. A fact that Akagi attributed to their minds being influenced, at least partially, by their new bodies.


    "Then, let''s begin." Hikari said as her lips curled into a nasty grin.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    *YAWN*


    "Man, it''s fucking boring out here..." One guard said as he yawned loudly. "Why''d we have to get stuck on <i>guard </i>duty for a bunch of Spirits? I''d much rather be part of that big Army the Princess is gathering."


    "I don''t know, man. Sitting here <i>is</i> boring, and the food and pay aren''t great, but at least we''re not going to get killed in a war." Another guard said, disagreeing. The two were standing atop arge metal gate that formed the only connection between the camp that surrounded the mine and the forest surrounding it. Neither had seen anything of note during the weeks they were deployed here, and guard duty was usually regarded as boring, if safe, work. "I''ll take an easy paycheck over getting maimed or killed any day of the week."


    "Fair, and it''d be even easier if we didn''t have that wannabe General as our Warden." The guard retorted as he took out his water skin and took a drink. "That bastard thinks he''s hot shit when he''s just the jailer of a bunch of ves in a mine in the middle of bumfuck nowhere."


    <i>{He even wears that gaudy armor!} </i>(Guard)


    "Hey, keep it down. Or said <i>idiot </i>will hear us and make us clean the toilets again." The other guard hissed. ¡°I''d rather not be on cleaning duty for another week!¡±


    "I''m just sayin man, I''m just sayin." The guardughed. "He''s definitely the kind of man to kiss his superior''s-" He paused as he noticed two women, one with long red hair and the other with short blue hair appear from the tree line. "We weren''t expecting visitors, right?"


    "No, and especially not <i>human </i>ones." The other guard said as the two women approached the gate. "Halt! I don''t know who you are but turn around! This is a secure facility and only those approved by Duke Regezold! Come one step closer and I''ll-" His words came to an abrupt stop as a bullet went through his temple and came out the other side, his body slumping to the ground.


    "Grem!" The other guard screamed before being dropped in a simr manner.


    "Did you have to ruin the fun, Mix?" Eris sighed as she and Ayame approached the metal gate. The Vampire''s shots were nearly silent and it seemed that the mine''s other guards weren''t aware that two of their own just died. ¡°I would''ve liked to tear them apart myself.¡±


    "I''m aware that you did, but I didn''t want them activating that signal re next to them. Thest thing we need is them summoning reinforcements from any of the nearby towns." Mixu chastised them for being reckless, which they retorted was part of their identity.


    "Oh well, it''s not like there isn''t plenty more where that came from." Ayame smirked as she nodded to her wife. "Ready?"


    "Oh fuck yeah." Eris snickered as the two activated their rage and kicked down the massive doors sending them flying into a group of guards on the other side, crushing them into paste.


    "Last ce pays for dinner?" Eris said as they leaped onto the destroyed door.


    "I hope you brought enough coin because I got a feeling that I''m going to work out an appetite." Ayame grinned as she eyed up the terrified guards.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    "Well... At least they got everyone''s attention." Sakura said as she and Hikari leaped between shadows. The mines were in an uproar as guards flooded out of their barracks, and due to the sudden attack, many were unprepared forbat. The Ninja werergely undetectable by mundane means anyway, but there was concern that magical barriers or rms would be present due to the Spirits and detect them.


    "That''s what you get when you point <i>Barbarians</i> at a location and tell them to go wild." Hikari said as they slipped past a group of guards, entering the mine throughrge double doors as they rushed out. "Now we just need to find the ves, and once we do that then we can clean this ce out."


    "They should be down a few floors based on what that merchant said,e on." Sakura motioned for her to follow and the two silently slipped between the floors of the mine. It wasrge, dark, and open within and it was easy enough to slip past guards or assassinate and drag their bodies off if they were in the way. They were worried that the ves would have some kind of device imnted in or on them that could kill them, and so wanted to keep their presence within the mine hidden until they secured them. Most of the guards that patrolled the mine had exited to deal with the rampaging Barbarians, and the few that remained were either <i>eliminated</i> or bypassed.


    "Where are they keeping the ves?" Hikari said as she slit a man''s throat before tossing him down the mine shaft into the darkness below. "This ce is big, but why can''t we find them?"


    <i>{We should be able to sense their magical energy even if its restrained by cors, so where are they?} </i>(Hikari)


    "I was told they''re kept in cages, and I can''t imagine they''d keep them in an out-of-the-way ce since that would be a hassle." Sakura hadn''t seen any sign of the Spirits either. "They''re still here, I know that. We never saw them take any Spirits away, so they''re inside the mine, somewhere."


    ¡°Split up and get looking.¡± Hikari said to Sakura, and after searching for a bit longer, Hikari called her partner back over to her via the radio. "You hear that?" She put her finger to her lips, and Sakura used her big ears to listen. It took a moment but she could hear the faint sound of wind whistling through the mine.


    <i>{Wind? This deep?} </i>(Sakura)


    "It''sing from over there." Hikari pointed to what looked like a supply storage area. There were boxes with food and other useful items, and it lookedpletely ordinary.


    "Is there some kind of connection to the outside down here?" Sakura asked as Hikari began feeling the back wall.


    "No, but I think. Ah." Hikari smirked as her hand went <i>through </i>a portion of the wall. "No wonder we couldn''t find it." She stepped through the wall, followed closely by Sakura, into arge room with dozens of Spirits in cages.


    "An illusion that blocked our senses. I see." Sakura felt a light breeze wash across her face as she looked around.


    <i>{Ah, that wind magic is probably to keep the air in here from growing stale. This deep in the mine you run the risk of toxic particles kicking up and poisoning people, plus the generalck of oxygen.} </i>(Sakura)


    "Let''s get them free." Hikari said as she slowly moved into the center of the room. "It will take a few trips, but we should be able to-" Before she could finish her sentence the Ninja reacted to an attack and leaped out of the way just in time to avoid a massive halberd that mmed down onto the ground where she was a moment prior.


    "Ah, I was wondering where he was." Sakura said as the golden-d Demon Warden lifted and spun his halberd.


    ¡°Yeah, it was wishful thinking that the lovebirds were dealing with him.¡± Hikari said as shended in front of Sakura.


    "I had a feeling that this was a rescue attempt." The Warden''s gruff voice was distorted by his helmet. "Though it''s surprising to see Beastkin being the ones to do it. Did the Empire send you? Who are you working for?"


    "I see no reason to answer any of your questions." Hikari said as she drew one of her daggers.


    "Well, it doesn''t matter if the Empire or Northwind sent you." The Warden said as she spun his halberd. "I''ll kill you all the same."


    "You want me to help?" Sakura asked sarcastically. "He seems <i>really </i>tough, and I''d love to test out my new swords." She said as she pat the two katana at her waist.


    "Just stand there and look pretty, I''ll be done with this in a sh." Hikari said as she took a stance, flipping her dagger into a reverse grip.


    "I don''t know whether you''re brave or stupid to face me alone." The Wardenughed. ¡°But I shall honor your death wish.¡±


    "Funny, I could say the same thing to <i>you</i>." Hikari smirked as the two leaped toward each other, shing.


    *BANG*


    The two shed with Hikari easily blocking hisrge weapon with her small dagger, deflecting it and knocking him off bnce.


    "Bastard! I''ll get you for-" The Warden paused as he looked down to where Hikari was a moment prior. "Where did you-"


    *STAB*


    "You dropped your guard." Hikari said as she drove her de into the side of his head, easily piercing his helmet and killing him in one swift blow.


    "Well, that went about as quickly as I expected." Sakura said as Hikari kicked the Warden''s body to the side. "He really was all bark and no bite, too bad."


    "He wasn''t important enough to warrant our time." Hikari said as she cleaned his blood off her dagger. "Though it looks like our little sh woke the prisoners up." She scanned over the, now awake, ves. "Let''s get them to the surface. Eris and Co should be done clearing out the rest by now."


    <i>{More like they''ve burned the entire base to the ground...} </i>(Sakura)

 Chapter 311 – Among Us.

    Chapter 311 ¨C Among Us.


    "Target spotted at 010-023-143. At current speed, they''re five Mikes out from the ambush point. Over." Nemino stood on a hillside watching a Noble''s carriage drive down a winding forest road through his binocrs. He¡¯d been sent as part of a strike team to capture one specific family in particr, and while he wasn¡¯t worried about failing, he was by no means letting his guard down.


    "Rodger that. Bravo team is in position and awaiting orders. Over." The voice of Nemino''s second inmand, a wolfkin named Gagarin, came over thems.


    "You guys really do act like a military, huh?" Shimari was wistfully sitting next to her bunny boyfriend, ying with some butterflies that were fluttering about.


    "We aren''t <i>acting, </i>Shimari." Nemino said as he kept an eye on the carriage through the binocrs. "We''re Lady Akagi''s Elite Special Forces and the ones she calls upon when she can''t afford failure." He took pride in his position and enjoyed being part of this small but effective team.


    <i>{Though couldn¡¯t Akagi just do all this herself and guarantee sess?} </i>(Shimari)


    "I suppose you <i>did</i> copse North Korea." Shimari giggled. "Byparison kidnapping some Nobles seems like child''s y. I''d bet you could do it all by yourself if you needed to." She figured that half a dozen ninjas on one job was overkill.


    "Its more than just ensuring a sessful mission. On top of our duty to ensure that Lady Akagi¡¯s will is done, we also have an obligation to return home <i>alive</i>, Shimari." Nemino continued. "Lady Akagi will not stand to lose any of us, nor do we wish to inflict such pain upon her. Thus, what you see as overkill is what we call <i>being</i> <i>prepared</i>."


    <i>{Lady Akagi has done so much for us that there''s no way we''d risk causing her anguish. We all mean so much to her, so we can''t repay her with heartache!} </i>(Nemino)


    "I''m not even going to get into that discussion." Shimari sighed before standing up and next to him. His devotion to the Demon Lord was quite extreme, as was just about every other member of Akagi¡¯s n and she figured trying to make him rx his loyalty a bit was both impossible and counterproductive. "So, we''re doing this <i>my </i>way, right?" She nced down at him, her eyes drilling into him.


    "Yes..." Nemino groaned. "I promised you that we''d take them prisoner, and Chloe approved it, but I would advise you to reconsider your aversion to bloodshed. In my experience, the best way to deal with loose ends is to <i>cut </i>them."


    <i>{The Ondai only survived as long as we did BECAUSE we didn¡¯t allow people to survive long enough to stab us in the back.} </i>(Nemino)


    "I''m not averse to spilling blood, Nemi." Shimari replied, using a cute nickname for the bunny. "But I don''t approve of taking lives unnecessarily. I¡¯m not like Akagi or some of the others." Though she would admit that her ce in Libra <i>did </i>make her hypocritically, but she would always counter that she never actually harmed anyone in her short stint within the organization.


    <i>{One of us can fold these people like tissue paper. There''s no reason to kill them and no harm in putting them in irons back at camp.} </i>(Shimari)


    "Neither does Lady Akagi, but sometimes it''s best to spill a drop of blood now so that <i>gallons</i> don''t flowter." Nemino said as he slowly stood up. "Come on, let''s head to the ambush point. I want this done quickly and without issue. Do you have the box?" He asked.


    "It''s in my inventory, so don''t worry." Shimari smiled before kissing him on the cheek and causing the rabbitkin to blush.


    <i>{He''s so adorable!} </i>(Shimari)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    A few minutester, Nemino, Shimari, and two other ninjas got into position in a treeline just off the main road. There n was rather simple, block their target¡¯s path and then ambush it, though Shimari again noted that this all seemed overkill for a single lone carrige with a bunch of Nobles in it. As they sat together in waiting, the carriage was close, and it would only be a few moments until they engaged it.


    "Everyone ready?" Nemino asked overms. Each member was outfit with small wireless radios which would allow them tomunicate within short distances.


    "Ready to rock and roll!" Gagarin replied with a heartyugh and cheer. He was actually half-Dwarf half-Wolfkin and was quite the hardy man.


    "At the ready." The harpy-like birdkin Tina acknowledged his words.


    "Just remember to take them in alive, please..." Shimari sighed.


    <i>{I hate that I feel the need to remind them of that every five minutes¡­} </i>(Shimari)


    "Everyone, move on my signal..." Nemino paused as the carriage entered its final approach, rounding a small curve in the road and entering an area where the tree cover grew thicker. The ninjas weren''t concerned at all, but Shimari, who wasn''t used to things like this, felt her heart pounding in her chest.


    <i>{We''ve got this... We''ve got this... It''s just like those ambush missions in FWO...} </i>(Shimari)


    "NOW!" Nemino''s voice shocked the puppy girl out of her thoughts as he chucked a small explosive device in front of the carriage to get it to stop.


    *BOOM*


    "REEEEE!" The horses whinnied and neighed as they became frightened while the Demon driver driving the carriage desperately tried to rein them in. Nemino had used what was basically a lower power concussion/stun grenade which, while startling and blinding, would not actually harm anyone caught in its st.


    "What''s going on?!?" The carriage driver yelled as he tried to keep the horses under control.. ¡°Are we under attack?!?¡±


    "Don''t give them a chance to collect themselves! Our targets are inside, and we need to move quickly in case something unexpected happens!" Nemino leaped from the tree, mming into the carriage driver and causing him to fly from the seat and fall to the ground, unconscious.


    The two other Ninja, and Shimari, followed close behind him, taking up positions around the carriage. It only had one door, and the internal blinds made it so that they couldn''t see inside. It was ornate, though not quite as much as one would expect from a Noble. It was clear that this wasn¡¯t a very high ranking house, though that seemed like it was part of the n.


    "I sense high magical power within the carriage! I think they have a guard!" Tina drew both of her daggers as she closed in on the door.


    "That''s probably the Spirit that they use as a battle ve. We had intel on her before hand so get ready!" Neminomented as he also drew his rapier and got ready for battle. "Whatever you do <i>DO NOT </i>kill that ve! She is master''s property and is considered a rescue target. We''ll incapacitate her and take her back with us." He¡¯d been given <i>explicit </i>orders NOT to kill any Spirit that could be saved, at least as long as saving them did not pose a threat to any members of the n.


    *CLICK*


    While they were discussing what to do next, the carriage door slowly opened, revealing a red-haired woman with snake-like scales scattered on parts of her body. Around her neck was a thick ck ve cor, and Nemino and the other ninjas could see visible scars from torture and beatings on her face.


    <i>{A half-naga?}</i> (Shimari)


    The woman slowly stepped down from the carriage, and Nemino instantly got a bad feeling in his stomach.


    <i>{She''s got a lot of magical power, that''s for sure. I don''t see any weapons or armor, and it appears that her robe isn''t enchanted or fortified in any way, but her eyes... Them being closed like that... I don''t like it...} </i>(Nemino)


    "Erina, please dispose of the trash." A younger ck-haired Demon manzily ordered her to attack. Nemino could see two others in the carriage and based on their descriptions they were most likely Count Boze''s Wife and daughter.


    <i>{Good, they''re all here. Now we just need to end things with this snake woman and Operation Impostor can begin in earnest.} </i>(Nemino)


    "As you wish, master." Erina slowly opened her eyes, revealing yellow irises that reminded Nemino and the other ninja of their master¡¯s own.


    "Watch out!" Shimari zipped forward the moment the naga-woman started opening her eyes, mming into her and pinning her to the carriage with her shield.


    *BOOM*


    Shimari thundered forward, mming the naga-woman against the side of the carriage with great force, causing the wagon to tilt slightly before setting back down"I know what you''re about to pull, so don''t even try it." She continued pinning the woman to the carriage, and a momentter, she heard screaming as Erina¡¯s body began to petrify.


    <i>{I fought a Medusa in FWO, and I know darn well that high stats don''t mean much against petrification!} </i>(Shimari)


    "Oh, man..." Gagarin whistled. "That could''ve gone south real fucking quick."


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Tinaughed nervously.


    "No kidding." Nemino tensed for a moment as he realized what just happened. ¡°Thank Lady Akagi that the Shimari was here.¡±


    <i>{We definitely have no defense against petrification, and even with Lady Akagi''s power boosts, I don''t know how well we''d resist such an attack...} </i>(Nemino)


    The naga-woman continued to scream as her entire body was turned to stone. Shimari''s shield was just reflective enough to bounce the snake woman''s attack back at her, and it appeared that, like Medusa of legend, <i>she</i> wasn''t immune to her own ability.


    "Phew..." Shimari sighed as she slowly lowered the, now petrified, woman to the ground slowly. "Good thing I listened to my gut on that one. Otherwise, Akagi would be getting some newwn sculptures right about now." Sheughed as she turned back to the Ninja.


    "Good work, Shimari. You just saved us a massive asschewing." Nemino thanked her before turning to the visibly afraid Count. "Now, you three, get out here!" He yelled, and the Count and his young Wife and Daughter exited the carriage, the young girl clinging to her mother''s dress. She was probably not more than ten years old, and Nemino thought she would make a good servant for Alice, but that was neither here nor there.


    "You ruffians! What do you think you''re doing?!? Do you even know who I am?" Boze''s tried to intimidate them, unsucessfully. "I''ll have your head for this!"


    "What you''ll <i>have </i>is a nice cell and some iron chains, <i>Count</i>." Neminoughed as he walked up and smacked the man across the face, causing him to fall to the ground.


    "Papa!" His daughter ran to his side. She looked just like her mother, and her red hair was apparently a gic traitmonly found on that side of the family based on their prior research. "Don''t hurt him, you meanie!"


    "Stop! Listen, we''ll pay whatever ransom you want, just don''t hurt us!" The countess pleaded for mercy, cing her daughter behind her.


    "Why would we trade your lives for your money when we can just have <i>both</i>?" Nemino rolled his eyes as Shimari took a metal box out of her inventory. "Let''s make this quick, it will look suspicious if the Count and his family arete for the Ga."


    "I just hope Alice''s invention works..." Shimari sighed as she opened the box and allowed a ck liquid to flow out and onto the ground.


    *SPLAT*


    "W-What is that?!?" The Count screamed as the liquid reformed and wiggled like a slime.


    "Nothing that you need to worry about." Nemino snapped his fingers and the ck slime shot toward the Count and Countess, covering their bodies in a thick film.


    "Papa! Mama!" Their young daughter screamed, but Gagarin pulled her away and restrained her.


    "Don''t worry, they''ll be fine." Gagarin snickered. "Just give it a minute and all will be well."


    ¡°Let go of me, you ugly Dwarf!¡± Her words caused Tina and Shimari to giggle.


    ¡°Are there <i>any </i>women who like you, Gagarin?¡± Tina snickered.


    ¡°Yeah, even <i>kids </i>don¡¯t appreciate the muscr, short, wolfy boy.¡± Shimariughed.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to pound both of you over the head with a mallet when we get back to base¡­¡± Gagarin sighed as the young girl continued to wiggle in his arms.


    The Count and Countess were engulfed by the slime for what felt like an eternity before it released them.


    ¡°No..." The young girl feared that they were dead, and the fact that they weren''t moving made her feel hopeless.


    "Now, form up!" Neminomanded the slime which proceeded to split in three. Two ck blobs slowly began to stand upright until they formed into the shape of the Count and Countess.


    "What?" The young girl started shaking as she looked upon the copies of her parents.


    "So, did it work?" Nemino asked the copies how they felt.


    "Everything seems fine." The Copy Count replied, his voice causing the daughter to flinch.


    "No problems here, but getting used to this form will take time." The Copy Countess smiled.


    "Good... Good..." Nemino breathed a sigh of relief. "I was worried that we''d have a problem with your mimicry. Alice and Imp couldn''t make many of these Copy Slimes, and I was starting to wonder what we''d do if this didn''t work."


    <i>{At least now we know this works as intended, it''s just too bad that making even one of these is an absolute nightmare, otherwise we could take over entire governments in mere days.} </i>(Nemino)


    "What have you done to Papa and Mama?!?" The young girl began to wiggle in Gagarin''s arms, again. ¡°What are those things?!? And what do you intend to do with them?!?¡±


    "Don''t worry too much about what we did to them." Nemino pat her on the head as he snapped his fingers, indicating for the other part of the slime toe closer.


    "N-No!" The girl could tell what was about to happen and desperately tried to get away. "Keep it away!"


    "Shuuuush." Nemino put a finger to his lips. "I promise you that it will be over before you know it and then all this will seem like a bad dream." He smirked before snapping his fingers again, ordering the slime to leap at and engulfed the young girl. As the ck goo clung to her, she was struck by the feeling that the creature was invading the deepest parts of her mind, and thest thing that she saw before falling unconscious was a guilty-looking Shimari, who turned away as they locked eyes.

 Interlude 19 – The Holy Heroine and the Earth Shattering Secret.

    Interlude 19 ¨C The Holy Heroine and the Earth Shattering Secret.


    "Argh... I''m so tired..." Hitomi said as she flopped on her bed, exhausted. Her meetings had run longer than expected and she was never one for stuff political discussion, especially with members of the Church''s upper administration. "That meeting just wouldn''t end..." She pushed her face into a fluffy pillow.


    <i>{Why do all those old people feel the need to talk in circles? I swear its like they enjoy hearing the sound of their own voice!} </i>(Hitomi)


    "It would be so much easier if they just let me make the changes that are needed." Hitomi sighed as she flipped onto her back, hugging a pillow tightly.


    "Now, Lady Hitomi is that any way to carry yourself?" A brown-eared fox girl wearing a shrine maiden''s outfit said as she popped into view. Her blue eyes reflected the depressed visage of Hitomi and seemed to provide the saddened Hero a bit of warmth. "I''ll have you know that you''re not being verydylike right now." She giggled.


    "Raf..." Hitomi sighed before reaching out and pulling the fox on top of her, hugging her. "Are you really one to say such things?" She chuckled. ¡°I don''t think you''re much better than I am.¡±


    "As your attendant, it''s my duty to ensure that the Holy Maiden is the optimity of purity and always present yourself in the mostdy-like manner." Rafferty smiled as she hugged Hitomi back and kissed her neck. "Not to mention that I don''t like seeing you all gloomy like that. Your face is much better when its smiling."


    <i>{She smells so sweet...} </i>(Hitomi)


    "I take it your meeting with the Cardinals didn''t go well?" Rafferty asked as she continued to kiss Hitomi''s neck. ¡°Unless you''ve got another reason to be all cranky?¡±


    "It was more boring than anything else, honestly." Hitomi said as she scratched one of the fox-girl''s ears. "They call me the Holy Maiden and the Saint, and yet actually getting them to <i>listen</i> to me can be such a pain..." She sighed. Hitomi had been trying to use the Church''s authority to make radical changes across the continent, but due to her nature as a rtively symbolic leader, her options were limited.


    <i>{Everyone thinks that I''m going to run this whole organization or that I''m already in charge when in reality all I can do is sit back and watch these idiots bicker and waste time...} </i>(Hitomi)


    "Well, don''t you worry about all that." Rafferty said as she slid her hand under part of Hitomi''s clothing. "It won''t be long now. Soon, the Gods'' ns will beplete, and then you can use their power to help <i>everyone</i>." Her words were seductive, and while her outward smile seemed warm, if one looked closer they could tell that something was <i>off </i>with the fox-girl.


    "I know... I know..." Hitomi grabbed the fox''s wiggling hand to stop it before kissing her on the lips. "I just hope that Shiroe can forgive me for the price of peace. She''d never agree with our methods, I only hope she can understand why it came down to this." She kissed her again, and the two engaged in a bit of ''stress relief'' in the privacy of their room for a few hours before washing up together in their private bath, which resulted in a bit more ''ying.''


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    "I''m not sure which of us is worse." Hitomi sat on the edge of her bed with a bathrobe on while Rafferty waved an oversized fan to cool her off. ¡°Though I''m leaning toward <i>you</i>.¡±


    "I wasn''t intending to do anything funny in the bath, and if I recall correctly, <i>you </i>were the one to start moving around again." Rafferty chuckled. "Once you touched me I was no longer responsible for what came next." She winked.


    "It''s not fault that you''re such a temptress." Hitomi reached out and pinched the fox-girl''s exposed thigh. ¡°I mean, look at these things! How can I just let them go untouched?!?¡±


    <i>{LIKE COME ON!} </i>(Hitomi)


    "YOW!" Rafferty yelped, swatting away Hitomi''s hand. "Why must you pinch my legs like that?!?" She''d been dealing with this for years, and still didn''t get it.


    "Because where else am I going to find a woman with <i>those </i>thighs?" Hitomiughed as her hand was battled away again. ¡°Like, look at this beautiful things!¡±


    "I''ll never understand your obsession with my thighs..." Rafferty sighed. "Most people are more interested in my chest or face, but you... Is this just some otherworlder thing I''m too normal to understand?"


    <i>{I suppose its not that bad though...} </i>(Rafferty)


    "Where I''m from we consider those who love these lovely things <i>cultured people</i>." Hitomi giggled. "It''s simply far and away the most noble way to enjoy the flesh."


    "Sure..." Rafferty rolled her eyes, not believing for a moment that Hitomi was normal. "Are you sure your enjoyment isn''t connected to the fact that yours are so in?"


    "I suppose that an uncultured swine like yourself wouldn''t understand how amazing your legs are." Hitomi shrugged. "For all of Muichiro''s faults, at least <i>he </i>understands the glory of thighs."


    <i>{Though that man... He takes things a bit too far for my liking...} </i>(Hitomi)


    "Why a man like that was chosen as a Hero I''m afraid I''ll never understand." Rafferty ced her fan down and sat in Hitomi''sp, herrge bushy tail wrapping around the Hero slightly. "I''d say that you were the only one we needed anyway." She nuzzled against Hitomi''s chest, making sure to rub her fluffy ears against her. ¡°You embody everything a Hero needs to be.¡±


    <i>{Even after that bath, she smells so sweet...} </i>(Hitomi)


    The two sat together on the edge of the bed, warm in each other''s embrace, until Rafferty abruptly separated, causing Hitomi to pout.


    "Don''t give me that look." Rafferty chuckled as she bopped the pouting Heroine on the head. "You know that we''ve got work to do, soe on." She pulled Hitomi up and helped her get dressed, though the Hero resisted the entire time.


    "I don''t want to go out tonight..." Hitomi groaned as Rafferty finished putting her robes on. ¡°I''d rather stay here and y with you...¡±


    "Just remember that your hard work helps to feed all those starving children and cure all those nasty illnesses." Rafferty smiled as she tied one of the bows on Hitomi''s outfit. "The Great Saint is a woman whosepassion knows no bounds, and there are many counting on you."


    "I swear you just like saying that to embarrass me..." Hitomi rolled her eyes.


    "I won''t deny that it''s <i>fun</i>." Rafferty gave a tee-hee pero like she was taught. "But don''t go telling me that <i>you </i>aren''t happy to see all those people healthy and safe!" She knew that Hitomi wanted to help as many people as possible and that her primary goal was to prevent others from going through the same tragedy that she had in the past.


    "I know, I know..." Hitomi pulled on Rafferty''s cheeks and stretched themically. "I just don''t like these stuffy meetings where it feels like I''m panhandling... I''d honestly rather we focused on our <i>business ventures,</i> since there''s far more money there, and it has fewer strings attached..." It was an open secret that Hitomi had set up brothels and other simr ventures to fund orphanages, soup kitchens, hospitals, and schools. However, that didn''t mean that she couldpletely ignore more legitimate sources of funding, lest disgruntled members of the Nobility or the Church crack down on her operations.


    <i>{It''s annoying that we have to tip-toe around such people. I can''t wait for Rafferty to tell me that the Gods'' n is finished so that we can sweep all those nasty people away!} </i>(Hitomi)


    "Don''t worry." Rafferty pat her on the back to reassure her. "All you have to do is give some nice smiles, eat some nd food, andugh at all those stupid jokes!" She smiled. ¡°It will be easy!¡±


    "I''d believe that <i>if </i>any of what you were describing <i>had</i> gotten easier over thest ten years..." Hitomi rolled her eyes. "But fine, I''ll go... Just do me a favor and pull me out after about two hours. Otherwise, I might explode..."


    <i>{Both figuratively and literally</i>...<i>} </i>(Hitomi)


    "I''ll be there exactly when you need me, like always." Rafferty hugged Hitomi before the two descended the massive spiral staircase that connected the Hero''s room to the Church''s Central Cathedral. As an important figure, Hitomi had her own private residence that was constructed at the top of one of the building''srge spirals, and it was generally regarded as the best room in the City.


    "Lady Hitomi, please enjoy your night." Rafferty bowed as Hitomi got into a carriage and was taken out of the Cathedral''s main gate. Her meeting would take ce in arge manner within the Holy City, and the event was ted to runte into the evening, leaving Rafferty with seemingly little to do until her master returned.


    As the Hero departed out of view, the happy smile on Rafferty''s face faded, and her expression became stern yet t. "Now then, with her out of the way for a bit I suppose that I should go check on our preparations. I heard from the dealers that a few new interesting specimens came in today." Her lips curved into a nasty grin before her expression returned to normal, and after a moment, she turned on her heels, reentered the Cathedral, and made her way back up to Hitomi''s room. The Cathedral was quiet thiste at night and the few servants and guards that she ran into merely gave her a nodding look or smiled and waived. As the favored servant of the Hero, Rafferty was basically untouchable and this left many to keep their distance, fearing upsetting her unintentionally.


    After entering Hitomi''s room, Rafferty walked up to therge painting of the four summoned Heroes that had been specially created to celebrate their victory and tapped it with her right knuckles. "It won''t be much longer..."


    *TING* *TING*


    As she tapped on the painting, the diamond ring on her marriage finger shone brightly for a moment as the painting warped and distorted revealing a purple magic circle within a small dark alcove. This area was created by Rafferty and only she and Hitomi were aware of whaty beyond.


    Stepping inside, Rafferty entered the circle and vanished a momentter in a sh of light, only to reappear in what looked like a dark cave with solely the light of torches to peel back the darkness.


    "I do wish that this ce wasn''t so cold." Rafferty shivered as a cold breeze washed over her. "But oh well, we won''t have use for this ce much longer anyway, so I can handle a bit of cold a little bit more." She slowly walked down the hallway, her straw sandals scratching the floor below as she did.


    <i>{It won''t be long now... Soon, all my preparations will beplete and the time for vengeance will be upon us!} </i>(Rafferty)


    Continuing down the dimly lit cave hallway, Rafferty eventually passed sets of iron bars, behind with were a variety of different people chained to the wall. Most were unconscious, with the few that were able to move or speak far too drugged up to do more than groan as she walked past their cells.


    "Most of the Spirits and the other trash that they bring me are far too weak for my liking, but I suppose it''s better than nothing." Rafferty said as she stopped in front of a cell that had a single girl chained to the wall. "Though that does mean that <i>you, </i>my little Oni, will be granted the honor of sacrificing yourself to free my masters." As the light flickered, one could catch small glimpses of the teenage girl that was chained up. She was an Oni like Superbia, and the unkempt ck hair on her head had grown so long that it draped onto the floor.


    <i>{I know that I promised Hitomi that I would avoid using this girl if possible, but why would I keep a promise with a fool like her? In the end it will not matter, for once my masters are free everything shall crumble beneath their wrath.} </i>(Rafferty)


    Spoiler


    Rafferty!


    ???


    [copse]

 Chapter 312 – The Vampire Empress.

    Chapter 312 ¨C The Vampire Empress.


    "And that about wraps everything up." Akagi yawned as she put her tablet on the table next to her. She''d spent most of the day in meetings with Nima or other n members in order to get thetest intel and had been reading over reports at an outdoor patio. Things were proceeding smoothly and Akagi was d that the Ninja seemed to have only gotten <i>better </i>at their job thanks to integrating with modern tech. "Looks like they''ve gotten back into the groove well." She smiled.


    <i>{We''re here two days, and they''ve already given me a breakdown of the political situation across the continent, assembled aprehensive list of assassination targets, and devised a path toward infiltration of various governments. Chloe, I see that you haven''t been cking on their training during this past year.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I suppose with all this information at my fingertips I''ll need to pick my targets and figure out the best way to start the copse of this house of cards." Akagi pulled a bottle of Ayakashi Sake from her inventory and poured it into a small cup. "What was that old saying by Hemmingway again? Gradually and then all at once." She giggled as she took a sip of the sake. "He was referring to Bankruptcy if I''m not mistaken, but the same idea applies here."


    <i>{Those Gods are going to panic as all their influence vanishes like dust in the wind. They''ve had it too good for too long, and it''s about time that somebody showed them that Gods aren''t at the top of the food chain.} </i>(Akagi)


    As she sat in silence and looked at the twin moons above, Akagi was eventually interrupted by Silfana, who came from one of the attached buildings. The Vampire was, naturally, a night owl even though she never actually had anything to fear from the sunlight due to her status as a high tier Vampire.


    "Must be nice, sitting under the clear sky and sipping alcohol while <i>we</i> do all the heavy lifting." Silfana chuckled as she walked up along side the <i>Demon</i>.


    "What can I say? It''s the perks of being the Demon Lord." Akagi gave an overly dramatic shrug as she offered Silfana a seat. ¡°Besides, didn''t <i>you </i>do the same thing when you were running the show?¡± Sheughed.


    "Perhaps just a little.¡± Silfana chuckled as she took a seat. ¡°But ya know, I always knew that the Ondai n were incredible ninjas, but to see just how <i>efficient</i> they are..." She sighed as Akagi poured her a cup. "It makes me d that I never angered them. Otherwise, I might''ve found my head taken from my body a lot sooner than it happened in reality!¡±


    "They were born and bred for this kind of thing." Akagi said as she slid a cup of sake over to Silfana, who happily drank it. "But while I won''t deny that they were good back when I crushed them,pared to now... Well, let''s just say that their rate of improvement is <i>astronomical</i>." She smirked. ¡°These crazy bastards have made me proud with how much they''ve grown.¡±


    "I''d imagine being supercharged with Demon Lord power helped a bit?" Silfanamented as Akagi pulled out and lit her Kiseru. "Having the ability to go wherever you want definitely helps with intel gathering." The Ninjas'' shadow magic was incredibly strong and it required <i>extremely </i>powerful wards to stop, and even then it was only a matter of time until they got in.


    "And the funny thing is that I only took that power share skill because I had nothing else to do with that branch of the tree!" Akagiughed. "In game, the buffs it gave were so paltry that they may as well not have mattered, but I suppose that''s what happens when you give even a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a percentage of my power to mortals." She chuckled as she took a hit of her Kiseru.


    <i>{That''s a fucking understatement...} </i>(Silfana)


    "Any chance you could swing some of that power my way?" Silfana asked as she took a sip of her drink.


    "Oh, is the Lord of Vampires not satisfied with what she has?" Akagi asked.


    "I still need to beat Hishya, so <em>no</em>." Silfana answered tly. "And at the rate things are going, I''ll never be able topete with that stupid Dragon." Her grip on her cup tightened for a split second, which Akagi noticed.


    <i>{Interesting...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Well, I''m sorry to disappoint you but I''m unable to grant that specific power to others, at least via that skill." Akagi exined that without the follower window that was avable in FWO, she couldn''t add or remove the passive skill from other people. "You aren''t the first person to ask me about that, and I would''ve given it to Kana and the girls if I could."


    <i>{Strangely enough Mika was the first to ask me about it. I think that was just after she became a Magical Girl for the first time.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Then what about Zephiria? You made her your Warlock, so why not do that to me?" Silfana''s eyes snapped to Akagi as she finished her sake. "I''m already your servant, so why not grant me that kind of power?" She figured that it would be nothing but a boon to the <i>Demon, </i>since it would make Silfana nearly unrivaled in terms of fighting power.


    "Why... Why indeed." Akagi said as she took a sip and looked into the sky. ¡°That''s a good question, Vampire.¡±


    "Do you not trust me? Is that it?" Silfana asked, not hurt but curious.


    "Trust... To be entirely honest, I don''t <i>distrust </i>you at the very least." Akagi answered her truthfully. ¡°So that''s got to be a good sign, right?¡±


    "And yet you''ve got Zephiria hanging about with orders to liquidate me if I try anything funny." Silfana pped back. She''d long since figured out what was going on, but wasn''t angry.


    <i>{I''d do the same thing in her position...} </i>(Silfana)


    "Did she tell you that?" Akagiughed. "That stupid girl. She can never keep her mouth shut."


    "It wasn''t hard to tell. I''m well aware that most of the yers harbor <i>negative</i> feelings toward me." Silfana answered. She''d killed many of the surviving yer''s friends in FWO. Though technically, as a <i>copy</i> of the original Silfana, the Vampire sitting in front of Akagi had never actually done anything wrong, though Silfana was not aware of this fact as Akagi had a standing order which sealed the mouths of those who knew that information under the penalty of eternity in the Happy Farm. "So I asked her about it outright and that stupid Warlock confirmed that she''d been given orders to end me if I did anything."


    "Can you me me?" Akagi asked as she took a hit from her Kiseru.


    "No... I can''t..." Silfana sighed as she requested another cup of sake, which she was given. "Hell, thinking about it bringing me at <i>all </i>was risky. What if I''d gone rogue and destroyed that transporter while you were away? Even if I was killed and/or sucked into hell for all eternity, that would certainly be a pretty big middle finger to you." If the situations were reversed, Silfana would''ve never taken that kind of risk. "So why even bring me at all?"


    <i>{Is she testing me? It seems logical but Akagi is NOT a person who takes risks like that, so why would she do something like this?} </i>(Silfana)


    "Trust, but verify." Akagi said as she ced her Kiseru down on the table. "Or in other words, I''m giving you the rope, and I''m waiting to see if you hang yourself." She poured another cup.


    "So this <i>is</i> a test?" Silfana asked as she took a sip. "You want to see if I''m going to turn on you?"


    <i>{But doesn''t tell me thatpletely undermines the point of such a test?!? Since I know that you''ve got eyes on me, I''m sure as hell not going to try anything even if I was nning to!} </i>(Silfana)


    "Nah." Akagi waved her hand. "To be honest, I''m not actually worried that you''re going to turn on me."


    "Think I''m too afraid to try?" Silfana scoffed, though she would freely admit that it was true.


    "Well, that''s part of it, yes." Akagiughed before taking a sip of her Sake. "But the primary reason I don''t think you''ll turn is because of what I saw in your eyes that day." She said as she looked up into the dark sky. ¡°And what I saw... It told me that I''ve got nothing to worry about from you.¡±


    "My eyes?" Silfana furrowed her brows, not understanding the <i>Demon''s </i>words. "What could you have possibly seen that made you so sure that I''d never turn on you?" She recalled her exasperation at the <i>Demon''s </i>desire for peace, and Silfana was genuinely interested in seeing what Akagi did in the future. But she couldn''t figure out what Akagi was talking about here.


    <i>{What from my eyes or expression could''ve given her such assurances? She knows full well what kind of person I really am, so how could she-} </i>(Silfana)


    "You still wish to <i>rule</i>." Akagi''s words mmed into Silfana like a tide of water, and her entire body became tense. "Despite your seeming <i>contentedness</i> with the status quo, I can tell that you see me as a way to get what you''ve always craved, Vampire." She leaned in closer to Silfana, her eyes seeming to stare into Silfana''s very soul. "And you know, I don''t mind granting your <i><b>wish</b></i>." She chuckled.


    <i>{So... So this is what people mean when they say Demons are seductive... My... My mind feels like mush...} </i>(Silfana)


    "I know that you won''t betray me because I''m the only person who can give you what you truly want, Silfana." Akagi''s lips curved into a nasty grin. "I''m a Demon Lord, a being that can snap her fingers..."


    *SNAP*


    "And change <i>everything</i>." Akagi continued to grin. ¡°And you are <i>well </i>aware of that fact.¡±


    "I... I..." Silfana gulped, but found little saliva in her mouth. "I was born to rule... And it''s all I''ve ever wanted..."


    <i>{Its... That was the reason why I waged war for centuries...} </i>(Silfana)


    "Indeed." Akagi''s grin faded, her face going t. "You were born as Heir to the Imperial Throne, raised to be Empress, only to have that stolen away from you by fools too idiotic to realize your genius." She continued. " So instead of having your Empire, you ruled a nation of monsters, but you were never satisfied by something so <i>petty</i>.¡± She smirked.¡± You, Silfana, <i>you </i>wanted to reim the throne that was yours by birthright, the one that was stolen from you..."


    "But that throne is gone!" Silfana stood up and yelled, her palms mming onto the table, shaking it. "The Empire is no more! It was destroyed along with everything else from that world!" She bit her lip in frustration. "Even with all your power, I can never reim what was stolen from me!"


    <i>{Its all gone! Destroyed! No matter what I do now... No matter what I do now... I cannot get back what was taken from me...} </i>(Silfana)


    "You are correct. Even with all my power, restoring the destroyed world of FWO is simply <i>impossible</i>." Akagi locked eyes with Silfana. "But there''s something within my reach that I think will make a good <i>constion </i>prize." She let out a slightly <i>Demonic </iugh.


    "Constion... Prize?" Silfana parroted the words back at the <i>Demon, </i>confused.


    "Silfana Tildeshide." Akagi spoke her full name, which caused the Vampire to flinch. "<i><b>How would you like to be Empress?</b></i>" Her voice distorted and Silfana could feel a chill wash down her body until her very soul felt like it was being gripped by a great darkness.


    "E-Empress?" Silfana said quietly, her mind registering the words but not processing them.


    "The Empire, here on Enoris, was the foundation upon which the Empire in FWO was built." Akagi exined how Enoris was used to create parts of FWO, at least on a foundational level. "So when you think about it, <i>this </i>is your true birthright is it not? The Tildeshide Empire of FWO was nothing more than a pale imitation of the original, so wouldn''t one as Noble as you be better suited to ruling the <i>real deal?</i>"


    <i>{Why take the knock off when you can have the original?} </i>(Akagi)


    At that moment, Silfana''s mind was flooded with memories of her time in the Empire, long before she became a Vampire. All she''d ever wanted was to rule her nation and lead it to glory, but such a future never came to pass. She was exiled, purged from family records, and treated as nothing more than a <i>monster</i>. By the time of the Battle of Hassan, Silfana''s hatred for those who scorned her had bled into everything she did, and there was a very real chance that victory that day would have precipitated mass death and ughter at her hand.


    "I... I don''t..." Silfana stammered. Such an offer waspletely unexpected, and her mind was inplete chaos as she tried to figure out what she wanted. On one hand, her ego screamed at her to take the offer, but her Noble blood told her that she was born to rule the Empire that she was born into and nothing else.


    However, the <i>Demon </i>expected this, and seeing this inner conflict, Akagi decided to toss one more piece of fuel onto the fire.


    "Think of it this way, Silfana." Akagi stood up, meeting the visibly shaking Silfana''s eyes. "You were born to rule the Empire, but I don''t think the Empire in question was actually the one from FWO." She continued, Silfana pausing her inner thoughts to listen to the <i>Demon''s </i>words. "Why else would <i>you </i>and you <i>alone </i>be saved from that world''s destruction?" The <i>Demon''s </i>seemingly<i> </i>nonsensical statement was partially based on information that she knew about Silfana from her in-game lore, and from the look in Silfana''s eyes, Akagi could tell that it was working. "Silfana." Akagi walked over and put her arm on the Vampire''s shoulder. "<i><b>This is your chance to im your birthright. To take the throne that was always yours." </b></i>She allowed her voice to distort again. <i><b>"So what do you say? Do you want to be Empress, Silfana?"</b></i>


    "I... I..." Silfana''s mind raced until an image of her mother shed through her mind. The kind woman raised her with great care and instilled in her a sense of duty as the next Empress. She was probably the only person in Silfana''s life who ever showed her true kindness, and her unexpected passing was the catalyst that drove Silfana to be a Vampire.


    <i>{Mom... Is this what you meant when you told me that I''d need to endure great hardship before ascending to the throne I was born for? Did you know something about the future that was toe? Did... Did you foresee all of this with your power?} </i>(Silfana)


    Making up her mind, Silfana took a deep breath and calmed down. "Akagi, please help me im my birthright!" Her eyes were aze with a renewed me, one that Akagi wagered hadn''t been this bright in a thousand years.


    <i><b>"So you have asked, and so it shall be." </b></i>Akagiughed demonically, her honeyed words finding a very receptive fly.


    Akagi was not above manipting her own subordinates, and in this case she was more than happy to abuse some of Silfana''s FWO backstory to direct her to a usible, albeit <i>wrong </i>conclusion about what her mother meant with her words. What thete Empress-Consort truly meant in her prophetic sounding words to her daughter was something that not even Akagi knew, but the truth was unimportant. For as long as Silfana believed that her Mother''s Divination ability had seen <i>this </i>future, that was all that mattered to the <i>Demon</i>.

 Chapter 313 – Are Austrians Germans?

    Chapter 313 ¨C Are Austrians Germans?


    "Does anyone else feel that it''s strange to be walking around a town like this, <i>again</i>?" Elna looked between her fellow ck Company members. The five of them were casually moving down one of the main gray stone brick roads in Riftwood, and it reminded the Elf of a few other ces that she''d been before. "It''s like we''re back in FWO again..."


    <i>{I''d say its got that fantasy look to it but is it really ''fantasy'' anymore?} </i>(Elna)


    "I won''t deny that it feels a <i>bit</i> nostalgic to romp around a ce like this." Roxlex nodded. "Though I suppose that''srgely because FWO was based on this world, so it makes sense that there''s some simr elements even beyond the usual fantasy tropes." The five of them continued down the main street of Riftwood, the Capital of the Kingdom of Amdamell. They''d been brought over to Enoris per Akagi''s orders and were currently tasked with assessing the situation within the United City State Alliance. As thergest partner within said Confederation, Riftwood was its de-facto Capital, and Amdamell''s Royal Family and Nobility held a great deal of power within the Alliance,rgely because it had the most poption.


    "This ce definitely has that Medieval Germany vibe going on." Sabiamented as they walked past dozens of different food stalls. "I swear if we see somebody eating Schnitzel, I''m going to facepalm..."


    "Isn''t that technically an Austrian food?" Merkyul asked. He recalled reading something about that in an international magazine once.


    "German, Austrian, it''s the same, isn''t it?" Sabia shrugged.


    "I''d advise never setting foot in <i>either </i>and saying that if you want to keep your head." Hitamaguchi spoke up. "My grandmother would''ve skinned you alive for saying that Austrians were Germans." She was actually half Austrian as her father had settled down in Japan after meeting her mother during a business trip.


    "Your grandmother always sounds like some kind of terrifying woman in the stories you tell about her." Roxlex gave a nervousugh.


    "Dude, she was the daughter of a Gebirgsj?ger Division member who routinely went on hikes into the Alps with her father when she was just a child." Hitamaguchi smiled as she recalled herte grandmother. The two had been close, and Hitamaguchi had always enjoyed hearing stories of the old country. "She was one bad bitch! I remember the time that she wrestled a bear on her own!"


    <i>{She ended up turning the thing into that badass rug in her log cabin!} </i>(Hitamaguchi)


    "I still find that hard to believe." Elna rolled her eyes.


    "Listen, I saw it <i>myself </i>and still don''t believe it!" Hitamaguchiughed, understanding just how crazy of a woman her grandmother was. ¡°But I can assure you that she was the real deal!¡±


    "That must be why you''re such a stubborn woman." Merkyulughed. "Though there''s probably no woman more stubborn than Sabia here!" Heughed before getting pinched in the side by his sister. ¡°YOW!¡±


    "Enough pointless chatter and useless discussion about people''s badass German grandmas..." Sabia sighed as she tried to get things back on track. "Lady Akagi has tasked us with handling Amdamell, and that''s what we''re going to do. This isn''t a sightseeing trip, and we''ve got work to do, soe on."


    "Hey, there''s no reason we can''t mix business and pleasure." Elna snorted.


    "She''s not wrong, and I won''t deny that checking out local cuisine sounds interesting." Roxlex was actually quite an aplished chef, and he''d toured Europe''s best restaurants during his studies. ¡°Perhaps I''ll find a good inspiration for our meals? I know you all would love something better to eat everyday.¡±


    "Rox, don''t give into Elna''s stupidity." Sabia sighed, though she couldn''t deny that better food wouldn''t make her happy on deployment.


    "Oh,e on, or are you telling me that Akagi''s brainwashing turned you into nothing more than her mindless little drone?" Elna smirked, teasing the fox about her position. ¡°Can you not think for yourself? Is your mind filled with little more than blind love for your kitty overlord?¡±


    "Hah! Even with all of Lady Akagi''s power, she could never erase the pain in the ass that is Sabia!" Hitamaguchi snickered. ¡°Though its entirely possible that we''ve been hearing MEW on loop in our brains for thesest few months.¡±


    <i>{God I hope that''s a joke...} </i>(Elna)


    "Ignoring all that, I think we can swing a bit of fun while we''re here, Sis." Merkyul looked over at Sabia with a toothy smile. "We won''t do anything to endanger our mission, and Elna''s right that having a bit of fun won''t hurt."


    ¡°Yeah,e on.¡± Hitamaguchi pleaded.


    After being subjected to the rest of her team''s unrelenting stares, Sabia finally relented. "Fine..." She sighed, not having the energy to debate them any longer. "But if I need to report <i>any</i> failures or problems to Lady Akagi, then it''s <i>your</i> asses that will be on the line, not mine."


    "Woo!" (Elna x Merkyul x Hitamaguchi x Roxlex)


    <i>{Fucking children...} </i>(Sabia)


    "Then, first things first, we''re getting some grub!" Merkyulughed as they continued down the street together. "We can gather a bit of intel while we eat since I''d imagine that rumors and such spread around these ces like wildfire." He figured that billing it as a working lunch would solve all Akagi rted issues.


    After continuing along Riftwood''s main road for some time and asking around for good ces to eat lunch, theynded in front of a restaurant called the Smoked Pig. It had an interesting exterior, with arge metal boar dressed up as a silly mascot next to the main entrance.


    "What an interesting name." Elna rolled her eyes as they went inside. It was a bit more than just a fantasy restaurant and had all kinds pork dishes and there were a few more cutely made boars inside as decorations.


    "Well, at least we won''t be eating cold soup and hard bread by the looks of it." Merkyul said as they took their seats.


    "Though I wouldn''t expect five-star dining." Roxlex pointed to the meal that somebody else was eating that looked like a heavy stew.


    <i>{That meat is horribly overcooked, and the bread seems to be hastily made. I''d definitely give that a failing grade</i> <i>if one of my old students served it.</i>} (Roxlex)


    "Hey, no matter how bad it looks, it can''t be worse than FWO food." Elnamented as she looked at the paper menu that was on the table. ¡°You''d probably have to <i>try </i>to make food that horrible.¡±


    "I don''t think I''d count most of that as <i>food</i>." Hitamaguchi shuddered as she recalled some of the poor-tasting dishes.


    <i>{Fucking shit tasted like stic!} </i>(Hitamaguchi)


    "Maybe the booze will be decent?" Merkyul noted that most of the drinks seemed to be made with honey. ¡°It can''t be that hard to make good alcohol.¡±


    "If it''s mead, then it will probably be extremely thick and sweet." Hitamaguchimented, she enjoyed that kind of drink herself, but knew that it wasn''t for everyone. "But I think it should be fine."


    After looking over the menu and ordering, the five members of ck Company were pleasantly surprised with their meals. While it wasn''t spectacr food, it was far better than expected. Hitamaguchi was especially a fan of the honey mead that she ordered, stating that it was easily as good as the stuff her grandparents would send her from back home.


    "Not bad, not bad at all." Roxlex said as he stretched in his seat. "I''ve had far better, but I''ve also had far worse. So I''ll give it a pass, and maybe I can give them a few pointers to make that smoked sausage taste better." Heughed.


    "Alright there, <i>Mythril Chef</i>, calm down." Sabia rolled her eyes. "We''re not here to judge them on how they cook, we''re here to gather intel." She had a feeling that Roxlex would forget himself and do exactly that.


    "Which is exactly what I just did." Merkyul quickly took his seat. He''d paid the bill at the front counter and was speaking with the barkeep to gather information while they finished up.


    "So, anything useful?" Sabia''s eyes sharped, as did Roxlex and Hitamaguchi''s.


    "Apparently, the Empire''s Hero Kanato came through this very restaurant yesterday." Merkyul clicked his tongue.


    "Damn, and we were so close to capturing one of our primary targets." Sabia grumbled. "Do we have any idea where he went?" They''d been told to apprehend any of the Heroes they found, and missing one like that was irritating.


    "The barkeep said that Kanato mentioned going North, but that was it." Merkyul shook his head. ¡°As for where exactly he was heading, I''ve got no idea.¡±


    "He didn''t stay in Amadamell?" Roxlex hummed. "I would''ve figured that he''d stick around here in the Capital since it was the ce that Shiroe Amakusa was summoned.¡± He figured that would be some ce safe for him, especially if he was hoping to recover after their failure and regroup.


    "I would imagine that he checked with the Pce, and when he was told that Shiroe wasn''t here, he decided to leave." Sabiamented. She knew that the four Heroes were good friends, and that Kanato as its leader would be worried about the fate of the Amakusa who was left behind.


    "Do you want me to go after him?" Elna said as she chugged her drink and mmed down the mug. "Hero or not, he can''t be faster than me if I start using my Wind Magic. I''ll drag his pretty boy ass back here and then we can take a few cracks at him."


    "Letting you out of our sight isn''t happening." Merkyul retorted. "Unlike <i>us, </i>your loyalty to Lady Akagi is in question." He had no interest in letting Elna go off on her own, understanding that she was just as liable to get into trouble or even go into the wind if they seperated.


    "Hey, I''m not stupid enough to go angering you know who!" Elna nearly shouted and had to stop herself from causing a scene. "I saw that fucking darkness, and I''m not about to go giving her any reason to chuck me back in!"


    <i>(FUCK THAT!) </i>(Elna)


    "You''re afraid of Lady Akagi, rightfully so I may add, but at the moment we''ve got no reason to trust that you wouldn''t vanish the moment we let you run off." Merkyul continued. "Thest thing we need is for you to start getting any ideas, Elna. Since I could easily imagine a scenario where one of those Gods offers to ''protect you'' if you hand over crucial information."


    <i>{It would be a ssic story beat, and one that would end very poorly for our little fool.} </i>(Merkyul)


    "I''m pretty sure that you know who put a muzzle on me anyway!" Elna had been bound to Akagi via some kind of tampering with her soul, and she figured that betrayal would instantly result in her doom. "I''m no threat!"


    "Trust is <i>earned </i>Elna, and with your track record, it''s going to take some time to build it up." Hitamaguchimented. "We need to know that you''repletely dedicated to Team Dumetor before we give you a bit of rope to hang yourself with."


    "Says the four idiots who went rogue on us and attacked Akagi''spound, which I might add, gave Akagi the perfect excuse toe down on us <i>hard</i>." Elna scoffed at her. "I hope all of Akagi''s mind fuckery hasn''t made you <i>forget </i>that you were all part of Libra with me and that you were all gung-ho to take her head! So you idiots don''t have the right to go calling me out like that!"


    "No, we haven''t forgotten about our past actions." Roxlex shook his head. "It''s just that we''vee to regret them, and we now dedicate our lives to serving the one we dared to raise our des to."


    <i>{ONLY BECAUSE SHE FUCKING BRAINWASHED YOU! THE ROX AND CO THAT I KNEW ALL THIS TIME WOULD NEVER SAY ANY OF THIS CRAP!} </i>(Elna)


    "But enough wasting time." Merkyul stood up. "Right now, our orders are to handle Amdamell, <i>not</i> chase after the Hero. I see no reason for us to split up, and I''m sure that Chloe and the ninja will find him soon enough."


    "So what''s our next move?" Sabia asked her brother as the five of them walked back out onto the street.


    "Well, let''s see if we can''t <i>convince </i>the Amdamell leadership to y ball." Merkyul''s lips curled into a nasty smile. "After all, this <i>is </i>Operation Carrot and Stick, so we should at least give them the courtesy of a warning before we crack down on them." Heughed, as did the other original members of ck Company. All the while, Elna stayed silent, her head ced firmly in her hands.


    <i>{I think Akagi''s brainwashing only made these four even MORE fucked in the head...} </i>(Elna)

 Chapter 314 – The Ultimatum.

    Chapter 314 ¨C The Ultimatum.


    "Shiroe, please be safe..." Princess Feline cupped her hand in prayer as she knelt before a small shrine in her room. It waste at night, and for whatever reason she felt like asking the Gods to keep her friend safe. Ever since the Heroes had gone off on their journey to finish the Spirits off for good, she''d had a horrible feeling in her gut, and a few days prior, that feeling had been confirmed when she''d discussed the situation with Kanato.


    <i>{You were left behind... Oh, Shiroe... I''m sorry... I''m sorry that I asked you to do this...} </i>(Feline)


    "I''ve done nothing but cause her pain... I''m a horrible friend..." Feline knelt in front of her shrine for a while until a voice came from behind her, causing her to jump.


    "You can''t be the worst friend if she asked us to leave you alone." Merkyul said as he leaned against the wall next to Feline''s door, with the rest of ck Company taking up various positions in the room.


    "Oh, damn. So this is a Princesses'' bed?" Elna flopped onto the fluffy sheets. "Oh, hell yeah! This is great! Think we can get these back at the barracks?" She asked Sabia, who just rolled her eyes.


    <i>{Ohe on, they''re fluffy as fuck!} </i>(Elna)


    "W-Who are you?!?" Feline was about to scream for her guards, but Roxlex slipped behind her and put a knife to her throat.


    "I''d advise against raising your voice, your Highness. Lest we <i>skip</i> the negotiation part of our mission and jump straight to <i>destruction</i>." Roxlex cautioned her against doing anything stupid, pushing his knife a bit closer.


    Seeing no way out of the situation, Feline nodded. "Who are you, and what do you want?" She figured that they were either assassins or a group sent on behalf of a powerful faction within either the Alliance or the Confederacy.


    <i>{If they want to negotiate, then I doubt they''re part of the Empire. Those bastards tend to be the kill first, ask questions never kind of people.} </i>(Feline)


    "Please allow me to introduce myself, Princess. My name is Merkyul, and I''m the leader of this illustrious band of Misfits that our merciful Lord has given the name of ck Company." Merkyul introduced himself with a formal tone and a polite bow, which caused Sabia to roll her eyes. "And as for why we''re here? Well, you have your little Samurai friend to thank for that." She smirked.


    "Shiroe?!?" Felnie yelled. "Where is she? What have you done with her?!?"


    "I''d love to tell you that she''s safe and sound, but that would be a massive life." Sabia chuckled. "But don''t worry, Shiroe Amakusa has taken well to her newfound role as our master''s <i>pet.</i>¡±


    "Know that the Gods nor <i>I </i>will tolerate even a single hair on her head being harmed!" Feline growled. ¡°So you''d best release her now while you still can.¡±


    "Cute, she still thinks the Gods of this world give a fuck about the <i>pet.</i>" Hitamaguchiughed as she riffled through some of the drawers in Feline''s desk, taking a liking to a ruby broach and snatching it away into her inventory.


    "Now, Now. Don''t goughing at her like that. It''s not like the Princess has any way to know that those Gods are a bunch of lying scumbags." Merkyul shrugged. "But getting back to Shiroe, our master has taken her prisoner, and she is currently with her at the moment, and Shiroe''s been an incredibly useful source of information on your world." He said.


    "Shiroe would <i>never</i> betray us." Feline red at him. "No matter our differences she''d never sell us out. I can guarantee that!" Her words made her sound as if she waspletely sure of herself, but deep inside she thought that if Amakusa was given the chance to find Alm, that she''d probably stab everyone in the back in a heartbeat.


    "Well, it doesn''t really matter what you think anyway." Merkyul said as he slowly walked over to her, motioning to Roxlex to release her. "All that you need to care about right now is that our master has sent us here with a <i>demand</i>. One that I''d advise youply with."


    "A demand?" Feline repeated his words back at him slowly, taking a moment to allow what he was saying to set in beforeughing on reflex. "Hah! If you''re here to request a ransom for Shiroe, then I''m afraid that you''vee to the wrong Royal. My brother is Heir to the throne, and despite my recently increased status I''m still rather powerless when ites to political decisions." She held a great deal of soft power and influence, but if Amakusa really was being held captive, then she doubted that the Kingdom would do much to help her.


    <i>{Brother and Father have little interest in her now that the war is done, and the fact that our rtionship with her is already poor means that I doubt they''d be willing to make any real concessions to recover her.} </i>(Feline)


    "I''d say that you''re <i>wrong </i>to say that you''re the wrong person to speak to here." Merkyul grinned. "In fact, it was Shiroe <i>herself </i>who rmended that we go over the other Royalty''s heads and speak to you directly."


    "Shiroe did?" Feline was now even more confused, not understanding why Shiroe would have them go to her. "I suppose that was because she was hoping our friendship would be of some use, but I''m sorry, there''s nothing I can do. I''m just a figurehead Princess with a bit of influence. At best, I might be able to act as a negotiator between your master and my Father, but that''s it."


    <i>{There is a faction of Nobles who want me to seed to the throne in Albert''s ce, but I''ve no interest in starting a dispute like that. It would do nothing but leave us vulnerable to the Empire at a time when war with them is looking ever increasingly likely.} </i>(Feline)


    "Actually, we''re not here to negotiate a ransom for your little friend." Merkyul replied, confusing Feline even further. "Shiroe Amakusa is being held by our master for a variety of reasons, but chief among them is because that idiot is a criminal and will eventually be judged for her actions."


    "Criminal? What nonsense are you talking about?" Feline was nowpletely lost.


    <i>{What could she have done? Or is this just some pretext for attacks?} </i>(Feline)


    "The massacre of the Spirits." Sabia answered from across the room.


    "I see... So I take it that you and your master are part of one of those underground organizations that seeks revenge for their destruction?" Feline had heard of such groups before but had never seen them herself.


    "No." Merkyul shook his head. "Think about it, Shiroe Amakusa was captured <i>after </i>the Hero''s little invasion of our homeworld. So how could any organization from <i>this </i>world have gotten ahold of her?"


    <i>{Wait... Shiroe and the others... Then that would mean...} </i>(Feline)


    "You''re from the world that Shiroe and the others were sent to." Feline finally put things together. "Kanato told me that the four of them were defeated, but he avoided answering my questions about how."


    <i>{He seemed deadset on skipping that topic.} </i>(Feline)


    "Bingo!" Elnaughed from the bed, hugging a pillow. "It took you long enough, Princess."


    "So then, that means that you four were sent by the one who defeated the Heroes, am I right?" Feline''s mind raced as she tried to figure out their goals, but came up with nothing.


    "Indeed." Merkyul''s lips curved into a nasty smirk. "We were sent on behalf of Demon Lord Akagi Dumetor." His use of the term Demon Lord caused a jolt to shoot through Feline''s body. She knew well the stories of Vikes and his destruction, and the thought that <i>another </i>such being was on the loose horrified her.


    "D-Demon Lord..." Feline''s face paled and her breathing became slightly erratic. "T-That''s not..."


    "Oh, I assure you that Akagi is <i>very</i> real." Elna gave a nervousugh. "She basically owns our entire world already, so you can imagine how angry she was when those Gods decided to try and stick their fingers in the proverbial pie."


    "Not basically, she <i>does</i>." Hitamaguchi corrected Elna. "Lady Akagi owns everyone and everything on Earth, including the stars above."


    "Ah, that''s right, sorry. I forgot that I had a barcode printed on my ass." Elna rolled her eyes.


    "That would be a fitting tattoo for you." Sabia snickered.


    "Go fuck yourself." Elna grumbled.


    <i>{Though now that I''ve said it, what happens to that phrase once Daikaelpletes her project?} </i>(Elna)


    "S-So if it''s not a ransom that you w-want, then what does this Demon Lord A-Akagi seek from me?" Feline still couldn''t wrap her head around this part. If a Demon Lord truly did have its sights set on this world, then what use could she be as the Second Princess?


    "Simple." Merkyul said, pausing for dramatic effect. "Our Lord merely wants you to turn over every single Spirit within the Kingdom of Amdamell to our custody. That''s all."


    <i>{I love how he makes it sound so nice and easy and simple, even though its clearly not...} </i>(Elna)


    "You... She wants the Spirits?" Feline still didn''t understand what was going on. ¡°Why would a Demon Lord-¡±


    "They are my Lady''s subjects, and she will not tolerate their envement any longer." Merkyul answered, cutting her off.


    <i>{SUBJECTS?!?} </i>(Feline)


    "I would heavily advise turning them over, lest this city be a smoking crater." Elnamented. "Akagi isn''t usually one to take being denied well, and she''s got more than enough firepower to make your life a living hell if you stand in her way."


    "I... You''re still talking to the wrong person!" Feline raised her voice slightly. "I do not have the authority to make such concessions! Only my Father couldmand their release, and I can assure you that he''d sooner <i>die </i>thanply with such demands!" That they were bringing these demands made no sense to her, as there was no possible way that she could make them happen, even if she wanted to.


    <i>{The Spirits were ordered destroyed and enved by Divine decree! There''s no way that anyone is going to go against the Gods!} </i>(Feline)


    "Oh, and we''re betting on that." Merkyulughed as he pat Feline on the head. "We''re just here to give you a heads up and allow you the chance to convince the higher-ups toply. Our master fully expects that you''ll resist and then, well..." He held up his hand and channeled a small dark me. "Then we can show the rest of this world what the <i>Stick </i>part of the operation looks like." He gave a nastyugh that made Feline''s skin crawl.


    <i>{They... They want to make an example of us... I... What do I even do in this situation?!?} </i>(Feline)


    "We''ll give youuuuu, let''s say a week to figure things out." Merkyul slowly backed away as Roxlex let the Princess go. "So please do try your best to meet our master''s demand, though we won''t be disappointed if you fail." He winked as the five members of ck Company vanished as ck shadows swallowed them up, and once they''d left the room, Feline fell to the floor, shaking.


    "S-Shiroe... What... What''s happening?!?" Feline sat on the floor, shaking, for the rest of the night. Her mind raced as she tried toprehend Merkyul''s words, the Princess''s pounding gut telling her that the nightmare had only just begun.


    <Chloe POV>


    ¡°Hrm...¡± Chloe stood atop a tall building within the cold and damp City of Northwind, pondering her next move. It was a rather different ce than the Demon Kingdom or the Empire, and it reminded the Cat of a few of therger cities within FWO, though with more wooden buildings than average. ¡°Myaster told me to look into cultivating a grassrootswork of informants, nya. But I have no idea where to even start...¡± She''d heard rumors of both a thief and assassin guild within the windy city, but had yet to find any sign of them.


    <i>{I suppose that means they''re decent at the very least.} </i>(Chloe)


    ¡°Oh well, I''ll keep looking, nya.¡± Chloe hopped down to street level, sshing in a puddle. ¡°Great...¡±


    <i>{An icky puddle in a cold city...} </i>(Chloe)


    ¡°It might be best if I searched the sewers, that was always the ce to hide in the Empire.¡± Chloe thought about her best path forward as she walked down the street until a young girl bumped into her.


    ¡°Sorry!¡± The brown haired Rabbitkin apologized before attempting to move past her.


    ¡°Wait just a minute, nya!¡± Chloe tied the girl up with her strings, causing her to panic. ¡°Did you really think that you could steal from <i>me</i> that easily?¡± Sheughed.


    ¡°Wahahahaha!¡± The rabbit-girl started crying as Chloe walked up to her. ¡°I...I''m sorry!¡± She dropped the pouch that she''d snatched. ¡°I... I just needed food...¡±


    ¡°Well you would''ve gone hungry if you tried to pay with these, nya.¡± Chloe bent over and picked up the bag, turning it upside down and dumping out its contents onto the ground.


    *TINK* *TINK* *TINK* *TINK*


    ¡°Eh?!?¡± The rabbit-girl squeaked as she realized that the only thing in the pouch that she''d nabbed was rocks. ¡°Rocks?!? Why are you carrying those on you like that?!?¡±


    ¡°To lure out sneaky little thieves like you.¡± Chloe smirked before learning in close to the girl''s face. ¡°Now, how about you tell me where the others are?¡±

 Chapter 315 – Akagi’s Game.

    Chapter 315 ¨C Akagi¡¯s Game.


    *CLACK* *CLICK* *THUNK*


    "And that''s checkmate, riel." Akagi said smugly as she defeated the visibly angry Goddess at chess with a spectacr turn around. "That makes 79 times in a row. Care to try again? Or perhaps we should try a different game? Shogi and Go are great!"


    <i>{Too bad she doesn''t know how to y video games, otherwise I''d get her to face me in Gctic Wars and watch as her entire fleet gets reduced to g.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Stupid Demon Lord..." riel grumbled as she gazed down at the board, checking to make sure that Akagi really had won. "How can I lose that many times consecutively?!? I should''ve at least had you once during all these matches!"


    <i>{She cheated, didn''t she?!? There''s no way you win against me 79 times in a row otherwise!} </i>(riel)


    "I''m just that good at games, I guess." Akagi said while sporting a shit-eating grin, knowing full well that the deck was stacked <i>massively </i>in her favor due to her calction ability. "That you areughably predictable has nothing to do with your defeats, I assure you."


    <i>{Taking the best possible options at all times means that you''re easy to read, and I don''t even need to break out the high-tier calction power to sweep you aside.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I <i>will</i> defeat you! I''ve been ying these kinds of games longer than you can imagine, so just you wait, Demon Lord!" riel''s eyes burned with a hot fire that was soon doused as Akagi proceeded to <i>crush</i> her in Shogi, Chess, Poker, and around a dozen other games throughout the afternoon.


    *SLAM* *BANG* *SMACK*


    "HOW?!? HOW DO I LOSE SO MANY TIMES IN A ROW?!?" riel''s frustration erupted as she pounded the poor, defenseless table. "AND THAT STUPID BOAT GAME SHOULD BE LUCK! SO HOW CAN YOU KEEP WINNING?!?" She seethed at her inability to win <i>once </i>against the <i>Demon</i>.


    "You know, its good for you that we didn''t bet anything on these games!" Akagiughed as she imagined something akin to strip poker rules being enforced against the Goddess. "And now you know why I''m banned from basically every game shop and casino in Kyoto!" She snickered.


    <i>{Kana always did wonder how I paid for my things, and I never had the heart to tell her that it was from illegal gambling. Part-time jobs were not for me, but taking old people''s retirement money through high stakes bets, THAT was where it was at.} </i>(Akagi)


    "You <i>must''ve</i> cheated! There''s no way you beat me all those times, especially not at card games!" riel was still angry. ¡°So juste clean! What kind of foul magic did you use against me?!?¡±


    <i>{That card game where you get 21 or bust is pure luck, and yet you always beat me!} </i>(riel)


    "No cheating, but I''ll let you in on a wee secret." Akagi leaned in slightly. "You can count cards." Sheughed as she exined the concept and how it worked


    "ISN''T THAT CHEATING?!?" riel growled, feeling like it was defiantly agaisnt some kind of rule.


    "Nope! Just very frowned upon in casinos!" Akagiughed as riel continued toin about her unfair use of math to win games of luck.


    "What the hell is all the noise out here..." Amakusa said as she slowly stumbled toward them, her hair aplete mess, and her fluffy ears bent in opposite directions. "Do you people have any idea what time it is? Some of us are trying to sleep..." She yawned as she walked up to their table, half-asleep.


    "I <i>think </i>it''s like 2 pm." Akagi checked the time on her non-existent watch. "So a better question is why were <i>you </i>still asleep?"


    <i>{Lazy pet.} </i>(Akagi)


    "The bed was warm and fluffy..." Amakus yawned. ¡°And I was nice and snuggled in...¡±


    "Aww, the poor <i>pet </i>is eepy." Akagiughed. "Do you want ear scratches?"


    "Please don''t..." Amakusa sighed. "I''m not awake enough right now for your bullshit..."


    "From what I''ve heard, Shiroe was never a morning person." riel giggled. ¡°Kanato said that getting her up in the morning for missions was miserable.¡±


    "To be fair, I don''t think <i>noon </i>counts as morning though." Akagi rolled her eyes.


    "Hey, wait! You have no right to talk shit about my sleeping habits when I''ve seen you happily snuggled in bed until well in the afternoon! Amakusa protested.


    <i>{I''ve seen how happily you sleep on your big pillow, you stupid cat!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Ah, but you forget. I''m the Demon Lord, so I can be as hypocritical as I want." Akagi smirked. "It''s perfectly fine if <i>I </i>go cat and sleep the day away, so <i>you</i> can''tin."


    <i>{I STILL WILL!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "But still, your appearance was good timing, <i>pet</i>." Akagi snapped her fingers and told Amakusa to sit, which she happily did.


    "ARF!" Amakusa barked happily as she wagged her tail.


    "I will never get over how strange that is." riel snorted.


    "Try being the one who''s made to do it!" Amakusa growled.


    "Now, Now." Akagi reached into her inventory and pulled out a dog biscuit.


    "YOU WOULDN''T!" Amakusa sensed danger but couldn''t flee due to the sittingmand.


    "Okay, puppy, open wide for a <i>treat</i>." Akagi smiled as innocently as a child who was about to give their favorite <i>pet</i> a treat as she held out the biscuit.


    <i>{Is it bad that I want to see this?} </i>(riel)


    "DON''T MAKE ME EAT THAT!" Amakusa plead for mercy, but Akagi was in one of <i>those </i>moods and was more interested in watching her consume the biscuit.


    "Have a biscuit!" Akagi tossed the dog treat to Amakusa, who happily caught it in her mouth and chewed it up.


    *MUNCH* *CRUNCH*


    "EW! BLECK!" Amakusa tried spitting it out, but it was already toote. "GOD IT TASTES HORRIBLE! WHY DO DOGS LIKE THAT STUFF?!?"


    <i>{IT TASTES LIKE CARDBOARD!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Pfff." riel startedughing unintentionally.


    "WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?!? THIS IS YOUR FAULT!" Amakusa red at the Goddess, ready to give her a pounding.


    "I''m... I''m sorry." riel was struggling not tough. "It''s just... Pfff. Hahaha!"


    "Did the <i>pet </i>enjoy her treat?" Akagi asked with a smirk as she pat Amakusa on the head.


    "Yes!" Amakusa said happily. "It was great! Thank you, master!"


    "Do you want more?" Akagi asked.


    "Yes!" Amakusa smiled before reverting back to normal. "Please don''t make me eat another..." Her ears drooped sadly as she cried internally.


    "Fine, fine." Akagi pat her on the head. "We do not condone animal abuse in this household, so I will stop."


    <i>{AND YET HERE WE ARE!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "You say that you don''t condone animal abuse, yet you <i>do</i> seem to find it funny." riel said as she calmed down.


    "Hey, this would only be the <i>second</i> pet that I''ve tormented in thest year." Akagi shrugged. "With Hishya grown up, I can''t get as good of a reaction from her anymore, so I needed a recement."


    "I should''ve stayed in bed..." Amakusa pouted.


    "Nah, it''s best that you did get up anyway." Akagi said as she pulled a small notepad from her inventory. "I''ve got things to tell you, so get those ears nice and perky, <i>pet</i>."


    "Oh, so you <i>didn''t </i>want to just humiliate me?" Amakusa rolled her eyes as she stood up.


    "I can do that whenever, but here." Akagi tossed Amakusa the notebook, which she read.


    "Hold on! I said to <i>talk</i> with Feline, not prepare toy waste to Riftwood!" Amakusa mmed the notebook back down onto the table, furious with what she''d just read. "Why the hell would you give them that demand?!? You know full well they''re just going to ignore it!"


    <i>{There''s no way in hell that demanding the release of the Spirits will work! Least of all from those two chucklefucks that run Amdamell!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Carrot and Stick, my <i>pet</i>, Carrot and Stick." Akagi wagged her finger and tutted. "We''re in the middle of preparations for a simr bit of discussion with the Demon Kingdom and I''d like to have an <i>example</i> ready so that they can see what the consequences of defiance are." Nima was nning on heading there within the next few days now that Nemino and his team had <i>reced</i> one of the Nobles that they had their eyes on.


    "I think your n might end up being 99% <i>Stick</i>, as there are few who would willingly defy our word." riel interjected. "Amdamell will not be willing to take such a risk, and despite our poor rtions with the Demon Race, I highly doubt that Ariel will Kow-Tow, especially to a Demon Lord."


    <i>{The Demon Race hates the Demon Lord and Vikes'' Cult since their kind is constantly associated with them. Not to mention that the Princess-Regent has a particr hatred for them after what they did to her father.} </i>(riel)


    "On top of that if people find out that someone is trying to spring the Spirits, they''re liable to massacre them!" Amakusa shouted, worried that Alm may be killed before they could even find her. "The people of this world are far too loyal to the Gods to allow them the Spirits to be freed by you! Did you think of that?!?"


    "I have, and if they dare do something like that, then I''ll erase this miserable world from existence!" Akagi stood and shouted, mming her hand down onto the table, splitting it in half.


    <i>{Oops...} </i>(Akagi)


    "But Shiroe is right." rielmented as Akagi repaired the table. "I don''t know about Amdamell, but the Demon Kingdoms and the Church would probably kill off the Spirits rather than turn them over to you, even at great cost to themselves."


    "Well, the problem is that I don''t have the manpower to scour the entire continent simultaneously for the ves <i>and </i>have the ninja do other jobs." Akagi clicked her tongue. "The Ondai are good, but even they can''t be in two ces at once. Thus, my best bet is to force these nations to turn them over, by force of annihtion if necessary."


    "Can''t you just have the ninja focus on freeing them instead?" Amakusa asked. "There can''t be that many survivors, so finding them shouldn''t be too bad."


    "I have a team on that as we speak." Akagi said as she sat back down "Nemino is in charge of infiltrating the Demon Kingdom while Chloe and Sakura are hunting down Spirits and gathering information on assassination targets. My forces number less than a hundred in the field, and spreading them too thin risks something <i>bad </i>happening."


    <i>{All it''s going to take is one ninja to go down for me to start vaporizing cities, and I''d assume that nobody, including me, wants that.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Yeah, and meanwhile, <i>you </i>sit on your ass and y cards with a Goddess. Seems to me that you don''t actually care about the Spirits at all." Amakusa scoffed.


    "I do care about them." Akagi replied curtly. "It''s just that I have other considerations that outrank their immediate safety." She shrugged.


    "Oh, I''m sorry. I''m sure that saving the Spirits will be such a difficult chore for someone as powerful as you are." Amakusa rolled her eyes, figuring that if Akagi wanted to she could zip around and find the Spirits in a heartbeat.


    "Saving the Spirits is and will <i>never</i> be my primary reason foring here." Akagi retorted. "Sure, I <i>do </i>want to see them freed, but I''m more interested in bringing the Gods to their knees than running around and acting as some kind of savior."


    <i>{It just seems kinda ridiculous to not go and save them right now though...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Do my priorities displease you, <i>pet</i>?<i>" </i>Akagi red at her, reading Amakusa''s mind based on her facial expressions.


    "I can''t say I''m happy with them..." Amakusa replied, looking off to the side.


    "Well, tough luck." Akagi rolled her eyes. "My main goal here was to deal with the Gods. Rescuing the Spirits was simply incidental to that since I was never really interested in saving them to begin with. Had you and the other Heroes never attacked Earth like you did, then I was nning on leaving things as they were regarding their envement anyway."


    ----©\-----©\--------------©\-


    <Muichiro POV>


    ¡°Ugh...¡± Muichiro slowly opened his eyes. His body felt stiff and heavy, and his thoughts were cloudy. ¡°Where.. What''s going on?¡± As his eyes slowly focused he was greeted by the sound of people speaking in the distance.


    ¡°Valuru, are you sure this will work?¡± The same green haired beast woman that Muichiro remembered flirting with that night stood next to a ck-haired man from the Demon Race. Both were wearing something akin to whiteb coats, while Muichiro was strapped to a table and was facing them.


    ¡°Lord Labrys has already confirmed the Hero''spatibility, so all we need to do now is follow his instructions.¡± The Demon man named Valuru spoke.


    ¡°Labrys?¡± Muichiro''s thoughts were still hazy and he struggled to even move a finger.


    ¡°<i><b>Oh? It would seem that my vessel has awoken earlier than expected.¡± </b></i>A deep and distorted male voice rumbled throughout the room.


    ¡°How unexpected, but I suppose that''s the kind of resilience that makes Heroes so irritating.¡± Valuruughed as he turned to Muichiro. ¡°But don''t worry, my Lord, he won''t be conscious for very long.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you bastard! Let me down from here!¡± Muichiro tried and failed to move. ¡°Don''t you know who the fuck I am?!?¡±


    ¡°Of course we do, why do you think we brought you here?¡± The green haired womanughed.


    ¡°Now, Now, Tanya. Its not polite to tease him. You know that idiots don''t tend to get rhetorical questions.¡± Valuruughed.


    ¡°I hope you know that the moment I get down from here I''m going to tear you apart!¡± Muichiro growled.


    ¡°I''m sure you would, but s you will never be given the chance to go through with such a threat.¡± Valuru said as he walked over to a console and pulled a series of levers. ¡°Now, Hero, prepare yourself! You will have the honor of bing the vector for this world''s destruction!¡±


    ¡°If only I could allow Master to take my body...¡± Tanya pouted.


    ¡°<i><b>Do not worry, my child. You will be rewarded greatly for your efforts.¡± </b></i>The booming voice spoke again.


    <i>{Why... Why does that voice sound familiar?} </i>(Muichiro)


    ¡°OH! Lord Labrys!¡± Tanya swooned. ¡°I await the day where I can give you everything, body and soul!¡± She squeed as arge hydraulic arm lowered in front of Muichiro''s face. It held what looked like what Akagi would consider to be simr to the famous masks associated with Sol Invictus.


    ¡°H-Hey...¡± Muichiro struggled as the mask slowly moved toward his face. ¡°Get that fucking creepy thing away from me!¡± Try as he might none of his power would respond, and in that moment he felt like the Gods themselves had abandoned him. ¡°No! NO! NO!¡± As the mask slipped over his face Muichiro felt his skin burn as if he''d been touched by hot metal.


    *SIZZLE* *HISS*


    ¡°AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡± Muichiro screamed at the top of his lungs. The pain was unbearable, and in all his years he''d never felt anything like it before. ¡°SOMEONE HELP! PLEASE! HELP!¡± He screamed and screamed for help, but no one came. Thest thing he recalled before his consciousness faded out for good was a deep voice that echoed in his mind.


    ¡°<i><b>Its time to finish the job.¡± </b></i>(Labrys)


    Spoiler


    Tanya!


    Valuru!


    [copse]

 Chapter 316 – Silfana Swipes Left.

    Chapter 316 ¨C Silfana Swipes Left.


    "MEW! MEW! MEW!" Akagi was being happily spoiled by Yumi as the two rxed on a big fluffy futon that had been set out in their room. The Catkagi in question had been happily rolling around on the fluffy bed, and the myriad of toys and other objects scattered about showed just how much fun the two were having.


    "I''ve got you now, kitty!" Yumi pounced on the rolling ball of cuteness, tackling her to the futon and smothering her with affection.


    <i>{WITHOUT MIJI TO INTERFERE, THE FLOOF IS MINE!} </i>(Yumi)


    "Who''s a good kitty?" Yumi scratched and tickled Akagi all over. "Who''s a good kitty?"


    "MEW!" Akagi meowed, indicating that she was the bestest kitty of all.


    "KITTY!" Yumi pulled Akagi into a tight hug as the two fell down together,ughing. "So cute! Give me more snuggles!" She pressed her face against Akagi''s which elicited more meowing and happy squeals from the kitty in question.


    <i>{I just want to spoil you all day!} </i>(Yumi)


    "Aww, look at the happy couple." Halifax said as she leaned on the inside of the door, causing both Akagi and Yumi to stop their happy snuggling and re at her. "Hey now, don''t stop having fun on my ount." Sheughed. ¡°And you don''t need to death re me for interrupting your <i>snuggle time</i>.¡±


    <i>{INTERLOPER! DO NOT STEAL THE KITTY! I KNOW OF YOUR WICKED KITTY SNATCHNG WAYS!} </i>(Yumi)


    "Do you want in on the fun?" Akagi asked with a massive smile on her face. ¡°There''s always room for more people to give me pets.¡±


    <i>{NO! DO NOT INVITE HER! SHE WILL STEAL YOU AWAY!} </i>(Yumi)


    "Maybeter." Halifax winked, which caused Yumi to hug Akagi even tighter. "Sadly, I didn''te here to enjoy some kitty fluff. Too bad."


    "Judging by that look on your face...¡± Akagi sighed. ¡°Can I not get two days without something happening..." She as she shook Yumi off and stood up, which <i>devastated</i> the Priestess.


    <i>{NOOOOOOOOO! MY KITTY!} </i>(Yumi)


    "Eh, it''s not like something went wrong per se. It''s more that riel wanted to tell you something." Halifax motioned for the two of them to follow, which Akagi did after reverting to normal and cheering the pouting Yumi up.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    "Ahhh, having a Goddess serve me tea." Silfana had a massive smile on her face as riel poured more tea into her cup. The Vampire was enjoying herself and taking a small break in therge cafe-looking room that she''d had constructed. ¡°This is just perfect.¡±


    "You''re lucky that Akagi has me <i>literally </i>by the throat, otherwise I''d end you, Vampire." riel felt humiliated to be forced to act and dress as a maid, but by this point had given up on resisting.


    <i>{I swear the moment I''m able to I WILL repay this humiliation!} </i>(riel)


    "Now that I think about it it truly is appropriate for me to have such a high-quality servant. After all, I am an <i>Empress</i> and one that deserves only the finest." Silfana had taken to calling herself the Vampire Empress after Akagi offered her the title, and her usually pale skin seemed a bit brighter after her discussions with the <i>Demon</i>.


    <i>{Truly... Truly...} </i>(Silfana)


    "Akagi, you''ve created a monster..." riel sighed.


    <i>{Well, perhaps its better said that you made one WORSE...} </i>(riel)


    "I do have a tendency to do that!" Akagiughed as she and the other girls entered the room. "But I think it''s fine. Silfana was already pretty far gone before I showed up anyway, so a bit more ego won''t harm anything!"


    "That still doesn''t mean that you should make it worse..." riel sighed as she sat the teapot down. "But getting past the Vampire''s newly Gale-sized sense of self importance, I need to discuss something with you. Its of the utmost urgency."


    "Listen, I don''t need to hear about your passionate love affair with Silfana." Akagi snickered. ¡°Keep those steamy stories to yourself.¡±


    "I..." riel stopped herself from saying anything. "No, no, no. If my time with Halifax has taught me anything, it''s that I should ignore your provocative statements entirely. Otherwise, it''s only going to get worse..."


    "Darn, she''s learning." Akagiughed. ¡°Too bad. Its always fun when people react to myments and actions.¡± Hishya had stopped giving good reactions and most other people she knew had done the same, putting a damper on her fun.


    "Umm..." Yumi poked the <i>Demon </i>in the shoulder. "Did... Please don''t tell me that what you said was..."


    <i>{If its true, I really want to hear the details!} </i>(Yumi)


    "Huh? Oh, I have no fucking clue if those two had a good time together." Akagi shrugged. "I definitely don''t keep tabs on that, nor do I want to."


    <i>{Not into that, no thanks.} </i>(Akagi)


    "For the record, we did <i>not</i>." Silfana crossed her arms in an X. "I have quite high standards for such things, and riel here definitely doesn''t meet them. Though I won''t deny that she has quite the attractive body."


    <i>{Perhaps I''d take a sip, at least once, just to see how Goddess tastes.} </i>(Silfana)


    "Damn! To deny a <i>Goddess</i>!" Halifax whistled in disbelief. "That''s gotta sting, riel. I''m sorry you got your heart broken. But don''t worry, there''s plenty of fish in the sea!"


    <i>{DON''T RETORT! DON''T DO IT! THAT''S WHAT THEY WANT! I REFUSE TO GIVE THEM THE SATISFACTION!} </i>(riel)


    "But enough picking on the Goddess, <i>for now</i>." Akagi chuckled while watching riel desperately try not to say something back. "So, what did you want to tell me?" She said as she, Yumi, and Halifax took a seat at the table with Silfana. ¡°I''d imagine it <i>is </i>important if itsing from you.¡±


    "A few things actually." riel walked over to another table and picked up a notebook, flicking through to a page. "First and foremost, your little stunt in the Capital has attracted a<i> significant </i>amount of attention. It seems that Reflia has been tasked with investigating Tahena''s death and the so-called Demon Lord that was behind it." She''d been informed of what was happening via her Angels sending coded messages, and was surprised to hear that Reflia was being sent down directly.


    "Oh, that actually took longer than expected." Akagimented. It had been nearly three days since she assassinated the Goddess in broad daylight, and she''d been expecting some kind of response that same day.


    <i>{Are they just being cautious, or do they not believe they need to take me seriously?} </i>(Akagi)


    "Gale tasked her with this mission almost immediately after Tahena vanished, but she needed to get things ready before activating her Avatar." riel answered. ¡°Such things are rarely in a convenient location, so this kind of dy was to be expected.¡±


    "Wait, how do you even know all this?" Halifax asked an important question. "You''re down here. Gods can''tmunicate via their actual bodies while using their avatar, so there''s no way you should be aware of what''s happening back in the Heavens." She didn''t understand how riel was getting this information, since her real body should''ve been in what was essentially aatose state within her Pce.


    "Ah, but you''re wrong about that." riel winked. "True, I can''t really do much with my real body while controlling my Avatar, but that doesn''t mean that <i>nothing </i>can pass between the two." She nced over at Akagi. "As a certain Demon Lord has proven, the connection between a God and their Avatar is far more robust than one would expect, so it stands to reason that while my consciousness is within my Avatar there are still <i>some </i>ways of interacting back up top."


    "The Gods that I used to worship worked in a simr way." Yumi spoke up. "There were stories of them splitting attention between an Avatar and their body in the heavens during times of crisis." She figured that it would be stranger to hear that God <i>couldn''t </i>be in both ces at once, at least slightly.


    <i>{I think the Goddess of Light did something like that when she fought and destroyed the Goddess of Darkness. I don''t remember the story well but it had something to do with needing to kill both the real body and Avatar simultaneously.} </i>(Yumi)


    "Well, <i>I</i> work a bit different than those Gods." riel gave a wry smile. "I''m unable to split my mind into different bodies, and my consciousness must remain fully in one or the other." Gods <i>had</i> tried what Yumi was describing in the past, but it never worked and, at times, had serious negative ramifications for those who pushed their limits too far. "That said, I''ve been using my Avatar body enough that I''ve managed to find a way for information from the Heavens to at least flow down here while I''m away."


    "And <i>that''s</i> how you''re still getting this intel?" Halifax hummed in thought. ¡°But how does that work?¡±


    "Its actually quite simple. My Angels can feed me snippets of information by sending pulses of energy into my real body." riel exined. "Despite Akagi sealing me down here, I can still <i>feel</i> my real body, and thus this method of information sharing still works." She exined that there was a code system whereby certain amount of energy sent in specific increments would spell out messages.


    "Ah, so it''s like morse code." Akagi nodded in understanding. "That''s actually ingenious... Do the other Gods know of this method?" She figured that if they did, they''d probablymand the Angels to send a recall order to riel, which would instantly cause a problem.


    "No, and my Angels have been ordered by me to not interrupt me while I''m in my Avatar unless it''s something that meets one of a few scenarios." riel shook her head. "I haven''t told the other Gods about this simply because it never came up, and I never imagined that it would be of any use to them since most don''t even use Avatars 90% of the time." She and Tahena were the Gods most likely to be found wandering the material world, as the others were less than willing to restrict themselves.


    <i>{I only ever came up with this because there were far too many times where I''d get interrupted while doing work down here, so I got sick of having to go back and forth for stupid things.} </i>(riel)


    "Now that I think back, are the Gods basically racist?" Halifax''s non-sequitur sliced through the conversation like a hot knife through butter, confusing everyone. "Looking back at some of their statements and attitudes toward mortals, it almost seems like they either <i>dislike </i>them or feel they are inferior in some way."


    <i>{I''ve almost never seen them act truly kind to mortals, at best they were just amicable when they needed something from them.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Well, they''re Gods. Being pretentious assholes is practically in the job description!" Akagiughed. ¡°I''d imagine the number of kind and caring Gods is quite low.¡±


    "I was never a particrly pious woman even before bing a Vampire, but I seem to recall feeling that <i>most </i>Gods view mortals in a dim light." Silfana said as she sipped some tea. "It''s part of why I had no qualms with turning against them like I did." Bing a Vampire was considered to be an affront to the Gods since they were considered to be unholy creatures of darkness and was a good chunk of the reason why she was banished and removed from the Imperial Family records.


    "I will not deny your words." riel looked away, slightly embarrassed. "Just don''t go thinking that <i>all</i> of us are like Gale..."


    <i>{I''ve spent far too much time with mortals for anyone to consider me racist! I''ve had kids with mortals and been friends with them, thus such a designation is ridiculous!} </i>(riel)


    "Alright, so we''ve got another Goddess walking around and potentially more friendsing to the party at ater date." Akagi took a sip of tea. "That was the <i>first</i> thing you wanted to talk about, but what''s the rest?" She figured that riel''s notebook had more information.


    "The other thing that I wanted to discuss..." riel locked eyes with Akagi. "Was your <i>ns</i>..."


    "I have many ns, so please be more specific." Akagi quipped.


    "And I''d bet a few are rted to the best way to snuggle and get pets." Halifaxughed.


    "There may be a <i>few</i> of those." Akagi snickered. "But in all seriousness, I presume the <i>ns </i>you are speaking of are my battle with the other Gods?"


    "Yes." riel nodded. "I wanted to speak with you because, based on some of your priorments, I do not think what you have in mind will work."

 Chapter 317 – Salvation.

    Chapter 317 ¨C Salvation.


    "My n won''t work?" Akagi''s eyes instantly went from yful to serious. Hearing the Goddess tell her that her methods were incorrect was <i>not </i>something she was going to ignore. "And why, pray tell, will that be?" She didn''t want to outright deny the Goddess'' assertion, since there was always a chance that something may have gotten past her, but the <i>Demon </i>thought that it was unlikely.


    "Because after speaking with Halifax and a few other people at this base of yours, I believe that you are mistaken in your belief that undermining the people''s faith in us will do anything to harm us." riel answered.


    "Ok, so <i>why</i> won''t it do anything?" Akagi asked, tapping her finger on the table. Simply being told she was wrong without an exnation was only going to ignore her. "I hope you''ve got more than just your word to back a im that I''m wrong up. Lest you forget that I''ve got <i>far</i> more processing power than every one of you Gods <ibined</i>. So unless you''ve got some kind of groundbreaking information, I''m not inclined to believe you."


    <i>{I''m not opposed to listening to somebody who tells me that I''m wrong, but I need more than just spection and conjecture. So let''s see what the Goddess has.} </i>(Akagi)


    "It''s simple, your n is wed at its very core." riel''s words caused Akagi''s finger-tapping to stop. "Even if you take away every single one of our worshipers, it won''t weaken us one bit." She continued. "I''ve been told that in your world it wasmon to believe that Gods derive their power from the mortals that worship them, and that if faith in them declined so too did that God''s power."


    "Well, Earth has no Gods, but yes." Akagi nodded.


    "That was the idea in my world, too. There were records of Gods that once existed but faded away due to people forgetting about them." Yumimented.


    "And it''s <i>that</i> wed understanding that I believepletely undercuts your ns." riel shook her head. "Even if you were to ughter the entire mortal poption of this world, we''d still exist, and we wouldn''t lose any power." She exined that they derived no power from mortal worship and they could exist independent of them and their faith. ¡°So your n to undermine us by turning our worshipers away is both pointless and misguided. Even if you burned this world to the ground we would still be here.¡±


    <i>{Though I''d prefer that she didn''t...} </i>(Halifax)


    "But are the Gods of this world not born of the mortal''s thoughts, prayer, and ideas? Silfana interjected. "Would that not mean that you need them in some manner?" She figured that the Gods needed them in some way, otherwise what would be the point of <i>Gods</i>.


    "Gods can be born in a variety of ways, and while the method you describe is <i>one </i>way we are created, it has no bearing on our continued existence." riel shot her down. "Me, Gale, and Reflia have existed since around about the time this world was created, and the other Gods were made either by mortals forming thoughts into Divine beings or by procreation. However, even in the event of a God''s cult dying out, that God will still exist. Zenth is a prime example of that."


    "Who''s that?" Akagi looked over at Halifax.


    "She/He is the God/Goddess of the ''Sun''" Halifax gave a wry smile. "They tend to take the form of both sexes, and they were created loooooooong before I was born due to a rtivelyrge human cult that believed that they were the one and only ''true'' God of this world."


    <i>{I guess a Sun Cult makes sense when you think about it...} </i>(Halifax)


    "Indeed, they were eradicated around ten thousand years ago during a war between different tribes. Something about worshiping the Sun being seen as worshiping Demons or something stupid." riel continued. "But Zenth still exists mind you, it''s just that they don''t really have anything to do with the world anymore. As far as I''m aware their power has not changed, despite no longer having many dedicated worshipers."


    ¡°I see.¡± Akagi nodded.


    "I think there are a few people that worship them, but now that I think about it, I''ve only seen Zenth <i>once</i> in my entire life." Halifax closed her eyes and thought back to that encounter. "That was around... No wait, that was actually back when I was gifted to Helia.... Yeah... Damn, it really has been four thousand years since then..."


    <i>{Helia...} </i>(Halifax)


    "Did they even take part in dering the Spirits'' lives to be forfeit?" Yumi asked.


    "No, they never showed up to the meeting." riel thought for a moment. "In fact, I have no idea where Zenth even is at the moment. Thest time I saw them was shortly before Helia went into the frozen wastes on the other continent."


    <i>{We lost contact with them and we''ve never sensed their presence all this time. It makes me wonder where they are.} </i>(riel)


    "Who is this Helia that you''ve mentioned twice now? That''s a name that I don''t know." Akagi asked as she poured more tea.


    "Helia... Helia was my first wielder, and she''s Zenth''s one and only child." Halifax answered, her lips curling into a warm smile. "She was a good friend to me and was perhaps the biggest reason why we ended up beating Vikes in the first ce. She was the only person to ever bring out my full power during a fight, and as a Demi-God she was already incredibly powerful even <i>before </i>taking me into her hands."


    <i>{At peak Sunlight hours, she was almost unstoppable. If you were to force me to make a bet on who would be the most likely person to defeat Akagi, then Helia might just be near the top of that list.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Sounds like an interesting person." Akagi quipped. ¡°I''d love to meet here.¡±


    "She was, and I actually think you might get along, but sadly she went missing." Halifax said with a wry smile. "Helia came to me just before she got on a boat and sailed to Escaleon, which is a massive continent on the other side of the Ocean, and I never saw her again."


    "If memory serves, that was around two thousand years ago." riel nodded. "It''s strange. Even when we tried to Divine her location, we were never able to find her."


    <i>{Its not like either of those two to just disappear like that I wonder, are the two plotting something?} </i>(riel)


    "I''m going to put a <i>Long Lost God and Demi-God Show Up Right At the Last Minute </i>entry on my bingo card." Akagiughed. "I''ve seen enough anime to know foreshadowing when I see it!"


    "I''d like to say that you''re wrong, but yeah..." Yumi sighed, knowing how these things tended to go.


    <i>{Thisst year has been nothing but crazy things happening one after the other, so why shouldn''t a convenient arrival at thest minute happen?} </i>(Yumi)


    "But getting back to our original topic, I''m certain that your n to weaken us won''t work." riel said. "There isn''t much merit beyond annoying the Gods to undermining our influence with the mortals. I can guarantee you that Gale has no need for or interest in such a trifling thing."


    <i>{I know for a fact that his mass sacrifice n doesn''t care one bit whether you are a true believer or a crazy weirdo who thinks we''re just peoples'' imaginations.} </i>(riel)


    "Well, fortunately for <i>me </i>you are 100% wrong about my ns." Akagi chuckled.


    "What?" riel was puzzled. She''d been under the impression that Akagi''s goal was to weaken the Gods so as to make beating them easier. "Isn''t your goal to weaken us by taking away our worshipers? I know that part of the idea is to also force Gale''s hand and make Godse down here to kill them, but I thought you were doing this to weaken us?"


    <i>{Isn''t that why you assume that we''d respond?!?} </i>(riel)


    "Nope." Akagi shook her head. "Why would I even bother trying to do something like that? I''ve already determined that you aren''t a threat to me. Even if Gale is an order of magnitude stronger than you, I won''t have much trouble putting him down, so there''s no reason to weaken you all."


    <i>{That does not mean I''m going to drop my guard for a moment, as I''m not stupid enough to do that.} </i>(Akagi)


    "T-Then what''s the point of any of this then?!?" riel was still confused. "Or are you trying to tell me that the <i>only</i> reason you want to skulk around like this is because you find it amusing?!?" She figured that Akagi''s actions were the result of some kind of grand n and that her methodical destruction and undermining were part of said n.


    <i>{I mean, wouldn''t be surprised if that was at least partially true...} </i>(Halifax)


    "My n''s been the same since <i>before </i>the Heroes even arrived on Earth." Akagi nced over at Halifax. "I thought I told you what I was going to do?" She could tell that Halifax was equally confused.


    <i>{No, actually, I explicitly remember TELLING this idiot my ns!} </i>(Akagi)


    "I mean you might''ve, but I probably zoned out." Halifax shrugged. "I was probably too busy petting the kitty." She snickered.


    <i>{MY KITTY!} </i>(Yumi)


    "You''re lucky that I like you." Akagi reached over and pinched the sword''s cheeks and stretched her faceically. "So allow me to exin my ns <i>again</i>. This <i>will</i> be on the test, so I''d advise taking notes."


    "I suck at tests, so please don''t!" Halifax pleaded yfully. "I''ll give extra pets aspensation, so spare me!"


    "Approved." Akagi nodded. "Okay, so here it is. My end game is topletely undermine the Gods'' influence." She locked eyes with riel. "Not because I need to make you weaker to win, rather I want to show you just how weak you truly are, and part of that involves taking away the very thing that you''vee to take for granted."


    "The people''s love and respect." riel nodded as it finally clicked.


    "Indeed. Now, I have no real interest in shifting worship to me per se, since I''m not the kind of being that likes being worshiped." Akagi said.


    <i>{Does wanting pets count?} </i>(Halifax)


    "We just do it anyway, though." Yumi giggled as she was given a head chop.


    "<i>These</i> morons aside, I don''t want to see temples in my honor." Akagi sighed. "But what I <i>do </i>intend to do is show Enoris'' poption that <i>you </i>lot are unable to help them. Once I do that, it won''t be long until theye begging to me for protection, and <i>that''s</i> when I win."


    "Okay, so this is just you stroking your ego then?" riel rolled her eyes.


    <i>{Of course it would be... Demon Lord or not, you''re still a Demon.} </i>(riel)


    "Partially, yes." Akagiughed, acknowledging her statement. "That''s just how I roll. If you fuck with me, then I''ll take everything you ever knew and loved!" She gave a happy smile that shed <i>heavily </i>with her prior words. "But don''t worry, you see, I have a part <i>two </i>to this grand n!" She snickered.


    "And what''s this amazing ''part two'' that you have? I hope it''s good enough to convince the poption to turn on us, since, as I said before, that''s unlikely at best." riel shook her head.


    "Ah! But you see, its simple!" Akagi''s happy smile curved into a wicked grin. "I''ll offer them the one thing that few mortals will turn down. The one thing that <i>you </i>idiots can <i>never </i>give them." She started cackling like a madwoman. <i><b>"''Salvation'' from this doomed world."</b></i>

 Chapter 318 – The Complaint Box.

    Chapter 318 ¨C The Comint Box.


    "S-Save? You wish to <i>save</i> the people of this world?!?" riel was thrown for a loop by the <i>Demon''s </iment. She''d expected that Akagi felt nothing for Enoris'' residents and would sooner kill them all than show thempassion.


    "Well, ''save'' as in, they be my subjects and are ced firmly under my boot." Akagiughed. "They sure as hell won''t be weed with open arms and happy smiles, and I''m thinking something along the lines of second-ss citizens <i>at best</i>."


    <i>{At least for now, anyway.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I..." riel gripped the bridge of her nose in frustration. "And just when I think that I know what you''re going to do, you pull the rug out from under me..."


    <i>{What''s with this...} </i>(riel)


    "I tend to do that sometimes." Akagi snickered. "Though in this case, I thought it was obvious what my end goal was?" She turned to Halifax. "I''m sure you understood my intentions, right?"


    <i>{Right?} </i>(Akagi)


    "No..." Halifax sighed. "In fairness, my biggest concern was persuading you to <i>not </i>fucking obliterate this world. I <i>was </i>hoping to bring you around to an evacuation of Enoris'' poption, but it looks like I don''t need to bother with that." She figured part one was far more important and time sensitive than part two.


    <i>{I suppose living life in her boot is better than being permanently destroyed... Though I can''t say it would be my first choice...} </i>(Halifax)


    "Eh." Akagi shrugged. "I saw an opportunity to popte my little sandbox with all sorts of happy pieces, so I''m taking it. Having a nice little pet fantasy magic world that can create entertainment for me is a very nice find!" Sheughed.


    <i>{I have Earth to make games and anime, and Omara to basically act as my Isekai backyard that I can use to y 4x Civilization builder! It''s going to be so much fun ying around with all the new toys!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Just how much of Enoris'' people are you thinking of saving anyway?" Silfana asked. "I''d like at least a few million subjects for my Empire." She said, looking inside the empty teapot. "An Empire without people to rule is no Empire at all, I''m sure you can understand that."


    "Who knows." Akagi gave an overly dramatic shrug. "I don''t have a quota, but I can almost guarantee it won''t be everyone. I don''t need nor want that many idiots." She figured that only a small portion of the poption would even agree to submit to her, and even then, she had no intention of flooding tens of millions of people into the Spirits'' pocket dimension.


    "I have no doubt that Mizumi and the other Spirits are going to pitch a fit when they find out that you''ll be saving the very people who helped ughter them." Halifax said as she started boiling more water in the teapot with fire magic. ¡°Thest thing they want is to share a proverbial backyard with the people who ughtered them.¡±


    "If they have any issues with my decision, then they are more than wee to put an objection into theint box." Akagi replied as she pulled a tray of cookies out from her inventory and set them on the table. ¡°I''ll make sure I get around to addressing allints in the order that they are filed.¡±


    "Comint box? Isn''t that just a paper shredder?" Yumi giggled. "I remember when Kana wrote up a whole document about how you shouldn''t pick on her as much and ced it inside. She was really mad when it turned into pulp..."


    <i>{The look on her face while it went BUZZ and mulched the whole thing was great though...} </i>(Yumi)


    "How could you say such things?!? I assure you that <i>all</i>ints ced within the box are treated with the same degree of care that I give to all other useless things in the world!" Akagi smiled.


    <i>{Do I even want to know how you ssify the average person?} </i>(riel)


    "Well, at least they''ll survive." riel decided to wash her hands of the problem, seeing as Akagi was far outside of her ability to control. "And if your n <i>is</i> to offer salvation in exchange for servitude... There may be those who take you up on that offer, especially if you can prove that Gale and the others are both unable to save Enoris and attempting to kill them all." She figured that self-preservation would beat out faith and loyalty for many.


    "Shouldn''t we just have riel tell people about the whole thing?" Yumi spoke up, asking something that it seemed Halifax wanted to. "As a <i>Goddess</i> her word would have to carry great weight, and it would be easy for her to out the Gods'' ns." She figured that it would be easy to flip nations if riel directly got involved.


    "That''s not a bad idea, but it ''s one thates with <i>issues</i>." Akagi shook her head as the teapot whistled.


    "The first, and arguably most important of which, is that I''d be very dead, very quick..." riel gave a wry smile. "The moment the other Gods find out that I''ve ''turned'' on them, they''ll march into my Domain and destroy me."


    "Can''t you just incarnate and leave?" Halifax asked as she poured a fresh cup of tea. "It''s not like Gale can actually stop you from descending. He just authorizes it."


    <i>{At that point, caring about Gale and the other Gods isn''t really something we need to worry about, so riel could juste down in her full ''Glory''.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Incarnation <i>is</i> possible, but it''s fraught with the same problems that opening a portal has." riel shook her head as she took a cookie and bit into it. "Chances are that a God descending <i>fully </i>will destabilize the world far more than just sending people back and forth." Gods could naturally descend into the material world without the need for intricate teleportation. This meant that Reflia''s cooperation wasn''t required, but it was only possible to move the <i>God</i> back and forth and couldn''t be used to transport Akagi or anyone else along with them. "It''s also why I''m worried that if you push Gale and the others too far, they''d mass incarnate together and potentially plunge this world into chaos in an attempt to stop you."


    <i>{The world would probably fall apart soon after, but I suspect they''d calcte that they''d have enough time to fight and then escape.} </i>(riel)


    "Too bad I can''t just piggyback ride on you and go back the other way." Akagi sighed. She''d already asked riel about this and wasn''t surprised when she was told that it wouldn''t work. "But yeah, I''d like to keep the Goddess alive, at least for now." She snickered.


    "I''m afraid to even ask what you intend to do with me..." riel said, looking at Halifax for answers.


    "I gave her some ideas, but so far we''ve got nothing concrete nned." Halifaxughed. "Akagi''s basically given me free rein on this, so you can rest assured that, while it won''t be pleasant, the punishment given to you will be far nicer than whatever the evil kitty would''ve chosen."


    <i>{REVENGE!} </i>(Halifax)


    "I fail to see how being my personal kitty servant is a bad fate." Akagi chuckled. "Being forced to pet me as much as I desire seems like a good deal to me."


    <i>{NO! DON''T MAKE MORE COMPETITION FOR SNUGGLES! MIJI AND THE GIRLS ARE ALREADY ENOUGH! I REFUSE TO CEDE MORE KITTY TIME!} </i>(Yumi)


    "I will vote for forcing her into one of those embarrassing outfits that you ced me in." Silfana said as she sipped her tea. ¡°I think she could pull it off.¡±


    "Ah, yes! The Onsie of doom!" Akagi cackled as she imagined riel''s face in such an embarrassing outfit. "We shall force the Goddess into one and require her to entertain the children!"


    "Please don''t give Miji more cute things to obsess over..." Yumi groaned.


    <i>{Though, that would give me more kitty time... So maybe...} </i>(Yumi)


    "I''m still leaning toward stripping riel of her Divinity. Perhaps then she''ll understand how the rest of us feel after being knocked off that high horse." Halifax''s face showed a smile, but Akagi could tell that it was just masking her true feelings.


    <i>{She''s keeping things civil between her and the Goddess, but I can tell that Halifax wants to rip her throat out.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I''d like to say that you can''t do that, but I''m sure you''d just prove me wrong..." riel sighed. The idea of bing mortal genuinely terrified the Goddess, and her stomach was already in knots at the thought.


    <i>{I... Being mortal... I don''t...} </i>(riel)


    "Let''s not get ahead of ourselves." Akagi waved her handzily, dismissing the conversation. "We''ll get there when we get there, but right now, we''ve got more pressing things to deal with." She reached into her inventory and pulled out a small tablet, flicking it with her finger until a list of names appeared. "And now that the ninja have finished their intel gathering..." She tapped on one of the names, bringing up a profile. "I can move on to my <i>favorite</i> part of this whole thing." Her lips curved into a nasty smile as she looked at the image of her target that was disyed on the screen.


    <i>{Nobles are always my favorite jobs.} </i>(Akagi)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Kanato POV>


    *WOOSH* *ZAP* *SWOOSH*


    "Oh, man..." Kanato fell out of a sh of light, tumbling against the squishy and green floor of the forest. "Why is teleportation magic always..." He burped as he struggled not to puke.


    <i>{I should''ve known that fairy magic wouldn''t be as nice and easy as they made it out to be. I''m an idiot for believing them...} </i>(Kanato)


    "Sick?" The female fairy asked as shended on the ground in front of him.


    "Not good?" One of the male fairies asked.


    "Soup?" The other male fairy was more interested in food than Kanato''s well-being.


    "I would''ve appreciated a heads up about the teleporting..." Kanatoined as he struggled to get to his feet. "Where are we anyway?"


    "Forest!" The two male fairies said with massive smiles.


    "I can see that, but <i>what </i>forest?" Kanato sighed. They''d told him that it would be faster to use their teleportationwork to get across the continent, but they''d neglected to inform the Hero of <i>where </i>they''de out afterward.


    "Ummmm..." The two male fairies looked confused.


    "Elf forest." The female fairy finally answered after the two male faires looked to her for help. "Fairy home close. Not far."


    "Ah. Then that must mean that we''re in the Whistlewoods." Kanato pulled out a map as he allowed his head to stop spinning. "Well, if that''s really where you took us, then it shouldn''t be that much longer until we get to the Holy City." He ran his finger up the map and ced it on their destination. It would likely take around a week or less to reach the Holy City on foot. The problem was that the only viable paths from the Whistlewoods to the City were either to cross Lamara Bay, where ferries only ran asionally or to take the windy and treacherous Belora Path through the Tindal Mountains.


    "So, what do you guys want to do?" Kanato looked up from his map. "You wanna try the boat or try and cross the mountains?" He figured asking the fairies for their input would be best.


    "Mountains cold!" The three fairies visibly shivered.


    <i>{Ok, so that''s out.} </i>(Kanato)


    "Boat bad too..." The female fairy pouted. "But mountains... <i>very bad..." </i>Kanato could tell that she''d had some kind of negative experience with the mountains and decided not to press further.


    "Alright, ferry it is." Kanatoughed as he pat the female fairy on the head, which caused her to tilt her head in confusion. "Let''s get going! We''ve got a mystery to solve, gang!" Heughed as the confused fairies flew up and sat on his shoulders.


    <i>{I need to get to the bottom of things. I need... I need to know the truth about the reason we were summoned. Nileine, Rehael, Linea... I''m sorry that it''s taking me so long to get back home... But please forgive me this one time... I... I can''t let this go. If... If what the person who defeated us said was true... Then we''re anything BUT Heroes...} </i>(Kanato)

 Chapter 319 – What Would Remain?

    Chapter 319 ¨C What Would Remain?


    "Well, you''re looking quite nice on this fine morning." Halifax chuckled at the disheveled and slow-walking Amakusa as the Hero girl limped to her seat and poured some coffee. ¡°I see you''re a morning person.¡±


    "Shut up..." Amakusa groaned as she slowly took a sip of the coffee that was slid over to her. "God, I feel like shit..." She''d been forced to sleep on a dog bed that Akagi''d given her after she lost a bet to the <i>Demon </ist night.


    <i>{I have never been more sore and exhausted after a night''s sleep...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "I told you that trying to beat Akagi in those games was pointless. Even riel gave up after 300 losses in a row." Halifaxughed as she took a sip of her own coffee and looked out the window. "You''re lucky all she did was have her little puppy curled up at the foot of her bed. I would''ve thought that she''d make you do something far worse."


    "God... How do dogs sleep like that?!? How does <i>she </i>sleep like that?!?" Amakusa groaned as her back hurt. "It felt like my spine was gonna snap, and I could barely sleep." The sleepy and sore Hero took another sip of the warm coffee. ¡°Thank god the coffee is good...¡±


    "d you like it, Akagi gave me some really nice beans. But back to your question, not having any bones and basically being a liquid probably help with those problems." Halifaxmented. "Cats are normally bendy creatures, but Akagi is on a whole nother level of fluid."


    <i>{I remember one time when she squeezed under a door back at the house like some kind of terrifying creature. It gave the girls quite the scare, though it was funny as hell.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Where is she anyway?" Amakusa yawned. "Themand gave out not too long ago, and when I looked the room she and the Priestess were gone..."


    "I think Akagi went to bump off some Imperial Nobles." Halifax shrugged She wasn''t keeping tabs on things as much as perhaps she should''ve been. "Apparently, the ninja made a pretty big bust on captive Spirits during the night, and she said that something like 100 were found in a mine in the former Beast Kingdom of Asheleon."


    <i>{Should I point out the irony of the demi-humans using people as ves when they themselves have a history of being just that?} </i>(Halifax)


    "And here I thought that she wasn''t interested in saving the Spirits." Amakusa yawned again. ¡°I would''ve thought that she could''ve cared less about them based on what she said the other day.¡±


    "Who knows, but the Nobles she''s going after were pretty big yers in the ve trade, and I know for a <i>fact</i> that they''ve got their fingers all over the Imperial Court." Halifax said as she took a bite out of a chocte croissant. "Oh! This is great!" She smiled happily as she took a bite. "You need to try one when you wake up! It and the coffeebo amazingly!"


    "How are you just sitting here all smiles while Akagi runs around causing chaos like this?" Amakusa had woken up slightly and asked something that had been on her mind for a while. "<i>I</i> ''agreed'' to help her recover the Spirits and punish the Gods, but you... I know that you dedicated your life to protecting this world... I still don''t understand why you''re just standing back and going along with this."


    <i>{I would expect the Divine de who killed Vikes to at least PROTEST her violence, and yet here you are eating croissants, and drinking coffee while she bumps off Imperial Nobility and plunges the continent into chaos!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "What, do you want me to try and fight someone who can kill a God so easily?" Halifax rolled her eyes. "I''d hope you''re not stupid enough to think that''s even remotely doable."


    "I understand that, but why are you just kicking back while she causes all this chaos?!?" Amakusa raised her voice slightly. "Unless there was a secret discussion that I don''t know about you''ve given her <i>zero </i>pushback on her ns and are more than happy to sit back and watch things go to hell!"


    <i>{I risked my ass to save the people of this world! Whether my reasons for doing so were wrong or right, I gave my everything to protect Enoris from destruction, and yet here I am forced to sit on the sidelines and watch as Akagi... As she turns the hope for a better future that we had into dust...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "You''re wrong if you think that I''ve not voiced my opposition to some of her ns." Halifax shook her head. "I''ve told her multiple times that if she goes too far, that I''d stand against her, as futile as that may be."


    "And how the hell is assassinating government officials, threatening nations with <i>doom</i>, and plunging practically the entire world into chaos NOT going too far?!?" Amakusa growled. "You and I both know that she''s doing this for shits and giggles! There''s no legitimate reason to do any of this beyond her own desire to stick a massive middle finger at the Gods!"


    <i>{She could end things far quicker and with less blood! You and I both know this!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "And? Is any of this <i>my </i>problem?" Halifax gave a dismissiveugh. "What Akagi does to some stupid group of Nobles is hardly worth me even raising an eyebrow for."


    <i>{It''s not as if most don''t deserve death anyway, considering what most of the Aristocracy gets up to on a daily basis.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Your <i>problem</i>?!?" Amakusa was genuinely taken aback by herment. "Y-You''re basically like a Hero of Legend! Even after everything that went down with riel, you were still someone who traveled the world to help people! I''ve read some of the stories about you, and even after you departed from the Empire three hundred years ago, you were <i>still </i>all about helping people and protecting this world!"


    <i>{How could someone as noble and heroic as you just sit back and watch all this?!?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "And if I told you that I''m <i>over </i>being someone like that, what would you say." Halifax red at her, not taking kindly to being judged.


    "You... Just..." Amakusa stammered.


    "Listen!" Halifax banged her cup onto the table, shaking it slightly. "I''ve been giving it my all for over four thousand fucking years. During that time, I''ve put out so many fires and solved so many crises that I''ve lost count of how much debt this world owes me!" She took a deep breath before continuing. "And do you know what I got for all that hard work and dedication? NOTHING!" Halifax''s anger exploded, suprising both her and Amakusa. "I''ve never been one to demand praise or thanks, and I sure as hell never wanted something like a statue in my honor or for people to get on their knees and thank me for everything..." Slowly, some of her power leaked out, and her body was briefly covered in a blue and white me-like aura. "BUT WOULD IT HAVE KILLED PEOPLE TO BE GRATEFUL?!?" She stood up, her eyes locked on a slightly trembling Amakusa. "How do you think I''ve felt carrying all this weight, all these <i>expectations </i>for so many years?!? How do you think it <i>felt </i>to live each day where the vast majority of people that I met treated me as a <i>tool </i>first and a person..." She gave a defeatedugh. "I was going to say second, but I think that would be putting my person hood a bit too high on the list for most people."


    <i>{Most fucking people wouldn''t even give me the time of day, and even most of my wielders weren''t the nicest to me...} </i>(Halifax)


    "But people... The stories always sang your praises!" Amakusa said while shaking slightly. "How can you im that people weren''t grateful for your work when every record names you as a key contributor in saving the world so many times?!?"


    "Those records <i>do not </i>reflect the reality of the situation!" Halifax eximed. "My wielders <i>always</i> got the credit, the praise, the thanks, ALL OF IT!" Her aura red again. "I was just a fucking tool given to them to save the world, and if I ever am mentioned, it''s as an amazing <i>instrument</i> of the Gods! NOT AS A PERSON!" Amakusa thought back to the different historical ounts and realized that she was right. Historians <i>did </i>speak of Halifax, but if onepared how they wrote about her wielder at the time, it was clear that they saw the Sword as the lesser of the two. "So tell me, Shiroe." Halifax''s lips trembled as she held back tears. "Why the hell should I give as much of a single <i>fuck</i> for a world that never cared about me?!?"


    <i>{Why should I care about people who saw me as a tool and not a person?!? Why should I care about a world that never respected me?!? Why should I even fucking care anymore?!?} </i>(Halifax)


    "Is that really enough of a reason to stand aside while they''re killed? While their world is about to be taken over by Akagi?!?" Amakusa yelled back. ¡°You know what she''s going to do to these people! They''re going to be one step removed from ves!¡±


    "Need I remind you that the only reason she''s <i>here </i>is because of YOU IDIOTS!" Halifax''s aura red up again, identally blowing away the table between her and Amakusa. "<i>You</i> four are the reason that Akagi is here in the first ce! YOU drove the Spirits to flee! YOU followed them to her world! And YOU IDIOTS ATTACKED HER!" Her voice was so loud that it caused the room they were in to shake, attracting the attention of those nearby.


    "AND I''M SORRY FOR THAT!" Amakusa stood up and met Halifax at eye level. "I''ve admitted so many times that we fucked up! We were tricked, deceived, and lied to by the Gods, and the whole reason that I''m here is to try and help make things right!" She took a deep breath. Staring down a visibly angry Halifax was no easy feat, but Amakusa wasn''t one to back down. "But that doesn''t mean that I can sit back and watch as Akagi causes things to go to hell! The people of this world don''t deserve to be subject to her whims!"


    <i>{No one does!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "No..." Halifax retracted her aura. "No Shiroe, you''re wrong..." Her lips were still trembling, and it was clear that tears were only moments from flooding out. "This world, these <i>people</i>, they deserve to fucking die, ALL OF THEM!" She steadied herself, taking a sharp breath to calm her down, to no avail. "They cheered as the Dark Elves were ughtered, cheered as all manners of atrocities weremitted for all kinds of stupid reasons, and they <i>cheered </i>as the Spirits were eradicated..." She reached out and grabbed Amakusa by the scruff of her Kimono.


    "Even still! Two wrongs don''t make a right!" Amakusa red back at her, no longer afraid. "Akagi killing the people of this world won''t bring back the lives of those who died! It won''t erase the past and it won''t make things better!"


    "And I know that!" Halifax tightened her grip on the Kimono. "But that doesn''t mean that some kind of <i>punishment</i> isn''t in order! The only reason that I would stand in Akagi''s way is if she dered her intention to destroy this world and that''s only because... because..." Tears started streaming down her face. "It''s because I <i>know </i>that there are good people in it, and because... And because at the end of the day..." She smiled as she continued to cry. "I still love being a Hero... I still love helping people, saving the day, and making the world a better ce... I can''t let that part of me go, which is why I''ve stuck to that line in the sand... Because if I let that go... If I throw away <i>everything</i>..." She slowly let Amakusa go. "Then what am I <i>besides </i>a tool?"

 Chapter 319.5 – Fate of a Nation and Imposters.

    Chapter 319.5 ¨C Fate of a Nation and Imposters.


    "Such an unfortunate sight..." Feline said as her carriage drove past an active ve market. She was on her way back from a meeting with certain members of the Amdamell Nobility and was hoping to get some time to speak with her Brother and Father about what Merkyul had told discussed with her, as well as her concerns about the consequences of ignoring their demands.


    <i>{Most of that Market is filled with other races, but I can see a few Spirits mixed in. I''m surprised that the Dumetorians haven''t made a move to rescue them, but based on what that wolfkin said, they see their persecution and envement as a useful casus belli. It''s debatable whether they actually care for the Spirits, but at the end of the day, it doesn''t matter. The threat posed by a Demon Lord cannot be ignored and I need Father and Brother to understand just how precarious our situation is.} </i>(Feline)


    "Your Highness." Albert''s words snapped her out of her thoughts. "Are you feeling alright? You''ve been awfully quiet since we left Duke Malon''s Mannor, and your face has grown increasingly pale." He was worried that she was sick or that the stress had finally gotten to her, and Feline''s tendency to burn both ends of the candle made him certain that she''d been overworking herself. "Perhaps you should rest rather than speak to His Majesty today? I''m sure that we can schedule a meeting another day."


    "Ah... Sorry, I was just lost in thought." Feline replied with a slightly embarrassed smile. "And no. While I appreciate the concern for my health. I must speak with Father and Brother today." She shook her head, internally noting that any further dy would only make things worse.


    "Is it really important enough to risk your health? It''s clear as day that you are not well." Albert pointed to her slightly trembling hand. "Will you not consider-"


    "My health matters not when the fate of our entire nation is at risk." Feline replied without thinking, blurting out more than she''d intended. She hadn''t told <i>anyone </i>about the demands made by Dumetor yet as she was worried about potential leaks.


    <i>{Darn it! I must be reaching my limit if I slipped up so easily!} </i>(Feline)


    "Fate of the..." Albert furrowed his brows, not understanding.


    <i>{What kind of mess have you gotten yourself into?} </i>(Albert)


    "You will have to forgive me for keeping quiet, but I cannot speak of this information now." Feline shook her head as the carriage continued toward the Pce. "There is too great a risk of someone overhearing, and if this information leaks, it <i>will </i>spark a panic. So I just ask that you take me at my word. Everything that I''ve been doing these past days have been in service to our people, and if my health suffers then so be it."


    "I see..." Albert let out a deep sigh. "Then I''ll trust you, but please promise me that you''ll get some rest afterward everything is said and done today. I don''t want you see you copse because you pushed yourself, and I can imagine that Dorran doesn''t want that either." That was her fiance in an arranged marriage and a man that she''d only ever met a handful of times in her life. He was the Son of a Duke and the adoptive Nephew of Albert, which was how he was introduced to the Princess.


    <i>{I know Albert thinks highly of him, but I couldn''t care less about that man''s opinion or thoughts. Our union will serve political purposes and nothing else, so I see no reason to allow anything else to seep in to our rtionship, and he knows that.} </i>(Feline)


    As the carriage drove toward the Pce, the two sat in silence. Feline was certain that the discussion that was about tomence was going to be neither quick nor pleasant. King Fredrick was a pious man and someone who held absolute faith in the Gods, and her older Brother, the Crown Prince was far too ingrained in the Kingdom''s politics to make enemies of his faction members. Feline was expecting to be brushed off or even <i>imprisoned </i>for requesting the release of the Spirits, but even so, she''d steeled herself for whatever was toe.


    <i>{I have to convince them. I just HAVE to! If I don''t...} </i>(Feline)


    Exiting the carriage, Feline could feel her blood pressure increase and her heart felt like it was about to leap out of her throat. Not wanting to involve him in theing mess, she dismissed a reluctant Albert and headed up to her Father''s office, where she knew he was waiting. Feline had specifically requested an urgent appointment with the two of them, and this was the first opening that they had in their busy schedules.


    "Your Highness, His Majesty, and His Highness are waiting for you. Shall I escort you?" One of the maids curtseyed to her as she entered the main hall of the Pce.


    "No, there is no need for that." Feline shook her head as she rushed past the maid. "Please inform the staff that <i>no one </i>is to interrupt our meeting under <i>any </i>circumstances." She couldn''t risk any of this information leaking, since it would likely cause panic.


    "I... Of course!" The confused maid bowed as Feline steamed through the Pce and quickly ascended the grand staircase. Her Father''s office was on the top floor and overlooked the city below. It was a truly magnificent sight, but Feline feared that it would be soon reduced to <i>ash </i>if she failed her mission.


    *KNOCK* *KNOCK*


    Feline knocked on the door to her Father''s office, and after what felt like an eternity, a deep voice responded. "Come in." As she gripped the handle, Feline''s throat dried up before she finally calmed herself down enough to enter. There would be no going back from here, and she was prepared to do whatever it took to save her people.


    "Father, I''ve arrived." Feline said as she stepped into the room, her Father sitting behind his desk and reading over some papers. He was a slightly older man and gave off the intense aura befitting a Monarch, while his trademark golden hair glinted in the light of the Sun. "Brother, it''s good to see you too." She closed the door behind her and curtseyed to him as well as the Crown Prince. Her Brother, Yeshua, was the spitting image of her Father when he was younger, sharing the blonde hair and blue eyes that <i>all </i>members of the Royal Family had. He was well regarded within the Kingdom and the Alliance, and most expected him to be a great King in the future.


    "It''s been a while since we''vest spoken in person." Yeshua smiled as he hugged her. "I''ve been so busy on a diplomatic tour over thisst half year that I''ve scarcely been home!" Heughed. "But it''s so good to see you again, Feline. You''ve truly blossomed into a beautiful young woman while I''ve been away! If I didn''t know any better I''d think Mother had walked into the room!¡±


    "Yes, you''ve been away far too much, Brother." Feline returned a smile. She got along with him well enough, but the factional power struggle in the background meant that she couldn''t entirely drop her guard around him. As the King''s second child, Feline was technically inpetition for the throne, and while she had no interest in taking it, the two siblings knew that other Nobles would be more than happy to pit them against each other.


    <i>{You''re faction members have been busy, and ying around them has been a hassle. I hope you understand that they''re just using you, Brother.} </i>(Feline)


    "I''m sure that Yeshua is happy to see you, but sadly he won''t be staying in the Capital long. He will be heading to Northwind soon to negotiate with Gildra on a joint naval venture soon. So I''d make sure you spend time with him before that." Fredrick said, the stern look on his face giving the false impression that he was a heartless stiff when in reality he could be a doting Father.


    <i>{It would seem that thebined exploration fleet that I''ve heard rumors about is going to actuallye to pass. If things go as Father wants, we''ll have a sustainable passage to the South and West, but before that...} </i>(Feline)


    "So, what did you call this urgent meeting for anyway?" Yeshua asked a question that had been on his mind since he got the strange invitation. "It''s not like you to ask for something like this, and why did we need barriers?" He was referring to anti-divination magic ced around the office to prevent all attempts at scrying. It was normal to protect state secrets, but the special request or <i>stronger </i>protections gave the Prince the feeling that his Sister had something unpleasant to discuss.


    "Yes, I''m quite interested in what you have to say as well." Fredrick said as he put down his quill. "You''ve never liked being involved in politics, so I can''t imagine it''s something involving session."


    ¡°Yeah, don''t tell me this is where you announce your candidacy for the throne.¡± Yeshuaughed, knowing that it couldn''t possibly be that.


    "Its definitely political in nature, and something to do with the future of our Kingdom." Feline said with a stern expression.


    "Hold up! Don''t tell me you''re <i>actually </i>going to announce your candidacy to the throne!" Yeshuaughed, knowing full well that his sister didn''t want to be Queen.


    <i>{She wouldn''t!} </i>(Yeshua)


    "No... Rest assured its not that, and my feelings on the matter have not changed." Feline shook her head. "Father, Brother... I''ve called this meeting... To discuss with you the fate of our nation... No, realistically its about the fate of the entire world..." Her words caught both by surprise, and the more jovial atmosphere a moment prior vanished in an instant.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Copy Boze POV>


    "I suppose things have worked out rather well." Copy Boze smiled as he inspected his face in a hand mirror. He, as well as the copies of his ''Daughter'' Sophie and ''Wife'' Margareta, had been sent back to their family estate once the Copy Slimes had acquainted themselves with their new forms. Overall Akagi was satisfied with the results of Imp''s special slimes, and the Devil woman was excited to see her experiment in action. "It''s just too bad that we couldn''t take the ce of Nobles with slightly more standing." He smirked as he looked at Sakura, who was riding with them. ¡°A Count is decent but I wouldn''t have scoffed at maybe something a bit higher up in the food chain.¡±


    "You know full well the reason that our Master didn''t have you rece a Duke or even the Regent herself was because that would make her further ns more difficult." Sakura didn''t like the Copy Slimes and was worried that their loyalty to Akagi wasn''t 100% like the other members of the n. "All that information should''ve been imprinted in you when Imp and Alice created you."


    "Yes, yes, yes." The Copy Boze shrugged. "I was just thinking aloud, that''s all. I''m fully aware of Lady Akagi''s ns, and I''ll ensure that we y our part perfectly."


    <i>{You''d better, else you''ll be answering to a lot of very angry people.} </i>(Sakura)


    "Anything less would be an insult to Her Greatness." Copy Margareta said as she extended a folding fan and put it in front of her face. "I guarantee that we willplete our objective without fail. The Demons will foolishly pick a fight they cannot win, and Her Greatness will put them in their ce for being so insolent." Sheughed in a very stereotypical aristocratic manner.


    "I hope Ms. Erina will be okay..." Copy Sophie looked sad. The real Sophie and Erina had been ''friends'' though there was never a doubt that the Half-Naga was servant and she the master, and while the Copy was still a Copy, she felt some of the affinity the real Sophie held for the Spirit.


    "Don''t worry, my dear." Copy Boze pat her on the head as their carriage pulled up in front of the family estate. "Lady Akagi will handle everything, and Erina will be fine." He smiled. ¡°I''m sure she''ll be much better off now that she''s free.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, so don''t fret, My Dear.¡± Copy Margareta reassured her.


    "Just don''t forget your missions while you''re out here." Sakura cautioned them against being too engulfed by their new forms. "I''ll be checking on you regrly, and you''d best be prepared to give detailed reports. Master does not tolerate failure, and neither do I." She said before her form melted into the shadows, vanishing from the carriage without a trace.


    "I swear that pink fox is so uptight." Copy Margareta sighed as Copy Boze helped her down from the carriage. "She could definitely learn to loosen up a bit."


    "I believe that''s just how all those Ninja are." Copy Boze replied as he helped Copy Sophie down from the carriage as well. "But regardless of her uptightness, we''ve got a mission to do. It''s too bad that Lady Akagi won''t allow us to deploy more of our kind, but it is what it is I suppose." He said before the the three of them walked from the carriage toward the front entrance, noting the various <i>statues</i> in the nearby gardens. "Though I suppose that dealing with <i>those </i>shoulde first. I don''t think they suit our new agenda, and I for one find them positively tacky."


    Spoiler


    Yeshua Amdamell!


    Fredrick Amdamell!


    Copy Boze!


    [copse]

 Chapter 320 – The Investigation Beings.

    Chapter 320 ¨C The Investigation Beings.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Hey everyone! Take a look at the poll below for me if you can and give me your opinion. I just wanted to check in on how ya''ll are enjoying this part of the story, mostly because the Enoris arc is the part I was worried about the most while writing. There''s a lot of moving parts and its the mostplicated and different part of the story, so feel free to tell me if you''ve been enjoying it or not.


    *BANG* *CLANK*


    "I suppose that meeting went well, all things considered anyway." Reflia sighed as the massive wooden doors to the Imperial throne room closed behind her.


    <i>{But still, Hadrus was putting on his usual stoic demeanor, but I could tell that he was incredibly disturbed. To have someone toy with him like that was never something that I could''ve even imagined. He''s one of the more powerful mortals currently alive, and even if we count in the Demis, he''d still rank highly in terms of raw power.} </i>(Reflia)


    "Mother." The petite red-haired knight next to the Goddess spoke up as they exited the room. Her small size contrasted with thergepound bow on her back, and from an outside perspective, one would have to question if she could even use the weapon on her back. "If I may speak." She lowered her head slightly.


    "You know that you don''t need to ask permission Penelope." Reflia sighed as the two of them began walking down the hallway. "But go ahead."


    <i>{This girl... I''m your Mother, not your master...} </i>(Reflia)


    "Please forgive me if I am wrong, but I believe that Princess Rebeckah was lying to you." Penelope said with determination and confidence in her voice. "You asked her if she''d had any contact with either Lady riel or Halifax recently, and I detected a slight change in her body, which I believe indicated that she did." She could detect biometric data which, like with Akagi, made her an expert and knowing if someone was trying to deceive her.


    "Naturally." Reflia shrugged. "I picked up on that immediately, but I have no idea why she was attempting to conceal that fact."


    <i>{Though its not a good sign. It should''ve been easy for me to find riel''s Avatar, but I sense nothing. She hasn''t been killed, that much is certain by her domain and servants still existing, but its almost as if she''s being hidden. Finding her may prove to be more difficult a task than I expected, and I suppose I''ll have to pull in some of my off the books resources to help me out.} </i>(Reflia)


    "Perhaps it''s because she was subject to one of riel''s <i>whims</i>." The Bow on Penelope''s back spoke in a male voice,ughing. "It wouldn''t be the first time that Goddess made an <i>interesting</i> lover out of a mortal."


    ¡°I suppose that''s possible...¡± Penelope said, conflicted.


    "No, I don''t think that''s it." Reflia shook her head. "If riel <i>had</i> put her hands on the Princess, then her energy would be all over her." She exined that, like with scent, such a thing would remain behind for some time. It wouldn''t be the first time she''d had to deal with her sister''s penchant for seducing mortals if it was true, but in this case it looked not to be the reason for the Princess'' deception. "Thogh now that you mention something like that, Arcus, did you sense any of Halifax''s energy on her? I know that you said something about feeling her presence in the City faintly after we arrived."


    "It''s hard to tell." Arcus replied. "Halifax has been involved with the Imperial Royal family for some time, so I''m unsure just how recent any trace of her power is. I <i>could </i>sense a bit of it on Rebeckah, but there''s no telling just how old it is."


    "I see..." Reflia descended into thought.


    <i>{riel and Halifax have been on bad terms for a millennia after what happened with the Dark Elves, so it''s hard to believe that they''d suddenly work together out of the blue. I suppose that my sister could''vemanded her to do her bidding, but I don''t think the present riel could do something like that...} </i>(Reflia)


    "Regardless of the Princess'' motivations or interactions with those two, our primary focus should be on finding the one behind Tahena''s death. Hadrus is going to spread the word that she''s merely wounded, which should buy us some time, and mortals will eventually forget about her if we tell them that she''s resting for a few hundred years." Reflia tapped the front of her forehead as she sighed.


    <i>{Thest thing we need is word spreading that one of us died, it would send people into a panic. Though at this point it probably doesn''t matter much with what Gale and the others n to do.} </i>(Reflia)


    "I still cannot believe that Lady Tahena is..." Penelope bit her lip in frustration. "To have done something so vile to such a kind and caring Goddess. These Cultists have gone too far!"


    "Do not worry, my child." Reflia pat her on the head. "Vengeance shall be had, and the one who took her away from us shall pay in blood." She said that, but feared that it may not just be the assant''s blood that was spilled.


    "I''m still concerned about <i>how</i> she was killed." Arcus interjected. "Reports stated that she was stabbed and then decapitated with a ''shadow de'', but how is it possible that killing her Avatar destroyed her as well? Even Divine Weapons like myself aren''t capable of something like that, and I know for a <i>fact</i> that the Demon Cult''s corruption shenanigans can''t enable such an ability."


    "That... That is still a mystery to me as well..." Reflia trailed off as they descended the main staircase and exited the Pce.


    <i>{Her body reeked of dark energy, a kind that makes my stomach churn if it''s what I think it is. But lets not start jumping to any conclusions. That Red handprint painted on the wall isn''t something I''ve seen before and for all I know its just the Axe, and not the real deale back to life. Though even if it is... I suppose that will work.} </i>(Reflia)


    "Mother, is it possible that Vikes has returned?" Penelope asked a question that even the Goddess hadn''t wanted to contemte. She was incapacitated by the Demon Lord a the beginning of his rampage and knew that he was a being that caused great devestation.


    "No, such a thing is impossible." Reflia shook her head as they stopped outside the pce gates. The City was far less lively than when Akagi was here,rgely due to her antics. "We <i>confirmed</i> that Vikes'' soul was shattered by Halifax, and we spared no amount of time making <i>absolutely</i> <i>sure</i> that he was gone." She paused. "However... That name, Demon Lord Akagi..."


    "Isn''t that just a cover to hide Vikes'' return?" Arcus postted that it was a ruse. "Perhaps a fragment of him survived, and this ''new'' Demon Lord is his reincarnation?" He''d seen simr things before and figured that if anyone could do it, a Demon Lord could.


    "That <i>would</i> make the most sense. We never did capture his Axe, and it''s possible that part of him was contained within as a backup." Reflia gave the idea some thought, but quickly dismissed it as unlikely.


    <i>{If that was truly the case, then why would a partially revived Vikes act in such a covert manner? He was never more than a bloodthirsty monster, and he had no interest in ying games like this. No if it really was Vikes reborn, then this world would be a sea of mes by now. I think its more likely this is ANOTHER Demon Lord, and if its true then I need to work quickly to put my n into motion. Gale is going to be busy focusing on her, so I doubt he''ll realize I''ve taken some detours.} </i>(Reflia)


    "I know how much this bothers you, so I implore you to let me go after them, Mother." Penelope knelt down. "I will bring you the head of the one who took Lady Tahena from us without fail, so please give me permission to defeat them!"


    ¡°Such passion!¡± Arcusughed.


    "While I apud your enthusiasm, my dear, what you are asking isn''t going to happen." Reflia shook her head. "Thest thing we need is for Arcus to get corrupted, and if they have the power to kill one of us, then you can rest assured that a Demi-God like you wouldn''t be any threat to them or their operations."


    <i>{Nor do I want you to die. For all the trouble you are, you''re still my only daughter and I can''t lose you. If I can save just one person from this world''s death, I''d like it to at least be you, Penelope.} </i>(Reflia)


    "Yeah, I don''t really want to be turned into an instrument of evil either. We''ve had enough of my siblings get turned over the years, thank you very much." Arcus huffed.


    "I don''t know, it might be an improvement." Penelope smirked. "Perhaps an evil version of you would <i>talk</i> a bit less."


    ¡°But then I''d lose my most defining and important feature! Besides, if I stop talking then you''ll probably revert to grunting and snorting like an animal due tock of friends!¡± Arcusughed as Penelope silently seethed.


    "Well, let''s not even entertain such thoughts." Reflia coughed to get the conversation back on track. "Though while I cannot send you against the Cult, I <i>do </i>have a job for you."


    "As you wish, my Lady." Penelope bowed her head to ept her mission. "Please give me your orders, and I willplete them without fail."


    <i>{Again... I''m not your master... There''s no need to treat me like that...} </i>(Reflia)


    "In the far South, in the Simoea ins, I sensed a disturbance in the spacial structure that is consistent with a portal opening." Reflia exined what she''d felt. "Now, I''m not entirely sure what''s happening, and it could easily just be an anomaly rted to the magical disasters that are urring ever more frequently, but I''d like you to <i>investigate</i> it for me. There''s a chance that it''s connected to the one behind Tahena''s death, and the timing is too close for me to chalk it up to coincidence. I need someone I can trust to go down there and check it out."


    <i>{Besides, even if it is nothing, an open portal has the potential to destroy this world. We can''t even move betweenyers without risking catastrophic coteral damage, and at least this way I can keep her from directly hunting the Cult itself and this will keep her safely away from the action. I hate to take advantage of her filial nature, but if I tell Penelope to stay away from danger, then she will. Its both a blessing and a w of hers.} </i>(Reflia)


    "Is it not dangerous for me to leave you alone?" Penelope protested separating from her Mother. "I am your shield, and if the worst shoulde to pass..." Her face grew dark.


    "My dear child." Reflia giggled as she pat her on the head. "You need not worry about me. I am far more adept at self-preservation than Tahena ever was."


    "Not to mention that if this ''assassin'' can kill a God, I don''t think you''d be much of a challenge." Arcusughed.


    "Funny. Keep it up, and I might just bury you in some manure for a few decades." Penelope grumbled.


    "Too bad I can grow legs and walk away. Otherwise, it would be the perfect n." Arcus retorted.


    <i>{Stupid Bow...} </i>(Penelope)


    "Alright, Alright, calm down, children." Reflia sighed. The two of them never got along well, and it was a wonder that they were able to work together as well as they had over the years. "Arcus is right, Penelope. There is no meaning in you staying by my side when that will aplish nothing beyond putting you in harm''s way. You would be far more useful to me performing this investigation, so please don''t argue. Now go down there and investigate these anomalys and whatever you do <i>don''t </i>go engaging the Cult or getting into any fights with them. If you end up determining that they''re connected to the Simoea incident then you are to contact me immediately and wait for my instructions. Understand? No running off and doing something crazy like attacking a stronger foe head on, okay?"


    <i>{I really don''t need you going off and doing something reckless, but luckily Penelope saves her brash nature for things that don''t involve my direct orders.} </i>(Reflia)


    "If that is your wish, then I will do as youmand." Penelope reluctantly agreed, though whether or not she would actually stay away from Akagi''s forces was questionable, something that Reflia hadn''t noticed. "But I implore you to be careful, Mother. At the very least, you should summon other guards in my absence."


    "I will see what I can do." Reflia sighed.


    <i>{But first things first, I need to figure out who or what is behind all this. Demon Lord or not, somebody managed to kill a God, and they might just be the kind of person that I''ve been looking for.} </i>(Reflia)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Akagi POV>


    After a long day of picking off important Nobles and merchants, Akagi returned back to the Dumetor base camp, ready to rx and unwind. There was much kitty pets to receive and Yumi was in the mood for snuggles under the nkey with one fluffy kitty.


    "Hey, guys! I''m ba-" Akagi paused as she burst through the door to the canteen.


    "You... Youse should know... *hick* That you''re so much better than those bastards *hick*" Amakusa stammered, her face flushed red as she tried to speak to Halifax, who was in no better shape. "You''re... You''re an alright girl *hick* Hali... Hali... You... *hick* You person you..."


    "And you''re not so bad yourselves..." Halifax slurred her words heavily as she poured another ss. "Oh?" She looked inside the empty bottle, tossing it aside and causing it to explode into a shower of shards with the rest of the bottles that they''d drank. "WAITRESS! I NEED MORE DRINK!" She yelled loudly and, a momentter, an absolutely mortified riel brought her another bottle. ¡°BRING IT OUT!¡±


    "Well, they''ve been busy." Akagi was struggling to hold inughter as she watched riel bring out more alcohol, only to have it snatched from her hands.


    "<i>Busy</i> is an understatement! They''ve been at this since TEN in the morning..." riel whined. "I had to send Silfana back to your world to get more wine since they DRANK IT ALL!"


    "Oh my..." Yumi''s eyes widened as she took in the sight of the stered girls and the dozens upon dozens of empty wine, whiskey, and beer bottles. "They really had a go at it, huh?"


    "Shouldn''t you have cut them off by now?" Akagi asked as she counted up the bottles.


    "What makes you think that I haven''t tried?!?" riel yelled. "I told them hours ago that I was done getting more drinks for their drunk assess, and when I did that they proceeded to <i>beat </i>me until I changed my mind."


    <i>{Had I not relented there was talk of BRANDING me for my refusal!} </i>(riel)


    <i>{Oof. Drunks and their booze are not to be fucked with, especially emotional drunks.}</i> (Akagi)


    "H-Hey... Is... Is it bad that this stuff tastes like... like water now?" Amakusa said as she fell out of her chair and onto the floor, giggling.


    "Nah... Just means is workin''..." Halifax started giggling uncontrobly as Akagi watched on. ¡°Sall good...¡±


    <i>{Now that I think about it, how the fuck is a Sword getting drunk?!?} </i>(Akagi)


    Spoiler


    Penelope!


    [copse]

 Chapter 321 – The Temptation.

    Chapter 321 ¨C The Temptation.


    "Things are never simple, are they? Bathrumd continues his saber-rattling against the Empire, and we''ve gotten word that the Demon Lord cult is making moves throughout both our territory and Northwind." Ariel sighed as she sat at her father''s bedside, her hand resting on top of the gray and withered hand of the Demon King. He was barely recognizable as the once proud and strong King that she''de to admire, and was little more than a shadow of his former self. Gone were his proud features, reced by a withered husk, barely clinging to life. "We... We need you... Father. <i>I</i>... need you..." King Lockheed''s condition had gotten to the point that he could barely speak or move, and at this point, every day that passed could easily be hisst. The once mighty Demon King who could duel Emperor Hadrus to a standstill was little more than a distant memory at this point.


    <i>{No matter what, we can''t allow Bathrumd to be the next King. I don''t care what I have to do or who I need to bribe, but that man CANNOT be allowed to lead our people, or I fear he shall bring about our downfall. He embodies everything wrong with our kind and our ways, and I know what kind of leader he will be...}</i> (Ariel)


    After staying at his side for a bit and speaking to her father about current events, Ariel departed the King''s bedchambers and returned to her office. Even thiste in the day there was much work to be done, and Ariel was always one to burn the midnight oil.


    "I still need to look over that report that Delora gave to me. It seems that we need some extensive reforms in the Military Academy, and she may be right that opening up enrollment tomoners like the Empire recently did will be necessary in order to keep our forces from stagnating." Ariel sighed as she poured a ss of ck liquor and took a sip of the thick liquid. "But I suppose that will have to wait until Duke Boze''s meeting is over..." She leaned back in her chair.


    <i>{Why on Earth did Edeowin schedule a meeting thiste at night? He said something about it being urgent but...} </i>(Ariel)


    "This better not be something stupid." Ariel ced her ss down before rubbing her face in frustration. Thest thing that she wanted to do was entertain some lowly Count, but she had no choice but to do what was required of her as his acting liege.


    *KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK*


    <i>{And I don''t even get a moment''s rest, huh?} </i>(Ariel)


    "Your Highness, Count Boze is here." A maid spoke through her office door. ¡°Shall I let him in?¡±


    <i>{You have no idea how much I want to say no...} </i>(Ariel)


    "Yes, please send him in..." Ariel sighed as she knocked back a shot of liquor as ''Count Boze'' entered the room. ¡°This better be both important and quick.¡± She said under he breath as the door slowly opened.


    "Lady Ariel, please forgive my intrusion." Count Boze stood in front of his desk and gave a polite bow. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me thiste in the evening. I know it was a sudden addition to your schedule, and I am grateful for your courtesy."


    "A Noble of the Kingdom used their legal right to request a meeting with the current Sovereign, something quite unusual in the modern era. I hope whatever you need to speak with me about is so vital that it merited using something so <i>antiquated</i>." Ariel locked eyes with him. As per ancient Demonw, Nobles of the realm could effectively force a meeting with the current King/Queen. However, doing so was considered <i>unwise </i>unless the reason was of dire importance and misuse would see said Noble quickly disfavored, depending on their reason.


    "Rest assured that I can guarantee you that my use of your most ancient of customs is of vital importance, Your Highness." Nima''s voice startled Ariel, whose eyes went wide as the Catgirl, Shimari, and Nemino appeared from Boze''s shadow, nking him.


    "Intruders?!? What is the meaning of this, Boze?!?" Ariel jolted up from her chair, ready to do battle. "Answer me now, and pray that what you have to say dissuades me from taking your life!" She figured that sudden appearances like that were either an assassination attempt or had something to do with a major incident.


    <i>{The Boze family is a rtively insignificant family from the East, so why would he even risk something like this?!? Is he a fool?!?} </i>(Ariel)


    "I''m sorry, but this was simply too important to do things any other way, Your Highness." The <i>Copy</i> Boze smiled. "Recently I received messengers who simply wouldn''t take no for an answer when they asked me to act as an intermediary with the Kingdom." The copies were nning on keeping themselves hidden since it was better to think that the Demon Kingdom had traitors than to realize that some of its Nobles had been <i>reced</i>. Though the Copy Boze was also going to do his part to weasel his way into Demon politics for the <i>second </i>part of Akagi''s n, one that required great care and a deft hand.


    "Messengers?" Ariel''s eyes scanned over Nima and Co. "If they wanted to speak with me, then they should''ve gone through proper channels. What you''ve done here was highly inappropriate, Count. I may even be tempted to strip you of your title andnds for pulling such a brazen stunt."


    <i>{The only messengers I want to see are thoseing to deliver surrender or those of the Gods, and I''m not very interested in that second one all that much.} </i>(Ariel)


    "I understand and will gracefully ept any punishment that you decide to meet out Your Highness." The Copy yed his role perfectly, and Akagi had taken great care to see that he was turned from a hapless and decadent fool into a master of political maneuvering, the exact opposite of his ''real'' counterpart.


    "I suppose that since we''ve alreadye this far, I should at least hear you out.¡± Ariel said. ¡°So, who are you, and what do you want?" The Princess-Regent reduced her magical energy but didn''t let her guard down. "I have little patience for fools, so I hope that what you have to say is truly important, lest I <i>vaporize</i> you for wasting my time."


    <i>{Something tells me that she''s done just that before.} </i>(Nima)


    "Seeing as how busy you are, and out of respect for your time and grace, let''s get right to it." Nima cleared her throat and bowed slightly. "My name is Nima Dumetor, and I am an Ambassador sent on behalf of the Kingdom of Dumetor to negotiate with Your Highness on a matter most important."


    <i>{Kingdom of Dumetor? Is that a Country from the Soutnds? Or perhaps the Western Continent? I don''t recognize that name from my readings.} </i>(Ariel)


    "I see, and tell me <i>why</i> did you not approach us via official channels? We have a robust diplomatic Corp that handles interactions between the Kingdom and other nations. Doing something like this seems suspicious when there is a proper way to establishmunication between our two nations." Ariel got the sense that something was wrong, as back channel interactions like this tended to <i>never </i>be a good sign.


    <i>{None of them seem to be a threat, and it would be easy to overwhelm them if they tried anything, so what''s their game? Why go about this in such an illogical manner? It makes no sense.} </i>(Ariel)


    "Forgive me, but while I would''ve ordinarily gone about things the correct way, we are a bit pressed for time." Nima replied with another polite bow. "I simply could not wait for the formalities to conclude before bringing my Master''s offer to you, so please forgive my haphazard arrival."


    "We will discuss forgiveness for your actionster, but tell me, who might this ''Master'' of yours be?" Ariel expected it to be a King or Queen of the nation in question. ¡°I would like to give them my most strongly worded of criticisms for this stunt.¡±


    <i>{Well, knowing her, she more than likely want to scream at them.} </i>(Copy Boze)


    "Demon Lord Akagi Dumetor." Nima smiled, getting the exact reaction that she was expecting as Ariel lunged for her throat, only to be blocked by Shimari''s shield.


    *BANG!*


    "Get out of my way, <em>dog</em>!" Ariel allowed her power to re as she punched Shimari''s towershield, and was stunned when she was easily repulsed.


    <i>{How can a mere beastkin stop me so easily?!?} </i>(Ariel)


    "Cultist bastards!" Ariel growled as she leaped backward and channeled her power, causing green wind to whip around her. "I''ll have your heads before I even think of negotiating with you! How dare you set foot in my home after what you''ve done!" She was moments from going off and causing a massive scene, only barely holding herself back.


    <i>{I''ll summon everyone in the Capital to crush them. We''ve already been nning to attack the Cult, and arge portion of the Royal Army is already encamped outside of the City. It might be a bit early, but it''s time to crush these bastards once and for all!} </i>(Ariel)


    "I would advise you <i>not </i>to go calling for reinforcements." Nima sighed, reading Ariel''s intentions. "We are not here to fight you, and I am simply here to discuss a deal between our nations. Not to mention that we have no affiliation with Vikes'' cult, nor are we responsible for its actions, so please don''t conte us with such people."


    "You said that you serve a Demon Lord! What else could you be <i>but </i>Cultists?!?" Ariel growled, not about to be lied to so brazenly.


    "While we serve Demon Lord, we serve Lady Akagi Dumetor, <i>not</i> Vikes." Nima rified her alliance.


    <i>{That name... I''ve seen it in a report from my spies in the Empire. Something about an assassin wounding Tahena and fighting Hadrus. If I''m not mistaken they called out that name and dered that this ''Demon Lord Akagi'' was dering war on the Gods.} </i>(Ariel)


    "Well, regardless of whether you worship Vikes or this Akagi, you are still <i>enemies</i> of my people if you serve such a person!" Ariel began to channel more magical power as she prepared for a fight. "A Demon Lord once tried to destroy this world, and I doubt that <i>your </i>Demon Lord has anything else in mind! Never mind what you''ve done to my Father!"


    "Oh? But what would you say if I told you that my Master is the only way to <i>save</i> your people?" Nima''s question caused Ariel to briefly pause, not considering Nima''s words as true, though she <i>was </i>admittedly<i></i>curious to hear what she had to say. "And that the only way for the Demon race to continue is by working with her? After all, this world has no future."


    "Well, if you told me that, then I''d say that you''re a liar!" Arielughed at Nima''s ims. "Stop trying to buy time, Cultist. I''m sure that my guards are already preparing to storm this room as we speak, so I''d advise saying yourst words before we tear you and your fellow fanatics limb from limb!"


    <i>{Well, perhaps they would be on their if they had any idea what was going on in here. Imp''s suppression device is quite handy at keeping things quiet within a certain area and I''m so d that we brought it!} </i>Shimari had been given on by the mad scientist, as had Nemino and Nima, the item in question was a small metal ball clipped to her waist, but its effect wouldpletely silence all noise in an area and block out external methods of spying or divining what was happening inside a certain area.


    "Okay, then what would you say if I told you that my Master was the key to saving your Father''s life?" Nima decided to bring out her trump card.


    "Save..." Ariel shook her head, trying to throw away <i>those</i> thoughts. "No! I will not be deceived! You''re nothing but liars! I will not listen!"


    "Oh, but there were no lies in my words." Nima smirked as she moved around Shimari and faced Ariel head-on. "My Master <i>is </i>the only way to save not only your people but also your <i>Father</i>. Think about it, if a Demon Lord''s power is the reason that he''s fallen ill, then it would be simple for a Demon Lord to heal him, no?"


    <i>{She knows about that?!? But the cause of my Father''s illness is only known to a select few!} </i>(Ariel)


    "No... That''s..." Ariel was paralyzed with indecision. She''d never dream of selling out her country, but the idea that her Father''s salvation was possible couldn''t be ignored. Ariel loved her Father dearly, and after the passing of her Mother, the two only grew closer as she dedicated all her effort to studying Kingship him in hopes of one day seeding him. Her father''s power was unmatched, and growing up, he was her Hero, so the idea of bringing the once mighty Demon back to his former glory after ten years was too tempting to dismiss without a thought.


    <i>{Father... I...} </i>(Ariel)

 Chapter 322 – The Negotiations Were Short.

    Chapter 322 ¨C The Negotiations Were Short.


    "No... NO!" Ariel waivered slightly as the idea of saving her father flooded her mind. Saving him was something that she''d desired above most all else, and the offer before her was tempting. "I will... I won''t be swayed by the lies of you monsters!" She refused, but deep within the Princess truly wanted to take any deal to save her Father, but her duty to her people just <i>barely</i> overrode her desire to cure him, especially since she knew that wouldn''t be what he wanted.


    "Such cruel words, but I understand." Nima nodded at the predictable but unfortunate result. "Though perhaps it would benefit our discussion if I informed you of our demands? At least that way you can''t say we didn''t give you the full picture."


    "I don''t care what it is that you want. I will never deal with the Cult, and I will not give in to <i>any </i>of your demands!" Ariel growled beforeing to a sudden realization about the situation.


    <i>{Where are my guards?!? The rm should''ve been sounded by now, but no one ising?!?} </i>(Ariel)


    "I would heavily advise <i>against </i>chasing us off without at least hearing what my Master wants." Nima replied, curtly. "For I can assure you that her <i>next </i>offer will not be anywhere near as generous as the first." She smirked.


    <i>{If no guards areing then I''ll just have to deal with them myself.} </i>(Ariel)


    Ariel mentally prepared herself for a fight with the Dumetorians. The Demon Regent was no slouch in magicalbat and was regarded as one of the most powerful living members of the Demon Race, save only her father and a few others.


    <i>{Judging by the magical power that I''m sensing, that beastkin girl should be the only real threat, but I should be able to easily overpower her-} </i>(Ariel)


    "I wouldn''t advise trying to pick a fight with me." Shimari''s words shot through Ariel, breaking her out of her thoughts. ¡°I can assure you that what you think will be the result will be anything <i>but.¡± </i>She wasn''t keen on fighting, but was not about to let Ariel threaten her or, more importantly, Nemino.


    "Y-You... Did you just..." Ariel stammered, not expecting Shimari to read her thoughts like that.


    "Read your mind, no? But I''ve always been decent at reading people''s intentions, and unlike a certain Imp, <i>you </i>are an open book." Shimari sighed. She''d learned quickly how to pick out people''s inner thoughts,rgely to save her own skin from Imp''s machinations and Akagi''s <i>whims</i>. "And I can tell you for certain that I''d take you down if we do this for real, so how about you stop right there, and we don''t fight." Even a weaker yer like Shimari was no joke inbat, andpared to the people from Enoris, she would be almost unassable, especially with Imp and Imperial''s items at her disposal. "Not to mention that harming either of these two fluffy-eared creatures will cause their Master to go ballistic and probably exterminate you all..." She gave a dryugh as she imagined Akagi''s rampage.


    <i>{Fluffy-eared creature...} </i>(Nima x Nemino)


    "Shimari is right. I see no reason for us toe to blows, Your Highness." Nima said before turning to the Copy Boze. "As you can see, while our arrival was a bit out of the ordinary, we''ve done nothing hostile to you or your Kingdom. Count Boze has gracefully agreed to act as an intermediary between our two nations as he desires peace."


    "Boze..." Ariel growled at the Copy. ¡°You...¡±


    "Your Highness, if nothing else, I believe that we should at least hear them out. I don''t believe there is any harm in at least knowing what they want, and perhaps this is a chance to obtain a valuable ally against the Empire?" Copy Boze smiled.


    "Ally with the Cult?!? Boze, have you gone mad?!?" Ariel was astonished to hear a Noble of the Kingdom say something like that. ¡°These are the same people who''ve cursed your rightful King and brought terror to our people for <i>millennia</i>! How could you say something as ridiculous as <i>allying </i>with them?!?¡±


    ¡°While it is true that Vikes'' Cult has done much harm to us, I am convinced that cooperation with these people is in our best interest. Additionally, I wish to avoid our people being caught up in a much greater conflict." Copy Boze replied in a mildly threatening manner. "And I think it unwise to make a second enemy while we''ve yet to deal with the first."


    <i>{Boze... What the hell is going on here? I''ve known you to be little more than an insignificant and cowardly Noble from the East, so why are you acting like this? Have these Cultists done something to you?} </i>(Ariel)


    Sensing that she may have no way to fight Shimari alone, Ariel relnted and decided to listen to the Dumetorian''s, for now. "Fine, I''ll hear you out, but once you''ve said your peace, I want you out of my sight."


    <i>{Though I''m going to guess that until I listen to you, I won''t be getting any backup.} </i>(Ariel)


    "Thank you for your understanding,and I will try to make this quick." Nima bowed slightly. "What my Master wants is simple, she wishes for the return of her subjects that you and your people have wrongfully enved."


    "Subjects?" Ariel was confused by this request, not knowing who Nima was refferring to as she couldn''t imagine a Demon Lord having subjects. "I have no idea what you''re talking about. We do not capture proper <i>Demons</i>, and we''ve never waged war with your nation before, so how could we have your people as ves?" She was wondering if this was a joke.


    "Oh, but you have." Nima smiled. "You see, the people you call <i>Spirits</i> belong to my Master, and she is none too pleased to see what you''ve done with them."


    <i>{Since when were the Spirits ruled by a Demon Lord?!? And wait, didn''t they flee to another world?!?} </i>(Ariel)


    "To answer the many questions that I can imagine are circling in your head, please allow me to exin..." Nima then described a truncated and slightly <i>altered</i> version of events over thest year, ending with the Dumetorian arrival on Enoris. She intentionally did not include anything regarding the Gods falsly ming the Spirits,rgely because she knew that such a im would not be believed, and also because Akagi had <i>further </i>ns.


    "I see..." Ariel''s mind was racing as she tried to get a grasp on things.


    <i>{But if that''s the case then...} </i>(Ariel)


    ¡°So what do you say, Your Highness?¡± Nima smiled again, though this time her smile was less warm and a bit darker. ¡°Will youply? I can assure you that the benefits for doing so far outweigh the cost of resistance.¡±


    "I said that I''d hear you out and that''s what I did, but I''m afraid that I can''t agree to turn them over." Ariel shook her head. "The Spirits are responsible for the decay of this world and were dered persona non grata by the Gods. Giving them over to your Master would be an affront to the Gods and invite their wrath, and I''ve no interest in picking a fight with them."


    <i>{She had to know that this wouldn''t be feasible, so why even broach the topic? No nation, not even the EMPIRE, would willing to turn against the Gods, especially if that meant siding with some Demon Lord from another world. So what is the game here? Unless this is all just a pretext for war?} </i>(Ariel)


    "That is to be expected." Nima nodded, not seeming to be surprised or disappointed by this turn of events. "However, do note that yourpliance in this matter is <i>not</i> required and we are merely requesting it as a courtesy." She shed a scary smile for a brief moment. "My Master''s will shall be done, and the Spirits <i>will</i> be returned as per her orders. I would strongly advise you to hand them over, lest your people be caught in the crossfire and things be <i>unfortunate.</i>¡±


    "Hah! I knew you Cultists weren''t really interested in talking." Ariel scoffed at the Catgirl. "If you wish to fight, then so be it. But this world has already defeated one Demon Lord, and we will do it again if need be. So tell your master that if she wants us to bow before her then she''s going to have to defeat us in battle and force us to our knees!"


    "Don''t worry, that can be arraigned." Nima pulled a small tablet out of a bag on her shoulder. "Though, perhaps you will be a bit more <i>receptive</i> to our off after you see what happens to those who oppose my Master''s will?" She started flicking through the tablet.


    "Is that a threat?" Arielughed. ¡°Because I don''t take kindly to those.¡±


    "No, it''s simply a warning." Nima shook her head before turning the tablet to show a countdown with five hours remaining. "I think this will be a good lesson in what happens to those who oppose my Master''s will."


    "And what might that be?" Ariel could tell it was some kind of timer, but that was about it.


    "The countdown to the destruction of Riftwood." Nima answered with a smile thatpletely conflicted with her horrifying insinuation.


    "Destruction?!?" Ariel''s eyes went wide. Riftwood was the Capital of the Kingdom of Amdamell and the de facto Capital of the entire United City State Alliance. That someone would im its destruction was imminent was unthinkable, as even both the Empire and Demon Kingdom wouldn''t have an easy time invading such a ce.


    "You see, around one week ago, we gave Amdamell a simr demand to the one we just gave you." Nima said as she put the tablet away. "We told them to hand over all the Spirits within their borders, and all would be well, though as expected, they declined, and their leadershipughed off our promise of consequences." She gave a slightly unnervingugh. "And so they shall pay the price for ignoring our Master''s will."


    <i>{They shall burn for making light of Lady Akagi!} </i>(Nima)


    Ariel''s mouth ran dry as her heart rate increased, something about the Catgirl''s im had gotten her worked up, and something was telling her that the Cat was serious. "You... You can''t be serious. There''s no way that you could destroy Riftwood!"


    <i>{Something like that is impossible!} </i>(Ariel)


    "Well, in fairness, we won''t be wiping it out entirely." Nima rified that turning the City into a smoking ruin was not on the agenda, as Akagi had other ns for it. "Rather, you should think of theing attack as simply a... <i>second </i>notice. Though I''m afraid that after this timer expires, our original and very generous first offer will be off the table and the deal will be altered."


    "You''ll never get away with something like that!" Ariel dered. "The other nations, and even the Gods themselves, won''t stand for an attack like that! If you do something like you''re insinuating its going to bring <i>everyone </i>down on you!"


    "Oh, my Master is both fully aware of an expecting<i> </i>just such a response, and we''re none too worried about those silly Gods of yours." Nima''s reply confused Ariel, as she couldn''t understand how anyone could say that the <i>Gods </i>weren''t a concern. "After all, what reason is there to fear beings that my Master can easily kill?"


    <i>{Those rumors! Are they actually true?!? Is Lady Tahena truly dead and not just wounded?!?} </i>(Ariel)


    "But enough about all that." Nima continued. "We shall take our leave, and I will give you some time to think about your answer to our very generous offer. Take great care in your deliberations, and I pray that you reach the correct answer." She snapped her fingers causing both Shimari and Nemino to hop back into Boze''s shadow, which was effectively acting as a portal. "Oh, and if you should need to speak with us, then please feel free to inform Count Boze. Just please do me a favor and keep his involvement in this whole thing to yourself, there''s no need for him or his family to suffer negative repercussions just because they helped us a little bit." She bowed politely. "Goodbye, Your Highness." She jumped into Boze''s shadow, leaving only the Copy Count and Ariel in her office.


    "Boze..." Ariel growled as she red at the man. "I should strip you of your title and have you and your family executed for this stunt. As far as I''m concerned you''re a traitor to the Demon Kingdom and deserve nothing less than death!"


    "Feel that way if you must, but I''m afraid that such an action would ultimately be self-defeating, Your Highness." Copy Boze replied with a polite smile. "Killing me will not stop the Kingdom''s actions, and is likely to <i>incense</i> them. Not to mention that I''vemitted no crimes, as there is now forbidding a member of the Nobility from acting as an intermediary with a foreignnd." He smirked.


    <i>{No, but you brought them into my office without prior authorization, and it''s clear as day that you''ve sided with them!} </i>(Ariel)


    "Leave... I will decide what to do with youter." Ariel clicked her tongue in disgust.


    "Of course." Copy Boze bowed before backing out of the room, leaving Ariel alone with her thoughts.


    "Nothing... Nothing is ever simple..." Ariel leaned on her desk, her hands slightly trembling as the gravity of the situation finally hit her. "This... I suppose this means that Bathrumd is going to get his war after all..."


    <em>{One that I don''t think anyone will win.}</em>(Ariel)

 Chapter 323 -New Snakey.

    Chapter 323 -New Snakey.


    "So, our little Demoness turned down my generous offer after all?" Akagi said as she took a sip of wine from a ss while sitting on a raised tatami mat. She''d had the ninja turn one of the rooms in the base into an audience hall and it was decorated much like the one she used at the estate,plete with incense that was constantly burning, albeit with ck mes stead of orange ones. "Though that was to be expected. I would''ve honestly been surprised if she did submit to my demands." She chuckled.


    <i>{If anyone actually submits to me right off the bat, THAT would be a bigger shock, to be honest.} </i>(Akagi)


    "From what our intelligence gathering has ascertained, it seems that arge number of Demon troops are encamped outside of Targul at the moment." Nima exined as she sat before her master. "Reports from our agents within the Demon Kingdom state that these forces were going to be used as part of a punitive expedition to eradicate the Cult of Vikes, and I suspect that those forces may be turned toward <i>us</i> instead as a result of our <i>encounter </i>in the Pce."


    "Hmpf." Akagi scoffed as she took another sip. "If those fools send an army against us, then all we need to do is <i>crush </i>it." She smirked, knowing that if they took the bait it would y perfectly into her n. "Perhaps <i>that </i>will send a message to the rest of Enoris? Though whatever the case, we should be prepared for anythinges our way, be it mortal or divine. What do we know of the troop quality and makeup? I doubt they''re any real threat but its good to be informed."


    "Nemino''s team has reported that there are approximately eighty thousand troops around the Capital, and the Copy Slime that has taken the ce of Count Boze has confirmed that at least twenty thousand more are currently on the way. It seems that the Princess Regent was waiting for the different Noble houses to assemble their provincial armies beforeunching this attack." She continued. ¡°They seem to be a collection of mostly infantry and collection of cavalry, bothnd beast based and flying. Nemino observed some kind of wyvern-based aerial force being brought in recently, though it appears there are only a few dozen of them.¡±


    "That''s quite a decent number of troops, especially in a world like this." Akagi knew from history that assembling such arge number of forces was never cheap or easy, and it was likely that the Demon Kingdom wouldn''t want to keep them active for long, lest it take a massive economic hit.


    <i>{Soldiers tend to always cause problems for the local area, even ones that are professionals. Murder, theft, and general criminality tend to followrge formations of military units, and I''d imagine that Demons are no different than Humans in that regard.} </i>(Akagi)


    "How long until those provincial forces arrive?" Akagi asked as she took out her Kiseru and lit it. ¡°Do we have an estimate?¡±


    "At their current speed, we believe that they will arrive at Targul within a week, maybe two if weather dys them." Nima said as she looked at her data pad. "After that, it would only take three or four days to march <i>here, </i>though we expect them to take some time to reorganize before beginning their march so I''d put any such battle at between two weeks to a month from now." She figured that was Akagi''s next question.


    "Good. Then we''ve got plenty of time to assemble all the pieces and make all necessary preparations for <i>war</i>." Akagiughed as she took a puff.


    <i>{Though calling it a war may be giving the Demons too much credit. Any battle will end up as a ughter. If they''re truly foolish enough to march on my then I have no qualms about drenching the ground in their blood, thems the rules after all.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Shall I recall the other ninja and prepare a defense?" Nima asked if she should bring everyone home to take part in theing battle.


    "Go ahead and bring them back gradually, but keep our surveince capabilities at a minimum level until just before their arrival." Akagi grinned. "They''ll take part in the fight but I''d like to use such an opportunity to allow Silfana to prove her worth, and I''d imagine that Imp would love the chance to have them test out some of their new <i>toys</i>. I know Alice has been working on upgrading her soldiers, but we''ll save those for whates next." The Puppeteer had been working with Imperial to improve upon the soldiers that she''d made for Libra, and the results were looking promising. They were still mindless, but their offensive capabilities had been augmented substantially, making them formidable opponents. "Send a message back home and see how many Alice and Imperial have made. By now, it''s probably in the thousands, so it should be a good enough sample size for any testing purposes. I want them ready for some post battle actions I have nned, and as for theing battle with the Demons... Lets have the ninja handle most of the mundane forces while Silfana deals with their leadership and any special units they may have."


    <i>{We could even turn it into apetition of sorts! See who stacks the bodies the highest!} </i>(Akagi)


    "I shall speak with both of them myself and get the additional forces inventoried and ready for deployment on your order." Nima nodded before flicking her finger across the data pad. "That then brings me to the next item on our agenda."


    "The <i>punishment</i> of Amdamell, right?" Akagi saidzily, not particrly interested in the finer details of that operation. "Allow ck Company to do as they see fit, but impress upon them the need for <i>restraint</i>. I don''t want the Capital destroyed and raised to the ground. The purpose of the attack is to instill fear and chaos, <i>not</i>mit a massacre."


    <i>{At least, not yet.} </i>(Akagi)


    "And the matter of session?" Nima wanted to know what instructions she should give ck Company regarding Amdamell''s Royal Family. ¡°Shall we leave them alive or put a more pliable<i> </i>person in charge?¡±


    "Remove the King and Prince from the equation." Akagi causally gave the order for Regicide. "They had the chance to give in to our demands and failed to do so despite that Princess'' constant nagging, and thus, they have forfeited their lives."


    "As youmand, so it shall be." Nima bowed. "I will ensure that the people of this world regret their foolish devotion to the Gods and rue the day they opposed your will, My Lord."


    "I have no doubt that you will, Nima." Akagi''s use of the cat''s name sent an electric jolt through her body. ¡°You have myplete confidence.¡±


    <i>{ANYTHING FOR YOU, MY LORD! WE SHALL SMITE ALL WHO OPPOSE YOU!} </i>(Nima)


    After finishing her discussion with Nima, Akagi traveled to another one of the pre-fabricated metal buildings that was being used as a prison, where the voice of a man yelling could be heard from the outside.


    "How dare you do something like this to a Noble of the Demon Kingdom?!?" The real Count Boze protested his and his family''s incarceration. He''d been partially shackled within the cell alongside his wife and daughter and anti magic runes had been carved into the cell to block any attempt at magical escape. "I can assure you that you''ve made a terrible mistake and it''s only a matter of time before you''re brought to justice! The other Nobles won''t stand for this!"


    "Yeah, yeah..." Nemino and Shimari were currently on guard duty, mostly as a way to give them a break from field ops. "You''ve said that whole schpeal like ten times already, and I can assure you that the <i>eleventh</i> isn''t going to make it any more true." He said as he flipped through a magazine. ¡°So just shut up and keep quiet, lest I rip out your throat to end your chirping.¡±


    ¡°Why you stupid-¡± Count Boze was interrupted by his wife.


    "Please, just let our daughter go! Sophie has nothing to do with this!" The Count''s wife, Margareta, pleaded. The three had been locked up since their bodies were copied by the Copy Slime, and they''d only recently awakened due to the exhaustive toll the slime put on them.


    "Mama..." Sophie gripped onto her Mother''s skirt. The three of them were wearing magic sealing cuffs, and since they weren''t very physically strong they were ced behind simple steel bars. ¡°I want to go home...¡±


    "While I take no pleasure in harming children, I''m also not so soft-hearted that I allow them to skate." Akagi''s voice caused Nemino to snap to attention and bow. ¡°Tis a practical policy decision, I''m afraid. One born of cold hard pragmatism.¡±


    <i>{Not to mention that I always find it detestable when people beg for their child''s life when they wouldn''t even give a second thought to such a request if the shoe was on the other foot.} </i>(Akagi)


    ¡°My Lord!¡± Nemino jumped to his feat and saluted the <i>Demon.</i>


    "Go back to rxing. You know I don''t care about all that formality in a setting like this." Akagi sighed.


    "Of course..." Nemino said as he sat back down, slowly.


    "And hello, Shimari." Akagi smiled as she waved at the puppy girl, who was clearly trying to make herself small. "Good job helping your boyfriend out on his missions. I can give you ear scratches if you want. It tends to be the beastkin''s favorite reward, and I know from first hand experience how happy ear pets can make you."


    "N-No, I''m good..." Shimari gave a wry smile. Akagi had known all along that she was here and didn''t really care as long as she didn''t cause any issues. ¡°But thanks...¡±


    "Those eyes..." Count Boze red at Akagi. "I''d know those disgusting things well. You''re a <i>Demon!</i>"


    "I didn''t know we''d captured Captain Obvious?!?" Akagiughed at her own joke. "Though all kidding aside I suppose that I shouldn''t be surprised that a member of your race knows what a proper <i>Demon</i> looks like, though." <i>Demons </i>and members of the Demon race were blood-connected, though when and how they split off was unknown. Most members of the Demon race knew <i>Demons personally</i> and many had close rtions with them.


    "Why are you doing this?" Boze asked, disgusted. "You should know that <i>Demons</i> taking such direct actions in the material world is generally not allowed! The Dukes will take notice of your actions, and they are most <i>certainly</i> more terrifying than the Gods when angered." He figured that Akagi was merely a rogue <i>Demon </i>trying to garner power, something that had urred before and usually resulted in the offending <i>Demon </i>being done away with.


    "I''m not really concerned about what those lesser <i>Demons</i> want." Akagi waved him off. "If they try anything, then I''ll crush them like the Gods."


    <i>{If need be I''ll march into whatever fiery hell they call home and nt my ass firmly on the biggest throne they have.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Fool. That you say such nonsensical things proves that you are nothing more than an idiot." Boze scoffed. "You will be crushed like so many other rogues before you, and it will all be due to your own hubris."


    "Oh, is that so?" Akagi shifted her jaw before turning to Nemino. "Nemino, bring out the <i>art piece</i>." At hermand, he entered a nearby cell and pulled the petrified form of the half-naga out, cing it next to Akagi.


    "Erina!" Sophie eximed, worried about the petrified girl. ¡°She''s...¡±


    "Is she a friend of yours?" Akagimented. "No, that can''t be. From what I was told this girl was just another ve for you to torment and abuse." From what she was told by the Copy Boze, the family enjoyed using the half-naga''s petrifying gaze on people that irritated them, and they decorated their garden with many such statutes.


    "Ummm..." Shimari wanted to interrupt, but was hesitant.


    "Go ahead." Akagi motioned for her to speak.


    "Can you fix her? I just kinda reflected her petrification back at her as a reflex..." Shimari felt bad since the half-naga was forced to do the Count''s bidding due to her ve cor.


    "Yeah actually, that''s an easy fix." Akagi reached into her inventory and took out a purple potion. ¡°One of these will set things right.¡±


    "Oh... Will a petricure actually work?" Shimari felt stupid that she hadn''t thought of using one herself since she figured it wouldn''t be of use in the real world.


    <i>{That... That would make too much sense...} </i>(Shimari)


    "Probably." Akagi shrugged. "I''ve never tested it, but if it worked in game, it should work IRL."


    "W-What are you nning to do with her?" Boze asked, sweat dripping down his forehead.


    "Hmmm, well, I''ve got a Spirit who can turn people to stone with just her gaze and three Demons who forced her to use it on innocent people." Akagi smirked. "<i><b>So you tell me what I n on doing.</b></i>"


    "No!" Margareta screamed, seeing the writing on the wall. "Please, don''t hurt Sophie! Punish us but leave her alone!"


    "Mama, I''m scared." The young Sophie was only around tenish years old, but she was well aware of what happened to those Erina looked at.


    <i>{I don''t want to be turned to stone! Erina was always nice to me!} </i>(Sophie)<i> </i>


    "Perhaps I should have her turn the Count and Countess to stone before having your daughter happily smash you to pieces." Akagiughed sadistically. ¡°After that she can sweep up your pieces and throw you into the sea!¡±


    "Akagi, that''s-" Shimari froze as Akagi red at her. The message from the <i>Demon</i> was clear; <i>keep your mouth shut.</i>


    "N-No..." Boze backed up, tripping over his own two feet. "You... You wouldn''t! You <i>can''t</i>!"


    "Ohhhhh trust me, I both can and will." Akagi replied curtly. "And I <i><b>shall</b></i>." Sheughed demonically as she poured the petricure onto the statutified Erina. "Wakey-wakey widdle snakey, it''s time for <i>revenge</i>." As the liquid dripped down the petrified half-naga, it began to shiver and shake before cracks began to appear on the surface of her petrified body.


    *CRACK* *CRUMBLE*


    "Oh, and the best part about all this, well best depending on your perspective on the matter, is that petrified people are <i>aware</i> of their surroundings when turned to stone." Akagi gave a sadistic smile as a chunk of stone fell off Erina''s face, allowing her right eye to open and re at the family. "Now, what do you say we have a little <i><b>fun</b></i>?"


    Spoiler


    Erina!


    [copse]

 Chapter 324 – The Magical Girl, the Witch and Impending Doom.

    Chapter 324 ¨C The Magical Girl, the Witch and Impending Doom.


    "Kitty... Come back..." Miji had been slightly depressed with the departure of both Akagi and her sister. The young girl hade to enjoy the time she''d spent ying with them every day, and so their absence had caused her some level of heartache. As she sat on the couch clutching a small pillow, everyone else stood around unsure what to do.


    "A." Mika''s heart broke as she looked at the sad form of Miji. "It''s ok! We''re here for you!" She quickly sat next to Miji and pulled her into a hug. "I''m not as fluffy as Akagi, but you can still hug me if you feel down!" She figured Mika hugs would be a good substitute for kitty hugs.


    <em>{The cute is not allowed to be sad!}</em>(Mika


    "Maybe someone should go and tell that idiot that a certain little girl is missing her kitty." Hishya chuckled. "It''s a crime to make Miji look like that, and I feel like if Miji keeps the world may fall out of bnce for making her sad."


    "The funny part is that Onee-chan would probably fly back here in a <i>second</i> if she knew just how heartbroken Miji is." Kana rolled her eyes. "Those two have been practically inseparable ever since she got here, and it''s mind-boggling just how warm and fluffy things get when they''re together."


    <i>{Its like some cheesy little happy family...} </i>(Kana)


    "The kitty was nice and fluffy and warm and cute and cuddly..." Miji continued to sulk as Mika squeezed her. "I miss her and Sister..."


    <i>{Well at least its not just Akagi that she misses.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Please don''t cry." Mika stroked her on the head, not knowing what else to do for the sad girl. "Akagi and your sister have an important job to do, but they''ll be back before you know it! So just keep your chin up and look forward to all the kitty you''ll get when she''s back!"


    "Yeah, and also, there''s no way that Akagi can stay away for too long. Despite how she acts, I know for a fact that she''s probably missing ytime with her <i>adoptive little sister</i>." Naomi chuckled. ¡°Onee-chan likely needs Miji just as much as Miji needs Onee-chan.¡±


    "Will kitty have a tea party and take naps with me when she gets back?" Miji asked with a quiet voice.


    <i>{THIS IS UNFAIR! WHY IS SHE SO CUTE?!? MY HEART IS CRUMBLING! DAMMIT, AKAGI, YOU''D BETTER GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE ASAP AND LET HER PET YOU FOR A MONTH STRAIGHT!} </i>(Hishya)


    "I''m sure that she''ll let you fluff her all you want and snuggle with you until you can''t snuggle anymore!" Mika giggled. ¡°Maybe you''ll even find her snuggle limit!¡±


    "Really?" The heartbroken Miji asked, hopefully for the return of the kitty.


    "Yep! And if she doesn''t, I shall personallyunch a crusade to destroy her! I swear upon the name Star Guardian that Catkagi shall pay for its transgressions against you!" Mika giggled.


    "Pfff." Miji started tough as Mika struck a silly pose. "The kitty would smack you silly! It would be like BONK! BAM! WOOSH!"


    "Hey! I''m a lot stronger than you think!" Mika flexed her noodle arms. "All it will take is a little fairy dust and some friendship power, and then BANG! No more Demon Kitty!"


    "Nooooo." Miji squeezed onto Mika. "Don''t take her away! And don''t hurt the kitty! She''s my friend, and I love her..."


    <i>{STOP BREAKING MY HEART!} </i>(Hishya)


    "You really like spending time with Onee-chan, huh?" Kana sat on the other side of Miji and slowly pat her on the head. ¡°Does she really mean that much to you?¡±


    "Yeah! She''s always so nice to me, and we y together lots!" Miji smiled. "And she makes Sister super happy and is super fun to take naps with!"


    "And you get to pet her a whole bunch!" Naomi giggled.


    "Kitty is warm and fluffy..." Miji replied with a cute smile. "We have all kinds of fun together, and ying with her and Alice is so much fun!" The two young girls had bonded closely, and it was clear that they''d be the best of friends. ¡°We even had that fun tea party where we dressed the kitty up in cute outfits!¡±


    <i>{My favorite was the dress. It had a very cute bow.} </i>(Hishya)


    "And I know that Onee-chan feels the same way about you." Kana continued patting her on the head. "You''re her precious <i>adopted </i>little sister, and she loves you very much." Her emphasis on that word did not go unnoticed by the others, though Miji didn''t seem to catch it.


    <i>{Do... Kana, do you see Miji aspetition?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    "But... I was mean to her..." Miji pouted. "I said mean things to her and made Sister cry. Would the kitty really care about me?"


    "Oh, don''t worry about that. I think we''ve all been mean to Akagi, and she never takes it to heart." Mika gave a wry smile as she recalled her own past actions.


    <i>{I called her a psychopathic monster once and yet here I am as the official backup squishy!.} </i>(Mika)


    "Onee-chan might not take it to heart, but she most <i>certainly</i> will pay you back for it." Kana sighed. As one who tended to stick her foot in her own mouth when it came to her sister, she knew well what the <i>Demon </i>could and would do in retaliation.


    <i>{That time she made me into Catkana was the worst. Hishya kept me up all night...} </i>(Kana)


    "Is the kitty really not mad at me?" Miji asked.


    "Never." Kana figured that Akagi would likely never be truly upset with the girl as she was just too cute and the <i>Demon''s </i>affection for her likely was only exceeded by her feelings toward Yumi. "Onee-chan loves you too much, and the constant attention that she gives you proves that she was never mad at you."


    <i>{If she didn''t love you to pieces then I doubt she''d being to you for all those snuggles... Makes me kinda jealous...} </i>(Kana)


    "Really?" Miji asked again.


    "Really really." Kana nodded.


    "Besides you''ve got us here to y with you, and Alice is still here! Isn''t that good enough?" Mika asked with a bright smile. ¡°Or are we not good enough friends?¡±


    "..." Miji didn''t answer and instead popped her tongue out as she thought deeply about the question.


    <i>{That she has to think about her answer tells me what it will be...} </i>(Naomi)


    "Maybe if Mika gets small..." Miji quietly requested that Mika transform.


    "How about you I do you one better and, me, you and Alice have a tea party?" Mika giggled as she transformed into her Magical Girl form. "We can have fun together!"


    "Really?!?" Miji squeaked as she hugged Mika.


    <i>{She''s got a weakness for cute... Not like I me her... Damn you Onee-chan! You gave Mika the ultimate weapon, cuteness!} </i>(Kana)


    "A Magical Girl never lies!" Mika said proudly as she pat Miji on the head.


    "No, but they do bend the truth." Naomi rolled her eyes, to which Mika responded with a raspberry.


    <i>{They probably shouldn''t do the things that you do with your girlfriends either, or well have two girlfriends in the first ce.} </i>(Naomi)


    "Don''t be mean to her!" Miji squeezed onto the super cute Mika and red at Naomi. "Mika is too cute to lie! She would never do something so bad! She''s a Magical Girl! A hero of justice and good! Lying is for bad people!"


    <i>{If only she knew the truth...} </i>(Kana)


    "Yeah!" Mika nodded along, despite the fact that Naomi was right. "I''m far too cute be be as bad as you make me out to be, Naomi. Don''t worry Miji, the <i>witch </i>is just jealous of my cuteness and she''s probably jealous of you too." She snickered as a shoe flew by her face and embedded into the couch.


    <i>{HOW?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    "Do I need to remind you what <i>rubber </i>tastes like?!?" Naomi''s face sent chills down Mika''s spine. ¡°Because it seems to me that yourst <i>beating </i>didn''t clear up that problematic mouth of yours.¡±


    "Eep!" (Mika x Miji)


    "Kana, help! Rein in the scary witch under yourmand!" Mika pleaded for aid. ¡°She seeks to end all happiness and good in the world!¡±


    "Yeah! Kana Onee-chan, save us!" Miji joined in while giggling.


    "Hmmmm." Kana hummed as she thought things over.


    <i>{On the one hand, Mika... But on the other Miji is just too cute... She even called me Onee-chan...} </i>(Kana)


    <i>{WHY DO YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT THIS?!?} </i>(Mika)


    <i>{Kana, you are far too easy to read...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Alright lets split the difference on this one. Naomi, please limit your beatings to Mika <i>only</i>." Kana smirked. "We can''t go harming Miji since that would see Onee-chan torture us for harming her Supreme Squishy."


    "True, true." Naomi nodded. "Oh well, Mika was the <i>real</i> target anyway."


    <i>{DANGER!} </i>(Mika)


    "C-Come along, Miji!" Mika grabbed Miji and picked her up princess carry style. "Let''s go find Alice and start that tea party!" She said as she zipped off at full speed.


    "Coward." Hishya shook her head. "At least take your lumps before running off like that."


    "Says the Dragon who is only marginally better than said Mika at times." Kanamented. ¡°I seem to recall <i>you </i>saying things that got you in trouble far too many times to count.¡±


    "Even still I object to such aparison!" Hishya eximed.


    "Overruled!" (Kana x Naomi)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Feline POV>


    Within the Royal Pce of Amdamell, an absolutely stark white Feline slowly made her way down the pce corridors before returning to her room and slumping onto the floor. She''d just gotten out of a meeting with her Father and Brother, and it was clear from the look on her face that things had gone poorly.


    "They wouldn''t listen... The still won''t listen" Feline said quietly as she nkly stared forward at a nearby painting of the Capital. "Father... Brother... Why won''t you believe me?" She''d been trying, and failing, to convince her family of the Dumetor/Demon Lord threat for a week, but every time she spoke to them about Merkyul''s message, her concerns were dismissed. It wasn''t much of a surprise to the Princess, but as the days ticked on Feline''s stomach grew tighter and tighter due to the stress, and something told her that failure toply with the Demon Lord''s demands would be <i>devastating </i>to her homnd.


    <i>{What did I think would happen? I can''t rally anyone in my faction to help me pressure Father into reversing course, as giving in to this Demon Lord would run contrary to the will of the Gods, and neither Father nor Brother even believe that this Demon Lord is even real! Even after the reports of an attack on Lady Tahena were confirmed to be true, they STILL think this is all just another case of some foolish group trying to extort the government and take advantage of the chaotic state of the world right now.} </i>(Feline)


    "I... I can''t do anything... I''m powerless... Truly powerless..." Feline had always known that her actual power and influence were limited, but it had only just now urred to her that without Shiroe Amakusa''s support, there was little she could do on her own. She''d used the Hero''s status and clout to help her push things through and sometimes even had her help <i>directly, </i>but with her disappearance Feline was no longer able to leverage such power.


    "How many of our people are going to perish because of this? How much death and destruction are about to be unleashed on our people?" Feline still had no power in her legs, and her entire body started trembling as she imagined the Capital turned into a sea of mes. "Is... Is this how we are to be punished for our sins? Is this what we get for supporting the Gods in their war against the Spirits?" She''d never voiced much opposition to the war, though as someone on the younger side when hostilities broke out, there was little that she could''ve done anyway.


    "Shiroe... I can only imagine the pain they''re inflicting upon you." Merkyul''s words had left her with the impression that Amakusa was being subject to daily torture, which wasn''t necessarily an <i>incorrect</i> notion. "But... I suppose we shall be joining you soon..." She looked over at therge grandfather clock in her room. It slowly ticked forward, second by second. Akagi''s deadline would expire soon enough, and Feline could only watch in horror as the time of reckoning approached.


    <i>{I''m... I''m sorry everyone...} </i>(Feline)

 Chapter 324.5 – A Gloomy Day in the Holy City.

    Chapter 324.5 ¨C A Gloomy Day in the Holy City.


    "Another day, another boring set of meetings..." Hitomi sighed as she sat in a bumpy carriage. She''d just gotten out of a series of meetings with various Nobles, Clergy members, and other important Aristocrats, and was happy to put all those things in the proverbial rear view mirror. Though it wouldn''t be long until she was forced to attend more such meetings, and part of her wished those people would all disappear.


    <i>{Maybe I''d hate it a bit less if the pandering, infantilizing, and general assholishness were less prevalent. Those people don''t see me as anything more than a useful tool, as a symbol that they can parade around to build legitimacy for their faction and gain power. I suppose that''s not too different than before. My parents saw me as no different.} </i>(Hitomi)


    "I''m supposed to be a Hero, and yet my power extends little further than the battlefield..." Hitomi said as she looked out the window. The sky above the Holy City was growing darker as storm clouds moved in, and there were already drops of rain buffeting off the roof of the carriage as she rode down the street. "I suppose this is my fate. No matter what world I end up in, I''ve still got to deal with the expectations of others..." She said as stretched her arms to loosen up a bit. "Though at least in this one, I''ve got someone to fall back on..."


    <i>{I wonder what Mom and Dad would think of all this? They''d hate Rafferty for sure... And I wonder what they ended up doing after I disappeared? There would be nobody left to seed thepany, at least not someone who could actually do the job. Maybe they''d get one of my Cousins to do it? Maybe, but that''s doubtful. Dad would never want to give thepany over to anyone other than his own blood, so he may have pushed Nao into doing it, despite her poor health. Oh well, not my problem...} </i>(Hitomi)


    "Though I''d be willing to bet all the gold in my vault that he made her get married and have a kid ASAP, just so that <i>someone </i>would take over." Hitomi said with an eye roll and mockingugh as she imagined the fate of her sister. "I wonder if she was happy that I was gone? Or maybe she was angry since I basically dumped everything back onto her when she physically couldn''t do it?" She shrugged. "Oh well, it''s not my problem anymore, <i>none </i>of it is..."


    "Lady Hitomi." Her driver''s voice sounded through a small window at the front of the carriage, snapping the Hero out of her thoughts. "We have a bit of time until your next engagement. Would you like to head back to the Cathedral?" He asked, figuring that she may want to rest for a bit and get something to eat.


    Thinking for a moment about what to do next, Hitomi declined. "No. Instead of heading back, I''d rather you take me to the orphanage, please. I''d like to check on the kids while I have this chance and I don''t get enough time to show up in person as much as I''d like." She replied. Hitomi ran arge orphanage in the Holy City, one that was entirely funded by her <i>illicit </i>activities, and that was home to over two hundred kids and teens. It was her pride and joy and one of may simr institutions across Enoris that she''d funded,rgely out of a sense of familial shame and regret.


    "Of course." The driver said as he powered the carriage through theing rain, arriving in front of arge stone building around ten minutester. The downpour continued, but Hitomi wasn''t one to simply wait it out, getting out of the carriage not long after they stopped.


    "Please watch your step, My Lady." The driver, an old man wearing grey and white priest robes said as he opened the door and handed her an umbre. ¡°Its a bit slippery.¡±


    "Thank you, Carlos. Feel free to rest inside for a while. I''ll try not to take very long, but you may be able to get dry and put your feet up a bit." Hitomi said as she took the umbre from his hands.


    "I think I''ll take you up on that offer, and feel free to take as much time as you need, My Lady." Carlos said with a smile as he opened his own umbre. "The kids here owe a great deal to you, and it always warms my heart to see the smile on their faces." He continued. "To think that this ce was on the verge of closing down not that long again! Looking at it now, you''d never imagine these children were days from being out on the streets. Its truly a miracle."


    "I only wish I''d started things sooner." Hitomi said as the two walked up the stone walkway. "Too many children were lost... And I could''ve done more to help."


    "You can''t save everyone, and I know you know that." Carlos said. "We lost a lot of good people during the Spirit War and because of the Disasters, but your hard work has made it so that we have a future to look forward to. Getting hung up on those you couldn''t save means you ignore the lives you <i>did </i>save, and I''d say that in that category you''ve outdone yourself."


    "A future..." Hitomi was hit with a momentary headache as visions of death, destruction, and doom filled her mind. She was still unable to recall Akagi, but the vague understanding that <i>something </i>wasing for her and this world haunted her.


    <i>{Do we even have one? We failed in our mission and were sent back here... So doesn''t that mean, we failed? Doesn''t that mean...} </i>(Hitomi)


    "Lady Hitomi!" Before the Heroine could finish her thoughts a group of young children burst out the front door of the orphanage, tackling her to the ground with hugs.


    "Ahh! What have I told you about showing respect?!?" An older woman said with an exasperated sigh as she followed the children. "And you''ve made Lady Hitomi fall into the water! Her dress is going to get filthy!"


    "It''s fine, Mable." Hitomiughed as the kids cheered and hugged her. "I''ll just use magic to clean up, so don''t worry about it." She giggled alongside the children.


    "I <i>worry </i>about it because if you keep letting them off like this, they''ll eventually do it to someone who''s a lot less forgiving than you are, My Lady." Mable sighed. She''d been afraid that the children would treat other Nobles or Clergy like this, and feared that one day they''d end up killed for their actions. "Come on, let Lady Hitomi get up. You can y with her <i>inside</i>." She said in a stern voice that caused the children to tense and snap to attention.


    "YES!" The children squeaked as they ran let Hitomi get up and ran inside.


    "It''s good to see that they have all that energy." Carlosughed as the three of them went inside. "Kids should beughing and having fun. Maybe you need to let up a bit with the discipline, Mable. It can''t do to be so strict with them all the time!"


    "You say that but if I don''t keep them on a short leash then they''ll end up as troublemakers." Mable said as she took their umbres and hung them on a rack. "My mother always told me that children should be seen and not heard, and I''m inclined to agree with her."


    <i>{My parents would agree.} </i>(Hitomi)


    "Oh don''t be so harsh. You were just as bad as they were back in the day." Carlos said with a chuckle.


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about. You must''ve gone senile if you think I was ever some rambunctious prankster like <i>you</i>." Mable said as she rolled her eyes. The two had known each other for nearly fifty years and were good friends. Carlos had once been the Church''s liaison to the orphanage and he was forced to watch in despair as it crumbled due tock of funds. It was only after Hitomi was summoned to the Holy City eleven years prior that things started getting better. However, despite his joy at seeing the children safe, he was not exactly <i>thrilled </i>with the methods that Hitomi used to gather funding but epted it as the lesser of two evils.


    "I''m surprised that the kids were at the door waiting for me. They usually don''t do that." Hitomimented as she dried herself off with magic. ¡°And its not like they knew I''d being in advance. I only decided toe herest minute.¡±


    "Hm? Ah, Lord Hre informed us of your arrival." Mable''s mention of the God of Crafting and Money caught Hitomi off guard, something that the old woman noticed. "I was under the impression that the reason you came here was to speak with him. He said something about expecting you so I figured you knew."


    "I..." Hitomi paused for a moment, not knowing what to say. "I was not actually not aware that he''de to the City, and him being <i>here </i>is unexpected." Having a God actuallye down to the Holy City was a rarity and generally not a good sign. Though Hre was one of the nicer Gods and <i>did </i>tend to interact with mortals a bit more than most.


    "I see. Well, he''s waiting for you in the drawing room. I''ve already set out tea. Please, follow me." Mable said as she started down the hallway.


    <i>{Why would he of all the Gods be here? It''s not like Lord Hre to leave the Heavens for no reason. Does it have something to do with that rumor that Lady Tahena has died?} </i>(Hitomi)


    "I suppose it was good that we came." Carlos said to her in a whisper.


    "He would''ve found me no matter what." Hitomi replied, noting that Gods <i>rarely </i>did anything without nning it well in advance. "I''ll speak to him alone, so go and spend a bit of time with Mable and the kids. I figure that you don''t want to meet with a God anyway."


    "As sphemous as it may sound, I''d rather not. Though I shall pray that all goes well." Carlos said with a polite bow as Hitomi caught up to Mable. She was quickly directed to a small room that was usually used to wee guests, and within was a tall, buff, and rugged-looking man who stood at least ten feet tall.


    "Ah, there you are!" Hre said with a booming voice that shook the windows. "It''s good to see you again, Hitomi." He came over and pulled her into a tight hug that threatened to do to her what Catkagi did on a semi-regr basis.


    "Dying..." Hitomi said as she was squeezed.


    <i>{I forgot he does this...} </i>(Hitomi)


    "Oops, sorry." Hre apologized as he set her down. "Gale will kill me if I kill you, so let''s not do that." Heughed. ¡°Though I guess we could always just bring you back!¡±


    "It''s fine." Hitomi said with a wry smile as she fixed her outfit. "I''m used to nearly dying by now. Though I''ll ask <i>again </i>that you refrain from squeezing people like that. One of these days, you''ll make someone burst like a balloon, and I''d rather not be killed and revived so easily."


    "Oh don''t be like that! It hasn''t happened yet and your body is pretty strong!" Hreughed. "But all jokes aside, it''s good to see you, My Dear." He pat her on the back forcefully. "riel told me all about your misadventure in that other world. I''m sorry that you had to go through something so harsh." He said with sadness in his voice. "And I''m... I''m also sorry about Shiroe. We''ll do whatever we can to bring her home safe."


    "I appreciate it, and I know that you''ll figure out a way to bring her home." Hitomi replied with a wry smile. "But why are you here now?" She asked the all important question. "You''re not the kind of God who just shows up unannounced and for no reason." She figured that he had something to either give or tell her, since that''s exactly why he''d appeared in the past.


    <i>{Is it a new weapon? Maybe some Armor? Or perhaps its something rting to the Gods'' secret n? Rafferty won''t tell me who is in on it for secrecy reasons, but I''d bet good money that Hre is part of the team working on it.} </i>(Hitomi)


    "Can''t I juste down to say hi?¡± Hre asked, pretending to be hurt beforeughing. ¡°But in all seriousness I wanted to check on you. riel mentioned some kind of block that was keeping part of your memories suppressed and I was interested in giving a go at removing it." Hre said as he summoned a magic hammer out of thin air.


    "Please don''t try to <i>force </i>it away..." Hitomi sighed as she pictured him trying to crack her head open like an egg. "My head isn''t as tough as the metal you work on."


    "Nonsense! In my time I''ve never known anything to work better at fixing an issue than percussive maintenance!" Hreughed. ¡°Hitting things tends to make them better!¡±


    <i>{I think this is a bit harder to handle than an annoying printer that refuses to work even though it''s got all the ink it requires.} </i>(Hitomi)


    "All jokes aside..." Hre said as he lightly tapped her on the head with his hammer. "Hmm... Yeah, that''s..." He could instantly tell that it was a Demon Lord''s power that was sealing her memories, but chose to keep that to himself.


    <i>{riel was right, something fishy is going on here. Either we''ve got a real Demon Lord running around or my prediction came true. Neither of which is good, though I suppose if its scenario B it won''t be as bad, though I''ll owe Esquire a new set of armor.} </i>(Hre)


    "Can you remove it?" Hitomi asked if getting rid of the block was possible. "I''d like to be able to give you all a better report of what happened, and this seal is blocking out key parts of my memory." She figured that whatever happened on Earth was rted to the so-called Demon Lord that was allegedly running riot across Enoris.


    <i>{Why seal our memories anyway? Why not just kill us?} </i>(Hitomi)


    "Hmmm. Well, I think that if If I hit you <i>really</i> hard with this, it might work." Hre shrugged.


    "I''ll take a rain check on that..." Hitomi groaned.


    "To answer your question about removing it, the answer is sadly <i>no</i>." Hre said as he made the hammer vanish. "Or at least, it will take a bit more work to do it without lobotomizing you. Your body is strong, but I doubt it would survive the amount of force I need to try and remove that seal." He wasn''t even sure he <i>could </i>remove it and wasn''t willing to take that gamble with Hitomi''s life anyway. ¡°We could still try though.¡± He winked.


    "Let''s not..." Hitomi sighed again. "Is that all you came for though?" She figured there was more to it than that.


    "No. No, I actually came here to check on something else." Hre said as he took a seat on the couch. "Hitomi, have you ever heard the name <i>En¨±ma</i>?"


    Spoiler


    Hre!


    [copse]

 Chapter 325 – The Stick.

    Chapter 325 ¨C The Stick.


    *KABOOM!* *CRACKLE!* *RUMBLE!* *BOOM!*


    In the early morning hours on the day after Akagi''s deadline passed, the Amdamell Capital of Riftwood found itself under attack as a massive wave of explosions rocked the City. People screamed and ran in all directions as buildings were vaporized, and quickly, it was looking like a massive inferno would engulf the Noble district.


    "Oh hell yeah!" Elna cheered as she charged up a massive fireball and hurled it at a guardhouse, turning it and its upants to ash. "ying spy is fun and all, but I think <i>terrorism </i>is my real calling!" Sheughed as she chucked another fireball at a different guardhouse, which exploded in a fiery ball, killing dozens of soldiers.


    <i>{Either that or I just enjoy causing fucking chaos. Oh well, at least being leashed by Akagi has its perks sometimes!} </i>(Elna)


    "It''s not terrorism if it''s done by a state actor as part of war, Elna." Sabia sighed as she hopped onto the building behind her. "And don''t forget our orders." She red at the Elf, which caused Elna to tense momentarily. "Lady Akagi wants to strike governmental and military targets <i>first</i>. If the people of Amdamell still refuse to work with us after this, only <i>then </i>are we permitted to harm the civilian poption." She approved of her <i>enthusiasm</i>, if nothing else, but it wasn''t good to take things further than what they were told to.


    <i>{Thest thing I need is for this idiot to go rogue and vite direct orders. Lady Akagi has given us permission to kill her if she tries anything, but I''d prefer to convert her fully to our cause. For all of Elna''s problems, she''s a useful member of this team. Perhaps I should petition Lady Akagi to rewrite part of her personality again? That she still refuses to give Lady Akagi pets is appalling! She is the fluffiest of all creatures! How could you not want to pet such a thing?!?} </i>(Sabia)


    Akagi''s internal rules were a bit <i>flexible </i>in this situation since, <i>technically</i>, the entirety of Enoris was at war with her in one form or another due to the actions of the Gods. Thus, while the <i>Demon </i>would be justified in inflicting mass death upon its citizens for refusing to listen to her demands, she''d decided to use a two-strikes policy when handling the various nations. Though, it could be said that her response after the <i>first </i>strike was already too severe.


    "Yeah, yeah. Don''t worry your fluffy little ears, Sabia. I''ll keep the greater goal in mind." Elna rolled her eyes as she chucked another fireball at a group of guards. "Akagi gets to y the <i>nice </i>little Demon kitty and pretend to be their savior, and the higher-ups take the fall."


    <i>{It would be so much easier and a lot more fun if we just started leveling cities. At least that way, our message woulde across loud and clear, not to mention that it would provide much better entertainment.} </i>(Elna)


    "Good, just don''t go forgetting your ce, and we won''t have any problems." Sabia leaped away to deal with other soldiers, leaving Elna alone as a group of Knights on Pegasi flew toward her from the Royal Pce. They were some of Amdamell''s best fighters and were typically only used at themand of the King.


    "Well, at least these idiots will be a bit more fun to kill than a bunch of screaming idiots." Elna''s lips curved into a wicked smile as she leaped into the air and flew toward the iing attackers with her Ki. ¡°Time to knock some horses from the sky!¡±


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Feline POV>


    "Your Highness!" Albert burst into Princess Feline''s room, his face filled with panic. ¡°Thank goodness you''re alright!¡± He was worried that she''d been caught up in the attacks.


    "Albert, what''s going on?!? I''ve heard explosions throughout the Capital!" Feline was almost certain that this attack was the <i>consequence </i>that ck Company had promised.


    <i>{I suppose that my vague hope that they would do nothing has finally been dashed.} </i>(Feline)


    "It''s that group you told me about. They''ve started their attack, and so far, dozens of soldiers have been killed, and portions of the Capital are in mes." Albert seemed nervous, something Feline had scarcely seen from the grizzled veteran. "An Elven woman is currently fighting off the Royal Flying Corp, while a beastwoman is engaged with the Second Knight Division. Your Highness, we must evacuate you from the Pce immediately. I fear it''s only a matter of time before theye here and I see no way that we can hold them off." He forcefully picked her up and ced her in a Princess carry. ¡°Please forgive my insolence, you may punish me <i>after </i>you are safe.¡±


    "W-Wait?!?" Feline yelped. "I can walk you know!"


    <i>{I''m not a kid anymore, Albert! You don''t need to carry me like you did when I was little!} </i>(Feline)


    "Sorry, but I''m faster than you, and every moment counts!" Albert turned before running down the hallway, and as he weaved his way through the Pce, more explosions rang out. The Pce staff were screaming and running in all directions while the guards and other Knights tried, and failed, to enforce order.


    <i>{Things have gone to hell, and Rudeaus has already told me to expect the worst. I''ll admit that I didn''t take Lady Feline''s warning as seriously as I should''ve, and I suppose this is the price we pay for ourcency.} </i>(Albert)


    "What about Father and Brother?!?" Feline was still worried about others within the Pce since she figured that ck Company intended to massacre the entire government in one fell swoop. "We can''t just abandon them, Albert!"


    <i>{I refuse to just abandon the Pce and flee like a coward while others perish!} </i>(Feline)


    "His Majesty and Prince Robert will be taken to safety by the Royal Knights, so do not worry about them. For now, let''s focus on getting you out of here so that we can meet with themter! I know how much you''re going to hate me for taking you away forcefully, but at least you''ll be alive to do so!" Albert said as he stopped in front of a small bust of a prior King.


    <i>{Gods, that I''d actually have to use this passage a second time in my life... Forgive me for being so weak, Ryon.} </i>(Albert)


    The small bust had a seem that ran along its neck, and after putting enough pressure on a specific spot on its forehead, a clicking sound could be heard. ¡°Good, it still works.¡± Albert said as he lifted the head, revealing a ruby button within the base of the neck.


    *WHIRRRR*


    After pushing the button, the bust receded into the floor, and behind it, the wall waivered and flickered before vanishing, revealing a dark passageway way. It had been an illusion, and covered a passage that was only know to a select few individuals.


    <i>{I always hated going in here...} </i>(Feline)


    "Alright, let''s go! I''m going to run even faster, so I''d advise keeping quiet unless you want to identally bite your tongue!" Albert took off at full speed down the passage, which closed behind him a few momentster.


    "HOLD ON A SECOND!" Feline screamed as she was forcefully taken down the hallway. These tunnels were created with the sole purpose of ferrying the Royal family and other important members of the government <i>out </i>of the Pce in times of emergency. In Amdamell''s history, they had only rarely been used, and even during the height of the Spirit War, there was never any real threat to Riftwood despite its close proximity to the front lines. As a member of the Royal Family, Feline was aware of these passages and where they went, but she''d never actually been forced to use them for their intended purpose, nor did she think she ever would.


    <i>{Good. </i>Now<i>, we just need to follow these tunnels to the emergency bunker, and if all goes well, the rest of the Royal Family will meet</i> <i>with us at the designated rendezvous location, and we can use the hidden airship to flee.} </i>(Albert)


    Running full speed down the tunnel system with Feline in his arms, Albert quickly reached arge stone door that blocked his path. It had no obvious way to open it, and there wasn''t even a visible seem to indicate that it <i>could </i>be opened, but he didn''t look deterred.


    "Princess, if you would." Albert set her down. These massive doors were enchanted with a powerful spell that required a person with Royal blood to be present for them to open as a precaution.


    <i>{Just a bit further. If I can just get Lady Feline out of here, then Amdamell can survive. Even if all else is lost I will protect her!} </i>(Albert)


    "Sure... just... give me a moment." Feline wobbled as she was put down. The suddenness of everything,bined with the wooziness from moving so fast, had left her uneasy about her feat and it took a moment for her to right herself.


    <i>{I think I''m going to puke...} </i>(Feline)


    "My apologies for the rough ride, but it was the best way to keep you safe!" Albertughed as Feline steadied herself and walked up to the door, cing her right hand on it.


    "It''s fine..." Feline sighed as she channeled a bit of magic power into the stone doors, which caused them to emit a momentary green glow before they slowly opened. ¡°There, that should do it...¡±


    "Alright, let''s get moving. We''ve got a lot of ground to cover before we-" Albert moved to pick Feline up again but paused as he noticed the look of sheer <i>horror </i>on her face. Her eyes were locked forward and her entire body trembled as she looked into the, now open, room.


    <i>{An enemy?!?} </i>(Albert)


    Fearing the worst, Albert readied himself for battle as he followed Feline''s gaze. He was fully expecting to have to fight one of the attackers, but when he saw <i>what</i> had caused the usually steel-hearted Princess to turn white as a sheet, his mind went nk.


    "N-No..." Albert''s said under his breath. ¡°This can''t be...¡±


    "S-Shiroe..." Feline managed to squeak out Amakusa''s name as she gazed upon the blood-covered visage of her friend. "Y-You..."


    "Oh? There you are!" Amakusa smiled as she flicked the blood off Inori, her orange eyes showing pure bliss in her heart and utter delight in her actions. "Too bad you didn''t get here a bit sooner! You shoulda seen how much they coped and seethed before I killed them! Serves them right for ignoring my wonderful Master''s demands!" The Samuari Heroughed as blood pooled around her feet, draining from the dead bodies of the King and Crown Prince like fountains. "What''s that look for? Aren''t you happy to see me again, <i>Feline</i>?"

 Chapter 326 – Where’s my Drama?!?

    Chapter 326 ¨C Where¡¯s my Drama?!?


    "S-Shiroe..." Feline turned pale as a ghost as she looked upon the horrifying sight of her friend standing over the dead bodies of her Father and older brother. Both of them had been shed open by the Samurai Hero''s de, and their blonde hair was almost entirely red with blood. "W-Why?"


    <i>{T-This can''t be real... Shiroe... She''d never...} </i>(Feline)


    "I..." Amakusa''s eyes reverted to normal as she regained control over herself. "Fuck! FUCK YOU AKAGI!" She eximed. "Fuck you for making me do that! And fuck you for making Feline see it!"


    <i>{Those assholes deserved to fucking die, but why did you need to set up the scenario where Feline sees me standing over the bodies?!? You truly are a sadistic fuck!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Lady Amakusa... You..." Albert was simrly shocked. ¡°How could you... Even if you...¡±


    "Ok, it''s not what it looks like!" Amakusa frantically waved her arms. "Well, it is, but it''s <i>not</i>!" She had no idea where to even begin.


    "You killed them!" Feline said with tears in her eyes as she ran to her Father and brother, falling to her knees next to their bodies. ¡°You... You...¡±


    <i>{Father... Brother...} </i>(Feline)


    "I... Feline..." Amakusa wanted to reach out to her, but a sudden wave of killing intent from Albert caused her to snap attention to him.


    "Lady Amakusa, I know that you''ve had your disagreements with His Majesty and the Prince over the years, but to side with the enemy and attack our Kingdom." Albert growled as he drew his de. "I cannot forgive such a betrayal."


    "It''s not like I had a choice in all this!" Amakusa yelled, pleading her ''innocence.''


    "One always has a choice!" Albert screamed back. "Lady Feline told me that you were taken captive by Demon Lord Akagi, and I see that you''ve chosen to betray us. Did she offer to spare you in exchange for your cooperation? Did she offer you lenience if you betrayed us?" Something like that was, to him, the greatest act of cowardice.


    "Hah!" Amakusa''s deepugh caught both Feline and Albert off guard. "<em>Spared</em>? You think that evil bitch offered to<em>spare</em>me?!? No, Akagi didn''t spare me, nor did she make me an <i>offer</i>." She said as she pointed to her eyes. "Did you not notice that my eyes were orange until a bit ago? As far I as recall, that''s not normal for me, right? I don''t think I wear color changing contacts!"


    "And what of it?" Albert scoffed, not wanting to entertain herments. ¡°ck or Orange, how can the color of your eyes excuse what you''ve done?!? It means nothing!¡±


    "Well, when my eyes turn orange, <i>I </i>am no longer in control of my body." Amakusa exined what had been done to her. "Contrary to what you might think Akagi did not spare me, Albert. In fact, not only didn''t she spare me that crazy monster turned me into her <em>ything</em>, which I would like to add is a fate <i>worse </i>than death." She said as before turning back to Feline. "I know this will be no sce after what you''ve seen, but I was not in control when I killed them. Akagi did something to my soul, and now I have no choice but to obey her orders without question, and this time she told me to kill those two at a precise moment. I didn''t understand <em>why</em> she was giving me an exact time down the to the millisecond, but now I understand that her orders were intended to have you see this mess..." She shook her head.


    <i>{That disgusting fuck... And just when I was thinking that MAYBE she wasn''tpletely fucked in the head.} </i>(Amakusa)


    "That... But Heroes are <i>immune </i>to mental control!" Feline yelled, tears still in her eyes. "The Gods protected you to prevent exactly what you are describing from happening!" She was having a hard time believing Amakusa''s story, since it sounded far to convenient of an out for her.


    "Yeah, but Akagi is quite a bit higher on the food chain than those Gods." Amakusa begrudgingly understood her reluctance, understanding that it <em>did </em>sound too convenient for her. "But take it from me, she can and <i>does </i>do things far beyond that which even the Gods are capable. Heck, she already killed Tahena and ns on wiping out the rest of the pantheon in retaliation."


    "Lady Tahena... I heard the rumors..." Albert shook his head. "No, how can I trust anything that you are saying? He raised his de to Amakusa. ¡°You im mental maniption by the Demon Lord, but if that''s true then you''re a threat to this world, Shiroe. That you haven''t taken your own life to prevent your use in such heinous acts tells me all I need to know."


    <i>{Not really... Besides I''m 99% sure Akagi put a no suicide rule on me, not like I''d be ending my life anyway but...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Albert..." Amakusa locked eyes with the old man. "Listen, I don''t really want to fight you. The only reason I''m here in the first ce is because Akagi wanted to get her sick kicks..."


    "So what, I should just let you walk away?" Albert asked. ¡°You''ve killed the man I swore fealty to and are aiding an enemy of the Kingdom! I am not such a disgraceful man that I''d just stand aside while everything I''ve worked for falls apart!¡±


    "I mean, you can''t beat me anyway." Amakusa''s smartment irritated Albert.


    <i>{Oops...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "If I need to put my life on the line to defend Amdamell and its people, no matter if you are a Hero I <i>will </i>defeat you!" Albert zipped forward, his de being blocked by Amakusa''s. ¡°This shall be your end!¡±


    "Albert!" Feline panicked as the two shed. "Stop, please!"


    "Lady Feline, stay back!" Albert growled as Amakusa held him off with ease. "Lady Amakusa has beenpromised. We can''t trust her, and you need to escape! The fate of our entire Kingdom rests on your shoulders!" He figured that if he could get Feline out of the Kingdom and to another nation they could one day return and rebuild.


    "You know, for all that wisdom in your head, you''re an absolute moron, Albert!" Amakusa threw Albert back a bit, allowing him to reposition. "Think about it, if I''m <i>here</i> then obviously Akagi and her minions know about these tunnels! Do you seriously think that Feline can escape?!? Even if I sit on my hands and do nothing Merkyul or one of the others will grab her, and trust me you <i>don''t</i> want one of those morons to be the one to nab her!"


    <i>{Hell, that idiot is probably sitting in the shadows acting as my minder! He won''t let Feline get away, not with his Master keeping a close eye on this whole operation!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "If there are those who seek to harm Lady Feline in my way, then I''ll just have to cut them down as well!" Albert rocketed forward again, shing with Amakusa. She didn''t need to exert much effort to defeat him, though she was intentionally holding back so as to not hurt him. Albert was a seasoned warrior and his quick and decisive movement showed that he''d been on the battlefield many times, but all the experience in the world wasn''t going to make up for the chasm between them.


    "Listen to me! Just stop fighting for two seconds!" Amakusa eximed as they exchanged blows. "You can''t win against me, and you certainly cannot win against a Demon Lord that can casually y Gods! What you''re doing now is pointless, not to mention that you''re risking getting more people killed!" She figured that open resistance against Akagi wouldn''t be tolerated and there was a good chance that the <i>Demon </i>would use it as an excuse to inflict more horrors on this world.


    <i>{She''s a hypocritical bitch! I have no doubt that she wants the people of this world to fight back so that she can unleash hell upon it!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Are you threatening our people?!?" Albert screamed. "Are you saying that if we resist that more will die? That the Demon Lord will continue to kill until we submit?!?¡±


    "YES!" Amakua yelled back. "Akagi gave you a demand and you ignored it, so now she''s punishing you! Feline, if you want to protect Amdamell and keep its people safe, then you need to give her what she wants!" She wasn''t the kind of person to advocating appeasement or giving in to bullies, but the Hero knew all too well that further resistance would only encourage the <i>Demon </i>to let out her darker side.


    "Why are you siding with her?!?" Feline screamed at the top of her lungs, causing both warriors to pause. "Are you not a Hero?!? Did you not vow to protect the people of this world?!?" Tears ran down her face. ¡°Did you not promise to protect... <i>me</i>?¡±


    "I was never a Hero!" Amakusa took the chance to kick Albert in the stomach and punt him away. "None of us were, Feline!" She started to cry as emotions that she''d long suppressed welled up inside of her. "We were just dumb kids that were taken in by the Gods'' lies..."


    "What?" Feline was taken aback by Shiroe''s words. ¡°What are you talking about? Lies?¡±


    "Yes, lies... They deceived us, Feline..." Amakusa wiped away her tears as Albert stood back up,, ready for the next round. "Not just the Heroes, but the people of this world...We were all lied to by those bastards."


    "The Gods would never lie to us!" Albert winced as he took a stance. Amakusa''s kick had broken a few of his ribs, despite her holding back


    <i>{Sorry for that... I''ve never been good at holding back...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "I once thought the same way... But they did... And they''ve been." Amakusa lowered her de. "They lied, and so many... So many innocent people died... They wound us up like dolls... and... And they unleashed us on a people that had done nothing wrong..." She continued to cry, something that Feline had never really seen from the, usually stoic, Samurai Hero before.


    "Shiroe..." Feline slowly stood up from the cold ground. "Then, tell me. What happened? What happened in that other world? Tell me what you''ve learned to make you say such things?!?" Something inside her heart told her that she needed to hear Amakusa out.


    "Lady Feline!" Albert called out to her despite his pain. "Don''t listen to her! She''s been corrupted by that Demon Lord! You can''t trust her or anything she says! You need to run away!"


    <i>{Dammit!} </i>(Albert)


    "I... I will hear her out. I at least owe her that much after everything that''s happened!" Feline gulped as she walked in front of the tearful Shiroe. ¡°We''ve caused her so much pain, and despite everything that''s just happened... I know Shiroe is a good person... She wouldn''t lie to me... I know it... So please... Please tell me what you''ve learned.¡±


    "Are... Are you sure that you want to know?" Amakusa looked into Feline''s eyes, seeing passion as well as a twinge of fear. "Because once you know the truth... There''s no going back..."


    After taking a deep breath, Feline answered resolutely, befitting her status as the now <i>Queen</i> of Amdamell. "Yes, I do. As the only member of the Amdamell Royal family, I need to know the truth. I need to know what''s been really going on, so that I may guide my people down the right path."


    "Then..." Amakusa proceeded to give a rundown of events, exining the Gods'' ns to abandon the world and how the massacre of the Spirits had been done for no other reason than to acquire their power. It was a long and painful story, and verbally admitting to one of her best friends that she''d been part of something so heinous was clearly not easy for the Hero.


    "N-No..." Feline''s entire body went numb, and Albert was left speechless. He wasn''t inclined to believe Amakusa''s words, but her story caused him to rethink some of the prior events during the war, and how he may have overlooked discrepancies.


    "I told you that you didn''t want to know." Amakusa gave a dryugh. "Now, try being <i>me</i>. Come to find out that my righteous crusade against evil was actually memitting mass murder of innocent people..."


    <i>{I truly did fail my father and I became everything that others feared I already was.} </i>(Amakusa)


    "S-Shiroe." Feline hugged her. ¡°I''m so sorry.¡±


    "Eh?" Amakusa squeaked, not expecting to be hugged out of the blue. "Why?"


    "Because I could see that you were in pain..." Feline squeezed her even tighter. ¡°And its all my fault... Please forgive me...¡±


    "I killed your Father and Brother!" Amakusa said as she tried to wiggle free. "I don''t care how kind you are, how can you just..."


    <i>{How can you apologize to me?!?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "This is all my fault, Shiroe!" Feline started to cry as she continued to hug her. "I''m the one that summoned you to this world. I''m the one who asked you to save us, and I''m the one who asked you to go with the other Heroes to finish off the Spirits. Everything that you''ve done... Is my fault..." She''d been with Amakusa since her arrival on Enoris and it had been at her prodding that she''d taken up their cause, and now she was regretting everything.


    "No... I..." Amakusa struggled to respond.


    "BOOOOOOOORING!" Akagi''s voice echoed throughout the underground shelter, interrupting the touching moment between friends. ¡°What kind of sappy Saturday morning crap is this?!? I want blood!¡±


    <em>{THIS IS BULLSHIT! I WANT A REFUND!}</em>(Akagi)


    "Who''s there?!?" Albert scanned the area before eventually finding the <em>Demon</em>who''d appeared just behind Amakusa.


    <i>{I didn''t even sense her!} </i>(Albert)


    "Come on! Like seriously, where''s the drama?!? I set this whole thing up, and you go blowing it with fucking blubbering and forgiveness?!?" Akagi grumbled andined about how she was robbed of her fun. "I was hoping that we''d get some good quality entertainment, but I get this bullshit?!? I want a refund! BOO!"


    <i>{Where was the anger from Feline?!? And why didn''t you get forced into killing Albert?!? This path was the most boring one and you fucking got it!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Oh, great, you''re here..." Amakusa pushed Feline away as she turned around. "Not content enough to watch from the sidelines, were we? Ya just had to show yourself, didn''t ya?"


    <i>{Sudden ent is random, but ok...} </i>(Akagi)


    "I was nning on having a dramatic appearance where I was sitting on the throne when you brought Feline back to the Pce, but this sorry disypletely killed the mood!" Akagi pouted. "Bad <i>pet</i>! You were supposed to make this fun! I set this whole thing up <i>explicitly</i> so that there would be a misunderstanding that would lead to juicy drama, but <i>NOOOOOOOOOOOO</i>, you just had to talk it out like reasonable people! GRRRRRR" The <i>Demon </iined that life wasn''t fair and that discussing things like mature adults was cheating.


    "I... Feline, please meet the pain in the ass that is Akagi..." Amakusa sighed. ¡°She is everything wrong with the world and should be smited.¡±


    "Ummmmm..." Feline was confused about what was going on, but figured that Akagi''s appearance wasn''t a good sign.


    "Now, now, now." Akagi bopped Amakusa on the head. "That introduction just won''t do! Please introduce me <i>properly</i>, <i>pet."</i>


    "My apologies, Master! Feline, please wee our new Lord and Savior, Lady Akagi!" Amakusa''s eyes turned orange as she waspelled to give a prescripted schpiel that Akagi had taught her. "She''s my owner, and I am her loyal happy <i>pet</i>! I could never ask for a better Master, and I hope that you''ll join me in weing our new <i>kitty</i> overlord!" Her eyes reverted to normal as her cheeks went bright red.


    <i>{THAT WAS SO FUCKING CRINGE!} </i>(Amakusa)


    <i>{WHAT?!?) </i>(Feline x Albert)

 Chapter 327 – Which One?

    Chapter 327 ¨C Which One?


    With her ns to have an intense duel between friends dashed, Akagi unenthusiastically tied up both Feline and Albert before dragging them into Amdamell''s throne room. The Capital was in total chaos, and both could only imagine how many had been killed.


    "Ahhh, victory!" Akagi said as she gazed upon the burning city through a hole in the throne room''s wall.


    "You... You just wanted to say that, didn''t you?" Amakusa grumbled about Akagi''s reference.


    <i>{Why am I suddenly getting the impression that a good portion of the reason why she''s doing all this is to fucking MEME?!?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Tis always nice to look over one''s handwork and admire it." Akagi smiled as more explosions rocked the city. "Aren''t fireworks nice, Yumi?" She nced at the Priestess who stood at her side.


    "I tend to like them a bit <i>bigger.</i>" Yumi giggled. ¡°And with a bit more oompf!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the kaboom was kindacking here, not gonna lie.¡± Akagi snickered.


    <i>{You are both psychopaths...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Please stop this!" A restrained Feline yelled as she was held down by Sabia. "We''ve already been defeated! There''s no reason to continue this destruction!" She didn''t understand why Akagi would continue the destruction, even after she''d already won.


    ¡°Know your ce!¡± Sabia growled at her. ¡°Speaking in such a-¡± She paused as Akagi raised a hand, indicating that her words were unneeded.


    "It <i>stops </i>the moment that you agree to my demands, Feline." Akagi said without looking at the Princess, explosions continuing outside. "Until you give me what I want, the destruction will continue, and should you continue to decline, I may drag the general poption into our little disagreement." So far she''d kept their casualties to a minimum, though she couldn''t guarantee how much longer that grace would be granted.


    "No... That''s... If it''s the Spirits that you want, fine!" Feline eximed, causing the gagged Albert to try and yell. "As Amdamell''s Sovereign, I release them all to you! Take them back! Just please stop this madness!"


    "I''m sorry, but that will no longer satisfy me." Akagi said as she slowly turned around, her re freezing the Princess in ce. "I require...<i> </i><i><b>more</b></i><b>." </b>She gave a slightly demonicugh.


    "What?!?" Feline squeaked in fear as she gazed into Akagi''s ck eyes. "Wasn''t your whole goal here to rescue the Spirits?!? Didn''t you do this to show others what happens if we refuse?!?" She figured that this was all just one massive excuse to show off her power to the other nations.


    "Saving the Spirits is <i>part </i>of my overarching goal." Akagi exined. "But at the very top of my list of objectives is the utter destruction of the Gods. The Spirits are a tertiary goal."


    "So... So you <i>do </i>mean to go to war with them..." Feline turned to Amakusa, who shrugged. She''d heard from ck Company about Akagi''s goals, but never fully believed that <i>anyone </i>would want to directly challenge an entire pantheon of Gods.


    <i>{DON''T JUST SHRUG, YOU IDIOT! I NEED YOU TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS!} </i>(Feline)


    "Don''t look at me. I have no control over <i>this </i>crazy train." Amakusa sighed. ¡°Nothing I say or do is going to sway her, so I''m not even going to waste my time or breath.¡±


    <i>{YOU!} </i>(Feline)


    "If by <i>war</i> you mean <i>extermination,</i> then yes. That''s what I intend to do." Akagi nodded. "I will not be satisfied until each and every one of the Gods that dared to covet my world is brought to their knees and <i>humbled</i>." Sheughed. ¡°A worthy goal, if I do say so myself.¡±


    "Then take your grievances up with them!" Feline eximed. "We have no control over them or their actions! The Gods, not the people of Enoris, were the ones who attacked you, so why are you dragging us into your battle with them?!?" She knew that it wasn''t exactly true they the weren''t involved but she was trying <i>anything </i>to stop the destruction.


    "I''m sorry, Feline, but we both know that''s not how this works." Amakusa interjected.


    "Shiroe..." Feline hadn''t expected Amakusa to support Akagi, and theck of orange eyes showed that it was her true feelings.


    "We''re both fully aware that the people of this world cheered on as the Spirits were destroyed, and they materially supported the war effort." Amakusa continued. ¡°To call them or <i>us </i>bystanders or uninvolved parties isughable at best.¡±


    <i>{I lead a war, they provided the men and material and Feline... She''s part of the Elite who guided the war. We''re all equally guilty for what happened.} </i>(Amakusa)


    "That may be true, but we had no influence on the decision to send you to that other world! The Gods were the ones who made that decision!" Feline argued that the Gods'' actions from that point on were not the responsibility of the mortals of this world and that Akagi shouldn''t hold them responsible for what happened <i>after </i>the Spirits were driven out.


    "I see no reason to give you the benefit of the doubt." Akagiughed to her face. "Nor do I see anypelling argument for mercy. You and your people gleefully supported the Gods the entire way. That you beg for mercy or try and distance yourself from those same beings now that a knife is pointed as your throat merely exposes you for the snakes that you really are."


    <i>{Just like rats fleeing a sinking ship you idiots will try and scurry away when things start going south. You''re no better than the Gods in that respect, though at least your actions are not attributable to tant malice, though ignorance isn''t an excuse.} </i>(Akagi)


    "No... I... I can ept responsibility for the deaths of the Spirits." Feline''s words again caused Albert to try and break his bindings, only for Merkyul to knock him out. "We allowed ourselves to be led astray by the Gods who we believed would protect us, and as a result of our blind faith... So many innocent lives were lost..."


    <i>{But how is it fair to hold us responsible for the invasion of your world?!? We could do nothing to stop the Gods'' n at that point!} </i>(Feline)


    "Feline, at the end of the day, the people of this world were fully in favor of what the Gods nned." Amakusa stepped in again. "And remember, <i>who </i>was it that asked me to take part in this second n?"


    "I... I''m the one that asked you to help..." Feline''s face went dark as the ruined throne room grew quiet. ¡°And it was the same of the other Heroes... You were all asked to help by your respective...¡±


    "Regardless, at the end of the day, the reason your Capital is in mes has little to do with your support of the Gods'' and their attack on my world." Akagi said.


    "Wait, but, <i>what</i>?!?" Feline was now thoroughly confused.


    "At the end of the day this whole thing could''ve easily been avoided had you simplyplied with my demands." Akagi shrugged. "I have no interest in causing mass destruction like this across Enoris." She said as another explosion went off in the distance. "However, I <i>do not </i>tolerate <i>defiance</i> particrly well." She said. "Had you turned over the Spirits in your custody to me, I would''ve been inclined to leave Amdamell alone, at least as long as it did not raise its sword to me."


    <i>{Though I''m also not sad that things went this way. Then again, the odds of Amdamellplying were so low that one may as well not even count it as a possibility.} </i>(Akagi)


    "But there was..." Feline paused, recalling her earlier discussion with Merkyul. "No, this is what you wanted..."


    <i>{The whole point of this was never to actually get us to hand them over, and I''d betthat she would''ve been frustrated if she did... This Demon... We were never anything more than an example, something to show the world her power and what happens if you don''t give in... Its the same as those warlords that once came from the South and how they''d burn cities to the ground to convince others to surrender without a fight.} </i>(Feline)


    "Bingo!" Akagi''s lips curved into a nasty smile. "I knew that you''d never be able to convince your Father to hand the Spirits over, and so I nned this operation to take advantage of that fact."


    "Then why even give that demand?!? Why even go through all this in the first ce?!?" Feline eximed again. "I highly doubt somebody like you needed a casus belli to take what you want, so why bother with such a formality?!?" She didn''t understand why Akagi was even bothering to y by some kind of rules when it was clear that she existed outside of them.


    "My own personal reasons." Akagi shrugged, not wanting to delve into her own personal code. "As I said, I have no desire toy waste to this world, and my self-imposed rules forbid me from doing such, at least not without <i>reason</i>." She gave an unsettlingugh.


    <i>{Viting that code is a quick way for me to go down a very, very, very, dark path, so I find it best to keep it. However, that doesn''t mean that exploiting loopholes or CREATING the circumstances that would permit me to act is forbidden.} </i>(Akagi)


    "You..." Feline was again struck by a sense of bewilderment. Akagi''s words and explinations convinced her that she was dealing with someone insane. "What even are you?"


    "A slightly insane Demon Lord assassin." Akagi deadpanned.


    <i>{Only slightly?!?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "And a fluffy kitty." Yumi snickered. "Don''t forget that part!"


    "Ah, how could I forget? Yeah, that too." Akagi nodded before continuing. "I don''t expect that you''ll understand my logic, and frankly, I don''t care. Just know that my actions are <i>always</i> taken with a greater n in mind. For instance, now I have an example to point to when people ask me what the <i>consequences </i>of defiance are." She smiled.


    <i>{Though, my current ns expect that we''re going to need a much, muchrger show of force to convince the continent to bow before me, oh well.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Do you truly think that any of these nations are going to submit to your demands?" Feline asked. "Even if youy waste to all of Amdamell and turn it into a sea of me I see no reason to believe that the Empire or the Demons would ever bend the knee to you, it''s simply not in their nature to surrender."


    <i>{Especially to someone like you.} </i>(Feline)


    "If they do they do, and if they don''t they don''t." Akagi shrugged, not caring either way. "I honestly hope both <i>do </i>try something, since then I get to have <i>fun</i>." She snickered.


    "You... You truly are insane..." Feline said as her body went numb, and almost unconsciously her next words spilled out like a dam that finally burst. "Is... Is this all just a game to you? Do you see us as little more than pieces on some kind of chessboard?"


    "Yes." Akagi''s curt response took the Princess off guard. "Back in my world, somebody asked me that very same question once." She slowly walked over to the restrained Princess. "They asked me what I thought of the world and why I was the way that I was. They wanted to know why I did what I did and why I was more than happy to y around with people''s lives." Sheughed as she recalled her discussion with Nariyuki. "And do you know what I told them?"


    "I don''t know, maybe that you''re actually some kind and benevolent being that''s just misunderstood?" Amakusa rolled her eyes as she spoke under her breath.


    "I told her that I was simply finding entertaining ways to pass the time." Akagi knelt down in front of the Princess, locking eyes with her.


    "You truly are a monster then..." Feline replied. ¡°Only a truly horrible being could say such a thing. To y with people''s lives for mere <i>entertainment </i>is...¡±


    "Yes, a monster I am... A monster I am indeed." Akagiughed for a bit before grabbing Feline by the hair and yanking her head to an awkward angle.


    "OW!" Feline yelped in pain as Akagi continued to lock eyes with her.


    "But, tell me, what would you rather, Feline?" Akagi''s gaze bore straight into Feline''s soul, and she began to tremble as the Demon''s orange eyes met her own. "A monster like me? One that has rules that it abides by? One that merely wishes to be <i>entertained</i>? One that is happy to let the world go on as normal as long as the asion demand is met? One who''s biggest priority is being left <i>ALONE</i>?" Her body slowly dissolved away until all that remained was a vaguely human-shaped ck shadow with orange eyes and razor-sharp teeth. <i><b>"Or would you rather that I be the kind of monster who kills everyone without a second thought? Who burns this world to the ground just because I can? Because I can BE that kind of monster if you want me to, Feline. So tell me, which would you rather?" </b></i>Her attitude change chilled Feline to the very bone and even caused the usually stoic Amakusa to back away and tremble.


    "I... I..." Feline''s heart felt like it was about to leap out of her chest as Akagi''s eyes inflicted terror into her very soul. She knew in her heart that the being before her was something that she could never hope to understand, and frankly she didn''t want to. "I... I surrender... You win..."


    "Good." Akagi threw the Princess aside as she stood back up. "Tell ck Company to halt operations." She said to Yumi, who passed the message along over wireless. "Merkyul, Sabia." Akagi called out to the two members of ck Company.


    "Yes!" (Merkyul x Sabia)


    "I''ll be leaving the cleanup in your hands." Akagi turned to leave. "And Princess."


    "Yes..." Feline said as she was slowly unbound.


    "For now, keep our little arrangement with the Spirits a secret." Akagi continued. "Oh, and let''s have a bit of fun and exaggerate the casualties a bit. I''m going to need a high enough body count to give the Demons a bit of food for thought at whatever meeting they''re going to have." She chuckled.


    "I... As you wish..." Feline nodded.


    "As you wish?" Akagi asked as he looked over her shoulder.


    "As you wish... <i>My Lord</i>." Feline said, reluctantly as curtseying.

 Chapter 328 – The Grim Reaper.

    Chapter 328 ¨C The Grim Reaper.


    *SPLOOSH* *SPLASH* *SQUAWK*


    ¡°It hasn''t been the worst ride across the ocean in my life.¡± Kanatoughed as she ship bobbed up and down in the ocean. He was standing at one of the sides of the ship, watching the water chop and churn below. ¡°That ferry ride to Okinawa was definitely worse, though maybe its not fair to say that since we hit a Typhoon.¡± He chuckled.


    Kanato''s journey to the Holy City had reached itsst leg, and it would be a matter of days until the ferry he was on docked in harbor. It was a rough ride over what was basically open ocean, and many, including the fairies, got seasick.


    "Ocean... Bad..." The female fairy sat on Kanato''s head, her head swirling from the motion of the ship. ¡°Tummy... Sick...¡± She, as well as the other fairies, had tried to float in ce to avoid motion sickness, though that came with other problems.


    "No Soup..." The two male fairies were simrly out of it and were sitting in a bag tied to the Hero''s waist. ¡°Sad...¡±


    "I swear to Christ if any of you barf on me again, I''m throwing you into the bay and using you as fishing lures." Kanato grumbled. He''d had the <i>pleasure</i> of cleaning up fairy vomit, which while looking like pretty rainbows, was <i>extremely </i>hard to get out of clothing.


    <i>{Should I even be shocked that fairies puke up rainbow at this point?} </i>(Kanato)


    "Taste rainbow..." The female fairy continued to swirl, and Kanato could tell that another round wasing. ¡°No... like...¡±


    <i>{NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!} </i>(Kanato)


    Not wanting to get covered in <i>more</i> rainbow, Kanato grabbed the fairy girl and held her over the edge of the ship, allowing her to release the rainbow of doom into the ocean.


    <i>{Sorry Mr. Fishes...} </i>(Kanato)


    "Seriously, how the hell are magical fairies that <i>fly</i> this susceptible to motion sickness?!?" Kanato grumbled as the rainbow continued. "And why doesn''t healing magic work on this?" He figured that Hitomi could probably cure motion sickness, since regr healing power wasn''t working.


    <i>{Shiroe isn''t great with carriages either, from what I recall. But still!} </i>(Kanato)


    "Shiroe..." Kanato reflected on the past week''s events as he held the fairy away from him. "I''m sorry... But I swear, I''ll bring you back..." As the fairy finished expelling the rainbow into the ocean, a familiar voice startled him from behind.


    "I''m hurt. Here I am worried about you after what Father told me, and I find you here on a boat wistfully worried about another woman." A blonde-haired woman with white angel wings said from behind him. She had a massive ck scythe on her back and she had a warm smile that was truly anything <i>but</i>.


    "Rehael?!?" Kanato spun around to see the unexpected form of his first wife, someone he wasn''t expecting to see. She was wearing her usual ck dress that Kanato <i>swore </i>had nothing to do with the Goth loli fad back home. The Angel girl seemed to enjoy it a lot, and it went well with her massive scythe that earned her the nickname of <i>Grim Reaper.</i>


    "Who else out there is this beautiful?" Reheal smiled seductively. "Don''t tell me that you''ve forgotten me in our brief time apart." She slowly walked over to him and stole his lips, cupping his cheeks in her hands.


    "Mpfh!" Kanato was taken aback by her forwardness, but that was what he loved about her.


    "There, do you remember now?" Rehael said yfully as they parted. ¡°I sure hope so.¡±


    "I..." Kanato pulled her into a hug, dropping the female fairy to the floor with a thud.


    *BONK*


    "Owchie..." The female fairynded head first, a bump forming on the top of her head due to the impact.


    ¡°Heh. Heh. Fall... Go bonk.¡± The two male fairies giggled.


    "What''s this?" Rehael was uncharacteristically surprised by the sudden hug. "Did you miss me that bad?" Kanato was trembling as he gripped onto her, and she could tell that his emotional floodgate was about to burst.


    <i>{Oh joy...} </i>(Rehael)


    "Now, now, <i>baby</i>." Rehael hugged him back. "It''s alright. I''m here for you." Her lips curved not into a warm smile, but rather one of a predator that had found its prey. "Just let it all out... Tell <i>Mommy</i> all about it." Which is exactly what Kanato did as he cried in her arms. Kanato was never a particrly emotional person, and he was always told growing up that real men only cried on the day their children were born. But in that moment, a lifetime of instilled discipline broke, and he balled like a baby in his wife''s arms.


    "I... I thought... I was..." Kanato couldn''t even finish a full sentence, and Rehael slowly rubbed his back in an attempt to calm him down. ¡°I thought I''d never...¡±


    "There, there." The Angel cast a bit of magic in an attempt to calm his emotions, noticing that something had attached itself to him as she did.


    <i>{What is that power? It simr to... Nevermind. More importantly, it seems to be affecting his mind, but that shouldn''t be possible. Only I or one of the Gods can manipte the Heroes. How interesting.} </i>(Reheal)


    "I''ve heard all about what happened to you and the others from Father, and rest assured that we are doing everything in our power to bring Shiroe back from that world." Rehael''s sweet voice was infused with a small amount of magic that caused Kanato''s emotional storm to quiet down.


    "We failed..." Kanato said as he looked into her eyes. "We... Rehael, the Spirits, we-" He paused, something deep within telling him <i>not </i>to voice his doubts about God''s ns to Rehael.


    <i>{She''s Gale''s daughter... But she''s also my wife... But... I know her well enough to say that if I tell her about what I learned back on Earth... She might kill me if it''s true.} </i>(Kanato)


    For the first time since he met the bewitchingly beautiful Angel woman, he felt a twinge of fear in his heart. He had never seen Rehael get angry, save for instances where he or herpanions were in harm''s way, but he''d heard the stories of her past. The <i>Grim Reaper </i>moniker wasn''t just something that she was called due to her scythe, she earned it by virtue of being<i> </i>Gale''s go-to for when he needed someone <i>dead</i>.


    "You did not fail, my love." Reheal smiled. "This was merely a minor setback, so do not allow it to cloud your heart with doubt." She pressed up against him, stealing another kiss. "Father is already working on another n, and this time it will work without fail." She giggled. ¡°So don''t sully that pretty face of yours with tears.¡±


    "Lord Gale..." Kanato said under his breath. "But, why are you here?" He pushed her slightly away. "I thought that you were busy with your other duties?" The Angel was typically away from home, which meant that raising their young son was left to some of the other Heavenly servants.


    "Father is preparing a special task just for me, and part of that requires my presence in the material world." Reheal traced her finger across his chest. "Thus, I exited the Heavens via Aunt Reflia''s portal at the top of Kalmya, and low and behold, the first thing I sense is my little man sailing straight toward the Holy City." She giggled. "I knew that you were wandering around down here, but I never expected to find you <i>here</i> of all ces."


    <i>{Why is he going to the Holy City anyway? And why is he traveling with fairies?} </i>(Reheal)


    "I honestly didn''t expect to see you here either." Kanato gave a wry smile. While Reheal was his first wife she was also the one he saw the least due to her status as a Demi-God and line of work. The two could easily go months apart from one another, though they tended to make up for such separation <i>with interest</i>. "How is Arlo doing?" He asked about his only son, who primarily resided in the Heavens at her insistence.


    "He is well." Reheal said as she took a step back. "The boy resembles you more and more with each passing day, and it won''t be long now until he starts speaking basic words." Their child was over one year old by this point, and as a quarter God, he was quite a bit different than your average mortal. ¡°I saw him just before I left, and he was quite happy.¡±


    "Good." Kanato smiled at the news that his son was well. "I''d like to see him soon if I get the chance. Maybe we can bring him down here to y with his sisters?"


    "Perhaps. Though it may still be a while until he stabilizes enough to safely descend. I''ve told you before that rushing such things will only harm him." Reheal''s warm smile belied her true emotions, which consisted of displeasure at the idea of her son ying with his mortal half-siblings.


    <i>{Those bastard children have no right to breathe the same air as my son, and even if they share this idiot''s blood, they''re still trash born of inferior mortal sows.} </i>(Reheal)


    "I see..." Kanato said, disappointed. ¡°Well, I just hope he''s able toe down soon.¡±


    "But more importantly, what are you doing on a boat heading to the Holy City? Is this a secret rendezvous with Hitomi? Are you finally adding her as the fourth wife?" Reheal said in fake shock, knowing that such a thing was impossible.


    "You and I both know that Hitomi and Rafferty are inseparable, not to mention that said crazy fox would probably <i>castrate</i> me if I so much breathed on Hitomi in the wrong way." Kanato gave a nervousugh.


    <i>{She really fucking would too.} </i>(Kanato)


    "Well, we can''t have that, now can we?" Rehealughed as she pat him on the chest. "I have too much use for your lower half to risk losing it!"


    "I see that part of you is the same as every..." Kanato sighed at his wife''s vulgarity. "But to answer your question, I''m going to the Holy City to speak with Hitomi. I want to see how she''s doing after everything that happened on Earth, and I want to speak with her to find out if she knows anything else about the situation that could help us." He easily lied to the Angel by blending a mostly true story together.


    "Understandable." Reheal nodded. "Father will want your help again for this next part, so having all the Heroes on the same page will be helpful."


    "Will you being with me?" Kanato asked, hoping that the answer was no.


    "As much as I''d love to, I''ve <i>business</i> elsewhere." Reheal sighed. ¡°So sadly I cannot stay with you.¡±


    "Does it have anything to do with that so-called Demon Lord who''s been attacking ces?" Kanato had heard the stories during his travel. ¡°I''ve heard some interesting rumors about what happened in the Imperial Capital.¡± He was certain that whatever had defeated him and tampered with his memories had followed them back and was now causing chaos on Enoris.


    "No, that job is being handled by Aunt Reflia. I''m tasked with an extra special super secret mission directly from Father." The Angel put her finger over her lips. "And I''m sorry, but I can''t tell even you." She giggled.


    <i>{Thank god...} </i>(Kanato)


    "But." Rehael slowly moved forward and wrapped her arms around Kanato like a snake enveloping its prey. "I see no problem with keeping you <ipany</i> until your shipnds at the Holy City." She kissed him again. "How about we make up for a bit of <i>lost time</i>?"


    <i>{You know what, I''m in no shape to say no and I need this right now.} </i>(Kanato)


    "Sounds good to me." Kanato kissed her back, and the two retreated to his private room where they spent <i>quality time </i>with each other for the next three days. The stamina of both a Demi-God and Hero was quite high, and both had quite a high <i>libido </i>meaning that once things got started, they got <i>started</i>.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    *DING-DING* *DING-DING*


    In what felt like no time at all, the ferry docked at the Harbor of the Holy City, and it was time for Kanato to depart. He was a bit <i>sore </i>from his intimacy with the Angel, but he feltpletely refreshed.


    "I''ll see youter, ok?" Kanato gave his wife another kiss. "And be safe. You know I can''t live without you."


    "You too as well, my love." Reheal stood on the pier as he turned away and departed, the three fairies floating alongside him.


    "Crazy human." The female fairy said.


    "Crazier Angel..." The two male fairies said in unison.


    As he vanished into the crowd, Reheal''s warm smile turned into a slightly perverted one. "Yes, my little pet, go onward." The Angel spoke under her breath. "y Hero for <i>mommy</i>." She giggled.<i> </i>"For that''s all you''re really good for, isn''t it? Being <i>mommy''s</i> little Hero and being such a good boy."


    <i>{Ah, to have him look at me with those boyish eyes and stupid little smile. It truly electrifies me. Perhaps I should make another child with him since the first time was truly.... Delightful.} </i>(Reheal)


    Spoiler


    Reheal!


    [copse]

 Chapter 329 – Searching.

    Chapter 329 ¨C Searching.


    "What?!?" Reflia eximed. She was presently in the Capital of the Confederation of Northwind and ''investigating the Demon Cult'' when she received a message from one of her Angel servants that Amdamell had been attacked. The events described were unbelievable and the Goddess got a chill down her spine as the level of carnage was made evident.


    <i>{Damage is reported as significant, andrge portions of the Capital were either leveled or are in mes. We''re estimating that thousands are dead, and I was just informed that both the King and Crown Prince, as well as most members of governmental ministries, were killed during the attack.} </i>The male blonde-haired Angel spoke to her via telepathy. The two had moved into a side alley to speak, and it was decided to limit verbal speech due to the sensitive nature of events.


    <i>{It seems this so-called Demon Lord and its followers are even more formidable than we expected. The assassinations of Imperial Nobles and Northwind Merchants were already concerning, but tounch a full-scale attack on a major metropolitan area is...} </i>Reflia shook her head.


    <i>{Shall I contact Ms. Penelope and direct her to Riftwood? She''s not that far away, and her appearance would likely boost morale.} </i>The Angel asked if he should change the Demi-God''s mission.


    <i>{No, let''s keep her on her current path and allow her to perform recon. It''s already toote to prevent the attack on Riftwood, and I''d rather her not walk straight into arge group of Cultists.} </i>Reflia figured that the ones who attacked Riftwood must''ve been quite powerful since the Kingdom''s Royal Pegasus Knights were formidable fighters and regarded as one of the best aerial forces on the entire continent. <i>{At this point I''m convinced that the disturbance I sent her to investigate is rted to this so-called Demon Lord and I need her to give me a report of the situation. If there really is arge force gathering down there then its best that we''re made aware of it before it strikes anyone else.}</i>


    <i>{As you wish.} </i>The Angel bowed. <i>{Then what are your orders?}</i>


    "Continue as we''ve been." Reflia spoke aloud. "Our main priority should be to investigate the Cult and its ns. I know that the Demons in the South are putting together a punitive force to attack them, but unfortunately for them, their intended target is just a decoy." She''d used her expansive intelwork to figure out that Vikes'' Cult had moved its main operations into Northwind some time ago, and she was currently trying to figure out where they were stationed.


    <i>{Though what now worries me is that we''ve got two crazy Demon Lord groups running around. If the one that''s recently appeared isn''t rted to Vikes'' Cult then that can only mean...} </i>(Reflia)


    "I will continue having my subordinates perform recon, and hopefully we will have something to report soon." The male Angel nodded. "Though I am a bit worried about their strength level. I''ve been told that the group which sacked Riftwood was quite formidable."


    "Just be careful and don''t go picking any fights that you can''t handle. I''ve already been opening and closing the Kalmya gate far too often for my liking, so we can''t risk bringing too many of our forces here, lest our <i>only </i>safe connection between the worlds be unstable." While there had been no issues so far, Reflia was worried that the Kalmya portal would eventually stop working due to Enoris'' instability.


    <i>{If we lose the one viable way to move between nes without things going kaboom, then things are going to go to hell.} </i>(Reflia)


    "It is as you say. But worry not, My Lady. We shall handle this swiftly and efficiently." The Angel bowed before vanishing in a burst of golden light.


    "I hope you do." Reflia sighed as she rubbed her temples. "Gale''s probably going to be furious when he finds out about this attack, and if this keeps up, the people are going to start thinking that we can''t protect them. Argh!" She ruffled her hair in frustration.


    <i>{Stupid Demon Lord or whoever you are! Why can''t you just kill Gale and those other idiots and leave the people here alone?!? This world''s already doomed, so why do you need to pull these kinds of stupid stunts?!? It''s not bad enough that Vikes'' weapon still exists and causes problems, now we''ve got this crazy running around!} </i>(Reflia)


    "Whatever..." Reflia calmed herself down and took a deep breath. "Hopefully Gildra''s got some useful information. If that fox is <i>anything</i>, it''s crafty, and I''d imagine that she''s already got her contacts looking into the Cult''s activities." She spoke to herself. "And while we''re at it, maybe she can tell me where that idiotic fourth Hero disappeared to since we might need him for this..."


    <em>{I''ll have to tred carefully. This chaos will give me a bit more leeway to act outside of Gale''s gaze, but it will also draw his focus more on the mortal world. I suspect he''s going to start speeding up his ns, and if I''m not fast enough...}</em>(Reflia)


    ________________________________________________________________________________________________


    <Labrys POV>


    <i><b>"Hmmmm... This body... It''s... Adequate..." </b></i>The voice that came from behind the mask that covered Muichiro''s face sounded nothing like his usual shrillness and was instead dark and foreboding, much like Akagi''s could get. <i><b>" Oh well, I suppose we must make do with the hand we are dealt. Good work, Tanya, Valuru. You''ve done well to find me a host that can withstand my power. You shall both be rewarded for your dedication and loyalty." </b></i>One couldn''t see his face but the smirk on it was audible.


    "Kyaaaa! Lord Labrys praised me!" Tanya wiggled back and forth as she squeed in delight. ¡°Anything for you, My Lord! And don''t worry about a reward, just being of use to you is reward enough!¡±


    "Indeed! We serve the Demon Lord and will do anything in our power to help you as the heir to his will. My only regret is that it''s taken this long to find a proper body for you." Valuru knelt.


    <i><b>"Hmmm... Well lets leave the matter of your reward to the side for now. I believe you said that this child was a Hero summoned by the Gods? I suppose I can stomach my disdain for them long enough to rip this world to shreds." </b></i>Labrys channeled dark power through his body, causing the massive ck Axe resting against the wall to fly over and snap to his hand. <i><b>"Though it appears I can''t use even a fraction of my true power in this form. Mortal bodies are weak, after all. Truly a pity, though it will not be a problem for much longer."</b></i>


    "Please forgive us, Lord Labrys." Valuru bowed his head in shame. "It was the best body that we could find. I am ashamed of our failure."


    "If only <i>my </i>body was suitable for you, Lord Labrys!" Tanya pouted. She''d wanted to be the one that Labrys used for his return, but she was simply too weak and her mortal body would burn away from even a small percentage of his power being ced within it.


    <i>{Feeling your power flow through me and embed itself everywhere... KYA! If only Lord Labrys could take control of me and force me to do whatever he wanted!} </i>(Tanya)


    <i><b>"It is fine." </b></i>Labrys raised his hand to stop their groveling. <i><b>"It matters not if I am unable to use all of the power that my Master gave me. I will stillplete his mission regardless of this handicap." </b></i>He flexed his hands. <i><b>¡°Besides, this should be more than enough to do what is needed, and I''ll just need to gather a few extra pieces to allow more of my strength to be used.¡±</b></i>


    <strong><em>{A few souls should enable a bit more power to flow freely, and this world is simply bloated with them.}</em></strong>(Labrys)


    "Yes, this wretched world shall perish as Lord Vikes decreed!" Tanya said while still wiggling. "We shall purge it so that a better world can grow from its ashes!" The followers of Vikes were aware, vaguely, of what a Demon Lord truly was, though Vikes and his Axe was more than happy to leave out the fact that there would be no rebirth of this world once they were finished with it.


    <i><b>"How goes surface operations?" </b></i>Labrys asked about the current state of affaris. He was conscious of events surrounding him, but he was still not entirely aware of how things had progressed since Vikes was vanquished. Being separated from his master had left him in a partially lucid state where he could only vaguly recall his actions or events during thest four millennia. <i><b>"If I recall, you mentioned that the Demon-Blooded have stepped up attempts to excise us from their territory."</b></i>


    "Those fools have been assembling an army numbering in the tens of thousands near their Capital. Our agents have given them false intelligence that our headquarters is still in the South, and we n to take this opportunity to buy some time to allow our forces to regroup so as to crush those foolster." Valuru gave the cliff notes of the grand n.


    <i><b>"Good." </b></i>Labrys said as he spun his massive Axe around. <i><b>¡°First and foremost I must begin harvesting so that my power can awaken properly. With enough souls I should be able to regain much of my former power, and after that we can focus on getting me a more suitable body.¡± </b></i>Labrys figured that a Demi-God would be the best option.


    "Of course, we will make preparations at once, though..." Valuru''s words drifted off, and Labrys could tell that something was causing him to hesitate.


    <i><b>"What is it? Do not hesitate to give me important information." </b></i>Labrys stopped and locked eyes with the Demon man. <i><b>¡°I do not like to be left in the dark, so speak.¡±</b></i>


    "It''s just... There seems to be a group causing chaos around the continent..." Valuru started sweating.


    <i><b>"What of it? Those who cause destruction are to be weed as useful tools." </b></i>Labrys didn''t see the problem. <i><b>¡°If they are making things miserable for the people of this world then I''m all for it. Destruction and chaos only serves to weaken the Gods'' position and makes our job easier.¡± </b></i>


    "Well..." Tanya jumped in, afraid as well. "It''s just... There''s a teensy-weensy <i>problem</i>... Because... Well... Ya see..." She poked her fingers together nervously. "They are apparently working for a Demon Lord Akagi..." She winced as she spoke those words, fearing that she would be smote for saying such a thing.


    <i><b>"I see..." </b></i>Labrys did not react to the im, and instead he mulled it over. <i><b>"Keep an eye on things and report back whatever you can about this so-called Demon Lord." </b></i>He turned to leave but was stopped by Valuru.


    "Umm... Onest thing, My Lord..." Valuru was still trembling as he looked up at his master. "Our agents have reported that Halifax has reappeared. She was sighted within the Imperial Capital recently, but we''ve been struggling to locate her ever since..."


    <i><b>"No matter." </b></i>Labrys said as he walked away. <i><b>"The two of us will be drawn together in time, so for now, keep your focus elsewhere. When the timees, I shall handle her." </b></i>After disappearing around the corner, Tanya and Valuru let out a deep breath.


    "Kyaaaa! I thought Lord Labrys was gonna exterminate us right then and there!" Tanya started wiggling again, this time even harder.


    <i>{But you can''t, My Lord! My maidenly heart isn''t yet ready for such a thing!} </i>(Tanya)


    "I would''ve thought that he would react with more <i>anger </i>at hearing that someone else was iming to be a Demon Lord." Valuru pulled out a white towel and wiped his brow.


    <i>{I thought we were dead...} </i>(Valuru)


    "There have been others who pretended to be Demon Lords, so maybe he just doesn''t take it seriously?" Tanya figured that he was simply not interested in more pretenders.


    <i>{I don''t know about that. Even if they are mere fools letting them off like that doesn''t seem like the Lord Labrys in the stories from my predecessor. I was told that he raged relentlessly against any who dared im the same title as his Master...} </i>(Valuru)


    "Well, it doesn''t matter what his reasons are. As long as we follow his orders, Lord Labrys will surely deliver this world into destruction and free it and all of us from despair." Valuru nodded as he clenched his fist and thrust into the air.


    "Yuppers!" Tanya giggled. "I''ll do everything in my power to help Lord Labrys finish Lord Vikes'' mission! That way, I can be one with him in nothingness! Kya!"


    "As much as I approve of your devotion to our Lord, I need you to keep your head in the game." Valuru sighed. Tanya''s ''devotion'' was a strange quirk, but it was normally an asset. At least when she kept her fangirling to a tolerable level.


    "Do not worry about me!" Tanya said with a big smile. "I will do everything in my power to aid Lord Labrys in destroying this world! I just hope that <i>you </i>are up to the task, Valuru."

 Chapter 329.5 – Picking Up the Pieces.

    Chapter 329.5 ¨C Picking Up the Pieces.


    "Man Akagi, did you really have to go and blow things up <em>this</em> bad?" Halifax sighed as she walked down one of the destroyed streets of Riftwood, admiring the crumbled buildings, ruined streets, and a general sense of despair that filled the eyes of the residents. ck Company had practically turned the entire city on its head, and Halifax could hardly believe that there weren''t <i>more </i>casualties than there actually ways. Elna had been a bit <i>overzealous </i>during the attack, but generally they''d followed Akagi''s orders to kill only a small portion of the poption rather than initiate mass ughter.


    <i>{Well, I guess blowing this ce to hell was the point, but still...} </i>(Halifax)


    "Maybe this was just a <i>bit</i> overkill..." Halifax shook her head as she walked up to an injured woman and her child, healing them both with a bit of magic.


    "Thanks, miss!" The young girl smiled as Halifax used magic to clean the dirt and dust off her. ¡°My bumps are all better!¡±


    "Please forgive me, Ms. I have nothing to pay you for your magic." The woman thanked her but was nervous. Being healed by magic was almost never free, and those who imed to treat people without requiring money tended to require <i>other </ipensation. "My home was burned down, and we lost... everything... So I don''t have anything to give you..." She said as darkness fell over her eyes.


    "Mama..." The young girl said as she clung to the hem of her mother''s skirt, worried.


    "Has the Pce not been doing anything to help the recovery effort?" Halifax asked as she kicked a rock away. ¡°I can''t imagine they didn''t send healers around the city.¡± She figured any surviving mages would be working overtime to tend to the wounded.


    "Princess- I mean <i>Queen</i> Feline has been busy after the attack... I can''t even imagine what she''s going through after that, losing her Father and Brother." The woman said as she picked up her daughter. "She did say that aid would being, but so far, they''ve done little more than provide hot soup and nkets. There''s word that with the death of so many Nobles and guards, public order in the ruined city is getting progressively worse so I doubt they''d send healers into the lower city yet.¡±


    <i>{Power vacuums and disasters always tend to cause things like this. Akagi has no intention of lending a helping hand here either, since the more chaos in this world, the better. I''d wager that an attack like this won''t do too much damage to the Gods'' reputation, but its definitely going to be one of the many incidents that may eventually lead to their downfall.} </i>(Halifax)


    "You''re an adventurer, right?" The woman asked as she looked at Halifax''s de. "Do you know if the Guild is going to do anything to stop these kinds of attacks from happening again? I''m afraid that the guards... or even the military are incapable of protecting us..." She said as she hugged her daughter tightly. ¡°We... We probably won''t be so lucky next time.¡± She''d survived by virtue of being in the right ce at the right time, and figured that wouldn''t happen twice.


    "I honestly don''t know." Halifax shook her head. "I know the guild has been trying to help out since the attack, but whether they intend to retaliate... I can''t say." She figured that it was likely that the Guild <i>would </i>get involved, but she couldn''t say how much. It was technically an independent organization with no national loyalty or obligations, but it would cooperate with various nations during a crisis.


    <i>{Theyplied with the order to expel and purge all Spirits despite many being card-carrying members of the Guild, so I have little sympathy for them at this point. So much for being an independent organization, but I suppose their decision wasn''t surprising, given that the higher-ups knew the consequences of refusal, but it never did sit right with me. Adventurers are supposed to be above all stupid politics and squabbles, but too often, they get dragged into this world''s various conflicts... and I''m no exception.} </i>(Halifax)


    "That''s too bad..." The woman said with a wry smile. "But thank you again for helping us." She thanked Halifax before heading down the street and disappearing into the crowd of survivors/refugees.


    "I suppose it wouldn''t hurt to how the Guild is doing to be honest. If I recall correctly, Riftwood''s Guild Master is Damion. Though whether he is still <i>alive </i>is to be seen." Halifax said as she strolled down the ruined street toward the center of town, and as she moved around the rubble, Halifax bypassed several distraught civilians, overhearing many of the conversations between them.


    "Where were the Gods? Why didn''t they help us?" (Peasant A)


    "I heard that the Priests locked themselves away in the Cathedral and refused to let anyone in during the attack!" (Peasant B)


    "I saw one of them run away when that crazy wolfkin was tearing apart the soldiers! He didn''t even try to help any of the injured!" (Merchant A)


    "You know, I wonder if that rumor that Lady Tahena was killed by that Demon Lord? I mean, maybe that''s why they didn''te save us..." (Peasant C)


    "Shush! Don''t go saying things like that! If the guards overhear you..." (Peasant D)


    <i>{Well, your n seems to be already working, Akagi. I guess assassinating a God in broad daylight and taking out other high ranking members of Nobility is speeding things up. At this rate my prediction might be off by a bit, the Gods might be more fucked than I thought.} </i>(Halifax)


    While listening in on more conversations, Halifax eventually found herself in front of the half-destroyed Guild Hall in the center of town. The Riftwood Adventurer Guild was one of thergest on the continent, and its massive stone and wood structure stood out as a feature of the city''s skyline. Though it was currently a bit less majestic than normal due to scorch marks, holes in the wall and other damage.


    "Well, it sure has seen better days." Halifax chuckled as she slowly peaked inside, passing by a few exiting adventures. "Then again, the fact that it is standing at all is probably a good sign." As she entered, Halifax noted how busy the Guild Hall was. It had been a few days since the attack, and from what she was told by Nima, a flood of nearby adventurers poured into the city to provide relief and public order. The Guild Hall was filled with all sorts of adventurers from all over the ce, and there were higher-ranked parties that she recognized.


    <i>{No Burning Light? That''s surprising. I would''ve figured they''d be all over this. I wonder how Nier is doing anyway. Its been a while since I saw him and Kat.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Either way I''ll probably run into them at some point. But I wonder where Damion-" Halifax''s words were interrupted as a loud voice pierced the air.


    "Everyone! Please quiet down and listen!" A shorter pink-haired woman wearing a standard blue and red guild uniform yelled from behind the counter. "We need at least two teams in the Eastern District to help with rubble clearing and recovery efforts! All parties who have ess to Earth Magic should report to Delra for details, and anyone who can use Healing Magic needs to head upstairs to Rudolf! We don''t have a lot of time to mess around and every moment counts! I''ve had at least three reports from the Guards of people trapped under rubble, some of whom are still alive, so let''s get moving!" She pped her hands, causing everyone to start rushing around to get to their stations.


    "Good to see that she''s just as reliable as ever." Halifaxughed as she walked up to the scrambling woman, who was busy barking out orders and pushing paperwork onto other Guild Members.


    "Get those documents done ASAP! We need to make sure we''re keeping records of everyone we find so that we can turn it over to the Pce." The pink-haired woman said to a younger male Guild Member, who fumbled his words before running off to get work taken care of. "And <i>this </i>is why I never wanted to take his job..." She sighed as she turned around, catching a glimpse of Halifax but ignoring her.


    "How''s it going, Arna?" Halifax asked as she leaned on the counter with a smirk on her face.


    "Oh, just fucking <i>great</i>." Arna sighed as she turned off to the side and started going through paperwork. "Damion fucking <i>died </i>in the attack, so here I am left to-" She paused as she did a double take, looking at Halifax again as her eyes went wide in shock. "HALIFAX?!?" Arna''s screaming caught the attention of everyone else in the main hall, causing all eyes to go to the Divine de. As a well know adventurer hearing her name made the entire guild hall pause for a moment.


    "That''s my name, don''t wear it out." Halifaxughed as she shed a toothy smile.


    "Is that <i>the </i>Halifax?" (Adventurer A)


    "Yo, I think it is!" (Adventurer B)


    "Holy heck! If she''s here, then we''ve got nothing to worry about!" (Adventurer C)


    "Did shee to help us destroy the Cult?" (Adventurer D)


    <i>{Rather than destroy it, I''ve be friends with its fluffy, evil leader...} </i>(Halifax)


    "THANK THE FUCKING <i>GODS</i>!" Arna bent over the counter and pulled Halifax in closer. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you! Holy hell I''ve been saved!" For the first time since Halifax walked into the Guild, the look on Arna''s face wasn''t that of overwork and misery, instead she had a look of relief and seeming to be holding back tears of joy. "Things have gone to hell, Halifax! Look at this ce! Its a mess!" She pointed to the hole in the ceiling.


    "I mean you''re still running half a Guild at least." Halifax snickered. ¡°So it can''t be all bad!¡±


    "You''re... Well, at least you''re sense of humor is still intact." Arna turned to another Guild employee and informed her that she was taking Halifax into one of the private rooms upstairs for a bit. "Come with me for a minute. I need to talk to you about <i>things</i>."


    <i>{I bet you do.} </i>(Arna)


    "I have no doubt you''ve got <i>lots </i>to tell me." Halifax said as she and Arna headed up a creaky staircase and into the only intact conference room, each taking a seat across from one another.


    "Apologize for theck of refreshments, but I''ve got little to offer at the moment." Arna said with a wry smile. She would''ve normally offered Halifax tea as a courtesy, but with the current situation that wasn''t possible.


    "Don''t worry about it. I''ve never been that into the formality thing anyway, and with the way things are, it''s even less important." Halifax said as she kicked her feet up on the table. "So, do you want to tell me what happened? I''m aware that the city was hit hard, but why are you running things? Where is Damion? Shouldn''t he be leading the proverbial charge?" She had a hunch that he was dead but wanted to ask anyway for confirmation.


    "So, listen..." Arna took a deep breath before exining. "I''ve been working here for fifty or so years, and during that time I''ve seen Damion deal with all sorts of enemies. Hell, I watched that man take down a Dragon with his bare hands." She chuckled as she recalled that fight.


    "I remember that!" Halifaxmented. "It was one of those young ones that he wrestled into submission when it attacked the Capital. Man that takes me back, that was like thirty years ago I think."


    <i>{It was pretty cool! That crazy bastard did it with little more than his own strength and some rope!} </i>(Halifax)


    "Yeah, it was really something..." Arna gave a bitter smile. "He was easily the strongest person in the Riftwood Guild, and I always said that if he really wanted to, he could''ve easily been granted Mithril status..."


    "He never cared about any of that stuff." Halifax waived her words off, noting that he had no interest in the rank. "His only concern was the Guild and making sure it ran smoothly. Having a fancy status te meant nothing to that man..."


    <i>{That was probably his best quality too. Not many people can resist being given Mithril status. It basically makes someone the equivalent of a Duke, which does make it hard to acquire, but the perks would basically take anyone and turn them into Nobility.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Yeah..." Arna gave a warm smile.


    "Well, I think he was also concerned about <i>you </i>too." Halifax snickered, causing Arna to stutter.


    "W-W-W-What are you talking about?!?" Arna said as her face turned red. ¡°H-H-He was never one to like me like that!¡±


    <i>{Wow, I''m not sure what''s worse. You''re acting just now or Yumi''s when she tries to deny wanting to pet the kitty.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Come on, there isn''t a person who came to this ce that didn''t know you and him were shacking up on the side." Halifaxughed as she blew open what was likely the worst kept secret in the Guild. "You were his cute little <i>buttercup</i>." She winked. Arna was a half-dwarf, which basically meant that she was a more long-lived and tough human. She''d taken a liking to Damion not long after she''de to Riftwood, and it wasn''t long until she''d developed a Silver Foxplex for the century-old man.


    "Nooooo..." Arna put her head in her hands in embarrassment. "I thought we hid it perfectly."


    <i>{I just want to bury myself in a hole and die...} </i>(Arna)


    "But enough about your love life." Halifax got the conversation back on track, not wanting to derail it too much. "What went down with Damion?"


    "Halifax..." Arna slowly looked up at her. "I watched the man I love... The man who I''d thought to be invincible... I watched that <i>bitch</i> toy with him..." She growled, her eyes filling with anger and hatred.


    "One of the attackers?" Halifax asked, pretending not to know anything about ck Company.


    "It was that blonde-haired woman. One who I think called herself Hitamaguchi." Arna practically spit as she said her name. "Damion fought her one on one, and while he put up a good fight... In the end, it wasn''t even a challenge for her. She yed with him before... Before <i>ending </i>him in one swift stroke..." Arna reached into her pocket and pulled out a small golden pocket watch. "This is all I have left of him... She burned away his body with some kind of white me that she used to power up her attacks..." She clutched the watch between her hands. "This... This is all I have left of him..."


    <i>{Interesting, I suppose that confirms what I thought. Those former yers given powers are far more powerful than the people of this world. Damion was incredibly powerful and highly experienced. He was not as strong as mostbat-oriented Demi-Gods, but good enough to give most people a run for their money, but when put up against one of Akagi''s suped-up yers, well... As I saw with Avahn and Zephiria, even I have to take such fights seriously to win.} </i>(Halifax)


    "I''m sorry, Arna..." Halifax said as she leaned over the table and put her hand on her shoulder. "Its... I know it''s probably been a lot on your shoulders... Losing him... Dealing with the aftermath..."


    <i>{It really is too bad it had toe to this, but in the end... In the end its just what needs to happen... Arna and Damion enforced the Spirit Purge and contributed to so many of their deaths. I know that neither enjoyed it, but as Akagi put it the ''just following orders defense'' doesn''t protect you when its time to pay the piper.} </i>(Halifax)


    "That idiot... He just had to go and die and leave me to clean up the mess..." Arna said,ughing quietly. "But it''s fine... I''ll just have to work hard enough to fill his shoes as the new Guild Master." She said as she smiled for a moment. "But... I''m surprised to see you here more than anything. Everyone said that you fell off the face of the earth a few months back, and even before the attack, a number of Guild masters were frantically trying to find you." She was worried that Halifax may have died, however remote that possibility was.


    "Oh? Why were they doing that?" Halifax asked, deciding to avoid answering any questions about her whereabouts.


    "I don''t know the details, but apparently, the <i>Gods </i>wanted to talk to you." Arna said with a hint of nervousness in her voice. "H-Halifax... Listen... I know... I know that you have some kind of <i>connection </i>to them, so tell me..." She gulped. "Do... Do we really have a chance against this Demon Lord? Will the Gods be able to beat it? Will this world be fine? First, we had the Spirits and the Magical Disasters, and now... Now we''ve got a Demon Lord!" She started to tremble slightly.


    Halifax took a moment to answer, shifting her jaws as she debated in her mind. On one hand, she wanted to reassure the girl that things would be fine, while on the other she didn''t want to lie to her and give false hope, especially when she knew that Akagi would prefer that she sow more chaos. After what felt like an eternity of internal debate, Halifax made up her mind and spoke. "Honestly... I''d say you''d best prepare for the worst-case scenario, Arna." She said, deciding to be honest but in a way that wouldn''t make Arna suspicious of her. "The Gods... I think they will have their hands full with this one." Her words froze the Guild Master on the sport and caused the room to fall eerily silent.


    ¡°Y-You''re serious?¡± Arna''s eyes went wide. She didn''t anticipate Halifax telling her that things may not go the Gods way.


    <i>{The worse part about it is that that was the nicest way I can put it and was as honest as I can be without explicitly saying the world''s fucked.} </i>(Halifax)

 Chapter 330 – The War Room.

    Chapter 330 ¨C The War Room.


    In the hours and days since the attack on Amdamell and the decapitation and recement of its government, a slow but steady wave of panic washed over the various nations of Enoris. Those that had dealt with Dumetor assassinations in the prior weeks began to fear that they were next, and there were rumors that the Demon Lord was collecting the captive Spirits for some unknown reason.


    Some people called for a united effort against the so-called Demon Lord Akagi, while others pushed for a rapid liquidation of the captive Spirits so as to deny them to the Demon Lord. However, there were just as many who feared being targeted if they gave such an order, and thus the fate of the enved Spirits had yet to be decided, though handing them over peacefully was likely not going to an option.


    However, in the still traumatized Kingdom of Amdamell and indeed, <i>all </i>of the United City State Alliance, a slow yet noticeable disappearance of Spirits was underway. Officially, the now Queen Feline and her government condemned the attacks and made statements calling for retaliation and retribution, but behind the scenes, there was a frantic attempt to find and repatriate every Spirit within their borders. Some of the smaller members of the Alliance initially resisted turning over the Spirits, fearing that it would be seen as a betrayal of the Gods. But seeing the destruction that easily brought their most powerful member state to its knees, most quietly went along with the n or at least turned a blind eye to Spirits being <i>expropriated </i>from their masters.


    Naturally, the Gods themselves were aware of recent events and were swift to condemn the attacks and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice. It was made tant to the people of Enoris that the so-called Demon Lord was their direct adversary, and these attacks were seen as an affront to the Gods authority. However, while many felt safe knowing that the Gods were taking an active role in hunting down this group, some began to wonder if the Gods might not be able to handle things.


    Throughout towns and viges across Enoris, whispers could be heard in bars and taverns. Some said that the Goddess Tahena was truly dead, while others said that the Demon Lord was offering salvation to those who sided with her. Of course, such rumors were quickly dismissed by the vast majority of society, but some began to listen to the honeyed words told to them. With the Ondai n and many of Akagi''s other nsmen working double time spreading dis and misinformation about current events, a sense of confusion began to spread among the poption as people began to question everything.


    Were the Spirits truly Evil? Could the Gods save the people of Enoris from destruction? Were the Gods nning on betraying the people and saving themselves? Was the so-called Demon Lord truly able to save people? The Ondai n were hard at work imnting such ideas into peoples'' heads, and Akagi knew that it was only a matter of time until idle talk in bars turned into something <i>more</i>.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Ariel POV>


    "Alright, everyone, settled down. We''ve much to discuss and precious little time to waste." Ariel called her meeting to order, causing the room to go quiet. "Now, I''m sure you''ve all heard about the recent attacks on Amdamell, and I can assure you that we''ve taken precautions to prevent something like that from happening here." Her eyes scanned over the six other people at the round table. Originally, this meeting was scheduled to devise a war n for the attack on Vikes'' Cult, but with the recent Dumetorian demands, Ariel knew that things were about to <i>escte</i>. ¡°Military patrols have been doubled and magical wards have been erected to prevent any unauthorized movement into or out of the Capital.¡±


    <i>{Though I have little faith that any of this will work.} </i>(Ariel)


    "I should hope that you''re doing everything you can to ensure the Capital''s safety, Princess." Elector King Balour spoke up. He was arge and rotund man from the Eastern most provinces under the Kingdom''s control, and he and his family had been known as the Demon Kingdom''s financiers for generations. Though while they brought in both great wreath to both their own domain and the Kingdom as a whole their methods and general greed tended to make them plenty of enemies too. "We''ve already received reports about a decrease in trade across the Kingdom. An attack like that in Riftwood would devastate our economy."He said as he took a bit of arge chocte filled pastry.


    "I''d say it''s more the loss of life than coin that''s the problem, Balour." Elector King Jerome said with a bit of snark. His long silver hair and sharp features along with his incredible battlefield prowess, had earned him the name of the Sword Prince, and his down-to-earth style of governing had endeared him to the general populous. "Do not forget that your moneyes from the hard-working people of the Kingdom and that <i>their </i>lives are more important than your ledgers." He scoffed.


    "Of course, of course. People''s lives are precious, and one mustn''t forget how important they are." Balour said while rubbing his hands together after finishing off his sweat treat. ¡°How else could the wheels of the economy turn with out its people?¡±


    "Though that begs the question, how do we go about dealing with these attackers?" Elector King Delora asked. "As the one whose territory is closest to Amdamell, I fear that it won''t be long until my ownnds are attacked. Either by these Cultists or those Imperial Dogs." She and her family were typically diplomats, though their position opposite of the Empire''s South Western shore meant that they were well versed in naval warfare, and having Water Elemental blood running through their veins didn''t hurt.


    "Isn''t that why we''ve gathered here?" Elector King Melifous asked with his trademarked mboyancy as he flicked a deck of ying cards between his fingers. "We just need to crush those disgusting traitors and prove that our people are more than just mere monsters that share <i>Demon </i>blood." He swished his purple hair back and shed a bright smile that made everyone in the room roll their eyes. His entricities aside, Melifous and his family were expertbatants and typically provided thergest levee in times of war. Melifous himself was generally regarded as the most skilled Duelist in the Kingdom, and there were rumors that he''d fought the Demon King to a draw once in the past. Though, rather than fight with des, he fought with a special kind of magic known as Cartomancy.


    "What we need to do is <i>crush </i>these cultists once and for all!" The massive red arm of Elector King Bathrumd mmed onto the table, shaking the marble floor below. "We''ve assembled nearly a hundred thousand of our best troops, and we know where their base is, so let''s wipe them out once and for all so that we can prepare for war with the Empire!" His call for war elicited a positive response from the others.


    <i>{I can''t let him hijack the meeting. Not with what needs discussing.} </i>(Ariel)


    "While I appreciate your enthusiasm, Bathrumd, I would like us to remain focused on the matter at hand." Ariel interjected, not wanting him to turn the meeting into a campaign pitch. "We will speak about war with the Empire at ater time. This meeting was called <i>solely </i>to deal with the Cult so lets keep things topical and focused."


    <i>{We''ve got time to think rationally about our next course of action. The Fortresses in the Fumbal Gap have never failed to repel enemies from the South, even Demons, so its unlikely that anyrger force can invade, at least not without us knowing well in advance.} </i>(Ariel)


    "The Princess is right, Bath." Two Demon women sitting next to each other spoke at the same time. "The time for war with the Empire wille soon enough, but we should focus on the immediate threat. If we ignore the immediate threat then we may never get the chance to deal with the next problem." These <i>two</i> were actually the same person, Elector King Phima. As one of the leading magical researchers of the Era, she seeded in creating an exact copy of herself. Due to strange quirks in Demon session and the nature of events that created the copy the two were technically <i>both </i>the Elector King of their territory and they were practically joined at the hip. In order to prevent confusion the two used magic to change their hair and eye color to look different, but in most circumstances they were treated as one in the same. Their tendency to speak simultaneously when together had long been a point of contention amongst the other Elector Kings, but their sheer magical power and key weapons research generally meant that others had to put up with the absurd situation, lest they miss out. "I don''t think I need to tell you that a war with the Empire will likely be devastating, and thest thing we need is an internal threat while dealing with them, especially one like this."


    <i>{Creepy fucks...} </i>(Bathrumd)


    "I still think we could handle things, but fine." Bathrumd huffed. "So, Princess, what''s our n of attack? My men tell me that your agents have tracked these bastards to a mountain fortress to the southwest, and with all our forcesbined we should make short work of those rats!"


    "Yes..." Ariel took a deep breath. "However, the situation... Has... <i>changed</i>..." She gulped. "Approximately one week ago... I was approached by an Ambassador from the Kingdom of Dumetor."


    "Dumetor?" Balour raised his eyebrow. "I''ve never heard of such a Kingdom."


    "Perhaps they are from the South, or maybe the West?" Deloramented. ¡°We know little of either ce, beyond the small details from wandering merchants.¡±


    "No..." Ariel shook her head. "The Kingdom of Dumetor... They are the official front for the ones who attacked Amdamell..." Herment caused a bit of amotion.


    "You met with Cultists?!?" Bathrumd yelled, his entire body heating up with rage. "What is the meaning of this?!? Have you no shame?!?"


    "The meeting was forced upon me, Bathrumd." Ariel didn''t flinch in the face of his anger. "They intruded upon my private office without my permission and I was left without any choice in the matter."


    "Well, I hope you exterminated them!" Bathrumd barked. "Cultists daring to set foot in the Royal Pce should be given a death consisting of the most horrific torture that one can imagine!"


    "You said that you were approached by Ambassador. What did you mean by that?" Phima asked. "The Cultists are never in any mood to negotiate, they only seek to destroy. So why would they wish to speak with you?" She figured that there was more to this than simple threats and demands.


    "From what they told me, they and Vikes'' Cult are separate organizations." Ariel exined. "I do not know how much of what that beastkin woman said was true, but she imed to represent <i>another </i>Demon Lord. The very one whose name we''ve been hearing more and more these past few days.¡±


    "Akagi..." Delora mused. ¡°I''ve heard much about that one.¡±


    "Are you sure that this isn''t just some borate scheme?" Melifous asked. "I''ve known the Cult to fake paying in order to advance some kind of plot."


    "Though why would they infiltrate the Pce if they were scheming?" Phima hummed in thought. "And if they could so easily get in, why would they not have caused damage?" She turned to Ariel, hoping to get answers. "I''m actually more surprised that you''re alive than anything else. The Cult should''ve wanted you disposed of since that would''ve plunged the Kingdom into Chaos."


    <i>{Why leave the head of state alive? It would make much more sense to kill or capture them.} </i>(Phima)


    "Perhaps they were unable to harm Her Highness? She is a powerful magic caster after all." Balourmented.


    "No, had they wanted me dead, I would not be speaking to you now. One of the beastkin that they had with them, a girl, was able to stop one of my attacks with ease." Ariel''s fist tightened in frustration.


    "So the, prey tell, what <i>did </i>they want?" Melifous asked. ¡°What was it that brought these not-Cultists to our doorstep?¡±


    "In short, they came to deliver a warning." Ariel took a deep breath. "A warning that if I didn''tply with their demands, that we''d get the same treatment as Amdamell."


    Spoiler


    Balour!


    Melifous


    Jerome


    The Phimas!


    Bathrumd!


    [copse]

 Chapter 331 – The Law of Averages.

    Chapter 331 ¨C The Law of Averages.


    "Bahahhaha!" Bathrumud burst intoughter the moment he heard Ariel exin that Dumetor was threatening them with destruction. "I''d like to see those fools try something like that here! Amdamell is a weak and squishy nation filled with useless humans! If they truly wish to bear their fangs against the Demon race, then I''d be happy to crush the skull of that so-called Demon Lord with my bare hands!" His confidence was not without merit. The Demon Race was traditionally regarded as Enoris'' most powerful, and theirrge numbersbined with innate magical prowess meant that they were always a force to be reckoned with. ¡°It seems they''ve gotten the idea that we''re too weak to crush them, so lets show them just how wrong they really are.¡±


    "Indeed, that group seems to thrive only because they strike from the shadows, but such cowardly tactics will not work on us." Jerome agreed, noting that the Demon Cult had always lost any direct conflict with therger powers of Enoris. "We''ve assembled a massive force just outside the Capital, and with six of the nine Elector Kings gathered together as part of this operation, I doubt that even the Empire would want to wage war on us." The other three were busy elsewhere and weren''t brought in since that would leave the Kingdom vulnerable in case of a sudden attack by outside powers.


    "Though doesn''t the fact remain that they''ve managed to not only infiltrate the Royal Pce of two nations but seriously wound/kill a God?" Phima asked an important question. "Even with our magical powersbined, we wouldn''t be powerful enough to harm an Avatar, let alone actually strike down a Divine being." Alone, one Phima was already dangerous, but the <i>two </i>of her working together was something that even gave Emperor Hadrus pause. However, no matter how powerful a mortal was, <i>killing</i> a God or even just wounding one severely enough to destroy its Avatar was virtually impossible. "I''d advise caution when dealing with such a foe, lest we find ourselves in an unfavorable position."


    "Always the overly cautious egg-head, Phima." Bathrumud grumbled about the girls'' hesitancy. "We''ve nearly a hundred thousand of our finest soldiers ready for war! There''s not a force on this that could stop us! Even Emperor Hardus would fall before our might!"


    <i>{I seriously doubt that.} </i>(Ariel)


    "I agree with Phima that we shouldn''t rush into things without thinking it over." Balour said as he took a sip from his wine ss. "After all, the likelihood that this Kingdom of Dumetor fights us in a pitched battle is minimal. I''d imagine that things will go more like the push toward Zanathon, and be more akin to guerri warfare. These attacks are just proof that they understand direct battle withrger forces won''t work out in their favor."


    <i>{Not to mention that the economic damage to our nation will be catastrophic if they can use their ability to slip around to target key infrastructure. Worst-case scenarios in such a case are as bad as a total economic copse.} </i>(Balour)


    "Perhaps we should ask for aid then?" Delora''sment caused the entire room to go silent, since it was quite an unpopr thought. "The Gods have a vested interest in dealing with this threat, and I''d imagine that even Hadrus would-" She was interrupted by Bathrumud mming his fist on the table.


    "Shut your traitorous mouth!" Bathrumud fumed. "Asking the Gods for help is already bad enough, but crawling to the <i>Empire </i>for aid is borderline treason!" He had no interested in entertaining such an idea, nor did most other Demons.


    "Then would you consider our ancestors treasonous for working with humanity to defeat Vikes? And was our cooperation against the Spirits also treasonous?" Ariel interjected, pointing out that they''d worked with Humans in the past. "Thest thing I want is Imperial Troops within the Kingdom''s borders, but if the threat warrants it, I am not opposed <i>if </i>it is necessary to protect our people from undue harm."


    <i>{The Gods aside, Hadrus would probably help. That man might be many things, but his desire to conquer the world means that he won''t tolerate a third party like this causing chaos.} </i>(Ariel)


    "I agree with Lady Ariel." Melifous nodded. "It would be foolish to potentially approach a threat of this magnitude alone. We should work with the other nations to create a unified front against this new threat. I know that the Merchants of the Northeast would likely want this problem crushed once and for all."


    "Nonsense!" Bathrumud eximed. "We''ve already got enough force gathered right now to handle things! Not to mention that if we wait, there''s no telling how much more destruction these Cultists might inflict!" It wasn''t a bad point, and even Balour agreed that waiting was likely to have negative impacts on the economy and the people''s lives. ¡°We shall destroy this stain on our people''s honor ourselves! We need no outside help!¡±


    "I still think that getting aid from the Gods would be ideal. They''re going to have just as much of a stake in this as we do and they''ve got every reason to aid us in this battle." Phima figured that they could spare some extra forces. "At least one or two Demi-Gods would assuage most of my fears and there are some that would likely be willing to volunteer."


    "Hah!" Bathrumud scoffed at her request. "The Gods wouldn''t even allow us to summon a Hero to help fight the Spirits. They see our entire people as undesirables and won''t give us any more help than they absolutely must. There''s no way they''d send one of their ''precious children'' to help us at this point. I''d wager they''d prefer that we get destroyed by these fools than to see us crush them ourselves." During the war, Ariel and her father had requested additional aid, but it was always denied or slow walked for serious reasons. Eventually even the most optimistic among the Demons came to the conclusion that the Gods didn''t want to help them, and it caused arge rift between them and the other members of the coalition.


    "It would seem that they still see us as nothing more than <i>Demons</i>." Delora sighed. "It''s no wonder that fewer and fewer of our people worship them when they seem to dislike our very existence."


    <i>{Our ancestors were fools but why are we shunned and punished for mistakes thousands of years ago? Though I suppose it beats being crushed and enved like the Dark Elves.} </i>(Delora)


    "Whether or not we have the Gods'' favor is a debate for another day." Ariel wanted to keep things focused and wasn''t interested in theological discussions. "Though I tend to agree that asking them for aid is pointless. They''ve refused to cure my father of the curse ced upon him <i>by </i>the Demon Cult, so I doubt they''d be willing to send us resources in this fight when they wouldn''t do so previously."


    <i>{I''m suspecting more and more that the Gods wish our entire people to vanish, but I don''t understand why. We scorned our Demon ancestors and banned their worship ages ago, so why wouldn''t they wee us with open arms?} </i>(Ariel)


    "In the first ce, do we even know where this Kingdom of Dumetor is anyway?" Jerome asked. "It''s going to be hard to defeat them if we can''t find them."


    "Are they not just working alongside Vikes'' Cult? I figured that hitting our original target was the best course of action." Delora replied. ¡°We''ve already got the location of a major base, so why change our target?¡±


    "Their Ambassador actually told me where to find them." Ariel said as she pulled a map out of a drawer and spread it out across the table. "ording to that beast woman, they established a base here in the Simoea ns." She reached out and pointed to the spot on the map that Nima had given her. ¡°Apparently this is their headquarters.¡±


    "Why would they tell us where to find them?" Phima thought it was suspicious.


    <i>{It would be better to remain hidden, so why out yourself like this?} </i>(Phima)


    "So that if I wanted to submit to their demands, I could easily find them." Ariel sighed. ¡°It seems they don''t even take us seriously as a military power, or at least that''s the impression I got from them.¡±


    "What fools!" Bathrumudughed as he red at the map. "Then how about we go deliver our <i>answer </i>in person! I''d love to show them just how <i>wrong </i>they are myself!"


    "Simoea is my home. That such vile people have taken up residence in my territory..." Melifous'' tight grip nearly shattered his wine ss. Hisnds were made uprgely of the ins South of the Capital and he worked hard to keep them safe from roving bands of creatures from the Burning Wilds to the South. "My forces will crush them into dust! I won''t let them continue their destruction!"


    <i>{And Gods be dammed! If I have to call forth that monster and give up my own soul, I will!} </i>(Melifious)


    "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Don''t go getting ahead of yourself, Mel." Bathrumud smirked. "If anyone is going to take the head of this Demon Lord, it will be me!" Heughed.


    "That location isn''t very far from here..." Delora mulled over the map. "I''d estimate it would only be a two to three-day march."


    <i>{But why put your camp so close to our Capital? And to tell us where to find you, is that just stupidity or arrogance? Though honestly, it could be a bit of both.} </i>(Delora)


    "Delora, how long would it take to bring in some veteran adventurers from across the Kingdom and the Empire?" Ariel wanted to bolster their forces and figured that adventurers would be the quickest and easiest way to do it.


    "We could probably grab some of the Adamantite and Orichalcum ranked parties that hang around the Capital rather easily, but Imperial Adventurers aren''t going to answer our calls without authorization from the Empire itself." Delora shook her head. "Not to mention that, even if they did, it would be at least a month to get them here, and that''s <i>assuming</i> that Hadrus immediately hears our request, says yes, and those Adventurers are in Delfine so that our ships can transport them quickly."


    <i>{And with Halifax having gone AWOL, we''ve got few options for Mythril Rank Adventurers. Not to mention that the few that do exist are never ones to listen to central authority. The Dawn Order would''ve been the perfect group to ask for help but...} </i>(Ariel)


    "So that''s mostly off the table..." Ariel sighed. ¡°That is unfortunate.¡±


    "Bah! We don''t need any puny Adventurers!" Bathrumud said with a thunderous voice. "Our forces already consist of the best that Demonkind can offer! Such weaklings like that would do nothing but run at the first sight of danger!"


    "While I do not disagree that our troops are highly skilled, having adventurers'' irregr experience would prove useful when fighting <i>Demons</i>. Adventurers have fought foes of far moreplexity than us, and they may have useful insight." Jerome hummed. "I would rmend grabbing Burning Light if nothing else. They''re adept in handling <i>Demons</i>, and I''d imagine that experience would be useful here."


    "I''d second them." Deloramented. "I''ve tasked them with vanquishing a few <i>Demons </i>that were sealed in some of the ancient shoreline ruins that dot my Domain, and I''ve always been pleased with their results."


    <i>{Nier is probably one of the best leaders I''ve ever seene out of the adventurers, and his team, while small, is as elite as elite can be. If anyone can handle high tier Demons its them.} </i>(Delora)


    "Fine, bring your <i>Adventurers</i>, but the one who takes this Demon Lord''s head will be me!" Bathrumudughed loudly. ¡°I shall mount her head over my firece!¡±


    "Then it''s decided. We''ll take a few days to prepare and then march into the Simoea ins to remove this Demon Lord threat." Ariel looked between the Elector Kings, who nodded. "Delora, I''ll let you handle negotiations with Burning Light, and Balour make sure the payment is good enough that they''d be stupid to turn it down. Whatever the State pays will be reimbursed out of my personal funds, so don''t worry about cost."


    "As you wish." Balourughed as he lit a cigar. "I may even have a few useful pieces of gear to lend them as well."


    "Alright, then our n remains the same even though our target has changed. Once we deal with this so-called Demon Lord, we shall turn our attention to Vikes'' Cult so that we may erase the stain they bring to our honor!" Ariel said as she mmed her hand onto the table.


    "Right!" (Everyone else)


    <i>{Though, why do I have this horrible feeling in my stomach? We have arge army, the best equipped troops, the most powerful mages, five Elector Kings, and even top-tier Adventurers, so why... Why do I feel like we''re walking to our deaths? This Demon Lord Akagi. I wonder what kind of being they are? And I fear... I fear that we may end up needing to use that woman''s ''gift'' to us in order to win... Curse that Demon...} </i>(Ariel)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    "MEW!" Catkagi happily sat in Yumi''sp as she checkmated riel for the dozenth time in a row.


    "HOW?!? WHY CAN''T I WIN EVEN ONCE?!?" riel eximed as she tore at her hair in frustration. "NONE OF THIS MAKES SENSE! THE LAW OF AVERAGES SHOULD''VE KICKED IN BY NOW!" She started to be unhinged due to having never once beaten Akagi in any game. ¡°SO WHY HAVEN''T I WON?!?¡±


    "Damn, thest time I saw riel this disheveled was when Reflia gave her that unsolvable puzzle as a joke." Halifax chuckled.


    <i>{That sounds so fucking mean...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "No, thew of averages is kicking in nicely!" Akagi said as her ears were scratched. "It''s just that, on average, I win every time!" She smiled.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" riel mmed her head onto the table. "I SWEAR! I WILL FIND A GAME THAT I CAN DEFEAT YOU IN! I SWEAR IT! I SHALL DEFEAT YOU, CAT!"

 Interlude 20 – Are Ya’ll With the Cult.

    Interlude 20 ¨C Are Ya¡¯ll With the Cult.


    "MMMMMMMMMMMMPFH!" A blindfolded man tried to scream as his fingernails were removed, but the gag in his mouth muffled any attempt to call for help. He was being interrogated in a dark and dank ce, though his tormentor was anything but the average interrogator.


    "Good bun-bun!" Chloe smiled as she pat the young Bunny-Girl Remmy on the head. After her encounter with the sneak thief, she learned that the bunny-girl and a small group of other kids and teens were working together in order to get attention from "The Tribunal" as they called them, which Chloe assumed was a local thieves'' guild. "Now then, let''s see if we can work on those toenails of his, nya."


    "MMMMMMMMMMMMMPF!" The bound and gagged man tried to wiggle free, but the tight bindings meant that he wasn''t going anywhere.


    "Ms. Chloe, where did you learn about interrogation like this?" Remmy said she began the very painful task of ripping the man''s toenails off one by one. "The adults never teach us so advanced torture methods!" Her eyes shone brightly as she inflicted great pain on the captive man.


    "I was taught by my first myaster." Chloe gave a happy smile as she recalled that time. "We were even subjected to this same kind of pain to learn to resist it. Ah, memories, nya." She chuckled as the man screamed in agony. "Ah! No!" She quickly intervened to stop Remmy. "The toes have a lot more blood than the fingers, so be careful where you hammer in the tool. Otherwise, he''ll bleed out, and we can''t have the subject expire yet." She wagged her finger as she demonstrated the proper technique and drove the spike under the nail bed.


    "MMMMMMMMMMMMMPF!" The man screamed again before passing out.


    "Aw." Remmy''s ears drooped. "But I wasn''t done ying with him yet..."


    <i>{Cute bun-bun.} </i>(Chloe)


    "Do not worry! There are plenty of more where that came from, nya." Chloe snickered as she pointed to the men chained up in a cell behind her, all of which had looks of horror on their faces. She''d taken to grabbing people off the streets, mostly criminals and other troublemakers, so that she could teach the kids about torture and interrogation. ¡°We''ll get you and the others up to speed on ''Advanced Interrogation Techniques'' as myaster calls them.¡±


    <i>{She said that''s the culturally eptable way to say torture nowadays.} </i>(Chloe)


    "P-Please! Let us go!" One of the chained men begged for mercy. "I''m sorry for mugging that guy, so please just let me go!"


    "Sorry, nya, but we need you for demonstration purposes." Chloe shrugged. "Maybe you''ll get to leave if you survive, nya."


    <i>{But I doubt you will.} </i>(Chloe)


    "We can''t do that, Ms. Chloe!" Remmy vigorously shook her head. "Their blood must be spilled! The Tribunal wouldmand that none of these men survive! All should perish!"


    "Hmmmm, okay." Chloe pat her on the head and fluffed her ears. "Do you think the Tribunal would let us talk to them after we put this bunch to death?" Her main goal was to meet this ''Tribunal'' and bring it under her control, and if a little bloodletting was needed to get to that point, then so be it.


    "No..." Remmy said with a sad look in her eyes. "They will probably want more than this, and they are very selective..."


    <i>{I suppose they must only want to meet truly elite thieves and assassins. Taking the lives of mere thugs is something that any oldmon murderer or criminal can do, after all.} </i>(Chloe)


    "Well, don''t you worry your fluffy little ears, nya!" Chloe giggled as she poked at the girl''s ears. "I''ll get some us good prey, and <i>then</i> the Tribunal will surely want to meet us, nya!"


    "Hurray!" Remmy cheered with a massive smile. "But we should still deal with them, as not spilling their blood would upset the Tribunal."


    <i>{Blood should not go unspilled!} </i>(Remmy)


    "Okay, nya!" Chloe nodded. "Now, how about I teach you all about human anatomy and how the skin works?" She smiled.


    "Hurray! More teaching!" Remmy cheered again. "Can you show me the best way to peel them like potatoes?" She asked with sparkly eyes.


    "Of course, nya!" Chloe said, enjoying the bunny''s enthusiasm.


    <i>{WHAT KIND OF HELL IS THIS?!?} </i>(Captives)


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    After a rousing round of <i>war crimes,</i> Chloe and Remmy cleaned up and went out for dinner at a nearby inn. The Rabbit Girl was surprisingly <i>ravenous</i>, and Chloemented that she and a certain Vampire that she knew would get along well.


    "Remmy is very cute, nya!" Chloe said as she pinched the girl''s cheeks from across the table. ¡°Very, very cute!¡±


    "Ms. Chloe, that hurts..." Remmy squirmed before being released. "Why must you always pinch my cheeks? I''ve told you to stop treating me like a child!" She puffed her cheeks out, which Chloe found adorable.


    "But you''re only thirteen, so you''re a child." Chloe retorted with a snicker. "Besides, I know a very fluffy kitty from back home, and she likes to be spoiled, so I tend to do this whenever I see something fluffy now, nya."


    <i>{Though, this girl ain''t got nothing on myaster! Her fluff level is over 9000!} </i>(Chloe)


    "Where did you evene from anyway, Ms. Chloe?" Remmy asked as she took a sip of a spoonfull of soup. "Were you some kind of agent for the Beast Kingdom?" She figured that Chloe was a former member of its intelligence agency or was involved in Northwind.


    "I came from a farawaynd, nya." Chloe gave a vague reply, not wanting to confirm or deny her guesses. "But what''s important is that I''m here on a super duper extra secret mission, nya!" She winked.


    "Secret mission?!?" Remmy raised her voice before pping her hand over her mouth."What kind of secret mission?¡±


    "Well, it''s the kind of secret mission that would require that I kill you if I told you." Chloe snickered, though she wasn''t joking. "Though I can tell you that meeting this Tribunal is very important to it, nya."


    "Cool!" Remmy beamed, and her ears wiggled as her mind raced, imagining what kind of crazy mission that Chloe was on.


    <i>{Just imagine how much blood she''s spilled!} </i>(Remmy)


    "Very cool indeed!" Chloe agreed, oblivious to the <i>dark </i>thoughts within the bunny-girl.


    "What about you?" Chloe asked Remmy about her past. "You told me that your parents abandoned you, but how did you end up here, nya?" She asked as she took a bite of meat.


    "Hmmmmm." Remmy thought for a moment while chewing. "I don''t really remember much of it, but one day I was just <i>here</i>." She shrugged. The bunny had missing parts of her memory and only vaguely recalled what happened before a few years prior. "I think my parents sent me on a carriage to a nearby vige, and then I just wandered here. An older boy who used to lead the orphans took me in, and I''ve been running with them ever since."


    "Older boy? Where is he now?" Chloe asked.


    "The Tribunal came one day and took him." Remmy smiled. "It was a glorious day when they came, though Johan was a bit nervous." She giggled.


    "Have you ever seen him since then?" Chloe asked as she took a sip of her drink. "It doesn''t seem like he still helps you, nya." She''d moved the kids into a nearby warehouse that she acquired via <ipletely legal means</i>, and was using it as a base. During that time she''d kept a close eye on who came and went, and she never noted anyone like Remmy was describing.


    "Of course not. He won''t help us or visit us anymore." Remmy replied with a head shake. "The Tribunal requires that you abandon your old life to join, and you are given a baptism that makes you anew!" She smiled. ¡°So its only natural that he never returns.¡±


    <i>{I wonder if it''s like when myaster made Misha?} </i>(Chloe)


    "A newly christened Unholy Assassin is basically an entirely different person after the Tribunal inducts them. They even get a new name and a really cool outfit!" Remmy giggled as she imagined what her assassin name would be.


    <i>{Why does this girl know so much? She''s just a child, but to know so much about the inner workings of a thieves''/assassin guild, especially one this secretive, isn''t sitting right with me, nya.} </i>(Chloe)


    "Do you ever talk to the Tribunal people?" Chloe asked how much contact that she''d had with the organization. "You seem to know a lot about them."


    "I''ve only met them a few times, but Assassin Boahl once told me that I had a gift!" Remmy said proudly. "He told me that one day I''d be brought before the Tribunal as long as I poured my heart into it!"


    <i>{If nothing else, this girl has the heart of a killer.} </i>(Chloe)


    "I see. Well, if they ever show up, I''d like to meet them." Chloe yawned. "But let''s finish up our meal today. We should get back and head to bed before it gets toote."


    "Yeah, I''m starting to get sleepy too." Remmy yawned and the two quickly finished up dinner before heading outside. The Bunny Girl said that she wanted to check on the other orphan groups before heading back, and promised to meet Chloe back at base in a bit.


    "Be safe Bun-Bun!" Chloe waved goodbye before jumping away.


    "Don''t worry, Ms. Chloe, I''ll be fine." Remmy''s happy smile slowly morphed into a twisted one as she turned around and started walking down the street while humming a tune After a bit she turned down an alley and made her way into the slums where she came across a drugged-up man slumped against the side of a building.


    "A girl?" The half-conscious man looked at her with dted eyes. "What''s a cute little bunny like you doing-" His words stopped as Remmy drove a knife into his throat.


    "Hush." Remmy slowly pat the man on the head as she flicked the knife, causing blood to sh outward and paint the side of the building. ¡°You don''t need to say anything. All you need to do is <i>die.</i>¡±


    "Gack, ack!" The man fell over, choking on blood.


    "Don''t worry, it will all be over soon." Remmy smiled and giggled as she drove her knife into the man''s back, piercing his lung. "I know it is a humble one, but I hope this offering is sufficient, Lord Korex." She started stabbing the man over again as she said some kind of demented prayer. "Oh Lord of Murder, may you ept my offering of this man''s blood, for youmand that blood must flow and so it shall! For youmand that life must be ended and so it shall! Oh Lord of Murder, please embrace me and grant me thy blessing!"


    *STAB*


    With onest blow, the man''s life was ended, and all that remained in the alley was a bunny girl giggling as she stood over a bloody corpse.


    "Ahhh, Lord Korex... I hope one day to be brought to your loving embrace..." Remmy continued to giggle before cleaning herself up and heading home before slipping into bed.


    <i>{And perhaps Ms. Chloe will be there to join me!} </i>(Remmy)

 Chapter 331.5 – Target Practice and the Goddess of Death.

    Chapter 331.5 ¨C Target Practice and the Goddess of Death.


    *CRACKLE* *SPARK* *SNAP* *POP*


    "Man, how long has it been since we''ve been this far South?" Arcus asked from his propped-up position against a rock. "Simoea always has this <i>nasty </i>vibe to it, but it''s always worse once you go through the Gap." Most magically sensitive people could detect the darkness that was still deeply embedded throughout the Simoea ins. It had only been a thousand years since the Demon Race cleansed the corruption, and it would be many more years for it to subside entirely. As and formerly ruled by <i>Demons</i> and other monsters the darkness that tainted thend ran deep and the millennia of control by such creatures made it inhospitable to <i>most </i>races. The Demon Capital of Targul hadrgely been built in the Fumbal Gap between the two halves of the Misty Mountains <i>because </i>arge fortress was needed to keep the more chaotic elements of the Simoea ins froming North. Not to mention that the horrors even further South of Simoea were much worse.


    The Mountain range that surrounded the ins made travel almost impossible by foot, and the only ''safe'' path into the Simoea ins themselves was via the aforementioned gap, a hundred or so mile wide pass between the two halves of the Misty Mountains, and the most militarized area on the Continent. This natural barrier meant that any of the creatures or <i>Demons </i>that wanted to move northward from the Burning Wilds into the more popted areas needed to pass through the huge fortresses within the gap that presented a nearly impregnable barrier to attacking forces. Many <i>Demons </i>and their ilk had tried to lead armies northward to pige and destroy, but most had failed.


    "One hundred twenty-seven years, eight months, and fifteen days." Penelope said as she took a bite of some monster meat that she''d cooked. "We came down here to deal with a Demonspawn that had decided to get a little bit uppity."


    <i>{Such a disgusting and vile creature it was. Only second to that duck in its level of depravity.} </i>(Penelope)


    "Oh right, Cynthus'' daughter." Arcus sighed as he recalled the battle with the <i>Demon</i>. "That She-Devil was just as wacko as her mother, though lucky for us not as powerful." Cynthus was the First of the nine Arch Dukes of the Hells and also the weakest. Her domain was one of almost total darkness, and the creatures that roamed it were almost all blind and unable to see. It was generally regarded as <i>not </i>a fun ce to visit, and the majority of mortals that entered without invitation ended up going insane and turning into sludge monsters.


    "In the end, she fell, just as her mother will one day." Penelope said as he took a swig from a water skin. "Eventually, we will march into those ursed Hells and purge them of their rot."


    <i>{And once we do, we''ll clean up the rest of the material ne as well. That includes dealing with that Angel!} </i>(Penelope)


    "Always ready to go to war for the Gods, aren''t we?" Arcusughed. "Don''t get me wrong, I approve, but have you ever thought about slowing down a bit? Maybe taking a break and rxing? When''s thest time you even took a vacation?" He''d always wanted her to take things a bit slower, though she rarely listened.


    "What, do you expect me to be some kind of housewife or something?" Penelope red at him.


    "You? A <i>housewife</i>? Yeah, no. Reality would copse long before <i>that </i>ever happened!" Arcus chuckled as he imagined such a thing. "But would it kill you to look beyond work for a bit? I mean,e on. It''s been <i>centuries </i>since I''ve seen you do anything else."


    <i>{Would it kill you to at least get a boyfriend or something every now and again? You''re still a mortal, Pen. There''s no need to shun that part of you, and I think having a bit more of a connection to the regr people of this world would give you a better perspective on things. At least then you''d have a bit better understanding of what they go through. Hell, we could go to the beach if nothing else!} </i>(Arcus)


    "It is my duty as Lady Reflia''s Knight and servant to do her bidding." Penelope said as she took another bite of meat before throwing the bone into the fire. "As long as she needs me, then there can be no rest, and I need nothing else to be happy."


    "Just think about it, okay? I''m worried about you." Arcus had been troubled by how <i>into </i>this assignment Penelope had been, and he was worried that she was going to do something reckless.


    <i>{She''s always been a bit pig headed, but recently... I don''t know it feels like she''s pushing toward this more forcefully than normal.} </i>(Arcus)


    "Why? It''s not like we haven''t faced trouble before, and the Cult is an old enemy." Penelope asked, seeming to not understand his deeper meaning. "Besides, you and I together are quite the formidable team, and we''ve nevere across something that we couldn''t handle once webined our powers." She noted that they''d alwayse on top when they worked together.


    "Hey, just because we''ve never lost doesn''t mean we <i>can''t</i>. Case in point, other Demi-Gods and even a <i>Goddess </i>were killed by the Cult." Arcus scolded her for being over confident. "Don''t go telling me you''ve forgotten that?"


    "Of course I didn''t, but we''ve handled everything they threw at us with ease." Penelope retorted. "And I''m smart enough to back off if I know I can''t win. I don''t take fights I''m not certain of."


    "Which is something that I''m grateful for..." Arcus sighed, putting his non existent head in his non existent hands. "But just don''t go forgetting that we''re here to <i>scout</i>, not dive in head first against a foe that we both know is highly dangerous."


    <i>{The Cult gave even Halifax a hard time, someone with a great deal of power even without a wielder, so it would be fair to see we aren''t ready to fight such a group on our own.} </i>(Arcus)


    "I''ve actually got a few ideas about how to deal with that part." Penelope said as she pat a brown satchel at her side. "The Demons will be helping to crush these fools, whether they want to or not."


    <i>{Not to mention I''ve got a special suprise in store for this so-called Demon Lord.} </i>(Penelope)


    "Ariel is gonna hate you for that..." Arcus groaned as he realized what Penelope was going to do.


    <i>{Not like I wouldn''t understand either...} </i>(Arcus)


    "She never liked me to begin with, so I fail to see why I should be concerned with her opinion at this point." Penelopemented. The two had met several times, and they more or less detested one another,rgely due to Penelope''s attitude issues. "Besides, she''s just a lowly member of the Demon race, so I see no problem with ordering her around. In fact, they should be d to help me." She said as she kicked a bag from the ground into her hands. ¡°Its a great honor for someone with such tainted blood to be of help to a Demi-God.¡±


    "Just try not to be your <i>usual self </i>when you bring her the bad news. Maybe try and smile a bit?" Arcus said with heavy sarcasm in his voice.


    <i>{I''m sure the Hells would freeze over, thaw and then freeze again before she did that though...} </i>(Penelope)


    "Sure, I''ll give her a nice big ol'' smile as I conscript her and her little army." Penelopeughed as she walked over and picked up the bow before pulling back his string and summoning a flickering blue arrow.


    "A bit of after-lunch target practice? Not a bad activity if I do say so myself." Arcus said as Penelope loosed an arrow, firing it at arge flying gargoyle-like creature in the distance.


    *BOOM!*


    ¡°Bullseye!¡± Arcus cheered as the arrow exploded, creating a massive blue st that quickly subsided, revealing that the monster was vaporized.


    "If I missed such an easy target the I wouldn''t be worthy of my position of a Knight." Penelope retorted with a shrug as she ced him securely on her back. "Creatures like that should be destroyed on sight. They''re truly horrid things."


    "I''d tend to agree, Cemois are nasty little buggers, but still, it''s strange to see one this far away from the mountains." Arcus noted that ordinarily therge creatures nested in the sides of mountains and that, while they could see the Misty Mountains that formed a barrier at the southern end of the Continent, they were quite a ways away from them.


    "It may have been ejected from its nest, and it wouldn''t be the first one I''ve seen that lost its home to a rival." Penelope said as she kicked dirt onto the fire to put it out before turning to walk away from the makeshift campsite. "But forget about that. We''ve got a mission to do."


    "Right, that base..." Arcus sighed. "Just promise me you won''t go running in there like a madwoman..."


    "I only promise to try." Penelope snickered as the two made their way to the Dumetor base, unaware that what they were about to find was far more than they expected.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <???> POV


    Within the Demon Capital of Targul was a ratherrge, but empty Church. It was one of many that venerated the Enorian Pantheon, but for whatever reason it tended to be empty and devoid of worshipers on most days, save for those times wherest rites were performed or a new life was being blessed.


    Inside resembled many European Cathedrals of Gothic make, and therge stained ss windows, while beautifully created, seemed to do little to brighten up the rather dark interior of therge central spaces.


    "Please bless the souls of those who perished and wee them into your warm embrace, oh mother of Darkness." A darker-skinned Elven woman with silver hair bowed before a stone altar at the back of the room. Behind it stood a sculpture of a woman holding a pair of moons in her hands and it illuminated by the minimal amount of light that came through the windows. "Allow them to seek peace in the next life." She sped a small crescent moon-shaped pendant as she prayed, her eyes shut tightly as the nearby candles flickered for a moment, almost seeming to go outpletely at one point.


    "Such a pious child you are, Miz''ri." A woman''s voice came from one of the many pews behind the Elven girl, but she was not startled by the unexpected words. "You would even go so far as to pray for people who at one point or another would''ve condemned you to very or worse just because of who your Father was." She chuckled. "But I suppose that''s what I''vee to like about you." She said as she stood up and slowly walked next to Miz''ri, who finished her prayer.


    "Everyone is equal in death. It does not matter what they did or said in life, for all thate before the end are judged without bias or prejudice." Miz''ri slowly opened her eyes before turning to get a look at the woman next to her.


    She was tall, pale-skinned, and had the same silver/gray hair as Miz''ri, but her eyes were the same shade of silver as her hair, unlike the Elf-girl, whose were of a deep amethyst color. Her ck robes aided her already existing air of authority and regality, and it was clear from the aura about her that she was <i>not </i>a mortal being.


    "Lady Esquire, how can I be of service to you?" Miz''ri turned, keeping her bowed position before the Goddess of Death.


    "Service?" Esquire chuckled as she pat the girl on the head gently. "I have no need of such things at the moment. Your use of Dark Magic to heal the sick has been more than enough ''service'' as far as I''m concerned." She smiled.


    "Then how may I help you, My Lady?" Miz''ri asked, confused why the Goddess had appeared if she did not need something from her.


    "Why must you always think that I''vee here to order you around?" Esquire shook her head. "Can''t Ie to visit one of my most adorable little Priests without some kind of ulterior motive? You''re making me out to be someone who only seeks you out due to convenience, and that hurts, Miz''ri." She wasn''t actually upset, and this conversation was by this point a staple of their rtionship. "But, while I did note here to ask you to do something for me, I dide here to give you a <i>warning</i>." She pulled her hand away, her voice and eyes turning sharp.


    "A warning?" Miz''ri looked up at the Goddess, their eyes meeting. ¡°About what?¡±


    "The ones responsible for the attack on Riftwood will not be stopping anytime soon, and it''s only a matter of time until wider conflict breaks out across the continent." Esquire said, her words echoing throughout the empty Church. ¡°It would seem that our foe is a dangerous one.¡±


    "If I recall there was a proclomation about the appearnce of a Demon Lord. Do the Gods intend to fight this so-called Demon Lord directly?" Miz''ri asked if they were going to incarnate and fight Akagi themselves.


    "I suspect that it wille to it, but Gale isn''t saying much at this point." Esquire sighed, her face showing displeasure for a brief moment before returning to normal. "It killed our sister, an act that cannot and <i>will not </i>go unanswered. However, such a sh, if it truly will be with a Demon Lord, is going to shake the foundation of Enoris, and I fear that this world will be dragged into a far worse crisis than thest time one of their kind gued us."


    <i>{Not to mention that this world is hardly stable as it is.} </i>(Esquire)


    "If I can be of any assistance, I will do anything I can to help." Miz''ri said. ¡°I am yours tomand.¡±


    "Miz''ri, listen and listen carefully, child." Esquire put her hand on Miz''ri''s shoulder. "While I may not be able to ordain the future like riel can, my role as ruler of Death gives me a bit of insight into the fates of most mortals." She paused for a moment as she stared into Miz''ri''s eyes. "From the day I met you, I''ve seen great potential in you. For whatever reason, you were blessed with an incredible mastery of Dark Magic, and you''ve been able to do things with it that even Cheo and I hadn''t even known was possible." She was referring to Miz''ri''s ability to use Dark Magic to heal, something that was thought to be impossible.


    "Such things are all thanks to your wisdom and patience with me, My Lady." Miz''ri replied, not wanting to take credit for her ability or skills. "Before I met you, I was nothing more than a mere ve. I had nothing and no one before I met you, and its thanks to you that I found what my true purpose in life was."


    "Miz''ri." Esquire''s words became slightly more authoritative as her voice turned sharper. "I want you to swear to me that you will survive theing battle, no matter <i>what</i>." Her words were uncharacteristic for the usually stoic Goddess of Death. She was never one to demand that someone stay alive,rgely because as the Goddess of Death she saw little difference between the living and dead. "Swear to me that you''ll do whatever it takes to survive, even if that means abandoning everything, swear it." Her unusual request caught the Half-Elf by surprise.


    "Abandon?" Miz''ri''s eyes widen in shock. "What... What do you-" Her mind went nk for a moment as Esquire''s eyes began to glow.


    "Do you swear it? Do you swear to survive, no matter what? Even if that means betraying everything you''ve ever known? Do you swear to follow my orders?" Esquire''s words made the entire Cathedral grow silent, and not even the flickering of the candles made noise. To demand that Miz''ri forsake everything to stay alive was an unprecedented request and it made Miz''ri internally question what the future the Goddess had foreseen for her.


    "I..." Miz''ri stuttered and froze as her mind briefly flickered before returning to normal. After a moment she regained herposure, though to any outsider it was clear that <i>something </i>had just been done to her. ¡°Yes... I...¡± Miz''ri shook her head in an attempt to push away the mental static as cognitive dissidence kicked in, blocking her from questioning what had just happened to her mind.


    The Half-Elf had no idea what made the Goddess demand such a promise, nor why she would demand that Miz''ri <i>betray </i>this world in order to survive. In all her years of knowing the Goddess of Death, she''d only rarely seen her show concern for others, and even her own blood children tended to regard the Goddess as <i>cold</i>. So to hear such a being demand that she survive went against everything the Elf-girl knew about her, though again whatever had been done to the Elf prevented her from thinking too deeply about it. "I will... I will survive if that is your wish. If that is what you desire than I shall make it happen."


    "Good." Esquire breathed a sigh of relief, an act that she didn''t fully expect of herself. "As long as you make it through this, then perhaps... Perhaps I can still..." Her words were quiet enough that Miz''ri couldn''t hear her.


    <i>{Perhaps I can make things right. I hate that I needed to use the suggestion I''d imnted in her mind, but this is for the best...} </i>(Esquire)


    "What of my work with Burning Light?" Miz''ri asked about the rest of her party and what she should do with them. "Do you want me to leave them? I could return to my mountain home until this crisis passes if that is what you wish." She figured that hiding would increase her chances of survival.


    "No, stay with the three of them and continue aiding their efforts." Esquire shook her head. "For whatever reason, I''m sensing that you need to stay at their side if you are to survive." She gave a defeatedugh. She couldn''t exactly see what Miz''ri''s end would be, only that staying with her party members would keep her alive for longer. "Though why that is, I couldn''t say."


    <i>{I can sense that they will all be called to their ends in a hopeless battle soon, so why... Why would such a ce put Miz''ri in the best position to survive?} </i>Esquire thought to herself. <i>{No matter. Hopefully, she can remain safe with her party, and meanwhile I can deal with this Demon Lord. This world is doomed no matter what the oue of the battle is, but that doesn''t mean it''s toote to try and make things right... As long as Miz''ri survives this, then my atonement... it can begin.}</i>


    "Lady Esquire?" Miz''ri had grown concerned that the Goddess seemed lost in thought. "Is everything alright?"


    "Ah... Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind at the moment." Esquire gave an embarrassed smile as she pat Miz''ri on the head. ¡°Now, I must go my child. Just remember the promise you''ve made me, and all will be well." She snapped her fingers, causing her body to fade away in front of the Elf. "I''ll see you again soon, my cute little Miz''ri."


    "I... Thank you, My Lady." Miz''ri stood in the empty Cathedral, confused by her Goddesses'' words but fully intent on following through with her pledge. "If my life is that important to you, then I''ll guard it with every ounce of strength that my body has."


    Spoiler


    Miz''ri!


    Esquire!


    [copse]

 Chapter 332 – To the Holy City!

    Chapter 332 ¨C To the Holy City!


    After devastating riel''s will to live by crushing her in several hundred more matches, Akagi hopped out of Yumi''sp and dered that she was going to the Holy City.


    "Alright! Time to kick in the door to the House of God and perform sacrilege in his living room!" Akagi cackled as she returned to her usual form. "I''ve already prepared my dramatic speeches, and I have theedic timing to my jokes down perfectly! So now we can finally move forward!"


    "I..." riel shook her head. "Just forget it. Do whatever you want..."


    <i>{Don''t question the cat... Don''t question it...} </i>(riel)


    "Why do I have the feeling that thest few weeks were actually more about her nning out all the movie viin BS than actual strategic reasons?" Amakusa sighed.


    "Because Akagi." Halifax and Yumi said simultaneously.


    <i>{And that all but confirms it...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Eh, I probably could''ve done things a bit faster, but I saw no reason to rush things." Akagi shrugged. "Besides, the ninjas have been hard at work infiltrating the different nations, gathering intel, and bumping off more political figures. Heck, we even received a shipment of Spirits that they pulled from some creepydy''s basement the other day." She pointed to the nt-like woman, who was tending to a small garden near the building used as temporary Spirit housing.


    "I don''t know. I''d think you just wanted more cuddle time with me." Yumi chuckled. ¡°Realistically how much time did you spend doing something <i>other </i>than letting me spoil you?¡±


    "Cuddles are good, but they were only 80% of my reason for dying." Akagi huffed. "Besides, Miji might soon overtake you as cuddle Queen at this rate!" She snickered and was bopped on the head by the Priestess


    "You just like that Miji is an innocent little girl who pets her <i>kitty </i>and thinks you are amazing just by existing." Yumi rolled her eyes. "And here I am giving you my everything. I guess I should just yell <i>kitty </i>and squeeze you from now on since that''s all it seems to take to cate you."


    <i>{Don''t you worship the ground said kitty walks on?!? I''d say you''re no better than your sister! At least she has the defense of being a kid and kids like cute things! Fuck, I just admitted that Catkagi was cute...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "I mean, won''t tell you <i>not </i>to do that." Akagi snickered again and was bopped on the head <i>again</i>. "Why hit me?!? Am kitty!" She turned and puffed her cheeks. ¡°MEW! This is kitty aboose!¡±


    "Kitty still gets hit for being a pain..." Yumi sighed again a the bopping continued. "But getting back on task, it seems that the Holy City shouldn''t pose any issues for us. However, I''ve received word that Kanato arrived there yesterday. Apparently, he seeks to meet with that Hitomi girl, likely to work together to defeat you or something stupid." She shrugged.


    "I... I suppose it''s good to hear that he''s okay..." Amakusa was conflicted on the matter. "Though at the same time, the guilt he must be feeling is probably making him wish he wasn''t..."


    <i>{That idiot is the only one of us who really took the Hero thing to heart and I can''t imagine how he''s feeling at the moment.} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Guilt? What''s that?" Akagi snickered as she was bonked on the head once more, this time by Halifax. "WHY?!? WHY HIT KITTY?!?"


    "Bad kitty!" Halifax chuckled. ¡°The bonks will continue until kitty stops being so mean.¡±


    <i>{Also you aren''t in kitty mode right now, so you can''t use that defense!} </i>(Halifax)


    "Remind me to get you a paper fan. You''ll need one for when she <i>really </i>gets out of hand." Yumi chuckled.


    "NO! My one weakness!" Akagi cried in fake horror. "The papercuts, they burrrrrrrrrn! HISS!"


    "Quick! Defeat the Demon Lord and free us all from her tyranny! Grab as many pieces of paper as possible and slice her into pieces!" Amakusa giggled.


    "NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Akagi slowly faded away into mist before reappearing behind Yumi a momentter.


    "I honestly thought you were going to explode again..." Yumi rolled her eyes.


    "I can still do that if you want!" Akagiughed. "Explosions are always fun!"


    "No, I''m good. No exploding, <i>please</i>..." Yumi groaned.


    <i>{I don''t need you to add spontaneous explosions to your list of antics...} </i>(Yumi)


    "What <i>are</i> your ns in the Holy City exactly?" riel said after finally recovering from her utter humiliation by Akagi.


    "Nuke it from orbit?" Akagi tilted her head cutely, causing everyone to facepalm.


    <i>{WHY DOES SHE KEEP DERAILING THE CONVERSATION?!?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "But seriously, I''m going there to find those Primordials, that''s all." Akagi answered seriously as to avoid further bonks. "I''ve already had the ninjas scope out the ce, and it looks like the Church is taking a whole lot of Spirits into its facilities beneath the city. So maybe while we''re poking around, I''ll deal with that if I get the time."


    <i>{Though, I''m beginning to suspect that there''s more going on the the Holy City than meets the eye. Why would the Church want to collect all those Spirits, especially when they aren''t seemingly used for anything? The ninja team up there said they just go into the Cathedral and then vanish. I''d love to get better information, but sending them to the ce most connected to Divine power is not a great idea even with my precautions.} </i>(Akagi)


    "There is not a shred of doubt in my mind that we''re going to go to the Holy City, and all hell is going to break loose due to something she does." Amakusa deadpanned.


    "Well, this <i>is </i>Akagi. Besides, if things went smoothly, that would take away the fun." Halifaxughed. ¡°Half the fun of the kitty is watching it cause chaos.¡±


    "Says the so-called Holy Sword of Justice..." Amakusa rolled her eyes. "Good to know that you''ve been corrupted by the Demon Lord so thoroughly. Was the kitty truly enough to turn you evil?¡±"


    "Eh, I''ve always kinda been like this." Halifax shrugged. "Plus, no longer giving much of a <i>fuck</i> about this world has made me loosen up a whole bunch. Maybe in the past I''d raise some kind of objection but nowadays I just can''t be bothered."


    "That you can so casually..." riel facepalmed. "You really have corrupted my child..." She red at Akagi.


    <i>{And she''s doing it without even knowing. If she ever found out...} </i>(riel)


    "I merely awakened that which was within her all along!" Akagiughed, not noticing that her words caused riel to flinch slightly. "But in all seriousness, I don''t really n on causing much chaos, <i>this time.</i>" She continued. "The main goal here is to find the sealed plot devices and interroga- I mean <i>politely persuade </i>them to help me get into the Heavenly Realm."


    <i>{Yeah politely...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Though I''m going to imagine that Ro and Zo are going to require quite a bit of that <i>polite persuasion </i>to get them to do anything beyond causing chaos..." riel rolled her eyes and sighed. "Those two problem children are nothing but trouble, and I''d say they''re more like juvenile delinquents than Primordials."


    <i>{Their past actions were basically an advanced version of teenage rebellion, and I had half a mind to spank them over my knee and give them a serious lesson in discipline!} </i>(riel)


    "That might actually make things easier though." Akagi thought for a moment. "As long as they don''t take the stance that I''m an evil that they will not work with, a show of force should be enough to bring them under control. Their kind tend to hold power as the most important thing in the world." She''d dealt with many who were exactly like that in the past.


    "That''s... I don''t know... Those two are <i>trouble</i>. Not to mention that they may not know what a Demon Lord is since they are so young." rielmented.


    "Hey, as long as they give me the info I need, then I don''t really care if they go on some crazy explosion fest afterward." Akagiughed. "If they have beef with this world or its Gods, then they''re okay in my book!"


    <i>{¡­} </i>(Amakusa)


    "I don''t even want to imagine what those two would do if they''re allowed to run around freely..." riel pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. ¡°They already caused enough chaos when they ran around before, and they''d probably do even <i>worse </i>this time...¡±


    "I mean, they wouldn''t really do anything that bad, right?" Halifax figured that the risk to the world was minimal at best. "At the end of the day, they''re still Primordials. They might hate the Gods for what you did to their ancestors, but I highly doubt that they''d start wiping out the general poption."


    <i>{Nothing that I know about their kind indicates that they hate mortals, so why would these two be any different?} </i>(Halifax)


    "You are <i>probably </i>right..." riel gave a wry smile. "But these two are <i>nothing </i>like the other Primordials. They were more than willing to attack and kill people to draw us out, so I would caution against trusting them to be any different, especially after six hundred years of imprisonment." She figured that their attitudes had probably gotten worse after imprisonment, thoough she held out hope that they''d reformed somewhat.


    "Well, the only way to find out is to go!" Akagi snapped her fingers, causing Yumi, riel, Halifax, and Amakusa to start floating.


    "NO! NOT AGAIN!" Amakusa screamed in terror, knowing what wasing. ¡°I DON''T WANNA FLY AGAIN!¡±


    "Hey, can we try going <i>faster</i> this time? I want to see how loud Shiroe screams." Halifax giggled.


    "YOU BITCH!" Amakusa growled. "I''LL FUCKING DESTROY YOU, SWORD!" She said while trying to swipe at her.


    "Alrighty passengers, buckle up as Air Akagi is about to take off once again! We kindly ask you to keep to your seats until we reach a nice cruising altitude, and don''t forget to watch out for bugs!" Akagi cackled as she charged up her power.


    "PUT ME IN THE SHADOW INSTEAD! I DON''T WANT TO FLY ANYMORE!" Amakusa pleaded for mercy, but it was never going to be granted.


    "Three... Two... One... Zero!" Akagi snapped her fingers, and the three of them took off at high speed, leaving the base behind them. Amakusa''s screams of terror resounded in the distance before vanishing once they got far enough away.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    "That group that just took off, are my eyes deceiving me, or was that Lady riel alongside Halifax and Shiroe Amakusa?!?" Penelope said as she watched the five of them fly away. ¡°What''s going on here?!? Is this not the base of those Cultists?!?¡±


    <i>{Why are they here?!?} </i>(Penelope)


    "I''m not sure. I <i>think</i> that was Halifax, but the red-haired woman was hard to make out, and I think it would be a cold day in the Hells before Lady riel wore a maid outfit." Arcus answered her from her back. "Though even if that wasn''t Lady riel, the fact that Halifax has seemingly joined forces with this so-called Demon Lord is concerning." They''d heard rumors of the Demon Lord''s base in the South, and after a bit of searching, they''de across the Dumetor base camp.


    "Indeed..." Penelope looked down at the base. With Akagi gone, she initially thought about attacking the seemingly undefended location, but something in the back of her mind said that an assault on her own would be <i>suicidal</i>. "Let''s head to Targul. I''d like to see if the Demons would help crush these fools."


    "Oh?" Arcus was surprised by her hesitancy. "For you of all people to not only <i>retreat</i> but desire aid, I''m not sure if you''ve gone soft or if we''re looking at a very dangerous opponent."


    "I simply wish to fulfill the mission given to me by Mother, that is all." Penelope said as she hopped down the side of the cliff.

 Chapter 333 – Wolf in Fox’s Clothes.

    Chapter 333 ¨C Wolf in Fox¡¯s Clothes.


    "Come on you three, it''s time to get up." Kanato sighed as he looked down at the happily sleeping fairies that were curled up on a pillow. They''d slept at one of the nicer inns in the Holy City and the three fairies were snuggled in quite nicely on the fluffy pillow they''d used as a bed.


    "5 more minutes..." The female fairy mumbled as she turned over and burrowed into the pillow.


    "Warm bed..." One of the male fairies smiled as he snuggled in more. ¡°Sloop...¡±


    "Soup..." The other male fairy had a look of bliss on his face as he dreamed about wonderfully tasty soup.


    <i>{I swear...} </i>(Kanato)


    "It''s like having three younger siblings..." Kanato groaned as he debated throwing the pillow out the window, but ultimately decided not to.


    <i>{No, no, no. I''m a good person, and good people don''t throw fairies out windows... I think...} </i>(Kanato)


    "Fine, then just stay here and be captured by some random human ver." Kanato turned away and pretended to leave. "I''m sure they''d love to turn your wings into fairy dust."


    "NO DUST!" The three fairies shot out of bed and grabbed onto the back of his shirt.


    "Well, if youe with me, then I think you''ll be fine." Kanato chuckled.


    "Meanie!" The female fairy puffed her cheeks as she flew in front of her face. "MEH!" She lightly punched the tip of his nose. ¡°Bad Hero! Leave fairy to die!¡±


    "Hey, <i>you</i> wouldn''t get out of bed, and I gave you plenty of chances." Kanatoughed as the fairy buzzed around him like angry bees.


    *GURGLE*


    "Soup?" One of the male fairies'' stomach growled so loudly that the other two fairies were briefly startled.


    "Of course..." Kanato facepalmed. "Fine, let''s get you three something to eat, and <i>then </i>we''re going to the Cathedral to meet with Hitomi..."


    <i>{I take it back, they''re not my siblings, they''re my children... I already have three, and I don''t want to be stuck with three more... Especially one''s this high maintenance...} </i>(Kanato)


    <i>"SOUP!"</i> The three fairies cheered as they followed the Hero into the inn''s canteen, where they shared a hardy meal together. Though, much to their disappointment, there was no soup.


    "You know, I''m starting to get the idea that you fairies are actually the world''s biggest threat. With the way you eat, I can imagine you swarming towns like locust and eating the world''s food supply in a matter of days." Kanatoughed as he watched them consume far more food than their tiny bodies should''ve been capable of..


    "FAIRY NOT BUG!" The female fairy pouted.


    "You''ve got wings like a bug and buzz like one, so maybe you''re rted!" Kanatoughed as the three flew around him and pouted.


    "Kanato mean!" One of the male fairies continued to pout.


    "Mean Hero!" The other male fairy agreed.


    "No bully!" The female fairynded on his head and started jumping up and down.


    "I''ll think about it." Kanato continued tough before they finished up and headed out for the day. As they walked down the street while the Fairies continued toin about their treatment, and after a while, they arrived in front of the massive gates of the huge white marble Cathedral that served as the Church''s HQ.


    "Sir Kanato." One of the guards bowed politely. "Lady Hitomi returned just this morning and has been informed of your arrival, pleasee in." He opened the gate and motioned for him to go inside. He''d tried to speak with his fellow Hero the prior day, but she was away on business and unavable.


    "Thanks guys." Kanato smiled as he went inside. The Fairies were nervous about being in such a ce and hid inside his clothes or hair so as to keep out of sight.


    "Spoopy Church." One of the male fairiesmented.


    "Very spoopy." The other male fairy agreed.


    "Smells like Gods..." The female fairy popped out of his hair.


    <i>{From what I recall, Fairies worship those Primordials, so it''s no surprise that they don''t like being in a ce so close to the Gods.} </i>(Kanato)


    "Just rx. They won''t hurt you, and I promise that I''ll protect you." Kanato pat the female fairy on her head with his finger. ¡°You can count one me, ok?¡±


    "Why here?" One of the male Fairies asked. "Thought wanted Ref?"


    "We''ll go and look for this ''Ref'' after we''re done here, but I want to talk to Hitomi about things first." Kanato replied. His primary goal was still to uncover the truth about the Gods and what happened on Earth, but he was currently focused on speaking with Hitomi about a Spirit being within the Holy City.


    <i>{If anyone knows about what''s going on within the Church, it''s her. Nothing in this city escapes herwork, and her intel web goes deeper than even I probably know.} </i>(Kanato)


    After entering the massive building, Kanato was escorted by some priestesses into avish meeting room,plete withfy chairs and some already ready tea. He''d been here multiple times before, but the level of luxury still took him aback, and he internally thought it was far too excessive for what was supposedly a Church.


    "SOUP?!?" One of the male fairies dove toward the tea, stopping just inches before diving in and taking a small sip. "NOT SOUP! ICK!"


    "You don''t like tea?" Kanato chuckled as he took a sip. ¡°Its great. My Mom actually used to make a kind of home-made iced tea that was really good.¡±


    "Bitter!" The male fairy fell backward onto the table dramatically. ¡°Dying from bitter...¡±


    "Ah, I suppose that''s to be expected. Tea in this world is rarely served with milk or honey, and in the North, they like a more bitter ck tea." Kanato sat down and poured another cup in an attempt to get them to try it again. "Though I prefer it like this, so too bad." He snickered as the fairies each tried the tea, all having the same reaction.


    "Evil not-soup!" The other male fairy and the female fairy shuddered as they looked at the tea. ¡°Bad!¡±


    "If you think <i>this</i> is bad, then try drinking ck coffee." Kanato smiled. "That stuff is <i>really </i>bitter."


    "EVIL!" The three fairies hissed. "Sweet good, bitter bad!"


    <i>{Fairies and their sweet tooth...} </i>As Kanato enjoyed a bit of banter with the fairies, he was interrupted by a knock on the door and the entrance of Hitomi and Rafferty.


    "Hitomi!" Kanato quickly rushed over and hugged his friend. "Thank the Gods! You''re alright!"


    "EEP!" Hitomi squeaked. She hadn''t expected to be hugged so suddenly and was startled by the sudden embrace.


    "Ah-hem..." Rafferty coughed to get Kanato''s attention. "I think that''s quite enough. You''ve caused Lady Hitomi some stress with your sudden touching, Sir Kanato."


    "Ahhh..." Kanato quickly backed away, embarrassed. "Sorry... It''s just that... I was really worried about you..."


    "My, My. Confessing your love to a woman right in front of her partner?" Rafferty chuckled. "You <i>are</i> bold, Sir Kanato. I suppose all those rumors about you really were true."


    "Rafferty..." Kanato sighed. "Why do you always..." Such teasing was nothing new and was par for the course at this point.


    "Umm... It''s fine..." Hitomiposed herself. "I''m... I''m d to see that you''re safe too, Kanato." She smiled. "But let''s have a seat. We have much to discuss."


    "Yeah." Kanato turned around. "Oh, and let me introduce you to..." He looked at the table where the three fairies were a moment prior, but they were gone. "What?!?" He scanned the room but could find neither hide nor hair of his three fairy friends.


    <i>{Where did they go?!? I can''t even sense them!} </i>(Kanato)


    "Is something wrong?" Hitomi asked as she sat down.


    "Uh, no..." Kanato shook his head.


    <i>{They must''ve left since they were afraid of Hitomi. She''s linked directly to the Gods, more or less, and they probably didn''t want to be around her.} </i>(Kanato)


    After regainingposure and having a seat, Kanato and Hitomi began their discussion. They each traded information, confirming that while they could recall most events on Earth, the identity of the being that defeated them was a blur. Both were convinced that this same being had tampered with their memories, but for what purpose they couldn''t figure out.


    "Lady riel said that the Gods would perform a ritual to remove the memory tampering, but I''ve yet to hear back from her about that." Hitomi said as she poured some tea. ¡°She said something about it being delicate, so it may take some time before the Gods are ready.¡±


    "I see... You spoke to her..." Kanato said quietly while looking down into his tea. "Did you ask her about what we were told?" They couldn''t remember <i>who</i> told them the information, but Kanato and Hitomi could clearly recall it being revealed that the Gods had ordered the deaths of the Spirits under false pretenses. Kanato had tried to push that out of his mind as much as possible, wanting to speak to Hitomi before making any decisions.


    "No, and as of right now I''m not too worried about it." Hitomi said as she took a sip.


    "But if it''s true then that means we did something horrible, Hitomi!" Kanato nearly yelled. ¡°If the Gods really tricked us then we...¡±


    "Are you really going to trust the evil being that sealed our memories on this?" Hitomi sighed. "For all we know <i>they</i> lied and I''ve seen no evidence to believe that the Gods haven''t been truthful with us. I''d rather put my faith in them than some unknown entity"


    "Come on, Hitomi." Kanato was exasperated with her unyielding faith in the Gods. "You have to admit that things are at least a little fishy! Hell, even <i>Shiroe</i> agreed with me that the Gods were hiding things!"


    <i>{And of course the one person that might be able to have a down to earth discussion with me is gone...} </i>(Kanato)


    "And I, the one closest to the Gods, and the one who had the most interactions with them say that I believe <i>their</i> word over that of some being that we only knew for a few moments." Hitomi replied curtly. "Kanato, I know that you just want to be a Hero and do right by the people of this world. But don''t let your doubts cause you to lose sight of the truth. We saw with our own eyes the Spirits cause Magical Disasters and we even saw their ritual point within their Capital. So don''t go falling for a <i>Demon''s </i>tricks when you''ve watched the Spirits cause great loss of life with your own eyes!" They''d been shown a instances of the Spirits performing magical rituals that caused natural disasters in the past.


    <i>{Yeah, but now I''m starting to think that all that so-called ''evidence'' was just a bunch of nts to make us believe the Gods'' lies. Now that I think about it we never confirmed that they were causing these things with whatever ritual they were doing, it was always just ASSUMED that their magic was the cause.} </i>(Kanato)


    "I''m sorry, but I can''t just ignore the possibility that we''re the bad guys, Hitomi." Kanato shook his head. "If we really were doing something wrong... If our actions truly were harming innocent people... Then we have an obligation to make things right."


    "And how would you even suggest we do that?" Hitomi asked. "Pretend for a second that you''re right. That the Gods tricked us into killing the Spirits as part of some nefarious n. What are you going to do? Are you suggesting we fight them?"


    "I... We need to..." Kanato stammered, not having any real answer for her.


    "Let me answer that for you. There''s <i>nothing </i>that you or I could do." Hitomi''s tone grew sharp. "Not only is there an insurmountable difference in power between us, but said Gods <i>gave </i>us these powers, and I''d imagine that they can just as easily take them <i>back</i>."


    <i>{And I can''t imagine a scenario where the Gods who gave us these powers sit back and let us fight them with said powers. We''d be disposed of just as quickly as we were brought here.} </i>(Hitomi)


    "I know that. but..." Kanato''s face grew dark. ¡°Still...¡±


    "Listen, I know you''re a kind and caring person, Kanato." Hitomi reached over the table and put her hand on his. "You''re a noble man who seeks to help as many people as possible but don''t allow yourself to be drawn into conflicts unnecessarily, but don''t forget that you''ve got a family to take care of now." The implications of her words were not lost on him.


    "It still... I can''t..." Kanato was still a bit flustered.


    "Besides, don''t forget that this world is still in danger, and it''s our duty to make sure it stays safe." Hitomi smiled.


    "And yet we failed..." Kanato gave a dryugh. "We got our assess kicked and were sent back to Enoris with our minds wiped... Some Heroes we turned out to be."


    "Oh, don''t worry about that." Hitomi giggled. "The Gods have a backup n to-" She was paused by Rafferty smacking her hand over her mouth.


    "Lady Hitomi..." Rafferty shot her a re and Hitomi realized that she nearly spilled very ssified intel.


    "What? The Gods have a backup n?!?" Kanato''s eyes went wide in shock.


    <i>{WHAT?!?} </i>(Kanato)


    "No, it''s just that...¡± Hitomi stammered.


    ¡°Lady Hitomi is simply feeling tired from her long day yesterday and is a bit delirious." Rafferty helped Hitomi get up from the couch. "My Lady, pleasee with me to your room andy down."


    "Um... Yeah, I must be tired. I don''t even know what I was talking about." Hitomi tried and failed to feign ignorance. Even Kanato, as dense as he was, knew that something was going on and he only grew more concerned. "I''ll talk to youter, Kanato. Just remember what we talked about, okay?" She politely bowed before leaving the room.


    "Hitomi..." Kanato''s mind raced as he tried to figure out what was going on. "I never even got to ask her about the Spirit being held here..."


    "Scary Lady gone..." The female fairy said as she floated in front of Kanato''s face, followed by the other two.


    "There you are! Where did you disappear to?!? I wanted to introduce you to Hitomi and Rafferty!" Kanato groaned.


    "Hide... Scary Lady, <i>scary</i>..." The female fairy pouted as she floated onto the table.


    "SCARY!" The two male fairies said in unison.


    "Scary Lady? Do you mean Hitomi?" Kanato tilted his head. He knew that Hitomi was slightly <i>off</i>, but he''d never found her threatening or anything of the sort. ¡°I know she''s connected by the Gods but she''s anything <i>but</i> scary.¡±


    <i>{Slightly messed up in the head, sure, but scary? No.} </i>(Kanato)


    "No... Ref... Scarier than before..." The female fairy shook slightly. ¡°Scary...¡±


    "Rafferty? Wait, <i>she''s </i>the Spirit <i>Ref</i> that we came here for?!?" Kanato eximed.


    "Maybe?" The female fairy tilted her head cutely. "Ref Scary, but this Ref even <i>scarier</i>."


    "What do you mean? I''ve never seen Rafferty so much as raise her voice, let alone do anything bad." Kanato was confused. Rafferty was just a beastkin servant of Hitomi''s, and was even basically her lover. She''d been within the Hero party''s orbit for some time, and never once did he think she was dangerous.


    "Raf has power... Not weak anymore..." The female fairy tried to exin. "Bad things happen if she got power..."


    "Is Hitomi in danger?!?" Kanato asked, concerned for his friend''s safety.


    "Don''t know..." The female fairy shook her head. "But Raf... Raf serve other master... Not Hero Lady..."


    <i>{Eh?!? Wait, but who... What''s going on?!? Hitomi?!?} </i>(Kanto)

 Chapter 334 – A Horrifying Revelation.

    Chapter 334 ¨C A Horrifying Revtion.


    "And you''re <i>sure</i> this is going to work?" Kanato said in a whisper as he slowly made his way down arge hallway. He and the fairies were invisible as they hugged together under a bubble of magic, but he was worried that they''d get caught.


    "Work!" One of the male fairies said in a quiet yell. ¡°Guarantee!¡±


    "Fairy magic strong! No detect!" The female fairy puffed out her chest in pride as she sat on top of his head.


    <i>{I hope so. The Cathedral is crawling with magical barriers and other rms, and I''d imagine that getting near Hitomi''s room is going to see protective measures increase.} </i>(Kanato)


    Kanato''s worry had only beenpounded after he''d been informed by the Fairies after Hitomi and Rafferty had left that the Fox-Girl was actually working for some <i>other</i> master and that she was likely using the Hero to do her dirty work. When pressed on <i>who </i>said master was, the fairies could only tell Kanato that he would have to wait and see for himself, something that caused him no small amount of stomach cramps.


    "Would it kill you three to tell me where we''re going and <i>why</i>?" Kanato sighed.


    "Kill?" The male fairy asked.


    "Soup?" The other male fairy tilted his head as he kicked his feat while sitting on Kanato''s shoulder.


    "Raf serves dangerous master, but not know name." The female fairy said, breaking through the silence and stupidity. "Know that Raf is dangerous and that master of Raf is dangerous. Elders said if Raf''s poweres back, big danger and big doom." She couldn''t find the words to borate further. Interestingly enough the fairies manner of speaking was <i>not</i> down to ack of intelligence, and though they were quite childlike they were actually suffering from ack of familiarity with the Common tongue more than an inability to speak. Kanato had initially tried to use his innate Hero ability to speak with them in their Fairynguage, but for some reason it didn''t work.


    "Just what has Hitomi got herself involved with..." Kanato sighed again as they slowly made their way toward the base of the tower that housed Hitomi''s room. Guards were posted everywhere and there were a few close calls, but Kanato and Co managed to safely slip by most of the Church''s security with little difficulty.


    "Go up." The female fairy pointed at the massive silver and gold doors that blocked the way to the staircase. There was nowhere else to go in the hallway, and it was either continue to the door or head back.


    "Up!" (Male Fairies)


    "Yeah, but there are <i>guards</i>." Kanato pointed to the heavily armored Pdins guarding the door. "Not to mention that opening that door will sound an rm, and I''d rather not alert <i>everyone </i>to our presence."


    "Beat up?" One of the male fairies proposed violence.


    "Bonk?" The other male fairy agreed with the need for blood to be spilled.


    ¡°An unfortunate casualty.¡± The female fairy giggled.


    "No inflicting violence on innocent people..." Kanato had never expected fairies to be as willing to inflict pain as these three were.


    <i>{How many times have I had to stop them from using attack magic on people because they got annoyed with them... I thought fairies were suppose to be cute little things that were all gumdrops and rainbows, but these three are basically murderhobos...} </i>(Kanato)


    "Bonk..." The male fairy got sad as his bonking was denied.


    "I guess I''ll have to scale the side of the tower." Kanato said as he leaped out of a nearby window and walked around to the side of the building, sticking one of his boots to the tower''s exterior wall. "Good thing for Spider Feet." He chuckled as he started walking up the side of the tower toward the window in Hitomi''s room, all the while humming a silly little song.


    "Big city..." The female fairy said as she looked down at the Holy City. "Many Humans?"


    "Yeah, I''m not sure how many live here, but I think it''s bigger than Targul anyway, so maybe 500,000?" Kanato said as they continued the climb. "I think the only city bigger than this one is the Imperial Capital, and it''s probably not by much."


    <i>{The Capital... I wonder how my family is doing... I know I''m probably in for an earful or two once... IF I get home...} </i>(Kanato)


    "Too many Humans..." One of the male fairiesined about therge number of people.


    "Ah, it ain''t so bad, and if you think that''s too many, you should see Tokyo!" Kanatoughed. "I think like twenty million people live there or something."


    "TOO MANY!" The three fairies yelled in sync.


    Ignoring thements from the three idiots floating around him, Kanato continued to climb the side of the tower until he reached the top and hopped onto the balcony.


    "There we go, and the door is open too." Kanato had originally wanted to go in via a window, but none were open and he really didn''t feel like breaking one. "I don''t sense anyone up here, what about you three?"


    "Nobody." The female fairy replied.


    "Nopers." The two male fairies agreed that no one was there.


    <i>{Wait, didn''t Hitomi say she was going back to her room? I swear that was where I saw them go.} </i>(Kanato)


    "So, what did you want me to see up here?" Kanato asked the fairies as he went inside Hitomi''s room. He''d been in here before, but thevishness always surprised him. It was as if the owner was an Imperial Princess, and Kanato thought that all this luxury was a bit unbing of a Church. ¡°You were insistent on bringing me up here, so out with it.¡±


    "Hmmmm." The three fairies zipped around the room for a bit, seemingly looking for something.


    "What could you possibly want in here anyway?" Kanato said as he looked around. The room itself seemed ordinary, if overly luxurious, and he''d never noticed something off when he''d been here before. "Oh? Did that finally get done?" He said as he slowly walked over to therge painting of the four Heroes that was on the wall. "It took them long enough. I think it''s been around four years since Hitomimissioned this." The painting depicted the four of them smiling and happy after they''d won a great battle. It was meant to symbolize their friendship and the trials they''d gone through, but now Kanato could only look at it with sadness.


    <i>{Our happiness... It was all a lie, wasn''t it?} </i>(Kanato)


    "Heroes?" The female fairy said as she floated next to him.


    "Yeah, that''s me, Hitomi, Shiroe, and Muichiro." Kanato smiled. "I... I really hope those they''re okay..."


    <i>{Even you Muichiro... Even you...} </i>(Kanato)


    "Strange painting." The female fairy floated closer to the painting. "Magic inside."


    "Really? Maybe the artist enchanted it with protection magic to stop it from deteriorating?" Kanato had seen something like that before, and some of the art within the Imperial Pce still looked new even though it was a thousand years old.


    "No... Hmmmm." The female fairy charged up a bit of blue magic in her hand and chucked it at the painting.


    "Oi! Don''t destroy the-" Kanato stopped, his eyes going wide as the painting distorted and vanished as the magic contacted with it, revealing a small alcove with a teleportation circle at its center. "Okay, that''s new..."


    <i>{And probably not good...} </i>(Kanato)


    "Bad energy..." The two male fairies said as they flew over.


    "Death..." The female fairy gulped as she flew back to Kanato. "Blood sacrifice..."


    "Wait, what?!?" Kanato squeaked.


    <i>{Hold up, I remember reading that the Church was collecting Spirits for some unknown purpose and the fairies said that Rafferty was working for some other master. Are those two things connected? No, they have to be, there''s no other reason that the fairies would be sensing dark power like that otherwise.} </i>(Kanato)


    "Do you know where that goes?" Kanato asked the female fairy if she could sense where the circle conntected too.


    "Bad ce..." The female fairy was visibly disturbed by the dark power that she sensed. ¡°Many dead...¡±


    "And let me guess, <i>that </i>is where Rafferty and Hitomi went..." Kanato groaned.


    <i>{And well, that means I''ve got to go there too...} </i>(Kanato)


    "You three can wait here. I''m going to check out wherever it is that this teleportation circle goes." Kanato slowly walked toward the circle but was stopped by the fairies.


    "No go alone!" The three fairies said together. "Danger!"


    "I know, but I need to know what''s going on here." Kanato shook his head. "If Hitomi really is being lied to and used, then it''s my job as her friend to save her!"


    <i>{I won''t abandon my friends! Not now and not ever!} </i>(Kanato)


    "Thene with!" The female fairy buzzed around him. "Join Kanato!"


    "Eh?!?" The two male fairies squeaked. "No go! Spoopy!"


    "Cowards!" The female fairy admonished the two of them. "Make Elders disappointed!" She huffed.


    "Mean..." The two male fairies seemed to genuinely not want to go with, but the fear of being called cowards by their kin seemed to change their attitude.


    "Hey now, they don''t have to go if they don''t want to." Kanato pat the female fairy on the head. "They can wait here until we get back."


    "No! Theye!" The female fairy put her foot down.


    <i>{Why is she suddenly so adamant about this? She''s never been like this.} </i>(Kanato)


    "Go, but we leave if bad things happen..." The two male fairies nodded to each other.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll keep you all safe." Kanatoughed as the three fairies hopped on him. "Alright, let''s go!" He entered the teleportation circle and, after a momentary difort, found himself in a poorly lit underground hallway.


    <i>{I forgot how bad teleporting is...} </i>(Kanato)


    "Well, we weren''t dropped in the ocean or a desert, so that''s a good start." Kanato chuckled but stopped when he noticed that the three fairies were shaking heavily. "What''s wrong?"


    "Bad feeling... Got <i>worse</i>..." The female fairy said in a shaky voice. "Many dead. Much pain. Much... <i>evil.</i>"


    "Spoopy..." The two male fairies agreed that this was not a ce of fun.


    Kanato could sense something dark up ahead, but even a Heroes'' senses seemed to be unable to fullyprehend whatever dark powery in this ce, though he was fully aware that he was likely about to see something horrific.


    "Then let''s be careful." Kanato drew his de as they slowly moved down the hallway, still invisible. As they walked down the hall, they came across a number of empty prison cells. Most smelled horrible, and the majority of them had blood sttered on the walls or other areas.


    <i>{The fuck is going on here, Hitomi?!?} </i>(Kanato)


    "Rafferty, are you sure it won''t be much longer?" Hitomi''s voice sounded from deeper in the cave.


    <i>{I knew it. They''re both down here. Dammit!} </i>(Kanato)


    "You three keep quiet, and I''ll handle things." Kanato said, and the three fairies nodded.


    "I promise you that it won''t be much longer, my love." Rafferty said before a blood curdling scream echoed throughout the underground cave, causing Kanato to speed up his pace as he moved toward what looked like an exit.


    "I know, it''s just... I feel so bad for them..." Hitomi said as Kanato reached the end of the hallway, just in time to see one of the most horrific sights in his entire life.


    "W-What?!?" Kanato barely stifled a scream as he watched a massive spike impale a three-eyed ape-man''s chest slowly draining him dry of his life force until he withered into dust and vanished.


    At the center of the room was a massive cloud of swirling ck and red power that crackled with lightning, surrounding which was an equallyrge magical circle that Kanato could tell was Divine in nature.


    <i>{What the hell is all this?!? That cloud, its power is insane! And why is there a Divine Sealing barrier here?!?} </i>(Kanato)


    "I just hope the Gods'' ns work." Hitomi said with a sad look on her face. "I must admit that I was kind of hoping that we could handle things so that no more people or Spirits had to be <i>sacrificed</i>..."


    <i>{SACRIFICED?!? WHAT?!?} </i>(Kanato)


    "Oh, Hitomi." Rafferty chuckled. "You always did have far too big of a heart for your own good. Remember, the Spirits are the ones who started this whole war in the first ce. Thus, it''s only right that <i>their </i>blood be spilled to fix the damage that they caused. And as for the rest, well, they''re justmon criminals. So just think of this as <i>Divine Punishment </i>for their actions."


    "R-Right..." Hitomi didn''t seem entirely convinced as she gripped her staff. "But do we... Do we really have to sacrifice <i>Alm</i> too?"


    "A-Alm?" Kanato''s breath escaped him as he heard the name of Amakusa''s missing friend.


    <i>{This is getting fucking worse every passing moment!} </i>(Kanato)


    "She was a good girl, and we can just wait to get more Spirits in the meantime." Hitomi pleaded. ¡°So please don''t do this...¡±


    "I''m sorry, but we''re running out of time, Hitomi." Rafferty gave a crying look that Kanato could instantly tell was fake. "If we don''tplete the Gods'' n soon, the damage to the world will be irreversible, and all will be lost." She pretended to be sad about having to kill the Oni girl.


    "Is... Is there really no way we can save the world without sacrificing Alm to the spell?" Hitomi hesitantly asked. ¡°Do we really have to... Betray Shiroe like this?¡±


    "I''m sorry, Hitomi." Rafferty put her hand on the Heroes'' shoulder. "That girl is the <i>key</i>. She has an incredible amount of magical energy, and it''s of just the right kind to finish the ritual. Please don''t hate me for having to do this. I know that I promised you that we would spare her, but if we don''t sacrifice her, then everyone will be doomed, and all the lives lost leading up to this moment will have been for nothing."


    "I..." Hitomi hugged Rafferty. "I''m so sorry, Shiroe..." She started to cry, tears falling onto Rafferty''s shoulders.


    "Now, I need a bit to prepare the final part of the ritual, but once it''s over I promise you that the world will be saved and you can hold your head high." Rafferty smiled. ¡°So just wait a bit longer, my Love.¡±


    <i>{I..} </i>(Kanato)


    "We... I..." Kanato''s legs moved on their own, and he turned around and ran as fast as he could down the hallway, his entire body pale and drenched in sweat. "I need to do something. I need to do <i>something.</i> I can''t let them do whatever this fucking evil fucked up fucking thing this fucking is!" He had no idea what Rafferty''s n was, but Kanato could tell that it was probably not going to save the world.


    <i>{n of the Gods?!? What the hell is going on here?!? We were never told about this, nor did Hitomi tell anyone about this. Hitomi, whatever the hell that girl is making you do, it''s definitely not going to save anyone!} </i>(Kanato)


    Running as fast as he could, Kanato teleported back to Hitomi''s room before jumping off the balcony and into the city. He truly had no idea what he was going to do, but knowing that he <i>had </i>to get as far away from that horrid ce as fast as possible.


    <i>{I need to tell someone, anyone!} </i>(Kanato)


    "But who?!?" Kanato yelled as hended in the middle of the street before taking off at full speed toward the main exit. "Who can I trust?!? Everyone... Dammit! First, the Gods lie to me, then my friends disappear and now THIS?!? What happened to his world?!? What the hell am I supposed to even do now?!?"


    *THUD*


    As he ran out the main gate he mmed into <i>someone</i>, flying backwards and onto the ground.


    "Ah!" Kanato quickly recovered. "I''m so sorry. I should''ve-" He froze as he looked at the ck-haired woman who stood in front of him. He''d never seen her before in his life, but it was clear from her facial features that she was Japanese. However, even more than her exotic appearance was the fact that looking into her eyes gave the Hero a sense of great dread that he couldn''t understand.


    "You... I..." Kanato watched as she waived her hand, and a momentter, his head pounded as he was assaulted by a splitting headache followed by a torrent of memories pouring into his mind. ¡°Who...¡±


    "I suppose this saves me the trouble of finding you, Hero." (???)

 Chapter 335 – Wilson!

    Chapter 335 ¨C Wilson!


    "Too bad he didn''t have a piece of toast in his mouth, then the whole boy meets girl thing would beplete." Amakusa chuckled.


    "Isn''t it usually the other way around?" Yumi had seen the type of scene that Amakusa was talking about, but it was always a girl running with toast, not a guy.


    "Either way, you''d better watch out, Akagi. Otherwise, you might find yourself smitten with him and joining his little group!" Amakusa snickered as she looked at Akagi. The <i>Demon </i>had changed into her Rishia form shortly afternding outside the city,rgely because riel insisted that anything looking like a <i>Demon </i>entering the Holy City would not be wee.


    "Ha. Ha. Keep up the jokes, and I''ll brainwash <i>you </i>and make <i>you </i>join his harem <i>pet</i>." Akagi rolled her eyes.


    "You wouldn''t!" Amakusa eximed.


    "This is me we''re talking about soooooo." Akagi snickered. "Shall I pronounce you man and wife now orter? And what color do you want the wedding to be? I think purple suits you well."


    "I''m good..." Amakusa sighed. "But regardless, I didn''t expect to run into him <i>literally</i>." She looked down at the visibly distressed Kanato. ¡°Though it is good to see this idiot again.¡±


    "You... I... Remember now..." Kanato winced as his memories returned. ¡°You were the one... The one who beat us...¡±


    "Oh? I''m surprised that you recognized me in this form." Akagi said with amusement. ¡°That''s a little unexpected.¡±


    "I... I can just tell..." Kanato said as he stared into Akagi''s eyes. From the outside, her false appearance looked like a normal girl, but the Hero was well aware of the darkness that lurked within. "Demon Lord..." His use of that phrase made Akagi''s lips curl into a terrible smile.


    "Well if your human disguise has already been seen through then maybe you should''ve juste in cat form?" Halifaxughed. "We could''ve passed you off as some cuddly little creature we found in the woods!"


    <i>{I could''ve even made you do tricks for snacks!} </i>(Halifax)


    "I debated it." Akagiughed.


    ¡°You should''ve done it.¡± Halifax snickered.


    "Come on, get up." Amakusa sighed as she helped Kanato off the ground. ¡°And ignore those two idiots. I swear that they share the same brain cell...¡±


    "Thanks for that, Shiroe." Kanato smiled as he looked at her before doing a double take. "Wait! <i>SHIROE</i>?!?"


    "That took longer than it should''ve..." riel facepalmed.


    <i>{Good thing we didn''t change her into puppy mode yet.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Harem Heroes tend to be idiots." Akagiughed. ¡°So don''t be <i>too</i> harsh on him.¡±


    "Shiroe!" Kanato pulled her into a hug, startling her. "You''re okay! You''re safe!" He started to cry slightly. "Thank god! Thank god!"


    "Oh no..." Amakusa groaned. "Uh... Somebody help me! I''m not good with this emotional stuff!" She looked for aid, but everyone else either ignored her, looked away or shook their heads.


    <i>{YOU BASTARDS!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Hold up! This is no time for a happy reunion!" Kanato pushed away from her slightly, keeping a tight grip on her shoulders. "Shiroe, Hitomi has <i>Alm </i>and She''s nning on killing her!" His words were light lightning through Amakusa''s body, and she quickly grabbed the Hero by the cor after casting aside his weak grip.


    "WHAT?!?" Amakusa''s voice would''ve been loud enough to attract all kinds of attention from people passing through the gate had it not been for Akagi cing a sound-blocking barrier around them a moment prior. "Hold on! Hitomi has Alm?!? And she''s nning on <i>what</i>?!?" She mmed her foot against the ground, causing a minor quake. "WHERE IS SHE?!? TAKE ME THERE, NOW!"


    <i>{I''LL FUCKING END PEOPLE!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Hold on, slow down." riel put herself in between the two of them, pushing them apart.


    "Wait, <i>riel''s</i> here too?!?" Kanato yelped as he realized that the maid was actually the time Goddess.


    <i>{I''m very d that I''ve put that barrier up...} </i>(Akagi)


    "We''ll discuss <i>me </iter. Right now, take a deep breath and exin what''s going on. You''ve never gotten this worked up before, Kanato." riel said with a calming voice.


    "Y-Yeah..." Kanato did as he was asked before exining everything that he''d seen. Naturally, Amakusa was none to pleased with things, while Halifax seemed utterly disgusted.


    "Akagi, please give me the order to cut that bitch to ribbons." Amakusa startedughing like a psychopath, and her eyes turned yandere as she imagined skinning Rafferty alive and using her pelt as a floor mat. "I WILL FUCKING END YOU, YOU STUPID FOX!"


    <i>{Ah, she''s gone mad... Well, it was only a matter of time hanging around this bunch.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Akagi." riel turned to the <i>Demon </i>with <i>that </i>look in her eye.


    "It''s those Primordials, isn''t it?" Akagi had already figured out what was going on, and the Goddess confirmed her suspicions.


    <i>{So we''ve got sealed away powerful beings needing sacrifices to be free, and Kanato overheard this Rafferty girl saying something about needing power toplete ''the n.'' Yeaaaaah, something''s not kosher with this.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Dammit! Now we''ve got more bastards using blood sacrifices!" Halifax growled. "First the Gods go off the deep end, and now we''ve got <i>Primordials </i>pulling this same shit! Dammit! Is there nothing sacred left n this world?!?"


    <i>{Better yet, is there no one in this world that''s not an asshole?!? What kind of ce is this where the DEMON KITTY is the nicest thing I''ve run into in YEARS?!?} </i>(Halifax)


    "We have to get down there and put a stop to this! Rafferty is lying to Hitomi about what''s going on! She''s being deceived into thinking that this is some kind of n by the Gods to save the world!" Kanato eximed, his face flushed and his emotions kicking into overdrive.


    "Oh, don''t worry I''ll <i>help </i>her." Amakusa had a terrible smile on her face. "Help her pass into the next world!" She moved to rocket forward, but Akagi stopped her with a few words.


    "Bad pet! Stay!" Akagi told Amakusa to keep put, and she did, reluctantly.


    "LET ME GO! I''M GOING TO RING THAT CRAZY BITCHE''S CHICKEN NECK! SHE''S GOING TO KILL ALM!" Amakusa struggled against her orders but wasn''t able to move.


    <i>{LET ME GO!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Listen, thest thing I need is you running into the City looking like a murderhobo out to cause trouble and carnage, despite how funny that would be." Akagi sighed. "Besides, do you even know where you''re going? Or are you just going to rampage around like an idiot?"


    "Into Hitomi''s room!" Amakusa retorted.


    "And okay, now hear me out. What''s the n after that?" Akagi deadpanned.


    "I''ll fucking kill the both of them." Amakusa said with a horrible smile.


    "Neat n, love the murderous smile, but there''s a <i>small</i> <i>problem</i> with that course of action." Akagi put her hand on Amakusa''s shoulder to calm her down.


    "And what might that be?" Amakusa rolled her eyes.


    "You''ll <i>die</i>." riel interjected.


    "How? Hitomi can''t beat me, and Rafferty is powerless!" Amakusa scoffed.


    "She''s likely only as powerless as she''s made you <i>think </i>she is." Yumi jumped in to offer her own thoughts. "I''d imagine that these Primordials are powering her up in some way, and if you walk into the sealing room alone, I''d imagine that you''d lose, badly."


    <i>{Gods are always at their most powerful when you get close to them, and even sealed, they would be dangerous beings, especially if that seal has been weakened. I can''t imagine that Primordials would be much different in that regard. So if she went in alone..;.} </i>(Yumi)


    "Not to mention that I highly doubt that Ro and Zo would pick some random girl off the street to do their dirty work." riel sighed. ¡°So there''s no way that Rafferty is just some ordinary mortal girl.¡±


    <i>{I''d imagine that she''s actually something akin to an Avatar or Familiar. Primordials are more than capable of creating both, but how did we fail to notice something like this? Reflia should''ve been monitoring the seal and I should''ve sensed her energy the few times I''ve met her, did she find a way to mask the fact that she was a familiar?} </i>(riel)


    "I suppose this does save me the trouble of tracking them down." Akagi stretched and rolled her neck. "So where do we need to go?" She asked the Goddess for directions.


    "There''s a secret passageway below the Central Cathedral. It''s underneath therge statue of Gale in the main room." riel exined how to get to the sealing chamber. ¡°That''s the main passage and its likely not guarded.¡±


    "Hmmm, then if we''re going into the city its best if I change your appearance further then." Akagi snapped her fingers, changing riel to look like a nd vige girl. "I''d imagine the people here are more apt to recognize you, and its still not time for the other Gods to realize that you''ve joined team Kitty." She snapped her fingers again, transforming Amakusa as well.


    "Why..." Amakusa pouted, her ears drooping.


    ¡°Because its best this way.¡± Akagi smiled.


    "You... Um..." Kanato looked away, slightly embarrassed.


    <i>{Cute...} </i>(Kanato)


    "Say one more word, and I <i>will </i>castrate you." Amakusaa red at him, making him shudder.


    "Alright, let''s go!" Akagi cheerfully charged forward, followed by the rest of the group. Kanato was still a bit overwhelmed by the events and only just noticed that the fairies that were following him had vanished again.


    <i>{Where did they go? I guess being around a Demon Lord is just too much for them.} </i>(Kanato)


    "What are you looking for?" Halifax noticed his worry and asked the Hero about what had him so concerned. "Your head is practically on a swivel."


    "I... I... Um... Well, I met some fairies on the way here. They were the ones who told me about a Spirit being held within the Holy City. The three of them were just with me a moment ago, but they''ve vanished." Kanato exined as he looked around.


    "Fairies?" Halifax furrowed her brow. "Fairies <i>rarely </i>leave the Whistlewoods, so why would they venture with you all the way this North?"


    <i>{This is quite far outside of their normal territory and most don''t like dealing with outsiders.} </i>(Halifax)


    "I... I don''t know." Kanato gave a wry smile. He hadn''t given much thought to the Fairies or their motives and was now facing the all important question of <i>why.</i>


    "Maybe they were a figment of your imagination!" Akagi snickered as she teased him. "He probably dreamt them up out of madness!"


    "I''m suddenly reminded of that movie we watched where that man painted a face on the ball to talk to because he was lonely." Yumiughed.


    "Ummmm." Kanato thought for a moment, hoping that he could disprove such ims. "I don''t <i>think </i>I went crazy. Other people talked to them a few times and they ate a whole bunch of food that I bought for them..."


    <i>{Please tell me I didn''t imagine three fairies and talked to myself during this whole trip...} </i>(Kanato)


    "You didn''t go crazy." riel sighed, interjecting to stop Akagi from convincing the Hero that he''d lost his marbles. "I can sense three fairies within the Holy City. They''re shadowing us from afar and are most likely the three you''re talking about. Their kind tend to dislike Gods, sobine that with this one here, and we''re basically thest thing they want to go near. Not to mention that I''d imagine that these Fairies have little interest in getting near the two sealed idiots."


    ¡°Oi! Are you saying that I scare people away?¡± Akagi asked, pretending to be hurt.


    ¡°Are you saying that you <i>don''t</i>?¡± riel retorted.


    ¡°You''re just jealous of my kittyness.¡± Akagi stuck her tongue out.


    "Don''t Fairies worship Primordials?" Yumi asked, ignoring the bickering in the background. "Why would they be afraid of these two then?"


    "Because Ro and Zo are not like the others. They tend to favor destruction, and blood rituals are something that no other Primordial would sanction. Thus, while Fairies venerate their kind, there''s no way they would like these two troublesome twins..." riel sighed as she recalled how much of a pain they were in the past.


    <i>{I don''t even want to imagine how many lives were sacrificed to break our Divine Seal. Ro, Zo. I know how much you want vengeance on us, but was that really worth sacrificing the lives of so many innocent people? Then again, perhaps I''m not one to judge...} </i>(riel)

 Chapter 336 – Hostage Negotiation.

    Chapter 336 ¨C Hostage Negotiation.


    "What is it with Gods and gaudy statues?" Akagi sighed as she looked up at the massive carved marble statue of Gale. Gaining entry into the Cathedral''s main hall was rtively easy, mostly, because the guards mysteriously found themselves unconscious the moment they started asking unnecssary questions. "Like, do you see <i>me </i>making massive beautified statues of myself at the estate? And I''d be willing to bet thing this <i>heavily </i>beuatifiled. I mean look at his perfect fucking jawline! Not even <i>I''m</i> so gaudy that I''d give myself that!"


    "Isn''t there arge statute of Catkagi in the Demon Cult Church area?" Halifax retorted, noting that there was indeed a very cute statute of her.


    "That was a private construction and is not sanctioned by me or the State." Akagi grumbled. ¡°And also, its urate to my floof, and is not at all embellished.¡±


    "We worked very hard to make that one." Yumi giggled. ¡°Though getting that much gold was a bit hard.¡±


    <i>{Please don''t tell me they raided Fort Knox again...} </i>(Akagi)


    "But yeah... This thing is wayyyy more handsome than the actual Gale." Halifax sighed. "His chin sure as hell isn''t that pronounced, and he definitely doesn''t have that sharp of a bone structure."


    "He always did think highly of himself..." riel chuckled.


    "Don''t your statues do the same?" Amakusa asked. "If I recall correctly, the one in Amdamell''s main Church looked far better than the real you."


    <i>{And also why are we even having this kind of contest? You can chagne your form at will!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "I think you''re exaggerating a bit." riel huffed.


    "Guys... Can we please focus on the task at hand..." Kanato decided to change the topic from stupid to less stupid.


    "Yeah, yeah. Lets not forget that we''ve gotta stop the ''evil ritual'' before the spooky gets loose." Akagi reached into her inventory and pulled out a bucket of ck paint and a brush. "But first..." She flew up to the statue''s face and proceeded to paint a bunch of funny marks on it as well as a monocle and a mustache.


    "What are you, <i>four</i>?" Amakusa rolled her eyes at such a childish disy.


    "No, I''m just petty as hell and also find this hysterical." Akagi snickered as she put the paint away and floated back down.


    "Pffff." riel and Halifax startedughing, much to Amakusa''s displeasure.


    "Great, even those two seem to have the sense of humor of a five-year-old." Amakusa rubbed her forehead in frustration.


    ¡°Its not my fault that its peak humor to do something like this.¡± Akagi said before turning to the Goddess. "Alright, so the entrance is beneath this ugly thing?" She asked.


    "Yes, but it has a lot of protective spells ced on it, so before you go-" riel paused mid-sentence as Akagi lifted up the entire statue and moved it out of the way, revealing arge staircase underneath it. "Moving it..."


    <i>{Yeah... Demon Lord...} </i>(riel)


    "Weak barriers. I just looked at them funny, and they broke." Akagiughed. ¡°I suppose that''s because they knew better.¡±


    "Those should''ve vaporized any unfortunate soul that set them off..." riel groaned as her hard work was so easily bypassed.


    "And you put that on a statue in a <i>Church</i>?!?" Amakusa eximed.


    "In my defense, they would only go off if you tried moving it, and who''s gonna lift a fifty-ton statue of Gale?!?" riel retorted.


    "Akagi apparently!" Halifaxughed. ¡°I suppose you didn''t count on someone like her showing up!¡±


    "Ah, my mistake. I should''ve put <i>anti-Demon Lord barriers on it." </i>riel said sarcastically.


    <i>{Just put things in space that you don''t want her messing with.} </i>(Yumi)


    "Interesting, I can feel a lot of powerful energy down here." Akagimented as she started down the stairs, followed by Yumi. "Kinda pleasant actually, like a happy summer day."


    "I suppose blood sacrifices <i>would </i>feel nice to the Demon Lord..." Amakusa sighed. ¡°You are a fucking evil being after all.¡±


    <i>{Though Evil Kitty may just be best Kitty!} </i>(Halifax)


    "We just need the screams of the dammed, the sounds of torture, a fewva moats and the ambiance would be perfect!" Akagiughed as she continued downward, followed by everyone else.


    The white-gray staircase slowly curved in on itself and descended into a spiral that went all the way to the bottom. The walls alongside the stairs lit up with glowing blue orbs as the group went down, and after a few minutes, they reached a long hallway with thick stony walls, at the end of which was a massive door sealed with powerful magic and divine energy.


    "I wonder what''s behind door number 1?" Akagi chuckled as they walked up to the door. ¡°Maybe its a new car, or perhaps a washing machine?¡±


    ¡°The washing machine would be useful, we actually need more to deal with the amount ofundry everyday. I keep gettingints about the number of muddy clothing the ninja make.¡± Yumimented.


    "That door, I saw the back of it while I was in that room." Kanatomented as they approached it. "I don''t see a lock on it, so how does it open?" He figured it required magic or a password.


    "Well, <i>technically</i>, the only way to open it would be to insert divine power in a specific manner, like a key code." riel answered as Akagi walked up to the door. "Any other attempt at opening will see the intruder seriously wounded or <i>killed </i>by the power within."


    "Hmmmm. The temptation to make the <i>pet </i>try and open it is quite high." Akagi said as she looked at the door. "Maybe it would be like a bug zapper!" She snickered.


    <i>{Why am I always getting abused? Oh wait, I know why. Because fuck me in particr, right?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "riel should open it!" Halifax nudged her forward. ¡°I know you can do it!¡±


    "You... You just to see me get fried, don''t you?" riel grumbled as Halifax shrugged.


    <i>{If I didn''t know better I''d think that Halifax WANTS me to die...} </i>(riel)


    "Can we just please open the door..." Kanato didn''t really know or care to know about this party''s dynamic and just wanted to stop the impending madness.


    *AH-CHOO!* *CREAK* *BOOM*


    "Oops, I broke it." Akagi did a tee-hee-pero after sneezing, the force of which blew the door down. "Silly me. I should''ve used a tissue."


    "Well, that''s one way to open a divine seal, I suppose..." riel had given up on trying to make sense of things and set her sights on whaty beyond the door.


    <i>{The seal... Its nearly broken...} </i>(riel)


    "HITOMI!" Amakusa screamed as she ran into the room at full speed, Akagi removing the beastkin disguise from her.


    <i>{Well, the pet has enthusiasm at least.} </i>(Akagi)


    "EH?!? Shiroe?!?" Hitomi squeaked in surprise as she was charged at full speed by an angry Amakusa. "You''re okay?!? And wait, why do you look so angry?!?"


    "OH I DON''T KNOW! MAYBE BECAUSE YOUR A TRAITOROUS BITCH!" Amakusa swung down, genuinely wanting to kill the Priestess, but was blocked by a barrier that she put up.


    "Hold on! Why are you attacking me?!?" Hitomi was still confused. ¡°What''s going on here?!?¡±


    "YOU KNOW DAMN WELL WHY I WANT YOUR HEAD ON A PIKE!" Amakusa put more power into her strikes but kept bouncing off the divine barrier put up by Hitomi. "WHERE IS SHE?!? WHERE IS ALM, YOU SICK BITCH! BRING HER TO ME NOW AND I''LL MAKE SURE YOUR DEATH IS QUICK!"


    "!!!" Hitomi flinched at the mention of Alm.


    "Should we stop her?" Halifax looked over to Akagi as they walked into the massive cavern. ¡°At this rate she''s going to get past that barrier and turn the Priestess into mincemeat.¡±


    "What, and ruin my fun?" Akagiughed. "I got robbed of my drama in Amdamell, and I''d like to get some here! KILL HER! DO IT!"


    <i>{I will not encourage such actions, but I will also not stop them either.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Hitomi!" Kanato took off past the two of them. "Hitomi! Stop this madness! You''ve been deceived! And Shiroe, stop!" He knew that Amakusa was serious and that without his intervention Hitomi''s days were numbered.


    "Kanato''s here too?!?" Hitomi was now even more confused since he''d only just been here a bit ago and seemed to have no idea where Shiroe is.. "Seriously, what''s going on?!?"


    "Hitomi, listen to me. You''ve been tricked! Rafferty is lying to you! That power behind you isn''t some divine n to save the world! It''s sealed Primordals that she wants to free to wreak havoc on the world!" Kanato got closer and put himself between Amakus and Hitomi in an attempt to stop things from escting.


    "What?!? No, you''re wrong!" Hitomi shook her head and yelled."Rafferty is working in secret with the Gods to enact their special n to save Enoris!" She''d been led to believe that this was actually a secret n that was being developed as a backup. The reason <i>why</i> it was secret was simply to ensure that the Spirits wouldn''t be aware of it until it was toote. Hitomi had never questioned this part,rgely because Rafferty used some of her power to make the Heroine susceptible to suggestion.


    "I can assure you that no such ''n'' exists." riel cut into the conversation, revealing herself. Akagi had reverted her appearance back to normal, and Hitomi''s eyes went wide as she heard the Goddess'' words. "Behind you are the Primordials Ro and Zo that I sealed six hundred years ago. I can assure you that no n to save Enoris exists that involves them, and there is definitely no secret nt to save the world."


    <i>{I wish there was, but there is not...} </i>(riel)


    "Lady riel..." Hitomi faltered for a moment. "No, you must just not''ve known about it! Rafferty would never lie to me! Never!" Her heart began to pound as doubt set in. Rafferty had been her everything and Hitomi wasn''t going to so easily believe that she''d been tricked by the woman she loved.


    "Well, she did!" Amakusa yelled as she flipped her de and pierced it into Hitomi''s protective barrier, causing it to crack slightly. "And now, you''re going to tell me where Alm is before I skin you alive and make you into a carpet that I put in front of my firece!" She yelled as tore into the barrier, causing it to shatter.


    "Shiroe I." Hitomi stammered as Amakusa approached, ready to kill her. However, before Amakusa could get on top of the Priestess, a st of blue me came at her, requiring Amakusa to jump out of the way.


    "So, the mastermind finally reveals herself." Amakusanded a short distance away before turning and ring at Rafferty, who was holding an unconscious Alm in her other arm. "You are so fucking dead, you bitch!" She readied herself to charge the fox but stopped when Rafferty pointed her burning blue hand toward Alm''s head.


    "Uh, Uh, Uh." Rafferty wagged a finger. "Take one more step closer to me, and the girl you want to protect so much <i>dies</i>." She giggled.


    "You bitch!" Amakusa growled but didn''t get closer. "Get your filthy hands off her!"


    "No, I don''t think I will." Rafferty giggled as she clung to Alm harder. "You see, this girl is an important part of my ns, and I can''t very well give her up, now, can I?"


    "That girl... How did I miss it?!?" riel''s eyes became locked on Alm as she had a sudden realization.


    <i>{She''s!} </i>(riel)


    "Hm?" Halifax didn''t see what the Goddess was talking about. "Is there something special about her?"


    <i>{She looks like a slightly more powerful Oni kid to me.} </i>(Halifax)


    "She''s... She''s the descendant of a <i>Primordial</i>..." riel''s words took everyone by surprise. "How did I not see this?!? I met her before, so why did I..."


    "Because you were so focused on the Spirit War that you couldn''t see past your own nose." Raffertyughed. "You see, this girl has the blood of Lord Kaleago running through her veins and is the perfect catalyst to break this seal." She smirked.


    <i>{That''s impossible! Kaleago was killed by Vikes! He never had any children and even if he did, there''s no way one with such arge amount of his power could exist this many yearster!} </i>(riel)


    "Oh, that look on your face tells me that you''re confused." Rafferty snickered. "Well, I can''t tell you the exact details, but apparently Lord Kaleago made sure that even after his death by that Demon Lord his power would never fully vanish from this world."


    "That''s'' not good." riel gulped as she theorized about what this meant. "Kaleago was the most troublesome of the Primordials to handle, and his scheming made him dangerous. Even though he came out of hiding to help us.. Having someone with his blood running around..."


    <i>{Him dying was seen as a blessing since we were always wary of him, and while I appreciated his help defeating Vikes I wasn''t sad to see him get cut in two.} </i>(riel)


    "Hey, Rafferty..." Hitomi slowly walked over to the fox. "Please tell me this is all a joke. It is, right?" She started to nervouslyugh. "It''s a prank, right? You''re not working for a Primordial, are you? Your... Your..."


    "Oh, you silly girl." Rafferty smiled warmly. "Of course I am!"


    "Eh?" Hitomi squeaked, expecting some kind of denial at the very least.


    "And <i>you</i> my happy little girl were the perfect helper!" Raffertyughed in Hitomi''s face. "All I had to do was whisper sweet nothing into your ear, give you a bit of skinship, and you were like putty in my hands! Talk about being easy to manipte!"


    "N-No... Rafferty... You don''t mean that..." Hitomi fell to her knees in despair.


    <i>{F} </i>(Akagi)


    "I won''t deny that I enjoyed yourpany, but our rtionship was never anything more than a means to the end for my masters." Rafferty looked over at the others. "Now you all stand right there and keep quiet while I use this girl to free my masters from their prison, unless you''d like to see me kill her right now?" She put the blue me closer to the unconscious girl.


    ¡°You bitch!¡± Amakusa said through clenched teeth.


    "Um, isn''t the point of a hostage so that people don''t attack you in exchange for the hostage''s life?" Akagi raised her hand and asked a question. "So, if you''re just going to kill her either way, why wouldn''t we just jump you right now?"


    <i>{Seriously, this is like viin 101 stuff. You don''t see making threats I can''t back up or nonsensical demands. Well, I do that second thing but only when its funny...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Ah, but she may survive the ritual." Rafferty retorted. "Thus, if you want to save her life, you''d best hope that she does." This was naturally a lie, and everyone knew it.


    <i>{Man this girl sucks at this...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Okay, but also, doesn''t a hostage situation require a hostage?" Akagi asked a retorical question.


    "What do you mean? I have one right-" Rafferty''s eyes went wide as she looked down at where Alm was supposed to be, noting that she was now gone. "WHAT?!?" Her eyes snapped back to Akagi, who handed the unconscious girl to Halifax. "When did you grab her?!? HOW?!?"


    "About the same time that you were making me cringe at how bad of a viin you are." Akagi shrugged.


    "Did you really have to do that to her?" Halifax chuckled.¡±You basically just embarrassed her in the worst way.¡±


    "I mean, I couldn''t help myself. She was just so smug that I had to." Akagiughed.


    ¡°Fair.¡± Halfiax nodded in approval. ¡°Its always nice to turn things around on someone who thinks that have the absolute advantage.¡±


    "You! Who the hell are you!" Rafferty took a fighting stance as she red at Akagi.


    "Me?" Akagi smiled. "I''m a Demon Lord. Just your friendly neighborhood killing machine out to bring the world together under my rule to ensure that I get maximum snuggles and pets!"


    "Don''t you try and bluff your way out of this!" Rafferty retorted. "There is no Demon Lord!"


    <i>{As much as a certain lizard may wish it, pretending I''m not a problem will not, in fact, make me go away.} (Akagi)</i>


    "Rafferty..." Hitomi was slowly breaking down as she looked at her lover. "We... You... This can''t be real..."


    <i>{Not again... Please not again... I can''t... I can''t lose everything again...} </i>(Hitomi)


    At first, Rafferty ignored the Heroine, but after a moment the desperation in Hitomi''s voice gave Rafferty an idea.


    "Of course it''s not!" Rafferty giggled as she walked over and crouched in front of the nearly broken Hero. "It''s all just a dream. A cruel cruel dream."


    "A Dream?" Hitomi repeated back to her, weakly.


    "Yup!" Rafferty smiled. ¡°A dream!¡±


    "Yeah, I thought so." Hitomi began to smile.


    "So allow me <i>wake </i>you from it." Rafferty''s face went dark as she did the unthinkable.


    *STAB*


    "Eh?" Hitomi looked down at the knife in her chest. "Raf-fer-ty?"


    "Now, sleep, Hitomi. And may your pathetic life be the catalyst for my master''s revenge." Rafferty giggled uncontrobly while the others watched on in either horror or, in the case of Akagi, <i>delight</i>.

 Chapter 337 – A Fitting End.

    Chapter 337 ¨C A Fitting End.


    If you''d told me the day before I was summoned to Enoris that I''d ever have the freedom to choose my own path in life, I''d have called you.. We''ll I''d call you a <i>fool </i>but in my head I''d have much more derogatory things to say to you. Ordinarily, as the second child of the Masayuki family, my role should''ve been to support my older sister and help take the reins of our family business. The Masayuki family had long been involved in arms manufacturing, and we were never that far removed from the wheels of governmental power. However, my preordained life of subservience to the family was swiftly and unexpectedly cast aside on my sister''s tenth birthday when it was discovered that her body would never be able to handle the stress of the job.


    Always a sickly child, my older Sister, Nao, was constantly in and out of the hospital for most of her early life, and it was assumed that she suffered from a weak constitution but would eventually recover as she got older. However, such hope was dashed on her tenth birthday, where it was discovered that she was born with a gic condition that left her immune system weakened severely. Naturally, our family tried everything and anything to defeat such a condition, and due to our immense financial resources a solution was found, though it was not a perfect one. While my sister would not die as a result of her illness, it was unlikely that her body could cope with what the position as the head of our family would require, and thus the responsibility fell to me.


    The loss of her position as next family head was something that Nao never recovered from, understandably so. After all, she''d spent so many years training under various tutors, worked alongside our parents from a young age to take over, and in a sh, all that hard work was washed away.


    Before that day, the two of us always had a good rtionship, one that I would even say with confidence was positive and healthy, and we even tried our best to include our younger brother as much as possible. But once her world was turned upside down, Nao never looked at me the same way again. Simultaneously with my sister''s downfall <i>I</i> was forced to take on a role that I was never meant to. The education my family put me through was as<i>brutal </i>as it was truncated. I had to make up for years of missed instruction, and the loss of my familial connections due to alienation from my brother and sister only served to make a bad situation <i>worse</i>.


    Years passed by in a sh, and my sister, never content to sit around idly, did everything in her power to undermine me. Most of the time it was small things, hiding my clothing, ruining my outfits, or even cing me in embarrassing situations, but other times... Other times, Nao would directly challenge me and my position as heir. I never wanted to or liked to fight with my sister, and I knew deep down that she wasn''t truly angry with me over how things went. I understood fully that this was just how she vented her frustration and despair. Never once did I raise my voice at her, never once did I strike her, and never once did I even think about pushing her away. All because despite how she acted I still loved her.


    As time went on and I was slowly molded into the heir to my family business, I felt more and more that I no longer recognized myself. I was never free to express myself or my opinions, and my parents were very forceful about instilling in me the need to keep emotion off my face. Some days went by where I simply yed the role of the dutiful family heir. I was nothing more than a doll that was wound up, and I can''t even begin to count the times when I kept a nk expression or nodded along to conversations with people that made my skin crawl.


    As I learned more and more about my family''s business, I grew to hate it. We profited off the deaths of people, both innocent and not, and while I am no pacifist, that my family was willing to sell weapons to groups with... let''s just say <i>less-than-noble</i> <i>goals </i>only solidified my view that we were harming the world with our work.


    However, <i>my</i> feelings on the matter were not important. I was expected to represent our family and its interests and that meant that there was no room for my personal feelings or beliefs, what little of those that still remained in my heart. Eventually the indoctrination got so bad that when our younger brother died, I didn''t even shed a tear. Not because I wasn''t sad at his passing, but because I''d been trained to... To not just hold it in, but to not even feel at all. I thought that the rest of my life would be spent like this, as nothing more than a hollow puppet that yed its part in this grand y that was my life... That was until I was summoned to Enoris and granted the first real breath of freedom in my life, and I was determined to cling to this new hope with everything I got.


    In a sh of bright light, everything changed. Suddenly I didn''t need to worry about my family and my obligations to it. I could take my life into my own hands for the first time, and most importantly... I could <i>help</i> <i>people</i>... Something that I could never do at home.


    Using the Divine power that I was granted by Enoris'' Gods, I''d hoped to bring peace to the world and leave behind a legacy of healing and hope rather than the one my parents wanted for me. My work may have involved unsavory people and questionable methods but I''d say the results were worth the cost. I even found something that I never even dreamed possible, <i>love</i>. Rafferty was always a fun and down to earth girl, and we hit it off great when we first met in the Holy City. She was just a simple country girl from the middle of nowhere, and she''de to work at the Church to try and live a better life. Naturally, I felt a sense of kinship with her, and over the years, our rtionship changed from friends to lovers, and I thought that I''d finally found that one person to spend my life with. She was somebody who never cared about my status, title, or anything of the sort. She only saw me as Hitomi Masayuki and nothing more... Or at least, that''s what I believed.


    "R-Rafferty..." Hitomi looked into the eyes of the fox-girl. She was utterly confused by this sudden attack and her mind raced as she tried toprehend why the woman she loved had not only <i>lied </i>to her but had put a de through her chest. "Why? Why would you do all this?" She grabbed onto the fox girl''s sleeve, her strength waning as the magic power within the knife sucked her dry. ¡°Why would you do something like this?¡± She couldn''t believe that Rafferty would do something so horrible, and frankly she just <i>couldn''t </i>believe what was happening.


    <i>{This has to be a dream, a nightmare!} </i>(Hitomi)


    "Worry not, my little Heroine." Rafferty smiled as she drove the knife in further into Hitomi''s chest, causing the Heroine to cough up blood. "You always said that you wanted to save the world, and your sacrifice will do just that. So rejoice! Your worthless life will finally be put to use!"


    "I..." Hitomi''s vision slowly faded as the dark power of the knife spider webbed across her body. "I... I love... you..."


    "And that made this all the more easy." Rafferty said with a nasty grin.


    "HITOMI!" Kanato screamed as he rocketed toward his dying friend, but before he could reach her, he was smacked away with a st of powerful blue energy st that Rafferty sent toward him.


    "Akagi! Please save her! Quick!" Amakusa turned to the <i>Demon</i>, desperate to save her dying ''friend.''


    "Huh? And why should I do that?" Akagi asked with a raised eyebrow. "You were nning on killing her anyway, weren''t you? Why the sudden change of heart?"


    "Just please!" Amakusa pleaded. ¡°Help her! We''ll deal with the other bullshitter!¡±


    <i>{PLEASE!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "No." Akagi replied curtly. "She will die at the hands of the one she loved. A woman who never saw her as anything other than a pawn to dispose of the moment it became convenient. I''d say that''s a fitting end for an idiot like her." She gave a very evil chuckle.


    <i>{Plus, I got robbed of my drama in Amdamell, so I''ll be taking mypensation here! And it looks like I''ve even gotten some interest!} </i>(Akagi)


    "You bastard! Fine! I''ll save her myself!" Amakusa turned to go and save Hitomi but was stopped as her legs froze.


    "Now, now, now. Stay right there, <i>pet</i>." Akagi tutted and wagged her finger at the hero. ¡°I can''t have you go spoiling my fun now, can I?¡± She smirked.


    "YOU BITCH!" Amakusa screamed as she tried to move, but her feet wouldn''t move an inch. "LET ME GO! I CAN SAVE HER! YOU MIGHT BE A SADISTIC FUCK BUT THAT DOESN''T MEAN YOU HAVE TO PULL THIS KIND OF STUNT!"


    "Nah, just stand there and watch. Watch as one of your friends dies and is sacrificed like amb." Akagiughed manically.


    "Halifax! Why aren''t you doing anything?!?" Amakusa yelled for the sword''s help, figuring that <i>she </i>was the sanest one here and could do something. "Akagi''s a bitch, but why are you just standing around letting this happen?!? Either save Hitomi or convince Akagi to do it!¡±


    <i>{WHY ARE YOU JUST STANDING THERE?!? DO SOMETHING! AREN''T YOU THE FUCKING HERO OF THIS STORY?!? SHOULDN''T YOU COUNTERACT THE DEMON LORD''S EVIL?!?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "And why should I do <i>anything</i>?" Halifax rolled her eyes. "Hitomi is just as guilty as the other Heroes for what happened, and I fully support her life being ended as atonement. So pardon me for just sitting back and letting karma do its thing.¡± She huffed.


    <i>{And besides, why is it ALWAYS up to me to do something? Its always Halifax save me! How about you do it your fucking selves for a change.} </i>(Halifax)


    <i>{Halifax...} </i>(riel)


    "Lady riel, please..." Kanato coughed up blood as he stood up, woozy. "Please save her... Save Hitomi..." He was hoping the <i>Goddess</i> would do the right thing if nobody else would.


    "I would if I could..." riel looked away, not wanting to face him. "But Akagi has sealed my powers, there is nothing I can do but stand here helplessly like the rest of you... I''m sorry."


    <i>{I won''t ask you to forgive me for everything, Hitomi... I brought you to this world... and now...} </i>(riel)


    "It''s time." Rafferty started cackling as she withdrew the knife from Hitomi''s abdomen. The Heroine''s body had by this point turned as ck as ash and the moment she fell onto the floor Hitomi exploded into dust, leaving her staff and clothing behind.


    "HITOMI!" (Kanato x Amakusa)


    "I guess she wasn''t feeling very good." Akagiughed as she made a stupid reference.


    "Too soon, Akagi, too soon..." Halifax sighed.


    "I mean, I thought it was appropriate..." Yumi gave a wry smile.


    ¡°NOW BE FREE! BE FREE MY MASTERS!¡± Rafferty cackled as from the ashes on the ground rose a great pir of magical energy that was slowly absorbed into the giant mass of red and ck crackling energy behind it. "Finally! Finally!" Rafferty continued to cackle as the seal on her masters slowly broke. "At longst my masters will be free! Free to get their revenge! Free to enact their justice!"


    <i>{Well I''ll give her points for spectacle, if nothing else.} </i>(Akagi)


    <i>{Though I''m deducting them away due to how obnoxious she is.} </i>(Yumi)


    <i>{Fair.) </i>(Akagi)


    <i>"You have done well, Rafferty." </i>A deep yet feminine voice echoed around the cavern. <i>"Long have we awaited this day, and thanks to you, we shall finally be free!"</i>


    "Zo..." riel grumbled as she recognized the voice. "They truly have broken our seal, and that means that-"


    <i>"Sister, I believe we should reward our most loyal familiar." </i>A male voice boomed. <i>"She''s certainly worked hard over thest five hundred years." </i>


    "I suppose that''s Ro?" Akagi turned to riel for confirmation. She could feel a great deal of energy being released from the seals and was confident that these two Primordials were the most powerful beings she''d met to this point.


    "Hey so, maybe you should <i>do </i>something rather than just stand there and stare at me." riel pointed to the massive mass of swirling energy. "It''s not going to be good for <i>anyone </i>if they get free!"


    <i>{I know these two idiot twins well, they''ll just start blowing things up for fun if they get out!} </i>(riel)


    "Nah, it''s okay." Akagi shrugged. "Besides." Her lips curved into a terrible smile as she turned back to Rafferty. "I''m really interested in seeing these two and what they can do.¡±


    *KABOOM!*


    With a massive st of energy and a sh of blinding light the seal around the twin Primordials was broken, and the newly freed energy within began to swirl around the room before coalescing on two points next to Rafferty.


    "Ah, it''s so nice to be free from that prison, eh bro?" A blonde-haired woman with red eyes said as she looked at the nearly identical man next to her. Her outfit stood out, and Akagi noted that it looked more like something from Earth than Enoris. It consisted of a maroon hoodie and ck basket ball shorts and leggings, and gave off the idea of a high schooler''s outfit more than anything.


    "S''better out here, that''s for sure." The blonde-haired manughed, his ck and red jacket swishing in the turbulence as he put his sunsses over his eyes. "Now then, what we got here?" He and his sister turned toward riel, who shivered under their gaze.


    Spoiler


    Ro!


    Zo!


    [copse]

 Chapter 338 – The New Teacher.

    Chapter 338 ¨C The New Teacher.


    "Well, well, well." Ro smirked as he red at riel. "Look what we have here. The <i>bitch </i>that ruined our fun." His lips were curled into a smile but it was quite obvious that he was anything <i>but </i>happy to see her.


    "Well how about that! She was nice enough toe right to us." Zoughed as she summoned a metal baseball bat and swung it around while making whooshing noises. "Saves us the trouble of tracking you down, <i>whore</i>."


    <i>{Hmmm....} </i>(Akagi)


    "And it''s nice to see that you two are the same bunch of idiots as always." riel scoffed. "I see that even after six hundred years of imprisonment, you''re still just a couple of bad mouth problem children that need to be disciplined. Too bad, I''d hoped you''d gotten a bit more mature in your prison." She''d hoped that their confinement would temper their attitude, but it seemed to have no such effect.


    <i>{These two, they''ve gotten stronger than they were before. I guess even while sealed their power increased as they aged. That''s going to make things tricky.} </i>(riel)


    "Hah!" Zoughed as she waved the bat around. "You only think of us that way because you and your kind are nothing but arrogant pricks that demand structure and order!"


    "Exactly! The world needs to be a wild ce! One free of all your restrictions and categories." Ro agreed as he summoned his own bat and began swinging it. "That''s the problem with you <i>Gods</i>. You can''t stand the thought of the world moving without your explicit approval!"


    <i>{On the one hand, they''re basically acting like delinquent hippies. On the other, they''re spitting truth... Hmmmm... Who to side with?} </i>(Akagi)


    "Listen, I''m not interested in having a philosophical debate with you two." riel rolled her eyes. "Perhaps if it was your <i>father</i> I would take the time to exin just why Primordials are wrong, but you two just seek destruction and carnage. Your words have and always be just ame excuse for you to rebel and act out like the children that you are!" She growled.


    <i>{The others I can understand and tolerate but YOU TWO are nothing but trouble!} </i>(riel)


    "Oooooo watch out! The scary olddy is wagging her finger at us young people for acting out!" Zo snickered. "We''d better watch our backs, bro! Otherwise, she might get the wooden spoon and crack our knuckles like some kindme ass teacher!"


    "Pfff." Halifax barely restrained augh, which triggered a re from riel.


    <i>{Okay, hear me out. They are not wrong. I mean, you ARE the Heavens'' resident old biddy.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Masters!" Rafferty smiled happily as she bowed in front of the twins. "I am so happy to see you freed! Today is a most auspicious day!" She wagged her tail. ¡°I have worked hard to see you released from your prison and I could not be more honored to be in your presence!¡±


    <i>{Is that how fucking crazy my people look to outsiders? Because we may have to institute reforms...} </i>(Akagi)


    "You did well, Rafferty." Ro pat his on the head and gave the fox ear scratches. "To think that you were just once a mindless little fox familiar. You truly came into your own over these centuries, and you have our thanks for freeing us." He smiled.


    "EEE!" Rafferty squeaked as she was pat.


    <i>{I knew it. That girl IS a familiar. How could I have missed that?!?} (riel)</i>


    "What kind of reward should we give our little fox, bro?" Zo asked her twin. "She worked really hard for us, so the least we could do is give her something nice in return. Maybe a new and more powerful body is in order?"


    "The only reward I need is to serve you!" Rafferty said. "I need nothing else!"


    <i>{Yumi...} </i>(Akagi)


    <i>{Listen, my and the ns'' worship of you is 100% different! We''re not crazies like that fox!} </i>(Yumi)


    <i>{Sure, you can think that if you want. Whatever lets you sleep at night.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Nah, that won''t do." Ro shook his head. "Unlike thosemeo Gods, <i>we</i> actually care about our subordinates. You shall be rewarded for your efforts, Rafferty. But we shall figure that out right after we deal with the whore." He turned his attention back to riel, ready to tear the Time Goddess apart.


    "You... You bastards!" Kanato growled as he stood up. The st that struck him had done a great deal of damage, and blood was dripping from his ears and mouth. He was barely able to stand up but that didn''t stop him from trying. "Give us back Hitomi! NOW!"


    <i>{I WON''T LET YOU KEEP HER!} </i>(Kanato)


    "Hitomi?" Zo looked at her brother for an answer. "Oh! You mean thatst girl! Well, sorry to burst your bubble dude, but your little <i>girlfriend</i> was all used up to finish breaking our seal." She gave a thumbs down.


    "Wah-Wah-Wah." Ro replicated the sad trombone noise. ¡°Too bad so sad, dude. That girl is gonzo.¡±


    "What?" Kanato''s body froze and his heart nearly stopped. "You... What did you do to her? What did you do to Hitomi?!?"


    "They <i>ate </i>her." Akagi answered as she stepped forward, cing Yumi into her shadow before approaching the two Primordials. The <i>Demon</i> had no doubt that she could handle them, but taking risks with Yumi wasn''t about to happen.


    "A-Ate?" Kanato fell to the floor, his body numb. ¡°What do you...¡±


    ¡°H-Hitomi... No...¡± Amakusa fell backwards in despair. ¡°I...¡±


    "I watched as her soul was ripped from her flesh and consumed." Akagi continued as she approached the two of them. "Not quite in the same manner that <i>I </i>do it, but close enough." She shrugged.


    <i>{Though in the end, its the same result.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Oh? And who do we have here?" Zo cocked an eyebrow as she gave an irritated look. "You look like a <i>Demon</i>, and the stench of such disgusting energy is making me want to vomit."


    ¡°And this one''s quite a bit more pungent than your average <i>Demon.</i>¡± Ro agreed.


    "Aw, thanks guys! It''s a special new kind of perfume that I bought and I was hoping that people would notice!" Akagi chuckled. "Good to know it''s enjoyed by all!"


    <i>{ITS FUCKING NOT!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Oh, what do we have here? A <i>Demon </i>with a sense of humor?" Ro was surprised, but delighted by Akagi''s retort. "Well, I''ll be dammed! I always thought your kind wouldn''t know a good joke if it crawled up your leg and bit you in the ass!" He said as he spun the baseball bat rapidly in a circle. ¡°This might make things fun.¡±


    "Yeah! Usually, <i>Demons </i>are the most drab and boring idiots this side of the mortal ne!" Zo agreed as she started spinning her bat. ¡°Most of them are as monotone and boring as boring gets!¡±


    "What can I say? I simply enjoy a good joke is all." Akagi gave an overly dramatic shrug. "Doubly so when I''m dealing with two walking ones!" She smirked. "I don''t tend to agree with the idiot Goddess too much but she was dead on about you two. You two really <i>are </i>nothing but children."


    "Aww, you''re with that bitch?" Zo pouted.


    "We''re <i>acquainted</i>." Akagi replied.


    "Well, that''s too bad..." Ro said before Zo snapped their fingers at the same time, causing a massive iron coffin with a face to form around the <i>Demon</i>, trapping her. ¡°Because that means that you''re going to have to die along with that stupid teacher.¡± The twins said at the same time with smirks on their faces.


    "That''s not good!" Halifax called out to the, now ''trapped'', <i>Demon</i>.


    <i>{I-I didn''t even detect any power activation! The speed with which they conjured up that energy was so fast that I couldn''t even detect anything before it was already over! And that coffin... I don''t... I don''t even think that I could cut it! Akagi!} </i>(Halifax)


    "Too bad for you that we''re quite good at killing <i>Demons</i>." Ro quipped as he stopped spinning his bat.


    "Yeah, and we''ve got a nasty way of handling your kind." Zo said as she followed suit. "But don''t worry, you won''t feel a thing!" They both snapped their fingers again, causing tworge balls of energy to form in front of them, one made of thunder and one of lightning, signifying their status as Primordials of both respectively.


    "Now then." Ro and Zo spoke at the same time as they got into a hitting position. "YOU''RE OUTTA HERE!" They smacked their bats into their respective balls of energy, which took off toward the coffin that trapped Akagi at high speed until moments before impact, theybined together, creating a loud boom and sh of light as the fused attacks flew straight in to the open mouth of the face on the coffin, traveling inside before exploding.


    *BOOM!*


    The explosion caused a huge shock wave to erupt from the coffin, and a massive me shot out from the open mouth on top. However, despite the massive shock wave created and the huge plume of smoke kicked up, the coffin itself stood firm in the face of such an attack while the nearby onlookers were knocked to the ground.


    <i>{This is ridiculous! Those two are way to strong! I can''t fight that kind of power, let alone hope to stop it!} </i>(Halifax)


    "And that''s that!" Roughed as he high-fived his sister. ¡°Down goes the <i>Demon.</i>¡±


    "Yeah! We killed that idiot good!¡± Zo snickered. ¡°Hey, if riel acts all like a bitchy teacher, then that <i>Demon </i>girl was kinda like an annoying teacher''s pet!"


    "Oh yeah! Now that you mention it, she kinda reminded me of that one girl we saw in that Hero''s memories! Though I think that was technically some kind of disciplinemittee person and not a teachers pet, but whatever, the <i>Demon</i> has been <i>vaporized</i>. No mortal being can withstand ourbined power, and even a <i>Demon </i>withstand such overwhelming power" Ro smirked. "And with the, probably not teacher''s pet but we''re going to call her that because its funny, out of the way." He pointed his bat at a still-dazed riel. "It''s now time to deal with the <i>teacher </i>herself<i>.</i>"


    "Yeah, and there''s no use begging for your life." Zo grinned as she licked her lips as she looked at the others. "Everyst one of you little teacher''s pets are going straight to hell along with the bitch teacher herself!"She cackled.


    "Teacher, teacher, teacher. Give it a goddamn rest." Akagi''s bored/irritated voice sounded from the inside of the coffin, slightly distorted by the metal.


    ¡°What?!?¡± Zo and Ro eximed in surprise as the coffin burst into metal shards that scattered all around, revealing an unharmed and <i>very </i>irritated Akagi. "You know what, fuck it. As of right now, <i>I''m</i> the teacher, and I''m going to do my job and put you two problem children in<b> </b><i><b>time out</b></i>." She gave an evilugh as her voice distorted.


    "Akagi... She''s okay!" Halifax breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Akagi was unharmed, but the mention of the <i>Demon''s </i>name caused the twins to pause for a moment.


    "Did you expect anything else?" Akagi chuckled. ¡°Why would you think something asme as that would harm me?¡±


    ¡°I... I was just worried...¡± Halifax said with a small smile on her lips.


    <i>{But... I''m d to see you''re okay...} </i>(Halifax)


    "Akagi?" Zo and Ro looked at each other.


    "Isn''t that the name of..." Zo gulped as she recalled something that she saw in Hitomi''s memories.


    "No way, that... That was all just a massive joke..." Ro gave a nervousugh. "This idiot is just trying to spook us, is all." The two had learned about a so-called Demon Lord named Akagi, who had entered Enoris via their discussions with Rafferty and the memories of those they devoured. Neither believed that such a being actually existed, but seeing someone with that name standing before them and surviving theirbination attack gave both pause.


    "Oh?" Akagiughed at their sudden hesitation. "What''s wrong? Where did all that smarm and whit that you had just a moment ago." She gave a Demonicugh. "Don''t tell me, has it been reced with<i><b> fear?</b></i>"


    "Fear?!? Don''t make meugh!" Ro growled as he charged an extraordinary amount of energy into his bat. "We fear nothing and no one!¡±


    "Your damn right! We''d never fear a fucking <i>Demon!</i>" Zo followed suit before charging toward Akagi alongside her brother.


    <i><b>"Well, you should." </b></i>Akagi said as her mouth curved into a nasty smile that showed razor sharp teeth.

 Chapter 339 – An Over the Top Fight.

    Chapter 339 ¨C An Over the Top Fight.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Hey everyone! I just wanted to give you all a heads up. Wednesday''s chapter 340 will mark the end of Book 5 and also the end, for now, of Wednesday chapters overall. I''ve simply had less time to write and while I do have plenty of chapters to still release (around 60) I''m worried about my ability to keep up with the pace AND maintain my quality of writing. So for now the Wednesday chapters will end. I do n on having them return once the story ispleted in its entirety, so keep an eye out for that.


    Sorry if this is disappointing and I agonized over this for weeks but I decided not to risk a drop in quality if I start going through releases faster than expected.


    Thank you all so much for reading and as a special treat the next Saturday chapter will be a about something ya''ll have asked for!


    "HAAAAAAAAA!" Zo and Ro let out a war cry as they charged at Akagi, bats at the ready. The two were powerful, far moreso than riel had expected and they were <i>certain </i>that together, they could handle anything, even a Demon Lord.


    "Time to eat shit, <i>Demon</i>!" Ro and Zo charged a huge amount of power into their bats, bringing them down at Akagi, whose form vanished just as they made contact with her.


    "What?!?" Zo paused as she looked around. She hadn''t expected her target to vanish before her eyes, especially when she considered herself to be the fastest thing alive.


    "Where did she go?!?" Ro looked around but couldn''t see Akagi anywhere, which was concerning.


    "Hey! I''m over here!" Akagi chuckled from behind them as she waved,zily. ¡°Come on, you can do better than that! So try a bit harder before you strike out!¡±


    "Trying to be cute? Huh?!?" Ro growled as he smacked several sts of condensed energy toward Akagi with his bat, which crackled like thunder as they flew toward her.


    <i>*</i>BOOM!* <i>*</i>BOOM!* <i>*</i>BOOM!* <i>*</i>BOOM!*


    "Cute? Nah! I''m adorable!" Akagi cackled as her form vanished again, Ro''s attacks flying into the cavern wall and creating arge st that copsed part of the cavern.


    "She''s fast." Zomented as she slowly scanned the area. "Well then, I suppose that this might be a bit more interesting than I imagined." She cackled slightly as electrical energy crackled around her body.


    "Don''t tell me that she''s faster than you? What would that leave you with then?" Ro smirked.


    "Hah! Hell no! I''m the fastest thing alive and there''s no way that this stupid <i>Demon </i>is faster!" Zo scoffed. As the Primordial of lighting, she was incredibly fast, and her im to be the fastest thing alive was not without merit. riel had some difficulty keeping up with her when shest fought her two hundred years prior and now it was entirely likely that the Goddess couldn''t beat her straight up anymore.


    "Hmmm, I''ma hard disagree with that one." Akagi''s voice came from right next to Zo''s ear, but when she turned to face her, Akagi was already standing a great distance away with a massive smirk on her face. "But do try and prove me wrong. The least you two idiots could do is entertain me for a bit. Though..." She gave an evil cackle. "I hope you''ve got more power than <i>Tahena</i>."


    "That weak God?" Zo furrowed her brows. "We''re way more powerful than that glorified healer! So don''t go thinking your hot shit just because you ended her miserable life!"


    "Yeah, and don''t go getting cocky just because you can move around quickly!" Ro smacked a few more sts at Akagi, which missed again as the <i>Demon</i> vanished once more.


    <i>{Dammit! Why does she have to be so annoying?!? Does she not have any honor?!? Fight us directly and stop with this tactical shit!} </i>(Ro)


    "Alright, I''ve had enough. Bro, let''s give this our <i>all</i>." Zo''s words brought her brother out of his internal diatribe. "I''ve got the strangest feeling that holding back at all here is going to be a bad idea." She had an extremely serious look on her face, which told Ro that something was wrong since she <i>never </i>acted like that.


    "If you say so." Ro nodded, his face showing a bit of nervousness. ¡°Just try and keep up with me.¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry, I''ll have her done and dusted with before you even put on your running shoes!¡± Zoughed as lightning cracked around her body.


    "Oh? You''re going to start taking this seriously are you?" Akagi appeared between the two of them, causing both to leap away. "I''m afraid that I can''t return the favor since that would just be a waste of energy." Sheughed. ¡°Not to mention that it would result in things ending far to fast for my liking.¡±


    <i>{You really are incorrigible, you know that?} </i>(Yumi)


    <i>{I simply know when to have fun and when to take things seriously, and I''m going to take this time to have bit of fun while also testing my own abilities.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Seriously, what the hell is this thing?" Zo asked her brother as the two of them put their bats away. "She''s definitely not a normal <i>Demon, </i>that''s for sure."


    "Maybe she really is some kind of Demon Lord." Ro took a deep breath and steadied himself. "But if that''s the case..." He pped his hands together, causing a massive p of thunder to erupt from his body. "Then we can''t afford to hold back."


    "Yeah, and I suppose kicking a Demon Lord''s ass will be a good warmup before the real fight." Zo chuckled as a huge amount of pink and blue neon lighting kicked up around her. ¡°We''ll deal with her and then start ripping that little Pantheon down from their high horses.¡±


    <i><b>"Come on, Primordials. Let me see what you can do! Give me some worth entertainment and give me a taste of this worlds power!" </b></i>Akagi''s lips curved into a nasty smile as her eyes glinted. She wanted to see how powerful these two were, yes, but more importantly she wanted to see truly see how she stacked up against beings of such power. The <i>Demon </i>was not worried about losing and her calctions put such an oue as almost impossible, but this would serve as a test of sorts, her firstbat against beings of such power, and it would be correct to say that she was <i>excited</i>.


    "With pleasure!" In an instant, the siblings vanished as they rocketed toward Akagi. From an outside perspective, all one could see was a sonic boom and a streak of lightning sh toward the <i>Demon</i>.


    *KABOOM!*


    Not one to just stand around, Akagi matched their incredible speed as the three of them flew around the cavern at a velocity so fast that not even Halifax or riel could keep up. The fights between Halifax and some of the otherpetitors had already pushed the limits of what a mortal could keep up with, but in this sh between Demon Lord and Primordial, there was no telling just how crazy things would get.


    *BOOM* *FLASH* *ZAP* *WOOSH*


    Lightning shed and crackled around the cavern as Zo unleashed her full power. Sometimes she would try to engage Akagi directly in hand-to-handbat, while she also tried to mix in powerful sts of energy which usually missed and scorched the floor and walls. Both her and her brother preferred hand-to-handbat, and Akagi, although one to prefer swordy, was all to happy to amodate them.


    *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG*


    Each time one of them tried to punch her, she''d meet them directly, countering their blow with one of her own and canceling out their attack with an equal disy of power. Each sh was strong enough to send shock waves throughout the entire cavern, and after a few strikes Halifax became concerned that the sheer <i>force</i> of their attacks would cause it to cave in around then.


    <i>{This idiot is going to bring down the entire CITY just to satisfy her lust for battle! I can see the look in her eyes! We''d better make sure that there are no other prisoners down here and then scram before we get crushed!} </i>(Halifax)


    "Come on,e on,e on! I''m disappointed! I thought you were going to take this seriously!" Akagiughed as she continued to deflect and stop their attacks as they flew around at incredible speed. "At least make me have to try a little bit! If we keep going at this pace I might just end things out of boredom!"


    "Shut the hell up! I haven''t begun to show you my speed yet and it won''t be long until I wipe that smirk off your face!" Zo roared as her body crackled with more electrical energy as she sped up even more. "TAKE THIS!" She unleashed an incredible flurry of blows, throwing hundreds of punches as her speed only climbed to more insane heights.


    *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG**BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG**BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG**BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG**BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG**BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG**BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG**BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG**BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG*


    "That''s better! Keep it up! I want a <i>real </i>fight today!" Akagi continued tough as she blocked each and every punch with one of her own, all the while the cave walls began to crack and crumble.


    "Weeee really should probably get out of here..." Halifax grabbed Alm and the stupefied riel, carrying one on each shoulder as she hightailed it to the exit. "Come on you stupid Heroes! Akagi''s in one of <i>those </i>moods, and she''s liable to bring down the whole ce on our heads!" She''d already used her detection abilities to determine that no prisoners remained, likely because they''d all been sacrificed before they arrived.


    "Yeah, we should get the fuck out of here." Amakusa grabbed the still-injured Kanato and put him in a Princess carry, which embarrassed him greatly.


    <i>{Couldn''t you put me over your shoulder or something?} </i>(Kanato)


    "Oi! Don''t give me that look! Just be grateful that I''m even touching your manwhore ass!" Amakusa hissed as she carried him.


    "I''m not a manwhore!" Kanato protested as he was carried away while Rafferty discreetly followed the group from a distance, not wanting to be crushed during the ensuing chaos.


    "Too bad, it looks like our audience took off." Zo smirked as her body crackled and glowed after she and her brother disengaged from the fight, floating a small distance away from the <i>Demon</i>. "That''s unfortunate since I wanted them to see us tear you apart!" She roared as her aura exploded and electricity arched around the cavern, tearing into the walls.


    "LET''S DO THIS!" Ro roared as the three of them renewed their sh at an even higher speed, all the while the cavern ceiling copsed around them as their fists shed. Their high-speed exchange of blows saw them dodge numerousrge chunks of earth that fell from the ceiling, as well as fight on top of the falling debris before the two Primordials got side by side and unleashed a flurry of blows that pushed Akagi up and <i>into</i> the copsing ceiling.


    *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG**BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG**BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG**BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG**BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG**BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG**BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG**BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG**BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG*


    With her back against the literal wall, Akagiughed as she was pushed up and into the ceiling at high speed. The three of them <i>literally </i>tunneled through the ground, rock slicing out of the way as if they were a hot knife cutting through butter.


    "HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT?!" Zo screamed as she continued to unleash an extraordinary flurry of blows. "WE WON''T LET YOU WIN, DEMON!"


    "YEAH! FIRST WE TAKE YOU DOWN, AND THEN WE''LL BRING EVERY LAST ONE OF THOSE BASTARD GODS TO THEIR KNEES. AHHHHH!" Ro put in as much power as he could to match his sister''s speed, and after a few seconds, they''d pushed Akagi so far up that the three of them burst out of the ground and into the city before flying up and into the sky.


    "I have a really bad feeling about this..." Halifax said as she looked at the still incredibly nervous riel who sat on the ground as she watched the ongoing sh, <i>terrified</i>.


    "W-What... How could they... This..." riel couldn''t understand how the twins had gotten so much more powerful, though what disturbed her even more was <i>Akagi''s </i>power.


    <i>{This is impossible! They''re mere children! How could they have such power already?!? At this point... I... I don''t even think that I could beat them on my own! But even more than that... She''s... She''s toying with them... She''s... Just what the hell IS Akagi?!?} </i>(riel)


    "Oh my fucking god...Why does this feel like I''m watching some kind of stupid anime?" Amakusa rolled her eyes as she threw Kanato to the ground. "It''s like one of those damn over-the-top fight scenes from..." She sighed.


    <i>{Oh, I see. Well, just go have fun, you idiot. Just don''t go making your hair blonde...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "YES! YES!" Akagiughed like a madwoman as she and the twins exchanged blows. "THIS IS WHAT I WANTED! FINALLY SOMETHING TO GET ME EXCITED! SOMETHING TO MAKE ME ACTUALLY HAVE TO GIVE A FUCK!" She continued to cackle andugh as they continued their slugging match, each side managing tond blows on the other as they soared higher and higher into the sky, bursting in and out of clouds as energy arched from their bodies and into the distance.


    "I''d say I''m having a bit of fun too!" Zoughed as she was punched in the face.


    "Yeah! For a <i>Demon, </i>you''re pretty good!" Roughed as he managed tond a good hit on Akagi. ¡°I might actually be enjoying myself!¡±


    <i><b>"THEN LETS KEEP GOING! I WANT TO SEE EVERYTHING YOU''VE GOT! I WANT MORE! I NEED MORE!" </b></i>Akagi hadpletely lost herself in the fight as her battle lust took over, and her eyes burned hot with passion. This was the first time since she''d be a Demon Lord that she''d found a battle that she could properly enjoy, even if she <i>was </i>holding back considerably so as to keep things fun.


    *ZOOM* *BANG* *BANG* ZOOM *BANG* *BANG* ZOOM *BANG* *BANG* ZOOM *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG*


    Increasing the speed and intensity of their dual even further, Akagi and the twins eventually flew so high into the sky that observers on the ground could no longer see them. Enoris didn''t have ''outer space'' like Earth, but it was still a, and after increasing their altitude to a certain point, they eventually got to the point where they could see the curvature of the below.


    "Hey, if we keep going like this, we might just wind up in the Heavens!" Zo quipped as she took a kick to the side of the head and was punted away.


    <i><b>"If that was possible, then it would make things a whole lot easier!" </b></i>Akagi roared as she pummeled Ro over and over again with her fists. As they ascended the sky behind them did not turn ck like it would above Earth and was instead a pale red color. Akagi figured that the way this world worked was that it essentially had one local cluster with Enoris <i>itself</i> at the center. The moons that orbited the were real, but the ''Sun'' in the distance was a construct made of pure energy and was likely not reachable under ordinary circumstances. <i><b>"But let''s forget about all that for the moment! Keep going! I''m starting to enjoy myself! Give me everything you''ve got!" </b></i>The <i>Demon </i>cackled as their battle above Enoris continued, all the while Gale observed from the safety of the Heavenly Realm.


    "This Demon Lord... It truly seems like it will be troublesome..." Gale clicked his tongue as he watched the fight via a small scrying screen. "Though..." His lips curved into a nasty smirk. "She may be <i>exactly </i>what I need." He startedughing to himself as a group of Angels in the background continued work on a massive magic circle, at the center of which was a dark ball of energy wrapped in Divine chains.


    <i>{Demon Lords. Such fascinating creatures they are, and this one seems more than capable of holding a civilized conversation.} </i>Gale thought as he continued to watch the unfolding sh. "I''d love to speak to her. Perhaps we could findmon ground, though I''ll need to be ready for battle with her, since I foresee that as being necessary one way or another." He waved his hand and dismissed the scrying screen before turning around and looking at the chained ball of energy. "Though I''d best find a way to use <i>you </i>before engaging her in open battle. I''m not foolish to start a direct fight with such a being <i>without </i>my trump card."

 Chapter 340 – A Childhood Fantasy.

    Chapter 340 ¨C A Childhood Fantasy.


    "Ha. Ha. Ha." Zo and Ro were exhausted after they battle with Akagi and their bodies bore the results of their sh, being covered in bruises, scratches, and other signs of battle damage. They''d been shing with Akagi at their full power for some time, and while there were a few visible injuries on Akagi''s face, it was beginning to look like they were facing an insurmountable foe. The <i>Demon </i>had thoroughly enjoyed herself during their sh and was happy to see just how far they managed to push her.


    "Not bad, kids. Not bad." Akagiughed as the few visible injuries that she had burned away in ck fire, leaving her lookingpletely fresh and unharmed. "I''ll admit that you got me a bit excited, and I may have gotten a bit <i>too </i>into things." She gave a dryugh.


    <i>{I was waiting for you to make your hair all long, spiky, and blonde. And also, a bit excited? You were positively frothing at the mouth from excitement, and your smile was so big that I thought you were going to tear your face in half with how much fun you were having...} </i>Yumi''d been watching everything from within Akagi''s shadow, and wasn''t surprised to see the battle junkie side of Akagie out in full force. She found it dorky and adorable, and was something that always made herugh.


    "Quiet you." Akagi chided her. "Let me have my fun! It''s been so long since I got a good scrap like that!" She huffed.


    <i>{I''ll give you extra ear scratches when we get home as a reward.} </i>(Yumi)


    "Just what in the hell are you?" Ro asked as he struggled to catch his breath. He was almostpletely exhausted and was on the verge of copse. "It doesn''t even look like we''ve done any real damage despite the amount of times my fist has cracked into your face. What the hell..."


    "You said you''re a Demon Lord, right?" Zo asked, out of breath. "But there''s no way that''s true! Vikes was powerful but even <i>he</i> struggled to fight the Gods on his own, and bro and I are even more powerful than many of them!"


    <i>{This is absurd! It''s like we''re fighting a never-ending waterfall of power! Every time I think we''ve gotten to the end it just keeps going!} </i>(Zo)


    "Well, I hate to burst your bubble but I am a Demon Lord, just like Vikes." Akagi answered them. "However, it would do you well to understand that the one you''ve heard of, Vikes... Well, he was a mere infant." She smirked.


    <i>{Not to mention, that he and I aren''t reallyparable. Mizumi''s little merging of souls really created a monster among monsters.} </i>(Akagi)


    <i>{We got kitty out of that so I''d say it was for the best.} </i>(Yumi)


    "Infant..." Zo looked to her brother. She recalled their father mentioning that the Demon Lord he watched terrorize the world was young and that many assumed that he would''ve gotten more powerful with age. Though, she never imagined that <i>this </i>was what Vikes could''ve turned into.


    "But this doesn''t make any sense!" Ro swung at the air, angry. "Even if Vikes was much weaker due to his young age, there''s no way such a power gap should exist between us! Sure plenty of beings gain considerable power as they hit maturity, but what you have... It''s absurd!"


    <i>{This goes against all logic and reason! How could a being with that much power exist! It just doesn''t make sense!} </i>(Ro)


    "Of course it''s absurd." Akagi sighed as she shook her head. "Demon Lords are meant to destroy the world we are created within." She raised her hand and pointed toward him. "It would be even <i>more </i>absurd if we were created <i>without </i>such overwhelming power." She fired a beam of ck energy that tore straight through Ro''s shoulder.


    "Ah!" He screamed in pain. Akagi''s attack was so fast that neither of them had any time to react, and it did considerable damage in an instant.


    "Bro!" Zo growled as she turned back to Akagi. ¡°You bastard!¡±


    "I''m... I''m fine..." Ro put on a brave smile as he clutched his shoulder. He wasn''t bleeding, and instead ck and red power ejected from his injury like a burning gas line. Primordials, like Gods, didn''t have physical bodies and could change their form at will. Thus, when their physical form took damage it would ''leak'' rather than ''bleed.''


    "Do you understand the difference between us now?" Akagi asked as she floated in front of them. "Do you understand that you have absolutely no chance of defeating me?"


    "Then what the hell was all this anyway?!?" Zo screamed. "Are you trying to tell me that you just toyed with us?!? That our fight here was nothing but a joke to you?!?" Her pride was wounded by the thought that she was seen as no threat, and her blood boiled in anger. "Did you even take us seriously for a moment?!?"


    "I most certainly took you seriously, well, at least as seriously as I needed to." Akagi smiled. "I''ll admit that I was a <i>bit</i> excited during our battle. Nobody has ever made me use even close to that amount of power, and I''ll thank you for entertaining me." She pped slowly. "You both deserve a gold star for allowing me to live out one of my childhood fantasies, so thanks!"


    <i>{Not gonna go through different forms for fun? I know how much you probably wanted to do a bit more goofing around. Maybe you could MEW them to death?} </i>Yumi knew of one scene in particr that Akagi probably wanted to reenact.


    "Hah! I <i>did </i>want to do a whole ''Super Akagi'' thing, but then I decided not to be <i>that </i>cringe." Akagi chuckled as Yumi rolled her eyes within the <i>Demon''s </i>shadow. "Though I will fully admit that <i>I </i>may be a bit of a special case among my kind. Most don''t retain any rational thought, and if youbine a few special extras that I picked up along the way, I''m probably a bit more overpowered than your average Demon Lord." She winked.


    "As powerful as you are, there''s still gotta be a way to take you down!" Zo grumbled. "No one is invincible! We''ll just need to figure out what your weakness is and exploit it!"


    <i>{Maybe if they y to your sense of vanity, they could beat you? Perhaps they lure you in with pets and snacks?} </i>Yumiughed and was promptly bonked on the head by a shadow fist.


    "My weakness is actually pretty simple." Akagi replied. "All you need to do is hit me <i>really really hard</i>." She nodded confidently, and both siblings raised eyebrows. "No, no, seriously! Get somebody with more raw power than me and have them toss me about, and I''d probably go down like a sack of potatoes! I''m not immortal, and killing me is 100% theoretically possible! <i>Albeit, very improbable!" </i>Sheughed.


    "I see..." Ro took a deep breath as he nced at his sister. "Then we''ll just have to hit you with everything that we''ve got!" The two got shoulder to shoulder, sticking out one hand each and channeling energy into them.


    "If we need to hit you really hard." Zo said.


    "Then let''s see how you handle this!" Ro finished as the two of them unleashed two massive twin sts of blue power that streaked at Akagi in a massive line before wrapping around one other, fusing together into a single, bigger, and more powerful, beam attack.


    "Oh, Oh, Oh! THAT MEANS THAT I GET TO DO THIS!" Akagi squeed as she cupped her hands at her side and began channeling a ball of ck power in between her palms. "I have <i>always </i>wanted to do <i>this</i>." She began cackling as the ball of power increased in intensity.


    <i>{Ah, there it... I knew that you couldn''t help yourself... But it''s cute how true you are to your own silliness... It''s what I love about you.} </i>(Yumi)


    "Listen, there''s nobody who didn''t want to use this when they were a kid!" Akagi thrust her arms forward in an iconic pose, unleashing a massive ck beam from the palms of her hands. "HAAAAAAAAA!"


    The beams rushed toward one another at incredible speed before colliding in a beam struggle above the. Akagiughed manically as she continued to pour more power into the attack, while the twins struggled to hold her back.


    "What the hell is this?!?" Zoined that Akagi was too strong. "How the hell can she still have that much power?!?" She groaned in frustration as her body struggled to keep going.


    <i>{THIS IS STUPID!} </i>(Zo)


    "We need to give this everything, Sis!" Ro tried to pep her up. "Stopping her here is the most important thing right now! WE HAVE TO DO THIS! NOT JUST FOR US BUT FOR EVERYONE!" He poured even more power into his part of the attack, increasing its size and intensity.


    "Yeah, your right!" Zo''s body welled with energy. "This isn''t about us anymore, its about keeping Enoris safe! And besides, I can''t let you take all the credit for saving the world." Sheughed as she dove deep into her reserves, channeling power that even she didn''t know she had.


    "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Zo and Ro let out a mighty roar as they poured an incredible amount of power into their attacks, and slowly but surely Akagi''s beam was pushed back. It was looking like a sudden burst of strength from within would save the day, and that the <i>Demon </i>would be vanquished by the two unlikely Heroes.


    "Oh? Not bad! Not bad at all!" Akagi cackled like a madwoman as the beam struggle seemed to turn against her. There was not a hint of worry on her face, rather she looked <i>excited </i>at this sudden power up. "But sadly for you, this isn''t some kind of story where the Heroes get ast-minute boost to defeat the viin in a spectacr turn around!" She channeled even more power until her hair turned inky ck and flowed like fire. "Now then, while I''d love to let this go on a bit longer, I''ve got things to do. So... LET''S END THIS! HAAAAAA!" She poured a huge amount of power into her beam, easily pushing back the twins until it reached and swallowed the two of them whole.


    "AHHHHHHHHHH!" The twin Primordials were enveloped by the dark beam as it streaked towards Enoris, flying at high speed toward the ground where it collided with a mountain, creating an explosion sorge that itpletely vaporized it and the surrounding hills and terrain.


    *KABOOM!*


    The st was sorge that Akagi could see it from where she was floating high above the and once she was sure things were over she powered down and reverted to normal.


    "Hmpf." Akagi smirked as she watched the explosion.


    END OF BOOK 5

 Bonus Chapter 2 – A New Magical Girl?!?

    Bonus Chapter 2 ¨C A New Magical Girl?!?


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    I regret nothing.


    "Ohohohohoho!" Demon Princessughed evilly as she chucked sts of dark energy toward Magical Girl Star Guardian. The two had been fighting in arge park that had been emptied of civilians, leaving them to fight their battle of good versus evil in peace. "If that''s the best you can do, then perhaps I should finish you off right here and now, Magical Girl!"


    *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM*


    "Keepughing, but I''ll defeat you just like I always have, Demon Princess!" Star Guardian said as she fired sts of her own that matched and nullified thoseing from her opponent. "Lest you for get that I won during ourst battle when you had Sungglekins'' power, and this time, you''ve got no one else''s power but your own!" She said as she rushed forward, shing her wand with a ck staff summoned by Demon Princess.


    *BOOM* *CRACKLE* *SPARK*


    "Ah, but that''s where you''re <i>wrong</i>." Demon Princessughed as she summoned a small ck wand in her off-hand. "You see, Magical Girl. I''ve taken a page out of your book and delved into the power of friendship!¡±


    ¡°What?!?¡± Star Guardian gasped in disbelief.


    ¡°But unlike you the person that I''ve found is someone shares my dreams of a world without good!" Demon Princess cackled as she flicked her wrist, shooting a ck beam from the wand toward a nearby slide. "Now then, let me introduce you to one of my new <i>friends</i>!Assist me, Guon!"


    <i>{Again, what?!?} </i>(Star Guardian)


    As the slide was struck with the ck beam it began to twist and morph as the dark energy corrupted its very form. After a few moments it started to grow arms and legs, slowly standing up as it ripped itself from the foundation.


    "What is that?!?" Star Guardian yelped as she was thrown back by a quick push from Demon Princess. "A monster?!?"


    <i>{Since when can she summon monsters?!?} </i>(Star Guardian)


    "Uh-Uh-Uh.¡° Demon Princess tutted. ¡°You see, Magical Girl, it''s not just a monster, it''s <i>Guon</i>!" She said as she leaped back andnded on the, now massive, slide''s shoulder. "He is a gift from my new Master, the Dark Lord who will rule this world and bring it to ruin!"


    "GUON!" The slide yelled from its newly formed, and cartoonish-looking mouth. Its form vaguely resembling a cartoon character with proportions that were not exactly realistic or practical, though somehow it worked perfectly, and its eyes were covered in a ck pointy mask that Star Guardian likened to something from a circus.


    "A Dark Lord?!? Who is that?!?" Star Guardian gasped as the giant slide began lumbering toward her, its red over sized shoes crushing the ground below her as it unleashed a mighty stomp.


    "The Dark Lord is the most amazing being I''ve ever met! Their hatred for this world even exceeds my own! Ohohohohoho!" Demon Princess cackled as she appreciated her position of power. "Now, Guon show this Magical Girl the power granted to you by the Dark Lord! Crush her into pixie dust with the power of our <i>Dark Friendship</i>!"


    <i>{DARK FRIENDSHIP?!?} </i>(Star Guaridan)


    "GUON!" Guon crashed forward, smashing its boxing glove-d fists into the ground where Star Guardian had been only moments prior, creating a massive crater as it impacted that kicked up rocks and debris and sent them flying like shot gun pellets.


    *BOOM*


    "It''s so fast!" Star Guardian said as she leaped away, barely doding arge chunk of concrete as it flew past her head. "How can it move so quickly even though its so big?!?"


    "GUON!" The slide monster roared as charged forward, its legs blurring due to the high speed and reminding Star Guardian of a blue hedgehog she''d once seen.


    <i>{Does he eat chill dogs too?!?} </i>(Star Guardian)


    "This isn''t the time for silly thoughts! Star Shield!" Star Guardian formed a blue star-shaped shield in front of her that the slide monster pounded on with its giant fists.


    *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM*


    ¡°GUON!¡± Guon yelled as it continued its assault, cracks forming in the shield with each punch.


    "Its... Too... Strong..." Star Guardian groaned as she buckled under the weight of the Guon''s assault. Its power was so great that brought her down on one knee as she struggled to hold back its unrelenting attacks, her shield fading quickly under its sheer power.


    <i>{At this rate, the city will be destroyed!} </i>(Star Guardian)


    "Ohohohohoho!" Demon Princess cackled from her position on the Guon''s shoulder. "It would seem this would be the end! It''s time to finish her off. Guon, use your most powerful attack and end the Magical Girl once and for all! And once she''s gone we'' find that disgusting Snugglekins and show her true sadness! Ohohohohohoho!"


    <i>{She shall be forced to watch as I eat all the pudding cups! Such an evil woman I am!} </i>(Demon Princess)


    "GUON!" The slide monster winded its fist back for a blow that was sure to destroy Guardian''s shield, but just as it seemed all hope was a voice in the distance bringing it roaring back to life.


    "Niko-Niko Beam!" A pink beam of warmth and goodness struck Demon Princess in the back, sending her flying off the Guon and momentarily startling the beast due to the warmth and happiness.


    "Gack!" Demon Princess cried out in pain as she hit the ground, the pink beam having filled her with all that was good in the world and causing her great pain as it flooded her body with sparkles and snuggles.


    "Now! Attack the beast together!" A young pink-haired girl called out to Star Guardian in the distance. She was standing on top of a nearbymp post, her flowing pink, purple and white outfit and white floppy bunny ears making it obvious that she was a magical girl.


    <i>{YO!} </i>(Star Guardian)


    "I never thought I''d be happy to be saved by you!" Star Guardian gave a wry smile as she used her still barely clinging-on shield to push back against the Guon monster and knock it off bnce since it had be distracted.


    "Guon?!?" The slide monster stumbled backward, nearly falling over as it was struck from behind by a full power kick in the back from the mysterious pink magical girl, its body bending into an L shape from the sheer force of the attack as it was sent flying into Demon Princess who''d only recently gotten up.


    *BOOM*


    "Nice kick!" Star Guardian said as the other Magical Girlnded next to her. ¡°That was amazing!¡±


    <i>{AND SHE''S SO CUTE!} </i>(Star Guardian)


    "It''s all thanks to my Niko Energy! Niko-Niko!" The other magical girl made a cute pose as she lightly squished her cheeks with the tips of her fingers. Her face showed absolute happiness, but her eyes told a slightly different story.


    "Pffff.... Sorry..." Star Guardianughed for a moment but quickly recovered.


    "Another Magical Girl?!?" Demon Princess growled as she pulled herself out up under the Guon monster. ¡°Who are you?!?¡±


    "Me? Why I''m Magical Girl Lovely Heart! Friend to all and bringer of Smiles! Niko-Niko!" Lovely Heart said as a rainbow shed behind her.


    <i>{How many pillows did this cost?!?} </i>(Star Guardian)


    "I see. There are<i> more </i>of your disgustingly cute and kind kind out there!" Demon Princess said.


    ¡°We are made from the good in the world.¡± Lovely Heart said. ¡°Wherever there is darkness a Magical Girl shall be there to defeat it!¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Star Guardian said before nodding to Lovely Heart.


    ¡°And now its time to defeat you!¡± (Lovely Heart x Star Guardian)


    The two formed up shoulder to shoulder and clicked their wands together above their head.


    ¡°Miracle Heart, open!¡± (Lovely Heart x Star Guardian)


    ¡°What?!?¡± Demon Princess hissed as the two were covered in a bright light that made her burn from how pure and good it was. It didn''t take long for it to fade, but once it did it revealed the two Magical Girls had evolved, their clothing bing much puffier and frillier, while their power had doubled in strength.


    ¡°This is the end, Demon Princess!¡± Star Guardian and Lovely Heart said as they pointed their wands at her.¡°Snuggle beam!¡±


    The two charged up arge rainbow colored st that zoomed toward Demon Princess at incredible speed, engulfing her in a moment.


    ¡°Nooo! This warmth! Aahhhhhhh!¡± Demon Princess shrieked as she was being purified by the goodness energy, but just as it was about topletely destroy her she managed to kick off the ground andnd on top of a nearby tree.


    ¡°Heh.... Heh...¡± Demon Princess huffed and puffed from the severe damage she''d taken, burns on parts of her body.


    ¡°She escaped?!?¡± Star Guardian yelped. ¡°But the Snuggle beam should purify all evil!¡±


    ¡°We''ll just have to do it again!¡± Lovely Heart said as she pointed her want at Demon Princess


    ¡°I think not. Let''s end things here, Magical Girls!¡± Demon Princess said as she opened up a ck vortex next to her. ¡°You may have won today, but next time you won''t be so lucky! This was only a taste of Guon''s power. Ohohohohoohohoho!" She cackled as her form slipped into the darkness before disappearing along with it.


    "Coward! Come back here!" Star Guardian yelled out futilely. "We''ll find you and your master one of these days! And we shall defeat you!"


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Star Guardian agreed as they reverted back to normal and looking at Lovely Heart. ¡°So... How much did-¡±


    *SMACK*


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Lovely Heart whacked Star Guardian on the back of the head with her wand, causing aedic lump form.


    ¡°Owchie! Lovely Heart has gone evil! Quick lets take you to Snugglekins to purify you!¡± Star Guardian said while holding in augh.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    "<i>I see, so the Guon lost..." </i>A deep, dark, distorted voice came over therge static-filled screen at the top of the room. Demon Princess had retreated back to heryer post-defeat and was giving a recap of events to her new Master. The Guon experiment had been defeated but its value had been proven. Had it not been for the intervention of Lovely Heart, its likely that Star Guardian would''ve been defeated and the good people of Fluffy Town corrupted into evil.


    "Yes, Master." Demon Princess said from a kneeling position. "A second Magical Girl appeared right before I could destroy that wretched Star Guardian. I know its no excuse for my failure."


    <i>"Hmm... More Magical Girls... But that''s okay. The next Guon will be far... more stronger... than this one, yeah. It... It uh was just a weak... pro-to-type?" </i>The Dark Lord seemed to almost stumble over a few words as it spoke. "<i>Um... Keep up the good works and together we shall rule the world together!"</i>


    "Of course! Together nothing can stop us, my Lord!" Demon Princess said right before the feed cut off.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <??? POV>


    "Hmmm... Those words were hard..." A familiar looking young girl with short green hair said as she sat in an over sizedputer chair. "But that Demon Princessdy was funny! And she looked so pretty in that dress! I wanna wear something like that!" She said as she spun the chair around. "Can I wear something like that since I did good, kitty? I said all the words you had on that paper!" The young girl said as she looked at the sight of <i>Snugglekins </i>sitting triumphantly on a dark throne surrounded by mes, while also eating pudding.


    "MEW!"


    ¡°Hurray! Snuggles <i>and</i> a cute dress!¡± The young girl cheered as she walked up the dark stairs and pet the kitty for what was likely hours.


    Spoiler


    Magical Girl Lovely Heart.


    [copse]

 Chapter 341 – Consequences Millions of Years in the Making.

    Chapter 341 ¨C Consequences Millions of Years in the Making.


    As the Holy City''s residents panicked at the unfolding battle in the sky, and subsequently the lower <i>orbit</i> above, and Halifax and the others talked amongst themselves about the fight. They all thought that Akagi was being stupid and over the top, though there was a level of appreciation for just how crazy powerful the <i>Demon </i>was. Though, while the others'' opinion ranged from bemusement to exasperation, riel stood frozen in ce, her eyes locked to the sky as her body shook in terror at what she''d just witness.


    She was fully aware that Akagi was a powerful being. That much was clear by her ability to <i>kill</i> Gods through their connection to their Avatars. But watching the <i>Demon </i>effortlessly dispatch the two Primordials, beings that riel was now <i>certain </i>had grown strong enough to defeat many of the Gods in openbat, had left her shaken to the core.


    <i>{What kind of Hell is this? No, what kind of JOKE is this?!? How... How could one being possess so much power? And more importantly, why is it someone like HER?!?} </i>riel thought back to one of the small discussions that she''d had with Akagi during a moment alone, where she asked a bit more about Demon Lords and what they were. At the time she hadn''t thought much of it, and ims of being a universal <i>delete button</i> was something that she''d originally brushed off as ssic Akagi bluster, but now, it wasn''t looking so hyperbolic anymore.


    "That right..." riel gave a defeatedugh as the other three bickered with each other.


    <i>{Demon Lord really are effectively a greater version of Divine Punishment, aren''t they. Mortals fear our wrath and ability to simply destroy them if they run afoul of our wishes, and in this case, I suppose one could say that reality ITSELF has tired of us and sent in the ultimate extermination device. We truly are of no consequence, are we? Even Gods... Even beings such as us... Beings of a supposedly ''higher authority''... Beings that are supposed to be the very peak of creation... We''re nothing more than cogs in the machine, parts that can and WILL be destroyed if the greater system demands it...} </i>(riel)


    "Hey... Hey... Idiot... riel!" Halifax shook her shoulder, snapping the Goddess out of her stupor. "You alright? I''ve never seen you get ssy-eyed like that before." She looked genuinely worried. riel wasn''t one to lose herposure, and Halifax was a bit concerned to see her so worried.


    "Oh... No, I''m fine..." riel shook her head, pushing away her darker thoughts for the moment. "I was just lost in thought is all."


    "I''m going to wager it about that crazy disy up there?" Halifax snickered as she pointed over her shoulder. "Akagi really did go and overdid it, huh?"


    <i>{Though it was interesting to see her power put into perspective.} </i>(Halifax)


    "I''d say that <i>over did it </i>is an understatement..." Amakusa rolled her eyes. "Not only did she zip around like that and trash parts of the City, she also exploded a nearby <i>mountain</i>..." She pointed to the massive crater in the distance, where one of the colossal mountains that surrounded the Holy City used to be. ¡°I''d say that this stupid disy waspletely unnecessary, but that would just be me beating a dead horse.¡±


    <i>{And knowing Akagi she''d fucking resurrect the damn thing just to kill it again...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "We''re lucky that nobody lives there..." Kanato gave a wry smile. "But dear God... We really went and pissed off the wrong woman, didn''t we?"


    "That''s <i>another </i>massive understatement..." Amakusa sighed. "To be fair, up until this exact moment, I think even <i>I </i>underestimated her. I knew she was crazy fucking powerful, but this..." She shook her head. "This is just a farce. I mean,e on. What kind of person needs that kind of power? Itspletely unreasonable!"


    "It makesplete sense to me." Halifax shrugged. "Have you not been told by Akagi <i>exactly </i>what she is? She''s made it clear multiple times that her kind is the universal delete button." She turned to look at the crater and mes burning around it in the distance. "It just shows how lucky we really were with Vikes..."


    "Yeah... I''d imagine that had we not gotten him when we did... Then <i>none</i> of us would be here right now." riel words gave everyone pause. "Enoris would''ve been burned to ash, and nothing would''ve stopped him."


    <i>{Though one may ask, it is not better to be vanquished than to live under the boot of such a creature? Her attitude may one day change on a whim, and there''s no telling what she''ll do in the future. Long-lived beings rarely remain the same, and it is entirely likely that...} </i>(riel)


    "Wait!" Amakusa started looking around frantically, cutting off riel''s train of thought with her outburst. "Where''s that <i>bitch</i>?!?" She growled as she spun around. "Alm might be safe, but I''m going to gut that fucking traitorous whore and make her regret even <i>thinking </i>ofying her hands on her! RAFFERTY! GET OUT HERE AND FACE THE FUCKING MUSIC YOU BITCH!" She called out to the fox girl, who was nowhere to be seen. ¡°DON''T TRY TO HIDE! I''LL HUNT YOU DOWN TO THE ENDS OF THE GODS DAMMED EARTH!¡±


    <i>{AND WHEN I FIND YOU I''M GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU REGRET EVER BEING CREATED!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Maybe don''t make such a scene in the middle of the street." Kanato sighed as he pointed to the people staring at them. ¡°You''re attracting a lot of attention.¡±


    <i>{Good thing her and riel are still disguised.} </i>(Kanato)


    "I don''t care about that!" Amakusa said as she walked over and picked up the unconscious Alm off the ground. "Let them gawk at me all they want! And Kanato, don''t you want that bitch to pay?!? She betrayed all of us and even <i>killed </i>Hitomi! So how can you just stand there and be calm?!?"


    "I... Of course, I want her brought to justice..." Kanato looked away. "But I''m... I''m just tired of fighting... and killing..."


    <i>{I don''t... I don''t want do this anymore...} </i>(Kanato)


    "I wonder if we can revive her?" Halifax rested her hand on her chin as she thought aloud. "Gods can easily resurrect the dead, so I''m sure we can bring her back." She nced at riel for answers.


    "You''d need the Goddess of Death, Esquire, to handle that." riel replied. "But I''m going to tell you upfront that it''s useless to even ask her for help."


    "And why''s that?" Kanato asked.


    "Because those two idiots ate her soul." Akagi''s voice startled the four of them as she floated down from the sky and appeared behind them. ¡°Hello there.¡±


    <i>{You just couldn''t resist, could you?} </i>(Yumi)


    <i>{This is me we''re talking about, so no.} </i>(Akagi)


    "That''s right, you did say something like that before the brawl kicked off." Halifax nodded, ignorant of Akagi''s reference.


    "So what, she''s just permanently dead?!?" Amakusa figured that meant Hitomi was just trapped in a state of death as some kind of roaming Spirit or even within Hell.


    "Dead? Nah its even worse than that, <i>pet</i>. The Heroine isn''t just pushing up daises, oh no, she just t out <i>doesn''t exist anymore</i>." Akagi''s voice caused both Hero''s bodies to go numb.


    "Doesn''t... Exist..." Kanato repeated the words back, not wanting them to be true.


    ¡°Now you see kids when <i>I </i>consume a soul, it''s broken down into its fundamental parts and absorbed into my being. It''s the same as when you eat an apple. It''s broken down by your stomach acid and absorbed into your body, and just like humpty dumpty, there''s no putting it back together once ites apart." Akagi crossed her arms into an X. "Consumption by me or in another simr manner <i>removes </i>your soul from creation, and once that happens, even I or another Demon Lord cannot undo it. You''re gone, <i>permanently</i>. Poof, you no longer exist. There is no resurrection, no reincarnation, you do not pass Go, and you most certainly do not collect two hundred dors."


    "Fuck..." Kanato cursed. "It''s all my fault... I should''ve... I should''ve been stronger... I should''ve..."


    <i>{I should''ve tried to save her sooner...} </i>(Kanato)


    "No, don''t go ming yourself, Hero." Akagi said. "If you want to me anyone, I''d start with this one." She pointed to riel, who looked away. "<i>Her</i> kind are the ones who started all this nonsense. They picked a fight with the Primordials, they sealed those two, and <i>they </i>brought you here. So at the end of the day, the buck stops with them on this issue."


    "She... She''s right..." riel reluctantly nodded. "No responsibility lies with anyone else for Hitomi''s... <i>death</i>... <i>I </i>was the one who summoned the four of you to this world... So the me here, just like with the death of the Spirits, lies with me and the other Gods..."


    <i>{We''re suppose to be the highest power here and all of this happened because of our own ignorance and hubris.} </i>(riel)


    "So what the hell am I supposed to do now?!?" Kanato snapped. "Hitomi''s dead, Muichiro is fuck knows where Shiroe is basically Akagi''s ve and I..." He paused, trying to hold back tears. "I''m just a <i>fuck up</i> who wanted to y Hero... and as a result of..." He started to cry a bit, the floodgates breaking wide open. "As a result of my stupid ego... My pride... My... My <i>selfishness</i>... I''ve done nothing but bring misery to the people of this world!" Kanato continued his rant. "You told me on the day that we came to Enoris that we would be <i>saving </i>people from evil! That we would be <i>Heroes</i>!" His outburst was liable to attract too much attention, so Akagi snapped her fingers and created an illusion around them that not only wiped spectators'' memory of them being there but made it so passersbys couldn''t see or hear what was happening. "But in reality... You''ve done nothing but turn us into murderers, <i>monsters</i>!" Kanato threw his sword to the ground in defeat and frustration. "We trusted you, <i>I </i>trusted you... And you all took advantage of us... You used us to do something so horrific, and for WHAT?!? So that you could <i>live</i>? You sacrificed so many innocent people just to... Just to save your own damn lives?!?" He put his head in his hands. "You''re supposed to be the Gods of this world! You''re suppose to protect it, but you''ve done NOTHING of the sort. Hell, I''d even go as far as to say that you''re not Gods, you''re <i>Demons</i>. <i>Demons </i>who''ve done nothing but deceive the people of this world of your true nature!" He looked at riel, his eyes burning with disgust and hatred.


    <i>{Are you not going to retort about there being a Demon standing right here?} </i>(Yumi)


    <i>{Nah, even I know when to let things alone.} </i>(Akagi)


    <i>{REALLY?!? SINCE WHEN?!? WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH AKAGI?!?} </i>(Yumi)


    His rant was the culmination of years of frustration, and with his prior doubts now vindicated he was no longer capable of holding things in. For her part, riel stood and took his words without flinching, and she allowed him to finish. Even Amakusa was surprised by what just happened, as Kanato only <i>rarely </i>got angry, and he was never the kind of man to show such utter contempt on his face.


    <i>{I guess even people like him have their limits. Though in fairness, everything he said was dead on the money.} </i>(Halifax)


    "You''re right." riel answered calmly. "What we''ve done... Not just in this one instance, but throughout our entire history cannot be forgiven." She briefly nced at Halifax. "At some point along the way, we stopped thinking of ourselves as part of this world... And just like the Primordials warned us... We began to see ourselves as <i>above </i>it... Gale, the others... and even me... We''re all guilty of treating the people of this world as tools, as <i>things </i>to be used in our ns, and we were more than happy to dispose of them if we deemed it necessary..." She shook her head. "It''s no wonder that not one but <i>two </i>Demon Lords havee to our world. I suppose it''s fitting for beings like us to be destroyed in such a way." She looked over at Akagi. "Tell me, were we at fault for Vikes'' arrival? Was it our actions that prompted his creation?"


    "I''m afraid that even <i>I </i>can''t answer that." Akagi shrugged before turning and floating into the air. "And at the end of the day, the reason isn''t really relevant now, is it?" She said as she floated the others along with her.


    "No... No, you''re right..." riel replied as the six of them flew toward the massive crater where the Primordial twins had crashed.


    <i>{How it started is of no consequence. For now, all that matters is how it ends.} </i>(riel)

 Chapter 342 – Things Are Never Easy.

    Chapter 342 ¨C Things Are Never Easy.


    "Did they actually survive that massive explosion?" Kanato asked as the group set down. "That explosion wasrge enough to level an entire <i>mountain</i> and even created a crater that by my rough math isrger than some <i>cities</i>.¡±


    ¡°At this point I''m expecting it to be like one of those period dramas where the character just gets back up after being hit with the dull end of the sword.¡± Amakusamented as she praised the ground for returning to her.


    ¡°Maybe... But I still find it hard to believe that anything would survive such power, <i>especially</i> after being beaten down by you beforehand." He said as he looked over at Akagi.


    "Oh don''t worry, they''re still kicking." Akagi answered as she looked into the smoking crater. The dus kicked up had yet to settle and there as almost no visibility once you got past the lip. "The whole reason I came here in the first ce was to talk to them, so killing them would kinda invalidate my original purpose."


    <i>{And yet you still might do it. I know you well enough to know that you can and would do exactly that. Cough Baron Arfson, Cough.} </i>Yumi snickered as she poked fun at Akagi''s prior history of killing then asking questions never.


    "Hush!" Akagi grumbled at her. "Lest I bonk you <i>again!"</i>


    <i>{Oh no, not the bonking...}</i> Yumi''s eye roll was audible. <i>{Whatever shall I do?}</i>


    "I swear... You''re lucky I like you..." Akagi sighed.


    "Where is that voiceing from anyway?" Kanato asked. He could hear Yumi but couldn''t see her. ¡°It sounds like she''s closeby, but I saw you take her <i>somewhere</i>.¡±


    "Oh, nowhere special just <i>from within Hell itself</i>." Amakusa replied with a fake smile.


    "I mean... She''s not <i>wrong</i>." Halifaxughed.


    "How is it Hell when it has free breakfast and as many kitty snuggles as you could ask for?" Akagi retorted. ¡°Sounds like a great ce to me if your asking.¡±


    <i>{We''re not...} </i>(Amakusa)


    <i>{I don''t know the breakfast waffles weren''t very good, they were a bit too crispy this time. Not to mention that the kitty stole my sock!} </i>Yumiughed and was bonked.


    "But to answer your question, Yumi is within my <i>shadow</i>. I''m keeping her there for the time being as I''m not willing to risk something stupid happening to her, lest this world be turned into a ming hellscape." Akagi answered.


    "Uhhhh..." Kanato looked to the three girls for answers.


    "All you need to know is that you must never touch the Yumi, and all will be well." Halifax shrugged.=


    "Yeah, keep your womanizing hands to yourself, Kanato." Amakusa snickered.


    "Why do you..." Kanato pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Never mind, forget it."


    <i>{I just can''t win with her, can I? I asked her out ONCE, and I''m the forever bad guy...} </i>(Kanato)


    "Look alive!" riel''s raised voice startled the others. "I sense those two! They''reing out of the crater!" Her body tensed. She wasn''t surprised to see them alive still, and even after everything that just happened she was still wary of the twins and their power.


    "Alright! Chop-Chop, you two! I''ve got things to do and pets to get, so hurry your assess up here so I can interrogate you!" Akagi yelled into the dust-filled crater, and after a few moments, the dark outlines of two figures could be seen walking up the slope of the crater, and as they got close enough to exit the dust the group got a good look at the beaten and bruised visages of Zo and Ro. Each had taken <i>extreme </i>levels of damage, and it was a wonder that they could even walk at this point with the amount of damage to their bodies.


    "Owch." Halifaxmented. "Looks like you really beat the tar out of them."


    "More like I beat the <i>fight </i>out of them." Akagiughed as the two stepped over the lip of the crater and stood in front of the group, a dark shadow cast over their faces.


    <i>{I sense no more hostility from either of them. I suppose that little disy finally broke their will to fight, or perhaps I shattered their Spirit? I do oh so like that second one.} </i>(Akagi)


    "So, are we done?" Akagi asked the two Primordials, who stood in silence. "I hope you two now understand just how-"


    "BOSS!" Akagi was interrupted as the Primordial twins fell to one knee and looked up at her, their faces practically beaming with bright smiles.


    "Eh?" Akagi let out an unintentional squeak, confused by her statement.


    <i>{What?} </i>(Akagi)


    "Boss! That was so cool!" Zo''s eyes sparkled. "You fought us all like ZOOM, SWOOSH, BAMN, and just when we thought we had you, youpletely wrecked us!"


    <i>{Eh?!?} </i>(Akagi)


    "Oh yeah! And what was even better is that you so effortlessly defeated us even after we even dug deeper and found power that we didn''t even know that we had! And yet you still defeated us so effortlessly, Boss!" Ro''s eyes were simrly sparkling.


    <i>{Ah! I see!} </i>Yumi seemed to understand what was going on, but everyone else, including Akagi, was confused.


    "Uhhhhh...." Akagi waspletely lost for words.


    <i>{Can I go home yet?} </i>(Akagi)


    "Boss! Please forgive us for our impertinence! We were fools for daring to oppose you!" Zo bowed her head, followed by Ro. "We will atone for that mistake by serving you faithfully from now on, Boss!"


    "Indeed! Please allow my foolish sister and I to make amends, Boss." Ro pleaded for mercy. "I can promise you that you won''t regret taking us under your wing! We shall serve you and your cause faithfully from now until the end of time!"


    "Huh... I don''t think Akagi''s bingo card had <i>this </i>on it." Halifax snickered.


    <i>{My, My. To see YOU of all peoplepletely lost for words. I should savor such a sight, as I doubt it will happen again anytime soon. Though I must admit that I''m surprised by your surprise since this has happened before.} </i>Yumi snickered.


    "Oh my God..." Akagi put her head in her hands in despair. "WHY?!? WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN?!? AHHHHHHH!" She groaned. This was not the first time that somebody had sworn fealty to her after being beaten into submission or saved, but every time it went down like <i>this,</i> it was <i>always </i>somebody <i>crazy</i>.


    <i>{Chloe, Yumi, Dibore, Yaltz, Kimora... EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM WAS FUCKING BATSHIT CRAZY! I DON''T NEED MORE OF THAT! I ALREADY HAVE A FUCKING CULT!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Can I not just recruit <i>one </i>normal fucking person?!?" Akagi screamed into her hands as she let out a whimper. <i>¡°P</i><i>lease?</i>¡±


    <i>{There there, just think of it this way. Now you have even more people to help us worship you and your floof! I see this as nothing but a victory for us!} </i>Yumi wasughing hysterically within Akagi''s shadow while being bonked repeatedly on the head.


    <i>{WHO IS THIS US YOU SPEAK OF?!? WHO?!? BECAUSE I SURE AS HELL DON''T THINK THAT INCLUDES ME!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Is Boss not happy with us?" Zo asked, worried that she was going to be cast aside.


    "Shall we end our miserable lives in atonement, Boss? Ro summoned a dagger and put it to his throat. ¡°Because if that''s what it takes-¡±


    "NO!" Akagi smacked it out of his hand, sending the dagger flying into the stratosphere. "Don''t you <i>dare </i>fucking kill yourself and make this all for nothing! AHHH! WHY MUST PEOPLE DRIVE ME NUTS?!?"


    <i>{Wee to the team! Worship of the Catkagi is on Sundays at four, and there''s a potluck after the service!} </i>Yumi continuedughing as she was continuously bonked.


    "Yumi, recall that I can destroy your body as much as I want, and it will regenerate, so please don''t tempt me..." Akagi continued to die of cringe.


    <i>{If it''s what you desire, then go ahead! It will not change what is currently happening!} Y</i>umi was stillughing hysterically, happy to take advantage of Akagi''s current plight.


    "I hate you sometimes..." Akagi sighed.


    <i>{And I love you very much.} </i>(Yumi)


    "Damn, Yumi is not letting up." Halifax snickered. "Though I suppose it''s only fair that she gets to tease her back after everything Akagi puts her through!" She continued tough even as a fan fell from the sky, breaking into pieces as it fell on her head. "HA! You''re gonna need a bigger one than that!"


    "Fucking Sword... I''ll show you..." Akagi grumbled before turning back to the, still bowing, Primordials. "Okay, the matter of your <i>fealty </i>aside, I''ve got some questions from you that need answering."


    "Boss!" Zo and Ro said at the same time.


    <i>{...} </i>(Akagi)


    "So, as you have probably figured out, I''m here to <i>kill</i> the Gods." Akagi''s words caused both Primordials to elicit a nasty smirk. "I figured you''d like that. However, the bad news is that this world is Grade-A fucked, and it''s unlikely that you''re going to get to savor that happiness for very long." She figured they were tied to this world like the Gods and couldn''t leave either.


    "Has this world''s stability truly decreased that much, Boss?" Ro asked.


    "Before we were sealed, we noticed a bit of instability in the fabric of this world. But to think that it woulde to this..." Zo''s words drifted off.


    "I can''t say <i>why </i>this world is falling apart, only that it has a few hundred years at best before it goes kaput." Akagi said, and riel confirmed her words.


    "We were hoping to forestall this by..." riel paused, knowing that three of the people standing around her were already agitated enough regarding the Spirit issue. "Though it seems our efforts were not only in vain but were never actually going to work in the first ce."


    "Hah!" Zoughed. "I''m going to bet that it was you idiots that caused this!" She continued. "Our Dad always said that the Gods would ruin this world, and it looks like he was right."


    "This is exactly why our kind didn''t want to interfere with the natural progression of this world." Romented. "Tis only natural that reality itself didn''t take too kindly to the arrogance of the Gods."


    "Oh, but it takes Akagi''s perfectly fine." Amakusa said under her breath as she rolled her eyes.


    "It just knows better than they give <i>me </i>shit." Akagiughed before continuing. "But on a more serious note, I''m going to need a bit of help from you two."


    "Of course!" (Ro x Zo)


    "But..." Ro paused.


    "Is there a problem?" Akagi asked with a raised eyebrow.


    "Less a <i>problem</i> and more... <i>confusion</i>... I suppose." Ro exined. "How can we do anything to help you? You''re far more powerful than us, so it''s hard to believe that we could do anything to assist you in any meaningful manner."


    <i>{You could give ear scratches to the kitty?} </i>(Yumi)


    <i>{Don''t make me put you on mute...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Uh... But yeah, its as bro said." Zo agreed, though was intrigued and confused by ear scratchesment. "The only thing we can really offer is raw power, and you clearly don''t need more of that."


    "I will dispute the im that I have no need of more strength." Akagi replied. "I always like more pieces to ce on my board, but the kind of help I need from you two is in the information sphere. Though I will most certainly find a use for your <i>talents.</i>"


    "If that''s the case, then we''ll tell you whatever you want to know." Ro nodded.


    ¡°Yeah! Just ask away!¡± Zo smiled.


    "Alright, then I''m going to need Spacial Coordinates for the Heavenly Realm." Akagi asked for something crazyplex like it was no big deal. "That way, I can go up there and kick those idiots ass and end this whole thing when the timees."


    The two Primordials paused for a minute before looking at each other and turning to Akagi.


    "Spacial Coordinates? What are those?" Ro and Zo said at the same time.


    <i>{Well, that''s not a good sign.} </i>(Yumi)


    "Okay, let''s put it this way..." Akagi sighed. "I need the magical information that you use to travel into<i> </i>the Heavenly Realm of the Gods. I''ve been told that Primordials can transport themselves up there, so just tell me how you do that, and I''ll figure out the rest."


    "Oh..." Zo paused, a look of worry forming on her face.


    "We... We... Um... We have no idea how to do that." Ro answered with sweat on his forehead.

 Chapter 343 -Divine Command.

    Chapter 343 -Divine Command.


    "Hmm... Preparations are on schedule, but the Wyvern riders are runningte." Ariel sighed as she looked down at therge array of tents and temporary structures below. She was standing right outside arge tent that had be her makeshift war room, and from the top of the small hill it sat on she could see almost everything.


    <i>{We''re going to need them to ensure aerial supremacy.} </i>(Ariel)


    As the Demons readied for war against Dumetor, Ariel and some of her officers were going over ns for the impending attack, and after a while, she decided to step out for a bit of air. Demons had gathered for war many times over the recent years, but the colossal army below was truly a sight to behold. There were plenty of foot soldiers, each a disciplined professional that made the Imperial Conscripts look like greenhorns, as well as a wide array of beasts and tamed monsters, some of which were gathered in dedicated shock cores. The Royal Wyvern Corp was the most powerful mounted unit in the Demon military, and they were scheduled to arrive soon, and were an important part of battle ns.


    <i>{We''ve managed to bring together nearly a hundred thousand troops, thergest gathering of the Demon Army in a century, and yet... Why do I feel uneasy? Nothing should be able to withstand theing onught, and even the Cult won''t be able to win against this many of us, but something...} </i>(Ariel)


    "Why the look of displeasure?" Bathrumd''s words pulled Ariel out of her inner monologue. "Don''t tell me that you''re still worried about the Cult?" He asked as he walked out from inside the tent.


    "That''s part of why I''m a bit tense. After all, they managed toy a curse upon my father, so I believe it unwise to underestimate them." Ariel answered as he walked up next to her, mug of ale in hand.


    "Rest assured that we''ll crush those bastards for what they did to him." Bathrumd replied as he took a swig. "His Majesty was truly among the best of us, to think that they would do something so underhanded and rob him of his strength in such a cowardly manner." He grumbled.


    <i>{I would''ve at least liked to challenge him for his throne. I''d always wanted to see him use his full power, but now that is impossible.} </i>(Bathrumd)


    "Was? No, <i>is</i>." Ariel corrected him. "My father is still very much alive, so do not go speaking of him in the past tense until such a time as is appropriate." She didn''t appreciate the untimely killing off of her father.


    "Ariel, let''s be real here. His Majesty is already a dead man." Bathrumd''s bluntness caused Ariel to flinch in surprise momentarily. As much of a brute as therge man was, he tended to take formality seriously when it came down to it. ¡°That his is technically still living is merely a technicality and one that will notst much longer.¡±


    "As long as he''s still alive-" Ariel started to rebut him but was cut off.


    "As much as I know that you want to believe it... The reality is that His Majesty''s condition is <i>fatal.</i>" Bathrumd said curtly. "I know how much you want him to get better, and as someone who idolized his own father for all his life, I understand why you want to hope for his recovery. But I''m sorry, this has gone on long enough." He took a swig of ale as he crushed the mug in his massive hand. ¡°We cannot remain shackled to a walking corpse any longer.


    "Don''t tell me that you agree with some of the others?" Ariel was trying hard to hide her displeasure with him.


    "No, even as he is now, I would <i>never </i>support the mercy killing of His Majesty." Bathrumd replied, shaking his head. "<i>However</i>, be that as it may I''ve decided to call for an election of a new Demon King once we handle the Cult." His words cut through Ariel like a de.


    "You can''t just-" Ariel was cut off by him again.


    "Ariel, I have the support of the Elector-Kings." Bathrumd side-eyed her. "I''m well aware that it will be a close battle for which of us seeds your father, but I''ve spoken to the others, and we''ve all agreed that it''s time for the Regency to <i>end</i>." His words poured over her like ice-cold water, and deep down she knew that he was right. Her father''s condition was almost <i>certain </i>to worsen until he died, and her time as Regent had long gone past what could be considered reasonable. "Redrud is in favor of this too, so don''t go thinking this is some kind of coup on my part.¡± He chuckled. ¡° Know that regardless of whates next His Majesty is and will always be a man I respect and admire, but my loyalty to the Kingdom demands that I do what''s right by our people." He turned to walk away, pausing after he moved a few steps. "I''d like it if you and your faction would get behind me, Ariel. It won''t do our people any good to have a contested session, so do me a favor and think about it." He headed off down the hill, where he began yelling at some soldiers for cking off.


    "That bastard." Ariel tightened her fist in irritation as she turned and went back into her tent in a huff. The other officers had disbursed to carry out other tasks, and she was left alone with nothing more than a table with arge map of Enoris on it and her own thoughts.


    <i>{While you make your actions sound all Noble and honorable, I know for a fact that your version of ''duty'' Bathrumd will see our people pushed to the brink of destruction! I know exactly what you want to do once you get the reins of power, and I can assure you that a war with the Empire will not go as you expect! Our people are powerful, well trained and our officers are top-ss, but we simplyck the numbers to overwhelm the Humans in an all out war. The Empire''s poption is ten times our own, and Northwind is likely even more than that due to the Beastkin poption. I have no doubt that war with one will drag in the other, and once that happens, it''s only a matter of time until the City State Alliance joins in against us. Not to mention that the Lords along the Tarpine Ocean are already unreliable, and I know that they''ve been in contact with those traitors in Miretown! It is almost certain that arge conflict like Bathrumd wants will see a revolt from those cities and their Lords.} </i>(Ariel)


    "But..." Ariel let out a deep sigh as she leaned over the table. "Bathrumd is right about one thing..." She closed her eyes. "We do need a new King... My father... He''s not going to get better..." She shook her head.


    <i>{I''m sorry father... Forgive me for not being able to save you and forgive me for not being strong enough to hold our people together in your absence.} </i>(Ariel)


    As she stood on the verge of tears, a soldier called out to her from the threshold of the tent.


    "Your Highness." The soldier saluted her.


    "What is it?" Ariel turned around after steadying herself so as to not reveal her inner turmoil. "Have the preparations that I asked for already beenpleted?"


    <i>{No rest for the wicked. I''ve got a job to do, I can mourn and feel sorry for myselfter.} </i>(Ariel)


    "My apologize Mam, but that''s not why I called out to you." The soldier replied with a slightly nervous voice.


    "What is it? I''m quite busy, so make it quick." Ariel replied with a bit more venom than she intended, which made the soldier flinch.


    "I... Well... There''s <i>someone</i> here to see you..." The soldier said with a twinge of worry and fear in his voice.


    "Then tell whoever they are to <i>leave</i>. I''m not in the mood to-" Ariel paused as Penelope pushed past the guard and entered the tent. "I see... Let no one in under any circumstances." She motioned to the guard, who nodded before leaving.


    "It''s been a while since west met, Ariel." Penelope''s gaze bore down on the Demon Princess, who didn''t relent. "I do hope that you''ve been well."


    <i>{This...} </i>(Ariel)


    "I have a war to wage, Penelope, so I''ll ask you to cut to the chase rather than do your usual blustering. I have no time for your usual games so lets cut the chase." Ariel had dealt with the Demi-God many times in the past, and the two never got along,rgely because Penelope subscribed to the belief that the Demon Race was no different than the <i>Demons </i>that they descended from. Such was an all toomon belief among many of the people of Enoris, including some of the Gods and their children, which caused no small amount of animosity.


    "No games this time, Princess." Arcas spoke from Penelope''s back. "And Penny, let''s drop the smartments and passive aggressiveness for a bit, <i>please</i>." He sighed. "We''ve got a lot to discuss, Princess, and please forgive this idiot. I''ve been trying to train her for centuries, but she''s a lost cause."


    "Arcus I''m going to turn you into an Ogre''s toothpick if you don''t can it!" Penelope hissed while Arcusughed.


    "I''d imagine if you''re here, then something is a miss. Ref''s favorite enforcer isn''t one to wonder aimlessly or move without her approval." Ariel said as she leaned against the table.


    <i>{Her being here is not a good sign. Every time she appears its always at the start of some massive headache.} </i>(Ariel)


    "I''m here because Mother has sent me on an important mission, and from what I''ve been told, it looks like we''re both after the same target." Penelope answered as she ignored Arcus'' prodding and harassment.


    "The Cult." Ariel replied curtly.


    <i>{I suppose it makes sense that she''d be here if that''s her target, what with this so-called Demon Lord and its cult dering war on the Gods.} </i>(Ariel)


    "Yeah, we went and checked out their base, and it''s <i>full </i>of some pretty serious nasties." Arcas chuckled. "And there was this one really scarydy that flew off not long after we started scouting, but the ones left behind to guard it weren''t much better."


    <i>{I wonder if that was this Akagi I''ve heard about?} </i>(Ariel)


    "So you want to work together?" Ariel asked. ¡°I won''t exactly turn down the help.}


    "Less ''work together'' and more<i> I''m takingmand of the troops you''ve gathered here</i>." Penelope reached into a bag on her hip and pulled out a white scroll, which she unfurled and showed to Ariel.


    *TSK*


    Ariel clicked her tongue in disgust as she read the scroll. "You''d really bring out a Divine Command for this?" A Divine Command was basically like Eminent Domain in that it gave the Gods the absolutemand to seize whatever they wanted or have their agents do so on their behalf. Technically, it was only to be used in a very specific set of circumstances and even then <i>only </i> in an emergency, but Penelope and some of the other Demi-Gods had a very bad habit of treating it as a nk check to get what they wanted.


    <i>{You just couldn''t work together with me peacefully, can you? No, you have to fucking takemand of my army and march my people to war.} </i>(Ariel)


    "Look, I really don''t care about your opinion on the matter. I have my orders, and this army will march to crush the Demon Cult and its so-called Demon Lord." Penelope said as she put the scroll back into her bag.


    "You realize that we were already going to do that, right?" Ariel rolled her eyes. ¡°There''s no reason to take directmand of my forces when we''re already going to war with the Cult!¡±


    "I''m fully aware of that, but the thing is I don''t trust you idiots not to fuck this up." Penelope''s use of harshnguage told Ariel that the Demi-God was quite irritated since she didn''t tend to speak in such a manner. "Mother has tasked me with handling this problem, and that''s what I''m going to do. So, are you going toply, or do I have to force your hand?"

 Chapter 343.5 – Hedging One’s Bets.

    Chapter 343.5 ¨C Hedging One¡¯s Bets.


    "Who does that dammned woman think she is?!?" Bathrumd growled as he mmed his fist against the conference table. "She dares to think that she canmand our armies into glorious battle herself?!? Why, I''m half a mind to go out there and-"


    "That''s enough." Ariel''s words cut through his rant. "We both know that there''s nothing we can do about this situation, Bath." She sighed. After Penelope had given them the Divine Command, she''d called an emergency meeting of the Elector-Kings to discuss the situation. "A Divine Command carries the full authority of the Gods, and if we refuse, then we''re going to be in for something that I don''t think I need to describe." Those who refused to follow Divine Commands were typically punished in some way, and while the Gods <i>themselves </i>rarely came down to administer said punishment there were plenty of other ways mortals could be forced toply or brought to point that they regretted <i>not</i>.


    <i>{And also, do you really think you can win against a Demi-God, Bath? Penelope isn''t exactly weak, and she wields a Divine Weapon of her own. She may not be as powerful as some of her siblings, but Penelope is still not someone I''d want to fight with if at all possible. A conflict like this is not what we need!} </i>(Ariel)


    "Yes, I''d rather us not end up like the Dark Elves, thank you very much." Deloramented about their dark fate in partial jest. "Penelope already has a <i>dislike</i> for our kind, so I''d rather her not escte things further. We cannot afford to add <i>more </i>enemies to our list. The Empire and Northwind are already posturing on our borders."


    <i>{Though they did withdraw some of their coastal forces. Is it in preparation for an attack or to assure us they don''t intend on striking while the battle in the South takes ce? I could see that dammed Emperor doing both.} </i>(Delora)


    "I''ve already detected agents from both the Empire and Northwind sneaking around the Capital." Phima said, providing a few examples of teleportation and long-distance magicalmunications that she''d intercepted and decoded. "It would seem they are both probing us in an attempt to find out what we''re doing with our forces, so they''ll be aware of any discord between us and the Gods swiftly."


    "And if <i>that</i> wasn''t bad enough, let me remind you that we''re still dealing with rebellious lords in the East." Melifous said as he flittered a deck of cards in his hand. "They''re passive at the moment but if word got out that we refused a Divine Command then I''d imagine they''re going to go from passive to <i>active </i>really quickly. Thest thing we need is giving them the perfect excuse to start causing issues again."


    <i>{Especially with the traitor down South stoking fires. Fucking Canora! His defection to the Alliance has done nothing but make things worse!} </i>(Melifous)


    "And to add another problem to that already long list, if we defy a Demi-God it''s going to have serious impacts on our legitimacy as leaders of the Kingdom." Balourmented as he downed a chocte danish in one bite. "The Gods may have a dim view of us, but our people generally support them. Being openly hostile to their will, even if it''s that of clearly of a single individual rather than the pantheon as a whole, will <i>not </i>go well for us." He noted that uprisings of pious citizens could happen in such a situation and that it would threaten to destabilize the Kingdom.


    "The consequences for refusal are bad to be sure, but I''m staunchly <i>against </i>giving that womanmand of our Army." Jerome said through folded hands. "That woman cares not for our people, and will likely use them poorly during battle." He figured they''d be treated like fodder and sent to their deaths if Penelope had her way.


    "Not to mention that she has no real experience with something like this." Melifousmented with a wry smile. "She''s liable to issue a charge order like a certain somebody I know." He said with a side eye toward Bathrumd.


    "Hey, I at least understand <i>tactics</i>. Charging head-on is sometimes effective and sometimes not." Bathrumd rolled his eyes at thement. "I''ve got a cool enough head to understand that it''s not always a good idea to just rush your foe."


    "You? Cool-headed?" Delora said with fake surprise and a chuckle. "I think I''ve seen <i>Dragon''s Fire </i>cooler than you."


    "Yeah, I think even my Ice magic would fail to cool you off, Bath." Phima said with a giggle.


    "Pfff." Melifous barely contained hisughter.


    "Funny, but remember who went out there and fought to keep your little boats from being sunk." Bathrumd replied to Delora with a grumble. "For all the money you have perhaps you should recall that couldn''t do a damn thing without guys like me, Delora." She had no realbat ability and her magical power, whilerger than the average person did not enable her to do much beyond simple self-defense. "And as for the little freaky witches, I won''t even dignify you with a response." He brushed her off.


    "Yes, yes. " Delora sighed, not wanting to get into it with him. "I''ll make sure to send you some extra meat for all your hard work. I know those muscles require a great deal of sustenance to maintain. Phima, be a dear and help me with the preservation and transport."


    "I think I''ve got enough magic to move a few mountains of preserved food around." Phimaughed.


    <i>{Too bad that none of that muscle of his can be found between his ears.} </i>(Ariel)


    "Anyway..." Ariel cleared her throat, ending the bickering. "We are in agreement then? The Divine Command <i>will </i>be epted?" She said scanning her eyes over the others.


    "Against my better judgment, yes." Melifous nodded, though it was clear he didn''t want to.


    "We really have no choice, do we?" Delora replied with a nod of her own.


    "No, we do not." Balour shook his head but ultimately epted what had to be done.


    "Well, I hate it." Bathrumd said as he tightened his fist. "But <i>fine</i>..."


    "As long as she doesn''t try and order the mages around carelessly, then I''m fine with it." Both Phimas nodded.


    "Jerome?" Ariel looked at thest holdout. They had enough to go over his objection, but she preferred unanimity on this vote.


    "I <i>abstain</i>." Jerome said with audible disgust and displeasure. "That woman is going to lead our men to their deaths, but I also know better than to dissent in this matter openly."


    <i>{I know we have no choice, but I refuse to give my approval for what is about to happen. That woman is a disgusting pig who treats mortals like worthless insects. I can never abide by someone like that havingmand over my forces.} </i>(Jerome)


    "Thank you." Ariel said with a sigh of relief. She''d been worried that the discussion would break down into arguments and she wouldn''t be able to convince the others to go along with the Command. As Regent her power was still constrained by the other Elector-Kings and she couldn''t transfer control of the Demon Army without a majority of them approving.


    <i>{Luckily there are enough of us here to satisfy ourws for quorum on the matter. Though the others are likely to be none too pleased when they find out, but its their fault for not being here or sending a representative.} </i>(Ariel)


    "Then, it''s agreed." Ariel said as she slowly stood up. "I''ll deliver our response to Penelope. I can''t imagine she''ll be pleased that we had to take this long to give her the answer she expected, but it should at least pacify her <i>somewhat</i>."


    <i>{Though even with her aid I fear that we may have to use the literal trump card that was given to us...} </i>(Ariel)


    "She''ll be cated for about five minutes." Melifous said with a light chuckle. "I have no doubt that she''lleining to us about other issues in due time."


    <i>{If we''re lucky maybe she''ll get what she wants and be on her way soon enough...} </i>( Melifous)


    "I mean, she was already telling Phima to prep some crazy high-end spell to use." Delora said. ¡°So she''s probably going to start barking orders soon enough.¡±


    "Annition Cannon." Phima said the spell''s name. "We''re going to gather up as many mages as we can to power the spell. She wants it as the opening salvo in the battle."


    ¡°Well, that''s one way to open things up.¡± Melifous said with a whistle.


    "Please remind her that she is <i>not </i>to go having the mages give their life force to power it." Ariel said with a visible vein on her forehead from frustration. "I refuse to allow our best and brightest to be sacrificed in such a stupid manner."


    <i>{That spell is already a strain on the best of mages, and its use is as close to taboo as it gets. There''s a reason its use is generally restricted or prohibited informally during war.} </i>(Ariel)


    "I would''ve refused regardless of your wishes on the matter." Phima shrugged. "I''m not letting my mages die for her stupidity." Her curt words took the others off guard since she was usually not one to speak that way.


    "Oh! The pipsqueak is mad!" Melifousughed as he was sted across the room with wind magic from said pipsqueak.


    "Next time you call me that I''ll make you <i>regret</i> it." Phima grumbled as all but Delora and Balour slowly exited the conference room. A moment of silence passed between the two before they began talking with each other.


    "It seems that things are progressing as we feared." Delora said as she tapped her fingers on the table. ¡°The drums of war have already begun beating and there''s nothing we can do to stop it.¡±


    "Not to mention the appearance of a Demi-God. I never imagined that Penelope would show up tomand this folly." Balour chuckled. "A Demi-God leading an Army to fight the Demon Lord. I''d find it funny if it wasn''t such a <i>morbid</i> thought."


    The two nonbat-oriented Elector-Kings weren''t in favor of a war with the Demon Lord, and in private they''d discussed ways to de-escte things and perhapse to an agreement with Akag. Though they knew that was also extremely unlikely and had been keeping such thoughts to themselves, and the appearance of Penelope ended all hope of a peaceful solution.


    "I understand the position that Lady Ariel is in. Acquiescing to this Demon Lord''s demands would ce us in direct conflict with the Gods but at the same time..." Delora paused as she leaned back in her chair and letting out a deep sigh. "If this Demon Lord is anywhere near as powerful as we believe, then there is reason to believe that the Demon Army... It''s walking into the jaws of a hungry predator."


    "One that already showed what happens to those who defy it." Balour said as his face darkened. "The destruction of Riftwood... It was... <i>interesting</i>."


    "Your report stated that it was measured yet brutal." Deloramented. ¡°I don''t even want to imagine something like that happening to Bettletree.¡±


    "Nor would I like to see my city of Lindur burned to the ground. But from what I''ve been told this Demon Lord deliberately held back her forces and held back from the level of destruction that we <i>could''ve</i> seen." Balour estimated that ck Company could''ve leveled Riftwood if they wanted. "What concerns me is that if <i>that </i>was a limited strike... Then what can she do if she goes all out? Could the Demon Lord herself level nation? A continent? There are so many unknowns."


    <i>{And if my reports are to be believed this Demon Lord may have directly assassinated Lady Tahena herself and then proceeded to toy with Hadrus when he fought her! Such a being is far beyond what this world can handle and yet here we are sending mortal men to fight it in openbat.} </i>(Balour)


    "I know it''s probably in poor taste to say..." Delora said as she folded her hands. "But perhaps we need to <i>hedge </i>our bets here a bit, Balour." Her implication obvious to her fellow Elector-King.


    "You know its funny that you say that because I had the same idea." Balour nodded as they began discussing things that, had they been overheard, would''ve been considered <i>treasonous</i>. Though, perhaps they were not as alone as they thought as therge mirror that hung at the conference room''s back wall seemed to shine and shimmer like water for a moment before returning to normal.

 Chapter 344 – The Family Tree.

    Chapter 344 ¨C The Family Tree.


    "Well, I didn''t have delinquent Primordials swearing fealty to me as their Boss on my bingo card, but I did have convenient plot point not panning out." Akagi groaned. "And of course... <i>that</i> was the one I hit..." She''d been hoping that things could be wrapped up quickly, at least, without blowing up the entire world.


    <i>{My disappointment is immeasurable, and my day is ruined...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Welp, I guess this means that I might as well give up on these two." Akagi held out her hand and channeled a dark ball of energy into her palm, which she pointed at the Primordials as it crackled with ck lightning. "No useful information, no living. I''m afraid thems'' the breaks, kids." She said with a monotone voice.


    "EH?!?" Zo and Ro squeaked. "Wait! No! Please don''t kill us, Boss!"


    "Unless you''ve got information on how to get <i>into</i> the Heavens without this world detonating in the process, then I''m afraid that this is the <i>end</i>." Akagi said as she charged up more energy. It was hard to tell if the <i>Demon </i>was serious, but Halifax certainly thought she''d follow though with her threat.


    "Ummmm..." Zo wracked her brain but couldn''t think of anything.


    <i>{FUCK I DON''T KNOW!} </i>(Zo)


    ¡°I''ll give you five seconds to figure something out.... Five...¡± Akagi started counting.


    "Wait! I might have an idea!" Ro yelled out, prompting Akagi to pause their impending doom, at least for now. "You said that you need some kind of information rting to how to enter the Heavens, <i>right</i>?"


    "That is what I said, yes." Akagi motioned for him to continue. "But I''d advise you to think <i>very </i>carefully about your next words, since if I see you trying to stall, then I''m going to just end you both right then and there." She sighed.


    <i>{I suppose nuking this bitch from orbit might really be the only way to deal with things, boring...} (Akagi)</i>


    <i>{Oh stop being so dramatic. Besides, what would Kana say if you told her you wiped out an entire world just because you were getting frustrated?} </i>(Yumi)


    <i>{What Kana doesn''t know doesn''t interfere with my snuggles.} </i>(Akagi)


    "It''s a long shot, but if you could track down somebody who''s been <i>to </i>the Heavens then it should be possible to get that information." Ro said, sweat pouring down his face. ¡°T-That should work!¡±


    "Four... Having been there isn''t enough." Akagi replied, starting the countdown again. "If it was, then riel here would''ve sufficed, and the Gods would already be <i>toast</i>. Try again, you''ve got a few more tries at least, so give it your best shot." She said as she channeled more energy into the palm of her hand.


    "No, wait! I mean people who''ve traveled there under their own power!" Ro rified. ¡°Somebody like that would be able to get you what you need!¡±


    "I''ve already considered that option, but you see, the problem is that I can''t <i>find </i>anyone like that. It''s why I came to you two, but that was a waste of time." Akagi replied curtly. "So unless you''ve got the address of somebody who <i>can </i>help me, then it''s adios amigos. Three..."


    "Can''t we just get their Dad to do it?" Amakusa spoke up, feeling slightly sorry but not really for the two Primordials. ¡°I''m sure someone of that level would be able to get this over in a snap.¡±


    "Kal''ispi should have no problem getting into the Heavens." riel nodded. "I''ve fought him there before, so he''d be more than able of getting the coordinates."


    "Alright, so where''s dear old dad?" Akagi asked as she looked between the twins.


    "We... Don''t know..." Zo said nervously.


    ¡°Yeah... Its kinda like that thing in movies he went out for milk one day and never came home...¡± Ro said, referencing something that he''d seen in Hitomi''s memories.


    "Well, that''s strike two for your big ideas. Two" Akagi rolled her eyes while trying not tough at hisment. "You''ve got one more chance to impress me. Otherwise, it''s bye-bye." Ordinarily, Akagi would''ve jump at the chance to ce these two under her control, but given that they were somewhat <i>unreliable </i>entities, she figured that eliminating them would be best so as to eliminate the threat of betrayalter. It was obvious to the <i>Demon </i>that these two were far more powerful than any of her people, and unlike riel, she couldn''t be sure of their motivations. Nor could she be assured that, even with their powers sealed like the Goddess, that they would they be <ipliant</i>.


    "You two really don''t know where your father is?" riel was surprised. "I would''ve figured that as Kal''ispi''s children, you''d be able to find him easily." She figured that they could sense him due to their status as his children since the Gods could.


    "We only ever met Dad <i>once</i>." Zo exined. "And that was thousands of years ago. We''ve not seen a peep out of him or other Primordials for that matter."


    ¡°He mentioned that we''d probably never see any of the others, since they were all asleep.¡± Ro said.


    <i>{Then why do you two care so much about them?!? What reason could you have for seeking revenge against us if your own people didn''t bother to take care of you?!?} </i>(riel)


    "The what about your mother? Surely you know where she is?" Halifax interjected. "She''d also be a Primordial, so she could probably help. It doesn''t have to be Kal''ispi. Any Primordial that fought in the war would suffice."


    "True..." riel hummed in thought. "Actually, now that I think about it I don''t know who your mother is. Not to mention that I never imagined that Kal''ispi would even <i>have </i>children." Primordials were like Gods in that they had strange views on love and rtionships, but they could and did have children from time to time, though Primordial children were infinitely rare than the children of Gods.


    "Our mother... She''s... She''s no longer with us..." Zo said, darkness falling over her face.


    <i>{OF FUCKING COURSE! DID SHE HAVE THE FUCKING ANIME MOM HAIR?!? I SWEAR TO CHRIST IF SHE FUCKING DID!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Mom.... Mom was <i>not </i>a Primordial." Ro continued, his words causing riel''s eyes to widen in suprise.


    "That can''t be possible!" The Goddess eximed in disbelief. "I can sense enormous power within you two! There''s no way for you to be half Primordials and have that much power! Demi-Gods don''t even have half of our power, and the mortal children of Primordials are no different!"


    <i>{I''ve met plenty, and they''re no different from our own offspring! You both HAVE to be full blooded Primordials or at least get most of your essence from them!} </i>(riel)


    "I don''t know the exact details, but Mom wasn''t a normal Human either." Ro shrugged. "She was something <i>more</i>. I think she was actually some kind of Demi-God, but I''m not entirely sure about that."


    ¡°Yeah, Mom never aged so she was definitely not Human.¡± Zo agreed. ¡°Though she never did tell us <i>what </i>she was.¡±


    ¡°She always just told us not to ask about that.¡± Ro nodded.


    "A Demi-God?" riel raised an eyebrow. "I find it <i>very </i>hard to imagine that Kal''ispi would''ve had children with one of ours. Besides, such a thing would still not exin your incredible power! Demi-Gods are usually not even a quarter as strong as we are so their children, even with a being like a God or Primordial couldn''t possible be as strong as either of you! What was your mother''s name? What did she look like? If she was truly one of our children, then I''d know her." She as adamant about figuring out what was going on.


    "Mom''s name? Her name was Elmira, and she had long blonde hair that she wore in twin tails." As Zo exined what their mother looked like, riel''s eyes bugged out. "She was always so kind to everyone, and her beauty was unrivaled. Her eyes were of a blue so deep that peoplepared them to the purest Saffires and she had the nicest smile." She smiled as she recalled their mother.


    "Too bad that we inherited Dad''s eyes, but our hair <i>definitely</i>es from Mom." Roughed.


    ¡°Hey, I''d say we won out there!¡± Zo snickered. ¡°I love the red eyes.¡±


    "Why does that name sound familiar?" Halifax furrowed her brow as she dug through her memories. "Wait... Wait, Elmira? Elmira... Wait... Isn''t that?!?" She closed her eyes and thought hard. "YEAH IT IS! NO FUCKING WAY!" She yelled and burst outughing." OH. MY. FUCKING. <i>GODDESS</i>! HAHAHAHAHA!"


    <i>{NO FUCKING WAY!} </i>(Halifax)


    "I''m lost." Amakusa looked at Kanato, who shrugged.


    "I''m just done with everything at this point, so..." He sighed.


    <i>{Me too buddy, me too...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Care to share with the ss? Who is their mother, and why is it so funny?" Akagi didn''t appreciate being left out of the joke.


    "Why don''t you ask <i>Grandma </i>here!" Halifax doubled over inughter as riel stood frozen in ce.


    "Wait, what?!?" (Ro x Zo)


    <i>{Oh?} </i>(Akagi)


    "Oh, man! When Elmy said she was going to run away with some guy that she met, I never thought it was to be with a fucking <i>Primordial</i>!" Halifax started wheezing as she fell to the ground, barely able to breathe. "I can''t... I fucking <i>can''t</i>..."


    <i>{Elmy, you were always the greatest older sister ever, and I love you even more for fucking riel over even in death!} </i>(Halifax)


    "Oh? This sounds juicy." Akagi''s eyes lit up as she canceled her destructive energy, much to the Primordial''s relief.


    <i>{DRAMA!} </i>(Akagi)


    <i>{Kitty and her drama...} </i>(Yumi)


    "No... No... No... No..." riel shook her head rapidly in useless disbelief. "This <i>has </i>to be a joke..." She startedughing like a madwoman. "Elmira would never..."


    <i>{If... Even I have standards... So there''s no way that she''d...} </i>(riel)


    "Oh, she <i>would, </i>and it looks like she <i>did." </i>Halifax said between wheezes. "It''s no wonder that these two were out for blood! I''d bet that was her doing!"


    <i>{She probably fucking fed them all kinds of fun stories about grammy!} </i>(Halifax)


    "I''m going to presume that this Elmira was one of your children?" Akagi asked, her words snapping riel out of her stupor.


    "She... She was one of my <i>problem children..." </i>riel answered slowly. ¡°Emphasis on PROBLEM CHILD!¡±


    "Yeah! Elmy was great!" Halifax continued tough hysterically on the ground. "She always fucked with you, and she basically just did the opposite of what you told her! I''ve missed her craziness but I''m d to see she can still mess with you all these yearster!"


    "I was only ever trying to help her!" riel grumbled. "But that stupid girl! Grrrrr." She pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "To think that she would go and do something as <i>stupid </i>as..." Her eyes snapped to the two Primordials.


    "Wait, so does that mean..." Zo looked at Ro, hoping that what she was thinking wasn''t reality.


    "I... I think it <i>does</i>..." Ro gave a wry smile.


    "Yes... I''m... I''m your <i>Grandmother</i>..." riel was practically dying on the inside as she said those words.


    <i>{Elmira, if you weren''t dead already I''d kill you myself for this!} </i>(riel)


    "NO!!!!!!!!!" Ro and Zo screamed in protest. "ITS NOT FAIR! I DON''T WANT YOU AS OUR GRANDMOTHER!"


    "WELL, I DON''T APPRECIATE THAT YOU TWO IDIOTS AS MY GRANDCHILDREN, SO WE''RE BOTH UNHAPPY WITH THIS ARRANGEMENT!" riel steamed.


    "Why must it be her?!?" Zo said, defeated. "Her blood... Her slutty blood... AHHH!" She screamed. ¡°AHHHHHHHHHH!¡±


    <i>{I''M UNCLEAN! I''VE BEEN SOILED!} </i>(Zo)


    "Perhaps death isn''t so bad after all..." Ro''s eyes zed over.


    <i>{On the one hand, we didn''t get what I came here for, but on the other hand, this is infinitely better. My happiness is infinite, and my day is saved.} </i>(Akagi)


    <i>{You love drama FAR too much...} </i>(Yumi)


    <i>(As if you''re one to talk, Ms. Gossip Girl. I know what kinds of things you talk about with the girls and the other members of the family.} </i>(Akagi)


    <i>{THIS AND THAT ARE NOT THE SAME!} </i>(Yumi)


    <i>{SUUUUUUUUUURE it isn''t. You just keep telling yourself that.} </i>(Akagi)

 Chapter 345 – The Weapon that Started it All.

    Chapter 345 ¨C The Weapon that Started it All.


    "Alright! Alright!" Akagi pped her hands and pushed the arguing family apart. "Old Lady, stop yelling at the kids to get off yourwn, and delinquents, stop getting her blood pressure up. You know that old people can''t handle stress well and we don''t need her keeling over because you kids stressed her out.."


    "Pfff." Halifax, who''d just recovered from herughing fit, tried very hard to not lose it again.


    "But!" (riel x Zo x Ro)


    "NO BUTS!" Akagi eximed, putting a stop to future arguing. "Now listen, I don''t care about your family drama, or whatever the hell <i>this </i>is. Right now, my <i>primary </i>concern is figuring out how to get into the Heavens <i>without </i>needing to vaporize this world in the process." She sighed as she looked at the twins. "Now, if you''ve got <i>any </i>ideas about how to make that possible, I''d like to hear them. Otherwise, my hand may slip, and you might go bye-bye."


    <i>{I really don''t have the energy to deal with these idiots and their arguing. I take it back. This kind of drama isn''t fun... Why can''t things be simple...} </i>(Akagi)


    <i>{Well, things are NEVER simple around you. I would''ve figured that you understood that by now.} </i>(Yumi)


    <i>{Quiet you...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Well, unless we can find a <i>useful</i> Primordial or convince Gale or Reflia to go against their own interest, I don''t think it''s going to happen." riel with a bit of snark.


    "Do you really have no idea of how she can get up there? I mean,e on. You''re a <i>Goddess.</i> You have to know some secret method or know <i>something </i>useful." Halifax figured that riel was acting far to useless.


    <i>{Come on, I know you can do all sorts of bullshit, so how can YOU of all people not have a way around this problem?!?} </i>(Halifax)


    "If I did, then I would''ve already revealed it." riel shook her head. "These idiots were my best bet for a way in, but sadly they were just as worthless as they are childish."


    "Can it, Grandma!" Zo growled. "The only reason we don''t know about that kind of stuff is because <i>you </i>assholes drove our kind into hiding!"


    ¡°Exactly! Besides had the Gods not been so selfish then this probably wouldn''t have happened in the first ce!¡± Ro agreed.


    <i>{Oh my fucking God... Please... I hate arguing like this, it reminds me of Momo and Himari...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Can''t you do something like when you summoned us?" Kanato interjected, hoping to find away to solve the problem. "Surely a ritual of that type would be capable of moving betweenyers of the world if it can take people <i>between</i> them?" He figured that it would be far simpler to move within Enoris than between worlds. ¡°You sent us to Earth and even summoned us so why can''t we do something much simpler?¡±


    "You''re correct to assume that it''s possible, but again <i>I </i>cannot do that with my own power." riel replied. "Teleportation like that or just moving between the differentyers of this world uses either Reflia''s or Gale''s power. None of the other Gods have the ability to move between the Heavens and material world without incarnating so what your asking isn''t possible for me to do."


    "That sounds so stupid." Amakusa scoffed. "Why would Gods be limited like that? It makes no sense. Surely it would make more sense for all the Gods to be capable of freely transporting people back and forth to their home?"


    "No, it makes perfect sense if you take into ount that Gods are meant to represent an idea or force, <i>pet</i>." Akagi sighed. "riel is a Time Goddess, so why would she need control over spatial forces? That would be like the God of the Underworld having the ability to stop time."


    <i>{Though, technically, Space and Time are kind of connected so...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Besides that, its normally not an issue for us since if we really needed to go betweenyers and neither Gale nor Reflia was willing or able to send our Avatars, we could always incarnate." riel continued. "That can be done <i>without </i>either of their powers, though it''s not generally permitted due to problems it can cause, and our subordinates could always just go through a pre-established portal."


    "Not to mention that you''ve probably never needed to bring an actively hostile force <i>into </i>the Heavens against the other Gods'' will." Akagiughed. "The way I see it, what we have here is a system working logically and as it should, and by chance, it''s the perfect roadblock to my ns."


    <i>{Though that still doesn''t make it less annoying... Damn me for wanting to do things the not easy way...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Hmmm..." Halifax furrowed her brow in thought as she covered her mouth with her hand. "Then what about Vikes?"


    "What about him?" riel asked.


    "Well, <i>he </i>got into the Heavenly Realm, didn''t he?" Halifax continued. "We fought him there<i> </i>three times, so doesn''t that mean that a Demon Lord has a way of doing it?"


    "Yes, but Akagi already said that she can''t do that without <i>killing us all</i>." riel shook her head. "Vikes brute forced a connection open with his... Axe." She thought for a moment, and Akagi could tell it was about something unpleasant.


    "THAT''S IT!" Ro''s sudden yelp startled Amakusa and Kanato. "<i>THAT''S</i> HOW YOU GET IN!"


    "???" Zo tilted her head in confusion.


    "His weapon! Vikes'' weapon!" Ro snapped his fingers as he finally figured out something to help. "If you find Labrys, then you should be able to extract that information from him!"


    "Labrys?" Akagi raised an eyebrow. ¡°Who is that?¡±


    "That was the name Vikes gave to his weapon, and much like you treat the ck Sunrise as a partner, Vikes did the same to his weapon." Halifax exined. "It never spoke or had a mind of its own to my knowledge, but he would always treat it as if it did, though... How would finding it help?"


    "Because it would have the information required for transit between worlds." riel shifted her jaw in thought. ¡°Now that I think about it, Labrys would probably be the best bet to get what we need.¡±


    "Wait, <i>really</i>?!?" Halifax was surprised to hear her say that. "How? Didn''t he just brute force his way in? Why would the Axe have that kind of information and how would we even use it?!?"


    "Because not only was Labrys <i>alive </i>like you are, but Vikes intentionally created it with the ability to open a connection between worlds without using arge amount of power." riel exined. ¡°It would be a simple matter for <i>it </i>to open up such a connection or at least force that information out of it.¡±


    "But I never heard it speak!" Halifax eximed. "Nor did I ever sense a soul within it! Besides, why would Vikes make his Axe have such an ability?!? What reason could he have for that?!?" She figured the Demon Lord wouldn''t need something like that since he''de to destroy the world and wouldn''t care about stability anyway.


    "Because the first time he entered the Heavens, he used too much power to force the door open manually and was defeated." Ro exined. "Our Mother told us the stories about that first incursion, and apparently, that mistake that nearly cost him his life. She said that after that near-death encounter with <i>dozens </i>of full-power angry Gods, Vikes crafted a new weapon to rece the one that was lost in that first engagement and made various changes and improvements, one of which was giving it both a mind of its own and the ability to help him minimize power expenditures."


    <i>{Smart, that would mean he didn''t need to expend a huge amount of reserve power opening a hole between theyers of reality. Based on everything I''ve been told about him, and back calcting his age and rtive power, opening such a connection with sheer brute force would probably drain him of at least half his power. He probably figured out that going back and forth, even with spacial coordinates, would leave him far to drained to properly fight so he likely created that weapon to store enough power to make the jump so that it wouldn''t drain his reserves.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I''m... I''m shocked that you knew that." riel was surprised to hear that they knew so much about the battle with Vikes. "Elmira was never one to talk about that time with anyone, even us. She always tried to put those horrible times out of mind..."


    <i>{She''d nearly been killed by Vikes and was always afraid of his return. We tried to convince her that he was gone for good but for some reason she was certain that he still existed out there somewhere, rebuilding his power for revenge.} </i>(Halifax)


    "I''m lost..." Kanato sighed deeply.


    "I kinda understand what''s going on." Amakusa shrugged. "But this is above our pay grade."


    "I don''t pay you at all, <i>pet</i>." Akagi snickered. "Therefore, <i>everything </i>is above your pay grade. But getting back on topic, this might actually be what we need to bring things to a swift close." She continued. "Though, let me guess... wE DoN''t KnOw WhErE iT iS." She spoke in a mocking tone, which made Yumi burst outughing from within her shadow.


    "Your guess is as good as mine." Halifax shrugged. "Last I knew, the Cult had it somewhere, but good luck tracking them down. Those bastards are slippery, and even after <i>centuries </i>of hunting them, the bastards are still out there."


    <i>{I''ve never been able to actually find their leadership, and even after the massive disaster three hundred years ago we only ever blew up a fewrge bases, not their headquarters.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Weren''t the Demons going to crush them?" Kanato recalled a conversation that Ariel had with them at the conference. "I think she said something about finding their HQ and preparing a massive force to take them down, so can''t we just follow them?"


    "I highly doubt that will work." riel shook her head. "The Cult has hundreds of bases, and every time we''ve found their ''headquarters'' it''s nothing but a decoy. <i>At best,</i> we know their main base of operations is <i>somewhere </i>on the Eastern side of the Continent, but anything more specific than that is spection."


    <i>{I''ve had people on that for a very long time and most of the time they''re just chasing ghosts or getting bumped off when they start getting too close.} </i>(riel)


    "How hard can it be to find a bunch of crazy people and wipe them out? You''ve had four thousand years!" Amakusa said, exasperated. ¡°Seriously! You''re Gods and they''re just normal people for the most part, so why can''t you find them?!?¡± She figured it was probably from ack of trying hard enough.


    "The Axe." Akagi interjected. "I''m going to almost guarantee that <i>it </i>is the root of the problem. If it''s a weapon created by a Demon Lord that has true intelligence, then it''s going to know damn well that the Gods are going to hunt it down. Most likely it''s using the power it has to aid the organization and may even be ''cloaking'' it from prying eyes."


    <i>{Energy cloaking is possible, and I''d imagine that it figured out how to use its power to misdirect any attempt to find it. That or its got itself hold up in a ce that none of them would think to look and is using other agents as distractions.} </i>(Akagi)


    "But... No, that can''t be right." Halifax shook her head. "How could one weapon do something like that? If it used its powers as you describe, we''d sense Vikes'' power since Labrys'' energy was the same as his."


    "h, h, Assumptions, h h, you and me." Akagi made a mocking gesture with her hand. "You should know by now that Demon Lords are not something that can be quantified by normal logic, and that goes the same for a weapon created from us. It would not shock me if it''d found a way to hide itself from detection, even from Gods, and if you''re looking for an example of such things." She reached into her shadow and pulled out the ck Sunrise.


    "What in the holy hell is <i>that</i>?!?" riel''s use of very undignifiednguage made everyone giggle. "Its almost like!" She covered her mouth with her hand.


    "This here is a very good friend of mine." Akagi smiled. "Now, as one can see it''s giving off a <i>ton </i>of Demon Lord energy..." She snapped her fingers, causing the energying off it topletely vanish. "And now it''s not. Thus, if this Labrys is really as sentient as say <i>Halifax </i>it would quickly figure out how to do something like this, and I would be shocked if it hadn''t figured out how to use its power to do much more while hiding during the intervening millennia."


    "I... I can''t believe I''m going to say this... But Vikes'' weapon... It may be the key to saving the world..." Halifax gagged as she said those words. ¡°Damn...¡±


    <i>{To think its going to take a weapon forged by that monster to bring things to a close.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Though chances are it won''t bepliant." Akagiughed. "If it''s anything like its master, it''s going to <i>want </i>this world destroyed. So I have no doubt its going to resist being used by me."


    "Then, aren''t we back to square one?" Amakusa rolled her eyes. ¡°If you can''t get it to cooperate you aren''t getting what we need from it.


    "Not exactly, for you see..." Akagi smirked. <i><b>"The weapon of a Demon Lord it may be, but as its master is gone, I will not afford it special treatment. If it obstinately refuses to obey me, then I''ll just have to MAKE it do what I want." </b></i>She let out a slightly Demonicugh. <i><b>"And I''m sure it understands all too well that denying a Demon Lord what it wants is NOT a good idea."</b></i>

 Chapter 346 – Shiroe’s New Friend.

    Chapter 346 ¨C Shiroe¡¯s New Friend.


    "Okay, so now we''re off on <i>another </i>wild goose chase... <i>great</i>..." Akagi put her head in her hand and sighed. "Ahhhh. Can I just kill all of you and go home? <i>Please.</i>"


    <i>{Just blowing this world up and forgetting about it would be so much simpler.... Hmmm. Its starting to sound like a better idea the more I think about it.} </i>(Akagi)


    <i>{Bad kitty! No mass genocide out of sheer exasperation!} </i>Yumi scolded her with augh.


    "She... She wouldn''t actually... <i>Would she?</i>"<i> </i>Kanato asked Halifax and Amakusa.


    "At this point, I wouldn''t put it past her." Amakusa shrugged.


    "At least do it in kitty form so that it''s cute." Halifaxughed.


    <i>{Why are you, the Divine de, just acting so calm when she says stuff like that?!? Shouldn''t you at least protest the destruction of your homeworld a bit?!?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Don''t worry, Boss. We''ll find it!" Ro and Zo straightened up and saluted. ¡°It will be done faster than you can blink!¡±


    <i>{Well, I can blink faster than you can probably think so...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Please don''t tell me that you''re going to let these two run around unattended?" riel sighed, imagining the chaos that the two Primordial twins would cause if let loose. "You should know by now how idiotic and childish they are. If you send them off on their own then I''d wager they''ll cause far more trouble than they are worth."


    "We''d never do anything to harm Boss or her interests!" Zo huffed.


    "Exactly! She''s our Boss! Why wouldn''t we be her faithful subordinates?!?" Ro agreed with his sister.


    <i>{Oh my God, they really are delinquents from anime...} </i>(Amakusa)


    <i>{I approve of their enthusiasm!} </i>(Yumi)


    "Hmm... If I kill them, then the cringe stops, and I don''t have to worry about them causing more cringe in the future. But then I lose out on very nice tools. Hmm..." Akagi thought about it for a bit.


    <i>{Both are tempting arguments. Quashing cringe is always good.} </i>(Akagi)


    <i>{Says she who is very cringe...} </i>(Yumi)


    <i>{Yes, but when I do it I get augh out of it, so its fine.} </i>(Akagi)


    <i>{Oh, just stop acting stupid and take them in already! We both know you want them under your thumb so that you can use them for schemes!} </i>Yumi''s eye roll was audible.


    "Having two basically Gods as my servants <i>would</i> be nice..." Akagi eyed them both up, debating if it was worth the hassle. "But the problem I''m facing is their <i>reliability</i>." She sighed. "Unlike Silfana or the others, I have nothing actually stopping these idiots from flipping on me the moment I turn my back. Nobody in my camp can actually stop them if they decide to go rogue and I just don''t like variables like that."


    <i>{Thest thing I need is for them to turn on me and start killing my people or worse.} </i>(Akagi)


    "We''d never do that, Boss!" Zo tried to assure her of their loyalty. "Honor demands that we be eternally loyal to the one who so convincingly defeated us!"


    "Yeah!" Ro nodded.


    "Out of <i>morbid </i>curiosity, did you happen to see these kinds of things from Hitomi''s memories?" Akagi sighed as she tapped the side of her head.


    "Yup!" Zo nodded with a big smile. "That kind of survival of down and dirty yet honorable life that those ''delinquents'' lead was <i>exactly </i>what bro and I are all about."


    <i>{Of fucking course...} </i>(Akagi)


    <i>{It could always be worse. At least the Yakuza and the like tend to have honor.} </i>(Yumi)


    <i>{Oh they may act like they do, but I''m going to seriously doubt that''s how it works in reality.} </i>(Akagi)


    <i>{I don''t know, I heard once that you had to take a test to be part of those kinds of organizations so that they don''t just let in troublemakers.} </i>(Yumi)


    <i>{I highly fucking doubt that...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Fighting for your family but ensuring that everything is done within a set of rules is just the kind of righteousness that we love." Ro''s eyes burned with hot passion as he exined things. "That girl''s memories were filled with stories about such people and sis and I couldn''t help but fall in love with their passion!"


    "Yeah! The one about the old maning out of retirement to destroy the gang that killed his grandson was just so.....EEEEEEEEE." Zo squeed.


    <i>{His catchphrase of "Back in My Day" was SO GOOD! When he tore off his jacket to reveal just how ripped he was, I nearly fell in love!} </i>(Zo)


    "I..." Akagi found herself lost for words. "What the fuck..."\


    <i>{Also, I know that anime and its actually good...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Damn, there''s probably not many people that can leave Akagi simultaneously angry, confused and defeated." Halifax snickered.


    "Alright, <i>fine</i>." Akagi threw up her hands in defeat, which elicted a giggle from Yumi. "But I''m putting restraints on you." She snapped her fingers and covered the two Primordials in ck fire for a moment, leaving them unharmed but with a ck band around their knecks. "Just like riel here, I''ve sealed your powers. I''ve left you enough free to defend yourselves to an extent, but anything more than that is going to require my authorization."


    <i>{If nothing else, these two are basically walking nuclear bombs that I can choose to drop on people when I''m feelingzy.} </i>(Akagi)


    <i>{True, kitty is veryzy.} </i>(Yumi)


    "Thank you, Boss! We won''t disappoint you!" Zo and Ro bowed to her Yakuza style, each moving to try and kiss her hand but being quickly swatted away.


    "Alright, so that ''solves'' one problem and leaves us with another one." Halifax said.


    "No, it leaves us with <i>multiple</i>." Amakusa stepped toward the two Primordials. "First of all, are we all forgetting that these two not only <i>ate </i>a bunch of people but also ate <i>Hitomi?!?"</i>


    <i>{I think that''s pretty fucking important!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Oh noooooooooo.... What a tragedy..." Akagi did an overly dramatic but very sarcastic body wiggle. ¡°How could I forgeeeeeeeeeet?¡±


    "Do you always have to be an asshole?" Amakusa grumbled at her.


    "No, but it''s a hobby." Akagi snickered. "But what <i>about </i>Hitomi? I don''t give a fuck about her, and I''d nned on capturing her and letting the Spirits probably do worse to her, so I''d say she won out in the end."


    <i>{Instant deletion is probably better than torture and execution.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Regardless of our culpability or inevitable punishment I''d still like to kill at least one of these fucks for what they did!" Amakusa drew her de and pointed it at Zo. "Though I''d settle for carving them up a bit." She smirked.


    "Come on now..." Kanato put her hand on her shoulder. "Don''t let your emotions get you all worked up. I''m sure you realize that... That right now we have no room to argue about how we''re treated. Just because none of us knew what was happening doesn''t absolve us of sin, and we all deserve punishment."


    "And <i>you''re </i>just okay with Hitomi being killed like that?!?" Amakusa spun around and pushed him away. "She was fucking <i>betrayed </i>by the woman she loved, USED by her, and forced to let these two chucklefucks loose! I-" She paused as something dawned on her. "WAIT! Where is she?!? Where is that <i>bastard</i>? Where. Is. Rafferty?!?" She pulled Zo up by the cor. "Tell me NOW!" She yelled in her face. "And while you''re at it how about you tell me WHY Alm still hasn''t woken up?!?" The sleeping girl was currently sitting on a nket on the grass next to Halifax, still unconscious.


    "Hey-" Ro moved to get Amakusa away from his sister, but Akagi''s re stopped him.


    "I''ve got no idea what Rafferty did to her, but I think she drugged her or something." Zo had no clue what their familiar was doing outside of their direct supervision and didn''t really ask questions about how she was freeing them. "All I know is that she was nning on feeding that girl to us since she''s got lots of Kaleago''s power. What she did beyond that is outside of my knowledge."


    "I still don''t understand how that''s even possible." rielmented. "He died during the war. He couldn''t have left children." Her eyes moved to the sleeping girl.


    <i>{Not to mention the amount of his power within her... It almost as if she''s made entirely from him.} </i>(riel)


    "She''s had a sleeping curse cast on her." Akagi exined. "I suspect they did this to stop her power from going crazy and creating issues."


    <i>{I''d imagine this was to hold down whatever power wastent within her and prevent it froming loose. Judging by how deep she''s sleeping I''d bet she''s been asleep for years.} </i>(Akagi)


    "What power?!? Alm was just a helpless child!" Amakusa retorted. "She couldn''t even use magic!" She''d never seen Alm use any power before.


    "At the time <i>you </i>knew her, perhaps not. But it''s clear to me that this girl is far more powerful than one would expect." Akagi shrugged. ¡°I can detect quite a bit oftent power within her.¡±


    <i>{Though I''ve got a hunch as to why that is.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Can you wake her up?" Kanato asked if Akagi could undue the curse.


    "Sure." Akagi snapped her fingers, dispelling the curse with ease." She''ll wake up at some point soon. So you can calm down a bit, <i>pet</i>." She said as she walked over and pat Amakusa on the head. ¡°Your little sister is safe and sound.¡±


    "No, I won''t calm down until I get my hands on that <i>bitch</i>!" Amakusa pulled Zo closer, punching her in the face with her other hand. ¡°Bring that fucking familiar here, NOW! Otherwise, I''m going to run Inori straight through your fucking skull, and I can assure you that even if you can''t <i>die </i>I''m going to make it <i>hurt</i>!" She gave a slight cackle that caused Kanato''s skin to crawl.


    <i>{Shiroe, were you always this fucking scary?!?} </i>(Kanato}


    "Boss. A little help here." Zo looked to her leader for help but found no sympathy.


    "This is your mess, so you clean it up." Akagi replied, not caring. "I don''t really care what she does to the fox."


    "Bring. Her. To. Me." Amakusa said with a horrifying smile on her lips. ¡°<i>Now.</i>¡±


    "Well, I suppose that she <i>is </i>just a familiar." Ro gave a wry smile as he turned to Akagi. "I''ll summon her here if you give me a bit more power."


    "Have at it." Akagi waved her hand and released a bit more of his power, which he used to make a purple summon circle that called forth Rafferty in a puff.


    "Master!" Rafferty smiled as she appeared. "I was so worried about you! Did you manage to-" She stopped mid-sentence as Amakusa''s de dove through her chest.


    ¡°Ack!¡± Rafferty coughed up blood.


    "Hi there!" Amakusa smiled as she pulled her de out and kicked the fox to the floor. "Did you forget about <i>me</i>?"


    "You..." Rafferty tried to heal herself with magic but was stopped by Amakusa cutting off the arm she was using to cast. "AHH!"


    <i>{Such a good little pet.} </i>(Akagi)


    "So, remind me. Familiars can be resummoned by their master even if they get destroyed, <i>right</i>?" Amakusa turned to Akagi and the twins.


    "Ummm... Y-Yeah..." Ro started sweating as he backed away nervously.


    "Well then, <i>happy birthday</i> to me!" Amakusa started cackling as she dove her de into Rafferty again and again until she vanished in a purple cloud of energy. "Bring her back, <i>please</i>. I''m not done."


    "Ummm... Should we stop this?" Halifax asked as she walked next to Akagi just in time to see Rafferty get summoned and torn apart again. ¡°This can''t be healthy...¡±


    "What? And miss <i>this</i>? No way!" Akagiughed as the fox-girl was summoned and killed dozens of times, only finally being spared because Akagi wanted to head home rather than because Amakusa was done.


    "Oh Rafferty, I have a feeling that you and I are going to be <i>great </i>friends." Amakusa smiled at the trembling girl, who knew that she was in for the worst hell possible. "I look forward to working with you."


    <i>{It looks Like I trained the pet well.} </i>(Akagi)


    <i>{Well, they do say they take after their owners...} </i>(Yumi)


    <i>{Shiroe...} </i>(Kanato)


    <i>{SAVE ME!} </i>(Rafferty)

 Chapter 347 – Family Portrait.

    Chapter 347 ¨C Family Portrait.


    "Come on! Is that all you''ve got?" Hishyaughed as she twisted her body and ducked out of the way of Himari, who sliced through the air just inches from where she stood a moment prior. "I fought trash mobs that had more uracy with their attacks!" She snickered as Kana seethed at her girlfriend''s provocation. ¡°Not to mention that they tend to have better weapons!¡±


    <i>{Oh I''m going to stab her good!} </i>(Himari)


    After the prior <i>incident, </i>Kana decided to train a bit more and see just what she could do with the power thaty dormant within her. She was still uneasy about diving into it too much,rgely because she feared turning into apletely different person, and for all the bluster about epting Akagi and wanting her to be happy with her new self/life, Kana was resistant to giving up her humanity like the <i>Demon </i>did.


    "You know, you really are a pain in the ass, Hishya." Kana growled as Hishya slipped around her quick barrage of strikes, tripping Kana before ripping Himari out of her hand, spinning the de around, and dramatically slinging it over her shoulder.


    "What can I say? I learned a lot about how to aggravate people from a certain <i>kitty </i>that shall not be named." Hishyaughed as she was shocked by Himari, which caused Hishya to yelp in pain as she threw the sword back at Kana. ¡°AAAAAH! YEEOWCH!¡±


    "Need I remind you that trying to pick me up like that is a bad idea?" Himariughed as she reformed next to Kana, a massive smirk on her lips. "Dragon or not, by wielding me like that, I can bypass <i>a lot </i>of your defenses, and as it turns of <i>you </i>aren''t immune to my defensive abilities like Akagi is." She snickered before being sted away by an energy attack from Hishya and sent flying into a tree.


    "God! <i>Fuck</i>!" Hishya swore as shook her right hand in pain. "It''s like somebody took a fucking taser to my bones!" She looked down at her limp hand. There was little real damage to her but the pain, and subsequent numbness, was quite unpleasant. "Did you really have to do that?!?"


    <i>{That fucking hurt, you bastard!} </i>(Hishya)


    "Good work, Himari." Kanaughed from the ground as she listened to Hishya swear so much that a sailor would blush. "Maybe I should use you as a bug zapper if you can do things like that?"


    "Don''t you dare!" Himari pouted while hanging from a nearby tree branch. "And also, you deserved it, Hishya. You had the smuggest look on your face as you toyed with us, so I figured it would be good to wipe it off." She snickered.


    "Yeah, you''ve totally taken after Onee-chan." Kana said as Hishya helped her up. "You''re not <i>quite </i>as sadistic, but you''re getting there."


    <i>{I didn''t really understand it at first, but I''ve slowlye to realize exactly what Onee-chan was saying when she told me that Hishya was nothing but trouble. If this is how she is now, then I shudder to think about how she was BEFORE her ego was shattered.} </i>(Kana)


    "Oi! As bad as I may be I''m nowhere near as bad as that crazy <i>Demon</i>!" Hishya protested theparison. "Sure, <i>maybe </i>I like teasing a bit more than the average person, butparing me to Akagi is both unfair and unwarranted!"


    <i>{SHE HAS A PERSONAL HELL THAT SHE USES FOR FUN! I JUST ENJOY PICKING ON MY CUTE GIRLFRIEND! WE ARE NOT THE SAME!} </i>(Hishya)


    "I suppose it makes sense if you think about it. After all she''s a Dragon, <i>domination </i>is in her blood." Himari snickered as she appeared next to Kana, dodging a st from the Dragon in question.


    "Quiet you!" Hishya growled. ¡°I don''t needments from the peanut gallery!¡±


    *PBBBT!*


    Himari blew a Raspberry before vanishing inside Kana to avoid the Dragon''s wrath.


    "I will turn you into a goddamned toothpick, Himari!" Hishya huffed.


    "Oh no! I''m so scared." Himari giggled.


    "Oh, you fucking will be!" Hishya hissed as Kanaughed from her worked up by the sword''s provocation. ¡°Get out here and fight me!¡±


    ¡°Nah, I''m good.¡± Himari declined.


    <i>{Hey, I''ve got an idea about how to make this funnier.} </i>Kana sent a message to Himari with a dastardly n.


    <i>{Kana, you are so evil... AND I LOVE IT!} </i>(Himari)


    "Hey I have an idea! Instead of meing out there why don''t youe and get me?" Himari snickered.


    ¡°We both know I can''t do that!¡± Hishya rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Oh? Are you sure its not just because your afraid of getting <i>beaten</i>?¡± Himari''s smirk was audible. "Sounds to me like an excuse! I thought you were a Dragon, but I guess you''re a chicken! BAWK! BAWK! BAWK!"


    "Himari, I <i>will</i> reach into whatever hidey hole you are sitting in and tear you out!" Hishya hissed as she red at the sword''s energy mass that sat safely within Kana. Being teased was one thing, but having the sword girl bawk at her like a chicken was simply too much for her to bear. "There will be nowhere to run."


    <i>{I WILL FUCKING END YOU WHEN YOU COME OUT!} </i>(Hishya)


    "Kyaa! Onee-chan, help! Hishya said she''s going to hurt me to get to Himari!" Kana pretended to wince in pain and cry as she recoiled from the Dragon.


    "I SWEAR ITS NOT LIKE THAT!" Hishya spun around, fearing the <i>Demon''s </i>wrath, but saw no Akagi.


    <i>{DON''T SEND ME TO THE HAPPY FARM PLEASE! ITS ALL THAT SWORD''S FAULT I SWEAR!} </i>(Hishya)


    "HA!" Kanaughed at the dragon''s reaction, as did Himari. Hishya''s terrified and pale face was quickly reced by one of relief before she turned around and red at Kana. "For all your bluster and attitude, you''re a massive scardey cat when ites to Onee-chan!"


    ¡°Yeah, it didn''t take much to cow you! Ooo! Watch out! The big scary Demon Lord ising to get you!¡± Himari snickered as Hishya''s face turned red.


    "YOU BASTARDS!" Hishya spun around and pinched Kana''s cheeks. "DON''T FREAK ME THE FUCK OUT LIKE THAT! YOU KNOW HOW SHE IS! AKAGI WILL EAT MY FUCKING SOUL ON COMMAND IF YOU ASK!"


    <i>{Kana has the fucking DELETE BUTTON on speed dial! If she wants anyone gone they will be gone!} </i>(Hishya)


    "Now, now, now. I''m sure she''d only take a <i>nibble</i>." Kanaughed as Hishya shook her by the cheeks. ¡°Though perhaps you should give her more pets and snuggles so that she is more inclined to spare you.¡± Whether she knew it or not, Kana''s jokingment, was likely not actually that far from the truth.


    "Oh no, now don''t <i>you </i>start this crap! I don''t need <i>both </i>sisters going after me like this! ONE of you is bad enough! Thank you very much!" Hishya sighed as she let Kana go, leaving the girl giggling with red cheeks. "I can''t deal with this stress..."


    <i>{I need more pillows...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Best let her alone, Kana. Lizards tend to do poorly under stress." Himariughed.


    "Not to worry! I can get her a big heat rock for toy on. That might help." Kana said as she continued tough.


    <i>{I hate that something like that sounds appealing...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Can you idiots keep it down?" Mika yelled from off in the distance. While the three girls were practicing and picking on one another she was sitting on a nket in the grass alongside Alice and Miji, who were doing some arts and crafts. "At least take your lover''s quarrel somewhere else! Nobody needs to see that!" She snickered.


    Hishya replied to her smartments by flipping the bird, but Kana had a much more effective way to do some damage.


    "Hey, Mika, shouldn''t you be doing your <i>summer homework </i>instead of ying with the kids? You <i>do </i>remember that it''s due <i>tomorrow </i>when we go back, <i>right</i>?" Kana smirked, knowing full well that Mika had done approximately <i>zero </i>summer homework.


    "I can''t hear you over the sound of me not listening!" Mika turned her head away as Kana and Hishyaughed.


    "Ah, am I d that I don''t have to do things like that." Hishya smiled. ¡°Schoolwork sucks!¡±


    "Hmm... That reminds me. I really should get you a <i>tutor</i>." Kana''sment caused Hishya to get goosebumps. "You''ve been out of school for ten years. It''s a wonder that you can even read and write Kanji." She snickered. ¡°Perhaps you should get some private tutors to catch you up on all that work you missed while sick?¡±


    "I will <i>incinerate</i> any teacher that you send my way." Hishya pursed her lips and made a small purple me. "I don''t need school, and besides if you''re going to tell <i>me </i>to study, then you''d better harp on Akagi. That idiot hasn''t been to school in a while either."


    "Yeeaaaaaah... You and I both know that she will <i>never</i> do something that she doesn''t want to." Kana rolled her eyes as they walked over to Mika and the girls. "Besides, if I tell her to go back to school, she''s going to toss me on a deserted ind for a week."


    <i>{Either that or she will blow the school up, I''d say its 50/50 on which one she chooses.} </i>(Kana)


    "<i>Only </i>a week?" Hishyaughed as they walked up to the nket. Mika and the girls were making a bunch of different fun designs out of macaroni, and pipe cleaners as well as drawing, but out of everything the girls were making two items in particr stood out.


    "Is that a Catkagi plush?" Hishya eyed up the fluffy stuffed toy that Alice was putting the finishing touches on with her sewing needle. It was a perfect replica of the real thing, though it was naturally much smaller, and was the perfect hugging size.


    <i>{Alright, that thing is actually kind of adorable.} </i>(Hishya)


    "I''m making it for Miji." Alice smiled as she finished sowing a red ribbon onto its neck. The plush was outfitted with a tiny hat, blue and white dress, and red ribbons around the neck and tail. It was simr to what the girls had gotten the real deal to wear before, and Hishya was forced to admit it was cute.


    "Do you want one to cuddle up to?" Mika snickered. "I''m sure Alice wouldn''t mind making you a more <i>life sized </i>one to hug at night."


    "Thest thing I need is to wake up with <i>that </i>next to me. I''d probably freak out and burn the house down." Hishya sighed.


    <i>{Lets not give me excuses to have Akagi themed nightmares... I already have those enough as it is.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Why would you do that?" Miji asked as she continued to color her drawing. "The kitty is so cute! How could you not want to snuggle her?!?" Her pure gaze pierced through the Dragon, making it hard to answer.


    "Yeah, Hishya. Why do you deny the kitty?" Mika nodded in agreement. "It seems to me like you''re being tsundere."


    "Listen, I''m <i>anything </i>but a tsundere." Hishya rolled her eyes.


    "Yeah, she''s probably more <i>yandere</i>." Kana snickered as she nudged her.


    "Hey! I''ve yet to kill anyone for you!" Hishya protested being put in that camp.


    "Key word, <i>yet</i>." (Mika x Kana)


    "Also, you''ve not killed anyone <i>that we know of</i>." Alice noted that Hishya would likely hide any bodies that she made.


    "Don''t add fuel to the fire..." Hishya sighed.


    "Don''t worry, Hishya. As your supportive girlfriend, I''ll help you dispose of the bodies in a ce that nobody can find them." Kanaughed.


    "I hate that I can''t tell if you''re being serious or not..." Hishya knew that Kana was probably crazy enough to do something like that.


    ¡°Ohe on, I''d never <i>actually </i>do something like that!¡± Kana said while continuing tough.


    <i>{She who said her own sister could eat her soul...} </i>(Hishya)


    "IT''S DONE!" Miji proudly held up her drawing, breaking up theughter.


    "Oh! Let me see, let me see!" Mika leaned over, as did everyone else. "That''s amazing, Miji!" She pat the girl on the head, which elicited a smile and giggle.


    "Yup, that''s definitely going on the fridge." Kana said.


    "Fridge? No way, knowing Akagi, it''s going to be <i>framed </i>and go in the living room over the firece." Hishyaughed. The picture that Miji had drawn was a crude, yet charming, image of the family happily standing together. It included her, Yumi, Chloe, Mika, Naomi, Alice, Kana, Hishya, and, most importantly, at the very center of it all was a happy Catkagi being smothered with love as Miji squeezed her.


    "Do you think she''ll like it?" Miji asked with a tilted head.


    "Like? Miji, Onee-chan is going to <i>love </i>it." Kana smiled as she pat her on the head.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Rehael POV>


    "Hmm..." The twisted Angel stood atop a hill, looking back in the direction of the Holy City. She''d detected a massive burst of power a few moments prior and the unexpcted energy had caught her attention.


    <i>{What was all that power I felt just a moment ago? It was incredible, but it''s gone now.} </i>(Rehael)


    "Well, whatever." Rehael turned around and headed into the woods. "Father gave me a mission to do, and ensuring that I gather all the necessary parts takes priority over everything else." She smirked.


    <i>{Just you wait, ''Demon Lord.'' Those stupid Heroes might not have been able to do the job, but I think you''ll find me to be far a more difficult, andpetent, opponent.} </i>(Rehael)

 Chapter 348 – The House Always Wins.

    Chapter 348 ¨C The House Always Wins.


    "That will conclude today''s meeting. We''ll reconvene next week to discuss further amendments before this is brought before the full Assembly for a vote." A ck-haired wolf woman with red eyes spoke from a central podium. She was Chancellor of the Northwind Confederation, Gildra Mint, and she, as well as a dozen other well-dressed individuals, were seated at a half-circle table that stretched around an ornate room. They''d been discussing some contentions legition that''d been proposed recently, and their discussion had gone on for far longer than expected to the point that daylight was now a distant memory. The conference room was filled with Tobo smoke, and it was clear by the way the participants of the meeting spoke and acted that they were all members of society''s elite. "Mr. Blumond, I''ll have my secretary reach out to your office so that we can discuss the irrigation issue that you mentioned." She turned to a dark-skinned human man, who nodded before departing alongside his entourage, who were all bombarding him with questions andments.


    <i>{Well, things finally wrapped up. I didn''t think we''d spend five hours discussing a bill to overhaul discussing agriculture tonight but well... here we are...} </i>(Gildra)


    "Chancellor, may we speak a bit in private?" Jacabey took off his hat as he approached Gildra, wiping away a bit of sweat with a cloth. "I would normally wait until tomorrow, seeing as we just got out of extensive negotiations, but this simply cannot wait." As the leader of thergest opposition Party in the National Assembly, Jacabey held a lot of clout, and Gildra knew the Halfling well enough not to brush him off when he asked to speak.


    "Only because its you... But let me grab a drink first, and we can talk." Gildra said with a sigh. She wanted to go home and sleep, but it was looking like the night was still young.


    <i>{No rest for the wicked I suppose...} </i>(Gildra)


    Following the wolfkin, the two politicians moved into the Chancellor''s office where she got to work pouring two sses of whiskey before sitting and taking a sip of the golden drink.


    "So, what do you need to talk about?" Gildra said as she set the back of her foot on the table between them. "I hope this is a bit more important than a discussion about the Development Coalition myriad of bills sitting inmittee." She sighed as she took another sip.


    "Hah!" Jacabey let out a loudugh and gave a toothy smile. "No, while I would love to talk with you about some of our current proposals until the wee hours of the morning, I''m afraid that I''ve got <i>other </i>business to discuss." He took a sip from his ss as he pulled out a cigar. "Do you mind?¡± He asked gesturing to it.


    "Only if you''ve got one for me." Gildra chuckled as she was handed a ck cigar, and the two lit up using fire magic. "So what''s on your mind then?" She asked as she let out a puff. ¡°Its not usual for you to pull me aside like this, but I''ve got the feeling this is about more than just politics in the Assembly.¡±


    "Well, I''ve been thinking..." Jacabey took a puff as his monocle red. "We''re at a crossroads here, and one wrong step could see everything that we''ve worked for destroyed in an instant. Things have already started to move and I fear our nation will be caught in the middle of all of it."


    "I''m going to assume that you''re talking about that so-called Demon Lord?" Gildra asked as she held the cigar off to the side. "I''ll admit that the devastation inflicted on Amdamell was unexpected, and even someone as detached from religion as I can tell that the Gods are in an ufortable position." She said as she let out another puff.


    "Yes that''s it exactly. Its a thorny subject to say the least.¡± Jacabey said as he took a swig. ¡°I heard that you spoke with Lady Reflia the other day. I imagine that you spoke at length about this <i>issue </i>in particr?"


    "It was one of <i>many</i> things the Goddess discussed with me, yes." Gildra nodded as she filled up her ss again. "She wouldn''t tell me exactly what she was up to or what the current status of this so-called Demon Lord is, but... But that was the first time in my life that I''ve ever seen a <i>literal </i>Goddess nervous." She leaned back before taking another sip from her ss.


    <i>{I''ve never known Gods to be afraid, but when speaking of that so-called Demon Lord, she was definitely a shade paler than normal.} </i>(Gildra)


    "Well, I can''t imagine that Gods would want to admit that they''ve got their hackles up." Jacabeyughed. "Lest we peons start believing them to be anything <i>but </i>all-powerful." His religion was money and money alone. In public, he would praise the God of Commerce Aldendre, but he had no real reverence for such a being. From his experience, wealth was not something obtained via prayer, rather it was something that required blood, sweat, and sometimes cold hard iron.


    "I''ve ced our military on high alert, and we''ve already had a few encounters with this so-called Demon Lord''s subordinates." Gildra sighed as she recalled a recent string of assassinations and suspicious deaths.


    "Yes, the death of my dear colleague in the Agricultural Party was truly shocking. Almin and I didn''t always see eye to eye with our politics, but I respected him greatly as a man of principle." Jacabey said with a look of sadness on his face.


    <i>{Could''ve fooled me. You''re not known as a cutthroat merchant for nothing, and if I didn''t know any better, I''d suspect that you orchestrated his death since he and his party were gaining ground in the Assembly.} </i>(Gildra)


    "So why did you want to speak with me about this?" Gildra''s gaze grew sharp. "I know you well enough to understand that you didn''t just want a status update, and if you did I could''ve given you one <i>in the morning</i>." She said stressing thosest words.


    "Part of it was my indeed my desire to know what was going on regarding this Demon Lord issue." Jacabey nodded. "But my primary goal here was to speak with you about what path our Nation needs to take from here on out." He paused as he let out a puff. "I''ve spoken with a few members of the Demon Kingdom''s elite, and it seems that they''re intending to take a hardline stance against this Demon Lord." He said as he set the cigar down on a small holder. ¡°The general consensus seems to be that destroying this creature and its servants is a top priority.¡±


    "As it should be." Gildra said as she swirled a ss in her hand. "Thest thing we need is a repeat of Amdamell, and with this Cult or whatever it is taking up residence in their territory..." She mmed back the rest of the drink in her ss. "The only realistic way forward is to crush these invaders."


    <i>{End one war and start another I suppose.} </i>(Gildra)


    "Of course, of course, of course." Jacabeyughed while rubbing his hands together. "Such a destructive force cannot be allowed to do as it pleases, and I''d even go so far as saying that we should offer whatever help we can to the Demons in eliminating this foe." He smirked.


    "Oh? Well color me surprised! I never thought I''d live to hear you so openly advocate for cooperation with the Demons like that." Gildra raised an eyebrow at the Halfling''s proposal. "Since when were you all cozy with them? I thought you were firmly in the Anti-Demon camp?" Jacabey was never outright <i>hostile </i>to the Demon Kingdom, though he did tend to get into spats with them due to their reluctance to work with Northwind,rgely stemming from its financial support to some of the Eastern Lords. On the surface the two Nations were at peace and even had trade rtions, but underneath the calm facade was a swirling sea of backstabbing, political intrigue, and even a little bit of terrorism.


    "Why is it so hard to believe that in times of Crisis, I''d put aside such petty disagreements toe together and face this foe?" Jacabey asked while acting hurt. "Did I not fund the Heroes training and equipment out of my own pocket? Did I note together with your Progress Party to form a unity government during the war with the Spirits? So I''d hardly think my willingness to work with the Demons here is abnormal, despite my personal misgivings toward them."


    <i>{I would be inclined to believe you if I didn''t know damn well what kind of man you were. You''re a cutthroat political actor who NEVER takes an action that won''t benefit you in the long run. This was proven during the Spirit War as you used the chaos to grow your faction''s power base at the expense of others, and your move to pay for the Heroes'' outfitting not only gave you a good rtionship with them butpletely shut out the Northwind Government from basically all interaction with them! So I know that there''s no way in hell that you''d put forward FURTHER joint operations with the Demons if you didn''t have a n in mind, especially as you are ACTIVELY fomenting rebellion in their Easternmost provinces.} </i>(Gildra)


    "I suppose that even <i>you </i>may have a charitable bone in your body every now and again." Gildra said, keeping her real thoughts well hidden. "So what do you propose we do? I''ve already had <i>some </i>contact with the Princess-Regent on this matter, but they didn''t seem to want or need our aid."


    <i>{We were politely told to mind our own business. Which is just their polite way of saying go fuck yourself.} </i>(Gildra)


    "Well, I was actually thinking of going a bit <i>bigger</i>." Jacabey grinned. "For you see, why not kill two birds with one stone here and not only deal with this Demon Lord but put the Demon Kingdom in our debt by saaaaaay helping them to deal with the City State Alliance?"


    <i>{And there it is, this sly bastard. I can''t outright deny the value of what he''s plotting here either, since with Amdamell seemingly falling in line with that so-called Demon Lord, it''s looking like they''ve turned their back on the rest of the world. It would be the perfect pretext for war, and the Demons have been itching to crush those idiots down South for decades. Not to mention that with the Empire banging the drums of war louder every year, we may need to band together, lest Hadrus fulfill his dreams of reunification.} </i>(Gildra)


    "Jacabey... Why must you have a penchant for putting more work on me?" Gildra sighed as they continued their discussion well into the night, with Jacabey leaving via carriage just as the Sun began peaking over the horizon.


    ________________________________________________________________________________________________


    "Ahhh. I love it when a nes together." Jacabey chuckled as he looked at the empty seat across from him. "Please do me a favor and tell your master that it looks like Gildra took her bait hook, line, and sinker. So don''t worry she''ll have her casus belli soon enough." He smirked as the shadow flickered for a moment before getting lighter as if something within had vanished.


    <i>{Forgive me, Gildra. It''s nothing personal, and I know you know that. But when I go all in, I''d much prefer to do so with the hand that has a four-of-a-kind rather than a high card.} </i>(Jacabey)


    Spoiler


    Gildra!


    [copse]

 Chapter 348.5 – Internal Dissent.

    Chapter 348.5 ¨C Internal Dissent.


    "I see so that power I sensed earlier was the Demon Lord. I suppose I shouldn''t be surprised to have felt it even from here." Reflia said to Gale. The two were conversing via magic, and a small screen floated in front of her with his image. "Though I''m concerned that those two idiotic children are now free."


    <i>{riel sealed them because of how recklessly they acted, and I''m worried that this Demon Lord and those two delinquents could team up. If that happens, then Gale''s n will be the least of this world''s concerns.} </i>(Reflia)


    "It is definitely a concerning turn of events. I never expected those two to be freed, though lucky for us it appears that the Demon Lord and those two were at odds. If we''re lucky their brash attitude just got them killed, and the Demon Lord eliminated a diplomatically sensitive problem for us." Gale said with a sigh. "Though I suppose we''ll have to wait and see what happens on that front. I''d appreciate the win-win of for us if nothing else"


    "Getting back to the main point, how is progress on <i>the n?</i>" Reflia asked about the main reason she was contacted. "We''re on a timer here, Gale. One that may be incredibly long or terrifyingly <i>short</i>." She was referring to the fact that Akagi could break into the Heavens any second to start a fight with them.


    <i>{Thest thing we need is her rampaging against us. I have no idea if we can defeat her in that kind of situation either. Vikes was already a problem even when we faced him together, and this Demon Lord was clearly more powerful than him. Sure we''ve gotten stronger since then too, but it''s not a pleasant prospect to face another one of her kind on our home turf. But more than that, I''m confused as to why she isn''t causing more destruction in the material world. Perhaps that''s just part of her overall n? I can''t even begin the fathom the mind of such a creature, and its probably not worth even trying.} </i>(Reflia)


    "It''s <i>proceeding</i>." Gale replied with a bit of irritation in his voice. "My agents were failing to find some of the items I requested, so I re-tasked Rahael to assist me."


    "Well, that should certainly speed things up." Reflia snorted. "The word <i>failure </i>isn''t in her lexicon."


    "Indeed. I''ve got her hunting down power sources to aid in the transfer, and then after that, I''ll move her to phase two." Gale said. "Though if we''re lucky, this Demon Lord will listen to reason and we won''t need to take more <i>aggressive </i>action to secure our positon."


    "Do you really think we cane to some kind of agreement with a creature like <i>that</i>?" Reflia asked with a raised eyebrow. "She''s already killed one of us and proimed her intent to destroy the rest of us, Gale. Not to mention that I don''t even know if we <i>want </i>to make deals with it."


    <i>{And I sincerely doubt that a Demon Lord will hold to any bargain we strike with it anyway. Though I won''t say that having her pointed at Gale''s throat is a bad thing. It may even be the best way to deal with him.} </i>(Reflia)


    "As much as it may be a waste of time I intend to give diplomacy a shot, though I do understand your skepticism." Gale replied with augh. "If possible we can use any ceasefire as a means of buying time if nothing else."


    <i>{And we shouldn''t need that much if my calctions are correct.} </i>(Gale)


    "Well, you do whatever you want." Reflia shrugged not wanting to get into a debate with him. "Just keep me up to date on things. I''ll be busy making other arrangements down here, so let me know if you need anything else."


    "Of course." Gale nodded. "Your work down there is vital in keeping the mortals in check. We can''t have them panicking over this little hup."


    <i>{I think its far more than a little hup...} </i>(Reflia)


    "A task that I have no doubt will only get <i>harder </i>with that little disy in the Holy City." Reflia sighed. "It was already hard enough to convince the Northwind leadership that things were under control, and I''m sure my next meeting is going to involve lots of shouting."


    <i>{And dealing with people terrified that the world is ending is just fucking awful...} </i>(Reflia)


    "Well, I''ll leave <i>that</i> in your very capable hands." Galeughed. "But I''ve got to head off, it looks like something else hase up that needs my attention. I''ll read through your report on Tahena''s death in a bit, and if it''s half as bad as I expect it''s going to make a miserable read."


    "Hey, it wasn''t pleasant to write it either." Reflia said. " But I''m sure you''ll enjoy all the gory details."


    "I''m sure I will. And I''m sure that Keldore will fill me in on even more when he gets back. That fool couldn''t help but go down to the Holy City to collect data. I just hope whatever he gathers is worth the risk. We can''t have more of us being killed." Gale said before the small screen vanished, leaving Reflia alone in the office she''d appropriated from the Northwind government.


    "Haaaaaaa..." Reflia let out a deep sigh as she slid back in her chair. "Well, if nothing else this Demon Lord might be the only way I can put a stop to this madness." She said as she rubbed her temples.


    <i>{With everyone else in Gale''s pocket it''s up to me to prevent them from destroying this world. That bastard lied to all of us about the Spirits and made me a backstabbing traitor to them. I won''t let that slide and if means making us all die with the ship then so be it.} </i>(Reflia)


    "Now it''s just a question of how I can use this Demon Lord or if I even <i>should</i>..." Reflia groaned not sure if Akagi was the greater of lesser of the two evils. "On one hand she could help defeat Gale and stop his ns before it''s toote... But on the other... She''s a Demon Lord and wants to destroy this world... Bah!" She quickly sat up and ruffled her hair. "I want Gale stopped but I don''t want to ce this world at a Demon Lord''s mercy!" She knew that Demon Lords could and would consume people''s souls and that such a fate would be worse than simply dying when the world copsed. "She''ll probably enjoy tormenting the poption before eating them like Vikes did, and I can''t just sit back and allow that."


    <i>{But at the same time, that dammed Demon Lord might be the only force that can oppose the other Gods. I can''t rely on them to help since they all just want to save themselves, so I may have no choice but to let the Demon Lord do as she wants. If I''m lucky Gale and that monster might kill each other, or at least the winner may be weakened enough to allow me to finish them off.} </i>(Reflia)


    *KNOCK* *KNOCK*


    "Lady Reflia, you''re guest has arrived." A maid said after knocking on the office door. "May I enter?"


    "Yes, please give me one moment." Reflia stood up and smacked her cheeks to rpose herself. "Alright, let them in." The door slowly opened revealing an Elven man wearing a brown cloak over bright golden armor. He had an aura of nobility, regalness, and wisdom that flowed from him like an unrelenting tide, and it was clear as day that he was a warrior of exceptional ability, skill, and experience and the air itself seemed to still in his presence.


    "Please make sure no one disturbs us under <i>any </i>circumstances." Reflia said to the maid before dismissing her.


    "Of course, my Lady." The maid bowed quickly before closing the door and leaving.


    "So... It''s been a long time since we met in person." Reflia said as she walked around her desk and stood in front of the man, her head barelying to the middle of his chest. "I suppose I should say thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Dawnmaster of the Dawn Order, Evindal Ilimoira."


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Ro & Zo POV>


    "Welp, these guys were no help." Ro said as he tossed the lifeless body of a Vikes Cultist to the floor. "But I suppose if it was that easy to find the Axe, those Gods would''ve already had him dealt with millennia ago." The two had found a Cultist hideout in the mountains South of the Holy City shortly after Akagi had sent them on their way and had begun <i>interrogating </i>anyone they found for Labrys'' whereabouts. However, due to the cellr nature of the Cult, they were able to learn very little to nothing about the Cult''s inner workings.


    "Meh, they were just small fry anyway." Zo said as she kicked one of the dead bodies away. "We need to find one of the big bosses. <i>They''ll</i> be able to get us in the right direction."


    <i>{And we''d better move fast since we don''t want Boss to get all scary on us like she probably will if we fail!} </i>(Zo)


    "Hmmmm. I''d say that our best bet will probably find areas with reported Cult activity." Ro said. "If we''re lucky we can find one rat and use them to lead us to the nest."


    <i>{These guys said something about movement to the East before we wiped them out, so perhaps we should check that out next. If the Cult is increasing activity in an area that''s where we need to look.} </i>(Ro)


    "So we should head South?" Zo asked. "I always heard that the Demon Cult lived somewhere in the Demon Kingdom. Should we head down there and start poking around?"


    "We could..." Ro said as he put his hand to his chin. "But I have a feeling that the Boss would''ve smoked them out if they were so close to her home base."


    "True... And I doubt they''d be able to sit under her nose without her finding them." Zo said with a slow nod. "Then where should we start looking? To the East? Those guys said something about raids."


    "While we should definitely follow up on that, I''d say we actually go back to the Holy City and start <i>talking </i>to a few priests." Ro said with a nasty smirk.


    "Oh? You think some of those stupid clergymen might be in cahoots with the Cult?" Zo asked.


    "It''s not like those stupid Gods'' servants are incorruptible and I''d be willing to bet good money that the Demon Cult is using spies or other agents within the Church to keep one step ahead of the Gods by feeding them disinfo or suppressing rumors about their activities." Ro replied. "We saw something like this in that girl''s memories."


    "Oh yeah!" Zo snapped her fingers as she recalled an anime that Hitomi had seen in the past. "The was that anime where the Church was actually entirely run by the Demon King guy and was doing everything to undermine the Heroes and the Gods! And while we''re there..." She grinned.


    "We can have a little <i>fun</i>." (Ro x Zo)

 Chapter 349 – Charisma Level -100

    Chapter 349 ¨C Charisma Level -100


    "MEW!" A happy Catkagi meowed as shey on top of Yumi''s head, acting as a sort of small, fluffy, and adorable essory for the Priestess. ¡°MEW! MEW!¡± She said as she rubbed her cheek against the Priestess.


    "Ah, I see you''ve finally let your<i> true form</i> hang out." Halifax chuckled as she walked over and gave Akagi some ear scratches. "Has the widdle kitty been dying to let her fluff out? Did youse need some floofing?" She said as she continued to give pets, much to Yumi''s displeasure.


    <i>{STOP STEALING HER!} </i>(Yumi)


    "MEW!" Akagi meowed, indicating her agreement with the Sword''s assessment. Now that the crisis had passed, she felt no reason to remain serious at all, not to mention that she was ready for a break from so much work. "I need a nice vacation with plenty of naps and cuddles."


    "From me, right?" Yumi asked as she looked up at the cat on her head.


    "Hmmm..." Akagi hummed in thought.


    <i>"From me, right?" </i>Yumi pleaded for the snuggles in question to be with her.


    "Maybe from you and Miji <i>both</i>." Akagi snickered as she was bapped on the head by a jealous Yumi.


    *HISS*


    ¡°Don''t hiss at me!¡± Yumi chastized her.


    ¡°Should I bite you instead?¡± Akagi asked.


    ¡°Only if I can bite you back.¡± Yumi mocked her.


    "Where did all that tension go? With the way those two are talking it''s almost as if the fate of the world <i>wasn''t </i>at risk..." Kanato sighed.


    <i>{This was not what I wanted my day to be...} </i>(Kanato)


    "Listen, I don''t know about you but <i>I''m</i> starting to get that idea that our little <i>kitty </i>here would MEW away all of Enoris if she decided it wasn''t worth the trouble." Amakusa rolled her eyes as her lips curved into a nasty smile. "Though now that I think about it, we''ve got everyone here calling her cute, and yet <i>Muichiro </i>of all people said that she was a five out of ten at best. So what does it mean when a lecherous bastard like him thinks so poorly of you?" She smirked.


    *HISS*


    "Don''t take it personally, kitty. It just means that he''s a simpleton that has no standards. I know that I wouldn''t appreciate his eye on me." Halifax huffed as she pulled Akagi off Yumi''s head and squeezed her before letting the cat dangle from her arms. "Obviously he has no idea what true beauty is, nor does he understand just how cute <i>this</i> is." She held Akagi out in front her her. ¡°I mean, just look at it! What fiend wouldn''t love this little snuggle baby?!?¡± She pulled Akagi in and squeezed her.


    "MEW! There exists nobody more cuddly than me! I am the ultimate floof!" Akagi smiled as she was given more pets by both Halifax and Yumi.


    "Says who?" Amakusa asked with a snort.


    <i>{Who died and made you the cutest in all thend?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Me! And at the end of the day isn''t that the only person whose opinion <i>really </i>matters?" Akagi replied. "Well, Yumi and Miji too. They are equally important here, so their opinions are important."


    "I like how you don''t even include Kana in that equation." Halifaxughed at the conspicuously missing sister.


    "Ah, don''t sweat the small stuff." Akagi snickered. ¡°Kana exists in a funny ce in my heart anyway.¡±


    "Yeah..." Amakusa sighed before turning to the two Primordials. "Well, I hope you like your Boss. She tends to spend time as a kitty and get spoiled like a child, so I hope you''vee to realize just how stu-"


    "BOSS IS SO CUTE!" (Ro x Zo)


    <i>{Of fucking course...} </i>(Amakusa)


    The two Primordials quickly zipped over to Akagi and began petting and poking her, which was highly appreciated, at least by the kitty.


    <i>{MORE THIEVES!} </i>(Yumi)


    "I never thought it was possible for someone as strong and powerful to be adorable too!" Zo said with stars in her eyes.


    <i>{She said something about naps, so does that mean I might get to take one with her?!?} </i>(Zo)


    "Indeed. Truly we''ve made the right decision to follow her." Ro nodded, absolutely certain that his new ''Boss'' was the best Boss around.


    <i>{I give up...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Hey, I think Shiroe is a bit <i>jealous </i>of all the attention she''s getting. Halifax said, looking down at the Catkagi in her arms. ¡°I think she wants some spoiling too.¡±


    "She''s always been like this." Yumi agreed. "Even back at the estate, she wouldn''t stopining about how much we spoiled you."


    "Aww, does the pup want some attention?" Akagi asked. ¡°Are you feeling lonely?¡±


    "NO!" Amakusa felt a chill run up her spine, understanding what was about to happen. ¡°Nope! I definitely don''t need <i>anything </i>like you''re imagining!¡±


    <i>{DON''T YOU FUCKING DARE TURN ME BACK INTO A DOG!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "I think she''s just lying to herself." Yumi said, egging Akagi on. ¡°You should work to bring out her one true self!¡±


    "You''re right! We should help her out of that shell." Akagi snapped her fingers and returned Amakusa to her disguised wolfkin form. ¡°Be free little awoo! Be free!¡±


    "NOOOOOOO!" Amakusa cried out in horror as she was once again turned into a beastkin. "I''m not a pet! Get these damn ears and tail off me!"


    "Pfff." Kanato let loose a quickugh before stopping himself, albeit a moment toote.


    "Oh? You think it''s funny, harem boy?" Amakusa pulled out Inori. ¡°Must be <i>real </i>fucking hrious, huh?¡±


    "No. No. No." Kanato waved his arms vigorously. "I just thought that you looked <i>adorable </i>is all." He said while trying hard not tough. ¡°Nothing nefarious here...¡±


    <i>{Fluffy Shiroe... Damn, it reminds me why I love beastkin.} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Well, it looks like the Spirits won''t get to enact their justice since I''m going to carve you up right here and now!" Amakusa cackled before Akagi told her to sit, which she reluctantly did.


    "Bad <i>pet</i>!" Akagi reprimanded her for acting out. "No killing people unless I approve or if they''re deserving."


    "But he deserves it!" Amakusa protested while sitting on the floor like a dog.


    <i>{AND LET ME STAND UP! THIS HURTS MY LEGS!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Sorry, <i>pet</i>, but the idiot is needed for my future ns." Akagi said while giving a thumbs down.


    "Eh..." Kanato backed away, worried that he was about to be subject to something unpleasent. ¡°I''ll... Uh... I''ll just be going now...¡±


    "It''s pointless to run, Kanato." Amakusaughed, a dead look in her eye as she stared at him. "There is no escape from being her <i>pet</i>..."


    <i>{You shall join me in awoo soon...} </i>(Amakusa)


    "<i>Pet</i>? Na, I don''t need a second one." Akagi replied.¡±I already got one, well maybe two if we still count the lizard.¡±


    "Wait, what?!?" Amakusa eximed in shock and anger. "Why is <i>he </i>getting special treatment?!? Make him share my misery! He definitely deserves it! Take him down with me!"


    <i>{I DEMAND NO SPECIAL TREATMENT FOR HAREM BOY!} </i>(Amakusa)


    <i>{Thanks, Shiroe... I can always count on you to have my back...} </i>(Kanato)


    "If you''re not adding him to your collection, then don''t tell me that you''re letting him go scott-free after everything he''s done?" Halifax said, her petting stopping.


    <i>{Fool or not, he''splicit in...} </i>(Halifax)


    "I never said he was, did I?" Akagi said, looking up at her. "I''ve got every intention of turning him and the <i>pet </i>over to the Spirits when we''ve wrapped everything up here, that part hasn''t changed."


    <i>{If nothing else, that drama will make for a good after dinner snack.} </i>(Akagi)


    "If you wish to put me in chains for my part in this mess, then I won''t resist you." Kanato said as he shook his head. "I just ask that you keep my family safe. They''re not to me for my mistakes and I don''t want to see any of them punished for my misdeeds."


    <i>{I''m sorry, everyone. I guess I won''t be around to see our children grow up... Forgive me for being such a stupid father and husband...} </i>(Kanato)


    "Chaining you up isn''t a <i>bad </i>idea, but just like the <i>pet </i>here, I intend to use you before you''re turned over to the proverbial wolves." Akagi wiggled in Halifax''s arms before leaping into Yumi''s arms and situating herself and pleasing the Priestess in the process.


    <i>{THE FLOOF HAS COME HOME!} </i>(Yumi)


    "I don''t want to take part in more death, so please spare me such things." Kanato''s face turned dark. "My hands... They''re already covered in far too much blood."


    <i>{I don''t... I don''t want to fight... to KILL anymore...} </i>(Kanato)


    "Heh. I suppose that''s be a running theme when we''re talking about people <i>riel</i> gets involved with." Halifax spoke quietly under her breath, with only Akagi hearing her.


    "Let me guess, you''re going to have him use his status as one of our Heroes to undermine the Gods, aren''t you?" riel spoke up for the first time since Akagi had gone <i>Cat</i>. "His word will carry great weight with it, and if Kanato goes around espousing that the Gods are actually the greatest threat to this world, then I suspect that many will believe him."


    <i>{Though I would also note that he is likely to get bumped off if he starts doing that. The Reaper will definitelye to im her husband''s soul if ites down to it.} </i>(riel)


    "Hmmm, yeah, that''s part of it." Akagi said as Yumi floofed her ears. "Though I''ve kinda already got a n cooking that''s going to handle the various nations in one fell swoop. Having our little Hero here go wandering around and undermining the people''s faith in you is definitely <i>useful</i>, but it''s not the only n I have for him."


    <i>{n A is still to crush everyone in one foul swoop and I''m looking forward to seeing if I can reenact one of my favorite little ns in fiction.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Hold up, why are you going to let <i>him </i>go wander around, but you keep <i>me </i>as your fucking pet?!?" Amakusa pouted andined that she wasn''t being treated fairly.


    <i>{THIS IS DISCRIMINATION I DEMAND EQUAL PAIN FOR BOTH OF US!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Shiroe, far be it from me to criticize you but do you <i>really </i>think that you''re the best person to go around telling people about the Gods'' ns?" Kanato said with a raised eyebrow.


    "I mean sure, I don''t have your damn harem Hero charisma and charm, but I could do it!" Amakusa retorted, noting that she got an A in all her speaking assignments in school and she''d given speeches to different armies.


    "Shiroe... Okay let me be real with you for a second... You have... How do I put this nicely while also being truthful?¡± He thought for a moment. ¡°Alright well, let''s just say that you are <i>not </i>the easiest person to get along with..." Kanato sighed.


    "Are you saying I''ve got an attitude problem?!?" Amakusa growled.


    <i>{I HAVE NOTHING OF THE SORT!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "I''m just saying that you''ve got the social acumen of a brillo pad." Kanato''s word choice made both Yumi and Akagi burst outughing. "Not to mention that your public perception is of someone already too close to the Spirits due to..." His eyes briefly moved to Alm before returning to Amakusa. "So, yeah..." Kanato was always the face of the Hero party and was generally regarded as the best speaker of the bunch.


    "A... <i>brillo pad?" </i>Amakusa leaned forward in shock.


    <i>{A fucking, BRILLO PAD?!?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Okay, harem boy gets a point from me for that one!" Akagi said while wheezing. "I''m going to have to use that one in the future."


    <i>{A brillo pad! Holy fucking hell, kid! That''s gonna sting for a while!} </i>(Akagi)


    "You know, now that I think about it I''d say that such a thing describes Hishya quite well." Yumi said whileughing.


    "IT DOES!" Akagi continued to wheeze. "It really does..."


    ¡°STOP LAUGHING AT ME!¡± Amakusa howled as she was ignored and everyoneughed at her expense. ¡°FUCK YOU ALL! GO TO HELL! ALL OF YOU!¡±


    After recovering from herughing fit Akagi then went on to exin what she wanted from both Kanato and the Twin Primordials. "Okay, I think I''m good now." She continued while still snickering. "So you two." Akagi looked to the Twins.


    "Yes, Boss!" Ro and Zo said, kneeling before her floofiness.


    "I''ll be allowing you to use more of your power so that you can better investigate the Demon Cult and search for Vikes'' Axe. Find it, <i><b>whatever it takes.</b></i>" Akagi gave her orders, her eyes looking far more fierce than her fluffy exterior and her voice distoring. ¡°I will not tolerate failure.¡±


    "We shall find and bring it to you." Ro said with a bit of nervousness in his voice.


    "E-Exactly!¡± Zo said while simrly nervous. ¡°And while we''re at it, we may as well deal with those idiot Cultists." Zo grinned.


    ¡°Yeah, we can crush them too, I suppose.¡± Ro nodded.


    "Good, and as for you." Akagi''s eyes scanned over to Kanato, who gulped as he awaited his mission. "As I said before, head around and spread the good word. Tell people that the Gods have sold the people of this world out to save their own asses and that Demon Lord Akagi is offering to save all those who bow to her. And while you''re at it, try and see what you can dig up on both Vikes'' Axe and that other idiot Hero."


    "Oh yeah, I wonder where Muichiro is anyway?" Amakusa said.


    "Knowing him... I can''t imagine it''s anything good..." Kanato sighed.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Labrys POV>


    ¡°<i><b>Ahh, its been so long since I had a good meal.¡± </b></i>The Demon Axe said as he pulled his body from a dead viger. All around him was death and destruction and in the background an entire vige burned in a raging inferno, bodies littering the ground. Each was lifeless and withered, as if they''d been drained of their very essence. <b><i>¡°But it will take much more than this to satisfy me.¡± </i></b>He smirked under his mask as he walked away from the destruction he''d created.


    <i>{I suppose I should make an effort to find En¨±ma. It has been a while since I''ve seen her.} </i>Labrys let out a smallugh as he continued walking away as the vige burned in the background.


    <strong><em>¡°I do wonder how that foolish sister of mine is fairing?¡±</em></strong> (Labrys)

 Chapter 350 – The Gods Respond.

    Chapter 350 ¨C The Gods Respond.


    "Well, there they go..." Kanato said as he watched Akagi fly away with a screaming Amakusa in toe. "The Demon Lord takes off on a journey to save the world..." He sighed as he pondered how absolutely stupid those words sounded.


    <i>{And meanwhile, the Heroes have been reduced to little more than pawns in either her or the Gods'' ns. Though, is it a reduction when we were never anything else? The Gods never saw any real value in us and had no interest in seeing us be true Heroes...} </i>(Kanato)


    "Don''t look so down, Hero. You might think that your current situation sucks but it''s leagues better than the alternative." Zo shrugged as she put her hands behind her head. "Besides, if it''s Boss, then things will be fine."


    "Indeed." Ro nodded. "Compared to those idiotic and arrogant Gods, she''s far and away much more amicable, and from what I''ve seen from her, she is likely far more trustworthy."


    "I''m not sure I''dpletely agree with that sentiment." Kanato replied. "Her ''trustworthiness'' aside she fully intends to drag this world under her boot, and as we''ve seen she''s more than happy to make people suffer to do it."


    <i>{I heard about what happened in Amdamell. Akagi... She went too far. There was no reason tounch an attack like that, though I suppose the brutality itself was the real purpose.} </i>(Kanato)


    ¡°Hey, at least with Boss, you know where she stands." Romented. "A being like her just wants to be left alone, and I have no doubt that her idea of ''ruling'' will boil down to little more than ensuring that people respect her." He figured that Akagi wasn''t one to micromanage and was more interested in her own private life and personal enjoyment than anything else.


    "Unlike mortals, or even Gods or Primordials actually, Boss seems tock the single worst trait that one can have." Zo said as she turned to Kanato.


    "And what''s that?" Kanato asked.


    "Greed." Zo answered.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Gale POV>


    "What a fascinating disy of power!" A well built man with short gray and ck hairughed as he watched a small ''recording'' of Akagi''s fight with the Twins. He, as well as Gale, a purple-haired woman, and a skull-faced man wearing ming armor, were sitting around a table in Gale''s domain as they watched a yback of the fight between the <i>Demon </i>and the twins. The woman had a deep scowl on her face, while the ming man''s expression showed neither interest nor apathy, though that was likely more because of his facecking the ability to have expressions than anything else.


    "Those two children put up a great fight against this Demon Lord, and I''m itching to test my mettle against her." The tanned manughed loudly. As the God of War, Teiera was always looking for a good fight, and despite his misgivings about Demon Lords, seeing Akagi so easily handle both Ro and Zo got his nonexistent blood pumping.


    <i>{I hope she pushes me to my limits just like Vikes did! I''ve gotten even more powerful over thesest four thousand years, and I''d love to see what she''s capable of!} </i>(Teiera)


    "Don''t go looking so excited, Tei. Need I remind you that this woman is out to not only <i>kill</i> us but to conquer our world." The Goddess of Magic Cheo sighed. ¡°You saw exactly what kind of being she is when she toppled the Amdamell government and sacked their Capital.


    <i>{His reaction is not surprising. This battle maniac would probably head down there right now to fight her one-on-one if Gale would approve it...} </i>(Cheo)


    "Bah! It''s in my nature to get excited when faced with a powerful foe!" Teieraughed loudly. "I mean, would you tell ol'' ugly over there to stop being so ugly? I mean, that''s part of his identity!" He pointed to the ming man seated across from him.


    "Don''t pick on poor Korri. He can''t help but look that way." Cheo snickered.


    "And people wonder why I don''te out of my domain more often..." Korex sighed, his skeletal mouth not moving as he spoke in a raspy voice. As the God of Murder, he was typically worshiped by people who were either insane or lived in the dark side of society. He was generally regarded as the least <i>Divine </i>member of the Gods, and most people mistook him for a Demon based on his appearance.


    "Oh, don''t take it so hard, Korex." Teieraughed. "Let me assure you that you''ve got a face that only a mother could love!" He smiled.


    "Gale, can I please kill these two?" Korex sighed again. He was always treated like this, though he never let it truly bother him since it was just sibling banter and he knew they didn''t really mean anything by it.


    "Maybe Teiera, but I''m afraid that we need Cheo." Galeughed as he snapped his finger and ended the rey of Akagi''s battle with the twins. "But getting back on track." He continued over Teiera''s protest. "It would seem that circumstances have changed, and it''s looking like our n may be in jeopardy."


    <i>{I had not anticipated a proper Demon Lord to have appeared like this. The death of Tahena did leave me with some concerns, but we can no longer pass this off as a fake any longer. Especially not with Keldore snooping around against my orders.} </i>(Gale)


    "Yeah." Teiera said, snapping back to being serious. "That woman is dangerous, and it looks like we''re not going to be able to ignore her anymore." He''d heard a bit about Akagi during these past few weeks, but until now wrote her and her people off as minimally important, despite Tahena''s death.


    "I told you all that something capable of killing us through our Avatar was dangerous, but nobody listens to me." Cheo rolled her eyes. "Even the most powerful mortal mages can''t hope to match us, so to do something as outrageous as kill a <i>God</i> already puts them in a whole different category."


    <i>{I''ve been keeping in contact with Reflia, and it seems like she''s having Penelope investigate the situation closer. I just hope that girl doesn''t do anything reckless.} </i>(Cheo)


    "The death of a God typically heralds trouble. You all should''ve notified me sooner." Korex interjected. ¡°Had I known I could''ve tried to grab one of these intruders and get information.¡±


    "Okay, do you me us for not wanting to set foot in that literally hell you call home?" Cheo said. "You''ve got <i>literally </i>rivers of blood,va pits, and a fucking skull throne."


    "And that stopped you from sending a letter?" Korex retorted.


    <i>{NOBODY WANTS TO GO IN THERE, AND I FEEL BAD SENDING ANY OF MY SERVANTS TO SUCH A PLACE!} </i>(Cheo)


    "Korex, what do you think of her?" Gale asked the Murder Lord, ignoring the other banter. "Can we handle her as we are now?" Korex was the God with the best ability to gauge someone''s abilities and Gale would almost always defer to his judgment on such matters.


    "Hmmmm...." Korex furrowed his nonexistent brows in thought. "At this moment, I can''t say. Though based on what we just saw I can almost guarantee that she''s stronger than Vikes." As the God of Murder, Korex had the unique ability to gauge people''s strength and determine the most effective way to kill them. Such an ability was a key part of how they managed to defeat Vikes in the past and it was expected to be pivotal against Akagi.. "The best way to find out would be to have me approach her directly, but..."


    "That''s not a good idea." Cheo finished for him. "She''d probably try and kill you if you got anywhere near her."


    "Rather than sit here and debate about her strength why do we not just head down there directly and handle her?" Teiera figured that group incarnation would handle the problem. "If you take me, Korex, Cheo, and you Gale down there together, we should be able to handle this quicly. We''re far more powerful than during our fight with Vikes, so we should be able to handle things this time." All of the Gods had grown since their battle with Vikes, with most doing so out of fear of his return.


    "Need I remind you that Enoris'' structural stability isn''t the best at the moment?" Gale said as he rested his cheek on his knuckles. "<i>One </i>of us incarnating is going to speed up degradation, but <i>four,</i> all at the same time? I can only imagine the damage such a thing would cause."


    <i>{I suspect that same thing is what''s keeping her out of the Heavens, though. A being like her must understand that forcing her way in here uninvited would destroy this world. Vikes used brute force that first time and I''d bet she knows better than to copy his mistake.} </i>(Gale)


    "Our stabilization efforts have produced marginal results, but it would be best for us to be ready to leave <i>before </i>we go risking such a move. I cannot garuntee this world will survive much longer after any significant disturbances." Cheo was directly involved with the mass ritual to transport the Gods to Earth, though she was taking steps to dy things as per her secret agreement with riel.


    "How long would we have if a group of us went down in force?" Teiera asked. ¡°Could you buy us enough time to make it workable?¡±


    "I can''t answer that, but I would imagine that we''d shrink this world''s time down to years." Cheo answered. ¡°It would probably be enough time to get things done, but that''s going to be risk we need to be willing to take.¡±


    "Not to mention that there''s no guarantee that four of us would be enough to win." Gale murmured.


    <i>{Ideally, we''d fight her together as one group, but that would also open us up to defeat since that would probably require her toe up here. I suppose it may be necessary to break out my back up n if things move in that direction, though I have no doubt that the others will oppose my efforts} </i>(Gale)


    ¡°Oh well, its not like they''re necessary.¡± Gale said under his breath before continuing. "Though... Now that I think about it..." Gale paused. "Perhaps we can plot an alternative course here." He looked between the three of them.


    "What do you mean?" Teiera was puzzled, not seeing what kind of alternative path could exist when a Demon Lord was involved.. "The only path forward is to fight and destroy her, that''s it."


    "Perhaps, but I''d at least like to speak with her before we decide things." Gale''s words took the other three Gods by surprise.


    "You''d <i>negotiate </i>with a Demon Lord?!?" Cheo nearly leaped out of her chair. "Gale! You know better than to think such a beast can be reasoned with!"


    <i>{What is this idiot thinking? Vikes might''ve been able to speak, but that crazy bastard had no interest in discussion! Demon Lords are born to destroy and that''s all they are ever going to do!} </i>(Cheo)


    "Such a move would be fraught with risks, and not just for you, Gale." Korex spoke up while folding his hands together. "I would advise against making any ''deals'' with her. The look in her eyes tells me that she''s dangerous, and I''ve got a feeling that she''s no stranger to backstabbing."


    <i>{Not to mention that shees across as someone who is unwilling to agree to demands made by those she finds inferior, a trait that we share.} </i>(Korex)


    "I understand your concerns, but I''ve devised a method that I think will protect me, and naturally I''m <i>very</i> wary about trusting her." Gale stood up and looked between the three of them. "Cheo, Teiera. I''d like the two of you to begin preparations with the others for direct conflict with her. Use whatever methods are at your disposal to enable a group of us to descend without destabilizing the world too much. Meanwhile, Korex, I''d like you to takemand of the situation on the ground and work toward guiding the different races together to aid in confronting her." He continued. "We cannot stand by and allow her to disce us, and I''ve already heard rumblings that people are believing us to be helpless in the face of her power." Thest thing he or any of the Gods needed was for the people of Enoris to abandon them, either by choice or force. While they didn''t need their faith to survive, a good deal of the Gods'' power came from their ability to influence world events. Without mortals to bend to their whims, it would make enforcing their will more difficult, not to mention it could potentially sink their evacuation n.


    <i>{Let''s parley, Demon Lord. I''ve only ever met one of your kind before, and I hope that you are a bit more interesting than he was.} </i>(Gale)


    Spoiler


    Cheo!


    Teiera!


    Korex!


    [copse]

 Chapter 350.5 – Mirror Mirror on the Wall.

    Chapter 350.5 ¨C Mirror Mirror on the Wall.


    Rebeckah had watched helplessly as chaos unfolded across Enoris these past weeks and months. Akagi''s n members had attacked, killed, tortured and disappeared Imperial Nobles, merchants, and other members of the upper ss. But more than that, her brazen daylight attack on Riftwood and assassination of the King and Crown Prince had sent shock waves around the continent, their deaths cutting deep within the political ss. Naturally, Rebeckah known some of the dead, and while they weren''t exactly people she <i>liked, </i>finding out that high-ranking members of the Imperial Court had suddenly <i>died</i> was none too pleasant.


    <i>{This is my fault... I... I''m the reason that monster was invited to our world... I just wanted... I wanted to help... And as a result...} </i>Rebeckah thought as her hair was brushed by a maid. She''d started to believe that she''d made the wrong choice, and that she should''ve just let the world die.


    "I suppose there''s no reason to dwell on the past..." Rebeckah sighed. She''d been tormented with the guilt of having brought a Demon Lord to Enoris, though she was well aware that even <i>without</i> Akagi''s appearance, the world was doomed anyway. "That''s enough, I''ll finish the rest." She said to the maid, who was slightly confused by her request to leave.


    "Your Highness?" The maid hadn''t expected to be told to stop since she wasn''t quite done. It wasn''t rare for Rebeckah want to do things herself, but it was still unexpectedly sudden.


    "I''m more than capable of dressing and cleaning myself up, Ulma" Rebeckah''s words were stilted and monotone, but the maid knew better than to argue with the Princess.


    "Of course. Please call me again if you need anything, My Lady." Ulma ced the brush on the table before bowing and leaving the room.


    It was quiet in Rebeckah''s room, and little more than the rustling of the wind hitting against the window could be heard until the Princess broke the silence. "I don''t know if I should be concerned or impressed that you consistently manage to get into the Imperial Pce without others knowing." Rebeckah said as she looked into the mirror in front of her, the figure of Hikari appearing behind her even though in reality there was no one else in the room.


    "I mean, this wouldn''t be the <i>first </i>Imperial Pce that I''ve infiltrated, and <i>you</i> wouldn''t be the first Imperial Princess that I''ve spoken to." Hikari giggled as she kicked her feet off the edge of the bed. She was Akagi''s <i>best </i>infiltrator and the special magic she was currently using enabled her to, more or less, appear within reflections and was <i>excellent </i>at getting into ces undetected. "Though I''ll give you props for noticing my arrival. That''s not something the average person could do, so congrats!" She pped, half-mocking and half-praising her.


    <i>{I swear ALL of Akagi''s people are like this...} </i>(Rebeckah)


    "I''ve been trained for as long as I can remember to notice things out of the ordinary, and while you left no magical signature I saw the mirror briefly distort for a moment." Rebeckah answered as she picked up the brush and continued fixing her hair. "I''d imagine that was when you leaped into the reflection."


    "Oh! Nice!" Hikari pped again as she sat on the bed''s reflection. "You''re probably only the third or fourth person who caught that part!"


    "Out of curiosity, what would happen if I smashed the mirror with you in it?" Rebeckah asked, partially serious.


    "You''d probably get seven years of bad luck!" Hikariughed. "But in all seriousness, I''m sorry to disappoint you, but simply breaking the mirror won''t harm me. I''ll just hope somece else or pop out if all else fails."She wouldn''t be destroyed like the stories Rebeckah had read,rgely because she wasn''t really <i>within </i>the mirror.


    "So why have youe here? Has your Mastere to make a simr demand to the one she gave Amdamell?" Rebeckah''s eyes locked with Hikari''s as she stopped brushing her hair, wanting to get to the point.


    "Nah." Hikari waived her off. "Lady Akagi has already given you a proposal to think over, and making <i>that </i>kind of demand to you would go against her grand design." She snickered, not so subtly referencing what had just happened in Amdamell.


    <i>{I figured as much, she has far grander ns and my cooperation is highly desirable. Not like it really matters if I didn''t though...} </i>(Rebeckah)


    "As <i>interesting</i> as her proposal is, I can tell you that it won''t be something I can do peacefully." Rebeckah said as she went over to a closet and began sifting through dresses. "My Father will never hand over power to someone else while he still lives, least of all a Vampire who ims to be the true heir to the throne." Akagi''s deal had been, more or less, what the <i>Demon </i>had promised to Silfana. The Vampire would be made Empress and unite the <i>entirety </i>of Enoris under her rule, transferring a <i>portion </i>of the poption to Omara where she''d rule over them as a vassal of Akagi.


    <i>{Its an interesting idea, one that has no basis in fact, but interesting nheless. To use the name of the great unifier himself and dere the rebirth of the Empire... Perhaps it wouldn''t be that displeasurable of a thought had it note with several strings attached.} </i>(Rebeckah)


    It was a stomach-churning proposal and would require Rebeckah to essentially turn traitor against her own people, endorsing the Vampire''s im and forming a faction to rece her Father. The Imperial Princess was shrewd, she had to be to keep her title, but she knew that actually pulling such a n off would be next to impossible without bloodshed. Not to mention that Akagi had made clear that there would be an inevitable <i>culling </i>of the poption.


    <i>{As much as I hate it... That n will save some of my people, but would also mean turning against everyone in the Empire and condemning so many to death. But I have no choice. To ensure that this is not our end I''d forsake my family, my friends, and my duty... All to make sure that... That there IS a future for us... I have to...} </i>(Rebeckah)


    "I wouldn''t worry too much about the specifics." Hikari said as she flopped backward onto the bed. "All that matters is that <i>you </i>back Silfana''s im to the throne. She''ll handle the rest herself."


    "Perhaps, but my Father isn''t called the Lion Emperor for nothing." Rebeckah said as she pulled out a purple and white dress. "She''d need to kill him in singlebat to have any chance of pulling this off, and my Father has seldom lost a duel. I hope this Vampire of yours is truly up to such a task."


    <i>{I can''t recall a time that he ever lost during my life, and his inability to catch the Demon Lord when she killed Lady Tahena was probably the first time I''d seen him thwarted.} </i>(Rebeckah)


    "Meh, we''ve gauged his power, and our observations show him to be well within range for Silfana to defeat." Hikari said.


    <i>{She was already well beyond him before Lady Akagi took her under her wing, but now...} </i>(Hikari)


    "I''d advise you not to underestimate him. My Father is probably one of the few non-Demi-Gods alive that can pose a threat to those from Dumetor who are <i>not </i>Akagi herself." Rebeckah''s eyes snapped to the mirror. "For example, he''d easily crush <i>you </i>if he found you within the Pce."


    "Maybe, maybe not." Hikari shrugged, neither confirming nor denying the im. "But I suppose we shall have to see if the Vampire can best him. So does this mean you are in?" She asked.


    "It''s not like I have a choice, do I?" Rebeckah answered as she flicked her hair to get it out from the back of her dress. "My duty is to protect my people, and if... If that requires me to side with <i>you</i>... Then I''ll do it, but I expect your master to uphold her end of the bargain."


    "Lady Akagi <i>never </i>goes against her word." Hikari''s jovial attitude disappeared in a sh as she sat up. "And I''d kindly ask that you <i>don''t </i>impune her character like that again." She said before getting up and vanishing through the open bedroom door within the mirror.


    "I still don''t understand the point of all this..." Rebeckah sighed as Hikari left.


    <i>{Why go through all this? Why makeplex power ys and install puppet governments in such a backward way when she can simply use brute force to do so? Akagi would easily crush my Father into dust if she so chose, so why send a proxy and ce her on the throne?!? Is there something I''m missing here?!? I''ve met her once but she... She strikes me as someone who is cold and calcting despite her childish attitude. So why go through something like this?!?} </i>(Rebeckah)


    "But then again..." Rebeckah said as she zipped up the back of her dress. "Perhaps it''s foolish for a mere Human to try and understand the mind of a Demon Lord."


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    After getting dressed, and shaking off the tension caused by Hikari''s unexpected appearance, Rebeckah started her day with a meeting with her father, Emperor Hadrus, in his office.


    *KNOCK* *KNOCK*


    "Enter." Hadrus'' voice boomed from inside as Rebeckah entered.


    "Good morning, Your Majesty." Rebeckah curtseyed to him. Even though he was her Father she always showed him proper respect as Emperor and wouldn''t dream of addressing him in any other way. "I know that you''ve been busytely, but I hope that you had time to get ample restst night." He''d been working nonstop, the death of Tahena and his interaction with Akagi still fresh in his mind.


    "I got as much as I could, given the circumstances." Hadrus said as he read through a series of reports. ¡°I''ll be fine, you know that a bit of lost sleep won''t slow me down.¡±


    "I know that you are powerful, but even the best of us need our rest.¡± Rebeckah said as she walked around the side of his desk. ¡°Are those about some of the assassinations and disappearances?" She figured her father was being bombarded with information on Noble''s being bumped off.


    <i>{Those red hand prints have been particrly disturbing, they turn up at so many of the murder scenes.} </i>(Rebeckah)


    "Some of it is, yes." Hadrus nodded. "The Demon Lord''s minions have stepped up attacks across the Empire in thest few weeks, particrly in the East." He said noting that the former Beast Kingdom territories were awash with riots, unrest, and assassinations of Imperial officials. ¡°We''ve lost quite a bit of our leadership there, not to mention its caused unease within the poption.¡±


    "I suppose it makes sense that she would target that ce, most of her servants seem to be Beastkin, and the people there already don''t like our rule to begin with." Rebeckah said, noting that it was possible they were recruiting the locals into a resistance movement.


    "I''m less worried about some kind of uprsiing and more concerned with this...¡± Hadrus said as he pulled out arge binder that he handed to the Princess. ¡°I''ve received word that the Demons are marching to fight this Demon Lord in the Simoea ins. It looks like they intend to confront her directly."


    "Over seventy-five thousandbat troops?" Rebeckah had to hold back her surprise at therge size of the army. "That''s a substantial force, one that would even cause concern for us."


    <i>{ARE THEY MAD?!? THEY CAN''T FIGHT A DEMON LORD LIKE THIS!} </i>(Rebeckah)


    "But not onerge enough to actually get the job done." Hadrus shook his head, understanding some of the Princess'' unspoken thoughts. "I''m not sure why Ariel is marching those men to their deaths. It reeks of desperation and foolishness."


    <i>{Perhaps she has no choice. It''s unlikely that the Elector Kings would stand by as these hostile forces mass in theirnd, and I''d probably be forced to make a simr decision if they were in the Empire, but still... Ariel is smarter than this, and she must realize what''s about to happen.} </i>(Hadrus)


    "Perhaps they''ve found some kind of weakness to exploit?" Rebeckah asked, knowing that this wasn''t the case. ¡°Is it possible they have some kind of weapon or techinque to destroy the Demon Lord?¡±


    "Unlikely." Hadrus dismissed her words without even giving it a moment''s thought. "Barring the Gods <i>themselves </iing down here and apanying that army, I cannot imagine that they have some way of defeating a proper Demon Lord with conventional forces. I shed with her, and it was painfully obvious that she didn''t even take me as a threat." He gave a derisiveugh. ¡°So I can safely say that the Demons don''t either.¡±


    <i>{Perhaps Lockheed could put up a good fight, but even then...} </i>(Hadrus)


    "Then, what are <i>our</i> ns?" Rebeckah asked about what he wanted the Empire''s position to be. "Submission or..."


    "I''d sooner perish and take the Empire with me than to allow it to fall into that woman''s hands." Hadrus red at her, thinking her question stupid. "No, I''ve already begun working on something to deal with the Demon Lord. It will require a bit more time to finish, and it will result in many more deaths, but I believe that like our ancestors four thousand years ago, we can win this if we work together."


    <i>{Father, I''m sorry but it won''t work... You''re being set up to fail. Akagi... You''re ying into her hands no matter which path you take... So forgive my treachery. I''ve sold out our world and I shall atone by doing whatever I can to save what will remain of our people.} </i>(Rebeckah)

 Chapter 351 – Women are Nothing But Trouble.

    Chapter 351 ¨C Women are Nothing But Trouble.


    "I can''t believe your Mom actually moved out." Hishyamented as she set Kana down in front of her aunt''s house, retracting her wings. "I was certain that she didn''t have what it took to get away from your Dad."


    <i>{And also that it wouldn''t be a peaceful exit...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Their rtionship is <iplicated </i>at the moment." Kana sighed. Her mother had gone through with her ultimatum, though rather than immediately split from Taichi, she''d moved in with her older sister. The hope was that the separation would have some kind of positive effect on the man, but whether that was to actually happen was dubious at best. "Dad''s not exactly <i>happy</i> with the situation, but even <i>he </i>admitted that they needed some space since they''d been at each other''s throats ever since... Ever since Mom went back to ''normal''..."


    <i>{They got close to a fist fight from what I was told, something I never imagined that I''d see since they both hated how much their parents fought like that.} </i>(Kana)


    "I suppose that means one down and one to go." Hishya pat her on the back to reassure her. "Though let''s try and break whatever nonsense was put on your father <i>without </i>needing to replicate Silfana''s mind break."


    <i>{I''ve had that done to me, its not fun. Not fun at all...} </i>(Hishya)


    "That would be <i>ideal</i>... Onee-chan said from some documents she found at Naomi''s house, our family probably did some kind of brainwashing magic on them, so at least we know they weren''t like that because they truly hated Onee-chan..." Kana said with a bitter smile. Akagi had told her repeatedly that it didn''t matter if they were controlled or brainwashed. She couldn''t forgive them for what they did to her, as no matter what their true feelings were, Akagi couldn''t wave her hand and make the decades of abuse and emotional neglect vanish. Kana had hoped that knowing the truth might bring the <i>Demon </i> some sce, thought it only seemed to make her even more frustrated as she cursed the family for stealing something irreceable from her.


    <i>{Onee-chan...} </i>(Kana)


    "But let''s put all that out of our minds, for now." Kana shook off her thoughts as she slowly opened the front door, calling to her Aunt and Uncle. "Aunt Nana, Uncle Arima! We''re here!"


    "There''s my favorite niece! Your Aunt and Mother are in the living room!" A man''s voice sounded from the kitchen alongside the roil of a coffee pot.


    "Huh, now that I think of it, I don''t think I''ve met your Uncle before." Hishya said as she and Kana took off their shoes.


    "That''s not surprising. He''s away on business trips, and I know that Aunt Nana has been nagging him to be home more often." Kana exined that he''d worked a variety of jobs throughout his life and was currently easing toward retirement in a more administrative focused role. "I''m just worried that he''s out finding a younger girl to rece Aunt Nana with." She snickered, making it so that her not-so-quiet voice could be heard from the kitchen.


    "I heard that!" Arima yelled from the kitchen. "And for the record, my secretary is a sixty-year-old married woman and would <i>kill </i>me if I so much as tried to flirt with her. Not to mention that your Aunt would hunt me down and burn me alive!"


    "Your damn right I would!" Nana yelled from the living room, where the girls could hear some kind ofmentarying from the T.V. "You''re stuck with me until the end, old man! I''m to old to be dating again!"


    "What a woman I let sucker me into this marriage." Arimaughed as the girls stepped around the corner and peered into the kitchen, catching sight of the older, yet strikingly good looking, man wearing a blue suit and red tie while drinking a cup of freshly brewed coffee. "Listen you two, take it from me, <i>never</i> marry a woman. They''re the biggest troublemakers you''ll ever deal with." He winked.


    "Oh, I 100% agree with that! This one is nothing <i>but </i>trouble." Hishya snickered while nudging Kana as she rolled her eyes.


    "But that''s why they''re worth it!" (Hishya x Arima)


    <i>{Oh great, they get along...} </i>(Kana)


    "You''ve got yourself a good one there, Kana!" Arima set his coffee down before walking over and introducing himself to Hishya, shaking her hand. "I''ve heard much about you, Hishya. Thank you for taking care of my niece." He smiled. ¡°She''s a bit of a handful, am I right?¡±


    "Oh <i>definitely</i>. It''s a thankless job, but somebody has to do it." Hishya said with a shit eating grin on her face. "If we leave her up to Akagi, then she''s liable to go <i>Scary Kana</i> full time."


    <i>{How about I do it right now?} </i>(Kana)


    "Are we done picking on me?" Kana groaned, realizing that retorting would only make things worse.


    "For now." Hishya winked as she was poked in the cheek by her girlfriend.


    ¡°You do remember that I know where you sleep, right <i>lizard?</i>¡± Kana blew a raspberry at her.


    <i>{Oh you know more than that.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Oh don''t be such a stick in the mud. It just means she cares about you, Kana." Arimaughed at their little back and forth which reminded him of how he and Nana acted. "Your Aunt''s done that kind of stuff to me since we met in college, and she never stopped even when we got to this age."


    <em>{In fact, I think it got worse!}</em>(Arima)


    "Oh great. Good to know that I''ll be dealing with this <i>forever</i>." Kana replied, though she couldn''t stop the small smile from forming on her lips.


    "Oh, don''t be a big baby." Nana said as she snuck up behind her and pat Kana on the head before moving around her toward Arima. "If you ask me its better to have a bit of back and forth in a rtionship than be a bunch of tired old geezers that can do nothing but sit at home and watch T.V." Sheughed as Arima wrapped his arm around her. "Your Grandfather and Grandmother on my side were about as stoic and boring as you can imagine."


    "I think Kenji was born without the ability tough. I swear that I never even saw him crack a smile even once in his life." Arimaughed as his AR device beeped in his ear. "Oops, I''m going to bete." He said before kissing Nana on the cheek. "I''m only going to Yakutsk for three days this time, and once we get back, I''ve got a surprise for you." He winked.


    "Considering our thirtieth anniversary ising up, it''d better be a good one." Nanaughed as she returned his kiss.


    "How''s two weeks in the Bahamas sound?" Arima smiled. ¡°I even got us VIP suites.¡±


    "I think it will do." Nana smiled as the two hugged. "I''ll be looking forward to it, soe back quick, alright?"


    "Don''t worry, I will. Its only a boring educational conference anyway. Something about the burgeoning field of A.I. rights." Arima said before dumping his coffee into a thermos and picking up his briefcase. "Alright, I''m off. Kana do me a favor and tell your sister I said hi and keep an eye out for her, she''s been through a lot and needs you more than you know." He said before heading out the door to a waiting cab.


    <i>{He always said those words to me every time we parted, but now... They hold an even greater weight...} </i>(Kana)


    "I swear, that man has the energy of someone in his thirties despite being over sixty." Nana chuckled as she watched the car drive off from the kitchen window.


    "Wait, he''s over <i>sixty</i>?!?" Hishya was surprised and confused by the revtion that Arima was even older than Nana despite looking around the same age. "What?!? Did he get imnts and mods?!?" She knew that some people would pay good money to reverse some of the effects of aging, but most things beyond superficial makeovers were generally snake oil.


    <i>{How much did it cost to reverse the aging process that much?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    "His sixty-second birthday is in two months." Nana answered her questions. "And no, he''s never done any kind of procedure like that. He did get a knee recement a few years back, but he''s all natural other than that." She smiled.


    "Cheats." Hishya clicked her tongue. "Some people have all the luck."


    "Says the immortal Dragon, who will look like this for the rest of time." Kana said as she poked her in the cheek. ¡°I don''t know why you''reining, Ms. perfect skin without even <em>trying</em>.¡± She''d grumbled about that fact a number of times, as did Mika and Naomi. Though Mika was quickly exiled from the ¡°allowed to be jealous group¡± by virtue of Magical Girl power giving her the same result.


    "We''re not talking about me right now, and also, don''t go reminding me about <em>that</em>." Hishya poked her back.


    <i>{Nope, not thinking about it, not thinking about any of THAT. All that matters is now and I''ll let future problems be future me''s issues!} </i>(Hishya)


    "Alright, alright. No, need to get all grumpy, Ms. <i>Lizard</i>." Kana giggled as Hishya thumbed her nose at her.


    "That''s <i>Empress </i>Lizard to you." Hishya retorted with her <i>proper </i>title. "But anyway, let''s not get distracted. We did have a reason foring here after all."


    "Yeah, we came to see Mom." Kana''s expression turned a bit more serious as the jovial nature of the conversation died down. "Is she in the living room? I can hear some kind of stream on the T.V." There were all kinds of noiseing from the living room and Hishya felt like something about what she as hearing was familiar.


    <i>{Is that some kind of VOD?} </i>(Hishya)


    "Huh? Oh yeah, she''s been watching a seemingly endless amount of recordings of your sister." Nana exined that Shima had been nonstop watching videos for a while. "Not sure if watching hundreds of hours of recorded video streams is healthy, but I''m not about to stop her."


    <i>{Nor could I at this point...} </i>(Nana)


    "Recordings?" Kana raised an eyebrow. "Of Onee-chan?"


    <i>{They exist? I know there''s definitely no home movies of her, so it must be from V.R.} </i>(Kana)


    "I guess since everything that happened your Mother has wanted to try and understand the daughter she abandoned." Nana exined. "Rishia was always interested in gaming, and from what I know of that girl, she spent far too much time diving into V.R." She gave a wry smile as she recalled the times she babysat the young Akagi. "The long and the short of things is that I let slip one day that there were probably records of all those events she participated in, and well... She''s been obsessed with watching them ever since."


    ¡°I knew it! She <i>is</i> watching the VODs!" Hishya nodded. "Those are usually not saved for very long, but you could probably find ones forrger events archived out there, somewhere." She''d watched plenty of recordings herself, mostly as ways to study future opponents for uing matches so that she could understand how they yed.


    <i>{There might be some pretty good ones out there too, especially that Mech Warriors Torny.} </i>(Hishya)


    "I suppose watching Onee-chan in her element is probably one of the best ways to understand her." Kana noted that it was probably the only way to truly understand Pre-FWO Akagi. "I watched a few of her games from time to time, but I was admittedly never really that into gaming or events like that." She scratched her cheek in embarrassment. Kana <i>did </i>try and interact with that side of Akagi as much as possible, and while she did cheer her on and push her to embrace her potential in the virtiual world she was never that interested in gaming herself. "But it would be interesting to see how Onee-chan was before the whole FWO disaster."


    <i>{I spent a bit of time with her in some V.R. chat rooms, though I don''t think we yed too much together.} </i>(Kana)


    "Well, I hate to break it to you, but your sister hasn''t really changed too much over the years. Besides the whole fluffy <i>Demon </i>of Doom part, of course." Hishya chuckled. "Whether it was within FWO or in many of the games we yed together before that, she always took it seriously. We both invested an unreasonable amount of time into gaming and looking back now, Akagi was truly more <i>alive </i>when she was ying." She''d talked with her plenty in chat rooms, but Akagi always seemed the most happy when properly immersed in V.R. games and was apletely different person than she was in real life.


    <i>{Our V.R. chat sessions were always fun, but she was the kind of person who preferred banter while ying something rather than sitting in a virtual caf¨¦ and chatting. Not that I me her. Knowing what I do now, it''s no surprise she became what she did. Demon Lord or not, Akagi was never going to be a normal person at the end of the day, and I''d wager that she would''ve eventually turned into one of those people whopletely lost sight of the real world and tried to turn the virtual world into their ''true'' reality. Though she more or less did that, didn''t she?} </i>(Hishya)


    Spoiler


    Uncle Arima!


    [copse]

 Chapter 352 – It Was Closer than Expected.

    Chapter 352 ¨C It Was Closer than Expected.


    "Alright everyone, we''re back! Thanks for waiting, awooo!" A femalementator with dog ears shouted at the audience. "As we''ve seen all day the first round of this year''s Global Frontline Royal Rumble concluded with a destructive finish as Gilmore and Hemrz''s final attacks detonated the city, killing them both and giving us an explosion that rocked the inte!" She said as chat messages floated across the screen, showing everyone''s excitement. "But a little birdy told me that the second elimination round will be even <em>better</em>, as the young up-ander Akagi is going to be facing off Frontline''s number one ranked yer, Narabusa!¡± She said as more messages flooded across the screen discussing either how hype the match was going to be or how cute the caster was. ¡°Now I''m sure you''ve all seen both of them during some of the regional matches this past season, but let''s go over their skills, builds, and what this will mean for the other hopefuls unfortunate enough to have been ced in the middle of these two titan''s sure to be epic battle!" She giggled as the screen flooded with <i>even more</i> chat messages, with many excited to see what wasrgely anticipated to be the most spectacr battle of the entire event.


    "It still baffles me... to see...just how many people were excited to watch her..." Shima sat in awe as she read the fast-flyingments. She''d been practically <i>addicted</i> to watching any kind of stream or recording of Akagi''s gaming time pre-FWO, and it hade as aplete shock when she discovered not just how good Akagi was but how <em>excited</em> people were to see her y.


    <i>{To think that I belittled her for ying these games. I saw this all as just foolishness and a waste of time, but she... Rishia was... is truly talented, wasn''t she? How could I have insulted her ability for all those years when it''s clear as day that was good at something? Something that brought happiness to others? It... It even made her happy and yet I''d...I''d never actually seen her smile without Kana at her side, but here... she looks alive, truly alive. She really... Rishia... She was happy... And I did everything possible to take that away from her...} </i>(Shima)


    "Oh hey! It''s Frontline 2057!" Hishya''s words broke Shima out of her thoughts, startling her as the Dragon appeared behind her. "Man, that takes me back! That whole event was <em>hype</em><i>!</i>"


    <i>{The biggest names inpetitive were all there! Narabusa fucking came out of pseudo-retirement because that game was wless! I was so pissed that I couldn''t take part! Ugh! Stupid medical treatment schedule!} </i>(Hishya)


    "That name sounds familiar." Kana said as she followed her girlfriend into the room. ¡°I swear I''ve heard Onee-chan mention it before.¡± She hummed in thought as she searched her memory but was only drawing nks on that specific game.


    "It''d <i>better</i>! Frontline was an absolutely revolutionary game, Kana, and thepetitive scene was one of thergest in gaming for a while there!" Hishya started to ramble a bit, her gaming knowledge flooding out like a waterfall. "Thebat, abilities, and movement were the <i>best</i> that V.R. could offer, and the overall battle loop was addicting as all hell! You have no idea how much time your sister and I put into that game when it came out!" Her eyes shone brightly as she remembered ying.


    <i>{It''s too bad the servers are offline! I really want to dive in and see it all again! Zipping around those massive cities in a battle royal fight to the death was some of the most fun I''d ever had in a game! Having a 10 yer FFA with earth shaking powers was so fucking GOOD!} </i>(Hishya)


    "You... You used to y with Rishia all the time, didn''t you?" Shima asked, finallyposing herself enough to speak. "I... I really should thank you for being her friend. I imagine that having someone to just talk to for all those years was a lifesaver for her, thank you." She bowed slightly, which made Hishya ufortable.


    "W-We helped each other on that front." Hishya replied, scratching her cheek in embarrassment. "I was trapped in a hospital bed, liable to die at a moment''s notice, so I found it nearly impossible to make friends with people. Not to mention that my social skills were <i>horrible.</i>"


    <i>{And we all know where that led me...} </i>(Hishya)


    "I''d imagine that with you and Onee-chan both being absolutely <i>terrible</i> at talking with people, finding someone else <i>equally </i>socially inept was a great relief." Kana snickered as she imagined the two awkward idiots talking to each other in V.R.


    "Me aside, was she really that bad, though?" Hishya asked in an attempt to not relive her dark past. "I''ll admit that I only knew her online until everything went down, but she was always prettyfortable around people in V.R. She got along pretty well with other yers, at least when she wasn''t tearing them down and yelling at them for making her lose a match." She sighed.


    <i>{So many poor people logged out crying when she screamed at them. I remember that one guy even went to a mental hospital after some really fucked up things she said to him. I suppose some things about Akagi never really change... Just recently we yed a 2v2 team match of Gctic Wars and she cursed me out for messing up her FTL ambush... ITS WASN''T EVEN MY FAULT! THE STUPID PATHFINDING ON THE AI FUCKED UP MY JUMP TIMING!} </i>(Hishya)


    "Rishia always had terrible social anxiety, and her other mental health issues meant that she struggled to connect with children her age." Shima answered, noting that Akagi could be moody and violent with other children at times. "I... I don''t think she had a single in-person friend for her entire life, at least not until she woke up from that death game."


    "That would be correct, Onee-chan had no friends... Um..." Kana immediately regretted saying that sentence the moment it left her lips. "D-Did she ever say anything about that stuff to you?" She turned to Hishya, wanting to not linger on herment. "You really were the only person she talked to, outside of me of course, so I figured you knew a bit more about her."


    "I mean, she''d <i>sometimes</i> get sentimental, but I don''t think the two of us ever really had a heart-to-heart sappy discussion like you''re thinking." Hishya shook her head as she recalled their many chat sessions. "I <i>was </i>aware of her... let''s say <em>less than ideal home life</em>, at least vaguely, and I could tell she was morefortable online than off, but anything deeper, like about her inner turmoil or issues? No, she never talked about it, and I never asked." She noted that properiquette didn''t allow for prying into IRL stuff unless the other person wanted to, and Akagi had every reason <i>not </i>to want to discuss the offline world. "We yed games together,ughed with and at each other, fought, and had fun. That was really the extent of our rtionship. It wasn''t until we got trapped in FWO that I saw that Akagi was... Well... we know now how she is." She gave a nervousugh.


    <em>{I don''t think DEMON KITTY was expected though.}</em>(Hishya)


    "We really did drive her to hate her life, didn''t we?" Shima said with a sad expression. "It makes sense. Our home was no home to her, and the only ce she could feel freedom was in a virtual world. It makes perfect sense that she''d rather stay there thane home to two parents that hatred her very existence."


    <i>{I wouldn''t be shocked if she would''ve preferred death toing back after being trapped in that game. No, she almost certainly did...} </i>(Shima)


    "The whole Demon Lord thing probably yed a part in it, too." Hishyamented, rying a bit of what Akagi had told her in the past. "She always said that she preferred the power and abilities in game and that logging out made her feel like she was <i>missing</i> something."


    <i>{I''d imagine that she subconsciously desired the power that slept within her, and maybe being in V.R. satiated some of those cravings that drove her mad. I won''t deny that I didn''t understand her distaste for the real world. After all, I would''ve killed for a body that wasn''t on the verge of death.} </i>(Hishya)


    "And now we''ve got our first look at the eightpetitors as the next round begins!" The dog-eared woman''s voice interrupted their conversation as she cut to an overhead view of a partially destroyed city.


    "Oh right, that round was on Ruined Ikebukuro, a ssic and pretty well bnced map." Hishya said as she watched the stream. "Akagi really went all out in perfecting her build for this match. I think she stayed up for basically a <i>week </i>to get it right."


    "What, was Onee-chan an assassin there too?" Kanaughed at her own words.


    "Nope, she was a frontline fighter actually." Hishya replied. "I''d say that she was probably closer to me in terms of the game abilities she picked, but leaned more into DPS and was basically a ss cannon that blended a bit of sword y with magic."


    <i>{Though now that I think about it, isn''t that basically what she did in FWO? She was a high-damage-dealing assassin who couldn''t take a ton of damage in FWO which is kinda sorta what she was in Frontline.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Your sister seems to have tried and excelled at all kinds of games." Shima said as the match started as a buzzer went off. "I watched her y several different fighting games, board games like Shogi and Chess, and even a couple... What were they called, Real Time Strategy Games?" She wasn''t particrly knowledgeable about gaming, beyond what she could recall from her youth. ¡°All of them seemed to light a spark in her eye, and she won far more times than she lost.¡±


    <em>{She only really lost when dealing with unknowns. I don''t think I ever saw her lose to the same strategy twice.}</em>(Hishya)


    "Have you seen any gamey of Frontline?" Hishya asked if she''d watched any footage of this game specifically.


    "A little, but none of Rishia." Shima shook her head. "I don''t even know what she looks like in this one, just that she''s here and apparently everyone was looking forward to her match. They didn''t have recordings for other games that she''d been part of since it wasn''t some kind of big event like this one."


    "On the appearance side Akagi tended to mix things up a whole bunch with her Avatars in games, and there were a few times she even used a male Avatar." Hishya said. ¡°And funny enough she was the <i>second </i>most watched yer at the time, only losing out to Narabusa in hype due to his legendary status.¡±


    "Too bad that nowadays she just does the cursed thing she showed us at the house..." Kana sighed as she recalled <i>that </i>unholy sight.


    <i>{Its simultaneously disturbing, funny and eyebleachingly horrible. I never want to see again as long as I live.} </i>(Kana)


    "Oi! I thought we agreed not to talk about <i>that</i>." Hishya pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration, Shima not knowing or wanting to know what they were talking about.


    <i>{I really wish I could unsee that... Fuck you, Akagi...} </i>(Hishya)


    "But let''s see." Hishya said as she got herself together and scanned her eyes across the television screen for a moment. "Ah, <em>here</em>." She connected her A.R. device to the screen with the flick of a hand, bringing up a menu in front of her. "Now, let''s just go into stream settings, find one specific POV..." She yed around with the settings until she shifted the view from that of thementator discussing the match to a camera that was following around a purple and red-haired girl who was wearing what looked like a cross between a Kimono and a hoodie. "There you are!" She snickered. "I almost forgot that''s what her Avatar looked like!"


    <i>{Its so adorable! Unlike what she is NOW.} </i>(Hishya)


    "Wait, is <i>that</i> Onee-chan?!?" Kana''s eyes widened as she looked at her sister''s virtual form. "She looks so different!" She''d gotten used to seeing either her original body or what she looked like now as Akagi, and while she''d seen her plenty of times in different Avatars, the girl on screen was a far cry from the much <i>darker </i>sister that she''de to know. "Please tell me you''re joking?!?There''s no way this can be Onee-chan! She''s cute, wearing bright colors, AND has a big smile on her face?!?"


    <i>{She wouldn''t be caught dead with an Avatar that screamed anime girl that bad! Its like some kind of Idol persona!} </i>(Kana)


    "???" Hishya turned to her girlfriend, looking confused by Kana''sments. "What do you mean? Your sister <i>always </i>made Avatars that looked like this." She''d usually seen Akagi use forms more akin to what she looked like now, though the <i>Demon </i>tended to enjoy more fluffy and happy-looking characters in the past. "You saw her before the eye change, and her appearance there was much more in line with <i>this</i>. Just change a few things up and tone down the colors and its actually pretty on point with her usual avatar choice, she really liked stuff like this."


    <i>{SHE GOES CAT AND GETS PETS, SO WHY ARE YOU SHOCKED BY HER WANTING TO LOOK LIKE SOME KIND OF ANIME GIRL?!? Hell, 99% of returnees look like this and basically all the former NPCs do too!} </i>(Hishya)


    "I... I think it''s just hard for either of us to imagine Rishia... Walking around like that with a big smile on a nice rounded face..." Shima said with a wry smile, unable to imagine the daughter she knew with such an expression. "She was always a very mopey, depressed, and downright <i>bitter </i>girl at home... So seeing <i>that</i>... It''s a bit of whish for us..."


    <i>{If they think this is bad, then she''s probably going to freak when I show her Fantasy Park. That was a pretty cool rhythm based game where she yed an Idol Bard that killed zombies with Songs.} </i>(Hishya)


    *KABOOM!*


    While Shima and Kana recovered from the discovery that Akagi did indeed like to create V.R. personas that were more than simple dark edge lords, the stream continued, and Akagi was stopped as she walked down the ruined street by a massive st of fire in front of her.


    "Oh, are we doing this already?" Akagi''s much younger and sweet voice filled the air as she looked at the top of a nearby building. "I figured that you''d want to wait until the others were gone, <i>Narabusa.</i>" Her lips curving into a wicked smile that ended all doubt as to who was behind that cute mask. "But I''m fine with killing you now if you''d like to speed things up." She flicked her hand, summoning dozens of electrically charged katanas that floated around her. "Though I''ll ask that you at least keep me entertained for a little bit." Sheughed in a manner that was more akin to the psychoticugh that the girls hade to know her to lose as ofte. "After all, I need a warm-up before the <i><b>[real] </b></i>massacre starts!" She leaped forward, shing with thenky young man across the rooftops, but neither Hishya nor Kana cared about the epic battle after what they just heard.


    "Did... No way..." Hishya''s entire body tensed briefly as Akagi''s single word shook her to her core. "Did she... Did she just speak <i>Demon</i>?!?"


    <i>{WHAT?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    "She... She did..." Kana''s entire body froze. She fully understood what was just said, but couldn''t believe that Akagi''d spoken it. "But... This... This was almost a year before FWO. So... How is that..."


    Pausing briefly Hishya and Kana turned at the same time to at each other, nodding as they''de to the same conclusion.


    "She... Akagi was <i>close</i>, wasn''t she?" Hishya said, sweat forming on her brow.


    "If she unconsciously spoke <i>Demon</i>... Then I can''t imagine that was a good sign..." Kana said as she let out a deep sigh as he throat went dry.


    She would question Akagi about this seemly impossible eventter and was told that the <i>Demon </i>did recall doing so, but only <i>after </i>her memory was expanded post-awakening as a Demon Lord. Before that, Akagi imed to have had no memory of speaking <i>Demon </i>after the night she nearly killed Kana,<i> </i>and she went on to all but confirm Hishya and Kana''s hypothesis, stating that the seal on her soul was likely weakened severely by the time this footage was recorded.


    Akagi postted that her underlying nature was probably poking to the surface more and more due to V.R. feeding her instinctual desire for destruction and battle and that her time in full dive may have drew out part of her out from time to time. However, contrary to what Hishya and Kana expected, Akagi went on to exin that it served to <i>dy </i>not <i>hasten </i>her awakening, as it gave her a ce to release stress, which in turn reduced pressure on the seal and pushed off its eventually breaking by years as a result.


    Spoiler


    Akagi in Frontline!


    [copse]

 Chapter 353 – Please Don’t Explode the Cat.

    Chapter 353 ¨C Please Don¡¯t Explode the Cat.


    <i ss="fa fa-exmation-triangle" aria-hidden="true" style="padding-right:5px;"></i> Announcement


    Daylight savings kicked in so time has gone back one hour, so release will be one hourter.


    "Well, things didn''t go to n, but overall, I''d say things turned out okay." Akagi said as she touched down just outside the base. ¡°We got a couple new underlings and a bit more information, so I can''t be all mad.¡±


    <i>{Though its annoying that its putting off finishing things. The longer I stay here the more problems it creates.} </i>(Akagi)


    "No more flying, <i>please</i>." Amakusa said as she fell to the ground. She still hadn''t gotten used to high-speed travel, and Akagi wasn''t about to ce her inside her shadow since that wouldn''t be any fun.


    <i>{The poor pet is airsick. I wonder if that''s like when dogs hate going in the crate for car trips?} </i>(Akagi)<i> </i>


    "I don''t think I''d call being back to square one okay, but whatever." riel sighed, not wanting to debate the <i>Demon</i>. "I''d even go so far as to say its worse since now we have those two idiots running around, and I don''t even want to imagine the chaos they''re going to cause."


    <i>{At this point, Enoris may be destroyed long before its scheduled time. Those two are destructive, immature and reckless and its only a matter of time before they cause trouble.} </i>(riel)


    "Meh, I''m sure they won''t do anything <i>too </i>crazy." Akagi said as Yumi stepped out of her shadow. "Don''t forget that I locked down most of their power, so the amount of destruction they can cause is limited."


    <i>{Though they could probably still blow up a few towns.} </i>(Akagi)


    "So, what''s the n?" Halifax asked what the path forward was. "Are we just going to let them run around and try and smoke Labrys out? Because I have a feeling that it''s not going to be that easy..." She figured that actually finding the Axe would be nearly impossible unless they dedicated proper resources to it. "The Gods and <i>I </i>have spent thousands of years hunting for him and came up with nothing, so I doubt two young Primordials can find him."


    <i>{I don''t even think I saw him once during that time I was captured either. He seems like the kind to stick to the shadows and plot from a safe distance rather than expose himself.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Oh don''t worry about it, we''ll find him." Akagi smirked. "Either the turtle will peep its head too far out of its shell, or I''ll just have to <i>entice</i> him into to doing so."


    <i>{And I''ve already got a good way of doing that.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Trantion for those who don''t speak stupid cat?" Amakusa said as she raised her hand.


    "She''s going to do something crazy that gets his attention." Yumi provided the Akagi to reasonable person trantion. "Likely involving explosions, death and maybe some kitties."


    "Maybe a few of each will pop up." Akagi winked. "But for now, I''ll let the twins and the ninja handle the actual hunting. If that Axe works like I think he does, then eventually he''ll hear of me and get interested. After all, hearing that another one of your former master''s kind has shown up <i>has </i>to get him moving."


    "Who knows, maybe we''ll get lucky and he''ll agree to help us." Halifax said with a bit of vitriol in her tone. "That would be the first useful thing he ever did, anyway."


    <i>{Just the thought of working alongside that thing makes me sick to my stomach.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Well, Akagi <i>is</i> a Demon Lord, so Labrys may be inclined to work with her." riel figured that it was possible. ¡°But I wouldn''t exactly bank on it being a happy rtionship.¡±


    <i>{Not to mention that we CANNOT have that thing and Halifax meet, it would spell disaster!} </i>(riel)


    "I have a feeling that he''s going to be disappointed that I don''t want to go all <i>Vikes</i> on this world." Akagi noted that since he was a weapon made by a feral Demon Lord he likely shared his master''s vision for the future. "I can''t imagine that he''ll just roll over and show his belly to me like the <i>pet </i>does." She snickered as she poked Amakusa in the shoulder


    "I ONLY DID THAT BECAUSE YOU MADE ME!" Amakusa hissed as she swiped at Akagi, missing.


    <i>{Angry pet.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Damn, Shiroe. I never knew you had such a side to you." Halifax said with a wily smile. "I guess you''re the kind of woman who gets on her back for anyone."


    <i>{Oh. My. God.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Halifax, just know that if I wasn''t holding Alm in my hands, I''d smack you silly!" Amakusa growled.


    ¡°As if you could do anything to me anyway.¡± Halifax snickered.


    "Pfff. Sorry..." riel tried her best to hold in augh but couldn''t.


    "WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?!?" Amakusa yelled at the Goddess. "<i>You </i>of all people should have sympathy for me!"


    <i>{YOU BITCH!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "I know... I know..." riel said while barely holding backughter. "But that... Halifax..." She couldn''t hold it in much longer and burst outughing.


    "Great to know that I''m the butt of <i>everyone''s </i>jokes..." Amakusa pouted.


    "I mean, you are the <i>pet, </i>after all." Akagiughed. ¡°You''re entire <i>existence</i> is one big joke at this point.¡±


    "Yeah, well, fuck-" Amakusa paused as she felt Alm move slightly in her arms.


    "Ugh..." The Oni girl slowly fidgeted as she woke up.


    "Alm!" Amakusa yelled at the top of her lungs. "Alm! It''s me, Shiroe! Are you alright?!? Say something!"


    "Shiro-e?" Alm said as she slowly opened her chestnut eyes looking directly at Amakusa.


    "Oh, Alm!" Amakusa yelled as she squeezed the newly awakened girl tightly in her arms. "You''re alright... I''m so sorry. I''m so sorry..." She began to cry, heavily as Alm was squeezed even harder. "I''m so sorry that I let you take them away... I should''ve..."


    "Hurts..." Alm squeaked out a single word. "Sister Shiroe, squeezing too... tight..." She protested the squeezing but was ignored. ¡°Gonna... die...¡±


    "Its too bad she can''t explode to get away." Akagiughed as she watched the Oni get squeezed like a toothpaste tube that Amakusa didn''t want to give up on just yet.


    "Well, I suppose that she <i>can, </i>but unlike <i>you</i>, normal people exploding tends to only happen <i>once.</i>"<i> </i>Halifaxmented.


    <i>{Well, usually. Mr. Quakers exploded six times before I put him down for good.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Fair, fair." Akagi nodded. "The art of self-destruction is truly a noble and difficult one. Mastering it takes years of practice and strict discipline."


    "Please don''t explode in front of Miji..." Yumi sighed as she imagined the horrifying scenario of exploding kitty and sad Miji. "If the kitty goes kaboom in front of her eyes, I think she''d get traumatized for life."


    <i>{Either that or love it.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Hmmm..." Akagi rubbed her chin in thought as she mulled over exploding. "I don''t know. It sounds <i>fun</i>."


    "If you traumatize my Sister by exploding, then no more kitty pets." Yumi huffed, bringing out her most powerful weapon.


    "No, please! I needs those!" Akagi hugged onto her, desperately clinging to the pets in question. "Do not forsake me, Yumi!" She said as she fake cried.


    "Why do I get the feeling that you''re still tempted to explode anyway..." Yumi sighed, ignoring the clingy Akagi.


    <i>{Because I am.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Because you''d probably still pet her afterward." Halifax snickered.


    <i>{Why must the thief be right...} </i>(Yumi)


    "Alm... Alm..." Amakusa continued to hug the Oni girl for some time until Akagimanded her to ease up before the girl <i>really </i>exploded. Alm seemed to be in overall good health, but it was decided that having Mimi give her a checkup would be for the best, and she was called over from the Estate.


    ______________________________________________________________________________


    "My, my." Mimi smiled as she pat the young Oni on the head. They''d moved her to a makeshift medical wing created out of one of the prefabricated buildings. Amakusa was practically clung to the Oni girl''s side, which Akagi found funny. "How are you doing? My name is Mimi and I''m a doctor."


    "I''m... Alm... yeah..." Alm''s unsure tone and head tilt caused a bit of confusion.<i> </i>Amakusa was about to explode in anger, but Akagimanded her to be quiet until otherwise told to speak.


    <i>{Amnesia? No, she recognized the pet right away and she did know her name so I doubt its that. From the way she said it it''s almost as if she didn''t know if that''s what she should still go by. Interesting...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Well, Alm. Have a seat over on this table so I can check you over. I was told that you were asleep for quite a while, so we need to make sure you''re all good to go. Can you do that for me?" Mimi smiled as Alm, with Amakusa holding her hand, walked over and sat on one of the medical tables.


    This facility was far more advanced technology-wise than Mimi''s usual office, and the Yuki-Onna was still reluctant to use most electronics so she brought along a helper to do those things for her. "Kaori, please get my bag."


    ¡°Sure, I''ve got it right here.¡± Kaori had more or less be Mimi''s primary assistant, and Akagi figured that it was only a matter of time until she was a fully-fledged alchemist/doctor in her own right. Naomi was looking forward to starting her own training under the Yuki-Onna, but Akagi wanted her to pursue normal medicine for a bit before her alchemy training could begin in earnest.


    "Here you go." Kaori said as she put a heavy bag filled with all sorts of devices on the floor.


    <i>{That such a frail-looking girl can lift that much. What kind of training has Mimi been putting her through?} </i>(Akagi)


    "Now then, open up and say ahhh." Mimi smiled as she performed a series of basic tests to determine if anything was wrong with her. She used magic for more invasive and delicate testing and eventually concluded that Alm was in perfect health, albeit a bit malnourished and dehydrated from being asleep for so long. "All done!" Mimi smiled as she pat the Oni girl again. "You were a very good girl. Thank you for doing what I asked." She said before turning to Akagi. "Do you have anything about the curse that was ced on her?"


    "I don''t have anything specific. All I know is that it was something that ced the target in a deep slumber. The body would still be active, though in a much-reduced state." Akagimented that it was basically like animal hibernation, which was likely why Alm was alive but malnourished. "It was a rather powerful piece of magic, one that I doubt the average person could pull of without some help." She nced at riel.


    "As you suspect I''ve seen it before, and no it has nothing to do with Lockheed." riel knew what wasing next and preempted Akagi''s question. "The spell in question isn''t unique, though as you surmised it takes quite a bit of power to actually use. Not to mention that keeping it actively required reapplication of the spell, and you can probably guess what the best way of doing <i>that </i>is."


    "Blood sacrifices?" Halifax hissed, hating such things with a passion. "Of course." She clicked her tongue in disgust.


    <i>{As disgusting as they may be, using life force and souls to power a spell is the best way to do it. The power you gain from it is likely second to non.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Don''t worry, Rafferty is going to get all the payback that the <i>pet </i>is ever going to want to give." Akagi noted that the Heroine would likely summon her over and over again so that she could be mutted and killed for her misdeeds. "Isn''t that right, <i>pet</i>?" She released Amakusa from her silencemand.


    "Ohhhh you <i>bet </i>that I''m going to enjoy myself with her." Amakusa''s lips curved into a nasty smile.


    <i>{I''ve cooked up all sorts of ways to kill that bitch. I think I''ll take my time and do it nice and slowly.} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Sister Shiroe." Alm tugged at her sleeve.


    "Aw... Don''t worry about her, Alm. The bad foxdy will <i>never </i>hurt you again." Amakusa hugged her again. ¡°I won''t let <i>anyone </i>hurt you again.¡±


    "Maybe, but the bad <i>kitty </i>might demand snuggles." Yumi said quietly, herment eliciting a smack to her funny bone by Akagi.


    <i>{WHY IS IT CALLED THAT ANYWAY?!? IT''S NOT FUNNY WHEN IT GETS HIT!} </i>(Yumi)


    "Um... Sister?" Alm managed to wiggle her head free as she looked into Amakusa''s eyes.


    "What is it?" Amakusa asked. "Do you need more huggies?" She was in full-on sister mode, something that Yumi found both rtable and adorable.


    <i>{Or maybe you want to snuggle and take a nap?!?} </i>(Amakusa)


    ¡°Um...Why is there a Demon Lord here?¡± Alm asked as she looked at Akagi, her words causing the room to freeze.


    ______________________________________________________________________________


    <Alice POV>


    ¡°Will it be done soon?!?¡± Alice asked Imp who was busy mashing buttons on a console. ¡°Mama could be back any day and I want to show her!¡± She pouted as she tugged on Imp''s shirt.


    ¡°Doneplete soon- shortly.¡± Imp sighed as she pointed at the vague shadow of a human within therge green tank in front of her. ¡°No bug-disturb!¡± She said before picking Alice up and throwing her out of herb and mming the door.


    ¡°Mean!¡± Alice pouted as she stood up. Imp had not thrown her very hard so it was in all actually a softnding on the metal floor. ¡°I''ll tell Mama on you!¡±


    ¡°Do as you please-want!¡± Imp yelled back through the door.


    ¡°Grump Imp...¡± Alice grumbled.


    ¡°Don''t let her get ta ya kiddo.¡± Imperialughed as he pat her on the head. ¡°She''s just grumpy because your Mama put in arge order for those metal monsters! Its been almost nonstop work to get the order ready in time!¡±


    ¡°Does Imp not want to make them?¡± Alice asked, figuring Imp may have not been happy to make more weapons of war.


    ¡°Not want? You''re kidding!¡± Imperial shook his head as he continued tough. ¡°No, yer Mama just gave her the most exciten project of both ar careers! She''s more stressed about wanten it ta be perfect! So do me a favor and cut thedy some ck! You''re little side project will be ready in time for Akagi''s return, I''ll make sure of it.¡±


    ¡°Mama hasn''t been told, right?¡± Alice asked. ¡°It needs to be a big secret so it suprises her!¡±


    ¡°I don''t like the idea of surprising<i> </i>that mother of yours, but yeah... Only us three know about it.¡± Imperial said with a wry smile. ¡°But just do me a favor and direct her <i>anger </i>at the olddy, okay.¡±


    ¡°Its only fair since she threw me out!¡± Alice said with a snicker that was soon joined by Imperial.


    <i>{Just you wait, Mama! I''ll be able to help you a whole bunch soon!} </i>(Alice)

 Chapter 354 – Onis Are Not As Squishy As Cats.

    Chapter 354 ¨C Onis Are Not As Squishy As Cats.


    "Oh? How interesting, she can tell." Akagi hummed in thought as she rubbed her chin.


    <i>{And the plot thickens.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I mean, can''t everyone?" Halifax raised an eyebrow. ¡°You <i>basically</i> exude evil.¡±


    "Only to those who know what to look for..." riel sighed as Amakusa began shaking Alm.


    "How do you know about Demon Lords?!? And how do you know that this idiot is one?!?" Amakusa yelled as Alm went back and forth at high speed.


    <i>{I''m right here you know...} </i>(Akagi)


    <i>{WHAT DID THEY DO TO YOU?!? DO I NEED TO FUCKING END SOMEBODY?!?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "I-I-I d-d-don''t k-know! I can just tell." Alm said as she was shaken, her eyes turning to swirls from the violent back and forth. ¡°World go spin... bwah...¡±


    "Please don''t kill the girl we <i>just </i>managed to save..." Akagi bonked Amakusa on the head and pulled her away by the back of her cor. ¡°And I don''t think Kaori wants to clean puke off <i>another </i>floor.¡±


    ¡°Please no...¡± Kaori sighed as she packed everything back up.


    <i>{I gave Mika such a pinch for the most recent incident... Cleaning up magical rainbows didn''t make it any less gross...} </i>(Kaori)


    ¡°Let me go!¡± Amakusa said as she iled.


    <i>{NO! DO NOT SEPARATE ME FROM HER!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "That Rafferty said something about Alm having some kind of Primordial power, and didn''t you say that she was some kind of descendant of Kaleago?" Halifax recalled that part of the conversation. "I can sense a bit of power in her now that I''ve gotten closer, so maybe it has something to do with that?"


    <i>{Is she basically a Demi-Primordial or something?} </i>(Halifax)


    "Maybe, but recall that Kaleago was <i>killed </i>by Vikes." riel emphasized that point again, noting that he''d been destroyed millennia ago. "He never had children, and that whack job was never one to make any. Nor were most Primordials, for that matter." She said as she walked over to inspect the Oni girl. "Now, I can sense <i>some</i> of his power within her, but is of a different sort than what resides in our children. Normally, it''s always a bit different due to the intermixing of mortal blood, but what I''m sensing here is almost identical to his."


    <i>{Ites across as a copy with some distortions. Almost as if this girl...} </i>(riel)


    "Does anything feel wrong, Alm?!? Does it hurt anywhere?!? Tell Big Sis, and I''ll make it all better!" Amakusa sputtered and wiggled, trying to escape Akagi''s grasp, but was unsessful in that endeavor.


    "You really are hopeless, aren''t you?" Akagi rolled her eyes as she held onto the frothing Amakusa. ¡°Talk about overly attached.¡±


    "Are you one to talk? Need I remind everyone about that one-time Alice got a scraped knee while ying tag, and you threatened to <i>blow up the </i>if it didn''t apologize." Yumi snickered as she recalled how angry she was.


    "Please... Please don''t tell me she <i>actually </i>got an apology?" Halifax asked, at this point expecting it to have actually happened.


    <i>{Part of me actually hopes she did though...} </i>(Halifax)


    "Shiru delivered the apology soon after. The nts around the estate have been much less rowdy since then from what she said." Akagi shed a wicked smile, not indicating whether she was telling the truth or lying.


    <i>{Neat, you cowed mother nature...} </i>(Halifax)


    "I feel... fine..." Alm returned a wry smile. "My head just feels funny... That''s all..."


    "Then let me have a look." Mimi said as she ced her hand on Alm''s head and channeled some kind of blue magic that covered the Oni for a moment. "Just rx and allow my magic to flow into your mind. I promise that I won''t do anything to hurt you, okay?"


    "Un..." Alm consented, nervously, and after a few moments, Mimi closed her eyes as more power channeled into the Oni''s head.


    <i>{IF YOU HURT HER I SWEAR TO GOD I''ll!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Hmmm... That''s interesting..." Mimi hummed as she continued to probe the girl''s mind with her power. ¡°Such intricate yet scattered weaves.¡±


    "Whatcha got?" Akagi asked as she walked over, throwing Amakusa to Halifax for proper restraint.


    "Her mind... It''s not damaged, but I''m getting a lot of scattered bits of memory." Mimi answered as she pulled her hand away, patting the Oni girl on the head. "It''s simr to when an amnesiac patient is regaining lost memories, but these are far more distorted and broken than what I''m used to." She''d dealt with amnesiac patients before but had never seen anything like this.


    <i>{Are they memories of a prior life? I suppose that would make sense, but those should be scrubbed upon death and reincarnation. It is possible for parts to remain when the system makes an error, but that''s exceedingly rare and would not necessarily ount for that power making it through..} </i>(Akagi)


    "Any chance we could clean it up?" Akagi asked. ¡°Maybe elerate the recovery.¡±


    "I would advise <i>against</i> using any such magic on her mind." Mimi shook her head. "Thank you for being a good girl." She smiled as she pat the Oni on the head one more time before turning to Akagi. "I''m sure you''re aware that memories are stored in the soul, not the brain."


    "Of course, otherwise, it would be impossible to retain a personality if one swapped bodies." Akagi nodded. "The brain is just a temporary storage spot and is used as a convenient vector for consciousness."


    "Indeed, and as you know manipting the soul is neither easy nor <i>safe</i>." Mimi nced at Amakusa, who was pinned beneath Halifax''s boot. And while I know that you''re adept at tampering with it now, I''d rmend we <i>don''t</i> go trying to mess with memories, especially on those who you actually <i>want </i>to survive the process." She coughed as she nced at Amakusa again.


    "Wait! Does that mean you did something to me that could''ve killed me?!?" Amakusa hissed as Halifax''s boot dug into her back.


    "Weeeeeellll... Less <i>killed</i> and more make you an <i>invalid</i>." Akagi replied with a wry smile. "During the early days, I used death row criminals as test subjects, and a few had their entire personality wiped, while others just broke entirely." She said as she gave a tee-hee-pero.


    "DON''T..." Amakusa paused. "I''m not gonna say it. I''m not gonna..."


    <i>{DONT REACT!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Ah, don''t worry." Akagi waved her handzily. "When I did it on <i>you </i>I had prior experience, so it was all good." She shed a toothy smile. ¡°Besides, you came out all new and improved!¡±


    ¡°Bitch.¡± Amakusa hissed at her again.


    "Out of curiosity, could you actually <i>undo </i>what you did to her?" Halifax asked as she continued to pin the wiggling Amakusa down.


    "Probably, but there is always a risk of things going wrong when I touch a soul, so that would need to be a risk one is willing to take." Akagi shrugged. ¡°And I kind of like my new <i>pet </i>so I won''t be letting her off that leash just yet.¡±


    ¡°Understandable.¡± Halifaxughed as Amakusa yelled at her.


    "Regardless, I''d rather you allow things to y out for now." Mimi interjected as she put everything back in her bag. "Alm cane with me back to the estate, and I can keep her monitored for now. It may be that she just needs time to limate to whatever power has awoken in her, and I''d rather be on the safe side here."


    <i>{FINALLY A SANE PERSON HERE!} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Is she otherwise stable?" Akagi asked as she told Halifax to let the pinned Amakusa off the floor.


    "From what I can see, yes. She just needs food, drink, and rest. That curse put a lot of strain on her body." Mimi noted the girl''s slightly sunken face, indicating malnutrition and dehydration. "But she should be fine."


    "Did you hear that, Alm? You''re going to be okay!" Amakusa said as she rushed over and hugged the Oni girl again, causing her to gasp for air.


    <i>{Good thing Miji squeezing me like that is more fun than deadly.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I have a bad feeling that she is going to be on that girl like Miji when you go cat." Halifax sighed.


    <i>{Maybe worse? Nah that''s not possible. Miji loves the kitty almost as much as life itself.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Oh well." Akagi shrugged. "Better to be loved, I suppose." She said as she pulled Yumi into a hug. "After all, I''ve got my own squishy right here, and I can attest that it''s quite nice."


    <i>{I... I don''t think squishy should be taken LITERALLY.} </i>(Halifax)


    "You''re pretty nice to squishy, at least in <i>kitty</i> mode." Yumi snickered before Akagi pinched her shoulder. "YOW!"


    "I''m good in <i>both </i>kitty and non-kitty mode, thank you very much." Akagi rolled her eyes as Yumi pouted over the pinch. "But kitty <i>skawoosh</i> aside, I think it''s actually time to head on home for a bit. What do you think? Want to go see the girls?" She said to the Priestess, who was rubbing her arm.


    "Really? I figured we weren''t heading back until things were done here?" Yumi was shocked, assuming that Akagi didn''t <i>want </i>to go back yet.


    <i>{Not to mention that Miji and Mika will steal you from me!} </i>(Yumi)


    "There''s nothing for us to do right now, and I''d like to rx a bit and see the girls." Akagi replied. "Besides, it won''t be for very long anyway. The Demon Army will be marching south here any day, and we''ll need toe back to handle that problem."


    <i>{Also, it will make a good time to gather some data for my analysis.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Are they really that stupid that they think they can just <i>fight </i>you with a conventional army?" Halifax sighed as she pictured the Demon Army doing just that.


    "I guess so. I mean, they <i>are </i>sending one here after all, aren''t they?" Akagi smirked.


    "Well, they''re all fucking dead." Halifax threw up her hands, not caring anymore. "How can people be that stupid? Even during the war with <i>Vikes</i>, we kept the mortal armies out of the battle because it was pointless."


    <i>{They will LITERALLY be nothing more than cannon fodder here.} </i>(Halifax)


    "In fairness, I <i>did</i> offer peace." Akagi said. "All they had to do was give me the Spirits, and I was going to leave them alone until the Gods were handled. So this is squarely on them."


    "Don''t try and act like some peace bringer." riel interjected, ring at Akagi. "You gave them that demand fully aware that they couldn''tply, just like you did with Amdamell." She growled. "You just want to cause death and destruction, so at least have the decency to own up to it!"


    <i>{And don''t go dragging Halifax down with you!} </i>(riel)


    "If you think wiping out an army is causing ''death and destruction." Akagi''s lips curved into a nasty grin, revealing razor-sharp teeth. "<i><b>Then you''re going to love what I''ve got nned next.</b></i>" She cackled. "Killing the Demon Army is merely a <i>step </i>toward my ultimate n, one that will cause far more death than this."


    <i>{I knew it. For all that cute acting that she puts on, she''s still just a Demon Lord.} </i>(riel)


    "I hope you''re not nning to do anything too overboard." Halifax asked with a stern voice. "I know that I''ve said that I''m fine with you giving this world a bit of payback, but wanton destruction and indiscriminate ughter is my red line. It may be pointless for me to resist you, but I''ve got my principles, and I won''t bend on this."


    <i>{And how has the sacking of Riftwood and her other actions not qualified as either of those things?!? Halifax, I''m beginning to think more and more that you...} </i>(riel)


    "Even if I promise extra kitty snuggles?" Akagi asked with puppy eyes.


    "Tempting as that may be...<i>No</i>." Halifax sighed.


    "Too bad, I''ve even got some cute new outfits that I''d''ve let you dress me in." Akagi winked as Yumi elbowed her.


    <i>{NO FLIRTING WITH THE THIEF! And also, WHERE ARE THESE OUTFITS AND WHY ARE YOU NOT ALREADY WEARING THEM FOR ME?!?} </i>(Yumi)


    "So then, what exactly <i>are</i> your ns? If the destruction of the Demon''s Army is a step, then what''s the end goal?" riel pressed for a clearer answer.


    <i>{I presume more death, destruction, and envement?} </i>(riel)


    "Simple, I''m going to draw all the nations around here into open battle with me and crush them in one fell swoop." Akagi exined that she wanted to use the Demon''s destruction and subjugation as a way to draw the other people of Enoris together. Doing that would enable her to smash all mortal resistance in one swift stroke. "That way, there can be no more pointless resistance. Doing this will force the Gods into a confrontation with me, and hopefully by then I''ll be able to meet them in their home and bring this whole thing to an <i><b>end</b></i><b>."</b>

 Chapter 355 – Mika the Contraband Dealer.

    Chapter 355 ¨C Mika the Contraband Dealer.


    *CRACKLE* *CRUMBLE* *SMASH* *COUGH*


    "There we go, all better." Akagi smiled as she chucked the empty petricure bottle into a nearby trash can. "Did you enjoy your time as a statue, girl?" She asked the shaking form of Sophie, who''d fallen to the floor.


    "Y-You..." Sophie said while shaking. "You used Erina to..." She was disoriented from being turned to stone and returned to flesh, though her memory <i>was </i>intact from her time as a statue.


    "To <i>what</i>? Do the same thing that your parents did to countless others?" Akagi scoffed at the girl''s seeming disgust and exasperation. "I''d say that both you and they got just what they deserved after everything you''ve done." She''d left the three petrified Demons in their holding cell after the Half-Naga turned them to stone as a form of punishment. The Copy Boze family reported back that several dozen people were transformed into various statutes that sat around the family estate, a few of which were Spirits. Apparently, the family enjoyed wielding such power over the helpless, and Erina was forced to petrify countless people on their orders.


    <i>{Hypocrisy is generally something I dislike. I might be known for slinging a bit of it around myself, but what I cannot stand most is people not epting that what they do to others can be done to them. Even I''m not so full of myself to allow such foolish emotions to spring from within.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Mama... Papa... Please... Please turn them back!" Sophie tried to stand, but being newly reanimated meant that she was too weak to stand. ¡°Please...¡±


    "Hmmm, <i>no</i>." Akagi said curtly as she walked over to the petrified Count Boze, put her hand on his shoulder, and began to rock him back and forth. "Out of curiosity, what do you think happens if I smash someone who is petrified and then pour some petricure on them?" She cackled manically as she mentally tormented the girl. "Oh boy! I can only imagine the disgusting mess <i>that </i>would make!" Akagi wasn''t sure if it would work like that in practice but figured that, if it did, it would create a very gory scene.


    <i>{Kaori would be so angry if I made her clean that up, and I absolutely would love to watch it!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Please, don''t hurt them!" Sophie pleaded for her parents to be spared. ¡°Don''t smash them!¡±


    "Funny, I''d bet your parents had plenty of people that begged for mercy." Akagi''s jovial tone stopped as she took her hand off the Count. "But did they ever give it? I''d bet <i>not</i>." She sighed. "You know, for all that I am, I truly do hate those who refuse to grant mercy to others but thene crying for it when the shoe is ced firmly on the other foot. It sickens me." She snarled. ¡°At least have the decency to go understand that if you don''t give mercy others are not obligated to give it to you.¡±


    "..." Sophie didn''t know how to respond to the <i>Demon''s </i>words. She <i>was</i> aware that her parents used Erina to turn people to stone, but always figured that they were bad people who deserved it. The Count and Countess had kept their more <i>sadistic</i> tendancys away from the young girl, and Erina''s interactions with her were usually more that of a maid and servant than a statue-creating device. "Please... I''ll do anything... Just turn them back..."


    <i>{I always enjoy mortals begging...} </i>(Akagi)


    "Well, if you want them to be saved, then you''d best ask in an appropriate manner." Akagi pointed to the floor, a massive grin on her lips. "<i>Beg</i>. Beg for their safety, and I <i>might </i>be inclined to show some degree of mercy." She cackled demonically.


    "You want me to grovel?" Sophie asked with a tilted head. She was the Daughter of a Noble and understood fully what Akagi wanted, though it was <i>not </i>something she relished doing.


    <i>{Begging... That''s...} </i>(Sophie)


    "On your knees, girl." Akagi''s eyes lit up as her voice boomed. "Get down on your knees and beg me for mercy. Put your head to the floor and tell me just how worthless you and they are, and cry your little heart out in a desperate plea for my favor." Sheughed demonically, this interaction tickling something dangerous within her heart.


    Akagi was never one to bully children and was generally not a fan of messing with them, especially outside of contracts, but there were always exceptions, and <i>this</i> was one of them. "I am not opposed to making some concessions if you do sufficiently please me." Her lips curved into a nasty smile as the girl did exactly as she asked of her. Sophie gave the most heart wrenching plea for mercy that Akagi had heard in some time as she pressed her head to the floor in a most splendid Dogeza.


    <i>{Ah... It''s always nice to see them like this, right where they belong. Part of me wants to see Kana or Hishya like this one day, but let''s tuck that away as a desire best left unfulfilled. Though perhaps I could have a bit of fun with Mika? She''d probably just find the whole thing funny? Hmm... More things to write down for my analysis... Though this is well within expectations, and well... Its </i><i><b>fun.</b></i><i>} </i>(Akagi)


    "Imend you, that was a most splendid disy." Akagiughed happily as she stepped on the girl''s head, pushing it into the concrete floor and eliciting a wince of pain as a Sophie''s face scrapped against the floor. "But I''d like <i><b>more</b></i><b>." </b>Akagi''s lips curved into an even more despicable smile as her razor sharp teeth showed briefly. The <i>Demon''s</i> sadistic side hade out in full force, and as this was an asion for her to treat a mortal that she cared little about in such a manner, Akagi was going to milk the asion for all that it was worth. <i><b>"Tell me that you''re a worthless mortal, a mere insect beneath my boot. Tell me that you''re nothing more than a pawn, an object for me to toy with and dispose of at my whim."</b></i>


    "I...I am nothing more than a worthless bug..." Sophie said as Akagi''s foot continued to push her down.


    <i><b>"I''m a worthless bug?</b></i>" Akagi''s tone indicated that she wanted something more as she put more pressure on the girl''s head.


    "I''m nothing more than a worthless existence, My Lady! Please forgive me and my family for being so impudent for daring to exist in the same world as you! Please forgive us for not knowing our ce as your ythings!" Sophie said with grit teeth. She''d never imagined that such words would being out of her mouth, and while she was no stuck-up Noble, she still had her pride as one.


    "Good, good." Akagi lifted her foot off the girl''s head. "You seem to know your ce." She cackled.


    <i>{It''s nice to let it all hang out once and a while. It''s no good to let myself get all pent up all the time, and luckily I''ve now got an entire world of willing volunteers to help me let out my stress! Though, we''ll need to be careful how much indulgence I allow myself for the time being.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Will... Will you let Mama and Papa go?" Sophie dared not meet Akagi''s gaze and kept her eyes firmly on the cement floor.


    "No." Akagiughed as she tly denied the girl what she wanted.


    "But!" Sophie tried to protest but quickly stopped when she felt a cold chill rush down her spine.


    "I said that I''d <i>consider </i>granting mercy, and I shall." Akagi said as she lifted the girl''s head up and looked her square in the eyes. "Rejoice! You''ve been granted a once-in-a-lifetime offer!" She smiled.


    "O-Offer?" Sophie asked with a bit of fear in her voice.


    "Yeah. You see I''ve got need of a <i>special </i>servant, so... How would you like a job?" Akagi''s words caused Sophie to shiver as she looked into Akagi''s eyes, afraid of what she saw within.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Halifax POV>


    "Oh my god, she''s so cute!" Halifax squeaked as sheid eyes upon Sophie, who''d been decked out in a perfectly fitting maid outfit. "Can I keep her?!?" She wanted very badly to squeeze the Demon, but held off, barely.


    <i>{IS IT BAD THAT I WANT TO PINCH HER CHEEKS AND FEED HER SNACKS?!?} </i>(Halifax)


    "Another victim..." Amakusa pouted as she held Alm in a hug. "I see Akagi has no limits to her evil." She said while also being d that it wasn''t her being subject to this treatment.


    <i>{Maybe this new girl will get all the punishment and I can slide into the background and be forgotten?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Sister... Can we stop hugging for a bit? I want dinner..." Alm''s belly grumbled as she was being held by the Hero. She''d been nonstop doted on by Amakusa, who was currently in clingy big sister mode.


    "We can go together! There''s no need for us to be apart." Amakusa said with a smile that made Alm sigh as she was dragged off to get sandwiches, pleading for someone to save her, but knowing that she was doomed. ¡°Come on, I''ll make a nice one for you!¡±


    "I''d call the <i>pet </i>a sis con, but that might be a bit too on the nose." Akagi rolled her eyes as she watched Alm get dragged away.


    "Cough, pot calling the kettle ck, cough." Yumi said with a bit ofughter in her words.


    "Yumi, we both know that between the two of us, <i>you </i>are far worse than I am." Akagi retorted, surprised that the Priestess could say such things with a straight face.


    "You chase Kana down for snuggles all the time and act like some kind of proud Mom whenever she does something!" Yumi replied.


    <i>{Don''t go trying to make me out as being worse than you!} </i>(Yumi)


    "Oh? She who has a secret photo collection of Miji in her-" Akagi was stopped by Yumi''s screaming.


    "I HAVE NO SUCH THING! THERE IS NO SECRET COLLECTION OF MIJI PICTURES IN A SCRAPBOOK IN MY CLOSET!" Yumi tackled Akagi to the floor to get her to stop.


    <i>{AND I CERTAINLY DIDN''T TRADE MIKA FOR AN ULTRA-RARE ONE SHE HAD OF MIJI IN CAT PAJAMAS DURING HER SLEEPOVER! NO SIR!} </i>(Yumi)


    "Why did I ever be friends with this group of weirdos?" Halifax sighed as she looked over at Sophie. "Did Akagi do anything bad to you?"


    "I..." Sophie was about to answer but quickly realized that it would be a bad idea to tell Halifax what had happened in the jail cell, especially since that could ce her parents at risk. "She merely made me understand just how lowly I was, that''s all." She gave a wry smile.


    <i>{Kitty, what did you do to this poor girl? We''ll need to have a talkter while I''m fluffing you.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Don''t worry, friend. I promise you that no permanent harm came to her." Akagi said as she disappeared and reappeared next to Halifax to escape Yumi''s grapple. ¡°Sophie was just recruited into the team!¡±


    "You know I''d almost believe you <i>if </i>I didn''t know who and what you were." Halifax rolled her eyes as she stared at Akagi with a look of doubt on her face. "And don''t even try to use kitty to get out of this one! Because it won''t work!"


    *TSK*


    <i>{You were going to, weren''t you?!?} </i>(Halifax)


    "Please don''t tell me that you the same thing that you did to Shiroe to this girl?" Halifax asked. "She might''ve been part of a disgusting Noble family that used that poor girl like that, but she had no control over that." She''d been informed about what the Boze family was doing and had spoken to Erina a bit about her time as their ve.


    <i>{I mean they fucking deserve to get smashed to a thousand pieces but I don''t approve of dragging children who''ve done nothing wrong into things!} </i>(Halifax)


    "Nah, I just made her a <i>deal</i>." Akagi replied with a hand wave, ignoring her concerns.


    "Your deals are <i>rarely </i>equal or equitable." Halifax squinted at her, not trusting the <i>Demon''s </i>words.


    "Tis just the nature of dealing with a <i>Demon</i>!" Akagi winked. "But this time, it wasn''t so bad. You see all she needs to do is be Alice''s personal servant for a while, and I agreed that I''d restore her parents <i>someday</i>." She smiled, sure that this was a good deal, while also knowing that it left arge amount of room for interpretation renegotiation and exploitation.


    <i>{See! I can be nice! I gave this girl an amazing deal!} </i>(Akagi)


    <i>{Something tells me that this ''someday'' will be a long time in the future...} </i>(Halifax)

 Interlude 21 – The Angel of Death.

    Interlude 21 ¨C The Angel of Death.


    "It''s too bad those Ogres chose such pointless deaths." Rehael said as she stood among a mountain of Ogre corpses. She''de to one of their many mountain viges looking for information on a group of nesting Dragons who lived on the northern edge of the Tindal Mountains but was told to leave once she demanded information. Most the Ogres immediately understood that she was looking for trouble and their good rtionship with the Dragons meant that they were not inclined to sell them out. "If they''d just told me what I wanted then they would still be alive, oh well." She said as she spun her bloody scythe to remove the blood from its de, scattering it onto the rocky ground below. "Mortals are mostly useless anyway, and it''s only a matter of time before I find the Dragons even without their cooperation." As she spun her scythe its de began glowing red as some kind of energy-based connection formed between it and the corpses that surrounded her. "I suppose, if nothing else, their life force will serve as useful fuel for Father''s n, and for my own purposes." She chuckled as the bodies began to wither and drain, fading into dust as their energy was absorbed into her weapon. Her Sycthe, Oblivion, was a Demonic weapon that she''d stolen from one of the most powerful of the Arch Devils, Sariel, long ago, and among its many abilities was the power to drain the life force out of mortals.


    <i>{While they''re not my favorite ves, Ogres will make a good addition to my forces. They''re stupid and hulking, but that makes them excellent minions, and it never hurts to have a bit more muscle, especially if I''m going to be sent to finish those foolish Heroes'' job.} </i>(Rehael)


    "I think that will suffice for now." Rehael said as she canceled her Scythe''s draining power. "That much energy is a mere drop in the bucketpared to what we will need, but it''s always appreciated." She snapped her fingers, and a momentter the countless ogre corpses groaned and moaned as they slowly rose to their feet. Their eyes showed no signs of life, and most were ssed over. "You lot can join the rest. I''ll be needing you for when wey waste to that foolish world for daring to resist my Father''s ns." She shed the air, creating a gash in reality that revealed a ck abyss. "Come on, get in. And don''t worry, there are plenty of others in there to keep youpany." She smirked as the Ogres lumbered into the gash one by one until they''d all disappeared, before closing the portal behind them.


    "I suppose it would be best to clean things up here. Can''t have people wondering why an entire Ogre vige mysteriously disappeared. Otherwise, people will start asking questions, and then I''ll have to go shut <i>their</i> mouths." Rehael lifted Oblivion into the air above her head and began to spin the Scythe around at high speed. "Whirlwind!" She called out an attack name as ck power gathered around her, causing a massive ck tornado that engulfed the entire vige, ttening it and removing all traces of its existence. "There, now there''s nothing and no one left." She said as she slowly brought the Scythe under control and looked to the peak of a nearby mountain.


    <i>{The information I got before leaving Father''s Realm said that the artifact was being guarded by a mated pair of Dragons at one of these nearby peaks. I''d rather not go searching endlessly up here if I don''t have to, but I''ve no choice but to find them. Perhaps I can force them out? If I create enough of a disturbance, they''ll have toe check it out.} </i>(Rehael)


    Uninterested in a slow and methodical search of the countless nearby mountain peaks, Rehael decided that the most <i>effective</i> way of finding her prey was to attack and exterminate as many of the nearby Ogre tribes as she could find. The Dragons of the Tindal Mountains had a good and symbiotic rtionship with the various Ogre tribes, and she figured that after bumping off a few dozen or so, one or both Dragons would show up in an attempt to stop her.


    <i>{Oh well, that''s what happens when you get so attached to others.} </i>(Rehael)


    ¡°I''ve been told that this Demon Lord has subordinates, I see she''s making the same mistake. No doubt Father will begin by removing those pests first.¡± Rehael giggled before moving on to the next vige.


    *BOOM* *SLASH* *BURN* *CRUSH*


    One by one, the Angel of Death ughtered, drained, and enved the different Ogre tribes that she came across during her trek through the mountains. There were hundreds of Ogres that lived this high up in the mountains, and among them there was no one who could even put a scratch on the Reaper herself. Rehael was never one to shy away from bloodletting when it served her goals, and that she held most mortals in <i>disdain</i> meant that she cared little for the suffering that she was causing. Not to mention the fact that as one of Gale''s creation she was a step above other Demi-Gods, with some specting that there was more to her than what it seemed.


    After days of ughter, and the extermination of nearly a thousand Ogre lives, Rehael''s n worked and got what she was looking for as a massive ck shadow flew over her head just as she finished torching a vige.


    "Finally, I was wondering when you''d show up." Rehaelughed as she sat on arge rock, watching the massive Blue Dragonnd in the center of the freshly destroyed vige. "You took far too long, you know?. If you''d juste to me a bit sooner then I wouldn''t have had to go through all the trouble of destroying all these Ogres. Look what you made me do.¡± She smirked.


    "You... I know who <i>you</i> are..." The Blue Dragon''s deep voice echoed throughout the mountains. It was a massive creature, though considerably smaller than Hishya in her Dragon form, but powerful nheless. "You are the one called the Reaper. Lord Gale''s murderous child of death. His abominable experiment." Her reputation tended to precede her, and even most Humans avoided her out of fear.


    "Knowing who I am speeds this up greatly." Rehael replied as shezily checked her nails. ¡°And maybe this means we can conclude this matter without further time wasting?¡±


    "Why have you attacked the Ogres?" The Blue Dragon growled, mming its forearm to the ground and causing a quake. "They are of no threat to anyone and have nothing to offer you. Are you here on Lord Gale''s orders? I cannot fathom why he would order such a thing, and this action makes no sense. Even for someone like you it seems excessive, so answer me!"


    <i>{I have a feeling I know why she''s here, and if its what I''m dreading... Then...} </i>(Dragon)


    "Its not exactlyplicated, the death of the Ogres was merely my <i>creative</i> way of getting to Father''s real goal." Rehael said as her eyes locked onto the Dragon, who became convinced that his worst fear hade to pass.


    "I will not hand over the Crystal to you!" The Blue Dragon snarled. "It''s far too dangerous for anyone to use, let alone someone like you and that disgusting man you call your Father!" As he roared lightning crackled from his lips. ¡°Leave now, and forget about the Crystal! None should possess its power, not even the Gods!¡±


    "This is a request from a <i>God</i>." Rehael retorted with a re. "You do not have a choice in the matter." She shed a scary smile as she pulled her scythe from her back. "So turn it over without resisting, and I may just be persuaded to allow you and your mate to <i>live</i>."


    "You will not dare threaten her!" The Blue Dragon roared, causing the air to vibrate, cracking the very ground around him. "I know not what you want the Crystal for, but my master tasked me with keeping it from ever being used again. So even if I must defy the Gods I will uphold my duty and protect it!" As he roared a well of energy surged from inside of him, showing his power and age.


    "A pity." Rehael sighed as she hopped off the rock and walked toward the massive Dragon. "I was always led to believe that Dragons were intelligent beings, but the fact that you''ve chosen death proves that you''re nothing more than a mere <i>beast.</i>"


    "Mock me all you want, monster, but this <i>beast </i>is smart enough to know that allowing you ess to the ancients'' technology will not be good for <i>anyone</i>." The Dragon prepared itself for a fight, one that it was not certain that it could win. "The fact that even the Gods didn''t want that power to fall into the hands of mortals shows just how dangerous it really is, and thest time one of you fools dared to tamper with it, it nearly caused this world''s <i>destruction</i>." He was referring to an event a few centuries prior that resulted in a huge swarm of corrupted creatures appearing on the Western continent and doing significant damage to civilization there. It was only thanks to the timely intervention of Halifax and some other key yers that it was stopped, but it proved once and for all that the technology left behind by the advanced empire that spanned the globe was too dangerous for anyone, even the Gods, to use.


    <i>{The Crystal my Master tasked me with protecting is even more powerful than the condite they unleashed those centuries ago and it contains forbidden knowledge that NO ONE should have. I can''t allow her to take it, for who knows what kind of horrors Gale would inflict upon this world.} </i>(Dragon)


    "Don''t you <i>dare </i>goparing me to those disgusting mortals!" Rehael hissed as her entire body became cloaked in thick ck energy. "I''m nothing like those <i>things</i>! The blood that runs through my veins is of a higher origin than those lesser creatures! How dare you put me in the same category as them!" She shed her Scythe at high speed, sending a ck sh toward the Dragon that seemed to warp reality.


    "GAH!" The Dragon screamed in pain as blood gushed from his body, his torso sliced open as a massive gash scatter blood on the ground.


    "You know what, I take it back." Reheal''s eyes went slightly crazy as she shot more shes toward the Dragon, slicing its body up even further. "There will be no mercy for you! Only death! Death for you and that mate of yours!" She cackled as the Dragon screamed in agony, enjoying its pain and allowing her anger to fuel her power.


    Blue Dragons were by no means weak, and this one was old <i>very old, </i>and was the kind of creature that only Heroes of Legends could beat. However, Rehael was no ordinary Demi-God, and due to some <i>tweaks </i>that Gale had made, she was far more powerful than most non-Divine beings to the point that even <i>Halifax</i> would have to take a fight against her seriously in order to stand a chance of winning. The two had shed a few times during their shared existence, but never for real and it was never truly clear who would win.


    ¡°NOW DIE! DIE LIKE THE INSECT YOU ARE!¡± Rehael screamed as she continued to sh away at the Dragon, cackling like a madwoman as he was torn to shreds by her attacks. She was deliberately holding back to keep him alive for questioning, still needing to know the location of the Crystal, but before she was able tond a decisive blow, she sensed an iing attack from above and was forced to leap away as a massive st of white Dragon Fire crashed into the spot she''d been moments prior, melting the rocky floor tova.


    *WOOSH*


    "I see the Princess has finally turned up." Rehaelughed as she looked up at the, very angry, Silver Dragon, that drifted down andnded next to her heavily wounded mate.


    "El-Ordina, why have youe?" The Blue Dragon asked her, weakly. "Flee while you still can. You must protect-"


    "I will not just abandon you, Aleron." The Silver Dragon spoke as she put her forehead against his, healing him with magic. "We''ve been together for far too long, we shall fight her together."


    "W-We have no chance of winning against that thing." Aleron said as he slowly stood up, blood gushing from the partially healed wounds on his body. "It''s not just a child of a God, it''s a <i>monster</i>."


    <i>{A monster born from-} </i>(Rehael)


    "Aww, it''s nice to hear you think of me that way." Rehaelughed as she spun her Scythe around in a flourish. "But ttery won''t get you anywhere at this point, though perhaps if you cooperate I''ll reward you with a quick and painless death."


    "It was not apliment." El-Ordina hissed as silver and white fire spilled from her mouth. "You are truly a disgusting creature. At least the Demon Lord of old had the excuse that he was <i>created</i> to cause destruction, but <i>you? </i>You have no such excuse. Your actions are for nothing more than entertainment and destruction. To think that the child of a God could find the suffering of others enjoyable, even one created like you were. It makes me sick." She shot more Dragon''s fire at Rehael, but the Angel easily sliced it away with her Scythe, spinning it rapidly to deflect and dissipate it.


    "What''s so wrong with enjoying the extermination of <i>insects</i>?" Reheal grinned as the fire stopped. "After all, mortals are just parasites feeding off this world, and they offer little in the way of value. That they get to live at all is a blessing, but few seem to be grateful for my Father''s kindness."


    "You truly are lost if you think that way, child." El-Ordina replied, not surprised by her words but still disturbed to hear them. "To believe that beings not born of Divinity are lessor than you... It reminds me of the arrogance that brought our master''s people to destruction."


    <i>{And of the reason for Vikes'' rampage.} </i>(El-Ordina)


    "Those Eridal fool''s biggest mistake was in thinking that they could rise to the status of Gods." Rehael scoffed at theparison. "It was only right that their own hubris destroyed them in the end. Mortals should never aspire to divinity, its unnatural."


    "And yet you seem to share that same destructive trait." Aleron said as he used some kind of magical ability to heal his wounds a bit more. "For all your ims of being better than mortals, <i>you </i>seem to share their penchant for vanity, pride, and self-importance. Ironic, don''t you think?" Heughed. ¡°Though I suppose that shouldn''t be that unexpected considering you''re not quite Divine yourself.


    "Whatever." Rehael was done with this conversation and had no interest in debating morals with him. "I was going to beat the two of you into telling me where the generator was, but I think I''ll just pull that information out of your corpses instead!" She leaped forward, ready to duel and defeat the two Dragons, her eyes filled with rage.


    "Then allow us to make that as difficult on you as possible!" Aleron and El-Ordina roared as they joined together to battle Rehael in a desperate, yet futile battle.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    "Ah, there it is." Reheal smiled as she stood in front of a massive floating red crystal that was held in ce by equally massive chains. The amount of energy within it was far more than even she expected, and the Angel could tell that it was just the right tool toplete her Father''s ultimate n. "Now to bring it back to Father and we can begin the next phase of the project." She quickly shed away the chains with her Scythe and used a bit of her power to take it out of the cave it was hidden in, floating it behind her as she gathered up the numerous documents within the cave. From the metallic walls and strange machines it was clear that this was an Eridal workshop of some kind, though Rehael didn''t know much about the technology other than that it was powerful. Akagi or any of the others from Earth would''ve instantly recognized it as aboratory with items that vaguely resembledputers and other simr objects that existed on Earth in the present day, but the Angel had no way of knowing such a thing.


    "I suppose that wasn''t too bad, and the acquisition of some useful pawns in my army does make me happy." Rehael smirked as she exited the cave, where the zombified El-Ordina and Aleron sat waiting for her. ¡°So all''s well that ends well I suppose.¡±


    <i>{It won''t be much longer. Once I deliver this to Father he can start the incorporation process, and then it''s only a matter of time until he attains the power he needs to deal with that Demon Lord.} </i>(Reheal)


    "And in the meantime, I can take my time showing that world of hers what it means to defy a God." Reheal said as she boarded the Blue Dragon and prepared to fly back to the Holy City, starting a path that would take her on a collision course with Earth and bring about a great change that even Akagi couldn''t fully predict.

 Chapter 356 – Akagi v Halifax

    Chapter 356 ¨C Akagi v Halifax


    "Fight me!" Halifax boldly dered her desire for a match with the cute <i>Demon </i>who was happily being fluffed by Yumi as they sat at the dinner table.


    "Mew?" Akagi tilted her head cutely as she was scratched. ¡°Youse wishes to fights mees? But am just a widdle kitty?!? If I fights youse, I''ll go squeesh! Halp! She wishes to skawoosh dat kitty!¡± She said as she pretended to cower in Yumi''s arms, eliciting a giggle from the Priestess.


    "Lets ignore that adorable kitty exterior for a moment...¡± Halifax sighed, not wanting to react to Akagi''s silliness. ¡°But listen, while I know that I can''t beat you at full power, that much was <i>painfully</i> obvious by your fight against the twins, I still want to test myself against you!" Halifax said as Yumi squeezed the fluffy cat in a protective manner. "Give me a chance to fight you on an even ying field, at least once! I want to show you that I''m more than capable of putting up a good fight against someone that isn''t specially designed to be unbeatable." She''d been itching to test herself against a strong opponent, and she hadn''t had the opportunity to battle Akagi properly as of yet.


    "Where did thise from all of a sudden?" Amakusa asked as she rubbed some food off a very embarrassed Alm''s face. ¡°I didn''t peg you wanting to do battle with the evil floof that bad.¡±


    "I''ve wanted to for a while, but after watching her fight the twins I''ll admit that something inside me lit up and I <i>need </i>to fight her. Akagi''ll be going back to Earth soon, and since I''m nning on sticking around here, I wanted to take this chance to spar with her." Halifax replied. ¡°Especially since she''ll be busy when she gets back.¡±


    "Can''t you just fight her there?" Amakusa asked why she didn''t just fight Akagi on Earth.


    "Enoris has far more magic in the surrounding environment while Earth is <i>devoid</i> of such power. Fighting here will allow me to use my full power since I can cycle magic in and out of my body rather than relying solely on internal stores." Halifax exined that her magical efficiency was far less on Earth and that she felt sluggish there after fighting for too long.


    "I don''t mind if you want to do a bit of sparring." Akagi said, dropping the kitty speak. "Though we''ll need to limit things if it''s to be <i>interesting</i>." She figured that using too much power would result in a quick end to their battle, which would be boring and defeat the point. "So how about I tone things down and we fight at roughly the same strength level? Magic won''t be allowed, only innate abilities, and it will end after one solid hit. Let''s try and keep things simple and basic so that we can have some fun. Does that sound good?"


    "So a battle of technique and skill?" Halifax thought for a second before her lips curved into a nasty smile. "Well, in that case, I might just have you beat, <i>kitty</i>." Sheughed.


    "In your dreams, Sword." Akagi retorted, her lips curled into a smirk of her own. "I''ve kicked Hishya''s ass at a severe power disadvantage before, and unlike her and the others I''m not coasting on power." She''d spent years practicing the de in her shadow by this point, and while Halifax likely had far more experience than she did due to sheer age, Akagi was <i>very </i>skilled atbat by this point.


    <i>{I''ll be interested to see how that little precognition ability of yours functions as well. I''ve got three different theories and countermeasures for each, so lets see which is right.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Oh? Well then how about we put that boasting to the test?" Halifax and Akagi''s eyes locked as sparks flew between them. Internally Akagi was heating up as well. She''d wanted a proper duel between them ever since Halifax had first showed arrived. They had shed des in quick practice matches before, but something like this was new and exciting for the <i>Demon</i>.


    "Just don''t cry if I <i>break</i> you." Akagi winked.


    "Don''t you worry your fluffy little head, and I think that I''ll be demanding extra kitty pets when I knock you off that high horse of yours." Halifax grinned as the twoughed manically while Yumi grumbled internally.


    <i>{YOU SHALL HAVE NONE! SHE IS MINE! MINE I TELL YOU! MINE!} </i>(Yumi)


    After gathering up the Ninja, and other n members who weren''t busy, Yumi cleared a small area of tnd to make a dirt arena using her magic. Everyone crowded around, interested in seeing the duel, and both Akagi and Halifax were visibly excited to face each other.


    "So, no magic and only our own natural abilities." Halifax said as she and Akagi took up positions on either side of the small arena. "While I''m not one toin, I''d say that puts you at a <i>severe</i> disadvantage." She said as her eyes briefly glowed. "My precognition isn''t magic, it''s simply part of me, and if we''re going at it at the same power level, then I just don''t see how you can win." She knew that Akagi was a calction machine, but figured that all the nning in the world mattered little when she could literally <i>see </i>the future.


    <i>{Predict all you want, but I''ll just see iting and react!} </i>(Halifax)


    "Think that if you wish, but don''t go assuming that I''m so weak that I''d lose to a cheap little trick like that." Akagi smiled as she pulled out the ck Sunrise. "Precognition is powerful, sure, and against <i>most</i> opponents, you''d have a clear advantage." She let out a smallugh. <i><b>"But recall that I''m not most opponents." </b></i>Herugh sent a brief chill down Halifax''s spine, though it also made her feel strangely excited.


    "Well, it worked against Vikes pretty well, so I think it will work on you." Halifax said as she spun her de in her hand before taking a ready position. ¡°Though I suppose we''ll just have to see what happens.¡±


    "Alright then let''s start things off when this rock hits the ground." Akagi said as she picked one up off the ground. "You good to go?"


    "As always." Halifax smiled before her expression turned fierce.


    "Then, let the best kitty win!" Akagiughed as she threw the small pebble into the air, taking a moment to fall before it dropped to the ground with a light thud. However, rather than rocket towards one another, the two didn''t move an inch. They''d agreed to a much lower level of power for this fight, and since they wanted to make things interesting it wasn''t going to be as over the top as what they''d usually do.


    "Not going toe at me?" Halifax asked as she kept her de pointed at Akagi, who didn''t respond. The <i>Demon''s </i>eyes showed deep concentration and focus on the battle, and Halifax was momentarily grateful that she wasn''t going to use too much of her power in this fight. "I see, then if you won''te to me, then I''ll just have toe to you!" She said as she ran over, bringing her de swiftly down towards Akagi in a rhythmic pattern from left to right.


    *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG*


    For her part, Akagi did not speak nor move from her spot. The <i>Demon </i>simply watched and waited as each strike came in, blocking it at a distance with the tip of her de, seemingly determined to keep Halifax away from her while also attempting to get read on her movements and techniques.


    <i>{I guess she does actually have some skill with the de after all. An amateur wouldn''t be able to perform such perfectly angled blocks or deflections, especially while remaining perfectly still andposed. It''s frightening to think a mere girl could be such a de master so quickly, though I suppose that also makes things more fun!} </i>(Halifax)


    *CLANG* *BANG*


    As the Halifax''s one sided onught continued, Akagi deflected one of the Swords''s blows at a high angle, leaving the Divine de momentarily open, but rather than go for a finishing blow she allowed Halifax to leap away to safety.


    "Oh? You didn''t follow through? Are you not interesting in finishing me off?" Halifaxmented as shended. "That was probably the best chance you''ll get." She hadn''t activated her precognition yet, which meant she was vulnerable in such a situation.


    "You say that but I''m well aware that if I''d taken that painfully obvious bait, I would''ve <i>lost</i>. I''m not a fool, Halifax. I can tell when someone is trying to y me and cheap tricks like that won''t work." Akagi answered, her voice monotone yet stern. "You''ll have to try far harder than that to coax me into making a mistake. I''ve had far too much experience with such things to be deceived by something so basic and obvious."


    <i>{And you''d be far from the first opponent I''ve faced who used fake openings to draw in a kill shot.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Unfortunate." Halifaxughed. ¡°But I suppose if you were that easy to defeat, we wouldn''t be where we are today.¡±


    "Enough goofing around. Are you not going to use that precognition ability you''ve boasted about?" Akagi asked as she shifted her position and held the ck Sunrise to her right side, pointing it down and out at an angle. "You should know that fighting me straight up like this won''t work. I can predict every single attack that you''ll ever think of, and you''ll never beat me if things continue this way."


    "Can you me a girl for wanting to have a bit of fun first?" Halifax giggled. "I at least wanted a bit of a warm-up before we got to the <i>good</i> stuff, so give me just a bit more ytime!" She zipped forward and the two engaged in a slow and methodical sh of des that saw them push each other around the arena.


    *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG*


    For a change Akagi was cool, calm, and collected during the lengthy engagement, while Halifax was energetic and talkative. Something had gotten her in a bubbly mood and she found herself unable to resist a bit of mid-battle chatter.


    "I don''t know about you, but it feels like I''m starting to get into things!" Halifax said as she unleashed a quick series of lightning-fast blows that Akagi deflected away from her body at thest second and causing sparks to scatter from each hit. "Even if you can predict what I''m going to do, I think I''ll eventually wear you down!" She mmed her de down, shing with Akagi and pinning the <i>Demon </i>in ce with the weight of her strike.


    "I think the only thing of mine that will ''worn down'' is my <i>patience </i>by all your excessive mid-battle chatter!" Akagi said as she adjusted her body, causing Halifax to get nervous and activate her precognition out of habit.


    <i>{NOT GOOD!} </i>Halifax internally panicked as she saw a ghostly future image of Akagi quickly spin around, her de catching Halifax''s own and causing it to fly into the distance due to her weak grip. before then proceeding to <i>separate</i> the Divine de''s head from her body in one swift stroke and send it flying.


    "Hell no!" Halifax backed off just in time to preempt Akagi''s attack, though the <i>Demon </i>seemed more amused than anything else by her reaction. "What the <i>fuck</i>?!? Why were you going to take my head?!? This is supposed to be a friendly match!"


    <i>{I know that won''t kill me, but still!} </i>(Halifax)


    "<i><b>Interesting</b></i>, so <i>that''s</i> how it works." Akagi smirked, d that she''d understood the nature of Halifax''s precognition just from her internal predictions. "Though I suppose that makes sense when you think about it."


    <i>{Showing the malleable future as it will happen, not bad, but I''ve got you now.} </i>(Akagi)<i> </i>


    "Well, if nothing else then I guess that at least proves it works on you." Halifax said nervously as sweat formed on her forehead. Part of her was expecting Akagi to be <i>immune</i> to her precognition ability, basedrgely on the fact that she was immune to Zephiria''s Time Stop spell.


    "I see no reason why it wouldn''t work on me. Demon Lords do not exist outside of Spacetime, after all." Akagi answered, changing her stance and bringing her shoulders up while keeping her de pointed downward at an angle. "But... It matters not if your ability works on me.¡± She smirked. ¡°After all, I''ve already found a way to deal with it."


    "Deal with it?" Halifax furrowed her brows as her body tensed slightly. "I can <i>literally </i>see the future. You can''t just <i>deal </i>with that."


    <i>{RIGHT?!?} </i>(Halifax)


    "If you don''t believe me then how about youe back over here and I''ll show you." Akagi chuckled.


    <i>{Has... Has she really figured out some kind of weakness? No... I mean, sure I can''t use it indefinitely, but it''s not like a battle of this intensity will see me drained by it, and what I see is the actual future not just some possibility. She can''t counter something like that since I''ll see any n she makes and deal with her counter with one of my own. Since we''re fighting at roughly even power levels that means she can''t just out speed or overpower me, so there should be no circumstances where I can''t handle the future I see. But... Why do I have this feeling that she... No... She''s got to be bluffing. Even as bullshit powerful as she is, nobody can defeat me in this scenario. She said it herself, Demon Lords exist within Time and Space and are bound by it, so this has to be her either bluffing or trying to be clever.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Fine, if you say that you''ve got a way to beat my precognition, then I''ll just have to crush whatever n you have." Halifax said as she moved forward again, her de once again crossing with Akagi''s with a loud ng. Despite her ability to see the future, Halifax couldn''t just instantly defeat the <i>Demon</i> as the two were fighting with roughly equal power, and because Akagi could always predict where Halifax''s attacks woulde, she easily deflected and stopped any of the Divine des'' attacks, <i>despite</i> her ability to see the future.


    *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG*


    "Was this the weakness you mentioned?" Halifax asked with a bit of smarm in her voice. "Because I''m fully aware that fighting someone who can keep up with me is hard, even with the ability to see the future!" She said as the two mmed their des into each other, exuding a small shock wave. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news but you wouldn''t be the first person I''ve had to take down who was able to go blow for blow with me. My siblings are all pains in the assess to fight and <i>Demons </i>aren''t much better!"


    "Fair point, but no its not." Akagi smirked, content in the knowledge that Halifax had no idea what was about to happen. "Your ability is quite powerful, I''ll give you that, but it has a<i> fatal</i> weakness." Akagi said as Halifax''s precognition showed a vision of Akagi slowly crouching down and using her de to cut Halifax''s arms off to deliver victory. Naturally, Halifax saw thising and adjusted her de to block the iing strike, sure that it would result in a deflection and potential counterattack. However, this was <i>exactly</i> what Akagi wanted to happen. Seeing that Halifax had moved as she predicted Akagi executed her n and before Halifax could even react the Divine de found the ck Sunrise ever so slightly embedded in her throat, drawing a bit of blood that trickled down her neck.


    ¡°Checkmate.¡± Akagi said with a tooth grin.


    "Wha... What just..." Halifax waspletely stunned by her unexpected loss and had no idea what just happened. She''d watched as the future changed in front of her seeing Akagi''s movements go from a crouching stance to shifting her de <i>around </i>her own and ending the match. However, unlike when she''d countered Akagi''s strikes previously, she was consciously aware that nothing could stop what wasing, said knowledge causing her to freeze up. "How did you..."


    <i>{It... No that shouldn''t be possible! How could you do that?!?} </i>(Halifax)


    "Simple." Akagi smirked as she locked eyes with the Divine de. "Your weakness? It''s that you''re <i>predictable</i>, and if something is predictable, then I can employ <i><b>countermeasures</b></i>." Sheughed demonically as Halifax stood dumbfounded.

 Chapter 357 – Sore Loser.

    Chapter 357 ¨C Sore Loser.


    "Again!" Halifax demanded yet another rematch after Akagi''s de reached her neck for the dozenth time. She''d been utterly shocked by Akagi''s ability to win despite her precognition, and hadn''t taken it well, demanding further bouts to prove that it was a fluke.


    *CLANG* *CLANK* *BANG*


    "Dammit!" Halifax hissed as she was knocked to the ground, the ck Sunrise pressed firmly against her temple as Akagi''s lips had long since formed into a nasty smirk.


    <i>{HOW?!? THIS MAKES NO SENSE!} </i>(Halifax)


    "Now, don''t get me wrong, I''m down to kick your ass as much as you want, but don''t you think it''s time to call it quits?" Akagiughed as she bopped Halifax on the head with her de before withdrawing it.


    "Tell me how?!?" Halifax yelled as she slowly got up and dusted herself off. "How the hell are you able to do this?!?"


    <i>{It makes no sense that you''re dominating me! If we''re fighting at equal power, it should be IMPOSSIBLE for me to lose if I can literally see the future, but you keeps beating me!} </i>(Halifax)


    "Come on, you should know the answer to that already." Akagi said as she slid her de back into her shadow. ¡°Just think about it for a moment.¡±


    "There is no way in <i>hell </i>that I''m going to believe that you can <i>predict </i>the future and somehow use that to counter my ability to ACTUALLY SEE IT!" Halifax hissed, still not wanting to let it go. "Come on, Akagi! I know you''ve got crazy bullshit power, but that''s far beyond what''s logical or reasonable! You can''t just predict your way around my continuous view of the future!" Halifax didn''t want to believe it was possible for a precog to somehow <i>lose </i>a battle like this, and her pride was far more injured than Akagi''d expected.


    <i>{I suppose even Divine des can be sore losers.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Seeing the future is admittedly a powerful tool, and one that most others could never even hope topete with." Akagi shook her head. "However, since you rely on it so heavily all I need to do is sift through my calctions to figure out what you''re going to do in response to what you''re seeing the ''future me'' do. With that in mind, I can easily coax you into taking an action that puts me in an advantageous situation since I know <i>exactly </i>what you''re going to do." She smirked, noting that it was the same problem with taking only the most optimal moves in chess. "Put simply, if I can predict it, I can ount for it, and if I can ount for it..."


    "You can counter it." riel said as she walked over, finishing the <i>Demon''s </i>sentence.


    "riel, you can see into the future even better than I can, so you have to understand how hard it is to believe that <i>anyone </i>can pull something like this off!" Halifax said, hoping the Goddess would debunk Akagi''s im. "Predicting an opponent''s move is simply a form ofbat, and I buy her having the brainpower to basically out-predict everyone. But to say she can predict the future so urately that she can use <i>my </i>precognition to set me up for failure-"


    "You lost, Halifax." riel cut her off, not wanting to listen to her uncharacteristic whining. "It''s not like you to get like this, so calm down and think things through. If Akagi couldn''t do what she was iming then, then how else could she have beaten you?" She locked eyes with the Divine de. "I know well the power of future sight, not to mention that what you and I possess is the ability to see the <i>true </i>future, and unlike those who can only see the <i>possible future, </i>what we have should be unrivaled.¡± She continued. ¡°Being able to know <i>exactly </i>what will happen next should mean that you <i>can''t </i>lose in a straight-up fight with an evenly powerful opponent, yet you did. So unless you mean to tell me you believe that Akagi won with some kind of cheap trick, then I think it''s clear that she''s telling the truth."


    <i>{I watched the fight, and I can confirm that she did no such thing. However oundish such a thing is Akagi isn''t lying.} </i>(riel)


    "That kind of power... Even for a Demon Lord, it''s <i>insanity</i>! Vikes couldn''t do something even close to that!" Halifax retorted. "I understand that Akagi has more power than him, but such prediction ability is just ridiculous! I''d even go so far as saying it defies all logic and reason! A being, Demon Lord or otherwise, shouldn''t be able to do something as radical as predict and exploit my reactions to future events in such a manner as to <i>prevent </i>me from countering her!" She''d figured that any move Akagi made to defeat her would be telegraphed by her precognition and that she could easily react and defeat her. However, every time Akagi had beaten her in a sparring match, she was given essentially no time to react as Akagi''s de was perfectly positioned to slip past her own. Halifax was fully aware that precognition did not make her unbeatable, and that a sufficiently powerful enough opponent could simplyunch attacks she could deal with. But what Akagi was doing was essentially creating situations where the only future Halifax could see was her defeat inevitable and unchanging defeat, something that baffled her.


    <i>{I''ve seen myself lose in the future more times than I can count, but how can someone figure out what I''m going to do in reaction to something they haven''t even done yet?!? There''s an uncountable amount of variables there!} </i>(Halifax)


    "I hate to break it to you but it''s not because I''m a Demon Lord that I can do this." Akagi sighed, rifying that it wasn''t inherently a Demon Lord power. "I was was born with ability to calcte the future based on avable data at high speed and with incredible uracy, and have been since I was born. Back when I was ''Human'' I could only do it on a very simple level,rgely due to biological limitations. However, now that I''m a formless being there is no dy between thought and action, and with my shadow body I can freely ovepyers of my consciousness creating hundreds, thousands or even millions of different minds running their own high speed data processing. I know that this exnation won''t mean anything to you, but the best way I''ve found to describe it is imagining as if I''m operating multiple operating systems on the same hardware. Now, it''s true that my power as a Demon Lord <i>does </i>allow me to do even faster calctions, but its not specifically<i> because</i> I am a Demon Lord I can do this." She didn''t expect anyone else to understand her ability or how it truly worked. Even Kana with her extremely high intellect and inherited power from the <i>Demon </i>couldn''t replicate even a fraction of what Akagi did and likely never would even after her full power was unlocked. "And if you want to be really technical, it''s not even something exclusive to me. It''s theoretically possible for others to do it too, they justck some <i>key </i>parts of the puzzle. Heck, I''ve tried teaching it to Kana and Hishya, though neither could really do anything with it."


    <i>{Many headaches and nosebleeds were had during the harsh training.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I''ve heard of warriors and mages being able to predict their opponent''s moves, but what you can do is far beyond that." riel said with a bit of exasperation in her voice. "Even we Gods can''t do what you''ve described, and we certainly cannot split our conscious mind like what you say you do." Some had tried to do something like that before, but as riel exined prior it never worked properly or safely.


    "Well, I don''t know what to say other than I can, and I do." Akagi gave an over dramatic shrug as she looked at some dark, gathering clouds in the distance. "But enough about me and my multi-core mind, that up there looks like quite a lot of magic."She said as she pointed into the sky.


    "That''s..." Halifax''s eyes moved to the clouds, her eyes going wide indicating that she instantly knew what wasing. "Ah! Akagi, quickly! Put up some kind of barrier! That''s not just a storm it''s a kind of Magical Disaster!"


    <i>{And from the looks of it, its going to be a bad one!} </i>(Halifax)


    ¡°I suppose its about time I got to see one up close.¡± Akagi said as she motioned for the nearby Zephiria to erect a barrier around the base, which didn''t take long for the caster to create. Her barrier was arge translucent bubble that stretched over the entire base, and it was put up just as the sky slowly dimmed as the clouds grew closer while lightning rumbled in the distance.


    "All done! And with plenty of time to spare!" Zephiria smiled as she finished reinforcing it. "That should be able to handle whatever ising, but I can make it stronger if you want."


    "I think it will be fine. But keep in alert, this will be our first time seeing one of these Magical Disasters that I''ve heard so much about." Akagi said as the ck clouds exploded outward, covering the sky and causing it to go pitch ck within a few seconds. "Turn on the lights!" She yelled for the ninja to activate the various bright lights around the base, lighting it up like a beacon in the darkness.


    "While this one is a more powerful example, storms like this are not <i>umon</i>, especially down here in Simoea." riel exined that Simeoa''s corruption made it a ma for such disasters,rgely due to the higher ambient magic in the area. ¡°It should blow past quickly, though it will be quite the show.¡± She said as the wind picked up to levels even higher than within a Typhoon.


    *BANG* *CRACKLE* *WOOSH*


    As Akagi and the others stood under the barrier, the storm intensified as blue and purple lightning crackled overhead. Akagi could tell that the storm in question was highly unnatural, and she noted several instances where the explosion of lightning revealed tears in the fabric of reality itself, each manifesting as brief shes of light and energy that quickly closed.


    "M-Man... I wouldn''t want to be out there..." Zephiria gave a wry smile as the storm raged overhead. It was far more powerful than she''d expected, and there was some doubt in her mind as to whether even <i>she </i>would be okay in such an environment.


    <i>{Being hit by all that...} </i>(Zephiria)


    "Take it from me, being out in <i>that </i>it''s definitely not fun." Halifax recalled a time where she was caught in a simr storm and had to fight multiple opponents while also avoiding the lightning and anything else kicked up by the wind. It was an intense event that nearly got her killed, and she only managed to survive thanks to sheer luck. "And the worst part is that these storms are only growing more and more frequent as the days go on. Not to mention that their destructive power has only gone <i>up </i>over time. If something like this hits a major poption center that doesn''t have proper protection, it''s going to be destroyed without a trace."


    <i>{I can imagine. The wind force aside such unnatural lightning would likely vaporize most things that it hit, and that''s not even ounting for other issues like illness from the high amount of magical power in the air. I suspect that people of this world die from that in a simr way to radiation causing cancer on Earth.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Zephiria, create something to make a barrier around the camp at all times. I want it to be able to shrug this kind of storm off indefinitely and without need to keep someone on watch." Akagi nced at the mage. "We can''t rely on you or me to be here when this happens, and Silfana probably can''t make a barrier like this."


    "I''ll get on it, and it shouldn''t be that hard to make an automated barrier. I''ll just enchant something with a spell and give it specific parameters for activation. Plus with the ambient magic in the air, it should never run out of power or need a recharge." Zephiria said as her mind got to work imagining exactly how it would work.


    <i>{We could use that form andbine it with that one, yes...} </i>(Zephiria)


    "Good, then with that out of the way I think we''ll be heading off here in a bit." Akagi called over to Yumi. "You ready to go home and rx?" She asked the Priestess.


    <i>{After I handle that unrted matter of course.} </i>(Akagi)


    "I don''t know, are you ready to go home and have Miji spoil you?" Yumi sighed as she dreaded losing her kitty to the young girl.


    <i>{My kitty will be stolen again...} </i>(Yumi)


    "Is that the only reason you''re going back to Earth?" Halifax asked, using Akagi of wanting to go back for snuggles and nothing more.


    "I admit nothing." Akagiughed as she sidestepped the question. "Though if you''re jealous and want some kitty action you''re more than wee toe with us! Act now and you can snuggle with the kitty as much as you want! Though you may have to wait in line since Miji is probably going to explode with joy the moment she sees me."


    <i>{I might actually have to start selling tickets at this point.} </i>(Akagi)


    <i>{More like she will tackle you, squeeze you, and drag you off for naps. Which... Sounds nice...} </i>(Yumi)


    "Nah, I''ll stay here for now." Halifax shook her head as she chuckled. "You won''t be gone for long based on what you''ve told me, and there are a few <i>things </i>that I need to deal with." Her quick nce at riel told the <i>Demon </i>all she needed to know.


    <i>{Aw, you''re going to do the drama while I''m away?!? I love drama!} </i>(Akagi)


    "Sounds good, just do me a favor and keep an eye on the ce then." Akagi said as she turned to walk away. "<i>Pet! </i>It''s time to go! And bring the girl too!" She called out to Amakusa, who was hoping to slink away in the crowd.


    "W-We don''t need to go back with you! Alm and I are happy right here, right?" Amakusa looked down at the girl that she was holding snugly against her.


    <i>{RIGHT?!?} </i>(Amakusa)


    "Help me... Sister''s hugs... are too much..." Alm pouted as she was squished, which caused everyone, sans Amakusa, to burst outughing.


    ________________________________________________________________________________________________


    <??? POV>


    "We''ve lost the Hold. Pull back and regroup at Zundar, we''ll hold the monsters there." A Dwarven militarymander said to a group of officers as he looked down upon a burning city. The Dwarven Kingdom had been under siege for weeks by a mysterious group of monsters that had suddenly appeared from the depths of the Under. They numbered in the hundreds and the most powerful among them were able to easily rip apart even the toughest Dwarven steel. The destruction of Elgol would mark the second Dwarven Hold to fall, and the creatures'' murderous rampage showed no signs of stopping. Countless Dwarven lives had already been lost, and it was beginning to look like these monsters would continue on their hellish march to the Dwarven Capital if nothing were done. "I only hope we''re not toote..." He said, his red beard swaying in the wind created by the zes below.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 357.5 – The Hunter was Actually the Hunted.

    Chapter 357.5 ¨C The Hunter was Actually the Hunted.


    "Hmmm, such destruction..." Said a towering man with tanned skin stood atop one of therge walls around the Holy City and took in the sight of the massive crater Akagi''s attack had left in the nearby mountain range. His thick and wild ck hair blew gently in the breeze as it flicked in front of his golden eyes. It was heavy, unkempt and wild, much like the look in his eyes. "At the end of the day I suppose that she''s a beast just like Vikes." He scowled as his eyes scanned over the destruction caused by her battle with the twins. "Just one more in a line of such creatures that''s gued our world over the millennia." His deep voice seemed to vibrate and shake the wall beneath him. "But just like so many others that came before you, I shall hunt you to extinction, Demon Lord." He said, his voice like a deep low growl.


    "Lord Keldore!" A female Angel yelled as she flew over to him. She was incredibly beautiful and her long flowing white dressplimented her brte hair and blue eyes.


    "I thought I told you not toe down here, Enra." Keldore spoke to her without looking at the Angel. "This ce isn''t safe for one as soft and weak as you." He snorted. ¡°Return home at once.¡±


    "The fact that its so dangerous down here is the whole reason I followed you!" Enra pouted as she floated next to him, hair flowing in the wind just like her creator''s. "You know that this Demon Lord can kill Gods and is searching for you! So why did youe down here without any escort?!?" She thought it was crazy for the God of the Hunt to use his Avatar on Enoris when there was so much risk. Akagi had already killed Tehena and was likely able to kill others if she caught them. "You should return to the Heavens immediately! It''s not safe down here! Lord Gale even said so himself!" He''d cautioned but not outright banneding down to the material world,rgely because doing so would be an admission of defeat in his and the poption''s eyes.


    "I will not <i>cower</i> from this monster." Keldore retorted with a gutteral growl that seemed to shake the very wall he stood atop. "I fought Primordials in the Ancient War, hunted <i>Demons </i>in the Hells<i>, </i>and even battled that monster Vikes. I will not shy away from a challenge. Nor will I decline a hunt!"


    "A hunt?!? What?!? How are you going to <i>hunt </i>a Demon Lord?!?" Enra squeaked, her voice showingplete bewilderment at his words. "Lord Keldore, surely you understand that no matter how primal they may be they''re <i>not</i> beasts! You can''t hunt something like that!"


    <i>{You muscle-bound hunt-addicted idiot! If it were that easy, we wouldn''t be in this situation! Besides this one is far more intelligent than Vikes and even HE wasn''t easy to take down!} </i>(Enra)


    "<i>Everything </i>can be hunted, Enra." Keldore said as he turned and leaped down the wall and fell to the street below, followed swiftly by Enra. "And just like with any good hunt it starts by understanding your prey, their habits, quirks, motives, and much more." He said as the two walked down the narrow street. Most people kept away from them,gely because they knew staying too close to a God/Angel was never a good idea. "Take this Demon Lord for example. At the end of the day, shees across as a predator of opportunity and a coward. Her strikes have always been at rtively undefended or easily isted targets." He continued as they two walked down the street, turning a corner onto a more popted road. "Tahena''s death was the result of a surprise attack. Riftwood was simrly so and every other assassination of political and religious figures was the work of a creature that strikes from the dark before recoiling into the shadows. At no point did she ever directly engage a foe in openbat if she could catch them off guard." His words were harsh but showed a begrudging respect for the Demon Lord.


    "That may be true, but it''s not like she''s afraid of a straight-up fight either." Erna pointed out that she''d just dueled and beaten two Primordials in a head-on match. ¡°This Demon Lord is far too powerful to assume she''s nothing more than the craven creatures you''ve dealt with before!¡±


    "That is true, but I''ll counter that her targets <i>here</i> were brash children who have no real skill orbat experience." Keldore replied. "Those two are little more than beasts themselves anyway. Beasts driven by passion and emotion. It doesn''t take much to defeat such creatures. Not to mention that riel handled them on her own when she sealed them, so I wouldn''t hype up their defeat as anything more than it really was." He said as he moved out of the way of a foreign-looking girl with ck hair and eyes to match. She was wearing a strange outfit that had a red tie, and Keldore could''ve sworn he''d heard about such clothing from a Hero at one point but quickly pushed the thought out of his mind as unimportant. "I don''t fully understand what brought her into conflict with the Twins, but I would bet that it was out of a desire to eliminate what she saw as a threat."


    <i>{Either that or she saw them as a way to get into the Heavens, but those two wouldn''t have the ability to do that.} </i>(Keldore)


    "A threat?" Enra asked, eyebrow raised. "Why would she see them as a threat when she so easily beat them?"


    "Most likely she feared what would happen if they joined forces with us." Keldore said as the two continued down the street before entering arge open area with a fountain. "Those two would''ve been adequate fodder to send at her during the inevitable final sh. So I suspect she moved to eliminate any potential allies that we could muster. Predators like her are not fond of fightingrge ''packs.'' I see her action as one taken out of concern and fear rather than that of confidence and strength. At the end of the day, creatures like her are <i>cowards. </i>They abhor fair fights and will flee the moment a battle starts turning against them¡± Heughed.


    "Yeah... I guess I can see that." Enra internally shrugged, figuring that the literal <i>God </i>of the Hunt probably knew these things best. "I''m still worried about your safety though! What if she attacks you right now?!? We really should get out of here before something bad happens!"


    "You need not worry about that. I would know about her approach long before she even thought of making it!" Keldore brushed off her concerns. "Creatures like that ooze blood lust and fail to even partially mask their intentions. I''d know if she was within this city, let alone right next to me. So there is no reason to fear her catching us off guard. I''ve had my hackles up from the moment I activated my Avatar."


    <i>{Isn''t it still bad if she''s WITHIN the city and you''re still here?!?} </i>(Enra)


    "Besides, unlike Tahena I''m more than capable of handling myself inbat." Keldore said as he cracked his knuckles. "If that Demon Lord showed herself to me, I''d skin her hide and mount it in my trophy room!" Heughed as Erna sighed, wondering where his confidence came from. "Though I don''t think Demon Lords have hide, so I''d probably mount her head above my firece!"


    "Yes, yes." Erna shook her head in exasperation, not wanting to debate things with him any further. "But still, perhaps it would be best to head back home and get some-" Her sudden pause caused Keldore to stopughing and instead watch in <i>horror</i> as Enra''s body was split in two from head to toe by the swift stroke of a de.


    *SLICE*


    "Enra?!?" Keldore called out to her, but just as he was about to reach out to touch her the Angel''s body exploded into light shards revealing the foreign-looking girl standing across from him, dark ck de in hand and a nasty smirk on her lips.


    "You?!?" Keldore yelled as he summoned arge hunting knife and took a stance. "How dare you!" He was more angry that she''d dared to attack an Angel rather than killing one since technically she wasn''t <i>dead </i>as they derived their power from the Gods and had no soul. Angels whose bodies were destroyed would simply reappear within their Gods'' realm after recovering strength, though that didn''t make it any more pleasant for the ''dead'' Angel. "How dare you attack one of my servants?!? I''ll skin you alive for such a transgression!"


    <i>{How did I not detect her strike?!? I sensed nothing! That shouldn''t be possible!} </i>(Keldore)


    "I''m sorry but you both just made things so <i>easy</i>. It was as if you were practically <i>begging </i>me to kill you." Akagi chuckled as she slung the ck Sunrise over her shoulder while nearby onlookers screamed in horror before fleeing, fearful of being caught up in the ensuing chaos. "Now, what was that about me again? I''m a <i>predator of opportunity, </i>am I<i>?</i>" She continued, her words slowly transitioning from jovial to sharp. "You see, while I don''t disagree with thatbel, your belief that I''m somehow a <i>coward</i>, well..." Her eyes shed a look that could kill as her de zipped forward slicing Keldore''s de in half while also leaving a gash across his chest. "I take a bit of <i>exception </i>to that notion." She snarled.


    "Ack!" Keldore yelled in pain as blood dripped from his wounds.


    <i>{Pain?!? But how?!? This body shouldn''t feel such things!} </i>(Keldore)


    "I don''t know how you managed to avoid my detection..." Keldore said as he leaped up to back away. "But know that there is no greater hunter in this world than I, Demon Lord." He said as hended on the roof of a nearby building. "You may have gotten the drop on me once, but you wouldn''t be the first prey to have given me injuries."


    "I may not be the first but I assure you that I''ll be the <ist</i>." Akagi said as she sliced him horizontally in two, appearing on the rooftop just behind where he''dnded.


    "H-How?!?" Keldore''s body slowly fell, turning just enough to allow him to see the partially enshadowed girl that had just done him in.


    <i><b>"Because, God of the Hunt..."</b></i> Akagi smirked as she walked over, grabbed his hair and picked him up. <i><b>"I, not you, am the greatest hunter in this world." </b></i>She said as she drove the ck Sunrise through what remained of his torso, using her power to kill his real body before tossing the corpse of his Avatar to the street below, the sight of which caused screams and panic. <i><b>"Though rather than hunter I tend to use the term Assassin to describe myself." </b></i>She said as she flicked her de to allow what little blood was on it to dissipate. <i><b>"I think it has a much more refined connotation." </b></i>She smirked.


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <riel POV>


    "A... Another..." riel''s entire body seemed to shake as she felt the death of her brother. ¡°He''s...¡±


    "Oh? Did Akagi bump off another God?" Halifax asked as the two sat while having tea/coffee and snacks in the canteen. "Why one was it? <i>Please </i>tell me it was Korex."


    <i>{When he dies I''m throwing a party!} </i>(Halifax)


    "It... It was Keldore..." riel responded quietly. "He''s <i>gone</i>."


    <i>{Even from this far... I felt it all... The screams... The cold... He''s gone...} </i>(riel)


    "Oh, that muscle headed wacko? Meh, I suppose that works too." Halifax shrugged as she took a sip of her coffee. "Not the one I''d''ve picked off, but I''ll take it."


    <i>{Soon, Korex. Soon!} </i>(Halifax)


    "How can you be so callous?" riel red at her, her words a bit more harsh than she''d intended. "You may have your issues with us, but to so easily disregard the deaths of those who..." She paused, not wanting to finish her sentence.


    "Go ahead, fucking say that they ''cared for me.''" Halifax gave a derisiveugh as she leaned on the table. "I fucking <i>dare </i>you to say it."


    "They all did... <i>We </i>all did, Halifax..." riel said as her knuckles went white as she clenched her fists in frustration. "Mistakes were made, and we did things we shouldn''t have... But that doesn''t take away the fact that the other Gods... They cared for you, Halifax. I know you have plenty of good memories with them. So how can you just toss that aside so easily? I understand hating me... But the rest..."


    "riel, I gave up on you all a long time ago." Halifax said as she sipped her drink. "Any <i>good </i>part of my rtionship with the Gods <i>died </i>when you forced me to take part in that massacre. I only maintained civility from that point forward because I had no choice since you could just order me tomit further heinous acts." riel wanted to retort that she''d never have done something like that, but couldn''t bring herself to say it.


    "Halifax, even if you hate us don''t you at least feel <i>something </i>about all the <i>Angels</i> that are going to be destroyed?" riel asked, noting that they''d done nothing wrong. "Enra was just wiped out along with all the others created by Keldore, and I know that you got along with her and so many others! At least think about them!"


    "Understand that its not that I feel nothing. You are correct that I got along with many, and I''ll be sad to see some go. However, they did <i>nothing</i> to oppose you, so as far as I''m concerned they share in your sins." Halifax dismissed the Angels'' fate, casually. "I strongly dislike the sins of the father facy, but I think it''s warranted here. You created them and they went along with your disgusting acts. Even if it was out of a sense of self preservation that does not excuse their inaction or cooperation. Its the same reason why I find the mortals of Enoris to be equally as guilty, at least the one''s who didn''t at least <i>try</i> and stand in your way."Those who did do something were perfectly fine in her eyes, though such individuals were few and far between.


    <i>{This was what I feared for all these years. Halifax... She''s pulled away from uspletely... It''s why I warned her never to use that form, but it would appear that all my hard work to keep her stable has been undone by that dammed Demon Lord! I won''t let her take my daughter away! I won''t let her!} </i>(riel)


    Spoiler


    Keldore!


    [copse]

 Chapter 358 – Burning Light.

    Chapter 358 ¨C Burning Light.


    "This is one a serious collection of firepower." A cat woman with green hair and red eyes said as she poked at the campfire with a small stick. "I mean, we saw some pretty big armies during the whole Spirit War, but to gather this many to fight the <i>Cult</i>? The Demons really aren''t ying around this time. Did Esquire say anything to you about this? It really seems overkill for an operation to expunge one of those fake Demon Lords." She turned to Miz''ri who was happily chowing down on some cooked fish.


    "Mpfpfhf." Miz''ri tried to talk with her mouth full and was scolded for bad manners. "Sorry, Katlyn." She apologized meekly to the cat woman. "But to answer your question I did speak with Lady Esquire about things when I was in the Cathedral, and she told me to be careful. Though I was not told anything about the so-called Demon Lord or what future awaits us."


    <i>{She seemed worried, almost as if she foresaw a terrible future, one that she couldn''t prevent.} </i>(Miz''ri)


    "I suppose she doesn''t want her precious little disciple to get hurt." Katlyn chuckled as she leaned over and pinched the Dark Priestess'' cheeks. ¡°Can''t have this cutie getting a single scratch on her.¡±


    "Why do you always have to do that..." Miz''ri pouted as her cheeks continued to get pinched.


    "Because you''re just so gosh darn cute!" Katlynughed as she pulled the girl into a hug. "Hey, when are you gonna start calling me Big Sis? We''ve known each other for so long, and yet you always just call me Katlyn! Would it kill you to at least call me Kat like everyone else?" She pretended to feel hurt as she squeezed her.


    "Um..." Miz''ri didn''t know how to respond and was saved from having to answer by the intervention of an elegantly dressed man with long flowing blue hair tied in a high ponytail.


    "Come on, stop trying to pressure Miz into doing something that she doesn''t want to do." Nier sighed as he pulled Katlyn off her. ¡°Keep those wild fantasies in your own mind, Kat.¡±


    "Oi! Don''t take my huggie away!" Katlyn protested as she was separated. "And can you me me for wanting a cutie like her to be all over me?!? Tell me that it wouldn''t tickle your fancy if the positions were reversed?!?"


    <i>{You know she''s a catch!} </i>(Katlyn)


    "I don''t know what''s worse here. The fact that you''re putting Miz in an ufortable situation, or the fact that my <i>Wife</i> is openly telling me that she lusts for another woman..." Nier sighed, not surprised but rather exasperated by her, at this point expected, actions.


    "Hey! It''s not lust, it''s <i>love</i>!" Katlyn retorted with a smirk. "I just want to spoil her nice and good and make her happy! What''s wrong with that?!?" She said as she was sat back down.


    "Miz, if this idiot ever does anything to you, feel free to give her a good st or two with your spells. She''ll deserve it." Nier said as he rolled his eyes.


    "Don''t worry, I will." Miz''ri giggled.


    "Hmmm, being sted away by Mizzy..." Katlyn began thinking about how nice such a rejection would be. "I think I can work with that!"


    <i>{Why is she such a hopeless pervert...And why do I love that side of her...} </i>(Nier)


    "Think about it! If things work out then we can both have a fun time with you in-" Katlyn''sment was abruptly stopped by a bonk to her head with Nier''s sheathed sword.


    *BONK*


    ¡°YOW!¡± Katlyn yelped in pain.


    "That''s going to be an absolute <i>no</i> from me." Nier said, annoyed as Miz''ri''s tanned face turned red once she realized what Katyln meant. "And don''t go dragging Miz into your perverted fantasies any further than you already do! Unlike <i>you, </i>she is a normal girl who isn''t messed up in the head!"


    "Hey, you bought the whole package when you put a ring on this finger! So don''tin about some parts while enjoying others!" Katlyn blew a raspberry.


    "And I am reminded of the folly of my youth each and every day." Nier rolled his eyes as he sat on one of the logs. The party had set up camp away from the main Demon Army as it was otherwise too loud and cramped, and they were enjoying a clear night sky as dinner finished cooking. The goal was to begin the three-day march southward toward the Dumetorian base at first light the next morning, and Burning Light was going to be a key yer in handling some of the anticipated challenges. "But getting past my Wife''s attacks on the sanctity of our marriage..."


    "Oi! It''s only Mizzy, so cut me a break!" Katlyn hissed as she defended her actions a safe and eptable.


    "I got a chance to finally speak with the Princess, and it looks like things have gotten a bit more <iplicated </i>than we were first told." Nier said as he looked between his two party members, the jovial atmosphere vanishing in a sh.


    "Meh." Katlyn shrugged. "When have things <i>not </i>gotten moreplicated when we take a request from a government? I think I can count on one hand the number of times a job like that was straightforward and didn''t lead to a massive mess at the end."


    <i>{And those still had there share of oddities.} </i>(Katlyn)


    "I hate that you''re right, but this time is a bit different than our normal fiasco." Nier continued. "For starters, Penelope hasmandeered the Demon Amy with a Divine Command and will be leading the operation <i>herself</i>."


    "Well, that''s certainly not normal!" Katlynughed. "Though if anyone''s gonna do it, it''s Penny."


    "Lady Penelope..." Miz''ri said quietly.


    <i>{Lady Esquire didn''t mention that she was involved. Have the Gods truly decided to intervene here? But why send her? Aren''t there more qualified Demi-Gods to lead an army of this scale?} </i>(Miz''ri)


    "Unfortunately for us, she''s the one calling the shots. I spoke with her briefly at the main camp headquarters, and she was just as arrogant and haughty as ever." Nier said as he recalled some of their prior meetings, all of which showed the Demi-God''s ''personality issues.'' Burning Light had worked beside the Demi-God on two other asions, and neither left them with a good impression of her.


    "Hey, Penny''s not gonna, ya know..." Katlyn tilted her head toward Miz''ri.


    <i>{If she tries anything I''ll fucking knock her teeth down her throat!} </i>(Katlyn)


    "I doubt she''ll do anything to her, but we''d best be careful. Knowing Penny, she might just try and off her during the chaos" Nier sighed. Penelope''s dislike of Demons and Dark Elves was well known, and ever since the Dark Elves were defeated and enved, it wasmon for <i>most </i>people to view them dimly, due to the part their ancestors yed in a catastrophe that nearly destroyed the continent.


    <i>{If I recall correctly, she ignored Miz''ri during thest times we met, so hopefully it will be the same here.} </i>(Nie)


    "Well our little Mizzy has the protection of Mama Eclipse, so I think it will all be good." Katlyn tried to glomb onto Miz''ri again but was stopped by a barrier created by the Priestess. "Boo! Stingy!"


    <i>{LET ME HUG YOU!} </i>(Katlyn)


    "If Lady Penelope is here, then does that mean Lady Reflia is as well?" Miz''ri asked as she kept the barrier up. The Goddess and Demi-God were almost always seen together, so she figured that it wouldn''t be strange for the Goddess of Space herself to be here too.


    "Not from what I could see, no. Penelope was just here with Arcus, and Lady Ariel made no mention of a Goddess'' being here, nor did I see her." Nier replied as the soup pot on the fire began to boil over.


    <i>{And I don''t know if that''s a good thing or not. Lady Reflia would likely keep her in check, but a Goddess being here in person would be stifling and would probably not be a good sign of things toe.} </i>(Nier)


    "That''s strange. Penelope doesn''t move without her mother''s orders, so I''m assuming that she''s here on behalf of the Gods then." Katlyn said as she took off the lid off the pot and began stirring the soup. "But I thought they weren''t in the business of involving themselves like this? They didn''t even let the Demis get involved in the Spirit War, so why is Penny here now?"


    <i>{It makes no sense for her toe here now. The Cult has always been a problem, but if their goal was to aid in its destruction then surely they''d send more firepower than one Demi-God? I know they battled with them a few hundred years ago, and that required a whole Goddess toe down. So something doesn''t seem right here if only one Demi-God was sent.} </i>(Katyln)


    "I can''t speak to the machinations of the Gods, but what I can tell you is that Penelope informed us this ''Demon Lord Akagi'' is being treated as a greater threat than anything since <i>Vikes</i>." Nier''s words seemed to make the world go silent for a moment until the boiling pot brought this back to normal.


    "Yo... Wait... So... Does this mean she''s an <i>actual </i>Demon Lord?" Katlyn asked as she put the pot lid back on and kicked a bit of dirt on the fire to make it smaller. ¡°Like a whole... Destroy the <i>world</i> kind of Demon Lord?¡±


    "I have no idea.¡± Neir shook his head. ¡°Penelope just said to be prepared to deal with some tough opponents. Apparently, she''d been scouting out this base they have, and it''s crawling with formidable enemies." He exined that a few were likely on the level of a Demi-God.


    <i>{Which would exin why were were brought in.} </i>(Katlyn)


    "Well, at least it will be interesting if nothing else." Katlynughed. "So what''s our role? Charge in and die as cannon fodder? I think I could get some fun out of that."


    "Luckily, not this time." Nier said. "No Penelope wants us to focus on infiltration of their base while the main battle rages. Apparently, they have less than one hundred people, but the quality of them means we can''t get careless." He exined that they would be sent to take out anyone within the base while finding whatever method the Demon Lord used to get to Enoris and destroying it.


    "That few?" Katlyn furrowed her brows at the small number of enemies. "Hmmm... That alone makes me nervous about this whole thing. It''s never a good sign when an enemy pulls an attack like they did on Riftwood and then leaves themselves seemingly open like this. I''m going to bet twenty Gold Sel that each of those people is going to be a lot stronger than average."


    <i>{Word is that whoever this ''Demon Lord'' sent to sack Riftwood killed Damion. I don''t know if it was a surprise attack on the old man, but if they have people who can defeat the Dragon yer, then Nier and I are going to need to be on our toes. He was no slouch, and if these one hundred or so people are even half that strong, then we might be walking into a nightmare.} </i>(Katyln)<i> </i>


    "I''m sure that Lady Penelope has a n." Miz''ri said with a slightly nervous-looking smile. "She''s a great warrior and has fought countless battles, some of which were against the Cult. So I have faith in her ability."


    <i>{And surely Lady Esquire and the others would''ve prepared her for such a battle, right? There''s no way she came here without a n backed and approved by the Gods.} </i>(Miz''ri)


    "I hope you''re right, Miz. I hope you''re right..." Nier said as he looked at the night sky and the two moons floating above.


    Spoiler


    Nier!


    Katlyn!


    [copse]

 Chapter 359 – High Ho Robot Vacuum! Woosh!

    Chapter 359 ¨C High Ho Robot Vacuum! Woosh!


    "Mika, how on Earth do you like these kinds of stupid shows?" Kana sighed as she, Naomi, Hishya, and the Mika in question sat in the living room together. They were watching some kind of soap opera that Mika imed was <i>amazing</i>, and while Naomi found it enjoyable, neither Kana nor the Dragon had any interest.


    <i>{Its like I can feel my brain rotting with each passing second...} </i>(Kana)


    "It just goes to show that you''re not <i>cultured </i>enough to enjoy Inosuke''s story!" Mika said with passion in her eyes. "His journey from a down-on-his-luck Yakuza grunt to the leader of his own gang is amazing!"


    "And its nice to see how kind he is to his family while also being so tough on his enemies." Naomi nodded in agreement. ¡°He''s truly a gentlemen.¡±


    "Naomi, you only like this show because just about every man is a fucking chiseled <i>beefcake</i> with ikemen proportions." Kana deadpanned, knowing Naomi''s taste.


    <i>{Don''t try and act like you''re some highly cultured woman.} </i>(Kana)


    "Hey! Nothing says that I can''t enjoy the eye candy <i>and </i>the story!" Naomi huffed. "I can have both!"


    <i>{And here I once thought that men were the only sex that was shallow regarding looks, but I''ve long since learned that it goes both ways... I guess it is just human nature to enjoy such things...} </i>(Hishya)


    "And also <i>you </i>can''t say things like that when you''ve got your hot girlfriend to cling to!" Mika retorted as she pointed to Hishya and Kana hugged up on each other. ¡°Don''t go shaming when you''re no better!¡±


    "But I like Hishya for more than her looks though!" Kana said as she hugged her, visibly pleased girlfriend. ¡°So I <i>am </i>better than you two idiots!¡±


    "Oh yeah? Then tell me, how much of your love is because she''s a cute Dragon then?" Mika asked with a wily smile on her lips.


    "A healthy thirty percent!" Kana replied.


    "Love ya too, babe." Hishya rolled her eyes as she pushed the clingy Kana off her. "Good to know that at least the <i>majority </i>of your love for me is due to my personality."


    "I''d bet Kana enjoys teasing you more than anything else." Naomi snickered.


    ¡°Yeah, her Scary Kana side <i>has </i>to be into that.¡± Mikaughed.


    "Tormenting Hishya makes up around twenty-five percent of the reason I love her, so it''s still not the majority." Kana said with a shrug. ¡°So you''re still wrong.¡±


    "But Kana, thirty percent plus twenty-five is fifty-five, which means that less than <i>half </i>of the love you have toward me is due to my personality." Hishya poked her in the cheek. ¡°What have you got to say about them facts?¡±


    "Don''t worry about it, after all it''s a <i>solid</i> forty-five percent, so it''s all good!" Kanaughed as Hishya continued to poke her.


    <i>{You''re lucky I love you...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Hmmm, I don''t know I''m starting to think that I should trade you in." Hishyamented as the cheek poking continued. "Mika, Naomi. How about it? Would you like to date the cutest Dragon in the world? I''m pretty low maintence too."


    <i>{Yeah, just buy her a few pillows every one and a while and she''s happy as a lizard on a heat rock.} </i>(Kana)


    "No thanks, Yuki-Onna only please." Mika crossed her arms in an X as she made a buzzing noise.


    "Naomi?" Hishya turned to her. ¡°How about it? Willing toe to the fun side?¡±


    "Not unless you can get some Y Chromosomes." Naomi sighed as she tried to ignore her.


    "Hmmm, well, It <i>might</i> be doable." Hishya put her hand under her chin as she thought about it. "If you really demanded it, I <i>could </i>be inclined to try." She snickered.


    "Nope, you''re mine. There is no escape." Kana said as she pulled Hishya into a hug. "Plus, Onee-chan wouldn''t let you get away with that. Remember that you promised to take care of me, so you''re stuck.¡±"


    "Kana, you''re not supposed to <i>lean into</i> that fact." Hishya rolled her eyes.


    "Knowing Kana, she probably has shackles in the basement to tie you to a radiator." Mika snickered.


    "Why would I need something so crude when Hishya would <i>never </i>leave me." Kana hugged her closer as she pretended to go all stalker girlfriend. ¡°Not that I would allow her to anyway.¡±


    "You''re right, primarily because I know that you''d probably go Yandere on me and go <i>stabby stabby</i>." Hishya sighed as she poked Kana in the side to get her to back off.


    "If we''re talking about Yandere, then I don''t think you have much room to mock, Hishya." Naomi said, pointing out the Dragon''s possessiveness.


    "Oi!" Hishya protested. ¡°I''m not that bad!¡±


    "Its alright. After all Hishya is a Dragon, and they''re very <i>possessive</i>, but I don''t worry, I find it cute." Kanaughed as she let her go. "Your my widdle scawey waewy, and I love that about you."


    "Keep it up and I''ll do to you what Dragons tend to do to Princesses if you keep it up." Hishya huffed.


    "Kya! So bold! But at least wait till Mika and Naomi go home first before you-" Kanaughed, dodging a swipe from an embarrassed Hishya. "Kya! Onee-chan, help me! Hishya''s trying to hurt me!" She yfully called out for her sister.


    ¡°Too bad, Akagi isn''t here to-¡± Hishya was interrupted as the <i>Demon </i>in question''s voice came from the hallway.


    "Never fear! Akagi the Hero hase to save you while riding her mighty steed!" A tiny Catkagi said while riding into the living room on the back of a robot vacuum. ¡°I shall rescue the Princess from the lecherous Dragon''s ws!¡±


    "Eh?!?" Kana squeaked in shock and suprise, as did the other girls. "O-Onee-chan?!? Why are you here?!?" She hadn''t expected to see her again for months and figured that seeing her before the <i>Demon </ipleted her mission was unlikely.


    <i>{YOU''RE BACK?!? AND WHY ARE YOU RIDING MR. VACCUM?!?} </i>(Kana)


    "What? Can''t a kittye home every once and a while to stretch her paws?" Akagi snickered as the robot vacuum road up to Kana''s feet, bumping into them. "Besides, do I <i>need </i>a reason toe to <i>my </i>home?"


    "No, you..." Kana bent down and grabbed the tiny cat, pulling her into a hug. "I''m just... I''m so d to see you... You''re..."


    "A. Ain''t that cute?" Mika snickered as she watched Kana snuggle her tiny sister. "Kana missed you."


    "Of course she did! I''m amazing, so missing me is only natural!" Akagiughed as she was pat on the head. ¡°See!¡±


    "Don''t ruin things..." Kana sighed as she sat the tiny Cat on the couch arm. "But are you back for good?" She was hoping this meant Akagi''s mission wasplete and the Gods'' were defeated.


    "Nope, I''ve still got a world to <i>defeat</i>." Akagi said with a smirk.


    <i>{I thought it was too good to be true...} </i>(Kana)


    "Please don''t tell me you went murder hobo on that world..." Hishya said as she looked at the tiny Cat, assuming the worst.


    "Define, ''murderhobo.''" Akagi snickered.


    "That... That response <i>worries</i> me." Hishya sighed, figuring Enoris had already run red with blood and death.


    "Don''t worry your scaly little head! It''s all good! Only a <i>few</i> people have died so far, and I''ve already bumped off a couple of Gods and enved a one to my will!" Akagi said with a proud smile as Kana scratched her ears. ¡°So nothing too bad!¡±


    "The kitty has probably made the streets run red with blood." Mikamented as Yumi entered the living room.


    "It hasn''t gotten to that point, <i>yet</i>." Yumi said as the robot vacuum went past her feet and out of the room.


    <i>{But it will.} </i>(Yumi)


    "The use of the word <i>yet </i>only serves to make me <i>more </i>worried." Hishya said, seemingly catching Yumi''s thoughts. "Knowing this one, she probably has ns or something outrageous."


    <i>{She''s 100% going to start something over the top just to spill blood, I know it.} </i>(Hishya)


    "When have you known me to do anything as crazy as you''re imagining?!?" Akagi pleaded innocence as the good kitty she was. "Am good kitty, Kanya! Dons''t beweeve da wies of dis wetched Dwagon!" She hissed at Hishya.


    "Pff..." Naomi barely held back augh after hearing Akagi''s kitty talk.


    "Kanya..." Kana sighed. "I hate that you changed my name in such a cute way..." She looked down at the extremely cute and innocent Catkagi that wasying on the kitty routine thick.


    <i>{But it is cute though...} </i>(Kana)


    "Youse beweeve mees, wight?" Akagi pined. "Kanya wuves mees, right? Kanya thinks mees goodest kitty wight?"


    ¡°Well...¡± Kana paused, not knowing how to answer.


    "Don''t let her fool you, Kana!" Hishya said, seeing that her girlfriend was leaning toward Akagi. "You and I both know that behind her cute exterior is an unfathomable evil!"


    <i>{SHE''S A LITERALY FUCKING DEMON BALL OF FLOOF! DO NOT BE DECIEVED BY HER FLUFFINESS!} </i>(Hishya)


    "Me goodest kitty!" Akagi pretended to cry as her goodness was being questioned. "Why donst yoose beweeve mees?!? Pweese! I wuve youse Kanya!"


    "I think I''ve developed diabetes from the level of sugaring from her right now." Mika startedughing as she watched the back and forth.


    "It makes sense if you think about it since her alter ego is <i>Snugglekins</i>." Naomi giggled.


    <i>{These two... I''m starting to think that as long as Akagi acts silly or cute they''ll let anything slide...} </i>(Hishya)


    "You know, I suppose you are a good kitty." Kana said as she pat Akagi on the head. "But you are also an <i>evil </i>kitty. So it cancels out.¡±


    "She is the goodest evil kitty of them all!" Yumi said as she picked up Akagi and ced her on her shoulder. "Her floof shall spread darkness and fear to all corners of the world! All shall fall to the floof!"


    "<i>Literally</i> in the current case!" Akagi cackled maniacally on the Priestess'' shoulder. ¡°Kitty shall rule all!¡±


    "I knew it! I knew you did something bad!" Hishya pointed to the cat, usingly. "Did you pull another Imperial Capital?!?"


    <i>{How many have died?!? How much blood has been spilled?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    "I mean, I did something <i>simr </i>to that." Akagi replied between cackles. "But what I''ve got nned is going to make that look like kids'' stuff! So buckle up!"


    "Imperial Capital?" Mika asked, tilting her head slightly. "I''m assuming you mean in FWO?"


    "Where else <i>could </i>she mean, Mika..." Naomi sighed.


    "I... That... You weren''t supposed to retort there, Naomi! This isn''t a two-manedy!" Mika pouted about being made to look like an idiot.


    <i>{Obviously I know its FWO! I just... I couldn''t phrase it better!} </i>(Mika)


    "The incident in question is one where <i>this idiot</i> decided to assassinate the Crown Prince, plunge the Empire into chaos, and cause such destruction and carnage in the Capital that the Empire unofficially decided to leave her alone." Hishya rolled her eyes as she recalled the nightmarish seen of the burning and blood-stained Capital.


    <i>{And she justughed it off too... That... That was a moment I''ll never forget...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Hey, I warned them but they kepting after me." Akagi turned up her nose, not wanting to take any me or fault for the incident. "<i>They</i> didn''t get the message when Chloe popped up in the Emperor''s bedroom for a spook so I decided that a <i>proper </i>disy was needed."


    "Your <i>disy </i>cost the lives of three thousand people." Hishya retorted. "Including other yers."


    <i>{And nearly me!} </i>(Hishya)


    "That was a price that I was willing to pay." Akagi smirked. "Besides, I fucking hunted people as my job, so why would I bat an eye at them dying during my battle with the Empire? Not to mention that <i>you </i>were the one who brought them there." She''d wiped the floor with a small Assault Team squad that tried to prevent her from running roughshod over the Capital''s military garrison.


    "I brought them there to try and talk you down, not engage you in a death match!" Hishya ruffled her hair in frustration. "That damn idiot Serimonica went off script and tried to engage you after I <i>explicitly </i>said we were here to <i>de-escte </i>things."


    <i>{That moron and her friends remind of of Merkyul and co with how obstinate they could be. I understood their distaste for Akagi, but by that point, it was very apparent that fighting her head-on was a fool''s errand! And yet when I told them to stay with me they decided to run ahead and fight her head on!} </i>(Hishya)


    "Those three were merely a sideshow anyway." Akagi shrugged, not caring about the dead yers. "My real goal was to send a message, and it was received."


    "You and your ''messages''. Akagi, just how many people need to die before you''ve satisfied yourself?" Hishya asked, exasperated. "I know damn well that whatever you''re doing in Enoris is far beyond what you <i>actually </i>need to do to ensure victory."


    <i>{Weren''t you saying something about burning that world to the ground before Onee-chan left in the first ce?!?} </i>(Kana)


    "The killing will stop when I say it does, and not a moment before." Akagi''s tone sharpened as she locked eyes with Hishya. <i><b>"Though, you are free to try and stop me if you wish."</b></i>

 Recollection 2 – Foreshadowing.

    Recollection 2 ¨C Foreshadowing.


    *DING* *DING* *DING* *DING* *DING*


    "Why... Why must everything be chaos with her..." Hishya sighed as she walked down the main road in the Imperial Capital. She''de here after a cheeky message had shed into her inbox from Akagi which stated ''<i>Bout to pull a pro gamer move in the Capital, you shoulde and watch! XP</i>''. Naturally, this made Hishya get <i>worried</i>, and with the recent shes that the Assassin had had with some Imperial forces, she knew exactly what this was about.


    <i>{Seriously, they touch one stupid NPC, and you go off and do all this? Is that catgirl REALLY worth all this destruction?!?} (Hishya)</i>


    As Hishya continued toward the Imperial Capital she watched as soldiers and civilians ran around in panic. Akagi had unleashed a major assault on the Imperial Capital, and Hishya figured that it wasn''t going to stop until the Empire was brought to its knees. "And <i>of cours</i>e, Serimonica and her two stooges decided to y Hero and charge ahead ready to fight the fucking Shadow monster head-on... Despite being told we were just here to talk..." She sighed as she figured the three tagalongs had already engaged the Assassin. Hishya didn''t want to bring along anyone else for this exact reason, but the Assault Team had <i>insisted </i>that she bring backup in case things escted.


    <i>{I told them that fighting Akagi was a fucking stupid idea, but NOOOOOO. Don''t listen to me! I only got my ass kickedst time! Fuck, the only reason I''m alive right now is so she can hold that embarrassing picture of me over my head! Damn you, you fucking idiot! I swear I''ll get revenge on you one day!} </i>(Hishya)


    "I just hope she doesn''t kill them... We <i>really</i> don''t need a smaller Team if we''re going to take down Dorthy..." Hishya grumbled as explosions went off around the city, causing fires to rage in the background as more soldiers were wiped out. The Imperial Capital was one of, if not <i>the </i>most fortified location in FWO, and yet Akagi and her forces had attacked with impunity, plunging the city into chaos and ughtering many in a reprisal raid that seemed more like an <i>event </i>than a yer driven action.


    Continuing to the pce''s main entrance, Hishya was greeted with broken down doors, dead guards, and general destruction, seemingly from Akagi''s frontal, and obviously <i>personal</i>, assault.


    <i>{Aren''t you supposed to be an assassin?!? What kind of assassin charges in head first like this?!? You''repletely wasting your ss abilities!} </i>(Hishya)


    "No mercy, huh? Yeah... That''s expected I suppose..." Hishya said as she walked around the dead guards, entering the pce. The inside was awash with blood and traces of battle filled the hallways. Portraits of the Imperial family were torn to shreds and it was quickly apparent to Hishya that Akagi was <i>pissed</i>, taking this whole ordeal personally as she carved her way inside. "Now that I think about it, I <i>really</i> hope she doesn''t go all fucking quiet like she did that time the cat in question got catnapped. I can''t handle that shit again."


    <i>{Somehow her not saying a word is MORE horrifying than when she uses that creepy voice!} </i>(Hishya)


    Continuing onward, Hishya followed the sounds of des shing and blood-curdling screams that echoed from deeper within the pce until Hishya eventually found herself in the throne room just in time to witness Akagi positioned to drive her de through a blonde-haired Elven woman''s chest. Serimonica was a rtively new addition to the Assault Team, but she and her two friends were quite skilled and high-level and were expected to help lead the Assault Team''s charge through the next World Boss. Though based on her kneeling and bloody position before the Assassin, it would seem that it all amounted to nothing in the face of <i>true </i>skill.


    "Akagi, stop!" Hishya called out to her one-time friend, pleading with her to spare Serimonica''s life, but it was all for not as the Assassin swiftly slid her de straight into the Elf''s sternum, dropping her HP to zero and causing her to die, her body slumping to the floor as Akagi pulled her de out.


    <i>{Well fuck... Probably should''ve moved a bit faster...} </i>(Hishya)


    "You''re a littlete to save them, <i>Hero</i>." Akagi said as she flicked her de while mocking Hishya''s title. "You should''ve been here just a few minutes sooner if you wanted to prevent the inevitable." She smirked. ¡°Or were you just too <i><b>scared</b></i> to face me?¡±


    "Akagi!" Hishya growled at her, though despite her tone her entire body was trembling as she stood before the Assassin. She hadn''t seen her in person since her defeat at Hassan six months prior, and frankly she didn''t want to. "Why did you kill them?!? There was no reason for that!"


    "I''d say trying to <i>kill </i>me is plenty of reason." Akagi scoffed as she sheathed her de and turned, taking a seat on the Imperial throne. "They started spouting all sorts of heroic nonsense about how I needed to pay for my crimes, and h h h. I got tired of listening to them, so I chose to respond to their ramblings by <i>ending them</i>." Sheughed.


    "You..." Hishya locked eyes with the Assassin. She wanted to draw her de and avenge the three yer''s deaths, but her entire body was frozen in terror. Theirst engagement had left a deep scar in the Hero''s mind, and she was well aware that something wasn''t right with the woman in front of her. "You can''t just keep getting away with all this. Its... You just can''t keep doing as you please!"


    "And who pray tell is going to stop me?" Akagi asked as she reached into her inventory and pulled out the severed head of a red-haired man. "Certainly not the Imperial Knights." She tossed the head toward Hishya where it rolled in front of her, its dead eyes meeting her own. ¡°They couldn''t even protect their liege-lord. How pitiful. I''d say the should kill themselves to atone for their shame, but I''ve already seen to <i>that.</i>¡± She cackled.


    <i>{Is... Is that the fucking Imperial Crown Prince?!?} </i>(Hishya)


    "And as we both already know, certainly <i><b>you''re </b></i>capable of stopping me either<i><b>.</b></i>" Akagi''s distorted voice caused Hishya to freak out internally, and she momentarily had a panic attack. "Though I''m always willing to prove that as many times as you wish." She smirked as she leaned on the throne''s arm. ¡°I''ve still got enough energy to go for round two if you want.¡±


    Hishya''s entire body screamed at her to run, but she couldn''t. Terrified of death and standing before a triumphant Akagi who was undoubtedly nked from the shadows by her minions, Hishya knew that she could be killed in an instant if she made the wrong move, and her thoughts became consumed by the fear of death..


    <i>{I... I don''t want to die... I don''t want to die...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Is something wrong?" Akagi asked the visibly shaking Hishya. "You''re acting as if I''m some kind of <i><b>monster</b></i>." Sheughed as her voice distorted again. ¡°You wound me, Hishya. How could you think such things about me? I thought we were best friends?¡±


    "You... You <i>are</i> one..." Hishya barely managed to speak. "There''s no other exnation for what you''ve done here today, and what you''ve <i>been </i>doing thesest three years."


    <i>{What the hell happened to Akagi?!? Did I do this?!? Is it my fault?!? Or was she always just this fucked up?!?} </i>(Hishya


    "I''m hurt!" Akagi feigned being shocked and upset by Hishya''s words. "How could my true bestest buddy in the whole wide world say such horrible things to me?!? I think I''m going to cry!" She said as she pretended to cry into her sleeve.


    "Why? <i>Why?!?</i>" Hishya yelled, finally mustering up a bit of courage. "Why are you doing all this?!? Why are you killing, destroying, and making people miserable?!? I''ve known you for years, and I while knew that you were a bit <i>off</i>, why the moment we got into FWO did you go off the deep end?!? Why would you be someone who destroys a city and kills her fellow human beings?!?" She''d asked things like this in the past, but never got a clear answer and with her frustration at a boil she decided to ask again, this time with a bit more force. "What happened to the Akagi I knew for all those years? The Akagi that bullshitted with me until the wee hours of the morning about how much she hated her family? About how much she loved gaming?!? Where did she go?!?"


    "She never went anywhere." Akagi replied,zily. "She''s still here, just <i>changed</i>."


    "People don''t just <i>change </i>from a fucking Otaku loner into a psychopathic murderer!" Hishya hissed, though was still unable to reach for her weapon due to fear for her life. ¡°That''s not how people work! So tell me where my friend went!¡±


    "In this ce..." Akagi said as she slowly sat upright. "In this ce, I''m free, Hishya. Free to do as I wish, unlike that <i>hell </i>they call reality." She continued. "In the real world, I''m nothing but a weak, helpless, <i>fool </i>who can do nothing but bend to the whims of those with power... But in here? In <i>here...</i> The only thing that matters is <i>power</i>. Power to enforce your will on others, and as long as you have power, then you can do whatever you want." She said. ¡°And I <i>have </i>that power... The power to do whatever I want.¡±


    "So, what? This is just you wanting to flip the script? To go from being the bullied to the bully?!?" Hishya let out an exasperatedugh. "How immature."


    "Says the kid who got people <i>killed </i>because they were a threat to your position in the spotlight." Akagi went for the kill shot, and hit Hishya where it hurt the most. "I''d advise not throwing stones from that ss house of yours, Hishya. Because I can bring it down Whenever. I. Want." Sheughed.


    "I... I don''t give a damn about that anymore." Hishya replied with a head shake. "It''s not worth it... What I did..."


    <i>{What I''ve done...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Oh? What''s this?" Akagi''s eyes briefly widened in surprise at Hishya''s words. "Hishya the Hero is feeling <i>remorse </i>for her past actions? Well, I''ll be dammed! I guess I need to look out for flying Razor Boars!"


    "Make fun of me all you want, but at least I''vee to understand just how horrible of a person I was." Hishya retorted with a derisiveugh. "But you... I get the feeling that you''ll never repent, even after we get out of here, and you''ll probably continue being like this..."


    "I will not apologize for doing what makes me happy." Akagi stood up from the throne and approached Hishya, slowly. "If the world wishes to judge me for what I did...." She stopped just in front of her. "Then perhaps I''ll just have to destroy <i><b>them</b></i> too." She smiled in her face.


    "We both know that no matter how strong you are in-game, we''ll just go back to how we were the moment this is all over." Hishya noted that at the end of the day this was all just a game and none of it carried over into real life. "So how are you going to destroy the world as a single girl? You won''t have your powers or your followers. Even if you aren''t punished for your actions in here you still won''t be able to do anything back on Earth." She found Akagi''sment ridiculous.


    <i>{Even you with all you bullshit are just a normal human being. In game, you''re terrifying, but in the real world... You''re just a weak human like the rest of us... Yeah...} </i>(Hishya)


    "I don''t know how it will alle together, but something in the back of my mind is telling me that everything will work out in the end." Akagi smiled as she pat Hishya on the head. "But let''s leave that forter. Right now I''ve got other things to attend to so I''ll leave cleaning up <i>this </i>mess in your capable hands." Sheughed as she morphed into a shadow and vanished before Hishya''s eyes. "See yater, kid." Her voice echoed for a moment before all went quiet in the Imperial throne room. Akagi had departed along with her followers, and moment after she''d vanished Hishya fell to her knees as the tension left her body.


    "What... What the hell happened to my friend?" Hishya asked herself as she sat on the floor, unable to move due to body tremors. "Was she always like this or..."


    <i>{Did I really cause this too? Was this... Was this my fault? Did she only be like this because I turned my back on her? Did I... Did I make Akagi this way?} </i>(Hishya)


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 360 – Laser Pointer.

    Chapter 360 ¨C Laser Pointer.


    *ROLL* *ROLL* *ROLL* *ROLL* *ROLL* *ROLL* *MEW!*


    *ROLL* *ROLL* *ROLL* *ROLL* *ROLL* *ROLL* *MEW!*


    *ROLL* *ROLL* *ROLL* *ROLL* *ROLL* *ROLL* *MEW!*


    With the initial back and forth out of the way, Akagi got to work making up for lost kitty time and was currently rolling around on the floor and ying with Mika.


    "Over here, kitty! Over here!" Mikaughed as she stuck out her hands, which Akagi tried, and failed, to pounce on. "Oops! So close! Try again, kitty! I know you can do it!"


    <i>{This is amazing!} </i>(Mika)


    "MEW! MEW! MEW!" Akagi prepared herself for theing battle, readying herself to grab the elusive hand.


    "Go, kitty! Go! Get her!" Naomiughed as she cheered the Catkagi on, much to the amusement of Yumi and the exasperation of Kana and her girlfriend who watched as the kitty chased Mika''s hand around the floor.


    "She''s back five minutes, and Mika is already Mikaing..." Kana sighed, though she did have a small smile on her face.


    "I don''t think that there''s wrong with a bit of fun." Yumi chuckled as she took a seat on the couch across from them. "Akagi missed her friend while we were gone, so just let her have some fun. Or would you deny the kitty some fun and games?"


    "10:1 Yumi is screaming internally about it not being <i>her </i>that''s ying with the kitty." Hishya nudged Kana, whoughed at the, likely correct, joke.


    "Is there even a point to betting? It''s a <i>100% guarantee</i> with this one." Kana said as sheughed. ¡°Yumi basically pouts like a sad puppy if the <i>kitty </i>is away too long.¡±


    "I can share the kitty... <i>sometimes</i>..." Yumi said with a wry smile as she internallymented how much Miji stole her away.


    "Oh you know that she is <i>definitely </i>jealous." Hishya smirked as she nced over at Yumi. "How tragic it must be for your lover to be flopping about with other girls for head pats and ear scratches. It must be <i>awful</i>."


    "Yeah. Unfortunately for Yumi, Onee-chan cares not from where the petse, only that they do and inrge numbers." Kana said as she continued to giggle at Yumi''s expense.


    <i>{Why must they pick on me...} </i>(Yumi)


    "You know that the moment Miji gets up from her nap she is going to pin Akagi to the floor and pet her into oblivion!" Hishyaughed as she pictured the tiny girl tackling and squeezing Akagi into paste.


    "She''s absolutely going to scream KITTY at the top of her lungs as soon as she sees Onee-chan, and I wouldn''t be shocked if she squeezes her so hard that Onee-chan pops like she did that one time with Mika." Kana continued tough.


    "I... I already told her no exploding in front of Miji." Yumi replied. "But it''s <i>fine</i>. Miji can pet her as much as she wants. It doesn''t bother me, and in fact, I''m <i>d </i>that my sister gets along with her so well."


    <i>{I''m not jealous of her, nopers. I definitely don''t want to whisk the kitty away and sunggle her in a dark corner of her shadow until the end of time, nopers.} </i>(Yumi)


    "Oh god, she''s fucking <i>seething</i>." Hishya wheezed as she read the thoughts that were visible on Yumi''s face. "Yumi''s gonna snap a fit at this rate! Mika, please pet Akagi more! I want to see-" Her words stopped as a knife embedded itself into the couch next to her head.


    *THUNK*


    "Oh dear, it would seem that my hand <i>slipped</i>." Yumiughed unnervingly as she locked eyes with the Dragon. "How <i>clumsy</i> of me. It would''ve been a shame if that would''ve removed your head from your <i>body</i>."


    <i>{A true tragedy indeed.} </i>(Yumi)


    "Oi! That''s a magic dagger that could actually hurt me you ass!" Hishya yelled, noting that the dagger in question was coated in an anti-dragon coating like Tiball''s swords were.


    <i>{I mean it wouldn''t have killed me but it would''ve stung a bit! Not cool!} </i>(Hishya)


    "It''s alright, after all you weren''t hit by it, <i>this time.</i>" Yumi smiled, not so subtly threatening to allow her hand to slip again.


    "Man, Onee-chan really has tainted her. Not that long ago she probably would''ve justughed yourments, but this time Yumi went and instantly chose <i>violence</i>." Kana said with a snicker.


    <i>{You say tainted, I say made better!} </i>(Yumi)


    "Why are youughing at <i>me </i>nearly getting hurt?" Hishya poked her girlfriend''s cheek.


    <i>{Where''s my sympathy! You didn''t even look worried!} </i>(Hishya)


    "Because it''s funny?" Kana replied, wondering why Hishya asked a rhetorical question.


    "Oh yeah, that''s right I forgot, you''re your sister''s sister, so a <i>sadist </i>by default." Hishya rolled her eyes.


    "I love you too." Kanaughed as she gave Hishya a yful kiss on the cheek, which embarrassed the Dragon and made her cheeks turn slightly red.


    "Daww, ain''t they such a bunch of cute love birds." Mika said as she pet the tiny Catkagi. "They''re so adorable, righ Naomi?"


    "Oh they''re something alright." Naomimented, not wanting to dive into <i>that </i>mess.


    "Mika, don''t you have homework to do?" Kana pped back. "Do you really have time to be ying with Onee-chan? The teacher already yelled at you for turning in the summer homeworkte and if you don''t get it done soon you''re going to get a zero for it."


    "It''s alright! After all kitty will do my homework for me, right?" Mika looked down at Catkagi, pleading for help. "<i>Right</i>?"


    <i>{Please do it I have no faith in myself toplete it correctly, nor do I have the desire to try.} </i>(Mika)


    "Mew?" Akagi tilted her head cutely.


    "?I''ll give you extra pets?." Mika tried her hardest to persuade her, putting a bit of musical whimsy in her words.


    "That''s about the only kind of bribe that will work on her." Naomiughed as she watched Mika desperately beg for homework help.


    "I mean, I''ll do it, but it will probably be all wrong." Akagi said as Mika scratched an itch on her back.


    "Aren''t you like super smart now? Why would it be wrong?!?" Mika protested, though kept up her petting.


    <i>{Can''t you count to infinity twice now or something?!? How is some math homework and a book report out of your league?!?} </i>(Mika)


    "Because I''mzy and I''m not dedicating a mind to that boring stuff." Akagi retorted with a cheeky smile that caused Mika to bop her on the head.


    "What, are the other <i>billion </i>all busy with fluff-rted things?" Hishya scoffed at the <i>Demon''s </i>excuse.


    "That and ns on mass annihtion of an entire continent''s poption." Akagi said something quite dark so nonchntly. "So, you know, <i>important things</i>."


    <i>{What did I expect her answer to be?} </i>(Hishya)


    "Now now, Jjust be kitty and don''t do those bad things." Mika said as she pat the kitty <i>Demon</i> on the head. "Yes, be a good kitty. No destroying worlds. Happy kitty. Just sit back and be spoiled by my scratches and pets."


    "MEW!" Akagi meowed happily as her ears were yed with while she purred.


    <i>{You know, at this point I''m starting to think that she makes threats of world destruction just to get more pets...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Oh, wait!" Naomi eximed before rifling through her purse for a moment and pulling out a tinyser pointer. "I''ve been wanting to do <i>this</i> for so long." Sheughed as she pushed a button causing a tiny red dot to appear on the floor in front of Mika as aser shot out of it.


    "MEW!" The Catkagi dove toward the red dot, unable to pin it down as Naomi swished it around the room.


    *WOOSH* *WOOSH* *WOOSH* *WOOSH* *WOOSH* *WOOSH*


    ¡°Go kitty! Go!¡± Naomiughed as Akagi zipped all over the living room chasing the pointer, trying hard to catch the elusive dot of light.


    ¡°MEW!¡± Akagi hissed, unable to catch it as it flew around the room.


    "She''s actually chasing it..." Hishya sighed.


    <i>{Why am I both surprised and not...} </i>(Hishya)


    "I would''ve been more shocked if she didn''t go after it." Kana shrugged as the cat zoomed past her head as climbed in the back of the couch. ¡°This is absolutely in character for Onee-chan at this point.¡±


    <i>{And you all just ept it like its normal... W ell, I suppose I do too, don''t I? Stupid cat...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Here! Up here, kitty!" Naomi pointed theser toward the de of the slowly ceiling fan. ¡°Get it! Its waiting for you!¡±


    "MEW!" Akagi cried out as she leaped toward the fan,nding on a de and chasing the ever moving pointer as she hopped between the des like a cartoon character.


    "Bahahhaha! I-I''m gonna die ofughter!" Mika started wheezing as she and Naomi watched Akagi speed up the fan as she ran on it to catch the red dot that was just out of reach. ¡°She''s gonna be the death of me!¡±


    "MEW! MEW! MEW!" Akagi meowed as she continued to leap between des, desperately chasing the red dot.


    ¡°Keep going! You''re almost there!¡± Naomi cheered out as Hishya and Kana side eyed each other before sighing.


    ¡°Go! Go! Go!¡± Yumi cheered, which caused further sighing from the two of them.


    <i>{This is my life now...} </i>(Hishya x Kana)


    "I''m... I''m putting this online!" Mika barely spoke as she activated her recording software. "Run, kitty, run!" She said while barely holding it together. ¡°Get me more views!¡±


    ¡°MEW!¡± Akagi cried out again as she spead up, causing the fan des to blurr.


    "Onee-chan, you''re going to break the fan if you do that." Kanamented as she watched Akagi jump between des


    "I''ll just fix it, <i>MEW</i>!" Akagi said, breaking kitty character for a moment.


    <i>{Wast the mew needed there?} </i>(Hishya)


    "Hmmm..." Naomi thought for a moment before her lips curved into a nasty smile as her head filled with a <i>terrible </i>idea. "I wonder how <i>this </i>will work?" She said before slowly moving the pointer to the ground in front of Mika, which the Catkagi quickly followed with a thud as she smacked into the floor face first.


    "Such a cute little kitty." Mika smiled as she pat the spazing out Cat. ¡°You make the funniest faces, you know that?¡± She giggle as Akagi seemed to go feral over theser.


    ¡°MEW! MEW! MEW!¡± Akagi mewed her heart out as she was unable to catch the fast moving dot.


    "Now.... Go on and get <i>her</i>, kitty!" Naomi cackled as she snapped theser pointer <i>on to </i>Mika''s chest, resulting in Akagi diving the blue-haired girl and tackling her to the floor.


    "No! Naomi you bitch!¡± Mika cursed her friend out as the floof came home to roost.¡±


    ¡°MEW!¡± Akagi meowed happily as she poked around Mika in a futile attempt to find the dot.


    ¡°No! No! Not the fluffy ears! They tickle! They tickle!" Mika beganughing hysterically as she assaulted by Akagi''s fluff, the cat rubbing her ears and tail against her and causing Mika tough uncontrobly.


    <i>{I''M BEING KILLED BY FLOOF!} </i>(Mika)


    ¡°I''m d Akagi yed along.¡± Naomi said as she watched Mika get fluffed to death.


    "Okay, so <i>that </i>may actually be a little bit funny." Hishya snickered as Mika was subject to the horror that was Catkagi.


    <i>{Those ears are criminally fluffy and they tickle so much when she rubs them on you! Its just not fair! Those things are WMFs! Weapons of Mass Floof!} </i>(Hishya)


    "I just see it as Mika getting what she deserves." Kana nodded in agreement.


    <i>{She who insights the floof, shall one day fall victim to it.} </i>(Kana)


    ¡°I wish it were me...¡± Yumi said quietly as she clicked her tongue.


    "Hey kitty, do you want a <i>better</i> target?" Naomi asked as she turned off the pointer, causing Catkagi to sit up and look at her with tilted head.


    <i>{Oh thank god its over!} </i>(Mika)


    "Oh no..." Hishya got a bad feeling about what was going to happen next.


    "Look, kitty! The dot''s back!" Naomi said as she turned the pointer and activated it, cing a red dot on one of Hishya''s fluffy pink socks. "Get it! Get the sock!"


    <i>{HA!} </i>(Kana)


    "No! Naomi you-" Hishya tried to protect herself, but Akagi was too quick having already chomped down on and <i>removed </i>the sock before she could react.


    <i>{I WILL MURDER YOU FOR CAUSING THIS, NAOMI!} </i>(Hishya)


    "You stupid Cat! Give me back my sock!" Hishya screamed as she began chasing Akagi around the room. "Naomi, the <i>moment </i>I get my sock back you''d better start running! Because when I get my hands on you, so help me God!¡±


    ¡°I''m sure the kitty will protect me!¡± Naomi said as she started to roll on the chair,ughing hysterically.


    ¡°Akagi! You''d better not destroy that sock! It was a birthday gift from Kana!¡± Hishya hissed as she chased Akagi into the hallway.


    "My sock nyaow, MEW!" Akagi said with sock in mouth as she darted away, followed behind closely by an angry Dragon and the sounds of banging objects, broken ss and general destruction.


    ¡°Akagi!¡±


    ¡°MEW!¡±


    "Okay, on one hand, that''s <i>stupid</i>, but on the other..." Kana was struggling not tough as the two ran around the house. "Naomi, high-five."


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Halifax POV>


    "Man, it sure is quiet without the troublemaker around." Halifax said as she sipped on some coffee. She was rxing in a small garden created by a few of the more nature inclined Spirits and was rxing during the down time after Akagi left


    <i>{Though all that quiet makes things boring. If Akagi''s anything, she''s entertaining at least.} </i>(Halifax)


    "Feeling lonely without your Demon Kitty Lord around?" riel said as she called out to her from behind. "That you of all people would get so attached to her..." She shook her head.


    <i>{Its concerning. I fear that this may eventually lead to-} </i>(riel)


    "I don''t know, maybe its because at least with her I know where she stands, unlike <i>some people</i>." Halifax shot a re at the Goddess as she took a seat in front of her. "Akagi''s a lot of things, but unlike you Gods I feel like I can actually trust her words. At least she has no reason to go around behind people''s backs and stab them there."

 Chapter 361 – Something Stirring.

    Chapter 361 ¨C Something Stirring.


    "Halifax..." riel couldn''t rebut the Divine de''s words, knowing that any attempt to do so would only result in a fight. Instead she decided to offer words of apologies, understanding that they''d be seen as hollow nheless. "I... What I did to you... I''m sorry... I never should''ve made you bear such a burden..."


    "A ''burden?'' Is <em>that</em> what we''re calling it now?" Halifax scoffed at her word choice. "Don''t beat around the bush, riel. Come out and be honest with me. Say that you gave me to that psycho and made me party to the envement and <i>ughter </i>of the Dark Elves! Say that you chose the easy way out of the mess <i>you all </i>created!"


    <i>{Don''t try and act like this was a difficult choice but one that had to be made! You and I both know someone else, someone who wasn''t ME, could''ve handled your fuck up!} </i>(Halifax)


    "We... <i>I</i> should''ve never let <i>her </i>take you." riel said, not wanting to use the crazed murderer''s name for fear of triggering Halifax further. "Of all the mistakes I made in my life, allowing <i>her </i>to use you like that is the one I regret the most."


    "Not the ughter itself? Just who you <em>chose</em> to force me to do it?" Halifax rolled her eyes. ¡°So you were fine with having me kill all those innocent people but you only regret <i>who </i>you gave me too? I suppose that''s to be expected.¡±


    "We should''ve found another way... <i>I </i>should''ve found a better way to do it..." riel said, trying her best to simmer tensions. "Dibora... He was <i>our </i>mistake and I forced you to shoulder it."


    <i>{If anyone should''ve been forced to put him down, it was Esquire, but to make her put down her own brother... Regardless, all we ended up doing was making someone else perform the act in her ce. A person who we never should''ve... I still don''t understand why Gale wanted Halifax to do it? Did he not see the risk? We''re lucky that Halifax didn''t revert.} </i>(riel)


    "Whatever." Halifax turned her nose up at the Goddess. "What''s done is done, and despite all your power even <i>you </i>can''t turn back time and undo what you did..." She paused thinking that her own words sounded like something that Akagi had said to her in the past.


    <i>{I''m beginning to understand more and more why she hates her parents. Akagi said that they may have been controlled and forced to act they way they did, but what good does knowing that do? Even if they had no choice and regret it now... We still have to live with the consequences... The pain... It doesn''t just magically go away once you know...} </i>(Halifax)


    "I... You''re right, I can''t." riel gave a smallugh in defeat. "Even the Time Goddess can''t do something like that, though I wish I could..."


    <i>{I wish I could take it all back... I wish we could go back to those happy times... I just...} </i>(riel)


    "I suppose the ''good part'' of all this, if you can <i>really </i>call it that, was that I woke up from my naivety." Halifax''s gaze grew sharp. "I used to think that you and the other Gods were the good guys, out there to help the world and make everything better. But after <i>that, </i>I started to question everything, and I came to what should''ve been an obvious conclusion had I not been blinded by my own stupidity." Her eyes turned downward for a moment, filled with sadness and self loathing. "The Primordials were right. You <i>never </i>should''ve<i> </i>been given free reign over this world, not you and not any of the other Gods. Your meddling has done nothing but cause pain and suffering. Not just to me, not just to the Dark Elves but <i>everyone</i>, riel.¡± Halifax bit her lip in frustration.


    ¡°That''s...¡± riel wanted to rebut her words but found herself unable to do so.


    ¡°And the worst part is that those two incidents are just <em>recent</em> examples of your maleficence, and I''d say it''s high time that you were all forced to face the consequences of your actions." Halifax''s words came out as a hiss as she red at the Goddess.


    The Gods had taken direct action in the mortal ne''s affairs numerous times over the years, and in the past, they''d even ruled it directly. Over time <em>most</em> hade to view mortals as ''lesser beings'' and a great many had been killed or <i>worse </i>just for trying to speak out against the Gods'' ns or designs. Some Gods even treated their followers as disposable objects and those who even posed even the slightest threat to their hegemony were ruthlessly and mercilessly <i>crushed</i>. Such was the fate of the once globe-spanning Eridal Empire, as their magical technology had grown so powerful that the Gods deemed it an ''existential threat'' and <i>annihted </i>so as to prevent them from developing any further.


    "We... We''ve always tried to help, and our goal has always been to aid this world''s development. We just..." riel grew silent as her words fell off.


    <i>{We just struggled to do it in the best way...} </i>(riel)


    "We''ll, whatever your original ''good intentions'' were, they''re are long gone, riel." Halifax huffed. "If you really wanted Enoris to prosper, then you would''ve backed off and let its people do things for themselves. But <em>no</em>, you just couldn''t swallow your damn pride and as a result so many people suffered!" She pounded on the table. "You wanted to be Gods worshiped by the people of this world, and you couldn''t stand the thought of being relegated to background characters!"


    <i>{How is it that the Demon Lord is content with being left alone and forgotten if it means she can have peace while the so-called ''good Gods'' believe that such a fate is beneath them?!?} </i>(Halifax)<i> </i>


    "We''re still needed though!" riel fired back, noting that the Gods weren''t <i>only </i>doing things to suit their own egos. "Need I remind you that there are some threats that are far beyond the people of this world to handle! Think about what would''ve happened without our aid against Vikes! You fought him alongside Helia. Do you really think that a world without us would''ve survived?!? And if that isn''t enough think about all the other times when either we or our servants have battled evil to save this world! Do you think this world could''ve survived <i>without </i>our aid?!?"


    <i>{We protect this world from more threats than I care to count! We saved it from Vikes and countless others who sought its destruction of envement! Even if we lost our way to a point that doesn''t mean we''re unneeded! The people of Enoris could not survive without us!} </i>(riel)


    "Protecting the world is one thing, but what you all want is to <i>be </i>needed." Halifax scoffed. "I know you lot well enough to understand the difference."


    "That''s... That''s not true. We''d like if Enoris was at peace just as much as the people who live here do." riel fired back. "Don''t go using us of desiring conflict just to... promote... our... own..." Her words slowed before she fell silent, a realization washing over her like cold water.


    "You finally see it? Well let me help it sink in a bit more. Go and think back to allllllllllll those battles, riel. Think long and hard about them." Halifax smirked, realizing that riel had finally put two and two together. "Now, tell me. How many of those ended up having a <i>God''s</i> fingerprints on them in one way shape or form? How many could trace their origins back to <i>you all</i>?"


    "No... We..." riel''s eyes widened as she looked back to the numerous incidents, realizing that Halifax''s words rang true.


    "Let me answer that for you. I''d say, based off some quick calctions, that a solid <i>ny percent </i>of them involve a God in some way." Halifaxughed derisively. "How many times did I find some kind of Divine Weapon, Divine Child, Divine Blood, or Divine whatever the <em>fuck</em> was involved in each of those disasters. Either because the viin of the week got hold of some crazy ancient forgotten artifact or they had a grudge against the Gods. Quite the kawinky-god-dammned-dink, if I''d say so myself."


    <i>{Mr. Quakers being one of the few exceptions. He was just an evil Duck born from the horrors of the Under himself, but damn was he a truly horrifying being nheless. The rest though...} </i>(Halifax)


    "No that''s... There''s no way that..." riel couldn''t and didn''t want to believe it. The idea of the Gods creating problems to then ''solve'' to gain and maintain their position was to much for her to deal with.


    <i>{We... The others would never set things up just to...} </i>(riel)


    "riel, take it from me since I was on the ground fighting these bastards." Halifax leaned over the table. "The Gods schemed so that the people of Enoris would love them, <i>need </i>them. They created the gue to sell the cure, so to speak." She gave a scary smile that made riel''s blood run cold. "And do you know how many people suffered because of their vanity? How many lives were <em>destroyed </em>because you you?"


    "I... I don''t even want to know..." riel paled as the horror of what the Gods had done hit her like a truck.


    "And <i>now </i>do you understand why I''m all too happy to let Akagi destroy you all?" Halifax said as she continued to smile. ¡°Why I''m enjoying this whole mess? Why I''m so happy to have met her?¡±


    <em>{Besides kitty of course.}</em>(Halifax)


    "Y-You''re getting catharsis out of this, aren''t you?" riel asked, a bit nervous and fearful of the Divine de''s word and expression.


    "An amount that even a <i>God</i> could never understand." Halifaxughed. "And of all the Gods that I want to get what''sing to them..." She said as she got in riel''s face. "<i>You''re </i>the one I''m most excited for." Her eyes locked with the Goddess'' and for the first time in her life, riel was genuinely <i>afraid </i>of the Divine de. No riel wasn''t afraid of <i>Halifax</i> she was afraid of something <i>else,</i>something she never wanted to see.


    <i>{H-Halifax... Is... Are you... Has she... No...} </i>(riel)


    "Akagi''s going to chew you up and spit you out." Halifax smiled. "She promised me to make <i>you</i> suffer for what you did to me, and I''m quite excited to see what she has in store." The Divine de''s eyes started to shine as riel became more afraid. "So just know, that once this is all over with I''m going to <i>enjoy</i> myself with you. So you''d best be prepared! Because I have a feeling that we''ll be seeing each other a lot more and I''ll be taking my time with you." Once she was done with her rant Halifax''s face and eyes went back to normal as she pulled away, the horrifying aura she was giving off vanishing as if it never existed. "But for now, I''ll stomach my displeasure and work alongside you. We need to stop Gale''s n <i>before </i>I get to enjoy myself, and like it or not you may be of use."


    <i>{This isn''t good. Being around Akagi has begun to awaken things within her that should NEVER be awoken. This is bad, at this rate Halifax... She might stop being Halifax and go back to being...} </i>(riel)


    "Hey, you two!" Silfana called out, breaking riel''s train of thought as she peaked into the room. "It looks like our little Demon problem is starting to heat up, so be on alert." She said as she walked over, confused as to why riel was visibly shaking.


    "Are they on the march already?" Halifax asked, not expecting to hear reports of their movement just yet.


    "Yeah, I''ve got ck Company shadowing the Army, and a report came through just now that it was about to pass those fortresses between the mountains." Silfana had been told that powerful magical barriers were protecting each one and that the Demon Army was likely to get reinforcements from them on the way down. "Current estimates are that they''ll be here in three days, and we can expect their vanguard to be on top of us in two." She figured that they''d wait for the, mostly infantry, main force to arrive before making an assault.


    <i>{Its not a bad army from what I''ve been told, and I suppose it will make a fantastic way to test my new strength.} </i>(Silfana)


    "The Demons really aren''t pulling any punches here." riel sighed, trying to put her prior fears out of her mind for the moment. "I believe this is one of the greatest concentrations of military force since they settled down."


    <i>{Though its not going to matter in the slightest. I''m predicting an absolute blood bath, the kind not seen since we purged the Dark Elves.} </i>(riel)


    "Do you know who''s leading the force?" Halifax asked who was inmand. "I''d imagine it''s Ariel since she''s the Regent."


    <em>{Which begs the question as to why she''s doing this? Surely that woman isn''t stupid enough to think this is a good idea? No... She must be backed into a corner. There''s no way the Ariel I know would act this foolish for no reason.} </em>(Halifax)


    "ck Company <i>did</i> report back that the Princess-Regent was among a group of officers, but it seems like someone <i>else</i> is actually in charge." Silfana''sment caught the Goddess and Divine de off guard.


    "What?!?" Halifax went to sip her coffee, but stopped, nearly spilling it as her hand jolted forward. "Who could possibly be leading a Demon army with Ariel in it <i>besides </i>the Princess herself?!?"


    <i>{That would be like Akagi not leading her own army!} </i>(Halifax)


    "I do not know who the woman is, but she is apparently a small, childlike girl with red and white hair." Silfana described the woman''s appearance, causing Halifax and riel to freeze. "The only other notable thing about her was arge metallic bow on her back. ck Company is getting me more info on her as we speak and I asked Chloe and Nima to do a deeper intel dive.¡±


    "No way..." Halifax looked to riel, who nodded in agreement. There was no doubt in either of their minds as to who it was leading the Demon Army.


    "There''s only one person who fits that description." riel said, her chest tightening.


    "Penelope." (riel x Halifax)


    ______________________________________________________________________________


    <Debora POV>


    ¡°Our forces have begun to march... I just hope this n is going to work. If she refuses our offer...¡± Debora said as she and Balour looked down at the Demon Army''s encampment in the valley below. They''d snuck out under the cover of night and were heading to a predetermined meeting spot with one of Akagi''s nsmen. They''d secretly reached out to the Dumetorians via Count Boze, who gleefully set up the rendezvous under the guise of peace and salvation, something both Elector-King held little hope for.


    ¡°We just have to hope she''s truly as reasonable as Boze said.¡± Balour said, sweat dripping from his face due to physical exertion. ¡°My bigger concern is being caught. If we''re found out...¡±


    ¡°Trust me, I know.¡± Debora said as the two continued up the hill, disappearing into the woods. They hadn''t been told exactly <i>where </i>to go, only that someone woulde to meet them and after around twenty minutes of walking, the two paused as a group of five ck d and hooded individuals, descended from the trees and surrounded them. There was a tense standoff, and after a moment one of the five removed his hood, revealing himself to be a blue haired fox wolfkin as he approached.


    ¡°I take it that you two are Elector Kings Balour and Debora?¡± Merkyul asked with a polite greeting and bow.


    ¡°Y-Yes...¡± Debora answered, her mouth running dry from nerves. ¡°We were told that someone woulde to speak with us. We wish to speak to Demon Lord Akagi, to try and avert-¡± Her words were cut off by his own.


    ¡°Unfortunately Lady Akagi is not avable at this time, but we''ve been granted leave to discus things in her stead.¡± Merkyul said as he pulled a set a set of chairs and a table from his inventory. ¡°So please, take a seat and we can discuss my Lord''s terms.¡± He said as the two Elector-King''s paused and looked at one another before nodding. They would be traitors to their people so that they may be saved, that was what they''d resolved to do, and they''d do whatever it took to prevent the worst from urring, even if that meant throwing away everything they ever knew.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 361.5 – Steering Fate.

    Chapter 361.5 ¨C Steering Fate.


    "I must admit, Father, that for you to willingly meet with representatives from Northwind in such a... <i>diplomatic </i>manner is surprising." Rebeckah said to her father as a group of maids dressed him in formal wear. "I could''ve sworn you hated Chancellor Gildra''s guts."


    <i>{If I recall correctly you called her something akin to a stray dog that can do little more than rut, bark, and contaminate this world with her mange.} </i>(Rebeckah)


    "That wolf woman and her fostering of rebellion in our eastern provinces <i>does </i>boil my blood, but I''m sure that you understand the gravity of the situation." Hadrus said as his cloak was ced around his neck. "Working together with those greedy merchants in Northwind makes my stomach churn, but it will be necessary if we are to stand against both this new foe and the Demon Kingdom." He said as he flicked his cloak dramatically before turning to the Princess. "The Gods have proven... <i>inadequate </i>allies in this situation, so we''ve no choice but to take things into our own hands. Even if that means working with the <i>enemy.</i>"


    "So you still think the Demon Kingdom is a foe we must be wary of?" Rebeckah asked as the two exited her Father''s room and began walking toward the conference hall. The Empire had long feuded with the Demon Kingdom to the South, and the Imperial Family swore to crush their nation as part of their desire to reunite their former Empire. ¡°I''m surprised.¡±


    "Wary of? No." Hadrus replied curtly. "The Demons are simply an <i>obstacle</i> in our way. They must be removed so that our Empire may again span the entire continent. I am not wary of them, rather I seem them as an irritant. One that must be removed sooner rather thanter."


    "Hence why you moved forces away from the coastline so that the Demons could send more forces to their expedition against the Cult." Rebeckah nodded along recalling his orders to the coastal Nobles to withdraw their troops to ind forts and settlements. "You wish for them to march to their deaths and enable our eventual conquest of the South."


    <i>{Though, while I believe that while your estimation that the Demon Army will be crushed is correct, your understanding of the foe they face is egregiously wrong, Father. The Demon Lord is not a force we should be fighting, but you are unable to see any other path due to your pride. I suppose that runs in the family...} </i>(Rebeckah)


    "The Demons are a timid bunch. Had we not done so, then those forces would''ve remained there rather than heading into the lion''s den." Hadrus said as the two stopped in front of age set of double doors which were opened by guards. Inside was arge conference room and a few familiar faces were already sat at the table.


    "You sure took your time, Hadrus." Gildra said from her seat, a smug look on her face as she rocked back in her chair. "I suppose it <i>does</i> take a bit of time to make sure each individual hair on your head is perfectly trimmed and groomed." Sheughed. ¡°A wonder there is enough oil in this world to keep it perfectly straight.¡±


    "Good to see you''re just as detestable a woman as always, Gildra." Hadrus didn''t even flinch at herment, used to such jabs by this point. "I hope you didn''t bring any of the diseases you mutts are known for. It would be a shame if I had to put you down like the vermin you are." He said as he walked over and sat across from her, followed by Rebeckh who took her ce on his right. "But ''pleasantries'' out of the way, why is <i>he </i>here?" He said as he nced at Jacabey. ¡°I do not recall inviting anyone other than you to this meeting.¡±


    "It always a pleasure, your Majesty." Jacabey said as he took his hat off out of respect for the Emperor. "Do pardon my unexpected appearance, but I insisted on joining Chancellor Gildra during this most important meeting. I ask for your leniency."


    <i>{Showing up unounted to a meeting with Imperial Royalty is typically a way to find yourself in not so pleasant of circumstances. Jacabey is lucky that he holds such an important position that my Father couldn''t dispose of him without issue.} </i>(Rebecha)


    "Now, hear me out, I think it best if he joins us, Hadrus." Gildra said, her gaze growing sharp as she stopped messing around in her seat. "He is the leader of one of thergest coalitions within the Assembly, and it''s important that what we decide on here is approved of by the rest of the members. Best to have him here for negotiations so that I don''t have to convince himter."


    "Politics is always such a pain." Hadrus grumbled, knowing that such things was rife within the Empire as well. "But fine. The Halfling has been beneficial to the Empire on many asions, so I will allow him to remain. But in the future you <i>will </i>inform me of such things <i>before </i>you''re arrival."


    "Thank you, your Majesty. I am in your debt." Jacabey bowed his head respectfully, his eyes seeming to glint for a moment.


    "Well, with that out of the way, let''s get right to the point..." Gildra said as she shifted her jaw in thought. "You want our cooperation to deal with this so-called Demon Lord Akagi, right? Some sort of united front to defeat her?"


    "Yes. As much as <i>both </i>of us detest the idea of working with the other, I have determined that it will be necessary if we are to win." Hadrus replied with a stern expression. "The Gods have already proven themselves weak and feckless. Thus far <i>two </i>have been killed and the Holy City is in chaos due to the battle. The Church''s assurances that everything is under control have wrung hollow since Riftwood was sacked and the new Queen installed as a puppet of the Demon Lord."


    "Ugh... Don''t even get me started on <i>thati. </i>Feline was definitely the least suited for the throne, and her ascension is clearly nothing more than a front for this Demon Lord to establish a foothold in the South." Gildra said with a grimace. The Alliance was one of their best allies and losing them meant taking a serious blow to their military and economic strength. "My agents tell me that the Spirits in captivity within the Alliance have been moved to the Demon Lord''s camp in Simoea.¡±


    "And I''ve got reliable sources telling me that she''s been striking out at those who have them enved within both Northwind <i>and</i> the Empire." Jacabey spoke up. "It would seem that this Demon Lord is serious about their liberation, and it also proves that her servants are equally as dangerous as she is. I''ve lost a few of my best men trying to keep their shadow warriors at bay and I fear they may start striking at members of the Assembly if this keeps up." He said, feigning worry.


    <i>{They are terrifying indeed. Their ability to get in or out of anywhere is already enough to make one shudder, and its a frightening prospect to think what they could do if their master gave them the order and it begs the question as to why she hasn''t done that already.} </i>(Rebeckah)


    "Yeah, we''ve been trying to root them out, but pinning them down has proved all but impossible." Gildra said as she folded her hands on the table. "They''re slippery bastards, I''ll give them that. On one hand, I should be proud that beast-kin do such things, but on the other, I feel sick to my stomach that some of my kind have sided with this monster."


    "Well, we can both agree that having such forces slipping in and out of highly defended areas isn''t ideal." Hadrus replied. "My Nobles have been begging me to provide some kind of extra security, but s we''ve been equally made fools of by them."


    <i>{Yeah, one was in the Imperial Pce not long ago and she evenughed at how bad our defenses are.} </i>(Rebeckah)


    "It does not help that the Heroes of, Northwind, the Alliance, and the Empire have gone missing." Jacabey noted that the three had not been seen in some time. "That alone has been cause for concern, and there are many who believe them to have already been <i>lost</i>."


    "Were they not sent to destroy the Spirits before they couldplete their ns to destroy this world?" Rebeckah asked, knowing full well what had happened to them but wanting to y along. "I presume that is what they''re still doing, no?"


    "Perhaps, but if everything we know is true, then this Demon Lord came from the very world they were sent to." Hadrus answered. "And I can assure you that they would <i>not</i> have survived an encounter with her. That woman''s power was far beyond any of them. I know that for a <i>fact</i>. Not to mention that Lady Hitomi was reportedly <i>in </i>the Holy City, meaning that at least one of them returned."


    <i>{Though any attempt at finding out what happened in that world is being blocked by the Gods. Every messenger I''ve sent to contact her was turned away which leads me to assume the worst.} </i>(Hadrus)


    ¡°Yes, Lady Hitomi did return but sadly I''ve not been able to find out much beyond that. The Church is keeping a tight lid on things at the moment and the current chaos may make things more difficult for now.¡± Jacabey said.


    "The Church''s Hero aside... So the rumor that you drove off the Demon Lord was true?" Gildra asked the Emperor with a raised brow and a scowl. "If you defeated her once then why are you so worried? Sure this can be handled rather swiftly if that was the case."


    <i>{Hadrus is likely as or more powerful than those Heroes. The man hides it well but what lies below is something that likely hasn''t existed in this world since the time of the Heroes of Legend. His power alone was the primary reason the former Beast Kingdoms were crushed.} </i>(Gildra)


    "As much as I wish it to be so, I did not defeat her." Hadrus replied without a hint of embarrassment or self-pity. "That woman toyed with me and then left when she was done having her fun. It''s doubtful that she ever saw me as a threat at all."


    "So how do you propose we fight back then?" Gildra asked with an exasperated expression. "Don''t get me wrong, the idea of rolling over and awaiting our envement isn''t exactly a pleasant thought but it should be obvious that if <i>you </i>can''t beat her head on and the Heroes couldn''t then nobody sans the Gods could do it."


    "And we''ve already seen two of said Gods get killed." Rebeckah chimed in unconsciously, immediately regretting her words a momentter.


    "Naturally, we will not be doing as those idiotic Demons are and marching an army to its death." Hadrus said with a deep grumble. "No, we will need something to put us on the same level as that monster."


    "I understand wanting to form a united front with Northwind and even the other nations, but would it not be better to work with the Gods too?" Rebeckah asked. "Surely there is nothing we can do that they cannot, and it took the Gods intervening to defeat thest Demon Lord that attacked this world."


    "You''d think so, but their cooperation is flimsy at best." Gildra rolled her eyes. "However, I think you''re right to think that at least <i>some </i>cooperation will be needed here, Princess." She said before turning to Hadrus. "We''re going to need to have a discussion that <i>includes </i>them if we want any hope of victory, Hadrus. I''m sure even you understand that the most powerful of mortal weapons and spells are nothing to a God, and if this Demon Lord is as powerful as we fear I doubt there''s anything we can do to stop her on our own."


    <i>{Perhaps we could defeat her other forces with some of the experimental weapons we''ve developed. That may leave the Gods enough of an opening to deal with her, but its going to be a gamble.} </i>(Gildra)


    "I suppose it may be possible to recruit some of the Demi-Gods to aid us." Jacabey noted that they tended to move more to protect the world than their parents. ¡°If nothing else, having them will be better than not.¡±


    "We would still need the Gods'' permission for that and the release of Divine Weapons." Rebeckah said. ¡°Demi-Gods are powerful but they need a Divine Weapon to truly bring out their strength. At the end of the day they''re still mortal.¡±


    "Ah yes, Divine Weapons..." Jacabey nodded in understanding. "It is really too bad that the Empire no longer has the Divine de Halifax in its armory. I''m sure that the de said to have killed the Demon Lord Vikes would''ve proved useful here." He said with a barely noticeable smirk.


    "Recovering that de <i>would</i> prove to be a boon." Hadrus said offhandedly. "But I do not think that is possible at this point. Trying to do so would likely only make things worse." Naturally, he was aware of who and what Halifax was, and he had no doubts that she''d <i>never </i>allow herself to be used by him or anyone else, even in such a dire situation.


    <i>{If my Grandmother were still alive I have no doubt Halifax would work with us, but there is no pointmenting what we don''t have. We shall y the Demon Lord with weapons forged by mortal hands if we have to, and I''ve been preparing for the day we must confront creatures far beyond mortal power.} </i>(Hadrus)


    "Then it would seem we''ve got nothing." Gildra threw up her hands. "We''ve got a Demon Lord on the rampage, Gods to inept or <i>indifferent</i> to help, and a bunch of armies that would simply be chewed apart if they marched to fight such a creature." She gave a defeatedugh. "It''s a new feeling... Feeling helpless like this... And I don''t like it."


    <i>{Helplessness... It really has gotten to that point, hasn''t it? I suppose that''s what Akagi wanted, but I fail to see how her n is going to-} </i>(Rebeckah)


    "Well..." Jacabey''s lips curved into a nasty smirk. "I wouldn''t say things are hopeless <i>just yet</i>." He chuckled.


    "Oh?" Gildra raised an eyebrow at hisment. "That look on your face is one that I''ve seen every time you get a brilliant business idea. So pray tell what n you''ve concocted to get us out of this mess, Jacabey? I''m all ears."


    "Its not much, and I can''t guarantee it''s going to work but..." Jacabey said as he pushed his sses up, causing them to shine for a moment. "How do you feel about working with the <i>Dark Elves?</i>"


    _____________________________________________________________________________


    <Akagi POV>


    ¡°Mama!¡± Alice yelled happily as she ran up to Akagi, who picked her up and swung her around. ¡°Mama! I missed you so much.¡± She smiled as she hugged Akagi and gave her a squeeze.


    ¡°I missed you too, little one.¡± Akagi smiled as she rubbed her nose against Alice''s. ¡°Were you a good girl while I was gone?¡±


    ¡°Nope!¡± Alice snickered. ¡°I was a very bad girl! Miji and I ate <i>all</i> the cookies!¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± Akagiughed as she spun her around some more. ¡°Being good is boring! Evil is the only true way to live!¡±


    ¡°And while you were gone, Imp help me to make something!¡± Alice said wiggled in the <i>Demon''s </i>arms until Akagi let her go. ¡°Now I can help you fight!¡±


    ¡°Help?¡± Akagi asked, confused and concerned. ¡°You''re already helping me by lending me some of your summons. What more could you want to help me with?¡± She''d had Alice create and send over some for a <i>special project</i>, but had forbidden the summoner froming over herself since that would be far too dangerous.


    <i>{And what''s this about Imp? What did you help her with you idiot?!?} </i>(Akagi)


    ¡°Sitting here while Mama fights those mean Gods isn''t fair!¡± Alice pouted as she was pat on the head. ¡°I want to help Mama! Staying here and waiting for you to get back isn''t fun...¡±


    ¡°Now, now. While I appreciate the sentiment I told you before that it was too dangerous toe with.¡± Akagi sighed, understanding her wish but not wanting to cave. ¡°The Gods are far more dangerous than anything you fought before. Its better for you to remotely issue orders or act through the nsmen, and besides I''ve been told your summons have already done a great job tearing through three whole cities!¡±


    <i>{The Dwarves are in full retreat, so you''ve done more than enough my little conqueror!} </i>(Akagi)


    ¡°Yeah, but that''s why I had Imp help me!¡± Alice said as she spun backwards and opened a summoning portal between her and Akagi. ¡°With this I don''t need to wait here while you do all the hard work!¡±


    ¡°What is that?!?¡± Akagi yelped in surprise as Alice''s newest summon rose from the portal. It was a white haired girl that looked like an Avatar from FWO. It was clothed in a white hood with a dash of green on parts of the tunic, and wore something that looked like gym shorts. Physically it looked like a teenage girl and was around three to four inches taller than the loli that was Alice.


    ¡°This one will let me help you!¡± Alice said as she sat on the ground before fainting, her eyes glossing over.


    ¡°Alice?!?¡± Akagi screamed as her daughter passed out, zipping to her in a sh.


    <i>{She''s in aa?!? Her vitals have slowed down to almost aplete halt but she''s still alive! What the hell is going on?!?} </i>(Akagi)


    ¡°I''m fine, Mama.¡± The summon turned and spoke to Akagi, its voice much more mature and <i>clear</i> than Alice''s. ¡°See!¡± It smiled in a way that instantly told Akagi that it was <i>Alice </i>within it. ¡°With this body I can go with and you don''t have to worry about me!¡±


    ¡°W-What the hell did Imp help you make?¡± Akagi asked,pletely bbergasted by this unexpected turn of events.


    Spoiler


    A new summon?


    [copse]

 Chapter 361.6 – A Chip of the Ol’ Block!

    Chapter 361.6 ¨C A Chip of the Ol¡¯ Block!


    "So... Let me get this straight. Imp managed to create some kind of magical <i>homunculus</i> body, you bound it to you as summon and then you were able to activate your summoner ability to control it?" Akagi summarized the exnation provided by Alice in disbelief. They''d moved over to the garden''s pavilion where the unconscious body of Alice was protectively hugged in the <i>Demon''s </i>arms while she spoke to her daughter, who was currently controlling the summon in question.


    "That''s right!" Alice smiled brightly. "I wanted to help Mama fight those Gods, so I had Imp secretly make this body so I could go with!" She looked very proud of herself, and Akagi couldn''t bring herself to retort or admonish her.


    <i>{All things aside THAT''S FUCKING COOL AS HELL! I didn''t know Imp could do that! How long has this tech been in the works, and why didn''t she say anything to me?!?} </i>(Akagi)


    "I... I knew it was possible to <i>control</i> your summons, but wasn''t that really just something used for scouting with small familiars?" Akagi asked with a wry smile. The ability was mostly an unfinished gimmick in the game and was generally more for fun than actualbat applications. This wasrgely because it left the summonerpletely helpless and overall the stats of the monster were not enough to put up a fight against most yers. Not to mention there was a limit on <i>what </i>summon could be controlled and things as powerful as Puppers were inessible due to built in limitations. "Wait, now that I think about it how long have you known about this? I don''t recall you using this ability since FWO ended."


    "I kind of forgot about it, and I only figured out that it could be used more freely after the tournament." Alice thought for a moment as she recalled using it for the first time. "I was messing with my slime and got frustrated with how it kept failing to do what I want, so I took it over to show it." She tee-hee pero''d. "After that, I tried it with other summons and found out I could do that with <i>all</i> of them, even Puppers!"


    <i>{A little girl in a big Dragon body... If I had a Yen for every time that happened, I''d have two. Which isn''t a lot but it''s weird that it happened twice.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Well, that''s really impressive." Akagi smiled, proud of her daughter''s discovery. "I''m proud of you for figuring this out, Alice. Good job. This might even be of some use for any other summoners out there."


    <i>{But I''m still gonna yell at Imp for doing this and not telling me. Don''t go doing things like this behind my back and expect no repercussions, Devil.} </i>(Akagi)


    "And now I can go with you!" Alice said, happily. "I can resummon this body as many times as I want, so if it gets destroyed it''s no problem and I can still use all my spells and summons through this body! You were worried about me being in danger but they can''t hurt me if my real body is here while the summon goes to Enoris!" She said with a big smile. Summoners could channel their powers through the controlled familiar, which made it useful for keeping them safe while enabling them to direct a battle from the front. In game, this was counterbnced by the fact that summoners tended to have poor magical affinity for damaging spells which, while still the case in the real world, was curbed due to the ability to hone one''s magic and learn spells they otherwise couldn''t in FWO.


    <i>{She really wants toe with that bad? I guess I shouldn''t be shocked since she''s my daughter after all. I don''t really like this, but...} </i>(Akagi)


    "After you went to all that trouble... I can''t just say no, can I?" Akagi sighed, her approval making Alice squeak with excitement. Akagi <i>didn''t </i>want her to actually go due to the risk of her being killed via the connection just as she''d killed Gods, but the <i>Demon </i>was aware that telling Alice no at this stage would just see her sneak over anyway. "You just need to promise me you''ll be careful. No taking risks. You are to disconnect from that body the moment you feel something wrong, okay? And if a God shows up you''re out the instant you know they''re around, deal?"


    <i>{If I can kill things through a connection there''s no guarantee others can''t. Hell, I''d be shocked if the Gods couldn''t do the same thing.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Okay!" Alice smiled while saluting in a serious manner before returning to her usual goofy attitude. "Yippie! I can lead my friends now! Ku Ku Ku! Those Dwarves won''t know what hit them! I''ll make them understand just how powerful an army of monsters lead by their master is!" Sheughed evilly as she imagined leading her legion of summons to war, personally.


    <i>{Yup, definitely my child. Even though it shouldn''t be possible she''s inherited my blood. Oh well, I like it.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Now you do realize that this is all contingent on <i>if </i>you can control that summon while your body is on Earth." Akagi noted that there may be another barrier in her way and raised the issue that what was basically a trans-dimensional VR game with the summon may not be possible. "I wouldn''t be shocked if it wasn''t possible. Interdenominational shenanigans is already a bit wonky, so you''re n may beaten by the literalws of interdimensional physics."


    "Nah, its okay! I already tested it with some rats and it worked fine!" Alice said with a smile. "Imp was worried about the same thing and made me check it before she made this summon! She didn''t want to waste time if it wouldn''t work."


    "Well, she''s nothing but through, I''ll give her that." Akagi rolled her eyes, herst hope having been dashed. "But what''s up with your appearance? It''s like a character made in FWO. I would''ve thought you''d create a body that looks like yours rather than something different."


    "Because I thought it was cute." Alice said as she did another tee-hee pero.


    <i>{Yup...} </i>(Akagi)


    "You''re your mother''s child..." Akagi sighed.


    "Miji thought it was cute too!" Alice said with a smug face. "And she said I looked really cool like this!"


    "It''s definitely a cute body, but your real one is my favorite." Akagiughed. "You''re just a little cupcake! I could just spoil you forever!" She said while stroking Alice''s actual body on the head.


    "Eh-heh." Alice giggled happily. She couldn''t feel anything in her real body while controlling the summon, but seeing herself get pet made her feel happy.


    "So, what''s her name?" Akagi asked her question causing Alice to tilt her head in confusion.


    "Name?" Alice asked, not understanding what Akagi was talking about. ¡°Whose?¡±


    "You give all your summons names, so what''s <i>hers</i>?" Akagi asked while pointing to the new body.


    "I... I didn''t make one..." Alice said, embarrassed. "This summon has no mind, so I didn''t think to..."


    <i>{It has no will of its own? Really? I suppose making a homunculus without a mind is possible, but would Imp really do something like that I can tell it has no soul, but...} </i>(Akagi)


    "I still vote we give her a name." Akagi said, firmly. "Calling you Alice while on a mission might be a bad idea after all. If anyone puts two and two together and discovers you''re my child, they''ll target you even harder."


    "Oh yeah!" Alice said realizing that she''d need something like a code name, which instantly got got her thinking. "Hmmm... Name... Name..."


    "And please give her a <i>regr </i>name." Akagi added, hoping to prevent a tragedy from unfolding. "No calling her Creampuff or something like how you do the others. I want a normal <i>human </i>name, please."


    "I wasn''t going to do that." Alice said, clicking her tongue.


    <i>{You totally were! I know you too well you idiot! You''re horrible at naming summons! You called a Wyvern Puppers for god sake! I know its cute, bute on! The poor thing probably hates being called that!} </i>(Akagi)


    ¡°Hmmmm....¡± Minutes went by as Alice struggled toe up with a name. She tried asking Akagi for input, but the <i>Demon</i> declined to provide any since she wanted this to be something entirely of Alice''s making. The girl struggled and struggled until something seemed to click and she leaped out of the chair with her idea.


    "Erika!" Alice said with glee as she said the name that came to mind. "That will be her name, Erika with a K!"


    <i>{Welp, I guess that''s about as normal as we''re going to get.} </i>(Akagi)


    "Then Erika it is." Akagi smiled. "Make sure you take good care of her, okay? I won''t have you neglecting her."


    "Mama, this isn''t like a kid finding a stray dog..." Alice deadpanned.


    "It''s close enough!" Akagiughed, which made Alice pout and huff.


    After a bit of coaxing, Alice was brought around with a round of tea and cookies. Akagi wanted her to get used to controlling that body, asking her to use it for a bit while they chatted. Once the treats had been provided the two rxed together under the pavilion for a while and Akagi noticed that while controlling Erika''s body Alice''s annunciation and artiction were slightly better. She still had some of her more childish mannerisms of speaking, but it was clear that she was conversing in a more mature, albeit still adolescent, manner. Akagi figured this was a result of using a separate body which may have helped to weaken the mental blocks and limitations she''d ced upon herself due to trauma. After a bit of chatting they were interrupted by an unexpected guest who called out to them.


    "Oh, there you are." Hishya said as she walked across the wooden footpath and approached. She was wearing work out clothing and the rag over her shoulder indicated that she''d just got done exercising. "Miji was trying to find you, and-" She paused as she noticed the unconscious body of Alice lying on a nearby bench while the new one was hugged up on Akagi. "You added another girl to your snuggle harem, didn''t you? Where did you kidnap this one from? You''ve got to stop doing that, Akagi. Its not okay to rip children out of their rightful homes."


    "Mama didn''t kidnap me!" Alice pouted as she clung tighter to Akagi. ¡°You''re the reason I went to her anyway! Stupid lizard!¡± She said, blowing a raspberry.


    "Yeah! You heard her!" Akagiughed as she pet Alice on the head. ¡°This is all your fault, Hishya!¡±


    "Mama?" Hishya did a double take as she processed what she''d just heard. "Wait, you have <i>another </i>one?!? When did you kidnap another child and force them into being your kid?!?"


    <i>{I feel like we need an intervention team for her. No acquiring children through kidnapping! Miji might not have been kidnapped but she was bribed with kitty which isn''t much better!} </i>(Hishya)


    "I only have one child, Hishya." Akagi rolled her eyes as she pointed to Alice''s unconscious body. "The cute one hugged up on my arm is still the same as the sleeping Princess."


    "Heeee." Alice smiled happily as she was pet on the head some more.


    "Uh... How and why?" Hishya shook her head, not even questioning things.


    "<i>Imp</i>." Akagi''s one-word answer was all the Dragon needed to understand what was going on.


    <i>{Ah... I see...} </i>(Hishya)


    "Yup, that checks out." Hishya nodded. "I guess this must be some kind of piggybacking off Daikael''s experimenting?" She figured the crazy fox shared some info about her cloning experiments that would allow Alice to have a second body.


    "Don''t know, haven''t gotten that far, but probably." Akagi replied as Hishya walked over and poked Alice''s new body in the cheek.


    "Its... It''s <i>perfect</i>." Hishya said as she kept poking the girl''s cheek. "You could''ve told me this was someone from FWO and I''d''ve believed it. Its nothing like a normal clone body you could''ve made in game with Alchemy or magic."


    <i>{Hell I can even sense vitals from it! This body... How the hell did Daikael and Imp make something like this?!? If it was known they could makeplete ''Human'' bodies... It would revolutionize medicine!} </i>(Hishya)


    "Yeah, and my child here decided it would be <i>funny </i>to prank me by falling unconscious without telling me what was going on." Akagi red at Alice while pinching her cheek.


    "Yow! Mama that hurts!" Alice yelped as her cheek was subjected to extreme pinching.


    "That''s payback for making me worried! My nonexistent heart stopped when you fell over!" Akagi grumbled as she let her go. ¡°Mama was very worried!¡±


    "Please... Please don''t go scaring your mom like that, Alice." Hishya sighed, picturing what happened in her mind and instantly not liking it. "We''ve already seen what happens when she freaks out..."


    <i>{Alice dying is very high on my list of DON''T LET IT HAPPEN!} </i>(Hishya)


    "I''m sorry, Mama." Alice apologized as she hugged Akagi''s arm tighter. "Are you mad at me?"


    "No, I''m not." Akagi sighed as she pat her on the head. "Just don''t go scaring Mama like that again. This old heart of mine can''t take such things anymore." She snickered. ¡°I can''t handle such stress anymore.¡±


    "So why did Alice get this second body made anyway?" Hishya asked as she moved around the table and took a seat. "Please don''t tell me it was so that she could hug you in two bodies instead of one..."


    <i>{Knowing Alice though, it may be exactly that...} </i>(Hishya)


    "I want to help Mama in the war against the Gods!" Alice said as she hopped up from the chair. "Mama said it was too dangerous for me to go in person, but if I send this body I can control it and lead my army of summons!" She said with a toothy smile.


    "You... Akagi..." Hishya red at the <i>Demon</i>. "Are you really going to let her..."


    "I can''t help but spoil her." Akagi said with a resigned look on her face. "I figure if it will make her happy and keep her from sneaking over there, then I''ll allow it. Though I''ve tied plenty of conditions to her joining the battle."


    "You''re going to make her kill people though!" Hishya hissed, intensely disliking the idea of Alice being made to kill innocent people as part of Akagi''s war. "Alice, you <i>do</i> understand that you''ll be attacking <i>people</i>, right?!? This isn''t FWO or a game! Your summons will be killing people! Do you understand what you''d be doing over there?!?"


    "And?" Alice replied with a coldness in her voice that caught Hishya off guard. "Why shouldn''t I kill people that get in Mama''s way?" She red at the Dragon. "Besides it''s not the first time I''ve led an army of summons to do just <i>that</i>. Recall that it was <i>me </i>who created the Army that attacked Gifu. I have no qualms with killing people, especially if it''s at Mama''s request. If they get in Mama''s way, I''ll remove them without mercy."


    <i>{Aww...} </i>(Akagi)


    "You..." Hishya blinked in surprise. She''d <i>never </i>heard Alice talk in such a manner and for a moment she questioned whether the girl behind the face was really the same happy-go-lucky kid she''de to know.


    "Cute exterior or not, don''t forget that Alice is <i>my </i>daughter, Hishya." Akagi chuckled. "And it seems that I''ve rubbed off on her. <i><b>Just a bit</b></i>."


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